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Setting
History
Born in the burrows near the cat-shaped mountain range known as Longtail Reach, Elleru's vibrant plumage marked her as gifted from a young age: her lavender coat designated her as ru'ularaen, a priestess of their people, one blessed by their goddess with the ability to take a near-human form. Those bearing such skills were expected to use them: they were to blend in among the "uprights," to study them, misdirect them, and ultimately use what knowledge they gathered from them to help defend their own kind against extinction. Many hunters sought to slay kaulahren for both honor and sport, having long viewed them as little more than intelligent beasts. With their numbers dwindling and many colonies wiped out, the kaulahren of Longtail Reach had to use every tactic they could just to survive. Kaulahren gifted with farsight used their ability to detect uprights trespassing in their territory; those granted the power to craft illusions created labyrinths of trees and shrubs, the undergrowth seeming to move on its own, never revealing the true path to strangers wandering the woods. As for those who could shift, they were expected to make their way into the nearby city of Duclawr to study the uprights, keeping watch over their affairs -- and their seasonal hunts -- in case they would threaten kaulahren lands.
Such measures had allowed the colony of Longtail Reach to survive when others had fallen. It was not ideal, but it had been their way for generations.
Though the others of her status were not introduced to uprights until they'd reached maturity, Elleru had her first encounter with one when she was only a child, well before she could take their form. The upright in question was nearly her age, a child as well -- one all alone in the woods surrounding Longtail Reach, undoubtedly a victim of the illusions crafted by her kind. Despite the stories she'd been told of the uprights, cautionary tales intended to keep their kin from blindly trusting those who would hunt them so readily, she was fascinated by this being so different from her, the innocent curiosity of childhood outweighing her apprehension. She approached, and found he was no vicious hunter out for her pelt, no sportsman looking to claim her head as a prize -- just a kindred spirit, one hopelessly lost in the forest, but just as entranced by her as she was by him.
Though they could not understand one another, she found she wanted to help him, and by doing so, some truths became abundantly clear in her developing mind. The kaulahren were warned that all uprights were conniving, yet here was one who seemed earnest in his fright, and even more genuine in his relief when she was kind to him; they were told the uprights were incapable of empathy for anyone but their own kind, but he was grateful as she led him toward the edge of the forest, even warning of her a trap along the way. The uprights were said to see the kaulahren as only monsters, and yet, this child hugged her as a friend before they parted ways, all without a single word understood between them.
The encounter left Elleru questioning what she'd been told, and even more determined to practice her shifting and use her gifts. The uprights could be dangerous, yes, but there were ones who could be made into allies. Though the elders of the colony disagreed -- including the leader of their colony, the Matron -- Elleru held fast to that belief as she matured: they could get along with uprights, and she would find out how to make it possible. Historically, fighting the uprights had gone badly; hiding had worked for years, but there had to be a better way. Her goddess had given her a gift, and she would use it to help her people, no matter what they thought.
Unfortunately, the Matron and the elders colony were well aware of Elleru's stance and inquisitive nature, and as the years passed, she was kept relatively close to the colony's heart, largely sheltered from the outside world. Her fellow shifters brought items of interest for her from their own excursions -- books, clothing, jewellery and trinkets and knickknacks that represented these people so determined to hunt them to death. These only managed to spur her interest, and she longed for the opportunity to sate her curiosity.
That opportunity came when she happened upon another upright in the woods, only to find he was not someone new -- she recognized him as the same one from years ago, the two of them now grown, but him just as lost as before. Though still learning the common tongue, they found they could communicate well enough, and she could not resist taking the chance to test her skills. She showed him the way through the illusionary barriers that protected the colony, insisted he return the next day, then the next; given he was as enamored with her as she was with him, he obliged, the two of them forming a secret bond. One day, she even led him into her private den, where they shared many secrets, exploring their differences, their similarities, and one another.
But their tryst would not last, as they were eventually discovered, and the upright was forced to flee for his life, using the paths she'd shown him to escape. As for Elleru, she bought him time, blocking his pursuers in defiance of their ways. Despite the fact that she'd risked them all by bringing an upright into the colony, her status as a priestess kept her from exile. Rather, her punishment was the opposite: the Matron forbade her from ever leaving their lands, fearing Elleru's naiveté would find her trusting the wrong upright, putting both her and the entire colony in danger. She would have to find other uses for her gifts -- train herself to help their people in other ways. It was for the best, the elders insisted.
