The light Elwens- lukalia (loo-kah-LEE-ah), or "lords of brilliant light" in Primal- are among the most well-loved races of Elwens. Few if any other races have a bad word to speak about them, and they are known to have made peace with most of the enemies they have made on opposite sides of wars. The only exception to this is the zorkro or darkness Elwen people, but most Elwens consider this the zorkro's fault, not the other way around.
Come among them, if you will- the light Elwens, the Children of Joy.
PHYSICAL LOOKS
Lukalia have golden skin, which ripples and reflects light in much the same ways that water does, so that they often have diamond-shaped pale patterns playing here and there on their hands and faces, if nothing else is exposed. Sometimes lukalia are paid by the wealthy simply to walk in the light for short distances, flashing back the radiance in brilliant, not-quite-blinding bursts.
Lukalia are also bright in their eyes and hair, though dark hair is not unknown among them. Their eyes are most often pale blue, pale green, pale purple, or some other pale version of a bright color, though rich, jewel-like shades are often considered the epitome of beauty (and it is said that some light Elwens in Valara, at least, will pay great sums of money for lenses that turn their eyes these colors). Dark eyes are common in those who are descended from other races of Elwens- or elves or humans, for that matter- back in the family line. Dark-eyed lukalia may find it difficult to get a job or be otherwise accepted, and thus are also customers for the lenses.
Their hair- most often blond, auburn, bright red, soft brown touched with gold, blue, or green- is worn in long curls to the shoulders or waist. The latter style is slightly more common for women, especially women dwelling in the Rivadan Valley. Other styles are sometimes affected by the young, and often considered a mark of great daring.
Lukalia show much less variation in height than most other races, usually standing between 5'5" and 5'9". They are always slender, as well, ranging from 130 to 170 pounds. Their movements are usually graceful. However, it is hard to tell how much of this last is due to nature and how much to the "dance-training" that most children endure, deliberately designed to make them look graceful.
Lukalia have golden blood, which ripples and reflects the light much as does their skin. They can run about seventy miles an hour, and live (like their darkness Elwen kin) about seventeen thousand years.
EMOTIONAL MAKEUP
Lukalia are named the Children of Joy for a reason. They are often laughing, singing, dancing, and in many other ways making an effort to live life with joy and not too seriously. Outside of battle or governmental tasks, most lukalia spend a good deal of their time smiling, if only because it would be considered crass not to smile.
In those tasks that do require it, light Elwens are very serious. (Those who have seen them at both play and battle sometimes distrust them, thinking they have a highly mercurial disposition). They are capable of grim, sustained determination, particularly if hunting down a criminal, that surprises and frightens most of those who would oppose them. Those who have fought them before and escaped, however, respect their prowess and usually do their best to avoid lukalia cities in the future- or at least, to avoid getting caught.
Light Elwens also have a love of beautiful things that sometimes lessens the seriousness with which other races regard them; it has been likened (though not, of course, by light Elwens themselves) to the love of magpies for shiny objects. The Children of Joy spend a good deal of time cultivating beauty in their own lives, tending their bodies, hearts, and minds like gardens to rid themselves of what they think are shortcomings, and tending their surroundings in much the same way. If they find something beautiful outside their immediate environs- and this is not uncommon; save when it comes to the zorkro, most lukalia are open-minded- they will often tarry and attempt to buy, beg, or borrow it. Stealing is rare, as most lukalia have more respect for the law than this.
Those lukalia who do not have respect for the law, or who exercise their star-given Elwen emotions in a way other than that deemed perfectly appropriate, often end up as exiles. The light Elwen striving for beauty and perfection, though admirable in itself, does have this side-effect: whatever is not beautiful or cannot match the canon of perfection is often tossed aside.
Otherwise, lukalia live in diverse places and are different; their cultures rarely reverse the priorities given above, but may have others.
MAGICAL MAKEUP
Interested sages often point out how many lukalia abilities seem to be the reverse of darkness Elwen abilities. The lukalia usually deny this, and often the books of such sages are banned in the lukalia settlements.
Common to all lukalia are:
The creation of light. All lukalia can create light at any time they wish, though they usually must be in at least some faint light- such as under the stars or moons- to do so. In a cave or other utter darkness, only the strongest-willed lukalia can call this radiance. The light manifests as a soft, shimmering golden mist, or else darting trails of radiance, the same gold color, that go where the lukalia directs them, and surround their creator when they are not being paid attention to.
Solidifying light. Lukalia also have the ability to solidify light and mold it into useful things- clothes, weapons, and sometimes, with the stronger-willed, food. Light Elwens usually do not take as careful care of these creations as their darkness Elwen kin do with their own creations of darkness. They are seen as easily created and easily replaced, and so common that they are not really beautiful.
Animal-breeding. Over time, it seems, the animals bred by the lukalia acquire some new abilities from some latent magic in their breeders. Hounds and horses, for example, may become fully intelligent, often altering to golden in color, and form unshakably tight bonds of loyalty to their owners. This is the source of the Dawn Hounds that hunt zorkro in the Rivadan Valley every morning.
