Hael

Hael.

Anatomy & Morphology
Hael women are slighter and smaller than Hael men but the two show relatively similar characteristics. Hael women are usually between 1.4m and 1.7m tall and have a healthy body weight of between 45kg to 65kg. Hael men are between 1.5m and 1.9m tall and have a healthy body weight of between 50kg to 75kg.

They have large long ears and big eyes, and are adept at hearing slight sounds and seeing in the dark. The most powerful part of their bodies are their legs, which offer them the ability to sprint faster than any other Citizen Species for a short amount of time. Their long fingers meanwhile, make them particularly good climbers.

Their skin pigmentation ranges from a pale pink to a rosy mauve. They are mostly hairless except for on their heads, and hair coloration runs from blonde to black.

Life Cycle
Hael females come into Estrus once a year, and Hael babies are carried in the womb until term time, for an average of 12 months. They come out in twin sets usually, helpless but almost completely fully formed, and are taken care of by their mother and family sisters. They are fed off of mother's milk until they are around one or two years old, when they can begin eating solid food.

They gain weight and grow at a steady pace up until they are 15, when they begin their Adolescence. Usually, this is followed by a growth spurt of about 10~20 centimeters. Peak physicality usually occurs between 20 to 70, though physical decline tends to be quite slow. However, they did in fact inherit the decline from the Sunling side of the ancestry, with wrinkles and gray hairs as they grow older.

On average, the lifespan is around 200 years.

History & Demographics
Hael first came along in the ships with the Vei and the Iyn Sunlings in The First Epoch, and proliferated as more Hael came into contact with Sunlings in Belenus. Whether one is more Sunling or Hael is determined by sight - skin with pink undertones and pointy ears being the main calling card, though there have been instances of officially designated Sunling having more Hael-like abilities.

The greatest numbers of Hael can be found in Helman, Orsine and - of course - the Hael nation of Che Kewe. The first Census of the Modern Era found around 3.1 million identifying as Hael across the continent of Belenus.

Language
The two languages used most by the Hael are the Common Tongue (mostly by Hael in Helman or Orsine) and Hael Signing (mostly by Che Kewe Hael).

Hael Signing first underwent great development during The First Epoch during the persecution of Jin'an. As General Tamewind moved into The Great Forest, they relied on signs to enable their guerrilla warfare against the Vei government. As they evolved from there into a hunter society, the signing also helped hunting groups coordinate while in hiding from prey. Over hundreds of years, Che Kewe Hael became accustomed to the sounds of the forest in lieu of making noise themselves. Even the city of Tamewind is remarkably quiet for a city of nearly 100,000 Citizens - very rarely will voices interrupt the bustle of trade carts and natural bird song.

Demographic Subsets
As Hael have spread across the continent and settled in various regions of Belenus, three subsets of cultture have emerged.
 * Che Kewe Hael: The Hael of The Great Forest have evolved into silent master hunters. They live attuned with nature and in an environment they keep physically demanding based off of their respect for its nature. They are highly skilled acrobats and archers and tend to be stronger than the other types of Hael. Their skin is shaded on the dark rose side and they are more likely to have black or brown hair and bright eyes.
 * Sunlight Hael: Sunlight Hael refer to those who have integrated themselves into the townships of other Citizen Species. Though their family structure remains the same as Forest Hael, other aspects of their life couldn't be more different. Their connection to nature is more tamped down, though they have used their Maegye affinities to become amazing magical Craftsmen. Their skin is a lighter shade and they are more likely to have blonde or red hair.
 * Noble Hael:  A very rare type of Hael that suddenly experienced a resurgance in the Modern Era, after Rift Mechanics allowed for more Vei bloomings. Because of their less diluted Vei blood, they are even more adept at Maegye than normal Hael - they also tend to have darker skin (closer to Mauve) and more silver in their hair. They also live for longer.

Diaspora
The Hael diaspora across Belenus:

Political Structure
Depends on the area they are from.

Family Structure
Hael families are very female oriented and Hael children identify themselves by their mothers rather than their fathers. Family groups usually consist of a Matriarch - the oldest female of the household - and some combination of her daughters, sisters and sometimes cousins. Family groups of up to 20 adults have been recorded, though most split into separate groups before reaching that number.

Each house consists of a mix of Hunters and Menders - the Hunters help bring in food for the group while Menders stay in the villages and take care of the children. Females belong to the same family group until they want to start their own nearby. Both Females and Males enter a Coming of Age ceremony at 15. After a Female Coming of Age, she is expected to choose between being a Hunter or a Mender. After a Male Coming of Age, he is expected to become nomadic.

There is usually one or two visiting males in a family group. They gain invitations into female houses by giving offerings of skills or spoils of hunts. Males generally stay around for no longer than a year before heading to another location.

Religion
While the Hael follow a similar vein of worship of The Nine as the Vei, their patron God is Sh'wu of the Body, which Hael like to credit with the mysticism that allowed for them to be born from two such different species. Almost all Hael homes have a statue of Sh'wu and the Coming of Age ceremony involves being able to transform into at least the First Form.

Education
Depends on the area and class they are from. Lots of mix between Sunling and Hael schools.

Meals
Their diet consists mostly of different types of fruits, leaves and nuts. Meat is only eaten when other parts of an animal (skins, horns, feathers etc.) need to be hunted down. They enjoy lightly grazing throughout the day rather than square meals, which gives them the appearance of always eating.

Arts
Amazing dancers

Architecture
Che Kewe Forest Structures...

Wood carving