Seren

Udaya

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• The Island:
  

  In the depths of the Indian Ocean resides a large island, equidistant to the continents of Asia, Australia, and Africa, that is home to the prosperous but tribal population of the Udaya.
  Keāa to̱n Archaío̱n, or the Isle of the Ancients, is known for its extensive trade route made famous for its dealings with magical potions. People from all over the world have heard of these potions; some swear by its use whereas others, a bit more wary, consider it useless. As a result, the Udayan people have a significant, almost cult-like following from some of the countries they do business with. There are varying tribes within the isle, though Zirafan Puak is the most well-known and well-respected as it is the central hub and the home of the oracles. It is covered with white sand on its shores and dark, rich green foliage. The houses are often straw and mud huts with palm leaves for roofing. Some houses have upgraded to wood or stone, but these are few and far between.
  
  The native spoken language of the Udayan people is Thaek (pronounced ta-eek). Because they conduct trade, many Udaya have learned various other languages, although the majority only speak Thaek and Common.

  • Note: At its core, the entirety of the Udayan species is an amalgamation of various cultures, particularly: Thai, Greek, and Chinese. While these concepts were borrowed, they have been given their own unique twists to create something uniquely different.
  • The island is heavily forested with various types of houses: several straw huts on the beach or some of a sturdier clay construction closer to the forest line and beyond. ↗↗ (Less modern.)
• The People:

  Those native to the island are often referred to as giraffe people because of their looks. This is not entirely incorrect, as it is believed they have descended from the giraffe thousands of years ago, but what they truly are is a little more complex. While the truth to this history is mostly lost and unknown to the natives, tribal elders have been able to restore some ancient documents to partially support this belief. The Udaya are predominantly human in body structure and appearance, but they do have significant giraffe-like qualities.
  
  While they have skin instead of fur, all Udaya have spots that resemble that of a giraffe, and their coloring tends to follow that of a giraffe as well (although there are more often variations of pattern coloring than not), and in most cases the stomach tends to be lighter than the rest of the body. It is very rare, almost unheard of, for an Udaya to not have any spots at all. When channeling magic, their spots glow in unison with the gem on their forehead but it is only for that duration.

  HEIGHT: Standing at 5’9” is considered to be on the shorter side of the spectrum, though some males have been recorded to reach 7’10” at the tallest; the average height seems to settle around 6’8”. Their height often lends them to be mostly on the thinner side.

  BODIES: Can either be covered in skin or short, velveteen fur--or some combination thereof.
  NECKS: Are often elongated more so than a human’s. Female Udaya commonly wear brass rings around their neck for decoration. A longer neck is more attractive than a shorter one.

  EYE/HAIR COLOR: Eye color tends to be on the more vibrant side, with the various shades of browns being recessive, and hair color can be any shade (even the unnatural colors), style, or length.

  EARS: Females ears tend to be cast off to the sides of their head (or drooped, rather) whereas males are more upright.

  HORNS: Females of this species have one pair of ossicones (horns) while males have two pair (one often smaller than the other). Ossicones can be straight, curved, and any length as long as they retain the ‘bulbs’ at the ends.

  TAILS: Females have only one tail, but males can either have one tail split half way or two separate tails; the latter is considered most attractive, which has somewhat lead to the barbaric practice of physically splitting one split-tail into two separate tails.

  GEMS: Not all Udaya have gemstones; only those born with magical prowess have a gemstone settled in the center of their forehead that is dull at birth but achieves its full color by age five. The gem’s color is indicative of what magical alignment they are.

  LIFESPAN: Longer than the average human, peaking at ~150 years for the unremarkable Udaya. Those with magical alignment have been known to live ~210 years of age.
• The Relationships:

  Udaya, for the most part, are not monogamous. This does not mean that one-on-one relationships (dyads) do not exist, but instead they are less common. They follow a polyfidelity approach to romance and relationships. Polyfidelity relationships have rules not much different from a traditional monogamous relationship, only there are more than two people involved. A polyfidelitous triad, for example, may have three people involved, with one person sexually active with the other two, or even with all three people sexually involved with one another. However, nobody in the relationship may take an “outside” lover, just as neither partner in a monogamous relationship is allowed to have an outside lover; if you do, it’s cheating. Cheating, if anything, is a more serious offense in a polyfidelity relationship than in a monogamous relationship—because if you cheat, you are betraying more than one person’s trust. Most Udayan relationships consist of three (called triads) or four (called quads) people, although some are (rarely) larger.
  
