Keepin Corellia Weird
The Anefilt
Physical:
Here is a collection of various images for the Anefilt, representing their general physical appearance(s). I found these Googling the terms 'Dwarf Blacksmith', 'Dwarf Smith', 'Anglo Saxon Smith', 'Sci-Fi Smith' and 'Space Dwarf'. I hosted them on my own Photobucket in interest of (hopefully) not loosing any images in this sub in the future, and hope this is acceptable. The Unstained are not portrayed in these pictures.
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Material Aesthetics:
I believe all these knives to be the work of Andre Andersson unless otherwise marked, and were found on Pinterest searching for 'custom norse themed weapons' I think were the parameters. They are, again, hosted on my personal photobucket to prevent links breaking.
Name: Anefilt
Designation: Sentient
Homeworld: Dökkálfarsed(knowledge of this as the planets name, and its location, is lost)
Language: Anefesia, Galactic Basic
Average height of adults: 1.5 Meters
Skin color: Pale if 'Gifted'. The Unstained have not been seen in recent memory, but are said to be black/dark skinned, with other abnormalities.
Hair color: Any, with Black and Brown being most common, followed by Blonde, then Red, then others.
Breathes: Type 1/Similar to Humans
Strengths:
Long Lived: The Anefilt are commonly seen to live to half a millennium old, with rare cases going so far as 700 years, and there persist of legends of some living for a thousand, or indeed thousands of years, though nothing confirmed of those legends besides oral tradition.
Physical Specimen: Anefilt, until the Sickness begins to take hold, are typically exceptionally enduring and hardy people with a sort of raw physicality and strength, though often that potential is not utilized for combat, but instead manual labor or the like.
Force-Dead: This applies only to the scant hundred or so members of the Anefilt(The Unstained) that carry the recessive markers from their Ancestors who rebelled against the Elders before the Cataclysm, and were thus severed from the Force during it. Their existence is mostly regarded as myth, as none have been seen in several millenia.
Neutral:
Innate Force-Sensitivty(+/-): All Anefilt, technically besides the Unstained, are Force-Sensitive, similar to Miraluka or the like in latent ability. Most will never possess more than a few unique senses common to their kind. They usually manifest as a knack for machinery, craftsmanship, and technology and such things.
Those who could rise in strength of the Force similar to a Jedi Knight or Master are likely a few hundred or less of the total ten thousand strong (roughly) that compromise the remnant of their race. These senses come with their own weaknesses detailed elsewhere in the submission.
Weaknesses:
Dying Race: The Anefilt are extremely low in numbers, and have a historically low reproductive success rate, with over 75% of conceptions ending in still-birth after the Cataclysm. Attempts to clone, in part or in whole, aspects or the Anefilt as a total specimen result in utter failures at best, and at worse things that should never be made or spoken of again.
Force Sickness: The Anefilt, after the Cataclysm, are prone to a wasting sickness as they age, which first manifests in psychological symptoms such as dementia and psychosis, and eventually leads to total madness and debilitation of physicality via leprosy like symptoms of rot. This sickness does not affect the Unstained, though they are prone to other problems.
Distinctions:
Broad-shoulders
Physically Hardy
Commonality of long/thick beards in Elders
Shorter than average 'human'
Darker Hair
Paler Skin
Unique Abilities:
Ferrosense: Though named for ferrous metals, as this was the first 'sense' developed by the Anefilt in there infancy as a people becoming aware of their gifts, this ability can apply to virtually any type of non-living material, with one recorded instance of a Anefilt possessing a deviation of Ferrosense relating to living beings.
In essence, this ability is most closely related (but not really) to psychometry, in that the Anefilt can pick up an object of raw or finished makings, that relates to their sphere of sense (crystalline, metallic, wood, plant, rock/mineral, etc..) and get an innate knowledge of the material(s) within it that lay within their sphere, and a sort of rudimentary understanding of the properties and intended functionality of the object or material. To do this requires constant physical contact, and the time required to sense these properties varies by age of the Anefilt/their level of ability, and the complexity of the material or object.
