The Venlil actually have a significant volume of high quality fanart! [1] , [2] , [3] , [4] , [5] , [6] , [7] . it is my understanding these are posts by the original artist, and not shares or reposts. If this is wrong, please correct me, and I will credit the artist appropriately.
Numbers 1, 2, and 3 are by u/Demon_Deity, 1 and 2 specifically are commissioned by the original author u/SpacePaladin15 and considered canon; 3 is from the fanfic ‘A Change of Pace’, though the representations are based on said canon art. Numbers 4, 5, and 6 are by u/Inkanyamba and are my accepted headcanons, and numbers 4 and 5 were directly inspired by the commissioned art. Number 7 is a digital rendering, models designed and rendered by u/OnlyOneSyllable; while the representations are not canon, their tail-chain behavior is, which I will get into further down the essay.
* Disclaimer
This assessment is considered the primary reference for my current and future Nature of Predators-related works, regardless of canonicity, and may be used freely by other writers and artists, regardless of connection to my own work. Please understand that some of my conclusions are not just off-base interpretation, but explicitly non-canon; namely a facsimile of scent as well as descriptions of reproductive biology and culture.
This assessment is based on a combination of canon art commissions, my personally accepted artistic depictions as linked above, canon references to the main story including names, utterances, and physical descriptions, as well as input from influential fanon authors and their works, who I will name along with their contributing sections.
* External Appearance
The average Venlil is described as coming up to the average human's collarbone.
Assuming that, favoring simplicity over accuracy, the Average Human Height is 6ft even, or 183cm, measured at the top of the head with good posture, I am interpreting the average Venlil, measured at the top of their head with good posture, not counting wool or ears, in the range of 5ft even, or roughly 153cm. I believe the Venlil have less variance in their physical form than humans, as such their tallest, with exception to outliers such as gigantism or dwarfism, would be in the area of 6ft even, or roughly 183cm; and the smallest 4ft even, or roughly 121cm.
They have two digitigrade “knock-kneed” legs, one arm on either side of their torso, with one hand each, and a head attached to a vertical neck on top of the torso; this would result in an overall humanoid appearance. They have three fingers and one thumb, with a claw on each digit, including feet. They have a tail, as long or slightly longer than their torso, with similar fur along its length, building to a thicker tuft at the tip. A tail like this would be agile enough to be emotive, but neither strong nor flexible enough to grab or hold things.
I’m going to step slightly away from canon and conclude they have bare skin on the touch areas of their feet and hands, resulting in a “pad” appearance. I believe these pads are soft and thick enough to allow for quiet movement. It is mentioned explicitly that the Venlil don't use clothes, supported by repeated references to the oddness of human clothing, so they wouldn't have shoes. Without shoes, I believe their footpads are tougher, in line with what you would see on outdoor animals on earth; this would be a consequence of walking unprotected on rough ground. Since they are neither quadrupedal nor routinely walk on their hands, I believe their handpads are much softer, especially among non-laborers.
It is confirmed they have a thick wool coat. I believe this is especially thick around their neck, up the back of their neck or “scruff”, and over the top of their head allowing the appearance of a crown; I believe this extra thickness developed to protect against biting, and to maintain blood temperature as it passes through the neck to the brain, though it may be trimmed or cultivated due to personal taste. I believe the coat maintains a naturally moderate thickness down the forward of their neck, down their chest, to their pelvis, and over the denser flesh of their legs and arms. As a dense coat would impede movement, and bare skin would chafe, I believe the coat gradually thins to a short fur texture, similar to a rabbit, along the inside of their arms, upper legs, and sides of their belly, as well as places where temperature regulation tends toward chilling, such as ears, forearms, shins, hands and feet. I believe their fur abruptly moves to a velvet texture around their snout, jawline, and eyes, in such a way as not to impede field of view or hygiene.
The wiki describes Venlil as having wool on the black/white spectrum, so that's easy to deal with. The fact they exist on a spectrum like that implies there are different shades of wool from different parts of Venlil Prime, allowing for interbreeding and mixing colors to make the explicitly mentioned grey. Some Venlil, Slanek especially, are described as having color in different parts of their body, which implies non-evolutionarily-significant mutations are present in the gene pool. This would allow the development of Patterns; color blocking is mentioned in canon, but striping, splitting, and spotting would also be possible, as they are all mutations of the same genes. All creatures on earth are susceptible to more severe mutations, such as Melanism, Albinism, Vitiligo, and Heterochromia, so I would expect the same from other living things; especially other mammals.
It should be noted that, while alternate fur color is not mentioned in canon, Jimek’s crown appears blonde as shown in art example [1] and the mere presence of black tones imply a melanistic basis for coloring, allowing for the presence of some browns as well. This is corroborated by fan consensus with the introduction of characters such as Taisa, Treven, Kailo, and Kessa, who all feature brown in their wool, as well as my own Alvi.
My conclusions on changes in fur quality ‐ curly wool transitioning to short fur - are precedented by many creatures on earth, including wool-mammals; the fur and wool on their body is different than on their ears, snouts, or paws. Given that this implies the existence of non-curly wool genes, it is possible there are examples of Alopecia, Straight-furred, or Hypertrichosis. This essentially means there is opportunity for significant, possibly regional differences in Venlil fur.
Canon specifically calls out the lack of clothes on Venlil, and more than once noted the clothes on humans being odd or barbaric, so we can assume that the Venlil don’t use casual or decorative clothing in any sense; there are, however, examples of PPE, such as fire retardant exterminator uniforms. There has been no mention of adornments on Venlil, but there has been mention of the oddity of human piercing and dyeing, so we can also conclude that is unusual or totally foreign to them.
This has no basis in canon, and no fanfic has mentioned this, but in my stories I believe the Venlil use Braiding in their fur in intricate patterns, including as a mark of a relationship. This is purely to allow for some form of personal decoration. I'm not going to codify the exact designs, to allow more freedom among writers, but I will be utilizing this for my works.
* Internal Biology
What follows are spoilers for Chapter 129 of the core story, and makes significant revelations in pre-contact Venlil.
