The Denathi are a
Superior
Clade
of some renown. They are the descendants of
Old Earth
mystics who
believed that they could, through rigorous discipline, unlock the
legendary powers of the mind. The Denathi have in fact achieved this
goal — but not in the manner which their ancestors intended.
History
The race began as an early
Hider culture.
During
the early years of interstellar expansion the Adepts' predecessors
established a colony on Denath, which had the characteristics they
sought: it was an undesirable world in a resource-poor system,
bypassed by the first wave of Terragen colonists. There, they were able
to study the mysteries of the mind in peace while the
Nanoswarms
raged in Solsys and other systems dealt with waves of refugees. The
early Denathi studies focused
on philosophy, but there were fringe groups who sought to prove the
ancient claims of parapsychology. After more than a century of
fruitless research these self-proclaimed Adepts concluded that baseline
humans lacked the capacity for
psionic
powers. They then tried simulating such abilities with technology. Some
early successes with nanotechnology led to intensive studies of
utility fog.
Combining that technology with implants and genemods led eventually to
their current system. Shortly after their "mental" powers first became
well
developed the Denathi were discovered by the rest of the galaxy. News
of the defeat of the nanoswarms and the end of the following dark ages
(combined, no doubt, with the death of
the paranoid old guard) was enough to persuade the Adepts to join the
Civilized Galaxy as part of the
First
Federation. Later, in 5,200 AT., Denath became part of the
Communion of
Worlds. The
Denathi have since colonized several other worlds (independently or in
partnership with other species) and established communities on other
Sephirotic
worlds and space habitats.
Appearance
and Capabilities
Denathi have the standard human body plan. The height range is from
1.6-1.85 meters with a mass range of 45-80 kilograms (females tend to
be slightly shorter than males). All Denathi have a slim muscular
build; the heaviest are invariably also the tallest. Their eyes are
violet or dark blue, though both shades can be so dark as to appear
black. Hair color is black or dark blue. Denathi hair is never more
than shoulder length, and males lack facial hair — this was
originally
a
cultural feature but genemods have since made it innate. Denathi
have dark blue skin, shading to medium blue on the palms of the hands
and soles of the feet, with light blue skin lining the mucus membranes
inside the mouth, nose, etc. Even the tongue is dark blue.
Females outnumber males about 2:1.
Several
genemods
are standard among the Denathi. They are all of
Superbright intelligence and have neural enhancements that enhance both
the speed and depth of thought processes (increased nerve conduction
velocity, improved memory and heightened intuition).
The
corpus callosum —
the nerve bundle that connects the right and left hemispheres of the
humanoid
brain —
is larger in Denathi than it is in baselines. This facilitates greater
communication between the rational and emotional centers of the brain
and
allows the simultaneous processing of factual and emotional data (this
ability
is natural for baseline females). Denathi
can, with practice, control the signal flow through the corpus
callosum. This
gives them conscious control over the degree to which they experience
their
emotions while processing other experiences (an ability which is
present in a
more primitive form in baseline males). This ability allows the Denathi
to be
coldly logical or superbly intuitive as needed. This has the
additional bonus of affording a degree of resistance to some forms of
memetic attack. The
Denathi lifespan is about 500 years without medical intervention.
The most unique feature of Denathi biology is the
shambhan, an organic
factory that is the key to the "psionic" powers of the Adepts. The
shambhan produces bionano that remains under the producer's conscious
control. In effect, one of the Denathi is able to secrete a utility fog
of
bionano containing both
foglets
and
nanites.
An Adept can direct her utility fog to perform a variety of
tasks. Denathi can duplicate empathic ability by using sampler
units to analyze a subject's vital signs and bodily secretions (this
works quite well with bionts but is of limited use with vecs or
nonterragen bionts and none
whatsoever with virtual or AI entities). Those same samplers can react
to the
presence of magnetic fields of the frequencies and intensities that
indicate the presence of a living nervous system, thereby simulating a
telepath's ability to sense minds. A group of sensor-equipped foglets
can form a long-baseline interferometric array in order to gather
sensory data at a distance from the controller — this is
essentially
clairvoyance and/or clairaudience or even a ranged tactile sense,
though the range is limited to a few dozen meters and the nanites can't
penetrate an airtight barrier. Two or more Denathi who are within range
(about 100 meters) can transmit messages or sensory data to each other
by passing low-power UV laser signals along molecule-thin lines of
foglets. The Denathi have developed a number of coding schemes for
these signals; each family has one or more propriety codes, and it's
common for corporations, religious groups and even circles of friends
to develop their own. Because the signals are relayed from nanite to
nanite the participants can communicate "telepathically" even around
corners. The most spectacular ability of the Denathi is that of
channelling their utility fog into doing physical work.
