Trallyr are tall, bird-like aliens covered with colorful, feather-like fans. They are most known for their vocal mimicry, love for rules, and chroma-caste system. Generally peaceful and fond of the natual world, the Trallyr try their best to lead their galactic neighbors to seek peace and respect what fragile life is out there. They are in the process of building a new homeworld for themselves on Jainonn after the destruction of their previous world due to a supernova.
Biology
Anatomy
Trallyr are bipedal creatures with one set of long arms that can extend nearly to their knees. Both their feet and hands are dextrous and easily usable in manipulating objects or locomotion. Trallyr walk upright on their legs when on the ground, but in their native architecture are often climbing and hanging from convinient footholds and ledges. Trallyr are not designed to walk for long distances on their legs alone, and thus have trouble in environments with high gravity and nowhere to hang. Leg supports are not uncommon for those who live within stations not built to accomodate them. In contrast, they find it easier to adjsut to zero gravity than most land-bound species.
The body of a trallyr is covered in tough, feather-like fans with the exception of ther hands, feet, and beaks. While not being feathers akin to those on earth's creatures, they are called such in translation for ease of understanding. A trallyr's feather has a texture like soft silicon, and is hydrophobic. Young trallyr are born with their feathers already grown in and only lose these smaller, childhood feathers when they reach sexual maturity and their feathers are shed and replaced with the stronger, brighter feathers that will last them the rest of their life. Trallyr reach this stage at around 25-30 years of life.
Trallyr are generally herbivorous, with their diet consisting primarily of fruits, nuts, and fungi-adjacent staple-crops. Due to the structure of their beaks, trallyr genreally crush their food before eating it, but do not chew. The trallyr's beak consists of a wider top-section and a split, two section bottom that can move both down and to the sides. Trallyr speak through the same opening they eat through, but do not intake air through their mouths. Instead, they breathe through open slits on the sides of their head which are typically obscured by thinner feathers that aid in filtering air. These sections of smaller feathers can be seen moving with their breaths. The structure of their vocal cords is intricate, allowing for impressive vocal mimicry even among novice trallyr.
Trallyr eyes are large, but appear tall and narrow behind their vertical lids. Their pupils are shaped like an elongated plus sign, with a small cross section in the middle of a tall and thin stripe.
There are 3 sexes of trallyr, translated roughly to 'male', 'female', and 'neutral'. It would be a misunderstanding to regard the 'neutral' gender as an absence or simple combination of the other two, as each has its own unique biology. Despite having 3 sexes, it only takes 2 individuals to reproduce as long as those individuals are different sexes. Due to differing combinations of parentage, siblings of a trallyr triadic relationship can differ greatly in appearance from each other.
Appearance
Trallyr have limited sexual dimorphism that primarily affects the length and arrangement of the crests of feathers that adorn their heads. Male trallyr posses short crests with no color variation, and tend to be a little stockier than the others. Female trallyr posses an extra-long, decorative feather that protrudes at the top of the crest that can have a dot of accent color at the end. Neutral trallyr crests start short at the top but become long and hang down over the shoulders of the individual with infrequent accent colors at the tips. Neutral trallyr also tend to be slightly taller on average than the other two sexes.
The color of a trallyr's feathers is consistent across the entire body, with the exception of any crest accent colors. The exposed skin of the limbs and beak are generally a lighter, de-saturated variant of the feather color but can very rarely be mismatched via recessive traits. Trallyr color ranges across the entire visible spectrum but does not include the black to white range of hues. The colors are generally vivid, but account for considerable ranges of saturation and brightness. Trallyr eyes are typically yellow or green, and very rarely red. While trallyr lids are vertical, they posses a second, horizontal eyelid that is considered to be an evolutionary leftover, but aids greatly in communicating their emotions to other species that use their eyes to emote. Trallyr can manipulate their head crests to communicate their mood. They do this instinctively, but learning to control ones crests and reactions is considered a major stage in childhood development akin to tying one's shoes.
Trallyr Visual Guide by Buntecha
Culture
Names
Trallyr language is vowel-heavy with a song-like quality to it, and their names are as well. the Trallyr's natural vocal range allows them to make most sounds in any language, but their native language will stick mostly to softer sounds, or pronounce harsher consonants in a more fluid way. Trallyr roll their R's in their native tongue.
Trallyr have a first/given name and 3 surnames, which are the given names of their 3 parents. Trallyr with less than three parents will either have two last names or use a placeholder name to indicate the absence (This name is "Allzon", which means "unoccupied").