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In chapter 129, it is confirmed that the Venlil were genetically altered on a large scale, and what we see in the modern story is notably different than what they had evolved to become; specifically, the Federation took advantage of inheritable deformities, namely knock-knees and non-development of olfactory organs. Pre-contact Venlil had strong bounding legs, adept at charging, leaping, and ramming, and a nose with nostrils within their snout. Canon descriptions as well as artistic consensus shows they still have a subtle snout, and I will be incorporating this into my conclusions. If they have a snout and no olfactory organ, then this snout would have its own genetic triggers for development; this is supported by their pre-contact method of violence; ramming. On that note, I also conclude that the lack of a sense of smell would allow a very sensitive sense of taste, in much the same way a blind human may have a stronger sense of hearing. Venlil may be able to ‘smell’ the air as they breathe through their mouth and said air flows over their tongue. This would still not be as effective as proper scenting, only capturing the thickest of scents, the same way a human can ‘taste’ especially bad body odor from several feet away. This sensitivity would, however, mean their food experience is very different from ours, allowing the ability to detect flavors we may not notice or perceive. Again, this is not an evolutionary trait; they don’t have specific biology to allow for detecting new compounds, only that their mind is using the processing normally reserved for scent for other things.
Back to their snout: even after federation interference, their snout would be very sturdy, mostly thick bone, though it would be hollow. It is possible, as evidenced by a blind person learning new senses to compensate, that the debilitated Venlil may have some sensation in this cavity, such as low-frequency sense, but this would be a learned sense from the body making up for the lack of smell; some individuals may never learn this sense and the space would be unused. The snout itself would have limited sensation, but would make up for it with very sensitive hair and skin, allowing them to have a powerful sense of wind direction and differing pressure.
Despite the Federation’s meddling, they were still confirmed as True Herbivores; as such, their jaw, as with most grazers on earth, would have well developed muscles resulting in a rounded look. I believe they evolved to eat especially fruit, stems, and tough ruffage, leading to a nearly solid row of grinding molars in the back of the mouth taking up most of the jaw; further forward, we would see well developed incisors, with a larger pair of incisor majora at the apex top and bottom of the mouth. I believe these are longer and wider than the “two front teeth” in humans, but not as large, comparatively, as root and bark eaters on earth; this would imply that, due to a diversified diet and agriculture, their root-eating ability has diminished over the eons.
I believe they have a very sensitive, flexible tongue, not unlike a cow, long enough for the average Venlil to touch the tip of their snout; some individuals may be more or less able. The flexibility and length of their tongue serves several purposes, including bringing food into their mouth and grooming themselves and their partners; more on that later. I believe they have internal lungs in their center-mass that connects via a windpipe to the back of their mouth.
While specifics of diet have been sparse in the main story, I see many writers, myself included, expanding into sharing cuisine; it appears the consensus is “xenos are lactose intolerant, nothing is dangerously poisonous,” with exception to the canonically described “meat allergy” which may prove lethal when eating meat. Canonically, alcohol as a recreational beverage is well known to the Federation, and the Venlil are explicitly described as having a notably higher alcohol tolerance compared to any other species, including humans; this is well precedented on earth by many majority fruit-eaters having a similarly higher tolerance compared to their mass. Eggs and mushrooms especially are uncharted territory.
I agree with these assessments, and will say the Venlil routinely eat and enjoy, human or otherwise, fruit, berries, and ruffage, and supplement their diet with roots, tubers, and nuts. In canon it is implied that widespread cooking is a uniquely human trait and both the Arxur and Federation eat almost entirely raw food, though prepared in some fashion. Given this information, I believe the Venlil have an additional stomach to allow them to digest foods we may have greater difficulty with.
As to organs not explicitly explained in canon or I have not mentioned yet and will not mention later: I believe some internal organs are necessary to the existence of a mammal, such as heart, lungs, liver, kidney, bladder, gallbladder, a blood-filled musculature supported by a blood-producing skeleton, fueled with blood-pumping veins, suffused with a nervous system, wrapped in a soft and stretchy skin. It is my view that in order for the Venlil to exist and work in a way we can relate to, they must have all of these organs. However, the exact quantity, quality, and location of these organs is not, in my view, integral to artistic renderings, plot development, or character growth. As such, I leave this level of specificity up to the reader and writer, and defer to what may or may not be mentioned in later canonical works.
* Relationships
Venlil are sapient, thinking, reasoning creatures, so their concept of relationships would be very similar to ours. I believe that, due to the influence of pheromones, their relationships are more stable and long lasting than the average human, resulting in a higher percentage of monogamy and a lower percentage of divorce. To clarify, they have every ability to judge if a relationship is not right for them, and there is very little stigma against doing so, though they still feel the sting of loss when a relationship ends.
Due to being at war with the Arxur for 200+ years, their culture would have adapted to the constant loss of life, and a larger focus on productive pairs would be seen on an institutional level: public and familial pressure to start a family, tax credits for children, robust public schooling and adoption/fostering infrastructure, special treatment for productive pairs. Because of this, non-productive pairs, such as homosexuality, sterility, or inter-species relationships are thought of negatively, though not with the outright hostility we humans are more familiar with; individual experience may vary, I am referring to institutionalized systems and general attitudes.
I want to believe in a world without hate of love, so in my canon this is evidenced by largely ignoring such relationships; under-researched, under-represented, and overall thought of as “a phase” rather than a lifelong bond.
Thank you u/MackFenzie , your Shoot Your Shot fanfic was a major inspiration for Venlil courting behavior. When a Venlil fancies someone, they normally advertise this by being overall closer to their crush: more focused attention, closer proximity, the giving of gifts or services, time with them being higher priority. They announce their intentions with physical touch, especially winding tails, but also touching ears is a more gentle approach. If these feelings are not returned, it is common to pull away from this touch, give a verbal denial, or both.
The dating process would be largely similar to humans, going to the movies, reading or making art together, anything that can give an excuse to spend more time together. This is very relatable, so I won’t expand on it further.
After establishing a relationship, they would have non-obvious public displays of affection, such as winding tails, the focusing of attention or physical closeness. More intimate displays, such as touch with paw on intimate areas like the rump, waist or scruff, as well as nuzzling and intimate grooming are definitely present, but seen as inappropriate; kind of a 'get a room!' situation.
Thank you u/Rebelhero, for your suggestions on grooming. Grooming can fall under a range of familiarity; familial and friendly grooming is not uncommon, but what is groomed and how it's done can carry heavy connotations. Grooming the whole body, including private areas, is common from parent to young child, though as the child ages and learns to groom itself, the parent moves to more socially acceptable areas. For example, parents may stop grooming the scruff of an adolescent, the muzzle of a teenager, and the neck of an adult.
Grooming practices can also be used to escalate affections or more explicitly announce intention, with paw and tail contact reinforcing the invitation. Two friends may begin grooming as a show of appreciation, one may move to a more personal area such as the muzzle or scruff, advertising they are interested in a more intimate relationship with this person.
