Petrakin (pet-rah-kin)

Known History

Beginnings

A contender for oldest species on Veltrona, the petrakin have been intertwined with dragonkind since time immemorial. Though dragons insist they are the first people of the world, not even they remember which of the two is actually 'oldest'. While an amusing scholarly question, it does raise questions as to the nature of the petrakin themselves.
There is an undercurrent in many philosophies that sapient life begets increasing gains: wealth, knowledge, pleasure, or whatever metric that is desired. Such philosophers argue that people intrinsically desire more, and so progress must be made. The petrakin, however, do not really care for this idea in the slightest. Though derided as a lack of ambition, innate stagnancy, or sheer idleness, the petrakin are a species that grasps contentment without desire. In other words, once their needs are satisfied, they do not generally bother with pushing beyond that.
It is a curious way that, especially when contrasted against dragons and their egocentric motivations, many other peoples struggle to understand. Most commonly chalk it up to the petrakin's innate veltron-aspected nature making them favor stagnancy or overbearing tradition. Those same people, however, have no answer to the other veltron-aspected species who do not display the same behavior. Nor do they ever satisfyingly answer the petrakin's willingness to go along with the so-called 'more motivated' peoples around them.
Indeed, petrakin cooperativeness is one of their most famous attributes. Their ability to socialize and work with even the most insufferable sort has long opened countless doors that others struggled to do so themselves. Furthermore, with a great penchant for technology and magical arts, their contributions to countless civilizations have always been foundational. It is these details that have seen petrakin throughout the ages mixing with other cultures and their ways; separate yet cohesive, whole but distinctive.
Whatever the truth of their origins, time has surely erased any and all traces thereof.

Unmoving Ancients

Establishing a petrakin historical perspective can be profoundly maddening, especially as their sensibilities differ from other species. There are several important parts to this affair: the petrakin themselves as a dimorphic species, their unique methods of record keeping, and their actual conceptual differences.
The vast majority of the species consider themselves kosmal, or 'small person/worker/builder/maker'. A very tiny portion of the species, and significantly larger in size, are referred to as the veltak, or 'big leader/mother/protector/teacher'. The relation between the two is a great source of mystery to scholars and some even tried to classify them separately, but one is never far from the other.
To the kosmal petrakin, their veltak kindred are beings of great status and import; 'how' exactly varies, but they always are. As such, petrakin cultures tend to gravitate around the veltak, forming complex social roles. The veltak themselves, often burdened by the expectation of their kosmal kindred, strive to live up to the high standards they (or others) imagine for them. As such, they often fulfill the role of leader, or at least person of great influence, within any petrakin culture.
From their ranks, the wisest and most capable of all veltak petrakin arise: the sages.
The sages act as living libraries, having seen, lived, and studied through many experiences. In some respects, their job is to preserve knowledge in one of the few ways petrakin bother to: inscribing it upon themselves. A particular form of Ink Magic suits to this need, transforming each sage's body into an archive of unparalleled complexity, sophistication, and depth. Anything of import can be found on a sage, and so when that sage dies, the petrakin suffer immensely.
This arrangement is largely seen as the reason why petrakin history is full of holes: the death of a sage (or any archivist) results in unimaginable loss. While sages do often talk and share information between each other, the sheer volume of information is often not translated over. They pick and choose what they, or others, deem to be the most important pieces to ensure that information survives on through someone else. Pointedly so, as anything written down in other ways may not completely capture a sage's unique perspective.
A living sage, on the other hand, is not at all easy to understand. The petrakin do not merely write words or create pictograms for meaning, they capture the breadth of experience itself. Conveyance, of a fashion, tuned to their very specific and particular concerns. This means that the same historical event from one species, like the keshlaen, will be recorded and understood very differently from a petrakin's recollection. Deciphering these differences, and constructing an idea of what the truth truly is, is where many struggle.
Other species offer more reliable, and frankly easier to understand, records. The most prominent ones, of course, come from dragons themselves. To them, the petrakin are a rare species that mingles well with draconic sensibilities, poses little threat or disorder, and generally gets on with them. While the lack of inherent ambition—at least, by their standards—is perplexing, the fact the petrakin go along with their designs works out well enough.
As was, and usually is the case even to the modern day, the various petrakin communes occupied peaceful and materially bountiful pieces of land. Their means of mundane cultivation usually brought order to that land, creating harmonious farms, beautiful scenery, dazzling and bizarre constructs, and more. Most consider the concept of stagnancy as 'doing nothing', but the petrakin always do something; principally, whatever it is they enjoy.
While its brought them no end of trouble from greedy malignants, it also is what brought everyone else as well. Seeing little reason to turn away the other peoples, many petrakin communes welcomed strangers and travelers alike. In doing so, unpredictable noise entered their lives, throwing their orderly ways upside down. The petrakin, who did not begrudge others for their strangeness, tried all the same to cohabitate. Those who wished to live with them, likewise, struggled with the sheer force it took to 'motivate' the petrakin. When such forces weren't compelling them, the petrakin slowed down to the peaceful inertia they so enjoyed.

