Anassanoi

Anassanoi

(Creature)

Type

Humanoid
(anassanoi)

CR

By character level

Environment

Any (Kahlannal)

Alignment

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Adjective

anassanoi

Source: Solar Strike, pg(s). 55

Anassanois are a species of telepathic humanoids inhabiting the city of Kahlannal deep in the Pact Worlds sun.

Appearance

An anassanoi has three eyes and two vertical mouths, which are often seen by humans as lacking animation and emotion. On average, anassanois are 8 feet tall and weigh 200 pounds.

Ecology

Anassanois are natural telepaths. They mature at the age of 25 and live for up to 200 years.

History

On their original home planet in the Vast, the anassanois were a peaceful, technologically advanced species. When a malevolent species sent war machines to invade their home system, the anassanois realised that they had no chance to win and decided to flee to Anassan, the system's star, where the enemy could not follow.

When Anassan went nova, the anassanois fled their home to distant stars across the galaxy in scores of generation ships, one of which was the Kahlannal. As the Kahlannal entered the sun of the Golarion system, it was damaged by a solar storm before it transformed from a starship to a city. Although the anassanois were safe, they discovered that the Kahlannal's damage prevented it from ever leaving the sun, and that they could not contact with anyone else outside of their new colony.

Since the Gap, the anassanois became interested in other species' increased activities within the sun, making first contact with jyoti and efreet and becoming aware of Ezorod and the Burning Archipelago.

Society

Anassanoi society is ruled by the Protectors, a council originally consisting of the Kahlannal's crew and later their chosen successors. Other than the divide between Protectors and normal citizens, anassanoi society is not stratified. Most anassanois are community-minded, placing the good of the whole over the individual, and recycle and distribute their resources fairly under the Protectors' watch.

Anassanois are very open about their feelings and honest when communicating via telepathy, letting others readily know who the anassanoi is; for this reason, most anassanois are sympathetic and loyal to their friends. Those who do not want openness can practice deception to suppress their emotions, but few do.

Anassanois are usually introspective: meditation, learning, social bonds and gatherings are valued, and knowing a person's internal truth is seen as a sacred, pleasurable pursuit. Their mating and child-rearing practices are varied: one person can love many, and children can be guided by people other than their biological parents. Blood relation does not determine interests, and family groups vary depending on their members' desires. Relationships are seen as both a way to form bonds and support, and a path of self-knowledge.

Anassanois who do wrong are encouraged to atone to the people they wronged, reflect on the damage they caused, and learn a better way, under the enforcement of the Protectors and their aides. Violence or long-lasting vendettas are rare, and anassanois have no concept of a prison.

Politically, the anassanois of Kahlannal are divided into two factions: the Traditionalists, who see that their race have thrived in isolation, and the Amiants, who advocate for interaction, trade and diplomacy with other races.

Anassanois lack numerous technologies and magic common in the Pact Worlds, including Drift travel, but have access to their own technology inherited from their ancestors or developed within Kahlannal, unseen within the Pact Worlds.

Religion

Anassanois traditionally worship Raethu, a deity of secrets and knowledge, who taught them to mix magic and technology. Since coming to the Pact Worlds, they have seen the Protectors as saints, agents of Raethu, to the point that worship of Raethu faded behind Protector veneration. Some anassanois have come to think that the Protectors' theocratic rule are holding their race back: most are genuinely concerned with their people's long-term interests, but a few just want money or power.