Üpal
The Üpal, or Oupal, (singular: Khúmu) are the layer of black scales that coat the Žëša of a typical Ibrófeneð. They are primarily made of waste particles left over from the digestive system, often called Žúš-Üpal, which are bound together into long chains before being secreted into the thin filament container, which is directly made from the creature's own skin. A key component of Ibrófeneðian biology as well as culture, the Üpal serve crucial roles as the first measure of defense, a vital shock and heat absorber, and a source of identification and spiritual meaning for most ancestral and societal groups around the world.
The Khúmu is composed of the inner material, called Žúš-Üpal, and the outer sac-like material, called Yamurïŋ-Üpal.
The Žúš-Üpal is composed of a variety of different materials, mostly digestive waste. This is mostly carbon-based, as the silicon will have been used earlier on in the digestive process. Before being secreted, this material, which was previously dissolved and split into individual molecules, is then carried up via a series of veins to each Yamurïŋ-Üpal, where a protein binds them to each other. This string-like composition is thus secreted into the Yamurïŋ-Üpal, and fused together with the Yarmurïŋ-Üpal into a single block by the sun's heat.
Digestive waste is not the only component of a Khúmu; the creature filters out illnesses and infections by transferring them harmlessly to the Üpal, and, if it has partook in Ýyorhïsïb, the Maprezarnobud (that is, reproductive cells) it has not chosen will be decomposed and integrated into various parts of the body, including the Üpal.
The Yamurïŋ-Üpal is the transparent, sac-like material that holds the Žúš-Üpal, and it is an outgrowth of the Ýyr-Üpal, the actual outer skin of the Ibrófeneð, whose flexible membrane can stretch around 10-15 cm before breaking. As it is stretched, the pore that secretes the Žúš-Üpal also holds the opening at a fixed shape, thus preventing the Üpal from tearing off the skin beyond the region. As the material builds up in the Yamurïŋ-Üpal, the pore will close itself up, and the rest of the digestive waste will go into stretching that one filament that holds the Khúmu to the rest of the body.
Etymology and Word Use
The word Üpal is treated as plural both in Ýlbrïfon and in the English translations here. The word refers to the collective grouping of all scales on a single Ibrófeneð, but, depending on context, it can also refer to the Üpal on multiple Ibrófeneð or any grouping of Üpal from unknown sources. A single Üpal scale is actually referred to as Khúmu, a name synonymous with 'Token', but specific Üpal that are set aside and/or uniquely altered may have separate names.Description and Composition
Process
The process by which a Khúmu is made is called Üpalosïb or Khúmosïb.The Khúmu is composed of the inner material, called Žúš-Üpal, and the outer sac-like material, called Yamurïŋ-Üpal.
The Žúš-Üpal is composed of a variety of different materials, mostly digestive waste. This is mostly carbon-based, as the silicon will have been used earlier on in the digestive process. Before being secreted, this material, which was previously dissolved and split into individual molecules, is then carried up via a series of veins to each Yamurïŋ-Üpal, where a protein binds them to each other. This string-like composition is thus secreted into the Yamurïŋ-Üpal, and fused together with the Yarmurïŋ-Üpal into a single block by the sun's heat.
Digestive waste is not the only component of a Khúmu; the creature filters out illnesses and infections by transferring them harmlessly to the Üpal, and, if it has partook in Ýyorhïsïb, the Maprezarnobud (that is, reproductive cells) it has not chosen will be decomposed and integrated into various parts of the body, including the Üpal.
The Yamurïŋ-Üpal is the transparent, sac-like material that holds the Žúš-Üpal, and it is an outgrowth of the Ýyr-Üpal, the actual outer skin of the Ibrófeneð, whose flexible membrane can stretch around 10-15 cm before breaking. As it is stretched, the pore that secretes the Žúš-Üpal also holds the opening at a fixed shape, thus preventing the Üpal from tearing off the skin beyond the region. As the material builds up in the Yamurïŋ-Üpal, the pore will close itself up, and the rest of the digestive waste will go into stretching that one filament that holds the Khúmu to the rest of the body.
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