Life's Perils

The petrakin, like volcanoes, lived somber and uneventful lives until someone, something, or sheer circumstance pushed them too far. Faced with increasing oppression and hostility by those they once entreated, many petrakin communes erupted into brutal violence. In such a heightened emotional state, restraint was the farthest thing from their minds, and the destruction was immense. The world learned that, for as lively as they can be, a petrakin pushed past the limit abandoned all self-control. They are, quite surprisingly, a deeply emotional species to the point of it being viscerally self-destructive.
For how legendary such conflicts were, unlike most similar situations, they also died down relatively quickly. Once the petrakin had their own safe space and the problems were dealt with, they were amendable to peaceful coexistence once more. They certainly didn't accept those who'd wronged them, but the other peoples valued the petrakin's kinship more than they did oppression. Or so most records speak of; not all abided such a thing, but their legacies would be eventually buried in the stone itself.
While it can be said the petrakin readily intertwined with endless cultures, they always maintained their own distinctive threading. The communes, however, never bent or broke despite whatever cultural pressures tried. A fact heightened by the very nature of the petrakin themselves: they're a highly psionically active species. For them, physical existence was just one half of the equation to which they lived by. The mental domain their communes coexisted within were expansive realms to which only the petrakin themselves could use.
A fact that ever fascinated as much as terrified other species. Endless questions and suspicions arose together, never fully satisfied and always gnawing at the mind. Psychic power is itself poorly understood by most, even those who'd tried learning and taming its potential. For many, the petrakin's mental prowess was a source of fear once discovered, for they couldn't tell if they themselves fell under such influence or not.
Sadly, the truth of the petrakin's psychic capabilities was never properly understood and constantly shrouded in fear. This, and this alone, resulted in many cultures ultimately expunging the petrakin from their ranks. Since they could not understand nor control such power, they'd rather not risk its potential usage on them, or so they often justified. The fact that petrakin psionics is wholly incapable of interacting with other species has, if at all acknowledged, never quelled the detractors.
In the end, the petrakin turned into a people to avoid at all costs, and soon became associated with misfortune, calamity, and sinister evil.
Despite everything, however, the petrakin remained steadfast allies to many peoples. Dragons, who treated them as favored friends, protected many of the petrakin communes themselves. The jiuweihu especially grew to favor the petrakin, as their 'naturally harmonious' existence greatly coincided with many jiuweihu philosophies. Humanity, interestingly, got on well with the petrakin and even found a fascination with their unique nature. Those like the rachtoh and muurun, however, treated the petrakin with wariness and scorn.
Such details are difficult to break down into the minutia, but those were the trends across time. While pervasive throughout the world and its many corners, the petrakin never established anything resembling a 'great' civilization. No empires, no massive democracies, no sprawling unlanded nations, no vast tribes; nothing at all that had any equivalency to most other civilizations. They remained satisfied with their communes, pursuing their own separate goals to meet whatever ideals resonated with them.
Some historians turned to a different idea as a result, instead focusing their attention on the Great Sages themselves. These iconic and influential leader-figures held sway over dozens, if not hundreds or thousands, of communes. If seen as a central anchor, and the various disparate communes connected to that one point, then something resembling an expansive civilization emerged. Decentralized in the extreme, but not that far from tribal or clan-based equivalency.
It also put something into focus no one had ever truly seen until then.

The Great Work

Where the petrakin are concerned, there is an unignorable figure of great mystery and concerning influence: Line, the Sage of Writings.
The oldest of all veltak petrakin and an immortal of some manner, Line is a name synonymous with her people since times immemorial. While there is often no true accounting for an immortals real age after a certain point, records of Line's existence stretch into literal geologic ages. She is a persistent and everlasting figure, having lived in and guided countless petrakin communes far longer than most species have presumably existed. In simpler terms, even most dragons think she's incredibly old and it weirds them out.
Purported to have invented the very art of writing itself, Line travels Veltrona constantly, teaching the various communes and anyone else who comes across her path. Though this demeanor comes off as jovial and eccentric, her pattern of behavior suggests something different on a macro scale. The communes she teaches usually take on certain types of architecture, magical arts, and philosophies that coincide with something called 'the Great Work'.
Nothing is known what this 'Great Work' actually entails, but certain details have emerged. For one, the communes create structures that, on their own, may look weird or aesthetically interesting, but do very little. However, they subtly manipulate the flow of mana in the environment. Some argue these structures resemble a kind of magic array on a planetary scale, siphoning tiny amounts of mana from everywhere. Others suppose this array tempers the various types of mana, pacifying their wilder natures.
On the other hand, the Great Work is one of the singularly motivating things that push the petrakin themselves into motion. Arguably, it is so fundamental to their species that it's become impossible to separate Line's teachings from their natural ways anymore. Detractors to this theory, however, are quick to point out that petrakin raised in isolation of Line's teachings do not share such qualities. Ergo, Line's pervasive cultural influence shouldn't be conflated with inherent nature.
Ultimately, it remains the single largest potential concept of a unified petrakin 'civilization', and it has not brought anything destructive about. By any metric imaginable thus far, it is at least a philosophy that has helped shape and guide the petrakin species as a whole. Still, suspicion can be difficult to rid one's self of, and there are many people suspicious of Line's true intentions.

Age of the Imperium

Despite their close familiarity with dragonkind, for the petrakin the Imperium was an especially destructive time. Imperious herself held a great disdain for their kind, far and above many others. Those closest to her seemingly never discovered why she despised the petrakin, but her orders were always clear: use them up and/or kill them off.
Many proved their loyalty, or their simple obedience, by obeying such insanity.
Most historians consider such as a defining moment in the Imperium's rise, and the proverbial moral cliff to which many dragons jumped from. The petrakin were blindsided by their close allies, friends, and often family, violently turning upon them. Nearly all their communes in Aerthen and Lophern were wiped out, with only those aided by anti-imperial dragons successfully escaping. The sudden and immediate death of many, many veltak petrakin also irrevocably destroyed much of their unique cultural histories as well.
Strangely, for one normally aloof, even Line herself intervened in the matter. She issued dire warnings to her veltak kindred, whom spread word to the communes with great haste. Recognizing the existential threat that Imperious posed, the petrakin moved into a disjointed, yet unified effort. For the first time in recorded history, their explosive ferocity turned to war; a total war, by many counts. Like them, many others were soon horribly wronged by the Imperium, and so they joined arms with the petrakin en-masse.
For their part, while comparatively fewer in number to most species, the petrakin made fantastic usage of their psychic connection. Passing information at speeds even harpies and wyverns couldn't match, petrakin scouts and battlefield commanders were unparalleled in their maneuvering. They singlehandedly operated some of the largest information sharing networks in the multi-century war against the Imperium, providing an incredible advantage for the anti-imperial forces. Only the bieneren surpassed them, but their hive mind was just as likely to keep to its own strategic plans than coordinate with others.
While it's difficult to directly observe the petrakin's contributions, its notable that virtually every major power against the Imperium praised their help. In fact, their information sharing prowess became highly coveted, but the communes themselves had little interest in selling out their talents like that. A few did, of course, making such willing petrakin that much more valuable. Some even considered them national assets more important than their own rulers.

