I'm so excited to finally bring you all the first chapter of the first Troceath story, "Shattered Stars"! Feedback is very welcome, as this is my first time publishing on AO3.
Major props to our writer, @backlitrabbit; and our co-creator and creative consultant, @acegreenhorn!
A new batch of Troceath adoptables are now available on Ko-fi!
(Please look at the most recent version of this post for which adoptables are still available!)
These are inspired by various sea creatures here on Earth. You can decide whether or not they're actual species hybrids when you purchase them, as well as their name and gender!
Anyway, you're probably wondering what's going on about the world of Troceaths and new content about them. Luckily for you, I've got PLENTY of good news!
The first official Troceath story is in the works! The first chapter will be releasing on Archive of Our Own soon, and you will be able to find future updates there whenever they drop. The story is titled "Shattered Stars", and our writer for the first chapter is the wonderfully talented @backlitrabbit, aka Dante! I hope you're looking forward to reading it!
The Picrew has had its' first major update! This update includes the addition of facial tendrils (mustaches & beards), heterochromia, new mouth shapes, new outfits, and updated selection icons. Give it a try, there's so much more customization options! (And rest assured, more updates will come over time.)
Troceath merch is on the way! I've recently joined a new online shop that has merch options that aren't available on sites like RedBubble and TeePublic, and I'll be sharing that once merch has been properly added to it. Right now, the designs are in the works, so stay tuned!
The next batch of adoptables is almost done! I know I've been working on them for a while, but my accidental art hiatus lasted longer than I would have liked. A post will be made when the adopts are available on my Ko-fi page.
Thank you so much for your ongoing patience and support! I can't wait for you all to see what's in store for these little aliens! đ
The greatest bastard who ever bastard-ed out of Bastard Town.
Dietrich came from a long line of Trocean royalty that had been ruling over Aquallos peacefully for generations. The Siphallo family never had anything against their subjects, and their subjects never had anything against them, ever since the start of their rule. But that changed when Dietrich came into power.
Dietrich was born with Empathy Deficit Disorder and Narcissistic Personality Disorder, which was largely brushed under the rug and ignored by his family in the hopes that he would just eventually grow out of it. However, it proved to be a detrimental and dangerous combination that only worsened as he grew older.
Picture your average Saturday Morning Cartoon villain, someone who knows theyâre evil and delights in it, someone who gleefully adds the word âevilâ to any sort of action they do, or any sort of item they own, because theyâre aware that theyâre a bad guy and they find it entertaining. Now apply this mentality to someone with genuine power, who rules over a planet with full armies at his command, and who is an actual threat. Someone who, if someone else canât get the job done right, has no issue with getting their own hands dirty. That is Dietrich Siphallo.
Dietrich is the reason for the Trocean Civil War and the Detonation of Aquallos. He believes that Troceaths are capable of being powerful enough to rule over not just one planet, but many. But only certain Troceaths met his criteria; ones that are physically strong, with tendrils at least 16 inches long, and no physical disfigurements or mental health disorders that are âtoo detrimental to be usefulâ. He encouraged Troceaths who fit these descriptions to only associate and mate with similar Troceaths, in an attempt to make their race âeven more perfectâ. This was the beginning of the faction division into Osuns and Siphallo, and Dietrich only encouraged the violence; he not only figured it would lower the number of unfit Troceaths, but he also found it entertaining.
Once the war had gone on for some time, Dietrich decided heâd grown bored of it. (Or perhaps heâd gotten scared, as the Osuns were vastly outnumbering the Siphallo, and coming closer to a siege on the capitol each day.) So, when a large rocket capable of holding hundreds of thousands of Troceaths that heâd commissioned (read: threatened into being built) was finished, Dietrich loaded his family, friends, closest allies, his armies, and other noteworthy Siphallo sympathizers onto it. With his own Siphallo colony, Dietrich fled Aquallos. But tragically, that wasnât enough for him.
Once his ship was far enough away from Aquallos, Dietrich detonated an ancient weapon called the Nova Bomb. This bomb had originally been disassembled for an unknowable number of years, but Dietrich had ordered it to be reassembled and planted several miles beneath the planetâs surface. The damage was catastrophic, and swiftly drove the remaining Troceaths into a desperate decision: stay on the planet and perish, or seek out the other rockets that had been assembled and flee home, with a slim chance of survival.
The entire timeâduring the war, fleeing Aquallos, detonating the planet, and ever since thenâDietrich felt nothing for anyone else. His heart rate never raced with anxiety, his blood never boiled with an abundance of anger, he never felt sorrow at plunging his race into endangerment. No guilt or second thoughts ever crossed his mind. It all just felt like another day to him; pushing the button to detonate Aquallos filled him with about the same level of smug satisfaction as when an entitled child gets off scot-free after making trouble. And that is the same energy heâs carrying towards other planets, other civilizations, other species.
That is exactly what makes him so terrifying. As other planets are ravaged, Dietrich continues to sleep soundly, with no remorse on his conscience whatsoever.
One day, perhaps, he will be stopped. But for now, wherever his name is mentioned, danger is sure to follow.
