Umbri

The Umbri

Common Name

Umbri

General Characteristics

Physical Appearance

Size

Umbri range from short and petite to tall and voluminous. They tend to average between the height and length of male and female Aeryn naiads. Despite their long tentacles, they appear smaller and more delicate.

Shape

Umbri have a medusoid, bell- or umbrella-shaped head and body with long tentacles hanging from the torso bell.

Color

Ephyrae (young umbri) are usually clear, white, or pale. As they mature and depending on their diet, umbri take on vibrant colors like yellow, pink, blue, or purple. Most are bioluminescent.

Features

Umbri have two types of tentacles:

Tendrils – long, thin, highly sensitive appendages used for environmental detection and guiding food.

Oral Arms – frilly, kelp-like, stinging appendages used to stun and gather food.

Arms – two upper arms used primarily for maneuvering and avoiding obstacles.

Umbri require buoyancy to maintain their shape. When stranded on land, they dry out and deflate quickly.

Mental Capabilities

Umbri are simple in thought and action, passive and reactive by nature. They embody the phrase "go with the flow" both literally and figuratively.

Habitat

Geographic Location

Umbri can be found in any large enough body of water. They adapt to varying temperatures, salinity, and pressures.

Climate Needs

While able to live anywhere aquatic, umbri prefer shallow, warm waters near islands due to food abundance and safety.

Home Needs

They favor semi-enclosed areas with soft flora and smooth edges, as their tentacles can tear on sharp surfaces.

Life Behaviors

Diet

Umbri are opportunistic feeders. Their diet includes zooplankton, phytoplankton, baby shrimp, and small fish.

Mating

Capable of reproducing year-round. Blooms occur under specific environmental triggers, often coinciding with algae or phytoplankton blooms.

Raising Young

Young ephyrae hide among their parents' tentacles or under their bells until independent.

Sleep Pattern

Umbri are diurnal. They hunt during the day by drifting. At night, they rest on the sea floor while tentacles gather food.

Movement

Propelled by snapping their torso bell closed. Their arms assist with orientation and steering.

Sound

Speech is rare. Communication is primarily via chemical signals and bioluminescent pulses.

Mannerisms

Often quiet and perceived as aloof or ditzy, umbri are actually cheerful and low-maintenance. They greet one another by extending tendrils. While they don’t sing or maintain oral traditions, they are known for graceful dancing.

History

Leadership

Umbri have no central leadership. They only gather for Blooms or Moon Viewings. Some form smacks (groups of 3–7) usually consisting of family units.

Sociability

Though solitary, umbri are rich in non-verbal communication. They avoid family during Blooms but seek them at Moon Viewings. Umbri sometimes adopt small sea creatures as pets.

Religion

They believe in the Great Current of Life. Queen Tariel’s Call was seen as divine intervention. Umbri adore the moon and gather during full moons to luminesce and dance.

Queen Tariel’s Call

When called by Queen Tariel, many umbri traveled to Alu Spring. Tuatha'ri Lake proved ideal for Blooms. Palace life, however, is challenging for some, with accidental stings occurring near other naiads.

Racial Abilities

Venomous Sting

Umbri possess stinging cells primarily on the tips of their tentacles. The venom causes a burning irritation, stunning small prey and deterring predators. Umbri are immune to their own venom and that of their kin.

Contribution from Elros