Ensyllo

[Moon]

Ensyllo (Formally known as Psyche Hathos)
N-see-low

_{Region of Origin:} Unknown, though there is evidence to suggest Calder

Basic Biology:
They are perhaps the most human of all the races. Though, they possess subtle internal differences that allow them to stand out in a crowd of humans. However, their most notable physical features are their fiery orange eyes, which may or may not glow when they use their powers. Depending on the individual’s physical maturity their eyes will glow when they use their powers. The eyes of the adult Ensyllo will not glow as often as the child.

Internally Ensyllo are much like humans. However, there is a very distinct difference specifically in the brains of the Ensyllo. The septal nuclei structures are much larger in Ensyllo than is humans. Thus they have a much higher dependency on endorphins. This means many Ensyllo are subject to chronic depression and are often unable to react rationally to highly stressful situations. It should also be noted that they have a larger temporal lobe in general which allows them a greater understanding of emotions.
The most common illness that plagues the race is something called Magic Shock which is caused by an outside force, usually the emotions of another being, forcing an Ensyllo’s magical aura back into their body. The most common side effect of this illness is the immediate emptying of stomach contents along with slight throbbing headaches. Depending on the severity of this illness, it can last anywhere from a few moments (if only slight), hours (if moderate), and days (if severe). The most severe symptom can be loss of consciousness, but this symptom only occurs when the rejection occurs through direct contact.

Male Biology:
There isn’t too much of a difference between the sexes of this race. However, males tend to be slightly larger than their female counterparts. It is much easier to resist the effects of a male Ensyllo’s magic as opposed to the females.

Female Biology:
Females tend to be smaller than their males counterparts. As states previously, it is much harder to resist the effects of a female Ensyllo because their temporal lobes are much larger in comparison to their male counterparts.

_Lifespan: 110-235^YRS

General Behavior:
Ensyllo are a very friendly race and enjoy spreading joy to the other races. Most often they are involved in positive entertainment roles and strive to bring smiles to all other races. However, despite their amicable disposition, they are more cautious when personally meeting members of other races, because depending a person’s emotional state they can either become very ill or thrive. As such, they make it a point to try and brighten others’ days with small gestures. It serves to help both the Ensyllo and the recipient.

Usual Habitat:
Despite being a very amicable, they tend to seclude themselves away from large groups of people because being around large groups can lead to over-stimulation and magical cardiac arrest. Thus, too much stimuli can literally kill them so as a precaution they tend to stay isolated.

Aliment:
Because of their enlarged emotion centers their intake of foods that release endorphins in the brain is double that of a normal human diet. Those foods include things like chocolate, strawberries, oranges, and other food items that increase endorphin levels in the brain. Carbs are another food that they need large quantities of, and have been known to even carry around small pouches of wheat grains to nibble on, between meals or on long journeys. Some more sensitive individuals cannot eat meats because of the residual energies that may lie dormant in the animal carcasses. These dormant energies can cause a violent sickness that may afflict the individual for up to a week and the illness most commonly comes in the form of nausea but can also mutate into something similar to the stomach virus.

Basic Social Structure:
The Ensyllo do not have a defined social structure, however they do tend to value females over males because childbearing is a very delicate process. Since they do not live in large groups, of themselves or with other races, they often think of themselves as equal to any fellow Ensyllo they meet because they understand each other much better than other races.

Family Life/Gender Roles:
More often than not Ensyllo children are cared for by their mothers, because of the intense bond the two share since birth. In some cases where the mother dies due to complications the father can step in, if he himself is an Ensyllo. If the father is not of the Ensyllo race, he must find a surrogate to substitute for the mother’s absence, otherwise the child is doomed to die from lack of stability. Fathers are rarely involved with direct child care, but they are bound to their chosen partner until the child is old enough to support their own aura. Children are rarely born from one night stands because a strong bond is required to stabilize the mother. Orphans are unheard of and thus, cannot occur.

Procreation:
Ensyllo can be as mixed or as pure as can be. There are no limitations when it comes to this race’s procreation. However, they tend to choose partners that are either as empathetic as or more so than they are. Partners are often distinctly in tune with each other’s emotions, as the partner’s emotional state is key to keeping the Ensyllo stable throughout the pregnancy.

Ensyllo are gifted with their powers from the moment they develop into a fetus. Mothers and their babies share a deep bond because their auras are intermingled and thus, often overlap. First time mothers are especially sensitive to the fluctuations in emotion that babies may cause. It is important that mothers, especially those who are first timers, carefully monitor their own emotions as well as the baby’s. If the mother or child becomes greatly distressed there is a chance that the rejection of the auras could kill the both of them, thus it is of the utmost importance for the pair to be kept stable. Should the mother experience distress, which is often accompanied by severe abdominal cramps, the best remedy is to calm the mother through direct touch and the transference of soothing emotions from the partner.

There has never been a case where there are multiple children, save for the occurrence in pure bred Ensyllos. Since pure bred Ensyllo have a stronger aura than half bred, it is possible for them to support more than one child. However, generation gaps between related Ensyllo tend to be quite large because child rearing can be quite taxing on the female Ensyllo. She can only have a maximum of up to six children without causing extreme stress on her body. As such, half bred females are only capable of having one child at a time with the maximum being four children.

