Henleaze Avenue
19-11-2003, 00:56
This post deals with Ereth, the home planet of my RP character Edward Rynehart. So if you just want to find out what makes Edward Rynehart tick (and turn into a shape shifting subhuman monster :twisted: ), follow the link below (note: contains pic).
http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=95326&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=
But, if you would like to find out a little more about Ereth, Hydian Syndrome and what it involves, then everything you need to know is in here. Comments and criticisms are welcome.
Ereth
Population: 5 billion sentients, all Erethian.
Capital: Soldan, pop. 24 million.
Language: Erethian. A comparison would be a hybrid of Latin, French and Italian, with tone, pitch and emphasis providing considerable differences in meaning.
Economy: Main exports are metal ores used in spaceship construction, a type of seaweed called boudagne regarded as a delicacy throughout the galaxy, and Erethian mercenaries – some of the best to be found in the system.
History of Ereth: Ereth orbits an old, dying star located near the centre of the Milky Way galaxy. She is a hospitable planet, with open plains and dense forests covering most of her surface. There are two oceans and a number of rivers, many of which originate in the mountain range that straddles almost the whole of the planet's equator. The star, Thalmis, has been dying for nearly ten thousand years, and its death throes will continue for another ten thousand - but in the meantime, it produces huge solar flares on a regular basis, generally at the rate of around four per year. Such outgassings of radiation would be immensely damaging to Ereth should she ever be caught in one...but in five thousand years of recorded history, Ereth had only collided with a flare once.
That had been an extinction-level event, and few of those primitive beings that recorded the encounter had survived. Those that had were irrevocably changed. The radiation from the flare had forced their cells into a frenzy of replication and mutation, along with every other living thing on the planet. Whole species died out in months, many from rare forms of cancer caused by uncontrollable cell replication. Others mutated over several generations into fantastical forms that soon became extinct as they struggled to cope in the battered environment. But the ancestors of the modern-day Erethians were one of the luckier species. The mutations caused in their genome were many but one endured, passing down the generations.
Erethians altered: The electromagnetic charge that runs through every cell had been strengthened and as the millennia passed, it became clear that the charge could now be controlled to a certain extent by the body. The magnetic field produced by these EM charges could repel and attract individual cells, pushing them into new configurations and positions. The result? A limited form of shape shifting - the Erethians were able to alter their external appearance somewhat, growing barbs on their skin during ritual mating fights and lumpy nodules on their skin to dissipate heat in the stifling Erethian summers.
As the species developed from primitive savages into the form we know today, the potential of such an ability was not lost on their emerging intelligence. The ability had slowly increased over the millennia, and efforts were made to train Erethians in more extreme forms of shape shifting. For a while progress was made, until some Erethians were able to ‘grow’ 8-inch double-edged blades from their wrists in a matter of seconds, usable as deadly weapons. For a brief time there was considerable interest in the military application of such abilities, but it was soon realised that the time and training necessary would produce a soldier only a little more effective than a normal Erethian with a sword.
While the conscious changing of shape was fairly limited in its scope, the shape shifting caused by sub- or unconscious impulses was far more intense. An Erethian could consciously enlarge and strengthen their muscles to 50% of normal strength, but when under great emotional or physical stress strength could increase by up to 175%. In one case where the subject had been trapped by falling masonry after an earthquake, radical cell shifting provided sufficient strength to move rubble with a total weight of 6.75 tonnes. The disadvantage with this unconscious shifting was its unpredictability – any extreme of emotion might set off a shift, the more extreme the emotion the greater the shift, and such shifts could not be brought on intentionally despite numerous tests. It is difficult to control such an unconscious shift once it has begun.
Modern Erethians are trained from a young age to subdue such unconscious shifts – the disadvantages of having your emotions on public display are obvious. Those who prove especially adept often move into careers in the Foreign Ministry, where concealment of emotions in diplomacy is of course paramount. Erethians have a reputation on several planets for being handy in a fight, due to the instant ‘knuckledusters’ and blades that can be grown, which then cease to exist when the authorities arrive.
