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Description
Yesterday I decided I should at least make a crappy WIP for Totemion. I don't know when I'm going to touch this again, but here, an introduction to Totemion. More will be added when it comes up.

//sings the title along to Titenic by Schmoyoho ! ! !

Totemion are a closed species by NewEon

________________________
What are Totemion?

Totemion are animal spirit Goems created from a small Totem carved of wood that stand on their hind legs and have a high intelligence. The finished piece is painted, has the ritual carved on the back, and then left in the Forest overnight while the moon is full. If your soul is enticing enough, various spirits of the wild may be drawn to the totem and the potential to share a bond with you. In the morning, they assume their Totemion form. Once created, they lumber off looking for their creator and the clan. They will guard both zealously until such a time that they are destroyed or fall apart.

Totemion Heads

They are always carved with blank faces - the spirits in the forest determine whether they wish to inhabit it, and thus determine the attributes and body of the Totemion.

Totemion paint

The patterns on a fully realized Totemion are determined by those painted on the totem that houses them. If the original creator was lazy or not creative, the Totemion might be bare, although generally the clan looks down on that, and the arts are usually valued in their society, so the creator would have no reason to not to at least attempt it.

How do they communicate?

Lower rank Totemion cannot communicate other than gibberish sounds. Higher rank Totemion can all speak telepathically. Each individual spirit has its own voice when resonating in your mind.

Do they eat?

They are wood golems! So no, they do not sustain themselves in the same ways mortal creatures do. Technically a Totemion is kept functioning by the spirits within it. If the Totemion wanders away from its clan and loses its purpose, or the spirits become opposed to one another, the Totemions power may begin to fail as one or other of the spirits slowly slips away. Other than that, they can live virtually forever, provided their bodies are never damaged irreparably - i.e., torn in half.

Gender & Sex:

Totemions, being golems, do not reproduce, and usually have no genitalia unless the original carver… carved some? They have no sex drive and no way of creating offspring (unless they have monkey hands with thumbs and carved their own Totemion). Totemion also retain the personalities of the animals shelter within the totem, and thus the gender preferences. The first thing to note is that animals have no concept or basis of gender - they do not identify as a “girl” or a “boy” or anything thereupon. However, the older a Totemion is, the more contact they would have shared with human society, the more there is a possibility of the Totemion choosing a gender to refer to itself. Generally, however, the concept, once introduced to them, is confusing, and further more, they usually prefer to be referred to as “they” - as unless they are a Totemite, they have more than one animal residing within.

Totemite? What? How many animals can there be?

Ah, of course! There are different ranks of Totemion correlating to the amount of spirits it houses, or “heads” it has. Unlike in society, these ranks are fixed in place since creation, and stay that way until the Totemion is destroyed. This is because the rank also doubles as a form of classification - it is, by its nature, unchangeable. The status is in part due to the status of the original creator. But I’m getting ahead of myself. The ranks are as follows:

Totemite - One headed Totemion. Rarely larger than 1-2 feet large. Size can change dependent on base creature (i.e. - bug)

Totemote - Two headed Totemion. Rarely smaller than 3 feet or larger than 5 feet. Size can change dependent on base creature (i.e. bear)

Totemic - Three headed Totemion. Rarely larger than 8 feet or smaller than 6 feet. Size can change dependent on base creature (i.e. bird)

Attempts at a four-headed Totemion have been known, and all had disastrous results. You can only stuff so many wild animal spirits into a body of wood and expect everything to turn out fine. When someone does overstep their abilities, and creates a creature with more than three heads, it becomes an Abomination. These monstrosities are a danger to all things, and must be destroyed immediately. It is advised not to call out to them, as their telepathic communication is a painful experience full of snarling, screeching, yowling, and any number of loud animal calls of anger, which often make the victim fall unconscious.

How does the status play into the creation?

Well, it is there as a safeguard. For example, children are only allowed to make Totemites, and with supervision. That is not to say others may not make Totemites, for they certainly may. But Clans have long realized that Totemion are living creatures with living spirits within them, not merely constructs to improve their own way of life. It is a symbiotic relationship - they are granted the safety and protection of the Totemion, and the Totemion, in turn gets to experience life again and experience the greater purposes its spirits . But abuse of this power is strictly prohibited. A creator is expected to be tied to their Totemion and care for it - make sure its body is not falling into disrepair, and that the spirits housed within do not lose their purpose. A Totemion is shared by the clan in that they are a member of the clan - but they have a slightly stronger bond to the original creator, and vice versa. People may only create a new Totemion every 5 years - and still must have been given approval by the Caputum (Chiefs) to do so. Those who keep more than one Totemion bonded to them must care for both, and are carefully watched to see that they do so.

What Happens After The Creator Changes Rank?

When a child becomes an adult, you mean? Well, generally the Totemite is destroyed, although the spirit might have developed a strong enough bond to return to the adult for their Totemote, though it is not especially common. Totemites are used to look after the children and help them learn about Totemions and how to properly care for them. After a person becomes a Caputum (Chief), though, the Totemote is generally dedicated to the clan, unless it specifically wishes to be destroyed, in which case, that happens instead.

