Etelan

**Etelans** were a sentient species native to the planet Luminetela, the capital of the Etelan Worlds. They were easily recognized for being entirely composed out of ice. The Etelans once ruled over the Etelan Worlds as a great imperial power known as the Lumin Crown.

## Biology and Appearance

Etelans were similar to humans in regards to their basic physique, in terms of being bipedal, but were also distinguished from humans in several ways. For one, the Etelans' bodies were made entirely out of ice. Everything from the strands of their hair to their skin and eyes were all composed of ice, with no internal organs present within their bodies. Scientists throughout history were extremely puzzled in regards to how Etelans came to exist as living beings with no trace of DNA or any inner bodily functions. Ultimately, their existence could only be explained by magic.

Because of their inorganic nature, the Etelans could not reproduce with humans and other sentient humanoid species. This inorganic quality allowed the Etelans to live without the need to breathe oxygen like many other humanoid sentients. Their hardened icy structure made them less susceptible to shattering compared to the Dremirians, whose bodies were made of crystal.

As the Etelans were completely made out of ice, they did not fare well under extremely hot conditions. In order to sustain themselves in hot environments, Etelans often used temporary spells that kept their bodies at livable, freezing cold levels.

### Birth

Etelans were born from birth crystals, which needed to be planted in perfectly cold areas in order to thrive. These birth crystals had incredible magical properties that allowed for birth of Etelans and for them to be strong conductors of magic. Much like the Dremirians and the molten crystal wells that birthed them, the Etelans emerged from these birth crystals as fully-grown adults and never aged, due to their inorganic nature. To many, the birth of an Etelan resembled a fully-grown adult emerging from a gigantic, intricate flower made of ice.

## Society and Culture

### Sovereignty and Beyond

During an era of great imperialism and military might, the Etelans were not uncommonly seen as elitists to other denizens of the Cassiopeia Galaxy. The Etelans were a proud people who believed in the power of spreading their reach and influence to as many worlds as possible. Others welcomed the technological and societal advances that came from the Etelans and their Lumin Crown, while others feared their conquest, referring to their imperialism as "the Freezing Touch".

By the time King and Sentinel South of Lumin reigned over the Lumin Crown, the patriotism of many Etelans had considerably simmered, as many imperial colonies were granted independence and were given the option to remain allies of the Crown. Many Etelans deeply respected their King for granting independence to these former colonies, believing it to be an act of ushering in a new, modern era. Others detested the King for this decision, viewing it as a sign of weakness and as the downfall of a once-great empire.

### Arts and Academia

Throughout most if not all of their people's history, the Etelans were generally known to have been rather scholarly people who greatly valued the pursuit of knowledge and academia. One major effect of Etelan imperial outreach was granting an education to those who lived on worlds that lacked such resources. The Etelans were a clever, observant people capable of adapting to most changes to their lives.

In terms of arts, ice sculpture and ice-based architecture was a particularly famous aspect of Etelan society. Some scholars observed that Etelan architecture loosely resembled the architecture of the Vespasians, only with a greater level of intricate ornamentation. Etelan landscape paintings were also considerably popular. A uniquely Etelan style of painting, granted the name Etelan luminism, was marked by depictions of light, hazy, calming landscapes emphasizing an air of softness.

## Trivia

* The architecture of the Etelans is based off of Spanish colonial architecture.
* Etelan luminism is directly based off of real-world luminism.