Finally! Me and Tomoe (Who did a great deal of the work, taking my ideas and putting the finer wording to them, atleast most of the time ^_^; ), have finished the Lorath Race! And here it all is, in it's entirety.
Race name: Lorath
Government: Matriarchal Aristocracy, 3 sub houses which are under rule of the main house. Each of the three houses pertain to a specific part of the Government.
Appearance: Pale white skin, all hair white which can be died and cut to a certain style, but the length of the hair for women denotes ranking. Various eye colors, ranging from red, yellow, green, blue, black, and even white at times, but yellow is the most common, humanoid type frame for both male and female, various sizes and body mass depending on caste. Wings, approximately equal to length of the torso, the wings are mostly unable to be used for flight. The appearance of the wings are much like a birds, Raven black feathers.
Note: When it is said that most wings are unable to be used for flight, all of the Lorath are unable to fly, save for those that rule the four houses, or Shamans that have studied deeply on birds, and have bonded to that species.
Society: It depends on what house you come from. House A is largely woman dominated, whom make up the Military mostly. House B is some what balanced in influence, which are the leaders on Technology, as well as run the School for Pysionics. House C is the leader for Agriculture and various other environmental issues, also this house receives training in shamanic rituals and shape shifting abilities that require extensive training. (Of course, at this time each house will be house A, B, C, due to not having a name for them just yet. If the race is approved, the first person to want to be the house leaders will choose the name.) While people can choose where they go, this is the norm and expected for anyone born to these houses.
Naming: The Lorath people have four different "names" used for them. the first part of the name is their proper working title such as "Private" "Director" "Professor" depending on what job the individual is working in. then their first given name that is often in the style of their native old tongue, a second name that is given or self choosen that is to be used as a name to be used infront of off-worlders or outsiders. the last name is to be representitive of the individual's place in their house, clan, and family (in that order).
Example: Xiaah Harr'ikke Destiny Tur'Lista
Traditional Dress: The Lorath people have various forms of clothing that are dependent upon the house and family that the individual resides in. the dress of each house is directly tied to the nature of the caste and the social status of the individual.
Members of the warrior caste are known to wear a suit of a rather formfitting leather armor that metallic plates have been secured to. These plates are placed properly to protect the individual's most vital organs. the details of this outfit vary depending upon the military and family rank that the person holds, individuals that are higher in rank tend to wear very ornate metal plates and leather while those who are lowest in the caste are often found wearing a rather bland leather with a chain mesh placed over it. the highest most members of the warrior caste wear highly ornate helmets that are encrusted with the traditional bloodstone gems that are worn by the members of the warrior caste.
The psychic caste routinely wear an outfit that is mostly constructed of cloth robes, these robes are often dyed vibrant shades of blue, purple, and green. yet some individuals have been known to stand out and wear more brighter colors. the robes worn by the psychic caste can vary upon the assignment of the individual and the activities that the individual will be involved in upon that given time. the lead members of the psychic caste wear circlets upon their heads that are constructed from silver and have a large lapis lazui gem placed upon the forehead to channel their psychic ability.
The shamanic caste traditionally wears an outfit comprised of furs and leathers, the materials of their clothing are directly drawn from the environment the shaman dwells in. the fitting of these outfits vary widely depending upon the personal and spiritual preferences of the individual that constructed the attire. often the coloration of the clothing is based upon the local resources. leaders of the shaman caste wear a self made tribal head dress that is comprised of skins, feathers, and various plants. most members of the shamanic caste wear jewelry made from turquoise gems.
Skills: They fall under three domains
Physical discipline: members of house "A" are known for Excelling in the use of physical strength, after primary school and reaching the age of "18" (Species life span still to be determined), anyone going into the army are drilled mercilessly. Taught to be skilled in the use of nearly all weapons known to the race, most of the skills revolve around Mêlée weaponry, due to ranged projectiles being viewed as a cowardly act of combat. They continue their training well into their adulthood and are often known to train well into old age.
Increased Physical Ability: Members of the "House A" caste are bred to have a naturally increased strength. through training members of "House A" are able to achieve strength that is far greater than other members of the Lorath. this is achieved by denser bones, and stronger muscle fibers. the average initial strength of a member of "House A" is the strength to lift five to ten times their weight.
