AilurosPetrified and shattered back into reality by obsidian and Netjeru, Ailuros returned to become alchemists, scientists, and are a hardy race of strong fighters and lumberers, a benefit when the plants can fight back.EtymologyDictionLifespanHeightPopulationμLanguageElementsGallery
Biology
Their body plan's outward characteristics are simple, sporting double-pointed triangular ears that are close to the Tanarika's in shape, claw-like nails, and red- and rusty-coloured skin tones always marked by black and white stripes patterning the face, arms and legs. Black, dark reds and browns for hair is most common, with blue, purple, green, or yellow eyes. Fire and volatiles is almost exclusively the element they control, with a strong tie to igneous rocks and glass. Being formed by molten rock has given them the ability to ignite and cauterise most wounds.
Their renaissance are cat-shaped, taking the form of the elements that forged them, a flow of lava, with obsidian armour plating covering mostly the head and back. The average obsidian is black but takes on other igneous rock and natural glass colours. In this form locomotion is mostly quadrupedal and are capable of bipedal movement.
History
Tanarika that left their space-time forests to find less volatile lands only found the literal kind in the lands they discovered, a land dotted with volcanoes and guarded by an empyrean with a taste for metal. Tanarika renaissance forms showcase a set of metallic blades for gliding, so where this is going is clear, though not as such for them at first. Mind games were what they were used to from their previous home, being actively hunted was something new.
Most fled, but the most adamant of them stayed, not everyone liked the abject nonsense of the Awakened Forest; refusing to go back to it, refusing to go south, truly a stubborn lot of fools. Living on a heavy dose of spite kept these people sustained long enough for the toxins to affect their mental states, and it was almost as if the empyrean magnetically lured them in to their deaths. Free-basing so much enhanced animosity for such an animal meant they weren't going down without a fight, parasitically allowing themselves to die to the beast. A furious battle mirroring that of a man overcome by a swarm of bees, senses muddled, and taking out the last of the small attacking creatures in one mistep. Molten rock bound them, though an equally stubborn empyrean got away with only missing limbs, leaving the swarm petrified. Once the second star flare flashed out they were freed from their statuesque hibernation when they were turned to ash and shattered back into the world.
In the Illandrach epoch the Ailuros operated mostly on a form of feudalism in a hinterland that covered much of the northeastern continent of Tenaistos. This land was owned by the leaders of the strongest tribes, which would then absorb their neighbour's land, and bitter fights over where the fence goes on property lines began. Not all were like this, but there were enough of them to annoy the piss out of those who just wanted a peaceful existence.
When the landlord Atae Laurasia's metaphorical fence was jumped she and her sentinels ended the invasion. And in a terrible slap to other landlord faces she gave the land to the people who had kept their own sentinels in luxury. She would provide for the much needed security that was now absent, vowing to not just protect the lands, but unite them under the banner of conviviality.
Under her leadership they formed a sovereignty. The throne and capital were originally located near mount Lekatrea, later moved to the great library of Cyetara (the landholders' family name) in the north, after fears the volcano was active again, an event interpreted in many ways. The new capital was named Sinar and the library was expanded into a parlance for the sovereignty.
Culture & Society
The Ailuros form of marriage was originally reserved as an exchange between two houses normally of equal standing, to combine or exchange wealths and lands, and providing heirs as well. This aligned the two families but heirs had to take the name of the matriarch or higher ranking parent, usually leaving one family without a "proper" heir. This changed after the Queendom of Laurasia was established, allowing for coupling to occur between any societal status, and for an heir to take both house names, to properly belong to each, in the format of "(family name) of (family name)".
Traditionally a lyranisa was a person appointed by a landlord to protect and entertain, a bard and a warrior, but normally their tasks included the bard aspects of poem reading and lyre playing. Once Atae founded the sovereignty she took on her own lyranisa, someone whom she could rely on and has fought next to her, giving rise to the new lyranisa role amongst sovereigns.
Lumber Axe
Eyet metal, xeocin bevel, with Lumberjack coat of arms Ailuros mostly farm vegetables and low-growing fruit, and are resilient lumberers, a task often becoming a test of mettle when trees become mobile and smash you into the dirt. Due to this lumber and lumberers in general have become their number main export. This tasked was helped along by beasts of burden, till vectors took off and quickly took their place in the industry.
They're normally seen with melee weapons such as maces and spears, and when need be adapting farm tools such as adzes and sickles. Hunting pieces have become a favourite of the sentinels and guard class, which come in the flavours of shotgun and rifle, an effective tool against plants.
Vel Vases
Obsidian & Tenaistos carnelian; gold accents Their clothes consist of kilts and similar dresses, often sporting stripes or checkered patterns, accented by sporrans and sashes, white metal, and dyed leathers. Originally their art consisted of small to large statues of varying subjects, vases, and simple textiles. Some landlords spend plenty of resources creating academies and libraries to house works and machines, letting alchemists and scientists focus on their respective subjects. This mostly benefits the landlords in the long run.
Mythology & Folklore
Xinvos Statuette
Made from snowflake obsidian In Ailuros mythology their black and white skin patterns were burned there by the universe to mark their heka-using conduits. In their mythos all netjeru spewed like tephra from the same volcano where they emerged, who all went on to create the stars and quasar in their galaxy—black being the obsidian and their birth and the white representing the quasar and their death. Those who hold these beliefs regard the centre of the galaxy as where Ailuros go after they die. To properly reach this destination Ailuros have funeral pyres to allow their remains to reach into the sky and join the cosmos and be ushered to their new existence.
Language
Their language is made of glyphs that represent elements and alchemical ingredients. Hekallos was known as the sounds and symbols given to them by the netjeru Llosyllos, themself known as the voice of heka. These glyphs, like many written letters, are a conduit for heka, and can be used to manipulate its element, or be combined with others to transmute new elements and compounds, in turn developing an understanding of chemistry and science.
IdiomsOut of the grove and into the axe.Dictionary
To foolishly throw oneself into a risky situation one could otherwise have avoided, especially relating to if one disconnects themself from their family, friends and/or supports.
Atrea
Hekallos
Lekatrea
Matrisos
Sinar
ah'tree'ah
heh'kah-lohs
lek-ah'tree'ah
mah'tri-sohs
sin-ARE
Throne
Voice of Heka
Central Throne
Kinship/marriage
"solar"
