World of Seayao
^{(like soy sauce in Cantonese!)}
BASIC INFO
^{(details always subject to change)}

• NYSAKE: Humanoids with limited shapeshifting abilities, capable of transforming into a single animal form, though this is just a mimicry of their animal counterpart and not an actual change of species. There are terrestrial, aerial, and aquatic nysake variants, with aquatic nysake sometimes mistaken for merfolk. Defined by their physical prowess and natural abilities, nysake are natural beings.• MERFOLK: Can interchange between two forms: their humanoid form with legs, and their half-bodied form where their tail replaces the bottom half of their bodies. Merfolk have a specialized larynx that allows them to communicate underwater with a variety of vocalizations. Distinct variations encompass subtypes, including but not limited to cecaelia (octopus mermaids). Unlike nysake, merpeople do not have animal forms, so they cannot transform into fish, or into octopuses in the case of cecaelia. Cecaelia can change the texture and color of their bodies for camouflage. Merfolk are natural beings.• SPIRITS: Humanoid beings who possess the most varied powers and are immune to illnesses (ex. influenza, pneumonia, and meningitis, etc.). Their abilities depend on the type of spirit they are. They are not gods, but they may embody certain aspects of existence. There are thousands of lesser spirits, but only several major ones. Major spirits rarely have parents, so they don't use surnames. The two primordial spirits are the oldest and strongest spirits. Spirits are cosmic beings.• ALL THREE SPECIES: Collectively referred to as "yawns" or "sea yawns." Yawns can hide their horns, wings, tails, and other physical traits of that nature.————————————— MAJOR SPIRITS• ENYUE: The primordial spirit of expansion. An indifferent shapeshifter whose true form is incomprehensible, so they mostly reside in simpler forms perceivable by mortal beings.• LUCENT: The primordial spirit of space and time.• ARGYROS: The spirit of electric charge. ♂• RUO LAN / RUOLAN: The spirit of sense and perception. Her disappearance remains unexplained. Her two head snakes are named Yi and Mi! ♀• XUAN: The spirit of (???). Some believe that Xuan is the spirit of life and its field of study, biology. ⚥• EUKALOS: The spirit of the arts. They encompass all arts disciplines, and his nickname is Euki ("you-key"). ☿• UNNAMED: The spirit of energy. Once a primordial, they no longer exist in their original form. Though, they are both gone and ever-present.ㅤ
_{↳ HARLYN: The spirit of high temperature. ♀
↳ SCOPRIS: The spirit of low temperature. ♀}• (+ a couple other unnamed major spirits)——— THE MAIN GROUP + THE ANCIENTS- SCOPRIS: a vivacious, quick-witted spirit who loves teasing and challenging others. Although fierce and adventurous, she can get quite lazy and hot-headed at times. She's a musical composer, pianist, and is sisters with Harlyn! Probably over a millennium old. ENFP- KIYOMI MURAOKA: a down-to-earth, easily approachable, and level-headed cecaelia. With a strong sense of responsibility as a nurse practitioner, she maintains respect and politeness while also being able to judge a person’s character accurately. She's around 30 years old and is cousins with Tatsuo! ISTJ-A- HARLYN: a little more serious, no-nonsense spirit who’s sarcastic and witty in her own right, but easily angered. She’s self-reliant, often skeptical, and the type to roll her eyes as wacky hijinks ensue. She works as a flight paramedic and is Scopris' younger sister. Probably over a millennium old too. ISTP- KHOI YOON: a mostly methodical and cheeky nysake who works as an actor in the film industry. As an overthinker, he tries to be well-prepared at all times. Despite this, Khoi has a playful and silly nature, and is the type to smirk a lot. He's around 28 years old. ESFP-T- TATSUO NARAHASHI: a somewhat enigmatic, calm, and empathic cecaelia who goes with the flow. Working as a photographer, he often subtly helps his friends behind the scenes. He's usually confident and not a nervous person. He's around 27 years old and is cousins with Kiyomi! INFJ- ARGYROS: as a flamboyant spirit, he is both super fun and charismatic! Surprisingly tender with those he loves, albeit with PLENTY of teasing. While Argyros can be a trickster and lovable goof, he can be downright terrifying sometimes. Despite his outward demeanor, he knows more than he lets on. He teaches as a university professor and is ancient.- RUOLAN: as a confident spirit, she is cool, bubbly, and full of insight! Ruolan is perceptive and caring, often the nonchalant mediator in any situation. She speaks in clever and playful quips, often through wordplay. Although fun-loving and nonchalant, she's also fiercely protective. She's completing medical school + her residency to become a doctor* and is ancient.- XUAN: a timid, gentle, and sweet spirit who's quietly resilient. Xuan is emotional and often very anxious, but he's always compassionate and incredibly intelligent. Though he prefers the background and to keep to himself, his two partners sometimes drag him into their silly shenanigans. He's pursuing his PhD* and is ancient as well.*When they return from where they're trapped———————— BONUS INFO + POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS[In Progress]this section won't be organized, just random facts and details to piece together however they fit. it'll contain my thoughts & rambles!- ARVID DÍAZ: a temporary head bartender in his 40s, Arvid is welcoming and open-hearted. He’s perceptive, reading people’s emotions and making them feel at ease while keeping his own life remarkably private. Although friendly, he holds firm boundaries and doesn’t take kindly to being dismissed/disrespected. Before bartending, he worked as a helicopter mechanic in the army. Wanting a change of pace and a more social environment, he took up bartending. However, he plans to eventually return back to aircraft mechanics.- JULIAN ZYIR: a quiet anesthesiologist who maintains a professional and composed demeanor. Despite this, he’s a hopeless romantic with a vulnerable heart that's been hurt before. Though keenly aware of others, he tends to overlook red flags, often choosing to see the best in people even when he shouldn’t. He’s in his late 40s.• Elise Rivera: previously working as an accountant, Elise is Julian's trusted friend and wingwoman! she's very forgetful, chill, and expressive• major spirits are immortal and have negligible senescence, but they're technically not unkillable• "ny-" refers to "night" = the black sclera of nysake (eyes of night? night-eyed?). nysake overall reminds me of "namesake"• Seayao's inhabitants (nysake, merfolk, spirits) = yawns / sea yawns• might not design Lucent because of how their "body" always contorts, warps, and shifts. it's akin to trying to depict something beyond comprehension like seeing a tesseract in its true form. Ruolan may be the only one who can perceive and "make sense" of them. in the end, it's all up to semantics; interpretations of how she might look are fine thoughthey don't involve themselves with the rest of the world and remain detached from the story. you can't run from her, she's everywhere. you could run for a thousand years and they'd still be right next to you• Argyros' design includes multiple aquatic features, a remnant of his original concept as the progenitor of merfolk• Ruolan's two head snakes are a subtle nod to the barbels on a qilin + Yi and Mi are technically separate entities that would be considered lesser spirits if detached from her body. Yi can read minds when others are close enough in proximity and then relay what she heard to Ruolan, but Ruolan herself cannot read another person's mind. Mi's abilities are unknown to the public.• Euki and Argyros hate each other for petty reasons (an infamous rivalry! though they learn to be good friends) + Euki has several faces (literally)• how did Xuan learn how to master horror? well... he lived with a monster for a long time. he paid attention• i like to think that the ancients (trio) are spirits of the mind, body, and physics• Khoi is venomous, and fatally so! any nysake with toxic abilities has venom/poison guaranteed to be lethal without immediate treatment, regardless of how potent it is in their animal counterpart