Lustrous
| Lustrous | |
|---|---|
 A newly-born Lustrous. Note the angular, rough edges, crystalline skin and lack of eyeballs.
| |
| Population | 4-14 (est.) |
| Culture | Cánsenic (Western Lustrous)
Unknown (Eastern Lustrous) |
| Location | Angelic Nation, New Cánse |
| Place of Origin | The Lands (Eastern Lustrous), Cánse (Western Lustrous) |
| Notable Members | |
| Religion | Majority: Astericism (50%-80% est.) |
The Lustrous are a species of sentient, crystalline individuals native to the world of Cinder. Being composed entirely of inorganic minerals and gemstones, the Lustrous are characterized by their remarkable physical endurance and biological immortality. Contrary to some of Cinder's other dominant intelligent species, the Lustrous do not possess a central nervous system, instead harboring millions of tiny, microscopic organisms called inclusions that grant the Lustrous advanced cognitive capabilities analogous to those of humanity. Much like their biological counterparts, the Lustrous are highly social beings that thrive in communities, albeit their organization is markedly different from that of human societies. Unlike humans, the Lustrous do not have a multiplicity of competing and interacting social groups, owing to their limited size as a species and lack of need to compete for resources. As such, social interactions between Lustrous have produced values, behaviors, social norms and cultures strikingly distinct to that of humanity.
While the Lustrous do not possess distinctly human traits such as curiosity, human-Lustrous interaction, coupled with the Lustrous' indefinite lifespan, has influenced their psychology and behavior making them psychologically closer to humans. Given a Lustrous takes eons to fully form and emerge into the world, the species is few in number; while estimates vary, it is thought that there are anywhere between 4 and 14 currently active Lustrous in the world.
For most of their history, the Lustrous were split in two distinct groups, born on opposite sides of the world: the Eastern Lustrous, originating in The Lands and the Western Lustrous, originating in Cánse. The first Lustrous to be born were the Eastern Lustrous, by an estimated 24,000 year difference. Due to a lack of documentation, much of the culture and characteristics of the Eastern Lustrous are lost to time. In modern times, the Lustrous have spread out to much of the world, being sighted in places ranging from the northern landscapes of Cauldra to the plains of the Angelic Nation; their