Krahun
The Krahun are a species of gaseous aliens originating from the planet most commonly known as Hela IV. Whilst their origin is a point of contention and shrouded in mystery, in contemporary history, they have focused on interacting more with Beacon Space, focusing on spreading their faith.
Physiology
"The specifics of Krahun physiology can be hard for a [solidsoul] to grasp, so for this entry I will focus on the parts that they can manage to get their [thoughtorgans] around. Firstly, Krahun exist in a form of matter that is approximate to gas, though Krahun [spiritualists] and scientists of other species disagree on the specifics of matter. [Translator's note: other species almost overwhelmingly agree that they are just gas.] The next question a [solidsoul] often asks is; how can we think? This is a power provided by [The Creator], manifesting as something close to humanoid veins throughout our form. It is not easily noticeable, especially to a [solidsoul], but when we diffuse out to our largest size a different colour can sometimes be seen extending throughout the form. This colour differs depending on the individual. The Krahun have no physical capability to speak, or interact with the physical world in any meaningful way. Between ourselves, we are able to talk in a way that approximates to telepathy, but requires two or more Krahun to [formmeld], and occupy the same physical space. Our ability to talk to others has been provided by the scientists and engineers of the Concord of Mutual Disdain, largely in two forms. One is the so-called ‘Vox Box’, a small box instrument that, when touched by a Krahun, translates their thoughts into audible sound. The other is the NautSuit, a mechanical suit that, in general, I am told resembled ancient aquatic diving suits. It is well armoured and protected from the outside environment, and can be controlled by a Krahun to interact with the world around it. These also have inbuilt Vox Boxes. Those Krahun who do travel without NautSuit will usually attempt to shape their form to match the species they are speaking with. These Krahun are generally incapable of interacting with anything physical, except the most lightweight objects, or in low gravity situations. This also means they are usually incapable of transporting their own Vox Boxes, though recently some incredibly lightweight Vox Boxes have been created and are given to those of great importance.”
- an excerpt from “Krahun; a Solidsoul’s Guide” by Magia Potola, translated by Victoria Kajol. Terms in [] are when the closest translation would not carry the cultural significance.
History
The history of the Krahun is debated amongst outside scholars. There are two main schools of thought, that disagree on one large issue - exactly when the Krahun managed to gain intelligence. Krahun spiritualists (the primary researchers of Krahun society) say that the Krahun are as old as Hela IV itself, having been born when the great waves of clouds began rolling across its surface. However, they are very reluctant to share any possible history that happened between the formation of Hela IV and the arrival of humanity to beacon space. This is even harder to confirm considering that, until recently, the Krahun were incapable of writing down their own history. The only event that the Krahun have said happened in the period before humanity is the arrival of The Creator, who told the Krahun that they were The Creator’s Chosen People, and must tell anyone they come across about The Creator’s Love. Outside of Krahun society, the majority opinion (although a slim majority), is that the Krahun were brought into existence by a fringe science research group called The Beacon Research Consortium. How they managed to do this is not known by historians who claim that this is the truth. The Krahun deny this theory of their creation emphatically. There is a third, much less popular theory of their creation; the precursor jailors that put the Queltl and Tar'et on Kardakouk were also responsible for the creation of the Krahun, or perhaps jailed the Krahun as well. Whilst this is believed by only a small group, it is significant due to it being believed by some Krahun. These Krahun believe that the jailors are The Creator.
Where the different timelines of Krahun history begin to agree is a few dozen years after the arrival of humanity. It was then that the Concord of Mutual Disdain made official contact with the Krahun on Hela IV, establishing a research station around it named Ayr Station. The Krahun had always been a collective society, so encountering a society with any kind of individuality was difficult for them. This was only made worse by the complete difference in physiology, and the existence of a currency and trade in the Concord. The Krahun were clever, however, and managed to trade access to precious gas found on Hela IV for the Vox Box and NautSuits. At this point, Ayr Station turned into Ayr Mine, and became a small hub for extraction and production.
