History

“We know our roots, they are engraved on our minds and our skins.” - 3-Leg, Mutant Historian

According to historians of Terran lore, the Adept’s War was possibly the most world-shattering event to happen to the Terran Homeworld between the coming of the Wanderers and the First Exodus. Indeed, it changed the face of the planet, quite literally. A huge crater is said to have developed where Rio and Galvin fought. Many died, and the dead were said to raise up from this crater as if of their own free will. However, the area was mostly inhabitable, and a few cities were built near it, mainly to keep the attacks of the undead near the crater. The biggest change was yet to come.

Those who had studied under Rio or had come to him for advice, including those who never used Mystic abilities, began to have problems with their children. Those born after Rio’s death were born with taints of discord on their bodies, of varying degrees of severity. They also aged much faster during the first year of their life, having a severe physical and mental growth spurt. The same effects were seen in those children born near the crater. These children were seen by many as monsters that should be destroyed. Even some parents gave their children over for destruction. Today, this is seen as horrible. But after what had happened with Rio, and the possibility of more like him, who could blame them?

Though many tried to destroy the children, others defended them valiantly. Talks started on how to handle these children, as they could prove to be a threat to the Terran way of life. However, while these talks were going on, the planet was attacked.

What happened with Mutants is largely myth after that point. According to the stories told by the “Temple of Three,” the native mutant religion, the oldest mutant banded all of the others together and saved them from destruction while they were left to die. Many scholars believe that the Mutants may simply have gotten lucky. Whatever happened, the Mutants survived that day. Some tried to salvage what they could from the cities, but the majority of Mutants moved into and around the crater that had formed during the Adept’s War. It became the heart of Mutant civilization. The lore from the Temple tells of a great Mutant who ruled for a hundred years with the wisdom of immortality, yet had no markings and could cast discord without them. Most non-Mutants believe this to be a legend of speculation. Some believe it may have been a combination of legend and possibly some surviving Terran who led the society. While the Rinn often show great distaste of those who bring up the theory that it was a Wanderer, that is yet another possibility brought up by non-Mutant students of lore. Mutants who follow the Temple of Three, however, have two theories. The first is that this was Rio, come back from the dead, to lead his children. The other theory among Mutants is that it was a magical combination of the Three Adepts, which again lead the Mutants along through life. Whoever it was, he formed the theocratic society that existed in and around the crater, along with the actual Temple of Three, which was at the bottom of the crater. Whoever he was, legend says that after 100 years, he just stood up and left one day, never to be seen again.

While life was better for the mutants near the crater, those who were on their own huddled together in small family groups, wearing what rags and eating what food they could find. It is unknown how many groups of Mutants died in the savage conditions of the world around them. Those around the crater, while having more order, stuck to family groupings as much as those who traveled.

In time, groups of Mutants would come across large cities that were not destroyed, but rather inhabited. Not many survived these encounters, being immediately shot at whenever they would come close. While the Mutants attempted to fight back, all attempts proved in vain and soon, by word of mouth, Mutants learned not to engage the cities or the people who came from them. It became a source of terror for the Mutants.

Meanwhile, Mutant society had expanded. The familial groups around the crater traveled more and more often, forming another Temple around an odd stone structure said to be of mystical power. This was the Pathway that once existed at the Terran Capitol. The Mutants spread their religion far and wide, along with the teaching of mystic powers, and soon the society, while not booming, was moving along quite nicely. It is speculated that there were one or two million Mutants when the first Terrans came through the Pathway.

The Pathway had become a religious center, like the crater, and had a large temple built around it. The scouting party was to come back one hour after they had left, as that was how much time the air in their suits would permit it. One hour passed, they had not returned. Two hours passed, they had not returned. It was assumed that they had died in an uninhabitable world. They came back 2 weeks later; speaking of a people that, while freakish and horrible in appearance, treated them like gods from the moment they stepped through the Pathway. The Terrans brought with them the leader of these people, who helped give insights to the culture and geography that the Mutants knew of. While marked by discord in many places, the man seemed friendly, though he talked to a rock that he would not let them touch. Through the odd ramblings of the man, the Terrans realized they had found home.

In time, the Terrans explored the planet. They met the Technoids, and ceased the hostilities that they brought upon the Mutants. The Mutants were almost immediately considered to be intelligent beings, though with some Rinn and Burgunn advisors suggesting that they should be taught about the harmful effects of Discord first. The Mutants had won enough esteem from unerringly helping Terrans at every turn on the planet that even their blatant and wanton use of Discord couldn’t cease their inclusion as a civilized race. While many became nervous that Mutants did not wish to stop using Discord, as they seemed to stay on the Terran Homeworld, they were seen as little threat. It was agreed that there would be no action taken against their culture, but that they would be advised as to not use Discord so frequently. The Mutants, always amicable, agreed, and Discord casting soon became reserved for Mutant-only situations.