Though knowing she'd taken a risk by trusting the upright, Elleru was too proud to admit she'd been naive, refusing to budge on her principles. Her punishment only strengthened her resolve -- she would not be caged, kept from using her obvious talents and goddess-granted gifts by elders too entrenched in the old ways. Elleru believed that wasting such gifts was an affront to their goddess, and to all she had given her favored children; moreover, she was convinced that the kaulahren had potentially been wasting their abilities for years and years, choosing to hide rather than to adapt. They needed to learn, to change, to engage the world beyond Longtail Reach.
And engage she would: with only a few possessions and her ardent determination, she left the colony one night for the upright world, determined to learn more about them... and in turn, help them learn about her kind. If there had been one kind upright, she told herself, there were bound to be others. Neither the kaulahren, nor the uprights were truly monsters -- getting them to see that, to realize they had common ground, would be the truest test of her gifts, her resolve, and her place in the world.
Personality
Translated from the language of beasts, kaulahren means 'of wide devotion,' and devotion is undeniably one of Elleru's defining traits. She is, if nothing else, loyal: loyal to her kind, to her curiosity, and to her convictions. Despite her enthusiasm for the upright world, she is proud to be kaulahren; even in clashing with the leaders of her colony, and in leaving it behind, she was trying to do what she thought was in their best interest. Believing wholeheartedly that her people are hindered by their inability to (figuratively) change, she wants to help them adapt to coexist rather than just using what they learn to isolate their kind further. The elders aren't entirely wrong in choosing seclusion to survive -- the uprights haven't exactly given the kaulahren much reason to think otherwise when they've suffered generations of being hunted toward extinction -- but Elleru refuses to believe that it's the best way to go about living. They can understand one another if they are willing to learn, she has insisted to herself time and again; if they will not help themselves, then she will do it for them.
That stubbornness is common among the kaulahren, and Elleru is no exception to the rule. Though forward-thinking compared to the cultural norms of her people, she can be just as obstinate as the rest of them, so unyielding in her stance and unwilling to compromise. Blinded by her own pursuits and interests, she tends to be utterly convinced that she is right in her beliefs -- no matter what those beliefs may be. She's young and impulsive, and occasionally hotheaded and selfish when when it comes to her desires. As someone blessed by their deity with powerful gifts, and granted a fair amount of status and privilege within the colony because of those abilities, she is used to getting her way. She doesn't just have the skill to change her shape -- she's good at it, and she knows it, leading to moments of haughtiness and arrogance.
But that arrogance belies someone who is struggling to figure out exactly where she belongs. Despite her faithfulness toward them, she does not agree with her own kind and how they've lived for centuries; fond as she may be of uprights, she does not yet fully understand their culture, or know if she has a place among them. Though full of youthful, naive determination, the only upright she has met was kind -- and optimistic as she may be, she realizes that he might have been an outlier. She worries that taking an upright form won't help her blend into their world, and that no matter what, the elders may be right: she, as all the kaulahren, may still be seen as a monster merely pretending to be a person, and in the end, she may do more harm than good.
Elleru often has a hard time mitigating her excitement for learning about worlds and peoples new to her, and can come off as a bit odd, if not beyond enthusiastic, in conversation. Though her upright guise is enough to fool most in a world where elves, dwarves, and other magical beings with outlandishly vibrant hair exist, it certainly doesn't fool everyone, especially as they get to know her more. She has a hard time reeling in her passion for all things novel, and can come off as pushy when, in her thirst for new knowledge, she tears through questions and cultural boundaries without so much as a second thought of consideration for whomever she's speaking to.
Knowing what she truly is and how most uprights might take it -- not well at all -- Elleru does her best to keep her non-human status under wraps when meeting people; however, her forthright personality, combined with her people's disdain for falsehoods and the fact that she is very proud of who she is and her goddess-granted gifts, doesn't lend well to deception. It's a bit ironic, considering the whole point of her being able to shift, but she does her best to play along, only returning to her natural form when necessary, lest she be caught and have to explain herself before she's ready to do so.
Ultimately, Elleru is an individual fueled by her inquisitive nature, even if her ideals are often romanticized due to her limited exposure to the world beyond the colony. She is a social butterfly, eager to learn about this strange new world and the people in it. She may not yet know where she belongs -- with her people, with uprights, or somewhere between the two -- but she knows who she is, and is confident that with enough time and effort, she'll find the answers she's looking for. She may just find out what it's like to be wrong, and to have to compromise with herself, as well as others, along the way.
Abilities
Elleru as one main ability: shifting. She can, at will, change from her natural form to her upright guise, and vice-versa. This is true shape-shifting, and not a form of illusionary magic as employed by some of the gifted kaulahren; as a well-practiced and talented shifter, the process of changing her form entirely is nearly instantaneous. Unfortunately, when her body changes, her clothes do not, so... that's a thing she's had to deal with a time or two.
