Jindai

Fast Facts

Height: 8ft-13ft

Weight: 200lbs-320lbs

Lifespan: 50-80 years

Notable Features: Height. How they interact with their element. Luminescent eyes.

Player Restrictions: Height might cause difficulties for players as buildings often aren't made with Jindai in mind. Half-breeds are exceedingly rare.

Racial Ability: All Jindai can extend a slight level of control over the Elemental Plane their tribe had called a second home. In addition to this control, most Jindai cannot be harmed by their presiding element, or at the very least experience less harm when it's used against them. The older the Jindai, the more control they learn to exert, and a Jindai who decides to go into a magic matching with their element will have a significantly easier time doing so.

Population: 1,000,000

History

The first Jindai were no more than an unnamed lesser species. While in appearance, one might have compared them to early humans, the psychology and souls of the first Jindai were closer to particularly intelligent animals or monsters. The Jindai couldn't be truly considered an intelligent mortal race until around the middle of the second age, though exact accounts of precisely when differ. Many believe that the sudden sapience of the Jindai instead of divine will was nothing more than random chance. They were never meant to be one of the greater intelligent races of Atharen, but they had a spark, a potential. The world didn't make it easy on them.

The first Jindai struggled. While other races were long since established, culturally, the Jindai were akin to toddlers in terms of advancing society. Still trying to play catch up, for a long time the Jindai were isolated. Their population consisting of a single tribe trying its hardest. They had little in terms of powerfully defining features, only being a touch taller and stronger than your average human which was less a marker of relationship and more a case of convergent evolution. The other greater races like humans and elves still saw as quote mortal, still partially animal. The Jindai were isolated, and any tribes that attempted to split off from the First Tribe were almost destined to fail.

It was then that something took pity upon them. Modern historians lack a lot of information about this span of time. All account from the first Jindai describe some powerful entity that agreed to become their patron in exchange for a "deal", and the involvement of the Elemental Planes in this patronage. The rest of the details are hazy, having either been lost to the ages or poorly recorded by the Jindai themselves. Regardless, the Jindai met this patron of theirs with open arms, seeing it as a way to finally get some kind of foothold in Atharen.

From there, the Jindai split into a number of smaller groups under the guidance of their new patron. Again, from here the details are sketchy. Some believe that the Jindai permanently moved to the Elemental Planes for a time being, resulting in the apparent disappearance of the Jindai and anything related to them from the face of Atharen until their return. Other believe that the Jindai simply became more secretive and secular to keep their patron and their deal a secret, citing the fact it would be reasonably impossible to live in the Elemental Planes for such an extended period of time and that surely their visits must be in limited spans. Regardless of right or wrong answers, the Elemental Planes were very obviously involved in the continued growth of the Jindai from that point forward.

The Jindai changed with the continued exposure to these planes. Their bodies grew significantly larger and each of those groups slowly grew into their own individual tribes. The element each group choose sunk into their blood and bones and started to become a piece of them. The Jindai experienced these planes, took them in stride, and from it they grew. In exchange their patron only ever asked for one thing of them. To die. Now, the Jindai were understandably hesitant, but the more they heard of the deal itself the more they believed even their part of the deal to be a benefit to them. The Jindai were expected by their patron to die gloriously. The one job of the Jindai was to die in a way that was as spectacular as they could make it. Then and only then the Jindai would be allowed into their afterlife of choice. Until they managed that, however, they would be bound to return to mortal life once more until they died in a manner satisfactory enough.

The Jindai were not given a description of what this actually entailed, no definitions or directions. They still viewed this as an advantage to them so they agreed. With that the Jindai left.

From there, the Jindai became completely unheard of on Atharen for the next couple thousand of years.

