Alternia RPG || Homestuck

Alternia is a planet in another universe and time from Earth, from the webcomic Homestuck. It is an extremely hostile environment. The planet is covered in deadly flora and fauna, with a large, close sun that burns so intensely that it forces its inhabitants to remain nocturnal, for fear of being grievously harmed or killed. The dominant lifeform on Alternia is a species that is no less brutal; trolls.

Trolls are bug-like, grey-skinned humanoids that have horns colored in bands of red-orange to yellow-orange. The size and shape of these horns varies from individual to individual, often taking on shapes reminiscent of the troll's lusus or sign. Trolls often have sharp teeth, but some, typically lowbloods, have flat teeth. Most trolls have black irises with yellow-orange sclera, though adults and trolls close to adulthood often present hints of their blood color in their irises. Troll hair is black, as are the lips. Though trolls have a concept of gender (living in a matriarchal society), all trolls are hermaphroditic (possessing both a prehensile, tendril-like phallus called a bulge and an opening called a nook) and pansexuality is the majority.

Trolls are ruled by an empress who conquers and terraforms planets to her liking. Alternia is the home planet for trolls, and after an unsuccessful past rebellion, almost all trolls are sent off-planet to further the empress's agenda and reinforce her reign upon reaching adulthood. The only exception is made for the jadebloods who care for the mother grub, a giant, larva-like creature which plays a crucial part in the troll reproductive cycle.

Trolls are required to provide genetic material to the mother grub alongside a partner by the time they reach adulthood. Failing to do so results in the troll being culled. Trolls recognize four equally important varieties of romantic relationships, matespritship, kismesissitude, moiraillegiance, and auspicitism.

-Matespritship: Also called red or flushed romance. One's matesprit is a sexual partner whom they admire and love. Represented with hearts.

-Kismesissitude: Also called black or pitch romance. One's kismesis is a sexual partner and bitter rival. Though one is said to hate their kismesis, healthy kismesissitudes result in both trolls bettering each other and themselves in competition. Represented with spades.

-Moiraillegiance: Also called pale romance. One's moirail is a non-sexual, romantic partner who helps to temper each other's worst selves. Moirails are often emotional supports, but may aid each other in other ways instead. Represented with diamonds.

-Auspicitism: Also called ashen romance. Often considered the most complicated romance, as it involves three parties: two trolls with a hatred so strong it threatens to destroy them both, and a mediator. As soon as the mediator is involved, the relationship remains romantic, but becomes non-sexual. Represented with clubs.

Troll society is dominated largely by a strict caste system called the hemospectrum. Trolls have one of eleven different blood colors, with the exception of mutants, these being rust/burgundy, bronze, gold, olive, jade, teal, cerulean, indigo, purple, violet, and fuschia. The lowest caste (burgundy) is the most common, with very few rights, while the highest caste (fuschia) has only 1-2 members, and can get away with pretty much anything. There is a wide range of opinions on the hemospectrum within troll society, from those who benefit from it and wish to keep it intact, those who see it as a necessary evil, some who think of it as an awful thing, but too grand and established to be dismantled, and some rebels who work towards its destruction.