"Telekinetically" striking or shoving someone is possible but very
energy intensive. Lifting small objects is easier. Easier
still is using the nano to cause simple chemical changes —
causing an
attacker's weapon to fall apart is fairly easy, but manipulating nearby
molecules to cause rapid oxidation (including ignition) takes a great
deal of skill. Individual Denathi may develop other techniques
than those mentioned here. The only subconscious function of the
utility fog is a
blue goo
defence against hostile nanotech agents
—
this ability emerges during puberty. All other applications
require training.
The primary limitation of the shambhan is that a Denathi must learn,
through long practice and intense mental training, to control it. Just
learning to activate nanite production requires months of practice. The
most advanced functions only become possible after decades of
study. Consequently, only the most dedicated Adepts are capable
of feats that duplicate psychokinesis. The shambhan is also a very
energy-intensive structure; even with their highly efficient
metabolisms Denathi must consume a great deal of carbohydrate- and
nutrient-rich food to maintain their abilities. The foglets and nanites
of the utility fog themselves
feed by metabolizing secretions on the producer's skin or on airborne
microbes and organic hydrocarbons. An Adept can conveniently control a
utility fog with mass equal to her own (or slightly greater, depending
on skill).
The Denathi are very jealous of their powers — they are, to
date, the
only Terragen bionts to have developed "psi-nano" to the degree that
they
have. For this reason they have engineered themselves with a
self-destruct function to prevent samples of the shambhan from falling
into hostile hands. Any Denathi can cause the organ to
disintegrate at will, and they will do so with little provocation if
they anticipate capture (their medical science can easily replace a
lost shambhan). If an individual dies her shambhan will initiate
spontaneous combustion within five minutes of the cessation of life
functions. The fact that Denathi self-cremate when they die makes
resuscitation problematical at best. Without backup or very
prompt medical attention death is permanent.
Culture
Perhaps because of their small numbers and the intensive training
required for their unique abilities, the Denathi have one of the most
enduring and unified cultures of any clade, one that has survived for
thousands of years with very little variation over time or by region.
The Denathi dialect is a synthetic language of their ancestors' design
that derives from no single Old
Earth
language. The Adepts live in
family groups consisting of a husband, two wives and their children.
Triads prefer to live in close proximity to their extended family
members. Family relationships, especially with siblings, are very
important.
Denathi have a distinctive style of dress. They prefer loose clothing
in dark colors. Robes and hooded cloaks are common. Both sexes
display very little skin; usually only the face and hands are
exposed. This seeming prudishness is merely a visible
manifestation of the Adepts' regard for privacy. When among those whom
they're close to Denathi go nude or nearly so. Denathi garments feature
wide sleeves with pockets in them; small items are carried there or
worn on a belt. Wedding bands (silver bracelets worn by both sexes on
the left wrist) are the only jewellery worn against the skin. Denathi
never wear elaborate hairstyles, but they are fond of ornate headgear
(complex embroidery trimming a hood or hat, for example). They never
wear weapons openly unless they are traveling in a region where it's
the custom to do so. Many Denathi adorn themselves with body paint in
complex abstract designs. White, silver and electric blue are the
preferred paint colors but some individuals favour yellow, purple or
pink. Body art is a very personal expression reserved for family and
close friends and so is rarely worn on the face. For this reason
Denathi refer to knowing someone well as "knowing eir colors" and
sexual relationships as "sharing paint."
The Denathi regard their "psionic" powers as a sacred trust. Mental,
emotional and, to a lesser degree, physical discipline are the
cornerstones of their society. Denathi can only develop their powers
through years of rigorous training, and the species only gained those
abilities after centuries of seeking. Because of this they believe that
less disciplined species would abuse the power. Most Denathi extend
this belief to the idea that any power will be abused unless it is
earned through hard work and dedication. Adepts who show signs of
dishonesty — and it's hard to hide such a trait from judges who
can
read one's emotions — are punished harshly. Those who don't
respond
to
re-education may have their shambhan removed. Denathi are prized as
administrators because of their honesty, and those who transcend to
higher toposophic levels rarely have difficulty earning or retaining
the trust of less evolved sophonts.
