NAME: Emma
What are they called? Xindarrans (pronounced zin-DAH-ruhns)
What do they look like? Xindarrans look a lot like Zanaryans and even share the bat-like wings and horns. However, their wings (and horns) are larger and sturdier, enabling them to fly where Zanaryans cannot. Their skin, horns and wings are all dark brown, and almost 70% have white hair and red eyes. Body art, including tattoos and jewelry, is common.
How long do they live? Xindarrans are much shorter-lived than their Zanaryan ancestors with a lifespan of just 400 years. They are fully matured by the age of 100 and elderly by the age of 320, spending more of their lifetime as adults. They also look older by the time of their death than Zanaryans, appearing to be 65 when in their 300s and around 20 when reaching adulthood.
Where do they live? Xindarrans are scattered across a desert planet of the same name (Xindarra, proncounced zin-DAH-ruh), which was gifted to them by Xanth in the year 3,542 ZT (4,502 XA | 3498 BC) when a faction of Zanaryans broke away from the Great Nations.
Xindarra was once as lush and green as Elysia but resources are limited now, after a cataclysm some millennia ago when one of its many moons was destroyed by a meteor. (Such meteor falls are common on Xindarra and are actually the reason the planet has rings.) This, combined with the higher intensity of light that reaches the planet thanks to reflections off the moons' surfaces, means that the average global temperature is relatively high and life here has been forced to adapt to a desert climate.
As a result, Xindarran population is scattered and kept at a minimum by the lack of resources. They live in small, self-contained cities that are built on or near sites where food and water are more readily available, but such locations are fairly uncommon so there's a lot of rivalry and feuding.
What kind of political structure do they have? Thanks to the lack of resources, Xindarrans, while sharing similarities with their Zanaryan ancestors, have developed into a rather more feudal state whereby citizens belong to one of several Great Houses. Each of these Houses has its own political hierarchy*, territory (which is usually centred around a single city), patron god, rivalries and ongoing feuds, and its own sub-culture and laws.
In fact, so vital is a Xindarran's House, citizens have no family name of their own and are identified solely by their House name (eg. Shimar Liyana is a man called Shimar belonging to the House of Liyana. Which family he belongs to within that House is completely irrelevant).
* While House ranks may differ slightly in name and structure, there are one or two which remain the same regardless: At the bottom are the slaves and the ordinary citizens, while at the top is the Aeshen and his Yendera (the king and his queen(s)) who are named for the Sun God and the Water Goddess, Aeshan and Yendora.
Do they have any allies or enemies? Given that Xindarran history says they were abandoned by Xanth (who closed the portal at their behest) to their fate, and that they left Zanarya because they were persecuted for their beliefs, one might say they consider Elysia and Zanarya both their enemies. However, if they think at all of their history before Xindarra, they mostly think of it as a fairytale.
They do have internal enemies, though. Xindarrans are basically at war with themselves and have been for millennia, with each Great House feuding with at least one other over rights for territory and resources. Inter-House politicking is almost an art in and of itself, with arranged marriages and raiding parties the main tools for forging alliances and defeating opponents.
What is their culture like? Xindarran culture is fairly similar to that of the Zanaryans on the surface. Theirs is a patriarchal society, though Xindarran women are afforded a few more rights than their Zanaryan counterparts. One huge difference is that Xindarrans favour slavery: They see the members of other Houses as a resource and rarely kill their opponents in war or during raids, instead preferring to capture and enslave them.
Because theirs is a desert planet where water makes up only 20% of the surface area, Xindarrans value water very highly. (It's worth much more than even precious metals like gold.) Thus, Xindarra's economy is built on the trading of water and land deeds. (In fact, territories with even a small fresh water supply are far more valuable than almost anything else on the planet.)
How do they behave in general? Xindarrans are similar in many ways to their Zanaryan ancestors. They adhere to their political and social structure even more rigidly than the Anyeli, enough that it's impossible to marry outside one's own social class (into which one is either born or enslaved). In fact, so strict are they in this regard that anyone who denies their birthright or attempts to move up is cast out into the desert where they either die alone or willingly sell themselves into slavery with another House just to survive.
