Shadai

Hunters of the Night

A race of never-aging, fanged humanoids with tails and dark eyes. They are descendants that of the Alfs that adapted to living in the night and the shadows. Thus, originally they adapted to be skilled hunters in the night. However, over time they have come to inherit the gift of Everlife. They are also known as the People of Night, Black Alf, Shadowhunters and Bloodfang. They are known as the People of Night as they are more active during the night due to their natural weakness to light. They are called Black Alf due to their Alf ancestry and their adaptability for night. The Shadowhunter name comes from then their skill at hunting and their natural gift of shadow walking. Lastly their nickname, Bloodfang, refers to their need to feed on blood and as a refers to their fangs. This title is uses mainly by people that fear the shadai.
Many Shadai live in clans lead by elder members the follow a strict code order to maintain relations with other groups. In fact, their clans differentiating philosophy of clans lead to the evolution of two variants of shadai, the bluebloods and redbloods. The shadai are skilled hunters and nimble race. Most tend to rely on their natural abiltes and gifts over magic. Thus, the shadai are highly skilled in espionage, stealth and survival tactics.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Shadai have all the human traits. However, they have long fangs that can protrude out of the mouth. They also have a prehensile spade tail. Their eyes have black sclera with red irises and slit pupils. The shade of red can vary from pink to burgundy. their skin color depends on variant, but is either pale white or dark black. Their hair typically varies from black to gray.
Many of their physical traits evolved to be hunters. They naturally have a lean and muscular build, and are very agile and flexible creatures. The fangs of mature shadai can release venom that helps to calm their victims to varying degrees. Their tails have a hardened tip that can be used for minor piercing or cuts. Even their nails are durable enough to act as claws.

Biological Traits

Variants

There are two variants of fullblood Shadai. They began forming shortly after they achieved the gift of everlife. Two major factors delveoped differing philosophy on how they treat their bloodlust. The disagreement eventually cased founding groups to divide. One faction remained in their ancestral home of Poenari and the other factor migrated west to eventially settle in Present day Freefora.  These divided groups then adopted  differing practices and technique that led to the eastern blueblood variant and the western redblood variant.   

Bluebloods

Bluebloods are the faction of shadais that continued to live in the Poenari after they achieved the gift of Everlife. They felt the shadai needed to control their urges and had an obligation of respect for their everlife. Thus blue shadai have a more tame and calculating dispositions. They also live in a highly organized coven with a set of rules. Blues get their name due to their pale skin that allows you to see their blue veins. They are are naturally more adept at magic then their red counterparts.

Bluebloods Shadai by Israel Rodriguez

Redbloods

Redbloods are the faction of shadais that migrated east and eventually settled in Freefora after they achieved the gift of Everlife. Red shadai ancestors believe they should embrace with everlife as a gift from the blood god, and thus revel in the feeding of blood. Reds have pitch black skin and horns. They act more instinctively on their hunger for blood. Thus they are naturally violent Reds are more wild and live in loose tribes. They get their name from the splatter blood you can easily see on their skin. In fact these makes are earned in a ritual once a red becomes of age. They are also bigger and significantly stronger that blue shadai, but they are less adept at magic. They are also most sensitive to light that their blue counterparts.

Redblood Shadai by Israel Rodriguez

Genetics and Reproduction

It is believed that the shadai gift of everlife effected their fertility and reproductive ability. Shadai female only ovulate about once a year for about a weeks lenght window. During this week females have an increased libido, hunger and unnaturally playful disposition. However in the following week during menstruration they become volatile and unpredictable. However if the female does manage to get pregnant they become even more dangerous. Their hunger for blood greatly increases, and they can be even more impulsive. Luckily pregancy last at most 5 months. After birth the female usualy cannot have a child for another 2 years. Thus Shadai children aren’t born as often.

