Post by Rob "the Meddler" Goodfellow on Apr 12, 2012 13:50:07 GMT -5
History
The history of the Sidhe begins with the history of life in the Milky Way Galaxy.
The very first life in the Milky Way Galaxy evolved on a world named Arisia. By 11 billion years ago, the Arisians had evolved to sentience. Less than a million years after that, they were a wise and powerful civilization that became more and more based on the mental sciences and less and less on the physical sciences.
The history of Arisia - their role in the Wars of the Fledgling Empires, their alliance with Gallifrey in the Hunt of the Great Vampires, and their aeons-old war with the extra-dimensional world known as Eddore - is a tale for another time. What concerns more is their servitor creations: the psionic automata that would come to be known as the Daemons, the Djinn, and the Sidhe.
The proto-Sidhe automata were designed to be highly flexible and capable of independent action. They were able to act autonomously, make their own decisions, and learn from the results of those decisions. These qualities allowed them, eventually, to develop true sentience as their noetic clusters became more and more complex.
It is unclear whether the first of the proto-Sidhe escaped from bondage or were simply cast aside by the Arisians when their missions were fulfilled. It is equally unknown what caused the first of them to manufacture or possess a material form. What is known is that the first of the ancient Sidhe - then calling themselves the Tharcionshin - fought in the Carrionite and Racnoss Wars, as well as the Hunt of the Great Vampires.
Since that time, the Tharcionshin - in one form or another - have existed in mobile "courts", migrating from world to world within Mutter's Spiral as the mood and the quest for resources takes them. Their first arrival in the Sol system happened around 120 million years ago, where they came into conflict with the Great Race and the Xothic Collective and the Ice Warriors. At that time, the courts decided that Earth was too hostile. They returned approximately 500,000 years ago and settled down to observe the proto-sentient primates; the courts had decided that they had great potential as a resource base.
Biology
The Sidhe are composite beings, psionic energy constructs grafted into biological forms - typically resembling the forms of the native sapient species of the planet they inhabit - that they slowly modify over time to suit their needs and fancies. These forms are typically cross-fertile with the native populace, although it is fairly rare for a Sidhe/non-Sidhe hybrid to inherit any significant portion of the Sidhe psionic matrix.
The majority of the Sidhe are "locked in" to these physical bodies, lacking sufficient power and control to do more than alter their structure. But for the most powerful of the Sidhe - the Sidhe Lords - things are different.
The "natural" form of a Sidhe Lord is a semi-material form of bound electromagnetic forces with the general outline of the creature it resembles. This form, with its strobing visible light emissions and chaotic patterns, tends to play havoc with the visual cortex of less-developed brains. Seizures and unconsciousness are common results. Most Sidhe can "collapse" this energetic form into material substance, although this substantially limits their ability to manipulate electromagnetic and psionic energies. They can also consciously alter the way the EM radiation emits from their bodies, causing them to assume illusionary forms, but this leaves them semi-material.
Sidhe are omnivorous energovores, meaning they directly consume electromagnetic energy as well as plant and animal matter. The electromagnetic energy goes to replenish the psionic energies they expend. Some Sidhe are also known to be psychovores, directly feeding on the emotional energies of sentients. Any strong emotion will do, but they tend to be connoisseurs, with many favoring one type of emotion - love, hate, fear, and so on.
Technology
The Sidhe never developed a strong electromechanical technological base. They are masters of various crafts - glassblowing, metalworking, pottery, leatherworking, and so forth - but never developed a concept of industrialization or advanced technology. But then, they never really needed to. Instead, the technology of the Sidhe is based on noetic sciences and recovered Carrionite lore. Their tools are sophisticated and powerful, and often appear magical to individuals and civilizations with no knowledge of these sciences. Most famous of these are the "shifting silvers" - mirrors that allow access to a travel network known as the "tain labyrinth" or the "mirror maze", allowing the Sidhe to physically travel between connected locations.
The noetic sciences of the Sidhe grant even the weakest members of their civilization a vast array of psychic abilities. Telepathic and empathic projection and reception are most common, followed by the ability to generate extremely realistic (but purely mental) hallucinations. Clairsentience and telekinesis are not unknown, and the more powerful have been known to alter the cellular and tissue structure of others, control the weather, teleport, and even exercise limited control over the flow of time.
