Difference between revisions of "Wrognoth"

Revision as of 20:25, 25 January 2024

The Wrognoth are a very large, intimidating mammalian Native species, their intelligence greater than or at least easily comparable to a Human's. Their numbers are relatively few, and they are little known throughout the galaxy, as they historically choose to seclude themselves and have a disinclination to interact with other species. Regardless, though the majority of their kind are free entities, some major Wrognoth clans are part of the High Council of Harmony.

History

Though little is known of Wrognoth history, they were thought to always be composed of the same closely-knit clans as they are today. Their homeworld remains unknown to and unseen by Humans, as it is thought to exist in a distant corner of the stars: a part of space shrouded in strange mist that confounds the technology of ships that dare enter there. Even Helexith does not enter this region of space, and Humans believe the Wrognoth previously bested them when they attempted to conquer their planet. The Wrognoth discovered space travel on their own, without the aid of outside species, and they command a highly advanced civilization, though some other species still consider them primitive due to "shamanistic" practices.

Society

Wrognoth society is founded upon honor, loyalty, clan, and religion. Every Wrognoth belongs to a particular clan, composed of several families: an extremely important element of their lives and identity. Blood bonds among Wrognoth are incredibly strong, and Wrognoth even possess unique Psionics that allow clanmates, particularly direct family, to sense and communicate with each other across limitless distances. This bond can be created among Wrognoth individuals through ritual and is considered the highest of honors. Elders and children are always respected in Wrognoth culture, even by enemy Wrognoth clans, who war only through honorable means. Wrognoth culture emphasizes spirituality and the afterlife; they are known to go to great lengths to recover the bodies of their fallen for proper burial. Likewise, they guard the resting places of their dead with incredible ferocity. Males and females play an equal role in Wrognoth society, though males naturally feel inclined to protect the females, but females are not restricted from participating in battle or certain roles in society. Wrognoth rarely do anything alone, given their unique and powerful bonds, and to be outcast from one's clan is the greatest of shames, worthy only of those who have committed an unforgivable crime; thus, seeing a lone Wrognoth is a rarity and generally a bad sign. Wrognoth communicate using their own language, which sounds harsh and guttural, virtually impossible for other species to truly replicate, but they easily learn the languages of other cultures. The Wrognoths' most unique vocalization is the howl, capable of conveying an endless array of emotions to others of their kind. These intricacies are lost on Humans and other species, save the Sarran.

Religion

The Wrognoth religion remains very mysterious to Humans and nearly every other species. However, it is widely known that their religious beliefs are a foundational element of Wrognoth society, observed and celebrated every day of their lives. Wrognoth are highly spiritual, bearing their own form of psionics and possessing an incredible connection with what the Sarran call Afaelya, a spiritual energy. The strength of the Wrognoths' connection to their psionics is rivaled only by the Sarran themselves, whose connection is believed to be different in nature but equally if not more powerful. The Wrognoth have immense respect for the natural world, claiming it to be full of spirits and even saying stars themselves have a soul, and it is with these spirits and souls that the Wrognoth strive to maintain strong and respectful connections. Beyond this, little is known of their exact religion.

Biology

Wrognoth are mammalian, thus they are warmblooded and give live birth. They are said by Humans to look like beasts, as they have a considerable amount of fur on their bodies, which can come in a variety of earthy colors, such as [COLORS]. In terms of size, the greatest of Wrognoth easily rival a Slashrim Zrillak, standing considerably taller than the average Human or nearly any other species.

Physical Appearance

Wrognoth are the Slashrim's only rivals in terms of sheer size and physical power. Their posture is generally more erect than that of a Slashrim, making them seem even taller when compared to a Slashrim's earlier growth stages.

Face and Body

Humans tend to associate Wrognoth with werewolves from old Earth legends, as their general body shape, and especially the shape of their head and ears, is extremely wolfish. Their faces bear fairly long, wolfish snouts, and they have a pair of pointed ears atop their heads. Unlike wolves, however, their canine teeth - both upper and lower - are so large they are not enclosed within their lips and jut from the top and bottom of their muzzle. Their hind legs are reverse-jointed like an animal's, and they bear large paws with enormous, retractable claws instead of humanoid feet. All Wrognoth stand several feet taller than a Human, with an average height of ten feet when standing erect, and the largest can even grow to heights of twelve or fourteen feet. Their hands are humanoid, but they bear long, retractable claws on their fingertips. Finally, all Wrognoth have fluffy tails closely resembling a wolf's. Female Wrognoth are only slightly smaller than males in terms of muscle mass, but generally reach around the same height.

