Luminary (Loom-in-air-ee)
Luminaries are Divine humanoids of unknown origin. They are commonly described as Gods by mortalkind, and given titles according to their Words and reputation.
They commonly live anywhere from several centuries to several millenia, and are suspected to be demimortals. That is, non-immortal beings who can live on continuously barring the destruction of their Soulgem organ located in the rear of their neck. Technically, their body is the Soulgem organ that constitutes their inner organ system, while the external humanoid form they navigate the world with acts as their external organ system.
They commonly possess characteristics such as supernatural strength, speed, intelligence, empathy, hardiness and charisma. They possess magical properties such as magical abilities & side effects resulting from Luminary Words, which are self-applied magical declarations of their identity to the universe at large.
Various Luminaries have been adored and hated throughout the nearly 5 millenia they have existed on Leona. Some sung heroes include Konnar Fyrsthymme, Minerva Beamflash, Kyria Redemption, Saphielle Aurora, and Phanmere the Irresistable. Villains like Qalvi Varai, Cenushem Limth, Ravaphine Dimlekolkolth the Doombringer, and Ehdliel Anwaqaal the Orphan Militant are also noted.
Luminaries' behaviors are persistently regulated by chapters of the Luminary Authority across the 9 continents of Leona. The Authority's founder, Phanmere the Irresistable, hirself a Luminary who lived for over 3,000 years, once declared Thirteen Laws of Luminaries several millenia ago. These are the laws which Luminaries face criminal repercussions for breaking. Furthermore, not all Luminaries follow these laws, and some of them in fact seek the dissolution of the Authority "for attempting to deprive Gods of Our natural right to freedom."
-------------------------
Arriving on the world Lumina 4,783 years ago on 0 LE, their course towards Lumina was prophesized by numerous magical authorities to be a mass extinction event. This period of time was popularized as the Lumina's Doom Incident.
Hundreds of magicians and protoscientists worldwide worked for several years to prevent the apocalyptic extinction predicted by experts. One spell performed by an intercontinental conglomerate of Dafieli and Heilish elves, further empowered by the Ancient elf Feronna Bray, lasted for roughly a year and was considered crucial in Lumini efforts to protect against the Doom.
Ultimately, Lumina's Doom was a misnomer, as Lumina was indeed not destroyed during the Lumina's Doom Incident: instead, innumerable Soulgems arrived in comets, seemingly slowing down by themselves as they reached Lumina's atmosphere and before any Lumini magicians' spells had taken effect.
Basic Information
Anatomy
A luminary's anatomy is comprised of two organ systems. The first is known as the Soulgem. This Soulgem forms into a sentient humanoid body after reproduction is complete.
A luminary's Soulgem constitutes their True Body so-called, whereas this Morrisetti researcher's team regards the external humanoid form as the False Body. The Soulgem, of the luminary's True Body, constitutes its total organ system which is absolutely necessary for survival. It serves as a 'complete organ system' due to managing all circulatory, respiratory, cognitive, emotional, reproductive, digestive and eliminative processes independently of other organs. As for the True Body / False Body organ systems, the idea of the True Body being a 'complete organ system' is a misnomer because luminaries generally cannot physically navigate the world while solely inhabiting their Soulgem. At birth, the Naming process causes the external humanoid body, the False Body, to generate. Interviews with luminary parents have qualitatively connected the Naming process to this external body generation process. Furthermore, the parent's subconscious meditation in the 400 days before birth are reported by parents to have a strong bearing on the humanoid species which the False Body generates at time of birth. When a luminary's body becomes exhausted, it enters a state formally known among luminaries as Death Stasis. Death Stasis perfectly mimics death as overwhelmingly observed across genus Sapiens, resulting in expired respiration, total loss of movement, paleness of skin, cooling of blood and other body heat, and other indicators of death common across genus Sapiens. Intriguingly, lab evidence and firsthand reports on luminaries corroborate that luminaries do not expire when their False Body enters Death Stasis due to exhaustion from physical and/or magical overexertion. Experiments involving Death Stasis were conducted with approval from the Luminary Authority's Leona chapter in Duchy Phanmere. Approved methodology for reviving luminaires from Death Stasis were employed in the following studies, such as the Westwater method, in which the unconscious heads of Kyria Redemption and other anonymous test subjects were carefully dipped in water while the front of their body faced the west. The tiefling Kyria Redemption, herself a Sapiens buccina, consented to numerous tests with the Royal Academy of Morrisette. Data from multiple studies corroborated that Miss Redemption entered Death Stasis after completely exhausting her internal magical reservoir without sustaining damage which would be life-threatening to a genus Sapiens humanoid. Further studies also corroborated that Miss Redemption entered Death Stasis when a researcher would physically damage her to a point that appeared to be fatal in nature, while far exceeding the capacity for organ damage that genus Sapiens exhibits. Means of a necessary method for causing physical expiry were insignificant, as stabbing, slashing, piercing, all elemental magics (except Necromantic, True Magic, Blood Sorcery, and Darkwork) and other means of physical harm. Thus, a preponderance of present data & data from studies and records from the past 2 millenia inform us that luminaries do not die when they enter Death Stasis. Luminaries retain cognitive, emotional and magical functions while they are in Death Stasis. Luminaries only die when their extremely hard & dense Soulgem organ is crushed, shattered, disintegrated, or the core organ is significantly broken, etc. Luminary idioms and concepts for the destruction of a luminary's Soulgem includes the following terms. In written speech, luminary culture overwhelmingly dictates that these verbs be capitalized. This is a written distinction from slang terms for Death Stasis. Soulgem destruction verbs & nouns include:
- To Annihilate / An Annihilation.