Erethian Appearance: Naturally the shifting can alter the body and face to a certain extent, but an Erethian who is not shifting will resemble a human to a large degree. There are however certain subtle differences in proportion and dimension in the face and body that mark the Erethian as non-human to any informed observer. The major differences between humans and Erethians are within. Aside from the shape shifting abilities, Erethians have extremely dense bodies, in order to accommodate the increased number of cells required for growing extra muscles, blades, adding to height and so on. The vast majority of these cells are never used, and only in special cases – for example in a Hydian fit or an extreme of emotion – are the full resources of the body utilised. This density means that although Erethians are uniformly slim and fine boned, usually measuring around 6’, they generally weigh in at upwards of 200lb. To cope with this excess weight requires a considerable amount of muscle even before shape shifting, but the density of Erethian muscle tissue enables them to cope with such a heavy load. Erethian body mass is mostly muscle, with very little fat.
Hydian Syndrome: Edward Rynehart has the unfortunate distinction of being part of the 0.001% of Erethians inflicted with what has been called ‘Hydian Syndrome’, named after the doctor who first identified it in partnership with Dr Bannon and their assistant Mr Jekyl. The syndrome is a form of multiple personality disorder where the psyche of the patient is split in two, leaving the id and superego separated…in short, with one normal and one subhuman, animal personality. This syndrome has been identified in other species, but afflicted Erethians are far more dangerous, due to their shifting abilities. An Erethian in the grip of his or her ‘dark side’ (if you will pardon the term) is subject to near-animal impulses and instincts, and the extremes of emotion have the effect of radical shape shifting by the Erethian in line with the emotions experienced. Thus, a seemingly normal Erethian afflicted with the syndrome can shift in seconds to a seven-foot tall monstrosity, bristling with spikes, barbs and cruel talons, ready to lash out at anything considered a threat. These alter egos are usually able to speak after a fashion, though in a crude and guttural manner, and often have a different name for themselves. Rynehart’s alter ego calls himself Mr Jarboe, the reason for which is unknown. Hydian Syndrome can appear at any point in life, and there does not seem to be any common factor amongst the sufferers.
The strength of the fit suffered determines the intensity of the shift. Should the fit be mild the Erethian may be able to control the shift to an extent, although the mental shift to a dark and animal state will continue regardless. In strong fits the subject loses all control, responding to threats and situations with subhuman basic instincts. The frequency and duration of fits varies greatly – some subjects have had fits four to five times an hour that lasted only a few minutes, while others have gone years without an attack before suffering a fit that lasted days. The rate of deterioration changes from subject to subject – some dissolve into an unthinking beast state within weeks, others – like Rynehart – have survived for years, fighting the ever-more-frequent attacks and trying desperately to hold on to their minds.
http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=95326&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=
But, if you would like to find out a little more about Ereth, Hydian Syndrome and what it involves, then everything you need to know is in here. Comments and criticisms are welcome.
Ereth
Population: 5 billion sentients, all Erethian.
Capital: Soldan, pop. 24 million.
Language: Erethian. A comparison would be a hybrid of Latin, French and Italian, with tone, pitch and emphasis providing considerable differences in meaning.
Economy: Main exports are metal ores used in spaceship construction, a type of seaweed called boudagne regarded as a delicacy throughout the galaxy, and Erethian mercenaries – some of the best to be found in the system.
History of Ereth: Ereth orbits an old, dying star located near the centre of the Milky Way galaxy. She is a hospitable planet, with open plains and dense forests covering most of her surface. There are two oceans and a number of rivers, many of which originate in the mountain range that straddles almost the whole of the planet's equator. The star, Thalmis, has been dying for nearly ten thousand years, and its death throes will continue for another ten thousand - but in the meantime, it produces huge solar flares on a regular basis, generally at the rate of around four per year. Such outgassings of radiation would be immensely damaging to Ereth should she ever be caught in one...but in five thousand years of recorded history, Ereth had only collided with a flare once.
That had been an extinction-level event, and few of those primitive beings that recorded the encounter had survived. Those that had were irrevocably changed. The radiation from the flare had forced their cells into a frenzy of replication and mutation, along with every other living thing on the planet. Whole species died out in months, many from rare forms of cancer caused by uncontrollable cell replication. Others mutated over several generations into fantastical forms that soon became extinct as they struggled to cope in the battered environment. But the ancestors of the modern-day Erethians were one of the luckier species. The mutations caused in their genome were many but one endured, passing down the generations.
Erethians altered: The electromagnetic charge that runs through every cell had been strengthened and as the millennia passed, it became clear that the charge could now be controlled to a certain extent by the body. The magnetic field produced by these EM charges could repel and attract individual cells, pushing them into new configurations and positions. The result? A limited form of shape shifting - the Erethians were able to alter their external appearance somewhat, growing barbs on their skin during ritual mating fights and lumpy nodules on their skin to dissipate heat in the stifling Erethian summers.