[SIZE=medium] This ability awakens about the twentieth to thirtieth year of life, and is in no way a consciously controlled ability at first, and is as involuntary as breathing. Decades must be spent learning to control the ability, as Apprentice level Anefilt will often experience near psychosis inducing levels of sensory input without intervention.
Often, younger Anefilt will be seen wearing gloves, as this sense is triggered only by bare touch of the hand, this habit goes away in the middle age as one comes to term with the power, but as they approach Elder status, the power blooms again anew, and often Elders keep their hands covered as they did in younger years. It should also be noted that, in no way will every Anefilt develop a particularly strong or diverse use of this skill. Most will go their whole lives only able to glean the barest of knowledge of the material touched, and it takes focused and repetitive practice, strength in the Force, and a few years of life behind them to move beyond it in any form.
As one ages, it moves from vague knowledge to a more distinct and expansive knowledge gained. An Apprentice might touch beskar and know it is lightsaber resistant, exceedingly dense, a ferrous metal, etc... A Master level Anefilt would be able to describe the very atomic structure of the metal, and even a very vague notion of how to manipulate and forge it. Some of the most advanced practitioners (though this is related less to age and more to study/strength in the Force) were said to be possessed of an off-shot ability of this Sense.[/SIZE]
Aetheric Undercurrents: The most talented of the Anefilt were said to possess a sharpening of the Sense they all carried, to such an extent that extended periods of touching an item would not only allow them to understand the composite of materials within it, but that their Sense would broaden to beyond just the one Sphere, to slowly encompass all Spheres, though their initial branch would always be the strongest and easiest to use, the others coming with great difficulty and practice on the part of the Anefilt in possession of this talent.
Someone with the Aetheric gift could touch an alchemical creation, and after meditation consisting of often several days, come out with the knowledge of how to replicate the item in question and it's abilities, even without prior research into their creation and arts. However, using this process for anything more than academic understanding would always result in hidden flaws.
For instance, if one of the Anefilt so gifted with this talent were to touch the blade Entropy, made by the famed [member="Rave Merrill"], one could replicate the abilities of the blade (with proper material and personal power/ability), but there would be a flaw. One might indeed shred incoming offensive Force abilities, but one might find themselves unable to use such abilities in turn, or their very connection to the Force in general weakened when holding the copy-cat creation.
Average Lifespan: 500 Years (Slightly longer on average for 'Gifted' and shorter for 'Unstained'
Races: Unstained and Gifted.
Estimated Population: Under 10,000 total members of the species
Diet: Omnivorous, but heavy on Meats and Starches. Prone to Vitamin C deficiencies and sensitivity to Citrus Fruits gastro-intestinally speaking. Not overly fond of sweet, favoring bitter or savory meals.
Communication: Verbal, formerly a sort of shared telepathy/collective memory that was severed in the Cataclysm was available to certain Elders via a Force Artifact.
Culture:
The culture of the Anefilt is often closed to outsiders. They are not in the least xenophobic, but they keep to their own and just simply don't reveal their inner-workings to many outsiders, if any. The few who are let into such knowledge of these people generally come away with an abiding respect for the honesty, integrity, and intellect of the Anefilt people, and a sense of sorrow at their seemingly unavoidable fate.
Overall their family unit is considered the base unit of society, with much less emphasis on the individual and their accomplishment. The health and wellness of the group is paramount, and what an individual did reflected on the group, and the group/families name and fame would naturally lend itself to the individual in most public affairs. This led to a course of action wherein ostracizing or exiling a member of the family or group who behave untoward the values of said group was the ultimate punishment. Sociologically speaking, the culture of these people was 'Shame' versus the modern Earth day conception of a 'Guilt' culture. Exile to the Anfelit is often a source of insurmountable shame, which did not uncommonly end in suicide.
The society is, in the case of government or such 'official ' capacities are patriarchal and ran by males. However, when at home and in matters of things like family and the like, males are extremely deferential to females in every matter, resulting in a situation that often seems disharmonic and counter-intuitive to those not of the Anefilt. To a pragmatic people such as themselves though, it is merely how things work, every piece and place in harmony and balance. Give and take.
Anefilt are considered adults around age fifty to sixty, and are expected to leave the house at such a time, and strike out on their own in the case of the males, and in case of female Anefilt were sent to various universities on their home planet to study business and various other 'domestic' tasks as defined by their people.
