Pycon
From Mizahar Lore
 Pycon, the Little Men of Clay | |
| Height | 3"-1' |
|---|---|
| Weight | 5-25 pounds |
| Lifespan | 1-30 years |
| Major features | Greyish, clay-like skin, thin limbs, stylized features, no blood |
| Abilities | Body can stretch and recompose when squashed |
| Population | 8,000 |
| Most common in | Throughout Mizahar, mainly Sylira and Kalea |
| Reputation | Strange and unpredictable |
| Racial gods | Harameus, god of Alchemy and transformation |
One of several races named after their creator, the Pycon are a product of Alchemy and therefore belong to the greater class of Homunculi. They are little men, designed to fit in a small flask though they have long since escaped their original laboratory. Built from clay and organic materials, Pycon have clay-like bodies that can be molded, stretched and shaped to a degree. They tend to get splattered when hit, but can recompose their bodies over time as long as their heads are intact. Pycon literally let their experiences shape them; they are dreamers by nature, and will often befriend the larger races to satisfy their wanderlust and curiosity.
Contents |
History
Rupert Pycon, Court Mage of Alahea, Seven Robes member and exceptional Alchemist created the Pycon race, allegedly to turn the tides of the war against Suvan. The purpose of the experiment was to give life to clay statuettes that could turn into innocent-looking everyday items, infiltrate enemy territory as trade wares and launch powerful suicide attacks on vital objectives. In truth, Rupert Pycon was a traitor and a double agent working for Suvan. His real plan was almost identical to the official one, except that Alahea, whose coffers had financed his research, would be the actual target.
Pycon amassed thousands of little clay men, each inside its own little flask, ready to be awakened and charged with destructive magic on the day of the attack. However, the Alchemist had not accounted for the presence of a young, talented wizard who had recently settled in Alahea's capital Treval, one Sagallius Hrinn who would replace him as Court Mage. Brilliantly exposed by the Eyktoli wizard, a battle of magic raged in Pycon's laboratory. Pycon succumbed, and perished in the resulting fire. Many of the slumbering clay men were destroyed with him, but some survived and spread across the land, forming small colonies. The Alchemist's skill had been so great that, unlike most Homunculi, these little men could actually breed and perpetuate their race.
The Valterrian struck Mizahar a few decades later, but the little Pycon managed to weather the storm better than most due to their diminutive size. Being so adaptable - just as flexible as the matter of which they were made - they actually thrived and formed their own culture. Far from becoming yet another weapon of mankind, they actually befriended the larger races, offering the advantages of their size in exchange for protection. It is not unusual to see one perched on a Human's shoulder nowadays.
Biology
Physical Appearance
Pycon come in a variety of shapes and forms; if it can be sculpted in clay, then a Pycon can look like it. Most Pycon have humanoid shapes, but there is nothing preventing them from looking like animals, items or original creatures. They do not acquire special abilities based on their form; for example, wings will be ornamental and not allow them to fly. This form is referred to as their 'natural' form, and is the one they can maintain without conscious effort. Trying to shift into other forms requires time, concentration and is somewhat uncomfortable.
A Pycon's natural form can change with life-altering experiences shaping their minds and souls, though their total mass will not change drastically. No matter their form, all Pycon have a mental nexus in their heads - this is the only vital spot they possess. Pycon without visible heads have their nexus elsewhere on the body, but it must be present and intact for the creature to be alive.
Pycon are entirely made up of a substance that looks and feels like clay, usually gray-ish possibly with red or brown undertones. It may look solid enough, but it will not withstand moderate or heavy hits - a person stepping on them will easily squash their bodies, revealing that they have no blood, bones or internal organs.
Pycon usually have stylized features, typical of clay sculptures, and wear no clothes; their clothes, if any, are sculpted on them as a part of their very form. Their eyes are pupil-less and often do not blink; regardless of which form they take on, they are limited to the same frontal vision as the average Human. Their other senses are also on par with a man's. They have deeper voices than one would expect of such tiny creatures.
Common traits
A Pycon's clay flesh can be fully controlled, stretched, turned and twisted as long as it is attached to the head or nexus. It can also be reattached to the main body if separated, provided that this happens within a couple hours. Every part of a Pycon's body can be used as a joint, though unnatural motions require some concentration on their part. The peculiar anatomy of the Pycon makes them surprisingly durable despite their fragile bodies; they often escape danger by playing dead and keeping their heads safe.
