Hello everyone.

For a while now I’ve heard of a couple concerns surrounding the Viali, their similarity to RyuujinZERO’s Avali, and their purpose in existing, and I figured it’s no better time to address these concerns than in this journal. If you don’t have any concerns for the Viali, then you don’t have to read any further. However, if you do have concerns about the species - or you’re just curious - then you’ll find more information below.



Here are the topics and questions I will be covering in this journal:
1. Concerns over similarity to Avali
2. My intent in creating the Viali
3. The purpose of the Viali
4. What is my goal?
5. Thoughts going forward



Topic 1: Concerns over similarity to Avali

This topic is one that draws the most attention from what I’ve seen. It is indeed true that the Viali and Avali are similar in many ways, mostly in physical aspects and design, and to a lesser degree in their culture. First and foremost, the out-of-lore background as to why the two species are as similar as they are is because I’ve wanted to have a bird/raptor-like species for a very long time, I just never got around to it. When I first saw the Avali, I was so deeply inspired that I took eight months of my time to start this project and bring it to where it is now.

Naturally, when one finds deep inspiration in something, there will inevitably be similarities between what they create, and the work they were inspired by. This isn’t what people are concerned over. More-so, it is due to the fact that their overall appearance resembles an Avali that was merely modified, renamed, and called something new and original.

But is anything in this world original anymore?

This leads me into the specific concerns regarding similarities, I’ll work through them:

• The Viali head is exactly like an Avali’s! You just took it and called it your own!

I will admit, the Viali and Avali heads are indeed very similar, however my method of giving them this head type was not due to blatantly copying the Avali design. Over a period of about two months back in late 2018, I was thinking about what head I wanted to give the Viali, as it’s an important part to a species’ design in my opinion. I started conception on head designs from my own ideas, and by the end of the two month period I had settled on the head design they have now. Even before I began work on what I wanted the Viali head to look like, I knew from the start I wanted them to have four aspects: quadraphonic hearing, a large crest on their head like a cockatoo, a pointy but short snout to give them a cuter appearance, and large eyes to add further cuteness and life. The Viali’s head currently matches all of these requirements and it’s something I’m happy about. Alas, it does indeed resemble the Avali head design, but through no ill-intent of my own. More on this specific physical aspect later, however.


• A Viali is just a long-necked, tallvali! They’re not unique!

When compared directly, a Viali can be a tall Avali with a long neck, for sure. But that’s about where the direct comparisons end. As I state above as well, is anything unique anymore? For all of the physical similarities the Viali have to the Avali, I have distinct reasons as to why I designed them such. The Viali are at their core raptor-like, and thus their extremities (hands and legs below the knees) are scaled. This helps add resilience to these areas, and scales are a lot easier to clean than soft, fluffy feathers. The Viali have a large, triangular tail-base/bodily extension. This serves as extra space for their internal organs due to how small their torso and waist is. The area also serves as a counterbalance alongside the tail when in-flight. It also bears their tail-skirt, acting akin to rectrices on a real bird. The Viali have a base-4 counting system physically, but they follow a base-12 counting system due to the fact that the fourth digit on their hands is elongated and unseen under the wing, leaving them effectively with three fingers per hand, six total. Base-12 is double that, and has some advantages over other counting systems. The same applies to their toes - three main toes plus a dew-claw. The Viali have quadraphonic hearing, as being able to better sense sound would be an evolutionary advantage in a dim environment such as Ryjira, their home planet. Like the above topic, I will add more to this further on.


• Avalon is an icy, tidally locked planet. So is Ryjira. Even their environment is the same!

This specific case is actually an intentional similarity, mainly due to one of my primary reasons behind the Avali/Viali similarities: parallel evolution. From the dictionary, parallel evolution is “the similar development of a trait in distinct species that are not closely related, but share a similar original trait in response to similar evolutionary pressure.” Simply put, due to similar environments and evolutionary progression, it’s statistically probable for a second, unrelated species of life to develop in similar ways due to the environments they’re in. After all, evolution is simply the change and adaptation of life to its environment. The most fit variations of life will survive the best in their environment, and some characteristics are more suitable than others. For instance, here on Earth, there are countless instances of convergent and parallel evolution across all forms of life. The same can happen if two distinct environments are the same, but the life is different, as is the case here. Out-of-lore reasoning to this environmental similarity is due to how I wanted the species to feel. I designed Ryjira off of inspiration from Avalon, because it gave me this feeling of both isolation, and wonder. It felt desolate and hostile, yet somehow inviting. The same can be said for Ryjira. The Viali are a close-knit society, and they tend to live in groups. The contrast between their warm, cozy homes and the cold, harsh environment outside is exactly what I was going for. Imagine it like being in a warm cabin in the middle of winter and it’s snowing outside. If it weren’t snowing and cold outside, you wouldn’t want to be in the cabin. Even among these similarities, the two planets have their differences: Avalon is the moon of a larger planet, which orbits in Lagrangian point 4. Ryjira is a planet with a moon which orbits it’s star so slowly so as to have its rotation match its orbital speed. Avalon’s atmospheric composition gives its sky a more orange tone, with white snow. Ryjira’s atmosphere gives the entire planet a violet hue, and the snow is a very pale violet due to its ammonia content. Snow and ice on different planets is just how the universe works.


