The sylori are the predominant civilization of the outer aether. For millennia they have reigned the skies betwixt the worlds, with territories divided amongst four nations: the artistic Satisans, the technological Scientians, the primal Feroxans, and the mysterious Vacivians. Each nation owes its name and lineage to an immortal founder called a Progenitor, who was said to have guided the sylori long ago from life in a brutal, dark, and endless ocean.

 

Sylori are cetacean, merfolk-like beings with humanoid bodies and long, flowing tails. Their bodies are covered in glowing gills and colorful fins in a variety of patterns and configurations. Unlike most other creatures, whose heartshards are crystals inside their chests, sylori’s heartshards are pearl-like orbs embedded in their foreheads. These ‘third eyes’ channel their inner aether and serve as a focus for their kinetic-based spellcasting. Sylori are mortal but long-lived, living up to 400 years. Regnas live about twice as long.

 

Sylori Classes

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Sylori have highly adaptable aether that sometimes responds to their individual growth, causing about 10 percent of them to ‘metamorphosize’ during a formative moment in their lives. These sylori take on special "Classes" which serve distinct roles in society.

 

Vulgari are the most common class of sylori, making up 90% of the population. They serve a variety of roles and positions in society, with highly adaptable talents.

 

Planetari make up 5% of the population, distinguished by large wing-like growths of fins on their backs and enhanced swimming and flight speeds through water and aether. They serve as couriers, emissaries, diplomats and adventurers.

 

Gladiatori make up 3% of the population, possessing large, powerful bodies, enlarged dorsal fins, and modified third eyes that grow in the shape of a crystalline horn that can be used for combat. They serve as knights, guards, mercenaries and specialized warriors.

 

Sicarii make up 1% of the population, appearing as Vulgari to the unaware observer. Their mutation is a retractable set of blades inside their arms that can be drawn out for combat. Their bodies possess potent venom that can be delivered in their bite and ‘daggers’, and their third eyes can detect the presence of living creatures through solid objects or over long distances. They serve as spies, trackers, assassins, and special agents.

 

Novae make up less than 1% of the population. Their third eye becomes a true ‘eye’ which they use to see all things as they truly are - peering through illusions or deceptions and gaining insight into others’ thoughts. Their magical abilities are enhanced, sometimes manifesting as halos or auras around their bodies. They serve as sages, seers, oracles and prophets, often working as advisors to the Regnas.

 

The Regnas are the rarest class, making up one in 10,000 or less. They are the rulers of the sylori, enjoying longer lifespans, the ability to transform into larger versions of themselves, and enhanced third eyes resembling faceted jewels ‘crowned’ with metallic growths. Their third eyes have the unique power to command other sylori with the Regnas’s voice. Unlike all other classes, Regnas are decided at birth by chance of genetics, with no inherited aspect. Regnas infants are sought out by rulers seeking to find successors, often offered up by their birth families in exchange for lives of luxury. Stories tell of both benevolent and beloved Regnas, as well as those who used their powers for wicked ends and fell to tyranny. The Regnas answer the calls of the Progenitors and serve as the rulers of clans, cities, regions, and covens.

 

Sylori Nations

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The nation of Satisa flourishes in the heart of the aether, near the core of the Great Veins. They live among shards of raw aether crystal and in great cities built upon the opalized bones of long-dead entities. Their people are colorful, vibrant, and deeply expressive. Satisans grow up in communal, welcoming groups of families who raise children together. Their capital is Ornimy, the Prismatic City, a colorful multi-leveled city built inside a dead god’s crystallized skull.

 

The nation of Scientia is concentrated in four ancient cities built on artificial crystal isles - called Citadels - that flank the inner portion of the aether. Their society is rigid and orderly, with young sylori trained to fulfill specific roles. Intelligence and ingenuity are seen as the most coveted traits among these pale, cool-grey and metallic-toned people. Their capital is the Cardinal Citadel, a diamond-shaped city that surrounds an ancient glass spire that houses the Progenitor.

 

The nation of Feroxa claims no civilization nor cities, living in roaming clans with intersecting territories in the wild aether beyond the reach of the Great Veins. With earthy, warm hues and wild, animal-like appearances, they despise the Scientians’ rigid lifestyle and value freedom and honor to the clan above all else. They have a close bond with the nebulon, whom they raise and venerate as deities.

 

The nation of Vacivia calls the darkest reaches of the aether, near the Verge, their home, where they gaze out onto the Void from the reclusive depths of their obsidian-walled, spiring cities. They gather in loose groups called ‘covens’ derived from a common goal or ancestry, and each coven sends representatives to their capital city Medeas - City of Secrets, a shadowed metropolis that abides by its own strange laws and morals. The Vacivians are dark and luminous sylori resembling deep-sea creatures.

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Sylori in Society

Sylori are a cosmopolitan species who have integrated themselves well with other powerful civilizations in the aether. They are frequent trade partners and allies with races like the manu and zephyr, enjoying any opportunity to share their culture. However, the Scientians and Feroxans can be much more reclusive and limited with what they share with outsiders. Sylori are a common sight throughout the aether and many pearl-bound mortals enjoy hearing of their stories about life in the aether. 

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Sylori Naming Conventions

Sylori names are flowing and regal, with fantastical syllables and sometimes aspects resembling real-life ancient Greek and Latin. They tend to be known by one given name, which may be a part of a clan or family 'title', but they don't usually have typical surnames. The styles of names are similar throughout Sylori nations, but may have different flavors such as a wilder, more guttural sound for Feroxans or a more lyrical sound for Satisans. Examples include 'Vandenynas', 'Adagari', 'Borikarda', 'Vigil', 'Callan', 'Calypso', and 'Lyrenanti'.