Geodes are bodies of art carved from stone, given life by a heart of crystal. Geodes are a species of mortals made from the Earth itself, known as the last artistic gift from the waste corpse.
Geodes
Geodes are found in mines around the Maw. Their hearts are covered in a geode and must be polished; the more polished the heart, the easier they can connect with their body and a distinguished personality when first emerging. Hearts can take many different shapes, come in many different colours, and hold light and a sleeping mind. Once the heart is polished it must be put inside a body of stone, wood, metal or anything solid. Finally, the heart must be activated by the Geode Carver using any sort of mental magic to start the mind. Once a geode is alive, it doesn’t know much and must be taught, but has great control over its body. Other mortals used to experiment on geodes and the kind of bodies they could work with. These experiments have been deemed illegal but the result seems to be that geodes can only control a humanoid body - any other is uncomfortable and immoral. They seem to only be able to control a thumb and three fingers; when given more fingers, the additional digits won’t move. When additions are added, geodes tend to remain as unmoving stone. Once a geode awakes, it instantly starts growing crystals to help shape its appearance, which can change as it ages, just as an animal's body would. Geodes are very connected to the Geode Carver who made them and consider the carver to be family, but the Geode Carver can’t force the geode to think a certain way. Having a body of stone, geode bodies can be broken and repaired, if their body is destroyed but the heart remains intact, it can be put into a new body. This doesn't make geodes immortal though; they do age and crack within their hearts, and eventually shatter.
Sculpted Life
Origins of Rocks
It’s unknown how geodes came into existence and how a rock is able to have a mind, unlike Knowledge Crystals which exist, but do not hold minds. Some people think geodes are the minds of a lost race from the waste that perceived themselves in stone but after so many years, forgot who they were. This theory is backed by what we know about the Earth God and the mortal mage that created him. Some believe geodes are unintentionally the children of the Earth God and that his light influenced the ground to make mortals that were like him. Evidence for this lies in the number of geode hearts found within his dominion, although geode hearts have also been found all over the waste. They’ve yet to be found in any other realm.
Culture of Stone
Geodes don’t have a strong culture on their own, but usually adapt to the culture of the god they are around. They all feel some connection to the Earth God, whether because of relation or because they’re both made of rock.
Even if your body is made of stone, you need energy like everyone else. Geodes eat rocks the way humans eat meat, but IT'S NOT WEIRD. Geodes have a hard time swimming, given their density. While they don’t need air to breathe, being at the bottom of the ocean isn’t fun and can crush their hearts. Things are no better in space, where the wild light that flows around would rip anything apart. Geodes do tend to work interesting jobs being content to be still for long periods of time. Some rich people will hire geodes to stand in their lawns at parties and on fountains just to be admired as the art they are. There is a limited number of geodes in the world; this is just a fact since they have no way to reproduce or be remade, and their population shifts based on how many are mined at a given time. Eventually every geode will die and no more will be found, and we don’t know if their mysterious origins will be known by then or be lost with the last one.
Geodes as Champions
Geodes can become champions. When a geode is chosen the light is placed in their heart and can sometimes change the look of their heart completely. Geodes make great Earth Champions able to control their body, but other champions that are able to control a physical substance can be good for a Geode as they don’t always have to be in stone.
Smashable
Geode bodies are made of objects that give them special properties based on what they are made of.
Stone: Resistant to either slash, blunt or stab damage.
Ice: Resistant to either slash, blunt or stab damage. Immune to Cold Vulnerable to Fire.
Metal: Gain five defense.
Plants: When healed you double the medicine modifier results of whatever is healing you.
When a Geode enters the Dim Light state they are given a bit of insurance in case they die. After the last hit that would kill you, your body instead smashes leaving your heart. The heart will break if it’s hit with another physical attack.