Fated Encounter Series: Teyvet Files of Kairos

File 4: The Yaksha Race

The Yaksha Tribe are a race of elemental nature spirits that once to number in the thousands. They were shapeshifters that could take on human-like forms at will. And yet...many records of one of Teyvet's most ancient races has vanished and been lost or even twisted throughout history. Which is most unfortunate as they are now a severely endangered species in Teyvet in the present day and face extinction. The yakshas once used to be wide spread nomadic race that covered what has become the nations of Liyue and Sumeru long before humanity and the Primordial One's arrival.

They were hailed as the primal voice of the forest and nature itself and were once the subjects of the Sovereign of Dendro. Their massive tribe once split up into many smaller ones: The Avians, Mammals, and Reptiles. A lot of discord over territory happened between the three tribes until five warriors came together. One of these warriors was the Golden Winged Roc, Zhuque whom would later become the first Yaksha King upon siding with the Primordial Gods. Zhuque united all the tribes into one single tribe with a council of elders made up of the former chiefs. Making a promise to Phanes that so long as they had their mountains and forests, they would happily protect Teyvet at the Five Cardinal Borders. To which Phanes happily accepted their agreement alongside the adepti and other elemental races taken under the kind emperor's warm light. 

The yaksha race have very tight ties to nature just like the Aranara, so much so they got called the Forest Guardians by the humans of Sumeru. The Dendro archon forming a partnership with Angelis, the chief of the time. Charged with protecting not only her knowledge but gathering new knowledge on every threat they purified and purged. However with the first arrival of Forbidden Knowledge came an ailment that has sense plagued the race: Karmic Debt. Karmic debt reacts different for each yaksha but vast majority are driven mad by it before succumbing. For some the bad karma is extremely painful and been known to cause karmic seizures if the fit is bad enough. 

Due to being beings of the Light Realm the umbra energy of the Void Realm is extremely dangerous and toxic to the yaksha race. Just inhaling or suffering exposure for a few minutes can have severe consequences or even kill a yaksha without proper treatment. But like wise their abilities to purify anything that comes from the Void stems again from being from the Light Realm and being nature spirits. Yaksha young start learning to do this the instant their element manifests. 

Age And Development

Yaksha young sadly suffer a high mortality rate and very few live to reach maturity when they gain their true selves in their illuminated beast forms. Yaksha offspring are often born around Spring and winter during the Sumeru rainy season. The tribe always returning to the jungles of Sumeru to have these children. They are often born helpless and vulnerable, completely reliant on their parents but maintain some minor feral traits of one or both parents. 

The young once born however develop and grow way faster then a human or lycan child would. Gaining independence very quickly but they do not reach full maturity until age five hundred. Their yaksha tattoos do not appear until around six to twelve months of age. Their facial markings begin to appear at around one month of age. 

Yaksha children tend to be very rough and aggressive like actual beasts they will wrestle and play fight. One of their favorite games are ones that involve chasing, igniting that instinct to hunt and purge. They don't have as much elemental mastery or control as their parents however so they must be taught how to handle their element properly. It is usually the parents that teaches this.

Maturity & Breeding

Breeding: See Soul Bond Ritual File.
A new yaksha has not been born since the tribe signed a contract with Morax and taken into his care. It is unknown why this is the case, but some think the kidnapping of Prince Alatus played a part in this. Their race reaches sexual maturity at age 1,500 - 2,000 years.