Some Mutants did choose to leave the Terran Homeworld in family groups. Others chose to stay. They were nervous about cloning chips and other “unnatural” implants at first, but agreed to have them inserted into some members of the race. About 10% of the 1-2 million Mutants got cloning chips, but soon many more would wish they had. When Terran purists set off the explosives that were to rupture the planet, only handfuls of Mutants got through the Pathway. When the world was destroyed, so was the Mutants good reputation. They soon found that their appearance, way of life, and use of Discord frightened others to the point of hostility. They began their search for acceptance.

Those few that survived, about 150,000, traveled the Pathways in family groups ranging from 2-100. They traveled lost, without a home. To this day, most do not settle down, instead wandering the stars with their families, in a universe that fears and rejects them.

Society and Culture

“There are two kinds of Mutants, travelers and outcasts.” – Diedren, Terran WorldWalker

Mutants usually grow up in one of three situations. Four fifths of all Mutants grow up in traveling family groups. These Mutants wander the stars from birth, typically stopping only for the time known as the “First year.” This is the first year after a new mutant is born. Most families, therefore, wander every other year, and try to make new births come in at the same time. The second situation is where the Mutant grows up with a stationary family. While Mutants uncommonly settle down, those families that do are often either in very accepting communities or are held in suspicion by their neighbors. The presence of Mutant colonies in the universe is at best rare. The last situation for a Mutant child is to be born and live with a Terran parent. While this only accounts for less than one tenth of the Mutant population, it is noteworthy because these Mutants often develop the same values as other Mutants, even when in an environment where they are not told they are Mutants or even different from other children.

Mutants value one thing above all else, and that is family. If someone is family, they are worthy of respect. After this they value friendship. Some Mutants never leave their family groups, and so never experience the difference between the two. However, those who do usually value family more than friends. Friends come and go, the Mutants might say, but family is forever. Mutants are hard pressed to find friendship, however, as they have a social stigma rivaling that of Orks. While most Mutants are friendly and hospitable people, the use of Discord in Mutant society is so prevalent and their natures so freakish that most never get close enough to find out.

Due to these social tendencies, most Mutants roam throughout their lives. Mutants rarely settle down, and then only because they have aspirations that the family cannot fulfill, such as being a scientist, or because of some physical condition which limits travel, such as breaking their legs. For those who do stop traveling, they are often met with contempt and disdain among other races. Some mothers use stories of Mutants to frighten their children, however this is a more common situation in the bigger cities and urban planets than on the lower-tech worlds where Mutant families are more frequent.

Mutants also have no names in their society. They don’t feel a need for them, calling everyone by their relation to them. The reason behind this is that, among Mutants, it is easy to tell who is who just by looking. The man with the red face is obviously different than the woman with the third eye, so why make a show of it with a name? Brother, Friend, Nemesis, etc. are all terms that Mutants might use to talk to someone. Typically they receive a nickname or two from other races, and this becomes their name. Some names, such as “Defect,” (used by the Technoids) are seen by Mutants as racial slurs that they never use.

Mutant society, while family based, favors individualism to a degree unseen in other cultures. This is not surprising, due to the racial tendency towards insanity. Mutants do not view it as such, however. They tend to view reality in a subjective framework, believing that what one person believes about the world is true for him. If one man believes that machines talk to him, he could be correct. If another thinks that cows and Terrans are the same thing, who knows? Most Mutants, growing up with so many different views on the world, can’t believe reality is an objective framework. As such, they are often incredibly tolerant of other cultures and views.

Three out of four Mutants becomes a Mystic. While this is partially explained by religion, Mutants also are well known for being better with Mystics than other races. Of those who are Mystics, about four out of five are Harmonics/Discord casters. Mutant Society finds nothing wrong with Discord casting, and a good deal of Mutants argue that it is just as natural and just as good as Harmonics. Mutants have no other class tendencies, averaging about equal numbers in Warriors, Soldiers, Engineers, and Spies.

Physiology

“Mutant biology does not compute with genetic studies...” – A6532SDFG7, Technoid Biologist

Mutants have many odd things about their biology. The first is that they are the only species capable of crossbreeding. Mutants can have children with Terrans, however the children will always turn out as Mutants. However, this fact is minor compared to the stage of mutant life known as the “First Year.”

When a Mutant baby is born, there is no way to tell it from a Terran baby. They look the same, act the same, and respond the same in most every circumstance. Starting the day after birth, the Mutant body starts undergoing rapid change. The Mutant body grows at an incredible rate, growing from the size of a newborn to that of an eleven-year-old in a mere matter of one year. During this time, the Mutant absorbs information from all sources around him, including language, motor skills, and academic subjects. As if this weren’t odd enough, many develop these skills in environments where they might otherwise not have them. In an example, one Mutant had grown up with Orks during this period, yet did not learn to speak as an Ork did. During this period, they require less food and drink than one would think that they would need to acquire. It is in this period that they also develop their Discord marking. It is thought that Discord energy powers their increased physical and mental state, however this has yet to be proven. The original Discord taints of Mutants look more natural than those of other races, having an odd quality which none can define. This is one of the things that allows people to tell the difference between a Mutant and a Terran with Discord markings.

