Species Spotlight: The Thaye

... a people of magic and mystery, from a certain point of view...

Author’s note: Hoist the Colors may eventually inspire fiction. Most likely will and I’ll gladly write it. But right now, it’s a role-playing game setting with what I hope is an interesting take and look at an “Alternate History” of Earth. It isn’t really “steampunk”, though I can see how someone would get that impression. For me, it’s more a “gaslamp fantasy” set on Earth of 1722 in all it’s historical mess… that I’ve stirred up even more!

So, with that said, I thought I’d cover the playable species and cultures players will have to choose from. Starting with the Thayans. So if you’re interested in worldbuilding for a setting, enjoy!

Thayans

They’re a people of magic, mystery and determination.

- Professor Isolde Trelawny, Historian at the Royal Institute of Otherworld Studies

Thayans are one of the many species that appeared after the Crossing’s Fall disaster. A charismatic folk of tight-knit communities, they hail from Afalon Isle in the mid-Atlantic, southwest of the Azores. The same island that crashed to Earth after the Otherworld shattered.

At first, they remained hidden, but not for long. Thayans, or ‘pixies’, were the first Otherworld survivors to make themselves known to the world. They were also the first to be displaced by the Mid-Atlantic War that erupted after Afalon’s arrival.

Thayan refugees fled the war and scattered to far lands. Some settled in Ireland, others in the Caribbean. Some landed on the North American shores of the League of Nations. A determined few refused to leave their island home and rebuilt towns on northern Afalon. Some looked to rebuild their lost civilization. Others turned to immigrating into human nations to start over.

All But Human

Just remember, they’re stronger than they look.

- Professor Isolde Trelawny, Historian at the Royal Institute of Otherworld Studies

At a glance, it’s easy to mistake them as human. They look human in many ways with a human-like face and body. In comparison, the typical thaye is only slightly shorter than a human. Thayans average about four inches shorter than most humans and have a thinner build.

Their hair color is like anyone else from black to brown, blond to red. Also, their hair does turn gray as they age. In the face, they look every bit human, but their eyes are a different story. Thayan eye color spans any color imaginable. Some are human colors of amber, green, brown or gray. But red, copper, gold, and even jade are not unheard of. Thayan males also have facial hair. Beards are often neatly trimmed affairs among the men.

As for complexion, that is no different than the average human. Which is quite a surprise given thayan blood is green instead of red. Their ears however are another story. Thayan ears are slightly pointed with the traditional faerie point. But the shape is not that pronounced and easy to overlook.

Out of all their similarities and differences, the one feature that sets them apart are their wings. Thayans possess delicate, yet durable, dragonfly-like wings that let them fly. Most assume that thayans possess hollow bones, like a bird. This is just not true. Thayan bones are lighter than a humans but still just as strong. Their bones and wings are strong enough to let a thayan carry themselves, a backpack, and even a human with them in flight. This is a startling surprise given their thinner stature.

Their wings have another characteristic and that’s a yellow-gold dust they shed in small amounts. Humans call this ‘pixie dust’ while thayans refer to it as ‘mana dust’. No matter the name, it is a soft, powdery dust that has a faint glow. For the average person, it’s either a curiosity or a nuisance. humans call ‘pixie dust’. This magical substance is a powder-like form of solid magic. A mysterious substance that, if collected in large amounts, aids anyone from human to thayan wizards alike in the practice of magic.

Senses

Thayans possess the same senses as humans, with two notable exceptions of sight and hearing. It isn’t that they lack them, it’s just that they are more fined tuned than a human’s.

A thayan cannot see in the dark any better than a human. Instead, their vision is sharper, clearer than most human. In comparison, a thayan’s vision is more like that of an eagle. Where what looks sharp and clear to a human five feet away looks just as clear for a thayan at twenty feet away.

With sounds, thayans can hear as much as any human does. The difference isn’t the range of sound, but in sensitivity.

Thayan hearing is more sensitive, which allows them a better ability to pinpoint the direction a sound came from. The shape of their ears, with the graceful yet slight point, allows them to hear more clearly over a greater distance. A whisper that could be understood by a human at five feet away would sound as clear for a thayan from fifty feet away.

Dietary Habits

The dietary needs of a thayan is comparable to a human. They are both omnivores, with slight differences based on physiology. In particular, thayans have more active lifestyles because of their ability to fly. This means that often prefer more nutrient-dense foods, such as nuts, whole grains, vegetables and fruits.