Even when in her upright guise, she maintains some of the natural characteristics of the animal she truly is: heightened smell and hearing, strength more fitting of a great beast than a human, etc. Despite her best efforts, chances are high she comes off as "definitely not human" to anyone who talks to her for more than five minutes.
Aside from that, the kaulahren, as a species of magical beasts, have a passive ability that influences those meeting their gaze to tell the truth. This ability doesn't work on everyone, particularly those with strong enough wills to stave off magical compulsion. Anyone who can sense compulsory and mind-affecting magic can pick up on this, though the kaulahren themselves are unaware they have this ability (and would be appalled if anyone accused them of actual magic, as they are distrusting of such forces. Their abilities are gifts from their goddess, thank you very much).
| With the uprights dominating the world, the wild gods felt slighted, and so they decided to make their own, true children, patron beings for the rest to follow, favored above all others. Ulbrech, the Mountain Unsettled, broke off a piece of his back, and formed the Kalugra, fierce beasts capable of felling even the strongest foe. Ulneft, the River Unwinding, diverted a stream with the wind; from it were born the Kalnithret, their many eyes said to be able to gaze beyond the planes of existence. Ulfrith, the Sky Unbound, made the Kaulahren from the morning, their wings crafted from clouds, their eyes stars plucked from the night. As such, they were able to see through the illusions and magic of the uprights. But for as clever as the favored were, so too were the uprights. Times change, as did they all. The Kalugra traded their intellect for rage, becoming ferocious beasts challenged only by the most courageous -- or foolhardy -- of uprights. The Kalnithret learned to walk every plane their many eyes saw, and both their bodies and minds were malformed from such travels. As for the Kaulahren, they battled with uprights who had learned to navigate the skies on winged contraptions of their own. More and more they fell to the ground below, bombarded with the weapons the uprights had created to hunt them. They lost their home. In desperation, they cried out for their goddess, asking for help. She obliged, and they were granted large claws with which to dig, rounded beaks to push the earth aside as they burrowed. The uprights could not shoot them from the skies if they were not in the skies at all. No longer able to soar in the clouds around the mountains, they instead found a home within the rocky caverns, carving out a life for themselves once more. But just as before, time changes all things: eventually, the uprights found their burrows, and the hunt began again. They pushed the Kaulahren from the mountains, poaching them for their feathers and their pelts, never caring that their numbers dwindled. Once more, the Kaulahren cried to their goddess, but the answer they received was not what they were expecting. Ulfrith appeared to her children, her feathers reflecting the sun and the moon in her eyes, but instead of an answer, she asked a question: "What can I give you?" The Kaulahren who had gathered were given pause, unsure of how to reply. It was not their place to answer the divine. They could fight no longer, they insisted. For generations and generations they had fought, only to lose. They were homeless once more, and now, in their time of need, their goddess put the onus of a solution on them. They begged her, but she would not budge as she tested their cunning. "I gave you wings, but you could not stay above them," she said, her voice soft as a morning rain. "I gave you claws, but you could not hide below them. Tell me, my children: what can I give you?" Many bowed their heads, unable to meet her eyes. It was then that one stepped forward: Nyaleru, she would who become the first of the priestesses. "Then let us hide among them," she requested. "They hunt us for our skins, so let our skins be as theirs, if only for a time. Grant us the ability to learn of them as they have learned of us, so that we might find a way to survive with your blessing." And with her answer, Ulfrith smiled. "Then let it be so," she said. And so, she bestowed upon Nyaleru, first of the priestess, known from then as the High Matron, a blessing: the ability to change her shape. With this gift, she could match the form of the uprights, allowing her to walk among them. |
History
Born in the burrows near the cat-shaped mountain range known as Longtail Reach, Elleru's vibrant plumage marked her as gifted from a young age: her lavender coat designated her as ru'ularaen, a priestess of their people, one blessed by their goddess with the ability to take a near-human form. Those bearing such skills were expected to use them: they were to blend in among the "uprights," to study them, misdirect them, and ultimately use what knowledge they gathered from them to help defend their own kind against extinction. Many hunters sought to slay kaulahren for both honor and sport, having long viewed them as little more than intelligent beasts. With their numbers dwindling and many colonies wiped out, the kaulahren of Longtail Reach had to use every tactic they could just to survive. Kaulahren gifted with farsight used their ability to detect uprights trespassing in their territory; those granted the power to craft illusions created labyrinths of trees and shrubs, the undergrowth seeming to move on its own, never revealing the true path to strangers wandering the woods. As for those who could shift, they were expected to make their way into the nearby city of Duclawr to study the uprights, keeping watch over their affairs -- and their seasonal hunts -- in case they would threaten kaulahren lands.
