Aelin
Appearance
Aelin are sapient humanoids with slight, fragile bodies and broad avian wings. Although often compared to humanity, aelin appear significantly more youthful and androgynous than their counterparts. They have long, curved ears, and lack facial hair or heavy muscle. Their hair follows a range of colors from white to black, blonde to brown, and with the occasional red. Eye color follows a similar range to humanity, although rarely includes unusual yellows or violets. Aelin complexion can range from pale to olive-skinned, depending on their region of origin. Their plumage usually reflects their hair color, but may also have patterns, such as stripes or speckling.
Personality
Beauty, reason, and pride are common to the aelin, and not always to their betterment. Most aelin take their appearance particularly seriously, and spend an unusual amount of time styling their hair, brushing their feathers, or choosing the most appealing clothing. This can give the impression of being particular effete, although that concept is rarely present within the race. As the originators of republican government, they have a healthy appreciation for logic and order. They tend to be active conversationalists, and enjoy the clever application of ideas or designs. Aelin pride is infamous, and fed both by their obsession with culture and their historical achievements. It is more common than not for an aelin to believe he is superior to others, if it is justified or not.
The aelin are given to passions, which often makes their individual pursuits an exercise in will. They possess an innate, if subtle, desire to shatter the finely-crafted systems which they have created. This often leads them to be especially judgmental of those who actually indulge in such behavior-- especially other aelin. This dichotomy creates a sharp divide between the personal and public spheres, further sharpening the aelin penchant for concealment. Their deep fear of failure or public shame is manifest in all that they do, driving many aelin to a slavish perfectionism. It also prompts them to choose their company carefully, giving their natural elitism an even more condescending air.
Relationships
The races most respected by the aelin are the caladaran, and to a lesser extent, humanity. Caladaran scholarship has often enhanced traditional areas of aelin interest, such as law, meditation, or magic, and has sought to integrate aelin insights in those fields. However, the aelin cannot help but note the drab, colorless lives most caladaran lead, and consider their appearance an affront to the eyes. Humans, on the other hand, have learned much from the ancient culture of the aelin, and have often been ready allies in times of need. Despite this public closeness, aelin often consider humans as a whole to be base, brutish, and derivative.
The aelin are wary of the ch'taren and the shuddeni. While both worthy of some acknowledgement for their obvious intellect and cultural achievements, the aelin tend to marginalize those traits and the rival societies they represent. The ethron love of nature clashes with typical aelin manifestations of order, and their plodding intellects quickly grow dull; as well, the heavy nature of the ethron frame invokes dismay from aelin classicists. The nefortu, for their many similarities, provide a pointed contrast to the aelin. Their insatiable greed and odd behavior serve as a proof of aelin superiority. The srryn and kankoran, with their tribalistic lives, are often far outside aelin concern. The alatharya are the focus of the greatest aelin scorn: simpletons descended from legendary progenitors.
