As one can rememeber, Vodyani were pretty unique in their "grotesque forms" - with their arms acting like our legs - and their legs being manipulators. This presents some opportunities for freshness. This design shouldn go to waste. 

Bonus: Naked Sophon NSFW

Leaving meta-reasons aside:

I believe there are Prime Vodyani, or Tchinomese alive, somehwere. Why?

1. Vodyani were a space-bound people since even before their Virtualization - they escaped their heavily polluted skies and orbited their world in vast star-cities - they weren't dying out or scraping up  - while researching Endless Ruins at first, then venerating them - on their Homeworld of Tchinomy.

Thus - they would have space flight abilities that would ensure some would escape the burgeoing Church and industrial tech to resetlle planets. 

2. Virtualization is not alwyas succesful - as some, if not most, die trying or are otherwise lost. This might frighten some, that again, would actively make them apart from Religious faction.

We don't know if majority of their race or only a small fraction achieved Virtualization, as Cloth wasn't abundant - it was rare. 

3. Also it's a pretty drastic move to forego your body and emotions(as Vodyani are artificially blunted and controlled by their Overseers). Vodyani are not below forcing individuals to undergo transformation against their will - and I believe at least some outliers if not significant part of society would be vehemently against such measures.

Those give me a reason to believe that Tchinomese, that haven't become Vodyani(is it a indigenous name or a Virtual dialect?), are still somewhere with their bizarre grotesque forms. 

Have they learned they lesson and they exploit their new world responsibly or are the same stubborn, but still industrious ones? For one I believe they wouldnt be Religious.

I personally would like them to appear as a Minor Civ.

Speaking of missing Civs or missing Heroes - Burra Techseeker is pretty lonely without Plocynos Civ and those Kalmat guys surely have at least one dust-savvy Hero-material in their lava lairs.

Frogsquadron wrote:

Loving the idea. Not sure Slowhands would. :D

Haha. Made my day tbh :D

But yeah, neat idea. Totally agree that it would be cool addition to lore.

Sublustris wrote:

I guess Vodyani zealots would convert remaning population by force and erradicate all who left. Sure, some indiviuals might've survived, but I belive their count is so negligable, that they can't represent minor population.

This is a valid opinion as much as mine- but if population were to count in e.g. 5billions, even 5 milions and there were 40000 Cloths...what would happen with those without Cloths? As one can see Vodyani settlements are more than three times smaller than those of other races - they aren't a numerous folk (at least now) and they regularly stress the rarity of Cloth(since ever). 

It's a question of proportions.

As for the founder effect...Kal'Tik'Ma are survivors of just one scout colony yet they not only have a Civilisation, they have 2 heroes and a secret drive to resurrect their totally, absolutely dead world. 

Moreover Pilgrim are descendants of a small dissenting group, I believe Vaulters and Sisters of Mercy counted in the hundreds when they escaped Auriga. Finally dreaded Nakalim scarcely survived their ill-thought shenanigans with hibernation. Examples are numerous.

Looking into other mediums to find a precedent case - I can find a reverse scenario, with just only 1000 high-tech zealots of Prophets(Halo) escaping from much more numerous prime-society and surviving and prospering(albait physically deteriorating  because of opulency) for thousands of years. 

I cannot help but notice your avatar, not ad hominem... ad vodyanem or anything :)

Isn't process of virtualization involve multiple individuals, and as result cloth is "inhabited" by multiple people where they merged into one? That explains why they aren't numerous, require a lot of food and grow slowly in numbers.

Sublustris wrote:

Isn't process of virtualization involve multiple individuals, and as result cloth is "inhabited" by multiple people where they merged into one? That explains why they aren't numerous, require a lot of food and grow slowly in numbers.

As I understand that - there's a controller (mainly of Tchinomy descent)  that controlls Cloth(that is an artifact of Virtuals, cannot be made again), that is empty by default. 

Then there are Virtuals themselves, Holy Spirits of Vodyani, their Saints - that can be "invited" to cohabit in your suit, sort of like a stowaway.  

Essence is a fuel of Cloths - it's a living being-derived dust - that can be siphoned two-ways - lethaly and nonlethaly, with proportional cost on the "food". 

As there are Virtual Dustylezers that work the same way, albet more hardocre and converting consciousness/matter (?) into pure -Dust. Essence seems to be a faulty, second hand, impure Dust that Vodyani use mainly for Religious purposes.

You are proposing that Vodyani would be a coollection of gestalts, but I think it's not the case - merely indiviudals larping space-vampires.

These informations are great in two way and I thank you - first, I was proven wrong and I've learned more. It makes me wonder what else is hidden in plain sight amongst archives.

Second, as you graciously unterlined:  Vodyani went into space while leaving behind the dying survivors of their former race and by the time they return, there are none of those Tchinese left. There are no space-habitats either. 

This would mean two things - Tchinese Remnant died out there and their habitats crashed unsupervised or Tchinese survived elsewhere, choosing a conventional ,rather than drastic means. There are quests where primitive generation ships, colony ships, cryoships appear - so it's not so far fetched. After all, we are talking about hundreds, if not thousands of years.

Personally, as I like their design and story I chose the second route - the way went Bereaved and Foundlings and survived - not death.