What about Guardian Totemion who have no specific bond?

Ah, well, Bondless Guardian Totemion can be created one of two ways; first, the original creator can die and the Totemion is left with the bonds it has to the Clan to keep it going. As opposed to other Guardians that have been passed on from generation to generation, this Totemion did not bond with a next of kin enough to warrant them staying bonded to that family. Secondly, there are special events or festivals during which the entire clan participates in carving the Totemion, thus binding it to all of them and the “Sanctity of the Clan”

How does an entire clan carve a Totemion?

They all sit together and pass the block of wood around, and each shave a piece off. Children, hunters, healers, leaders, elders - everyone.

Totemion sleep

Totemion do not sleep in the same sense that mortals curl up and start dreaming. They chose a spot from which to watch, and revert to a scaled wooden (or stone) version of their current size, and hibernate while keeping watch over their bonded. The most interesting thing about this form is that it is effortless for them to maintain and the body becomes basically impossible to destroy as far as it is known, although its not as if any clan rushing to find out.

Do you ever find Totemion outside of Clans?

It is rare or unlikely. Totemion must be made by a clan, and only wilding spirits that understand the clan rituals would know how to posses the totem. A totemic might eventually find itself elsewhere, but it wouldn’t survive very long, as the dependency of the bond between it and the clan/creator are what sustain it. More than that, clans rarely let them leave, preferring instead to destroy them- both to protect the clan and protect the totemion, as outsiders might abuse the magic should they discover it.

Destroying a Totemion

Is rather simple, actually. assuming they allow you. Otherwise its rather difficult. If a Totemion no longer feels at home with the clan or the clan does not think they can care for them any longer, they might “destroy” a totemion. It sounds somewhat violent, but it merely requires the ritual carvings on the back of the original totem to be disfigured in some way, and then the binding becomes void and the spirits are let free again. You can only find the original carving on a Totemion if the totemion allows you. Otherwise, you’d have to destroy it the same way you destroy anything. All while beset upon by a rather angry Totemion.

Wear and Tear

A Totemion needs upkeep just like any creature!! Especially any construct! A couple times of month it is expected that the current keeper or creator has them revert to totem so they can look over the piece for any damage. They fill in cracks, gaps, missing pieces (rare), scratches, polish the wood or stone, touch up the patterns, be preventative or get rid of anything that might be trying to live there (bugs in wood and moss on stones). Without this check up, Totemions start falling apart as the totem - their anchor to this plane - starts deteriorating.

Description
Yesterday I decided I should at least make a crappy WIP for Totemion. I don't know when I'm going to touch this again, but here, an introduction to Totemion. More will be added when it comes up.

//sings the title along to Titenic by Schmoyoho ! ! !

Totemion are a closed species by NewEon

________________________
What are Totemion?

Totemion are animal spirit Goems created from a small Totem carved of wood that stand on their hind legs and have a high intelligence. The finished piece is painted, has the ritual carved on the back, and then left in the Forest overnight while the moon is full. If your soul is enticing enough, various spirits of the wild may be drawn to the totem and the potential to share a bond with you. In the morning, they assume their Totemion form. Once created, they lumber off looking for their creator and the clan. They will guard both zealously until such a time that they are destroyed or fall apart.

Totemion Heads

They are always carved with blank faces - the spirits in the forest determine whether they wish to inhabit it, and thus determine the attributes and body of the Totemion.

Totemion paint

The patterns on a fully realized Totemion are determined by those painted on the totem that houses them. If the original creator was lazy or not creative, the Totemion might be bare, although generally the clan looks down on that, and the arts are usually valued in their society, so the creator would have no reason to not to at least attempt it.

How do they communicate?

Lower rank Totemion cannot communicate other than gibberish sounds. Higher rank Totemion can all speak telepathically. Each individual spirit has its own voice when resonating in your mind.

Do they eat?

They are wood golems! So no, they do not sustain themselves in the same ways mortal creatures do. Technically a Totemion is kept functioning by the spirits within it. If the Totemion wanders away from its clan and loses its purpose, or the spirits become opposed to one another, the Totemions power may begin to fail as one or other of the spirits slowly slips away. Other than that, they can live virtually forever, provided their bodies are never damaged irreparably - i.e., torn in half.

Gender & Sex:

Totemions, being golems, do not reproduce, and usually have no genitalia unless the original carver… carved some? They have no sex drive and no way of creating offspring (unless they have monkey hands with thumbs and carved their own Totemion). Totemion also retain the personalities of the animals shelter within the totem, and thus the gender preferences. The first thing to note is that animals have no concept or basis of gender - they do not identify as a “girl” or a “boy” or anything thereupon. However, the older a Totemion is, the more contact they would have shared with human society, the more there is a possibility of the Totemion choosing a gender to refer to itself. Generally, however, the concept, once introduced to them, is confusing, and further more, they usually prefer to be referred to as “they” - as unless they are a Totemite, they have more than one animal residing within.

Totemite? What? How many animals can there be?

