Savitr
From ScholaWiki
|
Locations · Characters · Species · Objects · Other |
The world of Dagda is populated by six sentient subspecies, the Raijin, Ryujin, Fujin, Svarog, Mani and Savitr. The final subspecies are the most under-developed of the six, roaming across the southern continent in small individual tribes that often know starvation and illness. The Savitr are similar in aesthetics to the other subspecies of Dagda, elongated ears, hairless and a tail but their skin is white and even somewhat translucent in places. They are powerless, though it is speculated by Fujin scientists that the Savitr once held the power of light.
Contents |
Homeworld
- Main article: Dagda
The world of Dagda is a small Terran planet, consisting of oceans, great continents and varied forms of flora and fauna. It holds several sentient subspecies that all share a common ancestor, they are the Raijin, Fujin, Ryujin, Savitr, Mani and Svarog, each separated by racial defined boundaries and countries. The three most prominent subspecies reside on the northern bound continent and minor islands, whilst the others live on the gold rich southern continent, which has a much more inhospitable climate and terrain.
Biology
Appearance
They are humanoid, possessing the simple two legs and two arms connected via a torso. The major differences between humans and the Savitr is that no hair grows upon a Savitr's body. Rather than hair they have a set of large tendrils which grow from the head and fall down in a similar fashion to hair except they are much thicker and made from fat and flesh. Their ears are also elongated, similar to that of a drow, but are also 'upside down', similar, perhaps, to certain species of dog. Like their Mani cousins, the Savitr have shorter tails than most of the other Dagdan subspecies as they only extend to the length of the knee and are simple in design, tapering to a small point at the tip. Their skin is coloured stark white, with few variants save for some grey in rare cases. However their skin is also slightly translucent, which can give them a tint of red in some lighting conditions. Due to their shorter lifespans than most sentient species, Savitr mature at a much earlier age and are considered adults at ten years. Physically, and mentally, a ten-year-old would compare to a sixteen-year-old human.
Powers & Talents
The Savitr have no powers, unlike many other Dagdan subspecies. Fujin scientists believe that the Savitr once had power over light due to biological characteristics. They are, however, very agile and have keen, natural reflexes that could out-strip any standard human.
Biological Characteristics
Raijin, Fujin, Ryujin, Savitr, Mani and Svarog are all subspecies of Dagda. Capable of interbreeding, each subspecies is, however, very unique. Varying breeds of dog or cat would also be considered subspecies, for comparison.
The Savitr have redundant chloroplast subunits within their cells. They were once used to soak in light from the sun, which would then have provided nutrition, energy and even would have allowed the Savitr to wield light based energies much like the powers used by other subspecies of Dagda. However the chloroplasts have ceased to function, possibly due to lack of need as the Savitr also hunt and grow food. It is believed by Fujin scientists that the Savitr and Mani subspecies are both the oldest sentients on Dagda, possibly having had evolutionary chains splinter off millions of years in the past to create the other four.
It is the loss of chloroplasts that give the Savitr their slightly translucent, pure white skin. It is believed the slight darkening that rarely occurs in the Savitr subspecies is evolution trying to protect the Savitr from the harsh sunlight of the southern continent, Eostre.
Society
Culture
The Savitr are a nomad people. They travel after 'the herd', which are an animal similar to cows, and live off of them for both food and clothing and for tents, making leather from the skin of the beast. They live in small pocket tribes, each vying for influence over another, but they cannot join as one due to over-crowding and further starvation. Separate they can tend to their own small units of people and minimize the loss of life.
This need to roam means that the Savitr have a religious-like philosophy that surrounds the idea of 'the hunt', which mostly involves the tracking of the herd. The longer the trackers take to find the herd, the more people die of starvation and hunger-related illness.
There are a few Savitr that have had the opportunity to travel north to the Island of Manannán, which has Dagda's largest university complex. It is also the only building of education that welcomes all subspecies of Dagda, including those from Eostre. The university will fund these Savitr, Mani of Svarog that wish to learn, though there is a limit to the number they will give such aid to. It is, therefore, usually the sons or daughters of tribe leaders that gain a northern education. They normally then return home to aid their people with their new-found knowledge, although some turn their backs on their past lives and seek a place in Anemoi, the country owned by the Fujin who are the least resentful to outside subspecies.
Technology
All resources of the Savitr are tied to the idea of the hunt. They usually use hand cannons to hunt and war with. They are iron barrels that can propel a projectile using simple gunpowder, which has to be ignited manually. This is due to the abundance of sulphur, potassium nitrate and charcoal in eastern Eostre, but a lack of wood. However they do use bows and arrows when a quieter approach is necessary.
They live in leather tents and use the fur of various animals for warmth at night and in winter. They gain paint and dye from plant life and animals. What few trees are available have been used to create carts, on which possessions are carted across the land. These wooden carts are used for generations, due to their value.
In stark contrast the subspecies of the northern continent, Hotei, have technology that rivals modern technology of Earth. Fujin explorers often trade with the Savitr, offering goods, food and technology (especially medicinal) in return for maps, precious gemstones or simple shelter as they continue their explorations.
Government
The Savitr are split into various small tribal units. Each tribe is run by a single leader, often known as a chieftain. These chieftains can exert influence on other tribes and work with them on occasion so that they could reap benefits from the hunt, or sharing of food or expertise. However there is no single ruler of them all. It is believed that there was once a chieftain so powerful that he held sway over all other tribes, but his legacy has long passed into legend and myth. The tribes, do, however, share women. They will trade women, set to be wives, in order to expand the gene pool and bolster relations between tribes. This is especially productive when it is a chieftains daughter being traded and there is a dowry involved.
