Nitansien

'''A Banyari tribe living high in the canopy of the Great Forest. The exact location of Nitansien Hearthwood Tree is unknown to non-Banyari, so it is hard to say exactly how this tribe’s unusual form may be linked to it'''

'''Nitansien are spawned in the countless pools of water, collected in the crooks of forked tree trunks or settled within small depressions upon the largest of branches. Nitansien young are somehow nurtured within these arboreal pools. In neonate form, not entirely unlike the tadpole of an amphibian, these young creatures spend the first few cycles of their lives as fragile beings, clinging to the underside of branches and subsisting on insects. During this stage of their lifecycle, the Nitansien form a symbiotic relationship with the algae living in the pools of water; the Nitansien provide protection from small predators who might try to eat the algae and in return the algae provide the Nitansien with oxygen and sugar (see algae symbiotic relations with sea sponges for general relation comparison between Overlight and Earth).'''

'''As the Nitansien age over the next cycle and a half, they grow long-limbs and enlarged finger pads enabling them to climb into the Hearthwood Tree out of their birth pool. They also grow the most striking part of their appearance - their gigantic eyes and enlarged ears. Their fur is concentrated around the shoulders and head, as well as on the lower halves of their limbs. The rest of their skin has become smooth and hairless, with a slick appearance, and it is believed that the Nitansien are capable of subcutaneous respiration. On their climb out of their birth pool, they keep some of the algae with them, which is used on land to help keep their fur clean and free of parasites. '''

'''Unlike the Verthod, who live their lives in small family groups or collections of such groups, the Nitansien have almost always been encountered alone. Given that they are often employed as spies and lookouts for the Verthod in their ongoing conflicts with the Teryxian Outlanders, it is hard to say whether this is their preferred living situation or simply a function of their wartime vocation.'''