But they are able, and do, eat the same variety of protein as humans. This will vary based on the individual thayan culture, but overall thayans prefer lean meats such as fish, chicken, eggs, and plants such as beans.

These slight differences in diet also lean toward a set of food sensitivities as well. Alcohol made from wheat or grapes seems to have little effect on a thayan. Most can drink large amounts without becoming tipsy. But the same isn’t true for mead, chocolate, or coffee.

Mead, which is made from honey, has a strong intoxicating effect on thayans. Even a small amount will render them tipsy quickly. The same is true if a thayan eats small amounts of chocolate or drinks strong coffee. But, interestingly, tea doesn’t have the same effect. Thayans do feel a mildly lightheaded from tea, but not nearly enough to be intoxicated.

Culture

Like humans, there is no single ‘thayan culture’. On Otherworld, thayans had a wide collection of rich, diverse cultures. Once the strange events around Crossing’s Fall send parts of Otherworld crashing to Earth, only a handful of cultures survived. The others may still be on what’s left of Otherworld, if there was a way to reach them.

There are three broad cultural groups that survived to reach Earth in the wake of Crossing’s Fall. Those are the Aylorians, Silvashar, and the Sunweavers.

Aylorian

Aylorians are deeply connected to nature and the elements. They are a close-knit, agrarian culture known for their skill in herbalist medicines, horticulture, and elemental magics. The Aylorian people were long known for being a peace-loving community. One that emphasized simple living, strong family values, with a love for good drink, food, and merrymaking.

Of all the thayan cultures, it’s the Aylorians that value balance and sustainability. They strive to maintain a balance between themselves, their settlements, and nature.

Back in Otherworld, Aylorian settlements were located along isolated forests, lakes, or pastoral hills. Most of their settlements were in northern Afalon, with only a few in other distant lands. When Crossing’s Fall brought Afalon island crashing to Earth, most of the Aylorians came with it.

For a time, the Aylorians tried to adapt to life on Earth. Humans were only occasional visitors, so Aylorian life wasn’t that disrupted. At least until war broke out over Afalon, its resources, and strategic location in the mid-Atlantic.

The war drove many Aylorians from Afalon. Scattered to the wind and waves, Aylorian thayans resettled to the both sides of the Atlantic. Lands that were like what they knew in Afalon. Communities grew up in the hills of Ireland, the Caribbean islands, and the Eastern forests of North America.

Silvashar

Unlike the Aylorians, Silvashar culture is focused on the pursuit of knowledge, such as the mastery of the arcane arts. In Otherworld, they were renowned for their scholarly institutions. Their great libraries on Afalon and in the city of Underhail held generations of research into magical techniques and other traditions from both Otherworld and even Earth. Then, Crossing’s Fall struck Otherworld like a hammer.

Afalon was scooped up whole and crashed to Earth, but other places were not so lucky. Many of the Silvashar cities were split in two. Some, like Underhail, were tossed to Earth, others vanished or remained on what was left of Otherworld.

On Earth, only a few Silvashar communities exist. After Crossing’s Fall, they abandoned their ancient city of Underhail on Afalon island to resettle in cities such as London, Dublin, and New York City.

While abandoned, visitors to Underhail describe nightmarish creatures and other phenomena. By 1714, the abandoned ruin of a city with its massive Delior Library is labeled as cursed.

Sunweavers

The last of the thayan cultures dragged to Earth were the Sunweavers. These were a nomadic people known for craft work and other artistic traditions. Sunweavers have a highly developed artistic traditions with a focus on music, dance, and the magical illusionary arts.

In the Sunweaver traditions, the arts can bridge the gap between different cultures and foster understanding. This philosophy makes them natural diplomats and mediators. On Earth, Sunweaver thayans are less nomadic than they once were. They lack access to their traditional hunting grounds and ancient sacred spaces. But they have found the Earth counterparts in Ireland, Scotland, Australia, and the Americas. New kinships have set up homesteads there to start fresh.

Sunweavers have tight-knit communities, but are welcoming to strangers. Of all the thayan cultures, they are the most vibrant and striking. They prefer loose clothing with bright colors and geometric patterns woven into the hemline of their clothing. Those are similar patterns as what adult Sunweavers have tattooed across their cheekbones as part of their Rite of Maturity when they become adults.

Through hardship and trial, thayans are a model of strength of survival and adaptability. In many ways, they remind us of strength in the face of adversity, even in the bleakest hours.

- Dr. Aiden Gallagher, Historian at the New World History Society

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