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{{Info races
{{Info races
|image = YanarNew.png
|image = B22ac5ff78a7386eb2b8cb1dc6792fb7.png
|pronunciation = Yah-nar
|pronunciation = Yah-nar
|classification = [[Florae]]
|classification = [[Florae]]
|subraces = Human Seedling, Dargan Seedling, Nelfin Seedling, Naylar Seedling, Gorr Seedling, Mer Seedling, Wulong Seedling, Dwarf Seedling
|subraces = None
|nicknames = Plant-People, Children of the Forest, Forestfolk
|nicknames = Plant-People, Children of the Forest, Forestfolk
|languages = [[Modern Elven]], [[Common]]
|languages = [[Modern Elven]], [[Common]]
|naming = Elven
|naming = Elven


|distinction = Estel-worshipping plant-seedling people known for their pacifist nature and fighting against the Void
|distinction = Plant-like Humanoids with a mysterious past and dangerous future
|maxage = No limit, yet they lose memories around 100 years
|maxage = No limit, though the oldest Yanar is around 350 years old
|body = Mostly Lanky or Skinny, but never above Athletic
|body = Varied, depending on Ovalation
|height = Reflects the parent race.
|height = Varied, depending on Ovalation
|weight = Reflects the race they are a seedling of, yet slightly lighter
|weight = Varied, depending on Ovalation
|eye = Dependent upon Seedling.
|eye = Varied, depending on Ovalation
|hair = Dependent upon Seedling.
|hair = Varied, depending on Ovalation
|skin = Dependent upon Seedling.
|skin = Varied, though mostly green tones
|}}
|}}
 
Wandering the forests of [[Daendroc]] and [[Teled Methen]] are the Yanar, a race of plant-like people thought to be the children of nature and the purest of beings to walk the world of Aloria. In truth however, the Yanar are neither of these, and far more enigmatic than their appearance makes them out to be. The Yanar are an artificial race, as they were created by the Elven goddess [[Estel]] during the last decades of the [[Elven Empire]]. Originally perceived to be the heralds of the Goddess, since the disappearance of Estel, both the role of the Yanar on Aloria, and their relation to their creator has become far more complicated. Yanar are often entirely misunderstood: many of their race appears as innocent child-like plant people, or old decrepit bark walkers, yet in reality, they carry far-reaching responsibilities and goals which may yet affect the world in ways none could have ever conceived of.
The Yanar are the embodiment of living nature, an attempt by [[Estel]] herself to create a race of her own in order to balance out the [[Shendar]] who serve the [[Archdemon]]. Yanar are like innocence given form, in that they mean good, peacefully devoting themselves to protecting nature. And yet, Yanar can be corrupted by that which the Shendar have unleashed upon them, a fungal curse that twists and perverts their being into hating everything they made to love and steward. As a relatively young race, Yanar have had trouble identifying themselves as a people, instead of preferring to integrate into other societies.


==Physical Characteristics==
==Physical Characteristics==
Yanar resemble humanoid plant-like beings with two legs, two arms, a torso, and a head. The proportions of a pure Yanar are similar to that of an [[Altalar]], having longer limbs and a more lithe body frame. Yanar do not have hair, rather they have plant like structures that resemble hair; the only thing on them that does not look plantlike are their eyes. All Yanar eyes have a halo ring on the outer edge of their iris with varying colors similar to Altalar and purple or yellow eye whites. One Yanar may have brown eyes, while the next could be blue. Their skin is often a mixture of plantlike materials and hardened surfaces. It is not uncommon for their shoulders or back to grow additional plant like objects, sometimes growing flowers or even fruits. Yanar range from [[Orc]] sized to [[Dwarf]] sized beings, some having additional appendages or looking different depending on their parentage. Perhaps the most unique aspect about Yanar is that they are agender, meaning they aren’t male or female. Yanar are traditionally born with both reproductive organs. Although a Yanar may have a bassy low voice, they might consider themselves female, or similarly, a small thin Yanar with female facial features may actually consider themselves male. Finally, Yanar cannot digest meat.
Yanar have no singular appearance that can be defined to represent their entire race. The Yanar can be as large as [[Orcs]] or as small as [[Dwarves]]; as frail as [[Cielothar]], or as well-built as Avanthar. Their race knows no physical permanence, because they are able to re-shape their own physical appearance as time goes by. Each Yanar can also look radically different depending on which essences they used to shape themselves. The act of consuming Shape Essences from the Ovalyte—a sort of Shape Essence producing gland that Yanar possess—is called Ovalating, which is explained more thoroughly below.


''More on [[Yanar Physical Characteristics]].''
Aside from their commutable appearance, Yanar always retain some themes in common from shape to shape. Generally speaking, their skin consists of a green tone, while their humanoid silhouette is made up of plant-like materials. Where hair would normally sit on top of their head or elsewhere on the body, leaves and other floral plumage exists. This plumage can vary greatly from Yanar to Yanar due to the effects of Ovalating, which also affects their eyes, teeth, body proportions, overall size, [[Body Shape]] and facial structure. Many would describe Yanar as an imitation of other Alorian  races except made of plants, and this is largely true. Yanar after all shape themselves in the resemblance of the other races on Aloria. Curiously, Yanar have no age limit, or at least not one that has been observed. The earliest Yanar were created around 50 BC and have still been found alive to this day, but many new Yanar are born so not all Yanar are ancient. Still, some ancient Yanar exist from back in the days of the Elven Empire and the fall of the [[Nenya]]—personal witnesses to the doom of their beloved mother trees and Estel. That being said, few of these truly ancient Yanar remain as many died during violent conflicts after the collapse of the Elven Empire or the subsequent Ailor encroachment on the forests where they lived.  


==Mental Characteristics==
Internally, Yanar resemble much of the same as other races, They have humanoid-like internal organs that cause them to breathe, digest food, and have a heart beat. Their blood is however of a thicker consistency than for example Ailor blood, and is also dark green as opposed to red. Yanar do not bruise, nor can they break bones (as their bones are far more flexible than Ailor bones) though they are very flammable and intense impact damage can shatter the plant material that their body is made of, meaning they still take heavy damage from high falling distances.  
Yanar are by nature peaceful, organized, and thoughtful. They often spend hours just listening to people, never interjecting, and tend to wait for others to make the first move before deciding on anything. This has caused them to be seen as indecisive, though they prefer to be seen as careful. Yanar often undergo a personal identity crisis early on in their life that does not occur in other races, in which they decide which gender they wish to portray themselves as. Furthermore, Yanar are inquisitive by nature, curious about everything they do not know, but still careful about running into trouble. Additionally, no Yanar has been observed to die of old age yet, implying they could live for really long times. Due to longevity however, their mind usually starts failing at around 100 years, after which a period of rapid worsening memory takes place. After a few months, their maximum memory span may only be 10 years, or in some bad cases only two. When this occurs, most Yanars simply separate themselves from everything else and live isolated in the wild. The memory loss is not absolute however, and some Yanar have found ways around losing their memories by "whispering" them to seeding plants and flowers. The process isn't entirely understood, but ancient Yanar often attach their memories to plants around them before they lose them, and then their memory becomes a garden around their home. Yanars of advanced age usually lose their skill based memories as they can only attach historical memories to plants and flowers, retaining only a basic understanding of whatever magic skill they may have had before they started losing their memory.  


''More on [[Yanar Mental Characteristics]].''
===Yanar Reproduction===
[[File:yanhuman.png|260px|thumb|right|Yanar are adept with any form of plantlife]]
Yanar reproduction is one of the most hotly debated topics among some Yanar-focused scholars, in that they are the only race to (technically) reproduce asexually. Yanar completely lack the sexual organs of both genders, and can in fact not perform intercourse with any other race. They also do not need a partner to produce offspring. A Yanar may, once every year, enter a cycle of rebirth where a flower-like pod may be grown on their back. Every first day of May, Yanar enter a state of so called Rebirth-Will, where they contemplate all they have done in the past year and decide whether they have experienced enough to provide for a child. Ailor often misinterpret this as saying a Yanar should have learned some skill to be able to earn an income to sustain their child, but this is not entirely true. When Yanar enter a cycle of rebirth, they impart the rough experiences, thoughts, and emotions of the past 12 months into the flower-like pod where the child will be born from. Through these experiences, thoughts, and emotions, the personality of the newborn Yanar will shape itself. If a Yanar for example has experienced a lot of death and sorrow, it may choose to reject the cycle of rebirth because the offspring from such experiences is assured to be defeatist, lacking in life-spirit and perpetually sad. If a Yanar has however experienced events of great pride, satisfaction, and communion with their family and friends, a child will be born with ambition, life-lust and social skills.  


