Gemmen
Biology
Class
NeutralDiet
OmnivoreLife Span
200 yearsAverage life span
120 yearsAverage alignment
Chaotic Good, True GoodMale to Female ratio
60/40Status
ThrivingNature
Family Oriented, ViolentDanger
Very High, NeutralAffinity
PhysicalMain Languages
Th’ahmin, Common
Appearance
Gemmen are an extremely tall and muscular race of people, with reddish brown skin, dark colour hair and towering stature. They have what is usually described as “scary” faces, with more masculine features for both genders and resting stern expressions. Culturally, Gemmen have a focus on their muscular appearance so many of their clothing choices, depictions and the way they express themselves revolves around this muscle culture. Both genders often wear revealing and simple clothing, in some instances a woman Gemmen can be topless and mistaken for a man as their muscles whilst smaller than men, are larger than most other races. This mistake would not be taken as an insult as well, as Gemmen firmly believe that all Gemmen are born equal, and the only thing that can seperate you is your individual strength. Gemmen women who are more mixed race can look significantly more feminine, but will always maintain their dense muscle mass and status within Gemmen culture.
Gemmen of both genders rapidly grow hair (similar to how easy it is to grow muscles) all over their bodies, and the grooming and care of this hair is of great importance. Similar to how another race may use makeup to make themselves beautiful, Gemmen use their hair in the same way. As a result of this Gemmen have the highest quality hair products and hair in general. However, due to the rate at which their hair grows, Gemmen frequently need to cut it, resulting in spontaneous and seemingly random hair style changes.
Male Gemmen men are usually more bulky than women, with powerful legs. They on average stand at around 7’8 (233cm), and can have heights between 7’2 (218cm) and 8’7 (261cm). Female Gemmen have a slightly smaller waist and cannot bulk as much muscle as men. They on average stand at around 7’8 (233cm), and can have heights between 6’11 (211cm) and 8’5 (257cm).
Tattoos are also a major part of Gemmen society and appearance. All Gemmen are born with unique tattoos on their faces and bodies that change and evolve slightly as they age. These tattoos are similar to a birthmark and don’t seem to particularly have any special meaning or purpose (though some scholars and Gemmen believe perhaps there used to be a purpose behind these tattoos). Gemmen will often get more tattoos to add to their bodies and decorate their Birth Tattoo. Whilst this knowledge is now lost, these marks were actually ancient magic cast on the Gemmen by High Elves when they were a slave race. The markings acted as a seal that could control the Gemmen to obey the whims of their master, as well as a way to mark slaves to show who they belong to. All children and mixed children born from Gemmen blood would automatically have their parents mark and would be forced into slavery. Thanks to the assistance of Chaeren Chaetris (a powerful High Elf revolutionary) however, the mark, whilst permanently there, no longer could control the Gemmen. After their liberation this mark became a symbol of pride and its meaning shifted. Whilst this truth is long since lost, the Gemmen are still prideful of their Brith Tattoos and do often attribute their mark to Kon; the god of freedom (who really is Chaeren Chaetris).
Gemmen also age very gracefully due to their body types, and only really ever look around 50 in human years, even in their most elder years. Up until the last weeks of a Gemmens life, they are fully capable of battle, strength and movement like they where in their youth, though at a much more minor standard.
Attributes
Gemmen are powerhouses of physical skill, able to easily split boulders, lift over 500kg and run for very long distances without growing tired. They are capable of using any non-magical weapon, but prefer their bare hands as they are more “trustworthy”. Gemmen also a very resistant to physical and magical attacks on their bodies, their muscles able to deflect and absorb powerful blows. They are however, weak to powerful magic, spiritual magic and poisons. Whilst they are weaker to poisons they find it easier to build up resistances to poisons, and have a digestive system that can slowly be built up and hardened.
Gemmen are unable to regrow limbs but they have a high healing factor, and if trained correctly can reattach limbs and heal very quickly. Gemmen as a result rarely get illnesses and diseases and have a natural resistance to corruption and sickness. Gemmen also have a natural affinity for using Ki and other spiritual martial abilities, usually using this affinity to become adept monks or some form of healer. Gemmen are notoriously adept healers, but use medicines, alchemy and other non-magic methods to heal.
