In each phase, the whole of Hecatonchire society is rearranged. The Leader of the Hundred Handed during the Militant Phase may become a lowly porter in the Merchant Phase. In fact, the names of the Hundred Handed are a five syllable code that explains the individual Giant’s caste and role in all the phases of its existence, from WAR to MERCHANT to ARTIST to THINKER to OMEGA. All but the last one (the Transcendant Syllable) are one of the following syllables:
KHAN or CON: High ranking leader, possessed of visionary qualities and great intuition. A great general in WAR, a master trader in MERCHANT, a groundbreaking creator in ARTIST, and a rarified debater and sharp mind in THINKER. The downside of the KHAN caste is that they are obsessed with the Hecatonchire’s racial goals above all else, and cannot focus on small issues.
IS or ITH: A Seer, a Diviner, possessed of metanatural intuition. These individuals assist the Leader in making choices, though they are by no means possessed of foolproof gifts. Though usually a Giant is only a seer in perhaps one phase (if any), the IS caste’s gifts always point towards the current phase’s racial goal. The IS are also more in tune with the Group Memory, and can send thoughts to one another through it, akin to telepathy, though usually of a more imperative nature. In War they sense the richest attainable resources, in MERCHANT they sense markets and predict changes in supply and demand which greatly aid the Giants in their mercantile efforts, in ARTIST they act like muses, pointing a Giant in a direction that will better assist their artistic talents and insight, in THINKER they become very enigmatic and vague, very zen-like, creating understanding through oftimes unclear snippets and mantras.
VOR or WYR: A delegator, possessed of great subjective skills, able to adapt to situations, and change in the face of flucatuating circumstances. Though they may be put in charge of groups of Giants, the VOR also are used as solo agents, diplomats (in MERCHANT, ARTIST, or THINKER), and scouts into unknown territory (be that territory spatial, cerebral, or aesthetic).
O or U: An overseer, with skills in mathematics, logistics and ergonomics, they are given a goal, and then come up with the swiftest, cheapest, or most effective means of attaining that goal, depending on circumstance. In WAR, a sergeant or siege engineer, in MERCHANT a dockmaster or assistant to a VOR, in ARTIST a minimalist painter or producer of artists’ supplies, in THINKER a rational philosopher.
NA or MA: The NA perform skilled labor within the Hecatonchires society. They may be frontline warriors or pilots in WAR, displayers of merchandise or examiners of foreign goods in MERCHANT, querants and arbiters in THINKER.
UL or NUL: The basic laborers and producers of material in all phases. They are no less individual than any other caste, but do not undertake any unusual tasks. They can do most any task well, and occasionally are called upon to take up the tasks of those who have fallen in battle or through mishap. Most all machines and materials are shaped by the UL.
The last syllable of the Hecatonchire name is a ideographic symbol, not unlike Chinese Kanji, which the Hecatonchire script possesses 30,000 of (divided into four sets of 7,000 symbols specialized for each phase, and another 2,000 for everyday use). This last part of the name relates in some unknown way to the Transcendent phase, and is what marks the Giant as different from any other Hecatonchires who has the same caste-path throughout the cycle. A few names, with the last ideogram translated in parentheses:
Conwyrisnul (Elegance of Law)
Vorkhanwyrith (Dynamic of Trade)
Ithisonul (Pure Resolution)
Naismacon (Victorious Ideal)
Khanonao (Tragedy of Arrogance)
Nulmavorcon (Truth through Dissolution)
It should be noted that Giants know their place, they know their name and caste-path at birth, as do all other Hecatonchires. Such is the nature of the Group Memory.