Luea
Luea make an easy living amid marshes and rainforests and in the depths of lakes and oceans. Their skills as musicians are legendary, for the position of Monolith of Music has been occupied by Luea (as they call themselves) for as long as history can recall.
Luea long ago split from the other Verin and the world, building their cities in places no others could swim to. They left the prim and proper culture of their cousins behind in favor for a mindset of playful curiosity. This behavior can easily slip into arrogance, as it stems from the confidence Luea have from comparing their bodies, works of art, against the bodies of the other races. They're used to living life easy, finding little to contest their reign so long as they don't stray too far into the depths of sea-monsters, and to being treated akin to celebrities for their beauty and musical prowess.
"All of them have big heads. Just a bunch of soggy rock stars"
Vanthric Haimarchy
The Andromeda Syndicate
As a Species
Luea physiology is the attempt of. The first Luea were made during the Crescendo Era when Verin were at their scientific peak and delving into their first attempts at Therianthropy as a way to make new species and races. The result was the Luea, which most biologists consider a work of art. The opinion has gone to the mind of many a Luea.
Luea can assume two forms: a land form and a water form. In land form they look similar to a Sauthei, with the physique of a swimmer and sporting a skin tone somewhere between olive and honey. One unmistakable feature of their race is the fact that their hair color can fall anywhere within a seemingly limitless range from dull brown to brilliant pink. In fact, the only consistency between their hair colors seems to be the fact that they get more vivid closer to the equator.
Luea tend to switch to these second eyes when in water, as infrared sight cuts right through the murk and gloom found in lakes, rivers, and oceans. Of course, that's probably one of the least notable changes they make within this form. Their skins deepen to a bluish or greenish hue (depending on the water of their origin) except their front sides, which become as pale as camouflage for anything lurking beneath them in the water. Their hair begins to glow, as do lines of photophores up and down the limbs, spine and belly; the color matches their hair and eyes, so some races tend to illuminate more than others.
Luea have four lungs and a partial ability to extract oxygen from the water by swimming with their mouths open, allowing them to last twenty minutes on a breath of air, five if they aren’t able to breathe the water. They also have two hearts and a third heart-like which prevents Luea from getting decompression sickness.
The physiology of the average Luea makes them very useful in many situations, often limited only by their own imagination. This is without the additional mutations that often happen to the well traveled Luea, such as the ability to control the texture or color of their skin, among other things.
When a Luea is born, their markings are the color of the bed of their waters, and their complexion is that of its glimmers.
Their glow is the color of their soul.
E.N.Core — Traits
Luea can see each other's photophores even when they're not lit, so long as they're looking at each other through their second eyes. Anyone with the ability to detect ultraviolet will also be able to spot Luea.
The same color as their hair, they have two sets of irises, one encapsulating the other like a set of concentric rings. At will a Luea can contract their inner iris and dilate their outer one, allowing them to swap between colorvision, infrared, ultraviolet levels.
As a People
It is the Luea way to live vibrantly in the shadow of history.
We are so full of light that we glow.
Because the Luea were always sent to the fringes of civilization and the bottom of the world, where they could take little with them, their culture became one of strong oral tradition.
Luea tend towards passionate anarchistic relationships, and their art is rife with comedy, tragedy, and drama regarding the matters of the heart.
There can be no persuit greater than the persuits of love, and none so likely to lead you astray. It is our way to be one of many, and to have many. Have someone to talk to, someone to dance with, someone to walk with. Not every relationship is whole, each forms a part of a larger relation.
The Luea draw the inspiration for their language from the singing of oceanic creatures. As such their language, like the chitter of Hiserabi, almost sounds like a mash of animal sounds ranging from pops and clicks to squeaks and low, rumbling moans.
They're famous in opera for their siren songs and in Metal for their growling howls and shrieks.
If you find another Luea in need of help, do not abandon them. If you find someone friendly to Luea, help them.
E.N.Core — Tribes
As a Character
In an ideal world, the circumstances of one's birth would not be a social impediment, but in a universe of dozens upon dozens of unique Sophontic, species is the first thing anyone notices. For this reason, Luea live a life driven towards one thing while trying to escape another.