Siathi

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Anatomy

The siathi have wings. An average wing span for a full adult is approximately twelve feet. The main problem with their anatomy is that their bones have more in common with a human’s skeleton rather than a bird’s. While they are still significantly lighter than a human of the same size, their bones are still not quite light enough to allow for flight.
In order to achieve flight, they have a special kind of feather spread out in the wings themselves. These feathers are saturated with magic. Without them, the wings would merely be very heavy decorations and would only allow the siathi to glide on wind currents.
There is an old legend that if you were to gather enough of these feathers that a species that wouldn’t otherwise be capable of flight would then be able to. This has never been proven or disproved. These particular feathers take a very long time to grow and only molt after several years and even then only one at a time from each wing. Tests have shown that the molted feathers retain little of their innate magic. It was learned by accident that if you were to physically pull the feathers from the wings, they retain all of their magic.

Siathi have a wild range of hair and wing colours. Brighter colours are favoured, while plain ones are less desirable.
Lilythayel, the current queen, isn't widely regarded as a great beauty with her brown hair. It's often said that her only saving grace is her wing colour.
White wings aren't common, but are regarded as plain.
An average siathi will stand roughly 5’7’’ to 5’9’’. The tallest one on record was 6’11’’ and the shortest was 5’1.5’’. They tend to have very large eyes and long fingers. Without the wings, siathi appear almost human.
As far as skin tone go, they tend towards the paler end of the spectrum, but some have been known to have darker skin. Hair and eye colors can fall anywhere in the spectrum as can the coloration of the wings themselves, though wing color is often a variant shade of their hair colour. Far back in their history, siathi wing colours were regional. You would only find one or two colours within a certain region of their population. As they spread out and began mixing with other population groups, these colours began to blend.
In some cases, they'll have wing colours from one parent, hair from another.

In some cases, their wing colour will be a blend of the colours of both parents. For example, if one parent has blue wings while the other has yellow, the resulting child would have green wings.

There are some rare cases where wings have tones of both parents present. This is usually only seen if offspring of Bonded pairs, but has shown up on occasion when both parents have different shades of the same wing colour. For example, both have blue wings, but one has dark blue and the other has light blue. This will sometimes, but rarely, result in a child with dark blue wings with lighter tips to the feathers.

Wing colours have blended to the point where colours are no longer associated with certain regions in Salcreria, but in literature and theater, those indicators are still used. It's a tired cliche and many modern writers are trying to move past it. It's harder in the theatrical world where they need to rely more on visual cues.

You will never find an obese siathi as magic is very much an integral part of their lives. Constant use of magical energy is very hard on the body and its usage will drain you of everything you have if you don’t take care. If users aren’t careful it may even be fatal. As such, siathi consume a great deal of food, but most of it gets burned off to sustain their flight capabilities as well as any additional magic they may be working.

As a general rule, siathi have broader shoulders than humans to allow for the extra musculature needed to power their wings, resulting in a triangular body shape. Women have small bust sizes (A-B cup at the largest). Their collarbones are raised a little to give them room for this muscle. They tend to be thin with very little obvious muscle or body fat as flight burns a lot of it.

In the past, they often had shorter legs to give them less body mass and, therefore, less to lift off the ground. This has been less of a concern in the last couple thousand years, but there are still those with shorter legs.

They have a higher body temperature than humans, on par with a chume’taly at 42C (108 F).

Wingspans are equal to double the individual’s height. So a 6 ft tall siathi would have a 12 ft wingspan. They have short, broad wings ideal for soaring (think eagles and falcons).

Their bones aren’t hollow, but they’re not as dense as a human’s. This makes them less heavy and makes it easier for them to get airborne, but the flip side is that they’re prone to breakage.

Evolution has given them good eyesight, 4 times sharper than the average human. They can see in a greater range of colour than any other species on Keverynn.

They have an increased lung capacity and a larger heart than humans. Their thigh bones are narrower. Their necks are longer. To help coordinate all the extra muscles, they have a larger brain.