Through Darkness

The end of the Imperium, marked by the World Gate explosion, ushered in the Great Darkness. Faced with calamitous destruction hereto unmatched in known history, the world at large faced great hardship. The petrakin, a species with already scattered record keeping, lost even more in such a period. If not for entire communes going silent, then that many more struggling to just stay alive. With the veltaks no longer able to travel safely between communes either, shared history and knowledge froze entirely.
When combined with the Imperium's genocide, there is an enormous gap in petrakin history during the Great Darkness. What is known and generally accepted in discourse is that, for what communes did survive, became bastions of safety for many others. The petrakin worked hard and fervently, beyond what any had seen them do before, to construct massive cradles of civilization to weather the hard times. For the less numerous or fortunate species, the petrakin's open doors became a lifeline that kept their fires alight in the darkness.
Such magnanimity washed away old suspicions and hatreds—or at least, such people were soon removed by others—and so the petrakin became revered as saviors of a fashion. The responsibility of that idea sounded terribly burdensome to them, but in the name of mutual survival, they did what they could. Many of the modern day relations with the petrakin themselves can be traced back to this time period, so it is a foundational one for interspecies intermingling.

Separate Yet Whole Once More

When the skies cleared and sunlight returned to Veltrona, a different world awaited everyone. The petrakin, all-too-aware of their separate communes and their great vulnerabilities, slowly began building an answer to those problems. The first and foremost of which was expanding their own psychic abilities with greater and greater reach. Inspired by the bieneren hive mind and its potent power, the many veltak sought to somehow create a means by which different communes could communicate with one another.
Such an endeavor continued in utmost secrecy among the veltak, especially when the Baarham Dominion arose. The petrakin of Aerthen and Lophern, having seen the horrors of the Imperium first hand, recognized the evil within the Dominion. However, they and many others lacked the strength to confront the baarham decisively. Fearing the same calamity striking once again, the veltak hurried their efforts.
At some point in the long war against the Dominion, the veltak began seeing success with their endeavors. Simplistic but functional long range psychic communication entered the petrakin arsenal, allowing the communes to exchange information across immense distances. With it, the petrakin closed the information net around the Dominion, empowering the many nations and rebels tearing away at it.
Much to their relief, the Dominion's sudden and massive disappearance from Veltrona meant there wouldn't be another Great Darkness. Unfortunately, the new psychic power of the petrakin had become known to everyone else. Concerned with those who might abuse such an ability, the veltak took extreme measures to ensure this burgeoning psychic network wouldn't be abused. Though it hampered its ultimate potential, they were reasonably successful in protecting such a powerful capability.
And so, for the first time in their history, the petrakin communes across Veltrona could reach one another. A number of logistical and practical issues aside, it nonetheless chipped away at the barriers they once took for course in life. Those once lost found each other again; those once strangers became friends. Those with quite the colorful disagreement soon started arguing and yelling at each other as well. Prosperity and strife alike stirred among the communes, but thankfully at speeds slow enough to still be manageable.
Though the world has calmed from the great disasters it once faced, the petrakin are all-too-aware of things continuing to escalate. New magics, new technologies, greater ambitions, unbridled greed, and so much more has suffused the lands. People are driven to goals of once unimaginable potential, and the veltak worry greatly over what will come of such things.

Biology

Anatomy and Physiology

A dimorphic species, the petrakin are humanoids with a head, torso, two arms with five fingered hands, two digitigrade legs with four toed feet, and a long, prehensile tail coming out from above the buttocks. Overall, their veltronic nature combines the concept of 'mineral' and 'organic' together into a unique mixture colloquially referred to as 'living stone'. While superficially resembling a great many types of veltron minerals, like granite or marble, their actual underlying structure is 'similar but different'. Holistically, they can be considered living beings in the traditional organic sense with blood, organs, and living stone flesh.
Petrakin have minimal sexual variation within their species, with both 'females' and 'males' appearing nearly identical. They're distinguished only by the females having enlarged breasts, and the respective genitalia differences of both sexes. Otherwise, hence forth, petrakin anatomy is largely considered under a feminine context.
Similar to scale-bearing species, like dragons or nuhara, petrakin are adorned in a mixture of skin and 'rock growth'. This growth favors the exterior facing sides and hardy areas, with terminating growth toward the interior or fatty regions. For example, the skin between the interior arm and torso is mostly devoid of obstructive growth, but the exterior side and elbow may have much thicker, larger, or pronounced growth. This type of adaptation is common on Veltrona, as it minimizes locomotive friction and potential damage to the organism. Overall, their rock growth exhibits mannerisms related to the type of mineral it takes after; e.g, basalt petrakin have very hexagonal formations, pyrite with crumbly textures and sharp, geometric cubes.
The head of a petrakin is defined by two expressive eyes, a nose of varying sculpt and shape, particularly wide lips, two ears that vary between rounded, pointed, and wedge-shaped, and unusually firm and structurally secure hair. Overall, their faces are considered statuesque, having a certain perfection of symmetry, shape, and form that makes each of them appear idealistic (though to whose ideals is a subjective argument). Rock growth varies between nonexistent to definitive, usually beginning at the jawline, cheek bones, and nose and brow ridge, then expanding out from there.
The torso, arms, and upper legs of a petrakin maintain a humanoid appearance. The exact ratio of skin-to-rock growth varies among petrakin types, with some having no growths and entirely smooth, stone-like skin. Others may be excessively covered in growth, taking on very dramatic appearances like 'armored' or 'walking mountains'. Their widened hips coincide with their particular method of walking, as well as supporting their distinctively large and long tail.
At usually twice the length of their whole body, the petrakin tail is an effective functional limb unto itself. Aiding in balance, handling certain objects, and even serving as a weapon, it is versatile in application and important tool in their emotive languages. The tail itself may vary as much as three times their body length, though these are unusual outliers.
The lower leg is curious in that, while digitigrade, the petrakin foot is a pseudo-hand of sorts. The two main toes and side 'thumbs' enable a rudimentary usability, principally in the realm of rock climbing. It is an adaptation ideal for traversing vertical height and complex surfaces, complimented by the inch-thick, rock-cutting nails protruding from the digits. Contrary to belief, petrakin are fairly capable short-term runners, prioritizing bursts of speed over long-term endurance. Their overall method of walking, running, and getting around makes them seem predatory, and almost lizard-like in mannerism.
The veltak petrakin are physiologically distinct due to their greater size and disproportionate body. Their overall height is usually two-to-three times that of their kosmal kindred, making them proverbial towers by comparison. In simpler terms, their necks are multiple feet long, enough so they can wrap around themselves or reach their own waistline. Their hands and legs are much longer, giving them a crooked gait and lengthsome reach. Hair grows from the top of their down the length of their neck, terminating around the shoulder region. Otherwise, they physiologically mirror all the other traits the petrakin as a whole possess.
Their tongues originate deeper in the esophagus, and possesses segmented musculature that helps roll food down their gullets. It is not uncommon for petrakin tongues to reach up to two feet in length outside their own bodies, but that does strain them. The muscle itself is highly flexible to an extent, letting them reach into places otherwise inaccessible.