Antlers

Both male and female Wrognoth also grow antlers just behind their ears, and these antlers vary widely in size and shape. The antlers are shed during two or three winter months - or what would ordinarily be winter months, regardless of the Wrognoth's location - and regrown thereafer.

Fur and Coloration

Being mammals, they are covered in thick fur that comes in a wide variety of colors, dependent primarily on the particular Wrognoth's home environment. Their fur ranges in color from black, white, brown, grey, crimson red, blonde, and various mottled combinations thereof. A blue-grey hue has even been observed in certain sub-species living in mountainous, rocky terrain, and some that dwell in thick jungles even have fur ranging from slightly greenish to bright green. Stranger colors may exist, but given how rare Wrognoth are in general, some of their wilder colorations may only be myths. Underneath their fur, Wrognoth generally have greyish skin.

Eyes

Wrognoths' eyes, which are just as wolfish as their heads, are extremely brightly colored and come in countless varieties, including - and not limited to - green, red, blue, yellow, orange, and even purple and grey-white. According to some hearsay, solid black eyes is an unusual but not unknown mutation, considered the sign of a curse in ancient Wrognoth culture.

Biology

Physical Capability

Wrognoth are incredibly fast and strong, having incredible physical power. They also have very acute senses and even the ability to "sense" fear, much like canines, as well as the ability to see in extremely low-light settings. They are capable of running on all fours, and they can achieve speeds of over 65 MPH, which their great endurance allows them to maintain for hours on end. Running on their hind legs, they cannot achieve as great of a speed, but they can still outrun a good deal of their prey. Wrognoth are well known for their endurance, and they are hardy against both injury and disease, particularly as they are capable of regenerating most wounds very quickly.

Reproduction

Being mammals, Wrognoth give live birth, generally to one, two, or three children; Wrognoth have more than one child far more often than do Humans, though twins remain very rare. A couple almost always mates for life, particularly as Wrognoth are known for the sense of loyalty bred deep into their culture. Wrognoth are not capable of producing offspring with Humans or any other Native species.

Livelihood

As can be expected, Wrognoth are primarily carnivores, eating a wide variety of meats - including, in the case of some Wrognoth, Humans. They are not entirely carnivorous, however, as they also occasionally eat various fruits and vegetables. It should be noted, however, that cannibalism is nonexistent among Wrognoth: a Wrognoth will simply never eat another of its kind. This is apparently not a cultural ideal, but an instinctive one, as even feral Wrognoth are known to never devour the flesh of their kin.

Lifespan

Given their reputation for high endurance to most any hardship, Wrognoth are hardy enough to live to very old ages. The oldest Wrognoth lived to be around 250, although most do not make it far into the 200's.

Culture

Overall, the Wrognoth culture is considered unusual by Humans, given their "monstrous" appearance. The primary ideals stressed by most Wrognoth civilizations, even since their most primitive roots, are honor and loyalty.

Religion

Currently, Humans are largely in the dark about the Wrognoth religion. Many say that the Wrognoth religion coincided perfectly with the beliefs of the Sarran, and the Wrognoth now claim to follow Afaelya, who - they say - goes by many names.

Physical Attributes

Face and Body Wrognoth vary greatly in size, standing around three meters tall on average, though they may be shorter or taller. Their posture is generally erect and proud, which further lends to their incredible height, and their builds can vary as wildly as a Human's.

When initially confronted by the Wrognoth, Humans associated them with werewolves from old Earth legends, for the Wrognoth have the head, legs, tail, and fur of a wolf. Some Wrognoth have very large canine teeth - either upper, lower, or both - that are too sizable to be enclosed by their lips, leaving the great fangs jutting from the top and bottom of their muzzle; this seems to be a genetic trait that varies according to individual.

Wrognoth have legs like an animal, and their hind feet are large paws like a canine's, though they bear retractable claws that they seem capable of baring and sheathing even more easily than the flexing claws of Earth's felines. Their hands are humanoid, with the insides of their fingers and their palms covered by thick paw pads, and their fingers have the same retractable claws as their feet. Finally, all Wrognoth have a long wolf-like tail.

Antlers Both male and female Wrognoth grow antlers, and these antlers vary wildly in size and shape. The antlers are only grown relatively briefly, during the Wrognoth mating season in the two or three months of winter - or what would ordinarily be the months of winter on their original homeworld, regardless of the Wrognoth's location - and shed thereafter, to be regrown each mating season every year.

