Sulmora

An eye for the world

And all of its light.

An eye for its magic

To get through the night.

An eye for the loving,

The same for the hate.

An eye for emotion

For feeling, for pain.

An eye for the forces

Of life and of death.

An eye for the souls who

Have yet to find rest.

An eye for yourself,

Your spirit, your soul.

With every eye open,

Sulvara is whole.

(Above) A Sulmori nursery rhyme, translated from their language, describing the seven "eyes" of a Sulmora.

Basic Information

Anatomy

There are seven races of Sulmora. Every race is distinct in its skin color, markings, eyes, and horns, but all Sulmora share a few key features.

Sulmora are humanoid, but clearly not human. Their pupils are catlike slits and their eyes can come in any color from red to violet. Their skin, like their eyes, is often vividly colored and covered in natural markings and patterns. They have four fingers on each hand instead of five (which applies to toes as well). Their ears are long and pointed. But the most distinct feature of the Sulmora is their horns. The shape and color of a Sulmora's horns varies depending on their race.

There are seven distinct Sulmori races, each of which has roots on a different island in Sulvara. Every race has a distinct appearance and is easily distinguished from the other six.

Sulmora Entiae

The Sulmora Entiae, or simply the Entiae, are desert people. They are typically smaller in size. Their skin color can range from yellow to brown, making their pigmentation the closest to a human's. Their markings, similarly, come in a range of hues. Some Entiae have pale, almost white markings, while others' are rich copper and bronze. Their eye color ranges from red to yellow. The horns of an Entiae are, relative to their bodies, the largest out of all Sulmora, growing wide, shovel-shaped, and pointed, like those of a moose.

Sulmora Agentor

The Agentor are mountain people. They are the tallest of all Sulmora. Their skin color is often very light, either white or pale blue, and their markings often come in a darker blue than their skin. Agentor have eyes in any shade of blue, turquoise, or indigo, including white. Agentor horns grow tall and branching, much like an elk's.

Sulmora Sayina

The Sayina are the Sulmora most closely tied to plants and nature, often referred to as the forest people. They tend to be the size of a human, and are lithe and agile. Their skin can be any shade of green, and their markings are either golden or brown. Sayina eyes are rich brown, green, or gold. Their horns have evolved to curve downwards as they grow, like those of a ram, around the profile of the backs of their heads, to where the horn tips are usually in line with the mouth on a fully grown Sayina.

Sulmora Typhus

The Typhus live around water, either the ocean or the many rivers and lakes of their island. They are of average size, slightly smaller than the Sayina, and often very thin and light. Their skin is blue, turquoise, or sea green, and their markings are white or silver. Typhus eyes are blue or green, with rare exceptions of purple. An early human explorer described the Typhus horns as being "shaped like the bend of an angel's wing."

Sulmora Cersir

The Cersir are the bright and energetic people of the sun. They are the most varied when it comes to height. The skin color of a Cersir can be gold or bright yellow, and their markings are red or orange. Their eyes can be any color of the rainbow. Cersir horns grow at a slower rate and curve upwards.

Sulmora Alavere

The Alavere are the hermit Sulmora, the people of the moon. They are typically shorter than average, but not as much as the Entiae. Their skin color is almost always pure white or silver, with black and dark gray markings. Their eyes, unsettling enough, are either red, blue, or purple, making them stand out against the Alavere's pale faces. Alavere horns curve into spirals slightly behind their heads.

Sulmora Isenthe

The Isenthe are Sulmora of the stars. They are the height of humans, if not slightly taller. Their skin color is almost iridescent, coming in vibrant, shimmering shades of violet, blue, and green, and their markings are pure white, like stars painted on their skin. The color of their eyes is almost always similar to that of their skin, though often a different shade. Isenthe horns are the smallest of all Sulmora, often little more than pointed buds in their hair.

Ecology and Habitats

Every Sulmori race has roots on a different island, each of which have different climates and environments. For this reason, each race requires a different habitat.

The Entiae

The Entiae are desert-folk from the continent Echlor. They are built for hot, dry climates and can survive longer than most without food or water. Before humans arrived, they were typically found in small settlements around rivers or oases. They are not comfortable in colder environments.

The Agentor

The Agentor live on the mountain island of Mormos. They are built for cold, high-altitude climates. The Agentor can be found on all levels of the mountains, with even a small temple at the highest summit. They tend to adapt quickly to any environment. However, they are typically not comfortable in warmer climates.

The Sayina

The Sayina live in the forests of Turache alongside the human kingdom of Louring. They are best built for the temperate climate and wild nature of their island. They are not comfortable on water, but can do well on every island.

The Typhus

The Typhus, unlike most other Sulmora, can be comfortable all across Sulvara. This is because, alongside their traditional home of Seghryn, they find homes on all coasts, as long as they are around the water. The Typhus are, quite literally, built for the oceans of Sulvara, with the natural ability of water-breathing. They are not comfortable far inland or at high altitudes.

The Cersir

The Cersir live mostly on the island of Veleva, where they are most comfortable on the surface. The Cersir can adapt to almost any climate or environment, but do not cope well if they go without sunlight for prolonged periods of time.

The Alavere

The Alavere inhabit the rocky island of Altaes. They are nocturnal and underground folk, who live best in darkness. Most Alavere are not well adjusted to light and will find it difficult to cope with being on the surface during the day.

