Arariel

Her mannerisms are ephemeral, her speech as wispy as clouds. She might go for weeks at a time without speaking, only making vague gestures and pursuing eccentric and seemingly pointless tasks. She enjoys whispering inscrutable prophecies in her clanmates' ears, which have had an unsettling tendency of coming true. Eridanus, the sturdy matriarch of the clan, pays her little mind. Atik's superstition is more easily roused, and he takes her ravings as pure truth. Everyone else falls, wisely, somewhere in between.

Although it is not always obvious to the outside observer, some portion of what Arariel experiences in the world is not real. Her eyes track movements made by creatures that are not there. She speaks to things that do not appear to be speaking back. She describes journeys that would take days to complete, yet she was only gone for hours. She fills the unofficial position of undertaker and spiritual liaison for the clan.

Perhaps surprisingly, Io is her mate. They are a devoted, if somewhat unsettling, couple.