Abh

The Abh (Japanese:アーヴ, Pronunciation:[a:v]) are space-dwelling people in the fictional universe of Crest of the Stars. They are the rulers of an interstellar civilization with feudal government and social structure.

According to the Seikai novels of Morioka Hiroyuki, there are six ways that define a person as an Abh:

The Abhs as a Race/Nation/Ethnic Group is the most commonly accepted definition amongst the citizens and subjects of the Frybarec (Abh Empire).

The Abhs as a Social Class, according to its definition in the story, any person, regardless of race, who is either of royalty, of nobility, or of the knighthood of the Frybarec is legally an Abh. Hence Rock Lin, Jinto Lin, Atosryac ssynec Atosr Lymh Raica Feubdash Srgumh, and Samsonn borgh Tiruser Tirusec are deemed Abhs though they may genetically be "grounders". Nonetheless, all their children must be genetically modified to become "natural" Abhs.

Though they are not considered as such by those not under Frybarec and a large percentage of its own subjects and citizens, the Abhs are human beings who practice genetic engineering so as to maintain physical features that allows for better adaptation for living in space.

Such features include the froch—space sensory organ—which is a compound eye made up of a bundle of approximately 100 million smaller eyes found on Abh foreheads that, with the help of an almfac or tiara connected to the ship, helps Abhs to sense the ship's directions and processes; such information is processed at a special section of the Abh brain called the rilbidoc or "voyage field" which allows them to make decisions that will make them navigate their ships with greater accuracy.

Other physical traits mark them different from other human beings, such as the requirement that all those who are born Abhs should possess blue hair, and from each other, the Abriel clan are distinguished by, and are the only Abhs allowed to have elfen ears.

Physical growth and development of "Racial" Abhs

"Racial" Abhs generally have longer natural lives than other humans—they may live up to two hundred and fifty years. Their developmental cycle is also distinct: until the age of fifteen they physically develop just like other humans which they call the period of growth (zarhoth), but for the next 25 years after that they go through a period of maturation (féroth) where they physically age the equivalent of ten years worth of aging of a "normal" human; they stop aging (at least as seen on the surface of their bodies) after that, hence remaining youthful in appearance until they reach natural death, which is triggered by a special gene programmed to make a person's body slowly shut down when he reaches his 200th to 250th year, thereby avoiding shameful senescence.

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