Nonhumans
Mihálli
“... some creature out of an ancient bestiary, furred all over, a snarling animal muzzle rimmed with up-curving fangs, pointed ears like those of a Renyu, two arms that were over-long, jointed in places where no human—or Pé Chói—had joints. Then the edges of the beast’s image sparkled, faded, and solidified into other features ...”
from The Man of Gold by M.A.R. Barker, ©1984 DAW Books
The Mihálli are gifted with great sorcerous and interdimensional powers, and it is said that they may even exist on more than one plane at once. Their motives seem unintelligible, for at one moment they may be friendly and helpful, at the next they may be hostile, and at the next they may simply disappear. They are so rare as to have become almost mythological on Tékumel—in fact they prefer to remain aloof from human affairs.
Physical Attributes
The alien Mihálli are essentially man-like, though with five fingers and a thumb on each hand and six breasts, and the head is reminiscent of a great cat with up-pointed ears and large opalescent red eyes. They are slender, and range from dull green—the lower caste warriors—to reddish brown—the leaders. The Mihálli have the ability to change shape; adopting the appearance of another being of comparable size, though if the imitated being has more than four limbs (or a prehensile tail), these would appear to be paralysed. Moreover their eyes remain a gleaming red despite their disguise. It is the thought that the species is hermaphroditic, but their reproductive processes are largely unknown.
Enclaves
Unknown. This race is not to be confused with the modern human inhabitants of Mihállu, their ancient homeland.