  The Udayan people are not at all opposed to dating or settling down outside of their species. Some may choose to remain within their species, but the majority of Udayans have an array of species among their lovers.
  
  

  Procreation:
  Within their own species, the Udaya are very fertile. Multiple births are extremely rare, and as such most Udayan females (typically) only give birth to one child at a time. Parents pass on the magical gene if BOTH parents are magical themselves. Two parents who are not magical cannot have a child who is. There is, of course, a 50/50 chance of having a magical offspring if one parent is magical and the other is not. Also, it is worth noting that any offspring that result from a pairing with a non-Udayan species will not result in magical children. Fertility is cut in half (50%) once an Udayan seeks a relationship completely outside of their species. Pairing with an equine, cervine, or human partner boosts these odds to 65-75%.
• Religion:

  Devoutly religious, most Udayans follow the Sol Ghuna religion unwaveringly. The principles of this religion are that there are two primary deities: Solaris and Lunaris, day and night respectively. It is believed that these deities gave the Udayan people their name, as they were specifically created to fulfill their purpose--a “chosen” people. It has been said that Solaris created the day and all that is in it, while Lunaris created the night in all its mysterious beauty. Together they control the celestial bodies, who are lesser gods themselves, and work together to create balance on earth. The Udayan people believe that each celestial god governs a certain point in time, so when a child is born they are born under the command of that sign (the astrological signs below) and, as such, it governs their personality.
  
  It is inherently important that you consider this when creating an Udaya as they are very much the embodiment of the sign they are born under. Because twins are very rare amongst Udaya, the Gemini sign is very rare in turn. It is highly believed that approximately every 10,000 years, Solaris and Lunaris are born to a specifically chosen mother to live upon the earth as semi-immortals; in essence, they do not age past 25 physically, and live far longer than mortals but can and will eventually die before being reborn.
• UDAYA ASTROLOGY:
  Udaya astrology is typically based on various gods and goddesses or deities who they felt best represented their views of the Zodiac. The deities represented are taken from a variety of religions, but typically from Thai culture or Buddhism, as Buddhism is representative of most of The Isle’s neighboring countries as well as themselves. Due to their strong beliefs in Solaris and Lunaris, the Zodiacs are quite powerful especially during the time that the particular sign is in command. It is believed that their energies are much more abundant and if the Udaya holds magical prowess (and is strong enough) then he or she may be capable of pulling power from these Zodiac that the deities embody. It is not unlikely for their particular Zodiac traits to become much more prominent as well.
  
  

  The Ram (Aries) - Phra Ram : Sometimes regarded to as the 7th avatar of Vishnu, the God. The legend of Rama is deeply influential across the South East and India. Rama is regarded as The Lord of Self-Control and typically these who embody Phra Ram are very religious. Rama lived in exile for the sake of his father’s honor until he fought a colossal war against the Ravana who kidnapped his wife. Rama emerges victorious and liberates his wife, and returns home where he is crowned king.
  
  The Bull (Taurus) - Nandi : If you’ve ever heard of Shiva, you may be surprised to know that Nandi is the name of the bull who serves as the mount to this deity. There are many varying stories and legends of Nandi, for example, several depict him as half-bull, half-human -- a child who prayed to Lord Shiva when he could not bear his father’s sorrows upon finding out that Nandi would not live past 8 years old. Nandi represents purity, fertility, loyalty, and justice.
  
  The Twins (Gemini) - Ashwini : Twins can also be shown as having special powers and deep bonds, as seen in Greek mythology. Twins can represent the dualistic nature of the universe, as Castor & Pollux did or Apollo & Artemis. Cultures with rival twin heroes often follow this pattern of split moral forces.
  
  The Crab (Cancer) - Karkinos : A giant crab that assisted Hydra in its battle with Herakles at Lerna. For crushing it, Hera placed Karkinos amongst the stars.
  
  The Lion (Leo) - Narasimha : Literally means ‘man-lion’. Narasimha was known as a great protector who defends and protects his devotees in times of need.
  