The Jindai adapted and continued to grow completely oblivious to the chaos and madness happening throughout the rest of Atharen. Something terribly happened, something the Jindai would later learn to be called the Bleeding. It's entirely uncertain on what called them back, but the Jindai were thrust back onto Atharen's more public stage during the Bleeding. Their existence became widely known after this, and the Jindai did their best to use their limited powers to aid those they came across. After all, was the Bleeding not a rather glorious way to die? The Jindai population dropped significantly in the years after the Bleeding, but it picked back up with the same speed. Their general hardiness, higher birthrate, and carelessness in regards to death quickly made a name for them as wonderful soldiers to have on your side.

While not everyone was perfectly accepting of what they viewed as a "new" race, and were more than a bit confused, the Jindai fit in without too much issue.

Physiology/Biology

One of the most notable features of the Jindai is their large, intimidating size. Giant is the most appropriate name, as even the smallest of Jindai often stands at least a full head taller than most of the other races. While most Jindai won't reach above the height of 13 feet, there are legends told of those few Jindai who reached up to 20 feet or even taller, though they're the rare few and 13 is based on the general average.

In addition to their height, the Jindai are also stronger than the average member of another race. While this might just be a benefit of their increased size or their culture, Jindai are typically exceptionally physically fit. In their culture, a weak Jindai is something to be ridiculed and stared upon, to have others wonder what's wrong with them. As such, Jindai who aren't inherently physically fit will find a way to become fit, working themselves either to the bone or to death, striving to become as strong as the rest of their kin. It's believed by the Jindai that anyone can become strong. However, this does come with a downside. A lot of Jindai who display disabilities are cast away early on or mocked for those disabilities the majority of their life. Those who aren't find themselves having to work twice as hard.

Another common trait among the Jindai is how they're linked to an element. In very, very, exceptionally rare cases they might be linked to two. This is usually only ever seen in cross tribe pairings and typically comes with more draw backs than benefits. Multi elemental Jindai are often much weaker, both physically and psychologically. They tend to have a harder time fighting off disease and often Jindai with more than one element are prone to dying before they even reach adulthood. If it's not physical maladies than often they suffer from any number of psychological issues like increased mental illness. Those that make it to adulthood suffer from ailments and maladies that others of their kind might not have, and they'll struggle their entire lives. While a weak Jindai with one element is usually viewed as having something wrong with them, it's more an assessment of their mental state. There must be something wrong with their heads if they're okay languishing away in weakness. Jindai who are weak due to ailment are often seen with pity.

The element of a Jindai is usually very obvious. Not only will their clothing share in the motif of their element, but their skin will be spattered with veins of that element actively running through them. It's visible all across their form, constantly surging and rushing. This can occasionally prevent certain kinds of intimacy between Jindai and others, but it often doesn't become that much of a problem since the elemental veins running across the body of the Jindai are rarely strong enough to cause any kind of damage if they're even noticeable at all. These veins are often simply used as a source for their elemental control.

In order to use their element, the Jindai needs some kind of source. This source can exist within their body, which is more draining, or they can use any materials within their immediate surroundings.

An interesting trait of the Jindai are their eyes. The eyes of a Jindai can come in any color, which is strange and rare but that's not the curious part about them. The most interesting detail about the eyes of the Jindai is the rumor surrounding them. Many Jindai have come to believe that the color of one's eyes is reflective of how they died in their past life. While there is no scientific proof to back this claim, it has been seen that eye color in Jindai is not heredity, the child of a single Jindai couple having eye colors all across the known spectrum in multiple case studies. While the rumors are still up for the debate, the eyes of the Jindai are without a doubt exceptionally interesting.

Psychology

All Jindai have a general disregard for the concept of death. Ultimately, they are a race made to die, there's no reason to fear it. Jindai are completely self-assured in the idea that they'll simply be reborn if they don't die in a way that's completely and absolutely without question amazing in every which way. Furthermore, if they do finally manage to die in a way that allows them to complete their half of the deal they'll finally have broken the cycle. They can retire to the afterlife of their choice depending on the gods they favored and watch over their kind as the ancestor spirits who managed to escape. This is a fate that most if not all Jindai ultimately strive for.

