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Info & BG
OC Notes:
Background:
Yllit was born in Ymralit almost 5 Lunar Cycles ago in a Tall Tree Forest. A group of ~560 Ublit, they lived within woods which possessed unnaturally tall trees (hence it's name) where the Lulun flower blossomed most prominently of all. To his Forest it was an important flower for medicine; much time was spent tending to the vast forest and meadows to help keep the balance and make sure things remained as they ought to. So Yllit's first Cycle of life was pretty peaceful! He was cared for until he could attend lessons and from there began to train in a variety of life skills. Cooking, cultivating, fighting, sewing--pretty much a bit of everything like normal.
He turned out to be particularly gifted physically, so when his first Embra (male moon cycle) occurred he more or less continued on as before. There wasn't any real "one thing" he felt he wanted to do so he just sort of helped out where he was needed and enjoyed life. Unfortunately this was not to last. During his 13th year something strange began to happen--all of the Lulun flowers they took such great lengths to culture and protect inexplicably began to shrivel and die. With their prized Patron beginning to vanish the Tall Tree Forest did whatever they could to fix the problem.
The source of the problem was discovered to be the introduction of a large parasite. It had begun to feed off of the deep roots the flowers and fauna of the area, literally eating away at the forest. Despite their want to allow all things in life an equal chance, their very way of life was at risk--and the parasite was unlike anything they had ever seen before. It took many Paerto (Ublit tasked with defending the Forest) to find and confront it; although Yllit was only in training at the time even he was called to assist. With two braids to boast he was considered old enough to fight.
Many Ublit passed that day but they succeeded in protecting their Forest and the Lulun flowers; and for the next three years they knew peace. Yllit even passed on his Breath (MADE BEBI) with another Ublit he considered his Combi (technically his best friend), Emrit. They had a gorgeous baby he then...didn't really see, since he couldn't lactate :c But he did hang out with her throughout the pregnancy and helped her even after! So they had a happy Coupling and went right back to Combi afterwards.
Uuunfortunately after those three years of peace, when Yllit had reached his 16th year, things took a turn for the worse again. Since the parasite had been defeated the Forest's Paerto had gone looking for where it could have come from. Some were sent to check in with other Forests to see if they had any knowledge--but so far everything had been fruitless. His 16th year saw the end of that when their Paerto found the first of the Qui'amsol: their world's version of humans.
Arriving from across the sea the Qui'amsol had taken to cultivating the shoreline where open meadows stretched and few Forests existed. In doing so they had displaced the parasites from where they had peacefully fed off of aquatic plants and chased one into their home territory...and now the Qui'amsol themselves had begun to move closer to their Forest. Which wouldn't have been all that bad had they not have had the absolutely horrifying habit of chopping down the forests to build homes. Oh, and they also dammed up rivers and hunted game with reckless abandon.
SO NATURALLY THE TALL TREE UBLIT WEREN'T TOO PLEASED TO HAVE THEM THERE. But it wasn't as if they were openly hostile; the Qui'amsol were actually quite delighted to find a sentient life form on what they thought was an uninhabited land mass. They tried to make peace and to make arrangements where they wouldn't further upset the Ublit but things never went quite as planned. After several minor skirmishes, a lot of miscommunications and the rather unfortunate slave market that prized Ublit as the "must-have being of the age", hostilities built to the point where although open war was never declared the Ublit forbade Qui'amsol from entering their forest and took up arms to protect it.
Which led to Yllit's decision to train seriously as a Paerto. He's lost more than a few Combi both directly and indirectly as a result of the Qui'amsol, and while he does not think favourably of them in general he and his people take great pains to acknowledge that the minority of humans do not represent the majority--a lesson he learned personally. In early part of his 19th year Yllit found himself outmatched and beaten by a gang of Qui'amsol thugs that had been scouring the neighbouring Red Tree Forest and causing problems. The Ublit there had been trying to liaise with the Qui'amsol government to stop the problem but it wasn't really...helping despite how hard they tried ):
So Yllit and three others left Tall Tree to help Red Tree and basically wound up ambushed and captured with his comrades. More than likely they would have been exported and sold off if it weren't for one Qui'amsol in particular--a man named Ghanbal who not only ambushed and beat the crap out of the thugs, but also helped them find their base of operations so that they could be rid of them for good.
Ghanbal also told Yllit that as soon as he was in his female cycle again he was going to take him out for drinks but that is another story 8|
AND THAT WAS HOW YLLIT LEARNED THAT HUMANS COULD BE OKAY AND KIND EVEN IF THERE SEEMED TO BE SO MANY BAD ONES EVERYWHERE.
Personality:
Kind of serious, but still "young" in the sense of not having plenty of life experience. He's only in his 3rd Lunar Cycle which is still quite young for Ublit even though he's already reached technical adulthood. There's a lot he doesn't know or understand about Qui'amsol culture or life because they...really only appeared 3 years ago. He's only met them a few times so he can be a bit ignorant at times. Generally he tends to treat humans with a wry sort of indifference, if a healthy amount of suspicion.
He's more of a quiet and reserved character who doesn't enjoy making mistakes even if he knows they're necessary and he...tends to make them a lot more around Qui'amsol. He's not easy to anger but easy to annoy. He'd prefer to ignore someone than get into conflict and would rather have solitude than be in a large bustling crowd--but that's not to say he doesn't find simple pleasures there too.
Yllit believes passionately that passing on one's skills and knowledge is the most important thing one can do, as well as doing one's best to do their part. He values honest work and dedication and dislikes lies of any kind. BASICALLY HE'S HALFWAY BETWEEN TSUN AND LINEFACE, with a dash of cultural ignorance and naivete.
