Terl obar: Created page with '==Physical Description== The Edestekai are an intelligent race descended from Volturnian arthropods. They are trilaterally symmetrical. That is, if their bodies were divided leng…'

Terl obar — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 03:13:38 GMT

Created page with '==Physical Description== The Edestekai are an intelligent race descended from Volturnian arthropods. They are trilaterally symmetrical. That is, if their bodies were divided leng…'

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==Physical Description==
The Edestekai are an intelligent race descended from
Volturnian arthropods. They are trilaterally symmetrical.
That is, if their bodies were divided lengthwise into three
equal parts, the parts would be mirror images of each
other.

The body of an Edestekai is shaped like a giant peanut
with three bulbous lobes on top. Three eyes are arranged
in a circle around the narrowest part of the body, the
midpoint or "waist". The eyes are arranged in such a way
that the Edestekai have a 360 degree field of vision.

Edestekai have three lower limbs arranged like a tripod.
The first and largest joint on each of these limbs is
covered with a hard extension of shell and serves as a
foot. The limb continues to second and third joint which
are roughly analogous to a Human elbow and wrist. Below
the third joint are three tentacles which are used for
grasping and manipulating objects.

Underneath their bodies, Edestekai have a number of
special thick cilia, or hair-like filaments. These cilia are
used as a base to support the body when the limbs are
extended completely straight. Except for their tentacles,
cilia, and eyes, Edestekai bodies and limbs are encased in
an exoskeleton made of chitin, a hard shell-like material.

The mouth of an Edestekai is located near the base of the
body and is hidden by the special cilia. The Edestekai
communicate by means of a language composed of
shrieks, whistles, groans, and other sounds combined with
clicks of the limbs and signs with the grasping tentacles.

There are two physiological factors which have greatly
influenced Edestekai culture: the fact that Edestekai are
trilaterally symmetrical and the fact that they have three
sexes. The three sexes of the Edestekai are the "Egg
Layers" who produce eggs, the "Fertilizers" who fertilize
the eggs, and the "Nurturers" who then carry the eggs
internally and actually give birth to live young Edestekai.

==Culture==
The primary values of the Edestekai are order, fertility and
abundance of lands and crops, and peace. Edestekai
abhor killing and violence, and any act of violence except
in self-defense is strictly punished and requires a lengthy
ritual of purification. Edestekai will defend themselves if
attacked, and have been known to fight with an almost
insane fury when their religious principles are at stake.

Edestekai prefer to remain isolated from the other
intelligent species on Volturnus, and would prohibit
outsiders from their villages if this did not conflict with
their values of non-violence and peace. Because of these
values, they will tolerate outsiders provided the outsiders
do not violate Edestekai law or interfere with the
Edestekai religious rituals. If an outsider becomes
completely accepted into Edestekai society, that
individual's role in the rituals of the race is decided by the
High Priest.

Edestekai believe that meat should be eaten only by the
gods, and are thus vegetarians themselves. They
intensely dislike the Kurabanda, who hunt for meat.
Edestekai see the Kurabanda as ignorant savages. The
Edestekai strongly hate the Ul-Mor, because the Ul-Mor
manhood ritual involves trying to kill a quickdeath.

The Edestekai farm the hills of Volturnus. They cultivate
fields of a tuber called morda and several varieties of a
grain known as arbon. In addition, the Edestekai keep
large numbers of blotes, docile amphibians about the size
of a dog and similar in appearance to a salamander.
Blotes are hosts for a parasitical fungus called krume.
Krume looks something like shelf fungus, and grows
profusely on the skin of blotes. The Edestekai cultivate
this fungus on their blotes and harvest it about every six
weeks. Edestekai also use irrigation to create stagnant
ponds where they grow a green algae called squill.
Edestekai live in dug-out stone houses. Viewed from
ground level these houses appear to be only a few feet
high, but inside they are quite spacious. The houses often
continue into the hillside for quite some distance.

The trisex family is the basic unit of Edestekai society.
Nurturers are expected to remain in the household and
perform child-rearing and maintenance duties. Egg Layers
are expected to cultivate crops and assume general
responsibility for maintaining the food supply. Fertilizers
are free to become skilled workers, artisans, idol-makers
or even priests.

Higher society organization is on the village level. a typical
village contains about a thousand Edestekai. Organization
above the village is in the hands of the elected High Priest
and his immediate followers. They live in the holy city,
near the Crystal Stonehenge. Also living in the holy city is
"Justice", a captive quickdeath.

