Species name: Banikan (Plural:Banikans. AKA Banikovlythans, Banivlyths)
Full name: (Animalia-Exoteric) Mammalia Marsupialis Vylthans Banikovlythans
Average dimensions:
Average Height: 3.2 m
Average Length: 5.2 m
Average Weight: 300+ kg
Description: The Banikans are large, powerful marsupial beings, covered in a light fur with a stripe or zigzag pattern running down their backs. They have two large horns on their heads and no external ears. Banikans have 2 fingers tipped with long claws and a thumb on all limbs, as well as spikes on the end of their thick, heavy tails – males have one pair of spikes while females have two. Males often have longer head horns, but both genders have a pouch for carrying young. They are incredibly muscular creatures capable of reaching high speeds, either from running or bouncing. Banikans are believed to have some sort of incredibly weak magic or elemental power, but this has not been witnessed by other races.
Abilities: Banikans are fast and powerful, capable of leaping across terrain at a blazing 50 km/h. Their powerful legs can propel them up to 3m off the ground and over lengths greater than 8m. They have excellent eyesight (capable of seeing well even in the dark) and hearing but almost no sense of taste and limited sense of smell. They are low-level elementals and are adapted to their environments. They can use a small amount of magic channeled via trinkets or weapons.
Colouration: Banikans mostly have warm colourings, ranging from black to brown, orange, yellow and red. The pattern that runs down a Banikan’s back are always black in colour and are unique to every individual. Their tails are black and they have a dark, triangular marking around each eye. Banikans have black teeth, horns and claws. It’s believed their bones are also black. Banikans have either red, orange or yellow eyes that glow in the dark.
Temperament: Banikans are vicious, territorial beings who are known to actively seek out and kill any external beings that try and intrude on their land. Among each others’ company, they appear to be social beings, but distrust of foreigners is widespread and injuries are common. Banikans with juveniles are particularly vicious, having been recorded tearing camping sights to shreds and killing anyone nearby just because they were close to their territory.
Diet: Banikans are strictly carnivores. They herd large flocks of Aggelads and Stingyans, killing and sharing meat as they need to. During the warmer seasons, Banikans group up to attack and kill Chaosodonts and the gigantic lizards known as Tel-Temthans, which will feed a tribe for weeks.
Life Cycle: Baby Banikans are incredibly tiny, often no bigger than 10cm long, born either on their own or as twins, and are kept in the mother’s pouch for up to a month. Afterwards, they are tended to by both parents, with one looking after the children while the other hunts with other members of their tribe. Juveniles are allowed to leave the pouch properly after 6 months and will make use of their parents’ pouches until they are 2 years old, at which point they will start wandering on their own and playing with other children. Banikans are fully developed and can reproduce at the age of 13 and are inducted into the tribe as adults via a set of tasks, which involves hunting a Zoan called a Lyssan (a large, wolf-like creature), bringing it back and bathing in its blood. Banikans reach their maximum height at around 70 years.
Culture: When not ruthlessly slaughtering their prey or herding their animals, Banikans are surprisingly peaceful, constantly working on improving their tribes, as well as creating art in the form of paintings done in blood, pottery, sculpture, wood works and metalworks.
Government: Banikans live in small tribes of up to 20 members. Each tribe relates itself to an element and tribes of the same element will group together and elect a leader. The leaders of each element meet up every month to discuss matters that affect the Banikans and attempt to solve them peacefully if possible. When tribes become too large, the youngest members, male and female alike, will leave and meet up with others to form new tribes.
Technology: Because of their size and lack of dexterity, Banikan technology is limited. Their technology is on similar levels to those of 1990’s humans, with power created by wind and water mills or imported.
Economy: The main Banikan exports are exotic foods, herbs and spices, as well as rare ores in the more mountainous areas of their territory. Many Banikans are paid to find rare plants that cannot be found elsewhere. There is an incredibly small tourist industry among water-elemental Banikans, who tend to be calm enough to communicate with foreigners, and they act as guides while travelling through dangerous territory.