Such measures had allowed the colony of Longtail Reach to survive when others had fallen. It was not ideal, but it had been their way for generations.
Though the others of her status were not introduced to uprights until they'd reached maturity, Elleru had her first encounter with one when she was only a child, well before she could take their form. The upright in question was nearly her age, a child as well -- one all alone in the woods surrounding Longtail Reach, undoubtedly a victim of the illusions crafted by her kind. Despite the stories she'd been told of the uprights, cautionary tales intended to keep their kin from blindly trusting those who would hunt them so readily, she was fascinated by this being so different from her, the innocent curiosity of childhood outweighing her apprehension. She approached, and found he was no vicious hunter out for her pelt, no sportsman looking to claim her head as a prize -- just a kindred spirit, one hopelessly lost in the forest, but just as entranced by her as she was by him.
Though they could not understand one another, she found she wanted to help him, and by doing so, some truths became abundantly clear in her developing mind. The kaulahren were warned that all uprights were conniving, yet here was one who seemed earnest in his fright, and even more genuine in his relief when she was kind to him; they were told the uprights were incapable of empathy for anyone but their own kind, but he was grateful as she led him toward the edge of the forest, even warning of her a trap along the way. The uprights were said to see the kaulahren as only monsters, and yet, this child hugged her as a friend before they parted ways, all without a single word understood between them.
The encounter left Elleru questioning what she'd been told, and even more determined to practice her shifting and use her gifts. The uprights could be dangerous, yes, but there were ones who could be made into allies. Though the elders of the colony disagreed -- including the leader of their colony, the Matron -- Elleru held fast to that belief as she matured: they could get along with uprights, and she would find out how to make it possible. Historically, fighting the uprights had gone badly; hiding had worked for years, but there had to be a better way. Her goddess had given her a gift, and she would use it to help her people, no matter what they thought.
Unfortunately, the Matron and the elders colony were well aware of Elleru's stance and inquisitive nature, and as the years passed, she was kept relatively close to the colony's heart, largely sheltered from the outside world. Her fellow shifters brought items of interest for her from their own excursions -- books, clothing, jewellery and trinkets and knickknacks that represented these people so determined to hunt them to death. These only managed to spur her interest, and she longed for the opportunity to sate her curiosity.
That opportunity came when she happened upon another upright in the woods, only to find he was not someone new -- she recognized him as the same one from years ago, the two of them now grown, but him just as lost as before. Though still learning the common tongue, they found they could communicate well enough, and she could not resist taking the chance to test her skills. She showed him the way through the illusionary barriers that protected the colony, insisted he return the next day, then the next; given he was as enamored with her as she was with him, he obliged, the two of them forming a secret bond. One day, she even led him into her private den, where they shared many secrets, exploring their differences, their similarities, and one another.
But their tryst would not last, as they were eventually discovered, and the upright was forced to flee for his life, using the paths she'd shown him to escape. As for Elleru, she bought him time, blocking his pursuers in defiance of their ways. Despite the fact that she'd risked them all by bringing an upright into the colony, her status as a priestess kept her from exile. Rather, her punishment was the opposite: the Matron forbade her from ever leaving their lands, fearing Elleru's naiveté would find her trusting the wrong upright, putting both her and the entire colony in danger. She would have to find other uses for her gifts -- train herself to help their people in other ways. It was for the best, the elders insisted.
Though knowing she'd taken a risk by trusting the upright, Elleru was too proud to admit she'd been naive, refusing to budge on her principles. Her punishment only strengthened her resolve -- she would not be caged, kept from using her obvious talents and goddess-granted gifts by elders too entrenched in the old ways. Elleru believed that wasting such gifts was an affront to their goddess, and to all she had given her favored children; moreover, she was convinced that the kaulahren had potentially been wasting their abilities for years and years, choosing to hide rather than to adapt. They needed to learn, to change, to engage the world beyond Longtail Reach.
And engage she would: with only a few possessions and her ardent determination, she left the colony one night for the upright world, determined to learn more about them... and in turn, help them learn about her kind. If there had been one kind upright, she told herself, there were bound to be others. Neither the kaulahren, nor the uprights were truly monsters -- getting them to see that, to realize they had common ground, would be the truest test of her gifts, her resolve, and her place in the world.
