Common name: Allandarau (æ-jænð-æ-ɹɑ)
Individual: Alland (æ-jænð)
Plural: Allandarau
Species: Humanoid
Classification: Mammalian
Number of sexes: 1 (female)
Adult size: Tall; heights generally range from 5’10” to 6’5”
Longevity: Mortal; average lifespan is approximately one hundred and thirty years
Preferred habitat: Lakes, rivers, streams, and other fresh water bodies
Range: Global
Associated languages: Commercial Standard, Dòsqèlau
Associated languages: Commercial Standard, Dòsqèlau
Debut: Sonnet (2018)
Physiology:
Mostly humanoid in form and features, the Allandarau are tall, attractive women who live most of their lives in fresh water, and the rest in the sexual fantasies of human gynophiles. They have pale, slightly blue-tinged skin and black hair that often has a blue or greenish tint. Their eyes are also colored in the blue-green range and have a transparent second eyelid that allows them to see clearly underwater. The translucent webbing between their fingers and toes allows for increased aquatic mobility, while gills on the sides of the neck allow Allandarau to breathe while submerged. As their cells dry out at an alarming rate, an Alland can never be far from water; while capable of breathing and moving on land, they will dehydrate and die within hours. The Allandarau do not equate nudity with sex, and under most circumstances wear nothing while in the water, but if they must venture onto land, they will find makeshift clothing for the sake of the land cultures.
Senses:
As humanoids, the strongest senses of the Allandarau are sight and hearing, though their aquatic, semi-nomadic lifestyle has resulted in a heightened sense of touch as well. Their olfactory senses are stronger than those of humans, but they are far from beast-like in refinery.
Magical abilities:
Most Allandarau are attuned strongly enough to essential energy for proficiency in sorcery. Although they may make use of essential energy of any type, most have a natural preference for water-type energy Individuals of Hydhern descent tend to be more potent magic users.
Social behavior:
Most Allandarau are quite social, though not to the point where self-sufficiency is out of the question. In lakes and other still bodies, Allandarau have been known to build underwater towns where some individuals live permanently. River-dwelling Allandarau are less likely to settle, but often travel in groups of four or more. They are open to interacting with others outside their subspecies, and often surface near ports and docks.
Reproduction and life cycle:
Like all humanoids, Allandarau reproduce sexually via vaginal intercourse; however, as there are no anatomically male Allandarau, they must mate with human or (far more uncommonly) Hydhern males to ensure the continuation of their people. In the case of Alland-human pairings, all female offspring will be Allandarau and all male offspring, human. Results are similar with Alland-Hydhern pairings, although Allandarau of Hydhern paternity may take on the coloring of their fathers—greyish skin, jet black hair and eyes. Gestation takes about a year. The life cycle of an Alland is very similar to that of a human female, only decelerated. Most Alland enter puberty at fifteen and become fully mature at around twenty-five. The course of the menstrual cycle is about a month and a half, and the average age for the onset of menopause is eighty-six.
Family units:
Most heterosexual or bisexual Allandarau choose to reproduce at least once. It is not uncommon for an Alland to form a romantic attachment with father of her child, but most of these relationships eventually end due to the physical impracticality of one partner living in the water and the other on the land. That said, it is by no means unheard of for a human male living on the shore and an Alland living in the waters near the shore to continue their involvement or even marry, and to raise any children they may have together. When the parents do not become involved, girls remain in the water with their mothers while boys stay ashore with their fathers (or, in some cases, alone, but with his mother in the waters nearby). The level of interaction with the other parent varies from case to case. Alland-Hydhern relationships and marriages have occurred, but they are rare enough to be statistical anomalies. Homosexual or bisexual Alland often form couples and marry within their sub-species; while those in exclusive relationships will not reproduce, Alland couples have been known to adopt orphans.
