Races of Heimland: Yea'haa'weh

The Yea'haa'weh are a race of Heimland. Having been on the island before any other race, they possess a deep connection with nature not too different from the Native American aborigines. The Yea'haa'weh have respect for all animals, especially their giant white tigers known as "Bái-Hǔ". It is not completely known how the Yea’haa’weh and Bái-Hǔ first came, but some speculate they have existed for more than 240 million years. In ancient Yea’haa’weh legends, the Yea’haa’weh and their Bái-Hǔ relatives first came during the time of the tribes. In the legend, a group of alien tiger-like animals called the Antecedent lived in tribes all over the lands. These creatures were sentient, but still maintained their four-legged animal-forms. But that was until the division, when the tribes separated and went their own paths. The members of one tribe remained as they were, in their four-legged primitive forms. But the members of the other tribe gradually evolved and adapted, the most significant of these adaptations being walking on two legs, increase in brain size, lengthened ontogeny (gestation and infancy), evolution of a power and precision grip, achieving higher intelligence, learning how to craft tools and speak. Supposedly the Old Folk were the ones that taught them to first walk and talk.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Yea’haa’weh are bipedal anthropomorphic humanoid-tiger feline entities with smooth snow-white fur with a pattern of dark red stripes, a long pair of grayish-blue antlers spiraling from the top of their heads, long ringed-tails they can use as a fifth appendage, padded palms with short curved claws like cats, large cyan-turquoise blue eyes and long black hair sprouting from the top of their heads, which they braid and tie up to form dreadlocks.

Genetics and Reproduction

The life-cycle of a Yea’haa’weh is complicated, Yea’haa’weh are mammals yet their life-cycle is akin to insects: the cycle can be categorized into eight stages: Egg, Spire, Primary-Horde, Conglomeration, Slugs, Infants, Juveniles and Adults. The female Yea'haa'weh normally starts and finishes the cycle. It is to be noted that there are two types of Yea'haa'weh; the normal "drones" and the Royals, who rule the hive/tribe and be identified from their extra pair of limbs and greater height. Every thousand or so a new Royal is born from random a cluster of Eggs. Royals rule the tribe, and the current Royal Family of Heimland has been in power for 200,000 years. The Royal eggs can be identified by their size and bluish hue.

Growth Rate & Stages

The cycle of reproduction starts when an adult female Yea'haa'weh lays a cluster of Eggs, these Eggs are small and round with leathery-shells and for some strange reason have smooth white fur growing all over them to keep them warm. The strange furry eggs hatch into Spires. Spires are called "Spires" because of their resemblance to twisty metal needles, albeit much thicker and hairier with smooth white fur. They are encased in a small gelatinous sac, which opens up when the Spire is ready to shoot out and transform. Once transformed, the Spires emerge and turn into the Primary-Hordes. The Primary-Horde resembles large furry worms in the beginning, but later resemble giant squid-like entities over time. Hordes are characterized by their whip-like tentacles emerging from various points of their bodies after full mutation. The Hordes eventually transform into Conglomerations. The Conglomeration is another form of the Spire, which is formed by the Primary-Horde transforming and growing into a newer form. The Conglomeration continually feeds and thus continually grows, still resembling a furry Spire, but becomes much more massive to the point of becoming a giant sphere of furry flesh. Once the Conglomeration gets to a certain size and cannot grow anymore, the body opens up and splits, separating itself and transforming into hundreds of Slugs. The Slugs are smaller red worm-like forms similar the Conglomeration which move by slithering or swimming. Eventually the Slugs grow thicker fur, tiny kitten-legs and small tails and transform into Infants. The Infants look more like the Adults, with fur and tails and small antlers. The Babies also have the small blue gemstone at the center of their heads. The Infants grow into Juveniles, which can walk and talk and look more like the adults. Then the Juveniles grow into mature Adults, completing the cycle within 9 months. Then the mature females are ready to lay Eggs and start the reproductive-cycle once again. It is evident that the Yea’haa’weh function on a "hive mind" mentality, which is why the Spires, the Primary-Hordes, Conglomeration, Slugs, Infants, Juveniles and Adults function as a singular unit.

Ecology and Habitats

The Yea'haa'weh originally lived all across Heimland, but fell back into the forests after their colonization of the land.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Yea'haa'weh are strictly vegetarian, although some outcasts will consume meat and alcohol. The only time a Yea'haa'weh will hunt an animal is if they require the creature's felt for warmth or shelter, after which they will pray for the animal's journey into the afterlife. Yea'haa'weh require much calcium and vitamins and as such will drink a lot of milk and consume varieties of yams, berries, fruits, roots, leaves, grasses, corn, rice, barley, wheat, sugarcane, soybean, cassava, legume-pulses, sunflower-seeds, millet, groundnuts, beans, sweet potatoes, plantains and various spices. Yea'haa'weh store their gathered food in large sheds positioned above rivers to keep animals away. When Yea'haa'weh hunt animals, they use bows and arrows and will try to lure the prey out by making noises mimicking the animal they are hunting.

Biological Cycle

In battle Yea'haa'weh can communicate with each other through their gemstone, and can feel each other's pain if one of them dies. The Yea'haa'weh gemstone is where Yea’haa’weh gain their strength, fighting skills, emotions, intelligence and powers from and if a Yea’haa’weh’s gemstone is ever broken the wounded Yea'haa'weh would die instantly. Death normally occurs within two hours and results in the body dissolving into yellow powder, with only the broken gemstone remaining.