Gemmen are unfortunately completely unable to use magic. Whilst this leaves them with an innate mild resistance to magic, it has created a situation where in some cases Gemmen are completely unable to use some tools and systems in other countries and cultures. Whilst this is the case, they are quite imaginative and creative, so often find more (usually brute force type) ways around problems like this.
Culture
As Gemmen live in The Red Desert, their culture is very similar to the usual culture found in the Red Desert with some slight additions. Gemmen above all else value family, freedom, strength and will. They welcome anyone into their homes and communities as long as they can hold up to the strength standard of that community. Gemmen often greet each other with first fights and brawls, but never without consent, and always as a show of affection and respect. It was seen as a way to communicate your feelings in a direct way as well as a show of how much you have developed and improved as a person. When a Gemmen interacts with a person or race that would absolutely lose in a brawl, instead they opt for a hand shake or more careful interaction, as they dislike using their strength to harm or overpower others. Gemmen also are a race that don’t particularly have a police force or government (in a usual sense) that rule over them, and so they usually govern themselves as individuals. If there was a disagreement, argument or scuffle it was seen as the entire communities job to remedy the issue. This would often result in the entire community watching and rallying behind two upset Gemmen fighting out their issues in an arena-like setting. In the cases of a more serious crime however. Gemmen can be known to be very brutal and take matters into their own hands; even in a different culture and kingdom. Gemmen fundamentally hate rapists, slavers and any crime involving the oppression of an individual. In the instance of these crimes Gemmen have been known to beat assaulters to death as a mob (or individual), even if in some cases the person they killed turned out to be innocent. It is a fault of the Gemmen people to punch first and ask questions later, however due to this system slavery is almost completely nonexistent and slavers know to stay clear of the Rest Desert.
Gemmen also don’t exclude other races from their culture and society. They are multicultural to a fault and will frequently have anywhere from Lamia, to Humans, Demons and even Goblins living with them. Gemmen are well known for adopting children and taking care of them as if they were their own and having children with pretty much any willing race, not caring about appearance. They appreciate everyones unique attributes and often take in escaped slaves from neighbouring countries such as the Yaiden Theocracy. Whilst Gemmen usually adhere to the rules of whatever society they are in, if slavery is involved Gemmen will almost always become highly violent and try to free the slaves and kill the slavers with all their will. This has resulted in a reputation of Gemmen being violent savages, that when paired with their appearance and greeting method isn’t so hard to believe. Unfortunately this means that Gemmen are often refused entry in certain areas and are targets of high alert in nations that are not used to their appearance.
Family and Birth
Gemmen are a race that marry and date for life. Whilst a Gemmen is able to be promiscuous and do what they wish with anyone, once they commit to a person, and partake in the Gemmen ritual of marriage, they are unable to ever do the same ritual again. This means that if the spouse of a Gemmen died, broke up with them or any other reason, that Gemmen would never date/marry another person ever again. Because of this Gemmen take romance very seriously and value communication, honesty and respect. Gemmen are usually some of the more caring and passionate of lovers, but by the same token this passion can become too intense for some. This also ties into why rape for them is a major crime and deserving of the most harsh punishments.
Gemmen parents share the same duties and there is no real concept of male and female roles in the home. Outside of women giving birth, both parents are expected to equally raise the children and work. In the case of homosexual pairings, Gemmen are known to frequently use surrogate parents (which is not considered cheating or anything alike), as well as adoption and foster care of slave children of various races. Within the structure of Gemmen society, all babies born will be given the last name of the kingdom or tribe they are born into as well as the middle name of their parents, which is their job or title. These names can be changed later, but within the culture of the Red Desert that’s is not very common. This naming system also applies to adopted children, but once they leave the Red Desert these conventions and rules are not applied to other kingdoms.
Conceiving a child is quite an easy matter for Gemmen, and can take anywhere from 2 days to a week. If the father is also a Gemmen, Gemmen women go through 4 months of pregnancy before the child is born. If the father is a different race, depending on their type it can take anywhere from 2 months to 15 months of pregnancy. Gemmen are notorious for their ability to have children with almost any race without complications, and so race mixing with wildly different types of creature is common and well documented if any additional medical help was required. When a baby is born the entire community will celebrate the birth, and Gemmen take birthdays very seriously. Community wise feasts and celebrations are held and the more children that share a birthday the more intense the festivities. Relating to this, most Gemmen are born as Twins; with one girl and one boy (though it is common to see any other combination). Gemmen also have triplets as well more frequently and are known to have 9-12 children per family (often more if including families that adopt). As Gemmen don’t raise their kids alone, and utilise the community, they are able to have many kids at a time. Children usually start developing muscles around 7 years old, and rapidly grow to their immense heights and stature by around 15 years old. This age is also when Gemmen are considered adults, though beards and further muscle grows around age 20.
