Brassborn

The Brassborn

Origin: Aeyandite

Capital/original settlement: Andomery

Other Settlements: Krasildawn, Teregany

Lifespan: 8'000-15'000 years

Traits:

Elemental Automata; various metals form the tissues of a brassborn's body, elemental energies animate the exotic core at the heart of their construction and provide miraculous vitality.

Passionate Creators; The brassborn constantly yearn to design and build artistic and utilitarian masterpieces, being makers and tinkerers in racial psyche they never stop building, or designing when they're between constructions.

Reverant of Death; the Brassborn are intimately acknowledging of their inevitable expiries, and thus spend their lifetimes frugally - a fact ironic for their exceptionally long lived-ness. A brassborn is always striving to achieve as much as possible in the time they have, whilst acknowledging those who came before them.

Society:

Although asexual, Brassborn are identified based on the color of crystal housed within their faceplate, having varied pronouns for each color within their gesture-based language. Despite this, the Brassborn have no assigned gender roles, and with the exception of individuals with a pink gemstone, treat each other as equals. However, individuals with a pink gemstone are generally regarded as bad luck, and tend to be avoided by a majority of the population. Correspondingly, Brassborn tend to avoid the color pink in their exploration and art, steering clear of forests found to have pink flowers, and abandoning mines where pink stones are found. None of the Brassborn know for certain where this natural aversion originated, although some have told stories of a strange, pink creature that can be found underground and is capable of disintegrating any metal upon contact. No examples of such a creature have ever been collected or observed by a trustworthy source, and most Brassborn regard this beast as myth.

The Brassborn are obsessed with creation. Whether it’s the creation of a fantastic painting, a mechanical construct capable of moving around, a tool designed for a specific but somewhat common occurrence, or an entirely new technology, if it involves a process of taking unrefined materials and combining them into something new, the Brassborn revere and adore it. Individuals are often measured based on their skills in their chosen area of craft, providing one of the only ways an individual with a pink gem can gain the respect of its peers. They are a very peaceful people as well, and as such creations intended for violence or destruction are typically valued significantly less than a creation with an alternate purpose might be valued. Since they don’t eat and have no reason to hunt, their ability to defend themselves from most threats is limited to the material of which they are made, and their ability to reason with other intelligent life.

The Brassborn often seem fairly religious from the outside, but most Brassborn individuals (especially the younger ones) tend to be fairly apathetic towards their worship. The existence of their creator goddess, Aeyandite, is regarded more as an uninteresting fact of life than as something that deserves their attention. The confusion stems from the nearly-imperceptible differences between worship of Aeyandite and simple craftsmanship. Whereas most worship of Aeyandite takes the form of craftsmanship, the types of finished products that are considered reverent or holy take the form of time-keeping devices or tools for more intricate and complicated forms of craftsmanship. While a carved statue of Aeyandite is craftsmanship, it is not considered an item of worship unless some form of clock is included within its construction, typically placed on the right hand, left breast, or face. The most holy ritual for the Brassborn is one of funeral. Brassborn who have ceased movement are placed standing in rows, forty-four to a row, in massive caves near the surface, kept lit and ventilated with small holes to the surface, with their gemstones carefully removed and placed in their left hand. Their left hand is clasped close to their chest, whereas their right hand is placed with the palm covering the hole in their face plate where the gem was removed. Brassborn with mouths instead have their gemstone placed in their mouth, and their left hand is placed in the gesture for peace, with the thumb extended sideways and touching their neck, and the rest of the hand held closed. While the Brassborn regard Aeyandite as a fact of life, their view of other gods or goddesses is a skeptical one. Upon encountering another religion, a typical Brassborn will follow along willingly, but will not directly engage with any part of the services. A more extroverted Brassborn might attempt to learn as much as possible about the new religion, gauging certain elements of the worship and doctrine in a scientific attempt to determine if the religion has any validity. Depending on their conclusion, an individual or group of individuals might include worship of another deity in their everyday lives, although such practice is rare.

The Brassborn, due to the fact that they don’t have many physical needs other than an occasional polishing or part replacement, are able to vary their lifestyles to an extreme degree. There are some Brassborn who devote themselves to their crafts almost entirely, spending twenty or more hours working every day. Other Brassborn are less dedicated, instead dividing up times of rest and relaxation between their periods of craftsmanship. Some Brassborn prefer learning to creating, and spend their time studying the works of others, trying to understand what makes them so great. Across the spectrum, however, Brassborn live their lives with a sense of urgency. This is because when Brassborn die, there is no warning, and no set pattern. One day, each Brassborn will just suddenly stop moving, having departed this world. For some, it happens mere weeks after their own creation. Others might live a thousand or more years before their time stops.

Because of their lack of needs other than protection, the Brassborn often have an attitude of not needing leadership. Organization, however, is an entirely different matter. With that in mind, the eldest three Brassborn are known as the Organizers. They decide who goes on scavenging patrols on the surface, which Brassborn work in the mines, and which Brassborn are tasked with expanding their underground cities.

Advancements:

Profession based exo-suits; the brassborn have learnt how to forge and craft great insulated enviromental suits to encase their kind and protect them from extreme environments. Among lesser purposes it allows the Brassborn to walk along the bottom of the oceans; a preferrably reliable means of travel to building ships, as well as limited magma-diving and volcanic spelunking.

Sects: