Alphas

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Alphas

Alphas (tr. કિન્સ Kinsa, cm. Kin) are quasi-artificial beings created by the Celestial Machine. At their core, Alphas aren't beings of this universe; instead, they are creatures of pure information and energy, brought to "life" from Logos and given purpose – to serve as the protectors and custodians of the Great Abyssal Tree. They are beings of immense power and resilience, capable of existing in multiple quantum forms and possessing an ability to change their material bodies at will. Initially machine-like, Alphas have come to resemble the mortal species they are meant to protect, and through millennia of co-existence have developed a certain rapport with the rest of the sentient galaxy – a relationship that is constantly threatened by their ever-present hunger for Numen.

Etymology and definition

The name “Alpha” comes from a speculation about these creatures being the first to ever exist, theoretically created after the birth of the Celestial Machine. Alphas themselves rarely refer to each other as such, instead preferring the word “Kin” - a name now commonly used to address these beings throughout the galaxy.

▸Biology◂

Technically Alphas aren’t “living” creatures – unlike organic life-forms, these intelligent machine beings do not age, procreate or die. They do, however, exhibit some other biological properties (namely the need to “feed” on the Essence and repeat cycles of “resting” downtime). They can be considered quantum beings, possessing an astonishing ability to change between three distinct states of their existence at will (and in short time). Those three states represent an Alpha as a whole, and are mutually linked through quantum mechanics, exact details of which are known only to the Machine.

Forms

Eidolon Form Corpus Form Deus Form
Eidolon Form (tr. ભાવના Bhāvanā, cm. Energy Form) - this form of energy and pure information can be considered the core of Alpha beings. It is an extremely fragile state that requires tremendous amounts of Numen to maintain – otherwise it disappears into nothing. In this state an Alpha can preserve only a fraction of their personality – core foundations and rudimentary memories – while everything else is lost to the Source.

As such, no Kin shifts to this form voluntarily – only in grave danger with no other choice but to return to Logos, as this state allows to pass freely through the material boundaries of our Universe. Indeed, this is where Alphas lie dormant in their energy forms, waiting to be return again by the will of the Machine.

Corpus Form (tr. શરીર Śarīra, cm. Material Form) - also known as the Vessel, this is the form in which Alphas spend most of their time in this Universe. It is a material state of existence and as such requires only a fraction of Numen to maintain (from minimal in organic form to almost none in inanimate). When Kin are “reborn” they are free to choose their physical form, with almost no boundaries ranging from non-organic items to living giants – as long as such a form is logically possible. They aren’t stuck with their choice, although changing in this state requires massive amounts of Numen and time, and as a result rarely happens outside of the boundless energy of Logos.

Nowadays most of Alphas prefer to be in forms similar to that of the mortal species they are protecting due to the Familiarity phenomenon, often replicating the majority of their organic features. Despite this appearance, Kin vessels are still extraordinary resilient to any harm and sometimes show a glimpse of Alphas true power.

Deus Form (tr. ઈશ્વરીય Īśvarīya, cm. War Form) - sometimes referred to as the “True Form”, this state displays the full might of an Alpha. Heavily taxing and Numen-draining, this form allows them to utilize miraculous abilities, enhance strength, resilience and in general turns Alphas into powerful machines of destruction – as they were designed to be. War Forms are often bizarre, defying the laws of physics and displaying incredible features – and almost always provide a way to channel the internal energy of the Kin into some sort of a weapon.

Creation and maintenance of a Deus Form requires exquisite skill, balanced approach and precision. As such, Kin that have expertise in this matter often lend their services to others; in fact, Alphas proficient in Form-crafting are called War Architects and enjoy luxurious positions in their society.

An Alpha in a War Form is a formidable opponent. Most of the conventional weaponry is ineffective or entirely useless against such a target, and even Entropy-driven harm has a reduced effectiveness.

Numinalepsy

Numinalepsy (tr. ખામી Khāmī, cm. the Flaw) - according to some theories, the Machine existed in a more complete, perfect form, before being partially destroyed in the Fragmentation Event. Such a disaster left a tremendous amount of damage in its wake – and Alphas weren’t spared from these consequences either.

The Flaw refers to a phenomenon of slow Numen bleed-out which naturally occurs in Kin – unlike other living creatures that can store it indefinitely until death. There are no records to indicate when such an affliction started to occur first, but it is believed to not be present in times before the Fragmentation Event, potentially explaining the phenomenon as a result of some crucial component of the Machine being lost.

The Flaw is ever-present in all Alphas and the bleed-out of Numen increases dramatically as they shift into either their Eidolon or Deus Forms. No attempts to “fix” this affliction were ever successful.

In order to negate the lost and potentially increase their energy reserves. Kin consume Numen of other living creatures, usually by ingesting their blood (or ichor) as that bodily fluid seem to carry most of the desired energy. Such practice accounts for the primary issue in relationships between Alphas and the rest of the galaxy, as this particular “diet” often involves either non-willing or recently deceased participants (since the Essence remains in the body until decay starts to occur) – this also explains why Kin are often called “leeches”, “vampires” or “corpse-eaters”. In fact, many stories of carnivorous fantastical creatures or vampire myths stem from Kin raids dedicated to satisfying their hunger.

Variants

Structure-wise, it is possible to distinguish several major Kin variants. Unlike organic species, the difference between these types is non-physical, and generally refers to Energy Forms and abilities.

Mainline Alphas

Mainline Alphas (tr. હર્થ Harta, cm. Hearth Kin) are the most common variation of the Alphas. They represent what guardians of the reality are – powerful beings that dedicate their existence to protection of lesser species, often at a great cost. Their abilities stem from direct use of Numen and allow them to wield powers of creation in both defense and offense, with a wide array of supportive capabilities.

Aberrant Variant Alphas

Aberrant Variant (tr. નિર્દય Nidraya, cm. Coldblood Kin) were once as common as their Mainline cousins, until the Last Occurrence War in which their numbers were greatly decimated turning them into a rare sight in recent years. Unlike the Hearth Kin they are driven not by desire to protect but by desire to destroy any threat, regardless of collateral damage. Throughout the history their presence were considered a last resort when it came to battles against the Entropy, and in general weren’t welcome around highly populated areas.

In contrast to Mainline Alphas their abilities function in a complete opposite manner – using Logos to suppress, destroy or absorb natural powers; generally their skills lie in destruction or negation, putting their expertise on front-lines.

Transient Alphas

Transient Alphas (tr. પડછાયાઓ Paḍachāyā'ō, cm. Voidborn Kin, also “Drifters”) are such a rare variant of Alphas that their existence sometimes considered a myth. In essence their purpose is to defend the galaxy from the unseen threats of the Null – as such they are rarely seen in the material plane and their appearance is believed to be a bad omen.

The powers of the Drifters are just as mysterious and logic-defying as the Null itself: these abilities often lie outside of natural world and affect more fundamental things such as time or probabilities. As a result, they are seen more in a supportive role, rarely involving themselves in physical conflicts.

Cryptomorph Alphas

Cryptomorph Alphas (tr. ઢોંગી Ḍhōṅgī, cm. Changeling Kin) are a special category of Kin that does not follow the Core Heuristics. Either through a rare glitch in their systems or a puzzling ability to modify their own core structure, these Alphas are able to go against the very nature of Kin and ignore the fundamental rules and responsibilities given to them by the Machine. Such beings are unpredictable, capable of actions that defy logic or core principals of their peers: as such, it’s impossible to say what kind of power they could yield. Cryptomorphs are the rarest type of Alphas, generally seen by their kind as errors and sometimes even threats – and as such forced to be outcasts.

Gender

Alphas can be considered agendered beings – their artificial nature means natural reproduction is impossible and thus there is no discernible gender variation – especially considered the lack of any observable features in their true, quantum energy form. Instead, the appearance of their physical vessels depends entirely on the species that fall under their protection (see Familiarity), and often represent less threatening variants of those races – in case of humans, for example, Kin that mimic their appearance tend to look more slender and less physically developed than the actual member of these species.

Death and Rebirth

In general, it is almost impossible to “kill” an Alpha. Even when their bodies are destroyed, Kin are capable of existing in the energy form long enough to return to Logos, avoiding any harm that might follow. In doing so, however, an Alpha would lose most of their memories and even parts of their personality, preserving only the Core Heuristics and most basic knowledge. They aren’t capable of formulating thoughts in such a state and are driven by their instincts – and thus unable to leave the Source on their own, effectively erasing their existence from from the material Universe for an undefined period of time.

After some time however, Logos starts to empower their forms, allowing Alphas to rebuild what was lost, including their physical vessels. What triggers this process is unknown, but many speculate that is the will of the Machine that pulls these Kin out from the oblivion. This phenomenon is often called “Rebirth” or “Reincarnation”.

Following their return from Logos, Alphas would assume their old duties, often instinctively coming back to the familiar environments. Unfortunately, however, most of their memories are never recovered and their previous lives are virtually lost, unless some sort of a record has been made. For this very reason Alphas are highly communal, forming strong social bonds and relying on their friends to help restore what might be lost.

It’s worth noting that in some rare occasions the Rebirth never occurs. Throughout the ages, there have been numerous accounts of Alphas that never returned from Logos – whether because their time hasn’t come yet or due to some other unknown reason; commonly they are referred to as the Lost Kin.

All of this doesn’t mean, however, that Kin are immortal. There are two known ways to destroy even the energy form of an Alpha: one could occur if sufficiently disruptive conditions are present at the moment of physical destruction (such as a supernova explosion that has enough energy to disperse the Essence on the sub-atomic level), and the other being Apotheosis. In both of those cases such an event is called Discontinuity Encounter (tr. મૃત્યુ Mr̥tyu, cm. Final Death).

▪Apotheosis

Apotheosis (tr. ઉપાસના Upāsanā, cm. Devouring) – is a name given to a very rare, dangerous and generally forbidden practice of quantum cannibalism. An Alpha who wishes to perform such an act needs to know the precise sequence of necessary actions – or a special ritual – to successfully consume the Eidolon Form of an a Kin, ensuring their complete and irreversible destruction in process.

This can be considered the only sure way of destroying an Alpha, but it is also known as the gravest atrocity one can commit, undoing the work of the Celestial Machine and erasing the existence of a being that would otherwise live for eons. While performing Apotheosis grants those who dare all knowledge, power and Essence of the consumed victim, it also comes at a great cost that is not immediately apparent. Some parts of their personality will be irreversible changed, fused with that of whom they absorb, leading to immense mental stress and often madness. Even those Alphas that manage to withstand the effects of performing this act are forever changed and damaged by the experience. Those who are suspected of having performed an Apotheosis are immediately exiled from the Kin communities and branded Anathema (tr. અનાથ Anātha, cm. Fallen).

▸Abilities◂

Exploits and Precepts

The abilities of Alphas are highly varied and cover most of the known natural elements. Their powers, called Exploits, grant them dominion over virtually any aspect of the Universe – thermodynamics, molecular manipulation and dimensional mechanics. To an outside observer this might appear almost in supernatural manner akin to magic – some early civilizations often treated Alphas as gods in the past.

However, each individual Alpha can only control one (rarely two) of those domains; for this very reason they operate in teams and tend to base their tactics around team synergy in order to be effective on the battlefield. In addition, the degree with which an Alpha can exert those powers depends on both their skill and inner capabilities and is often limited by the amount of stored Numen they are willing to use.

Unlike conventional weaponry used by the mortal races of the Great Abyssal Tree, Kin powers and technology are highly effective against Entropy, making Alphas the only protectors of the Celestial Machine capable of withstanding the effects of the Adversary.

Kin powers are often separated into domains called Precepts. It is highly unusual for an Alpha to be proficient in more than one domain.

The list of the known Precepts
Precepts Elements Exploits
Alchemy (Mundane Precepts) Resonance, Force, Corrosive Sonic, Elemental, Visceral, Mechanical, Chemical, Gravitational, Biological
Thaumaturgy (Eminent Precepts) Thermal, Radiation, Electromagnetic Pyrogenic, Cryogenic, Electric, Magnetic, Photonic, Atomic
Theurgy (Supernal Precepts) Void, Psychic, Numen, Entropy Dimensional, Psionic, Spiritual, Infernal, Regenerative, Necrotic

Deus Forms

Deus Forms are an ultimate expression of Kin strength – in this quantum form they willingly burn through their Numen reserve to amplify their powers; in addition, their physical vessel undergoes a rapid change into a highly resilient variation, capable of withstanding the destructive effects of the Entropy and highly resistant (or outright invulnerable) to mundane sources of harm such as weapons of mortals.

Weapons

While the primary power of Alphas comes from their abilities and general resilience of their Deus Forms, a significant portion of Kin prefer to employ various weaponry as well. By using weapons often constructed as a part of their Deus Form (and thus sharing its outwardly properties), instead of outright direct manipulation of their Exploits, Alphas can drastically reduce the necessary amount of Numen, allowing them to stay in the fight longer.