Biology

Aside from the differences mentioned in the Anatomy section, the siathi do have a few other major differences from humans. Generally speaking, male humans and male siathi are so close in their make up that there aren’t any real differences; when it comes to the females, however, the differences become clearly apparent. For one, they only menstruate every three months (or once a season). It lasts for a week. During this period, the act much like their human counterparts with rapid mood swings, cramping, and irritability. They are quite secretive about this and it is never discussed with men or outside of the family. The first menstruation shows up around the age of 13 or 14.

The siathi gestational period is about seven months. Babies are born with small winglets. They will develop their full size wings between the ages of eight and twelve years. Children tend to mature slowly as a result of the shorter gestation period.

On average, physical maturity is reached between the ages of 17 and 18, but aren’t considered an adult until they’ve reached their 20th year of life. The ideal age for a siathi is the mid to late twenties. By that stage, their magic is fully developed.

In her lifetime, a siathi will have, at most, four offspring. There is normally a gap of several years between siblings as once a woman has delivered a child, her body cannot carry a fetus to term for several years afterwards even if she manages to conceive. Her body doesn’t have the energy to care for a young child and deal with the stresses of pregnancy simultaneously. Biology aside, the different developments don’t mesh very well.

Twins are extremely rare and are universally dreaded by every woman. Not only is there the problem of keeping the babies healthy in the womb, there is the problem of maintaining sanity once the babies are born. Additionally, there is the fear of losing one of them to childhood illnesses while the other remains alive. The surviving twin will forever be only half a pair, irreparably shattered. These ‘lost twins’ as they are called are very quiet and subdued. It’s highly likely for these ones to Bond in order to try to heal that rift. Those with twins in their lineage are undesirable as mates by most people.

Development

0 – birth; winglets are covered in a thin, soft down. They are sightless and mostly bald.

1 week – sight develops, eyes are a pale blue, hair starts to grow

3 weeks – eye color develops, head covered by a soft cap of hair

6 months – crawling stage

7-8 months – words begin to appear, replacing babble

10 months – first walking attempts, teething usually begins

1 year – more feathers develop, fully walking

14 months – running

2 years – teething ends

2-5 years – Most children begin to develop normal childhood illnesses at this stage. If they survive the next few years, they’ll be fine. Most, if not all, childhood fatalities occur during this period

6 years – wing musculature begins to develop, full speech and vocabulary skills, schooling begins

8 years – flight feathers begin to develop

8-12 years – full wing development

13-14 years – onset of puberty

17-18 years – physical maturity is reached, schooling typically ends around this time

20 years – adult status reached

Society

Social Structure

The Royal Family

They are a matriarchy in the loosest sense of the term. They are led by a queen, but men have power. The queen’s advisor is almost always male. Sometimes he is her consort, but most often he’s a relative, such as an uncle or cousin.

The queen doesn’t marry but instead takes a consort. Marriage, to the siathi way of thinking, makes two people into one, into equals, but no one can equal the queen in power no matter what, so she therefore cannot marry. The consort, however, has all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities that a regular husband would. The ceremony for taking a husband and taking a consort is very similar. The only situation in which a queen may marry is if she finds a Bondmate.

The queen has eleven hand picked personal guards who are responsible for her protection. With the addition of the Master of the Emerald Tower, this number goes up to twelve.

Throughout history, the queens have almost exclusively produced female children and never more than three over the course of her life time. She simply doesn’t have the time or energy for more than that.

The queen is addressed as ‘your highness’. All others are “my lord” and “my lady” unless they have a specific military rank.

Lord - Uosmo
Lady - Uosme
Your Highness - Croui Biosetann

Sucession

Succession is not always hereditary whether you are a queen or a Tower Master. If the current Master or queen doesn’t have any suitable offspring, then they turn to relatives and then to the general population.

For relatives, it’s a simple matter. The only requirements are that they be of some relation to the current holder of the title in question and that they be sound of body, heart, mind, and soul.

