Pale Children
Contents |
The Pale Children
The Pale Children are simulations of some of the more populous surface races of Ateon- created by Netharna in her loneliness and envy of the many toys which her brethren on the surface get to play with. While she is left with only a deluded Sect or the zealous, vengeful Marik’Titsch- she saw that her siblings had a much wider and more versatile flock of children to do their bidding.
Genesis
In recent years, during the days when Lesh laid siege to Templehelm, a band of orks who called themselves the Squigoroth settled a sizable camp within the continent’s borders. The group was primarily Tuskan and it was the largest single body of orks to ever call our land home. This, of course, is why they interested the deity Netharna. Weeks after the chief Skaar’grim first landed the deity of fire opened a portal between her realm and Templehelm and sent an army of demons and hellspawn through in order to test the green brutes. As is to be expected, the orks defeated the invasion and even went so far as to go on the offensive- rampaging through the netherian wastes on the other end of the portal. Netharna, suffice to say, was impressed. She offered her patronage to the orks and Skaar’grim refused, having already pledged himself and his tribe to Cavilon.
This event is what caused Netharna to mold the first of her Pale Children, those referred to colloquially in Templehlem as “Quorks” and as Alphas in their own society. She drew of the quartz which lay buried in her domain and built minions of like mind and temperament to the Tuskans. They were smaller, more compact, and less imposing in their appearance, but nonetheless they were fierce. Since the creation of the Alphas, Netharna has added variety to the Pale Children. When she saw that her orkish copies sank in water and floundered at combat in her brother Akwal’s domain she made the Betas; tall, gilled people which seem to be a combination between an Ichthy and a Merperson. They have the build, skin and hair (very thin filaments of quartz) of an Ichthy and the scaled fins of a Merperson. Their bodies have a strange interior of webbed filaments rather than a solid filling in order to maintain a lighter body than their Alpha brethren while still maintaining much of their structural integrity. Thirdly, Netharna created the Gammas- imitations of ‘Helmian Fae. They’re willowy creatures with slightly pointed ears- entirely feminine in appearance, these creatures make up just five percent of the population of the Pale Children. They are more intelligent, logical and magically adept than their Alpha and Beta brethren and they guide large parties of the other groups which are more suited for combat. Prior to the introduction of the Gammas, the Alphas and Betas lost many a confrontation due to simple incompetence. Realizing that her first two breed of children were created for war and her third for planning, Netharna carved out a fourth to labor for its siblings. The Deltas, as they are called, are small, compact creatures who are skilled at crafting, mining and building for the other castes. They are visibly similar to dwarves or gnomes.
Physiology and Appearance
All of the Pale Children are the color of quartz in their hair and skin with eyes that glow like the yellow stones of the nether. While they are artifice, this constructed people is of a similar- if not greater- complexity to biological creatures. Their bodies are cellular, like any other; however, the operation of their bodies differs greatly from that of organic peoples.
Circulatory System
Similar to the biological equivalent, this system is composed of a large pump and a massive network of veins and arteries. Rather than blood, the Pale Children circulate magma throughout their bodies- providing energy in the form of heat to individual cells. Additionally, netherrack-based masses at hubs of the system ensure that the magma never cools. The location of the pump varies by individual- to prevent vulnerability.
Digestive System
The digestive system of the Pale Children breaks down nutrients and minerals that the individuals consume, separating more useful items from junk that can be added to the magma flow.
Muscular and Skeletal System
Identical in form and function to the overworld equivalent.
Nervous System
Very similar approximation of the nervous system of overworld races. The nervous systems of the different castes are highly specialized and variable between one another. Alphas, for instance, have far less developed systems in the way of problem-solving and logical reasoning and far greater developed systems related to physical output, response time and aggression.
Phylacterial System
The Pale Children possess an extra system which anchors the spiritual being of the individual in its body and allows it magical potential. The location of this system varies by individual- to prevent vulnerability.
Nonexistent Bodily Systems
The Pale Children lack a respiratory system, reproductive system, lymphatic system, endocrine system, exocrine system and renal system.
The Pale Children do not reproduce and any new additions to the race are constructed by Gamma mages from materials gathered by the Deltas. Gammas are all feminine. The other castes are entirely masculine. Additionally, the Pale Children do not breath or produce hormones. Their hair and skin is purely for decoration and serves little real purpose other than to grant the creatures a semblance of biological nature.
Appearance of Specific Castes
The Pale Children share many similarities, but between the castes of their race there is also great difference.
Alpha
The strangeness of the stark white ork at once both confuses and terrifies. The quork emanates a toughness and virility in its swift, powerful movements and it can seem almost animalistic- even in comparison to its overworld counterparts. Alphas stand at about 6’6” tall and can weigh 500-600 lbs. They are heavily muscled and their skin is rough and not easily broken. Alphas are completely hairless. Tusks peek out from their mouths, slightly smaller than a normal ork’s.
