#yiya

So fam, I’ve been working really hard on the Twice-Nine, and it’s winding up being less of a survey of their crimes against UrSkekdom than it is a survey of UrSkekdom’s crimes against them. XD

SoSu the Philosopher: Was an incredibly psychically-strong and headstrong (probably not unrelated) young UrSkek whose passions often got the better of them, and while this was generally more disruptive than harmful, as we know, UrSkek society tends to consider disruption itself a form of harm. So at an unconscionably young age, they were forced to choose between Exile and Purgation (the editing of their personality and erasure of ‘problem’ memories), and while the therapy certainly seemed to have took, it must not’ve took that well, because they continued over their career (which was in all other aspects illustrious) to maintain a suspect interest in the reconciliation of their society with its discontents, which theories eventually developed into their infamous Heresy…and the Heresy itself committed the incredibly awful crime of proving attractive to a number of UrSkeks, particularly the young ones. Whom SoSu was accused of deliberately corrupting. Oops.

ZokZah the Presbyter: Their ‘crime’ was coming out of the Chorion (the UrSkek-spawning chamber, basically) with a natural tendency toward sadism [with a touch of masochism included] -- which a more tolerant society might have been able to help them better sublimate into their spiritual work, and/or channel into safe/sane/consensual activities; but Homeworld was not that society. As a result, their entire life story was one of ice-cold self-repression and flawless hypocrisy. They thought the Heresy might be their compassionate answer at long last. And it might have been, but obviously we can’t have that.

SilSol the Musician: Wasn’t spawned with anything especially wrong with them, except for being astonishingly talented which arguably is a bit of a flaw; but somewhere along the way they twigged to the fact that their perfect classless harmonious society that totally didn’t have power relations, totally DID have them. So they started studying this interestingly contradictory phenomenon the way most very intelligent people would have, with comparative sociology, which unfortunately involved a lot of consumption of ::whispers:: foreign cultural material from more primitive societies. And while yes we do study primitive societies, we’re not supposed to do it like THAT, and we’re definitely not supposed to put stuff we’re learning from them about how to influence and persuade other people into PRACTICE. And Crystal itself help you if you turn out to be good at it…even when you’re doing it for what you consider the best cause ever, like OH SAY A REVOLUTIONARY HERESY. (SilSol also had quite a fan base as a composer and performing artist, which did kind of the opposite of helping their case when trial time rolled around.)

GraGoh the Explorer: Was an unfortunate case of incorrigible juvenile delinquency, and Crystal knows the Eldest did what they could. When the young former Rigger from the outer colonies proved to be too rough-hewn and jostling for the refined precincts of Homeworld (they thought practical jokes were actually funny, for one thing), the Council decided to spare the rod and try to educate them in the graces by sending them to the Academy, where they were supposed to finally learn to be a proper UrSkek. And what did they learn instead? Heresy! Honestly. They didn’t even try to resist the slide into depravity; indeed, quite the contrary, they decided to become one of SoSu’s most prominent and enthusiastic disciples. So really, what else was there to do?

AyukAmaj and EktUtt: Fell in love. This may seem fearfully pedestrian to the savage likes of the Gelfling (and let’s not even talk humans), but in UrSkek society this is both an incredibly alien, hard-to-imagine aberration, and a crime against the ironclad obligation to love all one’s fellow UrSkeks fairly and equally. Like…absolutely fairly and equally. No matter what. No playing favorites. Yes OF COURSE love and friendship are high virtues among UrSkek, but again -- just not like -- that. What do you two think you’re doing, seriously, you don’t even have physical bodies to conventionally sin with but I guess where there’s a will, etc?

NaNol the Botanist: Was a spy. Not that they knew they were a spy, mind: UrSkeks don’t have spies, and if they did have them, what they were doing would not be spying. In fact the Botanist’s whole problem was they didn’t have any actual name or conceptual box to put the thing in that a few naughty Eldest were making them do -- especially to the plant-stored planetary-memory records they were supposed to be nurturing and protecting. I mean, it must be all right somehow, because it was Eldest asking; but then why did it have to be such a secret; but then why was it even their business, since it was records about stuff that happened eons before anyone they knew was spawned; but then if it didn’t really matter because it was all so long ago, why were they still being asked to -- **melts into quiet gibbering noises** But in any case…such a pity that it was their fellow Heretics that they eventually decided to confess their nameless burning sins to. More normal UrSkeks would have known enough to just shut up and do what they were told.

