#|| worldbuilding ||

[stardxstsouls]

One of the earliest settlements on Navi'ita is the Maolok Wasteland.

In the beginnings of astrodite civilization, when the society's science and technological advancements were still young and, the people used machines, fuels, and materials that were ultimately harmful to the ecosystem. By the time the damage was realized, better alternatives were already being created, but the damage was also considered irreversible.

The astrodite left Maolok to nature and abandoned the old methods completely to prevent future damages from being inflicted on their beloved homeworld. The rest of the planet aged and weathered over the eons while Maolok decayed and recovered. In the modern day, the rest of the planet appears old and wise and stands tall, but Maolok is new and young. The stark contrast between Maolok and the rest of the world is a vast one. The landscape and environment are finally healthy after eons of taint rotting in the ground and air. It's green and fresh and nature has reclaimed it with beauty, but there is an undeniable scar.

[stardxstsouls]

Astrodite bones - minus their teeth, of course - are naturally black.

[stardxstsouls]

Hair in echo society hold a lot of meaning, from length to the way its styled. In terms of length, there are no limits to how an individual may choose to cut it, the meaning instead lies in what length it may be cut to. Hair lengths below the shoulder are most common, and above the shoulder may indicate the individual has entered a mourning period.

Braids are also a traditional feature in echo society. Not only is it a practical way to maintain one's hair, but can be indicative of several things, depending on the region. One tradition regarding braids - or even isolated and tied strands - is to wear one to represent a loved one.

Many hairstyles are adorned with beads and bands that may also mark milestones, represent local style, or simply be an individual's style choice.

While most traditions surrounding hair are lax, one that is widespread and deeply respected is that an individual's hair is not to be touched by anyone but one's self or a family member.

[stardxstsouls]

Worldbuilding

Astrodite aren't invulnerable.

They can travel the expanse of space without suits or ships or any specialized equipment, but their bodies are evolved to do so. Their bodies are capable of handling the extreme environments of space, from the high temperatures and abundance of radiation, to the cold vacuum. They can absolutely feel these extremes, but it cannot damage them.

In fact, some may even find certain types of environments uncomfortable.

The stress from the discomfort is more likely to cause ailment than the environments themselves.

They can also "breathe" in space.

Astrodite are not beings who don't require oxygen. They have lungs and voices and come from a world that's rich with flora and fauna. They are in possession of a biological process where, in the absence of oxygen, they switch to another source of energy. Oxygen is only necessary to generate ATP, which this biological process aids in generating when oxygen is not present.

Astrodite, while in space, "breathe" anomalous and galactic cosmic energy. A single particle has a high enough energy level to sustain them for long periods of time, so they don't have to constantly "breathe" while traveling between galaxies and worlds, as these cosmic rays are not as densely populated as oxygen might be on earth.

There is a transition between breathing oxygen and "breathing" these cosmic rays, and it's not a comfortable one. At least, not for younger astrodite. It can even be painful. As the astrodite ages and travels throughout the cosmos, it becomes less apparent and noticeable, but it occurs nonetheless.

This transition is one primary reason astrodite possess space faring vessels (barring more obvious reasons such as carrying cargo and transporting groups of people) instead of merely flying to the next world without any equipment. For some, the use of a ship is more favorable.

shoutout to @terran-of-aeonis for educating me on ATP, I never would have fleshed out this headcanon this much otherwise

[stardxstsouls]

Oritel's ancestral home is an archipelago of sky-islands hidden within the clouds, called Idulara. The islands produce their own cloud cover in two ways: evaporation of the archipelago's own water sources and from water sources below the island, and by the powerful, continuous wind currents that do not let the water fall to the surface.

Idulara has a peculiar way of evading detection. Navigation instruments tend to not "see" the islands, while the altitude makes them impossible to see from the ground at sea-level, and the wind currents directly beneath the island deter people/animals from getting close. In short, only individuals who have already been to the islands know that they're there and how to get there.

One of Idulara's islands served as a base of operations during the revolution, with only the highest ranks permitted to know it's location.

[stardxstsouls]

In the many lifetimes that the Yobuko-Kazurai have existed, it has managed no small feat of remaining unknown to outsiders, mostly by never staking public claim over victories won over enemies.

The largest threat to the Yobuko was the Ten Rings, which began growing substantially over two thousand years after the Yobuko was established. However, the newer empire's rapid rise in power and growth in numbers proved them a very real concern. Rather than challenge them directly, which was not the way of the Yobuko, or attempt to eliminate the threat altogether, Kyoshi played his hand carefully.

If the Rings imposed on any of his territories, the immediate threat was terminated, but their secretive nature meant that they were never discovered as the culprits. Many times, Rings business was upended in favor of the Yobuko, who used their advantage to swoop in and claim new territory and business right from under the Rings.

Likewise, the Rings consider their shadowy rival one of the largest threats to their own operation.

[stardxstsouls]

The Children of Starlight are a group of astrodite individuals who commit themselves to living as the stars that their society reveres. To astrodite, solar plasma is just as much a food as any produce or meat, and the Children of Starlight sustain themselves entirely with it. They usually wear dark clothing and robes that have delicately woven designs that match to constellations and star maps. They also cover their faces with wooden masks that are painted or have trinkets and accessories fastened to them.