One exception to this is Tail Grooming. The tail, as it is such a powerful communication tool, carries extra significance to any action that would impede its movement. To touch, grab, or groom a tail is intensely intimate, and may cause a scene if done in public, and will cause a scene if done by a stranger
Thank you u/Braquen and u/Acceptable_Egg5560 for hashing out marriage customs over discord! Officially, marriage is paperwork, and could remain simply that with no further pomp and circumstance. A civilization of this complexity requires bureaucracy to function, and bureaucracy requires neither ceremony nor celebration. But that’s not the fun part.
Weddings would be a large family affair, and may have a focus on faith, starting of new life, merging of families, or any mix thereof. Most ceremonies are similar to the human hand-binding ceremony: they would use a piece of fabric, woven in the couple's own wool, with their vows embroidered in Venlillian script. Dyes and metallic fabrics are well known, but most use their naked wool, relying on color contrast for embroidery.
The most common designs would be a blanket or a scarf, but paw-wraps and tail-binds are not unusual. A Blanket would symbolize protection of each other and their union, as a shield, and has significant faith connotations, such as a blessing by the Protector or Inatala. A Scarf, longer than a human would feel practical, would be long enough to wrap the pair together, and would have connotations of weaving families, togetherness, long life, and loyalty; protection of each other, by each other. A Paw-wrap or Tail-bind would be very intimate, separating the pair from their families, and would have the connotations of a new life together, and new beginnings.
It is also common, among closer and longer-lived families, to add new wool to an existing family garment. Blankets that take up the whole room, scarves that used to be tail-binds but are now several meters long.
* Reproduction
What follows is what I believe to be clinical descriptions of reproductive biology and mating behaviors; very little of this, if any, is in any way canon. This may be considered indecent for some readers, but I can assure you it is not explicit. I follow u/Rebelhero ‘s interpretation in Pack Bonding, which I also expanded on in my own story.
SP15 has confirmed via discord that the Venlil are sexually dimorphic, though not nearly as severe as humans are accustomed to; he specifically mentioned that the Females have an overall smaller bone structure, which would affect height, shoulders, and face most visibly, and a different quality of wool, though he did not specify how. Expanding on this, I believe that the Males have a thicker wool around their neck and scruff, selected for better protection of their neck.
I believe the Venlil experience blushing - which they call a Bloom - when excited, agitated, or otherwise experiencing cardiac stresses. The bloom is most apparent where bloodflow is high and fur or skin are thin: around the snout, on hand and footpads and between fingers, sides of belly, erogenous zones including the groin and anus, as well as the neck, although thick wool may make it difficult to see; it is most apparent on the snout, and the deepest shades would largely appear on the snout, neck, and groin.
Ch129 also confirmed that pre-contact Venlil were highly aggressive, so this blooming may have been an early posturing behavior; as well, the Venlil were so aggressive that native large predators strongly avoided them. This lack of competition or severe predation, in addition to Federation tampering suppressing their aggression, would mean that the modern Venlil only experiences bloom when excited, angry, or attracted, of which the latter provides the most severe response. The presence of a bloom implies a greater physical and emotional sensitivity in that moment, and care should be taken. Ranging in color from a pale yellow to a rich dark gold, the deeper shades tend to only appear when both relaxed and excited, as in intense arousal, though other triggers are possible.
Venlil do have and follow urges, including breeding, though they are not dictated by them; even in the deepest influence of a Cycle, male or female Venlil can choose who to pair with and why. Going against this judgment to satisfy physical needs, while sometimes necessary for relief, is intensely shameful. These urges are more severe than is average in the Federation, and exacerbated by the sensing of pheromones. The lack of pheromones does not imply a lack of interest or intention, nor vice versa; attraction is separate and distinct from arousal.
I do agree with the description in Pack Bonding of a Scruff, located in the back of the neck between the shoulders and base of the skull, developed in childhood and carried into adulthood. Compressing this organ, such as by grabbing, biting, or clamping, will cause docility in children - and adults though with less severity - of both sexes, and assists parents in moving their children; in modern times it is largely a punitive measure to halt unwanted behavior. Handling the scruff has heavy dominant connotations, which may or may not be effective intimate contact.
Females are equipped with an external mound and labia, internal receptive organ, internal egg supply, and give birth to live young in single-child litters, though twins and so on are not uncommon. While aroused, the surrounding skin will Bloom, as mentioned earlier, but the more sensitive skin past the labial lips will mostly match internal anatomy in color. Females do not have an external clitoris, as the human equivalent is the product of an undeveloped penis; however, as I will expand on later, the Male organ is recessed into the body and presents out of their own labial mound; because of this, the Venlil ‘clitoris’ is located on the ceiling of the vaginal canal inside the body.
Female Venlil experience a breeding cycle, roughly two or three times per orbit of Venlil Prime, averaging 8 to 14 average waking cycles. During this time, the Female will experience several hours, per waking cycle, of the emittance of pheromones, higher body temperature, impulses to mate, and an intense extended bloom to match; in more severe cases, compulsive breeding actions such as grinding may develop. Culturally, these experiences are mollified by hydration and exposure to cold; i.e. baths, chilled juice or fruit. The Females’ cycles are all shades of terrible, but also get more severe, and provide less warning, every year without a productive pairing. The sensations during a cycle wax, peak, and wane over the course of affected hours; as a woman goes longer without conceiving, these peak hours extend, and buildup and cooldown become shorter. It is also implied, with a sample size of one pairing in Pack Bonding, that being attracted or having indecent thoughts can trigger, or rush the onset, of a cycle.
I will clarify these are impulses, akin to what a human would call an intrusive thought, and does not indicate desire or reasoned consent.
While Male Venlil produce reproductive material at all times, unlike humans Venlil males either do not, or suffer much less, random urges. Rather, the pheromones released by a Female can trigger breeding urges in Male Venlil, the intensity of which can be sensed, allowing observers familiar with the sensation to vacate the area; sometimes older male Venlil will gently coerce younger, less experienced males to leave. Urges build with continued exposure, until a meltdown where the male begins presenting, and breeding actions become compulsory. Intelligence and judgment are maintained, albeit hampered, allowing unconsenting parties to perform such compulsions on inanimate objects. Arousal, and especially presentation, in Males, causes the release of their own pheromones; these advertise compatibility to receptive partners and increase the odds of a productive pairing. By “advertise compatibility” I mean that a detecting individual, male or female, may or may not find this taste/scent attractive, and may influence the decision to pair.