• The Avali have clans, tall buildings, tents, and they live in groups. The Viali share all of these traits!

Indeed they do, and I harken back to my point above of parallel evolution to explain this in-part. The other part in this reasoning is another inspiration I used for part of their culture: Native American culture. The Viali believe in the nature world, science and reasoning, and themselves, which isn’t far off from the beliefs of some Native American tribes. I have also just generally enjoyed more tribal societies, and the tribal style. Given the harsh environment of Ryjira, it felt fitting for the Viali, due to their smaller population count, close-knit society, and the fact that they were only in their hunter-gatherer stage of civilization development before they found graphene and the Enchiridion. Due to their very fast advancements in their recent history due to the aforementioned discoveries, they have held on to some of their traditional ways, namely their old clothing styles, tent-living, and a government based on clans. As for the Viali’s tall, spire-like buildings in their larger cities, it is only natural for an engineer to want to build upward when there is so much untapped space above you at all times. Taller buildings are more space-efficient and their rounded-yet-angular designs are in-part taken from the data the Viali have managed to recover from the Enchiridion, with their own designs mixed in as well of course.



Topic 2: My intent for creating the Viali

Above all else, I created the Viali out of admiration and respect for Ryuujin and the Avali (as well as a little inspiration from Sergals). I can’t state enough how much I respect him and his ability to make beautiful and well-thought-out (and cute!) creatures. I also created the Viali to fulfill a goal of mine that’s been lurking in the back of my mind for a long time now: for years I’ve wanted to create my own character species, which is public, which anyone can join in and create their own character in the species as well as get involved in their culture. Culminating from this goal of mine, and the inspiration I gained from the Avali and Ryuujin’s works, I created the Viali. I did not create the Viali to stomp on the Avali, nor take away from their popularity, nor mimic them, nor interfere with them in any way that could be detrimental to them or the Viali. I did not create the Viali to mock Ryuujin or the fandom. I did not create the Viali to start calling them ‘better’ than the Avali. The Viali aren’t ‘better’ than Avali - just different. I created the Viali to serve as a species I can call my own, that I enjoy to draw and immerse myself into their culture. I created the Viali to serve as a means for others to enjoy the same aspects of the species that I do. Ultimately, I created the Viali to be creative. To try my hand at making a fully-fleshed-out public species, with a design, a universe, a history, lore, and a society.

For me, creating the Viali and making them public is my way of expressing my admiration and thanks to Ryuujin for creating the Avali and inspiring me so heavily.


Topic 3: The purpose of the Viali

The Viali are nothing more than a creative project created by me, to act as a creative outlet for my ideas and designs. For eight months I have worked on the Viali purely with this intent and purpose in mind. Not once did I ever think that I’m competing with the Avali to make something better. Not once did have the intent to do any harm in any way by making this species. And this still holds true - the Viali are only different from the Avali, nothing more, nothing less. I’m also a helper, in life. I love to help people in any way I can, and it makes me very happy to know I’ve helped someone else be at least a little bit happier. It’s not in my nature to belittle or cause ill-effects upon anyone, even my enemies. If I hurt someone else in any way, it hurts me in return. With all of this said, in short, the purpose of the Viali is to be a tribute to Ryuujin and the Avali, and to act as a creative outlet for myself, to immerse myself in their culture, and lose focus on the day-to-day stresses found here on Earth, just for a little while at least. To add to this, the purpose of the Viali is to be a semi-realistic, immersive species. Their purpose is not for me to express fetishes through them. Their purpose is not for them to be better than anything else. The Viali are what they are, a character species that is also a tribute.


Topic 4: What is my goal?

I have many goals right now regarding the Viai, let’s talk about them:

• What’s the goal of the species? Why did you make them like this?

