“To deny morphics their rights is to put life itself on trial for the crime of living.”

Summary

While one species might be the dominate race on other worlds, Kepler has a melting pot of species that each hold claim towards dominance. Each more diverse than the last, these groups are classified under the umbrella term of morphic, which is the collective of civilized species. While intelligence plays a is considered, a major factor which separates a morphic from a beast is the substantial difference in compatible chromosomes that allow for breeding. While evolutionary advantages are the constant go-to for scholars, the biological explanation as to how human-dominant morphics can have children with orc-dominant morphics is still a mystery. This is field of study is extremely contested as many morphics have many biological differences. For example, one morphic may have large wings that change their skeletal structure while another morphic may have gills, yet are still able to breed. Another major factor and guaranteed method of identification is the soul. Morphics have souls and non-morphics do not. This fact alone has lead to numerous debate, but it does remain a requirement that many morphics believe is required for classification.

Biology

Most notable is the lack of half breeds due to uber deoxyri, or more commonly known inevitable traits. This means that if two morphics have different species, but breed, the offspring is guaranteed to have the full biological traits of one parent. When multiple offspring are involved, this gets more complex as one offspring may have the father’s species while all the other offspring may have the mother’s. This complexity deepens further as mental traits do not follow this system. Inevitable traits are also known to be subject to evolution as mutations, gene flow, genetic drift, and natural selection can create large scale genetic cascades across multiple generations. This can result in numerous sub-species that are also classified as morphic, but have stark differences to their original genetic template.

Separation between Morphic and Beast

While morphics and non-morphics may not be capable of producing offspring, the physical similarities have produced of myriad of questions and concerns. For example, both a bird morphic and a bird beast have differing degrees of intelligence, but what gives the morphic more inalienable rights than the beast. Philosophically it is a deep complex puzzle not only of what it means to be a morphic, but everything that the title grants. Is it a morphic’s responsibility to care for beasts when only the morphic benefits? Which came first? The bird morphic or the bird beast?

Morphics and Magic

Another big difference between morphics and all other life on Kepler is the lack of magic. Morphics have no magic of any kind and incapable of manipulating it. This in turn has created a seemingly instinctual desire to obtain it by any means necessary. There are numerous documented events of morphics performing experiments, building machines, and using tools to control magic and anything that produces it. Runes, sigils, spellarms, rituals, and machinas are a few inventions morphics have created to do so. This has transformed magic from a science into a large scale industrial operation that effects every nation on Kepler.