Lunastii

The Lunastii are an ancient race, said to be created long ago by the Moon-Mother in a fit of divine rage.

Origin
The Lunastii trace their lineage back for tens of thousands of years, claiming to have existed since near the beginning of the world. As told by their precious and sacred legends, the Lunastii were first created when the Moon-Mother looked upon the world, and saw the beauty that laid there. When she again looked at herself, she saw a battered wasteland, unable to sustain life as well as the earth. In a fit of jealous rage, the Moon-Mother summoned all of her power, turning her silver surface to the color of blood, and set forth an invasion of Ateon. Her wrath rained down, shards of her very being crashing to the young and beautiful world, devastating it's life and penetrating deep below it's surface. As Ateon spun beneath her, the moon continued to pepper its surface with destruction and death. The stones that fell, having finally halted deep below the surface, remained there throughout the chaos of the night. The Lunastii say that their ancestors sprung from these glowing white rocks, fully grown and garbed in the colors of black and silver, with a taste for blood that they shared with the Moon-Mother. After that night, the Moon-mother lay exhausted and weak, having poured much of her very being into her assault. After her first experience causing death, she knew that nothing else could sustain her. Through the glowing stones beneath the rock, she spoke to her accidental children, and told them to quench her thirst "With the dripping red of slain mortals". Over the centuries, they became more organized, and became closer both to the Moon-other and to the surface world. They developed an order known as the Lacerto Lunaris, and erected underground strongholds across the entire world.

Appearance
The Lunastii are a humanoid race, recognizable by their ice-blue skin and blood-red eyes. They stand as tall as humans, and typically have slightly pointed ears. Their hair is is light and straight, typically either black, silver, or pale gold in color. They have slightly pointed teeth, and their lips are naturally a dark gray or black color. They are typically seen wearing black, sliver, gray, and red. Long robes, high collars, hoods, and scarves are common sights on their attire. They are usually lean of build, being very agile and noticeably stronger than they appear. They age at about a quarter the rate of humans, reaching adolescence at around the age of 60.

Culture
As mentioned above, the very existence of the Lunastii is centered around quenching the Moon-Mother's thirst. Within their only known organized grouping, the Lacerto Lunaris, there is plenty of well-organized culture and tradition. The Lacerto Lunaris is composed of many strongholds across the world. The central stronghold has absolute power over the others, and is always the stronghold that most recently saw the moon eclipse the sun. If another stronghold should see a solar eclipse through it's own Great Lens, that stronghold will be named the new center of the Laceto Lunaris. Within each Stronghold, there is one highest ranking member, who serves until death and is succeeded by an heir of the Moon-Mother's own choice. The Master of the Stronghold has the power to punish any member of his own Stronghold for impiety or other crimes. If a Master should become corrupt, the Moon-Mother will speak to another in the Stronghold, who is to overthrow him/her. Aside from the Master, however, there is little in the form of organization within each Stronghold.

When sacrificing a mortal to the Moon-Mother, a very frequent occurrence in each stronghold, the victim is laid on a sloped altar made of moonstone, below a large whitish glass disk called the Great Lens. When the moon is high in the sky, it's light passes through the Great Lens and turns a silvery bluish color. Under the light of the moon, the victim is then cut open from neck to groin with a sacred stone dagger. Their blood is allowed to run into a groove carved into the floor around the altar, and all Lunastii present in the chamber dip in their hands and drink, knowing that the Moon-Mother drinks her fill through them.

The Lunastii follow a specific diet of animal blood blessed with unfocused moonlight, saving focused moonlight and the blood of men for the sacred rituals described above. They do not eat any food of any kind, only blood and moonlight. They practice magic fueled by the spiritual energy housed in a mortal's blood, often choosing ice and blue fire as the manifestation of this energy in their destructive, restorative and alteration magics. Though is is possible for this blood-magic to manifest in any form of the user's choice, it is common for the above forms of ice and blue fire to be used.