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Pawn Sprites

A typical Carapacian of Derse (left) and Prospit (right).

Carapacians[1]HS are the native species of Prospit and Derse, and as such make up the planets' Armies of Light and Darkness on the Battlefield. Present in every Medium, they are essential non-player characters in the game of Sburb.

Concept and creation[]

Carapacians are modelled after chess pieces, befitting the eternal chess-like battle between white and black upon Sburb's central Battlefield which is symbolically central to Homestuck. In this same vein, Carapacians also closely resemble the genericized "human" player-characters starring in the earlier MS Paint Adventures, Jailbreak and Problem Sleuth, whose crossovers with the Midnight Crew could be considered to have retroactively made these older characters Carapacians themselves.

Biology[]

True to their name, carapacians are covered in a characteristic shell which is rigidHS but supple as the situation demandsHS in jointed parts of the body such as the fist, and overall gives them an appearance not unlike a featureless chess game piece. They are not, however, strictly invertebrate, having an internal skeleton broadly resembling that of a human.HS[image?] Also like humans, and like their fellow Medium-dwellers the consorts, the blood within their carapace tends to be red[image?] (though there are special cases).

Outwardly, carapacians vary widely, most obviously in that those originating on Prospit have stark white shells while those from Derse are pitch black; beyond coloration, however, it does not seem that the two races are at all biologically different. Within these races, however, are caste-like distinctions between members based on their role in society, ranging from tall and slender queens to diminutive "pawns". The taller and more important carapacians tend to have more humanoid characteristics, with ovoid heads, four-fingered hands,[citation needed][image?] and in the cases of queens, even a bodily shape resembling mammalian curvature; lesser workers tend to have only three short, pointed fingersHS and more spherical, game piece-like heads.

Agrarian, vegetable-eating worker carapacians may have blunt teeth like that of livestock,HS while others may be fangedHS meat-eaters.HS Andrew Hussie suggests this may be another difference in class, with "the more populous classes, soldiers, workers, farmers" being herbivorous while "higher ranking agents of a more predatorial nature like Jack have very sharp teeth":[2] a distinction which also seems to be reflected to a smaller extent in trolls.

Befitting chess pieces, at least the pawns of the carapacian army have a knack for tracking precise distances [...] in whatever units [they] choose.HS

Reproduction and life cycle[]

As artifices of Sburb, carapacians seemingly come into existence spontaneously, starting with the two kings stuck in eternal stalemateHS, joined by larger armies as kernelsprites are prototyped and the Battlefield becomes more evolved.HS[image?] These initial "carapacians" resemble little more than literal - if larger-than-life - chess pieces incorporating elements of prototyping; it is not until the Battlefield reaches a spherical planetoid shape that the Kings and their soldiers take on their more familiar bipedal form[citation needed] - though the Queens and their subjects on Prospit and Derse take this humanoid shape from the very start.HS

From here, more carapacians are created through cloning in ectobiology labs hidden in the Veil far from the Battlefield, all of whom, as in proper sci-fi symbolism, bear barcodes on their wrists;HSHS as each kingdom acquires more prototyping data, these clone soldiers take on more prototyped traits, becoming more and more monstrous.[image?] As such, carapacians do not appear to be equipped for sexual reproduction, with not a whole lot [...] down thereHS, the ultimate end goal of their lives being to spend hundreds of years wandering post-apocalyptic planets using technology to re-seed them with other species of life (see Society and culture#Exiles below). Carapacians do, however, have a stage of life equivalent to human childhood.[3]

Society and culture[]

Originating in the Medium, the features and mythology of the Incipisphere form the basis of carapacian culture. The Furthest Ring, for instance, home to such demons as the Noble Circle of Horrorterrors and to the ghosts of the dreaming dead, appears to occupy a place similar to hell in their philosophy.HS

Social structure[]

Prospit and Derse each have both a King and a Queen. The former lead their armies against each other on the Battlefield, while the latter remain on their home planets seeing to affairs in their kingdoms, each augmented by the data in their prototyping spires through the use of the Queens' Rings and Kings' Scepters.

Jacknoirbarcodetattoo

Archagent Jack Noir with Harlequin clothes, and his barcode tattoo

Ranking high in the kingdoms beneath the royal couples are the Agents, the Archagent foremost among them. An Agent's special status is denoted by a symbol on their clothing; while usually a simple pentagon akin to that depicted on each kingdom's battle standard,[citation needed] Jack Noir and his close circle wear the four cards suits to identify themselves.

Known Agents include:

Led by the Kings on the Battlefield are the Armies of Light and Darkness, composed mostly of pawns but with a wide variety of more specialised chess piece-like units.Also on the Battlefield and throughout the light and dark kingdoms can be found farmers, post officers and artists.

Exiles[]

Main article: Exiles

Sometimes, carapacians are exiled from the Incipisphere to the post-apocalyptic host planet of the session, and get there by the Reckoning. They wander around in the desert, until they eventually find and activate bases. They are still able to influence events by suggesting commands to their respective players. According to Terezi they are also tasked with the reintroduction of civilization to the meteor-ravaged planet.

