Genecaste

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Also known as the dark caste, the Genecaste is a caste of the clans made of those who could not, or would not, accept clan society. The Genecaste are a taboo subject, and source of shame to the clans, who view their extreme use of genetic engineering as a subversion of clan ways, and those in it as abominations.

History

After Nicholas Kerensky founded the Clans, one of their most important ideologies was taking the medical knowledge of the Star League, and using it in their Eugenics program. This led to breeding better, stronger warriors who would carry certain revered bloodlines, which gave them many advantages over their ancestors, including the ability to adapt to harsh environments. there were those who were not satisfied with the way the clans pushed the star league genetic modification, and chose to pursue more drastic means of genetic mutations, to allow people to adapt and live in the very harshest of environments, such as underwater, or even in outer space. those who followed this route eventually became the Genecaste, hiding and surviving out of sight of the clans. The Genecaste calls this form of Eugenics Geneforming

Geneclans

Genecaste society is made up of several Geneclans that occupy different worlds and regions. Geneclans may consist of a few dozen, to thousands of Genecaste members.Unlike their Clan counterparts, Geneclans do not base their societal groupings based on Astrogography, Bloodlines, or ideology. Most Geneclan societies are based around the environment that they have mutated to adapt to. another way to think of Geneclans is as colonies. Each colony is based on a different environment, and the special circumstances and geneforming required to adapt to it. this means that a genecastman who can live underwater, could not survive on land, and one who has been formed to live in a planet with less gravity will find it unbearable to step on a planet with more. This would be reason for the different Geneclans to have little contact with each other, yet, the extreme paucity of every type of resource in the places they live, and the threat of their extermination by the clans, have led the Geneclans to keep minimal contact with one another for trade and information sharing.[1]

Subtypes

There are several subtypes of Geneclans within each Geneclan. Despite "not being clan" members, the Genecaste have five levels of society, the lowest two not being counted, similar to clans society.

Altform

non-Genecaste Geneformed groups. almost considered outsiders.

Genenorms

The lowest of the low. looked down upon in a similar way to how clans look at freebirth among the warrior caste. Though not trusted much, they are often used as liaisons for trading and spies, when appropriate.

Firstform

All results of their genetic modification lie beneath the skin, undetectable to the human eye, Firstforms are often sent as spies within various factions of the Clans or Inner Sphere.

Secondform

These Castmen show slight alterations to their physical appearance. often they have strange looking eyes, odd ears, slight webbing on their hands and feet etc. their abilities often surpass those of Firstforms, making them useful for specific missions despite the possibility of detection.

Thirdform

The most radically altered in appearance, such as drastically extended arms. The Thirdform Castmen, in general, only have a specific part of their body changed, the rest appear normal. This makes them very effective in specific environments, and are sometimes sent on covert missions, since hiding their mutations would be very difficult.

Fourthform

Never actually seen by non-Genecaste, the Fourthform and Fifthform are the real power behind the Geneclans. Fourthforms are similar to Thirdforms, but have changes on the rest of their body, such as scales or chitinous skin.

Fithform

The Ultimate in Geneforming, the Fifthform Genecastmen are mutated and changed to the point of barely resembling humans, and are completely adapted to their environment.

Breeding

Much like the clans, the Genecaste have bloodlines, and develop future Genecastemen in iron wombs with whatever gene it's leaders deem necessary at the time. Some Genecaste have begun a practice that is looked at as radical, even for the Genecaste, of Birthformers

Birthform

A Method of breeding where a Fifthform female Genecaste member has her physiology changed to become a breeder of offspring true to the Geneparents it came from [2]

References

  1. Interstellar Players, pp. 54-55 "Genecaste - Genecaste Society"
  2. Interstellar Players, pp. 56 "Genecaste - Genecaste Society"