Seren

say-ren

Seren are a hybrid of pateru and ly'kor and have had both very positive and very negative influences on Serpentian history.

Appearance

Seren characteristically have the wide feet and comparatively bulky frames of sefora, strictly light or pastel body colors, feathery wings, and a single pair of horns exclusive to men and male-presenting individuals. Wings and horns come in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes. The average height for men is under seven feet, and over six feet for women. Their large wings and lightweight yet sturdy bone structure allow for sustained flight.

Variations

Following Hetenkaa, seren and all other sefora experienced a sharp decline in exposure to ly’kor. Thus, the seren body form gradually shifted toward that of sefora over generations of mingling with pateru. Despite initially being a hybrid between a sefora and shyr, seren are recognized—based on genetics—by the Primum Species Association (PSA) as a sefora. They are not a true sefora.
There are two variations of seren: classic and origin. "High Seren" of Soros are not recognized by the PSA.
Classic seren have long been considered the standard due to their abundance. Their smooth skin, hair, and feathery wings sport a vibrant array of pastel skin tones. The classic seren is the culmination of thousands of generations of seren and pateru individuals intermingling.
Origin seren are far less common solely because ly’kor are almost completely exclusive to She'salla where few sefora or other shyr venture. And very few ly’kor ever leave She’salla. The origin seren is defined as either being a 50/50 split between a ly’kor and a pateru or as having a seren and a ly’kor parent. These individuals are visually and physiologically similar to ly’kor in that they have more elegant body frames, very pale colors, and rounded scales that are small, thin, and smooth. Origin seren also share enough genetics with ly’kor to suffer some effects of hyperadaption, requiring them to avoid exposure to particular environmental conditions.

Biology

While ly’kor are intolerant of the cold, seren don’t experience adaption sickness if exposed to less than ideal conditions for too long. So they can tolerate colder temperatures for longer periods. These individuals are affectionately regarded as furnaces because of their high body temperature which is second only to ly’kor. Where other species have bioluminescent markings, the entire body of a seren possesses a soft glow which is unmistakable in low light. Additionally, the intensity of their body temperature and glow is directly affected by health, circadian rhythm, stress, and emotional state.

Feathers, Horns & Genes

All seren have feathery wings. Their wings come in varying shapes which determines an individual’s flying capabilities. How or when they molt their feathers is dependent on the individual. Some do so year round at varying frequencies while others may experience molts by the season. Stress and medical conditions may affect the regularity of their molt.
Ly’kor gene expression may not be as apparent or dynamic in seren, but it still continues to influence the species. For example, the gene for horns reliably remains off during pre-pubescent years but will switch on at the cusp of adolescence if the child begins producing adequate levels of testosterone. For those that develop them, almost exclusively boys and male-presenting children, their horns will grow at a constant rate for the rest of their lives. To maintain a manageable size and weight, they must be filed down periodically. Seren horns come in a plethora of sizes, shapes, textures, and hardness. Also, some individuals’ may be soft or flaky and brittle. Both of which are easily damaged.
Most other expressive genes found in ly’kor remain permanently dormant or active in seren. Since, in ly’kor, most of their genes switch on or off based on external stimuli (food, activity, temperature, light, stress, etc.), the same, although extremely rare, has been observed in seren. For example, some adolescent individuals have developed dark markings or atypically long toe claws.

Light Oriented, Dual Chamber Kor

Seren all have light oriented kors. No exceptions. They often have energy subtypes under light, fire, or ether but aren’t exclusive to those energy types. They are completely incapable of producing or manipulating dark oriented energy and will be harmed if exposed to it in a violent manner.
All sefora have a dual-chamber kor, a key aspect that distinguishes them from shyr. Seren, classic or origin, are no exception. This dual-chamber setup plays a critical role in sefora social culture, specifically in regard to partnerships. Sefora are able to bind to another individual—no matter the race—which imprints that individual’s energy upon the blank kor chamber. This doesn’t allow the chamber to produce said energy, only hold that specific energy subtype and be attuned to that specific individual. The chamber cannot be made blank again or imprint on a different energy. Kor binding is permanent.
That said, while true sefora have one chamber for their own energy and the other effectively being a blank slate, a seren’s “blank slate” chamber is also light oriented. Thus seren can only kor bind to people who are also light oriented or neutral oriented. And they can only reproduce with shyr or sefora with the same criteria. There is no consequence to intimacy with a dark oriented partner.

