Yuhalm (/juhalm/)

Known as yuhalm or Past-Walkers, little is known about this species. Only named recently in the Fourth Age by the niskhi with whom they once shared a planet, yuhalms were an intelligent species that went extinct somewhere in the distant past. Having been lost for at least thousands of years, but possibly even a few million, not much is known about their appearance, physical traits, or even general behavior. Their impact on Niskhisima, however, remains to this day.
What is known, based on the ruins of Wayitnayark, is that yuhalms were not a humanoid species. Instead, they seem to have evolved from a different branch of life entirely. Whether they were already inhabitants of Niskhisima when the Progenitors planted humans there, or whether they just evolved side-by-side, is unknown, but much speculation exists in the lieu of known facts.

Civilization and Culture

Average Technological Level

Though the exact level of technology is unknown, the yuhalms were more advanced than the near-humans they shared their world with. At the very least, they had the advancements to built massive cities, of which at least one survived for thousands of years through magic storms to the modern day (Wayitnayark).

They must have also possessed the technology to break through the atmosphere to have destroyed the harvester located there, though it's unknown whether this involved manned machines, or if weapons launched from the surface sufficed.

History

Yuhalms were an intelligent species which shared a world with the ancestors of the niskhi. They were more advanced than their near-human neighbors, having either gotten a head-start on civilization and advancements, or advancing more rapidly. Regardless of the cause, they appeared to have been good neighbors, with no strife between them and the niskhi ancestors. Possibly they even helped their neighboring species along in their own advancements.
By some means, the yuhalms discovered the existence of a Vita-harvesting machine just outside their planet's atmosphere. Though they were likely unsure of its purpose, it made them realize they shared their galaxy with another intelligent species. A species which knew about them, and was watching them, possibly even using them. The yuhalms took offense to this, and set out to destroy the machine. They succeeded... and this was their downfall.
Unlike the destruction of the Progenitors at the First Age, which led to the slow return of Vita across the galaxy, the destruction of the single harvester led to the gathered Vita returning almost instantly. Far more Vita than the planet would’ve held naturally came pouring in, resulting in enormous backlash. Places were Vita overflowed saw uncontrolled bouts of magic performed by the very environment around them, creating unimaginable dangers. Only the most adaptable species managed to survive. The niskhi were one of those. The yuhalms were not.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Likely, yuhalms were pleasant neighbors to share a planet with. Not only have they not brought their near-human neighbors to extinction, despite being from an entirely different branch of life, traces found in Wayitnayark suggest they may have even lend aid to their intelligent neighbors. Niskhi mythology even suggests that the yuhalms destroyed the Vita-harvester for them, specifically, but it seems more likely that the yuhalms did it for the good of them all, not just for their planetary neighbors.

EXTINCT

Conservation Status

Extinct (EX): wiped out by changing conditions in the distant past.

Geographic Distribution

• Niskhisima