Who Are The Sy’Arrians
It was the summer of 1983. At the ripe old age of 16, I sat down with a pencil and college ruled paper to flesh out the chaos swirling around in my creative brain. If I am to put a modern spin on it, you could say it was a hot mess. I am not sure how other writer’s conceive their worlds but in my case, the Sy’Arrian Legacy has been a part of me since that summer so long ago. The changes it has been through are inexorably tied to my own; The Cradle of Destiny is the culmination of these changes, while the universe I have put my story in continues to evolve.
The term Sy’Arrian has a somewhat humorous beginning…for me at least. When I pitched the original concept to a colleague of mine who had agreed to provide a nonbiased perspective in 2001, I literally had no clue of what I had gotten myself into.
When I initially created the Sy’Arrians, they had been called, Cycerians. I always do my best to create names that are original and fit into a specific naming scheme, especially when it comes to race names. It can be a challenge when you consider how heavily saturated the creative landscape is with the number of new content being spewed forth from content creators. At the time I felt Cycerians flowed well off the tongue until my colleague mentioned it sounded very close to cesarean; surgery used to deliver a baby. Needless to say, I changed it very soon afterwards.
The history and culture of the Sy’Arrians is quite expansive to serve up in one post. So, I will break it down into several small chunks and not necessarily back-to-back.
Sy’Arrians first began to surface very subtly on Earth. Their abilities manifested in small ways, often viewed skeptically. Unexplained abilities such as ESP, telekinesis, clairvoyance, speaking with and seeing spirits, and other forms of psychic manifestations were common. Considering these abilities could not be explained scientifically, they were not taken seriously and often ridiculed, making it very difficult to prove real cases when they arose.
These abilities initially manifested only in humans. The evolution of these skills, which also began to increase the longevity of the recipients, began with births in the early 1990’s. This is when shaping the known elements of fire, water, air, and earth began to surface. Incorporation of the fifth element, Akasha, did not come until much later.
Due to Earth’s myriad cultures, views on how these abilities should be practiced were mixed. Highly visible religious and governmental groups viewed these practices suspiciously, citing a need to control them and closely monitor their activities. Terrorism was on the rise and nations were hard pressed to deter any activity or groups who were not part of normal society. The enforcement of cease and desist orders were enforced haphazardly, so groups continued to gather and share information about their abilities at discreet locations. They even researched and began to develop new techniques; they began to evolve.
It was not until the passage of the Vestal Law in 2500 when life changed for these practitioners of the known elements. Randolph Vestal, a Senator from the United Terran Republic authored the law, which made it mandatory for all Manipulators of the known elements or similar abilities to register in a planet wide database. Once registered, any use of these abilities resulted in imprisonment of the Manipulator and their families. A special police squad was created to specifically enforce the law and arrest suspected uses. Formed from within the ranks of the United Terran Security Force (UTSF), the Eradicators, were only answerable to the Office of the Prime Electorate. These high degrees of authority often lead to overzealous convictions and excessive force.
The Sha’ran Incident of 2525 demonstrated just how powerful these emerging abilities could be. Eradicators raided the farm of William Sha’ran, whom they suspected was a Manipulator. What they did not know is it was his two sons, Michael and Tyler. When they confessed to save their father, William intervened and was killed by one of the squad members. Grief stricken and fueled by rage, Tyler lashed out, utilizing the four elements as weapons, effectively killing all the Eradicators. After the incident, Tyler and Michael went in to hiding and began a movement to unite all Manipulators against the unfair practices of the United Terran Republic.
In 2526, the Sha’ran Circle was formed and a new race was adopted. No longer recognizing the term Manipulator, these practitioners began calling themselves Sy’Arrians. It is unclear where the term originated but one thing was clear; the Sy’Arrians would no longer standby and be victims under the boot heel of a repressive regime.
In the passing years, Sy’Arrians slowly increased their resources to include space ships, financial backing, and several underground facilities. In these facilities, their abilities were explored and honed, which resulted in major breakthroughs. In 2580, a mass exodus of Sy’Arrians from Earth took place leaving many of its economies in shambles. The Sy’Arrians knew those on Earth would never accept them due to the entangled perceptions of religious intolerance and paranoia. Also, during this time frame the Sy’Arrians adopted a name for their abilities: Akasha. Given the diversity of Earth cultures comprising the Sy’Arrians, they felt it appropriate.
In 2625, after 45 years of traveling to a variety of star systems, the Sy’Arrians settled on the planet of Hyprus. Virtually unknown at the time on most planetary maps, Hyprus was vast and uncharted. Its planetary make up matched Earth’s, while its twin suns kept the planet in mild temperatures almost yearly. Its expansive oceans produced various hues of pinks, greens and dark blue. Wildlife proved to be both docile and hostile. It was the ideal place for Sy’Arrians to begin anew and further their understanding of Akasha.
From 2630 to 2729, the Sy’Arrians experienced significant growths in culture, advancements in medical and technical arenas, and established a deeper understanding of Akasha. They also experienced a significant division within their society.
More to come…
Feel free to post your questions, comments, or concerns. I will respond, if need be, when I able.
