The Vansernic
(Part 3 of 3)
The Wanderer tells a tale to the children of a far-off village who have never seen or heard of Vansernic. Nine-year-old Raan Ket decides to find out what this teller of tales knows about these unknown people...
The following is an excerpt from a much broader paper published in Darg by the Royal Medical Academy, and it highlights the three most notable anatomical differences presented in the Vansernic physiology.
ROYAL MEDICAL ACADEMY OF DARG
Department of Comparative Anatomy
Three Specialized Anatomical Adaptations of the Vansernic
Section 1: The Vansernic Ocular Anatomy
The Vansernic eye is approximately twenty percent larger than the eye expected in a Human face of equivalent size. The enlargement is accommodated by appropriately proportioned orbital structures (see Vansernic skull illustration in Section 3) and does not produce ocular protrusion.
The enlarged optical system is adapted for low-light vision owing to their preferred choice of habitation deep beneath the mountains. The retina contains a high concentration of light-sensitive structures, and the eye possesses a reflective layer functionally analogous to the tapetum lucidum found in certain surface-dwelling animals. This layer reflects incoming light through the retina, increasing the effective use of limited illumination. The resulting eyeshine is reflected light and is neither bioluminescent nor magical in nature.
The visible iris is not normally brown or black. In its unoccluded state, the iris exhibits highly saturated pigmentation occurring in a range of gem-like colors, including blue, green, violet, yellow, and red.
Each eye possesses two independently controlled nictitating membranes. The outer membrane is heavily pigmented and functions principally as a light filter. The inner membrane is substantially more translucent, providing protection against particulate matter while permitting greater transmission of available light.
Both membranes may be voluntarily positioned. When both are deployed, the underlying iris is obscured, and the eye appears brown, dark brown, or nearly black. This accounts for the common surface-dweller belief that Vansernic possess unnaturally dark irises.
When the outer membrane is withdrawn while the inner membrane remains deployed, the eye admits greater quantities of light while retaining protection from environmental particles. When both membranes are withdrawn, the eye operates at its greatest low-light sensitivity and the natural iris coloration is fully visible. The membranes also respond reflexively to sudden changes in illumination.
Taken together, these structures demonstrate that the Vansernic eye is not merely an enlarged Human organ, but a coordinated visual system shaped by the demands of subterranean life. Exceptional light sensitivity enables vision in conditions where surface-dwellers would find little illumination, and the reflective retinal structure makes efficient use of the available light. The two independently controlled membranes provide a means to regulate that sensitivity when confronted with the far greater illumination of the surface. What may appear remarkable when each structure is considered separately is, in combination, a remarkably coherent response to the conditions under which the Vansernic has lived for generations.
Section 2: The Adjustable Ossicle Lock
The Vansernic middle ear contains a specialized muscular mechanism that controls the transmission of vibration through the auditory ossicles. The mechanism is known as the Adjustable Ossicle Lock. Ossicles normally transmit vibration from the tympanic membrane to the structures of the inner ear, and in the Vansernic, muscular control permits the efficiency of this transmission to be deliberately altered.
When relaxed, the mechanism permits exceptionally efficient transmission of sound. In this state, Vansernic hearing is substantially more sensitive than Human hearing. Partial contraction reduces transmission to a level appropriate for ordinary conversation and environmental sounds, while full contraction substantially reduces transmission through the middle ear, protecting the inner ear from excessive sound pressure.
The mechanism is under voluntary control and may be adjusted according to circumstance. Vansernic children are taught to manipulate it consciously as part of sensory training along with mastery of the nictating membranes of the eye.
The Adjustable Ossicle Lock does not prevent all acoustic injury. Sound transmitted through the skull and surrounding tissues may reach the inner ear by bone conduction regardless of the position of the ossicles. Extremely intense sound can therefore damage a Vansernic ear, even with full contraction of the mechanism.
Taken together, these structures demonstrate that Vansernic hearing is not simply an enhancement of the ordinary Human auditory system, but a coordinated adaptation to the demands of subterranean life. Exceptional sensitivity permits the detection of sounds that would otherwise be lost in the darkness, while voluntary adjustment of the ossicular transmission allows that sensitivity to be moderated when necessary. The same mechanism provides protection against sudden, potentially damaging sounds that may occur within confined stone passages. The result is not an accumulation of unusual features, but a unified anatomical response to a world in which sound may carry information long before sight can.
