#alraunedrow

Eywa exists on Pandora in many different forms: as plants (such as trees), as corals (animals), and even in the form of fungi, which is something in between the two categories. Yes, yes, don't be surprised. Eywa is not confined to a single form of life; it can manifest and exists in various manifestations.

For the Tum'nan clan, Eywa takes on a fungal-like form, a hybrid between plant and animal. The young sprout of the future "tree" initially looks no different from other plants in terms of appearance and properties, but as it ages, small fungal clusters begin to bloom at its crown. At this moment, the tree undergoes a transformation, likely entering into a symbiotic relationship with these fungi. This can be compared to Earth’s mistletoe, but unlike it, the fungi do not parasitize the tree or harm it.

This symbiosis is quite beneficial. Under the roots of the tree, a placenta is buried — as a symbol of gratitude for the life given, and after the death of the Na'vi, the kuru is buried. Full burial is considered unethical, so only the symbolic attribute of the connection remains in this place.

This text is part of our Atlantis project

Within the research program on the creation of hybrid bodies (“avatars”), three official generations are conventionally distinguished, each demonstrating its own morphological and functional characteristics.

Generation I (Dr. Augustine’s Project)

Avatars of this stage were characterized by a high degree of anthropomorphism. Phenotypic traits largely resembled those of humans, in some cases producing the “uncanny valley” effect.

Key features:

Craniofacial morphology: relatively narrow nose, smaller eyes compared to the Na’vi, rounded auricles, atypical connection of the philtrum to the upper lip, and a lower placement of the kuru due to the impossibility at this stage of repositioning the occipital nerve.

Body proportions: broader waist, shortened legs, and a knee joint positioned in accordance with the human model.

Dermal patterning: simple pigmentation, predominantly straight lines and occasional triangular elements.

Thus, Generation I avatars represented a predominantly “human-like” variation with minimal Na’vi elements.

Generation II (Dr. Sully’s Project)

At this stage, RDA genetic engineers significantly advanced the approximation of avatar phenotypes to Na’vi morphology.

Key features:

Craniofacial modifications: widened nose, enlarged eyes, more pointed ears.

Body proportions: reduced waist and hip width, elongation of limbs—most noticeable in the fingers; increased length of the lower leg relative to the thigh.

Dermal patterning: more complex pigmentation, with greater variability of patterns.

During development, an even closer approximation to the Na’vi was considered; however, calculations indicated that “increasing alienness” reduced physiological indicators of endurance and adaptability. As a result, a compromise morphology was achieved.

Generation III (Dr. Kitova’s Project)

The third generation represents the first experimental stage in the development of hybrids of the marine Na’vi subspecies.

Key features:

Craniofacial characteristics: large eyes, the presence of a third eyelid, and a higher placement of the kuru, made possible by rerouting functions of the occipital nerve to adjacent neural branches.

Body morphology: more rounded and muscular build, adapted to the aquatic environment.

Anatomical limitation: nasal size remains virtually unchanged across all generations. This is presumably linked to transcriptional features of genes located on the X chromosome.

Comparative productivity with terrestrial avatars cannot be reliably assessed due to differences in ecological niches and physiological requirements. A decision on the continuation of marine avatar development is planned following four research cycles.

Intermediate Generation (the so-called “3.5”) — Recombinants

Despite the formal delineation of three primary generations, it is appropriate to distinguish an intermediate stage — recombinant hybrid bodies (“recoms”), which may be conditionally classified as Generation 3.5.

Morphophysiological characteristics:

Recoms demonstrate the highest overall productivity among all generations, as well as maximal visual and phenotypic similarity to the Na’vi.

Body proportions, craniofacial morphology, and dermal patterning are closely aligned with the reference Na’vi morphotype.

Anatomical limitations:

Despite optimization, a characteristic feature inherited from earlier generations persists: females consistently exhibit relatively narrower nasal structures compared to males.

This sexual dimorphism of the nasal region was not eliminated during genome recombination. It is likely associated with stable patterns of gene expression involved in craniofacial development.

Thus, recoms occupy a unique position within the system of avatar generations, combining peak adaptive performance and maximal morphological similarity to the prototype, while retaining certain rudimentary features inherited from prior constructs.