Given the description of presenting, which again is only present in Pack Bonding which I am explicitly using as inspiration, the males have a penetrative organ which is normally concealed. To allow for ken-doll artistic renderings to maintain canonicity, I will conclude that Males have a labia-like organ, mostly flush with the body and concealed by the rabbit-like fur I mentioned earlier, from which a penetrative organ emerges when engorged with blood; it is for this same reason I conclude productive organs, or testicles, are also kept within the body. My own explicit chapter established the description of the male organ, and I will use that here. The male organ is housed within the body and maintains some rigidity with solid cartilage, or a Baculum, upon which the organ develops. The organ itself is supplied with blood, and as such may have variable hardness depending on arousal and cardiovascular health. It is a bright orange color, matching their internal organs, though its vascular supply tends toward many small veins as opposed to the human arteries, allowing surface texture to be mostly smooth. The underside is lined with swept-back ridges, believed to aid in the removal of competitor fluid as well as assisting stimulation. The top side is more sensitive and somewhat textured to assist in stimulating the internal clitoris mentioned earlier. The male’s testes are located inside the body, though they supply seminal fluid to sacs at the base of the penis, giving the appearance of a ‘knot’ though functioning differently. These sacs are surrounded by twitch muscles that, when sufficiently stimulated, contract and eject the fluid into the recipient; it is believed that this process encourages the male to ensure the female’s climax, so as to trigger clenching of the vaginal canal around the ‘knot’ and trigger the male’s own climax.
Both male and female Venlil experience pleasure in the act and stimulus of associated areas, including nearby external areas, and do seek this pleasure; as with humans, the drive to seek this sensation is highly individual, with extremes such as casual pairing, fetishization, or “cycle parties” being present and known, but not culturally accepted. With the presence of pheromones allowing the possibility of unintentional public acts, the Venlil have developed their infrastructure with this phenomenon in mind: all enclosed spaces make use of natural airflow assisted by reliable winds on their tidally locked planet, widespread use of scrubbers limit the spread of pheromones, delivery services for isolated women on their cycle, walk-able cities emphasize natural spaces and open air. Due to these developments, and a Venlil’s ability to sense their own pheromones as well as others and remove themselves, there are only 1-2 public incidents per orbit in larger cities.
It should also be noted, as an aside, again with a sample size of 1 thruple in one fanfic that is Pack Bonding, that humans can sense and be influenced by Venlil pheromones, though the severity of the effect is implied to be negligible. It is also implied that human pheromones affect Venlil, but the effect is not readily apparent in the story.
A pairing of healthy venlil resulting in a pregnancy is exceptionally likely during a female’s cycle, and very unlikely outside of it; though there are reasons why one or both participants may be infertile or unable to perform. A pregnancy lasts the human equivalent of 10mo, and is a far more gentle affair than the human experience. Morning sickness is known though comparatively uncommon and an indicator of insufficient nutrition; a home remedy of gnawing on Shalkit bark for its density of vital nutrients like Vitamin C, D, and Folic Acid is very common. Kicking is less common though more intense, and in their natural state, the passage of the pup - while still uncomfortable and no joke - would have been less severe and dangerous than the human experience.
However, the Venlil we see are not their ‘natural state’. As mentioned earlier, Ch129 of the core story confirmed the Venlil were heavily modified genetically and in such a way that their young would inherit these same issues; knock knees and an absent olfactory organ. As these traits are added and not evolved, they would have severe effects on the birthing process and early health of the infant. Breathing issues would be frightfully common among the very young, completely setting aside the concept of asthma which would be much worse, and result in SIDS being much higher among the Venlil and their young and mothers being in general more frail and prone to illness shortly after birth. Add that to the birthing difficulties of changing their leg/hip structure, this would cause infant and mother mortality to be exceptionally high compared to the rest of the Federation, and possibly even compared to IRL human metrics!
* Childhood
As with all things, these metrics are rough estimations. No one develops the same or grows the same, and individual mileage may vary; also, I will be talking about behaviors across the full 20-ish years of Venlil development, please pay attention to the Units! I encourage other writers to simply use this as a stepping stone for their own story; write what- and how- ever you need to share your story in its best light!
Well into and shortly after pregnancy, female Venlil develop milk-bearing teats on their upper torso, positioned in such a way as to allow the mother to feed the infant while she carries it, while herself walking and/or eating at the same time. These do swell to noticeable proportions, though significantly less than a human; C-Cup would be considered exceptionally large to a Venlil, averaging high A-Cup or low B-Cup. These teats are not permanent, and return to mostly normal size after weaning; while hips, shoulders, and wool quality may be noticeably different pre-pregnancy compared to post-weaning, chest size would be nearly indistinguishable.
SP confirmed on discord that Venlil from birth to about 12mo are transported by their parents via strollers or by being carried. Post-pregnancy female Venlil grow thicker wool on their shoulders, breast, waist, and hips to allow protection from an infant's claws as well as allow them more stable holding areas, and wean their pups at around 10mo-12mo. When the pups are too large to be held, young Venlil stay very close to adults, most especially their parents, and hold onto thigh and waist wool for comfort. While in transit, such as walking down a street, it is common but not ubiquitous for the young to hold the tail of the leader, and the follower, creating a chain of cubs walking where they need to go.
Venlil join schooling around 36mo, though they continue these behaviors while they are in unfamiliar situations with their parents, such as new places or meeting new people. Venlil youth are more prone to wandering around 5yo, and will leave their parent's side to explore their surroundings or socialize outside their family. Venlil are considered young adults around 10yo, and held to a higher expectation of behavior. Venlil are considered legal adults at 15yo, and treated as such after that point.
Venlil Pups develop exceptionally quickly compared to humans, at 8mo they are able to walk with difficulty, and at 18mo they have the mental capacity of a human 36mo (3 years). This trend continues as they age, with a venlil joining schooling at 3yo, higher education at 14yo+, and a mental adult at 20yo; though it is worth noting that canonically, the federation considers them a legal adult at 15yo.
As shown in patreon story Venlil Foster Program, Venlil pups may not have absorbed Federation indoctrination and still have heavy herd-making and outsider-excluding behaviors, including vicious bullying. As such, they would readily clump together especially around a parent or adult when surprised or frightened.
* Language
Venlil are described to have exclamations such as Sigh, Beep, Squeak, and Scream; this tells me sound comes from their mouth and is modulated by a voice box high up their breathing tube. Venlil are described to attempt to smile with their human partners, implying the presence of lips, which, with the use of a tongue, allow for many of the forward-mouth sounds that humans make; such as Ah Eh EE OH OO, as well as M, B, P, T and L. Soft glottal stops such as G are possible, but the frequent mentioning of “growling humans” tells me they are not utilized; hard glottal stops such as Hard C, K, and Q are much more likely. My description of their tongue, while it is not specified in canon, does not allow for a full covering of their palette, which makes Soft J, Soft C, Sh, S, J, N or Z difficult.