Section 3:
The Masticatory Apparatus and Lithic Mineral Supplementation
The Vansernic mouth is approximately fifteen percent larger than that of a Human face of equivalent size. The principal anatomical difference relevant to mastication occurs posteriorly. Vansernic rear molars are substantially larger and more robust than human molars. Their roots and supporting structures are correspondingly developed to withstand the forces generated during mastication.
These teeth are adapted in part to the consumption of small mineral-bearing stones.
Vansernic do not consume stones indiscriminately. Selected stones contain concentrations of minerals required for maintenance and development of the Vansernic skeleton, particularly calcium and phosphorus, together with useful quantities of magnesium and other trace minerals. The stones are crushed into small particles by the enlarged molars before being swallowed.
Lithic material provides mineral supplementation and does not replace ordinary food. It is not a significant source of caloric energy.
The requirement for mineral supplementation is consistent with the Vansernic's exceptional skeletal mass. Their skeleton contains substantially greater quantities of mineralized tissue than a Human skeleton of comparable overall size, particularly in the vertebral column and associated spinal structures. The enlarged molars, reinforced jaw, and associated musculature permit the Vansernic to reduce selected mineral-bearing stones to a size suitable for ingestion and subsequent extraction of their useful mineral content.
The apparent incongruity of a humanoid species deliberately consuming stone disappears upon examination of the anatomy as a whole. It is the logical consequence of an organism whose skeletal architecture imposes requirements that ordinary caloric intake cannot readily meet. The jaw provides the means, the dentition performs the necessary labor, and the stone provides what the skeleton requires.
Acknowledgment
The Royal Medical Academy of Darg records its particular gratitude to the disciples of Tarzha, whose work in the preparation and preservation of cadavers has made direct anatomical examination of Vansernic structures possible.
The Vansernic
(Part 1 of 3)
The following was discovered in a "professionally published" paper from a minor college in the City-State of Cortia. It is being included here for the sake of completeness and should not be mistaken for an authoritative account of the Vansernic.
Observations Concerning the Subterranean Humanoid: A Preliminary Examination of Vansernic Physiology, Social Behavior, and Inter-Species Attraction
By Candidate of Science Parask Leatherback
Professor of Biology, College of Biology, Southern Cortia
The Vansernic present an unusual problem to the comparative biologist, owing principally to the unfortunate scarcity of reliable specimens available for direct examination. The people themselves are, by all accounts, somewhat reluctant to permit prolonged observation by scholars, although whether this derives from cultural reticence or an entirely understandable suspicion of academics remains uncertain.
I have personally had the opportunity to converse at length with an actual Vansernic merchant, whose name I unfortunately failed to record during my interview, as we were constantly interrupted in our conversation by passersby who found his display to be eye-catching in the extreme and his wares to be irresistible in their quality of craftsmanship. Nevertheless, the conversation, combined with observations of other Vansernic encountered in Southern Cortia, specifically, the campus in which I lecture, permits several preliminary conclusions.
I emphasize that this is preliminary, although I expect subsequent scholarship will largely confirm my observations as a matter of course.
Physical Proportions and General Configuration
The first characteristic one notices about the Vansernic is their apparent contradiction of ordinary humanoid proportions. They are not particularly tall. In fact, the average adult appears to stand only slightly above five feet when fully upright, yet their bodily mass is considerably greater than that of a Human of comparable stature–in some cases by as much as one hundred pounds.
This mass is not attributable to corpulence. Indeed, describing a Vansernic as "fat" would be approximately as useful as describing a castle as "a rather large house." Their extraordinary mass is distributed through a remarkably robust skeleton, powerful musculature, substantial joints, and, most notably, the series of enormous articulated structures occupying the back.
The resulting silhouette is unusual. The upper torso is markedly broad and deep, particularly across the shoulders and back, while the lower body, though extremely substantive, is proportionally less massive. The Vansernic consequently possesses what I shall refer to as a top-heavy anatomical configuration, but this should not be confused with physical instability.
The lower body is exceptionally well-constructed for weight-bearing. The pelvis, legs, knees, ankles, and feet are all sufficiently robust to support the enormous upper body without apparent difficulty. Their feet are broad and stable, and their musculature appears adapted to physical labor rather than ornamental display.
Their posture is similarly distinctive. A Vansernic naturally maintains a moderate forward inclination of the upper body. This should not be construed as evidence of age, weakness, or poor health; rather, the enormous skeletal structures of the back appear to push the shoulders somewhat forward, producing their characteristic hunch.
One might therefore expect such a creature to move with considerable stiffness.
In this, one would be mistaken.
