Karthians

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IamLEAM1983
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Karthians

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- originate from Telor, exoplanet located across galaxy
- Telor isn't their homeworld. Homeworld was lost. Is speculated Karthians have been space-farers for millennia and simply "forgot" where home was
- as such, species is known for its physical resistance to artificial habitats. Exoplanet domes or planets located short of the viability zone for solar systems
- also known for its culture based on socially accepted mind control hierarchies. Naturally creates highly efficient social systems and weeds out dissent or irrelevant thoughts
- see their innately dispassionate nature. Their brain's limbic system differs from ours. Motivation, long-term memory and olfaction are present, but neural pathways related to emotion are almost absent
- feelings are normally distant affects for them. They understand Terran levels of emotion, but still feel overwhelmed by us on occasion.
- paradoxally, species also carries its own set of infectious diseases. Terran species are mostly immune, but emigrated Karthians bring their own variation on the common cold and flu, for instance

- as such, species is known for carrying the best way to defeat them or to forcefully introduce them to Terran life: Crimson Spirit
- inflammation of the Karthian brain's limbic system. Emotional elements are immensely bolstered. Chance of motivations and ambitions also being increased to dangerous levels
- one of the most recognizable symptoms is excessive emotional reactions when compared to human/anthro standards. Can also include development of narcissistic traits and megalomania
- Karthian annals lead physicians to suspect further delusions can take form. Alien take on Christ Complex, for instance, or unrestrained delusions of grandeur

- Healthy Karthians are known for sharing brain power through more passive links. Called "Think Tanks" by Terrans. On Earth, this makes the aliens sought after in architecture and marketing firms, game design studios, etc.
- will unconsciously and naturally attempt to optimize workflow using Think Tanks. Not quite addictive, but Terran professionals tend to miss their last job, if it included a Karthian supervisor.
- usually in hindsight, as Grayskins aren't the most congenial sorts. Tendency for pointed observations and criticisms, low tolerance for failure. Highly performance-oriented. Can be stimulating for some.

- intimate mental connections are called Links. Healthy Karthians can't really love, but they can achieve a sense of gentle fondness for someone else. Some Terrans can find this more secure than the full strain of a normal relationship
- paradoxally, Links run extremely deep. Over time, Karthian partners can gain a conscious understanding of an alien partner's emotional nature. Like a sort of "cold" empathy. Will seek to support and optimize it.
- deepest state of a Link carries electrochemical instructions through partner's own nervous system. Karthian reproduction is "immaculate", when compared with Earth standards.
- this level of mental bond enables Karthians coupled with Terrans to remotely feel things like intoxication, satiation, lust, etc.
- this *does* progressively stimulate the limbic system, but isn't comparable to Crimson Spirit. Results are healthy and stable. Ends with Karthian possessed of a level of emotional stability and sensibility approaching a healthy native
- except if partner is depressive or suffers of other forms of emotional imbalances. Karthian partner then uncontrollably reproduces symptoms

- unfortunately, infected Karthians can tweak established psychic links with focus and added physical contact. Can totally subsume partner's electrochemical activity and absorb its potential.
- perpetrators are called Psychophages by Karthians, "psychic vampires" by Terrans. Is dangerous, as the more neuroelectric potential is absorbed, the stronger Karthian natural abilities become
- still a thankfully slow process. Would need to drain thousands of people to even approach a considerable amount of gained potency

- all Karthians are innately talented telepaths and have psychokinetic abilities. Normally limited to a few pounds. Usual use involves holding up several books around their own head at a desk, during research
- Karthian engineers and architects tend to "bulk up" their psychokinesis, but not by much. Mostly to keep several tools within easy reach without necessarily using a tool belt
- can be used offensively. All Karthians learn to throw objects using psychokinesis and to stop thrown objects. Can be toned down for limb-less underhand tosses and the passing around of equipment or books
- all can sleep, but also enter a kind of "hypersleep" they call Stasis. Hardware allows them to slow down every single aspect of organic life, to the point of observable death by Earth sciences
- Karthians in Stasis will factually age a few weeks per century. Allows them to survive extensive space travel

- infected Karthians with some amount of stored neuroelectric energy will usually do a lot more. Will lift up several hundred pounds, up to a few tons.
- these very powerful psychokinetics can hold themselves aloft, reproducing flight shown by superhumans. Will stop an immense quantity of small objects or one or two large ones without much effort.

