[Inaius] Noxcedeia Worldbuilding

Origin

The Forefathers
The first Noxcedeians originated from a Tellusian colony in the Tenebrae Cluster. The colony was established by orders of the Tellusian government approximately 50 years after humanity's arrival to Inaius. Twenty years later, the Tellusian government declared the colony a failure, and canceled all funds and supports to the project, but the colonists were determined to make it work, so they endured 20 years of hardship to no avail, they were abandoned by Tellus, and survival became more difficult by the day, all hope seemed to be lost, until the discovery of alien ruins on planet Dunvec changed everything, forever.

The Great Surge
The discovery of the ruins helped set the colonies 50 years into the future technologically, and life on the Tenebrae Cluster seemed to have finally prospered, more colonies were being built, and similar alien ruins were being discovered on nearby planets, a golden age was ahead. Soon after the discovery of the final habitable planet in the Tenebrae Cluster, the colonists attempted to interact with it's ruins, but upon interaction, the ruins activated and started a chain-reaction to all similar ruins in the Tenebrae Cluster, this event became known as "The Great Surge", the event lead to a widespread power failure, destroying most technology, and killing millions. Another effect of the Surge, was the occurrence of a number of strange phenomenons, such as electric storms, terraformation of the landscape, mutation to the flora and fauna, and even the mutation of many of the colonists, but the strangest of phenomenons was the emergence of a mineral known as Petrutope-7, which would later become Noxcedeia's main source of energy.

This event forced the remaining colonists to live in domed or underground cities, though the few unfortunate souls who could not make it, either perished, turned into mutants, or worse. An age of darkness engulfed the Tenebrae Cluster and the various cities turned into warring tribes fighting for basic resources, this period of anarchy lasted for 400 years, until a man known only as the "Conductor" united the cities under one banner. It took the colonists another century to rebuild their infrastructure and rediscover FTL travel and space flight. It is unknown what became of the Conductor after the Unification Wars, some believe he was the first colonist to interact with the final ruin before the Great Surge, others think he became immortal and is ruling from the shadows, but everyone seems to agree that thanks to him, they managed to reunite the missing colonies in the Tenebrae Cluster under the banner of a new, united empire, the Noxcedeian Hegemony was finally born.

Noxcedeians

Noxcedeians are a race of mutated humans that evolved and adapted to the harsh environment of the Tenebrae Cluster hundreds of years ago. Mutations come in many different forms, some are only superficial and do not affect the carrier's biological make up, while other mutations have a much more apparent impact on the carrier, such as providing them with psionic abilities, and the ability to interact with Precursor technology. Most Noxcedeians are born with their mutations, however, some are biologically engineered, and others evolve overtime. Noxcedeians are almost completely immune to radiation, and have a higher resistance to poisons than the average human, they also have a higher pain tolerance, and the ability to see in the dark.

Types of Noxcedeians

The Dormants
Dormants are the average citizens of Noxcedeia, they are the most common and diverse mutants. In terms of appearance, they look like the average human, however, many Dormants have certain peculiarities, such as pale skin, visible black veins, and unnatural eye colours. Dormants can sometimes "awaken" advanced types of mutations, such as psionic abilities, although Awakening is extremely rare and it is unknown what triggers the phenomena.


The Condemned
The Condemned, also known as the "Cursed" are the second most common type of mutants in the Noxcedeian Hegemony and the most discriminated against. The Condemned are much stronger and faster than average humans, they are also immune to extreme weather conditions, and are the only type of mutants to be completely immune from the Scorch phenomenon. Despite being human in everything but appearance, these mutants are utilized as "indentured" labourers and work in very harsh conditions, though there are those who live free from the shackles of the domed cities, scattered in tribes across the harsh mutated planets of the Tenebrae Cluster.


The Undaunted
More beast than man, these mutants have evolved into mindless volatile monsters that will attack anything that moves. Completely devoid of their humanity, the Undaunted are equipped with neuroprosthetic implants to control their volatile and unpredictable behaviour. They are mainly utilized by the Noxcedeian military to storm enemy positions and clear out entire squads. Their devastating attacks and savagery has earned them the nickname "Berserkers".


The Monitors
Monitors are mutants who suffer from a condition known as "Petroculosis" which is one of the rarest mutations caused by the Great Surge, it requires the afflicted to depend on extensive use of cybernetic implants to sustain themselves. Individuals with Petroculosis have the ability to control their neural pathways at will, and are known for being able to channel Petrutope energy without the use of Precursor technology at such efficiency that it rivals even the Inquisitors. The Monitors' frail bodies and dependence on cybernetics makes them a poor choice of soldiers, though where they lack in brawn, they make up for in brains, which is why they're mostly employed to operate complex networks, such as dreadnaught's AI systems, battle mechs, and even domed city's cyber networks, essentially becoming a living mind for those machines.


The Reverends
The Reverends are one the rarest and most powerful of mutants, they have the ability to fully harness both Petrutope and Surge energy, and turn them into psionic powers. Reverends tend to generally look like the average Dormant, however many Reverends undergo physical changes due to long Surge and Petrutope exposer, some of these physical side effects include; hair loss, gauntness, blackened blood, loss of skin pigments, and on rare cases, increased skull and brain size. Physiologically, they have a stronger respiratory system, and enhanced muscle functions. Psychologically, Reverends tend to have a much stronger brain focus and higher intelligence. Reverends are usually taken from birth and raised in monasteries of the many different Oracle Orders to become Inquisitors, an order of psionic warrior monks.


The Firstborn
Firstborns are believed to be the descendants of the colonists who activated the last Precursor artifact, and as a result, initiated the Great Surge. They are enigmatic beings that live away from civilization and mostly keep to themselves. Very few Firstborns have been seen in person, and the few people who have seen a Firstborn tell stories of their peculiar behaviour and strange abilities, such as invisibility, telepathy, and even reality warping.