HakHom the Architect and YiYa the Builder: Didn’t know that the technical term for what they were was frenemies; they thought they were just friends. Who competed for the same non-virtual architectural gigs, which HakHom just happened to win more often than YiYa, which was also why HakHom ended up outranking YiYa. But of course there was never any trouble putting that behind them when it came time for them to work together hand-in-glove on the winning projects; Homeworld is a place of harmony after all, with architecture being one of a very, very few fields where there even was still anything resembling competition. Nor did YiYa carry any grudges against HakHom for dragging them out to these crazy salons and forums this weird Professor SoSu kept holding. As a friend, they were simply looking out for their friend’s mental and spiritual cultivation, and after all these were merely dialogues about how everyone, even the most erring UrSkek, could better be brought back to the bosom of the Crystal and the collective soul of their people through the transforming power of compassion and honesty. What was there to object to? And later, when the Eldest were investigating because apparently there was something to object to -- and they needed someone to infiltrate and report on the increasingly worryingly Heretical gatherings -- who would blame YiYa for assisting them with that high-minded work? Certainly not HakHom, who understood and deeply regretted their grievous sin in doing…well, there must have been something terribly wrong with the whole thing. Even if Professor SoSu did have both a sterling reputation and the high permissions as a Councilmember needed to access the Crystal for experimental rites if they deemed fit! And just because even after giving the Council all that help, YiYa still found themselves exiled right alongside all the unrepentant criminals, that was no reason to take out any frustrations on their old partner, who hadn’t exactly been in control of the proceedings either after all. Surely the Eldest had their good reasons…so…yeah. Definitely nothing there for either the Architect or the Builder to hold against one another in the immediate aftermath of their souls being torn asunder to set all the Twice-Nine’s ids free.

LachSen the Gnostic: Was an ex-cultist. No, I’m not joking. Although they’re scattered and vanishingly few, there are places even yet on Homeworld where some UrSkeks practice Heresies in the much more old-fashioned sense -- that is to say, disapproved spiritual rites and disciplines, which are generally holdovers from pre-Ascension cultures. Young LachSen’s group was no exception: indeed, it dated from that supremely turbulent era just pre-Ascension, when some UrSkeks fervently believed that through the practice of radical enough asceticism and self-lessness, their kind could attain a permanent ecstatic group consciousness, such as they had heard group minds from other worlds speak of with such reverence and serenity. (No wonder SkekLach wasn’t so keen on the Ascendancy…) This belief turned out to be more a denial of the UrSkeks’ own nature than even the ancestors of the Council of Eldest could tolerate. But LachSen’s group still stubbornly clung to this more-or-less impossible ideal, and to an ancient sub-Crystal of their own which gave barely enough energy for them to subsist on; but since privation was what they craved, that was fine. As they matured, LachSen found themselves questioning the group’s ways and eventually ran far away to Crystalgate City on the great peninsula, blending in with the other UrSkeks as best they could. But it was more difficult than they could ever have imagined, blending in with people from so different a worldview -- and they remained always torn in their feelings toward their old kin, their penitent, self-denying monkish side and their newly-discovered love of plenty and peace among the Crystalgaters. Thus, they were prime and easy ‘prey’ for a new Heresy, particularly one that claimed to embrace the lost and lonely, even the strangest of Deviancies…

ShodYod the Mathematician: TBD

SaSan the Marine Biologist: TBD. I’m not sure that Heresy was something she came into in the course of her work. She’s just such a strong personality at base. I expect her to be tricky.

VarMa the Seal-Bearer: TBD, but however they came to it, they definitely they would have been SoSu’s #1 fan and most loyal acolyte.

MalVa the Guide: TBD, although they would have been exposed to a lot of ‘foreign ideas’ in the course of their work, so that may be how they first got into trouble. :-) I have a tiny inkling they may even have been a bit of an anti-colonialist, which would be a problem for other UrSkeks even though other UrSkeks will swear up and down that they’re not even sort of colonialists. ;oP

TekTih the Inventor: TBD. TekTih was an Inventor, which kind of by definition meant they were a bit more ‘interferey’ than the average UrSkek, but that in itself isn’t quite enough to push a sib into Heresy, so I’m going to have to think about it some more.