Childhood
Gemmen children are expected to balance responsibilities and social life, maintaining a high standard of social contributions. In their first years they closely shadow their parents, learning the ways of their societies, how to speak and other skills. Once they reach around the age of 7 they start to become very independent and are often seen doing their own thing, playing with others and figuring out who they are as people. Once Gemmen are 15 they are considered adults and will be given proper jobs befitting their names. Whilst working on this profession is important, Gemmen are expected to have healthy work/life balances and will frequently partake in parties, fraternising, social fighting, and other group activities. It is very common amongst young Gemmen regardless of name job, to participate in The Red Pit; a gladiatorial fighting arena in the Golden City of Nh’tham that is held every year. Anyone is welcome to join this battle tournament and the winner is given a special price from the King of Nh’tham himself. Whilst Gemmen young adults very rarely win The Red Pit, it is seen as a very fun “sport” and a good way to make friends and test your skills against Gemmen (as well as other races) from different tribes and cities.
Respect is of major importance to Gemmen, and maintaining skill at your job is a way to honour and respect your ancestors. Due to this, Gemmen who become to social or lazy and neglect their work are seen as dishonourable and need to earn back their communities respect. Gemmen believe people (unless committing major crimes) can be redeemed and view mistakes as important elements of learning; so long as you work hard to fix them and move on. Young Adult Gemmen as a result, are allowed decent wiggle room within entry-level and non-important professions. If you are born to a Cas, Tai or Chieftain/Royalty however, your actions will likely be more scrutinised and a slightly higher standard will be set for you.
Chieftain/Royalty
Children born to people in power are treated quite differently to everyone else. Firstly their status will reflect their name and they will be expected to be highly skilled, competent and key examples of what their generation should be. Due to this being born to someone in power can be very stressful and difficult to live up to their expectations. Luckily many support systems are in place and many tutors and other teachers are always available to teach these important children.
Once a child is of age, they are eligible to take over the position of their parent upon their death. The status of who is a “Chosen Successor” is determined purely by the whims of the current ruler, and in some cases this position could be given to members outsides of that persons bloodline. This is due to the idea of competency over blood being more important to ruling is wildly accepted in the Red Desert; which even the main king adheres to. Though this is the case, it is uncommon as children of leaders get special training and are usually very competent and skilful people in their own right, as they have been trained since birth. Members of the leaders family, if not chosen to be a successor, are given other important governing roles; though these roles much like the concept of a Chosen Successor can be given to anyone the ruler deems fit. If a member of one of these leaders has no role within the settlement they are in, that person will be sent to Nh’tham to work directly under the King there.
Naming Conventions
Each Gemmens middle name was a direct indicator of that Gemmens profession and status. This name was usually inherited by parents but could be given as “gifts” by Chieftain and Royalty or changed through marriage or hard work. This name was usually short and whilst not specific, gave an overview of someones position.
Kas > Soldier Han > Hunter or Food Keeper Tan > Scholar or Record Keeper Hie > Healer Tas > Merchant or Trader Kan > Herbalist or Gardener Ko > Seal Summon Master or Beast trainer Unla > King of one of the 3 Great Nh’n Cities Khnla > Prince or Princess of the 3 Great Nh’n Cities(This name is to be added next to their original middle name as a result of marriage) Seko > Chieftain of one of the outer Tribes Seka > Prince, Princess or The Chiefs Chosen (to become Seko when the current Chieftain Dies)(This name is to be added next to their original middle name if chosen by the chieftain, or as a result of marriage)
_________The second part of a middle name you could obtain was a specific title to show your importance. These name additions were given to you, not innate with birth unlike the above. Below are the names and how they would be used in an example
Tai > Elite or Highly ValuedKas’Tai > Elite Warrior Han’Tai > Elite Hunter Cos > Highest Rank or LeaderKas’Cos > Warrior General Han’Cos > Head Hunter
________First name additions. Unlike above, when born these additions will be added to the name to show they are of royal blood. Only royalty or chieftains can have these additions.
