Anyeli

Race: Anyeli (Angel)
Archangel: Suka Matali

Lifespan: 1,000 years
Average height: Male [5ft 10in] Female [5ft 8in]
Average build: Slender and lean
Wingspan: Infant [½-1ft] Fledgling [2-4ft] Adult [5-8ft]
Wing Colour: Infant-Fledgling [Grey] Apalos [White] Skotadi [Black]
Age Status: Infant [0-100 years] Fledgling [100-200 years] Adult [200-1000 years]

Factions: Level 2

• Skotadi
• Apalos

Castes: Level 4

• Warrior
• Peacekeeper

Elite: Band of Honour
Capital: The Cloud Palace, Griffin's Peak
Region: The Dusky Mountains
Languages:

• Greek (Official)
• English (Common)

Family Structure: House
Spousal Relationship: Marriage by the state
Racial Enemies: None
Patron Aide: Dazadi Rhea

History

When Xanth mixed her own DNA with human and bird, she created the Anyeli, the first of five races to bear her blood. Mostly human with only a few bird-like traits, the first Anyelos was quick to spread his unique genes, further diluting Xanth's blood by breeding with humans. Over the course of several decades, the Anyeli quickly evolved, gaining certain powers and abilities that, along with their feathered wings, set them apart from the human race. During the next two millennia their culture developed and a council of leaders rose out of the chaos along with two distinct factions.

In 6,000 BC, war was declared between these two factions, a war which has been fought on and off ever since. During the infrequent peace-times, the Anyeli race as a whole has been exceptionally productive and it was during one such period, after four centuries of endless bloodshed, that Xanth bade them build a glorious palace. Her intention was to show them what they could achieve if they worked together and for nearly a hundred years, they were far too busy building to fight. However, a mere decade after its opening as a sanctuary, the Cloud Palace hosted a new outbreak of the civil war and the trend was set for the forseeable future.

Growing Up

The majority of the species are born and raised in the numerous small villages dotted throughout the Dusky Mountains. Orphans of the war can find a place in the towers of Griffin's Peak and most children attend school at the palace until they reach adolescence. At this point, fledglings begin learning to control the abilities that manifest during puberty and preparing for the choices they'll make later in life.

As children and fledglings, their wings are small and useless but as the Anyelos grows and practises, their flight muscles strengthen and their wingspan increases. All Anyeli will, at some point, break a bone or two during flight practise and these injuries have come to be a rite of passage among their kind.

Anyeli Factions

At the age of 200 (OOC: level 2), Anyeli become full adults and are asked to join one of two factions whereupon they gain access to new mentors who will teach them their faction abilities. They can choose not to join a faction but for cultural and political reasons their growth will be stunted and they will remain grey-winged.

Choosing a faction is a serious business and is permanent. The philosophies of each faction are entirely different as are their tactics and the abilities they teach. Once the decision has been made, the Anyelos is ritually challenged and, if successful, their wings are dyed white or black during a small ceremony.

Skotadi

The Skotadi have a vested interest in darkness and shadows. They use cloak and dagger methods to win their battles and, though their warriors are as skilled as those of the Apalos, their victories come more from sound intelligence and their spy network than it does from offensive tactics. The dark colour of their wings is a tribute to the power they hold over the shadows.

Led by the Kurio, Skotadi are a secretive lot who guard their tower in the Cloud Palace well. They typically value knowledge above battlefield prowess and many of their successes have come from sabotage and detailed planning instead of actual battle.

Apalos

As the Skotadi control darkness, the Apalos control light. They believe in openness over furtiveness and will choose a full-frontal attack over secrecy. True to their philosophy, the Apalos have developed the power to control light and in their initiation ritual dye their wings white. They are not above sabotage nor spying, however, and have learned to keep things close to their chest in an effort to keep their enemies from learning their plans. They guard their tower and the Arkiga equally well but are more open in doing so, posting their guards in visible locations to prevent attacks.