UngIm the Restorer: TBD. However, there wouldn’t be much call for actual restoring work on other UrSkeks on Homeworld, the species having long since left death, disease and war behind. Therefore, they were likely either more of a veterinarian, or else had a history of traveling around on colony worlds, where again as noted, an UrSkek can run not only into disturbing concepts, but into disturbing events of the sort that flesh-and-blood beings are all too easily prey to. Which provides restoring work, of course, but not only that.

OkAc the Scholar: TBD, though it’s harder to think of places a Scholar couldn’t get themselves into doctrinal trouble than places they could. XD

Since I've been working on the background and history of the canon urskeks for a good while, yet I have done nothing to publish this setting for others to use, here is my urskek headcanon post.

WARNING: The society I'm describing is extremely flawed and includes a lot of things that are traumatic in real life. Please take care.

Some of these headcanons come from conversations between @bogprincess-kira and me. So credit to her.

.My starting date for this image was in February, I can’t believe it took me this long on and off to finish it. Another round of gelfling skeksis and urru which, like my first drawing of them, is their own clan rather than part of the specific one from the show. Basically always twins born that are considered as one person. Want more info about that/want to see SoSu, here’s the link to the first drawing: https://glitterfilledtrashcan.tumblr.com/post/631916487744077824/had-some-inspiration-to-draw-some-gelfling-au-for

OOOHH I THINK ABOUT THIS A LOT. All of them were banished for heresy so lets jump into the ones i have so far:

AyukAmaj I want to say poisoned someone. Whether it be on accident or on purpose, he may have poisoned a high ranking official. HOWEVER. Alternatively I like the idea that there was a class discrepancy in food and drink. Certain castes were only allowed certain foods. However, AyukAmaj is a provider at heart, and who would he be to deny the poor and hungry food? Even when the only food available was high society. This act would be seen as heretical, and especially if he openly expressed that there should be no moderation in who is allowed to have what.

EktUtt was banished for some sartorial indecency. Urskeks I imagine have very strict dress codes, very specific to their trade, rank, class, etc. EktUtt was either bribed or otherwise coerced into tailoring clothes that did not fit into their clients class- or, my favorite possibility, created unorthodox clothing that fit into no boxes, simply for the sake of creative expression.

HakHom proposed a new style of architecture. An important building, perhaps a temple or political headquarter, kept collapsing. She had to build and rebuild it constantly until she urged to rebuild it in a new style, and this was seen as heresy to question the grand design. 

LiLii was a storyteller whose fables became more and more radical. They began writing less about the sanctity of unity and the wondrous nature of conformity and more about what would make the audience laugh or be entertained. What would make the audience feel free? While it was enjoyed by many, the higher authorities saw this as a detriment on culture itself.

SoSu proposed a new form of government: a system of local officials that would report back to a single one. She suggested that there would be above them an oligarchy of true rulers, but they would serve as well as figureheads. This would put the lurking government of Urskek society into the foreground, force them to be seen and force them to be put under public scrutiny. It was a crude display if the authorities had ever seen one, an insult.

VarMa was a diplomat tasked with finding a compromise with heretics. This was a setup to convict them of heresy, as they’d been displaying heavy sympathy towards fugitives- being the naturally compassionate person they are. The ploy worked, as they once again showed empathy over conformity, and they were taken into custody for their treason. 

YiYa was a schoolteacher whose lessons became radical. She was passionate about cultivating new members of society and at first, was very on board with the lessons of conformity she’d been conditioned to teach. But she began to encourage free thinking and creativity. This would be YiYa’s downfall.

So, a discord chat I mostly bared witness to and scarecly participated in reminded me of some thoughts I have on a very particular UrSkek: YiYa

I actually have an AU where SkekYi and UrYa survive the strangling they get from SkekHak, as UrHom stepped into the line of sight of their Skeksis before the very angry and looking to cause as much hurt to others as soon as possible SkekHak could break poor UrYa’s neck in a death grip. SkekHom immediately pushes their Urru into the Crystal vent like they do in creation myths, and subsequently burns up all the same. This way, Yi and Ya survive, but all the shards still get the impression that what befalls one half so to befalls the other. That whole deal, y’know?