Despite their tremendous achievements, the Sidhe find mechanical technology mysterious. A ballpoint pen may be seen as a mystery and a pocket calculator or an internal combustion engine as a nearly imcomprehensible artifact of power. They also lack a systematic conceptual tool set comparable to human "science" - their discoveries are by trial and error and their knowledge is largely received wisdom of the ages. Innovation happens, but it is sporadic and disorganized.
Society
The Sidhe are chaotic and fractious. They are, loosely and in theory, divided into Seelie (or Light) and Unseelie (or Dark) Courts1. Beneath this, there are a dizzying array of Lesser Courts. The most powerful of these are the Seasonal Courts (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter), but others may rise or fall with no warning as their fortunes change. A Lesser Court is made up of Halls, domains ruled by a single Sidhe Lord of moderate power and/or influence.
Bear in mind that hostilities and alliances among the Sidhe may shift like quicksilver, and most Sidhe Lords aren't happy unless they're playing at least a triple-bluff. Never take them at face value.
Fads, fashions, and fancies rule the individual Sidhe. The only consistency is that, thanks to the Carrionite word science they've recovered and their own origins as noetic machines, they will not break their given word. They may adhere closely to the letter of the oath, but they will not break it. Needless to say, they swear oaths quite infrequently.
Relations
Before the Last Great Time War, the Sidhe were among the Ancient Powers of the Spiral Politic. They did not have the power to challenge the dominance of Gallifrey (or, later, Skaro). But, like the Great Race or the Archetryx or the Nestene (to name a few), they were potent enough to allow them to be players in the Great Game.
Like many of the Ancient Powers, the Sidhe were dragged into the Time War almost against their wills. The conflict became so great, and so potentially destructive, that the varous Courts chose side and weighed in. Of course, the chaotic nature of the Sidhe meant that they served more as mercenaries for both sides than as a single unified power block. Many Courts were also annhilated outright, torn to shreds by exotic temporal effects or blasted into nonexistence by Dalek (or Time Lord) weapons.
In the post-War epoch, the surviving Sidhe are now one of the Great Powers
1 The concepts of "Light" and "Dark" in this case should not be taken to imply any sort of morality. Yang and yin would be closer to the reality.
The history of the Sidhe begins with the history of life in the Milky Way Galaxy.
The very first life in the Milky Way Galaxy evolved on a world named Arisia. By 11 billion years ago, the Arisians had evolved to sentience. Less than a million years after that, they were a wise and powerful civilization that became more and more based on the mental sciences and less and less on the physical sciences.
The history of Arisia - their role in the Wars of the Fledgling Empires, their alliance with Gallifrey in the Hunt of the Great Vampires, and their aeons-old war with the extra-dimensional world known as Eddore - is a tale for another time. What concerns more is their servitor creations: the psionic automata that would come to be known as the Daemons, the Djinn, and the Sidhe.
The proto-Sidhe automata were designed to be highly flexible and capable of independent action. They were able to act autonomously, make their own decisions, and learn from the results of those decisions. These qualities allowed them, eventually, to develop true sentience as their noetic clusters became more and more complex.
It is unclear whether the first of the proto-Sidhe escaped from bondage or were simply cast aside by the Arisians when their missions were fulfilled. It is equally unknown what caused the first of them to manufacture or possess a material form. What is known is that the first of the ancient Sidhe - then calling themselves the Tharcionshin - fought in the Carrionite and Racnoss Wars, as well as the Hunt of the Great Vampires.
Since that time, the Tharcionshin - in one form or another - have existed in mobile "courts", migrating from world to world within Mutter's Spiral as the mood and the quest for resources takes them. Their first arrival in the Sol system happened around 120 million years ago, where they came into conflict with the Great Race and the Xothic Collective and the Ice Warriors. At that time, the courts decided that Earth was too hostile. They returned approximately 500,000 years ago and settled down to observe the proto-sentient primates; the courts had decided that they had great potential as a resource base.
Biology
The Sidhe are composite beings, psionic energy constructs grafted into biological forms - typically resembling the forms of the native sapient species of the planet they inhabit - that they slowly modify over time to suit their needs and fancies. These forms are typically cross-fertile with the native populace, although it is fairly rare for a Sidhe/non-Sidhe hybrid to inherit any significant portion of the Sidhe psionic matrix.