==History==
When the Yanar does willingly enter the cycle of rebirth, a small flower will form, usually on their back (though in some cases can also be on the stomach), which will grow over a period of three months. After three months, it is about the same size as the pregnant belly of an Ailor woman. The bearing Yanar will then feel it is ready and enter a state of euphoria before “giving birth” to the child, by sitting down and allowing it to crawl out of the flowery pod, which then wilts and falls off, leaving behind no markings or signs of ever having been there. The child that comes out will, at the time of birth, be a perfect miniature copy of the Yanar that gave birth to them. In physical appearance they will be identical, and in personality, they will take whatever emerges from the experiences the parent had in the past 12 months. A Yanar child grows to an adult within 10 days—the fastest maturing cycle witnessed among any race. They are still rather childish in those first 10 days, but function like proper adults when the period is roughly over, with some latent child-like personality traits present for a few months more. If a Yanar does not Ovalate during the child’s growth (or if the child does not Ovalate after becoming mature), parent and child will essentially be identical. They will look identical to the parent, though often have a very different personality. Most children of Yanar change their appearance very quickly after birth to differentiate themselves from their parent Yanar.
Yanar arrived in 40 BC on the eve of the [[Void invasion]]. Estel again attempted to warn her followers of impending doom. Elven priests of the [[Nenya]] temples watched as the Nenya grew giant flowers as large as full-grown horses. The flowers rapidly wilted, shed their petals, and bore fruit that slowly bent to the floor. The first Yanar burst from them and lay eyes on the world. Elven priests tried to heed the warning these Yanar delivered but could not persuade their leaders.


As the Void Invasion commenced, the Yanar wandered. Estel then bestowed them with the gift of Nenya speech, a magical way to speak to trees and plantlife, and the Yanar used this gift to turn the natural world against the voidlings. However, the Archdemon moved swiftly and the Shendar infiltrated the Nenya temples. On the Night of the Fallen Star, with fire and axe they first cut down the priests and then the trees themselves. Some fled, but most of these colossuses moved too slowly to escape. It is said that the forest itself wept and cried out that night as the trees fell one by one. As the Yanar were tied to the Nenya, they became confused and lost, and when Estel fell, so did the Yanar.
Despite the fact that Yanar do not have sexual organs or genitals, it does not mean that they cannot “make love” to each other, or other races. To Yanar, intercourse takes place on a more spiritual and emotional level than a physical one. When Yanar wish to engage someone in such an act, they gently place their hands under the recipient’s jawline, after which the two will close their eyes and clear their minds. If the recipient is willing, they will experience the Yanar’s affection in their mind and feel in a way that is almost indistinguishable from real physical intercourse. Yanar are, as such, still able to cultivate healthy relations with other races without the need to get very physical. They are often considered very clean lovers as such.  


They wandered the land for nearly 200 years, diminishing in number, existing in a fog-like uncertainty, and becoming merely a fable to Humans. Yet as magic slowly returned, so did the Yanar return to their senses and their original mission. Perceiving them as a threat, Shendar pursued a solution and were blessed with the fungal curse, the [[Dulofall]]. Many Yanar succumbed to the corruption. Presently, they persist as caretakers of nature, but they do so as part of the [[Ailor]], Elven, and [[Varran]] populations.  
===Yanar Ovalytes===
[[File:yanhold.png|260px|thumb|right|Age also has an effect on Ovalating, often resulting in bark-like tough skin which can be reverted with younger Shape Essence.]]
Yanar Ovalytes are a Shape Essence producing gland located underneath their tongue, which take the form of small tubes that excrete Shape Essences instead of saliva. Shape Essences act as a natural saliva and do not have any effects on the Yanar as long as they are not Ovalating: the process of imprinting the Shape Essence with the appearance of another humanoid race. When Yanar Ovalate (which can only be done on command, they cannot do it accidently), their fingertips begin to wetten in a manner similar to sweating, though Yanar do not actually have sweat glands nor can they naturally sweat. Instead, their fingertips are coated in a slightly sticky resin that feels rough when applied to another person’s skin, but not alarmingly so. When this resin scrapes the bare skin of another person, it harvests the Shape Flux of that person, which travels through the Yanar’s bloodstream to the Ovalyte, where Shape Essence is produced from a particular individual. The Yanar may then choose to swallow the Shape Essence, or to spit it out in a container where it can either be stored, or curiously enough, given to other Yanar for consumption. When Shape Essence finds itself outside the mouth of a Yanar, it hardens and takes on the taste of sweet candy.  


''More on [[Yanar History]]''
When a Yanar consumes the Shape Essence of another race (Yanar can in fact not produce Shape Essence from other Yanar) they will slowly start changing their bodily make-up to resemble the template of the Shape Flux more. For example, a short stature frail Yanar that consumes the Shape Essence of a large muscular Orc will experience muscular growth and height growth, while a flat-chested male-appearing Yanar consuming the Shape Essence of a Varran Female may slowly procure female hips, facial structure, and plumage that resembles Varran fur on their body. Yanar don’t have a gender, so when consuming the Shape Essence of a male or female, they simply produce body aspects of said gender without any particular tilting point of when they become female or male.


==Society==
Shape Essence changes are not instant. They are gradual and slow, and may take up to 24 hours to manifest fully. Furthermore, Shape Essence changes are mostly cosmetic beyond teeth and musculature, while consuming the Essence of for example a Maiar may grow a tail, it does not give the Yanar Maiar-like abilities like fast swimming and underwater breathing. The same applies to internal Orc Organs and Varran eye-sight. The process is painless, though it can be alarming to Yanar who have never experienced it before or rarely do. A single session of Shape Essence consumption is not sufficient to make a Yanar completely morph their body. Seven or eight Shape Essence consumption sessions are necessary to completely change a Yanar to an eerily similar plant-like replica of the Shape Flux template, assuming they kept consuming the Shape Essence produced by the same person. It is thus possible to mediate between multiple people by switching between them each time Shape Essence is consumed, eventually resulting in a unique appearance that does not fully resemble any of the templates.
Yanar don’t necessarily have a society of their own—they simply integrate with other societies. Perhaps a more accurate way of describing it is that they attach themselves to other groups of people, invited or not, and simply tend to the plant life around that group. They eventually assimilate into that group and adopt whatever culture they have.


''More on [[Yanar Society]].''
Shape Essence consumption does not have any effects on other races, it simply tastes like sweet candy to them. That being said, Shape Essence has been strongly hinted to have some potent alchemical uses. Most curiously of all, when a Yanar’s mouth is filled with the Shape Essence of a specific person, and their lips make physical contact with the original Shape Flux template, this kiss experienced will be intoxicating and incredibly pleasing. This is an ironic showcase of vanity where the Shape Flux template is essentially bombarded with feelings of self-lust while they aren’t aware of it.  


===Politics===
==Mental Characteristics==
Yanar politics do not formally exist as all Yanar are naturally submissive and don’t group together, preferring living among other races. If one takes the past into consideration, Yanar lived in an effective monarchy, with Estel as their head and the Nenya trees as their aristocracy. This in itself caused them to be paralyzed when away from their purpose for nearly 200 years, similarly to how the [[Regalian Empire]]would collapse if all nobility died overnight.
[[File:yanangry.png|260px|thumb|right|Yanar one of the more peaceful races, but capable of just as much anger and violence as the others when they need to.]]
 
Yanar personalities, much like their physical appearance, are never truly set in stone. Yanar receive a certain codified personality upon their birth, but through experiences and feelings these personalities can change over the years. Furthermore, Yanar have two ways to influence their personality both permanently and temporarily. The main means of permanent personality change is through the process of Mind Tranquility, an act where a Yanar (during Yanar “love making) may accept the mind perceptions and emotional experiences of the other person. This does not transfer thoughts or memories, but rather the strong emotions that were tied to it; for example a feeling of intense loss and betrayal over a divorce, or happiness and satisfaction over a child. These can, if the Yanar permitted the Mind Tranquility to take place, seep into their personality and change it quite forcibly.
''More on [[Yanar Politics]].''


