#altuyur

[t34-mt]

maaau

an introduction post to maaaus

maaau ("almost my people") are the closest living relatives to maanuls. They share the same tribe, but not the same genus. Species of the same genus as modern maanuls are extinct. Mainly through diseases, genetic bottleneck, hybridization, inability to survive environmental changes, food sources going extinct, species competition during famine related to food source extinctions, etc. Contradictory to spread out in-world belief due to a poor understanding of natural history in the general population, Maaaus isn't an ancestor who'm maanuls evolved from. They are their own species, who evolved alongside maanuls but for a different available niche. They do descend from a common ancestor who arrived at the western coast millions of years ago. And said ancestor was closer to the current family the kyhuines species belong to, than modern maanuls and maaus are. While maanuls, kyhuines and mierthri may be called "cousin species" by me all around my blog, they are several sub-orders away from each others. So it is somewhat of a stretch at times, and more of an in-world thing to say. Some places will consider kyhuines and mierthri more of a cousin to maanuls than maaaus are, when biologically speaking maaaus is their closest living cousin, not them. The distinction here is a social one they made up, in modern languages the distinction between a maanul, kyhuine, or mierthri isn't distinct, as they will share the common word that roughly translates to "people". Distinctions will be done via using other words if needed, such as in the medical field for example.

During early world history, many groups of Maanuls didn't know maaaus existed for a while. as the species itself is by default is extremely shy, and avoid being seen for it's own protection. Groups who interacted with them more weren't necessarily in contact with those unaware of the species. There was rumors of "little people" that would run into the reeds if it was spotted. Most people wouldn't believing it as no specimens were caught yet. The myth of "gnomes" originate from early sightings of maaaus from mainly children or intoxicated people. Gnomes in nuinuk art (place where this folkloric and mythological creature takes a large role here) resemble a maaau with a maanul face and no arms. People confused their constant tucked arms for a lack of them.

It is considered that there are 4 species of maaaus. Knaan maaau (vague term for west coasts) or more commonly referred by Juaan maaau, is considered to be the ancestor of the other 3 species. Pigmy, Domesticated maaau, and inland maaau are the result of maanul interacting with the species. By either domestication or just picking them to be on their boat during travel, and then introducing them to new environments. While there are more species living of maaaus than maanuls, maaau's have a much smaller world range than their larger cousin maanuls. Who have spread out on most coastlines, thousands of islands, inland seas regions, some maanul populations even remaining in the artic sea all year. The original range maaaus had was quite small, more than half of their modern range is from maanul interactions.

thank you for reading. Here is a maanul sitting down and showing off a maaau to a mierthri. mierthri and maaaus are almost the same size. maaaus have a longer neck and legs.

Some additional doodles under the cut as a treat

they're not the most accurate thing ever, these are from me drawing friend's / their oc's as maaaus, shitposts basically.

additional ones that i think are cute. featuring domesticated maaaus

[styllwaters]

♦ CHASER ♦

___

Attack for @t34-mt YAY!

[grox-empire]

Rendering experiment ft. my friend @t34-mt's character

[ceramictank]

[aeriona]

AF2024 Day 1: a very fluffy Kapone drawn for @t34-mt! I couldn’t resist drawing all her curly feathers!

[wherret]

raaaaaahhh first artfight attack for @t34-mt These are really fun to do!!

[alvin-j-flang]

Art fight of kaasim for @arkelyon,

I was originally gonna attack a different chatacter but this traumatized guy stole the show

[corvidist]

The old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born. Now is the time of monsters.

Artfight attack against @arkelyon featuring their oc Ame (right).

[emo-catgirl]

art trade for @arkelyon !

[beryluma]

oh btw @arkelyon! I doodled a kyhuine last night because I adore these guys and their big eyes lol

[b1ashorebogs]

Great clothes!!!!

A Chi drake carrying a week old chick under his robes. He wears typical robes and headgear that supplement feathers for sun and heat protection, and shoes that protect against hot sands. His legs are almost entirely bare of feathers, a trait common only in the most genetically isolated desert qilik populations of the contemporary.

They are one of the many peoples of the region collectively known as the Deadlands, a massive area of desert stretching beneath the equator and ending at the southern ocean. In the distant past, this region held grassland and open savannah and was predominantly inhabited by humans. It experienced rapid desertification over a couple thousand years due to a changing climate, and now vast swaths of the region are completely uninhabitable. In the contemporary, the only sophont peoples to permanently dwell within its interior are qilik and some nomadically flying caelin.

The Chi are based around a settlement built upon the remains of an ancient human city and around its lake (once potable, now far too salty to drink or for agricultural uses). This salt lake, while not drinkable, supports the basis of the Chi's survival. They feed primarily on the massive swarms of brine flies that dominate the lakeshores, as well as brine shrimp. Parties of foragers venture beyond their home territory in search of other desert insects and reptiles, and forage the coasts and a few scattered oases. Of particular significance is the seasonal appearance of small, migratory wading birds that stop over at the lake to feed on flies and shrimp. This temporary abundance supplies the majority of their meat intake and is of great cultural significance.

They are in closest contact with the Sisisistse people, a collection of semi-nomadic qilik clans who establish themselves around the region's scattered oases and desert springs. A few Sisisistse clans are allies and trade partners to the Chi, but the majority are hostile due to a long history of territorial conflict and the brutal destruction of one clan by the Chi. The closest desert spring to Chi territory was once home to a Sisisistse clan, who, after trade relations decayed, were driven out by Chi warriors, with many of their number slaughtered. This spring is now a permanently occupied Chi outpost and frequently skirmished over.

They are one of few peoples of the vast Deadlands that have sustained and regular contact with the outside world via a few small coastal ports, where salts and a few rare dyes are traded with seafaring qilik peoples from outside the deserts (primarily for textiles- native textile sources are scarce).

Somewhat rarely among qilik people, the Chi place limited significance on gender roles, with drakes, hens, and faeder all performing most of the same tasks and living fully co-mingled lives. The sexual dimorphism of this population is substantially less dramatic than most qilik, to the point that they are imagined as a race of androgynes by many foreigners. Most individuals have bright red-orange plumage (derived from brine shrimp), which drakes emphasize via contrast with predominantly monochromatic garb. Drakes are still tasked with the majority of childrearing (as is nearly ubiquitous among qilik.)

[t34-mt]

omati

better look at mao cause i like that part + initial sketch i painted over

sketch/thumbnail in ms paint, rendering in rebelle 7

[styllwaters]

Artfight revenge for @arkelyon !! Go check out their blog if you haven’t, fantastic art and worldbuilding I go bonkers over it every day

[grox-empire]

'A Yet-To-Be-Named oc for my friend @t34-mt's spec bio project! He's a kyhuine, Mixed Salt flats + mhierthri

[ceramictank]

[aeriona]

Artfight attack for @arkelyon! Precious boy Tëkeh!