Xanna

There's all sorts of things out there, and any number of planets as well. It shouldn't be surprising what sort of things are out there. Mind, Mau elves are perhaps a bit surprising, and unsettling, to humans, but only because they are startling similar, while at the same time dissimilar.

Mau'a'halai are one of two species of Mau elves. Very closely related, genetically, the two races(the other is Gahana'Mau) often work together, and seem, at first glance, to be the same species. However, there are key differences between the two, which I won't really go into here and now.

Xanna here is a fairly young member of her species, and a good example of them. Slim, and strong, with defined muscle, she stands out among most races for a few simple reasons. She's got the typical traits of the Mau, the white skin, the black eyes with lambent irises, the slim, elfin ears, and the silky, opalescent hair. However, most people are only familiar with the Gahana'Mau, who are much more common outside the Mau home system.

Xanna, in fact, is one of the rare Mau'a'halai who leave the Mau system. However, there's a good reason for this. Namely, it's a tradition of her people: they grow through their experiences, and anything that doesn't kill them makes them stronger. It's also a chance to acquire new genetic material for her species.

Mau, oddly enough, can reproduce with any given race. For Gahana'Mau, who cannot control their fertility, such matings produce only more of their kind. However, for Mau'a'halai, or their offspring by Gahana'Mau born of other races, their children mimic the non-mau race in their line in some fashion. In Xanna's case, she has some Antarean ancestry, which grants her the ability to see infrared, among some other things.

Anyway.... as I was saying before I got derailed by myself, Xanna is a fairly typical Mau'a'halai on her Rite of Passage, her Long Wander. As such, well, she could eventually wind up anywhere. Young as she's is, she's cheerful, friendly, and perhaps a bit reckless, as she seeks new experiences, new challenges. She loves a good fight, as any of her kind would, but at the same time, there is, perhaps, a bit of hesitation... her kind doesn't care to kill if it can be helped.

Xanna stands about five feet tall. Slim and strong, she's got the typical Mau coloration, exaggerated by her typical garb, a form-fitting black bodysuit that doubles as light armor. She keeps a light energy pistol on hand, seemingly not having any other weapons... it adds to the challenge, you see. Cocky, carefree, and friendly, she doesn't seek fights... often. But her smart mouth can and does get her in trouble. Still, she's stronger for it.

Odd thing about Mau'a'halai... they have no concept of racism. They are among the most open known races, and they lack the same capacity for hate humans have. Their hate burns hotter, under a tighter focus, and they wield it like a scalpel, using it to hone their skill for brief spurts. Still, hate fades and changes. However, by the same token, their other passions burn more readily, sometimes hotter and briefer, lending to some rumors about the Mau as a whole... how true they are, well, you can find that out another time.

This alt by The_Tower