===Culture===
Another method to temporarily change a Yanar’s personality or mood is through the act of Bond Sharing. Bond Sharing is a mental ability that all Yanar possess, to be able to speak in a telepathic language with each other through touch. Additionally, while Bond Sharing is ongoing, all Yanar participating may choose to open their feelings to each other. In such a situation, a single Yanar may share a specific emotion with others through touch, which can have varying effects. For a Yanar who has experienced an extremely traumatic event, this can be very beneficial. By using a Bond Sharing to share this thought, the other Yanar that participate will use their own emotions to share the burden with the sharer, which gives the Yanar participating an intense feeling of consolation and a feeling of belonging. Alternatively, a Yanar can also share the immense pride and satisfaction of a child succeeding, which gives the other Yanar joyous feelings of happiness, at the cost of giving it away by the sharer. Bond Sharings have no limit. Two, Seven, or even Ten Yanar can all hold hands and participate in a Bond Sharing through each other as long as they are connected with each other. Speaking in such a Bond Sharing is not instant, it goes at about the same speed as normal speech, though simply occurs in the minds of those participating. There is one negative side-effect to Bond Sharing however, which is the temporary personality lingering. Even though sharing a traumatic experience helps the person who suffered it, it also imparts their sadness in part to the other Yanar. Similarly, if a Yanar tricks other Yanar into a Bond Sharing with hostile intentions, they could transfer intense feelings of hatred and violence to the others, causing them to potentially all erupt in a massive brawl.  
Yanar don’t have their own culture. They adopt the culture of whatever group they attach themselves, be it Varran, Elven, or Human. However, they do have common trends that resemble a form of culture. Their love for flowers results in flowers often being central in their clothing or close to where they live. Their houses are often overgrown with plants. Additionally, they prefer herbal and nature tending occupations over other physical labor. They also all share their general pacifist nature, meaning they do not engage in warfare.  


''More on [[Yanar Culture]].''
Bond Sharing can also be used on non-sentient plants such as flowers, bushes, herbs, and even trees. When Bond Sharing with a plant, Yanar may “sing” through their mind to the plant with a telepathic melody. While performing this singing (often called Evergrowth), the plant matter they are Bonding with will experience rapid growth, to the point where smaller plants will grow visually as if weeks is passing (though the rate is much slower with trees). This is usually why Yanar houses are overgrown with plants and vines, as they are able to rapidly grow a garden around themselves almost anywhere as long as water and good soil is present. These Gardens are especially important for Yanar, because they tend to be the central locations where so called Yanar Colonies form. Yanar Colonies are explained more thoroughly in the Society Section.


===Religion===
==History==
Yanars exclusively worship Estel still, in the same way as the Elves did before the [[Cataclysm]]. Additionally, the Yanar pray to the eight [[Elven Pantheon#Virtues|Virtues]] in the hope that they will restore Estel to the throne of nature. However, Yanar aren't prone to one single form of worship when praying to the Pantheon, instead choosing whichever cultural inclination for worship of an Arken which they find appropriate. For instance, a Yanar who worships Serenity might prefer the Cielothars' means of praising the Virtue over an Altalar's.
[[File:yanorcmongkey.png|260px|thumb|right|Some Yanar look wildly different from the more humanoid ones when they use Shape Essence from Orcs or Maiar.]]
The Yanar first arrived in 40 BC on the eve of the [[Void invasion]], when Estel again attempted to warn her followers of impending doom from the Demons. Elven priests of the [[Nenya]] temples watched as the colossal trees grew giant flowers as large as full-grown horses. The flowers rapidly wilted, shed their petals, and bore fruit that slowly bent to the floor; It was from these fruits that the first Yanar burst forth and lay eyes on the world. Elven priests tried to heed the warning that these Yanar delivered, but ultimately could not persuade their leaders to take action, largely due to the heightened arrogance of the hedonistic Elven Empire.


''More on [[Faith of Estel|Yanar Religion]].''
As the Void Invasion commenced, the Yanar wandered in search of safety from the threat that they sought to prevent. Estel then bestowed them with gifts of plants and life, and the Yanar used this gift to turn the natural world against the Voidlings in the form of protective Colony Gardens. However, the Archdemon moved swiftly, and the [[Shendar]] infiltrated the Nenya temples beyond the Yanar’s reach. On the [[Night of the Fallen Star]], with fire and axe they first cut down the priests, and then the trees themselves. Some fled, but most of these colossuses moved too slowly to escape. It is said that the forest itself wept and cried out that night as the trees fell one by one. As the Yanar were tied to the Nenya, they became confused and lost, and when Estel fell, so did the Yanar. Many died, but many more disappeared into the forests.


===Economy and Technology===
The mysterious plant-like race wandered the land for nearly 200 years, diminishing in number, existing in a fog-like uncertainty, and becoming merely a fable to Humans. Yet as magic slowly returned, so too did the Yanar return to their senses and their original mission, seeking to protect the plantlife and warn of coming travesties. Perceiving them as a threat, the Shendar soon pursued a solution and were blessed with the fungal curse, the [[Dulofall]]. Many Yanar succumbed to this corruption, unable to prevent the fungus from contorting their being into the very thing they sought to protect against, and the Dulofall soon became a feared affliction of the Yanar. Presently, they persist as caretakers of nature, but they do so as part of the [[Ailor]], Elven, and [[Varran]] populations, while encapsulated in their own Yanar Colonies. Beyond their introduction, Yanar history is short and unremarkable, and this is largely because their race is very much about individualism as opposed to the grand achievements of their race as a whole. Yanar only serve as a footnote in the history books of others, though due to longevity, individuals could have impacted many centuries of history among other races.
Yanars do not have an effective economy and possess no technology at all. They do not value currency and otherwise only handle it out of pure necessity rather than actual desire to gather wealth. They will use their money to buy plants and other materials they need to tend to their gardens or the forests around them and may sell the tended plants or products carefully extracted from the plantlife to afford their purchases. Whatever technology they handle is often just from the people they follow around. Yanar prefer to work with Magic, Nenya speech in particular, where they use a magical flow of Exist energy to communicate with the plants around them. Every Yanar has the basic ability to use Nenya speech, but not all can to the same degree, though they have lost their ability to instruct and otherwise command plantlife. This ability is normally learned around the age of 15, the same time the Yanar decides upon what gender they will portray the rest of their life.


''More on [[Yanar Economy and Technology]].''
==Society==
Yanar have a natural urge to gravitate towards each other, not only for security but also for community and belonging. They do not have any structural hierarchy, but often choose the largest or most pleasant garden of a member Yanar as their main Colony Garden, though they may have more than one Colony Garden surrounding it. Inside these Colony Gardens, Yanar presence gives life to the Soul Essence within the plant life around them. This gives the Soul Essence temporary sentience and a physical shape as so-called Solur Companions, that dance and play around the garden with both with each other and the Yanar. Solur Companions offer a last line of defense inside a Colony Garden, catapulting themselves at unwanted invaders and poofing out of existence with a puff of vile-smelling yellow smoke that makes anyone caught in it retch. Solur Companions do not have true intelligence, but play around with each other in a childlike manner, playing tag and pulling at various body parts or clothes a Yanar has, despite the fact that they are only fist-sized.  


''More on [[Evergrowth Magic#Nenya Speech|Nenya Speech]].''
===Politics===
[[File:yanorcola.png|260px|thumb|right|Some Yanar look rediculous, even after using the Shape Essence of an intimidating person due to their flower plumage.]]
Yanar don’t have a formal concept of politics, largely because their psyche is often in flux, and because longevity makes appointing rulers very difficult for longer periods of time. Yanar have the concept of trust investment, where an individual or group of Yanar (or even a non-Yanar) may simply enjoy the silent approval of the other Yanar to speak in their name or act in their best interest. This concept is never really spoken out loud, but heavily implied when a Yanar suggests an equal individual to deal with the group’s issues and no-one else speaks up about it. Yanar don’t really have power struggles like Ailor society does, though some cases contention can occur where a Yanar’s personality changes within the group, resulting in an urge or ambition for power, which can sometimes cause a power struggle. Yanar often have a difficult time accepting rule from a person who thinks they deserve it, as opposed to a person who was silently and passively appointed to the position out of comfort of the others. That all being said, Yanar are incredibly flexible when it comes to adapting to existing hierarchies in other states, as they generally wish to thrive wherever they can, while paying homage to the order of things wherever they integrate.  


===Combat and Warfare===
===Culture===
Yanars do not engage in combat or warfare due to their pacifist nature. In ages past, they did ride large plant formed beasts into combat, but they never directly inflicted harm, simply telling the plants to do it for them.  
[[File:Companion222.png|260px|thumb|right|Solur Companions are adored even by non-Yanar for their cute child-like demeanor.]]
Yanar culture mostly breeds out of the idea of sharing a communion, a theme that perpetuates itself throughout all their ideologies and actions. The easiest way this can be observed is in the charitable nature of Yanar towards each other, freely sharing resources, food and clothes. Private property rarely exists among the race, and when it does, it is often for a very specific reason: for example, a Yanar may hold onto an item when they know the others won’t understand its purpose, or won’t respect its purpose. Aside from their own sharing notions, Yanar are also charitable to other races, Cielothar in particular. In many ways they adopt Cielothar principles and cultural notions, mostly related to their clothing and jewelry, but also life views in general. That being said, Yanar are able to physically and mentally alter themselves to supplant the need for the Avanthar-Cielothar symbiotic relationship, thus creating their own protector class Yanar to ensure that the race as a whole does not become co-dependent on another species. This does however often create a clear distinction between Yanar that are part of the collective for protection, and Yanar who protect the collective. Physical difference can also be extreme, ranging from more childlike Cielothar-like Yanar who provide the food, and tall, broad Orc-like Yanar which protect the Yanar Colony from outside attacks.  


