The Arlians (from The Miyran Heir series)

The Arlians are a species introduced in book one of The Miyran Heir series, though less is shared about them than certain others. I thought you might be interested in a little more background.

When Eros (Human male) meets Kenrya (Arlian female), he tries to explain her difficult nature by what he knows of the species: They were persecuted by the Graeliths and had become a difficult and reclusive race. When they did visit the city, they were well known for violent outbursts, prolific body markings, and obnoxious children.

KenryaWhile they’re generally considered difficult, that wasn’t always the case. But first, just a refresher on unique physical traits — their ears. They curl upward and back at the top, with dozens of feathery-like pieces along the back from the midpoint of the ear to the top. A depiction of Kenrya (provided by my talented sister-in-law, Heather McCray) is to the left.

There are some brief references regarding the Arlians in book one, but much is left unexplained. While I’ve built out the history of the planet, Zolei, I don’t plan to filter all of the information into the books unless it flows naturally. Hence, some things might never be explained. So here’s a little background:

Prior to settling on Zolei, the Miyrans were space-faring. This allowed them to visit many worlds and many new species and also facilitated their need for new genetic mates for their members (explained in book one). Over the years, some of the species joined them, creating a larger band of travelers. The Arlians were one of these. They were with the Miyrans when the decision was made to settle on Zolei.

Red WingsIn book one, Nord (Tyrnott leader) reflects on an experience where he caused the brutal death of an Arlian woman and her two sons when his father chose to decimate an Arlian community for harboring the marked. This was the turning point for the Arlians. They moved their communities farther away from Caldot and stopped interacting with the other species unless absolutely necessary. As they were strong supporters of the Miyran, this strengthened the Tyrnotts’ position and was one of the turning points in the earlier battles for Caldot.

Characters:

Kenrya:  Marked at 16