Yaraga

"And blazing mountains gave them fire - to shine in their eyes." - part of Sun Litany

They lived in far-far North long before their "exodus" from their homelands.

By those times of old North their homelands were covered in jungles and riddled with volcanoes, making for quite an aggressive environment to endure. Land of huge trees, looming cliffs and fires being as common as water during rain.
A place one would not desire to even venture to... and that nourished enduring and lasting beings that call themselves "yara-ga." 
In Tangan "Yarra" means "fire", "-ga" means "related to". Related to fire. People of embers.
Or, as they call themselves, "children of earthen flames". Those, who thrived among fiery mountains and raging volcanoes.

Biology

Warmblood, viviparous (but not mammals), Yaraga have very hot blood and bodies (around 40C), accustomed to heat and scorching sun of their homelands, having ~250 human years to brave the world around. Looming over 2.5 meters high on average, they possess what was crucial for survival - might, great agility and a strong immune system, traits needed to endure life on steep cliffs, branches of towering trees and thick jungle air that were always half-caught on fire. On one hand, those were boons - Yaraga can regenerate almost any part of one's body, provided that injuries are not critical, can hold breath for almost ten minutes, endure common plagues with not much trouble... But on the other, cold is their nightmare - even regular temperature of +15 is already cold enough to make one shiver. Their metabolism forces them to have rich racions regularly, even being omnivorous. As much as they can act and perform, they have to compensate with good rest... and those are among regular backfires of their life. There are things way more ephemereal, that paint their stories with colours unseen.

Yaraga are divided into three "lines of lore", pretty much like humans are divided into races: Gudra, Arroth and Hazim. Easy to tell one from another - Gudra, giants, who found their name after an old word "godhr" - "mountain"; slim and elegant Hazim - and most numerous Arroth.
Arroth, on their side, are divided into Arroths, as they are, Trevenians and Matarans (those are just subspecies, not a separate bloodline).
In older times, Hazim - back when there was no such word even - were the ruling race, blue-bloods of species. Gudra were laborers with no rights or goods, while Arroth made for "spine" of society.
These sub-species are quite alike, yet they bear some critical differences in their nature. Gudra can not have children with other species, while Hazim blood is stronger, than Arroth, resulting in higher chances of offspring being of Hazim bloodline.

Males and females look alike, except for one major and main difference - colouring. While males have lighter bodies, usually of tan hues, and darker limbs, females have darker body of ashen hints with lighter limbs. Same goes for eye markings and inner ears, but stripes patterns are always dark.
General biology is also similar, except for some specific traits related to offspring well-being and species reproduction.

Mindset

Differences are more noticeable in their mindsets and ways of thinking, which affects overall social gears. Men are more radical in their decisions and tend to show traits of fatalism - while women are more abstract and prefer not to follow strict algorithms. It also guides common logic of assignments and preferred activities.
For example, should we take a trial period and give a task of, say, constructing a ship, overall endeavour will look like this:

- Men made a project, with all academics and logic applied - looked at it - and stated: "Ain't gonna sail." 
- Will deconstruct the whole thing and do it again from scratch - look at it again - and state: "It looks like a floating bucket." 
- Will deconstruct the whole thing and do it again from scratch - look at it again - and state: "Not optimal." 
- Will deconstruct the whole thing and do it again from scratch - look at it again - and state: "NOW it looks like it should." And will set sail.

As a result, we will have a very universal solution, fit best for almost any task, is simple and optimized as possible, and is overall chip.
Women made a "chassis" of sorts, meanwhile - and will apply it right away, starting to tweak and upgrade it as matters press on - thus, aiming to get the best of everything, still keeping the base intact.