Example Given Names: Hallac, Eioniya, Drasla, Oiria, Pritsis, Jeen, Wuvuan, Sualoa, Ixolga, Fairi, Noisos, Aineen, Yomalva, Eonio
Rules Rule
Culturally, Trallyr have a reputation for sticking hard to their rules. Having spent multiple generations aboard interstellar ships on their great migration, the rules and regulations put in place to ensure order is maintained and as many trallyr make it to their new home as possible went from being emergency measures to cultural foundations as the individuals that remembered life before the ships passed away, leaving those raised with these rules to lead into the future. Since arriving in the Choir sector and beginning the terraforming of Jainonn, some of the rules that held the trallyr together have loosened but most still hold strong as a part of their cultural identity. Due to this, there are noticeable differences between Trallyr that have stayed with their colonies since arrival and those that have dispersed into more multicultural space station living. Strong traditions such as chroma casting and triad living will persist more often than not, but many of the intricate and nuanced rules that larger Trallyr society expects will fall to the wayside in favor of getting along easier with other aliens. It's is important to note that while Trallyr hold fast to their rules and culture, they rarely expect those outside of their species to adhere to their rules. Trallyr only begin to apply their culture with vigor when an outsider tries to formally join and work in their society.
Chroma Caste System
One of the most distinct facets of Trallyr Culture is the Chroma Caste System. Within this system individuals are tracked into certain career fields based on the color of their feathers. This tracking starts at a very early age, resulting in schooling that is highly specialized, but can also leave gaps in general knowledge. In some regions this system is strictly applied with no leniency; in others exceptions are made for those seeking to work in fields that match their parent's colors (In these societies it is common for Trallyr working outside their color to wear the color they have joined to ease confusion from outsiders). It's very difficult for a Trallyr to find employ outside of the chroma caste within Trallyr society. The tradition is old enough that it is more common for Trallyr to wish they were happier in their caste than to work to leave it. Chroma Casting existed in small part before the great migration, but the generations spend aboard a tightly-managed ship have cemented it strongly as a facet of their culture. In some sects, it is illegal for a trallyr to dye their feathers in order to join a different caste.
The color groups are as follows:
Red: Construction
Architecture, Crafts, Repair, Manufacturing
Orange: Security and Order
Law, Military, News, Investigations, Guard
Yellow: Domestic and Culture
Culinary, Religion, Childcare, Counseling, Matchmaking
Yellow-Green: Logistics
Accounting, Resource Management, Trade, Sanitation
Green: Technologies
Engineering, Robotics, Computers, Astronomy, Invention
Blue: Hospitality and Relations
Management, Translation, Diplomacy, Customer Service
Purple: Life Sciences
Agriculture, Medicine, Ecology, Conservation
Pink: Arts
Music, Theatre, Visual Arts, Literature, Fashion
Family and Friends
Trallyr value their relationships with family and friends highly. The connections one makes with those around them are generally considered to be the measure and make of who they are. Individual accomplishment isn't ignored, but will not make up for a lack of meaningful and maintained connections when trying to advance in society. On the other hand, unaccomplished trallyr with impressive social networks tend not to fall through the cracks. To become true friends with a trallyr is to become a part of their network and identity. Disgraces that fall upon one inevitably fall upon those who associate with them; it's very common for once loyal friends to cut ties to avoid the social fallout for one individuals' actions. Within greater trallyr society this practice is common and accepted as the standard. Lost friends are just as quickly reintegrated into the social web when they have recovered their status and reputation, but this doesn't remove the bad taste that social non-trallyr can experience when they find themselves suddenly abandoned by those they formed connections with. The one case where these connections cannot be severed in when it comes to blood relatives. The trallyr family is greatly important. While the friendships trallyr form are enough to make or break them, a trallyr's family is the foundation their life must be built upon. More lenient colonies may look upon one's family reputation as something that can be embraced or distanced from, but traditionally the family's status becomes the status of the child. Those born to disconnected, shamed legacies necessarily must work hard to climb up and away from their parent's reputations; those born to the well-loved and intertwined endure the great pressure of ensuring they do nothing that would drag their family down. Social pressure is the driving force behind the negotiations, choices, and policies of the Trallyr.
When courting and forming families, Trallyr create romantic triads. These can consist of one member of each sex, or 2 of one and one of another. Mono-sex triads are generally discouraged with the exception of triple-neutral groups and groups disallowed from reproduction. Members of a triad are regarded as equalls to each other, with no one trallyr acting as the 'head' of the group. It is expected that triads operate via cooperation and compromise: virtues held highly in trallyr society. Triad 'leading', where one individual dictates and guides the actions of the others, or 'deferring', where a member of the triad does not participate equally in decisions and events, are both seen as distasteful and improper. Any triads that operate this way (and many do) do so behind closed doors to maintain their image. The acceptable time for a member of a triad to supersede the choices of the others is in regards to raising children that share their color. It's expected that in the common case where a child matches the color of one parent but not the other that the same-color parent (or parents) operates as the primary advocate for their raising and education. It is possible for a child to share no color with either of their three parents, and in this case many choose to assign a 'godparent' to help the triad parent the child and assist in their education. In some colonies with stricter casting, a child in this case will be given over entirely to a more appropriate family triad.
