Lilthian (Lill-thEE-an)
The people chosen by the suns
Basic Information
Anatomy
General Description
- Biped; two arms, two legs
- Spine extends into a long, thin tail
- Usually possess an "arrow point" at the tip
- Points are "complete" or "halved" depending on Allegiance
- Lack of an arrow point indicates lack of Celestial powers
- Stiff spinal ridge that starts from the base of the skull and travels down the back and tail
Sexual Dimorphism
Males
- Shorter tails (typically knee-length)
- More pronounced spinal ridge
- Spinal ridge extends along tail and gets taller just before tail point
- More muscular build
Females
- Longer tails (typically mid-calf length)
- Less pronounced spinal ridge
- No ridge on tails
- More slender build
Biological Traits
Lilthians vary in physique, and facial structure depending on their region, but their skin color is primarily determined by allegiance. Lilthians generally don't have many skin markings, but exceptions exist among certain ethnicities. Variance in color gradient between an individual's primary skin color and the color of their extremities are the most obvious distinguishers between region.
Four Allegiances
The lilthian population is categorized based on which (if any) of the suns an individual is "aligned" to. These categories are called "Allegiances". Lilthians that are aligned to Aza, or the "first sun", are part of the "First Allegiance." Lilthians that are aligned to Sao are part of the "Second Allegiance."
Less commonly, an individual may be aligned to both of the suns. This is known as the "Dual Allegiance" and almost always results in a dangerous overload of Celestial Energies known as Solar Combustion.
If a lilthian lacks a Celestial core or has a nonfunctional one, and therefore isn't aligned to either sun, they are known as "Unaligned" or "Cold". Unaligned lilthians may suffer prejudice in cultures that believe them to be flawed.
Allegiance and Skin Color
Which sun a lilthian is aligned to correlates with the color their skin is likely to be. The table below details which skin tones are most common in each Allegiance. Exceptions are rare but not impossible. Colors are listed roughly from most to least common.
| Allegiance | Associated Skin Hues |
|---|---|
| First (Aza) | Yellow, yellow-orange, red-orange, gold, white/pearl, pale blue |
| Second (Sao) | Maroon, red, red-orange, orange, red-violet |
| Double | Marbled combination of two colors, one from each Allegiance (red and gold, yellow and orange, pearl and maroon, etc.) |
| Unaligned | Warm gray, slate gray, brown, dusty brown, brick red, rust red, sandy yellow, black, navy blue |
Allegiance and Tail Tip
The point of a lilthian's tail is different depending on which sun they are aligned to. First aligned lilthians have a "complete" tail point, meaning the end of their tail is a complete arrow shape. Second aligned lilthians have "half-points" or "halved" points, meaning their tip only has half of an arrow head on one side of their tail.
Genetics and Reproduction
Growth Rate & Stages
"What are you, a girl? I swear that tail is twice as long as you are!"
Lilthians are born with very short tails that have no ridge on them (regardless of gender). As they age, their tails grow steadily longer. As they approach sexual maturity, tail length tends to increase rapidly, sometimes at a rate faster than the individual's height. It's not uncommon for adolescent lilthians--especially girls--to have awkwardly long tails.
Boys also gain their tail ridges in adolescence. This is very uncomfortable; some boys' tails itch so horribly that they must use ointments to soothe them.
Maximum tail length occurs before maximum height. Old wives' tales insist that a child's final height can be predicted by measuring the length of their tail in adolescence and predicting proportions. However, is impossible to test if this method is truly accurate or just a myth.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Facial characteristics
Lilthians always have very dark hair and very dark eyes. Hair colors range from jet black to chocolate brown to (rarely) navy blue. Eyes come in similar colors, including slate and stone grays. There are only two guaranteed exceptions to this rule, those being albino and double aligned lilthians.
Double Allegiance
Double aligned lilthians always have ginger hair, ranging from crimson red to flame orange. Their eyes are always assymetric, with one dark eye and one pale eye. Their pale eye is usually light gray or blue. Contrary to popular belief, the pale eye of a double aligned lilthian is not blind.Albinism
Albino lilthians have stark white hair and reddish eyes. Less pure forms of albinism may leave the eyes or hair dark or semi-dark. Albino lilthians with light eyes tend to have vision problems.Civilization and Culture
Beauty Ideals
Lilthian ideals around physical attraction typically center around two primary features: skin and tails. Nice skin is important to both genders, while factors involving tails differ between men and women.