- not always a case of infection, however. Karthian hierarchies are all connected to a single being at the top: the Grand Archon
- members of hierarchy share brain power, and all direct their total shared potency to the Grand Archon
- enables a normally sane Karthian to show powers typically associated with insane ones. More or less the main line of defense against infected who go too far

- last proper Grand Archon died thousands of years ago on Telor. Anastasius Romanov co-opted Russian aristocracy's structure, so he never took that title. Once threatened to form the United Karthian Dominions of Russia
- Archibald Holden and British Secret Service (pre-MI6, 1880s) prevented this and inoculated him with controlled, distilled variant of Crimson Spirit. Didn't prevent October Revolution...
- the Grand Archon's assassin disappeared somewhere in Earth's arm of the Milky Way...
- will later learn that his ship's engines failed. He entered Stasis to survive, a few thousand years ago, and got picked up by the last of the Blue Paradise's original wardens...

- tweaked Crimson Spirit was too effective with Anastasius. Life imprisonment was planned, but he spent ten years in Parkhurst in an increasing depressive state.
- was deemed too much and inhuman for him to endure, and was placed in Stasis. Parkhurst's shift into a High Security prison in 1990 brought his state into question
- he was awakened and questioned. Remorse was intact, but Stasis had stabilized his depressive leanings into more introspective leanings
- was released in 1995. High levels of emotional responses have kept him well clear of attempting more political coups. Artistic leanings motived his return to Stasis in small bursts
- last awakening was in 2001, shortly before 9/11

- Anastasius Romanov is now a renowned artist; one of the few instances of highly sensitive and artistically inclined Karthians known
- espouses a strict policy of nonviolence and telepathic austerity. Has accumulated a few lovers and groupies over time, but never conceived a child
- was never convicted again, but has caused controversies in literati and other artistic cohorts. Is deemed "too intense" to be a stable prospect as a friend and/or lover
- first recepient of genetic retroviral therapy designed to "educate" the Karthian gastric system on how to handle Terran food. They normally can't. Stasis forced them to develop a high-yield and slow-burn supplement.

- are also known for their technology. Fold-space drives for short distances, temporal stabilization engines for long trips. Can more or less exploit weaknesses of time when light-speed is applied
- short distances involve "folding" space literally. Point A and distant Point B momentarily overlap, ship and crew momentarily exist in two spots, then original spot disappears
- long distances involve shifting the scale of passing time. Thousands of years pass outside the ship, a few years pass inside. Stasis is used for intergalactic or galaxy-wide travels

- even in 1880s, tech was impressive. Crash destroyed most of their advanced tech, but they've been able to catch up:
- weapon tagging: restrictive measures forcing photonic or plasma-based weaponry to fire only when Karthian owner's DNA signature is confirmed. Earthlings weren't trusted to handle these responsibly. First contempt, now genuine concern
- transeuranic weaponry: being developed in conjunction with US Army - still in prototype phase. No agency has been trusted with prototypes
- eutectic biological compounds: essentially real-life equivalents to Mass Effect's Medigel or Resident Evil's Hyposprays. Reacts to skin and forms hardened antibacterial cover that bolsters normal healing processes
- has been used to create "healing grenades". High-power explosives adapted to fire misted compounds in a wide radius
- also adapted in smoke bombs and flashbangs. Smoke screens double as life-preserving agents for SWAT teams, for instance

- vintage weapons are usually based on Tesla coils. From 30s to 50s: Googie Raygun aesthetics.

- they facilitated the realization of first basic ALUs and processors from Babbage's difference engines. More or less have partial credit for Home PC revolution and current day's focus on tablet devices and ubiquitous display surfaces
- they're rediscovering their own tech while helping us.
- enabled construction of armatures based on principles other than coal power, boiled water or perpetual motion: 1915-1948: electric armatures
- currently facilitating development of man-machine interfaces on the biological level. Cyborgs owe a lot to Karthians.
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