Appearance

The skin of the petrakin is notable in its smoothness and lack of pores, small hairs, or similarities to other species. This aspect tends to give them an air like a 'living statue', especially when certain mineral patterns or features accentuate them. In fact, some even take on a highly reflective quality in direct light, becoming mildly luminous (or visually blinding).
Their head hair stands out as a result, being the only hair whatsoever on their bodies. It is a type of 'stony fiber', and has a durability to it not unlike draconic hair. Its unusually structured nature means it tends to grow into a defined shape, then maintain that shape without help. While this compliments the 'statue-like' look of the petrakin, it also makes changing or modifying their hair an ordeal unto itself. Magic is often required to achieve lasting or permanent change.
Their eyes have glass-like quality, and the iris itself is unusually three-dimensional, protruding to the outer layer of the eye as much as the interior. This creates a very distinct blend of color, structure, and pattern that is shockingly unique to the petrakin. Their pupils take on different shapes, seemingly influenced by the surrounding iris structure; it's not clear how much, if at all, this affects their perception of light.
For some petrakin, their rock growths may intrude upon, or even take over, some or all of their head hair. This can result in appearances similar to horns or other head growths from different species, which led some to confuse them as a type of dragon. In the most extreme cases, their rock growth fully takes over, becoming a natural grown helm or crown of some manner. However, pupil shapes tend to follow bloodlines, and so is one of the rudimentary ways of tracking familial relations.
The overall harmony of the petrakin body denotes colorations of the skin, rock growth, and hair. This means visual distinction of the three is often easily achieved, though there are some coincidental alignments like black rock and black hair. The type of mineral they're mainly related to usually tends to be a dominant factor, but it's possible for multiple minerals to coincide or compete with each other. In many ways, petrakin are profoundly diverse in their appearances, and vary wildly in actual colors, patterns, and appearances, taking on characteristics as much organic as mineral.
While petrakin largely inherit their visual traits, changes can occur if they consume or absorb a lot of veltron material from an environment. This can result in subtle changes—or significant ones if they're particularly young—in the composition of their rock growth and skin. The 'mineral blending' is a cultural choice among the petrakin as much as a result from dietary habits. It is, however, not a quick process by any stretch, taking years or decades at a time.

Natural Abilities

Resilient Physiology – Petrakin are rather durable as a species, taking and shrugging off harm that would be debilitating for others. They're also capable survivalists, able to sustain themselves off of shockingly minimal food and water compared to other species; even if that is by no means enjoyable. This natural resilience makes them fantastic at adapting to Veltrona's myriad environments.
Low-light Vision – Petrakin can see in twilight and darker conditions functionally well, but true darkness is still completely blinding to them.
Limited Telepathy – Psychically active, petrakin can mentally communicate, share thoughts and experiences, and generally bridge their minds together. This ability, however, only works for those significantly of their bloodline, implying there is an important physiological aspect to engage with their version of telepathy.
Emotional Hypersensitivity – Feeling and understanding emotions with unbridled clarity and intensity, the petrakin are perhaps one of the most emotional species on Veltrona. However, whereas others' limited ranges may offer some semblance of safety, petrakin do not have that. As such, extreme emotional events can trigger intense psychological reactions, such as berserk rage, despondent melancholy, euphoric delight, and other highly debilitating mental states.
Intuitive Comprehension – Petrakin have a strange, almost supernatural gift to comprehend magical arts and technologies despite having little prior experience. Some even mistaken them for natural savants, but their predisposition and capability is far too common and expansive to fully fit that definition. Oddly, this ability doesn't help at all when developing their own creations necessarily.

Diet

Capable omnivores, the petrakin enjoy many similar eating habits to those with such a nature. Perhaps favoring fruits and vegetables over meat in a sense, but that trend is more cultural than intrinsic. They do, however, have an extra dimension to their diet: raw mineral intake. In simpler terms, they can and do eat rocks. While not nutritionally complete, it provides essential materials necessary for them, and so is critical to their survival.
Unfortunately that one little wrinkle means that petrakin cooking has a certain inedibility, if not lethality, to most other species. While the barest concentrations of added minerals may pass to some degree, its often not a pleasant experience. The petrakin themselves, however, need too much to subsist off most foods' innate mineral traces, creating a complicated issue.
They can and do, however, suffice with veltron-aspected crysium as a dietary supplement. Crysium, while posing another issue with its mana concentration, does offer mineral nutrition while being non-toxic. It has been a cornerstone for many chefs throughout time seeking to bridge the needs of everyone else and the petrakin together.
There are those who besmirch such an 'easy' approach, however. Many chefs have, through painstaking trial and error, discovered all sorts of nutritional measurements seeking to also bridge petrakin and everyone else. Some scholars regard them as the first true discoverers of complex nutrition, but that is a tall claim to back up.

