Vaen

The
Vaen are a tall, slender humanoid race native to the Alastean Island chain
located to the east of the mainland, a place the Vaen call Avro’kenann. They
are quite pale in coloring; a Vaen with pure white skin would not be uncommon.
They have a long, thin tail with a tuft that starts a few inches from the tip
and runs along the underside of the tail, extending a little past the tip
itself. In young Vaen, the tuft starts closer to the tip. As a Vaen ages, the
hair creeps further up the length of the tail. The backs of their legs are
tufted from just below the knees to right above the ankles. This hair is the
same color as the hair on their head and as the tuft on their tail. Some Vaen
choose to let this hair grow long, but most keep it trimmed to a short length
as it tangles easily.

Male Vaen have two horns in the
center of their forehead, one right above the other. The uppermost horn is
longer than the bottom one. Both horns have a slight backwards curve. In skin
color, males tend to be paler than the females. Green eyes are most common for
them while blond hair is the norm.

The female Vaen have a single horn
in the center of their foreheads. It’s much wider and thicker than the horns of
the males. It has a very slight backwards curve. They tend to have a darker
coloring than the males, but remain quite pale. Blue eyes and red hair are
normal colors for them.

An average height for both genders
is 5’5’’, though there have been taller individuals. They are a little stronger
than the average human and significantly faster.

## Leadership

They
are ruled by a Shan’torell, or Queen, who is elected to serve a four year term.
Once her term is complete, it is possible to be reelected, but only one, so one
woman could serve as queen for a maximum of eight years. Serving with her are
eight individuals called Shandalla, who are both appointed and elected. They
are usually female, but occasionally a male will be in that position. In such a
case, the masculine form of Shandalla, Shandolli, is used. Four of the Shandalla
are elected by the people are four are appointed from within the aristocracy.
They are effectively extensions of the Queen’s power and authority, going
places that she couldn’t. They also act as her advisors and emissaries.

## Aristocracy

The
noble class consists of six major families and a dozen or so smaller ones. The
oldest and most powerful of these families is the tar Mat’shenn family. Many , Shandalla, and I’llant’shorenn has come from
their line as well as the occasional dragonrider.

The
Arutevarr, or Six Families, are: tar Mat’shenn, sha Jureenn, das Turann, eir
Valaha, min Kutaha, and xiu Yadehann. These are the founding families of the
Vaen race. The other aristocratic families vary in number as some gain rank and
others loose it. Whatever the status of the others, the Six will always remain
in their positions as pillars of society.

## Families

Families
tend to be small in order to keep things easier to maintain. Grandparents are
revered in the villages for their wisdom and experience.

## Diet

The
Vaen are very strict vegetarians. They don’t disdain the eating of meat, but
will not partake of it and prefer to avoid places where large amounts of it are
being consumed.

Their
diet consists largely of fruit and vegetables with a kind of bread they call
tava as their primary staple. Several kinds of nuts and beans round out their
dietary needs.

### Food

*ajnail*--a kind of seasoned
potato fried in butter

*bentine*--a small pie filled with
an assortment of fruit topped with a dollop of thickened cream.

*janjan--*a dish made of three
kinds of beans cooked in a garlic laced tomato sauce covered in melted cheese

*tava* - a kind of bread that is the staple of the Vaen diet

*quavis*--a dish made from boiled grain

y*ithenn*
– traditional Vaen dish consisting of a nut salad, tubers, white sauce, and a
flaky fruit filled pastry for dessert.

## Lifestyle

They live in small villages as small
groups are less damaging to their surroundings and are easier to maintain and
feed. They build their houses of brick. Each house contains an eating and
cooking area, a sitting area, a bathing room, and up to four bedrooms.
Furnishings are mostly stuffed cushions that rest directly on the floor. Tables
are made out of wicker. Vaen sleep in hammocks rather than in beds. There are
some chairs that have a wicker frame. Wooden furniture is quite rare.

In coastal areas, houses are made of
a more flexible bamboo-like material and are built on raised platforms to
reduce damage from flooding and from storms. Should a house collapse in a
storm, it will be easier to rebuild than if it were made of a more solid
material.

There is only one family per house.
When a couple marries, they move out into their own home, usually close to the
parents of at least one member of the new couple. Young men spend a large
amount of their late childhood saving materials and funds to construct a house
of their own as no woman will marry a man with no house of his own.
Occasionally, young women will do this as well, but those instances aren’t as
common.