Religion is the strongest cultural force in Edestekai life.
Religious rules, rituals and beliefs control almost all facets
of daily life. There is no distinction between the
government and the religious authorities; in Edestekai
society, the priests are the government.

The Edestekai worship thousands of gods. The gods
represent the forces of nature: sun, moons, stars, winds,
creatures, oceans, etc. There are three gods which are
most important among these. The Edestekai believe that
Egarit ("Light") and Elenehet ("Darkness") created the
world. Nothing could live or grow in this world; the sun
and stars would not stay in place; the oceans would not
keep to their boundaries, etc. But then the goddess,
Edesti ("Order") intervened and the world in its present
form came about to crown the creation, Edesti nurtured
the "Chosen Ones", the Edestekai. These she made
trilaterally to reflect nature of ultimate divine authority.
The lesser gods were then given control of various areas
of functioning in the universe.

The Edestekai believe that they have a special mission to
magically assist the gods in the constant struggle against
chaos. The gods receive their power from magical rituals
which the Edestekai perform. Most of these rituals take
place on special consecrated grounds, and involve group
singing, chanting and very intricate patterns of dancing.
There are rituals for almost all aspects of Edestekai life: a
ritual of rain, a ritual of planting, a ritual of harvesting, a
ritual to prevent or cure disease, a ritual for protection
from enemies, etc.

Nothing is allowed to interfere with the performance of
these rituals at the proper time, for the Edestekai believe
that if the rituals are not performed at the proper time,
there is a chance the gods will lose too much power,
causing the world to end as stars fall from the skies,
oceans flood the world, and all life ends. Non-Edestekai
are not allowed to participate in these rituals. The sacred
grounds where rituals are performed may not be touched
or walked upon by any non-Edestekai.

All religious teaching and ritual is under the control of
priests. These are each equal in authority and power. The
supreme ruler of the Edestekai is a High Priest who lives
in the supreme temple near the Crystal Stonehenge. This
High Priest is elected for life by vote of all the other
priests.

Sometimes priests see visions or hear unknown voices.
The Edestekai believe these revelations have been sent to
reveal the will of the gods. Such revelations are called
True Visions. There is NO appeal from any judgment made
by a priest who has had a True Vision concerning the case
in question. However, the people as a whole must agree
that the priest/ judge's hallucination is in fact a True
Vision, and not merely a fantasy of the priest's own
creation. Priests who have seen an authentic True Vision
are regarded as living saints.

Each year a certain number of individuals from each
village are sent to the holy city to labor for the High
Priest. The pilgrimage and work time are considered holy.
Any individual who has worked in the holy city is held in
special reverence.

Edestekai villages and houses are filled with idols of the
various gods. Each idol must be given proper reverence. It
is a crime punishable by death to steal an idol belonging
to any Edestekai.

The Edestekai legal system is based upon belief in oracles,
communications from the gods. Accused persons are put
on trial before judges who are also priests. Evidence and
testimony are taken, but the final decision is left to the
priest, based upon what the priest believes to be the will
of the gods. If the accused does appeal, the priest picks a
sheaf of arbon grain at random and counts the number of
kernels on it. If the number is odd, this is believed to be a
special sign from the gods that the accused is innocent. If
the number is even, the accused is not only guilty of the
original crime, but has offended the gods by appealing to
them to cover up his or her guilt!

The Edestekai believe that their god of justice takes the
physical form of a quickdeath. To the Edestekai, these
animals are messengers of the god of justice and are holy
animals. Priests always wear a shawl of quickdeath hide
when hearing a case. A live quickdeath is always kept (in
captivity) in the main Edestekai temple near the Crystal
Stonehenge.

Punishments for crimes require the offender to pay back
to the person he or she harms something of equal value
to the harm done. In extreme cases, the punishment may
be legalized slavery. Death is administered by staking the
criminal out with three stakes to be eaten alive by a
quickdeath.

==Reactions to Player Characters ==
Edestekai will react with great anger and hostility to any
show of force, violence, or sacrilege by any characters.
Player characters will find it difficult to make suggestions
to Edestekai; the Edestekai will see all player characters
as obviously inferior creatures who must be tolerated.
Edestekai will react favorably to evidence of sustained,
peaceful hard work, artistic craftsmanship, great wealth,
or extreme religious piety.

==Sources==
* SF-01: Volturnus, Planet of Mystery

Edestekai - Revision history

Terl obar: Created page with '==Physical Description== The Edestekai are an intelligent race descended from Volturnian arthropods. They are trilaterally symmetrical. That is, if their bodies were divided leng…'