Slarin

A race who's legacy is nothing more than myth and legend. Some historians believe they were the first ancestors of humanity while others that they were the first gods of the world. Regardless of views, all historians who have studied the Slarin find them to be mysterious and often hard to comprehend the scale of their people.
What has survived the countless millennium since their passing is often the centerpiece of the entire institutes of learning. The various academies of Aeroden often have on display small eccentric gizmos or the heavily damaged preservations of what is supposed corpses of the Slarin. Although the worlds best historians and thinkers have debated their origin and purpose, it appears that the Slarin shall remain a secret only the gods may truly know.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Slarin had no clear distinction between male and female. Instead, there seems Slarin had a class-based system where depending on how it contributed to society would convey its looks. Regardless all Slarin would have had these following traits in common: Hairless bodies, long talon-like digits, dark grey skin, small mouths that were split like a "+" and each quarter of mouth could move independently, a skull with a large brain, and lastly thin, ridiculously durable, flexible metal plates would be infused into their flesh. The plates would be a slightly lighter grey or white color to them.

There are 5 different distinct types of Slarin.

The Architect:

by Shane Walters

The "Architects" are named such as they seem to have been the main thinkers and the class that was in charge. Their heads were covered almost entirely in smooth metal plates with only one hole for their mouths. Overall their bodies seem to have been artificial with only vital organs being flesh, even their brains are part artificial. Their general frame was made to appear to be taller and more athletic than most other Slarin. They have long arms that had lines of various colors, seemingly based on what aspect of life they controlled, that ran through their arms. Their hands were massive with 3 long digits that contained hundreds of various sensor relays. Their legs had various compartments embedded that acted as storage for the Architect. Their feet had 3 toes, two in the front, and one in the back.

The Breeders:

by Bjorn Hurri

The "Breeders" were the smallest Slarin to be found. Their thin frail forms and lack of growth in organic materials leads many to assume their lifespans were short. It is uncertain if they were born with any limbs as all that has been found have had artificial limbs if any at all. Their faces had a single metal plate to protect their mouth and reproductive system which takes up most of their head. Males would have had various tubes that would extend out of their face whereas females would have had a small vault for eggs to mature before being left out for males to impregnate.

The Riders:

by Shane Walters

The "Riders" is a loose term for all slarin that had numerous legs and appear to have been the mobile forces. They typically had 4-6 legs and 2-4 arms. They were the heaviest of all Slarin and were kept mostly organic in augmentations. The fighting Riders will have thick metal plates and various limbs might have been replaced with weaponry whereas more of the non-violent Riders will have plates and fixtures to transport materials or carry passengers.

The Warrior:

by Il Kim

The "Warriors" are the least organic of all Slarin. Only their brains (Which were heavily augmented) were kept as they rely purely on their chassis to support them. While not the tallest or heaviest, they seemed to have been the perfect mix of agile and durable. Their weaponry included various blades and unusual projectiles that might have fired some sort of magical energies. All Warriors had 2 arms and legs, although the number of digits or sizes can vary.

The Worker:

by Maxim Revin

The "Workers" were the most prevalent and diverse type of Slarin. They served any role that has not already been specialized and thus each would have been custom made for their work. Builders would have had thicker limbs and are larger, Miners would be stout and have drill-like limbs, etc. The only common feature all Workers had was their unique head that has their eyes much wider and seems to have various filters.

Genetics and Reproduction

Slarin reproduced solely through their Breeder class. Females would have 1-3 eggs maturing in their skulls that when ready would be deposited in special pods for males to impregnate. The incubation pods would have be made by the Worker class and there would introduce various stimulations to make the generic eggs produce spawn for the various classes, with un-augmented pods made to produce more breeders.

Growth Rate & Stages

All Slarin regardless of Social class become fully mature after leaving the incubation pods.
Architect: Roughly 24-36 months in an incubation pod to mature and could live up to 6000 years.
Breeder: Roughly 3 months in an incubation pod to mature and could only live for one year.
Rider: Roughly 9-12 months in an incubation pod to mature and could live up to 200 years.
Warrior: Roughly 6 months in an incubation pod to mature and could live for thousands of years.
Worker: Roughly 8 months in an incubation pod to mature and could live for 200-300 years.

Ecology and Habitats

The Slarin seemed to have preferred living deep below the surface of Pohet. The Workers developed a special type of material that was a mix of flesh and metal which would make the base of their communities. It would be called "Slarite" by historians as it would have a metallic look but fleshy feeling. Slarite would quickly grow and seemed to leech nutrients from the ground and air and could be sculpted by the Workers to make buildings. Very few forms of Slarite have survived today as their nutrients would run out without proper care and attention so only small sources remain.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Slarin would eat a strange bi-product produced from the Incubation pods that could be planted and harvested in damp, cool, caverns.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

All Slarin regardless of breed had basic Psionic powers which they use to communicate and move as a collective entity. Most breeds of Slarin would have had eyes and ears, while only the Riders and Architects would have a sense of smell.
Architects: The Architects relied on superior hearing and their Psionic powers to be aware of their surroundings as when they are born their eyes are mutilated to help boost their powers.
Breeders: The Breeders would've been blind, deaf, and immune to pain. They used their sense of smell to find mates who are ready to breed and relied on their artificial limbs to move them around obstacles.
Riders: The Riders would have had a hightened smell and hearing to keep them aware of changes in their environment. They could see through nighttime conditions by relying on faint rays of light but otherwise, eyesight was average.
Warriors: The Warrior class would have relied solely on vision and hearing. They acted on the commands of the Architects who would use them as their eye's and ears thus these senses were left. Being almost entirely artificial and not having a respiratory system they had no need to register pain, smell, or taste.
Workers: The Workers would be very similar to the Warriors in why they only have sight and hearing. Although the Workers would have heightened sight which not only allowed them to focus on small parts of their vision, they also were able to see through certain organic materials as well as in low-light conditions.

EXTINCT

Scientific Name

Slarin (Ss-Lar-in)

Origin/Ancestry

Unknown

Related Myths

• The Death of the Old Ones AKA The Banishment of Grok