Anyeli Castes

As soon as the Anyelos reaches a certain level of skill (OOC: level 4), they must join a caste so they may learn powers and abilities specific to their role in Anyeli society. Caste laws are strict and the punishments for breaking them can be severe but if the Anyelos wishes to learn new abilities or gain strength in the ones they already have, they must choose.

Warrior

Warriors are charged with the defence of the Anyeli species as a whole, including the Cloud Palace and the entire Dusky region. Not all warriors are fighters, however, as many find work in other areas not even related to their caste. However, all warriors are under oath and, whenever war breaks out, called to duty as soldiers.

Whether in war or peace times, soldiers are ranked much like the militaries of Earth with a strict hierarchy. Forming wings of ten led by a Wing Leader, warriors often find good friends among their comrades and continue their training as a single unit.

Peacekeeper

Where the emphasis for warriors is in the defense of their race and in developing team work skills, Peacekeepers must take a more individual path. Though their aim is the same - to protect the Anyeli race - Peacekeepers are pacifists and choose the less direct approach. Training as diplomats, Peacekeepers learn to mediate in feuds both great and small and, as a caste, are responsible for many of the peacetimes the Anyeli have enjoyed.

Though taught defence tactics, Peacekeepers are not allowed to lift a weapon against another without provocation and even violence in self-defence must be the very last resort. Punishment for breaking their Peacekeeper vows can be swift and severe but the line is often blurry so the majority of Peacekeepers avoid fighting altogether.

Utilising their empathic abilities, Peacekeepers usually become negotiators, mediators, diplomats or scholars, though the quest for peace can take them into any occupation that does not involve violence. Many of the teachers, labourers and caregivers at the palace were first Peacekeepers and during wartimes they are invaluable as field medics.

Band of Honour

At a certain point in life (OOC: Elite level 8-10), an Anyelos may be awarded the Band of Honour. There are many Bands, each one relating to the Anyeli's life choices, and they range from the Assassin's to the Peacemaker's, each one a different colour.

The Band of Honour is the highest award an Anyelos could earn and with it, they gain the right to learn the abilities of both factions and both castes. However, they also gain a great deal of responsibility and so the Band is a rare award reserved only for those Anyeli who have proven themselves above and beyond the call of duty.

There are actually two halves of the Band of Honour, though this fact is little known to those who have not earned it. One half is the coloured silk thread habitually tied around the Honoured's left upper arm in a criss-cross pattern, always above their clothing. The second half is a ceremonial dagger wrapped in a wide band of silk ribbon of the same colour. Should the first half be snapped (which frequently happens to the Honoured warriors, in particular), it can be replaced from the palace stores. The dagger, however, is a one-of-a-kind weapon custom-forged for the Honoured in question.

The Cloud Palace

As the war between the factions grew more and more violent, it seemed there would never be an end. In an attempt to remind the Anyeli that they were capable of so much more than killing, Xanth ordered them to build a palace that would provide a sanctuary against the destruction of the war. Though it took a hundred years to build, and Xanth herself laid down laws that prohibited violence within the palace walls, the undertaking was a rewarding one. Unfortunately, it did not end the war as Xanth had hoped.

1. Main Tower
   The Main Tower is also known as the Central Tower, though it is unclear why as, geographically, it is far from the centre of the palace. Housing many of the offices and chambers of Anyeli administration, including the Archangel's quarters at the very top, the Main Tower is where much of Anyeli bureacracy takes place.
2. Great Library
   Founded by a great Anyeli hero, the Library was originally just one tower but grew so large that extra towers have been built on and the entire stock now contains over a hundred thousand books, though few of them pertain to the Anyeli themselves. The majority of the library's shelves are open to the general public but there are some sections restricted to Anyeli only.
3. Apartment Towers
   At the peak of Anyeli civilization, the four dormitory towers were full to the brim with fledglings. In recent years, few of the beds were occupied and many of the floors were closed down to save resources. Though many of the residents were fledglings, there were enough who were older - and therefore members of a faction - to necessitate the segregation of not just gender, but also wing colour and anyone not of that faction/gender were forbidden entry into the other towers.
   
