Traxei
The riders of the skies and the winds
I have yet decided
The Traxei are one of the six sentient races of Ederav. They were created by the Goddess Elonie as an offering to her consort, Helvarr, who, in return, bestowed upon the Traxei a unique bond with the rugha, the great flying beast native to The Valley. This bond originally existed through a form of vocal communion, allowing the Traxei to guide and soothe their mounts through songs.
For much of their recorded history, the Traxei endured prolonged colonialization; for 3,821 years, they were subjected to colonialism and slavery by the Varkrys, which profoundly altered Traxei physiology, culture, and social structure.
Among the most significant consquences of this period was the gradual loss of their innate vocal attunment with the rugha. To compensate this, the Traxei developed the use of a forked, flute-like instrument known as the kahfi, designed to replicate the tonal ranges of rugha songs and became a diminished, yet functional, form of communication.
Origins
The word Traxei is derived from the composite Eihanfi words Tharax (wind) and Nakhei (rider), reflecting both their aerial mastery and their spiritual association with the skies. It was the Varkrys who named them such.
Scholarly concensus places the creation of the Traxei between 20,000 and 15,000 years before the Imperial Era, during the latter phases of the Dawn Age or the early phases of the Age of Green.
In their pre-colonial period, the Traxei inhabited the central valley of Ederav as semi-nomadic hunter gatherers, riding their rugha south during heat seasons and north during cold seasons. Archaelogical evidence suggests they lived in small mud dwellings and relied on bone, stone, and twigs for tools and weapons. Their society was loosely organized, with kin-based groups rather than formal hierarchies.
Approximately 4,000 years ago, the Sethri and the Varkrys formed the Smithery Alliance to seize control of the valley. Following the annexation, the Sethri forcibly captured and relocated surviving Traxei populations, along with their rugha, to Thospeiros by the order of King Barros Alzari. This period marked the beginning of the long Traxei subjugation, characterized by enslavement, cuultural suppresion, and extensive biological and social assimilitation.
Physical Characteristics
Prior to the colonialism, the Traxei were a compact, resilient people, with the average adult Traxei to be approximately 1.20 – 1.30 meters in height. They possessed golden-hued skin which was resistant to the sun exposure and fully white eyes that lacked iris pigmentation, adapted to reflect light glaring during high-altitude flights. These traits were meant to adapt them to prolonged aerial travel on their rugha.
Following centuries of interbreeding and environmental shifts under Varkrys colonialism, present-day Traxei exhibit significantly altered physical characteristics; their average height increased to approximately 1.55 – 1.70 meters, with broader phenotypic diversity. They now have visible iris, rangeing from pale gret to blue to violet, though they do retain reflective white pupils, a remnant of their ancestral ocular adaptation.
Likewise, their skin tones are now diversified. While pre-colonial Traxei did not tan or burn, present-day Traxei frequently develop bronze or deep golden complexions after prolonged sun exposure; a trait attributed to Varkrys’ weakness against the sun. Their hair coloration ranges from white to pale gold, with members of House Arhelunei known for their fondness of dyeing their hair in vivid hues.
Traxei attire is both ornamental and functional; traditional garments consists of layered silk and light fabrics draped across the torso. These garments are secured with belts at the waist and hips, allowing riders to fasten themselves easily to their rugha saddles during flight.
The Traxei prefers green, blue, and purple – symbolizing nature and fertile land. Black and red garments are occasionally worn to acknowledge their Varkrys ancestry, a lineage many Traxei openly embrace despite its violent origins. Jewelry often incorporates motifs inspired by rugha anatomy and native flora.
The Traxei’s diet primarily consists of vine plants, root vegetables, freshwater fish, and hunted game, seasoned with herbs and fresh spices. They also farm grains and raise livestocks, with ruthigi being the most popular choice of livestock.
Stereotype and Personality
Traxei culture is frequently characterized by other races of Ederav as indulgent, expressive, and in certain cases, hedonistic. They are widely regarded as gifted singers and dancers, with performance occupying a central place in both ritual and leisure. During the colonial era, the Traxei were systematically commodified and sexual enslavement was widespread. In response, Traxei society as hunter-gatherers gradually reframed to sensuality as a form of agency and survival. Public aesthetics emphasizing allure, intoxication rituals, and performance culture emerged not merely as indulgence, but as adaptation.
While legally free in the present day, Traxei society adapted and retains noble hierarchies and heraldic systems inherited from Varkrys governance. Marriages, to the Traxei, are formally monogamous, though extramarital relationships are socially tolerated among the elite and frowned upon if one has a Varkrys as a spouse. Long-standing rivalries, particularly among Traxei women, are often traced back to historical competition for Varkrys’ favor, a legacy that continues to influence interpersonal trust.
Brothels are numerous in Phyrozes, though paradoxically, a brothel is only considered socially prestigious if it employs at least one Varkrys courtesan, implying the ever-existing internalization of colonial beauty standards. Likewise, several nobles believe that it is better to wed a Varkrys lowborn than a Traxei highborn. While Eran I Arderinei had tried to reframe the Traxei’s though process on this, it still carries on until today, with Traxei lords proudly bringing their bastard Varkrys children home and Traxei ladies deliberately enter intimate relationships with Varkrys men, where they would often feel more secure with Varkrys’ total monogamy.
Despite losing a good amount of their pre-colonial culture and tradition, King Eran I Arderinei officiated many of prehistoric Traxei festivals, culture, and rituals through his archeological findings. The Traxei, in total, has seventeen festivals that are also popular tourism objectives for other races to join. Attraction such as rugha combat and rugha racing, battles, singing, dancing, and banquets are profound in their festivals and famed throughout the empire.