DryadBiomorph [Bioshell, Exotic]Dryads are a type of exotic bioshell that blurs the lines between uplift, android, and human in such a way that the lines might as well not exist at al. They were engineered during the early days of the Fifth Republic of Borealis as part of a large ongoing project to study the nature of biology and how it interacted with mind uploading and downloading. The design started with the discovery of the discovery that the pseudo-bacterial fungus native to Sapphire, Ipomopsis unicentris, could best be used as a rudimentary neural network. Engineers decided to see if it was possible to engineer a biological brain that was capable of being sapient while not containing a sapient ego naturally; something that had never been done with human or animal brain matter before. Engineers cultivated a specialized type of I. unicentris called I. unicentris domestonii, and then through genetic splicing human brain tissue into the mix, created an artificial bacteriological brain. Engineers installed this brain in an android sylph body; at the time, computer simulations said that the design should be blank, but it wasn't. The first Dryad emerged from these experiments.
Dryads look like highly attractive exalts, which is the base genotype that's used for engineering them, but their skin and hair are green and they have a floral or plant-like smell about them, a consequence of the photosynthetic skin. Aside from their brains, all of the modifications that they have are somatic, not genetic, and are printed in the body when the body is printed. This means that they register as nothing more than an android version of the exalt unless a detailed examination is performed. Only females bodies can house dryad brains; this is because of the way that hormones interact with the odd biochemistry of I. unicentris domestonii. Many dryads have remained in Borealis after the end of the Fifth Republic; a surprising number of them identify strongly with the Borealis Technocratic Party. Interesting Facts
|
Dryad 25 points
Attribute Modifiers
Advantages Perks Disadvantages Features |
ST -1 [-10]; DX +1 [20]; HT +1 [10]
Appearance (Beautiful, humans only, -20%) [7]; Doesn't Breathe (Oxygen Absorption, +50%; Temporary Disadvantage, Sessile, -50%) [4]; Doesn't Eat or Drink [10]; Resistant to Disease (+3) [3] Alcohol Tolerance; Deep Sleeper [2]. Dependency (Lie in fertile soil and sunbathe for at least eight hours, very common, daily) [-15]; Unnatural Features 1 (see text) [-1]; Unusual Biochemistry [-5]. Extended Lifespan; Longevity; Reproductive control, Taboo Traits (Genetic Defects, Mental Instability). |