People of the Amelhart Institute

Population

The population of the Institute is predominantly human, though throughout their explorations and expeditions it is not uncommon for the nomadic fleets of the Amelhart to pick up orphans and strays. This is particularly true of beings that show aptitude for science, research, or mechanics who are brought into the Amelhart and introduced to ‘Mother’ as new children of the Institute.

Through this manner it is possible to find any number of races from across all factions, space, and planets thriving within the meritocratic society of the Institute. Each person brought into the Institute is assessed to find their best role to fit their aptitudes and then assigned to a role either within the expedition fleet that found them if a role is open that requires the skills or if better suited to life on Ingirid they are found a position someone in the massive complex of the Amelhart homebase. The most common outcome is that these orphans are assigned with the fleet that found them, this is often due to the long journeys that these fleets undertake that by the time they are brought back to Ingirid for assessment and assignment they are already well ingrained into the fleet and have begun to make bonds with their fleetmates.

People born within the Institute are introduced to ‘Mother’ upon birth and the guiding AI takes an active role in the raising of the child. Many ‘family units’ are extensive and large populations. While the biological parents do play an important role it is not uncommon for large groups of people to be active in the raising of the child. Many Amelhart claim multiple ‘fathers’ and ‘mothers’ and siblings are often drawn together by the closeness of age rather than ties by genetics or blood.

The institute, lacking a home planet, has at times struggled with maintaining population numbers. This issue grew to be such a problem that it forced ‘Mother’ to interfere directly. Together with her brood of AIs they began the production of the Amelhart synthetic lifeforms, person AI’s that are completely autonomous, though they remain closely linked with ‘Mother’ as all citizens of the Institute are. These AI’s are created by the combined will of all the AI within the Familia and are free to design their own body. Each AI designs their body to fulfil their desired role in society, this leads to fantastical mechanical forms filling the halls, labs, offices, and foundries of the Institute’s home base and exploration fleets. These AI are accepted as complete and full members of Amelhart society and are provided the full rights, privileges and powers of anyone in the Institute.

Physiology

Most species within the Institute are not wholly different from others of their species throughout Beacon Space. However, while Ingirid does have its own artificial gravity, it is significantly lighter than the gravitational fields of most planetary objects.

This has meant that the humans born of the Institute tend towards natural adaptations to low levels of gravity, longer necks and limbs; weaker, lighter bones; better dexterity and the ability to orient themselves in zero-low level gravity environments; and others. To compensate for this many, though not all, humans and other species undergo extensive mechanical modifications. Some outside the Institute classify these people as cyborgs or androids depending on the extent of their modification, however, within the Institute there is no such labelling developed as it is seen as a valid and even necessary step for better efficiency and practicality of their nomadic spacial existence. These modifications are further encouraged as it allows for better connection to ‘Mother’ and the other AI, though it is by no means a mandatory process and each individual is allowed to decide their own level of modification and mechanical integration.