Abilities:
Yllit has been trained primarily to take the role of a Paerto to his Forest. This means he's been instructed in the way of the sword, hand-to-hand combat, and how to be incredibly nimble. He's considered strong enough to be one of the tougher Paerto of his Forest but he's not perfect and seeks to improve himself constantly. He is better with hand-to-hand combat than with a sword but he's working on that ):
Physically Yllit has a few things giving him an advantage! His ears aren't just for show, first off. He can hear very well with them and has excellent night vision. To him pitch black is the same as a bright summer's day. He's also got a lower centre of gravity so his balance and gymnastic ability are much better than a human's. His strength and stamina also improve when the moon's light is strong c: Even if he will...never be able to overpower a human in either of these categories in direct combat settings.
Ublit Culture:
Ublit society is one of egalitarianism. Although there are elders and those chosen to perform specific roles or tasks they are treated no differently and held in no higher regard than any other. Everyone works for the group; they have no concept of money or possession and at best the closest they have to an economy is basic bartering between Forests.
Because of the select locations in which Ublit live, each societal unit is referred to as a "Forest". Lake Forest means a grouping that lives in a forest by a lake; Mountain Forest, one in the mountains and so on. Within each Forest there is on average 500-1000 Ublit, depending on the terrain, environment, and actual forest size. Mountain Lake Forests generally contain 1000+ Ublit.
There is no concept of individual family "units" among Ublit. The Forest is considered one large collective in which all are considered family as they are all Ublit (lit. translated as "Children of moonlight.") They consider themselves as a race to be one large family unit, further sub-divided into their smaller Forest-families. Regardless of who one's Breath comes from ("Breath" refers to the act of creating life through the coupling of two other Ublit.) The notion of categorizing a small unit of Ublit as "family" does not exist. After young are born able females will take over nursing as a more communal activity while current males & females without prior obligations handle tasks such as crafting, teaching, gathering, etc.
When the next cycle hits the roles continue on as before; it's kind of like taking shifts in various positions every couple of years. Tasks are divided equally among males and females in every field save for child-rearing. After one year Ublit young no longer require nursing and are then cared for by both males and females accordingly. At the time when a new Lunar Cycle approaches Ublit young are instructed by a member of the opposing gender about the changes that will occur, but other than that gender-specific roles do not exist.
Since all Ublit look physically similar in terms of sex, to differentiate between genders current males will wear their hair in two braids while females will wear theirs in only one. Under no circumstances will an Ublit ever cut their hair. Because they reach physical maturity around 10-13 years old and never age any further Ublit tell age by the length of their hair, which is slow-growing and does so at a constant rate. Once hair reaches their neck an Ublit is considered to have reached physical adulthood and they are given their braids; a necessity as since they never cut their hair, it would otherwise get in the way.
In general Ublit feel no need to expand or conquer territory and always maintain a strict balance with nature and the world. They have no technology beyond wood and do not use fires unless they are beside a source of water.
Ublit are fundamentally social creatures. They always live within Forests with other Ublit--though they can adapt and share companionship with Humans so long as at least one other Ublit is present or they visit a Forest now and again. Ublit that are left on their own or who do not receive any form of social contact/connection are much more likely to become ill and pass.
It is possible for Ublit to die of loneliness. LIKE BUNNIES :c
On a side note, although Ublit will acknowledge wisdom or impressive skill and do have a sense of pride it is not common to praise one for it. Acknowledgement of doing their part may be granted but in general compliments on appearance or intelligence are uncommon. They do not compete with one another and are not boastful in the least. Drawing attention to one Ublit among many is not standard practice and many find it embarrassing and confusing.
The World: Mirta
Their year is 504 days long, and each day lasts 32 hours, divided into 12 hours sunlight, 20 hours moonlight. Every five years the twin moons switch orbits in which one comes closer to the planet than the other, at which time Ublit switch sexes.
Mirta itself is a multi-continent world very similar to earth in that it is mostly water. Most of it could be considered raw; very little has been cultivated in the human sense of the word. It is still mostly forests, meadows, plains, deserts, etc. The Ublit live only on one continent and call it by the same name as the world; separating the planet and earth into regions has no meaning to them, so henceforth all mention of Mirta refers to this continent.
Most of the land in Mirta is forest. It experiences only spring, summer and fall due to its location in the northern hemisphere and receives average rainfall. Very seldom do droughts occur. Mountains are common, with flatland occurring mainly near the ocean or in the basins formed in the bottom of mountains. Most life in Mirta has adapted for the 20 hours of darkness it experiences every night.
Ublit Physiology:
Creatures of the moon, Ublit are purely nocturnal creatures and live according to the moon's phases. Everything about their lives more or less leads back to the moon in some way. Its light provides them with energy and keeps them healthy; prolonged time spent without basking in it makes them feel weakened and sluggish. Ublit do not handle bright lights well as their eyes are made for a nocturnal lifestyle. Sunlight in particular is very difficult for them to adjust to so most avoid it. They also burn easily thanks to their lifestyle and they are intolerant to high temperatures.
The ideal environment for Ublit is one of cool temperatures 17°C/63°F & below, fresh air, and clear midnight skies. They live only in forests and are ill-suited for indoor life due to their love of the outdoors and extreme dislike of stagnant or stuffy air. Forests near healthy glacial lakes and rivers are their favourite.
Ublit have inherently light frames, on average only growing to be 4'3"~5'5" and weighing between 100lb~130lb. Because of this they prioritize speed and stealth rather than strength and are often skilled acrobatically due to their low centres of gravity. Much of their fighting styles tend to redirect energy or avoid it entirely. They are fast sprinters but overall not built for endurance.
As far as a lifespan goes so long as they do not succumb to disease or severe environmental change, Ublit can live to be as old as some forests. Once they reach their 3rd Lunar Cycle (10-13 years) they are fully grown and do not age any longer. When it comes time to pass on an Ublit will simply dissipate into tiny glowing orbs of light which gravitate toward the closest moon.
