Remnants of the Earth

Skerrondus paid no mind to Esha’s contained sounds or her cringing against him. Besides, her scent betrayed her, along with the movements she wasn’t able to contain. If Skerrondus had suddenly started to find her displeasure bothersome, he wasn’t showing it. Instead, after he’d gotten his brief fill of fleshy dalliances, his arm came to rest across her lap and he used his other arm to switch on some communications equipment before gripping the top of Krushinya’s steering wheel.

”Great Warmasta, we’s got upturned NutTurnas all ova’. Too many to bring back,” came a female Rividean’s voice.

“Take your wing about. Pick up the drivers, the oilers. Leave the others to walk back home,” he growled with a growing smile.

“And the metal?”

Skerrondus’ finger started drumming a bored rhythm on Esha’s lap.

“Bullets and fuel. Burn the rest of that NutTurna junk.”

The radio cut off, and Skerrondus grinned to himself.

As he was talking, Esha’s glance towards Corto would find that he was looking sidelong in her direction as well. Not at her, but at Skerrondus himself, as if his narrowed glance could strike the warlord dead right then and there. His gaze lowered to meet Esha’s for a brief moment, and he nodded reassuringly. Skerrondus was done talking then, and so Corto’s attention returned to his station.

“And tell me, my dear little Esha, how do you think I got to this point?” He started, hand rising from her lap to brush the flat of a talon along her chin and lift her gaze to him, although if she turned her gaze away he wouldn’t force her to look.

“I’ve lived my entire life surrounded by the big fish. If one day, we find a people that can squash us like bugs, it won’t be long before their strength is our own. They may break us, they may free the Feylini. They may even drive us into extinction. Or maybe, just maybe… the guppy will tear out the shark’s throat.”

He clenched his free hand in the air.

“Your technology, your numbers, all your satellites, and starships, and all those little defense cannons perched up around Jeth, meant nothing. Your resistance means nothing, your leaders mean nothing. If one day, Jeth rises back up to tear out Rividea’s throat…”

He paused, smiling as his hand stroked her lap gently.

“Then our peoples will have more in common than ever. And I cannot wait for that day.”

No, no, no. Pulled fully into his lap with her back pressed against his chest, Esha went stiff, her breath coming a little faster and heart beating a bit quicker. Every part of her cringed against the contact, and she bit down on the inside of her cheek to keep from making a pained sound as he squeezed her breast. Not that she could have made much noise to begin with, with her throat constricting in fear. It made it difficult to breathe, much less think--and she needed a cool head now more than ever.

Or did she? Was that just what she kept telling herself, in an effort to keep herself sane and hopeful? Telling herself she still needed to keep her wits about her, because...because things might turn around? Because she still had a job to do, and could still be useful? Could still be saved?

Because she needed to believe that all of this, everything, would be for something?

She held perfectly still, like a rabbit frozen under the eyes of a fox, and shot another look Corto's way. Skerrondus wouldn't...do anything right here, right? Gods, please no.

"There's a saying I've heard," she finally managed to say, voice a little raspy with panicked breathlessness. "There's always a bigger fish. You're someone else's guppy. What happens when you finally meet a shark? Planet hopping like that...you're just looking for your doom."

[[Whoops! Sorry lol ]]

---

"Well." Lynn sighed, running a hand back through her hair in a way that mussed the dyed streaks into a muddle mess for a few moments before she shook her head and they settled back into place. "Good news: we know that there's something on the ship besides us. Bad news: we probably have to hide in the panic room and hope autopilot can get us to real help."

It was the kind of flippant comment that one might initial assume was a joke, but she said it so seriously that it left no doubt her ship did in fact have some sort of panic room.

[[Serina's not a dwarf ;P]]

With a curious widening of her eyes, Serina took the written incantation gently in one hand, eyebrows rising even further when she realized that this Serenian was, in fact, some of the best she'd ever seen. If the paper had looked old and dusty, she could have mistaken this for one of the old preserved scriptures she'd studied while preparing her thesis.

Still, she got over the nostalgic look on her face and focused on actually reading them. She mouthed the words, knowing better than to practice an incantation by reading it aloud, even at a whisper. At some point, she seemed to descend fully into her words, bracing her shoulders as she mouthed on.

After a moment, however, she paused, an analysis clicking to life in her mind, then a slow smile grew on her face. She could work with this.

"This... this could work, but..."

She kept thinking, and her smile slowly faded. She looked over to Lynn with something like dawning apprehension on her expression.

"What are we going to do if it works? Wards turn on, we know there's a Mind...thing, and... then what?"

__________________QUICK STATS
Name Sylvy
Age Unknown
Gender None (they/it/he)
Species Silph
Ethnicity N/A
Height 7'4"
Occupation Deck Officer
Residence The Loveless
Themesong Color Me Blood - Carpenter Brut

__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description
Like others of their species, Sylvy is a tall individual with pitch black skin. Their body only looks normal when clothed, with somewhat regular (yet gangly) arms, 5-fingered hands, legs, and feet (with what appears to be only two toes.) Their head is a massive spiky black mass with two long ears and a white mask-like face, shaped like an upside-down teardrop, protruding from the center. They have no mouth or nose, only two circular eyes with small irises and pupils, and cat-eye like inner and outer corners. The markings on their face are unique to them only, a few lines that arch down their face vertically. They have one hoop earring on their left ear.

As any other of their species they can change the shape of their body and morph at will; when their clothes are removed for this purpose their body is revealed to be split up in a series of V shapes, split up the middle towards where their clavicle would sit and down their sides in between each shoulder and their neck, forming somewhat of an odd W shape. Most people find them extremely unsettling, which is part of why they keep themself clothed.