Having unblemished, smooth, shiny and vibrant skin is very important. The ideal of "perfect" skin can become so absurd that lilthians may go to great lengths to change nearly everything about their skin, sometimes going as far as using special dyes to change its color entirely. Glitter is also used as a common cosmetic, usually on the face and arms.
"I just cannot fathom why anyone would think putting glitter on any part of their bodies is a good idea! That stuff gets everywhere, and it never comes out!"
Cautionary Tails
Long, slender tails are considered very attractive in women. It is not uncommon for lilthian women to wrap their tails tighter than is comfortable in order to make their tails appear thinner. Despite many women doing this, stigma is still attached to the act. Women may be accused of "faking" their true beauty, "false advertising", or seeking unwanted attention.
In men, tail length and thickness is not as important as spinal ridge sharpness. To make their ridge appear pointier, men will often tie shiny ribbons in between each spike. In extreme cases, men may resort to the painful task of filing their ridges to sharp points. Similar to tight tail wrapping, ridge filing often comes with a great deal of social stigma. It is often seen as a desperate, last-ditch attempt, and, if discovered, may make the individual seem less attractive overall.
Common Dress Code
Women
A woman wearing her tail completely naked is considered provocative, similar to a human woman wearing a low-cut top. As such, women are expected to wrap or cover at least three quarters of their tails. The more that a tail is exposed, the more seductive of a message it sends.
It is considered inappropriate for lilthian women to uncover their breasts in public. Unlike humans, however, lilthian women do not typically have breasts unless they are pregnant or nursing. Therefore it is not taboo for a woman with no breasts to go topless. In formal settings, going topless is considered inappropriate for both genders.
Men
In men, covering the tail is still important, but not as much. Since male tails are shorter and have ridges, they are typically only partially covered. It's not uncommon for a man to leave his tail uncovered when casually dressed, though it is considered inappropriate in a formal setting.
Clothing colors
Since beauty is tied to how lustrous and vibrant one's skin appears, it is very important to lilthians that they wear clothing that makes their skin color pop and does not clash.
In common, casual settings, lilthians will wear dull, earthy tones, such as brown, tan, black, and gray. While also being cheap to make, these colors have decreased risk of clashing with an individual's skin color.
While other woman agonized for hours over which color to wear, Akira could put on whatever she wanted and look amazing. Red, blue, yellow, even black, all of it made her pearlescent white skin appear to glow.
In more celebratory settings, or when a lilthian wants to appear particularly attractive, they may wear clothing with accents that compliment or contrast to their skin color. Lilthians will take great pains to find a piece of clothing that makes their skin appear just right. No lilthian wants to be caught dead going to a party in something that clashes with their skin tone. Becuase of how much importance is placed on matching one's clothes with their skin, white lilthians are often envied, since they can look good in pretty much anything.
Common Taboos
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
A lilthian's first encounter with a human may be a confusing and startling one. Lilthians often find human eyes unnerving, due to their paleness and eerie glow when exposed to light. Since human skin typically has many markings on it, humans may be considered "ugly" to lilthians who value clear skin. Lilthians also find humans' lack of sparkle strange, and may wrongly assume that humans immediately burn in the sun if their skin isn't completely covered.
Since lilthians are diurnal and humans semi-nocturnal, human and lilthian cultures typically interact the most in the evening and early nighttime hours. Uneducated lilthians may wrongly assume humans to be sleepy or lazy, since they wake up so much later in the day. Furthermore, human settlements tend to have fewer and dimmer lights in them. Lilthians moving into human-built houses often have to supplement the lighting.
Smooth, metallic skin that typically gradients to a darker color on hands, feet, and tails. The metallic sheen aids in keeping them cool by reflecting light and heat off of their skin. Primary skin colors are determined by Allegiance and most commonly include tints and shades of warm hues.
Albinism
Albino lilthians have stark white skin that might be slightly pinkish. They look very similar to white First aligned lilthians, save for their pale eyes and hair. Their skin is still metallic, but they are far more susceptible to sunburn than regular lilthians.
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