To find an heir from the general populace is much more difficult. In the case of the Keturi, this is the only method in which they are selected. A spell, one of the few on Keverynn, is cast and locations of candidates are made available to the searcher. That person will go out and track down those individuals. When the right one is found the searcher will know. How this happens, no one is entirely certain. Even less known is what attracts the spell energies to each individual.

If something should happen to the current queen, her most gifted daughter will take her place. If this child is a minor (under the age of 20), usually her father or an aunt will act as regent until she is old enough. If the queen has no children, the most gifted female relative is called on to take the throne.

There is a Grand General who oversees all military matters and reports directly to the queen. This person is selected by the queen herself from among the top ranks of the military. Taxes are dealt with by the Tower Masters.

Nobility

The closest equivalent they have to nobility are the Tower Masters. Each Tower is made of precious or semi-precious materials. The tallest of these are the Five Towers located at the very heart of Salcreria. These are made of obsidian, jade, ivory, pearl, and marble. The Silver Tower is nearly as large as these five.

The Tower Masters are sworn to protect the people in their particular region. Those people in return supply the Tower and its residents with all their needs. They are aided in their efforts by the Draewood, a barrier of trees that rings Salcreria.

If a Tower Master should abuse their position, an appeal can be made either to one of the Keturi or to the queen herself. The matter will be investigated and, if the claim is valid, a warning will be issued. If things do not change, a new Master will be chosen and the old one banished.

Magic

Magic is rare among the siathi, so those who have it are rigorously trained and put to work employing it for the betterment of Salcreria. What they do with their magic largely depends on an individual’s specific aptitudes.

The queen is required to have at least some facility with the gift as she is, in effect, a Tower Master, ruling over the Silver Tower located at the heart of Throne City.

Magic was once far more common among them. In the year 188, the first siathi member was admitted into the Sisterhood of Sword and Sorcery.

Espionage

There isn’t much in the way of active espionage done by the Crown. There simply isn’t any need to spy on their neighbors as they’re allies. The only people worth spying on are the Darkriders and they’re too far away to bother with.

Politics

Status can be gained by creating something noteworthy: a popular piece of music, a new piece of fashion, a more effective medicine, or even an appealing work of art. They value creativity and beauty as well as intellect above the gain of wealth. Members of the queen’s extended family don’t have any official standing at court, nor does the family of her consort, but queens of the past have shown them favor. This isn’t always a bad thing, but not everyone related to the queen either by blood or through her children is going to have the best intentions. Queens have been manipulated to bad ends.

Crime

The torture of prisoners is strictly prohibited. Specially appointed judiciaries are the only ones permitted to pass judgement on whether or not a person is guilty or innocent in order to avoid personal bias.

All siathi soldiers are required to be proficient with the kipha’ri. Tower Masters are required to have a high degree of proficiency, if not an outright mastery, with the sword. The queen and her potential heirs train with short bows, throwing knives, and the kipha’ri. Few bother with the sword.

While generally unheard of, murder is a very serious crime and is punishable by either life in prison or exile to the Darkrider Territories. The production and selling of addictive substances is punishable by the removal of the offenders flight feathers (a very painful procedure) and anywhere from 5 to 10 years in prison, but can be as high as 20 years if there were fatalities. The manufacture and distribution of fake medicine for profit warrants a sentence of 2-10 years with the potential for parole after serving 5 years of that sentence.

Laws are made by the queen and her advisory council. If a change needs to be made to an existing law or a new law needs to be put into place, a citizen can appeal to the council. It’s frowned on to beat on suspects. If caught doing so it can result in a severe fine for a first time infraction and a loss of their job the next time their caught doing it.

Foreign relations

While there are no formal embassies, they have good relations with their neighboring countries.

There are several standing treaties that have been in place for centuries. They have have set renewal dates and the queen meets with each Tal’jeerann, Dragonlord, and a representative from the wolfling people to see if anything needs to be changed, renegotiated, or if they can be left as they stand until the next time it’s up for renewal. These proceedings can sometimes take days to finish as once the treaties are ratified, they’re set in stone, unshakable, and no one wants to make any mistakes.