''More on [[Yanar Combat and Warfare]].''
Yanar do not have traditional marital unions like Ailor or Altalar do. Yanar cannot conceive a child together, which often leaves them with a sense of emptiness or non fulfillment while sharing a life. Yanar marry in much the same manner as Cielothar do, and are inherently monogamous—though outlying cases have been known to showcase polygamy or partner swapping, particularly because of the age of Yanar. Between a Yanar and non-Yanar married couple, Ovalating usually solves the problem of not being able to conceive a child together, as Ovalating takes the essence from both parents. For two Yanar who are married however, such options aren’t available since Ovalating does not work with other Yanar. Yanar who are married together have, as such, found another way to reach this specific satisfaction of offspring that belongs to both of them: the practice of Graftalation.


==Subraces==
Graftalation uses much of the same mechanics as Ovalating, but uses a surrogate tree and the Shape Essence of both Yanar. While the Shape Essence itself does not contain anything useful for another Yanar, when a tree fruit is covered with the Shape Essence of two Yanar that is properly mixed, the fruit will slowly change into a Yanar Fruitling over the course of three days. The base fruit can be anything from an apple, to an orange, or even a banana. Then after about a month, the Yanar Fruitling will hatch and create a Yanil: an organism not quite a Yanar, though not quite too different either. A Yanil is much like a Yanar in that it is a plant-like re-interpretation of another living creature, except that it is not a humanoid. The best way to describe it, is to liken a Yanil to a semi-sentient domestic animal. They are unable to speak, but have heightened intelligence to the point where they can have a distinct personality and develop memories, a clearcut persona mixture between both parent Yanar in fact. They have a strong connection to the parent Yanar, and while others might see them as domestic animals since they are often quadruped creatures, Yanar often treat them as if they are their own children in their 10 year life span. Yanil appearance strongly depends on the fruit type used to create the Yanil, below is a list of possible outcomes.
Yanar reproduction is peculiar in that they are able to reproduce with anyone from any sentient race. Through a practice that is more ritualistic in nature than it is intercourse, the Yanar retrieve genetic information and create a seedling. The information they retrieve must be liquid. Enough saliva, blood, or other bodily liquids to fill a strawberry will suffice. A part of them will absorb the material and, over the span of a couple days, form into a small berry (reminiscent of a strawberry). This seedling is then attached to a tree, where it will mature over the period of a month before the child Yanar is born. Uniquely to the race of the non-Yanar parent, the seedling may have different characteristics. Yanar are not able to reproduce with those of their own kind, resulting in the largest population of Yanar being the product of a Yanar and an Elf. This is considered the standard, default Yanar, and everything else deviates from it. When a child is born, their Yanar-parent's seedling makes no difference. Only the other race will dictate the kind of seedling they become.
* Apple, results in a hedgehog-like Yanil, though the spikes are soft and flowery
* Apricot, results in a rat or rodent-like Yanil
* Banana, results in a small primate-like Yanil with long arms
* Cherry, results in a songbird-like Yanil
* Fig, results in a rabbit-like Yanil
* Bundle of Grapes, results in a small woolly sheep-like Yanil
* Melon, results in a small (goat sized) pony-like Yanil
* Lemon, results in a cat-like Yanil
* Mango, results in a fox-like Yanil
* Olive Branch, results in a snake-like Yanil
* Orange, results in a small dog-like Yanil
* Pear, results in a pygmy pig-like Yanil
* Pineapple, results in a small loud bleating goat-like Yanil
* Pumpkin, results in a small lamb-like Yanil
* Strawberry, results in a guinea Pig-like Yanil
* Grapefruit, results in a ferret-like Yanil


'''If a seedling doesn't specify a certain trait, assume it's the default mentioned in mental or physical characteristics above.'''
Creating a Yanil is not a practice solely limited to married Yanar. Close friends often create a Yanil as well to give a physical representation of their friendship, but also because it strengthens the bond between them. It is technically possible to include a non-Yanar as well by having both parents Ovalate with the Shape Essence of a non-Yanar, though this is often frowned upon, particularly because the concept of a Fruitling is considered a holy tradition that has religious sentiment, and should remain a Yanar-only activity. Yanil creation is also in many ways a very communal thing. Yanar are able to graft fruits on trees, even when they technically aren’t fruit bearing trees, to the point that a Yanil may grow from the tree’s nutrients. This results in the creation of so-called Yanassil: large trees upon which Yanar couples and friends graft their Fruitlings in large numbers. These trees thus stand, filled with a wild variety of fruit and Fruitlings, and become a central location for Yanar religious worship of the Fated Faith.
{{Racetable
|ailor  =
*Similar physical proportions to [[Ailor]].
*Ailor seedlings often have nothing semblant of hair, but a smooth, bald head instead. Designs, comparable to henna or tattoos, cover the head and are reminiscent of art or patterns from the culture in which they grew up. [[Daendroquin]] seedlings might have designs similar to the diverse plant life of the continent, while coastal seedlings might find patterns reminiscent of water and waves around their heads.
*Has the ability to blend in with Ailor, turning all non-leaf/flower/bark patches of the skin (or body surface that would normally pass for skin) to the regular Ailor skintone at will (and can also change back at will) and turning the eyes into regular Ailor eyes, to blend in more. All leaf and flower growths will remain the same color and positioned where they are however.


|chien  =
===Religion===
*Similar physical proportions to [[Ch’ien-ji]].
[[File:YanarNew.png|260px|thumb|right|Yanar can also look younger when they use the Shape Essence of Lampar and Cielothar in particular, or Ailor children.]]
*Ch’ien-ji seedlings often have nothing semblant of hair, but a smooth, bald head instead. Designs, comparable to henna or tattoos, cover the head and are reminiscent of art or patterns from the culture in which they grew up. Ch’ien-ji seedlings from [[Yang-Tzu]] often have straight or jagged lines to imitate the plant life or mountains.
Religion among the Yanar is difficult to understand to outsiders, even more so to the Elven races. In essence, the religion—which is named the Fated Faith—is based on the creation of the Yanar by Estel, but the Yanar do not recognize Estel as their highest being. The Yanar believe that foremostly, the Nenya are their guides and protectors: prophets of the words and laws of Estel. These words and laws are also rather complex to explain, they are not a certain set of codified laws like “Do not steal” and “Do not murder”, they are simply the general understanding that Yanar were created with a purpose, and that purpose itself is commutable to the situation and global threat at hand. For example, during the days of the Demon Invasion, Yanar were messengers who warned of the impending fall of the Elven Empire. When the actual invasion occurred, many Yanar switched their needs to protectors, while centuries later when Ailor wars occurred, they took on a more healing and caretaking role, before turning more militaristic again when the [[Bone Horror invasion]] happened. Yanar religion as such dictates a world view where the greatest risk to all life (though more specifically all plant/animal life in nature) must be assessed, and combatted to the best of their abilities. The Nenya are their prophets, Estel is their creator, but neither are really their gods, or origins.
*Can cast magic twice as fast under direct moonlight.


|qadir  =
The Yanar believe the highest power in their spiritual faith is the Fated Ones. Who exactly the Fated Ones are is not entirely clear since no Yanar has ever really been able to write a long thesis on it before being contradicted by another group of Yanar. The truth is that Yanar were never truly told or informed of what the Fated Ones were by the Nenya or Estel before they disappeared from Aloria, though the Yanar continue to pay homage to the Fated Ones to this day. It is said that the Fated Ones created Estel, who in turn created Nenya, meaning that the origin of all things for the Yanar is the Fated Ones. They believe the Fated Ones lived in an ascended state of communion with Aloria itself; a symbiotic relation with the world where their thoughts and feelings carried far and wide through nature, and mixed with others who were equally connected. The Fated Ones were said to have fallen at the hands of corruption, though again, what this corruption was has never been fully explained. The Yanar simply believe themselves to be the protectors that the Fated Ones wished for in their hour of need, thus continuing to see them both as gods and masters worthy of praise and homage, though they equally praise Estel as their lesser creator, thus allowing them to interface with [[Faith of Estel]] worship in a lesser degree.
*Similar physical proportions to [[Qadir]].
*Qadir seedlings often have nothing semblant of hair, but a smooth, bald head instead. Designs, comparable to henna or tattoos, cover the head and are reminiscent of art or patterns from the culture in which they grew up. Qadir seedlings from [[Faradh]], [[Farah’deen]], or [[Solangeria]] often have tribal patterns.
*Have hawkishly sharp vision, being able to see with great detail twice as far as regular Yanar.


