Mother of Pearl
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION- Intent: To create a native race for an original planet, Manas
- Image Credit: Here
- Canon: N/A
- Links: Manas [planet]
- Name: Nasvalo
- Designation: Sentient
- Homeworld: Manas
- Language: Galactic Basic, Nasvalo
- Average Lifespan: 65 [Male] 72 [Female]
- Estimated Population: Scattered
- Description: Humanoid, taller than baseline humans with tan complexions and darker features.
- Breathes: Type I
- Average height of adults: 2.34m or 7’6” [Male] 2.032 or 6’8” [Female]
- Average length of adults: N/A
- Skin color: Deep to moderately tan, heavy golden undertones may be present. Fairer skintones can arise only when mixed or with pigment disorders.
- Hair color: Blacks and browns are common, silvery tones and deep reds are also found in general populations. Blondes are very rare and usually arise only when mixed or with pigment disorders.
- Distinctions: Nasvalo are humanoid in appearance, though they are taller than baseline humans and tend to be leaner. They have darker features including deep skin and hair tones, thick hair and brown, black or hazel eyes. Size and appearance can vary depending on race and place of origin.
- Races:
Tsolvalo—Tall and thinner, tend to live primarily in the desert area but can be found in the plains and mountains as well. Tend to have lighter complexions because much of the desert area has been modernized but this ranges greatly. Tsolvalo are considered the more ‘modern’ Nasvali and are eager to catch up with the rest of the galaxy in terms of technological advancement.
- Uulvalo—Shorter and more built, live mostly in the mountains but can be found through the planet, especially in the cities as laborers. Tend to be tanner as they work mostly outdoors. Uulvalo live in the more resource rich mountains and have a more traditional way of life. Though some are leaning more toward modernization, a good portion want to stick to their traditional values.
- Strengths:
Bonded: The Nasvali originated as scattered tribes and lived in tight knit communities where working together meant survival. Over thousands of years they began to develop empathetic and occasionally telepathic bonds with family members and close friends. These bonds can take anywhere from weeks to years to develop and the strength of each bond depends on how close each person is and how long they’ve been bonded for. The bond will lessen or break if the two begin to drift away from eachother’s minds, but there have been reports of people reuniting after years of being apart and maintaining a strong bond. With very strong bonds, one person may be able feel another’s pain or joy even if they are on another planet. - Enhanced Strength [Uulvalo only] : The mountain people of Manas have put manual labor as the backbone of their community for thousands of years. As such, the Uulvalo have evolved to have 3-4X strength than that of a normal baseline human.
- Goggle Eyes [Tsolvalo only]: Years of living in the desert lead the Tsolvalo people to develop the ability to see in the sandstorms they encounter so often by evolving a nictitating membrane—or second eyelid—that works horizontally rather than vertically. This membrane is a translucent thin film that draws across the eyes and protects against sand and smoke while moistening the eyes and maintaining vision. Though primarily used to see in sandstorms, Tsolvali are able to see in most types of smoke, gasses and other very small particles in the air that obstruct vision.
[*]Weaknesses:
- Small Heart: While naturally friendly, Nasvali literally have hearts that are too small for their large frames. This leads to a shorter lifespan and an increased incidence of cardiac disease which is twice as common in males than in females. Heart attacks are reported to be the top killer in Nasvali males over the age of 40, though with a modernizing culture of more white collar work and advanced medicine, treatment and lifespans may improve. A smaller heart also leads to becoming winded quicker during extreme bouts of labor, which have inspired the Nasvali to take breaks while working and treat low blood pressure with herbal medication.
- Addictive Personality: Nasvali can become easily addicted to any stimulant be it caf, cigarettes, spice or prescription medication. With the modernization of the planet, cigarettes and caf are in high demand.
CULTURE
- Diet: Depends heavily on geographic location
Mountains: Lots of meat, some wild grains, root vegetables - Plains: Grains, vegetables, fruit, meat
- Desert: Meat, grain, vegetables, fruit [all mostly imported from other regions of the planet], processed foods.