The governments of each territory decide what and how much can be traded to the others every year and how much. Merchants trying to get around these rules are heavily fined and could lose their license to trade. Trading is a very lucrative way of life so few risk it.

The Master of the Emerald Tower traditionally acts as a liason between the siathi and the Dragonlords. The Dragonlords are their closest allies.

Import/Export

They make the best silk and musical instruments. Their primary import is wood. While they're surrounded by the Draewood, it is taboo to cut down any of its trees. They export cut and polished gems, fine jewelry, musical instruments, clothing, and high quality cloth. The siathi settled there for its abundance of mineral resources. Most of these resources were depleted by raising the Towers, but there’s still a decent amount left to be found.

Guilds

Guilds exist to maintain standards, ensure that prices remain fair, and that the education given to students with the aptitude for that vocation is up to the current standards. They also have a faction inside each guild that always looks for ways to improve methods, sometimes sending members to visit sibling guilds in the Provinces to learn their methods.

Cross crafting largely depends on an individual's aptitude, training, and opportunity. Silk weavers will sometimes craft lace as well, for example. Farmers can also be tailors. Soldiers almost always have a secondary occupation as there’s rarely any call for the military.

Trades are largely dependant on geography. The northern and western parts of the Valley are better suited to metal work as trade with the outside is easier there. The north still has a decent supply of mineral deposits so the majority of the jewelers are located there. Most of the animal husbandry is in the south where the grazing is the best for sheep and goats. Chickens are more common in the east as are weavers as the silkworms seem to find the humidity.

The siathi are largely insular and didn't really trade much outside of Salcreria until the year 97.

Currency

Salcreria uses the standard currency that comes out of Arrack-Ley.

Philosophy

They have a tendency to avoid any sort of major conflict. On a personal level, they aren’t perfect, but do prefer not to fight amongst themselves or with others. Violence is frowned upon but isn’t avoided. They are taught, when they are old enough to understand, what it is and it’s cause and consequences.

A quiet life surrounded by family is the ideal.

Marriage

Courting starts becoming a serious thought in their seventeenth year. It’s the males that do the courting, but the women generally have the final say. Arranged marriages aren’t common. In the rare case of an arranged marriage, if the couple can’t get along, it isn’t followed through.

Courting rituals

Common things for young men to do to impress the young women are feats of strength, poetry, fancy flying, gifts, dress in fancy clothes, and dueling. It’s not only one sided, either. Some girls do engage in courting of their own. There aren’t many differences in what they do to impress, but they don’t engage in duels or feats of strength. They’ll sing or play instruments in lieu of those activities. As in any society, it’s very common for the courted to lead the courter on, playing hard to get.
Once a partner has accepted the court, the courter must have permission from her parents if it hadn’t been previously obtained in order to continue with the courting. Once obtained, that partner is courted exclusively. This stage is similar to the engagement stage in human society. This period lasts a minimum of four months and can go as long as ten months. If they feel they are ready for marriage after four months, than they are able to do so; however, if they still don’t feel ready after ten months, then it gets called off.
A courting goes according to very strict guidelines. One tends to target a group of the opposite sex which includes at least three or four that the courter has an interest in. Others outside of that group are free to express interest. After the courter has gathered as many prospects as can be handled, the group closes off. The courter has to keep them interested, especially considering that others will also be engaged in similar activities at the same time. As time passes, the courter’s attention will focus on fewer and fewer of his prospects, singling out the one most desirable to him. Permission to court that individual exclusively is sought from the family once the court has been accepted.

Marriage

Marriage is a civil institution. They're usually simple affairs. The service is performed either in private with a few witnesses or in public with lots of people in attendance. The head of the family will offer the couple advice and well-wishes. The palms of their left hands are then slashed open by a knife and their hands are bound, palms together, by a cloth in the colors of both their families. There is then an exchange of tokens, often rings or necklaces, and the marriage is complete.

