Blu Speculative Headcanons
I am a huge fan of speculative biology and culture cause I am a big nerd, and Hyper Light Drifter is open-ended enough to let me play in the most delightful sandbox. As I RP with WR, I end up having to explain why I feel like Drifter would do something or be affected by something. Eventually, I want to turn them into a fic, but it's important to keep some notes straight so I remember them. People, of course, are free to take them and use them how you like. Sharing is caring!
Enjoy some ramblings/notes under the cut. It's so self-indulgent. I will not apologize.
-SC
Blu evolved to specialize in an arctic-alpine environment, which includes tundra and high mountain regions. Temperatures are usually very cold with short thaws for spring and summer (these seasons do not last long). Some parts of the far Northern Realms are completely dark during parts of winter. Blizzards are common in winter, along with heavy snowfall. This gives Blu several unique adaptations, such as:
Dark eyes that act like sunglasses to prevent snow-blindness in heavy light/reflective conditions. Blu are highly attracted to sudden movements. Also has great color vision for sussing out prey and not dying from poisonous berries lol.
Tapetum lucidum for excellent night vision in near-total darkness
Dense fur, much like a chinchilla, that resists ice buildup and traps warm air (HC stolen from Fish/@theauthorandtheartist lol)
Excellent hearing and sense of smell. Lovely for finding prey hiding out under snow or hearing ice cracking in advance
Semi-retractable/extendable claws on the hands/feet for extra climbing/ice grip
Strong jaws and teeth with a digestive system strong enough to handle bones (waste not, want not!)
Smaller compared to other species (like the Tanu) to prevent heat loss
Incredible joint flexibility (cats are liquid / If It fits I sits)
Long tails for excellent balance and for leading others around so they don't fall off the goddamn mountain (another HC from Fish's fic)
Sensitive paw pads so they can feel when a handhold is unstable
Spotted blue coats that let them blend in with rock and snow
Blu have a language of course, but they also communicate with chirps, purrs, growls, whines, trills, squeaks, and hisses. When they greet each other, they'll often have a custom chirp for each individual person. These noises can also be used to identify family members, especially during low-light conditions. (Part of late-stage infection, people lose the ability to talk as it's too painful and rips up the throat. Blu can use these vocalizations still, as it's not as harsh on the vocal chords like complicated speech, but said vocalizations are not very loud.)
Blu typically chooses places to live that are sheltered from the wind, diggable during parts of the year, and close to dormant volcanoes to gain access to volcanic ash (for bathing). Blu don't swim in general cause falling into water in subzero temps is a death sentence. They do love hot springs that pop up around dormant volcanoes and will go into them as long as they are shallow enough that swimming isn't necessary. Drying off takes forever (their coats are like a shamwow), but they will put up with it for hot springs.
Homes are typically built close together and resemble long houses. Expansions are done below ground in a series of dens and carved-out rooms. This helps conserve heat and provides a lot of room for expanding families. These are multigenerational homes. Some Blu will live in cave systems in the mountains and expand like that.
Diet-wise, Blu are obligate carnivores, so 70% of their diet has to be meat, organs, and bones. They can stretch things out by eating things like tubers, gourds, and wild grains, but they can starve to death/become malnourished if their diet is only that. (If you gave a Blu a burger, they'd probably pick everything off and just eat the patty. Maybe a bit of lettuce for the water content. Too much bread results in stomach aches)
Typically, they are ambush hunters that liked to sneak up on prey and then jump on them to break their necks. Nowadays, they just shoot their prey lol…but Blu DO have a prey drive. They are sapient enough to not let it get the best of them and go after actual prey, despite the rumors some like to spread about them. (More on that later)
Alliums (garlic, onions, ect) are poisonous to Blu. It damages red blood cells and makes them anemic. Blu also can't digest lactose once adults, so they don't have things like milk or cheese. They do, however, like alcohol, mainly mead, a WHOLE lot. Alcohol is already toxic; it's a moot point to list it as being toxic to them lol.
