Thurstrund

There was no warning. One moment, a peaceful journey across the plains; no predators dare venture near our 'skjaldr caravan and our sentries hadn't sighted any bandits. All was calm, serene. The breeze flowing across the prairie sounded almost like waves on a shoreline. The air was just on the edge of unpleasantly warm.
And then the skies opened up. Not with rain, but with them. One impacted near me with a deafening thud, a cloud of debris, and I reeled blindly. Barely enough sense to draw my blade... but as the dirt fell I could count. Eight. In that short time, just eight of them maimed all 5 of our 'skjaldr and decimated the guard. What should I have done? What could I do? There was no hope for me there. My old man would say I should have fought, maybe I'd die well. But I panicked; all I could see was slaughter. An avalanche came, and I ran before it. I even cast down Pa's sword in my haste.
I'm a disgrace, but I'm alive.
- Leo, survivor of a Thurstrundr raid

Thurstrundr, known among themselves as [someithings lol] are an earth-based people which are native to a few mountainous regions, the Bláur Skylands by far foremost among them. As rocks, Thurstrundr do not eat like other creatures; instead, they are more like living batteries - they survive off of some combination of electricity [usually harvested in the form of lightning or from arrowhawks] and magic derived from rulership. Legends tell that the first Thurstrund formed when a fierce storm swept over a stony wasteland, the site of a recent battle in the The Unbridled Wars,  and the maelstrom of rulership and lightning animated Byrja, the birth of a new people.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Thurstrundr are composed primarily of two key physical parts; a core and a shell. Both are made from stone. The core is the source of a thurstrund's personality and intellect. It appears as a vein of a distinct stone within the rest of a thurstrund's body, but is not necessarily centrally located and may not be the only vein of a material in a thurstrund's body. The core also serves as the primary conduit pouring magical and electrical power through an individual's body, functioning similar to organic beings' circular and nervous systems. In contrast, the shell is the major part of a thurstrund body. It is usually made out of any stone abundant in the region the thurstrund was raised; however, thurstrund can replace much of their shell roughly as they please. Doing so causes pain, and it takes time for the individual to re-learn how to move properly with the new body parts - but does not require specialized equipment, advanced technology, or incredible magical power. A thurstrund's shell provides them much of their strength, mobility, and protection, as well as most of their aesthetic traits.
Due to their shaped nature, in theory a thurstrund could be nearly any size and any form. In practice, thurstrundr are rarely smaller than 3 feet tall. Many take a vaguely humanoid shape that stands between 8 and 10 feet tall, weighing in between 3000-5000 pounds. Those that choose a form more human-sized as well are usually around 5 feet tall and weigh about 2.5 times as much as a similarly-shaped human.

Genetics and Reproduction

New Thurstrundr require no less than 3 parents¹ to provide distinct components of their genesis - the core and shell, plus a third parent to carry the new being and share their spark of life. For unknown reasons, each of these components must usually be provided by a different thurstrund,² any given thurstrund can provide any of the components to create a new being. The provider of the core is usually exhausted and irrational for some time after giving the new core. The provider of the shell usually has to give a good amount of their own shell, and will be weakened for a time as they get used to new stone grafts. The carrier who provides the spark is most similar to organic creatures' reproduction, as they carry the wrought bundle of stones as they share the spark of life. For most thurstrundr, this process takes a few months, but it varies widely - in some cases, a carrier only bears the newborn for one week, while others take a full year.

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1: depending on the group, thurstrundr are known to have more members contributing to the birth of a new individual.
2: in exceptional cases, there are some thurstrundr who only have two parents. Very rarely, a single thurstrund can even manage to provide all three components.

Growth Rate & Stages

In theory, newborn thurstrundr could be created full-sized. However, usually they're much smaller, to facilitate the one passing on their spark. Further, their individually-driven forms makes thurstrundr at large wary of trying to shape or assert a form for a young thurstrund - they see new, innovative, and unique forms as something to be celebrated. In practice, most young thurstrundr are born roughly 2 feet tall and mostly round (weighing almost 700 pounds). As they contemplate and shape their new form, a growing thurstrund usually adds at most half their weight in a given year - they can be "average" sized in about 4 years.
Mentally, a newborn thurstrund is majorly bootstrapped by the individual sharing their spark, at least as far as base reasoning and understanding go. Early on, they're still very clumsy due to the unique composition of their body (thus the mostly-round shape), but by the time a thurstrund is 1 year old they're indistinguishable from a small adult.

Ecology and Habitats

Thurstrundr thrive in many environs; they are most comfortable in stony regions with clear views of the sky and frequent storms, but their unique ability to survive solely on magic for long stretches of time allows them to survive nearly anywhere. Most clans choose to settle in locales that have many varieties of stones in abundance, for reshaping or rebuilding their bodies to suit shifting preferences of all kinds.

Dietary Needs and Habits

They eat fekkin' lightning and magic

Biological Cycle

Thurstrundr do not die of old age; however, very long-lived thurstrundr do tend to modify their bodies over time - adding new parts, removing old sections, seeing what it's like to add a new kind of core vein, possibly removing their old core... to the point where exceptionally old thurstrundr cannot really be called the same individual. This is especially prevalent in core-replacement; an individual's personality and reasoning often change dramatically despite retaining their memories and some basic mannerisms from their old self.

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

Thurstrund often simply omit some facial features or a face entirely. On a whim, they will often have one or more features comically exaggerated (some love the pun from having a chiseled jawline).

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Ubiquitous in Mountains. Common in Rocky Wastelands, Deserts, Caves. Uncommon in Forests, Grasslands, Oceans

Average Intelligence

Sapient, smarter than a human on average

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Thurstrundr see by detecting the light which hits exposed areas of their core, and feel & hear by sensing vibrations through their shell. They cannot smell, nor do they have taste in the traditional sense (though they do experience something similar to taste when exposed to various kinds of magic and electricity - some describe arcane magic in the way a human might describe a spicy pepper, or occult magics in the way a human describes pickles).

Civilization and Culture

Gender Ideals

N/A - Thurstrund's reproductive process makes gender norms nonsense

Relationship Ideals

Thurstrundr are free with their love and affection, with little exclusivity. It's not uncommon to find a thurstrund with several active romantic relationships - and often with a dozen or more "old flings" which could rekindle. These relationships often ebb and flow in their passions - ebbing passion isn't seen as a failure of character for either member of a relationship, but a natural consequence of time's passage. Often, thurstrundr relationships are even a group activity, with anywhere from three to nine individuals forming family units of shared and abundant affection.

Lifespan

N/A / 500 years

Average Height

8-10 feet*

Average Weight

3000-5000 pounds*

Average Physique

Fiercely individual; many take a shape similar to a muscular human

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Dependent on bodily makeup; usually at least two types of stone. Adjusted with local stone on the whims of individuals or fashion trends.

Geographic Distribution

• Bláur Skylands
• Fjallili Mountains