Eeltari Lore
Human
(Creature)
CR: By Class
Type: Humanoid (Eeltari)
Environment: Any land
Alignment: Any

Appearance

Eeltari stand anywhere from 5'6 to 6'5 feet tall. Their hair color varies just as human hair would and their eyes are always a single color that ranges from pure green to pure violet or red. They have arachnid legs that are able to protrude and retract from their back. These legs appear to only benefit the Eeltari in its ability to climb; beyond that, they have little use for them. Despite the assumption that they may be able to produce spider webs, they cannot.

History

The origins and all of Eeltari history is a mystery to even themselves. All they have are bits and pieces of their suspected origins from stories that where passed down from generation to generation.

The Eeltari first arrived in the eastern shores of Aleris in the year 10,056. As the story goes, they came from a far away land more than likely one beyond the stretch of Erin itself. There was a great earthquake that sank their island into the sea, however, during the chaos that was befalling to their people some managed to escape into boats and managed to head towards the sea in hopes that they could find another body of land and some even hoped that their land would rise from the sea again.

It is believed that everyone that fled to the ocean died of starvation or the seas swallowed them. The Eeltari that arrived on the shores of Aleris where extremely lucky, or maybe it was their fate to survive as the ship they ran too was a cargo ship full of strange rations and water which was enough to last for 100 years. The Eeltari used whatever means they could to live off the sea which greatly extended the duration of the rations for almost 200 years, only eating them in times of great need and emergencies.

Changes in Appearance over the years

One notable feature about the Eeltari was their quick adaptation to their new continent whether voluntary or not. When they first arrived in Aleris they where 9 feet tall and looked like some kind of spider creature. There are stories saying that the original Eeltari natives where as tall as 12 feet, which would explain the tremendous size of their naval vessel and why they where able to survive from the rations and fishing for so long due to shrinking in size needing less food.

The first notable changes in appearance was size, over the first few "native births" they became between 5'6 and 6'5 in height. The next change brought on more human-like looks, losing some of their extra limbs and developing more human-like features. Over the years they eventually started appearing like modern humans. The only exception being their spider-like legs that can freely extend and retract from their upper back. Aside from using them to climb they seem to have little to no use.

Over the next hundred years they began mating with other species being more "visual appealing to them." Another change was noted that the females are capable of having children with any of the known races in Erin, however the males only seem to be attracted to Eeltari females and can only produce children with them.

It is unknown why these changes happened in just a few hundred years. One theory is that the species did it subconsciously so that they appeared less threatening to the native species. The first few hundred years after their arrival, their contact was mostly with humans. This may be why they always appear as Alerian humans.

Society

Eeltari society has taken a lot from human society due to having little to no recollection of their own. However, they did manage to maintain most of their original written and spoken language due to the vessel having books from their native lands which they used to read to children and pass them down as relics. These books are stored in the museum of Aranthi and are considered one of the most valuable treasures the Eeltari have. Eeltari are a rather passive race, focusing on arts and talents rather than greed and power. Perhaps this is what made humans spare them upon docking in the shores of Aleris as one notable feature was their proper manners and non hostile nature appearing as gentle giants to the people. Having given humans no resistance to help in their adaptation to the land.

Eeltari are now found on every corner of Erin. However, Aleris has the highest concentration of Eeltari villages in the world. Each one has varying traditions ,laws and rules though some things are the same. They all have strong family values and treasure their friendships. Outsiders are welcomed and treated as guests in Eeltari communities but after 7 days are given work within their community to help as best as they can while they stay there.

Eeltari Mating culture

Eeltari have one of the strangest and aberrant mating cultures to date. Female Eeltari can mate with any other species and have children with them however, the child has an 80% chance of being born the non-Eeltari race and a 20% chance of being born Eeltari. Additionally, female Eeltari can act as "fathers" and have female mates of other species fathering their children. Female Eeltari can mate with each other and produce children but at a much much lower rate (some say 5% or less.) It is not uncommon to see female Eeltari as bondmates or have have a male Eeltari act as a stud for their children, the male relinquishing any parental rights and one of the two females will act as the -father-.

Male Eeltari, however, are a totally different story, they seem to only be attracted to female Eeltari, and can only produce children with them. However, using a male to produce children is always a much higher success than if two female Eeltari attempted (because they can actually mate as opposed to the bonding). Males are not rare. Some males are content with 1 mate where as some may have 2 (usually sisters though best friends are not uncommon) more than 2 mates is never allowed in Eeltari culture.

The gestation period when one Eeltari is a parent regardless of race is always 3 months Some women may have some complications due to the quick changing of their bodies where some can't handle it or have no problems at all. Due to this strange method of gestation however, female Eeltari are taken as wives by farmers for "breeding help" since it is much faster. Also, because of the high chance of it being the other species, they add to their ranks as opposed to the Eeltari themselves though children born Eeltari are rarely discriminated against by the non-Eeltari parent.

Despite their peculiar method of mating, they are against prostitution and "free spirited mating" being rather conservative in their ways. Mating for life when they find that special someone (or someones) they are very cautious when becoming mates with non-Eeltari as their ways can be different than theirs as far as loyalty in a relationship. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" its the best way to express a female Eeltari that feels betrayed by their mate.

The Bonding

Love is simple, love is common the bond between bondmates its complex, it goes beyond affection and feelings of love and companionship A famous quote from an Eeltari when asked about the bonding.

The bonding is when two Eeltari (or one Eeltari and one non-Eeltari) surrender their minds to one another, and even though their thoughts and other such things are kept in confidentiality their feelings for one another isn't and it creates a more personal bond between them. The bonding is also how female Eeltari are capable of reproducing with others of their species though the details as to why this is possible is not known and probably never will be.

Bonding by Eeltari law, is considered marriage and its only used with someone you plan to spend the rest of your life with should the fates allow it. It is not something that they openly do with anyone and to even suggest it is the greatest insult you can do to an Eeltari. There are a few exceptions that are not considered taboo such as being asked to be a surrogate mother or a donor parent for some couples, though it is a case by case basis and must always be brought up to the matriarchs of the community. For a bonded person to bond with another without special reason means for them to be exiled from that Eeltari community.

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