Agriculture is difficult due to short growing seasons and a lack of flat, easily farmable land. Instead, Blu will cultivate rejuvenating local foraging areas and forests and take great care to not outstrip the land. Sometimes they'll seed the areas and come back to take what they need later.
It's a similar issue with trying to raise livestock. Most large terrestrial mammals migrate, so they often hunt them during specific times of the year and store/preserve what they can. They will also fish and regularly hunt smaller game, and again, rotate areas and practice careful management to ensure future healthy wild stock.
Blu sit on some of the most mineral-rich areas of the planet. Many of which are critical for hard and soft light technology. It lets them trade fairly easily with other continents for creature comforts and needed supplies, like medicine. But it also made the Northern Realms a target.
As mentioned before in my previous ramblings, Blu are highly social and communal people. They live in big communities (Clowders) made up of multiple families working together for mutual survival. Individual families are called a Pounce, though that's also the collective noun for a group of Blu. Because Blu are never alone. Ever. MINIMUM traveling groups are at least two. Three for optimal comfort. Lone Blu will suffer from psychological distress and experience health issues due to not feeling secure enough to properly rest or eat. Their whole world is their families and their companions.
On that note, names are tied to families and communities. When your family dies, so too does your name. Lone Blu, who are the last of their families, are known as Endlings. They no longer have a name and go by a title. (Hence why Drifter is 'The Drifter'. The Drunk is 'The Drunk ', etc. They are the last. Thier names died with their families. With the infection ravaging the continent, there are a lot of Endlings. :( Blu readily adopt endlings tho, and if that happens a new name is chosen. But with how many Blu are dying, that's not so common anymore.
Blu struggle when outside their native range as it's too damn hot. Their coats are very soft and designed to trap in ALL the heat, so many need to have climate-control holobytes in their clothing to prevent heat stroke in the warmer continents. They are fully covered in fur too, so they can only cool off by panting or sweating through thier pawpads. Blu also need to bathe in volcanic ash/fine dust. Water will cause skin infections and mold cause the fur is too dense to dry without assistance. Volcanic ash/dust is the only thing fine enough to get down to the skin to dry/clean it off.
After dust baths and a brushing, Blu are super soft. Beheaded spends hours just petting Drifter cause he's so soft <3
Blu are feared and discriminated against in other continents for two reasons.
They are the only true obligate carnivore species that specialize in taking down large prey and that makes other people hella nervous
Tanu propaganda
Most towns will take gears regardless of who you are, but don't like to be reminded that Blu exists, hence the covering up of every identifiable feature. Drifter in our RP is incredibly anxious to go into towns and tends to only stay long enough to resupply. In one RP after he and Beheaded killed the Emperor, they were both recognized as heroes to the Otter people. But even so, adult otters were watching Drifter closely when some kids came up to him to ask questions to make sure he didn't try to eat the children. It's awful! And Horrible!
Otters are also obligate carnivores, but they eat fish mostly, so they get a pass from other people. Wolves lean more towards a dog-like omnivore diet so they are less 'scary'. Tanu tried to invade the Northern Realms and got real pissed that they were losing so spread a lot of rumors that Blu eat people (including their own dead) and have uncontrollable prey drives. None of course are true. Blu do have prey drives but they can ALWAYS tell the difference between a person and something like a rabbit. People also blame Blu for the appearance of Judgement/the Infection, so Blu outside of the Northern Realms are shunned at best and attacked on sight at worst. (Staying out of the Midnight Woods is a matter of life or death to Blu)
Blu have it very hard everywhere, and not just because of the extinction event they are currently facing. Every Blu is at this point infected to some degree, and soon that will be the fate of everyone on the planet if Judgement isn't stopped.
Drifter and the weirdo he fell in love with is going to kill it and save the world. Even if it means he'll still face scorn for it.