There are two ways for a child to be born from parents of two different races. The first way, and the more viable way, is through impregnation of a female Ensyllo. This makes the incubation process more natural and less likely for the baby to be lost. However, in the case of male Ensyllos breeding with other races, the pregnancy becomes much more unstable. Fathers are more responsible in maintaining a stable aura for the child. Though the process is done naturally through occasional physical contact of the parents. Through this contact, however brief, the father may allow some of his stable aura to intertwine with the child's and thus stabilizing the baby in the womb. Once the child is born however, as with mother Ensyllos, the fathers must remain in close proximity with the newborn child in order to keep the child's aura stable.

Newborns are often born with weak and frail auras so they are much more susceptible to Magic Shock (termed IMA when they are newborns) than older children, and as such they are rarely handled by anyone other than the mother. Half bred children are especially susceptible to even the smallest of changes because their auras are much more fragile than pure bred Ensyllo children. As the children grow, their auras strengthen and the danger of Magic Shock lessens.

Childbirth and Childcare:
Children can only be born vaginally in the Ensyllo race. Cutting into the womb of a pregnant Ensyllo woman endangers both the child and the mother because the womb is what connects the mother’s and child’s aura. If the connection is cut prematurely the child with suffer IMA (Infantile Magical Arrest) and will consequently die from the shock. The mother can suffer from Magic Shock if the auras are separated unnaturally and the grief of losing her child could drive her over the edge, causing death. Because of these complications, the body often accommodates for any natural complications and natural childbirth is often a smooth transition.
Once delivered, newborns are practically attached to their mother’s hip because they depend on her aura for stability for the first two years of their lives. During the first year, they must be kept in direct contact with their mother and thus the balance is somewhat difficult to master for new parents because the father cannot help in the caring for the child directly. Thus he must support his partner through their shared bond of emotions.
When the children are well into their toddler state they are much less dependent on their mother’s aura. However, they are still very easily influenced by emotional influxes.

Magic and Abilities:
As stated before the ‘magic’ that the Ensyllo possess are heavily intertwined with their own emotions and the emotions around them. In short, their magic acts like a sort of aura that cloaks them. Since they have no control of how big or small that aura may be at any given time they are subject to the influence of others. Specifically their abilities are sharpest with people they are unfamiliar with. Depending on the mood of the unfamiliar person their magic will react negatively or positively. If the person has negative emotions swirling about them (anger, sadness, etc), then an Ensyllo’s magic will rebound rather violently back into their body. This forceful reintroduction of their own magic into their body causes the Ensyllo to go into magical shock, which is often materialized in the form of extreme nausea or fatigue. On rare occasions where the magical repulsion is strong enough, or the Ensyllo is not yet mature enough to cope with the repulsion, the Ensyllo may empty their stomach contents and pass out. Reversely, if the person is feeling positive feelings toward the Ensyllo then the Ensyllo may feel a natural attraction toward them. This attraction is best described as the attraction between the opposite ends of a magnet and thus the Ensyllo will feel compelled to stay close to that individual, as this attraction releases large amounts of endorphins.

Not only can their magic allow the Ensyllo to feel the emotions of others, the reverse is also possible. However, this skill takes much focus to master as it is mostly done unconsciously when they are children. When feeling intense emotions, the Ensyllo’s aura shifts and grows. It is unknown just how large the aura can grow, but some people have been known to feel the strong influence of an Ensyllo’s emotions from up to a mile away. Only those who have consciously focused on this second nature skill can truly allow others to experience their emotions. The influence from an inexperienced Ensyllo can only be felt, not experienced. Meaning if an Ensyllo is feeling frightened, others may be able to ‘feel’ the fear but will not experience the fear themselves.

Finally, they have the ability to neutralize or influence another being’s experienced emotions through touch. This is their most natural ability and the main focus of their magic. Using the magical aura that surrounds them, they can force this aura into the body of another being which forces the victim to experience any emotion the Ensyllo so chooses. Of course, this act leaves them directly vulnerable to that person’s own emotions and thus a strong enough negative enough and force the aura back out of the victim and into the Ensyllo’s own body. The sensation of having their aura forced back into their body through this technique is often experienced by the Ensyllo as a burning sensation. The more violent the rejection from the victim, the more intense the burn and the more likely it is for the Ensyllo to receive physical burns.

Legends and Folklore:
Ensyllo aren’t particularly superstitious because they don’t like to worry about anything other than keeping their aura’s stable. However, they have one tale in particular that serves as a sort of reminder to never leave without a small pouch of wheat grains. It is the tale of a young woman by the name of Maylene who left her home without the pouch and was brutally murdered by a band of roving misfits. Though, most do not leave without the pouch, the tale serves as a warning to never repeat the woman’s actions.

History:
A popular theory of the origins of the Ensyllo mention a connection to the Naiad of the land of Calder. It is believed that a group of Naiad was fed up with the lack of empathy the elders had for the other races so they split off from the mainland in order to start again and teach their future generations that they should value the company of the other races. Over time, these select few Naiad began to lose their original abilities. In order to cope with their loss and help their new-found goals along, they focused their magic into a sphere of invisible aura around them that allowed them to feel and influence the emotions of others. After years of this development, these new Naiad no longer identified with their original species and renamed themselves accordingly.