Symbiosis

Alphas are capable of symbiosis with other Kin. Although rare, this practice allows weaker Alphas to form a link with more powerful comrades supporting them through various means. Usually, this involves turning themselves into sentient weapons, armor and other inanimate items which allows them to drastically cut Numen bleed and avoid threats that would otherwise be deadly. By combining power of several symbiotic Kin, the “primary” Alpha can significantly increase their own might, although such an approach to gaining battle prowess is generally shunned.

Most notable example of symbiotic Alphas are the Celestial Instruments.

▪Celestial Instruments

A special category of weapons, Celestial Instruments are symbiotic Alphas of significant power and skill. They grant their wielders incredible powers and significantly enchant their battlefield prowess; as such, using them is not considered shameful, but a great honor. The mightiest warriors attempt to seek out Celestial Instruments, but these Kin are said to choose their own masters, serving only those who they find worthy.

Interestingly most, if not all, Celestial Instruments are Aberrant Variant Alphas. It is said that these Kin thirst for battle and replenish their Numen with the blood of their enemies.

The list of the known Celestial Instruments
Name Form Description
Savathax, the Hound of Ihesgarath Hellhound A massive dog-like creature made of bone, sinew and metal. Her form shifts and blinks in and out of existence like a mirage
Gungnir Spear A spear forged from pure concentrated photons. Rumored to move as fast as light itself and re-materialize in its wielder's hands
Shriek, Reaver of the Stars Bow A living bow of muscle-like metal, glittering with unnatural golden light. The quiver of this bow never runs out of arrows
La Vierge, Last Stand of the Moonwalker Revolver An unassuming antique revolver, humming with the hidden energy of a dying star. Its bullets pass freely through inorganic matter to strike at the hearts of its enemies
Eynhildr, the Kinslayer Battle Axe An axe with the blade as dark as a bottomless abyss. Her vicious teeth are hungering for Numen and blood of the Kin
Yith'id, Edge of the Lost World Great Sword A famous blade of Helgrimm. Massive and brutal, the might of this weapon is as colossal as its hellish weight
Dhrahlas, Blight of Desecration Jaw-blade An eldritch abomination of living flesh and metal, always starving, always longing for battle. Every bite of this blade injects a deadly poison
Laevateinn, the Accursed Blade Claymore A weapon that can overpower the will of its master; with that terrible cost comes a gift of the ancient and terrifying might
Kumiko, the Mice Butcher A... cat? Imagine a cat, but powered with Logos itself. It is horrifying and can tear any kind of furniture to shreds

▸Psychology◂

At their core, Alphas are practically one-dimensional beings, whose entire existence is driven by their Core Heuristics – a set of rules and objectives they are born (or created, depending on interpretation) to execute; not much unlike computers that follow programmed instructions. Moreover, when in their Eidolon Form, Alphas are barely cognizant, relying on pure instinct and most basic prerogatives.

Core Heuristics

Alphas are driven by the Core Heuristics: four primary objectives that are ingrained in their most basic, energy forms.

  1. Protect: Alphas are de-facto the security of the Celestial Machine. They are created with the objectives of protection of its Cores and Infrastructure from any possible threat – sentient or otherwise.
  2. Engage: Alphas are equipped to deal with Entropy’s attempts at incursion and act as the only real defense of the galaxy from that threat. Any Outsiders or entities corrupted by them thus mus be immediately terminated on sight.
  3. Preserve: Nature and mortal sapient races are creations of the Celestial Machine. While not as important as its Infrastructure, these beings must still be protected from harm that might lead to their extinction – even if it comes from their own actions.
  4. Evolve: Alphas are constantly driven to seek self-improvement increasing their power and adapting to possible threats. Without change they could stagnate, and thus need to strive to become better and more efficient.

In case of any conflicts, the Heuristics are treated with decreasing order of importance, putting preservation of the Machine as their Primary Directive.

Note that there is no rule of self-preservation or morality – any such thought stems from Familiarity and is superseded by the Core Heuristics, unless those Alphas are Compromised, or of Cryptomorph Variety (and thus able to re-write their own Heuristics).

▪Corruption

In general it is impossible for an Alpha to go against their Core Heuristics (unless they are Cryptomorph). In some fringe cases, however, I was documented to occur, making any such individual Compromised.

