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SEERS
MAGICAL ALIGNMENT: Light and (loosely) virtue following.
LIFESPAN: Unfortunately, even with medical intervention, it is unlikely for a seer to exceed the age of 60. This is a commonality which these mantis-esque creatures share with their dark mana equivalent, dreamwalkers.
APPEARANCE: Another similarity between dreamwalkers and seers is that they are often mistaken for insectfolk: in this case, mantisfolk. They are closely related, and share some physical characteristics, but this is where the similarities end.
Physically, a seer is typically tall (5'10 - 7'), lanky and mostly humanoid in build. They tend to feature natural complexions, freckled skin and 'natural' hair colours, though other hues aren't particularly rare.
The most notable traits of a seer are their lack of eyes (and eye sockets), and raptoral, pointed limbs that take the place of their hands and forearms. These are often covered in small, velco-like hooks for grip, with a small sensory organ at the tip (underneath). They are almost entirely unable to see, though these organs can sense light, and sometimes distance. Seers also always sport the delicate wings of a mantis, which, when folded, look more reminiscent of the back half of a leaf skirt. Most have large, pointed ears with a scalloped edge, and antennae, and their non-human attributes are most commonly green. Colourations depend entirely on subspecies, ranging from an autumnal brown to a vibrant sunset, like the orchid mantis.
Less common traits of a seer can include mandibles protruding from the jaw, an additional set of cape-like wings, or even light-sensing 'eyes' across the body.
ABILITIES: Seers do not have the typical myriad of possible powers that other magical beings have. Rather, they all share one ability. These creatures are incredibly in tune with fate, and can often accurately predict the future. With so many predictions, visions and potential timelines spinning around within their view, a seer’s mind is a busy one.
OVERALL BIOLOGY: Upon first glance, a seers overall biology is fairly humanoid... if one were to attempt to describe a human's internal structure from memory. Their bones are malleable and rubbery, allowing them to bend in an incredibly unsettling manner; their heads can rotate around 270°; and, unlike the rest of their skeletal structure, a hardened chitin exoskeleton covers their raptoral arms and mandibles. This hardened plating grows and repairs itself via moulting cycles, every few weeks or so. Although this is not a trait noted in all seers, some possess the ability to brighten their colourations, or even glow when frightened. As mentioned prior, all seers are completely blind, only able to sense light in their surroundings.
DIET: The majority of seers are unable to digest and process plant matter, a rarity in the world of light-mana creatures. Doing so can cause severe digestive upset. To obtain proper nutrition, they must eat a variety of meats and dairy products, even sometimes snacking on dried insects.
SLEEP: Whilst seers are never fully unconscious and therefore don't sleep in the traditional sense, they do rest for around 6 hours throughout the day. This is usually in hourly increments, and these creatures tend to rest tightly folded up, as tightly as possible.
REPRODUCTION AND HYBRIDISATION: Similarly to kitsune, a 'female' seer is only able to become pregnant once a year, in the autumn. They are an egg laying species, and, almost immediately after procreation, lay between one and five eggs.* After just over a year of development, typically the winter of the next year, fully-fledged seer 'nymphs' emerge.*
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Despite their close genetic relation to mantisfolk, seers cannot produce hybrid offspring with them. In fact, they cannot hybridise with any other species. The closest a seer can come to this is, if the paternal parent is a nymph or dryad (a subspecies of nymph), they may produce another seer with unusual magical abilities and physical characteristics. In the case of a dryad and a seer specifically, these offspring often resemble stickbugs.
*These eggs are often stored in blankets, and up high, either on a specialised shelf or in hanging baskets. It is unknown whether this is necessary for the survival of young, or if this is simply superstition.
*Unlike overworld mantises, seers do not exhibit cannibalism of any kind.
CULTURE: Mindfulness, patience and a respect for nature are all values traditionally held by seers. Unsurprisingly, they most commonly follow the virtue of patience. In day-to-day life, a seer may incorporate meditation into their routine, or attempt to convene with their chosen gods through ritualistic worship.
Although Greek names are incredibly common in seer family lines, a seer parent does not typically name their offspring - rather, they tend to use a pet name or nickname until their spawn is old enough to choose their own moniker.
ORIGIN: Seers originated as a hybrid subspecies, the resultant offspring of a nymph and mantisfolk. They have always been relatively rare, and hard to distinguish from mantisfolk, so the first instance of a seer has not been recorded. Their ability to foresee potential branches in the timeline is considered a freakish mutation.
*Although a seers exoskeleton cannot be 'dyed', tattoos are often offered as a form of gender-affirming care.
CHILDHOOD AND DEVELOPMENT:
A young seer, rather confusingly known as a 'nymph', is simply a smaller adult, aside from their lack of wings. After hatching, they are significantly smaller than a human infant, and shed the skin on their raptoral limbs (or mandibles if they have them) 2-3 times per year to accommodate rapid growth. They require a particularly high caloric intake, and as seers do not breastfeed, begin life surviving off of finely-chopped meats or scrambled eggs.
SEXUAL DIMORPHISM: Around 65% of seers are female, the significantly larger of the two sexes. A female seer is far more likely to be between 6'3 and 7 feet tall than a male, has thinner, more hair-like antennae, smaller wings (they are less likely to be capable of flight), fully flat chests and less complex patternings. In contrast, male seers are typically on the taller end of a 'human' height range, with larger wings, feathery antennae and more camouflagic pigmentations.
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Seers tend to reject gendered roles and expectations, a trait common in magical fauna overall, and are far more likely to identify as nonbinary or transgender than stick to their 'biological sex'.*