|dwarf    =
Yanar worship frequently takes place around a Yanassil, large Fruitling trees that Yanar use to breed their Yanils. These worships usually involve communal feasting, drinking, dancing and praying. Yanar do not engage in sacrifices or offerings of any kind, since they believe the will of the Fated Ones is engrained in all things natural, and as such, offering food as a sacrifice would be like offering a god a piece of themselves. That being said, some twisted and warped Dulofall Yanar have been known to engage in sacrifices of other races. They see the lesser races as corrupted beings who maligned the Fated Ones and brought the ugly reality of dominance over nature into the world, perpetuating it. Yanar do not have priests or oracles. Religion to them is practiced communally, by all equally.
*Similar physical proportions to [[Dwarves]].
*A large mushroom cap grows atop their head, covering their face like a sun hat.
*Powder is often released by these mushroom caps that cause drowsiness when someone in a two-foot range inhales them. Collecting and consuming the powder has the same effect.


|wulong  =
Many Scholars have speculated that the Fated Ones are actually the [[Seraph]] Civilization since many of the hints point in their direction, though a clear cut conclusion has never been found, purely because many contradictions exist also. Most notably in the fact that the Seraph dominated nature, they did not live in harmony with it. Some other Scholars yet insist that it might have been a civilization that came before the Seraph or after, or that traditional understandings of the Seraph are far too limited because of the lack of historical records on a civilization that died seven thousand years ago.  
*Similar physical proportions to [[Wulong]].
*Typically walk on all fours.
*A sticky sap comes from their hands and feet, allowing them limited climbing abilities. They can slowly scale vertical surfaces, but cannot hang from ceilings unless there were a beam or something comparable. They can remain off the ground for up to two minutes before they tire out.
*Vines wrap around their body and arms. While these vines are rumored to give them climbing abilities, they don’t move of their own free will, nor can they be shot from the seedling.


|altalar  =
==Trivia==
*Standard Yanar are [[Altalar]] seedlings.
* Yanar don’t formally have a gender either mentally or physically, though often choose a preferred gender and ask others to use the right pronouns, just for practicality sake. Yanar often struggle with the concept of self identity since their personality is a substrate of another, and their gender does not present itself as traditionally as among other races.  
*Similar physical proportions to Altalar.
* There is such a concept as excess-Ovalating. In some cases if a Yanar consumes the Shape Essence of one particular race many times over a short period of time, even their normally green skin-tone may change to something resembling the Shape Template more. This can even go as far as turning the skin greenish pink or pinkish green.  
*Plant-like growths blooming from head, instead of hair.
* Despite Yanar not having a gender, Yanar marriages are often between Yanar who believe themselves to be more female and a Yanar who believe themselves more male. While same sex-belief Yanar marriages exist, they are rare. It is not known why this occurs naturally.
*Skin is a coating of bark and growths instead of animalistic skin.
* Yanar, to conventional understanding through [[Soul Magic]], don’t have a soul. When they die, Soul Essence does not dissipate, nor can it be removed from them, though they can be Demonically Possessed. It is not known why this occurs, but some Scholars have speculated it is because what passes for their souls are made up of recycled Soul Essence in nature.
 
* A small Unionist converted or Unionist-minded cult of Yanar exists that are absolutely desperate to procure Shape Essence produced from the Emperor of the Regalian Empire, and would pay handsomely to anyone able to procure and store it.  
|isldar  =
*White and pink colorings.
*Plumage is similar to colder-weather plants. Pine needles, mistletoe, holly, berries, etc.
*[[Isldar]] seedlings do not feel cold. While cold will physically affect them, they may not be aware of it. An Isldar seedling’s finger could freeze off, and they’d be unaffected by the chill and more by the missing finger.
*Can speak Wyrm tongue, the language of the Dragons.
 
|shendar =
*Black-colored mold grows in patches around the body.
*Blood has same effect on vampires as regular [[Shendar]] blood does.
*Orange-sized, rose thorns grow on the outside of their elbows, while regular-sized, thorns grow on each knuckle.


|drowdar =
*Blue and purple colorings.
*Immune to nonphysical magic, but cannot cast magic.
|varran  =
*Similar physical proportions to [[Varran]].
*Strong affinity for garnishes, such as parsley, oregano… and catnip.
*Anyone who consumes their plant-like parts undergo similar effects as catnip for felines.
*Low-light vision.
*Four arms -- two sprouting from the abdomen.
|ur      =
*Similar physical proportions to [[Ur]].
*Plumage grows thick, imitating fur as closely as possible and providing additional warmth in colder environments.
*Need consistent preening or their plumage will become overgrown and cause serious hindrance.
*Four arms -- two sprouting from the abdomen.
|allar  =
*Similar physical proportions to [[Allar]].
*Leaves cover the body, reminiscent of scales.
*Growths grow out of the temples -- either wooden antlers, or thorny growths and horns.
*Allar seedlings are immune to [[alchemy]] with mental effects or effects on the brain (including alcohol). Physical effectors (like acid) still work.
*Allar seedlings are immune to all diseases except [[Essiphaule]].
|dakkar  =
*Similar physical proportions to [[Dakkar]].
*[[Minerals|Chrysfaliyete]] grows about their body. It’s painful to remove, but will eventually regrow to make a crystalline formation.
*When broken off and ground to powder, these formations have the same properties as Chrysfaliyete: They can cause hallucinations and act as a highly efficient fertilizer capable of maturing most plants in days.
|slizzar =
*Similar physical proportions to [[Slizzar]].
*Slizzar seedlings emit pleasant, natural smells based on their environment. Wherever they are, they’ll emit subtle scents that fit well with their surroundings.
*Slizzar seedling plumage change color based on their mood.
*Instead of a tail, a mass of reeds or vines fall elegantly from where a tail would be (like the train of a gown). These have very limited movability (like Slizzar hair) but are also malleable. A slizzar could walk backwards and it’d inch off the ground so they didn’t step on it, but they could also scoop it over their arm like they would a train of a gown. To accompany this, they also have vines that come out of their head, reminiscent of Slizzar hair.
:{{Scolors}}
|mekett  =
*Mantle around neck, made of moss and fungus.
*Hollow bones.
*Red vines stretching from the head, like [[Circci]] hair.
*Wings that resemble maple leaves grow from the back, either allowing very limited flight, or gliding. Flight can reach up to 10-15 feet from the ground, and can only be sustained for up to a minute before they reach exhaustion.
|lampar  =
*Sizes range between a house cat and a goat.
*[[Lampar]] seedlings only need 3 hours of sleep a night, giving them much more free time.
*Lampar seedlings emit pleasant smells when happy, making them a great housepet/houseplant if they’re cared for properly.
*Can resemble large flowers (where the petals grow around their face and leaves up their body), weeds (prickly plant parts about the body), or bushes (imagine a small, walking shrub).
|rashaq  =
*Similar physical proportions to [[Rashaq]].
*Flowers grow in a ring around the head, like a flower crown.
*Excellent ability to disguise. Coloration and texture of their plant parts will change if they’re near another plant to imitate it as closely as possible, though the shapes and sizes of their plant parts do not change.
|orc    =
*Similar physical proportions to [[Orc]]s.
*Large bulky arms with sharp wooden fingers.
*Produced saliva that when ingested, sends a person into a rage.
*Incapable of casting any kind of magic.
*Can telepathically communicate with canine creatures and races by touch.
|maiar  =
*Similar physical proportions to [[Dwarves]].
*Seaweed tendrils grow in place of hair, and can reach down to the feet.
*Can exist underwater or above water without problems.
*Has a single wooden horn upon the head that may be shaped by [[Maiar|Evolutionary Physiology]]. Hostile environments can make it sharper, et cetera.
*Teeth can be shaped by Evolutionary Physiology. Teeth sharpen if the Yanar's diet consists of tougher materials, and grow more blunt with softer foods, et cetera.
}}
==Trivia==
*Sometimes when many Yanar gather in a small area, they all use the same tree to “hang” their seedlings in. One such tree was accidentally set on fire once in [[Daenshore]], resulting in the immediate death of 212 unborn seedlings, an event called “the little falling star night”.
*Many people incorrectly believe that bark giants are Yanar, while they are not. Bark giants are often Nenyarina mages creating an unliving object, resembling a living beast.
*Not all Yanar decide on a gender, which usually happens before the age of 15. Some Yanar have been known to go through life simply referred to as “it” or "they."
{{Races}}
{{Races}}
{{Accreditation
{{Accreditation
|Writers = MonMarty, Ryciera
|Artists = MonMarty
|Artists = MonMarty
|Processors = Levers, Shayin, Plecy, 0romir, Jared4242
|Writers = MonMarty
|Processors = Eccetra
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[[category:races]] [[category:Florae]] [[category:Florae Races]]
[[Category:Races]] [[category:Florae]] [[category:Florae Races]]

