Gandharvas-race

Gandharvas were the original resident of Mount Sumeru. They were tree people, small and nimble to pass through undetected. For a long time they were thought to be fairies, before the first wave of Danava migration from present day to europe towards the Hindu kush mountains. Gandharvas lived in perfect harmony with Danavas before the garuda tribes started living in the same area.

With the growing ascendance of Devas, a new class of elites that promoted technology of fire, the gandharvas shifted their allegiance to Devas council.

Later, as Indra started the campaign of ousting Danavas from mount sumeru, gandharvas helped Devas by making them divine implements with the use of Somras and Somayagya.

Society
Gandharvas were deep believers of nature and generally peaceful. After 1000s of years of intermixing of Danavas and Gandharvas, the race had become bigger and more aggressive.

Gandharvas were artists. They were experts in 26 different fields. A few of them were known as Angirasas, a special class who could control fire. Others who tended to soma plants and extracted their juices were called Bhrigus. Apsaras were also mostly gandharvis and specialized in dancing and the art of seduction, a most profitable occupation since 10th war. Gandharvas were extremely proud and secretive of their arts, so much so that even Indra was not privy of all their doings. Especially, the gandharvas who stayed in the Alkapuri, who called themselves Yakshas.

Their Godhead was Vivasat, the second in command of Indra's council. Vivasat was the namesake, but the actual ones behind Vivasat, were his two twin sons- Ashwin twins.

Appearance
Though small in appearance, they were beautiful and graceful creatures. They wore long cloths with multiple layers as it used to remain cold to extremely cold. They had elaborate head gears showing off their wealth and dominance. They were well of then most other societies. They were very fond of jewellary made by Danavas and the cloths made by nagas. They had softer features, with high cheeks and fairer complexion.

Culture and Customs
The gandharvas were extremely proud of their arts and thus the families were very hierarchical. They wore exquisite garments to cover themselves.As mount sumeru was a cold place, they eived in houses made from woods on inside huge trees. They were small enough to live on tree tops and nimble enough to travel thru it. They were very fearful of the outside world and the gandharvas lived as a very tight knit community.

Their festivals were colorful and joyous, and they let Garudas participate with them. Even though Garuda army was essential to their survival, the gandharvas tread with them with restraint. The garudas were aware of this and lived with it.

Soma Plants
After vivasat had discovered the properties of soma plant and the secret to make the Somras, gandharvas had become very important to the growing Garuda army. The Garudas, esp. Syena was interested in its use. With the help of Indra, he secured the cultivations and consumption of Somras, extracted by gandharvas.

The art of extracting Somras was a secret, but it was known that at least 5 different kinds of soma plants exist. They had found other uses of the soma plant apart from its juice, for instance the wood from Ashvattha tree, used to create divine weapons and chariots.

They were found in the lower slopes of mount sumeru and even after all these years, not all the species were discovered, they believed. The most mysterious being the existence of the "Kalpataru", the ultimate Soma plant that bore the fruit of immortality. Most of them believed this to be a legend, but some claimed to know of its existence.