Yludih - Q&A

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Yludih - Q&A

Attention: Uleuda is open for Yludih to RP in.


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Attention: Yludih animal form requirements have been amended! See bottom of this post.
I've noticed a couple of questions about the Yludih which I would like to address here. Once I feel like most of the ins and outs of the Yludih are covered here, I will be updating the race page to include these clarifications.

Your feedback is important! Please feel free to ask any further questions in reply to this thread and I will address them here. This is important as the Yludih are very complex and therefore needs some massaging to get right!
How many races can the Yludih switch between? Can they learn to take the appearance of more races?
At this stage, the Yludih can switch between two races maximum.
What languages do the Yludih speak? What is the Qa language?
The "Yludih" language is spoken in both Uleuda (the dimensional city shared by the Yludih) as well as between the Yludih people in Idalos. Care must be taken not to speak their native tongue within earshot of others as the Yludih are an outlawed people. When your character discovers Uleuda (and depends entirely on you when this happens), usually at night, your PC will be able to communicate freely to fellow Yludih in the Yludih language.

Qa is a coded language. It is not entirely necessary as a starting language when Yludih and Common (or whatever language is used by your chosen race that your character takes the appearance of) are much more important. The language is more of a way of speaking and can be done with any language in Idalos, so that no one will think twice. It will be like speaking in nonsense and riddles (as per the glorious scene from Oceans 12) <----Though it is not as ridiculous as this example of course. This will be developed further, but it gives an idea for RPers to make a start with it.

The coded language was developed in the early days of the Yludih when they had secret networks operating. After the networks were sequentially killed off from betrayal and so on, their discovery of Uleuda allowed them to connect anonymously without fear of persecution. Thus the coded language was no longer the only way to communicate. But - Qa is still used among Yludih and can be very advantageous to know.
What happens when you touch a Yludih, like a handshake?
The Yludih can manipulate their bodies unconsciously via the process of shifting energy from the asterism to various parts of their body. They can apply enough heat to provide the necessary texture and elasticity to mimic that of the race they have formed into. A handshake, therefore, will feel like that of their illusion. For example, shaking the hand of a Yludih who has taken on the illusion of a human, will feel the same as that of real human.
What happens if you strike a Yludih?
Striking a Yludih can lead to a different effect. As the movement is so sudden, the Yludih has no time, even unconsciously to manipulate their body to mimic the 'feel' of their chosen race. A strike will damage their crystal structure, shattering it locally if the strike is mild, or smashing a large portion from their body if the strike is powerful and true. Healing is similar to any other organism in that it takes time. The asterism like a heart, must work harder to slowly reconstruct the damaged areas and prevent light energy (similar to blood) from escaping from the wound. If the wound is mortal, the light energy will escape from the asterism and it will slowly lose energy, shutting the Yludih bodily system down and eventuating in the Yludih's death. Infection does not seem to affect the Yludih like it does to their flesh and blood counterparts.
Specifically, how does a 'wound' heal for the Yludih and to what extent are scars left or even limbs lost?
For the sake of simplicity, wounds will heal similar to that of humans. A glue is formed by crystals energised by the outpour of light, causing the area to 'clot' as would occur with blood. A slow formation of new crystal structures are formed to replace the old, until that wound has fully closed. The process will take similar amounts of time to humans.

Scars can indeed form on the crystalline Yludih body and will be viewable in Uleuda. In their illusory form in Idalos, they may or may not unconsciously project the scar onto themselves. This is totally up to the RPer.

A strike can be severe enough for a Yludih to certainly lose limbs and any part of their body. Re-attachment is not possible for once the body is divided, the crystal structure cannot realign and join again. The crystal limb loses its illusion too and is viewed in its original form in Idalos. In Uleuda, the Yludih will be seen as having lost their limb. In Idalos, the Yludih will undergo some confusion in terms of projecting their illusion of their lost limb. Again, some will unconsciously project the illusion of a lost limb upon themselves, or on the other hand, not at all. This will mean their limb is a complete illusion and they cannot grasp / touch things with it. Others will go back and forth, showing themselves with and then without their limb. This is also up to the RPer to decide.

They other avenue is to regrow a limb. This is dangerous as they will become overall more fragile in doing so at their own risk.

If a Yludih were to fall, could the crystal body suffer damage if the fall was severe enough to, like with being struck?