The majority of the Sidhe are "locked in" to these physical bodies, lacking sufficient power and control to do more than alter their structure. But for the most powerful of the Sidhe - the Sidhe Lords - things are different.
The "natural" form of a Sidhe Lord is a semi-material form of bound electromagnetic forces with the general outline of the creature it resembles. This form, with its strobing visible light emissions and chaotic patterns, tends to play havoc with the visual cortex of less-developed brains. Seizures and unconsciousness are common results. Most Sidhe can "collapse" this energetic form into material substance, although this substantially limits their ability to manipulate electromagnetic and psionic energies. They can also consciously alter the way the EM radiation emits from their bodies, causing them to assume illusionary forms, but this leaves them semi-material.
Sidhe are omnivorous energovores, meaning they directly consume electromagnetic energy as well as plant and animal matter. The electromagnetic energy goes to replenish the psionic energies they expend. Some Sidhe are also known to be psychovores, directly feeding on the emotional energies of sentients. Any strong emotion will do, but they tend to be connoisseurs, with many favoring one type of emotion - love, hate, fear, and so on.
Technology
The Sidhe never developed a strong electromechanical technological base. They are masters of various crafts - glassblowing, metalworking, pottery, leatherworking, and so forth - but never developed a concept of industrialization or advanced technology. But then, they never really needed to. Instead, the technology of the Sidhe is based on noetic sciences and recovered Carrionite lore. Their tools are sophisticated and powerful, and often appear magical to individuals and civilizations with no knowledge of these sciences. Most famous of these are the "shifting silvers" - mirrors that allow access to a travel network known as the "tain labyrinth" or the "mirror maze", allowing the Sidhe to physically travel between connected locations.
The noetic sciences of the Sidhe grant even the weakest members of their civilization a vast array of psychic abilities. Telepathic and empathic projection and reception are most common, followed by the ability to generate extremely realistic (but purely mental) hallucinations. Clairsentience and telekinesis are not unknown, and the more powerful have been known to alter the cellular and tissue structure of others, control the weather, teleport, and even exercise limited control over the flow of time.
Despite their tremendous achievements, the Sidhe find mechanical technology mysterious. A ballpoint pen may be seen as a mystery and a pocket calculator or an internal combustion engine as a nearly imcomprehensible artifact of power. They also lack a systematic conceptual tool set comparable to human "science" - their discoveries are by trial and error and their knowledge is largely received wisdom of the ages. Innovation happens, but it is sporadic and disorganized.
Society
The Sidhe are chaotic and fractious. They are, loosely and in theory, divided into Seelie (or Light) and Unseelie (or Dark) Courts1. Beneath this, there are a dizzying array of Lesser Courts. The most powerful of these are the Seasonal Courts (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter), but others may rise or fall with no warning as their fortunes change. A Lesser Court is made up of Halls, domains ruled by a single Sidhe Lord of moderate power and/or influence.
Bear in mind that hostilities and alliances among the Sidhe may shift like quicksilver, and most Sidhe Lords aren't happy unless they're playing at least a triple-bluff. Never take them at face value.
Fads, fashions, and fancies rule the individual Sidhe. The only consistency is that, thanks to the Carrionite word science they've recovered and their own origins as noetic machines, they will not break their given word. They may adhere closely to the letter of the oath, but they will not break it. Needless to say, they swear oaths quite infrequently.
Relations
Before the Last Great Time War, the Sidhe were among the Ancient Powers of the Spiral Politic. They did not have the power to challenge the dominance of Gallifrey (or, later, Skaro). But, like the Great Race or the Archetryx or the Nestene (to name a few), they were potent enough to allow them to be players in the Great Game.
Like many of the Ancient Powers, the Sidhe were dragged into the Time War almost against their wills. The conflict became so great, and so potentially destructive, that the varous Courts chose side and weighed in. Of course, the chaotic nature of the Sidhe meant that they served more as mercenaries for both sides than as a single unified power block. Many Courts were also annhilated outright, torn to shreds by exotic temporal effects or blasted into nonexistence by Dalek (or Time Lord) weapons.
In the post-War epoch, the surviving Sidhe are now one of the Great Powers
1 The concepts of "Light" and "Dark" in this case should not be taken to imply any sort of morality. Yang and yin would be closer to the reality.
