Matossa

**Matossa** (or **Masakai-Ji**, **Matoku-Min**, **Kiki-Mora**, or **The** **Magi**) are a long-lived species of Lyrite-dependent, caprine humanoids described as looking like the "ancient dragons" that supposedly used to lair around the Masakai region several thousand years ago.

The matossan native lands are the Kingdom of Madosakai, a large nation on the southern tip of Severneija.

## Physiology

### Appearance and Abilities

Matossa are extremely easy to identify; they are probably one the most bizarre creatures in all of Anetha. Matossa bear a vaguely goat or deer-like appearance with long thin ears and a set of horns that heavily vary in shape. They stand about 6'4" to about 7'1" tall and are built very lithe and thin. They have rather odd proportions with a long body and long, skinny arms that reach their knees. They also have a long, fleshy, prehensile tail that is strong and flexible enough to hold small objects.

The most striking feature a matossa has are their eyes. They are luminescent, pupil-less and range in color from purple, dark blue, violet, light red, or bright pink. The color in their eyes tends to shift over the course of their life and heterochromia is very common. The color of their fur is usually a dull "cold" color like grey, blue-grey, grey-violet, or light-blue; the hair on their head is always a fairly lighter color than their fur and their horns are usually white, grey, light-brown, or a very rare black. A matossa's body also exhibits examples of bio-luminescence: when holding Lyrite or manipulating Lyrite-energy, the fur on whatever extremity is doing the manipulating will begin to glow and reveal an otherwise invisible pattern of fur. When casting a particularly powerful spell, their entire body will glow and reveal this entire pattern.

The Matossa also lack a heart, and subsequently, a heartbeat. Their dark purple blood actually draws oxygen directly from the lungs in a not currently understood process. Their blood also does not need to flow and functions less like a traditional circulatory system and more like an electrical circuit, with oxygen traveling along a lyrite energy conduit that Matossa also need to survive. They can still easily bleed to death despite their blood not flowing, as it takes a very long time for their body to produce more of it; they can overcome this by magically holding their wound closed to help it heal.

Matossa are extremely dependent on Lyrite energy, and if somehow deprived of it, they will go blind, weak, and will eventually die. As such, they can touch raw Lyrite without suffering from its caustic effects, but are extremely vulnerable to negative magic, meaning they can be easily subdued by attempting to "dispel" them.

Their eyes allow them to see almost perfectly in the dark and allow them to spot Lyrite sources even through solid objects. As expected, all matossa are able to use magic in some form or another, though some are much better at it.

Matossa also live to be extremely old. Their maximum age is rather inconsistent, but most survive well into their second century.

### Psychology

Matossan society tends to be heavily bureaucratic and very strict. Their kingdom depends on a loose caste system that separates the warriors, the nobles, and the commoners. The warriors also have a sub-caste devoted to the Mei-Xia, an order of elite warriors that are taught the many well-kept secrets of matossan arcane and martial arts. (WIP or to be expanded in the Madosakai page.)

#### The Muzashi

When a matossa turns a certain age, they must go through a special coming-of-age ceremony. All young matossa are given a large lyrite crystal by their parents and given a single year and the basic instructions to forge a weapon called a "Muzashi". This is a specialized Lyrite-bladed weapon that is a matossa's primary method of casting magic. A Muzashi is the single most heavily romanticized object in all of Madosakai. It can look like any sort of weapon the forger wants, but it usually takes the form of curved one or two-handed swords that are forged with iron and silver with an indented groove where the edge would be. The lyrite crystal is then cut and shaped to fit the groove of where the edge would go, forming the edge itself.

Matossa who live outside of the Kingdom still do this out of tradition, however they have a little more difficulty procuring the lyrite to give to their children.