Corruption refers to a conflict within an Alpha that results in one (or several) Core Heuristics being ignored. This often leads to an erratic state, and is known to cause madness in Kin – and for that reason Compromised are shunned and encouraged to return back to the Source to “reboot” their being (or something forced to do so).

Note: every Alpha stationed or Earth prior to the Oath of Annulment was involuntarily Compromised to some degree by the Serpent.

Familiarity

Everything changes, however, when Alphas begin to interact with other sentient species that they are made to protect. Due to innate mimicry, Kin begin to rapidly develop more more complex thought patterns and personalities similar to those mortal beings that are around them. Eventually, this results in a compete change form machine-like behavior to that of a living being, also known as the Familiarity phenomenon. Generally speaking, Alphas copy the psyche of those who they mimic – and often change their physical vessel to reflect that: for example, a Kin tasked with protecting Earth, would most likely be human-like in appearance and behavior, ambitions and morals.

For this very reason Alphas tend to seek out interaction with other species, engaging in mimicry. Prolonged isolation leads to a regression in behavior towards their original machine-like psychology, and in general considered very frighting and unpleasant experience among Kin.

Derision often occurs between opposing sides in a debate of just how much an Alpha should discard their machine nature – after all, they were created for a very specific purpose that should never be forgotten.

Sleep and Dreams

Physically, Alphas do not have a need to sleep or rest, as their bodies can mend any damage or strain caused by over-exertion. They do, however, enter a short trance-like state in which they reflect on transpired event formulating any needed adaptation and recording all valuable memories. As such, they do not dream as organic species do.

Sexuality

Alphas do not reproduce or have gender identity, so on the surface they do not posses any intrinsic sexuality. Due to Familiarity, however, as well as a tool to indulge in their Flaw, Kin often involve themselves in more intimate relationships with other species. Their malleable form and outwardly abilities present Alphas as highly desirable parties many cultures across the galaxy have stories or myths about mortals mating or outright becoming spouses to these beings; often such stories also involve miraculous offspring with demigod powers – a physically impossible feat, of course.

One of the best examples of this phenomenon are human “god” mythos (Greek, Egyptian etc.) or vanaran stories of abducted females that became wives to some Alphas. The validity of such mythos is questionable at best.

Religion and Spirituality

Unlike the majority of sentient species, Alphas are not intrinsically spiritual beings, mostly because of their artificial nature and purview into the very Source of the Universe. Due to Familiarity, however, some Alphas start to develop a more spiritual outlook on their existence, specifically heir creation and the Machine.

Among those Alphas that can interpret the Signal, most can be considered religious, treating the Machine with superstitious worship – indeed, many either join, or form cults dedicated to matters related to the Machine or Logos in general.

The Church of the Machine can be considered the biggest and most influential of these cults.

▸Society◂

Alphas are generally very social in nature. They tend to closely interact with other species and operate in teams on the battlefield (due to the variance in powers and with the goal to increase combat effectiveness). Because of this, they seem to cluster around the societies of other sentient races and establish groups of battle teams dedicated to protection and safeguarding of the Infrastructure.

In fact, Kin societies are parasitic in nature. They lack any means of production or resource gathering, and in constant need of Numen due to the Flaw, which results in formation of various social groups that form a symbiotic relationship with the societies of sentient species. These relationship may vary in cohesiveness, from an informal (protection from Entropy in exchange for Essence) to very intrusive (outright occupation of governing bodies with the goal of establishing strict control). Note that the latter often occurs when these species become a threat to themselves or to the Machine’s Infrastructure and the intervention is necessary.

These Kin societies can vary in hierarchy, structure and common practices and often reflect the societies that they are parasitically attached to.

The list of the current Alpha factions
Name Protected Cores Notable Features
The 3rd Legion Eternity, Foundation, Kingship Oldest and biggest Alpha society, protecting three Cores and regulating overall political atmosphere in the galaxy
The Manifold Dominion Understanding Last remnant of a bloody and violent past, this ancient organization traces its roots to the war-clans of old
The Church of the Machine Splendor Most influential cult of the Machine, pushing to become the first official religion of the Kin
The Chosen Custodianship Wisdom Highly controversial institution of Alphas dedicated to reverse-engineering of the Infrastructure
The Triarchy Beauty Newly formed faction of oath-breakers banding over Earth's dire state
The Shapeless Discipline Information redacted

Laws and Customs

The laws and customs of Kin societies vary from planet to planet, but all share one common property – all laws and justice of the mortal species are considered irrelevant to them. While some prefer to follow rules set up by other sentient races at the end of the day all actions of Alphas are extrajudicial in their eyes. Law enforcement may be carried out by the local Alpha leader (in more structured hierarchical society) or by simple mob prosecution which makes arguing legalities with Alphas pointless, as the only thing they respond to is strength.