If anything, because of that, death is kind of welcome. The Jindai approach all situations with this mentality. While not immediately apparent, there is a kind of weight that rests heavy on the souls and shoulders of the Jindai thanks to the constant resetting. They can't remember their past lives, they can't truly be affected by them directly, but there's a certain weight that eventually starts getting to every Jindai. While they act careless, if anything, most Jindai simply want to win this little game so they can finally rest. If not forever, at least for long enough that the weight of their former lives finally stops bothering them, like a backache that never goes away or a splinter they can't get rid of. So who actually cares if a Jindai died. They'll be back. They're always back. If they aren't, it's a good thing.

This obsession with death combined with life in the Element Planes has led to a unique emphasis on strength. The ability to defend oneself as well as others, not to mention the ability to die. If there's one thing that bothers a Jindai it's the idea of dying like a dog. The idea of not being strong enough to die on their own feet, to die in a way that doesn't make a mark and shatters their destiny into a million tiny pieces. There is nothing more painful, nothing more shameful, than dying pathetically. There is a certain level of resentment that follows the tail of that idolization, but it's often ignored in favor of focusing on the idea of strength as an ideal.

With that said, their emphasis on strength doesn't make them pompous. They don't believe they're inherently any stronger than any of the other races. The Jindai are just another mortal race trying to get by after all. They consider the other races to be their equals. A Jindai would never think of themselves intrinsically better than one of the other races simply for being a Jindai. They're different, sure, and they have different strengths than some of the other races, but their race doesn't make them another better. Or any worse for that matter.

Along with this comes the idea that anyone can become strong.

Culture

All Jindai seem to understand the fact they all came from the First Tribe. As opposed to the Rathor, they don't care. A lot of Jindai view one another as rivals, an ideology that's existed ever since the Jindai first split. While Jindai won't actively seek to hurt or insult one another, having two Jindai in the same room (especially those of different tribes) can lead to bickering and any number of unpleasant outcomes including arguments or outright brawls if the situation escalates too far. Most Jindai won't raise the bar to a lethal level as being killed by another Jindai is seen as something the definitely won't help them finish their deal in most cases. There's something about being killed by another member of their race which makes it so mundane.

Perhaps that's why murder, especially between Jindai, is taken so very seriously. To kill a Jindai in a manner that won't result in a spectacular death is seen as the greatest insult to a Jindai. That isn't to say murder or assassination can't be spectacular if pulled off correctly, but it often won't be and it'll be considered an insult to any Jindai. On the other hand, a Jindai who kills another and tries their hardest to make it spectacular can often receive forgiveness from other Jindai (even if they often won't be forgiven by society as a whole).

Jindai who belong to the same tribe, or at least similar elements, will be a lot more friendly with one another, they might approach one another more amicably. While they'll still challenge one another it tends to be more playful.

Jindai who eventually come to see one another on friendly terms, regardless of if they're in similar or different elements/tribes, might eventually move past rivalry to become lovers. Temporarily or not. This is especially common for those who prove themselves to be strong. Those who find themselves to be equals will almost always become lovers long enough to have at least one batch of children before either becoming actual lovers or simply moving on.

Due to the beliefs of the Jindai in that anyone can become strong, there's a good sense of equity among Jindai. Those who try are viewed positively for however hard they work. Everyone is viewed as having limits and as long as someone is pushing those limits, they can be just as 'equal' as a Jindai who can bench press that person's weight. The Jindai view differences between race or gender as just another factor of life. Sometimes it can be a challenge or a benefit, but it can also be something that's overcome with enough strength and determination.

One factor of life that is a bit different for the Jindai is how they view old age.

When it comes to other races, there's a sense of respect but they don't really view it as much more than just respecting your elders. For a elderly Jindai, the relationship changes wildly. There's a sense of morning when it comes to the older Jindai. They are deeply respected for having lived long enough to pass down their wisdom to younger Jindai, but there's also something sad about growing old. Especially for the Jindai.

Elders have a harder time dying in such a way where they can escape the cycle. Because of this, having lived long enough to instruct the next generation is viewed in a fashion that's similar to having made some great sacrifice. They'll have to wait until their next reincarnation to make another attempt at an escape. That being said, elders are exceptionally necessary since so many young Jindai die so quickly. Because of this, they're respected ferociously.

