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Caetrans are one of two species on Avengaea who produce magic within their bodies. They are mostly found on the southern continents of Oppiuk, Tiekavan and Tievafen, and consider those landmasses to be their inalienable territory, granted to them by their Goddess, Zenite. There are five races of caetran, each with their own unique traits.
Primarily based on common interpretations of dogma handed down from Zenite, most Caetrans believe that magic and psionics are necessary indicators of personhood just as much as sapience. As such they are thoroughly assured of their own ascendency over Avengaea's other races: daemons are seen as dangerous nuisances and humans as interesting animals -- or particularly tenacious vermin, depending.
In fact, caetrans are primarily isolationists. In many caetran cities, other races are not tolerated at all, and outside of the cities they will tend to segregate even further based on type. Their internal politics are complicated and mercurial and often vary a great deal from province to province or even city to city. Most caetran urban areas attempt to strike a precarious balance between a common fierce individualism and the necessity of getting along in large numbers, and there is no overarching authority of law between settlements beyond Zenite's tenants.
In smaller settlements, caetrans trend towards a clan structure, the size and complexity of which varying greatly between the types of caetran, the type of settlement, and the culture of the area. At root all caetrans are matriarchal, following from Zenite being the mother of their race. Individual social groups of caetrans will tend to vie for ideological dominance, and it's not uncommon for urban areas to be fast-changing political hotbeds.
This same ideological dominance is asserted ruthlessly over any non-caetran settlements that are allowed to spring up on caetran-frequented territory: while it doesn't strictly matter if non-persons like humans and daemons practice the religion, the common thread is that they can think well enough that they should be able to comprehend some fragment of Zenite's glory and honour it accordingly.
Caetrans are reliant on their internal magic stores for certain bodily functions. The degree of that reliance varies a great deal from type to type: gyujtoans are liable to die if tapped completely out; shevrans will lose their ability to breathe underwater and withstand heavy water pressure; and upans will have a much harder time flying. All types use on their magic for improved speed and perception, and will suffer if completely drained.
Unlike the other sentient races, caetrans aren't equipped with limbs suited to precision manipulation of objects. They have some limited grasping capability in their forepaws, and more in their long-toed back paws, but for precision work caetrans rely on their inborn psionics. This means that essentially every caetran is at least a proficient telekinetic, but it also means that when they can, they rely on verbal communication rather than textual.
Caetran females have cycles of estrus. Though it depends on the age and health of the female, these happen between once and three times a year. Caetrans practice a number of different methods of birth control, from social to magical, but the maternal drive tends to be strong in young caetrans and motherhood is often seen as a mark of power. Caetran females will often, therefore, reproduce early, but will generally wait a long time between subsequent litters.
Pups are born in litters from four to ten. Caetran birth rituals are complicated things and very stringently guarded secrets. One of these that has become infamous is the practice of culling: generally only one, very rarely two, pups are allowed to grow to adulthood from any given litter. This practice is seen as a grave duty to improve the next generation, and is undertaken with intimate solemnity. In many places the culled pups are ritually eaten by the mother or wider family, or sometimes a religious leader; in others they're burned, buried, or fed to their siblings. How the selection is made is usually a deeply-guarded familial secret, but often has to do with early shows of intelligence, dominance, or other desirable traits. Culling happens within the first few months of life in almost all cases.
Because caetrans tend to organize themselves into clan groups rather than nuclear family groups, rearing pups is usually a group effort. Likewise, strong sibling bonds often occur between pups born in litters that happened near the same time.
All caetrans have a secondary body that their magic allows them. These second forms are human-shaped, meticulously so, except that each caetran retains its natural coloration. Shifting is often a neglected skill among caetrans, given that humans and smaller creatures are not held in any sort of esteem, and many caetrans never end up with either the desire or the opportunity to learn how to use this second form.
Religion is a very concrete thing to caetrans. Zenite is an active presence, encouraging devotion in her subjects and rewarding particular adoration. Any truly devout caetran is likely to be visited by their Goddess at least once in their lifetime, if only in the form of a vision or presence, and one's personal relationship with the Goddess is considered both private and paramount.
Religious institutions are the only species-spanning authority recognized among caetrans. Priestesses of Zenite lead and guide ideological and philosophical discussions, as well as hand down moral edicts and act as community leaders -- often colloquially referred to as mothers without a family, in that all caetrans are their family.
