Na'vi

Mo'at, a Na'vi female who lived in the 24th century.

The **Na'vi** are a species of mammalian humanoids native to the moon Pandora.

## History

The Na'vi's earliest history consisted of a great migration out of the southern continents of Pandora. After they had spread to all corners of the moon, the following period largely consisted of many intra-species conflicts between ancient tribes and clans. Many thousands of years ago, the Na'vi warrior called Taronyu lived, and become the first Na'vi to tame and ride an Ikran, known to humans as Banshees. Generations later, the Ikran had become a widespread aerial mount for the Na'vi, and people who were descended from Taronyu were revered. In the 9th century BCE, the Na'vi known as Entu lived, and became the first Toruk Makto, rider of the Toruk. To ride the Toruk was a rare feat, the mark of a true warrior, and something very few Na'vi throughout history ever managed to accomplish.

## Biology

The Na'vi are tall, mammalian humanoids with many felinoid features. Like many species, they had two sexes, male and female. Males of the species are slightly taller and stronger than females. Females possess breasts which they use to suckle their young; despite this, the Na'vi are not considered traditional placental mammals.

Pandora was one of many worlds seeded by the Progenitors, imprinting the humanoid body plan into the evolution of the moon's lifeforms: however, due to their particularly specialized physiology, as well as a unique internal organ layout, and a multitude of other reasons, the Na'vi are unable to breed with humans and many other Descendant species through conventional means.

Na'vi are usually between 9 and 10 feet tall on average, and are roughly four times as strong as an adult human. Their bones are reinforced with a naturally-occurring carbon fiber, making them incredibly durable. An average Na'vi male weighs around 463 pounds in Earth gravity. On Pandora (0.8 G), they weigh around 370 pounds on average. Females are lighter, averaging about 419 pounds under Earth gravity, and much less on Pandora, due to a smaller build and stature.

Na'vi skin is smooth, iridescent, and cyan in color, often accentuated with slightly darker cyan stripes. Their bodies have long tails, pointed ears and triangular faces with flat bifurcated noses, all framed with large yellow eyes. Bioluminescent markings that follow the path of the circulatory system aid members of the species in identification and mood display.

Na'vi have hair on their heads, including the long strands protruding from the base of their skulls which protects their sensitive neural queue. Apart from their eyelashes and a small bob of fur on the end of their tails, the Na'vi possess no other body hair.

Na'vi have four fingers on each hand, including opposable thumbs, and four toes on each foot, including opposable big toes. Their blood is red, due to the presence of large amounts of iron and oxygen. Due to their homeworld's unique atmospheric composition, Na'vi required the use of a respirator when off-world. Their lifespan is longer than that of a human's, extending to approximately 170 years under optimal conditions.

## Society

Throughout most of their history, the Na'vi have lived in numerous territorial clans spread across Pandora. Their technological status was Tier 7 when they first made contact with humanity. After Pandora was colonized by the United Earth Government, tensions grew between the two species. In 2354 CE, the Omaticaya clan emerged victorious against the occupying UNSC forces during the War for Pandora, and mankind abandoned the world for almost a century afterward. The ensuing era of peace allowed the Na'vi to advance rapidly, and with human assistance, they astonishingly progressed from Tier 7 to Tier 4 in only 150 years. By the time the Human-Covenant War began in 2525 CE, the Na'vi Unified Clans, the species' newly established worldwide government, was able to come to the assistance of their former foes, and became a fully-fledged spacefaring species by 2540 CE with the development of their own slipspace drive. After the Human-Covenant War ended, the Na'vi became members of the Orion Alliance against the Created, as joined both the Alliance of Free Stars and the New Alliance of Free Stars against the Ur-Quan. They joined the nascent United Federation of Planets in 2762 CE.

Na'vi culture is very egalitarian. It is seen as very desirable for young men and women to take up combat-oriented occupations. Warriors, smiths, and hunters are seen as the most honorable professions. After their society began developing from Tier 7, jobs such as scientists, inventors, and teachers have also become very important. The study of languages is considered a very important school of knowledge by the Na'vi; they always begin understanding alien cultures by first studying their language. Despite their technological progress, the Na'vi have never separated their deep sense of spirituality from their lives, instead seeking a balance between religion and science.

Na'vi religion centers around the deity called Eywa, the personification of the collective lifeforce of Pandora. All lifeforms on Pandora are subservient to Eywa, and Eywa is in turn subservient to the universal lifeforce, Pawa. The concepts of Eywa and Pawa are similar in concept to the Isu philosophy of Daowa-maad, and the Forerunner-Precursor philosophy of Living Time. Though considered purely speculative for a long time by human scientists, Eywa is in fact the sentient super-intelligence of Pandora's biosphere itself, which lifeforms native to the moon can access by way of their neural queues. Neural queues actually form a neural-physical link with Pandora's biosphere, giving the Na'vi, as well as most other forms of Pandoran life, access to a wide variety of unique abilities. Connection to Eywa throughout their history has uniquely shaped the Na'vi's spiritual practices; the maintaining of equilibrium of Pandora's natural environment, as well as the equilibrium of the universe as a whole, is integral to a fulfilled life. All energy is only borrowed from Pawa, and must eventually be returned upon death. Overall, Na'vi endeavor to only take what is needed to survive, in order to maintain balance and harmony.