Clothing and Grooming

Jindai tend to not wear much clothing. What they do wear is often centered around their own elemental motif. These clothes tend to be revealing and covered in jewels which bear a striking resemblance to their element in question. The biggest thing about Jindai clothing in addition to how scant it is, is how much it tends to glimmer and shine. Flowy silks are another big thing for the Jindai. Both fancy clothes and casual clothes seem to follow the same general theme of leaving little to the imagination and making the Jindai in question stand out as much as physically possible. Because of this, Jindai tend to be big consumers for gemstones and those who dedicate their lives to being craftsmen often become renown tailors.

On certain occasions, Jindai will wear more modest clothing. During a serious fight, they might wear armor (though it's not a guarantee) and if they aren't an element that's well equipped for cold climates they might decide to wear heavier clothing to live in one. Even then, the clothes are still specifically designed to be shiny and eye-catching. More often than not though, the Jindai will just avoid living somewhere that restricts their send of fashion.

In addition to clothes, the Jindai are very conscious of their grooming habits since it's considered a disgrace to die of something preventable like disease. The best way to prevent diseases is not running around in filthy clothing and filthy skin. This had led to something of an emphasis on proper grooming, which might not be generally expected of such a combat-oriented race. This emphasis has led to an idea among the Jindai of always remaining well-groomed. Messy hair, messy clothes, dirty skin, it simply isn't tolerated. Especially for Jindai living in a tribe or a community containing more than one Jindai.

Technology and Intellectual Pursuits

The Jindai have a strong interest in weapons. While they aren't warmongers by any means of the word, culturally they've just built up an emphasis surrounding combat which has led to a need for better weaponry among them. While there is some conversation regarding armor, the majority of Jindai who work in technological fields have their eyes trained on weaponry.

That being said, the Jindai are extremely careful when it comes to the health and safety of others due to their products. There's always an air of quality when it comes to anything a Jindai has made. They tend to rarely malfunction and they're always made from top quality materials. While part of this is because it would be a disgrace to kill someone by accident due to something they made malfunctioning, it's also because the Jindai understand they're very different from the other mortal races of Atharen.

Maybe they have a general disregard for their own life due to the fact they need to die. They understand that a lot of other races aren't like this though. Some races believe they have one life to live and they better not screw it up, not to mention, a lot of races are physically more fragile than the Jindai. The Jindai understand this, and regardless of their culture, they've progressed in such a way that they're sympathetic and careful of this understanding. They don't want to senselessly slaughter. Sure, they want to die in a way that frees them from the rebirth cycle (most do anyway), but they don't want to force other races down the same path.

Because of this, something made with the mark of Jindai craftsmanship will rarely fail you.

Arts and Crafts

A large portion of Jindai art is found in the expression of their element. While storytelling is considered to be their most prominent art, another important thing to mention is what can loosely be described as belly dancing. These dances almost always include the addition of their element in the performance. These dances are extremely important to interclan and intraclan relationships. Jindai are usually more than willing to teach others how the dances work, but the more beautiful and specific dances are usually tribe exclusive and are harder to learn for those existing outside of the tribe. Especially for those without elemental magics.

Jindai dancers are a popular thing is certain countries, though considerations must be made regarding their size and the bombastic nature of the dances. Jindai themselves love to dance and almost any Jindai will openly take the invitation when offered.

Jindai have a very specific view of the arts in that someone doesn't have to be good at their favorite art. Things like dancing, singing, painting, they're things that are done out of joy. They don't need to be groundbreaking or spectacularly beautiful as long as that's heart and soul. While there are professionals among the Jindai when it comes to their dances or other various arts, anyone is able to partake as long as they have the spirit for it. Because of that, the Jindai also consider fighting to be a form of art, and with that consideration made, it's the art that all Jindai are versed in. Gladiatorial and sparring matches are treated with an air of finesse and artistry. While they can be intense and powerful matches, they're always treated like two artists working in competition more than two people trying to kill one another.

