The young woman yawned, stretched, let her hair and tail feathers have a good ruffle, and plopped back down on the air mattress as though everything were perfectly normal: “Vÿälä.” ~Tälï Béntärï "Five Wishes" (Indi Summers)
"Children of the Light." Descended from Téläthrä and Amädïéä. A humanoid bird-like race that lived outside of the known Universe during the Progenitor Age. Once the Woven Age began, they entered into the Universe and settled in a land called Téläthrä, meaning, "Land of Light."
Téläthrï are unique in that they were sentient beings of radiance that had souls prior to their aerial incarnations. When the Universe was created (or 'Woven'), each Téläthrï got to choose one creature to give a soul to, usually bequeathing it to an immortal race.
Contents
- * History
* Biology and Appearance
o 2.1 Common Traits
o 2.2 Psychology
* 3 Society
o 3.1 Social Structure
o 3.2 Language
o 3.3 Names
o 3.4 Family Life
o 3.5 Everyday Life
o 3.6 Art and Industry
o 3.7 Religion
History
During the Progenitor Age before the Ränäch Ränäd, the Téläthrï were purely Celestial beings that were a half-breed race of elementals of Wind and Light. It is believed that due to their Celestial nature, they were free-floating in space before the creation of satellaries and luminaries and that they often watched over the world of men. While this description is vague, it also hints that they were actually floating around in the Ǻthärä Nésqäñä communicating with all created beings through dreams and visions, similar to angels or the conscience. Their most prominent role was the "Ǻdósvér Ǻdsälän," or the ritual of bequeathing their soul and binding their life to one creature of their choice - usually an immortal.
Biology and Appearance
EXTERIOR ANATOMY
The Téläthrï are so named, ‘The Children of the Light’ though they are the products of Wind and Light respectively. While being humanoid in appearance, their anatomical differences are remarkably startling from humans. They are humanoid, but possess no hair on their bodies except on their scalp and are dotted in various places with plumage: genitalia, joints, brows, ears, and hair. In addition to their sparsely plumed flesh, they possess enormous feathered wings (sometimes having multiple sets which is common to older Téläthrï) and fantastical bird-like tails. Their feet and hands are elongated and more bird-like, though their skeletal structure is coiled and ribbed like a snake’s. While their skeletal structure seems heavy, each bone is hollow like a bird’s, which allows them amazing dexterity and flight, save that their skeletons also allow for aeroelasticity. Due to heightened dexterity, they are ample at dodging, but should a blow befall an unprepared Téläthrï, results could be devastating.
Téläthrï possess highly elongated features including an extra set of knuckles on their hands and feet, allowing them to grip with vice-like force. This elongation of the tarsals and carpals is alarming when viewed by humans, so they are wont to wear gauntlets and gloves to cover their extremities. In addition, Téläthrï do not stand flat-footed, but walk on anisodactyl feet (that is possessing five toes much like a human’s foot in the front with an additional toe on the heel) that are also elongated and clawed as well as capable of grip. Courteous Téläthrï may attempt to walk flat-footed around humans or smaller races (as they fear they may be too tall or intimidating for their companions), but they fall often and rarely maintain composure in this state.
Their anatomical structures do not breathe and are immune to low-pressure differentials, however, they are weak to fields of strong gravity and can not swim very well on water (though duck-related species can walk a bit on water). They are fantastic climbers and runners, some being capable of lifting great loads with their tails (phoenix strains), but are clumsy when outside of their homeland.
Female Téläthrï are known by the anomaly that they are born with more vibrant plumage than their male counterparts (whereas most cultures note that male birds possess the brighter plumage). Females have porcelain skin and dark hair (black, brown, blue, violet, and deep greens). Red, blonde, and platinum hair does not occur in their race.
Male Téläthrï possess raptor features and are more muscular than their female counterparts with ruddier plumage and shorter tails. Male Téläthrï are primarily hunters and also have darker skin than females.
INTERNAL ANATOMY
Plectral Chords
The internal physiognomy of the Téläthrï has truly bred them for long-term exposure to zero gravity environments, high radiation fields, and low-oxygen atmospheres. They do not need to breathe at all, and speak through a series of valves that ‘pluck’ their vocal chords rather than using air to vibrate them. These chords (called ‘plectral chords’) exist in baritone to alto in the larynx which is located in the skeletal cavity between the sternum and throat while the soprano, descant soprano, and coloratura notes are achieved through the pharynx located in the sinus cavities and skull. The Téläthrï do not possess brains. Only females possess a syrinx also.
Energy sentience
The race does not possess a singular organ or brain within its body other than its flesh and epithelial tissues, but houses an energy similar to that of the Hindi Kundalini within a chamber seated in the stomach. This is usually considered a Téläthrï's "heart."
(to be continued)
Reply With Quote
