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kiwibirdlafayette · 1 month ago

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At the Heart of the Aether :: Starborne Physiology and their Related Species

(DISCLAIMER all of this is based on my personal headcanons, worldbuilding and interpretation of the OSMP canon. If you disagree, that's totally fine just don't be rude about it! Thanks <3)

Greetings traveler, and welcome back to the Galactic Aether. I am known to outsiders only as the Historian, and I am here to be your humble guide to the fantastical, mysterious and volatile beings that make up this realm we here call home.

So hold tight, open your minds and prepare to take the leap of faith.

The Mystical Realm of the Star

Of the beings which inhabit this wonderful vast galactic skyspace, those whom you'll will run into the most are those who call themselves starborne. While not the most powerful beings, they are a race of technologically advanced, mystical and magical folk who are unlike anyone you'll ever meet on the three constant planes of reality.

Born from the core of stars, these are creatures made up of light, nebulous matter and various other material that lie within the Aether. When a starborne is brought into existence, a fragment from a central star (which can be of any shape and size, though its power level can potentially have an effect on the nature of the starborne) is forged into a crystalline core. The core itself is imbued with a magic that emits a gravitational field that when a starbornes forms (or reforms following a temporary death) it allows them to hold all of that star-nebulaness tightly together in a solid, human-like organic form.

For the most common type of starborne, known in common as Nebulai, these folk tend to present as humanoids, their bodies partly skin, the other visible star matter. It is thought that the more stable a starborne is, the neater the spots of galaxy will present on them. These 'star spots' are considered the sources of our magic and power, as if we do need to attack, the star energy will be drawn from these areas (typically hands and arms)

The colors of a Nebulai are not necessarily dependent on anything in particular aside from familial ties, though it has been believed that a starborne's color can be reflective of one's personality, sense of self or even a show of status. The only exception to this rule is of course, the red coloration of the crown royals, as only our King Dianite and his son, Prince Jordan Sparklez will ever be that color. If one ever finds another starborne who's particle color matches that of the prince, it may be a sign we aren't in the right place anymore.

While a complete change in color is not feasible at this point in time, things such as heightened emotional state, the use of great volumes of magic and low health levels can affect a starborne's glow- causing the stars and star spots to glow brighter, minor hue shifts, and the glimmer of one's overall self to either increase or decrease.

As aforementioned, starbornes will supernova in a type of temporary death- perhaps just from a playful scuffle with friends, or being felled by a enemy in hand-to-hand combat. At these points when all "health points" have been depleted, as long as their core remains intact and undamaged, they are able to reform themselves back into their normal form. For some, it takes a while to realign parts of themselves back together properly, but most are able to do so in a fairly short manner.

For those who do become damaged, this can present in multiple ways.

If a core has been simply cracked, this means that the starborne will just not be able to form back into a completely solid state. Perhaps limbs are missing or added, nebulous matter remains loose on someone's face or depending on the severity, the starborne is unable to reform as completely humanoid anymore (such as cometbornes). Attempts have been made to repair cores before, but without access to that raw magic that formed the fragment in the first place, it is difficult to restore it to its original state. Oftentimes instead, accommodations are made to allow a starborne to exist in their new form.

However, in the case of shatter, or complete destabilization- a starborne would not be able to reform. Known also as involuntary starborne permadeath (as starbornes can eventually die naturally once their core has fizzed out after millennia of existence), this can occur when a core is manually broken completely following a supernova, or via a practice that came into existence during the reigns of King Botan (Dianite's father) and King Ullskae- an executional practice which involved being able to manipulate and realign the gravitational field until the core essentially became a black hole and imploded in on itself.

....

I did not mean to scare you. I promise you can rest assured those means of violence have been left in the past and are no longer commonplace within our kingdom. I cannot speak for those who exist outside Dianite's domain, but I have full confidence that those distant relatives of us Nebulai are just as peaceful as we are.

Shall we meet them?

Vhidheans and Moonbornes

Out in the distance (or even just our throne room, as Queen Khailani hails from here) we find the Vhidheans, a subspecies of starborne from the lunar planet system of Vhidhea. Formerly a kingdom under King Ullskae, Vhidhea is known for being most akin to the overworld in terms of terrain, its lands covered in soaring cliffsides, bodies of water and entrancing glowing foliage.

While Vhidheans are made of nebulous matter just as nebulai are, instead of appearing as cloud-like galaxies, Vhidhean's star spots and are luminous and gelatinous, think like that of jellyfish (some even do have strands that resemble tentacles). This is thought to be attributed to the oceanic surface of their planet, that they adapted these traits to allow them to traverse through the swamps and wetlands much easier.