This makes war also an art, though it's one that's treated with a grim understanding. War almost never leads to a good death, it only ever seems to lead to thousands dying in pits and sitting in mass graves. Sure it's still art, but not every picture is beautiful even if it is art. Not every painting is positive and not ever sculpture is going to avoid leaving you breathless and terrified. There are some pieces of art in this world that are monstrous and though they must be looked at and understood, they're often something that you want to close your eyes and turn away from. War is like that to the Jindai. Still and art, sometimes necessary, but never a good thing.

Body mods and various pieces of body art are also common for the Jindai. Tattoos, piercings, and on the rare occasion implants are something that the Jindai take a distinct interest in. Some enjoy making their bodies look even more like their elements, tattooing onto their skin beautiful tapestries as a testament to their tribe. Others enjoy looking like something, painting on stripes and shaping their teeth and their claws into deadly animal fangs.

Regardless of what they favor, most Jindai will have at least some kind of change they've made to their bodies. Something that truly claims it and makes it their own. Something with actual meaning to them more often than not. Jewels from a relative or close friend studded in their skin, or a portrait of a precious thing tattooed into the back. If anything, it's rare for a Jindai not to have some kind of modification. Even rarer for their skin to be clean of scars which they considered to be modifications, earned from battles long since lost or won. Jindai with 'clean' bodies are rare on the slave market which makes them go for a pretty penny, which is just another reason why the Jindai are so quick to mark themselves. They're popular as exotic 'dancers' and laborers. In some cases, their markings can be a protection.

Jindai tend to get their first modifications done at relatively young ages, at least in comparison to most mortal races.

Religion and Worship

Most Jindai treat religion with a certain level of ambivalence. They often don't pray openly to any one god if they even pray at all. One of the things they do have are Ancestral Spirits. Ancestral Spirits are those few Jindai who were able to effectively escape the reincarnation cycle. As such, they were able to ascend to their afterlife of choice in order to rest. It's believed that these spirits still watch over the current Jindai, guiding them. In addition to regular Ancestral Spirits, there are also Inter-Ancestral Spirits.

The view the Jindai have of reincarnation is fundamentally opposed to other races who also believe in it, like the Rathor. The difference between these belief systems is in the degrees of separation used to explain. For other species, they view the reincarnated individual as still that person. The Jindai view themselves with a degree of separation. While these lives are a piece of themselves, they are a piece they can't access, a piece that is permanently lost. They believe that these versions of themselves have already perished and no longer exist. That's why it's such an importance to try and break the cycle, so that the Jindai in question is the one that continues to exist. The fragments of these past lives live on as Intra-Ancestral Spirits, and help guide their current incarnation. While races like the Rathor believe that their soul remains the same between reincarnations, the Jindai believe that their soul fundamentally changes and while core pieces remain, they are not entirely the same creature as they once were. That's the greatest tragedy of being trapped in the cycle the way that they presently are.

Reproduction, Aging, and Death

Jindai are extremely romantic in their relationships. There's a strong emphasis on wooing your partner and this can take anywhere between weeks, months, or even years. Part of this wooing process does involve sparring matches, though nothing exceptionally dangerous. Two Jindai must prove themselves to be equal to one another for the relationship to properly work. While it's possible for Jindai of different strengths to have a long and healthy romance, it's comparatively rare and can lead to a lot of discomfort for both in the long run, especially if one is often relying on the other.

Romance can exist between a Jindai and a member of a different race, though it takes effort and a little bit of consideration. A big part of that is that Jindai don't reproduce in a "traditional" manner very often. They have the appropriate genitals but most don't ever really use them for anything other than waste removal or recreation. Pregnancy for the Jindai is considering to be a very bad thing, as it makes one weak.

