Tanulok are beings of psionic energy, b'qar, and ancestral memory. They are also skilled users of nzwara murazvo, blood energy, d'qiarsea, euskepsia, dream energy, spirit energy, mystery, true shadow, tyvka vlast, kakraohy, mansam, menab'e, kor, mijjit, banaru, gemtkhereg, euergasia, hvittdogg, gebvel, Raesian energy, prasinofos, hasken fure, thorn energy, humors, lahab al'qalb, euphotonia, feirua, imperium, arnum, infernum, lhair, bailaohu jinghua, uafas, and momentum.

As users of psionic energy, they tend to focus on those skills and powers that help them learn rather than mind-reading or telekinesis.

Thousands of years ago, a few tribes of the noverek moved from the forests to the steppes and joined up with the other peoples there. While they remained nomads, their hunting skills remained sharp, but eventually, as members of a broader culture, they joined them in settling down as agriculture developed. As such, their hunting skills became less important, and they focused their energies elsewhere. They became scholars, teachers, and advisers as their skill and passion for hunting became a passion and skill for seeking out information, for research, for study. They became part of the mix of nations of Idangar's cities and towns.

Though they are now firmly part of the cultural mix of Idangar, they still retain some memory of the tribes and national culture they once had. The four remaining tribes of the tanulok are the Bagoly (Tawny Owl), Mascksabagoly (Barn Owl), Kis Bagoly (Little Owl), and Sas Bagoly (Jesendabusenese [Eurasian] Eagle-Owl). These persist mostly as familial connections rather than any territorial concern. Some old grudges remain (tawny and barn owls don't much like each other, tribally speaking). Each tanulok knows the eldest members of their tribe and follows their guidance on certain issues, though they have no political power within the Idangarian governments.

Tanulo children are raised by their extended families, and every tribe tends to have big gatherings where most of the tribe, or at least those in the same city, come together for food and special occasions. Once they are old enough to learn to read, tanulo children begin their studies. First, reading and writing, basic math, and simple tasks and stories, then later more complex subjects, until they are in their teens. At this time, they begin to find their interests and specialize. At the same time, they are usually attending Idangarian schools, at which they often excel because of the culture of learning fostered by their families, though exceptions do exist (especially if their studies run counter to the interests of the Idangarian ruling class). Once a tanulo child has graduated from Idangarian schools, they are usually considered an adult.

It is considered the highest of honors for a tanulo to be hired as a teacher, professor, scholar, or researcher, and thus, they are over-represented among those jobs, though they take whatever jobs they can get if times call for it. Librarians, archivists, historians, mathematicians, scientists, etc. are also commonly sought jobs.