Physiology

[Admin]

Fri Jan 02, 2009 9:20 pm

Brianne wrote:

EJ,

Since Celestials have mouths, tongues, and teeth to make audible sound, does this mean that they have a throat, vocal cords, and lungs? These things are also necessary to make audible sounds.

Just wondering. =]

Brianne

[Admin]

Sun Jan 04, 2009 7:55 pm

Brianne wrote:

Lately I've been thinking about celestials a lot, but in terms of being parents.

I'm not sure if it's been discussed before, but it is possible for two female celestials, or two male celestials, to create a child, right? If so, would the two male celestials have a wet nurse?

[Admin]

Mon Jan 05, 2009 9:18 pm

Cris wrote:

Brianne,

Both male and female Celestials can carry children and bear them, I don't think that male Celestials would need a wet nurse since during pregnancy both genders are perfectly capable of gestation and birth. Given what we currently know (and I chedked the SB to be sure), I think male Celestials would be able to manifest/provide whatever's needed.

Cris

[Admin]

Tue Jan 06, 2009 12:40 am

JenDiMarco wrote:

Cris, though you're absolutely right that male and female and carry and birth a child, only a female Celestial can "breast-feed" the infant. This was brought up very, very earlier on. It is pretty much the only inherent difference between the two gender's abilities. This is also why Celestial females manifest nipples (for a feeding child to latch on) and male Celestials do not.

Jenn

[Admin]

Tue Jan 06, 2009 12:43 am

JenDiMarco wrote:

In answer to the other part of Brianne's question: Any two Celestials, regardless of gender, can create a child. But it does take two Celestials for conception. Also there is no such thing as accidentally getting pregnant in Celestial society. Making a child, though done in the same form (Intimate Form) as when Celestials make love, is very focused and specific.

Celestials are so cool!

Jenn

[Admin]

Sun Jan 11, 2009 10:39 pm

AreaneCreator wrote:


If Celestials are very badly wounded, do they shift automatically into true form? I would think yes, because 3D Celestial's eyes shift colors when they're wounded (their eyes being their different forms) and Cadmus in the Ganymede story goes true form when he's burned.

[Admin]

Wed Jan 14, 2009 10:49 pm

AreaneCreator wrote:

Also, does a Celestial's true form show wounds? Perhaps discoloration or stillness or something in the wounded area? What about burns?

[Admin]

Thu Jan 15, 2009 7:43 am

JenDiMarco wrote:

EJ, I know that your day job is drawing you away from the forum right now and that your spare minutes are spent working on the various comic lines that are launching with the brand, but when you have a moment, can you please address these concerns first? We're running into some questions with the Eris comic in specific.

Thank you.

Jenn

[Admin]

Tue Jan 20, 2009 2:34 am

EJ wrote:

Brianne wrote:
"Since Celestials have mouths, tongues, and teeth to make audible sound, does this mean that they have a throat, vocal cords, and lungs? These things are also necessary to make audible sounds."


Nah! Those things are no fun I totally hear your logic, Brianne, but I do truly adore Celestials having manifested bodies with no interior or exterior difference in substance with the exception of the synapse column.

Perhaps the question should become: Are Celestials carbon or silicone based life forms?

EJ

[Admin]

Tue Jan 20, 2009 2:35 am

EJ wrote:

In terms of reproduction and nursing young, Jennifer is correct. Thank you, Jennifer!

EJ

[Admin]

Tue Jan 20, 2009 2:42 am

EJ wrote:

"AreaneCreator wrote:
If Celestials are very badly wounded, do they shift automatically into true form? ... Also how do they show wounds?"


Yes. They do shift from Ornate Form to True Form.

Wounds manifest as missing areas of the Celestial's body that are replaced by swirling mist/steam. Steam often rises from wounds even when heat wasn't involved. This is the Celestial dissapating. They can also respond to serious wounds by trailing dust like Terrapyres might trail blood.

EJ

[Sunshine]

Hey all. I'm looking for information or to start a conversation about how Celestials age and mature on Hom (not on Earth, I know they're Immortal there). These are my questions:

1. After Unification, when are Celestials allowed/drafted into training to be a soldier (and go to Earth)? Basically, what is the Celestial equivalent of 18?

2. How long are they trained? How early might they be sent to Earth?

I'm curious about this because we've seen some pretty young Celestial soldiers (like Orcus). Do Celestials age like Humans age but then, upon sexuality/reproductive maturity their aging slows down?

