(( to go in the expanded info))
The Long
The History
Younglings often attempt to understand the nature and circumstances of this world, and find it hard to grasp all ins and outs of how their home became what it is today. To help them, a story was come up with, a metaphor for the scientific details.
A Tale of Sunshine
A world existed once, like all others. It became and it matured, nurtured by the sun's rays. People came to be, all kinds of them, and they were few, but they were happy. The sun gave them life and magic, and energy to use. But the sun waned, and the rays that reached the earth no longer gave energy. Instead, they dropped to the ground in small slivers of gold, and remained there. Soon, the shards were embedded into the world's surface, and it was left cold and starving.
People attempted to free the sunlight from the pebbles, and only rarely they succeeded. It was as hazardous to excavate the solid sunlight as it was to try and set it free from its prison. Those who accomplished the feat were rewarded for their efforts, though. Only the brave and strong could harness the shards and release the energy, holding the power of the sun in their hands.
Usually, the tale ends there, as either most children understand what it was that set the sunlight free, or they are not supposed to ever learn.
The scarce energy led to a crisis. People fought each other for the sunlight shards, and there was much suffering among them. There was no balance.
Then, at the time of deepest despair, they arrived. Mysterious creations made by mankind's most adept researchers, that had the incredible ability to set the sunlight free. They took no side, and soon, everyone could use this tool to claim there share of the abundance locked into the world. And the sunlight returned.
War ceased, and people lived in equality once more. The sun overcame its weakness and shone, and no more shards fell.
The tale is not over, but the recent history is generally told with the gravity that topics of great taboo are laced with.
The creations with the gift of harnessing the world's energy were saviours, then. However, they overstepped their limitations, and scorned their creators. In a mockery of human life and identity, they attempted to be like us. They stole our uniqueness and rebelled against us. They changed, corrupted by the vast amounts of energy they possessed.
But today, that last threat is no more. The creations have been taken back to their mysterious source, to be undone and granted peace from their previous purpose at last.
((the actual shop prose lol))
The Short
Historic overview
The planet of Drente suffered a long-lasting ecological crisis several hundreds of years ago. The energy received from the sun was no longer available, instead locked away in the Source. It proved to be hard to excavate and hazardous to convert into usable energy, but those who succeeded gained critical advantages on their competitors. This ever-shifting imbalance led to a great war that left the world torn.
A group of scientists -almost by chance alone- discovered a new element, something they called the Essence, that could be grown into a new tool, an intelligent creation. They were versatile, and depending on the purpose they were imbued with, could become efficient and powerful aids in all sorts of tasks. A lucky discovery that greatly lessened the workload of the taxed human populations.
In a valiant effort to live by their ideals, they distributed the Essentics equally among all warring factions. Soon enough, they had become a common sight. Only later a a much more significant facet of them was revealed... They could safely harness the Source and relay it to mankind, using only a fraction of it for the upkeep of their Essence.
The widespread tools converted the Source all over the planet rapidly, and the energy sealed into the Source quickly saturated the world again. Things went back to normal. The Essentics, however, now no longer deprived from the energy their Essence connects them to, finally began to unveil their true purpose: to continue to serve mankind, and to adapt to do so more efficiently. Their ability to acquire very specific traits and perfect their mimicry frightened many people. The fact they showed emotions and intelligent thought beyond the robotic-instinctive quality they had before didn't help matters, either.
Soon enough they were discarded, labelled as cheap copies, or treacherous enemies that would try to take over mankind's empire.
A decade ago, the government opened a public vote, and the Essentics were banned, as illegal tools and weaponry. So they were collected, hunted, and destroyed. Their creators were disposed of, and the data they collected was lost.
… according to high officials.
The World of Drente
Developmental Index
Technology does very well in almost all ranges of the world. Holographics and communications are reasonably advanced, albeit warfare lacks in subtlety due to the severe rarity of energy to invest in research.
Most cities have covered up the war scars, and provide sufficient shelter for people from a wide array of social statuses. Rich or poor, they can exist in the luxury they can afford.
