The Shardmind

Shardminds are ancient crystalline creatures consisting of hundreds of small shards of translucent green, white, red, amber or (rarely) blue crystal assembled into humanoid form and animated by a force of pure psionic energy. Shardminds choose their forms to mimic the shapes of humanoids; some take on forms that seem more masculine, while others appear more feminine. A Shardmind's animating force glows dimly from within each of its component shards, emanating most brightly from where the eyes of a natural humanoid would be. This inner light sheds dim light in a Shardmind's space, but a Shardmind individual can squelch the light with an instant's concentration, useful for hiding in the dark for example.   The crystalline fragments making up a Shardmind's body are in constant, silent motion, almost like the circulation of blood. When a Shardmind is stunned or unconscious, it might lose control of the tight mental reins that keep its body in humanoid form, a few shards slipping free into orbits around its body until the Shardmind regains control.   Shardminds are living creatures only in the loosest sense. Their crystalline bodies require no sustenance, and they don't breathe. They don't need sleep, though they must still rest for six hours to gain the benefits of an extended rest. They don't have gender and don't reproduce.   Shardminds are fragments of pure thought given life and substance. They are logical, emotionally distant, and naive to the ways of society in the world. Some approach life with Innocent curiosity, eager to embrace the wealth of experience the world has to offer. Others remain resentful and aloof, bearing a higher purpose in mind at all times. Though they often seem dispassionate, when a strong emotion seizes them, they experience it powerfully. For example, Shardminds don't get annoyed, they become enraged.   Shardminds are sentient fragments of the Living Gate, which once stood at the pinnacle of the intricate lattice of the Ley Lines. Although the race as a whole shares a common goal of rebuilding the Living Gate, several philosophies disagree on how to accomplish that goal.