Revision as of 00:15, 12 September 2017

Yanar
Race
PronunciationYah-nar
ClassificationFlorae
SubracesNone
Common NicknamesPlant-People, Children of the Forest, Forestfolk
LanguagesModern Elven, Common
Naming CustomsElven
Racial Traits
DistinctionsPlant-like Humanoids with a mysterious past and dangerous future
Maximum AgeNo limit, though the oldest Yanar is around 350 years old
Body TypesVaried, depending on Ovalation
HeightVaried, depending on Ovalation
WeightVaried, depending on Ovalation
Eye ColorsVaried, depending on Ovalation
Hair ColorsVaried, depending on Ovalation
Skin TonesVaried, though mostly green tones

Wandering the forests of Daendroc and Teled Methen are the Yanar, a race of plant-like people thought to be the children of nature and the purest of beings to walk the world of Aloria. In truth however, the Yanar are neither of these, and far more enigmatic than their appearance makes them out to be. The Yanar are an artificial race, as they were created by the Elven goddess Estel during the last decades of the Elven Empire. Originally perceived to be the heralds of the Goddess, since the disappearance of Estel, both the role of the Yanar on Aloria, and their relation to their creator has become far more complicated. Yanar are often entirely misunderstood: many of their race appears as innocent child-like plant people, or old decrepit bark walkers, yet in reality, they carry far-reaching responsibilities and goals which may yet affect the world in ways none could have ever conceived of.

Physical Characteristics

Yanar have no singular appearance that can be defined to represent their entire race. The Yanar can be as large as Orcs or as small as Dwarves; as frail as Cielothar, or as well-built as Avanthar. Their race knows no physical permanence, because they are able to re-shape their own physical appearance as time goes by. Each Yanar can also look radically different depending on which essences they used to shape themselves. The act of consuming Shape Essences from the Ovalyte—a sort of Shape Essence producing gland that Yanar possess—is called Ovalating, which is explained more thoroughly below.

Aside from their commutable appearance, Yanar always retain some themes in common from shape to shape. Generally speaking, their skin consists of a green tone, while their humanoid silhouette is made up of plant-like materials. Where hair would normally sit on top of their head or elsewhere on the body, leaves and other floral plumage exists. This plumage can vary greatly from Yanar to Yanar due to the effects of Ovalating, which also affects their eyes, teeth, body proportions, overall size, Body Shape and facial structure. Many would describe Yanar as an imitation of other Alorian races except made of plants, and this is largely true. Yanar after all shape themselves in the resemblance of the other races on Aloria. Curiously, Yanar have no age limit, or at least not one that has been observed. The earliest Yanar were created around 50 BC and have still been found alive to this day, but many new Yanar are born so not all Yanar are ancient. Still, some ancient Yanar exist from back in the days of the Elven Empire and the fall of the Nenya—personal witnesses to the doom of their beloved mother trees and Estel. That being said, few of these truly ancient Yanar remain as many died during violent conflicts after the collapse of the Elven Empire or the subsequent Ailor encroachment on the forests where they lived.

Internally, Yanar resemble much of the same as other races, They have humanoid-like internal organs that cause them to breathe, digest food, and have a heart beat. Their blood is however of a thicker consistency than for example Ailor blood, and is also dark green as opposed to red. Yanar do not bruise, nor can they break bones (as their bones are far more flexible than Ailor bones) though they are very flammable and intense impact damage can shatter the plant material that their body is made of, meaning they still take heavy damage from high falling distances.

Yanar Reproduction

Yanar are adept with any form of plantlife

Yanar reproduction is one of the most hotly debated topics among some Yanar-focused scholars, in that they are the only race to (technically) reproduce asexually. Yanar completely lack the sexual organs of both genders, and can in fact not perform intercourse with any other race. They also do not need a partner to produce offspring. A Yanar may, once every year, enter a cycle of rebirth where a flower-like pod may be grown on their back. Every first day of May, Yanar enter a state of so called Rebirth-Will, where they contemplate all they have done in the past year and decide whether they have experienced enough to provide for a child. Ailor often misinterpret this as saying a Yanar should have learned some skill to be able to earn an income to sustain their child, but this is not entirely true. When Yanar enter a cycle of rebirth, they impart the rough experiences, thoughts, and emotions of the past 12 months into the flower-like pod where the child will be born from. Through these experiences, thoughts, and emotions, the personality of the newborn Yanar will shape itself. If a Yanar for example has experienced a lot of death and sorrow, it may choose to reject the cycle of rebirth because the offspring from such experiences is assured to be defeatist, lacking in life-spirit and perpetually sad. If a Yanar has however experienced events of great pride, satisfaction, and communion with their family and friends, a child will be born with ambition, life-lust and social skills.

When the Yanar does willingly enter the cycle of rebirth, a small flower will form, usually on their back (though in some cases can also be on the stomach), which will grow over a period of three months. After three months, it is about the same size as the pregnant belly of an Ailor woman. The bearing Yanar will then feel it is ready and enter a state of euphoria before “giving birth” to the child, by sitting down and allowing it to crawl out of the flowery pod, which then wilts and falls off, leaving behind no markings or signs of ever having been there. The child that comes out will, at the time of birth, be a perfect miniature copy of the Yanar that gave birth to them. In physical appearance they will be identical, and in personality, they will take whatever emerges from the experiences the parent had in the past 12 months. A Yanar child grows to an adult within 10 days—the fastest maturing cycle witnessed among any race. They are still rather childish in those first 10 days, but function like proper adults when the period is roughly over, with some latent child-like personality traits present for a few months more. If a Yanar does not Ovalate during the child’s growth (or if the child does not Ovalate after becoming mature), parent and child will essentially be identical. They will look identical to the parent, though often have a very different personality. Most children of Yanar change their appearance very quickly after birth to differentiate themselves from their parent Yanar.

Despite the fact that Yanar do not have sexual organs or genitals, it does not mean that they cannot “make love” to each other, or other races. To Yanar, intercourse takes place on a more spiritual and emotional level than a physical one. When Yanar wish to engage someone in such an act, they gently place their hands under the recipient’s jawline, after which the two will close their eyes and clear their minds. If the recipient is willing, they will experience the Yanar’s affection in their mind and feel in a way that is almost indistinguishable from real physical intercourse. Yanar are, as such, still able to cultivate healthy relations with other races without the need to get very physical. They are often considered very clean lovers as such.

Yanar Ovalytes

Age also has an effect on Ovalating, often resulting in bark-like tough skin which can be reverted with younger Shape Essence.

Yanar Ovalytes are a Shape Essence producing gland located underneath their tongue, which take the form of small tubes that excrete Shape Essences instead of saliva. Shape Essences act as a natural saliva and do not have any effects on the Yanar as long as they are not Ovalating: the process of imprinting the Shape Essence with the appearance of another humanoid race. When Yanar Ovalate (which can only be done on command, they cannot do it accidently), their fingertips begin to wetten in a manner similar to sweating, though Yanar do not actually have sweat glands nor can they naturally sweat. Instead, their fingertips are coated in a slightly sticky resin that feels rough when applied to another person’s skin, but not alarmingly so. When this resin scrapes the bare skin of another person, it harvests the Shape Flux of that person, which travels through the Yanar’s bloodstream to the Ovalyte, where Shape Essence is produced from a particular individual. The Yanar may then choose to swallow the Shape Essence, or to spit it out in a container where it can either be stored, or curiously enough, given to other Yanar for consumption. When Shape Essence finds itself outside the mouth of a Yanar, it hardens and takes on the taste of sweet candy.

When a Yanar consumes the Shape Essence of another race (Yanar can in fact not produce Shape Essence from other Yanar) they will slowly start changing their bodily make-up to resemble the template of the Shape Flux more. For example, a short stature frail Yanar that consumes the Shape Essence of a large muscular Orc will experience muscular growth and height growth, while a flat-chested male-appearing Yanar consuming the Shape Essence of a Varran Female may slowly procure female hips, facial structure, and plumage that resembles Varran fur on their body. Yanar don’t have a gender, so when consuming the Shape Essence of a male or female, they simply produce body aspects of said gender without any particular tilting point of when they become female or male.

