ViloTae

The Mimics of Ayinar

History

The history of the Vilo'Tae is simpler than most, as the most common types of Vilo'Tae form colonies, their history varies depending on which colony of Vilo you go to. A common trait among them all is that they all have mimicked their nearby neighbors, adapting to their culture with such precision that it surprises those on the surface when they are finally aware of their existence. Throughout history Vilo'tae have been known to avoid frequently trading with other races or even between colonies, and lack a common coin. Depending on the colony, they can range from hunter-gathering to something resembling stable agriculture. Due to their varied cultures from their places of living, their history is difficult to pin-point. Nevertheless, they all have originated from Ayinar, granting them familiarity with magic, but no innate ability to use or recognize it unless they lived amongst their home colonies in Ayinar where they mimic the cultures of the surface.

Physical Description

Vilo’tae are at first glance insectile humans, varying widely in terms of what insect they resemble based on which colony they are from. Their bodies are thin, lithe, and not very flexible; they are unable to lift heavy objects without risking injury, but they have a lot of stamina and can carry weight for longer. Vilo rarely weigh more than 150 pounds, and female vilo are generally bigger than the males, with a more segmented exoskeleton and longer fingers. They’re primarily humanoid in body shape, usually having two legs and two arms, although there are rare exceptions that have been seen throughout history such as four legs or four arms. Exoskeleton color varies based on what bug the Vilo resembles, and can be anywhere from pure white to a dark grey, almost black; the most common colors though, range from browns and beiges to dull oranges.

They have antennae rather than ears, which protrude from their foreheads and receive sound vibrations. They also lack a nose that most humanoid creatures have. Their eyes are larger than a human or elf’s of the same size, almond-shaped, boasting no whites with a thin pupil. The pupil widens when frightened or excited akin to a a cat despite their bad eyesight, they are able to see movement with ease. Touch and smell are done with the fuzz of the exoskeleton, which is actually small sensory hairs that respond to touch and chemical stimulus. This fuzz is almost like the peachfuzz a woman has on her arm rather than true fuzz. The head of a Vilo’tae is rounded like a humans, they usually have mandibles, located near the lower jaw and a noticeable overbite due to this. Their teeth are strange, pointed and uneven, with wide and flat molars intended for eating plants and things which should not be eaten.

Vilo’tae have exoskeletons, which are hard, slightly fuzzy and sometimes shiny which are able to deflect stabs and other penetrating wounds. The chitin around their heads, hands and forearms, feet and calves, are smooth and lack any form of shine. These pieces of chitin resemble more human-skin than anything else. Blunt force can crack their shell, and the material at the joints is more easily attacked and injured. There are small claws intended for gripping at the ends of their fingers, of which they only have four. Vilo are less able to complete delicate tasks than humans due to the difficulty with flexibility and grasping small objects. The chitin that a Vilo exoskeleton is made of is rather different from the chitin that a bug’s exoskeleton is made of, and as such are only a little heavier than you would expect skin and bones to be. Some Vilo have vestigial wings, but these wings are unusable. It's even been known for Vilo'tae to have hair, but this is rare.

Vilo’tae are rather less flexible than humans, and they grow by molting; every couple of years, the old exoskeleton dissolves, and they get a little bigger while the new skeleton is hardening up. Vilo’tae have an open circulatory system; they are an organ soup. As such, while it’s harder to really wound a Vilo’tae due to the nature of the exoskeleton, wounds that would be dangerous but livable for a human can be catastrophic for a Vilo’tae, particularly torso wounds. They have a heart that keeps all the fluid sloshing around; instead of lungs, they have a system of trachea connected to spiracles on the exoskeleton, which allows them to diffuse air without need for lungs. Vilo’tae will eat anything and have a very strong system that can break down cellulose and other inorganic matter when they decide to eat something that is not considered edible.

• Common Height:
  • Male: 4’5” - 5'0”
  • Female: 4'7” - 5'3”
  • Letith: 5'9" - 6'2"
• Common Build: Ectomorph, Endomorph.
• Common Eyes: Black, Brown, Gold, Red, Purple, Pink.
• Common Exoskeleton Color: Browns, Beige, Dull Orange, Yellow, Peach, rarely white or varieties of gray.
• Common Bug Types: Praying Mantis', Ants, Beetles, Cricket's, Cicadas, Moth's, Butterfly's, Ladybug's, Dragonfly's, Bee's, Wasps, etc to other insects.

