Lunyari

Basics

Average Physique

They have three fingers and a thumb on their hands and four toes on their feet. They have markings on their backs that indicate where their wings should be. These take a variety of shapes that vary from People to People. They have almost tiger-like markings on their bodies. Skin tone is a dusky color.

Wings

Their wings are solidly colored when they appear and will only appear in times of need. The appearance of their wings is universal among the Lunyari. They appear to be like those of a large butterfly. They are always pale colored. White, silver, soft blue, and cream are the most common colors.

Colouration

Hair: Blond, strawberry blond, red, black, very light brown/dirty blond
Eyes: Blue, grey, black, green, purple

Facial characteristics

The lunyari look a great deal like the humans, though they have longer, narrower faces and are somewhat taller.

Government

The lunyari are ruled by an alternating system of a female Ranee and a male Caliph. A Ranee will always be succeeded by a Caliph and vice versa.

Genetics and Reproduction

The lunyari have an extremely long gestation period, lasting for 16 months. This is due entirely to the wings. Not for their development, but rather for how to use them. The knowledge of how to use them is genetic and passes from mother to child while still in the womb.
Babies are born deaf and blind, relying on scent and touch to identify their mothers. They will reject anyone who isn’t their mother. Babies rarely cry as their mothers are always with them.
Sight and hearing will develop over the course of the first two months of life. As they do, the infant will come to accept other caretakers and learn to identify other people. Aside from that, lunyari children develop only a little slower than human and shai’then children.

Development

Birth – blind, deaf, begins nursing. They are hairless with no body stripes
2 days – some hearing, but not well. Can recognize mother’s voice. Stripes begin to appear faintly
1 months – clearer hearing
2 months – can identify faces, though vision is far from fully developed
4 months – can hold their heads up and smile, hearing properly
6 months – babbling starts, rolls over, can eat mushy food, can see objects nearby clearly
10 months – can see objects across a room, crawling, teething often begins
14 months – standing with support, weaning begins
17 months – walking, words start
2 ½ years – all baby teeth are in
3 years – coherent if simple conversation possible
4 years – bladder control
5 years – schooling begins
12-14 years – puberty starts
14-16 years – maturity reached
18 years – schooling ends
20 years – sub adult
25 years – adult

Use of their wings can begin as early as 5 years of age and as late as 9. Some children discover it on their own while others need some help. This is usually accomplished by pushing a child out of a window with another adult on the ground to catch them just in case something goes wrong. Once a child has made their First Glide, they are taught more about their wings and how to use them. Lunyari can only use them by jumping off from a height that is some distance off the ground. Doing so kicks in the instinctual self-preservation.