[Cosmosdex] The Universal Encyclopedia
[Cosmosdex]
Novan
Living Stars / Universe's Children
Novan
Art by, Chimerii
- Strength-5
- Intelligence-7
- Charisma-2
- Endurance-5
- Agility-7
- Luck-0
Common Jobs: Government Mercenaries, Law Enforcement, Army/Navy/Air Force Members
Likes: Customised Weapons, Target Practice, Sparring, Alcoholic Beverages
Dislikes: Inconsiderate and impolite people, Law breakers, Cowards
Attack Method: They don't commonly initiate combat unless it's part of a contract, but they will defend themselves. Strategies and tactics vary widely from novan to novan.
Attributes
Homeplanet: PurasumaLifespan: 350 years
Size: 5'6 ft tall
Diet: Flammable Items, Combustible Items
Bodytype: Bipedal
Type: Elemental
Social Class: Middle Class
Rarity: Uncommon
Common Traits
This character likes to use simple words and has little care for etiquette. They have an easier time getting along with lower class or less intelligent characters, but characters in higher rungs of society may see them as stupid or rude.
When situations come at this character, they remain calm and collected. They are able to think clearly in nearly all situations.
This character is too confident in their abilities and is not realistic about how dangerous or challenging something may be. They may take on tasks they cannot do, or put themselves or their team in dangerous situations because they think they can handle it.
Gods
Novans are not typically religious, however if they find a god they particularly like, they may worship them and look up to them.
Gods: Any
Original Creator: tiredteaqueen
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.Physical Description
Being 'shapeshifters' of plasma and fire, novans do not have a singular form, however they usually take the form of bipedal humanoids. Many believe their bodies were inspired by the notail's. All mentioned instances of novans will adhere to this form unless specified.
Normally, Novans do not have any facial features, though some may twist their flames to form a makeshift mouth, eyebrows and/or eye sockets. Some may also manipulate their flames to form hair-like structures on their head. They typically possess lithe body builds, as they prefer speed and dexterity over raw power. It is not uncommon to see novans with horns, wings, tails, extra appendages or other body parts as a cosmetic or practical addition. Though rare, seeing Novans with completely different forms is expected - this includes more reptilian or avian appearances, and occasionally other species.
Since they're made of fire and plasma, they are expected fire hazards. Thankfully, novans have the ability to produce a fireproof solution from their bodies that coats their flames, called a corona. This does not inhibit the novan in any way, shape or form, and makes it much easier for them to interact with the other species of the universe. This also prevents the flames of the novan from being put out by water or ice, however, the corona can only withstand so much.
Novans have no need to breathe, however they do have a need to eat and 'hydrate'. They enjoy flammable foods such as wood, coal and petrol, however most prefer alcoholic beverages. They can still eat standard rations, but they will need to consume twice or event thrice the amount in order to sustain themselves.
When novans naturally die, they will spontaneously combust and explode, causing mass damage to anything around their vicinity. The scale of destruction scales with the age of the novan, as most typically die between 100 years to 600 years. These explosions tend to be relatively weak, typically toppling over a couple of blocks. Thankfully, novans are typically able to tell when they're about to die, and move to a barren planet or into deep space to wait for their deaths.
After death, a novan will leave traces of space dust and residue fuel, the former of which combines to form baby novans, known as nebulings, while the latter is used as nutrition for the developing novans. The amount of nebulings depends on the 'gender' of the novan, as they do not have traditional genders, but rather a 'fertility' system - ranked from lowest to highest, zayin, tet, hey, vav, alef. Zayins are 'infertile', and will not produce any young. Tet will produce one nebuling, hey novans produce two and vavs produce three nebulings. Alefs are a special case, however it is best explained seperate to the other four 'genders'.
Nebulings will spend a few months out wherever their parent died, during which they go through a rapid phase of physical and mental development, growing to have enough flames and plasma to form an adult sized body. However, in this stage, nebulings are still considered to be children, at most being seen as juveniles in the eyes of adult novans. Nebulings will then begin to form a flame cocoon around themselves, and once it is complete, they will suddenly accelerate to extremely high speeds, finding the nearest source of adult novans. It does not matter what stands in their way, whether it be the basic forces of the universe or a rather unfortunate spaceship. This phenomenon cannot be explained by scientists or even novans themselves. Most believe that it is an evolved mechanism that helps nebulings arrive to novan civilisation to avoid being hunted down by predators. However, no-one knows what preys on novans, not even novans themselves.
