Termins
The green-glass termins paced to the window, standing there with light refracting through his body. He had been crafted – or at some point taken on the form of – an anthral woman of the littorn carnivate breed, walking on long, clawed toes and crossing spiked arms over his narrow torso. The form had no bearing on his identity. He may be a glass sculpture of an anthral woman, but termins were universally male, their forms changing to their liking each time they shattered and reformed.Sometimes rudely called "Glass Men" by those with little respect, termins are the ancient golems of glass or stone crafted by unknown makers. According to the religion of Revan, as written by the termins themselves, they were made by the gods in the image of the gods, and all other beings are imperfect reflections of them.-Blood Queen and Vermillion Beast: Withdrawals
Basic Information
Anatomy
Termins are sentient fabriformes. They come in a great variety of materials, crafted from stone or colored glass, and often from very fragile components one wouldn't normally make a sculpture or tool out of, much less a person. There are no seams or distinguishable pieces of which termins are composed; they are singular, whole beings. Termins can take on a great variety of appearances, and sometimes choose to appear in the shapes of other beings they have encountered. Because termins most commonly dwell in societies dominated by anthrals, termins often choose to possess horns, tails, and/or claws. Even in these cases, they frequently vary in height well out of the normal range for anthrals, capable of being very short or very tall on a remarkably broad spectrum. They can take on shapes that appear female, male, or otherwise. All of this variation is only in appearance, however. Termins would rarely see themselves as anthral-shaped, preferring instead to say that it is the anthrals that are copying their variations. Termins universally gender male regardless of their shape.
The bodies of termins are not exclusively physical constructs; they were clearly crafted from stone or glass, but this may not be their ideal form. Termins contain magic that gains power over time and, at its greatest heights, can be used to render them in a variety of physically-altered forms. Termins can utilize this magic to become incorporeal, intangible, or invisible, though combining these qualities seems to be a challenge (for example: they can be either invisible or intangible, but not both). When reforming, termins sometimes change shape, and are occasionally but not always able to control these changes. It is possible for this magic to go wrong and a termins to begin to disperse into non-solid matter when attempting to reform; the chances of this seem to increase with age, and this may be the closest thing termins can experience to natural death by old age. Those who begin to feel this dispersal can be bonded in enchanted metal, resulting in animated metal constructs whose occupants are gradually become both intangible and invisible.
Termins who do not utilize the spell to change their shape as it charges will see their stony bodies become increasingly brittle and fragile, and they risk shattering. The few observed instances of this are what earned them the derogatory "Glass Men" epithet. Even outside of this natural deterioration, termins are fragile and easily broken when in tangible form, but if shattered they will usually disperse and reform at a later time.
Genetics and Reproduction
As fabriformes, termins possess no genetics, suffer no illnesses, and are incapable of reproduction. Their ancient creators crafted a certain number of termins, but did not pass on the art to their own creations. With no ability to craft more of their own kind, the termins population has been in gradual decline in recent centuries.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Being golems, termins do not require food. However, they are capable of eating and drinking. Moreso, as the termins have become quite entrenched in the power structures of Sof Sator, hedonism has become increasingly common among them.
Additional Information
Geographic Origin and Distribution
While termins can be found in every part of Sof Sator, there are a remarkably rare sight outside of Revan. Inside the city of Revan, termins dominate the ruling and wealthy classes, and are frequent fixtures in their halls of governance and opulence. Termins spotted in other parts of Sof Sator are usually agents of Revan operating with its authority. Termins that do not have a connection to Revan do exist, but are so few as to be negligible.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Termins received their names in ancient times. They claim that their names have meaning in a divine language, though they seldom tell others what their names supposedly mean. Their names are a single word of two or three syllables. They possess no surnames or signs of family or other affiliations.
Major Organizations
Most of the thousand-odd living termins enjoy luxurious privilege and power inside Revan, as well as religious reverence among an increasing number of vassal states that have adopted their religion. Revan counts most of Sof Sator's nations as allies, and its termins agents and envoys are treated well wherever they travel. The vast majority of termins are actively engaged in the systematic increase of their societal power, through promoting their religion and expanding Revan's political and economic reach. Some few termins do not participate in this labor, enjoying their freedom to pursue a life of art, acedemia, or hedonism inside Revan.
Gender Ideals
The fact that all Termins gender themselves male is no accident. The language of their creators was a gendered language, termins is a male-gendered noun, and their names are all male-gendered nouns as well. This, perhaps better than anything, highlights the artificial nature of the termins. They were manufactured with male identities, even though a not-insignificant number of them take on female shapes.
Termins have little interest in the gender politics of their vassal states and push for gender-blind power structures in nations where they have influence. This does not, however, mean that termins are blind to gender themselves. They promote, both in their religion and in their government, the free expression of all genders. For this reason, a female-gendered termins is not impossible. They are, however, completely unheard of. This may be a result of invisible pressure or even enforcement by fellow termins of some unspoken, theoretical ideal termins identity.
History
Sometimes disrespectfully referred to as "Glass Men", the Termins are a rare species of stone or glass constructs in anthral-like shapes. The religious beliefs of Revan claim that the termins were created by divine hands to resemble the gods, and imbued with holy breath to speak the will of the divine and guide lesser beings. Centuries ago, termins began to serve a religious role in Revan, their faith placing their wisdom above that of anthrals, and anthrals immediately beneath them. This paired well with the hard-won political power of the termins. As of the year 1090 on Revan's calendar, Termins represent a definite ruling class inside of Revan, their place solidified by the appropriation of religious beliefs that enforce the authority of stone and sky over all things. What was once a religion of nature-worship is used by the termins for self-glorification.
In reality, it is unlikely that the termins were crafted by gods. It is more likely that the termins were originally the product of advanced geomancy or summoning practices lost to time. While not exactly evidence of this theory, it should be noted that termins have suppressed geomantic magics when encountering them, and the earth-worship of nations like Pharaul are belittled in the halls of Revan's governance. In an act of poignant cognitive dissonance, the termins leaders of Revan have simultaneously preached their own exceptional origins while also destroying any magical or religious practice that could threaten their uniqueness.
Termins come in many varieties, but their social hierarchy privileges two ends of a dynamic spectrum: white marble and black obsidian or onyx. One of each composes a sibling pair and, religiously, they are posed as metaphors for moon cycles representing the passage of ages. In Revan, this means placing either a white or black termins as king and their opposite sibling as an imperator in charge of the nation's military power. These two siblings will alternate roles every few years, such that the black Termins king represents a new moon and the white Termins king represents a full moon, the pair together forming a cycle. Only termins kings and imperators enjoy absolute authority in Revan, whereas other colors of termins fit nicely into the utmost ranks of governance, military service, or religious organizations.
Scientific Name
Fabriforme Termins
Lifespan
1000+ years
Conservation Status
Critically endangered.
Average Height
1.2 - 2.8 meters
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