In the event of a fall, the effect would be the same as being struck. Hitting the ground at very great heights will not lead to them 'splattering' as would occur with those of flesh and blood, rather, the Yludih would shatter (not completely) in certain areas like a broken bottle.
What does it feel like for a Yludih when he or she shifts into another race?
To change from one race to another, the energy must flow from the asterism to the outer surface of the Yludih's body, while other parts of the body will lose energy as they shut down the previous illusion. The feeling would generate heat in some parts of the body and cold at the same time. Therefore, it will feel like being hit by cold and warmth from millions of directions at the same time - a strange feeling indeed!
What differences exist between the Yludih and the 'regular' people of that race? For example, the Yludih don't have the Avriel's vision, but they do have their wings (obviously). Where does the line get drawn?
The Yludih are able to take the appearance of other races and their physical forms to deceive others. This only works to a point. For example, they are able to manipulate light to look like an Avriel and able to manipulate their crystal structure to a moderate level of complexity to mimic their form, including their wings. They are able to fly, to an extent. However, the line is drawn at the finer details. The structure of the Avriel's eyes and the mental connections to be able to register very complicated concepts of air currents etc that the Avriel see is far beyond the Yludih's capacities. The Yludih will never be able to fly, or see, or do things that the Avriel inherently possess, as easily as an actual Avriel of equal training. The Yludih exist to fake, deceive, pretend to be a race and it only goes to a certain point. They will never be that race and, if ever discovered, will never be treated as that race.
Would a Yludih be able to breath under water in Mer form? Are Yludih capable of surviving high-pressure, such as deep in the earth or underwater? Are they able to communicate telepathically?
Again, the Yludih will be able to take on the Mer form and illusion. They will be able to breathe underwater as they are able to procure a set of gills, but they will never be as good as swimming as a Mer of similar training. The Yludih's crystal form can sustain pressure similar to that of the Mer. In regard to telepathic communication, the Yludih are not able to replicate the mental capacities of another race, so they cannot communicate in this way.
Are there diseases that Yludih can come into contact with and therefore be infected by?


With a crystal body structure that works on the transfer of light and heat, the Yludih are incapable of contracting disease.
Are there any special ways a Yludih can fight, differently from say, humans?
I am developing a combat style which enables the Yludih to morph their limbs into various deadly weapons, tools and other wierd and wacky things. Tune in, T-1000 lovers.

Can a Yludih be poisoned?

Their biology is composed of crystal with a central core called an asterism and both of these are not affected by poison. However, in saying that, corrosive substances, such as hydrochloric acid that is potent to burn holes through things can indeed kill them, or gases that cause the Yludih to no longer have access to fresh air, can also cause lead to suffocation.