Now, post Cataclysm, such education for females is handled by the mother, or in rare cases they are sent to learning centers in the Galaxy at large. Males will seek out a Master craftsman of the art their talents are best suited to, and that their gifts are most in line with, though post Cataclysm they often wind up seeking outside training to fill in gaps from the fall-out of that event, or train in the same arts as their fathers.
It is also a given fact that, with their appearance and biology being almost indistinguishable from that of normal humans, that the Anefilt do not by habit disseminate knowledge of who or what they are in modern Galactic society, often moving seamlessly amongst the currents of the Galaxy, searching ever more for greater knowledge and understanding, letting the Galaxy believe their people a lost myth, if that.
Technology level: Galactic Standard (Advanced beyond in certain aspects such as metallurgy, etc...)
General behavior:
Secretive: They are not apt to tell the history or story of their people (if recognized as not human) to someone they don't trust utterly, and are prone to violent reactions when pressed in such directions.
Slow- Burn: The Anefilt are slow to anger, almost extremely so. But once their ire is finally roused, regardless of the reason, they are prone to handing down grudges through generations, and blood or clan feuds are very common, over things as dire as murder, or as simple as a perceived character slight.
Crass: Where Galactic society might view something in poor taste, or crude humor, the Anefilt might likely find the subject or joke hillarious. They often “forget” this difference and “forget” to filter themselves around others.
Gallows Humor: The entire race is doomed from the Creation, and they know it. Their home was lost, wiped from their own memories on purpose in a haste filled decision to try and save the remnant of their people. This bleak existence is such that by and large, an Anefilt will have a rather twisted and dark outlook on life in general.
Fierce: While not naturally war like, owing to their “long fuse” the Anefilt are terribly loyal to those they accept as friend, and bloodily vicious to those who are their foes, resulting in a fierce nature that often leads to their anger (when finally roused) being expressed physically, and a casual and almost habitual threat of violence at things that annoy them, even inanimate objects.
Prideful: While pride was their downfall, it is one sin they can not eradicate from their makeup, it would seem. The Anefilt sense and work with the Force in an entirely different way than the average Jedi or Sith, and because of this difference in utilization and tradition, they are amongst the most preeminent Force-Imbuement and Alchemical (even if they are a combined process by a different name to them) crafters in the Galaxy, and this fact sources their pride.
History:
The Anefilt were an ancient and advanced, if highly secretive people, around the time of the Great Hyperspace War. They excelled largely in science and mathematical fields, and particularly in things like metallurgy, smithing, general earth sciences, and had a keen understanding of how to create truly marvelous instruments of war, from tanks to swords to armor, even though they themselves were not by definition a warlike or blood thirsty. Some, after the Catacysm, turned from the creation of War devices, and have made things wondrous to behold for the fields of Medicine and more. Indeed, such it their prowess in crafting that one known Anefilt of recent times was noted as speaking thus when begged to teach an aspirant smith of his ways, once his identity was revealed as an Anefilt.
“We used to trade with the Givin, who we admired for their purity of calculation. Once, we allowed the Je'daii craftsmen to come and perfect their arts on our anvils. But they allowed time to beat at them like a hammer. They yielded like lead. Are you so weak too? “
The events of the Great Hyperspace War saw a contingent splinter force try to forcibly take over the Anefilt homeworld just before the conclusion of it. This act was part retribution – the Anefilt had provided a few key things to the Galactic Republic, and part greed – the Sith Empire wanted the secrets of science and creation the Anefilt possessed. Almost without exception the Sith Empire forces were resoundingly defeated by the largely superior technology and the fact that the entirety of the homeworld was essentially a linked series of fortified Fortress Cities.
From their prisoners, the Anefilt gained much knowledge of the Dark Side, to which they had previously largely disdained, viewing the Force itself as a tool and mere energy field. No different that matter, anti-matter, protons or neutrons. Certainly not some mystical oversoul or God or such a thing with a will to build a dogmatic religion on. Particularly interesting to their people were the 'secrets' of Sith Alchemy and Magic. Much of the basics they had reasoned out purely by science, for they preferred working with their hands and reason, and resorted to active use of the Force only when needed, and rarely when below the level of what most would equate to a Master elsewhere in other Force Traditions.
