Matholith

The Matholiths (Geometricus Goddamnicus), are sentient, physical expressions of geometric formulas and equations. They are found almost exclusively in their city of Ultimerimus¹, near the old Hantayi region of The Goddam Desert, where the cyclical tides of temporal stasis and chaotic potentiality make it possible for them to realize their goal of mathematical and spiritual perfection.²     It is unknown whether the Matholiths could survive outside of the Goddam Desert's powerful stasis field. Professor Clara Lee of Gri’x University hypothesizes that exposure to the ever-changing frequencies of dynamic reality would accelerate the transition phases, causing a Matholith's body to evolve before they were mentally prepared. If it were to survive such an experience (with or without their sanity intact), they would still be prevented from achieving the calm, industrious state of mind they enjoy in the desert's temporal stasis field, without which they lack the ability to focus, follow their plans, and finish their work.

APPEARANCE & COMPOSITION

  There are five main subsets within the Matholith species: Stippli (or Soul-Points), Lina (or Lines), Plana (or Planes), Concretians (or Rectilinear Forms), and Triturations (or Organic Forms). Each subset is a growth stage in an Ashtray's lifespan, imparting the unique physical and mental qualities of that stage to that individual for as long as the stage lasts.   Within the limitations of their respective subsets, Matholiths may be of any shape, size, slope, curve, surface area, angle, circumference, or radius.   In the two-dimensional Plana stage and the three-dimensional Concretian and Triturative stages, the surface of an Ashtray’s body is smooth and hard, like an eggshell.   Two- and three-dimensional Matholiths may be of any color: usually a pure shade, with no variation whatsoever, though a few do develop variegated surface markings. (These individuals are treated with suspicion by the general community, as such inconsistencies are thought to be indicative of anomalies in one’s personal frequency pattern.)   Little is known about their internal structure, though when subdivided, the newly revealed surface area appears to be consistent with that of the external material, so their physical composition is thought to be homogenous throughout, comprised only of the dense auric energy of attached non-sentient points, with no separate organs or different types of tissues like those of biological bodies.

EVOLUTIONARY CYCLE

Like any physical or conceptual space, Ultimerimus is awash in zero-dimensional points. Most of these are merely non-sentient, free-floating potentialities: more conceptual representations of potentiality than substance. Those which are conscious—the Stippli—are zygotal Matholiths, each oscillating at the barest essential frequency of the individual they contain.   An Ashtray begins (and ends) each iteration of its existence as a Stippli which attracts other, free-floating points by projecting a force resembling the electrostatic charge between protons and electrons. During its series of progressive transitions, it will evolve through the first four stages by accumulating more and more points, adding mass and dimension to its form. Points become Lines, Lines become Planes, Planes become Rectilinear Forms. In the Line, Plane, and Rectilinear stages, an Ashtray's temperament and mental/emotional flexibility is relative to both its size and geometric complexity, which depend on the time spent within that phase. Generally, the fewer points it accumulates before entering the next phase, the more resistant to new ideas and perspectives it is.³     Both progressive and regressive evolutionary transitions occur only during the monsoonal rains, when the Ashtrays are able to adapting new ideas or dislodge old ones.

SOCIETY

  Little is known about daily life in Ashtray society. They have no formal government other than the known laws of Mathematics. The reclusive Spheres (highly advanced Triturative forms) will usually provide advice and insight when asked, though no one is compelled to follow it. There does seem to be some communal effort to ensure that all the citizens (in good standing) of Ultimerimus have sustenance, shelter, work, and companionship, as meeting these basic needs keeps their society running smoothly.   Consistency and honesty are desirable traits, while deviation from established norms is discouraged. Anomalous outliers are ostracized in accordance with the prevailing theorems and postulates, and most of these tend to voluntarily relocate to the village of Anomolia, a sub-set of Ultimarimus at the outer fringes of the city, until they can balance their own equations.  

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Language

  The Matholiths' native language consists of tones and chords. They can express many different ideas through variations of frequency, pitch, and sustain, much like a theremin. According to Professor Lee's records, they are capable of learning to speak, read, and write in other languages as well (she notes that several of the Triturations she met were quite fluent in Latin), though they consider linear, word-based communication methods to be cumbersome and inferior.   Matholiths are extremely sensitive to changes in their physical environment as well as the state of the auric fields of those around them. Each individual's points oscillate at its own signature frequency, enabling them to emit and receive information in the form of electromagnetic waves as it interacts with other auric fields. Those with greater surface areas are the most perceptive listeners and eloquent speakers, being able to project their own thoughts as rich, varied tones, and pick up on many nuances in the frequencies of thought, emotion, and physical substances (even trace amounts of particulate matter) that cross their auric field.   Because each Ashtray's frequency is unique to that individual, each will have its own interpretation of the information carried by surrounding auric fields. Personal perceptual translations of the same experience can differ wildly from one Ashtray to the next.

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Time, the Seasons, and the Cultural Cycles

  The Goddam Desert's primary feature is that, within its borders, time simply does not pass in most locations for most of the year. Despite this limitation, the Matholiths do note seasons based on the occasional monsoonal rains, which are of tantamount importance to their activities and behavior.   The Ashtray's "year", which they call an und, has no set number of days, but is measured solely by the beginning and ending of their two seasons.   A new und begins on the first day of Cacume, when the rains first appear and Ultimerimus goes into a city-wide frenzy of creativity. During Cacume, the monsoons (literally a "brainstorm", in the Ashtrays' language) agitate the Ashtrays' frequencies and stimulate their capacity for ideation and fresh perspectives. They will apply themselves with gusto to their planning and drafting, argue enthusiastically about how things should be done, and make exhaustively detailed plans. They must secure a bountiful surplus of ideas and clear instructions to sustain themselves through the coming dry period.   Cacume ends the moment that the rains stop and the sky clears. This marks the first day of Imum, when time stagnates again and the Ashtrays' work begins.   During Imum, Ashtrays have an extremely limited capacity for free or original thought. (An argument begun during Cacume which isn't resolved by Imum often continues in circles for days on end until the rains come again.) They can follow the instructions and schedules prepared during Cacume, but their problem-solving skills are practically non-existent, and they tend to not even notice when something new or unexpected happens (luckily, such aberrations are practically unheard-of during Imum). When communicating, they stick to subjects they already know, repeating the most recently-established patterns and thoughts. They are highly productive and efficient during these times, but only if they have precise plans, outlines, and scripts to follow.   The length of the seasons and the unds is unpredictable. One external linear year may contain several unds, or none at all. Travelers wishing to visit the Goddam Desert are advised to keep a careful eye on weather patterns and plan accordingly.

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Spirituality

  Each individual Matholith seeks to attune its frequency with that of the Prime Fractal (also known as the Universal Set or the Great Solved Equation). Ashtrays believe that we are all merely elements and sub-sets within this entity, and though our personal frequencies are fraught with imbalances that prevent us from seeing or understanding the solution, we are each still a complete iteration of the Whole, however flawed we may be. A Soul-Point may, through many incarnations, attune its frequency and reach the Solution if it can resolve the inequalities of the ego.   The exact nature of this Prime Fractal is a subject of great philosophical debate among Spheres and other learned Ashtrays, and one can often hear them arguing when the rains fall upon the Goddam Desert.