Bonding

Bonding is one of the rarest, most bizarre parts of siathi society. A bond is an unbreakable relationship between two people. In this bond, you can feel what your partner feels depending on the strength of the bond. In a strong bond, you would feel everything, physically and emotionally, that your partner feels.
No one knows what causes two people to Bond, as there are strange and varied circumstances that bring them about. In one bizarre case, a man who had been married for six years and had one child somehow Bonded with an old childhood friend. This resulted in an even rarer three pair as the original wife accepted the situation and invited the other woman into their house so as not to disrupt the life of the child. Not all women are as understanding in a similar situation, resulting in tragedy. Such is one of the staples of siathi lore and popular story telling. There are two different types of Bonds. The first, least painful, and easiest to adjust to is the rei’shakla, the Bond willingly formed between two people. Before this Bond occurs, there are things that happen between two individuals that are necessary to draw them together to form the Bond. They must be friends of some sort. It isn’t necessary that they are physically attracted to each other, but it helps. They had to have known each other for a while. It is imperative that neither of them is currently Bonded to anyone else. Once Bonded, they cannot Bond again unless their Bondmate is dead.
The second type is more difficult to adjust to. This is the rei’kibanla, a Bond formed between two people whether they want it or not. Refusing this Bond can make you and the other person involved very sick and might even kill you both. The stages before the Bond are very typical, but tend to, at first, look like they are merely lovesick. If they are strong magic users, they will become increasingly aware of each other, knowing what the other is thinking or feeling at any given point in time. If pain happens to one, the other feels it. In extreme cases, the injury will be reflected on the body of the other, but this is rare. If one is gifted and the other isn’t, then only the gifted one will be this aware of the other. If both aren’t, then they will only feel pulled towards the other with only a faint awareness of each other.
Using things such as terms of endearment will very strongly affect the other. This is especially true in the case of a non-gifted and a gifted. When the two are together, all they can think about is the other. All they want to do is to make the other person happy. Touching can be almost painful until they become aware of what’s happening to them. At this stage, they must Bond or go insane from the need and longing for the other person.
People who are caught in the second form frequently choose to call it by the name of the first, make it seem like it was their choice to Bond.
All young siathi are taught the words to activate a Bond with another. To Bond with another, they must stand, holding each other in their arms, repeating the chant. There is a strange sensation of floating outside of one’s body. You can see the other person as a shadow just outside their own body. The Bond is complete when the two clasp hands, allowing their blood to mingle, and become one. If they hesitate too long, it won’t work. Bondmates are referred to as rei’shikairen.
After the Bond is completed, they become completely aware of the other in every sense. In the case of two gifteds, they could become capable of communicating mind to mind.

Culture

Family is the most important thing in the life of a siathi. To lose one’s family is a tragedy so deep that it’s like they’ve lost a part of their body. There is no greater crime in the eyes of their society than to dishonor the family, and there is no greater offense than to insult another family. To bring a child into the world without the means to care for it is unforgivable. It’s unthinkable to not take the time to care for your own children. No one is above that, not even the queen.
Married women wear their hair bond in some elaborate style, usually piled on top of their head. The style generally reflects whatever the current fashion is. Unmarried women always wear it loose. Long hair reflects one of two things: wealth and how long you’ve been single. The more elaborate a married woman’s hairstyle, the longer she’s been married. It can also mean either that your husband is very good at styling hair or that you have enough wealth to have it done that way every morning.
It’s uncommon to see women wearing dresses. In a race that depends on its ability to fly in order to go about its day to day life, a dress or skirt would be an unwise choice of wardrobe. Such things are reserved for formal occasions such as parties, audiences, or marriages or for those who do not have to fly very high as a part of their daily lives, such as new mothers (for whom flight isn’t recommended for the first few weeks after birth).
Mothers with children between the ages of two and nine tend to wear knee-length trousers and closely fitting shirts with no sleeves as children in that age group are extremely rowdy.

They prefer to have separate housing from their relations, but still like to live close by to their parents, siblings, and other relatives. It’s uncommon for them to move far away from their family.

The full development of flight feathers is marked with a celebration. This occurs at age 8-12, culminating in full wing development. This is an important life stage for them as it signifies that they’re capable of learning to fly.