Growth Rate & Stages

• Child (Age 0-14): Children are born tails but they have little control of it. In their later childhood their fang start to grow in .
• Teen (Age 14-25) : Adolescence begins once their fangs fully grow in. This is when their hunger for blood is naturally strongest. Thus teenage shadai are famously implusive and feed alot. Their bodies also begin develop to sexual maturity.
• Adult (Age 25 - 300):Once Shadai reach sexual maturity their tails tip begin to harden and they start to produce venum. They also gain more control of their impluse to feed. Their appearance at once they reach sexual maturity is how they will appear until they are killed.
• Elder (Age ~300+): Due to there gift of everlife they do not physically age and they maintain wither youthful appearance unless starved. Elder shadai do have to feed more freculently to maintain this vitality

Dietary Needs and Habits

While Shadai can eat the same foods as most humans, they do require to feed on blood to maintain their vitality. The blood can be from any source animal or human. Infact many shadai will have favorites and certain blood have certain effects on shadai. For an example faire blood is said to be sweet induces euphoric felling. Meanwhile Angelblood is painful and acts as a poison. Shadai prefer fresh blood and blood from younger indivuall as it is more potents for restoring vitality and satifying hunger.

Typically a mature adult needs to feed at least once every 3-5 days to maintain their vitality. Elders need to fed every 1-2 days. Teenage and shadai children can easily dirved weeks with feeding. But teenage shadai's developing blood hunger and lack of impluse control leads them to feed more frecuently. If a Shadai has not blood fed sufficiently their appearance will begin to "age" and they become more impulsive and aggressive, especially in the presence of a blood source. in servere case they can even enter bloodlust. Once they feed their youthful appearnce returns and their calm down.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Due to their hunting habits many shadai live alone, in couples, or with immediate family. Household still tend to small as shadai children arent born frecuently and they move out at a relatively young age. In certain regions in which many shadai families live close they form societies they call Claves. In general a Clave is formed as a network of mutual shadai families so that they peacefully coexsist and assist each other in a times of need. However the also serve slighty differing jobs among the variant cultures.
Among Bluebloods, The clave serves as a governing body that keeps the shadai community tame and in order. A Blueblood Clave job is to set and enforce law that dictate conduct shadai behavior, such as human killing or feeding on children. These It tends to vary clave to clave but they serve as a method to maintain peace and control in their respective communities. these clave also seek to perserve their communities history and thus their leader are typicaly the elders shadai. Blueblood clave also approve of new shadai conversions and are the ones who perform the ritual
Redbloods Claves serve more as a hierarchical system that a governing body. their Clave Mainttains dominace in order to prevent unesscary in fighting. Thus typically the Clae is typically lead by the strongest shadai members. Redblood claves also act as the unifying force in times of conflict. However beyond these matter redblood claves arent to involves in dictating their community lifestyle

Uses, Products & Exploitation

• Shadai venom: Shadai venom can be produced once they mature and slowly gets stronger over time. It can be injected with fangs. I can have a numbing and calming effect on victims. At higher oses is can make victims drowsy or eurphoric.
• Shadai blood: When injected shadai blood can increase vitality and spped up natural healing.

Facial characteristics

Shadai have sharp features.Their yes that have black scaleras and iries that are a shade of red with slight pupils. As with all alfbloods they have pointed ear that we can slightly move to adjust their hearing.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Their Ancestral Home is Poenari is the southcentral region of blackins. It still has the one of the highest population of shadai. However, as thr population of shadai grew the the differing idealogies in moral behaviors threated to become a serious conflict. in order to prevent this the ancestors of the redbloods decided to emigrate from Poenari.
Due to their sensivity to light Shadai expanded to regions with natural production form sunlight. Thus the redblood ancestors migrated west throught Wintercov to Hollien and finally in Freefora. Here the redblood shadai ancestor found shadows among the trees and their was an abundance of wildlife to fuel their blood hungry habits. However in in this migration the shadai discover their preference for farie blood. This eventually esclated into a conflict know as the War of the Bleeding Trees. The conflict came to a close in which the shadai were pushed out of Holien into Freefora his effectively separated them from their western cousion allowing the eastern shadai to evolved into the redblood variation we know today. Shadai became a common poulation in Freefora, especially Templegrave which served as their based in the War of the Bleeding trees. THey even would become the royal family in the current era.

