Orre Description

[Aeshdan he/him]

Geography:

The Orre are native to Carranema, a mountainous region far south of the equator, and in the southeast corner of a continent. On the south and west, Carrenema is bounded by the open ocean, while on the north and south it descends into more fertile lowland plains. Though not particularly fertile, Carrenema is rich in ores and gems. At roughly the center of Carrenema lies Lake Lomond, the sacred place of the Orre and their effective capitol.

The lowland plains around Carrenema are at present occupied by the Muhmad, a vicious and bloodthirsty society that has been at war with the Orre for centuries. It is the final defeat of this enemy, and the consequent peaceful expansion, that will allow the Orre to progress from the Tribal Phase to the City Phase.

Biology

The average Orre is biologically similar to the human. At this phase in their history, they tend towards the small and wiry, perhaps due to their highland lifestyle. They also tend to have exceptionally good lungs and hearts. They are generally pale-skinned and dark-haired, with dark eyes.

The Ayethru

For reasons which I know but will not disclose, a very small handful of Orre have undergone radical mutations. While not a different species, these Orre, referred to as the Gifted, are certainly remarkable.

In addition to the alpha and beta waves generated by all sentient brains (alpha waves modulate conscious thought, beta waves the autonomic nervous system), Gifted brains generate something called a Kriston wave. This psychic energy can, with training, be unleashed in a variety of ways.

The biggest subset of Kriston powers focus on using Kriston waves to transmit or manipulate alpha energies, allowing for mental communication, mind-reading, sensing emotions, and in extreme cases, mind-control (very difficult, due to natural mental defenses.)

The second major subset of Kriston powers focus on the manipulation of beta energies, allowing for the disruption of the body’s autonomic nervous system, the production of sensations, and the induction of tau-sleep ( a deep, coma-like state that can be used to stop poisons or survive for long periods without breathing, eating, or drinking).

The third major subset of Kriston powers consists of the production of kinetic and other physical energies, allowing for limited telekinesis (only Pushing and Pulling, and weight rules apply just like in Mistborn), energy bolts, and other such effects.

The primary limitations on this power are its rarity (only 2-300 Gifted in the whole world), the high amount of energy required, and the limited range (maximum of 100 feet or thereabouts).

During the Audition Phase, almost all Gifted belong to the Ayethru, an order of Gifted warriors and protectors similar to the Jedi or the Knights Radiant. Over time, I expect that linguistic corruption will cause “Ayethru” to mean anyone with Kriston powers rather than the specific order it currently refers to.

All Ayethru are armed with a special weapon called a Shardblade, which works as follows. In its passive state, a Shardblade consists of a metal hilt into which a swordstone has been imbedded. A swordstone is a kind of crystal which can be grown in certain caves around Lake Lomond, and it reacts in a very interesting way with kriston waves. When exposed to Kriston waves of the right frequency (it varies from stone to stone), the swordstone deforms and elongates along the z and y axes, creating a blade that is about two and a half feet long, about four inches across in the flat, and with edges exactly one atom thick. In addition, the Kriston energy reinforces the molecular bonds, making an active bladestone virtually unbreakable.

It is also worth noting that among the Orre, the mutation for light eyes has been tied to the Kriston mutations. Therefore, especially during the Audition Phase, light eyes mark a Gifted.

Religion:

The Orre worship a God called Elsh’Addi, who created the world and everything in it. They also believe in an entity called the Adversary, who was once the mightiest of Elsh’Addi’s servants, until he rebelled. Their legends state that Elsh’Addi originally created mankind perfect, but the Adversary tainted them and brought on what they refer to as the Three Deaths. The first to take effect is Spiritual death, or separation from Elsh’Addi. The second is Physical death, which is rather obvious. The third is Cognitive death, for the Orre believe that after death the tainted soul disintegrates into witless fragments of thought and will, a sort of psychic sediment. The Orre believe that in some manner they don’t yet understand, Elsh’Addi will reverse the Deaths for those that were and are and will be faithful to him.

Due to spending the past several centuries at war with a particularly despicable religion (the Muhmad religion endorses abortion, sacred prostitution, and all sorts of other horrid things), the Orre are extremely and violently intent on purity, and draw an infinitely sharp distinction between good and evil. This will start passing by the end of the Audition Phase.

Clans and Tribes

During the Audition Phase, the Orre are divided into seven Clans, which can supposedly trace their existence back to the seven original families. These Clans are further subdivided into various Tribes. The seven Clans are TreeClan, FireClan, WindClan, SeaClan, StoneClan, IronClan, and GoldClan. There is also GhostClan, which is a sort of umbrella term for those that belong to all clans and none, such as the priests, Ayethru, and bards.

Names

The Orre naming system is quite complex, and varies radically from Phase to Phase.

Audition Phase:

All Orre possess two names, a “short” or “core” name and a “long” name. The short name is roughly equivalent to a first name and is used for casual conversation, while the long name is used for introductions or formal occasions.

All Orre names are constructed by stringing together syllables, each of which has a specific meaning. The first syllable of the short name is assigned at birth, while a second is added when the Orre reaches adulthood. This two-syllable construct forms a complete shortname, but additional syllables are occasionally added on to mark amazing achievements.

Example: “Gil” roughly equals “star”, and “Fer” iron. So “Fergil” would roughly translate as “Iron Star.”

The long name is created by adding two syllables to the front of the short name and zero or more to the end. The two prefix syllables indicate the individual’s clan and tribe affiliation, while suffix syllables form titles and ranks.

Example: “Lomserfergilser” would mean “Iron Star, Chief of the Pine Tribe of the TreeClan”.

Leadership

The Orre system of government is monarchical-republican in the Audition Phase. Each tribe is ruled by a male and female pair, identified by the reduplication of the Tribe syllable at the end of the name. Each clan is also ruled by a pair, who bear the Clan syllable as their title. These fourteen leaders, along with representatives from a few special groups such as the priesthood, the Ayethru, and so on form the ruling body of the Orre.