Many scholars describe the behaviour of nebulings being similar to that of wild felines - very curious and sassy, but kind towards one another. Whether or not the nebulings will resemble their parent is all up to chance, and it is often difficult to distinguish whether a certain novan is related to another.
Alef novans are typically seen as 'reincarnations' - it is highly debated between scholars whether this is true or not as the concept of reincarnation is ridiculous, yet plausible in some cases. That being said, alef novan 'reincarnations' can simply be explained as the child merely having an eerily similar appearance and personality to their parent. Alef novans never have more than one nebuling.
A novan's 'gender' is difficult to determine, so many do not care what they are. The only one that can truly be identified is a non-first generation alef novan.
Personality
Novans are generally quite friendly and do their best not to make enemies. They are extremely lax and chill, even in the face of death. Some people tend to be extremely unnerved by this drastic level of indifference, while others find it admirable. Novans are also surprisingly apologetic, and often try to help others out, examples including if someone short of points or are in urgent need of ship repairs. Most novans are at least somewhat empathic, even towards strangers. They're more than happy to listen to other's problems, and many offer excellent advice. When novans find something that they like, they quickly become attached to the topic and will do their best to incorporate it into their life. Examples include fauna loving novans becoming veterinarians and biologists, and music loving novans finding careers in composing. They may try to convince others to take interest in the topic, however most understand that not everyone will enjoy what they enjoy. Some may be a bit more pushy, but a firm and concise declination will usually do the trick.
Novans are known for some strange customs and etiquettes. One example is bringing your own shot glass to a bar, though this has been extended to any sort of cup being brought to any drink serving establishment. Another is the tradition of shooting rounds to warn others of danger - one bullet signals the arrival of a potential enemy while six screams doom. A less known practice is the naming of novans - many are named after light- or celestial-related affinities and phenomenon, such as Penumbra, Comet, and Flare. Typically, Novans with the same name prefer to work together, commonly seen in bands and military force groups. Alef novans always maintain the same name, no matter what.
Overall, novans are sort of the opposite of a local nuisance - rather, they are a universal assistance. Very few novans are notorious for being bad people, as those who partake in evil deeds are shunned by the large majority of novans, and are actively hunted down by the novan government.
History
Novans are known for being some of the first creatures to be discovered by the notails, and have particularly good relations with them, if one can call an alliance with the notails a 'good relation'. The novans had the capabilities to develop spacefaring vehicles, however they decided to focus on weaponry instead, taking a different path to the notorious notails. The alliance was slow and unsure, however notails grew to understand more and more about the novans, and vice versa. They often trade with each other, exchanging equipment and information about their sectors of the universe. Novans can be found in major cities on the notail's home planet of Eukaryote, and notails can be seen in the major sectors and districts of Purasuma.
While many outsiders have noted that the alliance seems to benefit the notails more than the novans, they aren't too particularly phased by the prospect, as they believe that their trade is fair game. What precisely is involved in the trade is shrouded in mystery, however most can agree it is likely an exchange of new tech and weapons from the novans for protection of some sort.
Other than their connection with the notails, there aren't too many notable events they were involved in. Some mercenaries and hireable forces will occasionally participate in wars, but this is quite rare.
However, as of a couple hundred years ago, the novan government has assembled a group of novans known merely as the Elites to deal with off-planet and foreign affairs, including interactions with their notail allies. The Elites are currently comprised of six novans: Commissioner and Chief of Police Eclipse; Biologist and Doctor Estelle; Mercenary and Government Agent Blackout; Air Force Captain Blaze; Historian and Chronologist Lune; and Explorer Celeste.
Home Planet
Purasuma is a rather large planet with extremely high temperatures, mainly due to the fact it is the homeplanet of the living stars, otherwise known as novans. The planet is described to be a mix-match of several different biomes, as some of the planet is covered in lush rainforest while other parts are inhospitable desert. Despite the danger of rain and water, most novans don't mind mild damage to their coronas as it heals quickly.