Ah, of course! There are different ranks of Totemion correlating to the amount of spirits it houses, or “heads” it has. Unlike in society, these ranks are fixed in place since creation, and stay that way until the Totemion is destroyed. This is because the rank also doubles as a form of classification - it is, by its nature, unchangeable. The status is in part due to the status of the original creator. But I’m getting ahead of myself. The ranks are as follows:

Totemite - One headed Totemion. Rarely larger than 1-2 feet large. Size can change dependent on base creature (i.e. - bug)

Totemote - Two headed Totemion. Rarely smaller than 3 feet or larger than 5 feet. Size can change dependent on base creature (i.e. bear)

Totemic - Three headed Totemion. Rarely larger than 8 feet or smaller than 6 feet. Size can change dependent on base creature (i.e. bird)

Attempts at a four-headed Totemion have been known, and all had disastrous results. You can only stuff so many wild animal spirits into a body of wood and expect everything to turn out fine. When someone does overstep their abilities, and creates a creature with more than three heads, it becomes an Abomination. These monstrosities are a danger to all things, and must be destroyed immediately. It is advised not to call out to them, as their telepathic communication is a painful experience full of snarling, screeching, yowling, and any number of loud animal calls of anger, which often make the victim fall unconscious.

How does the status play into the creation?

Well, it is there as a safeguard. For example, children are only allowed to make Totemites, and with supervision. That is not to say others may not make Totemites, for they certainly may. But Clans have long realized that Totemion are living creatures with living spirits within them, not merely constructs to improve their own way of life. It is a symbiotic relationship - they are granted the safety and protection of the Totemion, and the Totemion, in turn gets to experience life again and experience the greater purposes its spirits . But abuse of this power is strictly prohibited. A creator is expected to be tied to their Totemion and care for it - make sure its body is not falling into disrepair, and that the spirits housed within do not lose their purpose. A Totemion is shared by the clan in that they are a member of the clan - but they have a slightly stronger bond to the original creator, and vice versa. People may only create a new Totemion every 5 years - and still must have been given approval by the Caputum (Chiefs) to do so. Those who keep more than one Totemion bonded to them must care for both, and are carefully watched to see that they do so.

What Happens After The Creator Changes Rank?

When a child becomes an adult, you mean? Well, generally the Totemite is destroyed, although the spirit might have developed a strong enough bond to return to the adult for their Totemote, though it is not especially common. Totemites are used to look after the children and help them learn about Totemions and how to properly care for them. After a person becomes a Caputum (Chief), though, the Totemote is generally dedicated to the clan, unless it specifically wishes to be destroyed, in which case, that happens instead.

What about Guardian Totemion who have no specific bond?

Ah, well, Bondless Guardian Totemion can be created one of two ways; first, the original creator can die and the Totemion is left with the bonds it has to the Clan to keep it going. As opposed to other Guardians that have been passed on from generation to generation, this Totemion did not bond with a next of kin enough to warrant them staying bonded to that family. Secondly, there are special events or festivals during which the entire clan participates in carving the Totemion, thus binding it to all of them and the “Sanctity of the Clan”

How does an entire clan carve a Totemion?

They all sit together and pass the block of wood around, and each shave a piece off. Children, hunters, healers, leaders, elders - everyone.

Totemion sleep

Totemion do not sleep in the same sense that mortals curl up and start dreaming. They chose a spot from which to watch, and revert to a scaled wooden (or stone) version of their current size, and hibernate while keeping watch over their bonded. The most interesting thing about this form is that it is effortless for them to maintain and the body becomes basically impossible to destroy as far as it is known, although its not as if any clan rushing to find out.

Do you ever find Totemion outside of Clans?

It is rare or unlikely. Totemion must be made by a clan, and only wilding spirits that understand the clan rituals would know how to posses the totem. A totemic might eventually find itself elsewhere, but it wouldn’t survive very long, as the dependency of the bond between it and the clan/creator are what sustain it. More than that, clans rarely let them leave, preferring instead to destroy them- both to protect the clan and protect the totemion, as outsiders might abuse the magic should they discover it.

Destroying a Totemion

Is rather simple, actually. assuming they allow you. Otherwise its rather difficult. If a Totemion no longer feels at home with the clan or the clan does not think they can care for them any longer, they might “destroy” a totemion. It sounds somewhat violent, but it merely requires the ritual carvings on the back of the original totem to be disfigured in some way, and then the binding becomes void and the spirits are let free again. You can only find the original carving on a Totemion if the totemion allows you. Otherwise, you’d have to destroy it the same way you destroy anything. All while beset upon by a rather angry Totemion.

Wear and Tear

A Totemion needs upkeep just like any creature!! Especially any construct! A couple times of month it is expected that the current keeper or creator has them revert to totem so they can look over the piece for any damage. They fill in cracks, gaps, missing pieces (rare), scratches, polish the wood or stone, touch up the patterns, be preventative or get rid of anything that might be trying to live there (bugs in wood and moss on stones). Without this check up, Totemions start falling apart as the totem - their anchor to this plane - starts deteriorating.