The Xenians

The Xenians are creatures who were forced through the Rift when Erebos entered our dimension, the creatures who opened the Rift in the first place from their universe, in an effort to save their world from Erebos. Xenia is not the actual name of their homeworld, but as the human voice cannot reproduce sounds of the Xenian language, this name was chosen instead.

Xenians are roughly humanoid creatures – bipedal, with a strangely long torso, long, spindly legs and arms, a long, narrow, pointed head, and skin in varying shades but commonly pale green. The eyes are much wider than a human's, though more vertically narrow, and they do not possess a white cornea. Instead, the consists of a black pupil completely surrounded by a colored iris. The most common color of the iris is violet. Much of the body is hairless, and it is not uncommon for both males and females to be naturally bald. Many do have a head of hair, however, which varies widely in texture, color, and length. On their home world, Xenians usually wear very utilitarian clothing, and not much of it, as they seem to come from a relatively warm climate. Their usual attire consists of a loincloth or short kilt, plus an open vest. On Hemera, many have taken to wearing local clothing, especially in colder climates. The females look much like the males, though they have a larger abdomen and hips and a larger head. They have small, flat breasts, and they seldom feel the need to cover up their chests any more than the males do.

Xenian appearance also varies according to their elemental affinity. On Xenia, magic suffuses everything and is commonly used in day-to-day life. It is divided into eight elements, and crystallized magic forms within rocks (called Geodes by the Hemerans), which are scattered like pebbles across the landscape and are just as common. Most Xenians have an affinity for one specific element, though some will show especial talent for two or, in extremely rare cases, as many as three. Hemerans have classified Xenians into eight categories, based on their elemental affinity:

Brontesians have a talent for thunder-based magic. Their skin is a brighter, chartreuse shade of green than the typical Xenian, and their eyes are a similar color that sometimes appears to spark. Their hair is usually short to medium length, sticking up wildly. Brontesians often seem to have a static field around them, adding to this effect. They are usually tall and slim, but with sharp, angular features.

Ersans are water-magic users. Their skin is a blue-tinged sea green with a slight sheen, and their hair is usually long and dark green, ranging from sleek to ratty in texture. Their eyes come in a variety of shades of blue and green. They tend to be lithe and fluid of movement, with softer, more rounded features than others. Some are paler in color, appear harder and sharper, and are especially skilled with ice magic.

Adranosians are skilled with fire. Their skin tones range from orange-brown to red-violet, and they often have masses of black, orange, or deep red hair – short but thick, often resembling embers. They give an impression of barely controlled energy whenever they move, and they are often a bit more muscled than their fellows.

Tellusans use earth magic, and are usually shorter and stockier than other Xenians. Their skin comes in muted tones of brown, olive green, or khaki, and their eyes are anywhere from dark to light brown. They are often bald, though occasionally they may have a very short, closely-cropped head of dirt-brown hair.

Aeolans can be seen using air and wind magic most often. They may have long but wispy hair, thin and floating cloudlike around their faces, usually in pale shades of white, gray, lavender, or pale blue. Their eyes are usually similar colors, and their skin is pale green. They may be short or tall, but they usually appear frail and thin. Many are quite physically strong despite their appearance, however.

Khlorins are attuned with nature, particularly plants. They have widely varying body types (for Xenians) and may be tall and thin, short and stocky, or anything in between. Their skin can be nearly any shade of green, dark or light, and they have green eyes as well. Their hair is green and may be bushy, leafy, mossy, or vinelike, and in rare cases it may even appear to have flowers growing in it.

Tenebrans are attuned to darkness and have dark skin in shades of green, blue, purple, brown, or gray. Their eyes are of similar color, though most commonly deep purple. They are usually broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted.

Theans use light magic, and while their coloring varies a great deal, it is usually bright and rich in color. Gold is not an uncommon eye color for Theans, and sometimes their eyes seem to flash or glow. A very faint glow or sheen may be seen on their skin, in some cases. Their height may vary, but they are usually lithe and quick-footed.

Some Xenians do not have a particularly strong affinity for any one element. Those who are equally talented with different elements usually take on the more traditional appearance of pale green skin, purple eyes, lanky build, and straggly, purple hair, or are completely bald headed. Occasionally there will be a Xenian who is not particularly good at using magic in general, though this is uncommon and is seen as akin to a disability. Such Xenians are usually bald and have more muted coloring.

Somewhere between 100 and 200 Xenians are reported to have come through the Rift, though no one is sure of the exact number, or how many of them were killed on arrival. A number of them fled into the Timolan mountains in central Elysia, where they hide from human view and subsist off the land. Some come down out of the mountains and raid nearby towns. Many refugees joined the humans fleeing from Erebos, finding places in refugee camps and eventually settling in towns in western Messembria. Still others actively sought out human leaders in order to explain what had happened and offer their assistance, though it took a great deal of time to establish a means of communication. Fortunately, though Xenian language involves sounds not possible in human speech and a number of visual and scent-related cues, they are also able to make human sounds, after a fashion. A handful have learned to speak Hemeran English and, despite strong accents, have taken on advisory and technical positions within the GDF.

Human response to the Xenians is widely varied. Though few Xenians are hostile to humans, they are all so strange and alien that many humans feel uncomfortable around them. The ones who have chosen to live and work with humans are penitent, knowing that they were responsible for unleashing Erebos on Hemera, but humans often find it hard to forgive. Others understand that they are trying to do whatever is in their power to repair the damage, and within some communities they are slowly, haltingly building friendships between the races – which is still very hard to do, as the Xenians think so differently from humans in many ways.