Confirmed of genetic alteration in Ch129, the Venlil have neither a nose nor alternate breathing pathway, so they would breathe through their mouth constantly; this would mean they would have to speak with both inhale and exhale, so their language would develop ways to include sounds possible by the passage of air alone, such as forward-mouth sounds, hums, hisses, and even whistling; produced mostly in the back of the mouth by using their tongue and windpipe to create the proper embouchure. My conclusion is that they likely focus on forward-mouth sounds only, and use Whistling to add complexity to their language, in much the same way the human Khosian language uses clicks.
It is shown in the Patreon Exclusive Venlil Foster Program that Venlil may communicate some complex ideas using their tail alone: a mother Venlil tells their child to work on their homework and stop being hostile to a human. I believe that this level of complexity can only be understood with a strong familiarity between the participants; if the mother tried to do this to a Venlil they have never met, the stranger would, at best, understand that the mother is unhappy about something. I reach this conclusion because the translator does not understand motion, only sound, which means that the Venlil language is not reliant on body language; without this reliance, tail movements would not be codified enough for such complexity to be widely known. More likely, the tail is able to communicate broad ideas, such as affirmative, negative, annoyance, fear, directing, or addressing. And those ideas, along with the context of a close relationship, can communicate more specific ideas.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Thank you u/ImaginationSea3679 for your comments on literature, I will expand on it here. In order to accommodate a complex modular writing system, I believe the Venlil have a few symbols to represent base sounds, and modify those symbols with many accents, having a structure similar to human Arabic. I believe their writing evolved from scratches on a soft medium, likely soft bark or reed, which would allow multi-directional marks, and would slowly morph into curves as handwriting became less structured. It is a subjective judgment, but I believe the Venlil would feel a sense of “beauty” from their script, and would incorporate it into text and architecture, especially of faith, likely during a cultural renaissance. This text would simplify during a scientific renaissance, and simplify further during an industrial renaissance. The original calligraphy would become an art form and practice, and continue to be used for special events. As an example, a married couple may make a blanket using their shared wool, with embroidered vows also using their wool. The cultural genocide practiced by the Federation after first contact would further push this style of script to a hobby, ritual, or artform; we are seeing a similar transition of English calligraphy in our real world. If a Venlil-specific writing system still exists in common modern use, it would be tailored to the Founder’s system of writing and record keeping, with only the barest Venlil influence.
* Names
Please refer to my name reference Here, as it features all Venlil names from canon, kindly provided by SpacePaladin, as well as a variety of fanfic examples from many different authors. This is not an exhaustive list, please forgive me if I missed yours, but it is a large enough data set to work with.
Starting with canon names we see mostly duo-syllabic, with a couple mono-syllabic, and a single triple-syllabic name, being Carliva. Among fanfics we see the vast majority are duo-syllabic, with scattered examples of mono- and triple-syllabic; so far there have been no examples of more than three syllables. This leads me to believe that duo-syllabic is the more traditional style, with mono-syllabic being a known but uncommon practice, and I believe triple-plus may be due to cultural bleed from other species. This is lent credence by the fact that all examples of triple-syllabic names also feature sounds that are unusual in other examples.
We are noticing a lot of consistency in sound in both canon and non-, and I'm very pleased to see it largely coincide with my language conclusions I mentioned higher up; this was not planned, which is all the more satisfying. We are seeing a lot of Va and Vi, and especially Nek, though fanfic modulates that significantly with Lek, Mek, Tek, Rek, and Vek. They clearly enjoy both hard and soft consonants, though a surprising lack of P sounds! I have also noticed they make common use of open mouth sounds, such as Ah and Eh.
Given their emphasis on duo-syllabic, I conclude there is a method to how names are determined, with some flexibility for creativity and individuality. I believe they base their names on people who are important to them, most typically parents; as an example, my character Va-lek has parents El-va (mother) and Lek-si (father). In their 200+ years of wartime this would expand to caregivers in general, and notable figures and family, such as an uncle who died in a raid and was remembered in their nibling's name. Triple-syllabic is a known phenomenon, but not traditional. While there are examples otherwise, triple-syllabic is most often used by the well-to-do, referencing their parents, as well as a generational family name. Whether by the high class or otherwise, it still follows the similar convention of referencing people important to whomever named the child, simply more people.
Also, an opinion that goes against convention and may be unpopular: I believe mono-syllabic names likewise feature an important person, but they end with -m to indicate the name is finished. This could be due to someone adopting a new name, whether by choice or tragedy, or a caregiver naming a child without knowledge of parentage, or intentionally ignoring a parent. This differs from Diminutives which do not have the -m suffix, and may be the result of aesthetic preference, or even a rejection of the person the neglected syllable refers to. Also, as sapient creatures, a Venlil has every ability and freedom to define themselves however they see fit, including changing or abandoning their birth name. I will be incorporating this in my story, though I understand many fanfics have examples counter to it.