Blood Colors: -Rust: Physically the weakest, but sometimes have psionic abilities like telekinesis. Have the shortest lifespan at 30 sweeps (60 years). Often have characteristics similar to herbivorous animals like rams and sloths. Extremely common (~124 billion individuals) and are culled constantly. Expected jobs are as butlers and servants. -Bronze: Somewhat stronger than rustbloods, and can sometimes have a telepathic link with animals. Have a lifespan similar to humans at 50 sweeps (100 years). Often have large horns and characteristics similar to bovine animals. Super common (~10 billions individuals) and are culled frequently. Expected jobs are as cavalry and animal handlers. -Gold: Not as physically strong as bronzebloods, but typically have strong psionic powers, both with telekinesis and energy beams from the eyes. Have horns that come in doubled pairs (four instead of two), and usually have two mismatched, solid-colored eyes with no distinction between sclera, iris, and pupil. The colors of their eyes match their psionics. Often have hymenopteran motifs, like bees and wasps. Have a lifespan of 70 sweeps (140 years). Very common (~860 million individuals) and are culled often. Expected jobs are in tech and as living batteries. -Olive: Somewhat physically strong. Often have characteristics similar to felines. Have lifespans of 100 sweeps (200 years). Fairly common (~72 million individuals) and are culled sometimes. Expected jobs are as hunters and mercenaries. -Jade: Not as physically strong as olivebloods. Almost exclusively female. Though not rare in number, they are unusual to see on the surface, as they are typically cloistered in caves, caring for the mother grub and wigglers. Have a familial sort of relationship with their cloister. Have lifespans of 150 sweeps (300 years). Common (~6 million individuals) but not culled regularly. Some of the only trolls allowed to stay on Alternia after reaching adulthood, provided they are cloistered. -Teal: Not expected to be strong, as the bureaucratic class on Alternia. Often have sharp or geometric motifs, matching the white collar rank of their station. Have lifespans of 200 sweeps (400 years). Uncommon (~500 thousand individuals) and are only occasionally culled. Expected jobs are as lawyers and propagandists. -Cerulean: Somewhat strong physically, and sometimes possess mind control powers. The lowest of the highblood class. Often have motifs of arachnids like spiders and ticks, but sometimes other typically frightening animals like snakes. Have lifespans of 300 sweeps (600 years). Rare (~40 thousand individuals) and not typically culled. Expected jobs are as strategists, analysts, and cutthroats. -Indigo: One of the strongest castes physically, even when they do not look like it. Considered nobility. Typically have motifs of hoofed animals like horses and zebras. Have lifespans of 500 sweeps (1,000 years). Fairly rare (~3,500 individuals) and are almost never culled. Expected jobs are artists and commanders. -Purple: Very strong. Sometimes possess maddening telepathic abilities called chucklevoodoos. Clown themed, with most members wearing grey and white face paint. Almost all purplebloods belong to a cult led by the Grand Highblood called the dark carnival, which worships the mirthful messiahs, often with offerings of blood. Due to their erratic behavior and off-putting religious devotion, they are largely self-governed, kept docile with the promise of being able to kill whomever they want, whenever they want. Very rare (~300 members). Not culled in the traditional sense, but rarely die a serene death anyways. Typically continue their worship off-planet as subjugators of the empire. -Violet: The royal, seadwelling caste. Possess fins and gills which allow them to live amphibiously. Often have fish or marine creature motifs. Being nigh-on untouchable by the other classes (with exception to the rogue purpleblood with a bloodlust), they can live up to 1,000 sweeps (2,000 years). Extremely rare, with only ~30 individuals on-planet. Expected jobs are as generals and leaders. -Fuschia: There are only ever two fuschiablooded trolls in existence: the current Empress, and sometimes her heiress. An exclusively female caste, and the most powerful. Both physically strong, and possessing the mental capabilities of the lower castes, a fully realized fuschiablood is a force of nature. It's unclear if there is a time limit on the life of a fuschia, as they have been recorded living well over 5,000 sweeps, or 10,000 years. Though the heiress is allowed full reign on Alternia, as soon as she turns of age, she is expected to challenge the current empress in a battle to the death.

The empress enacts culling, the wide-scale slaughter typically of lowbloods, through large robot-like entities called drones. Drones also serve various other duties around Alternia, like operating transport and collecting genetic material. Drones collect this substance using pails, making them an obscene symbol in troll society.

Mutant trolls, especially ones with mutations of the blood color, are culled on sight. Some manage to slip through the cracks, however, and continue to live on in secret. Some say the same is true about limebloods, a caste that was eradicated centuries ago and were rumored to have pyrokinetic abilities, but all evidence of them was scrubbed from imperial records long ago.

Every troll in Alternian society is given a sign; how exactly these are assigned to the individual troll is not known, though blood color is a factor, with each caste having a huge alphabet specific to that class. Many trolls also believe that a troll from the past who shared their sign is likely to be their ancestor, and that the two are likely to have similar fates.

Troll names are a first and surname, both being exactly 6 letters. These are sounds their lusus used to identify them. Troll names often have letter combinations that are unusual in human names, like double k's or silent h's.