Halfbreeds have existed since the dawn of the Aetherian world. As long as the races maintain their separate bloodlines, there always will be, for there is always a handful of people who will stray from their own race to someone of another. Why is not always obvious, even to those who ruminate long on this subject, which many find uncomfortable. Some stray from love. Some halfbreeds may be born on accident, or perhaps even as an act of war. The origin of the Rusalki is equally clouded, for, while they are a race unto themselves, they are a race of halfbreeds, something odd enough in its own right. From whence they came, no one quite knows, although they are descendants of both the Aesir and the Najada. Did their ancestors live in peace, perhaps in a village, where both mutually benefited from the gifts of the other race? Are they all that's left of a war where prisoners were taken that had halfbreed children sired upon them, only to later be rejected? Or something else altogether? The answer is as misty as the northern seas the Rusalki hail from. And almost as little is known of their present as their past. They are an isolated people, but not without a rich culture all their own.

Appearance

For the most part, Rusalki could pass as pale, frail versions of the Najada, for they have the same webbing between their fingers and toes, fins on their arms and legs, and gills at their throats. What sets them apart -- what reveals their traces of Empyreal blood -- are the wings that spring from their backs. Not strong feathered appendages that propel those of the air through the skies, but something closer to butterfly wings -- thin and translucent. On land, they are useless, but underwater, those wings can be unfurled and help propel the Rusalki through the water. These wings are extremely fragile out of the water, and for this reason, Rusalki tend to wear fur cloaks to protect them.

Their hair is as pale as the rest of them, but their eyes are inky black, like those of a seal, making their gaze a bit unsettling for those unfamiliar with their features. Also, while on land, a Rusalka's skin, wings and hair looks wan and white -- as pale as milk. But beneath the water, they look iridescent, shimmering like opal gemstones with varied colors of the rainbow.

Rusalki Pantheon

Their pantheon is quite well developed, revolving around a worship of the sea, mostly. Two deities are at the top of the pantheon, one being Lun, a female and symbolizing Death, Darkness, the Moon, secrets, mutability, and magic, and the other being Sol, a male and representing the Sun, light, beauty, truth, hunters, warriors and artists. Lun and Sol are lovers and had four children, each representing one element, and in turn, one race. Feron is the god of fire, representing love and artists. Erdesse is the goddess of earth, representing rock, cold, peace, winter, scholars and judges. Luftos is god of the air, war and storms, representing warriors and hunters. Sedna is the goddess of water, representing secrets, mutability, magic, abundance, and healers. Each has an animal that is sacred to them: Feron-tern, Erdesse-polar bear, Luftos-eagle, Sedna-whale. The Rusalki consider Sedna their main goddess, although they are themselves Children of Sedna and Children of Luftos, by being halfbreeds. They have different names for the other races. The Najada would be Children of Sedna. The Varati would be Children of Feron. Someone being a warrior would be 'Chosen of Luftos' or 'Touched by Luftos'. Someone given to earth magic or scholarly pursuits would be 'Touched by Erdesse'.

Society

The Rusalki are few in number and maintain their isolation. They live together in small family groups, each extended family traveling with a pod of dolphins or whales through the frigid waters of their nothern home. Like their cousins, the Najada, and the whales they live with, they do not feel the cold in body, but it sometimes touches their spirit, leaving them a cold people inside as well. Removed from most of the world and locked in the grip of their cold watery environment, theirs is often a harsh life. Perhaps because of their inbreeding, it seems that fewer children are born every year. And most of those are girl-children, with males few and far between. A strange affliction tends to seize the Rusalki in their later years, making them succumb to a silent and deadly disease as they age. This disease, known simply as the Sickness, has slowly crept its way into younger generations as the years pass. Threatened with harsh storms and lack of food without and by their own genes and magic within, one could say the Rusalki are seeing the last of their days.

Because males are so rare among their people, it is uncommon for a male and female to take a bond only for each other, when the men are needed to sire children in different places. Like some of the whales with which they travel and live, extended families of Rusalki are most often made up of sisters, cousins, and aunts raising their daughters and the occasional son. The men travel from pod to pod, spreading themselves out and siring new children. The children are raised collectively by the pod. Upon reaching adulthood in their fourteenth year, a child is required to spend a year alone in the ocean as a rite of passage. This ritual is called the Fhaste.

Whales and Pods

They rely on telepathy and their exceptional singing skills for communication with each other and the whales. Beloved of Sedna, the whales are sacred beasts. The Rusalki have a rudimentary language with the whales, who are of an intelligence equal to the Rusalki, although a different nature of intelligence. Having developed such intricate relationships with the whales, they travel, eat, and play with them throughout their lives. Some youngsters who show a particularly innate gift for singing receive extra training and are pair-bonded with a young whale or dolphin as they reach adulthood. These partners learn to communicate deeply and work as a team, and become some of the most important members of the pod. They act as skilled liaisons between whales and Rusalki when trouble arises, as messengers and scouts, and even guardians at times. Those trained in warfare will defend their pod with their lives, if necessary, although many of the pair-bonded Rusalki, so affected by the peaceful temperament of their partners, refuse such training. The word for pair-bonding is Jhoi, and partners are often titled such. Newly bonded Jhoi spend the Fhaste together, learning each other's ways.

Magic

Magic flows strongly through the Rusalki, especially when it comes to the elemental magics, where they have been found to have a combination of air and water elemental magic, allowing them to create winter storms or snow and hail. The other forms of magic are found in their bloodlines, as well, in addition to the telepathy which is found in each of them.

War and Death

The Rusalki may prefer peace, but they are not unskilled in the arts of war. They believe, however, that killing should be done with bare hands; to do otherwise, is to show disrespect for the enemy. No weapons or magic should be used to kill another from a distance. Because of their beliefs, both life and death are sacred to the Rusalki, and an honored member of the tribe or a respected enemy will be eaten upon death. Yes, eaten. They do not sacrifice like the Najada, but they believe the highest respect they can show is to take valuable sustenance from the bodies of the departed. Spirits are believed to linger in the body for one day, and partaking of the flesh in this time allows one to mingle with the spirit and be a tad closer to Lun for a time. It is a dying Rusalka's fondest wish to provide nourishment for her family in the harsh place they live in. A treacherous or bad person will often be left drifting for the animals to eat. Without the death dirges sung by her family, she may never find the After-Life. All Rusalki are believed to have a life-path to follow, known as their "Current". Rusalki subsist mainly on fish and the other things the whales eat, although they occasionally eat sea vegetables. All food must be fresh or freshly killed, or they will not eat it. It offends their beliefs and their sensitive stomachs. They also refuse to eat any cetaceans.