Thera

The Thera are a species of sentient animalistic bipeds from the lowlands of Aeos. They inhabit a large area of Termia known as the Wilds, that is mostly forests and deserts.

### Biology

They are often feral and resemble anthropomorphic animals found on Aeos and some have resemblances to species found on other worlds too. They have a connection to Sonn like the Aeons, but it manifests in a physical way which Thera call their '*wrawn'*, it shapes them as they grow and no two Thera look exactly the same, although common features include large, bulky size, increased canine length, pointed or animal-like ears or eyes and predominant hair and claws, many also have a tail and some can even possess wings.

Individually Thera seem to develop a kinship with a certain type of, or group of animals which they call their wrawnbeasts, and over their lives may retain some of their physical attributes as they grow older, these groups have essentially formed blood-lineages where these traits have been passed down.

### History

The Thera have a violent history and have had many wars, both among themselves in millennia past, against the Termian, Aeons and recently against the Arcadian when they began experimenting on them. Millions of Thera died during the Great War that split Aeos, with the quakes and destruction to natural habitat that followed, with only a few surviving, this gave the Thera something of a jaded view on both the Dragons and the Aeons.

### Culture

The Thera exist in strong tribal groups that form a loosely-organised inter-tribal governance known as the Thera Tribes Union; today they are mostly peaceful but prefer to be left alone; it's rare to see a Thera outside of the Wilds but they do sometimes take trade jobs or mercenary work.

### Tribes

There are roughly 11 known tribes in the Tribes Union and each tribe respects one or a group of wrawnbeast, and have developed physical tributes based on these:

* **The** **Aamira****:** A finned, water-based tribe whose wrawnbeasts are water creatures of any kind, excellent swimmers and ability to breath underwater, but are one of the few limited on land and are both small in stature, strength and territory, but this has made them somewhat aggressive and work well in packs.
* **The Axzi:** The Axzi are a quiet, peaceful tribe who rarely travel outside their territories, their wrawn comes from bugs and many display exoskeletal patches on their bodies, especially over their joints, may possess retractable stingers in their fingers, wrists, fists or tails. The Axzi were, however very defensive of the starweaver when the Aeons started harvesting their silk, with it being one of their wrawnbeasts.
* **The B'rami:** The B'rami's wrawnbeasts consist of small, agile hunting creatures similar to cats in most respects, especially that of the b'rama-family such as the scythepaw and shadowclaw and so display physical characteristics of these cat-like creatures such as retractable claws, ears a tail superior senses and are some of the most agile clans in the Thera's breedpool. Like the Calicai they are loosely organised and rarely interact with one another.
* **The Calicai:** Sometimes called the 'wanderers' or 'vagabonds' the Calicai tribe are even more loosely organised than the B'rami, to the point where they have no villages and sleep in the wild. The clan claim to specifically draw their wrawn from an extinct creature known as the calicaina, which resembled a cross between a bear and a pangolin and are known for their extreme resilience and endurance. The calicai are one of the tallest most muscular breeds of Thera and are often seen as adventurers.
* **The Davoma:** A tribe whose wrawn comes from several species of davomarias aka mawdogs which resemble Earth wolves with enlarged lower canines. Before the Great War the Davoma ruled a great deal of the Old Wilds. They can be aggressive and domineering and still own a large portion of The Wilds. It was the Davoma who supported the idea of a union of the tribes.
* **The Ferriy'n:** An all-female tribe who broke off from the B'rami, they are mysterious keepers of artefacts and temple ruins from the days before the Great War. Like the B'rami their Wrawnbeasts are the B'rama cats.
* **The Haranchi:** A tribe with lizard-like features, some vaguely resemble dragon-like species, while others are more aquatic, although nothing like the godlike Dragons that are said to have created Aeos. They live in the dryer regions of the Wilds but those with more aquatic features live near oases.
* **The Mal Gor:** A tribe that has a strong matriarchal system and a distrust for outsiders, even other Thera, who they believe are too patriarchal, with the exception of the Ferriy'n. Their wrawn is said to derive from the family of creatures known as 'mals', a goat-like animal with many horns.
* **The Tsamak:** Very similar to the Davoma, likely a breakaway tribe who had severe rivals in the original tribe before the formation of the Tribes Union, but established their own culture. The Tsamak were more inclined to interact with the Termians and some even wanted physical relations with them, which was strictly forbidden in most Thera tribes. The 7th-seat highguard Remari Viela was an Ascended Aeon/Thera hybrid whose father Kread was from this tribe.
* **The Vo Rhal:** A neighbouring tribe of the Mal Gor and likely related to them, they too are horned, share the same wrawn and likely the Mal Gor split form the Vo Rhal and established a stance matriarchal society, putting the two tribes into tense opposition, but have so far remained peaceful towards eachother.
* **The Wanatti:** A small tribe scattered about The Wilds, they have no true villages like the Calical and due to their good relations and near-pacifism are seen as messengers between both the tribes of The Wilds and to the Termian and even Winglies. Their wrawn flows from various small mammalian creatures, such as the anatta, making them quick and nimble. Unlike most Thera they are strictly vegetarian and love eating sweet fruit.

#### Non-Tribes Union Thera

There are also Thera that live on Termia's darker side known as the Shadowlands who are heavily opposed to the Tribes Union, thought to be made up of outcasts, loners, banished or old, near-extinct tribes from before the Great War who lived in the area originally. Shadowland tribes are unknown and perhaps even nonexistant, with unique individuals living hunter-gatherer or hermit-like lifestyles and Shadowlanders are thought to have strange wrawnbeasts, able to adapt to whatever animal is nearby, slowly gaining their unique form over the years; this may even be a strange hybrid of various local shadowland animals; some may even be altered by the Arcadian because of their incredible adaptability.

Once infamous altered Thera was the ex-assassin and medical genius Rehgal "Leo" Cortimaine who now works as a doctor in Washington State Hospital and partly for the VALER organisation and may have originally been a Shadowlander; due to his incredible strength and shapeshifting abilities, these powers may be an enhanced form of the slow physical adaption of these shadowland Thera; this usually takes ears but in Rehgal it was accelerated to an insane degree by Arcadian bio-alchemists, where he learned to control it by force of will and was then used as an assassin.