Also, there had been some talk about the normal life expectancy of Celestials on Hom to be longer than 500 years. Where are we on that subject?

Summer

[Launa]

On the subject of Celestial training, in Ganymede: Transformation Ganymede's daughter, Pandora, is sent to train in a Celestial Academy to eventually become a leader in the Immortal's war. She is the equivalent of a 10 year old human, but it is mentioned that she is entering the Academy a bit later than most of the other Celestials who are sent. I would assume the norm for a child to enter an academy would be the equivalent of a human 8 year old. Now, I don't know if training in an Academy is the norm for all Celestials or if only certain Celestials go (There has been a missionary (now soldier) Academy in Ornbergh for thousands of years.) Perhaps only Celestials being trained in certain fields would go to an Academy?

It seems that, sometimes, parents may train their children as well. That is the impression I got with Orcus (being part of an Outpost at such a young age) but I could be totally wrong.

I'm very interested in the discusion of Celestial life expectancy on Hom. Celestials living more than 500 years would probably be more realistic. When working with very old Celestials like Ganymede and Chariklo who are both alive in the year 3000, it becomes difficult to realistically explain why after 2000 to 3000 years they have not been on Hom (or in the 4th dimension) long enough to meet an average lifespan or at least age enough that they are no longer able to battle.

It makes me wonder about Celestial stasis, actually. Like how a Celestial carrying a child can put the embryo into stasis. Can Celestials manually slow their aging process? Or does this only apply to a parent slowing/shutting down the aging of an unborn child?

[Jennifer]

There are so many characters and plot lines to take into account including the "super secret" plots and characters that will be in play in the final days (3000 AD). We're trying to hammer out, also, the further equalization of the Celestials and the Terrapyres.

Summer (and all you delightful lurkers), please keep in mind that unless the book has been finalized (which is only the Player's Handbook and the Crusade Battle Anthology... which might very well be going back into layout for a few tweaks next week) nothing is set in stone. Launa is in the process of revising and reworking "Ganymede" so in her post above she's sharing one option. Please understand that there are many factors being considered to answer your questions.

Here is where Luz, Eric, Cris, Brianne, and myself are on this issue:

We need human readers (your know, Humans, LOL) to be able to identify with Celestials. We also need Celestials and Terrapyres to be equalized in terms of life span. To this end, we are considering this:

1. Celestials on Hom age as Humans on Earth until they hit their individual Prime. Upon Priming they seemingly stop aging. They live roughly 2000 years, give or take, but consider themselves pretty much immortal because they are resistant to illness and many wounds. However, the vast majority of Celestials (prior to the Grail) died of accidents, etc, far before they ever saw 2000 years. This is because their culture was driven by their extremely dangerous missionary work.

2. Likewise, on Earth, Terrapyres are basically immortal for the same reasons but live about 2500 years to even things out because...

3. Celestials on Earth do not age. At all.

4. The only character allowed to break these rules would be Maria. Because... she just rocks like that.

5. Prior to the Grail, the greatest academic honor for a Celestial was to be accepted into an Academy to train to become a missionary. Other subjects/careers were taught, but missionary work (archiving the flora and fauna of dying or endangered alien worlds) was the highest honor. Acceptance into an Academy was usually between sixteen and eighteen, but, as it is on Earth with Humans, a youth with incredible gifts might be accepted earlier.

6. After the Grail starts to cause trouble and Celestials are sent to Earth, missionaries become soldiers and volunteer to go. They spend open-ended amounts of time on Earth.

7. After the mission for the Grail shifts into high gear (sometime after the events that take place in "Blood Trade" in 1450 AD), a "draft" is established and all Celestials are required to spend a certain amount of time in the service. At some point, a rotation is created so that soldiers can come home periodically.

These are the ideas being discussed in bits and pieces as stories are polished and fit into the larger puzzle. Hope this is helpful.

Jennifer

[Launa]

Oh, I really love that, evening out the Terrapyre and Celestials life expectancies. It fits better with the mythology and the completely balanced nature of the CCG.

During this drafting time, would Celestials usually be drafted around 17 or 18 as well? Could they volunteer earlier? (like if they are being raised in an outpost by parents who are soldiers.)

Also, would there still be "leadership" academies or something similar after 1450 AD? For Celestials specifically training to be professional soldiers, not necessarily being drafted?

I really love these facts and I do apologize if I came off like I was stating fact about Ganymede. Life has been so rushed lately I was just trying to get all the information down before I had to run out the door