Then, after one year, the change is complete. The Mutant child has the approximate physical age and education of an 11-year-old Terran child. They have developed both a Discord marking and a mental instability by this point. Mutants have no other life changes than Terrans, save for the fact that, as they tend to live in less prosperous surroundings, they tend to have shorter life spans than other species.

Government

“Without a home, what do we need rulers for?” – Redeye, Mutant WorldWalker

Mutants have not had a government since the Theocracy on the Terran homeworld. While the religion is still practiced by most Mutants, it is used more for spiritual, rather than political, reasons. Mutants do denote a sense of authority in individual families, though. Mutant families are usually run with 3 classes, children, adults, and elders. Children are those Mutants under age 10. Children are not allowed to make family decisions, and do not have much of a voice within the family. Once they reach age 10, they become adults. Adults are those Mutants allowed to make decisions and speak for the family when a more senior member is not present. Being an elder is the third group. What denotes being an “elder” varies from family to family. In some, there is only one, the most senior member. In others, it is anyone over 30, 40, or some other age. In yet others, it has to do with one’s abilities as a mystic. Elders are capable of overruling any other family decision. These classes usually only come up during disputes, and one who looks at a Mutant family rarely sees any segregation of people by age or ability. In cases of adopted children of other races, Mutants rarely see a difference (even to the point of 10 year old children becoming considered adults) and some Mutant families have become lead by members of other races, though this is rare.

Role Play, Costuming, and Make Up

Mutants almost always grow up with Mutants or Terrans. There is not much difference between the two, but those who grow up with Terrans tend to be a bit more moderate and are more likely to see themselves as outcasts than other Mutants. Those who grew up with Mutants usually favor individuality over conformity. Many Mutants leave their families, searching for a life to call their own and a place of acceptance in the universe, though few find such things. Most meet with hostility and racism to a degree unseen by other races. This is due to the fame that Discord using Mutants have, as well as due to the fact that they appear to be unnatural freaks to most members of other races. Also remember that you are your OOP age minus ten years. You must be at least eleven years old to play a Mutant, and you aren’t considered an adult until you are 10-years-old IP. (21-years-old OOP) Mutants all have one form of insanity or another, and should be played as such. “Doesn’t like people and doesn’t like talking to them” is NOT insanity, though if taken to extremes it could be considered an oddity. “Believes that purple is inherently evil,” is insanity. The difference is that one is something that allows you to function semi-normally in everyday society, the other is something that will, at least eventually, inhibit your ability to function in the normal, everyday world. Mutant insanity needs no other explanation than the effects of Discord on their mind, however some Mutants have seemed to gain them from experiences during their first year of life. Please keep in mind when choosing your character’s insanity to make sure that it is fun and that you don’t create a character you can’t play. “Tries to kill that which is green” is fine until you meet a PC Ork, or a green colored Mutant, a Rinn with green tattoos, a snake/lizard Furry, or someone wearing green. “Tries to destroy communications equipment” will probably have less serious, better RP effects. Keep these things in mind when choosing your insanity.

Mutants typically don’t have much in the way of material possessions. Those who do tend to dress in bright and flashy colors, as wild as is possible. Tie-dye is a big favorite among those Mutants who can afford it. Most Mutants, however, have no money, or what they do have is needed for supplies. These Mutants tend to dress in rags and tattered clothing, and are dirty and unkempt. If you are playing a Mutant, you might come to your first few games in a tattered T-shirt and jeans, but once you get a little money IP you should spend some of it on really flashy clothing.

All Mutants receive a minor taint of Discord, as is described on the Discord effects chart. You will probably want to see what effect you get before naming your character, as this will probably affect what his nickname will be. Depending on what the effect is, you may require make-up or prosthetics. With make-up, avoid cheap make-up, which can run or change colors. Instead, spend a few extra dollars and buy some good make-up. Make sure you buy it from a costuming store, other stores typically have make-up “in season” and you don’t want to have to buy make-up for the year every October. Also, costuming stores typically have higher quality, longer lasting products and more knowledgeable sales-people. Prosthetics are easier to make than you’d think. If you sew an extra pant-leg onto your costuming, sew a sock to the inside of an old shoe, and then sew the top of the sock to the pant-leg, you have a non-functioning third leg. Use a long sleeve, a glove, and some sewing, and you have a third-arm. Features such as eyes should be made with make-up rather than cheap stick-on prosthetics, but if you spend money on a good prosthetic and a little bit of liquid latex the effect is much better. For other effects, ask someone experienced in costuming (either at the game or at a costuming store) how they would handle it if you can’t think of anything.