Tartyn

Despite retreating to their underground home of Tynogeum after a disconnect with the Astrali in 54 AL, the Tartyn have thrived under the surface. They have created a home that lacks nothing of what is found on the surface, built entirely with perseverance and strength alongside the respect of their gods, the Vadi.

Although they have an Astral Core like other starborn species, to assume that a Tartyn believes in the more commonly worshipped Goddesses is a slight like no other. The Tartyn only regards the Goddesses as the sky-gods who discarded them like unpolished stone years before the Astrali were created. Instead, they give the Vadi their respect as their nuturers, for it was Edall who moved them carefully through the earth, Sados for cleaning their cores of debris, Eire for drying and whisking them to Photia, who melted the final layer of rock away and allowed them to emerge as Orelings (their version of Starlings). This same method still occurs nearly 400 years later, with Tartyn waiting for a fresh young one to emerge from Photia's Blood and to help them on their journey to their proving.

It was in 325 AL that the Astrali Garmus Silverson uncovered the old entrance to the Tartyn Kingdom in the ruins of Ashenhollow when investigating an uptick in natural disasters plaguing Stellagos. His arrival was met with swords and disgust, though he witnessed the adaptability of a lost civilization while being led to the Queen and King of Tynogeum.

Through hard conversations and confirming understandings, a shaky peace treaty was signed between the Astrali and the Tartyn to bring the lost civilization and its inhabitants back to Stellagos. Through extensive meetings between Stellagos researchers and Tynogeum scholars, the history and charting of the two continents have been exchanged for a detailed history section for both civilizations.

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The Tartyn have adapted to life underground and survive in intense climates without completely changing to remove the possibility of returning to the surface. Although they are better built for life underground, their unique features are just as useful aboveground.

The double nostril of a Tartyn is a unique filtering system, with inhalation coming through their front nostril to filter the particles and dirt common in the underground air. When they exhale, the air is released through the rear nostril with any filtered particles removed in the first nostril. This intricate process often hinders the ability to smell as well as other Stellaborn. With deep ear canals that capture every sound around them, a Tartyn can hear a pin drop from nearly a mile away, making them one of the best hearing Stellaborn known. Their legs, in Traveler and Stellian form, are shorter, yet their thicker limbs are filled with muscles built for digging and lifting. They may not be able to travel far for extended periods, but in taxing occupations can work for hours on end.

The inner mouth of a Tartyn exhibits a more carnivorous diet, with sharp teeth throughout. Their upper and lower canines are retractable, usually piercing out when baring their teeth or in heightened states of emotion. These extremely sharp teeth are particularly useful in tearing through specific pieces of meat, separating edible pieces from non-edible ones, or in the context of battle, to tear through veins or tendons.

Despite having skin, muscle, and bones, the internal structure of a Tartyn follows that of other Stellaborn. They consume food and other materials to stay as true to 'mortality' despite not needing to sustain their clusters as often as Astrali do. They instead will settle in one of the four Proving Grounds to allow one of their Vadi to help replenish their Astral Core. Their unique circulatory system, constellines, connects every visible section of their Astral Core to ensure the health of the Tartyn. Their Astral Core is known to be even harder than an Astrali's, making them near-indestructible.

The Tartyn's Astral Windows are more prominently displayed on their neck, chest, hands, and down the sternum and belly of their Traveler form. This is not only to identify health and origin, but their near-indestructible qualities also intensively enhance their ability to dig through difficult terrain and substances.

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Thanks to the diligent work of Laurel Institute scholars in Demithos, the following information has been recorded for the Tartyn.

Creation: The Combined Effort of the Vadi after being discarded by the Goddesses.
Origin: Metalborn, Tynogeum
Flair: High Strength
Lifespan: 250 to ??? Years
Stellian Form Height Range: 4ft (122cm) to 6.5ft (198cm)
Traveler Form Height Range: 7ft (213cm) to 10ft (305cm)
Diet: Meats and Natural Elements

Form Notes: All Tartyn can shift freely between their Traveler & Stellian forms to fit whatever needs or preferences they have. Unlike The First Astrali, the ancient Tartyns (those who have lived since their first emergence in 44 BL) can shift between their Traveler and Stellian forms without consequence. There is no clear reason why they were given the ability over their Starborn cousins, however, their ability to shift so freely leads to the belief that other forms may be possible in the future.