History & Influence

Light Supremacist Takeover

One of the darkest times in Serpentis history happened many eras ago. The first sparks that led up to this terrible, decades-long memory happened in the wake of Nagis Keb. Per the legend, when Naga crashed down upon the planet, she left a fiery scar and from it demons poured out and became a global scourge. Ecosystems were destroyed. Mass extinctions. People had to fight for survival and coalesced wherever it was possible.
The seren species first came to life when pateru hunkered down amongst ly’kor in She’salla out of necessity. One particular origin seren man, Tevren, had little exposure to dark kor people as a child and never saw a winter where demons did not exist. He believed that, because darkness brought the demons, that darkness itself was an evil force that spread and corrupted. Tevren felt this idea was only confirmed when the first ly’kor to become winter guards developed their dark markings as a result of resisting hibernation and spending their days out in the dark with the demons.
As an adult, Tevren spread his ideas to other fellow origin seren and accrued a cult following. The ly’kor banished Tevren and his followers for his corrupted ideology. Over the following decades, Tevren continued his campaign of spreading his “wisdom” to all who would listen. He and his people saw dark kor people as a blight no different than the demons. By the time Hetenkaa had come and gone, Tevren was over a century old. His influence had grown strong enough that a failed coup was attempted in Thess (Serpentis' capital), followed years later by the taking of Oringul, the spaceport city. Tevren initiated the genocide of any who were dark kor, especially whose kors were known to be only dark oriented such as amzor and ny'kor. Kyril men were targetted primarily for their dark coloration and similarities to the aforementioned. All suffered at the hands of Tevren’s reign.
Those who could dub themselves “High Seren” were exclusively origin seren with traits that made them especially similar to ly’kor. These qualities were considered ideal. They held extremely high standards for lineage, beauty, genetics, and kor “purity” above all. Many despicable things came of this and seren of all backgrounds were feared. Even after Tevren’s unsolved assassination and the voluntary exodus of the “High Seren,” seren were not to be trusted. Many still clung to bigoted behavior and it took several generations of re-education initiatives, strong pushes for legislative reform, and reparations to many peoples before the planet and relations with Ethiea—the only allied planet at the time—recovered from the damages dealt.
Afterward, seren developed a strong sense of responsibility for safeguarding their communities. Many communal and political organizations today are run by seren, and there are many seren in legislative positions. A sentiment that persists in seren ideals today states that they owe it to their communities to ensure that all people—not just themselves—are heard, cared for, and protected. They have ensured that the history of the Takeover is forever remembered so that it may never be repeated. Today, the “High Seren” persist on Soros and are hostile to any outsiders. Including the natives.

Culture

With feathers and horns to constantly maintain, seren are very particular about their personal hygiene. During the Light Supremacist Takeover, those who called themselves “High Seren” held especially high standards for physical appearance. This led to the establishment of salon-and-spas—specifically for those of the highest class—where seren could pamper their wings, care for their hair, and have their horns filed down. Today, these businesses are for the benefit of all who go there and many offer specialty services to species with specific needs. Nonetheless, these places are frequented largely by seren who might go with friends, family, or by themselves.
A heat loving people, seren are most active during the blistering summers. They spend much of their time engaged in outdoor activities at home or in their community. Gardening, fishing, sports, spending time at parks or the beach, and traveling are some examples. In contrast, during the winter, seren will stay indoors whenever they can. This means lots of time at home, shopping, lounging at libraries, eating out, mingling at the bar, watching movies, and going to shows, etc.

Additional Remarks

Following the Takeover, a lot of seren moved to Ethiea to help mend their relations with Serpentis. Ethieans unfortunate enough to be on Serpentis during such dark times were also victims of the horrors Serpentians faced.

From 2018 - slightly outdated

Native Planet
Serpentis
Parent Race
Sefora
Parent Species
Ly'kor + Pateru
Average Lifespan
300-400 YS
Average Height
Men: 6'5" to 6'8"
Women: 6' to 6'5"

Distinguishing Features
Feathery wings
Horns (males only)
Pastel body colors
Light oriented kor
Notable Seren
Fethr Lerotere
Lucian
Morgan Lerotere
Riylii
Tevren