Sexual maturity occurs at 13 years (end of 3rd Cycle) so that they may begin reproducing in their 4th Lunar Cycle (15 years of age).
Gender:
Gender for the Ublit is not static. As their bodies are tied to the phases of the moon so to is their physiology. Every five years the orbits of their twin moons changes so that one is closer than the other for the next five-year cycle. Those born during the first Lunar Cycle, Embra, begin as male. Those born in the second Lunar Cycle, Ymra, begin as females. And every five years when the twin moons switch so too do each Ublit's genders; another reason for every name in their language being unisex.
Genders are also not split into "biologically male" or "female"; one simply identifies the moon under which they were born (ie. Embralit or Ymralit, meaning "born of Embra/Ymra"). This corresponds less to a distinction of gender and more a distinction of the "time" when they were born. Sexual maturity occurs at the end of an Ublit's 3rd Lunar Cycle.
All Ublit are capable of both insemination and child-bearing depending on which Lunar Cycle they happen to be in, and it is not uncommon for one to have assumed both roles at some time or another in their lifespan. Childbearing for the Ublit is almost identical to humans' save for the incubation period which is only 4 months (~144 days compared to ~252).
Once young are born all able females will work to feed the young; any in their 4th Cycle will possess the ability to produce milk for the newborns (it is an innate biological response to the faint, sweet-scented hormone Ublit babies carry in their first year of life. It is meant to trigger lactation in current females of age).
Embralit and Ymralit are physiologically very similar; the only differences between them are reproduction-based. One is not stronger or taller than another according to sex, nor is the voice of one gender tonally different than another.
Names:
Each Ublit has both a personal name and a Forest name. Individual names are unisex in terms of spelling due to their changing genders; it is only pronunciation that is different, i.e. Yllit (M) is pronounced "Ealit" and (F) is "Yeelit".
Forest names are similar to surnames save for the fact that they exist only to tell which Forest one comes from. An Ublit from Lake Forest would be called "(Dominant plant life) Lake Forest dy _(name)_", "dy" meaning "of." Yllit, for instance, is known as "Lulun Tall Tree Forest dy Yllit."
This manner of name is used only when travelling outside of one's Forest.
Relationships:
There are five kinds of relationships in Ublit society: courtship with the intent to reproduce, romance with the intent to be long term partners, courtship with the intent to Couple outside of the fertile Lunar Phase or with another of the same Lunar Cycle, camaraderie with a platonic undertone, and a mentor-guardianship.
Courtship with the intent to produce is known as Coupling. In this sort of relationship deeper emotions such as "love" are not a necessary factor to achieve the end result, Breathing (makin' babies). Two Ublit of opposing Lunar Cycles join with one another in order to produce offspring during the Lunar Phase when mating is possible. It occurs only when Embra and Ymra align for one month every five years, starting at the beginning of every Lunar Cycle. The relationship typically only lasts 1-4 weeks.
Ublit who group together for Coupling for more than one consecutive year are known as Surmi. In this relationship emotions play a larger role in the continued relationship between Ublit and tie them together in a bond similar to husband and wife, however there is no ceremony and it is not limited to only two participants. It is basically a long-term Coupling with greater emotional attachment. This can last anywhere from 2 years onward.
The relationship between Ublit who engage in the act of mating in off-season or with another of the same Lunar Cycle as oneself is known as Ispri. It is typically done purely for physical reasons, but is not limited to it. Often it helps relieve stress, forge deeper bonds, and allows them to feel more connected with the world around them. It is also considered a form of meditation and has no typical duration.
The last two types of relationships between Ublit are unrelated to coupling: Combi and Paerto. Combi is a simple way of describing those one is close to in a platonic, friendly sense. While technically the entire Forest ought to be considered Combi, it is a term generally used to describe those one frequently spends time with & interacts with amiably.
Paerto is the relationship generally held between those who teach & their students, and those who look after the young & the young themselves. It is best described as taking a role of guardianship or mentoring over other Ublit with the intent to protect or teach. Elders in a Forest are generally considered to be in Paerto with everyone, while a teacher of dance would be in Paerto only with their students.
Only recently has the need risen for Ublit not of Elder age to be in Paerto with their forests as they take on the role of guardians to protect Forests from outside threats and harm.
Terms:
Ublit: "Child of moonlight"; Lunar Elf.
Breath: Life; "to give Breath" means to give birth to new life, while "to pass on Breath" means to contribute to new life.
Breather: One who gave life; mother/father.
Breathing: The act of Coupling.
Air: Pregnancy. "To have Air" is to be pregnant. The more Air, the further along one is.
Forest: The name given to a social unit of Ublit; "city", "village".
Forest Name: See here.
Lunar Cycle: The phase of the twin moons' lunar orbits when one is closer to the planet than the other. Lasts 5 years.
Lunar Phase: The one-month period per year where it is possible for Ublit to conceive. It begins on the 252nd day of the year, every year.
Embra: First Lunar Moon/Cycle.
Embralit: One who is born during Embra's Lunar Cycle.
Ymra: Second Lunar Moon/Cycle.
Ymralit: One who is born during Ymra's Lunar Cycle.
Patron: The dominant plant species of a Forest.
Coupling: (n) A relationship where courtship with the intent to reproduce is undertaken. (v) Reproduction.
Surmi: A romance-type relationship between 2 or more Ublit with the intent to mate more than once during Lunar Phases.
Ispri: A relationship between Ublit with intent to couple during the off-season, or with another of the same Lunar Cycle.
Combi: Platonic, friendship-type relationship.
Paerto: Platonic, guardian-type relationship; applicable to singular, small, and large groups.
Qui'amsol: Humans, basically.
Pa'sol: A flower that blooms at midnight & the staple of the Ublit diet.
Language:
Possessive nouns in general do not exist. Similarly, it is not possible to "own" anything. Ublit have no words in their language to describe that an object of any kind belongs to a singular person/group. They have no understanding of something like, "this cup is mine," but "my hair is long" or "my thoughts are troubled" is fine since it is a "part" of them. For Ublit, "own" refers only to oneself. "Mine", "hers", and "his" do not exist.
Words which distinguish between genders also do not exist--"his", "her", "he", "she" etc. Instead they refer to each other by name or by their current Lunar Cycle; Embra or Ymra. These can be singular or plural. "I think embra's class is tomorrow" is the same as saying "I think his class is tomorrow."
Language that denotes location works different for the Ublit. Since they always live among nature they have no understanding of the words "inside" or "outside". They instead have the words "within" and "beyond." "To be within" means to dwell under shelter while "to be beyond" means to move beyond shelter. The Ublit have started to borrow words from the Qui'sol to make up for this, and often call buildings "cages".
Miscellaneous:
Unlike humans, Ublit suffer from extreme disorientation when they are brought into an enclosed structure such as a house or castle. They lose all sense of direction and have trouble navigating; often they become easily lost. Claustrophobia is also common when there is no discernible exit, and many experience varying forms of paranoia, anxiety, and mood swings. Prolonged exposure to the indoors make Ublit ill and take on fever-like qualities--though in rare circumstances, if they are allowed moonlight via window, they can live with only slight discomfort.
Part of the reason for this is again, their connection to the moon. So long as they experience its rays all Ublit have a sense of "direction" which makes it almost impossible for them to get lost. No matter where their location was originally and how far they travel they will always know which way to go should they wish to return to their Forest; it's somewhat like an imprint that is given to them when they are born: for the rest of their life they will "know" where the moonlight connects to their Forest. So by using that as a frame of reference Ublit can travel long distances and cover unfamiliar territory without being completely lost.
Thanks to their outdoor lifestyle Ublit have very little understanding of human structures and buildings. What is obviously a door to Qui'amsol will be incomprehensible to an Ublit--it may as well be a part of the wall as far as they can tell. Only once it has been physically interacted with and moved does it enter into their comprehension and exist as a movable object.
Calendar/Phases:
Ublit use a Anomalistic Calendar, measuring their Cycles by the time each moon reaches its Lunar Perigree (when it it closest to the planet).
1 day = 32 hours
1 week = 9 days
1 month = 4 weeks (36 days)
1 year = 14 months (504 days)
01: Orsus. At the start of every Lunar Cycle mating is possible for the duration of the month.
02: Endri
03: Urdt
04: Maat
05: Llyo
06: Uo
07: Ynnt
08: Dryd
09: Errghat
10: Blut
11: Trisse
12: Klyo
13: Aadus
14: Imum
Coupling:
Once per Lunar Cycle, the Twin Moons shift positions at the start of the year and it becomes possible for newly-aligned Ublit to give birth. This first Orsus of every Cycle is the only time when the need to mate is typically felt among Ublit (physical drives for pleasure are not as pronounced as they are for Qui'amsol). This is a result of specific scented hormones both males and females give off. They can be detected by humans.
Attraction for Ublit is typically based on the manner in which one's hair glows when under moonlight. As no two Ublit have the same hair colour the various shades provide unique ways of reflecting light. Some reflect more than others while different shades of the same colour can be lighter or darker than another colour that is generally considered "lighter".
The colour considered most attractive and appealing to Ublit is white since both of their moons produce white light. Blue-tinted light is secondary, and darker colours are seen as more mundane.
Customs:
Diet:
Being herbivores, Ublit eat only plants which have soaked up both moon and sunlight. Their preferred food is a plant known as Pa'sol, "sunlight plant". During the day it closes its petals and uses sunlight to build up acidic fluid which it then converts into sugars when it blooms at night, glowing faintly. This is the staple of their diet; all other foods are either root vegetables or nuts and berries. Fresh mint is seen as a dessert.
They are unable to digest meat, dairy, or gluten. The flavors most enjoyed by Ublit are sweet, mint, and saltiness. They do not enjoy savoury flavors.
Qui'amsol:
The humans of Mirta! They originally came from a southern continent where a monarchy ruled. They were about as advanced as having an Emperor/Empress, with the land divided into provinces that are maintained by reagents. All technology/magic they have is gained from Sun Stones, crystal-like rocks which are literally crystallized sunlight that's built up and clustered together. They use these for lighting, heating, healing and...and their "magic", of sorts. They don't have spells or anything but they can be used offensively if they've absorbed enough sunlight.
So basically the humans do whatever they can to collect and mine Sun Stones. Their whole economy is based around it...which is pretty much why when they started running out of stone deposits people set out in search of areas rich in sun.
Turns out those 10 hours of sunlight that the continent of Mirta gets? Is perfect for cultivating these. A stray trading company happened to catch wind of it, resulting in all of the Qui'amsol basically hightailing it to Mirta to get their hands on more Sun Stones. And that is how they met the Ublit.
Background Personality Abilities Culture The World Physiology |
Names Relationships Terms Language Miscellaneous Customs |
Coupling Diet Qui'amsol |
Mun:
Name: Dolly
Personal LJ:orz_woeisme
Email: justadolly@gmail.com
AIM: we were british
Plurk: Plurk
Character:
Name: Lulun Tall Tree Forest dy Yllit
Journal:
Species: Ublit (Lunar Elves)
Gender: Male Cycle
Age: 19; 3.9 Lunar Cycles. "26" human years.
Height: 4'8"; (5'1" b/c of hair going upward)
Weight: 113lbs
Background: See Here!
Personality: Same as above.