Core Story (canon)
Slanek
Sla-nek
Tarva
Tar-va
Glim
Glim
Kam
Kam
Cheln
Che-ln
Haysi
Hay-si
Volek
Vo-lek
Ilja
Il-ja
Thima
Thi-ma
Carliva Car-li-va
Mulnek Mul-nek
Venlil Foster Program (canon)
Callsi
Call-si
Jimek
Ji-mek
Kaulin
Kau-lin
Vana
Va-na
Remsi
Rem-si
Tibek
Ti-bek
Cylek
Cy-lek
Nalva
Nal-va
Stram
Stram
Lashi
La-shi
Human Exterminator (canon)
Nam
Nam
Volek
Vo-lek
Rauln
Rolln
Rawln
Predator Disease (canon)
Derva
Der-va
Sialsi
Si-al-si
Sial-si
Nulin
Nu-lin
Mollsi
Mohl-si
Kalsim’s Trial and Sentence
(canon)
Mynek
My-nek
Foundations of Humanity
Adults
Valek
Va-lek
Alvi
Al-vi
Tarva
Tar-va
Borven
Bor-ven
Leksi
Lek-si
Elva
El-va
Carvit
Car-vit
Bilvee
Bil-vee
Gliva
Gli-va
Nalja
Nal-jja
Children
Ilnek
EEl-nek
Vaibek
Vai-bek
Thiimek
Thi-si-mek
Shibek (Shishi)
Shy-bek (Shee-shee)
Voshia (Shia)
Voh-sha (Shya)
Pack Bonding
Kaabra Kaa-bra
Venik
Ve-nik
A Rose by Any Other Name
Talen
Ta-len
Elva
El-va
Hunting with Predators
Vikri
Vik-ri
Querek Que-rek
Nel
Nel
Birin
Bir-in
Azik
A-zik
Inva
In-va
Shoot Your Shot
Glenil
Glen-il
Taysil
Tay-sil
Hana
Ha-na
True Predators
Kona
Ko-na
Nature of a Giant
Tarlim
Tar-lim
Sharnet Shar-net
Barlen
Bar-len
Pharva Phar-va
The Fleece
Irvo
Ir-vo
Jauntes Jaun-tes
Marklen Mar-klen
Treven Tre-ven
Rolem
Rolem
Autonomous Response
Tavik
Ta-vik
Have a predator friend, they said
Tihal
Ti-hal
Cultural Osmosis
Kyndl
Kyn-dl
Jyssh
Jy-ssh
An Unconventional Rescue
Felaf
Fe-laf
Kefte
Kef-te
Souvla
Souv-la
Sweater Weather
Keehl
Ke-ehl
Riga
Ri-ga
Verek
Ve-rek
Insertion (formerly Now Boarding)
Zeleveya Zel-eve-ya
Jalnak
Jal-nak
Rejio
Re-jio
Kaveel
Kav-eel
Tarrem Tar-rem
Zicaeron Zi-cae-ron
Yarmeh Yar-meh
Vril V-ril
Jarun-del Ja-run del
Zeitaff
Zei-taff
Predator in a Prey's Body
Jurzula Jur-zu-la
Predator Cattle
Tevak
Te - vek
Triva
Tri - va
Slenk
Slenk
They Way of the Human
Limmi
Lim-mi
Intelopers
Vlen
Vlen
Ovuk
v - uk
Svi
Svi
Fevri
Fe - vri
Predator Disease
Derva
Der-va
Sialsi
Si-al-si
Nulin
Noo-lin
Mollsi
Mol-si
* Time
In canon, the Translator does all of the heavy lifting in terms of time. Measurements like ‘seconds’ and ‘hours’ all the way up to ‘weeks’ and ‘years’ are translated automatically, so one requires no further elaboration. You, the Writer, can just use human measurements to reduce confusion and mental load on the reader, which is a good thing.
Regardless, the fandom has had difficulty reckoning the passage of time on a Tidally Locked world; rightfully so, since most of humanity’s context for time requires a day/night cycle, especially in the smaller timescales many stories make use of.
The first idea of this time system comes courtesy of u/YakiTapioka in his Recipe for Disaster fanfic, and created a measure of time leaning on one’s individual experience. Seconds, Minutes, and Hours are foregone, skipping right to Claws, roughly equivalent to 4hrs of human time. These have been used in fanfics for large increment timeframes, as well as relative times of day similar to a human’s Morning, Afternoon, or Evening. There are 5 Claws in a day, called a Paw, resulting in a 20-hour daily cycle. However, these times are relative; one person’s Second Claw may be another’s Third, because having no day/night cycle would allow people to stagger their activities throughout the day.
As a consequence, Venlil cities are in general more reliably active than their human counterparts; they still have the concept of Rush Hour, represented by Rest Claw and Work claw, but their peaks and valleys of activity are less extreme.
An average Venlil’s day works out to First Claw spent between waking and leisure, Second and Third Claws are mainly labor with breaks and sometimes a nap, while Fourth is rest and leisure; Fifth claw finishes their waking cycle with leisure and sleep.
Subjective timekeeping works very well for a first-person POV story, which NoP and its fanfics make great use of, but a collaborative society would still need a standard timekeeping measure so people of different reference points can have common ground. For this reason, Yaki also introduced the idea of Suns. Suns are the same as claws, 4hr increments, though they are standardized from the First Light of the end of the First Night after the start of the New Year, measured from the town of Heartwood; the southern-most permanent town located on the terminator line. This moment, and the official end of the first Festival of the new year, are measured from the first beam of sunlight hitting the base of the Heartwood tree at its center. . With this standardization, individuals with different schedules can refer to the Suns for meetings and collaborations.
Also established by the fan community has been the idea of a cyclical ‘Night’, explained by a minor axial tilt that would cause places closer to the terminator - the division between day and night - to experience anywhere from a few days to a week of anywhere from perpetual sunset to full darkness at some regular interval. The stated cycle by the idea’s originator, Yaki, is 4 cycles of 5-day ‘weeks’, followed by one cycle of 5-day ‘Night’. While the full range is 5-days, places closer or further from the terminator will experience different amounts of darkness, with waning and waxing twilight before and after this darkness. As an example, Heartwood, which is nearly right at the terminator line, would experience nearly the full 5 days in full darkness. The Grove, however, is closer to the sun, and so will only experience around 36hrs of darkness.
The Night may be celebrated or demonized by individual communities; An Introduction to Terran Zoology and Letter of Marque both speak of a festival or celebration to honor the stars and passage of loved ones, while The Grove in my own story will lock their doors and stay inside for fear of what lies in the dark. What you do with the Night, if you do anything at all, is entirely up to you!
The stated cycle would mean the Night would happen every one to two months. However no one, not even the fanfic author who introduced the idea of ‘Night’, has written any scene taking place during such time, despite such stories spanning longer than the full cycle. In my own story, the Night will happen every two months - the next increment of which is Late October - and will feature approximately 36hrs of full night. My reasoning for this is that The Grove is close enough to be affected, and the event will be a full 5 paws or 100hrs, but their distance from the terminator would shrink their period of full darkness. As well, their tall forests will block most light from the surrounding area and most of the sky itself, leaving the Grove in near total darkness save for the starlight above them.
* Architecture
The Venlil live on a tidally locked planet, with a hot side, cold side, and ribbon of habitable zone between; in my world these broad areas are referred to as, in order from hottest to coldest: The Scorched Wastes, The Burning, The Green, The Twilight, The Night, and The Frozen Wastes. Being tidally locked would create very reliable and powerful winds in mostly one direction, being a guiding force in their architecture. Their snout gives the impression of a powerful digging tool, as such I believe their early habitations would have been burrows. As they moved aboveground with the development of settlements and villages, they would have kept the rounded shape and low ceiling typical of burrows, with minimal space between and shared living being fairly common; I will point out this is not unusual; humans did similar in early history. Smooth lines and soft curves would continue, being slowly replaced by wood or straw; the lighter material houses would need to contend with wind, so the shape would shift to more oblong, in line with the reliable winds of the tidally locked planet.