If a Pycon loses a part of their body and cannot reattach it, they can reform it by eating large amounts of clay. All Pycon have to feed upon clay regularly, though not as often as people of flesh have to take meals; most Pycon feed once or twice a week, unless they are still growing or need to replace body parts. A crippled Pycon will be fully functional again in a few days if enough clay can be found. They may never surpass their original size in this manner, though. Pregnant females are the only exception, in that the mother literally spawns the baby from her own substance when she gives birth. As such, her mass grows considerably in the weeks before birth.
Pycon sleep and breathe like other creatures do; they are, in fact, prone to shapeshifting when they dream, which happens often. Pycon can learn virtually any skill, and while warriors are rare among their kind, even those are not unheard of. Pycon have flexible minds that make them well suited to intellectual tasks and creative trade skills as well as magic. Ironically, there is a certain taboo towards the study of Alchemy, the science that created their race, and those who practice it are considered renegades and undesirables; most Pycon feel that Alchemy is the exclusive domain of Harameus, and studying it is an act of disrespect to their god.
A Pycon who dies of old age turns into stone. Unlike their living bodies, these dead statues are extremely hard and difficult to break. It is very important for most Pycon to obtain their final true form before they reach the end of their lifecycle, so as to put it on display for the next generations.
Psychology
Life as a Pycon is quite different from most races. They perceive an acute gap between what they are and what they are supposed to be. While Pycon mature quickly, they think of themselves as immature through most or all of their lives; if asked about their form, they will almost always answer that it is only a temporary one. In fact, to discover one's true form is the overarching life purpose of many Pycon. This is the face they will forever display to the world when old age claims them. Since they are so mutable, they wish to leave a lasting mark that represents them faithfully.
Feeling that they have to experience the world and they have to do so in their rather short lifecycle, Pycon are usually very driven and like to live in the moment. They tend to be bold risk-takers who rarely miss an opportunity. Curious and open-minded, they can be molded by their choices for better or for worse. While Pycon are usually benevolent, evil individuals are becoming increasingly common. Their appearance, while making perfect sense to them, can be deceiving to everyone else; angel wings are no guarantee of good sentiments.
Pycon are still aware of their limits, and that the world is a dangerous place. They tend to be social creatures who seek companions and form groups, receiving protection in exchange for their wisdom and skills. Feeling that they can learn more from others that are unlike them, they will favor traveling companions of different races, and strive to keep a party united, serving as peacekeepers and negotiators.
While they are often seen as mascots or pets, Pycon possess complex personalities, though they tend to keep them hidden. A Pycon experiences great pressure and stress if he or she feels inadequate next to some self-imposed standard. They will then feel that they have to grow more and faster to keep up with their dream, which can lead them to make unwise choices and explore the darker side of things. They are likely to feel guilt and failure even if the task was obviously beyond their ability. Sensitive creatures, they can easily slip into depression, though those around them will likely never notice.
Reproduction & Aging
A male and a female Pycon can experience love and mate like any other living race. The male injects a tiny part of himself into the female, which becomes a part of her. If the female is fertile, then she may become pregnant. She will notice when she starts gaining weight, violating the basic rule that Pycon stay around the same mass throughout their lives. This mass gathers around the belly - or some other place where it would make sense, given the Pycon's anatomy - and develops over about three months.
At the end of pregnancy, this additional mass simply leaves the female, who finds the experience to be as painful as a normal birth. The newborn Pycon looks like a more or less spherical ball of clay. It will not develop an actual shape until a few days later. As soon as it displays a mouth or some other opening, the baby can be fed. In two weeks' time, the baby will have taken on a more permanent form, usually that of a child resembling the parents. In other cases, the young Pycon will copy a shape from its surroundings.
A Pycon is fully grown and mature at the age of six months. They are independent even before maturity, though, and usually do not have to be tended after their first three months. Pycon do not exactly display age on their bodies the way other races do; a young Pycon may look like the statuette of an old man, and vice-versa. Only nature and experiences determine a Pycon's shape. A Pycon will immediately be able to tell how old another Pycon is, though it is more difficult for other races. Generally, older Pycon lose most of their coloring and may display tiny cracks all over their skin; also, their bodies lose some of the flexibility and elastic properties they enjoy when young.
Society
Social Structure
Pycon are highly social creatures. They believe in organization, and that many people working together form something greater than the sum of its parts. In general, a majority of Pycon will not settle down with their fellow clay people until later in their lives, when they are more satisfied with their experiences. Some Pycon do not seek adventure at all, however. Instead they seek their development in social service and family life, growing day by day from their work and interacting with their neighbors. In doing so, Pycon form communities often referred to as Pyves. These groups are a loose collection of clans, families and immigrants, ranging from a couple dozen members to several hundred.