‘Na > Of Royal BloodKhai’Na Unla Tham (royal blood King of the Golden City) ’No > Of the Chieftains Blood
Clothing
Gemmen wear very minimal and simplistic clothing, only wearing more complicated garbs for ritual, profession or diplomatic reasons. As they believe armour and clothing which aids you in battle is cowardly, they often opt for more tighter, revealing and as minimal clothing as possible. They often wear a wide assortment of fabrics found in The Red Desert, and frequently accessories their bodies in such a way to accent their muscles with straps, leathers and metals. It is very common for a Gemmen to wear a “Family Insignia” which is a necklace, bracelet, wristband or earring which displays that Gemmen’s clan. Whilst for Gemmen it is common for women to freely be topless, they understand for other races and cultures this may be strange, and so if they catch a traveller looking at one of their women’s breasts, male Gemmen do step in and enforce respect. When leaving the Red Desert it is also common for Gemmen women to cover their breasts to avoid conflict or unwanted attention, though there have been multiple instances of Gemmen women not caring.
Gemmen Technology
Seal Summons
As Gemmen cannot use magic, a Gemmen known as Kino Ko’Cos Seka Iko Inka, found herself interested in Spiritual Summons, where someone could summon a spirit on the Astral Plane to do their bidding. Noticing the insane monsters around the Red Desert, Kino developed a technology that allowed you to tame and summon amonster whenever you wanted. First, you needed to subdue a monster and place the seal (in the form of a tattoo on the welders palm) on the weakened creature. That point onwards that creature could be summoned by the wielder and used in battle. As these summons where just basically teleporting a monster back and fourth, most Seal Summoners would summon these creatures once and keep them around as pets, in fear that if they let them back into the wild, something else could kill them. Seal Summoners can only have a handle of a maximum of 5 beasts at a time, with a Summoner only usually able to hold 1 or 2 beasts. This is because you must consistently earn the respect of your summon and defeat them in battle before you could use them.
Flower Bomb
Developed by Miisa Kan’Tai Lyn, the flower bomb is an alchemical bomb that uses the rapid growth of plants to subdue enemies and control the battle field. Using Cassa flowers, who have thick roots and sticky thorns, a bud is placed in a unique potion solution. This solution is a combination of a growth formula, numbing element, healing potion and other assorted types. Whilst not being used, the Bomb is able to stay fresh for up to 2 years until the solution or the bud would need to be replaced. Once thrown on the ground the alchemical reaction takes place, resulting in the effects of the bomb. As the reaction is a direct result of rapid movement and shaking the bomb before throwing it, it is highly suggested if you are exporting flower bombs in an environment with a lot of movement you try to stabilise them or they may go off. Once exploded, the bud will rapidly bloom and sprout roots, entangling and destroying the environment (if it is soft surfaced) for up to 10 metres in all directions. Whilst it is highly recommended to only use Cassa flowers in Flower Bomb recipes, many have created different variations of this bomb from cacti to thorny bushes and the like.
Gemmen Kingdoms
Gemmen can be found all over NOVUS, but they originate in the Red Desert. Unlike other races they happily and freely share their homes with other varied people and are most comfortable in multicultural societies. The following locations are the biggest hubs for Gemmen, but as Gemmen like to travel, they can been seen in the most obscure of locations.
Nh’tham
Nh’heiren
Nh’Lyn
Tribe Iko Inka
Tribe Genkata
Tribe Hinka
Tribe Gesgoh
Tribe Qua Quen
Legacy
Gemmen are known for their ability to produce hybrids without issue compared to others and as a result they have unique names for each sub race.
Kenkhori
This are children of demonic or draconic races.
Kikishen
By far the most common sub race, these are children of humans.
Ghenko
A more interesting combination, these are children of Desert Elves or better known as Ghelkeck
Konjah
As there are so many races, this term refers to a child with unknown parentage, doesn’t fit into the above categories or unknown race.
Ghelkeck (Desert Elf)
Whilst the Ghelkeck are considered their own race, with their similarities to Gemmen being only a coincidence to most, they are in fact the product of Gemmen and High Elves during the Great Elven Empire.
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