DELVIANS
Except for their ornate skin patterns and lack of hair, the inhabitants of Delvia are roughly Sebaceanoid in appearance. Beneath their skin, however, lies fiber instead of bone — they are actually sentient plants, not animals. When starving, their true nature comes to the fore, as their bodies produce flowering buds of toxic pollen to defend themselves from predators. Once the toxins in a Delvian's body reach a critical level, only the consumption of meat will return their physiology to normal. Similarly, when very ill, Delvians must be planted in nourishing soil to have any hope of recovery.
Delvians have relatively long life-spans; Zhaan had lived 812 cycles by the time she escaped her Peacekeeper captivity, and she did not consider herself an old woman.
Most members of Delvian society are members of the Delvian Seek, a spiritual discipline consisting of many levels, each with its own rewards. Delvians who attempt too quickly to reach those rewards, however, can be driven insane. The Seek is, by necessity, a slow, lifelong quest. Upon reaching a certain plateau, a Delvian becomes a priest, or Pa'u, possessing profound spiritual powers.
Among those powers is the ability to share Unity, a metaphysical joining of two beings' lifeforces. Within Unity, the participants can share each other's thoughts, but that is only its most superficial aspect. A P'au's life energy can be transmitted through Unity to another soul, though this represents a great drain on the giver. Zhaan gave this gift to Aeryn, rescuing Officer Sun from the edge of death.
Nudity and sensuality carry no taboos for Delvians of any age. In fact, the pleasurable sensations experienced by Delvians have reached legendary status. Zhaan, for example, experienced photogasms when exposed to intense solar energy; whether this response is shared by male Delvians or by those who are not priests is currently unknown to me. The Fourth Sensation is another Delvian-specific experience I have heard referred to in awed whispers, but I don't know what, exactly, it entails.
The only real taboo I have heard of among Delvians relates to their "dark side." These intelligent, peace-loving beings are capable of committing horrific violence, and each one must wrestle for control over his or her darkest impulses. Giving in to those desires, even for a good cause, carries a great burden of guilt and shame for most Delvians. Zhaan, for example, renounced her priesthood for a time after calling upon her dark side to save Crichton's life.
Perhaps because its members have such capacity for empathy, coupled with an abundance of years in which to gain wisdom, Delvian society is traditionally pacific, thoughtful, spiritual and liberal. In recent cycles, however, I have heard rumors that Delvia has grown more conservative, possibly even opening itself to Peacekeeper influence. Zhaan was imprisoned for her violent resistance to that movement, and a renegade Delvian sect we encountered claimed they had been exiled from their homeworld for practicing the Seek. While I am not sure of the truth of these details, it seems clear that Delvia is experiencing a turbulent moment in its long history.
JOURNEY LOG REFERENCES
Rhapsody in Blue
Crackers Don't Matter
Home on the Remains
STARBURST TO ANY LIFEFORM
|
|
