From the Thorough Notes of Master Conn Oibhachta in Box T11
Dropped at my door on the Great Docks with a request for my findings was the body of what appears to be a Biaban woman. Her Geal Essence tattoos do not currently glow, but I will attempt to keep the Meyda-circles they form intact for reproduction and study at a later date.
Notable features:
Tiny, apparently vestigial organs attached to the lungs, one to each lung, roughly the size of human eyes.
A common organic structure towards the rear of the brain is substantially larger than typical species I am familiar with.
The tensile strength of the muscle fibers around the arms and legs are particularly high. I have nothing else biological to compare them to, but I have a strong suspicion most species can’t hold a candle to these results.
Discoveries:
The longer I maintained the body the fainter grew its tattoos at an exponential rate. By the third day they were all but invisible. Knowing other Biaban who hold their tattoos for years away from the Twilight Desert, there appears to be some connection to the Soul that anchors the Working in the skin even when not replenished.
An odd peoples with a small population that lives almost exclusively in and around the Twilight Desert. Though not the only members, they make up the large majority of Nomads their bodies being well suited to the volatile world they inhabit. They are thin, wiry people who rarely build up notable body fat. Even with the Nomadic tattoos providing cooling, too much of an insulator could be a death sentence on the Twilight Sand at night. Some nomads appear almost skeletal, but their muscles honed by the never ending trek and arduous life of a Nomad hold a remarkable strength.
Biaban grow little to no hair on their bodies except around their eyes and sometimes feet. Their eye lashes are extremely long, the bottom lids hair touching the cheek near the corners of the mouth, and the upper lashes curling down and out partially obscuring the eye. Around the socket of the eye, thin, short hair grows.
Cultural Quirks/Notes
The Najat
When a biaban baby is born, their body is covered in ritualistic and utilitarian tattoos. This process is called the Najat and can take several hours of precise work from the Nomadic clans Nevisandeh. The ink used is a mixture 3 parts Geal Essence 1 part blood provided by the baby’s parents or the Nevisandeh if no parents are had. The tattoos glow brilliantly for several days after their initial placement, but before long begin to fade. The body must intake Geal Essence every few weeks to ensure the Workings on the body continue to function. Thankfully a mother who has ingested Geal Essence recently may pass on appropriate quantities through her milk to the newborn.