- To True-die / A True Death.
- To Truefall / A Truefall.
- To Skyvoid / A Skyvoiding.
- To Kill / A Killing.
- To Cease.
- To Fall.
- To End / An Ending.
- To Snuff / A Snuffing.
- To Decompose.
- To Melt / A Melting.
- To gem / A gemming.
- To freeze / A freezing.
- To ice / An icing.
- To interrupt / An interruption.
- To push / A pushing.
Genetics and Reproduction
A Luminary's anatomy is comprised of two organ systems. The first is known as the Soulgem. This Soulgem forms into a sentient humanoid body after reproduction is complete.
A Luminary's Soulgem constitutes their True Body so-called, whereas this Morrisetti researcher's team regards the external humanoid form as the False Body.
This organ is produced following the sexual reproduction of a Luminary person with another person of a sentient humanoid species. Notably the gender and sexual anatomy of either sexual partner has been shown to be immaterial in the reproductive process. The Parent, who is always the Luminary in the pairing, enters a subconscious meditative state for 400 days. Parents have been documented as retaining ordinary waking consciousness during the incubation period, but symptoms such as morning sickness, proprioceptive dysregulation, mystical trance states, prophetic neurostates & verbiage have been noted, among others.
On the 401st day, the Parent undergoes an eliminative process which produces a projectile reproductive colloid. Mere minutes after the elimination, this colloid converges into a small rapid growth of crystalline material. An event occurs roughly one hour after the reproductive crystalline growth has been shed, resulting in one or several Soulgems splitting off from the crystalline cake.
While on some occasions multiple Soulgems are produced from one crystalline growth, it is most common for only one Soulgem to result. On rare occasions, a Luminary stillbirth occurs in which no Soulgems arise from the crystalline cake.
All known Luminaries take the form of an endogenous humanoid species on Lumina. The following species have been known to co-mingle with Luminary essence:
- Dwarves (Sapiens saxum)
- Elves (Sapiens saxum)
- Orsimers / Orcs (Sapiens dentis)
- Tieflings (Sapiens buccina)
- Tabaxis (Sapiens felix)
- Faerie Folk (Sapiens floreo)
- Humans (Sapiens mediocris)
Additional Information
Social Structure
Luminaries are legally empowered to claim one smallholding farm, fortress, castle or other piece of land for their own, and maintain workers who tend and protect this one territory, per the Third Law of Luminaries. Luminaries commonly socialize with mortals and other luminaries.
It is common for popular luminaries to be praised as Gods by mortals, due to their supernatural aptitudes, innate magical abilities, and other unique biological criteria.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
The following abilities has been noted to manifest in Luminaries whose Ability Score meets or exceeds a score of 18.
- Superstrength. Strength ability.
- Superspeed & enhanced reflexes. Dexterity ability.
- Superintelligence. Intelligence ability.
- Superempathy. Wisdom ability.
- Superendurance. Constitution ability.
- Supercharisma. Charisma ability.
Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms
Luminaries are potential parasitic species due to their biological capacity to regenerate their destroyed humanoid form perfectly, if their Soulgem is placed on the rear neck of a mortal humanoid aged 30 years or younger. This practice, known as Somatic Necromancy, results in the death of the mortal humanoid.
Somatic Necromancy is forbidden by the Fifth Law of Luminaries, as enforced by the worldwide organization known as the Luminary Authority:
"The Fifth law... Thou shalt not replace thy flesh, nor desecrate the flesh of others."Phanmere the Irresistable, founder of the Luminary Authority
Scientific Name
Supermunduna lumens
Origin/Ancestry
Extraterrestrial
Lifespan
1,000's
Conservation Status
Luminaries have been Annihilating under mysterious circumstances since 4,782 LE, one year prior.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
A luminary's magical evocations are almost always color-consonant with the color of their Soulgem. For example, a magician with a black Soulgem would conjure a black fireball.
Geographic Distribution
Related Organizations
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments