Akvatari
From Mizahar Lore
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| Height | 6' (males), 5'8" (females) |
|---|---|
| Weight | varies |
| Lifespan | 70-110 years |
| Major features | Wings, flippers, melancholia |
| Abilities | Excellent flyers and swimmers |
| Population | 7,000 |
| Most common in | Akvatar, occasionally in eastern coastal cities |
| Reputation | Outstanding, if depressing, artists, musicians, and writers. |
| Racial gods | None |
| Racial bonus | +10 to a Visual Art such as Drawing, Painting or Sculpting |
The Akvatari call themselves the "children of the sea and sky." They appear human from the waist up, but have a lower half much like that of a fur seal, as well as a pair of wings on their backs. They are quiet, individualistic, and pensive. The Akvatari are known as exceptional, if not exactly cheerful, writers, musicians, and artists in all media. They were unknown prior to the Valterrian, and most of them inhabit their city of Abura, on the east side of the island of Akvatar.
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History
There is no record of the Akvatari prior to the Valterrian, either in the surviving historical records of Mizahar, or in the memories of the Akvatari themselves. The earliest histories of the Akvatari date from the decade after the Valterrian, and describe their situation as if they had simply awakened from a dream and found themselves in a strange world. It has been hypothesized that they may be a divine creation, but no god or goddess has ever claimed them as his or her own.
Some scholars have seen a connection between a winged race called the Aalsi, who are described as being the original inhabitants of Akvatar in the Codex of Xalz. However, the Codex is of dubious authenticity, and at any rate, none have offered a convincing explanation for how the Aalsi could have exchanged their legs for a tail.
Biology and Appearance
The Akvatari describe themselves as "Children of the Sea and Sky," and this is an accurate description indeed. From the waist up, the Akvatari resemble humans, except for the presence of a pair of wings that sprout from the center of the back. The wings are translucent and shaped much like butterfly wings; they are, however, composed of a tough membrane, and are exceptionally durable, despite their fragile appearance. From the waist down, the Akvatari look much like a fur seal, complete with a thick, short coat and terminal fins. The colors of both the wings and the fur are highly variable, ranging from subdued browns and blacks to shocking pinks and blues.
They cannot breathe underwater, but are capable of holding their breath for periods exceeding six hours. They are fast swimmers, capable of sustained speeds from 10-15 miles per hour, propelling themselves with their muscular tails and using their wings to steer. They are also capable of flight, and are remarkably agile in the air; they are even able to hover in place. The Akvatari have hollow (though strong) bones, which reduce their weight enough for them to stay aloft for extended periods of time, and to reach cruising speeds of up to 40 miles per hour, or 60 mph in short bursts.
As graceful as they are in the sea and sky, they are ungainly at best on the land. They move in an achingly slow, lumbering crawl, and traveling even short distances is exceptionally difficult for them. An Akvatari who is required to do something on land will generally fly as close to their destination as possible before setting down. An Akvatari who somehow becomes stranded on land is the easiest target imaginable.
The average lifespan for an Akvatari varies between 70-110 years. The childbearing years begin at age 20 or 21, and most Akvatari over the age of 30 are infertile.
Although it is not immediately obvious, Akvatari can interbreed with humans and other similar races. Children of such a union will have the tail, but not the wings, and hence are limited to an aquatic or semi-aquatic existence. In second-generation half-breeds, both wings and tail are invariably absent.
Because they are designed to be both aerial and aquatic, the Akvatari are capable of withstanding extreme temperatures, especially of cold. In all but the farthest north regions of Mizahar, an Akvatari can simply lie down on a beach and sleep, regardless of temperature and precipitation.
Psychology
Perhaps because of their lonely, incomplete history, the most striking aspect of the Akvatari is their deep and abiding sense of melancholy. The Akvatari are prone to thinking -- perhaps overthinking -- and rarely are physically violent. They tend to be individualists, and to have acquaintances rather than friends. They are deeply loyal to any friends they do make, however.
Society
Social Structure
The Akvatari are highly individualistic, and are only loosely organized. There is an elected Council of Six that nominally governs Abura, but not only can its decisions can be overruled by a majority vote of the population, but any individual citizen can challenge a ruling in a court composed of eleven Akvatari selected at random. Crime, especially violent crime, is generally low, perhaps because of the inherent temperament of Akvatari society; on the other hand, they also show an aversion to any rules not strictly necessary. In a purely Akvatari society, there are few laws, and enforcement is weak.
There is no difference in status between male and female Akvatari. Both sexes generally restrict their clothing to a single band of fabric or leather around the mid-torso.
Language
The Akvatari do not have their own language; when they first awoke, the language in which they communicated was Common. They have a natural penchant for learning languages, however, and for using metaphors, analogies, and other creative linguistic devices.
Names
In deference to their individualist streak, the Akvatari do not use family names. Most Akvatari have only one name; if one has a second name, it is always a name of his or her choosing.
An Akvatari's name is often some sort of linguistic or spelling game. Anagrams are common, and so an Akvatari from the island of Akvatar might be named Tavarka or Arktava; one with blue fur or wings might be Elbu or Ulbe; or one who seemed unusually quiet could be Tique or Eutiq.
Family Life
Although some Akvatari pair for life, many practice a sort of serial monogamy, taking a series of lovers in turn. There are few large families; most Akvatari never have more than two children, and more than three is extremely rare, especially given the Akvatari's brief fertility window. The population of Akvatari now is almost exactly the same as it was when they first awakened.
Either the male or the female may serve as the primary caregiver. Family ties tend to be loose, and most Akvatari have left home by fourteen or fifteen. Akvatari who take lovers or spouses of other races may choose to adopt more of the habits and customs of that race.
Art and Industry
The Akvatari are a race of thinkers, artists, musicians, and poets, and are recognized as some of the finest in Mizahar – and yet “sad as an Akvatari song” is a proverbial expression that is universally understood. There is no unifying school or style of Akvatari artistic expression, and each artist's work tends to be highly individualized. There does tend to be a common mood, however: a mood of melancholia, of isolation, of deep and abiding sadness.
Seldom does an Akvatari have a "practical" job. There are no agriculturalists among them, as they can survive indefinitely on a diet of fish and kelp, which each individual can easily provide for him/herself, and which are eaten raw. They require little in the way of shelter, and especially in Abura, the available space for sleeping and resting vastly outstrips the demand; as such, there are very few masons, carpenters, or other practical artisans. There are also only a tiny number of Akvatari employed in standard mercantile occupations, for which they generally display limited aptitude.
The majority of the Akvatari support themselves -- insofar as support is necessary -- as artists, musicians, or writers, selling or trading their work to merchants. There is a regular trade route from Zeltiva to Abura, which provides the opportunity for many Akvatari to export their art; additionally, many Akvatari make regular trips to the eastern portions of the continent and dispose of their work there. Akvatari creative works of all kinds are highly prized, which enables the Akvatari to continue this lifestyle. The Akvatari also value education highly, and some find their way into scholarly occupations.
Religion
There is no “Akvatari religion” per se; as no god has claimed the Akvatari, so the Akvatari society makes no claims on any god. Each individual may choose what deity to worship; Rhaus, Nysel, and Eyris are common choices, but there exists a wide variety among the Akvatari.