Both parents share the responsibility for child raising. In the absence of one of the parents, members of the extended family step in to provide support.

Children begin their education at the age of 6 and typically runs until they reach the age of 17 or 18. Each village has a designated teacher who helps them learn basic reading and writing in their early years. What they learn after that is largely based on a student’s aptitude. Some are selected to being training as Tower Masters based on their ability to learn and their gift for magic. Common fields of studies include weaving, silk making, lace making, academics, healing, wood warders, diplomacy (largely taught in Throne City), calligraphy, military arts, and agriculture.

They’re considered adults once they reach the age of 20. There’s no particular ceremony to it as it’s generally assumed that anyone of that age or older has learned the basics of what they need to know to function properly in society. There’s no change in attire, although married women wear their hair up rather than loose.

Greetings

Siathi gesture a lot with their wings. A full formal bow not only involves bowing the body low at the waist, but also involves sweeping the wing of their dominant side forward while extending the opposite one upward.

Equals will simply nod to acknowledge the other. A superior won’t make a gesture to the inferior, but the inferior will bow to a superior. How deep the bow depends on how wide the gap is between them (real or perceived) or how much respect a person wants to show the other. To make a bow mocking, you would sweep both wings out to your sides, but not show the undersides.
The only true names that are significant are those belonging to the five Siathi Warriors. The Masters of the Pearl, Jade, Amethyst, and Marble Towers all take a new name specific to that Tower when they attain their position. The Master of the Obsidian Tower keeps his proper name. Only on retiring do they revert to their original name.
A full formal introduction is only done in rare circumstances, such as a formal gathering. After that’s done, an abbreviation of their titles or rank is used. If the individual permits someone to simply refer to them by name, only then is it allowed.
Close friends and family will greet each other more familiarly whereas greeting a stranger utilizes more formal vocabulary. A slight wave is polite upon spotting someone you know at a distance.

Gestures

Bows are a common greeting.
Siathi body language can be difficult for outsiders to read given that they also use their wings to convey emotions. For example, an agitated siathi’s wings twitch quite a lot.
They like to stand at least an arm’s length apart when speaking. Any closer and it makes them uncomfortable. They often dislike talking to humans as they tend to stand much too close.
Showing the back of a closed fist to a siathi is asking for trouble as it's very aggressive. When passing something to another, they always use both hands as an added level of sincerity. To do otherwise is disrespectful and can be perceived as a grave insult.

Visiting

In polite conversation, questions about the status of one’s family members are expected. Discussion of the weather is considered boorish.
People who are relatively well acquainted can discuss topics such as work and politics. Topics of a romantic nature are frowned on as such things are private.
Rules for host-guest relationships aren’t all that formal.
A host should always offer a guest something to drink at the very least. This is usually a glass of fresh water and is usually accompanied by slices of fruit if there’s any in season.
It’s courteous to accept what your host offers and rude to ask much of them. If one is staying for only a short period of time (up to a few hours) it would be rude to ask for more than a second beverage. Guests staying overnight can reasonably request food and a place to sleep. As a point of courtesy, their hosts would have offered such in the first place, but anything the guest had forgotten to bring with them could be reasonably requested, such as bedclothes. If the host had any to spare then such a request can be made.

Towers

The towers that dot the landscape of Salcreria are seen as something of a mystery to outsiders. The siathi treat them as living places and as things of reverence. The title used for a Tower Master is reulinn. It's a gender neutral title.

Tower Masters

Siathi are chosen as young children and groomed for the position. Such is the way for all Towers except for the Silver Tower, which is a hereditary position passed down from mother to daughter. It’s Master is the queen. Currently, Lilythayel is its Master. Tower Masters can ascend to their positions once they become adults and become so either after their predecessor has died or retired.

Tower Masters typically live much longer than the average siathi, though it depends greatly on the individual and the time period in which they lived. There was one who served only seventy years while one of the earliest Masters had served for almost five centuries when she finally died. She is the only one to have lived that long, serving as Tower Master for all but twenty three years of that total.