As the result, we will have the following in the long run:
- Women applied a working solution already. Men are constructing.
- Women start to tweak and optimize their solution. Men are still constructing.
- Women keep on progressing in their research, having a whole line of various solutions, based on one core. Men will apply a universal solution, that exceeds everything that women have done so far, and requires no adaptation. 
- By the end of the trial, women will have a pricey model, modernized from bottom to mast peak, only thing that it can not do - is playing a viola (though, that one unique barge that has a whole orchestral organ entangled in its tricky mechanisms, is created by women). Men will have their simple and stable line of "English-quality" ships.

So, women will have a great path of progress and research in fields of innovations, very effective, but not optimal and pretty expensive overall. Men will have fewer inventions and research innovations, but will have a steady and firm result that has sailed both oceans a hundred times and never needed any changes. Stable as planet orbit - and reliable as German door locks, still cheap and easy to build thanks to the simplicity of the overall construction.

Thus, men and women find their ways in different jobs and lines - men are usually seen as lords, kings, overseers, guides, women - are advisors; men - are architects and builders, women - are engineers and innovators, men - are warriors and knights, women - are supporting lines and special forces. If you build a house, men will tell where and how to hammer a support beam, and what wood to use for those things, while women will think of a lever and a hammer most perfect for this specific beam and this specific angle specifically for this soil - including possible rain.
And will also remake the result into something else later on, when rain ends and winds start to howl.

Families

Yaraga families and overall attending to their offspring is based on what their past was. Dangers of their environment forced them to keep watch over their younglings almost non-stop, because it took one wrong step - and endless burning rainforest is there to devour you as if you never were.
Thus, families usually have one or two children in general, and tend to watch over other kids along the way, resulting in a slight "overlaying" within society.

A family is often started by a man. But it is not simply a merge of two loving hearts - Yaraga know that attraction is a thing hard to ignore. And it is way harder to draw a line between those, if ever possible.
Thus, it is a normal thing to happen - a man with several ladies by his side, up to five (can be more, but may cause strange looks into the back).
Same goes for a lady, nothing wrong in having several husbands - it is just seen as a peculiar exotic...

The only matter to be divided between ladies in a family - it a question about descendants. Children. One, that will become mother for a child, shall be called "heaven (or "moon") mother", while others will play their part in uplifting - and are called "earth mothers".

Child happens into the world in one and half sun circles, so it is said that Yaraga has two "birthdays" - when one happened, and when one came to the world. It starts with a "pouch", similar to one of a shark - in days of yore females of species were carrying these pouches to ensure they found a safe enough spot to start a nest - pouch remains "alive" for almost a month, giving parents time to settle safe before puncturing the shell and let air inside to kick-start child's first awakening.
A child is strong almost right after birth - can consume soft food, start walking pretty soon, and nimble crawling around happens in just a few days. But that comes later.
Child happens into the word- and falls asleep again. A hard time for parents, for their offspring requires lots of attention during this period.
Young beings sleep almost all the time after their birth, and parents have to wake them up to feed - neural and hormonal systems develop fully after birth, guided by the surroundings and climates of local lands. Fairy-tales say that one's spirit comes from the land of dreams and sleepers, and child wakes up "for real" after it's birth - thus the connection between folklores and mirrors - and the overall concept of a soul. A whole year goes by like that...

Before their first maturation, before later youth, Yaraga children are exceptionally curious about everything around - it is barely possible to satisfy their hunger for "wants to know". Here comes that need to follow the unstoppable flea that tries to worm into everything that it can reach... Yes, this curiosity never comes in vain, in fact - Yaraga have exceptional memory, and kids - almost phenomenal. Child will remember everything that it saw during this period, even without comprehending. That trait is also widely used by ruling powers to guide and steer general population towards specific needs - for example, if we know that we are going to expand, then we spread tales and stories about travelers, propagate merits of building and share wonders of architecture art. Kids will catch the wind - and show tendencies towards related professions, thus growing into artists of choice that, actually, love what they do.
Uplifting and education is guided by earth mothers and the rest of the family - all things vital are given within the bloodline, and through understanding the world around via curious observations. A pretty common thing is to find an Ullatrash around, helping with that task...