Average Intelligence

Since they do not age shadai in genernal have excellent memories, plus their long lives allow them gather mass amounts of knowlege with in their own communities. They are also adept in the skills on stealth than when combine with their natural instinct and abilites make them excellent ambush hunters. Shadai also use common runes as they do not have a unique writing system.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Shadai aren’t the most powerful magic users but they use their magic skillfully in tandem with their natural gifts. Their primary magic affinities are Shadow, Blood, Black, Body and Time magic. However, some shadai have secondary affinity for Lunar, Mind, Puppet, and Decay magic. All Shadai have the Gifts of Ever life and shadowalking. However, the gifts of stronghand, fleetfoot, and charmspeak commonly appear among Shadai.
Given their adaptations to night Shadai also have a resistance to shadow magic. In fact they can utilize foreign shadow magic to increase their shadowalking ability Their gift of everlife also give them resistance to death magic as well. However, these adaptations also play to their weakness. The original shadai were already sensitive to light. However, the shadai blood ritual that gave them everlife was performed at night and happen to make shadai even more weak to sunlight. Just prolonged exposure to direct sunlight easily cause them to get sunburns. Magic manipulation involving light or solar magic seem to be extra effective on Shadai. Shadai are also particularly weak to the Sundrop flower as it gathers an excess of solar energy and magic. Sundrop physically burns shadai and induces pain. When injected or injested by shadai it causes an internal burning sensation and at high enough quantities can kill a shadai. Lastly Shadai seem to have a sensitivity to Angelblood. Feeding on angelblood produces a similar sensation to sundrop, however it is not lethal. However, it greatly weakens a shadai’s other physical traits and increases their sensitivity to light.
However even with these major vulnerabilities shadai have many natural abilities. For one they have night vision and can see clearly in most darkness, though it is with limited color. They also have heighted hunting senses with includes eyesight, hearing, smell, and touch. In fact, with focus, they can enhance certain senses. They are also known for their agility and quick reflexes. On average most shadai are stronger than the average mage. To top it off shadai also have capable of Bloodlust. This means in certain conditions Shadai can increase all their physical traits beyond their normal levels. Bloodlust happens more uncontrollably when a shadai is hungry and senses blood. They can also enter Bloodlust after an excessive or emotional feeding. Shadai also developed the morialization ability help with psychological effects of blood feeding. Its used more openly by red shadai. Blues are capable of but culturally refrain from using it
Typical Shadai combat style is fairly efficent. they ultilze their insticts and natural agility to incorperate acrobatics with speedy strikes to land critical blows. Even their tail are used to trip up or strike as needed. Shdai also use submissive hold that allow them to feed on defeated targets. As for weapons, shadai tend to use light tools that dont get in the way of their acrobatic fighting stlye. Knives and short blades are a common choice.

Civilization and Culture

Average Technological Level

Night Ring: Ring when wore helps shadai gain resistance to sunlight.

Common Dress Code

Bluebloods also take pride in their visble blood veins on their skin. However they do wear hooded and covered clothing during the da to protect there skin. Meanwhile redbloods will commonly get red blood tattoos.

History

The original shadai were just Alf adapted to the night. They evolved by becoming hunters in the night. So they fed on blood, had night vision, enhanced sensing and agility and sensitivity to light. However, Shadai did not always have the gift of everlife. Their first immortal Shadai were a result of the struggle of the Kristra Ataleus a half Shadai half Mortaf and the village of Poenari which is explained more in depth in the story called “Song of the Death Singer”.
In summary the Shadai gift of everlife was a result of a blood ritual the people of poenari performed in order to resist a curse placed by the death goddess and to combat a pack of luposari that was terrorizing their town. In fact, Kristra was the first to test the ritual that would eventually be used to give all the shadai of Poenari the gift of everlife to their bloodline. Kristra also had two demigod children, with the blood god in the process. Her children, Drak and Cruelia the first shadai born with everlife would eventually grow up, and lead the Shadai effort to combat the Necrobeast pack of luposari Both were capable of powerful blood magic due to their divine father, and Drak was also a talented with shadow magic and Cruelia a great warrior. Over the course of many years they battled the luposari til they were eventually able to kill the Necrobeast and his pack resided in the mountains, leaving Poenari alone.
In the coming years Drak and Cruelia would become leaders of Poenari. However they began to have differing views on the the nature of their existence .Drak along with most of the Ponenari citizens believed the shadai need to control their urges and had an obligation of respect for their everlife.. Cruelia along with some of the citizens , believed they should embrace everlife as a gift from the blood god, and thus revel in the feeding of blood. This eventually led to the schism where Cruelia and her faction left and their descendants would become the Red Shadai. Drak stayed in Poenari and changed his surname to Quil and there descendants would become the Blue shadai