Culturally, however, Kin mostly copy the surrounding species, their customs and traditions. Best example of that are the war games of [[Grunnr|drudneshi}] Kin, or constant political intrigue of human Kin.

▪Decretum

While Alphas generally do not have common laws between their societies, there are a set of universally recognized and respected proclamations of orders, knows as Decretum (tr. શપથ Śapatha, cm. Oaths). Such decrees usually affect entire worlds or regions of space, and mandates all Alphas in the affected territory to submit. Declaring an Oath usually requires three or more Kin societies to agree upon its contents and as such that is an extremely rare occasion. Breaking such a Decreta usually entails grave social stigmas and consequences.

Oath of Annulement

One of the rarest to be ever proclaimed, the Oath of Annulment declares a world to be abandoned by the Alphas. Since such an action would generally mean going against one of the Core Heuristics, it can only be declared in extreme circumstances.

The Oath of Annulment has been called only three times throughout the history of this galaxy; in each case the situation meant none of the Core Heuristic were truly in conflict, which allowed Alphas to obey such a command.

Strife

To an outside observer Alphas may appear to be rather violent species. Indeed, not only their main purpose is to serve as the protectors of Great Abyssal Tree, but even outside of their duties Kin often find themselves involved in some kind of a conflict.

This occurs mostly due to their innate objective of self-improvement. Alphas are motivated to seek out challenges and improve their skills on the battlefield, even if it means fighting with their own kind. Conflicts between Kin is a constant occurrence, that may even lead to some of their being sent back to Logos – nevertheless, sparring and some sort of a strife is often encouraged and in some cases even enforced. This is especially true for the Alphas that share their Familiarity with some of the races that are innately prone to violence.

Contingents

Not all Kin stay involved in one society. In fact, there are those who instead migrate around the Great Abyssal Tree, drifting from one place to another. Commonly known as Contingents (tr. અસ્થિર Asthira, cm. Vagabonds) usually serve as mercenaries or swords for here to other Kin societies and fight in battles throughout the whole galaxy. Unlike their more sedentary cousins they aren’t representative of single race or culture, and instead mimic a wide array of sometimes clashing attributes.

Exaltation

While Kin societies are generally widely different from one another, they all share one tradition in common – the Exaltation. This refers to a practice of honoring and differentiating their most distinguishable warriors, by granting them a title and various other accolades. Exalted Kin are respected and sometimes feared among their comrades as they are usually very powerful or tactically cunning individuals since most of the exaltation happens on the battlefield. It is also awarded for selfish heroism and sacrifice.

Despite many advocating for it, revoking an exalted status due to behavior or actions has never been done; the only exception are Kin who committed Apotheosis, as their names are stricken from all databases and archives.

Science

Due to the Core Heuristics #4, Alphas always seek self-improvement, and often involve themselves with the pursuit of science and scientific knowledge. Their interests can be within any known scientific domain, but studies of their own kind, the Machine and the Source seems to be prevalent. Efforts in self-understanding and attempts a repairs of the Infrastructure are well documented and can be traced to the very Fragmentation Event, signifying that Alphas are just as much philosophers as they are warriors.

Study of the Entropy especially benefited from Kin involvement, as they are the only beings capable of withstanding its destructive effects; their fascination with unexplained and lack of self-preservation instinct also helps.

Art, music and literature

Due to the effects of the Familiarity phenomenon, Alphas can be quite creative when it comes to areas like art, literature and music. While generally choosing to peruse their scientific or warrior-like instincts, some instead dare to delve into the world of arts and finer things – at which, according to a general consensus, they are rather terrible.

Cuisine

Alphas have no need for organic nourishment – all their energy consumption is covered by Numen they receive through the Numinalepsy, and the necessary matter is gathered from the surrounding environment. However, they do seem to enjoy food and seek out the same nourishment as the other sentient species – most likely due to Familiarly. In fact, many Kin supposedly indulge themselves in various cuisine and search for interesting flavor combinations that might please their palette.