Aailu

The Aailu are a race of humanoid playable characters native to the Far Realms of Ultra Space. The first Aailu known to the humans was Emrisse Palegaze.

Culture
The Aailu people call the steep peaks of Tai Khar their home. They are known for their physical prowess, ambition, and dislike for anything magically-inclined. Aailu culture prioritizes independence, achievement, and rigorous self-improvement.

Aailu cultural values revolve around long-standing traditions and a dislike of change. Their lifestyles may seem archaic to the other societies of the Far Realms, but as they continue to outperform everyone else in terms of physical prowess, it can’t be denied that their traditions hold merit.

There is no room for laziness in Aailu society. Their cliffside settlements—called roosts—enforce the need for physical activity, most notably climbing and maneuverability. Roosts can be found scattered across Tai Khar, and rarely house more than 30 Aailu each. An exception to this is Reviindas, the capital, where many retired leaders, folk heroes, and legends are taken care of once they are no longer spry enough to run the roosts.

A young Aailu’s future role in society is dictated by the adult color of their irises. Until then, all children have white irises that gradually fill in during adolescence, as described in the Physical Appearance section below.

As a point of respect, individual role titles precede a name when used in conversation (i.e. Onik Sarai). If the person your Aailu are addressing is in a position of authority/mentorship or elderly, add an additional -ki onto the end of the role title (i.e. Bauiikki Thoras). Close friends often drop titles.

Outsiders are given their own titles, used in the same manner: Owaruk - used for general respect towards strangers and equals. Oyasaruk - used for authority or the elderly, more respectful. Viigraka - used primarily for Veilids and Iosans (a very old insult).

As many Aailu are still prejudiced towards outsiders in general (though particularly Veilids), a common nickname for non-Aailu is graka, roughly meaning “less-strength”.

Aailu are considered adolescent at 15, adult at 30, and most live well into a century (the second-longest of the races, beaten only by Iosans with their time-magic). They claim that this is due to their weeding out of ‘weak’ genes.

Physical Appearance
Size: Appearance-wise, they are typically tall and lean (averaging over 6'), weighing less than one might expect.

Skin: Aailu generally have warm skin tones, and anything from pale white to moderate tan is fairly typical. This often varies from roost to roost.

Hair: It's common to see Aailu of any gender with long hair, often kept in braids or left loose, but this isn't a rule. Many craftspeople and carers keep short hair for ease and simplicity. Their hair colors are primarily browns, blacks, and burgundies.

Eyes: Aailu eye colors determine what their role in society will be. See the subsection below for more detailed information.

Other Features: They often have sharp teeth and claw-like nails, making them seem the most feral of the Far Realms races. They decorate their clothing with feathers and scraps of fur to suggest dominance over species they've taken down.

Eye Colors & Roles
Burgundy – Rhurik (Negotiator); while traditional red eyes once meant ‘warrior’ in the history books, and as such ceased existing when the Far Realms were sealed, its counterpart burgundy has now become very prominent. It represents ‘one who is destined to come up against outsiders’—and the surge of rhurik adolescents in the last few decades indicated great change to come. Some traditionalist Aailu see this as negative, wishing for the return of red-eyed youngsters, but others are more accepting of the idea of peaceful coexistence. It’s now believed that almost all rhurik are destined to explore the Far Realms as their lifelong role, leaving Tai Khar behind.

Golden Yellow – Onik (Hunter); an Aailu in peak physical condition whose job it is to hunt and carve the wild Pokémon of Tai Khar for food and materials. Onik are often (but not always) trained to work alongside a Pokémon mount or companion, specializing in different techniques that make them efficient gatherers of a specific resource (meat, hide, chitin, bone, etc.).

Dark Brown – Guvjik (Craftsperson); these Aailu often have a passion for creating high-quality, long-lasting goods that can weather even the harshest of uses. They’ve spent long months or years practicing their craft, using all materials in their arsenals to create the elaborate and durable gear that is legendary even amongst the other societies in the Far Realms.

Soft Brown – Bauiik (Carer); despite being one of the least-physically-inclined roles in Aailu society, bauiik are well-respected. It is their job to raise and guide a roost’s young children, or if they agree to leave their homes, they look after the elderly in Reviindas. Although it is unusual, some bauiik may instead be assigned solely to take care of a roost’s creatures (though they earn no less respect). Bauiik are the individuals least likely to be found off-realm, as their purpose is home-driven.

Orange – Emik (Provisioner); these folks make up the herbalists, the healers, and, strangely enough, quite a few of the ‘law-maker’ roles around Tai Khar. Emik are the glue that keeps a roost or supply chain functioning, ensuring that everyone within their region or district has their needs met. Many roost-leaders are emik, using their great intelligence and organizational skills to drive success.

Peach - Fuik (Shaman): these rare Aailu are about the closest thing their culture has to magic; fuik are those believed to deal with spiritual matters, such as calling on the power of ancestral beings to protect roosts and bless Aailu children. While many Aailu are unnerved by fuik, they respect them, acknowledging these spirit-speakers as the link between the living and the dead.

White – This is not a natural color for Aailu to have past adolescence, and the only documented case is Emrisse, who henceforth was given the name ‘Palegaze’. It is speculated that had Emrisse been born centuries later, her iris color would have been burgundy.

Iris colors are not genetic, and there is very rarely a mismatch between an Aailu’s desires and their fated role.

Naming Conventions
Aailu do not typically have surnames, and their names are usually one to three syllables in length, with harsh-sounding consonants like 'k', 't', 'ch', 'p', 'b', and 'z' being extremely common.

When addressing each other, Aailu almost always use their titles.

Sometimes Aailu individuals will have secondary titles at the ends of their names, such as 'Palegaze' (to mark Emrisse as an outcast) or as something recognized as an achievement.