Villages become cities, and population density grows. Mostly out, but some still take advantage of up, further pushing the shift to an oblong shape. Due to several reasons, such as pheromones, fear of predators, and attachment to nature, the Venlil would shy away from the shoulder to shoulder building habits of early humans, preferring open natural spaces between buildings. Through the industrial revolution, these buildings become higher and made of stronger material, and a grid begins to form through the cities. These densely packed buildings would retain their oblong shape, but manufactured materials prefer straighter lines so would appear more hexagonal: imagine a Hexagonal Mesh, pulled to deformity so each cell was long. These buildings would not pack neatly, so they fill the void spaces with walking paths and clean nature, allowing clear sightlines and minimal locations for predators to hide. At several parts of this process, some Venlil would seek to express themselves through architecture, allowing for designs that break the mold. Some may want to oppose nature and build hard lines in defiance of the wind. Some may be traditionalists and shrink to the more circular short burrows. After the industrial revolution, these eccentricities would be numerous, but still the minority, allowing for a thrilling and varied skyline while domestic housing would be fairly regular.
* Governance
While the Venlil as a whole are led by Governor Tarva, delegation is a necessity in every form of government organization. Venlil Prime is split up into an as-of-yet unknown number of districts, all run by a group of Magistrates known as the Magistratta, with a High Magister acting as the American equivalent of a State Governor. The Magister is an administrative position, serving as the final word on their elected fields, but are all supported by specialists that fill expert needs; for example, the Magister of Law and Order is not a judge themselves, but do oversee and coordinate judges and the process of law in their district. These lower Magisters oversee more specific parts of how the district functions, like Law and Order, Labor and Safety, Economy and Finance, Schooling, ect. These magisters oversee both legislative and some judicial matters in their specialties, but don’t have absolute power, as the High Magister can overturn any of their policies or rulings.
While the Governor leads the planet as a whole, the planet is subdivided into Districts, Subdistricts, Municipalities, and Neighborhoods. These are likewise led by the High Magister, Magister, Director, and The Neighborhood Baas. Amount, distribution, and elected tasks of each of these roles are determined mostly by population density; Director and Baas are only seen in large cities like the Capitol, while smaller towns like The Grove or Heartwood may stop at Magister.
While these roles do lead their respective areas, they are administrative and lead other people who specialize in specific tasks. Similarly, a Director may be the point of contact for their constituents, but they would contract out specific tasks; ie, they don’t own a maintenance company or an exterminator office. A Baas is essentially a state-appointed HOA director, and maintains the health and safety of their immediate community. Very small towns, such as the Grove with its sub-1k population, would have one Director who also fills another role, such as chief exterminator or engineer, while also reporting to their subdistrict’s Magister, who in this case oversees several rural townships.
The Venlil are a democratic people, who elect their chosen candidate by popular vote without major political parties, though that specifically hasn’t been explored in Canon. In Canon, Tarva notes that a new election cycle for Governor is coming up in 2137, and it stands to reason that the magisters would be voted in on a cycle offset from hers.
* Artistic Expression
As discussed above and in canon, the Venlil are known to be more emotional than the average Federation species, which also tells me they are very Expressive. The Venlil would have a thriving artistic community and appreciation, and cover many different disciplines. Visual art would be fascinating, given the lack of depth perception of a monocular species. Of course, it’s also highly implied that only those able to pay for an art school may pursue artistic endeavors, and those schools have a curriculum that was manipulated by the Federation. It is currently unknown how much of an effect this has had in canon, but common consensus is that it has resulted in creativity being stifled outside of certain “non-predatory” avenues.
Given their wool as an abundant resource, I believe bodily expression may have been the first example of art, especially from staining by fruit or flower. This would quickly transition to paints, likely using their own wool as an implement or canvas. Once spinning yarn became available, they would use that for mobile shelters and adding comfort to living spaces, the need to decorate those spaces would make wool become an artistic medium; blankets, modesty-shawls and tapestries. An appreciation of nature and acute senses would make incredible interpretive work. As civilization moves, their appreciation of nature and color would decorate their buildings and living spaces. Cities mean buildings, architecture, statues; stereoscopic view may limit their appreciation of 3d art like statues, so they may not fully utilize it, though they are familiar with the practice.
* Music
There has been limited reference to music in the core story, though it should be noted that in Glim’s Escape, he notes a familiarity with a human guitar, and the fact “This sounded like Venlil radio fodder”. This implies that, despite being in an Arxur cattle farm for some number of years, Glim is familiar with the concept of music and plucked string instruments, and that music being broadcast publicly on a radio.
Humans have a significant variety of musical systems and sounds, so there would be some intersect with the Venlil. Western styles are my most familiar, so that will be my main reference and comparison point, though it is worth noting that the descriptions in Playing by Ear are very similar to the partial tones of South Asia and the Middle East, as well as this comparison being explicitly called out.
Speaking of Playing by Ear , I would like to thank u/VeryUnluckyDice for their worldbuilding. Thus far, Venlillian music has been referenced but not really expanded on in both canon and fanon, and Dice has made the most effort to create a system that is relatable while still being novel, and describing it in a way that is both thorough and understandable.
Dice explains that the Venlil use a 24-tone system, as compared to the West’s 12-tone, meaning that the Venlil make use of what we would call partial and quarter tones. Quarter-tones are not alien to the human experience - very little is in terms of music - but for those unfamiliar it may give an ‘off tune’ sound which some may find unpleasant. This would, however, allow the Venlil a great deal of color for their music, making grand chords within chords that could convey great emotional weight. Their concept of chords and harmonies are similar to the West’s, in that they have a root tone with several harmonics above it, and the interaction of these harmonies and dissonances is found pleasing and may convey implied emotion. Venlil also use a ‘gliding’ technique where they utilize tones outside of the established 24-tone system, clearing a particular tonal gap using equal intervals.
Similarly, the Venlil have a looser understanding of Rhythm in their works. They have a concept of rhythm, and find pleasure in repeated patterns, but they frequently though not always stray from the established rhythm of the piece to convey new emotions and meaning. However, Mackfenzie also established that the Venlil have difficulty acclimating to Polyrhythms, so this would imply that while the rhythm itself may fluctuate, it is not layered upon another different rhythm.
As with all things, individual mileage may vary. A specific Venlil may have more experience with Polyrhythms and there may even be regional exploration of the same, this Dive is specifically for broader trends.
As to sound: As established in canon the Venlil are familiar with plucked string, and early human history implies that whistles and percussion are very early development, so we can assume most sapients would have had this developmental step. So far, the only truly odd sounds would be Reed, Brass, and some Synthetic sounds that humans have only just discovered.
Reed instruments require the discovery of a pliable material vibrating when air is blown in line with it. This would be easily discoverable by any species spending a lot of time around grass or trees, so the Venlil would absolutely have this sound.
Synthetics are, as the name implies, sounds created by modifying the sound directly through technological means. As this implies a post-computer civilization, and computation is a necessary part of space travel, we can assume the Venlil, being space-faring, have access to and experiment with these sounds as well.
