Simic Combine
Structure
Zonots
A zonot is a huge sinkhole that leads all the way down to the Decem Factiones oceans, and each serves as a distinct Simic habitat—sort of an oversized, inverted skyscraper. Each zonot has a different culture, ecosystem, and racial distribution, as well as a speaker. Zonot One The first to open, Zonot One appeared in a remote area far away from the Tenth District. This is Speaker Zegana's home zonot, although she spends most of her time in Zonot Seven, where the Simic main guildhall is located. Zonot One is the smallest zonot and has a somewhat somber feeling compared to others. Zonot Four The largest of the zonots has the marine troll Trifon as its speaker. The culture here is more brutal and direct than elsewhere, and the residents are larger on average, too. Zonot Five The Simic tend to be insular, but this zonot has become a tourist destination—a place where the guildless can come to see the ocean as well as to observe Simic life. Rather than discourage this, the Simic created the Helical Stair here to draw more visitors. Zonot Seven The only zonot inside the boundaries of the Tenth District, Zonot Seven is home to the guildhall, the Zameck. As one would expect, this is the busiest and most densely populated zonot.Clades
Where other cultures are divided by species, caste or role, within the Simic Combine, members are divided by Clade. A Clade is a group that's focused on a specific aspect of the Combine or project. Some of the Clades include:- Hull Clade: focusing on protection, defense, and durability.
- Fin Clade: focusing on the movement of creatures (especially flying creatures) as well as, movement of resources through systems.
- Crypsis Clade: focusing on camouflage and magic designed to hide knowledge or operations.
- Gyre Clade: focusing on redirecting or nullifying magic and advancing nature.
Factions
Independently from the Clades operate factions about the interpretation of Simic philosophy. Two are known: The Utopians, who focus on a harmonic union between civilization and nature, where evolution is a slow, guided process; and the Adaptationists, who believe that the guilds exist in a fragile ecosystem in which the slightest imbalance can have cascading effects, and thus seek to take steps that will ensure their survival. Though not outright stated, it is likely that Momir Vig's followers constituted their own factions, the Vigeans, who saw nature as something to be molded and subdued in order to enhance civilization.Guardian
In recent years the Simic Combine has extended its research to humanoid subjects, magically transferring the traits of various animals into humans, elves, and vedalken.[5] The goal of the Guardian Project is to build an army perfectly adapted to a variety of combat situations. These hyper-evolved specimens are called Simic hybrids, though they sometimes refer to themselves as guardians.Culture
The Simic Combine is Decem Factiones's steward of nature and the wild; its mission is to preserve the natural world even as Decem Factiones's cities continue to grow. The guild seeks to protect the elements of the plane that are incompatible or mutually exclusive with its overpopulated, urban conditions. The guild uses magic to coax new morphologies from existing creatures, as well as to combine traits from multiple organisms in one. Some of these are unique creatures that can't reproduce. A few multiply and become part of the guild's fabric.
The emotionally distant relationship that the Simic biomancers have with the rest of Decem Factiones's society makes the common man wary of the guild, thinking of them as crazy mutant makers. Even so, the Simic makes up the physicians of Decem Factiones and so injuries and illness are taken to reputable doctors.
Public Agenda
Two philosophical principles, in tension with each other, combine to give the Simic Combine its unique approach to science and nature. In traditional Simic thought, these principles are called the Holdfast and the Upwelling.
The Holdfast principle, named for the biological mechanism that keeps kelp and sponges anchored to the sea floor, advises members of the Simic Combine never to stray so far from nature that they become "adrift." It espouses the idea that nature left undisturbed will evolve toward adaptive traits and increased strength. Nature will flourish and grow, and every creature will find its proper niche in the ecosystem where it can thrive.
The Upwelling principle, named for the phenomenon of nutrient-rich water rising to the ocean surface, advocates that the new and enlivened should replace the old and depleted in an unending cycle, bringing constant refreshment and renewal. This principle accounts for the combine's analytical bent and its emphasis on knowledge as a means of transformation. Learning the secrets of the universe lets you shape the world as you desire. The Upwelling encourages every creature to discover its full potential.
The Holdfast encourages the Simic to promote nature; the Upwelling urges them to perfect nature. The end result is the same: a hastened system of evolution that brings out the best in every creature's nature. But different factions within the Simic Combine interpret these principles in their own ways.
The leadership of the Simic Combine represents the traditional philosophy of the Utopians. Their vision is of an ideal world in which nature and civilization exist in balance, in which natural life adapts to life in the midst of modern civilization and the civilized world adapts to accommodate these creatures. Utopians generally interpret the Holdfast principle as being about staying rooted in nature, and the Upwelling as concerned with slow, predictable, cyclical improvement. So they remain hidden in their sub aquatic laboratories, pursuing their research while isolated from the volatile interrelationships among the other guilds. Prime Speaker Zegana encourages that isolationist attitude.
At the same time, a growing faction within the Simic believes that an all-out war among the guilds is inevitable, given the growing unrest in the city. These members, the Adaptationists, believe that the guilds exist in a fragile ecosystem in which the slightest imbalance canhave cascading effects. With an absent Living Guild-pact failing to maintain the balance, only catastrophecan result. The Simic must change in order to survive, and slow, small steps in pursuit of an ideal vision aren't enough. The future of the guild is in imminent danger, and the Simic need to focus on survival. Adaptation is intended to interpret the Holdfast as being about defense and security, and the Upwelling as a call for sudden, disruptive growth.As befits members of a guild of scientists, the Adaptationists' preparations for war include the creation ofso ldiers that are magically and biologically adapted. The Guardian Project has yielded hybrids that combinehuman, elf, or vedalken stock with the characteristics of crabs, fish, jellyfish, and a variety of other creatures to give them natural armor and weapons, gills, venomous stings, and other combat-focused adaptations.
Type
Research, Council
Leader Title
Family Leader
Location
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
Comments