From this knowledge, a sect of several families arose in the Anefilt people. Always a secret guarded only amongst the Elders, existed a Force Artifact of great power for their people. The eldest and most accomplished among them were given a telepathic bond to it, and into it went the memories and knowledge of any so connected to it. It was a vastly enhanced holocron, really, accessible only by closely monitored and controlled mental links.
A selection of those Elders eventually became enamored of the Dark Side, twisted and corrupted by it and the 'glory' of the Alchemical Process as practiced by the Sith. As such, they viewed the Record (as it is called now by the Anefilt, it's proper name is lost) as lacking. Properly combined with their own unique abilities, these radicals believed they could create a ritual which would empower the Record in such a way to collect not just offered memories and knowledge, but the very souls of the contributors, and thus they themselves could enact the planned atrocity, and awaken the Record to sentience, giving birth to a veritable God.
As the saying goes, there are some things which are better let lie. The Anefilt did not believe thusly, at least the radical sect setting to change the Record. Calling a conclave of Elders and the most skilled of their people, these folks made clear their intent and plan. Those who resisted were imprisoned, intended to be the first sacrifices of the ritual. A scant few of the Anfelt Elders who turned from the madness of the radicals escaped, and their descendants would later become known as the Unstained. But the escapees were regarded as inconsequential, the numbers collected more than enough, and so things proceeded.
Shortly after, the local system was recorded as feeling a great disturbance in the Force, a cry that was noted as killing many Anefilt close to it, participant in the ritual or not. A 'psychic scream' that is such that some Anefilt still regard the use of telepathic communications as dangerous and evil. Hundreds, if not thousands of Elders were sacrificed that day, but the outcome is unknown to any outside the race, beyond that the ritual did not happen as planned. The careless few who pressed the scant known remnants of the proud Anefilt people for more knowledge have almost to a one been murdered where they stood, or escaped badly maimed. It is not a subject to be broached.
Since the Cataclysm, and the events before, during, and after the ritual have come to be called, the Anefilt have become a roaming people. They keep in family units, living amongst other societies and using their almost identical nature to 'normal' humans to hide in plain sight, even as their numbers dwindle and die out from such self imposed exile. Either by purposeful design like a mind-wipe, or the blur of time itself, the very name of the Anefilt homeworld is unknown, and indeed it's location was never officially recorded, only that it was in the Outer Rim, perhaps somewhere near the Chiloon Rift, or perhaps elsewhere, it is not known.
Those who fled the ritual were said to have been cursed with blackened, dark skin, white irises in their eyes, and blood red hair to a one, and each was forcibly severed from the Force in a backlash of the events, though the existence of these 'Unstained' are largely hidden to almost any but the Anefilt people themselves, and no confirmed sightings of such beings have been recorded by external sources.
The 'Gifted' as they were termed by the few Historians to know them, dispersed into the galaxy at large in a quest for knowledge and ability, both of the Force and of Crafting, as many of their most closely guarded secrets were lost in the Cataclysm, and much of their knowledge is now spotty at best of certain things. Some even whisper that they roam the Galaxy not as separated as those who know of them think, that they still communicate clandestinely, and are searching, though what for no one knows...
Notable Player-Characters: Aluric
Intent: To create a unique race for SWRP that focus not on combat or the like, but instead possesses a unique Force Tradition centered around crafting with trademark quirks, traditions, and allow myself and any number of other writers to fully indulge our creative natures in terms of making things. Also, with a deep and abiding love of Germanic/Norse culture and mythos, this brings in that aspect to SWRP without being 'Space Vikings'(much love to the Valkyri!) They are more Germanic/Anglo Saxon inspired, if they take inspiration from any one source, than the Norse.
OOC Note: A huge thanks goes out to the man who is in truth a co-author of this race, and a constant companion and sounding board over the past month of development on them. This sub represents probbaly barely a quarter of what we have dreamed up for this race, and it's accompanying lore/traditions. And I can say he helped write (and right!) a good majority of it. [member="Seydon of Arda"] , Take a bow good sir.