Anyways, UrYa gets dragged off by the other Mystics and they and their Skeksis counterpart suffer long term damage in the way that it renders them both mute for a really long time, due to both the physical and psychological damage. Being young and not nearly as innately weary and worlds-worn as the other Urru, they grow up to be a somewhat naive individual in their early years with the others, at some point beginning to venture off from the others more and more just to learn new things. Considering the perpetually calm aura that permeated the gang of Urru that later became the Valley Mystics—if not a bit smothering in how insensate it was—they were able to recover a wide range of vocal capacity much sooner than their Skeksis counterpart on account of how, well, terrible an environment the poor and equally damaged SkekYi had to put up with. Unfortunately, they never would be able to regain their forever untested capacity for multi-vocal chants and singing, leaving them incapable of affecting the matter around them with the magics the other Mystics could readily, though sparingly, utilize.

UrYa’s true saving grace and inspiration to better themself was born from that naivety that the most of the other Urru low-key judge them for—but in the sort of “I wish you would just listen to us, youngling” kind of way. Like the other vagabonds, they started to leave the nest for short periods of time, getting longer and longer as the trine stretched on, coming to learn from and live with the beings of Thra for trine at a time. The only difference between them and the others? Unlike UrVa or UrSan, at around 500 trine, they stopped coming back to the valley altogether.

SkekYi, poor SkekYi, was rendered similarly damaged as stated previously, but where UrYa was able to branch out from the group of Mystic’s too gentle to punish them and too impassive to stop them from leaving, SkekYi was given no such luxury. The castle was a cage they felt pressured to not leave, and rendered them too scared (and then, eventually, too bitter) to speak much aloud, partially due to resentment towards themself for this sickening fault of theirs that was a voice that wouldn’t come, and partially due to resentment for the elders that mocked a deficit that was beyond their control. They are a recluse, much like SkekShod, but with a subtle unease spread far and wide throughout the court, instead of just focused in on one individual in particular (*cough*SkekSo*cough*). They keep their head low and themself out of the way of others when it comes to petty squabbles, never engaging in any sort of gossip more out of disinterest than anything else.

Yi and Ya are, like I said, young. As in YOUNG, young. when they were split into themselves, they were discernibly younger looking and smaller than all the others by a fairly distinguishable bit. They did both grow, and eventually overtook some of their tinier peers in size, but remained on the small end of the scale even well into full maturity. While the Urru became bowed and hunched over in age, and the Skeksis began to lose more and more feathers and furs inexchange for wrinkles and blemishes, UrYa remained standing up relatively straight, strong, and lithe while SkekYi kept their feathers and took far longer for the detrimental effects of aging to set in.

Basically, YiYa was the equivalent of an UrSkek “Newborn” and while this didn’t really mean that they were a “child” so to speak, considering that I share a headcanon with a couple of others on a Discord chat that Urskeks are made from the get go to be the fully capable equivalent of a being that is cognitively adult, these newborn UrSkeks still require quidance in the form of teachers and/or personal mentors. YiYa was a new UrSkek whose first impression of the universe was that of SoSu’s, which fell along the lines of questioning authority. With this concept to be the first thing imprinted in the young and untaught UrSkek, YiYa was deemed to be unfortunately, irreparably “corrupted” and was sentenced to exile with the rest of the twice-nine. This is why I think they never had a title in the OG verse.

When it came to the sundering, where most all of the other Skeksis and Urru were severed into organic forms that already occupied the equivalent of beings that were just past “middle-aged” Yi and Ya resembled what their new species might look like as young adults.

Urskek Pokémon Types

This version is based on a lot of headcanon/AU, but I figured I'd throw my hat into the ring. Maybe the ones that don't match up to the original are secondary types?

SoSu: Dark

SilSol: Psychic

UngIm: Rock

TekTih: Electric

ZokZah: Ghost

VarMa: Fighting

EktUtt: Flying

AyukAmaj: Grass

OkAc: Ice

LachSen: Poison

NaNol: Steel

GraGoh: Fire

MalVa: Bug

SaSan: Water

ShodYod: Ground

LiLii: Normal

YiYa: Dragon