Vansernic are capable of bending, twisting, crouching, climbing, kneeling, running, and performing delicate manual tasks with a range of movement surprisingly close to that of Humans. Their bodies are heavy, but they are designed for that heaviness rather than burdened by it. The effect is rather like observing a very large mastiff demonstrate the unexpected athleticism of a terrier.
The Vansernic Garment Problem
Their peculiar dorsal anatomy necessarily influences their clothing. Human shirts, tunics, and similar fitted garments are poorly suited to the Vansernic back. The articulated spinal structures occupy substantial space beneath the skin and move in relation to one another. Consequently, garments designed to lie closely against the upper back would be restrictive, uncomfortable, or in danger of being stressed or torn from normal everyday movement. Vansernic therefore tend to favor harnesses, aprons, and other garments which either accommodate the dorsal structures or leave them unrestricted.
This is worth emphasizing because several Southern Cortian observers have mistakenly described these garments as evidence of an unusual Vansernic fashion sensibility. They are not. They are clothing designed to fit the Vansernic body. I mention this distinction because the shape of a body seldom consults tailors when emphasizing functionality.
The Socially Puzzling Vansernic
The physical impression created by a Vansernic might reasonably lead an uninformed observer to anticipate a correspondingly formidable temperament.
Again, one would be mistaken.
Vansernic culture places considerable value upon politeness, generosity, patience, kindness, and personal improvement. Their broad faces and remarkably expressive eyes further reinforce an impression of good humor and approachability. This has resulted in an unfortunate tendency among Humans to mistake Vansernic kindness for intellectual simplicity.
I have found no evidence supporting this conclusion. Indeed, I would suggest precisely the opposite. A Vansernic who has been exploited may respond with disappointment or sadness rather than immediate anger. This response does not necessarily indicate an inability to recognize exploitation. Rather, Vansernic philosophy apparently permits them to regard the exploiter's behavior as evidence of an unfinished character.
If I may give an example, the person who steals from a generous Vansernic female has not, in the Vansernic interpretation, demonstrated superiority over her; he has only demonstrated that he is a thief. This is a surprisingly sophisticated distinction. It also explains why the Vansernic may continue to behave courteously toward someone they have correctly identified as untrustworthy. Their kindness appears to be an ethical discipline rather than a spontaneous consequence of trusting everyone they meet.
There is, in short, considerably more going on behind the smile than a casual observer might suppose.
The Matter of Vansernic Musk
It is here that I must address one of the more persistent subjects of Southern Cortian speculation: Vansernic musk has long been known to exert an unfortunate influence upon human judgment. I have been assured by several individuals who claim greater familiarity with Vansernic society than I possess that the musk is responsible for the extraordinary attraction some Humans experience toward Vansernic.
This is, in my estimation, substantially correct but biologically imprecise.
The musk does not appear to manufacture attraction where none exists. Rather, its effect seems to be considerably more subtle. An individual who already finds a particular Vansernic appealing may experience that attraction more intensely in the presence of the musk. More interestingly, an individual who ordinarily experiences little attraction toward another species may, under its influence, discover that the particular Vansernic before him or her is unexpectedly appealing.
This distinction is critical. The musk does not compel behavior, nor does it incapacitate or deprive the recipient of judgment. It simply allows a neutrally-inclined person to ruminate upon possibilities they wouldn’t normally consider, or to perhaps lead someone who was already tempted by the alluring fruit to tip-toe into the garden of delights when they had only planned to admire a well-developed blossom from afar.
I have, naturally, not personally tested this proposition as my heartmate of many years would, perhaps, have Something to Say about such scientific inquiries, fascinating as they may be.
The phenomenon has nonetheless contributed to the exoticization of Vansernic by certain Human communities. Interspecies relationships involving Vansernic have occasionally been treated as unusual status symbols or objects of fascination. It is unclear whether Vansernic themselves perceive the magnitude of the phenomenon in the same manner as Humans do.
My personal suspicion is that they do not. A Vansernic, after all, is accustomed to being a Vansernic. To her, the intoxicating fragrance that beckons like a sensual whisper is simply her scent.
A Final Observation Regarding Their Disposition
There is an additional characteristic of Vansernic society that deserves considerably more scholarly attention; they appear to possess a peculiar resistance to the common Human assumption that kindness and strength are opposing characteristics.
Among Humans, particularly among those accustomed to military or mercantile hierarchies, generosity may be interpreted as an exploitable weakness. The Vansernic appear to regard this interpretation as profoundly confused. Their physical construction certainly gives them little reason to regard themselves as physically helpless. As previously documented, their bodies are extraordinarily strong, their skeletons unusually durable, and their backs possess a degree of natural protection that would be enviable in any mining population. Yet their social philosophy appears to place greater value upon self-improvement than upon dominance.