How does the process of accessing Uleuda look like?
It is left to the RPer to imagine ascending to a different dimensional world. This is performed during sleep and real time spent in Uleuda equals that of Idalos. The mind leaves the physical body and at that instant, space and time itself twists in ways unimaginable as a new dimensions are revealed, similar to scrunching a flat piece of paper into a ball. The mind is cast in all directions at once and yet it falls back, like a collapsing elastic band, to arrive at one location: Uleuda. How this sensation feels to each Yludih is different.
Can Yludih have sex with the race they look like?
As they can physically replicate their body to that of another race quite simply, they can have sex to an extent but cannot actually reproduce. Further, the Yludih would need to learn and understand how to mimic this, in their view, peculiar act. As the Yludih are quite good at mimicking races, this is done easily in order to survive being 'found out'.
As the Yludih are capable of turning between two different races, can they change their features at will so long as it's in that racial profile? For example, hair black sometimes, and white other times, can one switch between the two (and other details like eye colour, skin tone, body size) when one want? Essentially, can the Yludih have different identities in those races they can change into?
The CS should have one or two races of chosen appearance. Changing appearance should be an ability learned through knowledge as to change their appearance requires one to learn how to manipulate their crystals to do that. The bigger the change the more difficult. This will be up to the RPer to have their character learn the change when RPing and the grader will award accordingly.
Do the Yludih feel when people touch them and interact with their bodies? Like, can they tell when someone plays with their illusion-self hair, or experience sex physically?
'touch' and other sensory phenomena like 'taste', 'smell' and the like are also survival mechanisms that Yludih experience. Physical touch can indeed by pleasurable to a Yludih, but there is nothing more so than their ability to meld their bodies to another - which is their unique form of sex that is the only possible way they can reproduce. However, can the Yludih fake it? Sure they can and they can enjoy the experience of sex with another race to an extent.
When a Yludih spits, is the spit real? Do they generate bodily fluids like that? Do male Yludih ejaculate like a non-Yludih man? Do Yludih women produce breast milk, and on that note, do Yludih babies need to feed like their non-Yludih infant counterparts?
In terms of spitting, ejaculating, producing breast milk - they can cast out some crystal fragments in liquid form as required.
In terms of raising a baby, the Yludih will have to seek out a way of sustenance for the baby elsewhere.
How long does it actually take for a Yludith to be born? Is it really fast like, say, the father and mother have become one to reproduce, and are successful. They disconnect, and the child starts to grow in the asterism for a couple minutes or hours and then they take it out? Or is it much, much longer? Months or weeks or so? If a Yludith baby is the size of a fist when it's taken out of the mother's asterism, does that mean Yludith children then grow rapidly to a 'normal' size for a baby?
Gestation period is on average 30 weeks or 210 Trials to refer to ST time, with still three trimesters. This period is less than a normal human pregnancy, but still a significant amount of time. The baby is far smaller but still 'developed' in that they can still function as would any human newborn. Their growth from birth to a regular sized newborn is very fast and can take around 7 trials.
Assuming the Yludith don't have to walk around for months with a foetus in their asterism, can Yludith females pretend to be pregnant?
Yes, there is no characteristic 'baby bump' and the like. But they can fake it.
Can they fake bleeding? For instance, when they get in a fight and receive a couple wounds, could they pretend to be bleeding as to not being found out? (Given that the wounds aren't too serious, of course). And the light energy that escapes when they get wounded, is it visible? Like there's suddenly a bright ray of light coming from their bodies?
Yludih who are cut will project the illusion of bleeding involuntarily, similar to the same mechanism to their appearance, breathing etc. Light energy will indeed escape, but most of the energy is in wavelengths not visible to the regular human eye. No sudden rays of light and the like.

Can they fake bleeding? For instance, when they get in a fight and receive a couple wounds, could they pretend to be bleeding as to not being found out? (Given that the wounds aren't too serious, of course). And the light energy that escapes when they get wounded, is it visible? Like there's suddenly a bright ray of light coming from their bodies?

Wounds only of a 'grave' nature, not necessarily mortal, that would lead to decent blood loss, should cause light to escape, illuminating the wound with a bright pulsing of light. The Yludih can fake bleeding using illusion.
Can Yludih form unique shapes? Like mythological creatures, etc, or monsters/animals that are original? Obviously I imagined if they could it would be quite difficult. Like to get all the details (how the body works, etc.) right. I mean because it's already hard enough to just copy other things.
The vast majority can form into other animals. It would take only a very special Yludih to form the unique shapes you describe...

Can a Yludih to recreate a form based on memory? Like of someone they once knew well?

