Vastaya/Marai



The Marai are Vastaya water dwellers residing in the Guardian's Sea.

History


Centuries ago, an ancient Vastaya of Ionia travelled to the Guardian's Sea in search of a new home. The race built a hidden city beneath a corral reaf in the sea. Though they had their enemies, the city was an impenetrable fortress, until the a massive Void rift opened near their home. Their attempts to control the waters around them had proved to be unsuccesful, with countless Marai pereshing. Their numbers were dwingling until the arrival of the Moonstone.

The Marai rely heavily on Moonstones, powerful objects found only on the surface world, which light altering properties help the Marai ward off larger predators that reside in the deeps. The stone's powers lasts only one hundred years and is the sacred duty of The Tidecaller's to acquire these objects. Before its light fades, the Tidecaller must journey into the Great Deep, retrieve an abyssal pearl, and carry it to the surface. There, on the night of the winter solstice of the hundredth year, the Tidecaller makes a ceremonial exchange with a landwalker bearing a moonstone. By trading the pearl for the moonstone, the Tidecaller ensures the survival of the Marai for another century. The current Tidecaller, is desperately searching for a Moonstone to help her people.

Biology


The Marai are a water dwelling form of a sentient species known as the Vastaya. They tresemble a mix between Humans and fish (humanoid upper part, fish lower part), the Marai are capable of withstanding enormous pressures of the Great Deep and being able to live in salt and fresh waters.

Their distinct features are their uniqly formed scales and flaps. The their darker green scales end at the point of their chests, resembling clothing. Male Marai have their lighter scales (resembling skin) shown more prominent in their chest area than female Marai. However, female marain have larger and more prominent flaps around their bodies (resembling laced clothing). Both sexes have flap potrudions resembling hair on their heads. These potrudions can be in various shades of yellow and green. Their eyes have dark sclera and irises in various shades of green, red, yellow, orange, and blue.

It is unclear on how the Marai reproduce. The most likeliest way is that of surfface dwelling mammals, since their origin comes from the surface and female vastaya having lactate potrudions.

Culture


Being Vastaya, they have deep magical connections to the world around them and are highly sensitive to its magical fluctuations. The Void Rift near their home threatens their entire existence, and as such have found ways to combat its violent nature with the use of the Moonstone infused with the celestial magic of the heavens.

The culture of the Tidecaller was born out of necessety and is highly praised and respected withing Marai society. Their legacy, as well as the legacy of each Marai, is remembered through murals, texts, or simple momentos such as necklaces made out of shells. The Marai adorn simple accessorised jewelry made out of numerous gems, coral, shells, and plant life.

Each Marai is trained to hunt from a young age. Bathystaff are a common hunting tool, also able to illuminate surrounding area during deep excursions.

Not many surfface people know of the Marai. They are considered as mythical creatures by sailors. The only surfface dwellers that have close connections with them are the Lunari of Mount Targon, until their misterious their dissappearence.

Trivia

 * has a Void symbol on its crown.
 * Each new Tidecaller is adorned with a ceremonial crown and fin plates.