Editing Selphids (section)

== Behavior and Culture ==
Selphids are a tight community tend to stick together and support each other out of necessity after the end of their Empire.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2020/04/19/interlude-strategists-at-sea-pt-1/ Interlude - Strategists at Sea (Pt. 1)]</ref> They do not fight each other in war, and help each other when they can. A notable part of their culture as a result is "Presenting", which is to avoid upsetting other species, such as making sure they do not smell bad, do anything to alarm them, or discussing untoward topics. It is important to Selphids, as one of them can reflect on the entire local community and put them at risk.<ref name=":3" />

Strong bodies are as valuable as artefacts to Selphids, and they will pay to obtain them. Leaving a body to rot is done to those Selphids deem useless, not to their friends or enemies. It is the biggest sign of contempt from Selphids.<ref name=":Interlude-5" />

Most Selphids are genderfluid, identifying their gender as the same as their current host body's, though some will identify with one gender regardless of their host's sex.

Selphids have trypohilia, as holes remind them of the insides of bodies, the long thin tunnels in rotting flesh. They also find the uncanny valley appealing.<ref name=":1" />

Selphid children or "spawnlings" will jointly control a body together or with an older Selphid chaperoning in a larger body until they are able to control one independently.

=== Laws ===
The greatest law of Selphids is the [[Minacien Wall]]. It is an agreement not to perform any action or deed that would incur the wrath of other species.<ref name=":1" />

It dictates that no body they snatch is allowed to be alive. Breaking that law is punishable by death or exile, and the only escape is to give up one's individuality to join a Mind.<ref name=":0" /> The other races remember the oppression under Selphid rule and the Selphids remember being despised and hunted after their regime was overthrown. For that reason, Selphids police themselves and punishes anyone trying to inhabit a living body.

Still, some Selphids are willing to make exceptions to that rule, mostly for reasons of self-preservation:
* [[Okasha]] was allowed to remain inside [[Geneva Scala]]'s body with Geneva's permission, as Geneva would otherwise be quadriplegic. Okasha was later replaced by [[Idis]], with permission from higher-ranking Selphids who are hoping that Geneva might save their race from the ''Wasting'' disease
*[[Jelaqua Ivirith|Jelaqua]] temporarily hid in [[Moore]]'s body after the corpse she jockeyed was too badly mutilated to support her. She left Moore quickly for a new body, and pledged all witnesses to silence about the affair. Her ride had been in consent.
Other violations of the Minacien Wall include modifying memories and thoughts with telepathy, reviving dead bodies to use as living vessels, cloning people to be servants, copying and creating artificial consciousnesses, and creating superminds like in the days of the Empire.<ref name=":2" /> Transplanting Galas-muscles into dead bodies also nearly violates it as well.<ref name=":1" />