Some Wrognoth saw off their antlers, especially those in the military who do not want them potentially getting in the way. Others, however, wear their antlers as a kind of symbol, regardless of their vocation - some warriors even tie their antlers in particular patterns to control their shape and growth, carrying them into battle as a badge of pride.

Fur and Coloration Being mammals, Wrognoth are covered in thick fur that comes in a variety of colors. Their fur ranges in color from black, white, brown, grey, crimson red, blonde, and various combinations thereof. A blue-grey hue has even been observed in some Wrognoth, and some explorers have claimed they've seen Wrognoth with greenish fur dwelling in thick jungles. Stranger colors may exist, but given how Wrognoth tend to not mingle with foreign societies in general, these wilder colorations may only be myths. Underneath their fur, all Wrognoth have grey skin.

Eyes The eyes of a Wrognoth are extremely brightly colored and come in countless varieties, including - but not necessarily limited to - green, red, blue, yellow, orange, and even purple and grey-white.

Biology As mammals, Wrognoth have a biology relatively familiar to Humans, at least compared to some other Natives. However, they still have various strange, outstanding features that set them apart.

Physical Capability Wrognoth have astounding physical power, with great strength and speed. They have acute senses, as well as the ability to "sense" fear and other emotions, and they can see even in extremely low light, leading Humans to say they can see in the dark. They are capable of running on all fours at high speeds for extended periods of time. The Wrognoth are well known for their endurance, and they are hardy against both injury and disease.

Reproduction Being mammals, Wrognoth give live birth, generally to one or two children; Wrognoth have more than one child more often than do Humans, though identical twins remain rare.

Although they give live birth, the Wrognoth have a very strange attribute to aid in the rearing of their young: every Wrognoth - male and female - has an inner pouch in their abdomen. While Humans compare this to the pouches of marsupials, and they are indeed similar, they are not used for holding undeveloped young, nor are they the same as pregnancy. The Wrognoth access this pouch via their throat, and the Wrognoth have developed a unique biology to let them swallow remarkably oversized objects. It is not uncommon for a Wrognoth to "swallow" one or more pups to allow them to sleep the pouch. Such a trait has aided the Wrognoth in relocating and protecting their young since before the Wrognoth began to build cities, and, some speculate, before they fully evolved. Although the pouch is often considered unnecessary in modern Wrognoth society, many Wrognoth still make use of it, particularly if a pack must flee when a city is raided by a rival. Seeing a Wrognoth swallow their pups into the pouch has led to Humans claiming that Wrognoth eat their young, which is far from the truth. A Wrognoth's pouch can expand to incredible sizes to hold their pups, and it provides a constant supply of air.

Although pups are raised communally by all members of the pack, they know who their parents are. Wrognoth couples usually mate for life, particularly as Wrognoth are known for the sense of loyalty bred deep into their instincts. A Wrognoth betraying his or her mate is considered one of the very highest of offenses. Wrognoth are not capable of producing offspring with Humans or any other Native species.

An important aspect of Wrognoth reproduction is their mating season. Once every ten years, during the winter mating season during which they grow their antlers, Wrognoth of both genders will feel an extreme drive to take a mate for life: far more extreme than the comparatively mild increased urges of a normal mating season. This is not a purely sexual drive, despite Human categorization, as neither male nor female Wrognoth take a mate lightly; their mating urges by no means lead them to commit violent sexual acts. Despite these primal instincts, the Wrognoth choose meaningful life partners. It is in the Wrognoth instinct to mate for life, not solely their culture.

While some can overcome this instinctual drive, and some Wrognoth have even developed drugs to aid in fighting the compulsion, it is an extremely powerful urge that most Wrognoth cannot ignore. If they continue to deny it for too long, it can lead to violent mood swings and unpredictable or uncharacteristic behavior, as it is said that Wrognoth can lose themselves to their drive. Some tales speak of Wrognoth going irreversibly insane if they go too long in mating season without a mate.

There are, however, other ways to overcome the urges. Military Wrognoth choose to lose themselves in a berserk rage for a time, after which their mating season drive is spent; this is called the Time of Madness, during which some Wrognoth will run feral on their home planets, behaving as violent animals and killing non-Wrognoth creatures.

The mating season of the Wrognoth is little spoken of, even among Wrognoth themselves; it is understood to be a part of their existence, but they prefer not to talk about it openly.

Lifespan Given their reputation for enduring most any hardship, Wrognoth boast an impressive lifespan. The oldest of Wrognoth can live over 200 years.