Vhidheans also have a power not carried by Nebulai- the ability to manipulate gravitational forces of the terrain beneath and around them. Just like the moon can on the Overworld, the more powerful Vhidheans such as the royals and Ullskae's knights (such as the family of the ship engineer Ethosablorian) have a type of control over the movements of tides and bodies of water, and can (with limitations) reshape landscapes.

As one might assume, the gravitational powers of this skillset did have heavy applications during the Vhidhean Catalyst (a civil war which had broken out at the end of Ullskae's reign), the event directly responsible for Moonbornes, a term used to describe Vhidheans who became corrupted by the late King Anphidhea. When he realigned the cores of those unfaithful to his reign but kept them alive to use as soldiers, he created a subspecies of starborne who were unstable from the start, and passed said traits down generations, as if their cores were not fully imbued with the magic of the sun, but if born under a solar eclipse. Moonbornes by nature take damage more easily, can fall to supernova quicker and take a little longer to reform post-temp death. It's fortunately not all bad, as they make up for it in being able to manipulate their form more easily, and are generally more agile and dexterous than both Nebulai and Vhidheans.

The Magic of Sunbornes

As there is a moon, there is a sun, and the most elevated form of this magic is present in Sunbornes. Typically born from a solar flare (and not always to a family) sunbornes are considered one of the most powerful subspecies of starborne, as while most can just manipulate things around them or create star matter from within, sunbornes possess the ability to create material from the particles of the Aether void itself.

Glowing with the luminescence of a central star itself, sunbornes physically resemble the humanoid form of a Nebulai, but tend to be covered in more star spots than what is average. Drawing from the energy in and around them, their cores allow them to form amounts of magic and material from seemingly nothing, making them useful for construction and the creation of new types of matter.

The remainder of their magic not being channeled through their bodies is typically stored in cerulean beads worn on their person at all times, and if stolen, can be used by any other Aether being (though it is highly warned against) or the sunborne themself if weakened in combat not near a central star to recharge from.

Few in number due to the rarity of the solar event that leads to their birth, most of the known sunbornes (James Waglington, Bhokhouro Doublino "Bdubs" and Martha most notably) have harnessed their star-sun magic to become known as "starwizards" of their respective homelands, using their building, sorcery and mystical powers to assist in the advancement and improvement of their companions lives, regardless of how sunbornes have historically been exploited by those with less than kind intention.

The Core of the Fyerian

Sunbornes are not the only subspecies of the Aether to have earned the title of Wizard, as creative magic also comes in the form of Fyerians, a perplexing but powerful race of builders arriving from beyond the outer wilds of the Aether who possessed the ability to manipulate the state of reality and space matter, also powered by their cores.

While most starborne's cores are an internal structure, a Fyerian's core- a heavily encased crystalline star growth that appears somewhere on their torso- is typically visible, radiating with an bioluminescence that puts some stars to shame. When their powers are activated, this white light tends to move through their body in veins like ley lines, channeling their magic into their fingertips and eyes. It is not known what would happen if a Fyerian's core were to be damaged cracked, but I don't believe any I've come into contact with would be willing to experiment with that.

Like Sunbornes, Fyerians have a tendency to lean towards an affinity to putting their magics into construction and building. The Fyurek crew of Matt, Phil and K. Tom coming to work for Lord Mianite for example, being the creative force behind the most iconic architecture of the royal castle itself, converted entirely from rubble and debris lying on the palace ground. Or Joel Beans, who works hand in with the sunborne Bdubs to create the picturesque marvels of Hermitopia. Their core magic also allows them to duplicate pre-existing materials, move parts of already constructed structures and shift the chemical makeup, giving them some degree of ability to create new resources as sunbornes are able to.

Beings of Galactic Dimensional Origin

Turning our gaze even further into the vastness of the Aether, one thing that we will come to learn is that not all beings of our galactic home are variants of the nebulai starborne, but rather start to become reminiscent of the folk who inhabit our dimensional neighbors of the Overworld, Nether and End, just a bit more starry than their land-dwelling cousins.

Moreso present in places like Hermitopia, or the merchant planet of Katsir, some have been led to believe these 'galactic' variants of other origins came about when avians or blazebornes travelled to the Aether and got together with starbornes and created these hybrid species. Whereas the other school of thought (as the one I personally believe in) is that these starfolk have always existed in the Aether, as when encountering geniune hybrids versus galactic beings, I have found them to be incredibly physiologically distinct from one another.