This may explain the peculiar interactions I have observed in the two other Vansernic I have noted but been hesitant to open a discourse with. They smile easily, exhibit an unusual degree of patience, appear genuinely interested in other people…and yet there is nothing particularly submissive about them.
At one point, I asked my aforementioned merchant whether Vansernic were simply unusually trusting. He politely considered the question for several moments before answering in the negative, then returned to arranging the collection of his well-received copper vessels.
I ruminated upon this response for a lengthier time than he had pondered my own interrogative before concluding that he was probably correct. The Vansernic represent an intriguing combination of apparent contradictions: short but broad, physically formidable but socially gentle, and extraordinarily hospitable without being especially naïve.
Their clothing accommodates their bodies rather than disguising them. Their social customs appear to accommodate individual imperfection rather than excuse it. Even the much-discussed musk seems less a mechanism of domination than an amplification of attraction already present.
It is therefore my provisional conclusion that the Vansernic should not be regarded as a primitive subterranean variant of the familiar humanoid form. They are, rather, a distinct biological and cultural expression whose apparent incongruities become considerably less contradictory when examined together.
Whether further study will confirm this conclusion remains uncertain.
I expect that it will.
Candidate of Science Parask Leatherback
Professor of Biology
College of Biology, Southern Cortia
The Eight Months of Auren
(With holidays)
There are eight months in every calendar year in Auren, each one lasting 45 days, and each holding holidays that celebrate or commemorate happenings historically or agriculturally. Each month is named for a god, beginning in the Spring with Tar for Tarzha and Gath for Gathtorinkar. The summer months are Kaz for Kazultuzak and Shad for Shadahs Surespear. Autumn is Sylv for Sylvinaiin and Tsaur for Luanath. Finally, winter is Scind for Scindrath and Tir for Tirnashc.
There are approximately 369 days in a year, and the last days of the year are festival days that only end when Tirnashc's great sword Terminus slides across the sky to "cut the cord" of the final second of the year. Work is expected of most people for the first four days of each month, while the fifth day is one of less work (or easier work) for the common laborers. This cycles through each month, with the middle fifth, or "fifth fifth" being a day of no work for anyone except in the cases of emergencies.
Tar is the first month of the year named after Tarzha, the Mother of the Gods, who holds passion, fertility, and life to be most sacred. The first of the month is the Day of Life. It commemorates the appearance of the gods upon Auren. During this day, no work is permitted, and the goddess inflames the passions of men and women of all races. Her High Votaries leave the temples to walk among the people and heal the most afflicted.
The 25th-28th is Spring Planting, a joyful time where all who are not farmers leave their trades and callings behind them to lend a hand to plow or seed and help ensure there will be enough food for all in the coming year. Frequently, people do this while wearing costumes representing fruits, grains, or vegetables. The final day of Spring Planting is a long festival of dancing, gaming, and singing. The costumes get a bit more elaborate on this last day, and there are usually contests to determine who is the best-dressed.
Gath is the second month of the year named after Gathtorinkar, the God of Magic and creation, who holds invention and the furtherance of arcane power to be the true path forward for all races. The 3rd-5th is the Festival of Magic. People work only half of the day as they rise nearer to noon than sunrise. As soon as the sun sets, the sky becomes alive with arcane magic and traditional fireworks. New ideas and creations are revealed in contests that range across the entire continent, and the clever-minded are rewarded in games that encourage non-traditional thought.
Kaz is the third month of the year named after Kazultuzak, God of Evil and Demons. Although banished from Auren, the gods did not wish the world to forget the threat that He and his dark children pose to the world. The 9th of Kaz is known as the Night of Evil to remember the day that He first made war on Auren with his legions of demons. It is a day of fasting and prayer for all food tastes like ash on this day, and sustenance is gained only through prayer to the other seven gods.
The 45th is a day of joyous festivities called the Night of Banishment, commemorating the day that the twisted god was banished forever from Auren. As soon as the sun sets, the feasting and revelry begins. There is dancing and storytelling for some, while others hang fiercely-painted representations of demons from low-hanging tree limbs to be cut at the stroke of midnight by thousands of children and teens with scythes, old swords, kitchen knives, or simple shears to emulate Tirnashc cutting the cord of all the demons in the world at the end of the Fourth Age.
