Thyrals

While all Thyrals are bipedal and anthropomorphic, the terminology umbrellas a vast diversity of sub-species that are influenced by specific animalistic traits. These differences in physiology can vary, depending on specific mammalian lineages of the individual.

Unlike the more bestial Pamyrans, Thyrals have distinct patches of human-like skin. These are typically found across the face, sternum, and abdomen. Skin tones can range from deep, earthy darks to striking pale complexions. Hair or fur derives from their parent mammal and grows predominately on the limbs and back.

Thyral skull and facial structures are more human-like, with cartilage compositions around the nose and ears taking more to their mammalian genetics. Their eyes are a direct replication of their mammalian counterpart. These can vary from vertical slit pupils, to horizontal, and more.

Their more distinct features parting from their similarities to human anatomy is within the digitigrade legs that are universal amongst the Thyral race. Thyral heels are located high up the leg and have feet that can vary upon sub-species. This can range from padded paws to clover hooves.

Some Thyralan sub-species have mammalian ancestries that allow them to grow tails. Though they can voluntarily control their tails, they are often stunted in growth, going no longer than half a foot in length.

As Thyrals consist of multiple sub-species, biological traits vary greatly depending on the mammalian ancestry. This can make Thyrals range in height and weight, with improved agility and strength. Most Thyrals have nocturnal vision but commonly suffer from color blindness. They tend to have thicker skin, making them more resilient to colder environments.

While their biological makeup mirrors that of humans, so does their reproductive cycles. Unlike their mammalian ancestry, the Thyralan reproductive is continuous throughout the year. However, due to their complex genetics, pregnancies are uncommon. This creates Thyralan perspectives on pregnancy as a blessing from the gods, following more of some Thyrin cultures perceptions on fertility. When pregnancy does occur, they typically last between seven and nine months. This variance is dictated by the mother's sub-species and the amount of stress that the individual undergoes during the gestation period.

One rule of Thyral genetics is the Matrilineal Rule. This rule defines that the mammalian phenotype of the child will always be determined by the mother. However, while the mammalian traits are fixed by the mother, the father's other traits, such as skin tone, eye color, muscle mass, and height, can still blend with the mother's genetics to determine the child's other features. Reflecting their anthropomorphic anatomy, female Thyrals have breasts to human females.

Thyral infants are born with the patches of human-like skin on their faces, sternum, and torso. The fur or hair of their mammalian counterpart is much softer and thinner in the first few years of their life. Their development is slightly faster to that of human children, with infants beginning to walk around the first six months after birth. By eight years, puberty sets in for males and females, with reaching adulthood at age sixteen.

With the mystery surrounding their origins, much of Thyral society is based around finding purpose or meaning within life. This tends to lean most of their culture towards nomadic lifestyles, roaming around the continent in small caravans. These caravans consist of three to five families, usually growing no larger than twenty individuals. They often travel through villages, stopping at spots of human civilization where they are allowed to socialize and practice their trades.

Thyral caravans are led by a circle of elders known as a Wydog. Often the eldest of each family within the caravan, the Wydog votes democratically on where the caravan will travel and the duties within the community that are designated to the other members. In the situation of a tie, the oldest of the Wydog will have the power to cast a final vote.

As they had descended from the Vydim mountains with little knowledge of their pasts, other facets of their lives are replicated from human societies that have accepted them.

Having descended from the Vydim mountains in 204 StS, Thyrals have spread across much of the continent of Thyrina. Though they have not travelled far across Hindria, as they are banished from walking into Pamyria by Pamyran prides and Saarans are hostile towards them as well. Some Thyrals have been able to make the trip across the Temital Ocean on trade ships, making some caravans speckled across Nakrazhul.

Thyrals are similar in intelligence to that of humans. They quickly learned many trades and had adopted human languages quickly. However, they lack the ability to Shardcast, making them more dependent on practical arts to survive. In turn, this makes them exceptional healers and alchemists, often with Humans turning to them for ailments and mending.

Many sub-species of Thyrals have improved senses of smell, hearing, and vision. However, the strength of the senses is dependent on the mammalian ancestry.

Thyrals adopted many of the Thyrin naming traditions. Personal names are inspired by personal characteristics, religious icons, or the name of their father or mother. This also includes the creation of the surname being associated with one's location at birth. However, as many Thyral births are on the road and not within cities or villages, surname locations are often linked to the name of a notable geographic mark such as a river or hill.

Thyral beauty is defined by slender features and fair complexions. Well-groomed hair or fur, with hairstyles to frame the face are seen as desirable amongst both sexes. Women pursue defining the curves of their figure with form fitting clothing. Men's beauty is expressed with maintained beards and hairstyles, often leaning more into their mammalian features where females lean towards their more human traits.

Though it is common for Thyrin men and women to follow the careers within their families' crafts; there are no restrictions or cultural norms to dictate what someone is allowed to pursue. As much of Thyral life is to pursue purpose, equality and respect is highly valued between genders.

Much of Thyralan perspective when it comes to romance is mimicked from the Thyrin culture. The emotion of love is the main driver of romance and how and when couples pair up. It is expected for a man to pursue the woman, making advances of good intention and infatuation. However, marriage is not barred in Thyral society like it is within Thyrin culture. Marriage is in result of pregnancy, where if a man and woman are able to successfully bear a child, it is seen as the gods' blessings upon the coupling.

This leads to wedding the couple in a ceremony known as a Bandural, where a party is hosted by the caravan in honor of the bride and groom. A major part of the festivities is the "banding" of the man and woman in which they loop their arms through leather or metal circlets inlaid with Godsblood.

Much of Thyral etiquette is focused upon cleanliness of the self and respect towards others based on age. Individuals will talk to one another based on if they are conversing with someone older or younger, using more formal terminology for the former. Cleaning and grooming are usually done by oneself but can be a shared duty within families or romantic partners. Other such etiquettes are derived from Thyrin practices they had picked up during their travels and are passed down by elders.

Most Thyrals wear wool or linen clothing for everyday use. Men adorn simple tunics and pants while women have a long gown that is covered by a sleeveless tunic. They do not wear shoes or boots as their feet are often more durable than that of Humans. Dyes and better quality of fabrics are signs of those with wealth or religious standing.

Thyral culture is heavily influenced by the Thyrin ways of life. However, much of the religious text from the Etiral teachings has been adapted towards their philosophy around the pursuit of purpose. This eliminates much when it comes to more materialistic ideologies, focusing more on the equality and independence one has. Being new to the world and being shunned greatly by the Pamyran cultures, this has promoted their nomadic lifestyle, often making them self-sustainable and reluctant to others that are not Thyrals or Humans. Though noble and upper-class humans have not fully welcomed them as equals, commoners and members of clergy will co-habitat and socialize with them.

Very little is known about the Thyrals since their descent from the Vydim mountains. Though they were first encountered in 204 StS, it is still unsure where exactly in the mountains they had emerged. Since their introduction, Thyrals have been quick to adapt into the cultures of those willing to accept them. However, their similarities to that of the more bestial Pamyran race has struck controversy within the Prides and their own history. This has been changed as outright discrimination towards Thyrals from Pamyrans, as they see them as a cursed people who had been punished by the mother spirit, Myrrarym.

Thyrals see humans as equals, though there is some admiration towards them as Thyrals are unable to Shardcast. This adds to the discrimination they receive from the Pamyran race and the heresy that Thyrals committed to be cursed to their forms. Though their perspective towards Saarans is mirrored to that of both Pamyrans and Humans, seeing them as villainous.