Chyleni

The physiology of the Chyleni is quite remarkable. In simple terms, they are avian humanoids. Their primary differences with mainline humans are their wings, tail, pointed ears, three-fingered hands (with talons), and unusual colors of skin, eyes, and hair.

A Chyleni's wings are the biggest difference between them and humans. These wings are leathery (not feathered) and they feature strong muscles for lengthy flight, muscles that continue on to their torsos as would be expected. The actual structure of the wings are created by long arm-like appendages whose 'hand' and 'fingers' make up the formations that the leathery sails are stretched between. On most Chyleni, the skin that comprises the wing-sails are only a shade or two lighter than their primary skin-tone due to the thinness of the sails themselves. The wings are most often folded to a Chyleni's back when not in flight, although they can also be carefully folded around the Chyleni almost like a cloak, with the 'palms' of the 'hands' meeting up below the Chyleni's throat. Unlike many aerial races, Chyleni hatchlings are not able to fly soon after breaking shell. Until their wings are strong enough to carry them, they ride on an adult's back between their wings, grabbing hold of the adult's hair to prevent tumbling off.

A Chyleni's tail appears to be prehensile like a feline's, although they no longer have the strength to actually be used to grasp anything and hold it due to physical changes arising from the evolution of wings as their primary mode of transportation between the trees. It is theorized that in time, the tail may actually shrink away, although some Chyleni scientists argue that the tail is still used in flight and may flatten out to act as a steering vane like a feathered avian's might.

Another evolutionary change was the progression of their ears into points, better used to cup the sound waves in the trees. The slightly-thinner air of Chylene also fostered this change, as it made any given sound that much harder to transmit and therefore softer in volume. These points are not very obtrusive and they're the most often overlooked difference between a Chyleni and a human, often hidden by hair.

The Chyleni hands are three-fingered, much like their wings, and there are talons on them, but neither as long nor as sharp as that of your average Horansi. These have been blunted over the course of evolution as the Chyleni no longer had to hunt their food with their bare hands.

Chyleni skin-colors can range the visible spectrum. What started out in the dawn of time on Chylene was that there were only a handful of singular shadings of colors, such as the red-skinned Clans near the equator and the blue-skinned Clans to the north and south, with the mountain Clans sporting green and the desert Clans generally a sandy or brown in color. Interbreeding and simple time and the mingling of the population ensured that there are extremely few 'pure-blood' Chyleni today that can claim direct and 'unpolluted' descent from one of the Ancient Clans, and nearly every Chyleni has a 'mixed' heritage. On any given Chyleni, their overall skin-tone can darken or lighten a few shades over their body, typically lighter on hands, feet, and wing-sails. Generally, however, only a Chyleni with some kind of genetic disorder will have skin that is more than one basic color such as red or lavender or blue, and those are treated as pariahs.

The eyes of the Chyleni range in pigments as well. It's not unheard of to see violet eyes, or red, or even silver-grey, as well as the more common blue, green, hazel, brown, black, or maroon. Somehow, the Chyleni typically manage to have eye-colors that match their hair-color, so there would never be a black-haired Chyleni with violet eyes or a red-eyed Chyleni with white or silver hair. Only a scattered handful of Chyleni have managed to have eyes with flecks of other colors in them, and most are treated poorly as being genetic degenerates, much like those with mottled skins.

Speaking of hair, Chyleni hair nearly always contrasts with the color of the skin in terms of lightness or darkness. If a Chyleni has dark skin, then their hair (and eyes) would be a light color. A blood-red Chyleni could have, for example, tawny eyes and golden or blonde hair. There typically aren't any Chyleni who have two-tone haircolors, such as blue and green, but one might see a Chyleni with two-shade hair, such as gold and blonde mixtures.

Given their saurian or avian heritage, Chyleni do not have live young. Instead, they have eggs that hatch outside the mother, and their children are referred to as hatchlings. Children are fed a kind of crynda and kren flavored gruel for their first few weeks, quickly progressing to more solid foods. Chyleni typically only have a clutch of three to four eggs at any one go, and a Chyleni female is fertile once every four years from her 20th year until her 60th. Chyleni life expectancy is equivalent to humans, and as a Chyleni ages past their 90th year, his or her strength wanes until they are no longer able to fly.

Because Chyleni are iron-based in terms of blood, their blood is red like a human's but they are neither reproductively compatible nor are they able to give or receive transfusions to or from humans.