Vactyr
Pronounced: VAHKED-eer, rhymes with Hacked Ear.
Vactyr are generally bipedal, horned Flowids and are the current dominant sapient species on Delphtea. They are the last Flowid to retain their cores and channels which grants them the ability to make and use Flow at will. They are a trisexual species, but one is not required in the reproductive process.
Vactyr have glowing eyes, cranial crest, dorsal crests (from neck to tip of tail), facial frills, horns, hooves, and a muscular semi-prehensile tail (Can generally move in any direction, but they can't use it as an extra limb). They have long necks and long tails compared to their body.
Due the consequences of the Hirudian Harvest and related events afterwards, there are two distinct kinds of Vactyr:
Delphtean
Hirudian
Delphtean Vactyrs have no Hirudian involvement or influence in their ancestry. They have large eyes, flat noses, and lithe builds. Horns can point in any direction and may have splits (akin to antlers), ridges, or curls and their skin, pelt, "keratin", Flow, blood, and hair colours vary wildly in hue. Some physical traits will be more common in certain regions based on local fashions, culture, and conditions. For instance, a village high up in the snowy mountains might have thicker manes while another village may have found spotted facial frills an aesthetic.
Cultural attitudes vary based on their city-state, but there are a few common beliefs that cross state lines. The use of Flow is viewed as a grim responsibility: it's a power that is too easily abused and thus must be handled with care. Gilding rituals are a common tradition.
Hirudian Vactyrs have ancestry that was manipulated by Hirudian breeding practices. They tend to have larger horns and muscles, and their horns tend to face forward or curl outwards. Hirudian Vactyrs come in specific size classes to fit certain functions (for instance, runts and smalls are typically house servants while Titans tend to work the higher levels in the military services). It is common for Hirudian Vactyrs to be heavy-set or have larger muscles.
It is also common for younger Vactyr to have their tails docked to reduce the amount of space they take up. However, this has disastrous consequences for their spinal health, so many end up needing spinal augments to function.
Hirudian Vactyrs are typically Liberated at a young age (around 10ish). The process of Liberation is essentially the infection of the Hirudian parasite that is linked to the Elite Liberation through her domain. Infection with the parasite causes hair loss, facial fin atrophy, and a limiting of Flow control and production. It cannot control thoughts or actions, it can only influence and will manipulate feelings to fit its goals. A common side-effect is a minimizing of guilt and an increase of euphoria. The parasite is capable of monitoring the host's thoughts and actions, but its ability to report its findings is limited. Even highly advanced bio-mechanical computers struggle with millions of inputs after all.
However, the largest population of Hirudian Vactyr are Lost. The Lost are the result of a failed Liberation or if one's Liberation exerted too much control of its host. In both of these cases, the parasite is expelled. The Lost lack many of the functions associated with "higher thought" - they lack the ability to speak Common and even their Vactyr body language is incomprehensible to other Vactyrs. However, the Lost are capable of tool-use, understanding simple instructions, and are able to communicate with each other.
(This is why "higher thought" is in quotes, Lost have shown the ability to develop their own culture and have the capacity to know how to seek out help or even escape servitude. The Lost are merely different; not lower.) It is believed that the Lost are the result of traumatic brain damage being repaired and/or replaced with Flow.
There is a sizeable population of Lost on both Hirud and Delphtea.