Mental discipline: members of the "B" house are inclined to have greater skill in use of aspects of the mind. from the time that individuals are able to learn and comprehend the world around them they are encouraged to learn as much as possible and put many learned skills to practice. also through rigorous training members of this caste are able to unlock abilities that have been genetically passed down in their caste. these abilities include: accelerated learning, tactile telepathy (Telepathy upon touch), limited to moderate levels of telekinesis, and empathic abilities.
Mental Discipline specifics: Members of "House B" have a more advanced brain structure thus they are able to process information faster, learn faster, have a photographic memory, and be able to relate information faster. through their improved physical brain structure they are also able to use limited "psychic" abilities. these abilities include: Empathic skills, telepathic communication with other psychics, tactile telepathy (telepathic communication upon touch), and the ability to use a Forced Raport, or a telepathic assult, the assult at times a command that is "Screamed" into the person's mind to a painful degree.
Shamanic discipline: Members of house "C" are well known as the shamans and clerics of their race, while practicing a shamanic religion these individuals are encouraged to bond with their environment and gain an intimate knowledge of the terrain. through training in these shamanic values a person learns the properties of plant life, animal life, and the nature of their existence and their influence upon nature. also through vigorous training and meditation if a shaman has become bonded enough to certain beasts and life they are able to exert their will over their own body to achieve a minor shape shift that is influenced by the beast or life form they have been studying and focusing upon.
Shamanisim: Members of "House C" are inclined to be better suited to nature and what exists in nature. shamans are able to predict weather shifts, disasters, approaching individuals, disease, and even death by watching and observing nature around them including plant life and animal life. shamans are also expected to know of the geological and astronomical specifics of the place they inhabit and watch over.
Minor Shape Shifting, specifics: The ability of members of "House C" to shape shift is a minor one. there cannot be additional limbs, changes of over all body shape, imitation of other people at random, or an overall shape shift into inanimate objects or animals. shape shifting requires a large amount of the character's attention and focus. and the ability to shape shift specific parts of the body requires long and focused meditation upon a beast or life form that is going to be imitated. the imitation can only go as far as changes in muscle mass and placement, minor bone shifting, and if bones are broken and healed there can be changes in bone structure, but healing time must be applied.
Lorath and the Lor; a brief history.
The Lorath have been in existence since the earliest times of the planet Lor's inhabitance by sentient life. Even though they have existed in peace for much of their time on the planet they did not hold a firm grasp upon their lands. Over time another species of humanoid life began to rise upon the planet's surface, and after a time the upstart race formed a rather tight knit culture. For many years the two races existed peacefully for the most part except for small territorial squabbles. They continued this co-existence until a harsh famine left a horrific impact upon the farm Dependant new humanoids, through a radicalism ideal they placed the blame on the Lorath people and used them as scape goats. Due to the generally peaceful nature of the Lorath they were easily subdued and the bulk of their race was exiled below the planet's surface.
Five Thousand Years Later:
During their time underground the Lorath evolved and learned as much as possible through telepathic and shamanic viewing of the planet's surface. Eventually enough information was gathered so they felt confident about seizing the over side world. Upon the eve of the five thousandth anniversary of their exile they began their assault upon the surface dwellers by releasing large amounts of dust and ash into the planet's atmosphere to block out a large amount of the UV radiation from their planet's sun. Thus preventing it from damaging their sun-deprived skin. After the light was taken from the surface, the surface dwellers began to panic and they lost their composure as a whole due to the chaos of darkness and their lack of influence from their tribal leaders in such a situation. Over the time of a few months the Lorath began to break free from their subterranean exile. Upon reaching the surface they assassinated the surface dweller's tribal leaders one by one until they were able to exert a militaristic control upon the population with their newly bred Warrior caste created for the seize of the planet's surface and defense of the now dominant Lorath.
One Hundred Years later:
The Lorath have gained a firm grasp upon their planet's surface and they have formed a matriarchal aristocracy. Currently they have a government that revolves around the formation of four houses. The leadership, the warrior caste, the psychic caste, the shamanic caste. Each house reigns over a separate aspect of the Lorath culture. the warrior caste presides over the defense of the Lorath people and subduing any uprisings of the now enslaved surface dwelling people. The psychic caste has been entrusted with handling inter house political affairs and marketing of goods. The shamanic caste has been entrusted with ensuring the planet's health and prosperity and regulating the effects of the Lorath upon the planet. The shamans have also been entrusted with watching over the farming and mining slave class.
