Name: Ksithanai (singular: Ksithan)
Also known as: Raptors, Thanatians
Average Height: 210cm
Average Weight: 90kg
Basic Description: Ksithanai, best known by other species as Raptors, are a powerful offshoot of general Temthan family lines. They are distinct enough a species to be classified separately, but are still capable of creating hybrids with normal Temthans.
The Ksithanai are a rather humanoid species, combining mammal features like breasts, downy fur on some parts of their bodies and being warm blooded with reptilian traits like egg-laying, soft scales and general reptilian features. They have rounded snouts, with a horn sticking out either side of their skull. Males have a short mane of fur, while some females may grow long hair on their heads, but it is common for females to shave their hair off. A male’s mane will occasionally go all the way down their bodies to the tips of their long tails.
A Ksithan tends to have two claws and a thumb on every limb, but three claws and a thumb is also somewhat common.
The colouration of a Ksithan can vary, but they generally only have one or two colours, most often an earthy brown, green, blue or red alongside black, grey or white highlights. The teeth, horns and claws of Ksithanai are always black, although some will paint their claws silver. Their eyes though come in a huge variety of colours, from bright white to pitch black.
Ksithanai rarely wear clothes, preferring to walk around with only sashes of fabric covering up their genitalia, and sometimes covering the breasts of females. Despite this, walking around in public with nothing at all is considered indecent.
Abilities and Powers: The Ksithanai are unique in their ability to adapt to their environments. Most of their adaptations are subtle, but should they need it, a Ksithan will easily and happily develop gills or grow a pair of wings in order to do what they need to do. They are also capable of making themselves seem larger by growing frills and developing heavy plates of armour that protect them from harm.
Ksithanai can heal exceptionally fast, and can seem to be unstoppable in the eyes of those who do not know Raptors well.
Habitat: The Ksithanai originated from a series of island territories, with both fir tree forests and somewhat open grassy plains, as well as lakes, rivers and steep cliffs, all stemming from a weird, multi-coloured dirt. This bizarre habitat somehow allowed the Ksithanai to evolve separately and uniquely from other Temthans, allowing them to live in almost any habitat they desire.
Modern Ksithanai tend to live in large villages and towns, each individual or couple building their home out of wood then layering it with mud for insulation. Inside, their homes are open, with only bathrooms and a single bedroom being separate from the rest of the house.
Diet: Ksithanai are carnivores, mostly eating bovine or poultry they have farmed themselves, or wild, recently killed prey that they have hunted themselves. This meat is almost always slow-cooked or smoked and eaten over the course of a few days.
Leftover bones, organs and other scraps are usually boiled down and made into a jelly-like substance called titzi. This is then eaten as is or made into sausages and pies.
Breeding: Ksithanai have basic reproductive cycles, capable of laying fertile eggs every two months, although normally only having one to eight offspring over the course of their lives.
Eggs are small and rubbery when they are laid, but expand over the course of 2 months, with babies hatching after 10 weeks. Nests are well hidden inside the home of the mother and are tended to and cleaned regularly. Babies will not leave the nest until they are capable of walking at the age of 11 months.
Children Ksithanai are home-schooled until the age of 4 then spend eleven years learning with the local school, spending four hours a day doing lessons and two hours a day learning ‘palai’, tasks such as hunting, farming and building shelters.
Most Ksithanai will go working or hunting with their parents when they are eight years old, but they rarely leave their families until they reach the age of twenty, after which they begin to have kids of their own and build a new home.
The average lifespan of a Ksithan is about 80 years.
Hierarchies: The Ksithanai use basic democracy to elect leaders, who have only a week to lay out their beliefs and policies. Each town or village will have a leader, known as a Kinotark who deals with most goings on. Every five years, the Ksithanai will elect a Proedros, a president who leads the population overall. A Proedros is free to create a cabinet or rule on their own, but the majority will enlist advisors to help them rule.
Any Ksithan leader may be removed from their position via a vote of no confidence by those who elected them into power.
Technologies: The majority of Ksithan technology is on par with modern human technology, the main difference being their reliance on solar and wind energy. Despite this, the Ksithanai have spread to other worlds and have access to interstellar technology due to the fact that they are willing to work alongside both Temthans and members of the Reth-Vrekan Union.
Ksithanai are also known for their high speed ‘internet’ connections, and are capable of sending huge amounts of data in very small amounts of time. Connected to other networks, the Ksithanai broadcast a vast amount of media to other races.
Society: Ksithan society is incredibly open and friendly, willing to work with anyone who treats them fairly. They believe that everyone is equal and strive to make sure that every Ksithan individual has the same rights and opportunities in life.
Religion: The Ksithanai are the only species to openly worship six gods – Kinis, Stasis, Horah, Haroh, Kayar and Arkay, each deity matching the six deities of the universe. Their religion is incredibly relaxed, simply stating three laws: to look after one another, to give and help whenever you can and to say thanks to the beings who created this universe for the Ksithanai to live in. Charity work is common among the Ksithanai and they are often the first to offer aid when needed.
The worship of the Ksithan gods is also incredibly basic. Worshippers may pray whenever they want and leave whatever offerings they feel fitting, and will generally make offerings that they believe their deities will enjoy. Offerings are left in different ways depending on the god in question: gifts to Kinis and Stasis are burned at holy fires, gifts to Horah and Haroh are often buried or thrown into bodies of water, gifts to Kayar are delicately placed at shrines while gifts to Arkay are left at graves, cemetaries and crossroads.
Economy: The Ksithanai are best known for their gladiatorial arenas, and make huge sums of money by providing entertainment to other races. The biggest part of their economy comes from television, media, networking and advertising, both in the production of media for other races to consume and in the broadcasting of what they create.
There are very few things that Ksithanai import, preferring to try and source as many of their needs as possible internally. Because of this, bartering and haggling are still somewhat common, but the majority will often just use paper money to pay for goods and services, most commonly using the currencies of the Reth-Vrekan Union.
Because of their adaptation abilities, many Ksithanai may also find work as bodyguards, security staff, soldiers or even mercenary work.