   However, the Rhea family bought the palace after the council threatened to shut it down. After renovations, three out of the four dormitory towers were converted into apartments, the final tower reserved for fledglings and orphans of the war.
4. School
   In its hey-day, the school was filled with Anyeli of all ages learning new skills and practising the ones they already had. Lessons included cooking, sewing, flying and even telepathy - anything the Anyelos might need to survive in the world outside the palace. Since the palace was bought out by the Rheas, the school towers have opened to the general public for basic lessons such as geography and mathematics as well as continuing the Anyeli-specific teachings.
5. Skotadi Headquarters
   As the Central Tower houses the Archangel and most of the bureacrats and caretakers of the palace, the Skotadi tower houses the Kurio on the top floor and his staff on the lower floors. There are rooms dedicated to training initiates including an armoury, exercise room and a so-called 'quiet room' for Peacekeeper students. No Apalos may enter this tower and guards are posted, hidden from sight, in the majority of the corridors and entryways.
6. Apalos Headquarters
   Similarly, the Apalos tower houses the Arkiga on the top floor and her staff on the lower floors. The architecture and layout of the tower is identical to that of the Skotadi's tower, though the rooms are decorated differently to reflect the bond the Apalos have with light. No Skotadi may enter this tower, but that does not stop them attempting to spy through the windows.
7. Fountain and Statue
   Inside the main gates, the architects of the palace erected a statue dedicated to Xanth and sat it atop a glorious fountain. It is a popular picnic area and lights have been fixed so that at night it is displayed in technicolour glory, visible from the highest floors of all the towers.
8. Main Gates
   These wrought iron gates stand over one hundred feet tall and pierce the guard towers on either side. Such a feat in itself is awesome, but the architects were not satisfied in stopping there. The gates depict one of the most famous battle scenes in Anyeli history and despite their name, were never intended to be opened - instead, there are smaller gates a mere six feet in height at the centre of the massive iron network.
9. Gate Towers
   These twin towers are spherical in shape and hold the gate. Though they house guards just as the Guard Towers do, they are actually quite small inside as the inner wall is so thick in order to house the gate and the guard quarters are on the top floor only.
10. Guard Towers
    Embedded into the Outer Wall, these guard towers are actually enormous statues of Anyeli heroes, hollowed out to house palace guards who patrol the Wall even in times of peace. Each statue moulds so seamlessly into the Wall that there are no visible vulnerabilities in the structure.
11. Outer Wall
    This massive wall surrounds the palace, more as a symbol than any real defence as it is quite easy for stronger Anyeli to fly over it. The base is fifteen feet thick and the wall gradually slopes inwards to the top, which is only just wide enough to walk along without losing balance, though the windshear at such a height is extreme.
12. Inner Wall
    Only twenty feet high, the Inner Wall is more for decorative purposes than it is for defense. All manner of blossoming plants cascade down the walls and grow into cracks in the limestone, providing a sweet smell and a pretty vista all year round. The Inner Wall is often used as a jumping point for fledglings learning to fly, and instructors who wish to oversee warriors in training from afar.
    
    Inside the Inner Wall lies the Great Corridor, a mysterious hallway that is split into 'sectors'. Each section is decorated differently, from the brightly lit halls dedicated by the Apalos to light where sun streams in through the windows, to the Hall of War where each window depicts a bloody battle scene and so the light itself becomes blood-red. The transition between sectors is incredibly subtle, and the Great Corridor is often used as a sanctuary within a sanctuary, with Anyeli seeking out the area that comforts them the most.
13. Courtyard
    Though the entire space between the Outer and Inner Walls is effectively a courtyard, much of the space is used for training purposes and for gardens. Only the area directly inside the Main Gate is referred to as the Courtyard, and it is here where Xanth's statue was erected.
14. Training Grounds
    As suggested by the name, the Training Grounds are an area walled off from normal Anyeli dealings. This is the only area where fighting is permitted, though instructors try to ensure no real harm comes to their students. Peacekeepers are not allowed to step foot on the Training Grounds as to do so would be to break the vows they take never to raise a hand against another.