Light-healing. A wounded lukalia, placed in full radiance such as the noonday sun or a very bright fire, can slowly mend any deep injury that he or she has taken. This does not seem to work as well with diseases, even for the stronger-willed light Elwens; their talent usually lies more in healing others. The radiance must continue for at least a few hours in order for the lukalia to finish, and any falling of a shade or shadow across the affected area halts the healing at once (though it does not destroy what has already been completed).
Mindlinking. Unlike any other Elwen race (save perhaps the curalli) light Elwens have the ability to create permanent telepathic links from one mind to another. Both recipients must be willing, and also naturally telepathic (i.e., an Elwen born without normal Elwen mental gifts cannot mindlink). The mindlink is always initiated by the lukalia, and usually opened by the light Elwen as well for future use- though the one on the other end can learn to do so. Usually, this link allows the flow only of thoughts when it is open, and only of vague murmurs, resembling shivers of heat or cold in their intensity, when closed. However, it does act to inform one recipient when the other is in danger.
Common to some lukalia are:
Joysong. This song, usually accompanied by a harp, has the ability to make anyone who hears it adopt a slightly silly, slightly giddy mood. It will not necessarily stop a land Elwen in the throes of blood-rage, or a viaquia who has not eaten for several days, but it is good for almost anything else. Even darkness Elwens will stop in the process of soul-feeding and stand smiling, tamely waiting for the light Elwens to come up and capture them. (Enemies can also be slaughtered as they so stand, of course, but it is considered to be evil to use joysinging for killing; it is more often used for capture).
Nirberad and tirberad gifts. Some light Elwens can use crystal, mirrors, and water to look into the past (nirberad); some into the future (tirberad). This is an ability also shared by some darkness Elwens. Nirberadi and tirberadi often have almost no privacy among light Elwens, with everyone besieging them for their gifts. Some of them therefore deliberately choose to get themselves exiled, so they can live in peace.
ORIGINS AND MODERN SETTLEMENTS
The light Elwens were born of starlight in the Rivadan Valley in the Age of Dawn, though most of them hold that they were born just at sunrise, or even noon, and the stars combined with the daylight to create them. At times, lukalia also find it convenient to explain that the black stars (which most other Elwens credit for the 'evil' in their own societies) had no part in creating them. This is usually abandoned when someone brings up the old story about the darkness Elwens arising from their race, however (see zorkro for this story).
Many light Elwens still dwell in the Rivadan Valley, but others have gone their own ways, establishing their light-loving cities both north and south. Listed here are the most important settlements:
Seli and Olscall. These are the great light Elwen cities of the Rivadan, perhaps the greatest political powers in the area. They consider their business to be the increasing of beauty in the world and the hunting of the darkness Elwens of Darkfang- sometimes not in that order.
Valara. This is the greatest present-day community of lukalia, what some would call a nation. Located in northwestern Fhevu, it mingles cities and villages in fertile country watered by a dozen rivers. The lukalia here are more aristocratic than their cousins elsewhere, and tend to ignore war in favor of more "courtly" pursuits.
Anita. Few know about this light Elwen city, located south of the zorkro Cities of Fear in the Nymari, for all that it is one of the largest communities of lukalia in the world. It has been settled mostly by exiles, who seem to feel a call to Anita, even if they have never heard of it before. The lukalia here seek to repair the ancient wrong that sundered the light and darkness Elwen kindreds, and have drawn nearer to the zorkro in many ways.
Fiana. A large light Elwen city in Lillomar, on the borders of the Dermebi-Tantel. These lukalia dedicate themselves to the study of a means to rid the world of the zorkro forever.
LANGUAGES
All light Elwen languages spring from Valarian tongues, the tongue of the Rivadan Valley generations ago. As such, they have some faint resemblance to the languages of the zorkro, which their foremother, Jrallar, a light Elwen, designed. This is one area not much studied among the lukalia, however.
The Valarian family migrated with its possessors both north and south, and today has some far-flung descendants. Only the languages of the major settlements (cities larger than 20,000) are here named.
Shialara. The light Elwen language that remained in the Rivadan, growing richer and more silvery-sounding as the result of influence from Alúcani (see land Elwens.) Today sometimes used as a language of lore and study by the region, just as Alúcani is used for everyday communication.
Valaran. The language of the country of Valara, rich and sophisticated as its people, or so they claim. This has had less influence than most light Elwen languages from outside, due to the closed nature of its society. An academy tends to judge carefully any new sounds or words found cropping up in the tongue, to see if they are permissible additions.
Cara. The language of Anita, resembling Tinniltinnoc, the darkness Elwen language, more than any of the others. The zorkro, though they regard their cousins in Anita suspiciously, seem pleased at their change in tongues.
Ananda. The tongue of the light Elwens of Fiana. For some reason, despite the close proximity of phoenix Elwens and many other races in Fhevu, this language seems to have remained closest to the original Valarian of all the light Elwen tongues, even the modern Valaran. This may be due to the essentially conservative nature of its people. It retains all three genders that Valarian was born with, and a complex system of inflections indicating deference.
More to come, I promise.
