This is part of a series exploring the worldbuilding of the dark fantasy setting of OROBORO.
The Jonrun people are former humans whose bodies have undergone a transformation into a new, quasi-immortal form called the jona, marked by an elongated neck and limbs, six fingers, and an inability to reproduce. Most Jonrun view themselves as elevated beings, while simultaneously viewing non-Jonrun as narrow-minded cattle to be subjugated or exploited.
Note: This blog post contains images that inspired the appearance of the Jonrun, but these artworks were not commissioned by the Occult Triangle Lab. Click on their sources to learn more about the artist.
Jona Physiomancy
The esoteric process to transform a human body into a jona, or the Jonrun form, is a closely guarded secret, though it is known to take at least six years and involve an obscure form of physiomancy. At the end of the transformation, the new jona may survive on water alone, loses the ability to conceive children, and gains many superhuman traits, including augmented strength, reflexes, and speed.
However, jona are notoriously fragile and susceptible to disease, and require extensive rest after exerting themselves, sometimes requiring days or weeks of recuperation. This requires the mastery of a parallel discipline of medicine, meditation, and physiomancy to maintain the jona and keep it from becoming a withered husk.
The superhuman abilities of the Jonrun have become legendary, and range from outrunning horses to uprooting trees with their bare hands. Among the Jonrun, the ability to run on calm water is considered a considerable display of physical prowess.
Scholars of Immortality
From their inception, the Jonrun have been devoted to pursuing the art of immortality, and although they claim that the jona body grants genuine bodily immortality, its fragility and limitations have caused most Jonrun to acknowledge that it is only the first step on the path toward a perfected form of immortality.
The Jonrun have multiple, competing views on what “perfect” immortality looks like, with some claiming that creating and dwelling in an “otherworld” is the ultimate form of eternal life. An otherworld is a miniature, artificial world that exists between this realm and others, often crafted to be a paradise where time passes slowly or not at all. Other Jonrun claim that immortality can only be obtained through a “gate of flesh”—a practice that can bind an existing soul to a new body.
Historically, the Jonrun grew large groves of trees made of flesh, bone, and blood that were used to grow new organs and eventually entire bodies. These groves became the basis for a new kind of “gate of flesh”: a living being who would give birth to reincarnated souls. This being would eventually become the catalyst for the fall of the sun.
Jonrun Society
Although they present themselves as scholars, philosophers, and hermits, the Jonrun’s erudite outward appearance belies a deep-seated contempt for non-immortals and a strong belief that the Jonrun themselves are entitled to dominion over them. This sense of superiority has caused the Jonrun to wage horrific, decades-long wars against isolated mortal kingdoms in order to force them to become vassals.
In parallel to their brutal expansionism, the Jonrun have bartered their secret knowledge of spellcraft and immortality for influence over many great houses, some of whom have kept their association with the Jonrun secret. Between the threat of war and the promise of eternal life, the Jonrun have gained a place at the table among mortal great houses, clans, and kingdoms.
Jonrun society itself is a hierarchical meritocracy, though notions of merit are tied to the attainment and maintenance of the jona body. Humans who submit themselves to the rule of the Jonrun have the possibility of becoming Jonrun themselves, though this entails decades of loyalty, accrued merit, and intense intrigue among the inner circles of Jonrun society, particularly in regard to obtaining a ro-ki, an existing Jonrun mentor who will endorse their pupil to obtain a jona. Those who fail or do not pursue the path to becoming a full Jonrun are relegated to the lower levels of Jonrun society.
Want to read more about OROBORO?
Read about physiomancy in this article:
Physiomancy, also known as flesh-stitching or sculpting, is widespread within the setting of OROBORO, both as a means to enhance the workings of the body and as a form of fashion. Although it overlaps with medicine, the art of physiomancy aims primarily to alter or transcend the workings and limits of the body, with many practitioners focused on attaining immortality.
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