Star Cycle Information: All Tartyn originate from an 'unfinished' star that was created by Zenta and Emasis, as Iphion was not confident in her abilities or her sister's ideas. It's said that thousands, if not more, of these unfinished stars were made as the two sisters tried to fill the void in their creation that Iphion left, and discarded when they could not complete it. These stars were all thrown deep into Kunvadis, with some burying themselves deep beneath the surface and others sitting in higher levels. While the Goddesses believed these creations were unable to form, they were forgotten until they returned with the Astrali 50 years later. However, they were not forgotten by the Vadi of Kunvadis, as these stars were raised through the layers of dirt and rock to be cared for and 'hatched' by their powers of earth, water, air, and fire combined. Once formed as an Oreborn, these young Tartyn age quickly as they are born with stabilized Astral Cores within the first 12 hours. As they age over the next five years, they become attuned to one Vadi in particular, and often find their home and their path by settling near their Proving Grounds. Once a Tartyn reaches the age of 10, they are expected to complete their Proving Trial to properly respect each of the four Vadi before they can adventure beyond Tynogeum. Once completed, a Tartyn may spend the rest of their life traveling or settle down somewhere to work or relax. This ending varies from Tartyn to Tartyn, depending on what they wish to find in their lives. The oldest living Tartyn is known to be Queen Batea, however, she has given remarks on a Tartyn that came before her, one who held no name but cared for the ancients during their first year of life. She died during the spring of 18 AL, coinciding with the shattering event of disrespect that caused Queen Batea to cut off the Astrali from visiting her Kingdom. Even to this day, her Pulsarian Bloom is guarded deep within the castle in Demithos, and no Astrali is permitted to see her or pay their respects. Queen Batea has been kind enough to explain that her Bloom is just as strong as the day she was lost, glittering in crystallized colors, surrounded by plants of Edall's Grove.

Subspecies: There are three different types of Tartyn: Lithos, Asthen, and Nucleus. From research of the 'hatching' cycle that the Vadi complete, the differentiation of the subspecies depends on where they were pulled from the Earth by Edall. Lithos are pulled from the top layers, Asthen from the middle layers, and Nucleus from the innermost layers of the earth.

Each subspecies of the Tartyn has different boons and weaknesses that reflect their abilities and core strengths, giving them different kinds of Attributes that help (or hinder) them on their adventures. When they emerge from Photia's Blood, they often quickly find who or what they want to be, whether that reflects on them visually or internally, starting with a theme or idea that they center themselves around.

Asthen Attributes: +3 STR, +1 INT
Natural Anomalies: N/A
Astral Core Intensity: 2

Asthen (As-then) Tartyn are favored by the Vadi Edall, as they spend most of their time with him as they are lifted from the earth and pulled to the correct chambers to complete their 'hatching' cycle. These Tartyn are known for their resiliency and intense work ethic, especially in the blacksmithing or coresmithing fields. Their knowledge of rock and minerals nearly always outmatches those who try to go up against them, even if they are within days of coming to consciousness. An Asthen will rarely want to leave the comforts of Tynogeum, but it is not unheard of. They enjoy finding new experiences, different variations of gems, or finding an offshoot of their profession that they like more. As long as the Asthen has a connection to the ground, they are happiest. The idea of finding themselves lost in the realm of Eire is a deep fear that only a select few have overcome.

Lithos Attributes: +1 STR, +2 AGI, -1 INT
Natural Anomalies: Thick Coat, Multiple Limbs
Astral Core Intensity: 1

Lithos (Lith-ohs) Tartyn are the most common Tartyn, as their discard method by the Goddesses was usually lackluster, being tossed to Kunvadis with barely enough effort to disappear beneath the surface. Despite their harbored resentment at the lack of attention they were given by the sky gods, it was Eire who ensured that they made it to the 'hatching' cycle by pushing any loose dirt or soil over those who had been uncovered by time. Their worship of the Eire is one of the strongest, and they often put themselves in occupations where they are never without her presence. From farming, to exploring, or guarding Eire's Cyclone, the Lithos Tartyn are exceptionally loyal. If they are given any form of kindness or help, they are the quickest to pay it back. Honesty and loyalty mean the most to them.

Nucleus Attributes: +2 INT, +2 CHA
Natural Anomalies: Cirri, Magical Excess
Astral Core Intensity: 3

Nucleus (New-cle-us) Tartyn are the rarest of the Tartyns, as their stars had to travel quite far into Kunvadis's core, to the point that they almost melted from the heat. However, Photia has been able to rescue these near-death stars to bring them to their 'hatching' cycle, giving them a life that her counterparts had believed was forfeit. Because of her endurance to face what could have killed her to save them, the Nucleus Tartyn are fiercely devoted to Photia. They frequently leave gifts at Photia's Blood or take care of the ebb and flow of the lava wells she creates as thanks, but feel they can never repay the life she has given them. Nucleus Tartyn will take jobs involving research or history, usually to help understand the world around them better, since they take the longest to form.