Zodiac
From SCross
Contents |
Intro
Gaze upon this map and reflect a moment. Something is missing. There is only one arctic circle. Gaia is only half complete.
Resting on the far side of the world, forgotten entirely by Gaia, and in sympathy, her people, are the citizens of the Zodiac. Forsaken by terrestial forces, they have long ago hitched their metaphysical destiny to the great celestial bodies that hang overhead.
Very little is known about the culture of the Zodiac, because the journey that leads them to gaia's top renders their memory gone. As gaia has forgotten them, so do they forget themselves. A constant, however, is a great spiritual weight that clings to the people of the Zodiac. Spirits react when they arrive. Fear, joy, respect, never is the coming of a Zodiac citizen a light thing for those of spiritual nature.
Some would liken the Zodiac people to gods, but they are very mortal. Though age seems to slide off of them as water from the back of a duck, physical abuse, disease, and other foibles of the physical world does take its toll as any other.
As a curious aspect of their alliance with the stars, the people of the Zodiac are entirely non-elemental. They never develop elemental drift, nor do they seem to react to elemental energies the way most living beings do. All magic is like a physical blow to them. Fire does not burn, it cuts. Water does not drown, it merely bludgeons, leaving the zodiac perfectly dry. A zodiac in thick plate armor is as well defended against magic as he or she is against a sword's assault.
Races
Zodiac Human
In appearance, they are much like any other human, with the exception of the energy that radiates from them. As the moon waxes, they glimmer with her vigor, and when she wanes, they become drained and tired, pallid. They are given to mood swings and leaps of opinion. Such is the fate of the Lunatics.
Zodiac humans and Lunarians are kindred. Their mutual tie to the moon makes them fast and easy allies, though neither can be sure why at first. Lunarians also seem to have a stabalizing effect on Zodiac, calming the raging seas of their mercurial minds. When the two meet, it is not rare for the zodiac human to become permanently bonded with the Lunarian, most often through employment, one working for the other.
Kitsune
Strange vulpine creatures that seem as much spirit as flesh. A kitsune is known and most easily identified by its tails, of which they can grow quite many. Unfortunately, for those who would seek out the kitsune, these tails may be easily hidden.
The number of tails a kitsune has is a measure of power and spiritual growth. Spiritual vampires, they draw on the power of other vital beings. Eventually, through experience and amassed power, this congeals into the physical form of an additional appendage. Sadly, the kitsune do not quite recall what their additional tails actually allow them to do, this memory one of many expunged on their journey to the new lands.
Spirits seem to regard kitsune with some measure of respect. If prodded on the matter, they insist that the kitsune were once more populace before being lost, and had a position of importance in the spirit hierarchy, though what position that was is anyone's guess.
Anubite
One of the rarest of the Zodiac society, and easily understood why. Masters and arbiters of death and rebirth, Anubites judge the dying of worthiness, speeding their reincarnation or destroying the soul utterly. Their mastery over souls seems to extend to living spirits, allowing them to banish spirits as easily as a man would bat away a fly.
It is this reason that spirits are loathe to have anything to do with an Anubite. Though most jackalmen use their ability with great responsibility and thought, the sheer damage they could potentially cause keeps spirits from dropping their guard to allow the chance.
It is possible, though more unusual, for an Anubite to find a passing soul both worthy and appealing. Anubites in this situation will devour the soul, gaining power. The soul passes however, largely unharmed by the experience, though marked subtly. This soul-mark can be seen by members of the Zodiac, who will treat such a person with respect.
Breeding
It should be noted that Zodiac species do not breed nearly as often as most of Gaia's children. Effectively immortal, there is little need to procreate with nearly the same urgency that a human would operate under.
This is not to say that Zodiac species do not, merely that they do not consider it as often, nor do results come as readily. Gestation time remains much the same, however, based on the size of those involved.
Death
While time may hold little sway over the Zodiac, a sword through the face or a large enough ice spike will do the job. Zodiac species, being forgotten of Gaia, do not return to the lifestream. Instead, their spirits retreat across the ocean, returning home and waiting until the next conception to be reborn as Zodiac, though not always of the same species.
The energy is still recycled with Gaia, but limited to the area of her that recognizes these lost souls. As a result of this, reincarnation effects have a longer period of time to function. All time involved should be divided by ten for purposes of limits or effects from time passed since death.