Another institution, the Lord Keepers, are a more practical expansion on the Priestesses but not restricted only to females. They tend only to be necessary in urban centers where keeping the peace is sometimes an issue, and they take Zenite's religious dictates and translate them into practical laws geared towards keeping the cities functioning smoothly. They are not seen necessarily as a moral institution, but a practical one: the punishments they mete out are not felt with the same shame as a chastisement from a Priestess. They are backed by the Lords.
The Lords are four caetrans, not quite gods, but chosen by Zenite and raised up to be her immortal executors and her practical link to the day-to-day dealings of her people. There is one for each caetran type, and they are given domain over their respective types: however, if any given Lord appears to an individual caetran not of their type, it's not likely that they're going to be ignored. The Lords are always physically present somewhere, unlike Zenite; often they can be found stepping in to take over the leadership of a particular city or region for a time, if they think that the caetrans in that area are in need of guidance. When war breaks out with the asandae, often they are the ones to lead their armies into battle.
Inter-type racism is a complicated issue among caetrans and is often both simultaneously goaded and soothed by the Lords and their influence. Active as they are, the Lords both vie with one another for ideological supremacy, but they will also come together to execute larger projects or smooth over the relations between their subjects when the water starts getting too hot. This leads to a tumultuous environment where it's often difficult to chart the rapidly-changing dynamics between the types, but it has also very rarely led to serious conflict or warfare.
Zenitans
One of the more common types. They are furred and have a generalized body shape, though they can often be found with traits similar to the other types: sometimes zenitans have wings, or armoured plates, or tentacles. A few even have flames similar to gyujtoans. They are frequently very devoutly religious, considering themselves closer to Zenite than their sister types.Birans
Heavier in build, Birans are the largest type on average. They are furred in brown or grey, mottled, and females have a series of two rows of prehensile tentacles along their backs. They are quite common and tend to integrate well with the other types in urban areas. There are several enclaves of birans that have eked out existences in parts of Novinitu: they are exceptionally good at functioning under the radar.Upans
Upans are small, light caetrans with broad wings, with webbing extending up their necks and down their tails. They are furred, with females striped in green and yellow, and males striped in green and grey. Both sexes have creamy white underbellies. Upans are the most populous caetrans, and are present in every mixed caetran settlement. They tend to be especially pack-minded.Shevrans
Shevrans are pale and armoured in chitinous plates. Their magic allows them an amphibious existence, although many live their entire lives underwater. They can withstand a great deal of pressure underwater, and there are several cities that house almost exclusively shevrans in the passes between Oppiuk, and Tiekavan and Tievafen. They are particularly insular, as a type, and practice a great deal of seafloor agriculture.Gyujtoans
Gyujtoans are a race of neuters, and unusual even for caetrans. They are smooth-skinned, uniformly red, and have two rows of spiracles along their backs from which fire springs. They have twin tails and long, muscular bodies. They are the rarest type, and reproduce asexually. They are the only type to produce one pup at a go, and the pup must be kept in a hot environment for at least the first year of its life. Often this means riding along on a parent's back. They are frequently nomads, having little to do with the usual clan structure, and are generally seen as a bit odd.
Primarily based on common interpretations of dogma handed down from Zenite, most Caetrans believe that magic and psionics are necessary indicators of personhood just as much as sapience. As such they are thoroughly assured of their own ascendency over Avengaea's other races: daemons are seen as dangerous nuisances and humans as interesting animals -- or particularly tenacious vermin, depending.
In fact, caetrans are primarily isolationists. In many caetran cities, other races are not tolerated at all, and outside of the cities they will tend to segregate even further based on type. Their internal politics are complicated and mercurial and often vary a great deal from province to province or even city to city. Most caetran urban areas attempt to strike a precarious balance between a common fierce individualism and the necessity of getting along in large numbers, and there is no overarching authority of law between settlements beyond Zenite's tenants.
In smaller settlements, caetrans trend towards a clan structure, the size and complexity of which varying greatly between the types of caetran, the type of settlement, and the culture of the area. At root all caetrans are matriarchal, following from Zenite being the mother of their race. Individual social groups of caetrans will tend to vie for ideological dominance, and it's not uncommon for urban areas to be fast-changing political hotbeds.
This same ideological dominance is asserted ruthlessly over any non-caetran settlements that are allowed to spring up on caetran-frequented territory: while it doesn't strictly matter if non-persons like humans and daemons practice the religion, the common thread is that they can think well enough that they should be able to comprehend some fragment of Zenite's glory and honour it accordingly.
