The Oyasini (oo - yuh - see - nee) are a rare group of people who are similar to elves and pixies in many ways, leading some sages to believe that oyasini are the ancestors of sprites and pixies and the descendants of elves. Whatever the case they are an old and proud race readily able to trace their lineage far back before the time of men.
Oyasini stand between 2 1/2 and 3 feet tall, rarely exceeding those extremes by more than an inch or so. Their skin ranges from chalk white to a light reddish tan. Their hair runs the shades between sand blonde and solid white, though on occasion an individual will be born with light blue hair, a sign of good luck among the small people. Oyasinin eyes are usually one of the various shades of blue, though green and on rare occasion pink eyes have been known. Their ears come to a definite point in all individuals, slanting out and away from the head so that they are visible in even long haired individuals. Oyasini live to be around 100 years old, with matriarchs reaching 120 on occasion.
The most distinct feature of the oyasini is that the females are winged, though the males are not. At puberty an oyasi (female oyasini, pronounced oo - yah - see) will begin to grow her wings, and by her 16th birthday they will have reached full size. Oyasi cannot fly outright, but they can glide long distances, especially in windy areas.
The wings of the oyasi have patterns that are unique to every individual, and even between otherwise identical twins the pattern is slightly different as with fingerprints. Aside from flight, the wings also serve as a sexual advertisement if you will, in a manner similar to the tail of a peacock or a human woman's breasts. The wings are usually a transparent white to a slight pink, but they blush colorfully as an involuntary reaction to several different emotions. Oyasini and oyasoia (oyasinin males, pronounced oo - yuh - so - ee - uh) in particular are very aware of the subtle body language of the wings, although it is totally lost on all but the most astute observers of other races.
Oyasoia (males) do not possess anything nearly as spectacular as wings, though they are more agile than their female counterparts. They grow no facial hair whatsoever, at any age. They also outnumber the oyasi, for only one in two children born will be a girl. As a result, oyasini tend to be polyandric, that is, one wife will have several husbands, usually two or three. Whatever children she has will be cared for and loved equally by all his or her 'fathers'. Oyasi dominate nearly all aspects of the culture as well, with the notable exception of arcane magic use, which oyasoia use more frequently. The culture exploits the various applications of conjuration in a manner similar to the gnomic bend for illusions, such to an extent that they are only allowed to become conjurers, not mages.
An oyasi will have three names. Her first name will be her own, and the second her mother's. The last name is that of the first matriarch in the history of the clan, from who all in the family descend. Oyasoia have a fourth name, though rarely used, which is the name of the family he was born in, in effect his maiden name.
Oyasini homes are usually built as high off the ground as the trees will allow, members of the species have a strong "nesting" instinct, such that they hate sleeping on the ground as much as halflings hate sleeping outside of a burrow or a gnome without his flame. Part of this is to gain protection since the small size of oyasini leaves them vulnerable to orcs, goblins, kobolds and the like. They have no love lost for humankind either and tend not to allow them near their homes. The fact that some unscrupulous human mages believe that the females' wings can be used in various fly related spells and devices has not helped relations.
Oyasini have some limited telepathic powers, in particular an ability called the secial (see - kee - uhl), which translates as "joining". This ability allows two oyasini who are somehow in physical contact with each other to become aware of all of each other's thoughts and feelings as if they were their own. The two are somewhat oblivious to the outside world, but can communicate with each other at a rapid pace and they can ponder events as if under a withdraw spell (1st level priest). The "joining" is considered a fairly intimate act, and therefore it is only done in privacy and with someone who the oyasi has a great deal of confidence, trust and love for. It has no direct sexual connotations, and it is not unusual for parents and children to "join," especially to ease the emotional turmoil of the latter.
