Iosan

The Iosans are a race of humanoid playable characters native to the Far Realms of Ultra Space. The first Iosan known to the humans was Aur-En-Jaro.

Culture
Iosans hail from the sandy, sun-blessed land of Iosara. The people of Iosara are wise and knowledgeable, and above all else, a peaceful group. Despite their severely different opinions from both the Veilids and Aailu, they have managed to keep out of any conflict between the nations, instead acting as the archivists for all of the Far Realms.

Their small but arid realm has a total of seven permanent settlements, collectively known as the Glass Cities. The name is derived from the shimmering appearance of crystalline buildings that reflect the light of the twin Iosan suns, Eft and Jaro. As the suns are extremely important to both Iosan beliefs and magical ability, it’s of little surprise that the Glass Cities are built in a way that efficiently harnesses solar power and turns it into workable energy.

Each of the Glass Cities is built around a flourishing oasis, allowing Iosans to grow plants that might not otherwise survive the desert’s harshness. The city names are Umi, Gham, Alk, Ouba, Roz, Yala, and Eiron. The final segment of an individual’s given name reflects the city where they were born and named; the exceptions to this are the Chronoheralds, who are later often renamed with ‘Eft’ if female and ‘Jaro’ if male, to signify their connections to the suns’ power.

Roughly ten percent of Iosans are chronomagically inclined, able to scry or foretell the immediate future to some degree. However, one in two thousand has incredible power that marks them as a Chronoherald— an Iosan with the ability to jump back and forth throughout time and change the very progression of reality itself.

Iosara’s circumbinary nature results in bimonthly eclipses where one sun overlaps the other. During these times, Chronoheralds’ abilities are heightened, and they collectively hold an event known as the Ceremony of Paths. They combine their gifts to scry many branching timelines. With the vote of all Chronoheralds weighing in, they choose which timeline ’path’ to follow, and close the ceremony by giving their apologies and thanks to the possibilities that will be left behind.

As one might expect from a civilization where some individuals could literally alter reality, Iosara’s governing body, the Crystal Council, has a strict set of laws regarding morality, safety measures, and misuse of chronomagic. The full set of laws is too lengthy to list here, but curious examples include:

All chronomagically-inclined children must be registered by the Crystal Council by their eighth year of age to undergo testing and training. Those believed to have advanced abilities will be on a public listing for Chronoheralds.

Chronoheralds must wear a tracking amulet at all times. Failure to comply will result in investigation and possible arrest.

All scrying results that concern non-Iosan actions should be immediately reported to the Crystal Council, especially before the other relevant parties are involved/informed.

It is illegal to run, sponsor, or participate in any chance-based tournaments, lotteries, and/or betting games.

While it might appear on the surface as if chronomagically-gifted individuals have an advantage or authority over typical Iosans, this is not generally the case. Many seers actively suppress their abilities using prescribed medication due to symptoms of paranoia and mania. Conversely, others—both chronomagical and not—develop addictions to Prescient Powder, an illegal drug that allows one to experience future-sight without an innate ability.

The Iosans are also notable for their creation and use of magitechnology. They are formidable engineers when it comes to combining magical energy with technological marvels; the city of Gham is notable for its magitech-specialist university. It was the Iosans who originally developed the technology used by Fort Voxica, and they who built the ship itself millennia ago.

Physical Appearance
Size: Iosans are moderate in size, and are almost impossible to tell apart from Voxicans (humans) at first glance. Females average roughly 5'7", males being slightly taller at an average of 5'11". They come in all different body types depending on what they do in Iosan society.

Skin: As desert-dwellers, most Iosans have tan-to-dark skin reflecting their love of the suns and their long days. Albino Iosans are rare but extant, although they must be careful to layer their clothing to avoid burns.

Hair: Iosan natural hair colors cover browns, black, dark grays, dark blondes, reds, and burgundies. However, many Iosans also prefer to shave their heads. Hairstyles are often short or kept up.

Eyes: Iosan eye colors cover browns, amber, yellows and greens. They have thick eyelashes.

Other Features: One obvious sign of Iosans are their love for symmetrical tattoos, often with protective scripts/runes from mythology and religion inscribed on their skin. It's common for them to have sun-like imagery and thick bands of ink around their limbs. They are primarily decorative.

Naming Conventions
All Iosans have three- or four-segment names, typically interconnected with hyphens (-). As previously explained, the final segment is a reflection of one’s birth location (or Chronoherald status). The other segments are often monosyllabic or dualsyllabic due to the nature of the traditional Iosan language.

Final segments (by city) include: Umi, Gham, Alk, Ouba, Roz, Yala, and Eiron. Final segments for Chronoheralds are Eft (females) or Jaro (males), representing the twin suns.