Shape Essence changes are not instant. They are gradual and slow, and may take up to 24 hours to manifest fully. Furthermore, Shape Essence changes are mostly cosmetic beyond teeth and musculature, while consuming the Essence of for example a Maiar may grow a tail, it does not give the Yanar Maiar-like abilities like fast swimming and underwater breathing. The same applies to internal Orc Organs and Varran eye-sight. The process is painless, though it can be alarming to Yanar who have never experienced it before or rarely do. A single session of Shape Essence consumption is not sufficient to make a Yanar completely morph their body. Seven or eight Shape Essence consumption sessions are necessary to completely change a Yanar to an eerily similar plant-like replica of the Shape Flux template, assuming they kept consuming the Shape Essence produced by the same person. It is thus possible to mediate between multiple people by switching between them each time Shape Essence is consumed, eventually resulting in a unique appearance that does not fully resemble any of the templates.

Shape Essence consumption does not have any effects on other races, it simply tastes like sweet candy to them. That being said, Shape Essence has been strongly hinted to have some potent alchemical uses. Most curiously of all, when a Yanar’s mouth is filled with the Shape Essence of a specific person, and their lips make physical contact with the original Shape Flux template, this kiss experienced will be intoxicating and incredibly pleasing. This is an ironic showcase of vanity where the Shape Flux template is essentially bombarded with feelings of self-lust while they aren’t aware of it.

Mental Characteristics

Yanar one of the more peaceful races, but capable of just as much anger and violence as the others when they need to.

Yanar personalities, much like their physical appearance, are never truly set in stone. Yanar receive a certain codified personality upon their birth, but through experiences and feelings these personalities can change over the years. Furthermore, Yanar have two ways to influence their personality both permanently and temporarily. The main means of permanent personality change is through the process of Mind Tranquility, an act where a Yanar (during Yanar “love making) may accept the mind perceptions and emotional experiences of the other person. This does not transfer thoughts or memories, but rather the strong emotions that were tied to it; for example a feeling of intense loss and betrayal over a divorce, or happiness and satisfaction over a child. These can, if the Yanar permitted the Mind Tranquility to take place, seep into their personality and change it quite forcibly.

Another method to temporarily change a Yanar’s personality or mood is through the act of Bond Sharing. Bond Sharing is a mental ability that all Yanar possess, to be able to speak in a telepathic language with each other through touch. Additionally, while Bond Sharing is ongoing, all Yanar participating may choose to open their feelings to each other. In such a situation, a single Yanar may share a specific emotion with others through touch, which can have varying effects. For a Yanar who has experienced an extremely traumatic event, this can be very beneficial. By using a Bond Sharing to share this thought, the other Yanar that participate will use their own emotions to share the burden with the sharer, which gives the Yanar participating an intense feeling of consolation and a feeling of belonging. Alternatively, a Yanar can also share the immense pride and satisfaction of a child succeeding, which gives the other Yanar joyous feelings of happiness, at the cost of giving it away by the sharer. Bond Sharings have no limit. Two, Seven, or even Ten Yanar can all hold hands and participate in a Bond Sharing through each other as long as they are connected with each other. Speaking in such a Bond Sharing is not instant, it goes at about the same speed as normal speech, though simply occurs in the minds of those participating. There is one negative side-effect to Bond Sharing however, which is the temporary personality lingering. Even though sharing a traumatic experience helps the person who suffered it, it also imparts their sadness in part to the other Yanar. Similarly, if a Yanar tricks other Yanar into a Bond Sharing with hostile intentions, they could transfer intense feelings of hatred and violence to the others, causing them to potentially all erupt in a massive brawl.

Bond Sharing can also be used on non-sentient plants such as flowers, bushes, herbs, and even trees. When Bond Sharing with a plant, Yanar may “sing” through their mind to the plant with a telepathic melody. While performing this singing (often called Evergrowth), the plant matter they are Bonding with will experience rapid growth, to the point where smaller plants will grow visually as if weeks is passing (though the rate is much slower with trees). This is usually why Yanar houses are overgrown with plants and vines, as they are able to rapidly grow a garden around themselves almost anywhere as long as water and good soil is present. These Gardens are especially important for Yanar, because they tend to be the central locations where so called Yanar Colonies form. Yanar Colonies are explained more thoroughly in the Society Section.

History

Some Yanar look wildly different from the more humanoid ones when they use Shape Essence from Orcs or Maiar.

The Yanar first arrived in 40 BC on the eve of the Void invasion, when Estel again attempted to warn her followers of impending doom from the Demons. Elven priests of the Nenya temples watched as the colossal trees grew giant flowers as large as full-grown horses. The flowers rapidly wilted, shed their petals, and bore fruit that slowly bent to the floor; It was from these fruits that the first Yanar burst forth and lay eyes on the world. Elven priests tried to heed the warning that these Yanar delivered, but ultimately could not persuade their leaders to take action, largely due to the heightened arrogance of the hedonistic Elven Empire.

As the Void Invasion commenced, the Yanar wandered in search of safety from the threat that they sought to prevent. Estel then bestowed them with gifts of plants and life, and the Yanar used this gift to turn the natural world against the Voidlings in the form of protective Colony Gardens. However, the Archdemon moved swiftly, and the Shendar infiltrated the Nenya temples beyond the Yanar’s reach. On the Night of the Fallen Star, with fire and axe they first cut down the priests, and then the trees themselves. Some fled, but most of these colossuses moved too slowly to escape. It is said that the forest itself wept and cried out that night as the trees fell one by one. As the Yanar were tied to the Nenya, they became confused and lost, and when Estel fell, so did the Yanar. Many died, but many more disappeared into the forests.

The mysterious plant-like race wandered the land for nearly 200 years, diminishing in number, existing in a fog-like uncertainty, and becoming merely a fable to Humans. Yet as magic slowly returned, so too did the Yanar return to their senses and their original mission, seeking to protect the plantlife and warn of coming travesties. Perceiving them as a threat, the Shendar soon pursued a solution and were blessed with the fungal curse, the Dulofall. Many Yanar succumbed to this corruption, unable to prevent the fungus from contorting their being into the very thing they sought to protect against, and the Dulofall soon became a feared affliction of the Yanar. Presently, they persist as caretakers of nature, but they do so as part of the Ailor, Elven, and Varran populations, while encapsulated in their own Yanar Colonies. Beyond their introduction, Yanar history is short and unremarkable, and this is largely because their race is very much about individualism as opposed to the grand achievements of their race as a whole. Yanar only serve as a footnote in the history books of others, though due to longevity, individuals could have impacted many centuries of history among other races.

Society

Yanar have a natural urge to gravitate towards each other, not only for security but also for community and belonging. They do not have any structural hierarchy, but often choose the largest or most pleasant garden of a member Yanar as their main Colony Garden, though they may have more than one Colony Garden surrounding it. Inside these Colony Gardens, Yanar presence gives life to the Soul Essence within the plant life around them. This gives the Soul Essence temporary sentience and a physical shape as so-called Solur Companions, that dance and play around the garden with both with each other and the Yanar. Solur Companions offer a last line of defense inside a Colony Garden, catapulting themselves at unwanted invaders and poofing out of existence with a puff of vile-smelling yellow smoke that makes anyone caught in it retch. Solur Companions do not have true intelligence, but play around with each other in a childlike manner, playing tag and pulling at various body parts or clothes a Yanar has, despite the fact that they are only fist-sized.

Politics

Some Yanar look rediculous, even after using the Shape Essence of an intimidating person due to their flower plumage.

Yanar don’t have a formal concept of politics, largely because their psyche is often in flux, and because longevity makes appointing rulers very difficult for longer periods of time. Yanar have the concept of trust investment, where an individual or group of Yanar (or even a non-Yanar) may simply enjoy the silent approval of the other Yanar to speak in their name or act in their best interest. This concept is never really spoken out loud, but heavily implied when a Yanar suggests an equal individual to deal with the group’s issues and no-one else speaks up about it. Yanar don’t really have power struggles like Ailor society does, though some cases contention can occur where a Yanar’s personality changes within the group, resulting in an urge or ambition for power, which can sometimes cause a power struggle. Yanar often have a difficult time accepting rule from a person who thinks they deserve it, as opposed to a person who was silently and passively appointed to the position out of comfort of the others. That all being said, Yanar are incredibly flexible when it comes to adapting to existing hierarchies in other states, as they generally wish to thrive wherever they can, while paying homage to the order of things wherever they integrate.

Culture

Solur Companions are adored even by non-Yanar for their cute child-like demeanor.