Life Cycle

Born in a fragile state, the partially translucent newborn is very sensitive to its surrounding environment. Petrakin nurseries are, essentially, highly controlled environments (with a preference to airtight sealing if possible). While ensuring maximum safety of the newborns, it also allows the parents to control what sort of mineralization their children are exposed to. While not an exact science, nor entirely proven, there is a strong belief that early exposure to certain minerals can dictate a petrakin's potential life. Thusly, there is great superstition surrounding the matter.
At around six months to a year, the newborn has solidified enough and settled into their new life. At such a point, they're introduced to larger nurseries and playmates. For the telepathic petrakin, meaning and concepts are easy to transmit and receive, making the concept of youthful ignorance and parlance an interesting one. The young brain and its associated mind must learn and parse information on its own, necessitating some fairly typical approaches to parenting.
Petrakin adolescence has a long development phase, similar to that of dragons and jiuweihu, though unusual given they are a mortal species; albeit long lived. Lasting several decades, young petrakin spend much of their time learning, playing around, and building experience with the world around them. While the weakest in the first few decades of life, as they become more mobile and physically fit, they often begin participating in the runnings of their family and parent commune. Many see this as a good thing, as it lets young minds experiment with many things and develop their interests.
Around their 70s to 80s is when full adulthood, marked by completed mineralized growth and physical maturation, is reached. From there on out, a petrakin has a breadth of knowledge, experience, and capability. If they've been eying migrating to another commune, it usually occurs after their adulthood ceremonies. The specifics do vary, but ultimately the petrakin are driven to find those who are 'similar, yet different', providing the intellectual engagement they enjoy so much. Sometimes their parent commune provides such a thing, sometimes it does not.
An adult petrakin's true age is generally difficult to discern, either due to their resilience or the characteristics of their rock growth. Whereas a human may develop blemishes or other faults in their skin or hair, petrakin do not. Instead, cracks in the stone flesh, chipped or broken rock growth, and color stains usually indicate a petrakin has weathered hardship.
Old age by petrakin standards sets in within the last few decades of their life span. Its principle characteristic is the onset of a process colloquially referred to as calcification. While not actually related to calcium in any way, the process itself is essentially the organic portions of the petrakin failing and their natural mineralization taking over. This slowly reduces anatomical functions until organ failure triggers and the petrakin perishes. If uninterrupted, the body continues to calcify into a hardened, purely mineralized corpse that truly lives up to the idea of a statue.
Confronting their demise is a divisive topic among the petrakin, to which many different approaches exist. There are those who prefer to die with ritualistic meaning, such as imbibing an accelerant then perishing while in a specific posture. Their body is then used as an actual statue, either for religious or symbolic purposes, in architecture somewhere. Some are entombed into the veltron, to be undisturbed for geologic eons in death's peaceful slumber. Others are ground down to powder, to be dispersed in water or the air, so that they may rejoin with the world once more.

Anaxials, Hybrids, and Variants

Anaxials

Unusually, the petrakin rarely sire anaxials of any kind, instead contributing to what are essentially full humans. The vast majority of so-called petrakin anaxials are just those with a monsterkind parent, but without distinctive characteristics or even vestigial traits. A topic of great curiosity, the mystery to which may be answered by those who do inherit petrakin traits.
Such anaxials face a complicated life as the innate mineralization behavior of the petrakin wars with their organic body. Lacking the distinct balance and unique characteristics of their petrakin parent, the anaxial must resolve this danger through whatever means possible. If they fail to do so, calcification will set in, killing them in childhood at the earliest, and constantly threatening them otherwise.
Most can and do resolve their natural imbalance through magical training, if not fully becoming a mage or cultivator. In doing so, at least, they obtain a familiarity with veltron mana others may struggle to achieve themselves. With such, they become quite capable at not only stabilizing their livelihood, but wielding fundamentally powerful types of magic. They're also unique in that, possessing telepathy like their parent, can psychically communicate with the petrakin directly.

Hybrids

Similar to their anaxials, petrakin do not inherit most hybridized traits. This usually occurs in the form of color, patterns, and skin tone, with mild effects on the rock growth itself. Popular theory speculates that the petrakin's veltron nature greatly resists change, either onto it or on others. This always struggles to answer why the petrakin specifically exhibit this behavior, though. Veltron-aspected dragons, such as the Kar lineage, do not have any of these issues whatsoever.

Variants

Some contention surrounds petrakin classifications, especially the veltak petrakin. Though most insist they are a variant, a bizarre fact nonetheless remains obstinate: the veltak themselves are not 'physiologically different'. Despite what one's eyes would tell them, many studies into what the veltak 'are' show they're virtually identical to the kosmal petrakin. The only unexplainable detail is their much greater size and disproportionate bodies that, somehow, function entirely normally. Combined with the unbroken secrecy of how a veltak petrakin is born—or made—and there is no clear consensus on the topic.
The other area of concern is whether or not petrakin with differing mineral characteristics qualify or not. Their material composition does affect their physical characteristics; a granite-typed petrakin would have more durability than one that is chalk-typed, for instance. However, the line between 'environmental adaptation' or 'entirely new genetic variant' is not truly that clear. Combined with a petrakin able to, in some form or another, alter their mineralization means 'adaptation' usually wins as the assumption.

Sociology

Cultural Universals

The communal concerns of the petrakin hold true in all their cultures, showcasing their great interest and active role in the wellbeing of others. For the petrakin communes, this has an easy correlation to their psychic connection to one another. Someone who is suffering will be obvious, and intrinsic empathy motivates them to mend and resolve that suffering. Not all pains are easily resolved, but at least a modicum of effort can take the edge off. Similarly, those with aspirations to do something can inspire others to aide them in that effort quite seamlessly.
This empathy follows the petrakin everywhere, for better or worse. Interacting with the other species, who are definitely not psychic, is a constant hurdle. Voices, facial expressions, non-verbal communication, and more are complex topics that must be deciphered. Though they wish to be helpful, the veil of single-mindedness is always present. It is a source of constant frustration, but also times great surprise and elation.
Reverence for the veltak petrakin is something almost genetic, or at least unimaginably pervasive. Kosmal petrakin will, even without knowing the veltak themselves, hold a generally higher opinion or regard for the veltak by default. This extends to veltak who might even be of opposing ideological inclinations, though more like polite courtesy than open acceptance.
Fun-loving and entertainment driven, petrakin are always interested in doing something with others. Though derided as hedonistic, their desires to experience many things and in all sorts of ways is not necessarily gluttonous. It can be a difficult notion to understand, but suffice to say their earnesty in whatever they do can be overwhelming for those not ready for it.