Okay. So the planet Troceaths are from is made up of ice and oceans. Got me wondering what they do with the bodies of the dead? Cremation sounds silly on a planet where a funeral pyre can melt. So, where do the bodies go?
Thanks for the question!
To make a long explanation short, the most common funerary practice on Aquallos among Troceathkind is ritualized cannibalism.
To make a short explanation long, the meat and potatoes of this answer will be under the cut.
Okay, so. Ritualistic cannibalism. Why do the Troceaths do it?
For one thing, on Aquallos, you can't exactly bury them in all the ice and hard ground, and nobody really wants to happen across a body just drifting through the planets' oceans. And, like you mentioned, cremation isn't really an option on a planet that's mostly ice and water.
Additionally, I feel like it would provide them with a good sense of closure post-mortem. Like, you know how here on Earth, at wakes and stuff, people often break down at the sight of the person in the casket? That kinda stuff can really shake a person, especially because of the uncanny valley.
But as far as Troceaths go, once they're prepared properly, they just look like food. And that way, it's like the deceased is becoming a part of you, like you carry them with you from then on. It's a way of both letting their physical form go, but letting them spiritually stay with you. It's comforting to them, because in the most earnest way possible, it's like one final meal with your loved one to them.
So yeah, I see it being a very respectful thing in their culture! Nothing taboo about it, as long as it's, you know, done the right way, and not in like a feral sense. Naturally the body would have to be prepared in a certain way by professionals, it wouldn't just be a matter of like, "someone just passed away on their death bed, time to chow down". A lot of work and care would go into the Final Meal to ensure that it's a comforting, even healing experience for the living.
That's pretty much it! Thanks again for the question!
Helios is Cyrusâ ex-boyfriend from Aquallos. The breakup was caused by the differing factions during the Trocean Civil War, with Cyrus siding with the Osuns, and Helios siding with the Siphallo. However, something important to note is that, even though Helios sided with the villains, he himself is not an evil person. If anything, heâs more troubled than evil.
(CW for brief mentions of self-harm below the Read More)
Helios sided with the Siphallo due to his own pride. His greatest fear is being seen as weak, or needing to rely on others for help (especially other species or Troceaths who arenât as physically strong as he is). As such, the mental and emotional weights he carries are immense, and weigh on him constantly. He went through physical combat during the war, serving as a Siphallo soldier, and his body is covered in many scars as a result. Additionally, being in prolonged states of survival and primal violence has caused his eyes to remain in their hunting state a majority of the time, which is a sign of serious mental/emotional damage among Troceaths. In fact, that mental/emotional damageâhis own PTSD, severe depression, borderline personality disorder, intermittent explosive disorder, and more than likely additional disorders that he has yet to be diagnosed withâhas caused him to exhibit self-harming behaviors that have resulted in even more scars on his body.
As he is living on the same spaceship as Cyrus and Tham, Helios is largely pretending to be friends with the crewmates onboard. He behaves friendly towards them, but claims it is only a facade so that he doesnât have to be kept in a cell and can have access to food any time he wants it. He believes that the humans are âworshippingâ him, the same way they âworshipâ cats by feeding them, playing with them, and doing everything for them. The only ones aware of this claim are Cyrus and Tham. Whether he really doesnât like them, or is secretly warming up to them, is unclear. His views about other species being inferior stem more from ignorance than outright malice, as heâs never really gotten to spend extended periods of time with other species until very recently.
Heliosâ feelings towards Cyrus are, as previously mentioned, complicated. He is aware that, even after they broke up, Cyrus never stopped loving him. However, Helios does not love himself, and he feels unworthy of Cyrusâ love. As such, he tends to lash out at Cyrus, in an attempt to push him away. He is constantly telling himself that he doesnât love Cyrus, and mentally fights himself to keep from falling back in love. Simultaneously, however, Helios mentally berates himself for hurting Cyrus, whether he does so physically or emotionally, and he feels incredible guilt for putting Cyrus through the wringer all the time. But getting him to stop lashing out would take immense amounts of therapy and, more than likely, medication; suffice to say, heâs not going to change overnight. But Cyrus is a patient Troceath, and more than willing to give Helios the time and space he needs. Helios canât deny the inevitable forever, though; at the bottom of his heart, he knows he still loves Cyrus.
Heliosâ feelings towards Tham are currently neutral for the most part. He was impressed by Thamâs strength and respects the Illithid as a result, and would love to partake in a proper spar with them one day. There may also be a small spark of attraction, but only a hint for the time being. Being Cyrusâ partner, if Helios ever gets to the point where he allows himself to love Cyrus openly again, Tham is open to loving him in the same way.
As thanks for reading this longer-than-usual wall of text, have a couple of light-hearted bonus facts about Helios:
1: I tend to often compare him to Kovu from The Lion King 2 in my mind. Someone who was capable of love when he was younger, but was brought up and surrounded by hatred for years, so itâs almost all that he knows, and so has a hard time accepting that there are people who care about him.