Yanar culture mostly breeds out of the idea of sharing a communion, a theme that perpetuates itself throughout all their ideologies and actions. The easiest way this can be observed is in the charitable nature of Yanar towards each other, freely sharing resources, food and clothes. Private property rarely exists among the race, and when it does, it is often for a very specific reason: for example, a Yanar may hold onto an item when they know the others won’t understand its purpose, or won’t respect its purpose. Aside from their own sharing notions, Yanar are also charitable to other races, Cielothar in particular. In many ways they adopt Cielothar principles and cultural notions, mostly related to their clothing and jewelry, but also life views in general. That being said, Yanar are able to physically and mentally alter themselves to supplant the need for the Avanthar-Cielothar symbiotic relationship, thus creating their own protector class Yanar to ensure that the race as a whole does not become co-dependent on another species. This does however often create a clear distinction between Yanar that are part of the collective for protection, and Yanar who protect the collective. Physical difference can also be extreme, ranging from more childlike Cielothar-like Yanar who provide the food, and tall, broad Orc-like Yanar which protect the Yanar Colony from outside attacks.

Yanar do not have traditional marital unions like Ailor or Altalar do. Yanar cannot conceive a child together, which often leaves them with a sense of emptiness or non fulfillment while sharing a life. Yanar marry in much the same manner as Cielothar do, and are inherently monogamous—though outlying cases have been known to showcase polygamy or partner swapping, particularly because of the age of Yanar. Between a Yanar and non-Yanar married couple, Ovalating usually solves the problem of not being able to conceive a child together, as Ovalating takes the essence from both parents. For two Yanar who are married however, such options aren’t available since Ovalating does not work with other Yanar. Yanar who are married together have, as such, found another way to reach this specific satisfaction of offspring that belongs to both of them: the practice of Graftalation.

Graftalation uses much of the same mechanics as Ovalating, but uses a surrogate tree and the Shape Essence of both Yanar. While the Shape Essence itself does not contain anything useful for another Yanar, when a tree fruit is covered with the Shape Essence of two Yanar that is properly mixed, the fruit will slowly change into a Yanar Fruitling over the course of three days. The base fruit can be anything from an apple, to an orange, or even a banana. Then after about a month, the Yanar Fruitling will hatch and create a Yanil: an organism not quite a Yanar, though not quite too different either. A Yanil is much like a Yanar in that it is a plant-like re-interpretation of another living creature, except that it is not a humanoid. The best way to describe it, is to liken a Yanil to a semi-sentient domestic animal. They are unable to speak, but have heightened intelligence to the point where they can have a distinct personality and develop memories, a clearcut persona mixture between both parent Yanar in fact. They have a strong connection to the parent Yanar, and while others might see them as domestic animals since they are often quadruped creatures, Yanar often treat them as if they are their own children in their 10 year life span. Yanil appearance strongly depends on the fruit type used to create the Yanil, below is a list of possible outcomes.

  • Apple, results in a hedgehog-like Yanil, though the spikes are soft and flowery
  • Apricot, results in a rat or rodent-like Yanil
  • Banana, results in a small primate-like Yanil with long arms
  • Cherry, results in a songbird-like Yanil
  • Fig, results in a rabbit-like Yanil
  • Bundle of Grapes, results in a small woolly sheep-like Yanil
  • Melon, results in a small (goat sized) pony-like Yanil
  • Lemon, results in a cat-like Yanil
  • Mango, results in a fox-like Yanil
  • Olive Branch, results in a snake-like Yanil
  • Orange, results in a small dog-like Yanil
  • Pear, results in a pygmy pig-like Yanil
  • Pineapple, results in a small loud bleating goat-like Yanil
  • Pumpkin, results in a small lamb-like Yanil
  • Strawberry, results in a guinea Pig-like Yanil
  • Grapefruit, results in a ferret-like Yanil

Creating a Yanil is not a practice solely limited to married Yanar. Close friends often create a Yanil as well to give a physical representation of their friendship, but also because it strengthens the bond between them. It is technically possible to include a non-Yanar as well by having both parents Ovalate with the Shape Essence of a non-Yanar, though this is often frowned upon, particularly because the concept of a Fruitling is considered a holy tradition that has religious sentiment, and should remain a Yanar-only activity. Yanil creation is also in many ways a very communal thing. Yanar are able to graft fruits on trees, even when they technically aren’t fruit bearing trees, to the point that a Yanil may grow from the tree’s nutrients. This results in the creation of so-called Yanassil: large trees upon which Yanar couples and friends graft their Fruitlings in large numbers. These trees thus stand, filled with a wild variety of fruit and Fruitlings, and become a central location for Yanar religious worship of the Fated Faith.

Religion

Yanar can also look younger when they use the Shape Essence of Lampar and Cielothar in particular, or Ailor children.

Religion among the Yanar is difficult to understand to outsiders, even more so to the Elven races. In essence, the religion—which is named the Fated Faith—is based on the creation of the Yanar by Estel, but the Yanar do not recognize Estel as their highest being. The Yanar believe that foremostly, the Nenya are their guides and protectors: prophets of the words and laws of Estel. These words and laws are also rather complex to explain, they are not a certain set of codified laws like “Do not steal” and “Do not murder”, they are simply the general understanding that Yanar were created with a purpose, and that purpose itself is commutable to the situation and global threat at hand. For example, during the days of the Demon Invasion, Yanar were messengers who warned of the impending fall of the Elven Empire. When the actual invasion occurred, many Yanar switched their needs to protectors, while centuries later when Ailor wars occurred, they took on a more healing and caretaking role, before turning more militaristic again when the Bone Horror invasion happened. Yanar religion as such dictates a world view where the greatest risk to all life (though more specifically all plant/animal life in nature) must be assessed, and combatted to the best of their abilities. The Nenya are their prophets, Estel is their creator, but neither are really their gods, or origins.

The Yanar believe the highest power in their spiritual faith is the Fated Ones. Who exactly the Fated Ones are is not entirely clear since no Yanar has ever really been able to write a long thesis on it before being contradicted by another group of Yanar. The truth is that Yanar were never truly told or informed of what the Fated Ones were by the Nenya or Estel before they disappeared from Aloria, though the Yanar continue to pay homage to the Fated Ones to this day. It is said that the Fated Ones created Estel, who in turn created Nenya, meaning that the origin of all things for the Yanar is the Fated Ones. They believe the Fated Ones lived in an ascended state of communion with Aloria itself; a symbiotic relation with the world where their thoughts and feelings carried far and wide through nature, and mixed with others who were equally connected. The Fated Ones were said to have fallen at the hands of corruption, though again, what this corruption was has never been fully explained. The Yanar simply believe themselves to be the protectors that the Fated Ones wished for in their hour of need, thus continuing to see them both as gods and masters worthy of praise and homage, though they equally praise Estel as their lesser creator, thus allowing them to interface with Faith of Estel worship in a lesser degree.

Yanar worship frequently takes place around a Yanassil, large Fruitling trees that Yanar use to breed their Yanils. These worships usually involve communal feasting, drinking, dancing and praying. Yanar do not engage in sacrifices or offerings of any kind, since they believe the will of the Fated Ones is engrained in all things natural, and as such, offering food as a sacrifice would be like offering a god a piece of themselves. That being said, some twisted and warped Dulofall Yanar have been known to engage in sacrifices of other races. They see the lesser races as corrupted beings who maligned the Fated Ones and brought the ugly reality of dominance over nature into the world, perpetuating it. Yanar do not have priests or oracles. Religion to them is practiced communally, by all equally.

Many Scholars have speculated that the Fated Ones are actually the Seraph Civilization since many of the hints point in their direction, though a clear cut conclusion has never been found, purely because many contradictions exist also. Most notably in the fact that the Seraph dominated nature, they did not live in harmony with it. Some other Scholars yet insist that it might have been a civilization that came before the Seraph or after, or that traditional understandings of the Seraph are far too limited because of the lack of historical records on a civilization that died seven thousand years ago.

Trivia

  • Yanar don’t formally have a gender either mentally or physically, though often choose a preferred gender and ask others to use the right pronouns, just for practicality sake. Yanar often struggle with the concept of self identity since their personality is a substrate of another, and their gender does not present itself as traditionally as among other races.
  • There is such a concept as excess-Ovalating. In some cases if a Yanar consumes the Shape Essence of one particular race many times over a short period of time, even their normally green skin-tone may change to something resembling the Shape Template more. This can even go as far as turning the skin greenish pink or pinkish green.
  • Despite Yanar not having a gender, Yanar marriages are often between Yanar who believe themselves to be more female and a Yanar who believe themselves more male. While same sex-belief Yanar marriages exist, they are rare. It is not known why this occurs naturally.
  • Yanar, to conventional understanding through Soul Magic, don’t have a soul. When they die, Soul Essence does not dissipate, nor can it be removed from them, though they can be Demonically Possessed. It is not known why this occurs, but some Scholars have speculated it is because what passes for their souls are made up of recycled Soul Essence in nature.
  • A small Unionist converted or Unionist-minded cult of Yanar exists that are absolutely desperate to procure Shape Essence produced from the Emperor of the Regalian Empire, and would pay handsomely to anyone able to procure and store it.

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Last EditorMonMarty on 09/12/2017.

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