The Isenthe

Finally, for thousands of years the Isenthe have lived on the sacred Eye of Qiteus. They are built for magic-rich environments, but are the best at adapting to new climates and locations. Nowadays, the Isenthe do not appear to require any specific habitat, as they can be found all across Sulvara.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Sulmora have all the same senses as humans. However, Sulmora have more than one "sight", or "lens", as in they have multiple ways of seeing the world. These sights are typically referred to as the Seven Eyes of a Sulmora. Obviously, a Sulmora does not literally have seven eyes. Each eye is connected to a different Sulmori deity, allowing the Sulmora to see their domain, specifically.

The seven eyes of a Sulmora are as follows:

The Qitir (of the deity Qiteus)

"An eye for the world / And all of its light" - The Qitir is the eye that all living creatures have and, for humans, the only eye through which they can see. Through the Qitir, a Sulmora can view the natural world, including all its elements and creatures.

The Xixir (of the goddess Xixuna)

"An eye for its magic / To get through the night" - The Xixir is the eye through which a Sulmora may view magic in its purest form. As with most of the gods' domains, Xixuna's can be sensed and used without the opening of her eye. However, it is through the Xixir that its workings become clear and understandable; wizards who cannot open their Xixir, or who are human, tend to have more difficulty with their magic.

The Tuir (of the god Tuesis)

"An eye for the loving / The same for the hate" - Through the Tuir, a Sulmora can see two things. They can see the amount of love and hate within a person, and they can see the love and hate behind their words. According to many Sulmora, these things are delicate to measure, as they can constantly appear to be changing. It can take many years to learn to interpret the Tuir's sight, simply adding to the difficulty of opening it in the first place.

The Inir (of the deity Inaris)

"An eye for emotion / For feeling, for pain" - Inaris's domain has always been a contested point among experts, but there is no denying the Inir's sight. While the popular nursery rhyme appoints "emotion", "feeling", and "pain" as the Inir's primary focus, the eye's sight actually encompasses all sensation, including taste, touch, and subsequent reactions alongside those things previously mentioned.

The Katir (of the goddess Katune)

"An eye for the forces / Of life and of death" - The Katir is said to be one of the most interesting eyes. Through its sight, a Sulmora can see life and death in their purest forms. It is well documented among Sulmora that the opening of the Katir can cause distress and anxiety from the realization of death's prevalence in our world.

The Phumir (of the god Phumos)

"An eye for the souls who / Have yet to find rest" - If the Katir causes distress, the Phumir is known for simply being disturbing. This eye allows the viewer to view the In-Between, a plane much like our own, but reserved for restless souls who have yet to cross over. Upon its first opening, the Phumir is likely to induce nightmares or other stress to the seer. Despite this, it is also known for being one of the most intriguing eyes through which to see.

The Zikir (of the deity Zikaris)

"An eye for yourself / Your spirit, your soul" - The Zikir has a reputation as the most difficult eye to open. It is also very different from the other six eyes. The Zikir allows the seer to know and view their truest self. It will not reveal information about the surrounding world, but instead allow for reflection and introspection. To first open it, however, a Sulmora must be comfortable and confident in themselves.

Opening the Eyes

Every Sulmora is born with their Qitir already open, as do all humans and natural creatures. Throughout their life, it is almost guaranteed that they will open at least one other eye. Typically, an eye opens through one of two ways: through careful, determined study, or simply by accident.

Because there are so many accounts of how these eyes have been opened, it is possible for a Sulmora, usually a wizard, to learn to open a specific eye through study. In fact, Sulmora wizards will often include this as part of their curriculum, as it is believed to expand the mind and expose the wizard to different magic.

However, it is also entirely possible for an eye to be opened completely on accident. As a matter of fact, this is what happens most of the time. It is believed that every eye, besides the Zikir, has triggers in the natural world which can be used to open them. Most often, an eye is opened through necessity or adrenaline. For example, it is not uncommon for the Phumir to open during times of grave danger, as it allows spirits to better interact with and help the endangered party.

Most eyes, on their own, do not provide enough information about the world, but it is possible to open more than one eye at once. The number of eyes a Sulmora can open at one time depends on their magical capabilities. A powerful wizard can open four, five, perhaps even six eyes at a time, but Sulmora with less magic must make do with fewer. It is nearly impossible, however, to open all seven at once, and is therefore incredibly rare. All instances are recorded in great detail, but most Sulmora will not see it occur within their lifetimes.

Civilization and Culture

History

The Sulmora have existed as long as Sulvara itself. If there was another species that came before them, they are not known of. Supposedly, the Sulmora were created in the image of the gods who created Sulvara, but as the years passed by, grew to look increasingly different from their deities. The Isenthe are the race that most closely resembles the Sulmori gods.

According to legend, the Sulmora were first brought to life at the Eye of Qiteus, and it was from there that they traveled to the six surrounding islands. On each island, a different race evolved. The Sulmora evolved to the form that was best for their environment.

For many years, all the Sulmora lived in peace. Sulmora are not naturally territorial or conflict-driven creatures. They are much more inclined to solve issues through peaceful conversation, and are often slow to anger, more likely to offer their enemies shelter and a warm meal than war. Twice per year, as many Sulmora as can will gather at the Eye of Qiteus, their supposed birthplace, for a conference and a celebration. Here, issues between groups will be smoothed out and the Sulmora are reminded of their unity.

The arrival of humanity shook the Sulmora, as they were aware of neither lands beyond their own nor the people that may inhabit them. As was Sulmori custom, however, the visitors were welcomed with open arms. In the present day, humans and Sulmora live alongside one another, their peace enforced and encouraged by the divine guardians.