Within a Pyve, there is one, simple rule: those who have experienced more are higher up the social ladder. This often translates to elders being in command, though an adventurer who traveled to distant lands, facing many dangers, would be held in higher regard than even a very old Pycon who never left the Pyve. When Pycon retire from adventuring, if they ever do, they often settle down and become leaders of their Pyve. The Pyve is usually ruled by a single Pycon, regardless of gender, with a few advisors in the case of larger Pyves. Power struggles are almost unheard of; when two Pycon gaze at each other, they usually know who has learned more and is therefore more worthy of command.
A Pyve can exist almost anywhere, in the houses of larger races or abodes they construct themselves. Local availability of clay is a foremost concern. No matter the structure of the settlement, it will usually be built around the resting place of the ancestors. Their bodies, turned into stone statues, are gathered together and serve as inspiration for the future generations.
Language
Pycon are programmed to speak common from birth. Any other languages, they have to learn on their own. They are very good at learning languages, and knowledge of foreign languages, especially if exotic, is a source of great pride.
Names
Names are something Pycon picked up from the larger races, and would not have invented themselves. As ever-changing creatures, something as static as a name feels somewhat foreign to them. Often, parents will not give children a name, but will instead wait for the children to name themselves when they grow up - which does not take them long. It is not unusual for them to take whatever nicknames they are given by the larger races and start using them as their own name. Pycon have no peculiar preferences as to the sound of their names, but they will almost never adopt a surname. To them, the family one was born in is of no consequence, as a person's accomplishments are not passed down with their bloodline.
Family Life
Pycon families are very loose, in part because they grow very quickly and as such there is little time to develop a deep bond with one's parents, and in part because commitment to their family would detract from their lifelong quest for development and improvement. Such commitment is usually neither requested nor offered. This is not to say that Pycon do not love their families: they do, but they will not let their relatives stop them when it comes to their dreams.
Often, their adventuring party and buddies become their real family, and the Pycon will protect them as such. As mentioned, Pycon will go to great lengths in order to do what they feel must be done, and will often defend their friends even against impossible odds.
Everyday Life
Adventure is a Pycon's everyday life, especially if young. They constantly need something new and unexpected to do, and will break established patterns in order to find new avenues of learning and development. They tend to abhor routine and are notorious thrill-seekers. Those who associate with a Pycon know that they are not going to get bored.
Religion
Most Pycon acknowledge Harameus, god of Alchemy and transformation, as their god. Interestingly enough, they claim that Harameus was their creator, not Rupert Pycon, whom they think was just a misguided prophet of the god. In general, they do not wish to be considered a creation of man, but one of the whimsical Harameus, who matches their personalities to perfection. While most Pycon recognize him, though, there are some who will not worship him as their primary deity, or at all.
Other favorite gods of the Pycon include Qalaya of memory, Akajia of secrets, and the comatose Aquiras of travel.
Warfare
While their diminutive size and strange appearance would indicate otherwise, the Pycon are capable of defending themselves if the need arises. As mentioned, pure warriors are rare among the people of clay, but with the right equipment a Pycon can often hold their ground against larger opponents.
Pycon are fond of small missile weapons such as flings and blowguns, but they have also designed special melee weapons that are quite deadly in the right hands.
- Py-whip - This whip, while designed for Pycon use, is proportionally much longer than a whip for the bigger races. Made from extremely flexible leather materials, it is long enough to form dozens of coils when carried in one's hand, and it is usually wielded with two hands. When released, it can capture an opponent's limb and throw them around with a single movement. Its drawback is that the whip needs to be fully recoiled before it can be used again.
- Py-string - Pycon are sometimes seen wielding sharp spiderweb silk strings, holding one end in either hand. The fighter will generally vary the length of string between their hands during the fight, using them to parry, deflect, trip and cut opponents.
- Py-pole - A long, highly elastic staff made from tree resin, the Py-pole has a sharp metal tip and can be used to stab or defend, though its foremost intent is as an aid for performing incredible leaps that usually result in powerful flying kicks.
Additionally, there is at least one Pycon-specific martial art known as Py-ken. This combat art is about using the Pycon's racial traits to their full advantage, climbing on their opponents to strike weak points, detaching compromised body parts, growing additional limbs to aid in combat, and so on.