Thyràsal

**Thyràsal** is a planet in the Vaethros system of the Core. Home to the Vaan peoples, Thyràsal is a diverse world with a bloody history of strife between the dominant Elvala nation and the various other clans and tribes of the world. However, through time, the planet has become a rich example of peace through diplomacy, with several different Vaan nations coming together to aid in the prosperity of their homeworld. With vast forests of green and blue, rolling grasslands, pale deserts, and chilly mountainous peaks, Thyràsal is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful and vibrant worlds in all of the Core.

## Year Cycle

Thyràsal's yearly solar rotation is four-hundred and fifty standard days divided into five lengthy months - Yurith, Maràl, Indròn, Phyvàl, and Koseth. Each month experiences a gradual change in season for each continent. A standard day on Thyràsal sees thirty-two hours.

## Native Life

Thyràsal has a multitude of lifeforms native to the world, with the most prominent sapient group being the Vaan peoples. Many varieties of beasts reside on the world, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and more.

### Sapients

The only known sapient life that Thyràsal is home to are the Vaan - a diverse group of humanoids with long, pointed ears. The Vaan are separated into different racial groups:

* Elvaan - The most prominent of the Vaan, the Elvaan are a dominant powerhouse on Thyràsal. Often criticized for their militant approaches to their neighbors' problems throughout their history, the Elvaan insist they are a peaceable people with a love for the arts and for study, be it over history, math, sciences, or Magick.
* Shivaan - Also known as "Dark Elves", the Shivaan are the dark-skinned eastern sect of Vaan on Thyràsal. Often kept on a tight leash after being subjugated by the Elvaan people, the Shivaan are a small nation of trader families and merchant guilds. The Elvaan and Shivaan distrust each other after a recent war lead to the Shivaan dynasty's fall.
* Drovaan - Residing in the "Echràsal", or "Deep-Realm", the Underlords of the Drovaan rule the charcoal-skinned Vaan with rigid seclusion and xenophobia. Having evolved to life underground, the Drovaan have evolved to see in the dark and use only the bio luminescent fungi in their surroundings for lighting. The Drovaan are highly susceptible to damage from sunlight, and rightly fear it. Inclined toward the study of minerals and engineering, the Drovaan trade with surface worlders, whom they call "Sovira" or "Sun Children", to obtain the resources they cannot grow on their own. Nonetheless, they are a reclusive and traditionalist people whose trust is difficult to earn but rigid when gained.
* Sylvaan - Known to the Elvaan as "Leaf Children", Sylvaan are reclusive and tribal, preferring to stay in the jungles and forests of the south. With a strong loyalty to family units and tribes, the Sylvaan have a deep respect of nature but a distrust of outsiders, being content with their simplistic and isolated lifestyle.
* Falvaan - An extinct race of "Winter Elves", the Falvaan resided in the far northern tundras as nomadic tribes, often raiding Elvaan caravans until a war broke out that resulted in their being wiped out. They were renown for their beauty and ability to live in cold climates without much hindrance.

### Wildlife

Many diverse creatures live on Thyràsal, some common throughout the planet and others secluded to the four continents.

#### Omnivores

* **Vulsa** - An omnivorous canine with tall ears, a pair of curved horns resting on the front of its skull and on the top of its head, two sets of eyes, three pairs of legs, and two tails, the Vulsa is an iconic scavenger on Thyràsal. Their pelts range from gray, white, brown, and red with prominent, almost glowing, stripes on their fur. They eat berries, nuts, fish, birds, insects, eggs, and other small creatures. They have much in common with foxes, burrowing tunnels for themselves to live in, having lots of energy with which to hunt and play, and being prized for their cunning. Vulsa are often seen as cursed tricksters and harbingers of ill-fortune to Shivaan, though Sylvaan see them as living wardens of the forests and jungles. They are preyed upon by Traksa, Hurgons, and Virim. The hunting of their pelts has been a historically common practice among Elvaan though the *Enfura* (Elv. "Common Laws") forbid the practice thanks in part to the Sylvaan's protest of it. Typically skiddish, Vulsa avoid contact with most Vaan and other humanoids due to centuries of being hunted though young and brave Vulsa are not disinclined to play with humanoids, often teasing people by running around and avoiding being caught. Vulsa are considered an exotic pet to keep and require a special license for it as well as living arrangements to accommodate their nature. Their wide foraging needs and destructive habits in a home lead them to be poor pets, and they often suffer from a lowered immune system if obesity is allowed to set in.

* **Rhàlon** - Feared for their aggressive nature and difficulty to kill, Rhàlon are a furred Xenarthran species of forager similar to the Armadillons of Halon. With canine-like ears that can swivel and hear up to fifteen miles away, superior eyes that can see at night, and a power tail that can swing with the force of a club, the Rhàlon is a belligerent creature capable of giving as much punishment as it can receive. A hard carapace-like shell covers its back and is able to bend with its unique spine to allow it to cover itself in an armored shell that can repel even light bullet fire. It displays a hardiness and ill-temperament uncommon amongst the creatures of its world, retracting from its shell to confront its attackers once it feels it is able. It shuffles across the floors of forests and jungles at an alarming pace, biting onto and ripping through even bone with incredible force. The phrase "stubborn as a Rhàlon" is common amongst the Vaan, as once a Rhàlon has been trodden on it is difficult to elude or deter without gaining enough ground to shake its scent or introducing a more worthy prey. Rhàlon attacks are more uncommon in recent centuries but fatalities do occur, especially when smaller ones are mistaken for rocks or lumps of ground by children. Irindal Sùrion once recalls being chased by a Rhàlon in his youth before his uncle could scare it away.

## Notable Vaan

### Elvaan

* Arandar Sùrion
* Irindal Sùrion