With all their unsettled nature, Yaraga children are surprisingly not capricious and never complain abut things that are common for children to whine about. They mostly become whimsy not when they don't get something they want, but when they -can not- get something they want, usually just because of... being children. And little ones begin looking for a way to get what they want through wits - a common moment for parents, but very much awaited and pleasing. First maturation.

Parents and their offspring are bond forever through whole life, but as a child one depends on ancestors greatly - not just because of being a kid, but also biologically. Some mechanisms and processes take quite some time to form up and start ticking properly, including those that form healthy organism and psychics - and require good soil to grow from. And that soil is parents' care. Sense of their love.
If a child is stressed or frightened beyond measure - for example, running into some monstrosity, barely making it out alive of something, or whatever else it might've been - one has to spend time with one's mother, for her pheromones are key to the stabilization of young organism. Without those, body won't normalize hormones, heart will keep pumping adrenaline through veins with no relief - and child will suffer. Not only in the distant future, bearing fragile health, mutilated body and a flawed mind - but also risking to die even after danger is no more. That is why among those families that befriended Ullatrashi, parents give colourful ribbons to those majestic totems - ribbons, that bear aromas and warmth of something familiar and loved - and they make it way easier for little ones to stay with their strange overseers and mentors for long when parents are not around.
A frightened child calls for help with a very distinctive cry. And among Yaraga it is lined out with strings of blood and crimson red - care for their children. Even a servant of the Seven Families or dire rogue will come to save a child from Orweygg, other side of the whole continent, should one see a danger threatening a little one.

A family that suffered loss of a child will bear mourning till their own end - they might start it anew, give birth to other offspring, but, most likely, will not - it is seen as a grim fate in the bloodline. And no need there is to share it with others - no need to pour taint in those untouched lives. Easy are those to distinct - mourning ones bear jewelry with "black eyes," a specific dark-purple gem. It is a warning for others - for not to let attraction sprout into sympathy. And sympathy - grow into love...

Culture

Yaraga culture was built on reign of the strong, for it is what their cradle lands were like. Fire, smoke, hunt, enduring...
And before Exodus, they mostly relied on their own force and authority - traits, that are still common in society. Yet those days are given to ash...

Nowadays, in their thriving society, a curious mix of power lust and reign of mind steers their lives. 
On one hand, Yaraga are practical and demanding for logic. They prefer to count through their decisions and scorn desires for personal gain over the general good. But on the other... they are still ferocious predators. Predators craving power, riches in any form and their own authority.
Thus, while Yaraga will happily act in benefit of overall good of society and major goals, one will never discard a chance to gain some height among others, even if it actually gives nothing.
Yaraga love luxury, adore arts and are always willing to measure horns length with neighbors. And as their race became more civilized, same happened to their ways of "horns measuring". They don't hoard riches just for the sake of having those - but they always try to look bigger around others, always trying to have doors of their homes a bit more decorated, than those of their neighbors. And with their practical minds, such traits power progress and personal growth.
Diplomacy is also based on these curious characteristics. Roughly speaking, Yaraga is not "asking" for something - Yaraga is "telling" something. And you can either parry that - or lower your head, accepting the fact that someone is a little bit bigger, than you.

Because of their overall logical mindset, even though heavily mixed with arts, Yaraga have no religion and no belief in fate. Should you say "There is a higer power!", Yaraga will ask "What is it?". Should you say "It affects the world!", Yarga will say "Show me, how?". If you say "Everything is affected by "it"!", Yaraga will say "Again, show me, how?".
And it will go on unless either one gets some solid examples - or till that claim is labelled "art of mind". A curious thought - but just a concept.

Yet such attitude sprouted in many symbols and ideas that became a big part of general culture. Not something to believe in, but something to think of. Something to embody an idea within a shape.

Related pages

Singers
Exodus
Great Cities
Seven Families
Notes on Yaraga
Symbolism