  The Maiden (Virgo) - Astraea : The virgin goddess of purity and innocence. She lived among mortals until the wickedness of humanity had her abandoning the earth during the iron age.
  
  The Scales (Libra) - Nemesis : She is said to punish those who partake in excessive indulgence, as she is the holder of balance and justice. In the tale of Narcissus, Nemesis punished Narcissus by making him fall in love with himself, thus condemning him to staring at his reflection for the rest of his days before dying and transforming into a flower.
  
  The Scorpio (Scorpio) - Chelamma : A Hindu scorpion goddess. It was believed that those who prayed to Chelamma would be guarded from scorpion bites! It is said that there is an ancient Hundi beneath her shrine that people have been putting gifts and gold into for years.
  
  The Archer (Sagittarius) - Kinnara (male)/Kinnaris (female) : The Thai Kinnari is depicted as a young woman wearing an angel-like costume. The lower part of the body is similar to a bird, and should enable her to fly between the human and the mystical worlds.
  
  The Mountain Sea-Goat (Capricorn) - Pushan : The god of meetings, responsible for marriages and journeys, roads and conducting souls to the other world. The protector of travelers from wild beasts and caused people to thrive.
  
  The Water Bearer (Aquarius) - Phaya Nak : Because Greater Bangkok is prone to flooding and monsoons, during the holiday Loi Krathong, this holiday is meant to float handmade boats of beautiful flowers, banana stalk, and banana leaves. The festival is often held during a full moon and in order to stop the monsoon rain, the Thai people attempt to appease Phaya Nak, the serpent-ruler. During the full moon(s) during the time of Aquarius’ rule, it is said that those who follow this tradition find the most energy in the universe to cease the massive rainfall.
  
  The Fish (Pisces) : Dagon - A fertility and fish god who is sometimes depicted as a merman.
  
• ABILITIES:

  Abilities fall into one of two categories: magical or unremarkable. Magical Udaya are often potion makers, healers, defenders, or of religious alignment. If they align with the cosmos, they can also have visions and communicate telepathically with others who are also magically aligned. Those who are considered unremarkable are often laborers such as builders, defenders, cooks, and hunters.
  
  Magical abilities fall into five categories of their own: earth, wind, fire, water, and cosmos. Only the reincarnations of Solaris and Lunaris are capable of controlling all five elements of magic. Other Udaya devote their lives to one. Families tend to pass on their magical alignment to their children, though some children may be called to follow another alignment as they grow; this is uncommon but not impossible. Tribes consist of varied magical alignments, which allows them to find their own balance. There are light and dark magicks, but most Udaya (at least those who remain on the Isle) are neutral. The more dark magic used, the more the Udaya’s physical features deteriorate; this can be masked with other magic, of course, and is reversible.

  
  

  Note: The following list is only a basic outline of what each alignment is capable of. It is in no way an all-inclusive list: other abilities may be possible but not included. This will be updated! An Udaya’s gem color is also the color that their spots change while channeling magic; it is also the color of their aura, which becomes visible as well.
  

  EARTH: Gem colors are varying shades of green: ↗↗

  ᛫ Can help plants grow, cure ailments in both flora and fauna (to an extent), and help soil become more rich and fertile. They can also manipulate earth and, for a short time, animate plants (the latter of which is particularly useful in battle).
  ᛫ Pray to and closely follow Pṛthivī the earth god.

  WIND: Gems are varying shades of yellow: ↗↗

  ᛫ Capable of manipulating wind. Can summon breezes and can even “fly” (hover) for short distances.
  ᛫ Pray to and closely follow Vāyu, the wind god.

  FIRE: Gems can be shades of red or orange: ↗↗ or ↗↗

  ᛫ Can conjure and control fire, but can only control fire what was conjured by themselves. Can cauterize wounds.
  ᛫ Pray and closely follow Agni, the fire god.

  WATER: Varying shades of blue: ↗↗

  ᛫ Can control water on a somewhat smaller scale.
  ᛫ Pray to and closely follow Varuna, the water god.

  COSMOS: Shades of purple: ↗↗

  ᛫ Psychic visions, matter manipulation (to an extent).
  ᛫ Pray to and closely follow Aha, the space god.
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