Memory does not provide enough information required to perform a decent replication. The replication would resemble a caricature of that person. It is the subtle details that create a perfect copy.
If they are somewhere cold, or are made extremely cold (I don't know, maybe through magic or they get trapped in an ice room, haha), does that affect their abilities to manipulate heat/light/energy and thus their projected form?
Only in the same way it would affect any other race to perform in those conditions.
How much difference in mass do they have to work with when turning into other races/animals?
Correct, the Yludih must abide by the same scientific laws that we enjoy here, that being the law of conservation of mass. They could skimp out on the density of certain areas to enlarge themselves, but would be at the detriment to the functionality of the creature they are assuming the form of.
Could a Yulidih take take the form of a Tunawa?
This will be made a restricted race to form in to.
Is the Uleuda forum open for play?
It is absolutely open for play!
Because Yludih cannot access Emea, does this mean they would be barred from entering a fracture into Emea? Or is entering it physically different than entering it while asleep?
Yes they are barred from entering a fracture into Emea.
The lore says that they cannot shift forms in Uleuda. Can their spears (or even other items) morph into whatever they happen to need at the time? So like, a spear could morph into a bow and arrow?
Uleuda allows the Yludih to 'come as you are' no trickery, no illusions, no morphing. It is where the Yludih have an actual identity and sense of self. Uleuda is the 'real world' for the Yludih in some ways. Therefore, the spear is like a spear in our world, it is what it is. But, I do think there should be other weapons, like a bow + crystal arrow and so on and I will introduce these into the lore.
What happens to a Yludih in the real world when they are turned into nulliem in Uleuda? Do they simply die in their sleep?
The cease to exist and disappear.
Also, what happens to a Yludih who dies or is injured in other ways in the Uleuda (aka stabbed by a spear, crushed by a falling tree, etc)? Do they simply wake up?
They die in Idalos.
Apart from the asterism, do Yludih have internal organs? I imagine they do possess a esophagus-like canal to bring food to the asterism -or that their insides change automatically to bring this about? But what of other organs?
Absolutely, they have canal for food and liquid for the asterism. There is no need for any other organs.
Under the assumption that Yludih have no internal organs other than the asterism, is there a need for Yludih to breathe? Can they even breathe? They seemingly run on carbohydrates alone, but do they need oxygen to burn them and gain energy? What about the Yludih impersonating Mer? As the disguise is not a true transformation but an illusion, they can't actually form gills, can they? Then -if they actually need to breathe- how do they get their oxygen from the water?
They do not require oxygen as they do not have blood. The Yludih can therefore go underwater as long as required. The depth they can swim is similar to that of the Mer.
How do you kill a Yludih? And I don't mean by destroying the asterism. I imagine that since they emit light when wounded, a severe injury would drain them of too much of the light energy, and kill them? Much like them bleeding out. But is it instant death, or does it take a while? Say you cut their head off, do they die immediately? Or can they just gather their severed head, push it back on their neck and wait for it to heal? Given that they are fast enough to accomplish this.
To simplify it, they would die of similar injuries to that of a human. Due to the similarity of a human and Yludih physically, their head contains functions for thinking and the like, similar to a brain. Thus, decapitation would cause instant death.
If you could, I'd really like to know how many threads you have to do to learn a second animal form? I assume after you learn one you will need less threads to learn the next? I'm planning on learning a ton of animal forms, starting this season.
First Animal Form:

The Stages are as follows:

Stage 1: Knowledge.

The Yludih must first gather secondary knowledge of the chosen animal, whether it be by books, spoken word and so on. This will give them an initial point of reference on their animal and whether it is indeed a perfect fit for them. They can then understand the whereabouts, the population size (rare or common?) and whether it is possible to access one in captivity for further study.

Minimum 1 thread.

Stage 2: Observation

The Yludih must then gather first hand knowledge of the animal from direct observation of the creature whether in the wild or in captivity. Recording detail of physiology, behavior, eating habits, where they live and so on, enable the Yludih to gain critical information in order to attempt initial transformations.

Minimum 1 threads.

Stage 3: Meditation

The Yludih must use meditation to internalize the observations made of their animal. This stage involves sitting in a quiet place and beginning to de-solidify their bodies. Once they are comfortable at liquifying their body and taking certain rough forms, they are ready to proceed in transforming partially into their chosen animal.

Minimum 1 thread.

Stage 4: Transformation

Like the sculpture that chisels away the block, the Yludih will start with rough shapes that will barely resemble the animal. At the same time, the general colors of the animal will be overlaid upon the rough shape in an attempt to create the appearance of the animal. This may go on for some time.

Minimum 1 thread.

Stage 5: Detailing

The Yludih, now will begin to hone down their general form and appearance, to resemble the shape of the animal. They will concentrate now, not only the finer details of the appearance but now upon putting into practice the mechanics of their movement. As they begin to move about as their animal, their bodies will make fine adjustments almost unconsciously in order to achieve the familiar movements of the animal.

Minimum 1 threads.

Stage 6: Refining

The Yludih must now refine their new form to the point where they can consistently change into their form quickly and almost unconsciously taking into account the multitude of details where it becomes almost second nature. Following this stage, it can take a further few years to perfect their animal transformation.

Minimum 1 thread.

Second Animal Form:

Stage 1: Knowledge.

The Yludih must first gather secondary knowledge of the chosen animal, whether it be by books, spoken word and so on. This will give them an initial point of reference on their animal and whether it is indeed a perfect fit for them. They can then understand the whereabouts, the population size (rare or common?) and whether it is possible to access one in captivity for further study.