Arranged marriage is relatively common in Trallyr society- something that likely arose from the genetic-planning procedures implemented aboard the migration ships. Those who make use of this cultural practice go to great lengths to find suitable matches for their children from the earliest stages of their lives. Most commonly, arranged triads are done so by selecting for color and excellence in their field with the intent of setting up future children for career success, but arranging triads for family ties is also a known practice. For adolescent trallyr not bound by this practice, dating and finding triad partners is a hotbed of social drama and intrigue. Non-trallyr observers find it extraordinarily difficult to map out the relational webs that form and entangle during this phase of their life. Trallyr rom-coms are among the most difficult media for outsiders to get into.
Hometree Mindset
On their homeworld and in their colony ships, the trallyr spent their entire lives within and upon massive, stationary organisms known as "Arvanga Eyensa", translated to "Hometrees". From the very cradle of their civilization, trallyr have always lived high off the ground and in harmony with the hometree they live in. In earlier history there are accounts of trallyr cities that took their hometrees for granted, exploited their resources, and subsequently fell to ruin as their stable foundation died and collapsed around them. These myths and stories are passed down as examples of why the trallyr must ensure they care for their hometrees. Trallyr can experience something akin to vertigo when on the ground and not at higher altitudes.
Hometrees are incredibly large, tough, and above all ancient organisms native to the now-destroyed planet of Jaina. A single hometree could be as tall as 30 miles and thick enough around to support such a height. Despite the term "tree", the shape of a hometree is less like a true tree of earth and more akin to a towering mushroom with polypore-esque shelves that stick out from the side in place of branches, and a wide, shady canopy of twisting tendrils and circular shelves. Their incredible size lends them to cultivating multiple different ecosystems across a single organism: from lofty trunk-jungles to windy treetop-plains to lower-elevation lake-like ecosystems among the shelves and nooks in the trunk. When the trallyr left Jaina, they took their trees and the rock they rooted in with them.
The Trallyr tend to the hometree, and in turn are provided ample sturdy wood, food, and water that streams down the trunk like vertical rivers. This mentality has driven trallyr to value renew-ability and preservation in regards to nature. When it comes to new species, trallyr are at the forefront of study and conservation.
History
Pre-Space
The trallyr civilization arose on the planet Jaina, a large and lush world located in the depths of the upper frontier sector. For the majority of their history they were the sole living planet in their local space. The trallyr went from separated and isolated populations confined to their hometrees to larger countries consisting of hometree 'forests'. The trallyr developed impressive bio-sciences and various religions that have stood the test of time.
Space Age/The Great Migration
The defining moment that spurred the trallyr to the stars (for before there was no reason to go, as there are no hometrees in space), was the realization by trallyr astronomers that the star Jaina orbited was nearing the end of its life and due to explode in a supernova within the next 1000 years. Mass chaos enveloped the planet, historians often quote that many thought the trallyr would fall to despair before the nova could wipe them out, but this did not come to be. A council was formed of the world's leaders, and the trallyr people were organized to help their people escape to space. The chroma caste system was established to specialize the population as much as possible so that the technology required to leave could be developed quickly. The previously relaxed and spiritual culture of the trallyr was morphed into a society that had what it takes to survive. Massive rockets were constructed into the foundations of the hometrees, life-sustaining technologies were created for the multi-generation journey, and as many species were gathered and preserved as possible so that the trallyr could bring as much of their planet's ecosystem with them to their new home. Despite all odds, the trallyr people were successful in the creation of 8 tree stations, named after the tree that each were to hold: Gyenga, Sivstis, Plegas, Ouala, Rawoi, Trengya, Ils, and Hallacta. These stations lifted off and made the arduous journey to their chosen destination: a planet the trallyr named 'Jainonn', which translates to "Jaina's sister".
All tree stations save for one made it safely to their destination, the gyenga station having suffered a catastrophic hull failure in the final stretches of the journey. Even now, the terraformation of Jainonn is an endless endeavor.
Leading the Alliance
When the trallyr arrived to the Choir sector, they came into contact with the other civilizations that resided closer to slidespace. The Krakki and the Glyci had just reached tense peace at the end of a decades-long war, and the trallyr came just in time to help cement that peace. The novelty of a new species on the scene helped divert the warring planets from their grievances. The trallyr, desperate for their new home to grow in relative peace, pioneered the idea of a major interplanetary alliance between the 3 species. It took years of talks and agreements to come to terms agreeable to all parties, but soon the Jainonn Interplanetary Alliance was formed and inter-species trade flourished properly for the first time in the sector.
Later, the trallyr would make first contact with the Jalgar during their slidespace exploration and bring them into the alliance as well