Shad is the fourth month of the year named after Shadahs Surespear, the only mortal to be raised to full divinity and the equal to any child of Tirnashc and Tarzha. Shadahs is the god of the Vansernic people and teaches others to strive for perfection in their chosen craft. The 44th of Shad is The Day of Calling, a holiday when young Vansernic choose the path that they will follow on their attempt at perfection, whether that be a latrine digger, a gem polisher, or a warrior. Outside the vastness of the Vansernic mountains, other communities celebrate young adults coming to their age of majority (something that varies among races, kingdoms, and nations).
The 45th of Shad is the Day of Ascension, the highest holiday among the Vansernic as this was the day that their god achieved divinity by finding perfection in his chosen Calling. Throughout Auren, this is a day for Bards, Storytellers, Minstrels, and Actors to showcase the tales from the Age of Legends and the achievements of heroes spanning all ages and races.
Sylv is the fifth month of the year named after Sylvinaiin, goddess of nature, who smiles upon the Orman Perisie. The 25th is The Wilding, a celebration of all things natural and growing. Each man, woman, and child is expected to plant a tree or a cutting of a food-bearing plant to both foster growing things and help sustain creatures in the wild. This is the only day of the year that various gnomes, fordwardens, rootkeepers, and stonebacks come out of seclusion to answer Sylvinaiin's call to community. Youths of all the major races enjoy dressing in the costumes of wild animals as they work.
The 37th-45th is Harvest, the week which is the natural reaping of what was sown during Tar's Spring Planting. On the 37th, people travel out of the cities and spread throughout the areas they helped plant earlier in the year. Tools are blessed, and a mighty feast (abstaining from intoxicants) is prepared. From the 38th-44th people harvest, sort, distribute, or tally depending on their strengths. No one, from the youngest child to the eldest grey-hair, is spared, for if the crops fail, the communities fail. The 45th is an all-day celebration with nearly constant games, entertainment, food, wine, ale, and mead.
Tsaur is the sixth month of the year named after Tsaurem, the single, small moon of Auren that was once in the night sky and was the first stop for departed souls on the way to the Place of Light. It is sacred to Luanath, god of night, the sea, and animals, before He and His moon were banished by the dark god, Kazultuzak. The 16th is Moonfall, the night when all races in Auren remember their dead and celebrate their lives. It is a time when some souls have been known to come back and leave a word of wisdom or comfort to those they have left behind.
The40th is The Unbinding, once known as Bright Madness before Luanath's banishment. The Unbinding is a time of absolute revelry and joyful abandon. It's a time for children to be allowed to do things for the first time that they haven't been allowed to do before, but then put to bed early so that the adults can explore dance, laughter, unbound sexuality, and more than a little liquor.
Scind is the seventh month of the year, named after Scindrath, the god of knowledge and protection. There is only one holiday in Scind, called the Days of Knowledge, which stretch from the 31st to the 33rd. The first day is a celebration of the past where histories are sung, and legends are retold for the next generation to learn.
The second day is full of tournaments for warriors who defend their neighbors and families to test their mettle against one another for sport. A feat of arms, including mock battles, jousting, and tournaments of champions, lasts from sunrise to sunset.
The final day is a test of skills that include knowledge of chemistry, literature, culinary arts, illustration, cartography, and knowledge of poems, epics, and songs. The winner, who shows expertise in all categories, is awarded The Protector's Laureate for the year. The competition can be local, regional, or even between kingdoms.
Tir is the final month of the year, named after Father Time, Tirnashc, the god of death. It tends to be a month of contemplation and reminiscing about what has passed, as well as a time of remembrance for those who have journeyed on to the Place of Light.
On the last day of the calendar year, the holiday known as Gates Closing begins. This is a celebration of when Tirnashc and Tarzha, with the help of their other children, closed the gates which Kazultuzak had opened to allow passage between the horrors of Kahdûl and Auren. It is a time of gift-giving, dancing, storytelling, and more than a few snowball fights.
For a period of five to seven days after Gates Closing, "The Dregs" begin, as the last grains of sand pour out of the hourglass of the year. Many find this to be a time to drink to the dregs of bottles of good wine, ale, and mead in joyful cheer of another year's passage. These are the coldest days of the year, but there is no more snowfall or even clouds. The stars never shine brighter than during The Dregs, and with the clarity of the night skies, a red aurora borealis can be seen high above Auren, almost as if Terminus itself were glinting in the atmosphere.
On the final day of the year, Terminus appears at midnight to "cut the cord" of the previous year and usher in the new one. When the sun rises the next day, it's officially the Day of Life...and the circle begins anew.