Chaja
Contents
Appearance
Chaja are giant, sapient humanoids, with sturdy but agile frames, ranging between six and eight feet tall. Their hair is naturally oily, giving it visible sheen, and ranges in color from white to black. Their skin is almost universally pale, but can range in tone from grey to tan. Their most significant feature is their eyes, the majority of which are milk-white; however, surface chaja may have some muted iris color. Younger chaja tend to be more colorless than their elders, whose eyes and hair will often darken with age. With no capacity for magic or psionics, chaja rely on their bodies most, and as a result, tend to be quite muscular.
Culture
Chaja differ sharply depending on if they were born into bondage, within foreign communities, or within settlements of their own. Those raised in captivity tend to resist freedom, looking instead for a strong, guiding force if left alone; those within cosmopolitan cities are often treated similarly to the alatharya, seeding a deep resentment toward their daily, banal cruelties; and those fortunate enough to live in racial enclaves fiercely value independence, and are often wary of outsiders, both well-meaning and otherwise. Despite these differences, perseverance is one of their principal virtues, and stoicism in the face of adversity is viewed as the greatest strength.
In general, chaja feel most at home amongst their own, and feel a strong kinship to their brethren wherever they encounter them. However, many of their conflicts are resolved through brief but judicious physical violence. A chaja may not always be able to explain his feelings in words, but a combination of pain and reconciliation often ends any lingering upset. In contrast to their popular image as war-like beasts, the chaja have no common inclination toward battle. It is as possible for them to take solace in nature or labor as it is for them to revel in war.
Relationships
The race closest to the chaja is the alatharya, whose long misery has made them uniquely able to understand the plight of generations of slavery. They often bond while working, traveling, or fighting, as the two races are often given to similar pursuits. Yet, that closeness also leads to agitation; a chaja may grow frustrated with the alatharyan inability to comprehend good and evil, which often direct their actions. As well, the need to establish their own racial identity makes chaja chafe at the constant and unnecessary comparisons and stereotypes. They may also find some kinship with the kankoran or srryn, but mostly on the basis of tribal identity, even if those identities greatly differ.
Chaja have an affinity for humans, ch'taren, ethron, nefortu, and caladaran only as far as their desires are similar. They are often alienated within those communities for their differences, be it their lack of magical aptitude, their reputation as workhorses, or the fledgling nature of their racial culture. However, their special ire or admiration is reserved for the shuddeni, whose own depredations have left a permanent mark on the chaja as a whole. Those born as slaves are often so devoted to their masters that they would follow any direction without hesitation; those born free frequently want to wipe the shuddeni from Avendar, proving once and for all the fallacy of their claim of racial supremacy.