Extra notes: LIFE REVOLVES AROUND THE MOOOOOON so just read the link sobbbb.
Background:
Yllit was born in Ymralit almost 5 Lunar Cycles ago in a Tall Tree Forest. A group of ~560 Ublit, they lived within woods which possessed unnaturally tall trees (hence it's name) where the Lulun flower blossomed most prominently of all. To his Forest it was an important flower for medicine; much time was spent tending to the vast forest and meadows to help keep the balance and make sure things remained as they ought to. So Yllit's first Cycle of life was pretty peaceful! He was cared for until he could attend lessons and from there began to train in a variety of life skills. Cooking, cultivating, fighting, sewing--pretty much a bit of everything like normal.
He turned out to be particularly gifted physically, so when his first Embra (male moon cycle) occurred he more or less continued on as before. There wasn't any real "one thing" he felt he wanted to do so he just sort of helped out where he was needed and enjoyed life. Unfortunately this was not to last. During his 13th year something strange began to happen--all of the Lulun flowers they took such great lengths to culture and protect inexplicably began to shrivel and die. With their prized Patron beginning to vanish the Tall Tree Forest did whatever they could to fix the problem.
The source of the problem was discovered to be the introduction of a large parasite. It had begun to feed off of the deep roots the flowers and fauna of the area, literally eating away at the forest. Despite their want to allow all things in life an equal chance, their very way of life was at risk--and the parasite was unlike anything they had ever seen before. It took many Paerto (Ublit tasked with defending the Forest) to find and confront it; although Yllit was only in training at the time even he was called to assist. With two braids to boast he was considered old enough to fight.
Many Ublit passed that day but they succeeded in protecting their Forest and the Lulun flowers; and for the next three years they knew peace. Yllit even passed on his Breath (MADE BEBI) with another Ublit he considered his Combi (technically his best friend), Emrit. They had a gorgeous baby he then...didn't really see, since he couldn't lactate :c But he did hang out with her throughout the pregnancy and helped her even after! So they had a happy Coupling and went right back to Combi afterwards.
Uuunfortunately after those three years of peace, when Yllit had reached his 16th year, things took a turn for the worse again. Since the parasite had been defeated the Forest's Paerto had gone looking for where it could have come from. Some were sent to check in with other Forests to see if they had any knowledge--but so far everything had been fruitless. His 16th year saw the end of that when their Paerto found the first of the Qui'amsol: their world's version of humans.
Arriving from across the sea the Qui'amsol had taken to cultivating the shoreline where open meadows stretched and few Forests existed. In doing so they had displaced the parasites from where they had peacefully fed off of aquatic plants and chased one into their home territory...and now the Qui'amsol themselves had begun to move closer to their Forest. Which wouldn't have been all that bad had they not have had the absolutely horrifying habit of chopping down the forests to build homes. Oh, and they also dammed up rivers and hunted game with reckless abandon.
SO NATURALLY THE TALL TREE UBLIT WEREN'T TOO PLEASED TO HAVE THEM THERE. But it wasn't as if they were openly hostile; the Qui'amsol were actually quite delighted to find a sentient life form on what they thought was an uninhabited land mass. They tried to make peace and to make arrangements where they wouldn't further upset the Ublit but things never went quite as planned. After several minor skirmishes, a lot of miscommunications and the rather unfortunate slave market that prized Ublit as the "must-have being of the age", hostilities built to the point where although open war was never declared the Ublit forbade Qui'amsol from entering their forest and took up arms to protect it.
Which led to Yllit's decision to train seriously as a Paerto. He's lost more than a few Combi both directly and indirectly as a result of the Qui'amsol, and while he does not think favourably of them in general he and his people take great pains to acknowledge that the minority of humans do not represent the majority--a lesson he learned personally. In early part of his 19th year Yllit found himself outmatched and beaten by a gang of Qui'amsol thugs that had been scouring the neighbouring Red Tree Forest and causing problems. The Ublit there had been trying to liaise with the Qui'amsol government to stop the problem but it wasn't really...helping despite how hard they tried ):
So Yllit and three others left Tall Tree to help Red Tree and basically wound up ambushed and captured with his comrades. More than likely they would have been exported and sold off if it weren't for one Qui'amsol in particular--a man named Ghanbal who not only ambushed and beat the crap out of the thugs, but also helped them find their base of operations so that they could be rid of them for good.
Ghanbal also told Yllit that as soon as he was in his female cycle again he was going to take him out for drinks but that is another story 8|
AND THAT WAS HOW YLLIT LEARNED THAT HUMANS COULD BE OKAY AND KIND EVEN IF THERE SEEMED TO BE SO MANY BAD ONES EVERYWHERE.
Personality:
Kind of serious, but still "young" in the sense of not having plenty of life experience. He's only in his 3rd Lunar Cycle which is still quite young for Ublit even though he's already reached technical adulthood. There's a lot he doesn't know or understand about Qui'amsol culture or life because they...really only appeared 3 years ago. He's only met them a few times so he can be a bit ignorant at times. Generally he tends to treat humans with a wry sort of indifference, if a healthy amount of suspicion.
He's more of a quiet and reserved character who doesn't enjoy making mistakes even if he knows they're necessary and he...tends to make them a lot more around Qui'amsol. He's not easy to anger but easy to annoy. He'd prefer to ignore someone than get into conflict and would rather have solitude than be in a large bustling crowd--but that's not to say he doesn't find simple pleasures there too.
Yllit believes passionately that passing on one's skills and knowledge is the most important thing one can do, as well as doing one's best to do their part. He values honest work and dedication and dislikes lies of any kind. BASICALLY HE'S HALFWAY BETWEEN TSUN AND LINEFACE, with a dash of cultural ignorance and naivete.
Abilities:
Yllit has been trained primarily to take the role of a Paerto to his Forest. This means he's been instructed in the way of the sword, hand-to-hand combat, and how to be incredibly nimble. He's considered strong enough to be one of the tougher Paerto of his Forest but he's not perfect and seeks to improve himself constantly. He is better with hand-to-hand combat than with a sword but he's working on that ):
Physically Yllit has a few things giving him an advantage! His ears aren't just for show, first off. He can hear very well with them and has excellent night vision. To him pitch black is the same as a bright summer's day. He's also got a lower centre of gravity so his balance and gymnastic ability are much better than a human's. His strength and stamina also improve when the moon's light is strong c: Even if he will...never be able to overpower a human in either of these categories in direct combat settings.
Ublit Culture:
Ublit society is one of egalitarianism. Although there are elders and those chosen to perform specific roles or tasks they are treated no differently and held in no higher regard than any other. Everyone works for the group; they have no concept of money or possession and at best the closest they have to an economy is basic bartering between Forests.
Because of the select locations in which Ublit live, each societal unit is referred to as a "Forest". Lake Forest means a grouping that lives in a forest by a lake; Mountain Forest, one in the mountains and so on. Within each Forest there is on average 500-1000 Ublit, depending on the terrain, environment, and actual forest size. Mountain Lake Forests generally contain 1000+ Ublit.
There is no concept of individual family "units" among Ublit. The Forest is considered one large collective in which all are considered family as they are all Ublit (lit. translated as "Children of moonlight.") They consider themselves as a race to be one large family unit, further sub-divided into their smaller Forest-families. Regardless of who one's Breath comes from ("Breath" refers to the act of creating life through the coupling of two other Ublit.) The notion of categorizing a small unit of Ublit as "family" does not exist. After young are born able females will take over nursing as a more communal activity while current males & females without prior obligations handle tasks such as crafting, teaching, gathering, etc.
When the next cycle hits the roles continue on as before; it's kind of like taking shifts in various positions every couple of years. Tasks are divided equally among males and females in every field save for child-rearing. After one year Ublit young no longer require nursing and are then cared for by both males and females accordingly. At the time when a new Lunar Cycle approaches Ublit young are instructed by a member of the opposing gender about the changes that will occur, but other than that gender-specific roles do not exist.
Since all Ublit look physically similar in terms of sex, to differentiate between genders current males will wear their hair in two braids while females will wear theirs in only one. Under no circumstances will an Ublit ever cut their hair. Because they reach physical maturity around 10-13 years old and never age any further Ublit tell age by the length of their hair, which is slow-growing and does so at a constant rate. Once hair reaches their neck an Ublit is considered to have reached physical adulthood and they are given their braids; a necessity as since they never cut their hair, it would otherwise get in the way.
In general Ublit feel no need to expand or conquer territory and always maintain a strict balance with nature and the world. They have no technology beyond wood and do not use fires unless they are beside a source of water.
Ublit are fundamentally social creatures. They always live within Forests with other Ublit--though they can adapt and share companionship with Humans so long as at least one other Ublit is present or they visit a Forest now and again. Ublit that are left on their own or who do not receive any form of social contact/connection are much more likely to become ill and pass.
It is possible for Ublit to die of loneliness. LIKE BUNNIES :c
On a side note, although Ublit will acknowledge wisdom or impressive skill and do have a sense of pride it is not common to praise one for it. Acknowledgement of doing their part may be granted but in general compliments on appearance or intelligence are uncommon. They do not compete with one another and are not boastful in the least. Drawing attention to one Ublit among many is not standard practice and many find it embarrassing and confusing.
The World: Mirta
Their year is 504 days long, and each day lasts 32 hours, divided into 12 hours sunlight, 20 hours moonlight. Every five years the twin moons switch orbits in which one comes closer to the planet than the other, at which time Ublit switch sexes.
Mirta itself is a multi-continent world very similar to earth in that it is mostly water. Most of it could be considered raw; very little has been cultivated in the human sense of the word. It is still mostly forests, meadows, plains, deserts, etc. The Ublit live only on one continent and call it by the same name as the world; separating the planet and earth into regions has no meaning to them, so henceforth all mention of Mirta refers to this continent.
Most of the land in Mirta is forest. It experiences only spring, summer and fall due to its location in the northern hemisphere and receives average rainfall. Very seldom do droughts occur. Mountains are common, with flatland occurring mainly near the ocean or in the basins formed in the bottom of mountains. Most life in Mirta has adapted for the 20 hours of darkness it experiences every night.
Ublit Physiology:
Creatures of the moon, Ublit are purely nocturnal creatures and live according to the moon's phases. Everything about their lives more or less leads back to the moon in some way. Its light provides them with energy and keeps them healthy; prolonged time spent without basking in it makes them feel weakened and sluggish. Ublit do not handle bright lights well as their eyes are made for a nocturnal lifestyle. Sunlight in particular is very difficult for them to adjust to so most avoid it. They also burn easily thanks to their lifestyle and they are intolerant to high temperatures.
The ideal environment for Ublit is one of cool temperatures 17°C/63°F & below, fresh air, and clear midnight skies. They live only in forests and are ill-suited for indoor life due to their love of the outdoors and extreme dislike of stagnant or stuffy air. Forests near healthy glacial lakes and rivers are their favourite.
Ublit have inherently light frames, on average only growing to be 4'3"~5'5" and weighing between 100lb~130lb. Because of this they prioritize speed and stealth rather than strength and are often skilled acrobatically due to their low centres of gravity. Much of their fighting styles tend to redirect energy or avoid it entirely. They are fast sprinters but overall not built for endurance.