Representatives[]

References[]

  1. [S] Past Karkat: Wake up.HS > Examine brined fetal carapacian.
  2. Andrew Hussie. "Learnin' about exile anatomy. Nothing about this is ever explicit, but there are some points to speculate on. He's got the dull livestock teeth, whereas higher ranking agents of a more predatorial nature like Jack have very sharp teeth. Would it make sense for the more populous classes, soldiers, workers, farmers, to be herbivorous, while the higher-ups are carnivorous? Let your imagination guide you in your quest for answers." Homestuck: Book 1: Act 1 & Act 2, p. 397. April 13, 2018.
  3. [S] Seer: Descend.HS 'Rise of the Slayer' / A horror story meant to scare children. / Writers of Prospitian fiction tend to write what they see in clouds. Hence their fables tend to be events which simply haven't happened yet, or happened in another realm. They like to use the word fiction so that kids don't get TOO scared.
Homestuck Characters
Pre-scratch
Kids
Heir of Breath Breath Aspect Seer of Light Light Aspect Knight of Time Time Aspect Witch of Space Space Aspect
JohnLogo John Egbert RoseLogo Rose Lalonde DaveLogoSlashed Dave Strider JadeLogo Jade Harley
ectoBiologist [EB]
ghostyTrickster [GT]
tentacleTherapist [TT] turntechGodhead [TG] gardenGnostic [GG]
Post-scratch
Kids
Maid of Life Life Aspect Rogue of Void Void Aspect Prince of Heart Heart Aspect Page of Hope Hope Aspect
JaneLogo Jane Crocker RoxyLogo Roxy Lalonde DirkLogo Dirk Strider JakeLogo Jake English
gutsyGumshoe [GG] tipsyGnostalgic [TG] timaeusTestified [TT] golgothasTerror [GT]
Post-scratch
Trolls
Maid of Time Time Aspect Page of Breath Breath Aspect Mage of Doom Doom Aspect Knight of Blood Blood Aspect
Aries Aradia Megido Taurus Tavros Nitram Gemini Sollux Captor Cancer Karkat Vantas
apocalypseArisen [AA] adiosToreador [AT] twinArmageddons [TA] carcinoGeneticist [CG]
Rogue of Heart Heart Aspect Sylph of Space Space Aspect Seer of Mind Mind Aspect Thief of Light Light Aspect
Leo Nepeta Leijon Virgo Kanaya Maryam Libra Terezi Pyrope Scorpio Vriska Serket
arsenicCatnip [AC] grimAuxiliatrix [GA] gallowsCalibrator [GC] arachnidsGrip [AG]
Heir of Void Void Aspect Bard of Rage Rage Aspect Prince of Hope Hope Aspect Witch of Life Life Aspect
Sagittarius Equius Zahhak Capricorn Gamzee Makara Aquarius Eridan Ampora Pisces Feferi Peixes
centaursTesticle [CT] terminallyCapricious [TC] caligulasAquarium [CA] cuttlefishCuller [CC]
Pre-scratch
Trolls
Witch of Time Time Aspect Rogue of Breath Breath Aspect Heir of Doom Doom Aspect Seer of Blood Blood Aspect
Aries Damara Megido Taurus Rufioh Nitram Gemini Mituna Captor Kankri Vantas
Mage of Heart Heart Aspect Maid of Space Space Aspect Knight of Mind Mind Aspect Sylph of Light Light Aspect
Leo Meulin Leijon Virgo Porrim Maryam Libra Latula Pyrope Scorpio Aranea Serket
Page of Void Void Aspect Prince of Rage Rage Aspect Bard of Hope Hope Aspect Thief of Life Life Aspect
Sagittarius Horuss Zahhak Capricorn Kurloz Makara Aquarius Cronus Ampora Pisces Meenah Peixes
Cherubs
Muse of Space Space Aspect Lord of Time Time Aspect
Calliope symbol Calliope (Alt) Caliborn symbol Caliborn
uranianUmbra [UU] undyingUmbrage [uu]
Guardians
Dad Roxy Lalonde
(pre-scratch)
Dirk Strider
(pre-scratch)
Becquerel
God Cat Rose Lalonde
(post-scratch)
Dave Strider
(post-scratch)
Brobot
Supporting
Characters
Jane Egbert Jaspers Lil Cal Jake Harley
John Crocker Mutie Lil Hal Jade English
Sprites
Nannasprite Jaspersprite Calsprite
Davesprite
Jadesprite
Tavrisprite
Gcatavrosprite
Fefetasprite
Jasprosesprite^2
Arquiusprite Erisolsprite
Davepetasprite^2
Carapacians /
Exiles
Wayward Vagabond Peregrine Mendicant Aimless Renegade Windswept Questant Writ Keeper
Agents
Jack Noir (B2) (Dead Session) Draconian Dignitary (B2) Hegemonic Brute Courtyard Droll
Midnight Crew
Spades Slick Diamonds Droog Hearts Boxcars Clubs Deuce
The Felt
Lord English Doc Scratch Snowman
Denizens
Typheus Cetus Hephaestus Echidna
Hemera Nix Yaldabaoth Abraxas
Consorts
Salamanders Turtles Crocodiles Iguanas
Underlings
Imps Ogres Basilisks Liches Giclopses
Other Black QueenBlack KingSkaian armiesGenesis FrogLususAncestors (The Condesce)HorrorterrorsBetty CrockerColonel SassacreCaseyGuy FieriInsane Clown PosseMaplehoofRambunctious CrowHalleySerenityMSPA ReaderMs. PaintAndrew HussieSawtoothSquarewaveHis Honorable TyrannyCalliope and Caliborn's parentsAngelsFantrolls
SburbLogotype
NPCs SpritesUnderlingsDenizensConsortsFirst guardiansCarapacians/ExilesLeprechauns
Locations (starting planet) Command stationsForgeFrog Temple
Locations (Incipisphere) The MediumThe Veil/Ectobiology labsSkaiaProspit/DersePlanetsThe Seven Gates
Concepts PrototypingEctobiologyGod tiering (Mythological roles) • Grist/Ultimate AlchemyBoondollarsFraymotifsDream selvesPhernaliaThe ScratchNull sessionsInternetSession glitch
Related concepts SylladexSkaianetCrockercorp
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