2: That being said, heâs a furry, and surprisingly his fursona isnât a lion. Itâs a tiger. Orange and stripes? Whoâda thought?
Tham is an Illithid, also known as a mind flayer. They are detached from the Mother Brain that typically allows Illithids to be as a hivemind, so they are wholly their own individual. And although this means that their power is also lessened as a result, Thamâs psychic and telekinetic powers are still quite strong and impressive, which gives them an incredible upper hand in most situations.
These powers also serve them well as the spaceshipâs intelligence officer. Tham has a sort of âmind sonarâ which allows them to tell where people are in relation to themself, within a certain radius. They have to concentrate to catch the other personâs thoughts and pinpoint exactly where they are, but this makes it easy to tell if someone is feeling in danger. The more familiar with a person they are, the easier it is to spot them.
Additionally, if they can tell that someone is lying about something important, Tham is capable of forcing them to tell the truth. They can get surface-level thoughts from someoneâs mind just from being in the same area as them, and depending on if they think theyâre a threat or not, he may or may not ask permission before digging around deeper in someone elseâs mind. In the case of Cyrus, the first time they met, Tham did not give him that courtesy.
Nowadays, though, Tham is entirely devoted to Cyrus. As long as they both continue to work and live on their current spaceship, Tham is satisfied enough with continuing their current line of work as the intel officer. Tham is aware of Cyrusâ dream to captain his own ship, and wants to help him achieve that goal and continue to live with him. Wherever Cyrus goes, Tham will follow.
Tham is additionally aware of Cyrusâ feelings for Helios, and does not want to dissuade Cyrus from feeling the way he does. However, given their psychic abilities, Tham is also aware of just how deeply the hurt runs in Heliosâ mind, and knows that it will take time, effort, and patience for Helios to recover enough for something like that. If Helios ever gets to the point where he allows himself to love Cyrus again, Tham is open to loving him in the same way.
Cyrus is, as far as the overall story is concerned, the face of the Osun Troceaths. He lives aboard a spaceship which carries all manner of life forms, from humans to aliens and even androids. His primary job onboard is being a test subject of sorts for the shipâs medic, so that they can get a better understanding of Troceath biology and learn ways to treat their ailments. Cyrus also does odd jobs around the ship, typically at the orders of his captain or other superiors.
For being a survivor of the Detonation of Aquallos, Cyrus is usually pretty chipper. Heâs friendly to his fellow shipmates and enjoys sharing leisurely activities with them. Oftentimes, his smiles and optimism can lead people to believe that he was largely unaffected by the Detonation, but that is not the case. Although his joy is genuine, it would be a lie to say that Cyrus doesnât struggle with PTSD, depression, anxiety, and survivorâs guilt in regards to the Detonation. However, he wants to use them as a tool to push himself forward into being able to help others. The way he sees it, until he found the spaceship, no one was around to help him, and he doesnât wish that pain towards anyone.
Cyrus aims to captain his own ship one day, specifically for the gathering and recovery of his people. Heâs unsure at present whether he would prefer to have it be a rehabilitation-specific ship, or a full-on Troceath colony ship. Either way, heâs aware that itâs a far-off dream, but itâs still one that heâs working towards.
Cyrus has two individuals that he harbors romantic feelings towards: Tham the Illithid, and Helios the Troceath. Tham is in a devoted partnership with Cyrus already, and Helios is Cyrusâ ex from Aquallos. Despite their breakup, Cyrus never stopped loving Helios. Heliosâ feelings towards Cyrus are complicated.
Cyrus bears a distinct scar on his chest, as a byproduct of Aquallosâ Detonation. A fragment of the blast struck him in the chest while he was attempting to flee the planet, resulting in the scar.
"For god's sake, get out of there! That thing is stronger than the sum of its' parts!"
Happy Halloween, everyone! As thanks for supporting this blog and your continued interest, I thought I'd thank you all with a fun and terrifying concept: a Troceath/Xenomorph hybrid!
I'm so happy to finally be done with this! This is a piece that encapsulates the backstory of the Troceaths, and the most prominent characters within it.
If you have any questions about the story, the species, or the characters, my askbox is open!! :D
Also, it took me WEEKS to finish this, sooo~
EDIT 10/22/25: Just as a fun little bonus, have the speedpaint for this piece.
What were the troceath's first encounter with humanity like? Or is Cyrus the one who first discovered them?
Thanks for your question!
I've made it clear in the past that Troceaths as a whole were greatly inspired by Among Us, and this is probably the most standout example as to how.
Some Troceaths, from both factions, have found spacecrafts carrying humans before. And, in an attempt to survive, given that the humans onboard are the only fresh, raw meat they've been able to find in some time, it's no wonder that those Troceaths would resort to killing and eating them. But of course, they'd have to do so discreetly, and avoid being caught and thrown off board. Cyrus isn't the first Troceath to have found a human ship, but it's hard to say who the first would have been. Either way, this is generally how it goes.
Unless, of course, you'd want to write something more unique for your own OC! I'd be interested to see any of y'all's takes on how a fleeing Troceath's first encounter with humanity would go!