Avendar

Regal and prideful, the aelin are one of the oldest races in the world and consider themselves the founders of modern civilization. Status in society is of the utmost importance to aelin, and appearance is always a consideration.

Appearance

Aelin are humanoid mammals with slight, fragile bodies and broad avian wings. Although often compared to humanity, aelin appear significantly more youthful and androgynous by comparison, and also lack facial or body hair, bulky muscle, or significant body fat. Their hair follows a range of colours from white to black, blond to brown, and with the occasional red. Their eyes can be nearly any colour, ranging from the drab tones of humanity to jewel-bright hues. Aelin complexion ranges from pale to dark, largely depending on their region of origin. Their plumage can feature nearly any colour or pattern found in nature.

Aelin value beauty; they take their appearances seriously, and spend much time on grooming their wings in particular. Aelin of all genders commonly wear cosmetics, and may dye their hair or feathers.

Culture

Beauty, reason, and pride are nigh-universally valued by the aelin, and not always to their betterment. Most aelin take their appearance particularly seriously and spend an unusual amount of time styling their hair, preening their feathers, or choosing the most appealing clothing. This can give other races the impression of being unflatteringly effete, although that concept is unheard of within aelin circles. As the originators of republican government, they have a healthy appreciation for logic and order. They tend to be active conversationalists, and enjoy the clever application of ideas or designs. Aelin pride is infamous, and fed both by their obsession with culture and their historical achievements. It is more common than not for an aelin to believe he is superior to others, if it is justified or not.

As a result, aelin societies are highly stratified, and their families arranged into distinct houses with complex legal and social standings. Though each region has their own variations, houses are recognized across all aelin cultures. Those aelin without houses are known as “ael ta Iana” and find themselves locked out of much of aelin society, whether legally or de facto.

Marriages are a cornerstone of aelin society and have evolved into being complex affairs. An aelin marriage consists of two or more partners committed in a binding, semi-public contract, usually for a finite period of time. Contracts may include stipulations for anything from the number of children (and who births them) to how extramarital affairs must be conducted. For all their flexibility, however, officially recognized marriage cannot include individuals of another species.

The aelin are given to passions which make their individual pursuits an exercise in will. They possess an innate, if subtle, desire to defy the finely-crafted systems which they have created. This often leads them to be harshly judgmental of those who actually indulge in such behavior-- especially other aelin. This dichotomy creates a sharp divide between the personal and public spheres, further heightening the aelin penchant for concealment; a deep fear of failure or public shame is attributed to much that they do. It also prompts them to choose their company carefully, giving their natural elitism an even more condescending air.

Often, aelin are known to harshly critique their peers who do not fit into expected social roles, while at the same time pushing what boundaries suit them behind closed doors. While this can be seen in many arenas from familial to business, this is especially true in interracial dalliances, intimate and otherwise. These connections are both a source of intense personal interest, and paradoxically dismissed as temporary, shallow amusements. Hypocrisy is common amongst their people, and even the best of aelin will experience powerful temptation to judge others even as they themselves indulge.

Because of this, their interpersonal relations tend to be complex, composed of distinct public and private sides. Pinning down their “true” motivations can be difficult, as they are likely to tell different versions of the same story (or entirely different stories!) to different people. This is true even for well-meaning aelin; they need not lie, but they might confide to several people about separate aspects of life, and seek to keep them separate. Unfortunately, it has led to a stereotype of aelin duplicity that follows them throughout their personal and professional dealings.

Eternal Empire of Daphoa

A continent west across the Sea of Lidraeu, it is home to the birthplace of aelin culture, the Eternal Empire of Daphoa. It is divided into the provinces of Litirya, Siael, Illata, and Ipora, with the capitol city of Ilodaiya situated upon a great floating disc above the Ialiedae mountains. The oldest functioning democracy in the known world, imperial Daphoa’s power is vested in its Senate, the archetypical feature of their government. Within Ilodaiya, the houses known as the Seven Sentinels (Linphori, Telanei, Judessa, Linayla, Ishtae, Eolodeu, and Lenahiri), each credited as among the first to establish the High City, are guaranteed Senate seats, while all others must be elected. This places them at the apex of Daphoa’s social and political hierarchy.

Connections and heritage are paramount to those living within the empire, and those of means will often judge others strongly based on their house affiliation. The determination of a house name’s transfer, as well as its accurate lineage, are approved by (and at times, facilitated by) the Senate Heritage Authority. Property inheritance is selective, and may not necessarily go to blood relatives. Legal battles have become common, and preemptive contracts, such as pre-nuptials, are the norm. This is not to say Daphoans are a cold people; rather, these legalisms are an attempt to rein in the passionate aelin soul.

Republic of Earendam

Among the oldest populations of aelin outside of Daphoa, many Earendamian houses trace their roots to the aftermath of the War of Fire. With the close of the conflict, the victorious heroes of Ilodaiya helped to secure the river valley alongside Aramril and Salyra, and build the twin towers of their namesake. Venerating Jolinn and Iandir, these aelin committed themselves to the exploration of the water sphere alongside their cohort, and to the forging a lasting government in the style of Daphoa’s democratic republic. However, even now, they are subtly considered outsiders, and rarely claim significant direct political power.

Their long proximity to human governance and custom has changed the character of Earendamian aelin, in some senses mirroring that of their local neighbors. In general, they tend to be a little rougher around the edges in comparison to their peers, favoring a much more direct (for an aelin) style of communication and approach to interpersonal relationships. Inheritance is determined by blood rather than designation, and their house structures trend toward the style of human families rather than the codified, heavily legalistic affairs of Daphoa and Ashta Harrud. Gender roles and presentations cleave closer to that of humanity generally speaking, giving them an uncharacteristic rigidity and near-as conservatism in expression compared to their cousins. Due to the harsh winters of the continental river valley, they tend to favor long sleeves, long coats, and scarves when given the opportunity.

Ashta Harrud

The distant desert city of Ashta Harrud boasts a prominent population of aelin. Their numbers grew considerably at the close of the War of Night as Serachelian refugees from Daphoa flooded the city to escape religious persecution. There, they established the singularly powerful Tower of Void with the much-stigmatized mastery of void magic they brought with them. This has produced a long-running resentment on the part of Harrudim houses, who often cast themselves as unjust exiles.

Though all aelin tend to social stratification, Harrudim aelin are known to take this to new extremes. Invested in the idea of a natural class of born elites, they take easily to the local practice of slavery as an expression of their philosophy (to the dismay of their Daphoan and Earendamian cousins). However, the possibility in their legal system to unperson even powerful socialites makes many of their political connections resemble oaths of fealty. Inheritance is of supreme importance, leading to an impressively robust legal framework for its adjudication. Physically, Harrudim aelin tend to be of darker complexions, and there is considerable convergence in the gendering of their clothing and cosmetics.