Magic is widespread, in all classes and societies. A great portion of mankind possesses an innate ability to use the world's energy, but very few show real talent.
Geographical-Biological Data
A planet recovering from an ecological disaster, Drente is mainly covered in dry wasteland. Forests and fields are only beginning to settle again, and they are being taken good care of, but the war-torn land on the inter-city axes will need more time. Scattered all over the country are minor and major communities and metropoli.
Food and energy resources are relatively abundant, and trying many means of handling this overflow at once has left things a little shaky. Mankind is learning.
The current world trade capital is Vargash. A grand city built with its back against a shield of mountain, flaring out onto the wastelands surrounding it.
Population
Drente's main thinking-feeling species is the human as we all know him, and his co-existers. Call them elves, call them weres, faes, angelics, demons, call them all you want, they identify themselves as humans with deviating needs and abilities, born from the same Mother of all.
The Essentics, however, are created, not born. They are considered the ultimate mockery of human life and souls. A few seem to claim the opposite, and defend the claim they are just as worthy of the title of 'human', but in the current political climate, it is not a smart idea to say that too loud in the vicinity of agents of the law. In general people defending them are ignored however, and since the single violent cleansing, the government has ceased the ruthless pursuit of the Essentics and their users.
The Essentics
Created to serve, live to learn
Through a secret procédé that was never revealed, these hightly versatile tools find their origin in the Essence.
What it is nobody ever found out. It worked, and people never needed to know more.
They were first used as intelligent tools, for they possessed the capacity to learn faster than any sort of previously manufactured robot, performed their tasks well with an uncanny skill at accommodating their masters, and while they required 'food', they were able to recover from a lot of damage by themselves.
To simplify distribution, they were grouped into purpose-classes, for example the social, combat, services and magic groups. This allowed buyers to quickly choose an Essence base that would fit with their intention.
Life Essentials ~spiritual and pragmatical assistance
AKA
Essential Biotics Inc.
In a busy narrow street, like all others in one of Vargash's lower districts, an unremarkable, gaudy yet oddly auspicious sign beckons the lost souls that wander here to come and take a look.
Hidden behind the façade of yet another promise of swift fortune, the entrance to an emporium calls.
Banning I DeLonghy, the renounced noble and wealthy git unknown to none but the upper classes, takes his residence here.
Is it boredom that drives him, curiosity? The thrill of illegal activities? Nobody is foolish enough to question him, so most likely it will be his secret forever.
He will offer you an Essentic. How? People say they can't be manufactured any more! But they can, and Banning wishes to share. The Essentics will not be forgotten, for this man has revived them. How he acquired the plans, the data, that is for him to know and for you to not even think about.
His offer: A newly created Essentic, at your service. All he demands in return is discretion.
They are tools, so use them for your own benefit. Become friends with them, enlist them in the military high performance project, have them do your job; Banning doesn't want to know what you will do with them. Accept his contract, and the Essentic is yours.
Choose your Spark, dear client.
Essentic Growth
Stage One: Essence Spark
A physical form tied to the ectoplasmic. In other words: a rock with glowing stuff on it. This is what a customer receives upon closing the deal. The inhibiting seal placed on the Essence Spark is released by the shop staff before handing the Essence over. It may develop into its first useful stage from anywhere between instantaneously and several weeks, though usually it happens within three days.
This purchase or donation comes with a Contract.
[Spark Groups]
For easy choosing, the sealed Essence Sparks were colour-coded according to their purpose and assembled into groups. Customers may be allowed to choose from a selection of these groups, or be presented with an ungrouped Essence.
-Social Spark:
Purposes: Human interactions, relationships, social care and empathy.
Docile templates, highly receptive of human emotions. Can be quite the personalities.
Colour code: Colours of the sky, from sunny to cloudy blues.
examples: Childcare Spark, Soulmate Spark
-Combat Spark
Purposes: Labour, martial arts expertise, military applications, endurance.
Innate assertiveness (aggression if misguided) and able to surpass their own limits if pressured. Least stable, but can be trained into self-control.