The Krahun’s as a collective then spent a few centuries deciding exactly how to react to this new and strange universe that had opened up. However, individuality began to increasingly become more common, and over the centuries individuals began to travel out into the stars. Still, as a whole the Krahun stayed very isolated for centuries. Then, coincidentally in the same month that the “Era of Peace” is claimed to have begun, the Krahun declared that the Great Question had been answered, and that The Creator’s Love must be brought across the sector. This was accompanied by the formation of the Krahun Theocratic Council, an official government for the people of the sector to interact with. The Krahun began to work a bit closer with the Concord, with many Krahun beginning to work on Ayr Mine. Over the past century, Krahun missionaries have become a normal, if still rare sight, spreading the word of The Creator. Individuality in the Krahun has also increased in the past century, however, with more and more Krahun taking on their own goals and wants.
Organisation
The Krahun very much work as a collective, and the consistent melding of their minds and thoughts whilst on Hela IV can make it difficult for other species to interact with the Krahun, especially those who live primarily on the planet, as many do not have an individual personality and primarily exist alongside other Krahun. It is even unknown exactly how many Krahun exist, even by the Krahun. Similarly, if the Krahun know how long a Krahun can live, they aren’t telling.
The primary organisation in charge of the Krahun is the Krahun Theocratic Council. Council is the best approximate translation of what the Krahun see it as, but the Theocratic Council actually always exists with one another. Constantly, they share their thoughts, and exist in the same physical space. From the outside, there is no way to tell if the Theocratic Council has changed membership since it’s formation, and, once again, the Krahun aren’t telling. Despite a focus on the collective, some other of these “councils” exist in Krahun culture. The most important of these are:
- The Spiritualist Research Council; this council focuses on discovering things about the rest of the sector, a spiritualist very much being a scientist in Krahun society.
- The Concord Diplomatic Council; this council focuses on the Krahun’s interactions with the Concord of Mutual Disdain, and is in fact the oldest council.
- The Creator’s Missionary Council; this council focuses on spreading The Creator’s Love throughout the sector. The members of the council never leave Hela IV themselves, but help organise the missionaries who do.
- The Experimental Infrastructure Council; this is a new council, not endorsed by the Theocratic Council, that is trying to push for the creation of infrastructure in Krahun civilisation.
Culture
The most important part of the Krahun culture is Faith In The Creator, a religious following of The Creator, a figure that the Krahun believe to have given life to themselves, and the entire universe. This extends to all planets, stars and peoples in the universe. However, the lynchpin of this faith is that the Krahun are The Creator's Chosen People, and their favourite species in all of the universe. In this role, they must spread The Creator's Love to all. Beyond this, their religion does not seem to ask much of it's followers. They must treat all those who are devout to The Creator as they would teach The Creator, and that is their extent. Whilst this inclines them to disrespecting those who do not follow the religion, there is nothing in their religion that demands them to be, so they are usually quite peaceful about it. For most Krahun, those who do not accept The Creator's Love into their life are people to pity, not to hate: why would you hate someone who already cannot feel love? Have they not suffered enough?
Krahun culture has a big focus on community and the collective. For this reason, it is rare for Krahun to leave Hela IV. For most Krahun, their goals are that of all Krahun, to spread The Creator’s Love. They care not for their own needs, if they even have them. However, over the past six centuries, and especially the last one, individuality has begun to increase. More and more Krahun strike out on their own, and head to the stars to pursue their own goals, or just for the sake of exploration. These Krahun are seen as outcasts in Krahun society, and due to them almost always occupying NautSuits, the NautSuits have begun to be seen as taboo. This has become an obstacle in Krahun society, as NautSuits are increasingly needed to be able to interact with the outside world. Missionary missions always need one NautSuit, and finding people who want to simultaneously be part of the Krahun mission and occupy a NautSuit are becoming increasingly rare. Those who live in NautSuits tend to be either the most individualistic and uncaring, or the most collectivist and devout. NautSuits also carry some taboo due to the fact someone living in one cannot telepathically speak with those outside it, leading to a very lonely life. Missionaries who live in NautSuits are referred to as Martyrs, whilst those who occupy them without a great mission are referred to as Excommunicates. (Note: these words are translations of Krahun thoughts, and the closest approximate.)
Culturally, the Krahun most closely align themselves with The Concord of Mutual Disdain the Tahora Whai. The closeness to the Concord is mostly an alliance of convenience due to their close proximity, along with the Concord having made first contact with the Krahun and providing them with the Vox Boxes and NautSuits. The Whai, however, comes from a much closer alignment of values. If Krahun head out into the sector, joining the Whai is the closest they can get to the feeling of being on Hela IV, where it is so easy to freely and openly communicate. For this reason, many Excommunicates will eventually join the Tahora Whai.