Culture

“The most extraordinary aspect of these strange creatures is their passion and talent for theft. Theft not of material objects, but of the ephemeral--shortly after establishing contact with the tribe, they had already begun exhibiting alarmingly human mannerisms, separating themselves clearly into male and female groupings, arranging in units like those they observed among us, even seemingly speaking perfect Common--though in our communication, it quickly became obvious that they were simply mimicking sounds, with no understanding of what they were actually saying...”

-Moth Aevar, Head Librarian of Ayinar

Traditionally, the Letith and Thrae remain underground, preparing new generations of Vilo’tae while acting as both the government and religious leaders, solving disputes and creating laws for individual colonies. There is little to no separation of church and state in Vilo society, though what church, exactly, is rather unclear as Vilo tend to follow the shamanistic spirits rather than the pantheon. Aboveground is where the Vilo’tae themselves live, easily switching between the underground hives and whatever society they’ve created above ground. Despite the wide variety in how the above ground will arrange itself, all Vilo colonies defer to the Thrae and Letith as government.

The most defining trait of the Vilo’tae, and thus of their society, is mimicry. If influenced at all by humans, elves, or any other group around them, the Vilo will quickly arrange and rearrange their above ground doings to imitate those of their neighbors. This results in a concept of gender, family units, and hierarchy not unlike that of humans, despite having no actual predilection or tradition of such things. Even as they mimic other species, they remain to themselves as much as possible, taking particular care with their mimicry to ensure that outsiders and other species have no access to the underground. Vilo’tae speak a language called Vilish, composed entirely of the clicking sounds they make with their mandibles and fingers. They are however excellent mimics, and as such have a talent for language, able to perfectly repeat most languages upon hearing a word only once. This does not necessarily mean they will understand it immediately, but they are adept at learning languages quickly.

Mechanics

• Lifespan: 70 years on average.
• Poor eyesight for static images, however excellent at detecting movement.
• Hard exoskeleton that is difficult to penetrate, however soft insides. Blunt damage does them more harm while they are resistant to slashing.
• Mandibles which grow in front of a Vilo'tae's mouth are capable of giving a dangerously strong bite.
• Quick learners particularly for language and skilled mimickers.
• Only capable of having wings if their bug type naturally has wings (bees, ladybugs, butterfly). Cannot fly in the rain, or under any wind conditions.

Types of Vilo

Letith

Roughly translates to “mother”, or “queen mother”. Sexually female, there’s only one Letith for a colony of Vilo’tae.

• Can have insecticide wings that are capable of flying at 2 meters per turn, appear weak and very see-through.
• Reaches maturity at 30 years of age, and this is when they are capable of founding.
• Founding is when a Letith will shed her wings and grow to full, mature size. This allows them to reproduce with Vilo'Tae and create eggs.
• Must look feminine, cannot look masculine.

Thrae

Thrae are Vilo'tae who are sexually neutral and unable to breed, though technically, they’re Vilo that never reached maturity.

• Immature Vilo'tae, ones who have yet to reach maturity and be capable of breeding.
• Often spend the entirety of their lives underground, it is rare that someone on the surface will ever see a real Thrae.
• Weaker than normal Vilo'tae, with weaker chitin.
• Can have wings but these wings are unusable for anything but gliding and appear weak and very see-through.

Vilo’tae

Vilo'tae are the normal type of Vilo that is seen around above ground by the common person.

• Sexually male, however classify themselves with tertiary and secondary characteristics that mimic "male" and "female"
  • "Female" Vilo tend to be larger, have shorter antennae, longer fingers, and a more segmented exoskeleton.
• Vilo'tae are unable to produce eggs, however "female" Vilo'tae will frequently "adopt" the eggs of a Letith.
• Vary widely in appearance, however all Vilo'tae of the same colony will resemble the same appearance that their Letith is.
• Can have insecticide wings that are capable of flying at 2 meters per turn, appear weak and very see-through.

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