The Prismathera

Animatedly arguing for her cause, a young woman stands boldly but gracefully in front of a committee that, by the time she's done speaking, will no longer be indifferent to her plea. Her pointed ears are flattened back against her head, defiantly, as she gives her speech. Red, orange, and yellow patterns of her striking mane and wild but impeccably groomed hair give the illusion of a blaze, matching the fiery passion of her presentation. She is a Central Prismatheran, and she carries herself with their charisma and zeal.

A family funnels out of an elaborately decorated church on a Friday evening; triplet children race each other to the ice rink next door where their hockey practice is soon to begin. Despite the snow and ice of their climate, the family and dozens of their fellows gathered around them hardly need to wear more than sweatshirts over their dense fur, and with their bright coats they stand out as vibrant blocks of color against the white landscape. They are Northern Prismatherans, and their day-to-day lives are lived with pride and devotion.

An older man stands on the porch of his home, scrutinizing the vast swaths of heartily-bred hybrid corn he'd worked for years to develop on his farm. It seems like his hard work has paid off; this year's crop seems to be thriving. He runs a hand through his graying black-pink-and-tealish hair, trying to give off an air of coolness. His husband behind him can't help but note the excited twitch of his long, furred ears giving away his true emotions as always. This proud farmer is a Southern Prismatheran, and he acts with the same attitude of his hard-working ancestors stretching back generations before him.

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From the vast farmlands of the southern regions, to the suburbs and city landscapes of the central regions, and the frigid dense forests of the north, there is one consistent sight to be seen. The bright, vibrant appearance of the Prismatherans are common throughout their native Caprinos; they are among the most common species making up the continent's population, after all. Their multi-toned and variably patterned hair is one of their most striking features, and coupled with their individually-varying facial markings, they have quite the reputation for unique and stunning appearances.

To first take a closer look at this surface-level view of the Prismathera, there are a few physical traits common to ALL of the subspecies within the larger Prismatheran group.

Firstly and most importantly is their hair and mane; every single Prismatheran has a mane, and every single Prismatheran's hair and mane consist of three colors. The Prismatheran mane is highly important to nearly every branch of their culture; it is said to be the uniting mark bestowed upon them by their creator deity, Cryoxe. The mane consists of the long, fluffy fur which fans out from below their ears and trails down to just above their mid-back, and will share the same three colors present in the hair and marked on their ears.

Prismatheran hair is unique to their world, behaving in a manner referred to as "pigmentation swapping," in which regions of the hair will grow in with a particular pigment for some period of time, then abruptly swap in some or all regions to grow in with another pigment. This results in striped patterns, blocks of colors, split colored hair, and more infinitely variable appearances; the pigmentation swapping is guided by some force of the universe's magical energies, leading to patterns which end up... more or less coherent.

Much of the Prismatheran appearance is decided by this magical energy, in fact. Prismatheran genetics are decided only in part by parentage; in the universe where their home planet of Maerus is located, genetics come in three types: Magical, Hybrid-Magical, and Fully Heritable. Magical genetics are decided solely through the ebb and flow of magic energy in the universe; it is seen in very few species, generally only elemental species and those for whom magic is their basic material rather than physical form. Fully heritable genetics are the standard "combination of parents' genetic material" seen in most species without inherent magical ability; including humans, vampire-kind, and others. Prismatheran genetics are the hybrid-magical type; certain traits are decided based on their parents' genetics -- height, body type, health, etc., while other traits are decided by magical randomization -- hair colors, skin hue, eye color, facial markings, bone color, etc. This is the approximate way hybrid-magical genetics work for all creatures, but Prismatherans are the most common example of this genetic style.

Additional Prismatheran traits which are not decided magically and run consistent through the species + subspecies include furred (or more densely furred) forearms and lower legs, and sharply clawed hands and feet. Prismatheran claws are designed naturally in such a way that they do no damage with a gentle touch, but an intentional slash or stab from a Prismatheran is considered to be one of the most damaging of any known creature's comparable natural defenses. Prismatherans also contain a number of cryoprotectant chemicals within their blood to protect them from cold damage in the naturally frigid Caprinos from which they hail. Additionally, Prismatherans reach maturity at the typical human rate, but on average live 30-50 years longer.

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Of course, as there are three distinct subspecies of Prismathera, there are traits amongst the three not shared through the species as well. The three subspecies are Northern, Central, and Southern Prismatherans, corresponding to the three major regions of Caprinos.

Northern Prismatherans are widely known to be the heartiest of the three, and have the most unique appearances. Their bodies' structure tends to be shorter and stockier than their Central and Southern counterparts, and they are generally more designed for life in the frigid, forested regions of northern Caprinos. They are heavily furred with soft, fluffy fur that resists water and traps heat to their body. Their faces have little if any of this fur, which begins at the chin and covers down to their hands. Their ears are shorter and rounder than the ears of Central and Northern Prismatherans, and they tend to have tusk-like teeth protruding from their lips.

Central Prismatherans are thought to be the most "basic" Prismatherans, as an intermediate between the Southern and Northern Prismatherans. Their ears are long and triangular, their body is unfurred (aside from the characteristic forearm and lower leg furring of every Prismatheran), their teeth are generally not protruding, or in the case that they are, it is to a lesser degree than the other subspecies and they may have tusks OR fangs. Their heights range between those of the Southern and Northern Prismatherans. While any Prismatheran may have any body type, Central Prismatherans have the most variation; you are just as likely to find a thin, slight-shouldered Central Prismatheran as you are to find one with a heavyset, broad-shouldered build.

Southern Prismatherans are considered both to be particularly elegant in appearance and seeming quite fragile in build, although as they pride themselves on physical labor like farm work, they themselves prove that assumption wrong. They are often more slightly built, at least at the skeletal level, but tend to be extremely tall; it's not especially uncommon for a Southern Prismatheran to be eight or more feet tall, through their average is a little over seven feet. Unique to them are particularly intricate facial markings and especially long, furred ears. They tend to have large, protruding fangs, and the furring on their arms and legs is slightly lighter in density than Central Prismatherans.

Despite their numerous physical differences, the Prismatheran subspecies have always viewed each other as equally siblings to each other, realizing there is more they have in common than there is to set them apart; and of course, their creator deity Cryoxe, made them each individually that way. Though their individual beliefs and strengths don't exactly match up, there's an understanding in the greater overarching Prismatheran culture that this is a good thing, and helps them to best adapt to their respective worlds and offer each other their strengths when they encounter weakness.