Some of the most notable starfolk I've had the pleasure of meeting (but absolutely not limited to) are as follows:

Galactic Avians, or avians composed of nebulous material. Famed marksman, The Canary, known by his friends as Jimmy "Solidarity" Aequodarity is one of such beings, his appearance reminiscent of the birdfolk of the Overworld, but where he would have feathers, his various wing sets sparkle like a galaxy, his arms and his arms are lined with glimmering, soft gold feather-like tufts of star matter. Atop his head sits two antennae, also of that feather material, which is used like a magnetic detection compass of sorts, allowing him to detect obstacles and rapid changes in movement from a distance. He claims to that its not accurate as he makes it seem, but allegedly Grian of Hermitopia or Prince Andor of Dagrun would heavily dispute these claims due to their historical uses of such powers at moments of heavy significance.

A fascinating element is found in the likes of Galactic Blazebornes, an Aether species moreso of the archaic past (again contributing to the theory they've always been here before interdimensional travel existed) but nonetheless still remain in existence today- specifically one ship engineer by the name of Tango Tekki. Unlike the star-flaked more human-like hair of Nebulai or the floating volume of jelly-hair of Vhidheans, Tekki's hair is made up of a very rare and sought after material matter known simply as "space fire", the flickering wisp atop his head also surrounded by sparkling orange bars emitting a distinct heat. Compared to its overworld counterparts of fire and lava, space fire as a plasma has the potential to burn up to 50x as hot, being used historically to create unbreakable bindings between metals and other materials used in the construction of weaponry. He promised me that he tends to keep coolheaded most of the time, and that he poses no active threat, but I wouldn't take my chances in seeing what it felt like.

Finally, I had the pleasure of meeting Lord Bellinite, a relative to our royal court- an antlered galactic being who insists there are no overworld or nether counterparts to his race. Much like Fyerians, glowing patterns are engraved along its length like, galactic magic incandescing with an eerie maroon color. The eyes behind his skull mask are quick moving, darting about at a speed unlike any other starborne I've seen before, and at some point it reveals to me that he was gaining insight on my thoughts I had left unspoken. It is possible these types of Aether folk can read minds, but would not confirm nor deny my inquisition. I have heard tell of one mercenary known only as Gemini who is of the same subspecies, and perhaps if I ever do encounter her in the future I could gain even further insight into what other mystical powers these beings possess. Rumor has it she spends a lot of time around a very apt galactic avian-moth hybrid by the name of Pearl..

Call of the Sinnochaits

Of the many other galactic origins I have encountered, there lies an enigma in the Sinnochaits. Easily blending in with Nebulai aside from the furry nebulous ears and tails, these starfolk are perhaps the only galactic variant who don't directly resemble any one particular overworld being, as they seem to fall at a peculiar middle ground of two.

Ears and tails made of a subdued form of space fire (but still able to reach temperatures comparable to that of galactic blazebornes), they possess an agility and nimbleness like that of felines, while having the cunning and dexterity of wolves, making them both incredible warriors and tradesfolk. Their hands remain a major star spot just like their starborne counterparts, but in interacting with royal architect Sonja Fhierfach (with her permission), you will find she has callous-like pads on her fingertips and palms giving her a greater grip strength and the ability to handle materials in temperature and stability beyond the capabilities of a typical Nebulai.

Most Sinnochait originate from Dagrun, a planet of our sister kingdom of Ruxomar, according to most historical records. I believe this suggests that potentially due to the nature of Dagrun, this was another case of ancestral Nebulai adapting to the flatter, stonier terrain of the sea port planet, covered in the Aether equivalent to limestone and jagged cliffsides.

Angels, Asteroids and those who walk the Void

As I had mentioned before, not all Aether beings have a core of some sort, or are made up of star or galactic matter (even if they might still sparkle). One such example of this are the Angels.

Mythical overseers of the Aether beyond the power of the royal court, angels act as patrons and guardians, facilitating travel through dimensions and within the Aether, and providing assistance to those who have lost their way. They typically appear as glowing winged beings surrounded by eyes around their head, allowing them to detect movement multidirectional and incredibly far in the distance without the need for further magic. Angels also possess varied healing abilities to use in the case of a stranded or abandoned Aether folk, such as when the angel "Skizz" imbued starmagic into an imp that been shot into the outer wilds from the nether. An experiment had gone wrong, and the angel was able to save his life by turning him into a hybrid starborne, just without any of the associated powers.

There of course are also the stony asteroidbornes, and their corrupted/damaged counterparts, the cometbornes, damaged at the hands of NVIDIAN soldiers in wars past as Vhidheans who became moonbornes did. Much like a starborne, asteroidbornes are composed of a central core that emits a gravitational field, holding the mass of rock, flesh and bone that makes up their visible forms together. However, instead of star spots, asteroidbornes have patches of ice-dust matter in between the stone that become exposed when they are damaged in combat. This is what causes them to be dubbed cometbornes when they enter their corrupted form, as the matter will then flow off their bodies in haunting but sometimes beautiful wisps.