Personality
Translated from the language of beasts, kaulahren means 'of wide devotion,' and devotion is undeniably one of Elleru's defining traits. She is, if nothing else, loyal: loyal to her kind, to her curiosity, and to her convictions. Despite her enthusiasm for the upright world, she is proud to be kaulahren; even in clashing with the leaders of her colony, and in leaving it behind, she was trying to do what she thought was in their best interest. Believing wholeheartedly that her people are hindered by their inability to (figuratively) change, she wants to help them adapt to coexist rather than just using what they learn to isolate their kind further. The elders aren't entirely wrong in choosing seclusion to survive -- the uprights haven't exactly given the kaulahren much reason to think otherwise when they've suffered generations of being hunted toward extinction -- but Elleru refuses to believe that it's the best way to go about living. They can understand one another if they are willing to learn, she has insisted to herself time and again; if they will not help themselves, then she will do it for them.
That stubbornness is common among the kaulahren, and Elleru is no exception to the rule. Though forward-thinking compared to the cultural norms of her people, she can be just as obstinate as the rest of them, so unyielding in her stance and unwilling to compromise. Blinded by her own pursuits and interests, she tends to be utterly convinced that she is right in her beliefs -- no matter what those beliefs may be. She's young and impulsive, and occasionally hotheaded and selfish when when it comes to her desires. As someone blessed by their deity with powerful gifts, and granted a fair amount of status and privilege within the colony because of those abilities, she is used to getting her way. She doesn't just have the skill to change her shape -- she's good at it, and she knows it, leading to moments of haughtiness and arrogance.
But that arrogance belies someone who is struggling to figure out exactly where she belongs. Despite her faithfulness toward them, she does not agree with her own kind and how they've lived for centuries; fond as she may be of uprights, she does not yet fully understand their culture, or know if she has a place among them. Though full of youthful, naive determination, the only upright she has met was kind -- and optimistic as she may be, she realizes that he might have been an outlier. She worries that taking an upright form won't help her blend into their world, and that no matter what, the elders may be right: she, as all the kaulahren, may still be seen as a monster merely pretending to be a person, and in the end, she may do more harm than good.
Elleru often has a hard time mitigating her excitement for learning about worlds and peoples new to her, and can come off as a bit odd, if not beyond enthusiastic, in conversation. Though her upright guise is enough to fool most in a world where elves, dwarves, and other magical beings with outlandishly vibrant hair exist, it certainly doesn't fool everyone, especially as they get to know her more. She has a hard time reeling in her passion for all things novel, and can come off as pushy when, in her thirst for new knowledge, she tears through questions and cultural boundaries without so much as a second thought of consideration for whomever she's speaking to.
Knowing what she truly is and how most uprights might take it -- not well at all -- Elleru does her best to keep her non-human status under wraps when meeting people; however, her forthright personality, combined with her people's disdain for falsehoods and the fact that she is very proud of who she is and her goddess-granted gifts, doesn't lend well to deception. It's a bit ironic, considering the whole point of her being able to shift, but she does her best to play along, only returning to her natural form when necessary, lest she be caught and have to explain herself before she's ready to do so.
Ultimately, Elleru is an individual fueled by her inquisitive nature, even if her ideals are often romanticized due to her limited exposure to the world beyond the colony. She is a social butterfly, eager to learn about this strange new world and the people in it. She may not yet know where she belongs -- with her people, with uprights, or somewhere between the two -- but she knows who she is, and is confident that with enough time and effort, she'll find the answers she's looking for. She may just find out what it's like to be wrong, and to have to compromise with herself, as well as others, along the way.
Abilities
Elleru as one main ability: shifting. She can, at will, change from her natural form to her upright guise, and vice-versa. This is true shape-shifting, and not a form of illusionary magic as employed by some of the gifted kaulahren; as a well-practiced and talented shifter, the process of changing her form entirely is nearly instantaneous. Unfortunately, when her body changes, her clothes do not, so... that's a thing she's had to deal with a time or two.
Even when in her upright guise, she maintains some of the natural characteristics of the animal she truly is: heightened smell and hearing, strength more fitting of a great beast than a human, etc. Despite her best efforts, chances are high she comes off as "definitely not human" to anyone who talks to her for more than five minutes.
Aside from that, the kaulahren, as a species of magical beasts, have a passive ability that influences those meeting their gaze to tell the truth. This ability doesn't work on everyone, particularly those with strong enough wills to stave off magical compulsion. Anyone who can sense compulsory and mind-affecting magic can pick up on this, though the kaulahren themselves are unaware they have this ability (and would be appalled if anyone accused them of actual magic, as they are distrusting of such forces. Their abilities are gifts from their goddess, thank you very much).