Archive of Our Own

Hearthians are peculiar creatures. When the Nomai found them over 200,000 Nomai years ago; all they came across were axolotl-like creatures. Some of the Nomai were endeared by the creatures and so moved their operations to other planets to preserve the life on the planet they called Timber Hearth. This is what eventually what will lead to the Hearthians to survive the Ghost Matter exposure.

Contrary to popular belief, Ghost Matter did affect the Hearthians, initially most of them died from ingesting the substance that would come from the runoff. But the Hearthians evolved with a slight resistance and sensitivity to the Ghost Matter. This eventually led to the event that if Hearthian is exposed to Ghost Matter, they'll be hurt instead of killed unless they're exposed to it for too long. The sensitivity, while dulled over the generations, does give these creatures a slight warning before it's taken effect.

The Hearthians, while still considered young in terms of a race, advanced technology wise rapidly, achieving space travel within those 200,000 years.

In order to understand a lot about the Hearthians, we must understand they're concept of time and how they calculate their standard clock. The best way to calculate their time would be to use Earth time as a base. The solar system is tiny compared to our solar system, with the planets revolving around their star at a rapid pace. The easiest way to remedy this is to replace their units of measurements with the next largest title. For example, the loop is converted into 22 minutes, but it would actually be 22 Hearthians hours.

To make it as simple as possible,

8 hours in a day(4 daylight + 4 nighttime)

5 days in a week

6 weeks in a month(30 days)

12 months in a year(360 days)

A day starts when the star peaks over the crater. Travellers usually keep track of time based off of Timber Hearth's clock.

Unlike Humans, Hearthians prioritises on how old they act more than their numbered age. They believe that the age depends on the individual Hearthian, some aging faster than others based on their lifestyle and even just genetics. That being said, they do still keep track of their numbered age for two reasons: some medical conditions happen at certain ages; and their infamous fertility period(see reproduction).

They do still use the years to count with the occasional month quarters(¼, ½, ¾). The Hearthians lifespan can reach up to around 67 with a casual lifestyle.

Hearthians usually have 5 stages in life: Tadpole, Hatchling, Skipper, Dweller, and Elder.

(Infant)0-1 Tadpole- Fresh out of the egg, fully aquatic at birth, developed limbs over months until around a year old. Throughout that year they lose their aquatic nature and rely more on their newly developed lungs.

(Toddler)1-9 Hatchling- Able to leave the water for increasing amounts of time, a third finger is developed to help grab objects. Ears rise

Note that the term 'hatchling' is similar to when older humans call younger humans 'kid' regardless of if they're actually children.

(Juvenile)10-19 Hopper- Grows in size rapidly as they become more active.

(Young Adult)20-29 Skipper- 2nd growth spurt, first fertility period is possible, this is the highest possibility of reproduction.

(Mature)30-55 Dweller- Growth slows Second fertility period is possible, this has a lower possibility of reproduction than the first one, but it _is_ still possible.

56-67 Elder- Skin takes on a duller colour, ears lobes lose strength and freckles appear to be darker.

Younger Hearthians may chirp or keen at older Hearthians, while older Hearthians may warble or rumble at younger Hearthians. This is usually exclusively done between two Hearthians who are imprinted on each other or just really close. Really young Hearthians are more prone to whining in public.

Hearthians are also known to croak in selective situations, usually coming in when they become a Hatchling and experienced typical possessive behaviour over things like toys. A way to express irritation and warning others off.

Croaking can also be used between two friends in a lighthearted manner, or partners in a gentle way.

Purring is mostly intimate(not always sexual) contentment.

Hearthians started off as reproducing asexually, eventually though as they evolved to become larger over time it started to shift into sexual reproduction.

Considering the dramatic but slow shift between asexual and sexual reproduction, a Hearthian's fertility would be lower since neither option of reproduction would be optimised. This would explain how low the population currently is.

That being said, while sexual reproduction is more likely to succeed, it'll also be more likely for mutations to develop due to two parents instead of one.

Once a Hearthian reaches maturity they have a chance of experiencing what is known as a Fertility Period, this period, while unable to predict the timespan, it will most likely last longer than a week(the longest being just shy of 9 months).

While this may sound daunting or uncomfortable, a Fertility Period is relatively unnoticeable. The most a Hearthian would experience(if they're not planning to reproduce within the time period) would be the want for familiar contact, whether it be: spending time with friends or family; physical contact, though not exclusively sexual, to their partner(if they have one); or they may simply distance themselves more to enjoy the quiet.

Hearthians who hatch on the same day are known as Hatchtwins. Similar to Hatchmates, who hatch from the same pool. This does not mean that they're related and it's not a taboo for two Hatchmates to bond. It is, however, less common for Hatchtwins to form a bond that's not a familial bond.

Ghost matter is a strange matter originating from The Interloper. Not much is known about it except for its nullification in water(or possibly liquid in general as ice isn't as affected) and its description of being indescribably cold. The crystals that accompany the dangerous substance form from heat. Note the state of The Interloper and the crystals seemingly coming out of the fallen Nomai.