Additional Information

Social Structure

The Yea'haa'weh society is a hive, which is separated into tribes. A Royal (normally a Queen) rules over the Hive, although some tribes might have their own Queen. The drones and Royals maintain good relationships, with the Royals being assisted by the Elders and the Elders being assisted by the drones. The "drones" are normal citizens, and have no positions of power in the tribe. If a Hive is attacked, all drones will rush to protect the Queen and the Elders from harm. Should the Queen die, the tribe must move on until they find another tribe with a Queen. They will then join that tribe and life will resume again. The Royals must always be protected, as they are the lifeblood of the Hive. Without them the tribe will fall.

Facial characteristics

Since they are feline, Yea'haa'weh have their eyes facing forward like predators. Their ears are pointed like foxes, and can pick up any audible sound from miles away. Their noses are sensitive like dogs and they can trace a smell across rivers and deserts without losing it. Their eyes can see past the normal color-spectrum, and can see infrared and ultraviolet colors, hence they can spot things like spirits of invisible assailants before they are attacked. They can also see body-heat and can trace the patterns of a person's breathing to tell if they are scared, angry or happy.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

The Heimish-Forests at the edges of Heimland, with some Yea'haa'weh leaving for The Tagaloa a few centuries earlier in their boats, before Heimland got sealed off 50 years ago.

Average Intelligence

More complex than a common man. Yea'haa'weh are smarter at birth than most people and can solve complex problems with relative ease. They have knowledge of healing with a variety of herbs and powders, crafting all sorts of weapons from crossbows to broadswords, making fire-pistons and other tools for fire, performing first-aid and making shelters ranging from settlements in caves, overhanging rock outcrops and fallen-down trees to intermediate forms of man-made shelter such as debris-huts, tree pit-shelters, snow-caves, tarps, tents or longhouses.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

A few million years earlier the evolved Antecedents (now the Yea'haa'weh) developed the “brow-vision”, a naturally-occurring blue mineral-composite gemstone that grew in their foreheads from the time of birth. These brow-vision gemstones in their heads allowed them to communicate telepathically, and seeing no need to speak with their mouths and vocal cords anymore, a few Antecedents became Silent. These Silent-Ones would later become the Cleric-Elders, the main advisors to the Queen.

Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms

They maintain a symbiotic relationship with the Bái-Hǔ, their closest relatives. Bái-Hǔ walk on all fours, and Yea'haa'weh sometimes ride them in battle. Bái-Hǔ also have blue gemstones, although these are unable to communicate with other blue gems. A parasite known as a "Blood-Leech" might sometimes attach itself to a Bái-Hǔ or Yea'haa'weh and proceed to feast on the energy of their blue gemstones. Blood-Leeches are the highest natural cause of death among Yea'haa'weh.

Civilization and Culture

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Baghavad and Ch'r'kee, two of the six languages of the forests.

History

The Yea'haa'weh were the original inhabitants of Heimland, and were the first ones to witness the invasion of the Old Folk. Although legends tell varied versions of the story, it is agreed upon that the Yea'haa'weh got knowledge of the Language of the Old Folk in the year 200 DE (During-Elders) and have since used a basic version of it for day-to-day life even since 50 AE (After-Elders). The Yea'haa'weh fought many battles with the Folk, but lost most of them. Their Wars ended when the Old Folk vanished 50 years before.
The Yea'haa'weh claim that all knowledge of the Old Folk they gained was lost when their libraries of papyrus codices were burnt down by invading Surakh.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Yea'haa'weh are allowed to marry with other species, but some tribes will forbid it. Marriages between common people and Yea'haa'weh and common people have produced Hybrids, genetically sterile and short-lived versions of Yea'haa'weh. Hybrids can still use their gemstone, albeit weakly. Yea'haa'weh consider all species, including machines, as equal, although they hold a deep animosity towards Surakh and Indagarians.

Scientific Name

Homo-Panthera

Origin/Ancestry

Antecedent (Homo Panthera Tigris)

Lifespan

200,000 years

Conservation Status

A few centuries later during the invasion of the Old Folk, the Yea’haa’weh and their primitive Bái-Hǔ cousins joined forces to defend their home, but all in vain as their opponents had better weapons than them. When they lost their country they chose to stay behind in protest and were slaughtered in the millions by the Folk until they eventually retreated into the Heimish-Forests. The Yea’haa’weh originally used tomahawks, mallets, wooden-daggers, bows and arrows as their main weapons but later learnt how to use knives and swords. The current Yea'haa'weh population is estimated at about 2,000,000,000, less than a quarter of the original number.

Average Height

1.5 meters

Average Weight

60 kg

Average Length

3 meters (from head to tail)

Average Physique

A normal Yea'haa'weh male is incredibly fit, with bulging muscles and incredible physique. They are slow but very strong, and can wield heavy clubs and swords with ease. Female Yea'haa'weh are akin to models, with shapely figures and slender legs. Since they are smaller than males, they are nimble and can climb trees and rock-surfaces if needed. They can also wield lighter weapons such as nooses.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Their fur, which covers everything except their palms, is a deep snow-white. Their stripes are black with a reddish tint. The stripes closer to their eyes and mouth are grayish whilst the rings on their tails are a deep jet-black. Their hair is normally black, and might turn a deep steel-grey when they age.

Related Ethnicities

• Ethnicities of Heimland