Baólians

One of the first intelligent races of Creation, the Baólians are neither weak or strong anywhere; they have no central civilization to call their own, but can be found on every continent, with the largest concentrations in the Hot Lands. Different bands and fleets are aligned with different powers, but in general they are a free people. In recent centuries, Druyul slavers have caught and chained many Baólians, mainly forcing them as galley slaves into their brutish vessels.

## History

Baólians came to be in the Age of Life of the Time of Creation. They spread rapidly across the World-Sea and were the first sentient species to settle the Isle of Ouroboros, which the Baólians call Alcaxis, the Isle of Wonders. They were also the first to colonize the Arken Lands. Baólian bands would cross oceans by floating on ocean tides on rafts or their own bodies, thus reaching almost every landmass before any other race. Relations with other races in this period were generally peaceful, but conflicts over fishing waters and territory occurred with Myridna and Skrayt populations. Trade and cooperation also saw mixed settlements and groups emerge over the following centuries.

After the emergence of Humanity, the Baólian Legends known as the Nine Heroes of Baól quested for the Twilight Arc. They eventually found it in the hands of the human Sigren, daughter of the demigod Askr. Their sacred calling demanded for them to claim the Arc, but before blood could be spilt, both parties were ambushed by the Laughing-Death-of-Hope, Beast-God of the Ziggurat of Ascension. The Baólians and the Men of Askrheimr joined forces that day to defeat the monstrous godling. After fighting together, the Baólians forfeited their claim on the Arc and swore eternal friendship with the Men of Askrheimr.

Baólians began to develop ocean-going sailing ships in the Age of Monsters, crafting innovative catamaran vessels capable of crossing vast distances. Though Myridna and Men would soon follow in their footsteps, for a time the Baólians were sole masters of the open seas.

The creation of the Lost Swamp saw Baólians migrate to its confounding depths, giving birth to a peculiar subrace of **Swamp Baólians** over time.

## Biology

Baólians are amphibious creatures found worldwide on coasts and in shallow waters. A Baólian is tall, rising on average to 2m, with a lean and agile body. They have gills on their necks which allow for underwater breathing for hours on end, though they cannot survive in deeper waters unaided. Tentacles extend from the mouths of Baólians, which are highly sensitive and assist in finding food. They have clawed hands well suited for climbing both underwater and aboveground. Baólians are carnivores and feed mainly on fish, though in times of scarcity they can derive nutrition from some plant matter as well.

The Law of Constant Evolution has seen divergent biological adaptations in different Baólian populations. Seafaring nomadic Baólians or **Salt Baólians** tend to be more agile, have greater resistance to cold and sharper claws and foot talons for aid in climbing on their ships. Coastal Báolians or **Sand Baólians** tend to have musculature better suited for swimming and diving, coloring which fades into water and greater speed and movement on land. Baólians of the Lost Swamp or **Swamp Baólians** have developed unerring senses, greenish coloring, resistance to disease and infection, as well as smaller statures better suited for the confines of their home.

## Society

Many Baólians still live in nomadic bands along coasts, carrying their possessions aboard their catamarans and great arks. Others have settled in coastal villages, by major rivers and large lakes. Some dwell on great nomadic fleets and stay on the open sea for most of their lives. On land, houses tend to be built on stilts over or by water sources, with high and narrow architecture favoring light wood as a material. Permanently settled Baólians ornament their dwellings with the household's treasures, displaying their wealth and good fortune to their neighbors.

Baólian bands tend to have one hereditary leader, though succession can be complicated and sometimes violent. Inter-band conflicts are rare. Though hierarchic, Baólians generally abhor slavery and value personal freedom. Baólian marriage customs vary, but monogamy is not particularly strongly maintained, with multiple partners and communal rearing fairly common.

Baólians are the most adept shipbuilders and sailors on Aebrirea. They have developed sophisticated navigational aids and tools, such as the compass, sounding weights and astrolabes, with Baólian children learning celestial navigation from a young age. Their ships tend to rely on an agile catamaran structure and are swift and maneuverable as a result.

## Culture

The singing of songs is held to be the greatest art of the Baólian race. In this manner they recite oral histories of their bands and tell of the great legends of their past, such as those of Siriine and the Nine Heroes of Baól. When one individual sings, it is the duty of their family and friends to act as a chorus and to act out scenes from their song for the audience.

Baólians value pearls greatly. In many bands and settlements, it is a rite of passage for young adults to dive for their own pearls, which are worn through adulthood in necklaces or even as entire capes. Precious stones and jewels are generally appreciated; textiles and more fragile possessions less so, as they are more easily ruined on the sea. Baólians do not usually work metal and trade for most of their weapons and tools.

Funeral rites for the dead begin at dusk. The dead are adorned with pearls, shells and precious things of the sea and given to the tide. Their friends and descendants then tell tales and sing songs of them until dawn. The Sea-Spirit is customarily called upon to watch over and guard these proceedings.

Baólians revere Vixith the Volcanic Turtle, with the Band of Ashen Waters even following the great divine turtle and the bountiful fish in its wake. Baólian myth holds that one day Vixith shall erupt, creating a new land that shall be a paradise for the Baólians.

## Magic

Baólians tend to favor the Sea-Spirit's magic and consider it sacred. They also utilize a variety of other magics, with an affinity for 'narrative' magics relating to Legend and Artistry. Baólian ships and dwellings tend to incorporate some principles of mystical architecture as well.

Some Báolians have the blood of the Water Form, one of the elemental bloodlines. The bloodline is valued as mates and has spread from band to band to every corner of Aebrirea.

## Religion

Baólians hold the Sea-Spirit in the highest esteem, and also worship YORCTOL, Yggdrasil, Aekidir, the Teller of Tales, Prose, the Heart of Song, the High Moon Holder, the Star Maiden, the Whisper, Loppu Sinfonia, Lazat, Katha the Many, the Wayfarer, Zorox Unslaad, Ikari and Vathys; the Baólian attitude towards the multitude of gods could be described as 'mercantile', with worship and sacrifice seen as their part of a trade – if the gods do not provide something useful in exchange, they are swiftly abandoned. Baólians enslaved by the Druyul have been known to turn to worship of the Architect. The Baólians consider the City of the First Children a cursed and forbidden place, having lost many of their number to its inhabitants in the infancy of their race.

## Notable Baólians

* Siriine: Mother of the Nine Heroes of Baól, first bearer of the Trident of the Ocean and a Legendary matriarch of the Baólians.
* Azúl: Youngest son of Siriine, second bearer of the Trident of the Ocean and leader of the Nine Heroes of Báol.
* Miraani: Daughter of Siriine and one of the Nine Heroes of Baól.
* Lónul: Son of Siriine and one of the Nine Heroes of Baól.
* Narió: Son of Siriine and one of the Nine Heroes of Baól.