Lingual Characteristics

As telepathy is typically almost always the first kind of method of communication petrakin learn, they tend to have a range of issues when it comes to facial or verbal expressions. These issues manifest often in younger petrakin, while those with more life experience tend to learn over time. Among the petrakin themselves, facial and vocal expressions often come about as a result of outbursts; usually overwhelming or surprising emotions from sudden stimuli. Subtler expressions require active thought, rather than the instinctual modulation other species do regularly.
Scholarly study has shown these characteristics are almost entirely learned. Petrakin raised among other species, or in contexts where telepathy is less relied upon, easily learn and adopt the facial and vocal expressions of their parent culture. It can, however, be quite surprising to those not prepared for the over-exaggerated, and typically extreme, expressions petrakin usually make.

Arts and Beauty

With a love for games and music, the petrakin endlessly explore both when given the opportunity. Their surprisingly competitive spirit is born from a sort of positive rivalry, one where the victor is the whetstone for the loser to try once more upon. It isn't dissimilar to the rachtoh way of thinking, insofar as everyone playing the game makes the game worth playing. Sportswomanship, as a result, is highly valued among the petrakin and often intertwines with ideals of honorable conduct.
Their music can be, as is often charitably described as, 'soul shaking'. Percussive instruments have a mainstay in petrakin music as they convey both power and force. It is through which they reach the heights of sound capable of rattling their bones, rocks, and souls. They also have a fondness for a particular style of instrumentation that uses electricity and magnetism to produce sharp, otherworldly sounds. The two are often played together in rather unique combinations not normally seen elsewhere.
Because dead petrakin resemble humanoid masonry so much, they have a strong aversion to anything resembling a person in stonework; e.g, statues, busts, etc. To them, it seems as if a corpse is being paraded about, and they do not like that in the slightest. Even if they understand a human statue is not a human corpse, their natural response is hard to overcome. They don't have a similar reaction to artwork, paintings, or other forms of representation, though.
Such depictions help define the nebulous sense of beauty the petrakin desire. In what could be described as 'striking' and 'personalized', the petrakin love confidence and depictions thereof. If this intertwines with their own unique rock growth, one could present an impressively unique stature. In broader terms, the petrakin are attracted to strong demeanors and natures, favoring personality as it is expressed through one's body. Given their principally feminine aesthetic, however, they tend to look at other species' women with a more discerning eye, and a puzzlement toward the men.

Magic and Technology

Among all petrakin pecularities, and the one they're most renowned for, is the fact the petrakin themselves have little interest in developing magic or technology. When there is a clear and existent need, they will pool together their resources to solve the problem with remarkable efficiency. However, if everyone is doing well, life is good, and there are no troubles, then they prefer to invest themselves elsewhere. Recreational artforms would be a prominent and constant field of interest.
On the surface, this habit could be called a cultural one, so surely petrakin would change culture-to-culture. What, then, happens with their unusual proficiency with such artificial constructs like magic or technology? The peculiarity begins in that all petrakin behave this way, regardless of their upbringing or personalities. Simultaneously uninterested in unnecessary progress, they quickly and thoroughly develop incredible skill with the magics or technologies they interact with.
It is an utterly bizarre circumstance that has maddened dragons, themselves a very technically proficient species, since forever. While there are petrakin leaders (often veltak) who continue to push the boundaries of progress, they're distinct outliers in the petrakin species. Most would-be inventors and great minds who exist are, usually, tied up in the realms of cooking, music, games, and recreation as a whole. In many respects, other species employ petrakin to operate their devices or magic for them, effectively circumventing the problem: they invent things, the petrakin operate them.
It works surprisingly well.

Religion and Philosophy

Petrakin maintain an odd relationship with goddesses and other spiritual beings given their shared history with dragonkind, who tend to scoff at anything physical or spiritual having power over them. Thus, the old notions of ancestor worship and primal return to the veltron tend to form the basis for their religious concepts. Those worth remembering should be remembered, but everyone in all shape and forms return to Veltrona at some point or another.
They do, however, acknowledge that spiritual beings deal in realms of workings and power far outside the simplicity of corporeal existence. In a sense, their own psychic prowess lends them familiarity with incorporeality and differing dimensions in a way most other species do not have. In that light, petrakin dealings with goddesses is more transactional and functionary than one of subservience or idolatry. This sentiment often causes friction with those who do view, or operate, their religions under such context. Many faiths tend to be exclusionary toward the petrakin as a result, prizing them for converting yet scorning them for daring to question such 'greater powers'.
To the petrakin, life is one enjoyed in the moment and one's work made to pushed a tiny bit further. A mountain does not rise in a day, nor is a petrakin's journey so easily resolved. Life, in its many mysteries and possibilities, waits to be explored and experienced. Ideas, both complex and simple, yearn for minds to untangle them and build something profound. The way of all things, for whatever form it takes, should be questioned and ordered to benefit everyone.
In this respect, petrakin philosophical views take on a generational perspective. Though long-lived themselves, not all work they embark upon can be resolved in even five centuries of life. Like a great ship that will set sail on an ocean they'll never see, the petrakin work to build that ship so that it may, one day, sail. This often gets them on well with humans, who usually believe in work greater than themselves and create generational legacies as well.

Science and Spirituality

Intellectual curiosity sharpened to the point of a blade might be a fitting definition of the petrakin mind. With their competitive spirit ready to find new fields, they often look at questions and problems in terms of 'how fast or efficiently can I solve this?'. Their solution-oriented thinking helps them reach workable answers with remarkable speed, but they can have trouble envisioning nebulous concepts. Much like their strange proficiency for magic and technology of any kind, petrakin solve problems that need solving but care little for going beyond that.
This puts the spiritual realm of concerns in a funny context. While acknowledging such places and beings as having their own existent purposes, the petrakin care little for meddling in them. As those worlds handle their business, Veltrona handles it own, and the petrakin concern themselves with Veltrona's affairs only. While not inhospitable to the spirits, they're quite mindful of making sure no one is jumping the fence and causing problems, either. Ironically, this tends to attract more spirits to them, which annoys the petrakin even more.