Beta
The Beta is an odd creature to peer at, not quite like an Ichthy and not quite like a Merperson. The Beta is quick and fidgety, and its fins seem awkward out of the water. Most Betas stand about 7 feet tall and weigh around 200 lbs. They’re made much lighter than the other castes due to the hollow structure of their bones and other areas which are primarily solid matter in the other castes. Additionally, they are muscled to a much lesser degree than the Alphas are and this helps to cut down on weight. Their skin is smoother, like a human’s. The Betas have prominent fins like a merperson and many have hair atop their heads.
Gamma
Their marble-skinned appearance make them look like the phantoms of native sorceresses and seers of old. Willowy and lithe, they move with artificial elegance, giving them a robotic aura. Gammas stand around 6 feet tall and weigh around 200 lbs. They lack any notable muscle, their skin is soft and they typically wear long hair atop their heads. The Gammas are feminine in build though any features which add to this aesthetic are nonfunctional. The nervous and phylacterial systems of the Gammas are developed to a far greater degree than those of Alphas, Betas and Deltas.
Delta
The Delta are short, stolid and deliberate creatures. They move with an almost mechanical precision and operate tirelessly- often an eerie thing for an overworlder to witness. Standing at a maximum of 4 feet and weighing about 200-300 lbs., the Delta are a compact, hardy caste. Their skin is tough and they are well muscled. The Delta grow hair both atop their head and on the face, often yielding long, elaborately styled beards.
Society and Culture
The Pale Children population is apportioned as follows:
Alphas: 30%
Betas: 20%
Gammas: 5%
Deltas: 45%
The caste system lends itself very well to hierarchies. The Gammas, of course, are the ruling class. Under them are the Betas and the Alphas. At the bottom lie the Deltas. The Gammas operate an open assembly wherein they debate the course of action that the Pale Children should take as a whole. They take Netharna’s word absolutely, though, and should she choose to weigh in on a topic they follow her judgement resolutely. The Betas and Alphas defend the Pale Children from the many threats of the nether. Unlike Netharna’s more fragile, less expendable overworld followers the Pale Children have no immunities to the beasts of the Nether and often have to stave off attacks from ghasts, blazes, flame trolls, magma slimes, demons, devils, and overworld interlopers. Additionally, when Netharna or the Gammas order a war party formed then it is drawn from the Alphas and the Betas. The massive Delta population is mostly set to work gathering materials to feed the existing population and replace those lost in the hazards of the nether. Additionally, Deltas build and reinforce the cities of the Pale Children. They are entirely subservient to the other three castes and are often taken as playthings by the Alphas and the Betas.
Craftsmanship
The crafts of the Pale Children are created purely by the Deltas and they are created for utility- it is the Gammas which deal in art and the Deltas which deal in function, the two rarely mix. Most tools are carved from quartz or netherrack and glowstone is used in lighting fixtures. The weaponry of the Pale Children is forged of obsidian, and tempered in the fires of the nether.
Clothes
The only things worn by the Pale Children are for utility. This means that an Alpha or Beta may wear armor when the need arises, but beyond that they go around largely naked. Clothes are rather useless in a burning hellscape where they burn off in seconds. If one of the Pale Children were to be abroad in the overworld, it might don overworlder clothes in order to fit in.
Sport
There are a number of sports played amongst the Pale Children. The Gammas generally abstain from such physical pursuits. The Alphas partake in a wide variety of ball-centric sports which usually utilize Deltas in place of a ball. The Betas play in a similar vein as the Alphas; however, their games are centered around the lava pools where they’re more at home. Deltas mostly run from those of their brethren who wish to play sport; however they and the other two baser castes all enjoy bare-knuckle boxing, a sport usually restricted to members of the same caste.
Higher Pursuits
Art, Philosophy, Politic, and other sophisticated pursuits are monopolized in both production and consumption by the Gamma caste. The other three castes lack the will or interest to partake in these pursuits and the Gammas were created to excel in these areas. Gamma art famously depicts the harsh, unforgiving landscapes of the Nether and rarely depicts persons in those landscapes. Destruction, flame and power are worshipped in Gamma art.
Religion
The Old Order Faith of Marik’Titsch is the common belief among the Pale Children.
Settlement
The settlements of the Pale Children are small and widespread though communication is fairly easily made between settlements with the use of telepathic magic by the Gamma caste. A given settlement will generally contain around 100 individuals.There is no centralized “capital” of the race’s society and the Pale Children operate as a loose Theocratic Confederacy. The governing assembly is held telepathically.
Combat
Each of the four castes play some role in combat. The Alphas and Betas are the most directly involved, engaging in physical battle with enemies while the Gammas and Deltas are further removed from any conflict. When doing battle, the Pale Children organize into war bands of around 20 individuals. A given party is lead by a single Gamma who directs the forces and ensures that they are fighting cooperatively and efficiently. When a number of parties are involved in a single skirmish, extra gammas- detached from specific parties- may be present in order to clarify wider strategic movements and enemy positions. The rest of a war party varies in makeup depending on its purpose. If a war party is going to stick completely to inland areas and forests it may keep a couple of Betas as scouts and keep the rest of its muscle as Alphas. If a war band is heading into deep oceans it may only take Betas.
Following closely behind a war band, there will always be a utility corps of approximately the same size composed entirely of Deltas. It is these deltas which gather material for the war band to eat, repair weapons and armor, and build anything that the war band has need of during a campaign.