Xindarrans are also very strict about displaying their social status. Slaves are branded with the symbol of the House to which they belong, while the rest of society wear armbands featuring the same symbol. The metal used for these armbands differs according to their House rank, with the most precious metals reserved for the House nobility and royalty. (In fact, Xindarran kings don't wear crowns. Instead, their position is marked by the ornamentation and materials used in their armbands.)
What kind of religion do they have? What gods, if any, do they worship? The Xindarrans are polytheists, believing that each of the nine moons** (Chisani is still counted even after its destruction) has its own goddess and that these goddesses are the daughters of the Sun God, Aeshan, and his wife, the Water Goddess, Yendora. It would seem from Xindarran creation myths that Aeshan and Yendora came first (probably out of the great importance in Xindarran culture of the sun and water as life-givers) and all Xindarrans revere these two, with symbolism from both found in almost every aspect of Xindarran culture.
However, the Moon Goddesses are another story, aligning with only one particular Great House as a patron god -- and thus the names of the Great Houses are taken from the very Moon Goddess they worship: Avella, Liyana, Ikiya, Silara, Xiadan, Aedani, Eindira, Chisani and Krisil. (Interestingly, only a few centuries after Chisani, the moon, was destroyed by a meteor, the House of Chisani also fell. The House of Krisil, as well, has been almost completely swallowed up by the House of Ikiya.)
Every home in Xindarra has a shrine dedicated to that House's patron goddess. The wealthier citizens often erect small statues depicting their Moon Goddess (for instance, a shrine to Aedani might be a statue of a woman with hair like water and Her hands held out so the flow trickles through Her fingers). To tie in their worship of Yendora and Aeshan, there may be a small indoor fountain at the base of the Moon statue, and a sun-burst crown.
While commoners cannot afford such an elaborate shrine, they still find ways to honour their gods -- even if it's just a wooden figurine in a corner of the main room.
** All of Xindarra's nine moons are visible in the night sky, and some even during the day. The ninth, Chisani, was destroyed by a meteor but is still visible as huge chunks of debris floating around the planet and gradually dissolving into the planetary rings.
What kind of skills do they have? Xindarrans took their Zanaryan ancestors' ability to command the four Original Elements (Air, Fire, Earth and Water), and ran with it. It's unclear how they evolved from that point to this, but over the centuries they gained access to more Elements. Many of these are really just specialised versions of the Original four (such as Wood and Metal as sub-sets of the Original element, Earth), which means they are somewhat limited when compared to a Zanaryan's broader command, but they each have their own uses and are vital to life on Xindarra.
In addition, Xindarrans can fly (they are still not on par with the Anyeli but nor are they limited merely to gliding) and they are no longer plagued by the stench of Zanarya. However, they are so accustomed to the desert climate of their home realm that they can no longer survive for long in colder climates.
Do they have classes or specialties? If so, why? Each Moon Goddess (and thus Her House) is associated with particular traits which affect the element members of that House can manipulate. For instance, members of the House of Silara bond with Wood for the ability to manipulate plantlife, while Avellans bond with Wind to control airflow and even the weather.
Naturally, some Elements are more useful than others. Aedani's ability to control the flow of Water means that, while they are probably the most successful House in Xindarra, they are also the most targeted for want of their lands and their skill. Throughout history, many of Xindarra's inter-Housal feuds have been attributed to a blatant desire for more or "better" abilities. This ambition can be seen in action with the House of Chisani, the members of which (when it still existed) could manipulate Sunlight***. Their Element was appropriated (along with all their other resources) when they were finally conquered by the House of Liyana (the members of which had previously only been able to command Moonlight*** but combined their skill with Chisani's and adopted plain "Light"). The same will likely be true of Krisil, the House of Electricity, if and when they are conquered by Ikiya.
Elemental Assocations:
- Avella •• Wind
- Liyana •• Light (previously Moonlight)
- Ikiya •• Fire
- Silara •• Wood
- Xiadan •• Metal
- Aedani •• Water
- Eindira •• Darkness
- Chisani •• Sunlight (extinct)
- Krisil •• Electricity (almost extinct)
*** Chisani could only command Sunlight during the day, and likewise Liyana could only command Moonlight by night. However, Chisani's ability to manipulate Sunlight meant they could reduce the impact of the sun on their territory, making life much easier for their House members. It was probably this reason that Liyana set out to conquer them, and the ability to command the Light -- at any time of day or night -- is now theirs.