Humans, but not quite.

"Not human? Course' we are! Were as humn' as can be! Ain't nothin' out there that'd be more humn' thn' us. Sure we ain't all the same, som' us fly, som' us look like animals, som us havin mmmasks for faces, but we're ALL humin." *hic* "Say, stranger. Why are yer eyes glowin blue?"
Least that's what he told me. Guess their books are better sources though. Let me write it down.

Basic Information

Anatomy

For the sake of simplicity, I'll be writin down the basics of the 4 different variants.
The Avenari are essentially humans but with feathers and wings in place of normal arms. Sometimes a beak and bird face but not always. Heh, I always dreamed of flying, but I wouldn't trade my body for it.
The Fjords are pretty close to us, but only some of them. Their basic physical features are nothing to go on about, but their mutations can cause certain parts, or all of their parts to more resemble certain animals, depending on the parent variant. It's as if they mock us with their bodies from birth.
The Strumiliad are bug people, their chitin shells are a vanilla white, and they have cosmic blue compound eyes in place of normal human eyeballs. They have abdomens below their waste line and wings to match. Disgusting, an absolutely revolting perversion of the human body.
The Eveksolute are maroon skinned and hunched. They have long and admittedly fabulous manes, stretching from their head all the way to their backs. Their faces are flat and hard, very mask-like in nature. Some of them even paint and carve their faces. They resemble a red version of that one character from that game my son used to play. Blanka, I think, but much skinnier.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Their naming conventions are rather species based. The Sturmis are usually greek, the Aven are a mix between Spanish and Victorian, the Fjords are rather Scandinavian and the Eveks, well, some of them are called Bob. Not all of them, but some of them are Bobs.

Average Technological Level

These people seem to have attained advanced "hard light" technology since we were below. Their phones seem to run indefinitely and communication seems to be instant, with small physical holograms able to interact with the world around it. Though not very effective as a Kraken killer, it still has a lot of versatility. Maybe we can replace some lantern lights with em.

Common Myths and Legends

Ghosts? They're just a myth, right?
The REAL story is the one of the 4 arcs. As if we never existed.
"Long ago, there were 4 arcs, the Kjeldon, the San Eurlo, the Periargo and the Mighty Malone. Each unique, yet singular in purpose. When they landed, life had sprawled forth."
The text cuts off there, but the stories go something among the lines of "Each branch of man was born from the 4 arcs. Each resembling the arc in which they were born"
It's strange to hear people worship ships of all things, but to each their own I suppose. But we all know there were way more than 4 arcs.
Anyway, here's how the stories usually go after that. "The Aven were once nomads, the San Eurlo first to land. It's resplendent body was of hickory and smoke, it's masts were ivory and sails were fleece. The Aven were almost as beautiful as her. The Periargo was home to all sorts of wonders, not just the Sturmis. It's hull was lined with the finest technologies, it's glass dome home to an entire world within. The Kjeldon was a mighty iron of black. It's pillars smothering the clouds, it's engines churning the ice, it's prow carving the land. It wandered the icy wastes where the Fjords desired family. The Malone, mighty only in deeds. It had survived the worst the cruel Aether winds could throw at it. Blightning storms, 50 foot waves, Patracite claws. It survived, it changed, it adapted, and the Eveks learned to thrive."
Heh, It's been so long since we last sank. We lost track of time. Strange to think about it. Could've been a thousand years, could've been millions. Were not too sure at this point, so much has changed.