[*]Communication: Speech, written, telepathic bonds (rare)
[*]Technology level: Mountains: Low | Plains: Low-Moderate | Desert: High
[*]Religion/Beliefs: The people of Manas have the long held belief that the Salkhi, or “Winds” control their fate by way of providing good harvest and allowing for easy travel. People of the mountains and plains are intensely religious as it is an ingrained way of life and often pray several times a day to the Salkhi. Those who live in the modernized desert area still revere the Salkhi but tend to be less superstitious and view the Winds are more of a charming cultural relic rather than something to be worshiped. Those gifted with the Force often find themselves inducted as Yaria or preist. Yaria are taught wind shaping and have the sacred duty of keeping sandstorms from harming their tribe, though in modern times their position is more decorative.
[*]General behavior:
- Strangers: Nasvali are very friendly and warm if they like you—if not they can be snide and passive aggressive. Their view on strangers varies greatly between geographical location and upbringing; the modern Tsolvalo welcome offworlders with open arms, while the Uulvalo regard newcomers with anywhere between distanced curiosity to flat out ignoring them.
- Family: As a whole, family is important for the monogamous Nasvali and they often have many children. They tend to be more fertile than baseline humans, and as such pregnancy out of wedlock is heavily frowned upon, enough to have a mother-to-be shunned. This attitude is changing in the more modern areas of Manas, but there is still a stigma to unwed mothers. Interestingly, this belief does not apply to off-worlders. Arraigned marriages are an ancient tradition but are slowly dying as a newer tradition, bride kidnapping, has cropped up within the past few centuries. Originally designed as a way for lovers to break off arraigned marriages, the male would ‘kidnap’ his intended lover who was aware of the plan and bring her to his home. If she spent the night, she was considered an unclean girl and had to marry the man who’d ‘kidnapped’ her. This tradition is widespread and unfortunately has led to many instances of real kidnapping mainly concentrated in the mountain and plains areas.
- Affection: For a society that is strictly monogamous, public displays of affection are the norm. This can include couples kissing and cuddling, though anything borderline sexual is frowned upon. For friends, it is not unusual to walk hand in hand down the street regardless of gender or to give a kiss on the cheek as a greeting or a goodbye.
- Lifestyle: Desert lifestyle is more modern and fast paced with the introduction of holoflicks, processed food, medical care and standardized education. The Plains and mountain lifestyle is more traditional, with the plains being a mix of modernized and traditional. Riding horse-like creatures is commonplace as well as using large birds to hunt smaller prey which is a big source of cultural pride.
- The Force: Though a small percentage are Force sensitive, the Nasvali regard the Force as a blessing and hold a healthy amount of respect and fear for and of it. Those with the Force are trained to be Yaira, or priests that control wind via wind shaping in order to protect their people from sandstorms in the desert and tornadoes on the plains. Fire shaping is also commonly taught as a way to maintain warmth, cook food and sense the heat of organic objects while navigating a desert storm. While only a small fraction of the population is Force sensitive, it is not considered to be exceedingly rare and most tribes have at least one or two trained Force sensitives.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
The Nasvali people began as small family units and tribes scattered across the planet, living in the mountains, plains and deserts. Tribes varied in size and could contain a single family or many, often tightly knit and very loving to eachother. While they were generally peaceful on a whole, the people of the desert constantly tried to encroach on the more fertile plains and mountain regions of Manas given that desert life was difficult and depended on scavenging and what little they could farm. The people of the plains and mountains pushed the people of the desert back via centuries of skirmish.
It was over these centuries where physical differences began to emerge. The people of the mountains had more muscular physiques and evolved an enhanced strength to deal with laborious tasks and eventually became the Uulvalo. The desert people, by contrast, were leaner and often malnourished while developing a second eye membrane to help them see in desert storms earning them the name Tsolvalo.
Nearly a century ago, Manas was approached by a team of visitors from another planet. The Uulvalo were wary and wanting nothing to do with them while the Tsolvalo took a chance and reached out to the newcomers. What resulted was the rapid modernization of the dry and desolate desert as the planet’s capital, Sel was erected. The Tsolvalo were educated in Galactic Basic and thrilled that they too could live a more comfortable life even if it wasn’t their way—they built hospitals, universities starships, etc. with outside help. Slowly the Tsolvalo way of thinking became more modern and focused on catching up with the rest of the galaxy in terms of technological advancement.
The Uulvalo are mixed when it comes to modernization. Some, typically the younger sort embrace it and go to the large desert cities for work while others insist on maintaining their traditional values of living a low-tech lifestyle. Though small for now, there have been a few reports of Tsolvalo transports being attacked when they venture out into the mountains. Modernization has also allowed a once vaguely patriarchal society to expand with women assuming leadership roles in large cities.
