WHAT ARE STARRIEARS?

Long ago, Starriears were the familiars of a Galaxy Witch, who eventually faded away. They served as companions, and were capable of using magic themselves to aid in the Witch's galactic experiments.

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Starriears originated from space and spend much of their time floating around and moving with magic. But as of late there have been several individuals deciding to settle on planets, gently falling out of the sky using a stockpile of magic, and landing elegantly on the surface before realizing that gravity is a thing.

While it's not impossible for them to survive on a planet's surface, spending their lives in zero gravity has left their muscles weak, and some are incapable of walking long distances. They have to be carried around or otherwise supported, and many of the weaker Starriears benefit from living in someone's care.

While not unsocial, in space they tend to drift away from each other in their sleep. Finding another of their kind - anyone, really - from very far away means abandoning their place and moving themselves where they wish to go, and they may debate trying this for a long time. Though most find the effort worthwhile - daydreaming with company is fun!

Lucky for them, without any natural predators in the regions of space they reside in, they can afford not being particularly active. But they'll risk moving with magic if they sense they're in danger from flying debris or dangerous solar winds. When things are calm they enjoy floating in place and being cute. This trait is not lost on land, and for that they've been popular with artists and sculptors as models that don't move too much.

They can live for years and years and years, and it's unknown how they're born. But when their life ends they simply vanish, glittering....

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WHAT ARE THEIR MANNERISMS?

Overall they're quite adorable! They're delicate, slow movers that handle everything with gentleness. Because most have gravity-weak muscles, Starriears are ill-suited for physical activity. They tend to be quite intelligent, and many years of living in space watching planets grow and prosper can lead to very wise ones. However, with this mundane problems tend to be lost on them.


HOW DO THEY COMMUNICATE?

Starriears as a whole are a very quiet species that tends to communicate wordlessly; a lot of meaningful looks and body language comes with having them as a companion. But they can learn to speak over time once in someone's care.

They are also touch empaths. Because their palms can receive and transmit energy, by putting them on another person and emitting a little magic, they can get a sense of that person's energy and emotions if they focus. Through this contact, Starriears can gently "pulse" their thoughts to the other party as well. It's not quite like telepathic "talking" per say, but rather a shallow connection of mental images, senses, and feelings. This empathic ability contributes a lot to their trait of not being a very verbal species, since a simple hand on a shoulder or arm can provide them with most of the communication information they need.

Non-Starriear species can't particularly respond to a Starriears empathic touch unless they are empathic themselves, though they can receive it quite well usually. However it may be a bit intense for those unused to empathic connections.


WHAT ARE THEIR POWERS?

Starriears store energy within the organs at the end of their ears, then transmit the power out through their hands. Their palms sparkle and their ear organs glow when using magic. Back when Starriears were the familiars of the Galaxy Witch, their main skill was amplifying the Witch's power. Several Starriears would gather in a circle around the Witch with their palms out, creating a magical field that concentrated their energy. In the same vein, when single Starriears hover their own palms close together (similar to a praying pose) it creates a magical feedback loop that can create big bursts of power.

Starriears are very protective of their ears and palms due to the way their magic works. If a Starriear's ears are damaged, their magic could become explosive and uncontrollable. An example would be the pillow-like organ being punctured. The magic would then seep out involuntarily and possibly damage themselves and their environment. If a Starriear's palms are damaged, such as being burned, then the Starriear would be unable to direct or release their magic, leading to uncomfortable or even painful buildup. Their telepathy would also be damaged, which can severely socially stunt the Starriear.

Nowadays their power has expanded to many different types. All Starriears have general spell-casting magic, but there are plenty who have specialized in areas like elemental or healing.


WHAT DO THEY EAT?

Technically, anything and nothing! They don't need to eat to survive, but they're capable of eating and having a favorite.