Minimum 1 thread.

Stage 2: Observation

The Yludih must then gather first hand knowledge of the animal from direct observation of the creature whether in the wild or in captivity. Recording detail of physiology, behavior, eating habits, where they live and so on, enable the Yludih to gain critical information in order to attempt initial transformations.

Minimum 1 threads.

Stage 3: Not Required.

Stage 4: Not Required.

Stage 5: Detailing

The Yludih, now will begin to hone down their general form and appearance, to resemble the shape of the animal. They will concentrate now, not only the finer details of the appearance but now upon putting into practice the mechanics of their movement. As they begin to move about as their animal, their bodies will make fine adjustments almost unconsciously in order to achieve the familiar movements of the animal.

Minimum 1 threads.

Stage 6: Refining

The Yludih must now refine their new form to the point where they can consistently change into their form quickly and almost unconsciously taking into account the multitude of details where it becomes almost second nature. Following this stage, it can take a further few years to perfect their animal transformation.

Updated 03/10/16
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Vluharqih
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Yludih - Q&A

Hey,

Thanks for clearing a lot of these questions up. I've just got a few more regarding injuries.

1. What happens if a Yludih is cut? So at first, the 'light energy' comes out of the wound, but what happens after 5 minutes (ie when the wound would typically congeal)? Does the light energy congeal similar to blood, or is there a thin membrane that the Yludih make?

2. Scars/Lost Limbs. What happens to scars? Do they exist for the Yludih, can the Yludih consciously create them, or do the Yludih simply heal completly, leaving no evidence of the wound? What happens if the Yludih looses a limb? Is it simply that they've lost total mass, or can they regain the mass that they've lost? Or is it similar to RL, and they just have that limb missing no matter what form they're in?

3. What differences exist between the Yludih and the 'regular' people of that Race? IE I've been told that Yludih don't have the Avriel's vision, but they do have their wings (obviously). Where does the line get drawn?

Thanks for the help.
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Alex, thank you for your questions. I have provided answers to them in the opening post. Please feel free to let me know if the answers require further clarification! As you are THE Yludih player RPing in ST, I take your comments very seriously!!
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Would a yludih be able to breath under water in mer form?
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Oh, Oh! Another Yludih!

I must have missed you coming in. I'm excited to see your take on them!
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Are Yludih capable of surviving high-pressure, such as deep in the earth or underwater? Also, are there diseases that Yludih can come into contact with and therefore be infected by? If a Yludih were to fall, could the crystal body suffer damage if the fall was severe enough to, like with being struck? I imagine yes, but I like the definitive knowing anyhow.

As a T-1000 lover, I am much excite for what fighting style they can have.

Thank you! :)
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Great to see more Yludih PCs shapeshifting away in Idalos!

Thanks for the questions - please let me know if further clarification is required :)
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I came into existence just to prove shards wrong :P
Says there's only one yludih, not any more.

I do kinda wish I knew this before, everyone told me they couldn't breath or fly in there other forms so I picked a less cool form :P

I assume yludih can't do the telepathy since it's not a physical trait,right? (I'm sorry just thought of this now I'm not trying to make your life difficult. ) so they probably be found out in mer society quicker that usual.
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Can Yludih be poisoned?
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Alright, I've got some more everyday questions of a less professional sort:
Can Yludih have sex with the race they look like (I presume no)?
How does the process of accessing Uleuda look like, I mean I know the general stuff that's in the Knowledge base, but how does it feel like and look like for a, let's say kid who's going to Uleuda for the first time (after they're told they're Yludih)?
Can a Yludih's facial expression be noticed in their crystal form in Uleuda when they're young and still don't have their umm.. stuff.. formed completely?
In the KB it's explained how the Yludih learn to become an animal, but what is the process of learning to shapeshift into the 2nd race?
I'm planning on doing some memory threads, you're onto me :P
And one more, none FAQ question about my character specifically:
Since I named him Zunaqih, it's Zun Aqih, without any changes, yes, because it seemed cool just like that :) , and of course Aqih meaning truth and Zun being the possession word thingy (It's late here, I should go to bed, don't judge me), how would his name translate into Common/English, would it be like the leader's name in the sort that it's: The one that is the truth, or would it be more like: The one who possesses the truth; or something else, please, this one is really bugging me :(
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