As far as a lifespan goes so long as they do not succumb to disease or severe environmental change, Ublit can live to be as old as some forests. Once they reach their 3rd Lunar Cycle (10-13 years) they are fully grown and do not age any longer. When it comes time to pass on an Ublit will simply dissipate into tiny glowing orbs of light which gravitate toward the closest moon.
Sexual maturity occurs at 13 years (end of 3rd Cycle) so that they may begin reproducing in their 4th Lunar Cycle (15 years of age).
Gender:
Gender for the Ublit is not static. As their bodies are tied to the phases of the moon so to is their physiology. Every five years the orbits of their twin moons changes so that one is closer than the other for the next five-year cycle. Those born during the first Lunar Cycle, Embra, begin as male. Those born in the second Lunar Cycle, Ymra, begin as females. And every five years when the twin moons switch so too do each Ublit's genders; another reason for every name in their language being unisex.
Genders are also not split into "biologically male" or "female"; one simply identifies the moon under which they were born (ie. Embralit or Ymralit, meaning "born of Embra/Ymra"). This corresponds less to a distinction of gender and more a distinction of the "time" when they were born. Sexual maturity occurs at the end of an Ublit's 3rd Lunar Cycle.
All Ublit are capable of both insemination and child-bearing depending on which Lunar Cycle they happen to be in, and it is not uncommon for one to have assumed both roles at some time or another in their lifespan. Childbearing for the Ublit is almost identical to humans' save for the incubation period which is only 4 months (~144 days compared to ~252).
Once young are born all able females will work to feed the young; any in their 4th Cycle will possess the ability to produce milk for the newborns (it is an innate biological response to the faint, sweet-scented hormone Ublit babies carry in their first year of life. It is meant to trigger lactation in current females of age).
Embralit and Ymralit are physiologically very similar; the only differences between them are reproduction-based. One is not stronger or taller than another according to sex, nor is the voice of one gender tonally different than another.
Names:
Each Ublit has both a personal name and a Forest name. Individual names are unisex in terms of spelling due to their changing genders; it is only pronunciation that is different, i.e. Yllit (M) is pronounced "Ealit" and (F) is "Yeelit".
Forest names are similar to surnames save for the fact that they exist only to tell which Forest one comes from. An Ublit from Lake Forest would be called "(Dominant plant life) Lake Forest dy _(name)_", "dy" meaning "of." Yllit, for instance, is known as "Lulun Tall Tree Forest dy Yllit."
This manner of name is used only when travelling outside of one's Forest.
Relationships:
There are five kinds of relationships in Ublit society: courtship with the intent to reproduce, romance with the intent to be long term partners, courtship with the intent to Couple outside of the fertile Lunar Phase or with another of the same Lunar Cycle, camaraderie with a platonic undertone, and a mentor-guardianship.
Courtship with the intent to produce is known as Coupling. In this sort of relationship deeper emotions such as "love" are not a necessary factor to achieve the end result, Breathing (makin' babies). Two Ublit of opposing Lunar Cycles join with one another in order to produce offspring during the Lunar Phase when mating is possible. It occurs only when Embra and Ymra align for one month every five years, starting at the beginning of every Lunar Cycle. The relationship typically only lasts 1-4 weeks.
Ublit who group together for Coupling for more than one consecutive year are known as Surmi. In this relationship emotions play a larger role in the continued relationship between Ublit and tie them together in a bond similar to husband and wife, however there is no ceremony and it is not limited to only two participants. It is basically a long-term Coupling with greater emotional attachment. This can last anywhere from 2 years onward.
The relationship between Ublit who engage in the act of mating in off-season or with another of the same Lunar Cycle as oneself is known as Ispri. It is typically done purely for physical reasons, but is not limited to it. Often it helps relieve stress, forge deeper bonds, and allows them to feel more connected with the world around them. It is also considered a form of meditation and has no typical duration.
The last two types of relationships between Ublit are unrelated to coupling: Combi and Paerto. Combi is a simple way of describing those one is close to in a platonic, friendly sense. While technically the entire Forest ought to be considered Combi, it is a term generally used to describe those one frequently spends time with & interacts with amiably.
Paerto is the relationship generally held between those who teach & their students, and those who look after the young & the young themselves. It is best described as taking a role of guardianship or mentoring over other Ublit with the intent to protect or teach. Elders in a Forest are generally considered to be in Paerto with everyone, while a teacher of dance would be in Paerto only with their students.
Only recently has the need risen for Ublit not of Elder age to be in Paerto with their forests as they take on the role of guardians to protect Forests from outside threats and harm.
Terms:
Ublit: "Child of moonlight"; Lunar Elf.
Breath: Life; "to give Breath" means to give birth to new life, while "to pass on Breath" means to contribute to new life.
Breather: One who gave life; mother/father.
Breathing: The act of Coupling.
Air: Pregnancy. "To have Air" is to be pregnant. The more Air, the further along one is.
Forest: The name given to a social unit of Ublit; "city", "village".
Forest Name: See here.
Lunar Cycle: The phase of the twin moons' lunar orbits when one is closer to the planet than the other. Lasts 5 years.
Lunar Phase: The one-month period per year where it is possible for Ublit to conceive. It begins on the 252nd day of the year, every year.
Embra: First Lunar Moon/Cycle.
Embralit: One who is born during Embra's Lunar Cycle.
Ymra: Second Lunar Moon/Cycle.
Ymralit: One who is born during Ymra's Lunar Cycle.
Patron: The dominant plant species of a Forest.
Coupling: (n) A relationship where courtship with the intent to reproduce is undertaken. (v) Reproduction.
Surmi: A romance-type relationship between 2 or more Ublit with the intent to mate more than once during Lunar Phases.
Ispri: A relationship between Ublit with intent to couple during the off-season, or with another of the same Lunar Cycle.
Combi: Platonic, friendship-type relationship.
Paerto: Platonic, guardian-type relationship; applicable to singular, small, and large groups.
