Jixen

Originating from the islands of Enaelia, the Jixen possess little in the way of traditional elemental magic. Instead, they are gifted with a singular, terrifying ability: they can feel the immediate future, perceiving events seconds before they occur. With their unsettlingly colorless eyes, they possess an alien quality that unnerves other species. This pre-cognition exacts a heavy toll on their minds, burdening them with the inevitability of cause and effect. As a result, Jixen are naturally fatalistic, melancholic, and deeply detached from the present moment.

Their society is eerily quiet; because they can sense the intent and immediate actions of those around them, verbal communication is often redundant. A Jixen marketplace is silent; the merchant knows the buyer wants the fruit, and the buyer knows the coin will be accepted. To an outsider, this telepathic-like synchronization is terrifying. They rarely display emotion, excitement, or surprise, as the new is already a memory to them before it happens. This cultural baseline of depression is called "The Graying." They do not seek happiness, viewing emotions as chemical reactions to unexpected stimuli; since nothing is unexpected, showing emotions such as anger or envy is considered degrading. Consequently, they have no need for complex government or laws to deter crime, because any transgression is foreseen and prevented or accepted before it happens, allowing them to move as a collective organism guided by the path of least resistance.

Interactions with other species are rare and strained, not out of malice, but because the Jixen psyche is so fundamentally different that normal conversation is difficult to sustain. They usually dwell in strong walled houses built at the foot of mountains or deep in the valleys to shelter from Enaelia's constant winds and rains. Observers often notice "The Lag," a state where Jixen seem to dissociate. They are living a few seconds in the future, so their physical body is on autopilot in the present, giving them a robotic, ghostly demeanor.

Even physical intimacy holds little appeal, leading to low reproductive rates and a scarce global population. The dynamic between men and women is defined by the strength of their gift. Jixen males, born in fewer numbers, usually possess a much weaker future-sense than females, sometimes lacking it entirely. To a female Jixen, a male feels broken or blind, pitiable but mostly ignored. Notably, the Jixen male is the only exception among males of any species in Andromeda that possess any magical ability whatsoever. Because women have almost no maternal instinct or emotional attachment, males are often viewed as surplus resources. Once a male has sired a child, he is frequently sold to Sarin slavers. These men are favorites among the Sarins; their fatalistic nature makes them incredibly obedient house servants who accept their lot as an inevitability. They are also considered perfect lovers who do not break Keelai's Law, as they do not crave sex but can sense exactly how to please a partner.

Despite their social isolation, Jixen are peerless warriors. Combat with them is a nightmare known as the Phantom Dance; they dodge before a swing and parry before a thrust, needing no shields or heavy armor because they simply are not where the blow lands. They are the natural nemesis of the Nihilims, though they rarely cross paths, for the Jixen are not bellicose and do not seek conflict. The only way to beat a Jixen is to overwhelm their senses, use area-of-effect magic that cannot be dodged, or strike faster than they can process. They are also vulnerable to randomness, as chaos magic or unpredictable beasts can confuse their foresight.

Though vastly misunderstood, they are highly valued as seers, and groups of Jixen serve in the various branches of the Order of Oracles across Andromeda. Their relationship with their goddess Enael is complex. They live their best life in the dream world, a parallel plane where they can connect with their goddess and visit the dreams of other Jixens, escaping the grimness of their reality. In the dream plane, they cannot see the future. Their ability is a two-sided coin: they are so used to it that without it, they are submerged by a crushing feeling of vulnerability, yet when they see everything, life loses its thrill.