Brass, however, is a different matter. To have a brass instrument requires a great deal of metal-like material, understanding that it creates a different sound from wood, a way to forge it to unusual shapes, and understanding how one can make the vibration with one’s lips. Each of these requirements have their own issues in terms of Venlil development, but the Lips are a biological matter so I will focus on that. To shape one’s lips into the proper embouchure requires significant facial control which the Venlil lack, as evidenced by their reliance on tail and ear language. It requires sensitivity in one’s lips, which a hard-foliage grazer would have less use of. And finally, it requires fleshy lips that are uncommon among comparable creatures on Earth, so there is limited precedent for the Venlil to possess it. So I will conclude the Venlil would be unfamiliar with Brass sounds natively, though other federation species may have discovered them and introduced them after contact.
* Faith
For the Venlil, most of what we can gather by their faiths are their curses and exclamations. Phrases such as “by the stars,” “sun scorched,” “by Inatala,” and “by the Protector” have all made an appearance, so it is safe to assume that the Venlil as a group practice multiple faiths.
As a disclaimer, yes I use that word a lot; Faith is a sensitive topic for many people, and can greatly change a culture and story. My interpretations are mine alone, albeit inspired by others, and I encourage other writers to tell their own story with their own understanding of faith. Also, I am noting here the ideas of non-canon Faiths. Established in Ch129, the Venlil culture was essentially erased and reset by the Federation shortly after first contact, which explains why the only faiths explicitly mentioned on Venlil Prime are The Protector and Inatala, which are Gojid and Krakotl faiths, respectively. We can assume from here that, canonically, the Venlil have no religion of their own in the current setting.
However, several fanfics, my own included, believed at the time this was due to a lack of worldbuilding and not intentional. So many of us built our own faiths that have been scattered around Venlil Prime. These faiths are not canon, and if you would like to stick to canon, these would only be in the smallest pockets of believers with very little if any history to call their own, which conflicts with many of these. With that understood, I will expand on these fanfic faiths here for your inspiration and use:
On a tidally locked planet, their main influence of faith would be largely dependent on their location. Those who spend their life in the Burning or the Green would see the Sun for their whole life, see the life and heat it provides and worship it as a provider and creator. Those in the Burning would also respect its hostility, and the destruction it wrecks on the sun-side deserts. Those in the Twilight would see the sun for most of their life, but would also have a festival, or mourning, or both, for the brief time the planet’s axial tilt causes the sun to dip under the horizon. They would use this time to share stories of the stars, and likely have some manner of honoring the dead as or within those stars.
Thank you u/YakiTapioca for your interpretations of Venlil sun worship! In his story, the Sun is personified by what is believed to be a real Venlil named Solgalick. A uniter and a leader, he pulled the sun through the sky, and in doing so, gave the People a cycle to rely on, and gave the People the Sun’s Number, to count it. Part of practitioners’ worship is the adherence to the Sun’s Number in their daily lives, with varying levels of adherence. Sylvan’s parents, who he described as devout, use the Sun’s Number in making Strayu. A part of this worship entered common use: a Claw is 4hrs, a Paw is 5 Claws, and their time increments are amplified by factors of 5 after that.
Thank you u/Braquen for your conclusions on Venlil Astrology! Being tidally locked, the Night would see their starry sky scroll along with the orbit of the planet, and their constellations would loop and repeat. This, in conjunction with the importance of weaving I discussed in weddings, and braiding as a decorative, I agree with Braquen’s conclusion that they would refer to their starry night as a Tapestry, and its eternal cycle of being woven and unwoven would give them a reverence for history, rebirth, and a stronger connection to the cycle of life and death. Because of this, It is possible that the Federation may have thought it a death cult, and either destroyed or assimilated it.
As time marched on, peoples traveled, and cultures merged, you would see more Venlil adopt aspects of each faith. For example, my character, Valek, honors the dead by wishing for the safe passage of their memory from the Day of their life, to the Night of their death.
Thank you, u/Acceptable_Egg5560 , for your discussion of faith in Nature of a Giant! In NoaG, Tarlim follows a meditative practice of the Three Tenets: the Growth, the Still, and the Flow. The Growth understands that all things move beyond your control, that change continues without regard; you can do much to guide this change, but it cannot halt, so it asks you to make peace with change and understand your part in it. The Still understands that all things end; all things pass, both the bad, and the good, so it asks you to find peace in this natural passage. The Flow understands that while everything ends, endings are beginnings and vice versa, the Flow welcomes the new as an expression of what came before, and a promise of what comes after. Predators are seen as a disruption, or a Meddling, of this natural cycle; an unnatural perversion and interruption.
Thank you u/TheManwithaNoPlan for fleshing out your story's Church of the Herd with me over discord. The Church of the Herd was invented by the Federation when inducting the Venlil. It believes in an all-encompassing one-ness and connection with yourself and the natural world, referring to this as The Herd. It emphasizes protection and support within, and because of, the Herd. Large emphasis is placed on self-sacrifice in protecting those “in the center'' such as the young and fertile. This faith also follows a cycle, though one of death in service to the Herd as a protector at the borders, flowing inward to be reborn anew. It establishes the First Predator as being one of the Herd, who by tasting meat, disrupted the natural order and was cast out, and from whom all predators were birthed. The Church of the Herd also teaches that the sinful are not reborn of the herd but outside it as a predator.
Thank you u/Liberty-Prime76 for your perspective on a twilight faith about the guiding star Polani! In Letter of Marque, several people in the town of Heartwood honor Polani the guardian, and her guiding star. Heartwood lies at the very edge of the habitable Twilight before Night, and their night sky is visible all year around, though what stars can be seen are very few and vary. But Polani is the brightest among them, and one of very few visible throughout the entire year. The story begins with a wandering nomadic herd of Venlil looking for a place to settle. In their wandering one of their number, Polani, lost her pups to shadebeasts. This loss drove her grief such that she dedicated the remainder of her life to protecting her herd such that no other mother would have to suffer as she did. In the throes of her grief, her screams shattered glaciers and made a vast valley to provide shelter and safety for her herd. Her rivers of tears are said to have watered the fields and carved the ground into great farms so that they could grow crops to feed themselves. Eventually, upon her death, the stars of the tapestry above welcomed her into their number. Her love for her herd burns bright, marking her as the brightest star of Heartwood’s Twilight sky. The Heartwood River Festival of Night started as a way Honor her life and story by celebrating the night and her star, and celebrating the love and protection of family she exemplified, while ensuring that those who had died in the last rotation made it to her embrace in the stars above. This is done by floating a candle in their memory out on the Coolwater Basin so that they may join the stars.