The Viali exist the way they do because ultimately I wanted to have a species that could - out-of-Lore, live alongside Avali. They can breathe the same atmosphere, live in similar environments, and are similar in nature. One of the initial driving thoughts for me was that: the Avali are alone in their biological composition. Everyone else is water-based, and it makes inter-species relations very hard, even if they wanted to get closer to another of a different species. They felt alone to me, and it saddened me a little. So, I thought, what if there existed another species which had the same biology, or at least very similar? This thought path is one of a handful which lead me to create the Viali. I didn’t want them to feel alone.


• What is the goal of making the Viali a public species? Couldn’t you keep them to yourself and avoid all conflict?

Yes, I could keep the Viali to myself, however I would have no one else to share them with, bounce ideas off of, or just generally be a part of a community I’ve created. I would be alone, and I don’t want that. I’m making the Viali public purely in the act of sharing. Someone, somewhere out there could see the Viali and want to make their own. Someone out there could be as into the Viali as much as I am. Knowing this is one thing, but seeing it actually happen is something that would melt my heart - in a good way - and it’s something I strive to see someday. Deep down, I want to inspire others, and I also want to use the Viali to direct people toward the Avali, so that the Avali community and species can get even more recognition, which could inspire even more people.


• What is the goal of this journal?

The goal of this journal is to bring to light the various comments I’ve received in terms of the Viali, as well as express some of my deeper thoughts on the subjects in this journal, to hopefully clear up some or all concerns revolving around the Viali and Avali similarities and etcetera. This is my longest journal to-date, and I’m putting this much effort and information into it because I want to show to you, the reader, that I’m being as honest, truthful, and genuine as I can be. I genuinely adore the Avali, and I genuinely have a deep appreciation for Ryuujin and his community. The goal of this journal is to try and express this to the world.


Topic 5: Thoughts going forward

At the time of posting this journal, the 29th of June, 2019, I have plans to write and release a journal on my FA to put a close on the initial Viali development and announce to the public the release of the Viali, on Monday the 1st of July, 2019, two days from now. I am writing this current journal to address and make public concerns I’ve heard from others, and just to clear anything up.

Moving forward, I will continue to work on the Viali, draw them, develop their society, and more, regardless if anyone takes notice of the Viali or not. It doesn’t matter to me if no one decides to create a character in the species. What matters to me is that it’s out there, and I’m able to share my creative side through them. Im putting the Viali out in the public because I am able to. To me, being creative is the best thing someone can do.

I’m not without my plans for the future, however. Upon release of the species, I’ll be releasing the Viali Wiki (which is still in early development), too. I plan on modeling the Viali figure in the future for use in 3D works, in games, or in renders. I plan on continuing to add details to their lore, culture, and society - because in real life, a society is always changing.

If anything, I want this journal to at lest expose to the world my thoughts on everything stated within it. I want it to show the species and my intents from my point of view. I want to help prevent any issues that could arise from the Viali and Avali similarities. If I can do none of that, then at least this journal is a talking point for future Viali conversations.


Conclusion:

For those of you still with me, thank you so much for reading this journal, and sticking with me through my lengthy explanations and descriptions. Ultimately I mean no harm in anything I do, and I do what I do out of appreciation and a yearn to be creative. I still don’t consider myself an artist, though. Just.. a drawer. But I digress.

If anyone reading this has any further concerns, comments, questions, or otherwise, please feel free to contact me using FA’s note system. If you want to talk to me more real-time, send me a note about it and we can chat on Discord or Steam.

If you have any immediate thoughts you’d like to leave after reading this journal, please leave a comment. I read every comment and every note sent to me, and I’ll most likely respond if I can.


Finally, a glossary of terms for those who are unfamiliar with some of the Viali culture:

• The Viali - An avian, raptor-like species which is technologically advanced, inspired by and acting as a tribute to the Avali species by RyuujinZERO.
• The Enchiridion - In Viali Lore, a large, ancient metal cube which contains all of the knowledge of a long-dead civilization, found on Ryjira’s moon Ris, which propelled the Viali nearly 66 thousand years into the future in terms of technology.
• Ryjira - The Viali’s home planet. It is an icy and cold planet, which is tidally locked to its star - Solyra - which causes only the terminator line on the planet to be habitable (also known as the Reach). It has one moon, Ris.
• Ris - The only moon of Ryjira. The Enchiridion was discovered buried just below its surface, and it has since been colonized by the Viali, acting as a central station for all space-related affairs.
• Parallel Evolution - The independent development of the same traits from different, unrelated species due to evolutionary pressure.
• Convergent Evolution - The independent development of different yet fundamentally similar traits in unrelated species due to evolutionary pressure.



Thank you so much for reading
⁃ Ryuvi the Viali