Historical Figures

Famous Bloodlines

• Quil - Descendants of Drak. They are traditionaly the leading family of Poenari. Famous for their inteligence and speed adns shadow magic.
• Devi - Descendants of Cruelia. They are highly respected among the various redblood claves as warriors. Extremly powerful blood magic users
• Vladinor - Descendants of Vladiin. Famous for their combination of blood and weapon magic. Bloodline has access to various powerful and rare family weapons.
• Atuntec - Descendants of Abinon a redblood wild demigod, ho participated in the Convergence Barrier Ritual. They are the royal house of Freefora

Famous Individuals

• Drak Quil - One of the twins who were the first shadai born with everlife. Child of the blood god and Kristra Atlelus. Co-lead the shadai effort against the luposari in Poenari and killed the Necrobeast. Would lead the shadai faction that would become the blueblood variant
• Cruelia Devi -One of the twins who were the first shadai born with everlife. Child of the blood god and Kristra Atlelus. Co-lead the shadai effort against the luposari in Poenari and killed the Necrobeast. Would lead the shadai faction that would become the redblood variant .
• Vladiin - Weapon demigod shadai who was also skilled blood magic user. Famous for forging powerful and unique weapons. Built Bloodforge Castle in the southeast Muora and was known by locals as a violent warlord to maintain his and his allies hunger.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Mixed Bloods

Mixed boods may share some of the sharp facial features. They also have either shorter or no tailsa at all. most still have fangs but have a weaker venom or can even produce venom. they also do not have the shadai blood effects and have less keen senses than a full shadai. However mixed bloods have have a decrease impluse to blood feed and less of asensitivity to light. Most seem to lose the gift of shadowalking and everlife. However the do have long lifespans and typically have an affininty for the shadai magics.

Conversion

Shadai conversion is still possible. In fact their are 2 ways. First is the the orginal ritual that requires specially trained shadai known as Shadowsingers. They to channel Black, Shadow, blood, and time magic while the convert lies in the orginal bloodpit the first Shadai gained importality from at night. Converts using this original method are typically seen as full fleged shadai The second conversion is more intimate. a convert has to continuosly feed on a live shadai blood as the shadai completes the chant under a new moon. While these convert do recived all the gifts and abilties of a full shadai they are two a lesser degree power. Plus these converts form to bond to the shadai that converted them making it easier for the orginal shadai to influences and persuade their converts. Thus these types on converts are commonly known as ombrinfano with means "shadowchild"

Relations

• Blacklian Shadai communities, especial closer to Poenari, have an intense rivalry with luposari population that originated back from the conflict between the Necrobeast pack and new shadai
• Faries and shadai are know not to get along as farie blood is event sweeter and more tempting to shadai. particular Freefoke Shadai and Holiden faries communities, especially hostile as a result of the War of the bleeding trees.

Racial Overview

THe Shadai by Israel Rodriguez

Gifts
FLight and Stronglife
Common Potential Gifts
Lifetouch, Sancity, Everlife, Intersight
Potential Primary Magics
Light, Wind, Sky, weapon
Potiential Secondary Magics
Metal, Lightning,white, code,Life
Resistances
 Corruption, Possesion
Weaknesses
 Silvermist, Darcmetal

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Alf

Origin/Ancestry

Alfblood

Lifespan

No Natural ending lifespan do to gift of everlife

Average Height

~6 feet

Average Weight

150-180lb

Average Physique

In general shadai have a lean build that best matches their acrobatic skills and talents. Though Redblood variants and usually more muscular and bigger than their blueblood variant.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Shadai skin tones vary from white to ash black. Typically white skin is more associated with blueblood variation and darker skin is a feature of the reblood variation. Hair also varies in color between white, and black

High Populous Cities
Poenari, Templegrave

Shadai HexASAR by Israel Rodriguez