Ruler ship:
A select few Lorath have bred to form a ruling caste that presides over the other Lorath houses. the ruling caste has presided over the Lorath people since the later years of their exile. Recently though there has been a decline in the ruling caste especially highlighted by the deaths of the most recent Matriarch and high priest. Currently the two offspring produced by the matriarch and high priest preside over the aristocracy.
Technology: The current technological level of the Lorath is nearly equal to that of the Yamatai Empire other than starship design and function. The Lorath are currently limited to sub-light travel and have only managed to explore to the edge of their solar system due to being unable to navigate outside of the nebula their solar system is located in. As for the closer to home technology, they are almost equal to the Yamatai empire, various machines helping them in day-to-day dealings. The only part Yamatai has over the Lorath race, are the Nekovalkyrja production, and the weaponry they have, atleast the fire-arms.
Religion: Currently the Lorath people are lead in their religious beliefs by their high priest that also serves as their male patriarch. tThe Lorath people have a strong sense of a nature and ancestral worship, also in their nature worship they have a strong faith in astrology and worship of various elemental and astrological deities. Each house also has their own individual faith that corresponds to their traditions. The warrior house is known to worship a heroic female warrior that single handedly attempted to thwart their imprisonment. The psychic house has a strong worship toward knowledge and the metaphysical search for knowledge that is fueled by long hours of focus and meditation. The shaman house of the Lorath hold nature's balance above nearly all else
Military: Strength of the Lorath military can be directly related to the current population of the warrior caste house. Each individual that is able to wield a weapon has the potential to be a combatant in any conflict that may arise. The command structure of the military is directly tied to the family structure of the Lorath people. When in combat Lorath tend to lean more toward mêlée warfare, yet artillery and small arms are available when they are in need. Members of the psychic house and shaman house are rarely known to take part in combative procedures but are capable if need be. Shamans are mainly known to take part in military action against the slave population of the planet.
Commerce: Due to the balance and order of the Lorath people, they currently have a functional form of communism, many of the luxury items that the Lorath have at their disposal is provided whenever there is a need for such. This economic harmony has mostly been won by the military strength of the Lorath and the enslavement of their past captors
Slave Labor Structure: Currently due to the Lorath people's dominance over their past persecutors they have taken up a practice of holding their foes as slaves, currently they use these enslaved individuals for any tasks that may be too tiresome or dangerous, these slaves are also used as entertainment.
View toward other races: The Lorath species currently has a cynical view toward other sentient races due to the past conflicts they have had with the other surface dwelling race that lives upon their world.
Sexuality: The Lorath people have a strong sense of tradition even when it involves their mating practices. Each house has their own methods of going about romance that are unique to the caste, also due to traditional laws, Lorath people are not permitted to cross breed between castes.
The ruling caste is mostly heterosexual, but there of course have been exceptions. For this caste, it is always tough to determine, and goes mainly by the ruling pair in charge of the house, over a set idea. This stems from the idea that, since they are the ruling class, they do as they see fit when it comes to themselves and their love interests, but of course, this does not carry over into Day-to-Day dealings and concerns with racial problems and dealings.
The warrior caste is strongly dominated by the females of the house, in most cases the females tend to play a strong role socially and privately thus placing the male in the more feminine role in the relationship, even with the traditional placement of the male there have been very rare occurrences of the male secretly being the dominant one of the relationship. Yet in most cases the female plays the much stronger role.
The psychic caste often has a very reserved nature to their mating practices, couples are often made out of convenience and seemingly rarely out of appearance or interests. Often affection seems to be the last priority at least in public. Privately though members of the psychic caste are known to have a more carnal nature thus indicating that their repressed emotional nature is then expressed in a strong and lustful manner.
The shamanic caste tends to be influenced strongly by their emotional ties to their mates. shamans are also known to be strongly influenced by the nature of the environment around them, thus they tend to take after the beasts they worship, even in romantic matters.
Note: In matters of sexuality, this is the norm for the race. That isn't to say that they can't do the opposite, or be more open then what their sexuality.
; bleh gimme a second *grumbles*