Class Structure
Each tribe of the Savitr has a chieftain. The family of the chieftains are held in high regard and seen as collectively leaders of everyone else within the tribe. However the position of chieftain is not handed down father-to-son. The position of chieftain is given to the man believed to be the wisest amongst each individual tribe, regardless of age. The family then gains status of 'leader', however this only extends to children born after the chieftain is given his role of leader. Children born before this point are considered another simple tribesman. This is due to the belief that the 'essence' of the chieftain will pass on to his children as long as he is in this role. This is a spiritual twist to the passing of knowledge and skills.
Other than the respect and obedience to the chieftain and his family, the tribesmen are classless. Only the trackers are given a great deal more respect and praise, but they are not born or bestowed any particular privileges.
Language
In the past each country and subspecies would have had their own language, however the Fujin language has become the common tongue for the whole of Dagda. Even the subspecies of Eostre speak the Fujin language, having it replace the simple mode of communication that they previously used, not in the least due to the growing necessity for trade with the Fujin. However most subspecies still retain certain culturally specific words, or, as in the case of the Raijin, naming conventions. Place names also retain their original pronunciations, even if the spellings change to match the Fujin alphabet.
Accents change tribe to tribe, though not greatly due to the inter-marriages of women between them. Overall their accents are similar to Southern USA accents.
History
The Savitr have experienced little in the way of change since their earliest recordings. Other than the gradual loss of power, the Savitr have been a nomadic people chasing the herd. They made some chemical advances, creating things like gunpowder and glass long before any other subspecies, but with a lack of foliage or ability to settle and develop a refined sense of education, the Savitr have had little reason to change their methods.
The most fertile land on Eostre is controlled by the settled Svarog, who the Savitr fear due to their ability to control and produce flame. They do make trades but the distance between the Svarog and the Savitr make this journey barely profitable by its end. In contrast the relationship with the Mani had changed over the course of time.
The Mani once shared the herd with the Savitr, back when the last dregs of power remained with the two subspecies. However a plague struck the Mani and depleted their numbers, yet this disease never affected the Savitr. Distrust grew amongst the Mani and they believed it was a curse from the Savitr that struck down its people.
The Mani retired and settled within the Mani Caves. With time the Savitr believed that the Mani had been wiped out and stories spread of demonic beings dwelling within caves. Only after the arrival of Fujin explorers from the northern continent of Hotei did the Savitr learn about the Mani's continued existence. Despite this renewed knowledge there is still a great fear of the Mani, buried within the consciousness of the Savitr.
The Savitr have never had any single leader to unite them all due to the nature of the herd and the trouble with living in large numbers on the plains of Eostre. However one very influential chieftain, named Annam Cara, of the Ceinlys tribe, managed to exert such influence over the other tribes that he was leader of all tribes, save by official title. In texts he was described as being very effeminate and has been suggested that he gained the support of other tribes by sleeping with their chieftains or eldest sons. However it has also been suggested that Annam Cara was not a homosexual but a woman in disguise. These speculations eventually led to further distrust of a unified system and the possibility of a 'whore chieftain' gaining so much power and control.
When the Fujin explorers did eventually arrive, the Savitr began to grow reliant on the Fujin medical advances and food supplies contained within packages and tins. The Savitr had long known of beings across the sea, the continent of Hotei being visible on the distant horizon on clear days, however the nature of all Dagdan subspecies is not of explorative curiosity. The Fujin only began research on Eostre in hopes of better understanding and knowledge of the mechanics of life, rather than the lust for new lands or sights. The Savitr were the first subspecies to meet the Fujin explorers and have since been the first stop for any would-be Fujin adventurer. Very few Raijin or Ryujin have ever travelled to Eostre.
Relevant Characters
Player Characters & Other Major Characters
None
Non-Player Characters & Associated Characters
Annam Cara
- Main article: Annam Cara
Annam Cara was once a great chieftain of the Savitr subspecies, who hail from the earth-like world of Dagda. These people are split into separate tribes and always have been except for the brief period of time that Annam Cara, who was chieftain of the Ceinlys tribe, was in power as he held great influence over all of the other tribes. However, with the passing of time the memory of Annam Cara has produced many rumours and mythical beliefs surrounding the man that was.
Aveldro Olwen
- Main article: Aveldro Olwen
Taranis, the homosexual Raijin, was known to bed many women before she became a student at the Schola Draíochta. However she only had a few real relationships, one of which was with the Savitr woman called Aveldro Olwen. Aveldro is the daughter of a chieftain that was sent to the University of Manannán to learn and seek benefits for the poor Morini tribe. It was at University that Olwen and Taranis met and had a loving relationship that taught Taranis to accept those very different from herself and that which her life experiences have taught her.
Player Notes
I always wanted Dagda to have some 'primitive' subspecies, especially ones that had lost their powers, so the creation of the Savitr and the Mani began. I only had them as names and powers (albeit lost) for a long time, concentrating on the northern subspecies, which bore more influence over the character Taranis, whom the whole world was built up to characterise. I think the Savitr have one of the most interesting histories of all the Dagdan subspecies.
Savitr is the name for the Hindu god of the sun.