Another thing that often doesn't translate well in certain cultures is the idea of polygamy. Due to the nature of the Jindai, having multiple partners is pretty common. Relationships are more about romance than anything. The emotional attachment. Children, of course, need to be produced, but it's easy for a Jindai to pick a suitably strong partner, complete the ritual, and never see that other Jindai again. Picking a partner for life is an emotional commitment, which is why they don't always settle down with a single partner. They believe that it's possible to love more than one person. Which is why a Jindai will probably end up with multiple partners who have multiple partners and some of those partners might also be the partners of the original Jindai and while it might seem like a mess to anyone looking from the outside in, it creates a steadfast support network that doesn't fall apart as easily.

Child 'birth' for the Jindai is probably one of the weirdest things about them. Which is saying something. The Ritual as it's called often starts with two partners. While more can partake in the Ritual it often puts the resulting children at risk due to how the genetics of it all works. These two partners can be any gender or race. As long as they have blood (or something akin to it) the ritual should still work.

An old, giant, cast-iron pot is retrieved and the two partners are to bleed into the pot. The cast-iron pot has a lid put on it and is placed somewhere where it can be constantly exposed to the element(s) of the parent Jindai. Constantly burning flames, submerged in ice water, take your pick. This causes some difficulty for certain Jindai as their element is harder to find (electricity for one) but parents and other members of the tribe can use their own elements, which helps build a need for a tribe when it comes to Jindai with rarer elements. After three days of 'brewing', the pot is left to sit for another six but no longer needs the constant exposure. In total, it should take about nine days.

It's uncertain, scientifically, how this process actually works. Somehow at the end of nine days when the top of the pot is removed, the parents will find a number of very small pebble looking things. The number will always be equivalent to the amount of blood placed into the pot. Since these 'pebbles' are usually very small there are often a great number. Few will ever actually grow up though.

These pebbles are then taken care of (kept with a constant supply of their element) by one or both parents depending on the relationships the two share. In a couple of months, these pebble eggs will grow larger and larger, absorbing their patron element until after three-five months a baby Jindai will break the shell. It's possible for half-breed Jindai to exist, but they're prone to complications and death during the hatching. In addition, two males completing the ritual will have approximately a 25% death rate. In a partnership with two females, the resulting children will always be female.

Jindai children born to a "standard" pregnancy by the definition of the other races tend to have more complications. Half-breed Jindai born to these "standard" pregnancies almost always die before getting past the age of three if they even make it past utero.

For a Jindai who doesn't live on its own that produces children, it isn't their job alone to take care of the resulting children. The Jindai as a tribe raise any children produced. The child will already be fairly self-sufficient by the time it 'hatches'. A newly hatched Jindai already has more motor control than a newborn child. While still unable to protect itself it has enough of a mental capacity to recognize dangers and hide. Within a week the Jindai will have the instinctual ability to defend itself on part with that of a very young animal. It only takes a couple of months of interaction or education with a sapient species for the child to adapt and start to grow intellectually.

Jindai grow faster than your average race and will reach full maturity at age 13. Jindai die the most often between the age of 13 and 20. Even if a Jindai reaches full maturity at age 13, they aren't considered educated adults until 20 at which point they're given the blessing by the rest of their tribe to have children and receive the same rights as the other adult members. Jindai that live on their own get a different experience as they'll only have one parent. In this case, they tend to be more animal-like and antisocial as their parent are prone to dying when they're young and leaving them on their own. Close friends become a surrogate 'tribe' until the Jindai is 13 at which point they treat themselves like a full adult and physically they look enough like one that they can pull off the illusion of being one.

As mentioned earlier, old age among the Jindai is seen as a negative due to the fact it becomes more difficult to escape the rebirth cycle. That being said, they're widely respected by younger Jindai, even the ones without tribes.

Language

While most Jindai learn common at some point in their lives, it isn't their native tongue due to how long they were isolated on their own. Instead, they speak a language called Elathee. A language exclusive to the Jindai, also occasionally called the elemental tongue. Each of the tribes had their own version of Elathee. While different tribes could understand one another, the different versions could be considered similar to a dialect or an accent. Certain words don't transfer well, but generally knowing one tribe's version of Elathee will allow understanding for the others.