The Tsumi
From the desk of Marakai:
This is currently a work in progress, and may be missing information. If someone has a thought about anything, whether it's for clarification or about something I might not have thought of, don't hesitate to say something! PM me, hit me up on discord, whatever!
Physical Characteristics, At a Glance
The Tsumi are generally slim, and only average in stature. It's quite rare to see one even approaching 6 feet, though it does happen from time to time; the average height range is between 4' 6" and 5' 6" for adult males and females both.
By default, the Tsumi are very monochromatic, with their skin, hair, and teeth being white or very nearly so, while their tongue and lips, and every part of their eyes, being an inky black. Their eyes are generally rather large, usually the defining facial feature on any Tsumi.
Their facial features, regardless of parent races (see
breeding, below), are generally quite soft and almost could be described as "fae" like, and some have been described as "beautiful, in an eerie sort of way."
Physical Characteristics, In Depth
What cannot be seen, obviously, is what makes them truly different. On the inside, just as much on the outside, they remain monochromatic - their blood, muscles, organs, and soft tissues are all either black or varying shades of gray, with their bones appearing as a perfect, bleached white.
Their bones, muscles, and all other tissue are usually quite dense, making most of them far stronger and more durable than they appear, though not in a super-human way. This also makes them quite a bit heavier - the average Tsumi is one-and a half times to twice as heavy as they appear to be. This is due to their morphic nature - their mass determines how large or small of a form they can take.
Special Abilities
Shape Shifting: All Tsumi are physically capable of shape shifting, and all Tsumi could potentially master it - it's less about whether they can or not, and more about whether they know how. Typically, Tsumi shape shifting is a reflexive response, such as rapidly developing darker pigmentation in response to harsh sunlight, or even changing color altogether to better blend in with surroundings.
Learning how to control shape shifting is all about discipline, and often takes much practice to master. The easiest things to master are simple things, such as changing hair, skin, or eye color, while more advanced things include changing facial structure, lengthening or shortening hair, etc.
The most advanced forms are full-body changes, in shape, color, size, and even gender, and some of the best are able to hold a form even while asleep. Rumor has it that some have even learned to add new limbs, and become totally different creatures altogether.
Breeding
Tsumi are mammals - they give live births. Their gestation period is about fourteen months, and typically only one child is born at a time, with two or more children being extremely rare.
Tsumi also, unfortunately, breed rather slowly, with the window for fertilization being rather short and only occurring once or twice a year.
On the positive side, however, Tsumi genetics are extremely dominant - even when a Tsumi copulates with a non-Tsumi partner, the resulting offspring carries all the abilities as well as the monochromatic appearance of a full Tsumi. However, they typically bear heavy resemblance to the non-Tsumi parent - For example, an Elven-Tsumi would likely have the slim and trim frame of an elf and pointed ears, with a Tsumi's coloration. However, if a non-Tsumi female is pregnant with a Tsumi child, the pregnancies are often quite difficult, do to the significant change in weight of the offspring, and the outcome can sometimes be lethal for parent, child, or both.
Political Relations
(Coming Soon)
Culture
(Coming Soon)