Psychology

Rest and Sleep

Given their extreme emotional sensitivity, rest for a petrakin is very important. Unlike a 'start-stop' response that most might think first, the petrakin state of mind is more like a wave atop an ocean. It takes time, effort, and hopefully a reduction of stimuli to really calm the waters for them to even begin resting. A condition of arguably similar nature may be persistent anxiety in terms of sensation, though not in cause. The ocean metaphor is a common one among them as it captures their state of mind in a way those not petrakin can hopefully understand.
Generally speaking, petrakin will favor isolated areas to reduce as much telepathic and physical noise as possible. Their resting grounds are important communal resources as a result, as they must be cultivated carefully. While nearly everyone has an appreciation for quiet, few take it to the lengths the petrakin do. It is even a social taboo, unless necessitated by emergency, to be disruptive in such places. If one imagines the reverence a temple or shrine carries, that comes close to the petrakin respect for their resting grounds.
Sleep itself is a time of unconsciousness and dreams. While petrakin may consciously shut out telepathic noise, their unconscious minds are still communicating to one another. This subconscious telepathy is considered their realm of dreams, and exposes how constantly connected the petrakin are to each other. Strangely, those who remember details of it often speak more of concepts and abstractions than solidified memories or imagination. There is meaning, yet no comprehension, and so while it is puzzling, it is entirely innocuous.

Consciousness and Thought

For whatever might thought of when 'telepathy' is brought up, petrakin are surprisingly quite average in measurements of consciousness. Their neural speeds are usually in the same bands, and they do not form above-normal complex thought structures like bieneren bioforms do. Emotional hypersensitivity aside, their going-ons are surprisingly human-like with a penchant for cognitive resilience. That is, despite their own emotion swings, their minds can usually piece together again without suffering disorders. Despite their massive outbursts, they're remarkably mentally durable.
Interestingly, when in a 'least agitated' state, petrakin mental resilience means they're often not immediately bothered by things. While derided as a form of emotional numbness, it is more like their minds have yet to ignite from emotional fuel. When properly utilized, a petrakin can control their own reactions and mental state with great effectiveness. The problems begin when that ignition occurs, as their control slips and things spiral from there very quickly.

Motivation and Emotion

There's a certain complexity around the idea of petrakin motivation. On one hand, they're capable and driven toward their interests as much as anyone else; perhaps moreso, sometimes. On the other, there are just certain areas they care for little for, especially if it pushes them outside of their comfort. If a clear and pressing need presents itself, they'll even confront it with great urgency. However, pushing them for more nebulous or uncertain concepts will be met with lethargy and disinterest.
There are those quick to point out the petrakin only really bothered when emotionally inspired to do so. That, however, does them a disservice to the purely ideological goals that often shape and motivate their lives. One could surely say 'doing what I want provides me a good feeling or satisfaction', but this assumption crumbles in the face of ideologies that don't necessarily provide that. In a broader sense, it also begs questions about the fundamental nature of what a 'person' is, to which few are willing to engage earnestly with.
It is said that petrakin feel greatly about all things they engage with, so they are not idle souls in the slightest. Yet what truly compels them forward is a personal question, for it always requires great effort. In that sense, they are not that different from everyone else when confronted by things that ask much and give little. No one, however, can say the petrakin fail to stand at the line when hardship comes knocking. They, perhaps more than everyone else, hate when their peace is disturbed.

Sexuality and Love

There are some quirks to petrakin sexuality that often align more with unisexual species than the more dimorphic ones. That is, as they're an almost entirely feminine expressing species, they view almost everything under a female lens. Even their men often construe themselves as such, adopting highly feminine traits that are considered ideal. Not exactly one-to-one, but petrakin masculinity and everyone else has very different standards.
This ends up making even the broader definitions of masculinity quite strange to them, and most petrakin require some convincing about it. Overall, their sexualities tend to revolve around feminine concepts with underpinnings of their notions of masculinity. The women of other species, thusly, tend to get the most attention, while the more 'feminine' men can catch eyes as well.
Love is one of the greatest forces for the petrakin, capable of moving and bringing down entire mountains. For them, someone (or someones) to share life's wonders with, experience all there is together, and accompany one another is deeply fulfilling. Some might argue the petrakin live to find those to share life with, and obtaining it truly brings them lasting peace.

Society

Social Mannerisms

An incredibly sociable people once you know how they work, the petrakin love to gossip, group together for events, and generally be in the busy places where people are at. This can end up in funny situations where a non-petrakin is wandering around in the middle of what is, ostensibly, a major public event, debate, or performance—meanwhile, the petrakin, who are conversing telepathically, look as if they're sitting there and emoting in total silence. Or, in the case of plays, a lot of commotion from the actresses but no actual audible dialogue. However, there are always interpreters sitting around who will echo what is going on in the mental network.
It's difficult to overstate the dramatic difference petrakin telepathy makes for understanding them as a whole. When missing quite literally all of the conversation going on, it makes their actions seem completely random. It's also quite awkward for others to ask constantly what is going on, or who said what, which leads to feelings of alienation. Most petrakin accept that, when hosting others, they should use verbal speech instead of telepathy. That, however, does vary; sometimes they carry on different conversations telepathically regardless while hosting their guests.
With a mindfulness to seniority as petrakin value age and wisdom, social groups tend to segment into various generations or similar life experiences. When the elders appear, they're often considered respect on given matters, but it is not a one-way affair. Intellectual challenges are the norm for petrakin, especially in complex matters like philosophy, spirituality, and game theory. If one is going to step into the arena, then the battle will be earnest. To an extent, this respect is even stronger for the shorter lived species. Even if they may not have the same life span nor sense of time as the petrakin, they have lived and endured.
What should be remembered is that the petrakin do care for stability, as it is fundamental to everything for them. Social norms, in that sense, are important but never to the extent by which they engender suffering. It is a curious mixture of unyielding normalcy and fungible flexibility that can change surprisingly quickly. Since the petrakin ultimately care for about the happiness and well-being of others, everything serves that end. Yet, the hardship of firm guidance can be difficult to implement.

Gender

Little concept of gender roles is established among the petrakin, with most centering around child rearing and matters of pregnancy. While there's a range of reasons to pick from for petrakin gender equality, the simplest answers usually default to their telepathy. With an intimate understanding of one another from the very foundation of their species, many of the questions about which gender does what were quickly answered in fairly utilitarian ways.
The only true issue is pregnancy and its many challenges, to which an expecting petrakin mother usually takes concessions, while the father plays a supporting role. Once the pregnancy, birth, and post-birth recovery are settled, parental responsibilities are more balanced to the parents whims and needs. Combined with support from friends and family, this area is a solved question to the petrakin as a whole.
As a result, they do find other species' sexual dimorphism and the many issues thereof as quite bizarre, though.