Purasuma is divided into seperate sectors and districts depending on risk level and habitability. Places with low risks levels and high habitability are classified as Safe Sectors or SS, followed by a number to determine the district. SSs are perfect for settlements and development, and typically do not change classification. Low risk and habitability areas are called Barren Zones or BZ, followed by a number to determine their district. They are useful for weapon testing, experiments and government operations. High risk and low habitability sectors are known as Hazard Zones or HZ, followed by two sets of numbers - one determines their district and the other their danger rating. Only certain government approved forces are allowed in these areas, as they host dangerous flora and fauna. High risk and habitability areas are labelled as Variable Sectors, and can either be subgrouped with the SS or the HZs depending on their danger rating. They are normally wildlife reserves, protecting either the creatures within the sector or the vegetation. It is not uncommon to see small yet advanced towns in safer VSs set up by the novan government in order to conduct experiments and test liveability of an area.
Purasuma is comprised roughly 50% Safe Sectors, 15% Barren Zones, 15% Hazard Zones and 20% Variable Sectors, and around 65% of the planet is habitable by novan government standards.
Subspecies
Binary-Plus: A subtype of novan born with two or more minds in one flame orb. They are typically argumentative, and prefer to take the form of a small multi-headed quadruped as opposed to a bipedal humanoid. Many describe them as "hilarious", seeing two or more squabbling heads of flame argue about which direction to take one step in as their legs angrily flail about.
Albino: Commonly referred to as Spirans, these pale novans are coloured in off-white shades, and are not as combat efficient as the common novans. However, they are able to communicate with the dead and preform various necro-related magics, including reanimating the dead (though the dead return as unintelligent and mindless husks who only follow the orders of their summoner) at the cost of their own lifespan. These novans tend to have the shortest lifespans, due to their constant meddling with death.
Overheat: These novans are so hot (in terms of temperature, not physical appearance) that they change colour from the typical red, orange and yellow to blues and violets. Overheats are, supposedly, swifter than the common novan, and are described to be much more charismatic, and though there are no scientific studies to back this up, many of them are of the upper class and tend to be incredibly fashionable. What is certain about overheats, however, is their uncanny ability to pick up new skills and quickly perfect them, making them incredibly talented jack-of-trades. It is not uncommon to see high ranking overheat novans in any profession.
Many commonly think of them as an 'upgraded' novan, but it is best not to refer to them as such - it is one of the few things that get beneath a novan's non-existent skin. Overheat novans don't like being referred to as superior, and common novans don't like being referred to as inferior - such beliefs are archaic and would do nothing but bring hatred to the species.
Special
Corona: The corona is most easily defined as an invisible shield that coats the flames of a novan. It prevents the main flames from being damaged from water and ice, and is capable of regenerating. One square inch of corona can tolerate around 50mL of water before completely dissolving, and regenerates in half an hour. The flames beneath are much more vulnerable, and one square inch of fire can be put out with 10-20mL of water, depending on the subtype of novan.
Partial Shapeshifting: Novans are capable of shapeshifting - to a degree. They can change their body structure to match a young drakon, an aftik or even resemble an AI, however they will still be comprised of fire and plasma, and will not gain certain special attributes of that particular species, such as the psychic abilities of drakons and the sheer strength of aftiks. If they wish to become a larger being, they'll need to consume more fuel in order to boost their flame mass to match the standard size. Novans can easily become malnourished if they maintain a large form for too long without consuming enough nutrition.
Celestial-kinetic Novans:
Some novans have the ability to control smaller celestial objects, such as comets, and mini moons. They cannot be considered their own subtype, as these abilities have been seen in all subtypes of novan. The novan government keeps rigorous track of these novans due to the danger they pose to the universe, but thankfully, they are few and far between, and almost all of them are productive members of novan society. The amount of celestial-kinetic novans can be counted on the hand of a notail, but only if the notail had 47 fingers.
Trivia
• It is certainly possible to kill a novan before they naturally expire, however, it may prove to be difficult. One would need to starve them of fuel and food for a week or two, and they'll slowly but surely grow smaller and smaller until they just fizzle out of existence. It is recommended, by your local homicidal maniac, that if you want to kill a novan to just throw water on it.
• Purasuma is one of the most peaceful locations in the universe, due to the novan government's strict enforcement of laws. It also has a weapon ratio of 15:1, meaning that on average, a novan owns fifteen weapons. Ironic how one of the most armed and combat ready civilisations is the most peaceful.
• To the surprise of many other species, common novans do not shun their subtypes and instead welcome them. It might be seen as an obvious no-brainer, seeing as novans are extremely kind to strangers and other species, but it tends to baffle many outsiders.
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