Qui'amsol: Humans, basically.
Pa'sol: A flower that blooms at midnight & the staple of the Ublit diet.
Language:
Possessive nouns in general do not exist. Similarly, it is not possible to "own" anything. Ublit have no words in their language to describe that an object of any kind belongs to a singular person/group. They have no understanding of something like, "this cup is mine," but "my hair is long" or "my thoughts are troubled" is fine since it is a "part" of them. For Ublit, "own" refers only to oneself. "Mine", "hers", and "his" do not exist.
Words which distinguish between genders also do not exist--"his", "her", "he", "she" etc. Instead they refer to each other by name or by their current Lunar Cycle; Embra or Ymra. These can be singular or plural. "I think embra's class is tomorrow" is the same as saying "I think his class is tomorrow."
Language that denotes location works different for the Ublit. Since they always live among nature they have no understanding of the words "inside" or "outside". They instead have the words "within" and "beyond." "To be within" means to dwell under shelter while "to be beyond" means to move beyond shelter. The Ublit have started to borrow words from the Qui'sol to make up for this, and often call buildings "cages".
Miscellaneous:
Unlike humans, Ublit suffer from extreme disorientation when they are brought into an enclosed structure such as a house or castle. They lose all sense of direction and have trouble navigating; often they become easily lost. Claustrophobia is also common when there is no discernible exit, and many experience varying forms of paranoia, anxiety, and mood swings. Prolonged exposure to the indoors make Ublit ill and take on fever-like qualities--though in rare circumstances, if they are allowed moonlight via window, they can live with only slight discomfort.
Part of the reason for this is again, their connection to the moon. So long as they experience its rays all Ublit have a sense of "direction" which makes it almost impossible for them to get lost. No matter where their location was originally and how far they travel they will always know which way to go should they wish to return to their Forest; it's somewhat like an imprint that is given to them when they are born: for the rest of their life they will "know" where the moonlight connects to their Forest. So by using that as a frame of reference Ublit can travel long distances and cover unfamiliar territory without being completely lost.
Thanks to their outdoor lifestyle Ublit have very little understanding of human structures and buildings. What is obviously a door to Qui'amsol will be incomprehensible to an Ublit--it may as well be a part of the wall as far as they can tell. Only once it has been physically interacted with and moved does it enter into their comprehension and exist as a movable object.
Calendar/Phases:
Ublit use a Anomalistic Calendar, measuring their Cycles by the time each moon reaches its Lunar Perigree (when it it closest to the planet).
1 day = 32 hours
1 week = 9 days
1 month = 4 weeks (36 days)
1 year = 14 months (504 days)
01: Orsus. At the start of every Lunar Cycle mating is possible for the duration of the month.
02: Endri
03: Urdt
04: Maat
05: Llyo
06: Uo
07: Ynnt
08: Dryd
09: Errghat
10: Blut
11: Trisse
12: Klyo
13: Aadus
14: Imum
Coupling:
Once per Lunar Cycle, the Twin Moons shift positions at the start of the year and it becomes possible for newly-aligned Ublit to give birth. This first Orsus of every Cycle is the only time when the need to mate is typically felt among Ublit (physical drives for pleasure are not as pronounced as they are for Qui'amsol). This is a result of specific scented hormones both males and females give off. They can be detected by humans.
Attraction for Ublit is typically based on the manner in which one's hair glows when under moonlight. As no two Ublit have the same hair colour the various shades provide unique ways of reflecting light. Some reflect more than others while different shades of the same colour can be lighter or darker than another colour that is generally considered "lighter".
The colour considered most attractive and appealing to Ublit is white since both of their moons produce white light. Blue-tinted light is secondary, and darker colours are seen as more mundane.
Customs:
 Bowing: This gesture is used for as a courtesy. It can be interpreted as both a greeting and an apology, or acknowledgement. Commonly it is done when Ublit from different Forests greet one another, when one is addressing those they are in Paerto with (this works both ways). Basically it is a form of respect and understanding. Feet are together, pointing outward in this gesture. Blessing: To give one's blessing or wish for their safety, an Ublit will take the palm of their hand and place it upon another's body. Where they do this provides different meanings depending on the location. To wish one a safe pregnancy the palm is placed over the womb; safety, the face (gently touching the eyelids); to wish one good health the palm is placed over the heart. |
Diet:
Being herbivores, Ublit eat only plants which have soaked up both moon and sunlight. Their preferred food is a plant known as Pa'sol, "sunlight plant". During the day it closes its petals and uses sunlight to build up acidic fluid which it then converts into sugars when it blooms at night, glowing faintly. This is the staple of their diet; all other foods are either root vegetables or nuts and berries. Fresh mint is seen as a dessert.
They are unable to digest meat, dairy, or gluten. The flavors most enjoyed by Ublit are sweet, mint, and saltiness. They do not enjoy savoury flavors.
Qui'amsol:
The humans of Mirta! They originally came from a southern continent where a monarchy ruled. They were about as advanced as having an Emperor/Empress, with the land divided into provinces that are maintained by reagents. All technology/magic they have is gained from Sun Stones, crystal-like rocks which are literally crystallized sunlight that's built up and clustered together. They use these for lighting, heating, healing and...and their "magic", of sorts. They don't have spells or anything but they can be used offensively if they've absorbed enough sunlight.
So basically the humans do whatever they can to collect and mine Sun Stones. Their whole economy is based around it...which is pretty much why when they started running out of stone deposits people set out in search of areas rich in sun.
Turns out those 10 hours of sunlight that the continent of Mirta gets? Is perfect for cultivating these. A stray trading company happened to catch wind of it, resulting in all of the Qui'amsol basically hightailing it to Mirta to get their hands on more Sun Stones. And that is how they met the Ublit.