Etherians

Etherians are a sapient species, though not much is known of them by outsiders. From afar Etherians resemble bushes or tumbleweeds, though when you get closer you can see that they are in fact completely covered by a thick furry hair called the Phalaian, which obscures much of what lies beneath the surface. They primarily live on the Divine Engine

Beneath the surface

Below their Phalaian, the Etherians reveal a strange non-humanoid form. They possess six appendages, two of which are necklike in function and end in what other species may consider heads. However, they only contain two large eyes and a noselike receptor, which is used to detect other beings. The two heads do not, contrary to popular belief, contain the Etherians brain, which is located in the torso. Neither head has a mouth though each posesses one type of sexual organ, as all Etherians are hermaphrodites.

These two heads are on either end of the torso and separated by the other four appendages, which are the Etherians arms. These end in clawlike hands which can grip strongly onto the ground and propel the Etherian forward. These four appendages stick out further from the Phalaian and are more easily visible to observers.

The Phalaian

The Phalaian is the integral organ to the Etherials survival. What looks like fur is actually very slightly thicker living material which the Etherian uses to sustain itself. The Etherians consume a microscopic airborn particle collectively called the Ether, which they filter out of the air passively and expel the same way. However to gather enough Ether to survive, Etherians either need to travel the entire day without stopping, which they can do in their sleep, or they need to massfeed in bursts by gliding through the air using selfmade kites.

At least that is how it used to work for Etherians originally.

The Divine Engine

Today, Etherians primarily live aboard the congregation following the Divine Engine. Here they only need to spend a fraction on the day atop the congregation, either on the roof of the wagons or on balconies constructed for this purpose. There they can grab on tight and let the headwind of the moving train carry enough Ether into their Phalaian to sustain bodily functions. While some parts of The Divine Path are less survivable for Etherians, this nomadic lifestyle was the natural development for Etherians and by now almost all Etherians alive are part of the colony on the Divine Engine.

As a result Etherians are a crucial part of the congregation due to their natural desire to see the congregation survive and thrive.