Kinship and Ethnicities

The family unit for the petrakin is surprisingly hard to define, especially by the notions of outsiders. Property and wealth, for what ideas of it exist, are usually passed down matrilineal lines as the default, though not strictly enforced. Parents are directly responsible for their children, but the structure of it becomes increasingly nebulous. Aunts, uncles, grand parents, and the like form an expansive webwork of social relations every petrakin is buried deep inside of.
While analogous to a small clan more often than not, each and every family is its own unique makeup that cohesively integrates into their commune. Even if ideological divisions cause some separation, the family relations often remain quite strong. Disagreements or not, many petrakin have gone on long journeys across Veltrona to aide their birth family (or the family of a loved one).
Due to the interchangeability of petrakin communes and their ideological driving forces, petrakin ethnicity tend to be principally defined by their dominant mineralization. That is to say, a coal-like petrakin will be associated with others who are also coal-like. However, as a petrakin can potentially change their dominant mineralization over many years, this allows them to 'migrate' between ethnic groups in a literal sense. A second, broader method of identification is usually the regions in which a petrakin has lived, and any particular lingual accents they may have from there.
The communes themselves nebulously exist between micro city-state, landed nation, and monastic order melted together. Their open borders and principal interest in members having ideological coherence, over all other concerns, does make them a bit difficult to grasp at first. As they're not inherently oppressive nor forcefully conformist, this means a petrakin of differing ideals can simply leave and find another commune that resonates with them. It is, however, difficult to leave a home one has grown and lived in, potentially for decades or centuries at a time.
Such is the importance of one's own path, and a cause worthy of their wholehearted belief.

Governments and Politics

The fundamental structure of petrakin government, the communes, operate on a mixture of direct and indirect democracies, usually dictated by the population size of the commune itself. Specially trusted moderators and representatives act as the conduits to which votes and matters of policy are officiated through. In the context of their telepathic communications, this usually means the busywork of hearing everyone out, counting votes, or providing information on the topic at hand. Representatives act as focal nodes for their constituents, who usually are too busy to vote in matters directly.
While other governmental forms rise and fall over time, they're usually a result of special needs or concerns. In matters of war or crisis, for example, trusted and experienced elderly kosmal or veltak petrakin may have much more authority in the matter. Veltak, especially, are expected to spearhead these situations in which individual command is the most effective means of action. In some cases, the commune may even vote in someone who is, functionally, a dictator of some manner.
The burden of that responsibility, however, is tremendous, and many singular leaders tend to wear down from it quickly.
Given their ideology-centric concerns, political factions are the bread and butter of petrakin governance. Everyone wishing to push their ideas or further their own goals will, naturally, draw in those of like minds while fostering opposition. The manner in which these work is ever-shifting and very concerned with topics of interest. Today's rivals may be voting together on tomorrow's different problem before going back to slapping each other. In that sense, they're just like every other democracy out there, but they tend to work pretty quickly and fairly efficiently.

Trade and Economics

One of the most notable areas the petrakin are quite languid in is the creation of goods. While they'll work to meet their needs and then some, the accumulation of wealth or material goods isn't all that attractive to them. Some do turn it into a game, principally based on financial mathematics and logistics, but such individuals are still considered strange by petrakin standards. As such, they don't participate in market economies or those driven by currency all that much.
Instead, social clout and relations are important mechanisms by which petrakin may be motivated to work on something. Infrastructure, lifestyle maintenance, farming, and other critical areas are the easiest to get hands and feet in motion for. In a sense, they tend to be almost entirely bartering based as a result, levying their time and skill in return for whatever they want. Currency of any kind is usually a byproduct of them being involved in other cultures' economies.
It has and still regularly leads to unfavorable impressions about the intellectual aptitude of the petrakin, particularly in multi-species cultures. At the same time, them being hard and efficient workers when they do actually work garners some measure of respect. Combined with their intuitive comprehension and many would-be profiteers try to squeeze petrakin into whatever schemes they can think of. Never bother a petrakin with a contract or debts, they'll laugh themselves into an episodic fit over such ridiculous concepts.

Interspecies Relations

The social fungibility and generally helpful nature of the petrakin has, despite the shadow of fear mongering about their psychic power, continually done wonders for them. While civilizations concerned with 'progress' and 'domination' or any measure of 'become better' tend to scoff at the petrakin communes, it's not wise to anger them. For whatever the petrakin lack in apparent geopolitical power, they make up for in potential and motivation when pushed too far. Their war game practitioners, in particular, love having the opportunity to put theory into practice, and they do so with malevolent glee.
With their longstanding history among dragons, the two can be considered inseparable in many situations. Even if a petrakin commune has no dragons living at them, they certainly visit with punctual regularity. From the draconic perspective, such a thing is more like a vacation among the fun-loving petrakin, and so highly valued. Petrakin are also, notably, those who usually do not view dragons on an elevated pedestal, instead treating them rather normally. Perhaps, in such a way, it becomes understandable why dragons do value them so much.
It's even more notable when there are species who, in general, do not like the petrakin. The rachtoh tend to rank highly here as, according to their sensibilities, petrakin are 'inedible' and 'lazy', the two worst things a person could be. The muurun are not far behind as they find the petrakin's easy-going nature as incredibly prey-like and vulnerable to abuse. No one's quite sure if that's actual dislike or a strange over-protectiveness. The aquatic keshlaen and larmedi butt heads with the petrakin, as the latter really does not like high humidity or wet environments.

Associated Articles

Notable Civilizations

tbd

Notable Characters

Line, Sage of Writings

Design Notes

Portrait

Species conceptual portrait goes here.

Table of Contents

Conceptual Inspiration
Rock people, gynoids, marble statues, dinosaurs
Average Lifespan
Kosmal: 500~ years
Veltak: 1,500~ years
Average Height
Kosmal: 4'8ft / 142cm
Veltak: 9ft / 274cm
Average Weight
Kosmal: 500lbs / 226kg
Veltak: 1,200lbs / 544kg
Aspected Nature
Veltron
Day/Night Behavior
Diurnal
Place of Origin
Unknown
Preferred Biome
Anywhere that isn't underwater or high humidity
Geographic Distribution
Worldwide