As the species developed from primitive savages into the form we know today, the potential of such an ability was not lost on their emerging intelligence. The ability had slowly increased over the millennia, and efforts were made to train Erethians in more extreme forms of shape shifting. For a while progress was made, until some Erethians were able to ‘grow’ 8-inch double-edged blades from their wrists in a matter of seconds, usable as deadly weapons. For a brief time there was considerable interest in the military application of such abilities, but it was soon realised that the time and training necessary would produce a soldier only a little more effective than a normal Erethian with a sword.
While the conscious changing of shape was fairly limited in its scope, the shape shifting caused by sub- or unconscious impulses was far more intense. An Erethian could consciously enlarge and strengthen their muscles to 50% of normal strength, but when under great emotional or physical stress strength could increase by up to 175%. In one case where the subject had been trapped by falling masonry after an earthquake, radical cell shifting provided sufficient strength to move rubble with a total weight of 6.75 tonnes. The disadvantage with this unconscious shifting was its unpredictability – any extreme of emotion might set off a shift, the more extreme the emotion the greater the shift, and such shifts could not be brought on intentionally despite numerous tests. It is difficult to control such an unconscious shift once it has begun.
Modern Erethians are trained from a young age to subdue such unconscious shifts – the disadvantages of having your emotions on public display are obvious. Those who prove especially adept often move into careers in the Foreign Ministry, where concealment of emotions in diplomacy is of course paramount. Erethians have a reputation on several planets for being handy in a fight, due to the instant ‘knuckledusters’ and blades that can be grown, which then cease to exist when the authorities arrive.
Erethian Appearance: Naturally the shifting can alter the body and face to a certain extent, but an Erethian who is not shifting will resemble a human to a large degree. There are however certain subtle differences in proportion and dimension in the face and body that mark the Erethian as non-human to any informed observer. The major differences between humans and Erethians are within. Aside from the shape shifting abilities, Erethians have extremely dense bodies, in order to accommodate the increased number of cells required for growing extra muscles, blades, adding to height and so on. The vast majority of these cells are never used, and only in special cases – for example in a Hydian fit or an extreme of emotion – are the full resources of the body utilised. This density means that although Erethians are uniformly slim and fine boned, usually measuring around 6’, they generally weigh in at upwards of 200lb. To cope with this excess weight requires a considerable amount of muscle even before shape shifting, but the density of Erethian muscle tissue enables them to cope with such a heavy load. Erethian body mass is mostly muscle, with very little fat.
Hydian Syndrome: Edward Rynehart has the unfortunate distinction of being part of the 0.001% of Erethians inflicted with what has been called ‘Hydian Syndrome’, named after the doctor who first identified it in partnership with Dr Bannon and their assistant Mr Jekyl. The syndrome is a form of multiple personality disorder where the psyche of the patient is split in two, leaving the id and superego separated…in short, with one normal and one subhuman, animal personality. This syndrome has been identified in other species, but afflicted Erethians are far more dangerous, due to their shifting abilities. An Erethian in the grip of his or her ‘dark side’ (if you will pardon the term) is subject to near-animal impulses and instincts, and the extremes of emotion have the effect of radical shape shifting by the Erethian in line with the emotions experienced. Thus, a seemingly normal Erethian afflicted with the syndrome can shift in seconds to a seven-foot tall monstrosity, bristling with spikes, barbs and cruel talons, ready to lash out at anything considered a threat. These alter egos are usually able to speak after a fashion, though in a crude and guttural manner, and often have a different name for themselves. Rynehart’s alter ego calls himself Mr Jarboe, the reason for which is unknown. Hydian Syndrome can appear at any point in life, and there does not seem to be any common factor amongst the sufferers.
The strength of the fit suffered determines the intensity of the shift. Should the fit be mild the Erethian may be able to control the shift to an extent, although the mental shift to a dark and animal state will continue regardless. In strong fits the subject loses all control, responding to threats and situations with subhuman basic instincts. The frequency and duration of fits varies greatly – some subjects have had fits four to five times an hour that lasted only a few minutes, while others have gone years without an attack before suffering a fit that lasted days. The rate of deterioration changes from subject to subject – some dissolve into an unthinking beast state within weeks, others – like Rynehart – have survived for years, fighting the ever-more-frequent attacks and trying desperately to hold on to their minds.