The Lysal are a race of humanoid aliens whose blood contains a bio-luminescent particle, whose luminescence increases as their heart rate does.
Origin
Lysal tend to come from planets with very long nighttime periods, since they evolved the bioluminescence for survival purposes. Most Lysal come from Scr’anan, an enigmatic planet orbiting a volatile sun. The sun’s volatility tends to make the planet’s days short and nights long. A few similar planets exist but aren’t well known, and similar humanoids that can also be called Lysal exist there as well.
Physiology
Because of the bio-luminescent particles in Lysal blood and the survival benefits of increased circulation, the Lysal have a higher resting heart rate than humans, averaging about 100 beats per minute. Their heart can also handle higher strain and tends to jump up in beats per minute more quickly. This increased circulation also means that Lysal require more densely caloric food than humans. The luminescence is more prominent in areas with lots of blood cells or where there is less between the skin and the veins/arteries, such as the face, neck, hands, and feet. Places without blood vessels such as hair, and the keratin in nails, cannot glow.
Other than that, their physiology differs very little from humans’. Lysal come in all shapes, sizes, and skin tones. The skin tone can make the appearance of glowing vary a little. Golden and orange glows are most common, with pink a close second (it can depend on the undertones of the Lysal skin). In rarer cases, particularly in Lysal that live around more bodies of water, cooler colors do appear.
Culture
Lysal culture tends to be more similar to human culture, but most of mythology tends to revolve around the sun as the highest power. Rituals revolve around sunrise, and names that glorify the sun tend to be common for children, as a symbol of power, life, or beauty. Watching the sun rise is also very common for Lysal, and it tends to be a particularly special occasion shared largely by those who are close.
That’s about it for this Worldbuilding Wednesday! Let me know if you have any questions at all!
