The Sky People

The Sky People (Fulxan: !a Fulxan Kawele) were a civilisation native to the lost continent Vereazora. They were mysterious, isolationist, advanced, spiritual, and blessed with hereditary magical blood gifts that allowed them to wield cosmic powers.
== Language ==
The Sky People spoke Fulxan!oute. It was a unique language unlike those found on the rest of the Cradle as known to the northern world. It had a lot of weird and wonderful features:
* The Fulxan language contained two click consonants - a dental or lateral click, which were allophones, and an alveolar click.
* It had an inventory of about 14 consonants (one being a digraph, tl) plus six vowel sounds with four diphthongs.
* Fulxan had lots of palatalisation, which occurred alongside sandhi (sound morphs at word boundaries). Most of the consonants could be palatalised, and this sometimes occurred upon the addition of tense or case markers. This was marked by a consonant being followed by <y>.
* Fulxan did not have bilabial sounds. The only labials were <f> representing /f/ and /v/, and <w> representing /w/ - both only being labial at most (and w being a velar semivowel most the time) - but no bilabials - no /b/, /p/ or /m/. 
* Fulxan did not contrast voicing. The language did not distinguish between voiced and voiceless consonants at all. This was one of the most notable things when reading it orthographically - when written in Latin script with loose Euluska conventions, the voiceless consonant was used for each letter (t, not d; f, not v...)
== Physiology ==
Sky People were all a subspecies of human. Their skin ranged in tone, but was slightly greyer than most other humans, and sometimes bore pale white markings like very faint stripes on the cheeks, shoulders, forearms and lower legs, as well as mottling near the extremities, Their eyes were more adapted for night-time vision, and glittered like deep blue galaxies. 
== Civilisation ==
The Sky People lived in citadels called Orreries, which were geometric marvels. They featured geometric and celestial architecture like domed structures that floated in the air, inverted pyramids, or unsupported bridges held by suspended gravity. In the larger orreries, there were sometimes rotating orbiting elements mirroring a solar system's orbiting bodies. At night, these cities came alive with beautiful lights - intricate patterns of luminescent crystals and twinkling lines.
Sky People cities were integrated with nature, due to their animistic beliefs. They would be suited to the environment they were in, with elements of their surroundings.
The Sky People also built many sacred sites throughout their history. These often aligned at meaningful times of the year or during notable celestial events like predictable comet approaches. They ranged from petroglyphs and Nazca line style glyphs to henges or large pyramids. 
They also build impressive observatories, unlike anything seen elsewhere. On mountains and in clear, high up areas, they constructed crystal lens arrays to view the sky with perfect precision. 
== The Three Gifts (!a Erye Lyo) ==
Not all Sky People bore a Gift, and the stronger gifts were rarer. For example, the Sky People had gone generations since one born amongst them who could call down shooting stars and meteors - the last meteor caller was a great chieftess over 200 years ago, Vašaya.
=== Gravitars - Naštoulekye ===
The Gravitar Sky People were those who were able to manipulate gravity. They were often crafters and builders, but also warriors and performers. They were blessed with the Gift of the Gravitar - !a Er Naš Xfe
* Gravitars could make themselves or objects levitate at their will. This could be used for flying during battle or performances, but also was crucial to the construction of Sky People citadels which seemed to defy gravity, such as balanced domes and inverted pyramids. 
* They could reshape the mass of an object and alter it. This could be used to allow themselves to perform acrobatics, carry heavy objects for battle or construction with ease, or turn tools and weapons impossibly heavy just for a split second before impact. 
* Gravitars also practiced tremor control, where they could use seismic waves and the force upon the earth to build ditches, caves, or walls, create controlled earthquakes, or protect or destroy structures by altering their stability.
=== Cosmitars - Tlayaxetinye ===
The Cosmitar Sky People channelled power from the cosmos. Their powers were key to warriors, farmers, and workers alike. They bore the Gift of the Cosmitar - !a Er Tlayax Xfe
* Cosmitars could channel celestial or meteorological energy, such as lightning bolts, bursts of sunlight, the freezing wind of space, or small meteors to fight in battle. This could also be used for practical purposes.
* Many Cosmitars drew their power from celestial alignments. They gained agility, strength, reaction speed, and powers of cognition during stellar alignments like eclipses and planetary syzygys. This became even more powerful during rare events like the aurora, solar flares, or comet approaches.
* Some Cosmitars could also use these powers for more mundane but crucial things, like summoning rain or wind to aid in agriculture and harvesting, or ensuring clear dry weather for important building projects. 
=== Exaltar - Korotašye ===
The Exaltar Sky People were able to project themselves through space and time. Their powers were revered among elders, seers, and spiritualists. Their gift was the Gift of the Exaltar, !a Er Koro Xfe.
* Some Exaltars were able to project themselves through time in a spirit trance. This could be used to gain foresight for the near future, see visions of what was to come, or revisit the past for details. 
* Other Exaltars were able to counsel personally with ancestors, past elders, past warriors etc on a spirit journey. They could ask for strength and wisdom, empowering their bonds with the past.
* Few Exaltars were able to manipulate dream, entering the dreams of others or using them to help people unlock subconscious memories or ideas. They were sought for counsel by members of the tribe.
== Warbands and Warriors ==
In battle, the Sky People were formidable and fierce, devoted to protecting their territory and sacred sites. They had several unique wuirks related to the way their society was -
* Cosmitars formed the bulk of the warriors. They were slightly more powerful or agile than the average person, but people with faint Cosmitar heritage were quite common, so they could make up the footsoldiers.
* Exaltar Shamans helped to empower and enhance the warriors, adorned in ritualistic animal robes and skulls, whipping warriors into a frenzy or using terrifying music to scare their foes. They also provided spiritual guidance.
* Some Sky People, usually powerful Cosmitars or Exaltars, could tame and ride empowered beasts into combat, like white elk or great terrorbirds. 
* Gravitars could be agile harlequin-like warriors who leapt and flew with ease, or provide support by using their tremor powers to create quick cover, trip up enemies, and empower friendly strikes to make weapons light to swing but heavy on impact.
== Cultural Idioms ==
* 'Let the stars align/line up' - Akin to 'hold your horses', telling someone to slow down and let the world keep pace.
* 'Check/Find your orbit (first)' - Similar as above, telling someone to 'look before you leap' or to be more thorough in planning.
* "Follow the comets" - Like 'go with the flow', embracing change and unpredictability
* "A moment of darkness" - a fit of madness or irrational behaviour. Darkness and madness/irrationality were synonymous for the Sky People, found in other sayings too.
* "As sure/certain as an eclipse" - Something that is inexorable or predictable, like an eclipse is (for people who have the tech to predict it)
* "Glowing (with wisdom/purpose)" - From the belief that the Sky People's eyes glow brighter when they are wise, scheming, or similar
* "There'll be another moonrise/sunrise" - Life goes on, there'll always be another chance
* "Chasing stars" - following something unreasonable or unattainable
* "Counting stars" - something impossible or stupid (e.g. "Ride a horse with three legs? I'd rather count the stars" or perhaps "You? Win the lottery? Don't count the stars")
* "As sure as moonrise/sunrise" - Expressing certainty
* "Galaxies of (xyz)" - Lots and lots of something - e.g. "She has galaxies of knowledge", "I've got galaxies of stuff to do" or "There are galaxies of deer over there"
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