Seaborn
| Race | Leviathan | Enemy | Gallery | Trivia |
| “ | Non-human lifeforms born of the ocean, initiators of the Profound Silence. They have a very short evolutionary cycle to deal with hostile creatures and the environment. To this day, they continue to threaten Ægir and the coasts of Iberia. | ” |
| —Loading screen tip in Mizuki & Caerula Arbor |
The Seaborn (both singular and plural) are a race in the world of Arknights.
Overview
The Seaborn are hyper-adaptive aquatic creatures hailing from the abyss of Terra's oceans. They evolve incredibly fast and possess the ability to mutate their own somatic cells without relying on generational heredity. Unlike the Aegir race who also inhabit the oceans, the Seaborn possess a hive mind (more like collective consciousness) called the Many (We Many in their perspective) that they sometimes use to refer to their race as a whole, thus giving them a collective ultimate goal: the survival of their own kin. Even then, sophisticated Seaborn may have partial individuality, allowing them to sever themselves from the Many. Because of their strong adaptivity, they are constantly absorbing new information from the Terrans and use it to further their evolutionary progress. The Seaborn, specifically the Many, are notably worshipped by the cultists of the Church of the Deep as they see it as a utopian goal that could end Terra's never-ending turmoil.
Behavior
There are different classifications of the Seaborn with a wide variety of body types. Beginning from the lowest are huge colonies of microscopic Seaborn cells forming the Nethersea Brand, behaving like planktons with only one goal: acting as culture dishes and providing nourishment for their kin. Secondly, there are the Sea Terrors ranging from sessile, plantlike, cephalopodic, quadrupedal, to even airborne that behave like mere animals. As they evolve physically, they gradually become humanoid and may even become gigantic Sea Monsters. These more sophisticated Seaborn develop human-like intelligence and consciousness, and they are responsible for spreading new knowledge to their kin. Despite their physical and biological differences, all Seaborn are treated as equal and have never been observed fighting one another for food.
Due to being linked with the Many, the Seaborn lack the ability to comprehend individualistic concepts such as art, morality, and emotion. In their point of view, gaining individual traits means betraying the Many, and those individualistic Seaborn see this as depriving their own expression even though they try hard to teach them.[1] This also leads to their incapability of telling lies. If being asked, they will express confusion at many concepts such as dishonesty and hatred.[2] Additionally, they are extremely pliable and will act on suggestions without much consideration. In order to protect their kin, they can reduce their bodies to a mass of proteins when being captured, making it nearly impossible to study a living specimen in a research setting.[3] They are even willing to conduct cannibalism amongst themselves simply in the name of "nourishing" their kin.
As the Seaborn's most outstanding trait, their assimilation ability allows them to incorporate other creatures into their ranks. The process begins the moment the Seaborn consume others or the other way round. Their assimilation may also be a slow one which can alter someone physically over due time. Such is common among those who take in Seaborn body parts, whether flesh or tiny cells, and the more being consumed, the greater the alter will be, ranging from partially assimilated (Alfonso), to a full one (Garcia). Retaining human conscience is possible, but it becomes a harder achievement if one almost resembles a true Seaborn. As the Seaborn value unification and assimilation, they can form transactional symbiotic relationships with human communities, as seen in Sal Viento, where they trade food for new members of their horde, and the cultists of the Church in which they provide "sacrifices" for them.
The Seaborn's assimilation process could pose an urgent threat if left unchecked. In order to ensure their own survival, they are not hesitant to devour the whole world through apocalyptic disasters such as sending a world-wide catastrophic tsunami.[4] By the time every creature is assimilated into the Many, they will shift their target onto other planets by departing from their homeland, hence searching for a new habitat and their next victim across the universe.[5]
Seaborn blood can resist the influence of Originium. This is because the ocean lacks said mineral and such influence can be overcome by the Many, especially when one is closer to the ocean that awakes it.[6] As a matter of fact, most Seaborn hybrids are either immune to Oripathy or can suppress their illness even if they become Infected.
Relationship with humans
Forgotten by both the current generation of Terra's civilization and the Seaborn themselves, the Seaborn were originally biological terraforming devices created by the super-advanced previous civilization that was meant to re-nourish the planet. Their abilities included – surprisingly – removing Originium from the planet and turning the barrenlands into fertile grounds via their nutritious biochemicals.[7] However, the project was ultimately thwarted due to the "disaster" from the sky that wiped out the prior civilization.[8] Their artificial origin is further proven by numerous underwater ancient ruins that were formerly Seaborn creation laboratories.
Originally, the Seaborn had no antagonism against mankind, to a point that even ancient Iberians managed to make jewelry out of their body parts despite not knowing their nature.[9] It was Aegir's attempt to colonize their territories that accidentally provoked their arrogance as retaliation.[2] Worsening this affair was that the Church of the Deep had been manipulating their innocent nature, inciting the Profound Silence that devoured the Iberian coastlines.[10] Until present days, the Iberian government stubbornly refuses to reveal the existence of the Seaborn to Terra's land-dwellers, as they see themselves as the land's final frontline against those monsters.
In an effort to retaliate, Aegir has experimented on several different methods to eliminate the Many. This lead to the creation of the Abyssal Hunters, a band of Aegir-Seaborn hybrid supersoldiers. But, because they are infused with Seaborn blood, all Abyssal Hunters are viewed as brothers and sisters by the Seaborn, who harbor no ill will towards them. However, less intelligent Seaborn mistake the Hunters' bodies as prisons for their kin, thus attacking them with hostility in an attempt to free the blood within and nourish their kin.[2]
Notable
Of the above characters:
- Gladiia, Skadi, Specter, and Ulpianus are not "true" Seaborn, but Aegir-Seaborn hybrids created by Aegir as part of the Abyssal Hunter project.
- Skadi the Corrupting Heart is an alternate timeline version of Skadi where her Seaborn blood has overtaken her and caused her to assimilate into the Many.
- Specter the Unchained remains an Aegir-Seaborn hybrid, but she has resisted her insanity caused by her Oripathy through her Seaborn blood.
- Deepcolor, Mizuki, and Highmore are Aegir-Seaborn hybrids created by the Church of the Deep with their traits inclining towards their Seaborn side.
- In Mizuki's case, his biological traits have entirely become that of a true Seaborn, even if his appearance and much of his mentality are of a human's.[11]
- Highmore almost became a true Seaborn before Mizuki brought her back to normal.
- As bishops of the Church of the Deep, Aulus, Amaia, Quintus, and Cicero have been craving to become Seaborn hybrids. Only Amaia and Quintus have lost their human conscience after becoming true Seaborn.
- Alfonso is partially a Forte and a Seaborn.
- The Last Knight was initially a Kuranta.
- Hyman was initially a Sarkaz.
References
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