PHYSIOLOGY
Caetrans are reliant on their internal magic stores for certain bodily functions. The degree of that reliance varies a great deal from type to type: gyujtoans are liable to die if tapped completely out; shevrans will lose their ability to breathe underwater and withstand heavy water pressure; and upans will have a much harder time flying. All types use on their magic for improved speed and perception, and will suffer if completely drained.
Unlike the other sentient races, caetrans aren't equipped with limbs suited to precision manipulation of objects. They have some limited grasping capability in their forepaws, and more in their long-toed back paws, but for precision work caetrans rely on their inborn psionics. This means that essentially every caetran is at least a proficient telekinetic, but it also means that when they can, they rely on verbal communication rather than textual.
Caetran females have cycles of estrus. Though it depends on the age and health of the female, these happen between once and three times a year. Caetrans practice a number of different methods of birth control, from social to magical, but the maternal drive tends to be strong in young caetrans and motherhood is often seen as a mark of power. Caetran females will often, therefore, reproduce early, but will generally wait a long time between subsequent litters.
Pups are born in litters from four to ten. Caetran birth rituals are complicated things and very stringently guarded secrets. One of these that has become infamous is the practice of culling: generally only one, very rarely two, pups are allowed to grow to adulthood from any given litter. This practice is seen as a grave duty to improve the next generation, and is undertaken with intimate solemnity. In many places the culled pups are ritually eaten by the mother or wider family, or sometimes a religious leader; in others they're burned, buried, or fed to their siblings. How the selection is made is usually a deeply-guarded familial secret, but often has to do with early shows of intelligence, dominance, or other desirable traits. Culling happens within the first few months of life in almost all cases.
Because caetrans tend to organize themselves into clan groups rather than nuclear family groups, rearing pups is usually a group effort. Likewise, strong sibling bonds often occur between pups born in litters that happened near the same time.
All caetrans have a secondary body that their magic allows them. These second forms are human-shaped, meticulously so, except that each caetran retains its natural coloration. Shifting is often a neglected skill among caetrans, given that humans and smaller creatures are not held in any sort of esteem, and many caetrans never end up with either the desire or the opportunity to learn how to use this second form.
RELIGION
Religion is a very concrete thing to caetrans. Zenite is an active presence, encouraging devotion in her subjects and rewarding particular adoration. Any truly devout caetran is likely to be visited by their Goddess at least once in their lifetime, if only in the form of a vision or presence, and one's personal relationship with the Goddess is considered both private and paramount.
ZENITE'S LAWS
(TBD)
Religious institutions are the only species-spanning authority recognized among caetrans. Priestesses of Zenite lead and guide ideological and philosophical discussions, as well as hand down moral edicts and act as community leaders -- often colloquially referred to as mothers without a family, in that all caetrans are their family.
Another institution, the Lord Keepers, are a more practical expansion on the Priestesses but not restricted only to females. They tend only to be necessary in urban centers where keeping the peace is sometimes an issue, and they take Zenite's religious dictates and translate them into practical laws geared towards keeping the cities functioning smoothly. They are not seen necessarily as a moral institution, but a practical one: the punishments they mete out are not felt with the same shame as a chastisement from a Priestess. They are backed by the Lords.
THE LORDS
Shevre
Gyujtogato
Bire
Upe
The Lords are four caetrans, not quite gods, but chosen by Zenite and raised up to be her immortal executors and her practical link to the day-to-day dealings of her people. There is one for each caetran type, and they are given domain over their respective types: however, if any given Lord appears to an individual caetran not of their type, it's not likely that they're going to be ignored. The Lords are always physically present somewhere, unlike Zenite; often they can be found stepping in to take over the leadership of a particular city or region for a time, if they think that the caetrans in that area are in need of guidance. When war breaks out with the asandae, often they are the ones to lead their armies into battle.
Inter-type racism is a complicated issue among caetrans and is often both simultaneously goaded and soothed by the Lords and their influence. Active as they are, the Lords both vie with one another for ideological supremacy, but they will also come together to execute larger projects or smooth over the relations between their subjects when the water starts getting too hot. This leads to a tumultuous environment where it's often difficult to chart the rapidly-changing dynamics between the types, but it has also very rarely led to serious conflict or warfare.