Typically they wear rather shapeless clothing that is long enough to cover the majority of their body but is easy to remove via velcro, snaps, or buttons. They seem to prefer deep jewel tone colors such as sapphire blue, amethyst purple or garnet red. What little possessions they own are carried in the pockets lining their coat: an inscribed talisman, some jewelry for special occasions (gemstones set in gold,) and a digital notebook with stylus.

Personality
Sylvy or "Vy" for short is very similar to other members of its species: quiet, keeps to itself, avoids strong negative emotions or conflicts when possible, and is incredibly mysterious. Its emotions are nearly impossible to read which often makes others feel either creeped out or distanced from it, unable to relate to it. Sylvy understands this and doesn't hold it against anyone, but it could be said that they tend to nurture one-sided relationships on occasion. Usually after spending time with an individual or group of individuals, if Vy decides it likes them, it will grow fond of and consider said persons its friends, though it doesn't seem to expect the same emotions or feelings back. (It should be noted that Vy doesn't accept abuse--as long as the other party is polite or nice to them, that's all it needs in its "friendship" with them.)

Vy is also an intensely curious creature, always finding new things to learn about this galaxy and the critters that live in it. It wants to know why people do things, why they say certain things, why they feel certain ways, and what their cultures and customs are. Whenever it sees something new it will quietly approach and get in very close (perhaps uncomfortably so) to observe the new thing with wide eyes.

Sylvy is also a quick thinker and shockingly fast for such a quiet creature. It flits and darts about at the drop of a hat, is spookily nimble, and VERY quick to pick up on little clues or read a room. To some it may appear skittish, but cautious is the more appropriate term, as Vy knows it is the only one responsible for its survival, and survival is key.

Magic/Abilities
Silph-

Silphs are mysterious aliens that rarely turn up on this side of the galaxy. They are vaguely humanoid, polymorphic creatures that seem closer to plants or micro-animals like Tardigrades than they are to humans. They are mute and do not have mouths, nor do they eat, and instead gain energy through absorption of light.

Telepathy: Sylphs communicate with each other using a kind of telepathy that is unknown to this galaxy, meaning another psychic creature cannot listen in or understand a conversation between two Silphs. Silphs are, however, able to communicate with other species using telepathy. They can establish connections with other psychic creatures more easily and communicate through feelings and images, though if they have learned other languages like Common then they can communicate in them. To speak with a non-psychic creature however, they have to physically touch the person to "speak" with them. They are also capable of self-levitation. Through this telepathy they are able to leave behind invisible "messages" for each other, often at places that are dangerous or scary, to warn others of their kind not to go there. Because of this it's nearly impossible to abduct or kill a Silph in the same place twice; they're notoriously slippery creatures.

Shape Shifting- Silphs are soft-bodied which means they have almost no bones or cartillage, allowing them to flex and change their shape at will. Typically this is used for achieving flight (assuming a bird-like shape) or swimming (looking more like an eel.) Do not confuse soft-bodied to mean squishy; their bodies are more akin to hardened muscle, and can be shaped to form sharp or dangerous edges, turning themselves into weapons when situations require it. The only hard part of their body is their "face" which is similar to bone. This protects their brain and is the only part of a Silph's body to remain either in hibernation or after death, meaning their faces or "masks" fetch a high price on the black market. Because their face is a hard structure they are unable to show any emotion outside of rolling their eyes, though curiously, they can cry.

Empathic- As a relatively peaceful species, Silphs tend to avoid negative emotions such as anger, violence, or greed, which is why they are not a conquering race despite their easy abilities to procreate. They avoid crowded or densely populated areas, are almost never seen in battles, and will not go anywhere near Aedolis. They are able to sense the emotions of everyone around them, therefore it is nearly impossible to surprise attack or ambush one with ill intent.

Hardy- They tend to be immune to most diseases in this galaxy. They are, however, susceptible to attacks, though they heal quickly from burns, frostbite, cuts, or punctures. The only way to truly kill a Silph in most cases is to smash their face, which can be difficult as they are able to move it or hide it inside of their bodies. They store massive amounts of energy when absorbing light and require little to run on, so one can last for a decent amount of time without sunlight. When stores deplete however, they will go into a state of hibernation where the body disappears and only the face is left behind, until they are exposed to light again. They can even survive (and move) in the vacuums of space without equipment. They reproduce asexually through fragmentation, so if you cut off one's arm not only will the arm eventually grow back, but the severed arm will turn into a separate Silph. Therefore, they also do not use pronouns within their communities, as all Silphs are the same gender. Most people refer to them using they/them, it, or masculine pronouns. Their natural lifespans are unknown, but are much longer than an average human's.

Strength- Silphs are able to grab and hold onto things with little to no visible effort on their part, which seems due to their ability to adhere themselves to objects at will. Similarly to how geckos can climb on nearly any surface, a Silph can grip onto just about anything and hold onto it tight, whether it be walking on a ceiling or keeping something from getting away.

Relationships

History
Sylvy came into existence from the part that was cut off of another Sylph, and while it was unable to spend much time with that Sylph, really that was all it needed. They retain some base memories and understanding from their parent, and are quick learners. Vy went on its separate way from its parent after it felt it had gleaned enough knowledge (how to communicate, its past, and how to get to its home planet) but decided to explore the galaxy it was born in to observe these new beings and creatures on a mission similar to its predecessor, who was a biologist.

While Vy is not a biologist, it does still share the same curiosity for life forms, if perhaps focusing less on their biological processes and more their culture and behavioral tendencies. It wants to learn the histories and current political climates of these other species before one day returning with its wealth of knowledge to its home planet to reunite with its people.

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