Colour code: Dark reds, rusts and metallics
examples: Aggressive CQC Spark, Gunplay Spark
-Services Spark:
Purposes: Specific tasks and jobs in all ranges of society.
Have a high potential to develop great skills in their subject, are well-adapted to business situations and possess a natural toleration to stress. Known to be more intelligent than other groups, as well as have a healthy level of professionalism.
Colour code: Green-blues in intensive hues
examples: Messenger Spark, R&D Data Spark
-Magicker Spark:
Purposes: Tasks that require skill in magic.
Neglect of most other skills in favour of using various types of Source magic with great proficiency. An amalgam of personalities, tending towards the eccentric quite a lot though.
Colour code: indigo over purples and lilacs to magenta
examples: Pyrotechnics Spark, Hydromancy Spark
Stage Two: Essentic Proto
The Proto stage is the form that most industrial Essentics possessed during the Crisis, due to the deprivation of a constant energy flow. In this developmental stage, they clearly show their true side. Only remotely human, shaped from an amalgam of materials and ideas, they function despite often lacking many humanoid characteristics. Faceless, feral, mechanic, ethereal or everything at once, they are rather alienating to observe. During its Proto stage, the Essentic will absorb concepts and elements from what exists around him. This can be orchestrated to force the creature into a specific direction or occur with serendipitous circumstances.
All in all the process of acquiring new characteristics is a very short one, and can take less that three months is properly exposed to stimuli.
Their learning speed varies, but most are eager to grow and please their owner. Like a recently activated android they will bumble and err and cause general awkwardness, but their intelligence allows them to solve problems almost independently. More socially oriented groups tend to display quite some creativity, too.
Stage Three: Essentic Alter
The Alter stage was most commonly found in heavy-duty Essentics with very specific tasks that require human interaction. After the Crisis ended, almost all morphed into this next stage overtime, like a child grows. Their energy reserves are sufficient to support the body of a young adult.
Their abilities will continue to grow and specify, and their temperaments become more and more human. Their identity develops much like any other young humanoid's would, according to their base personality and their circumstances.
Throughout their Alter stage, they will continue to adapt gradually, and begin to make conscious choices about themselves and what they wish to be. This could lead to acquiring more characteristics after their final growth, or to an altering or suppressing of what they have already gained, depending on their preferences. Depending on their personal growth rate and eagerness to change, this stage can last from a few months to several years.
Stage Four: Essentic Essentic
The now mature Essentics, with a purpose and a stable identity, the tools from ages past are now fully adapted beings. After this last growth they will have chosen a form to remain in, and will not easily change themselves any longer.
Stage Five: Essentic ???
*******
Items of Note:
Deprivation of food and Source material may force both Alter and Essentic stages to temporarily reduce their physical age (and energy consumption) as a means of self-preservation. This will not alter their acquired characteristics but may affect their mental state if prolonged.
The number of influences in an Essentic is reversed to the intensity of any of those influences. An Essentic mimicking two influences will gain more characteristics from either influence, than another who has been influenced by five sources. The bigger their pool, the more diluted their elements are.
An exemplary life cycle: an essentic study summary
Individual X
Received as a Social spark. Purpose: replacement for a lost child.
Unleashed into Proto. Gained a name and was put into the family to learn. Exposed to anything related to the lost child, and starts gaining its mannerisms and adapting to being a child. Accidentally exposed to another influence: the family parrot.
Grew into Alter. Due to purpose retained a juvenile form, having taken on a mimicry of the deceased child. Mimics regular human growth and mannerisms. Retains bird-like qualities in its body but neglects their development, as it wishes to fit in better.
Grew into full Essentic.
Due to striving for a perfect adaptation and fulfilling its purpose, suppressed rogue parrot characteristics. Succeeded in replacing the child he shaped himself after nigh perfectly. Continues to grow according to the normal human life cycle.
Records ended after twelve years of observation. Subject terminated.
((note to nychii: this will be more significant later on! Ask me about it! XD ))
Graficcha Community Member 
|
|
