Announcing the Hospes Lategum

My wife Chibi Souther and I have been working on a new project. We've created a world, and a roleplay environment, for latex lovers in Second Life: Hospes Lategum.

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The Hospes Lategum is a society of people who, since about 500 BC, have permanently joined physically and mentally with living latex symbionts known as Lategum. The joining gives the Host greatly extended life and immunity from a wide range of environmental and biological hazards. No Host has ever died of old age or illness, though many have died of violent causes. Their need for food and water intake is greatly reduced, as well.

In their unjoined state, Lategum are, for all intents and purposes, liquid latex. They form a hive mind and communicate among themselves. In joining with a Host, they leave the hive mind, and in return gain access to the Host's mind and senses. This allows them to experience life much more directly.

The Lategum retain their telepathic communication abilities. As the bond with the Host grows, the Host gains the ability to use that to communicate with other sufficiently advanced Hosts, and in rare instances with the hive-mind itself. This is the basis for the ranks in the Hospes Lategum. The more fully joined the Host is with their Lategis, the higher their rank. The very highest ranks, Beta and Alpha, serve as senior leadership, but that is as much due to their ability to understand what the Lategum want and give those intentions effect as it is any other factor. Further, all Hosts are equals, regardless of rank, and the Alpha is subject to the same rules and penalties as the Zeta just putting on his leotard for the first time.

When one becomes a Host - the term refers to all members, even Zetas who have not been joined to a Lategis yet - one gives up their name and clothing and other trappings of one's former life. A Zeta is given a transparent latex catsuit and a leotard, which they will not remove until they enter the tank to be joined to their Lategis. The leotard bears their Host ID. This ID is assigned by the Lategum and molded into the leotard when the dispenser gives it to the new Host. From that point forward, they are known by their rank and ID, as in "Zeta 7703". All hosts are referred to as Brother or Sister, as appropriate, as well, so one might address "Sister Zeta 7703" or "Brother Gamma 3501" or "Sister Alpha 8369". They also wear a collar that not only serves as a reminder of their service, but also bears the mark of the Hospes Lategum. The collar also marks the boundary above which the Lategis will not encase the Host.

When the Zeta is ready to be joined to their Lategis, they first remove their uniform, and stand naked for the last time in their lives. They then swear the Hospes Lategum Oath, by which they devote their lives to serving the peoples of the Earth, before entering the joining tank. The Lategum flow into the tank, and one of them joins with the new Host. The tank empties, and the newly joined Host, now at the rank of Epsilon, steps out to begin their new life.

Part of progressing through the ranks of the Hospes Lategum is spending time in silence, surrounded by liquid latex, meditating and learning to communicate with the Lategis. The required time increases as the bonds one seeks to form increase. As the Host ascends in rank, the color of their uniform leotard changes, as does the rank letter on it next to their ID.

With the sole exception of the current Alpha, all who are not fully human within the Hospes Lategum are products of the society's genetic engineering efforts. They do have human characteristics to varying degrees, ranging from nekos with feline ears and tail to people who differ from their feral antecedents only in being bipedal and sapient. Not all Children of the Lategum, as these are known, are joined to a Lategis and part of the society; many have, at their own request, been sent out into the wider world.

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The Hospes Lategum group in Second Life is open to both sexes and all species, subject only to whether the avatar's body is such that a uniform can be made for it. The story is flexible enough to allow for a wide range of personal histories.

As a roleplay community, members are expected to be able to roleplay. In order to advance in rank, those who don't have a known history in other RP groups will be expected to demonstrate those abilities. This requirement isn't intended to discriminate, but rather to ensure that people can actually roleplay.

The only cost to become and remain a member of the Hospes Lategum is the MD Pod Prisoner suit, which is used for the meditation system. If you already have one, you'll need to have available (either saved or unpacked from the original box) a level 0 helmet. If not, the cost is L$300, and it may be purchased in the uniform fitting room. The Hospes Lategum uniforms and accessories are free of cost.

We do not require that you remain in uniform when not at the Hospes Lategum island. When there, however, you must be in uniform, including an enabled renamer and group tag. At Epsilon rank and above, you have been joined permanently with your Lategis, and so may not appear there without it.

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Interested? Check out the documentation at the Hospes Lategum wiki. The Hospes Lategum headquarters are in the Catalina region of Second Life. Any Gamma or above member can invite you to the group.

I hope to see you there.