Native to the sparse settlements of the outer wilds are the Voidwalkers, charming beings resembling both starborne and mythical. From gorgons to chimeras and satyrs, the voidwalkers are typically less human in appearance, but consistently share traits with starborne such as having star spots on their skin and having constellations in their hair. However, as the name suggests, voidwalkers possess no central core, but instead are have Aether void running through their blood, giving them an affinity to the space around them, allowing them to fly at great speeds and hover in the air for great lengths regardless of the gravity of the planet they are on. This has led them to be drawn to becoming the explorers and adventurers of the Aether, traversing via specially designed vessel into places often unseen by most starborne in their lifetime and bringing back information that is quite valuable to folks across the Aether.

Not to be mistaken for voidwalkers are the Voidbornes, perhaps one of the most volatile and mysterious of the Aether beings. Composed of pure Aether void, the voidbornes are thought to be one of the first species to inhabit this dimension, for as they come from the void, they too return to it in the end. Less human in appearance, and capable of manipulating shadow, removing all light from a space through a conjuring of infallible darkness, a strategy used quite often during the Nvidian Uprising of Ruxomar's past. As assumed, Voidbornes emit no visible light or possess any particles, but do leave behind a small remnant of void-like darkness wherever they traverse. Some modern day voidbornes retain their ancestral position as guards for the royals or their respective employers, while others have taken to becoming resource scrappers and merchants on Katsir, such as the bubbly half-Voidborne, coowner of Deals with Destiny- Elodie "Lizzie" A. Beans. An establishment known for being in possession of some of the rarest finds across the Aether, many customers attribute the refinedness to Lizzie's ability to sneak in and out of abandoned or forbidden areas often undetected.

Beyond the Darkness

It would be senseless of me not to admit that while the long held belief among our peoples is that we are a peaceful race amongst one another save for minor disputes in this post-war era, there are still in fact very very dangerous beings out there in the far reaches of the galactic Aether taking form as the infamous DMCA. Galactic beings and undead starborne with enhanced abilities and sharper dexterities, these mercenaries have a reputation of refusing to fight fair. Armed with NVIDIAN blades capable of destabilizing and shattering a core in one fell swoop, they exist for one purpose and one purpose only- to end the starborne kingdom of Dianite once and for all.

For they bow to a voice in the shadows beyond where even the bravest Voidwalker dare tread. A starborne so corrupted he glitches in and out of existence. A sickening lime glow comes from the razor-edged blades that make up his armor and voltaic hair, haunting eyes peeking out from behind his jagged mask. His hands are sharpened into merciless claws, the only human thing about him remaining, the wispy olive-grey beard that cascades off his chin.

Despite what the royals want you to believe, and that historically we know the malevolent king of Vhidhea was locked into a pocket dimension centuries ago, there is a part of me that is certain he's escaped. I cannot be alone in sensing King Anphidhea, now freed maybe by stolen sunborne magic or something of even greater power is lurking darkest parts of the Aether, plotting, waiting.

Whether we like it or not, he will return, and I hope the court will be ready. Prince Jordan has been missing for quite some time now, and his treasured royal guardsman has now also disappeared. I have heard tell Hermitopia has also suffered some losses.

.....

Apologies, it is time for me to leave you now. I do hope you have enjoyed learning about what secrets the Aether hides and the wonderous folk who inhabit it, because I have certainly enjoyed this time we have spent together. As the Historian of the Galactic Aether, it is my job simply to teach, to inform of what was, what is and potentially what could be.

I can only hope you take what you have learned here to tread with caution as you continue to explore this vast dimension. Discover what you can, learn what you need to.

Don't go prying where you shouldn't unless you are one hundred percent you will make it out alive.

Safe travels, my friend.

[ TRANSMISSION END ].

#starborne kingdom of dianite au #starborne worldbuilding #worldbuilding #origins smp #origins smp headcanon #long post #infodump as promised!#alright have at it friends #this is so much longer. than i meant it to be xD #I kinda started writing and i couldnt stop dude but i hope yall enjoy<33 #again please dont mean about it ive been workin on this the past two years it means a lot to me ;v;#lafakiwi writes #lafakiwi talks #mianite AU #life series AU #empires smp AU #autism be damned this man can write /silly #this goes out to the six people who were interested ily /p #i had an urge to write it from montpellier conway’s pov so yeah we got this mf again

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