Tylidai (TIE-lid-eye)

As you step through the brush softly, there’s a light playful sound from somewhere among the trees. Following it, entranced by the happy tune, you stumble into a small clearing. The sound is stronger here, but you can’t see where it’s coming from at first… until you look up. Perched atop large tree limbs and hanging upside down from branches, are a number of lightly furred folks of some sort. Their eyes are large and almond shaped, with no pupil to speak of. Four thin arms delicately hold an instrument or grasp hold of a branch, with a cloakesque pair of beautiful barklike wings just visible hanging behind each. All seem to have antennae of some sort, though some have much longer fronds than others. The delicate sensory organs lightly quiver in amusement as the creatures watch your gaze of wonder. They make no motion to move towards you or speak so you feel little fear; indeed, they seem rather intrigued by your presence and after a few moments, go back to their wistful songs. Peace drifts over you gently as the music lifts your spirit. The mundane world seems so very far away...  

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The Tylidai are magical mothfolk which were created by the fae goddess Inlenail, after an eclipse of moths impressed her with their beauty. Unlike normal moths of their kind which would have perished in mere days and did not possess even a mouth or way to eat, she gave them lungs and a lifespan such as that of her beloved elves, making them much more similar to elfkind than their insect brethren. Their physiology is a mystery, a bizarre combination of moth and elf in some strange merry mockery of the both. Indeed if it were not for the strong aura of magic around every one of them, it is likely that they would perish not unlike the shortlived moths they started as. Tylidai love music with a passion outpacing even that of the most devoted musicians, and it makes for a large part of their everyday lives. Their favorite is the flute, but many have taken up other woodwinds or even stringed instruments to add to the beautiful soundscape. It is easy to tell when you are standing beneath one of their treetop villages, for the sounds of gentle, highpitched song will always be playing.   Most Tylidai are mainly nocturnal by nature, although there are a few who prefer the daylight hours for the large display of vibrant color which is simply not possible to view in the darkness of night. Every Tylida, also known as Tyli or Tyd, is covered in an impossibly soft fur upon every inch of their bodies. They don’t typically wear any form of clothing in their native homes, as the thought of needing it simply hasn’t occurred to them.   Their diets are mostly nectars and sweet, soft fruits, although for young it is a different matter. Initial stages of reproduction is cosmetically not unlike that seen in other humanoids, although the females lay clutches of about twelve to twenty eggs instead of live young. The eggs can remain dormant for around two weeks, although once that time has passed they must hatch or they will die. Emerging from eggs as tiny five-inch-long larvae, the baby Tylidai begin a long, all consuming process of eating as much food as they possibly can. Young Tylidai can eat an incredible amount, and grow fast - within the space of just shy of two years, they will grow from a scant five inches and 3.5oz to a massive 5.5” caterpillar which weighs somewhere around 350lbs. During this time they will consume somewhere between eight and sixteen pounds of leafy matter per day on average, for a total of 6000lbs during their growth period. This means that food is at a premium when caterpillars are hatching, and they can quickly eat out the entire food supply nearby. Caring for the caterpillars is a communal effort, and birth records or lineage notes are not kept.   The key issue lies in the fact that originally, the moth form was a shortlived final stage in their lifecycle which was exclusively reserved for reproduction. Now that they live far longer lives however, mostly in their mothkind forms, they risk overpopulation if they give into the strong urges that this cycle usually lends itself to. To combat the issue of food and overpopulation, Tylidai have developed several cultural adaptations. Unlike their originator species Tyl don’t mate often or copiously, tending to stick with only one or two partners, disposing of unwanted eggs by quickly throwing them in an open fire (they see it as returning the souls of unhatched Tylidai to the Great Light, to await hatching when the world is ready for them), and encouraging those with a tendency of wanderlust to explore the world. Whether they always been this way or it was born of necessity as a last resort when they could not afford to destabilize their environment is unknown, but the measures they have taken have successfully kept their populations at manageable levels for a long number of years.   Mature Content   Once the caterpillars have grown to about five feet long, they will need to find themselves a quiet place to cocoon themselves. This is a ceremonious occasion and met with no small relief by the adults who have probably struggled to find the clutch adequate nourishment during the two long years of endless consuming, and the adults will go to great pains to find the caterpillars secure trees central in their village to pupate safely in. The caterpillar will crawl up into the tree and hang from a sturdy branch. After weaving their cocoon, over the next two months they will rapidly change within it to form the recognizable adult humanoid form. Their wings are rather damp and wrinkly for the first hour or two after emerging, but after that they are much like the other adults in form. If they are disturbed or shaken during any part of the morphing process, there is a high chance that the young Tylidai will die half-formed.   A Tylidai’s pupation ending is a cause for great celebration and joy, and at this point they choose their name. Tyl caterpillars are usually given a larval name during that stage of their life, but it’s considered a name that is only meant for the larval stage and is normally not used afterwards. Tyl are expected to choose one that represents them best in the days or weeks after their emergence, and once they do they are considered true adults. It is important to note that while Tylidai can think and interact much like any other Tyl during the caterpillar stage, they do not want to. They lack the drive to socialize, be creative, or do pretty much anything besides eat as much as they can and sleep. This means that a strong personality doesn’t really come out and reveal itself until after the pupation stage, which is a period of great change.   Tylidai are mostly unknown to the majority of the civilized world, and they mainly live in the Red Forest and surrounding forests. However they have been expanding in the past few years, and some have ventured out to the cities to learn and explore. A couple have even opened shops, notably ones dealing in novelty items. However, regardless of life path or personality, wherever a Tylidai goes, there will always be music. It is almost as fundamental to their being as breathing, eating, or life itself. If they are not producing music, then they have some item creating it, or have someone else generating music. When confronted by silence, or distressed, they will hum a lullaby to themselves. There are often copious wind chimes set up at a Tylidai’s residence, and they will pay a great deal for an especially melodic or beautiful one. Tylidai live to be about two hundred years old, and they retain their gratitude and love of life for most of that time. Other races can be rather jealous of how contented Tyl are, some individuals going so far as to try and discover the ‘secret’ - though there is none besides the Tylidai’s natural capacity for vast gratitude and appreciation for the life that has been given them.   As adventurers, Tylidai are curious, musically adept, and full of life. They do not like to cause pain or suffering, finding violence abhorrent and shying away from aggressive paths, preferring to preserve and celebrate life rather than harm it. Their soft, fragile bodies are also very prone to injury, so they are even more cautious because of that. However, as they are highly sensitive with strong emotions, they often make for excellent healers and supporters during such conflicts.  

Physical Description

Tylidai average about 5’ 5” tall, with long brown wings that resemble tree bark. Their bodies are covered with a short, soft, cream colored fur, and their eyes are large and bulbous. Antennae tend to be longer and more impressive looking in the males, although individuals vary quite a bit. Tylidai express emotion and mood mostly through the quivering of their antennae and pheromones, although a complex sign language (colloquially called Ty Sign among non-Tylidai) has developed using their four hands to facilitate silent communication so as not to interrupt a beautiful song by speaking.  

Religion

Tyl follow Inlenail as the great mother of them all, and pay her reverence by playing their music. They are also drawn to the Great Light, a shapeless deity formed of pure energy. The Great Light is seen to be the driving force and creator of the cosmos, and when they die they return to be a part of that light with all other Tylidai.