Velkorian

The ancient hunting grounds were painted in gore. Beasts, tall as buildings scourging the jungle for the weak, devouring the unwary whole. Untamed and without mercy, anything lacking sharp teeth and massive jaws had to be cunning, gigantic and fast, lest they'd end up dinner. It left no place for the smallest of hunters. Weak, fragile with too many mouths to feed. Any predator would have laughed at their meager existance, as an easy snack.
They'd all come to the realisation, that they picked the wrong evolution.
For what does size, strength or agility matter, when you're trapped in a hole, bleeding from several spearwounds, all the while deadly toxins ravage through every fiber of your carnal being. What does it matter, when you can't reach your opponent either way, when they can work together, united, calculate your every move ten steps ahead.
Whatever petty creature the Velkorians once evolved from, would never have imagined they'd become the apex predator of their jungle. And it would take millions of years, before anyone dared challenge their rule.

-Arthuza

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Velkorian is very similar to humans in appearance, with as many limbs and quite similar bone structure. Yet, with with larger and slightly shorter legs that carry far more muscular thighs and a bit more curved kneecap on their ends. Their feet also have three toes pointing forwards, with the big toe being twice as large as the other, while the fourth toe points backwards from their heel.
Their arms are slightly shorter than humans, and often less muscular, yet with sharper somewhat protuding elbows. Their hands spot only four fingers, but with two thumbs, one of them being in the same place that the little finger should be. In addition to this, Velkorian nails grow three times as long as human nails, while they're also curved, twice as thick and harder, while naturaly spotting a black or gray hue.
Velkorian's have a bit longer but sturdier necks than humans, that can be twisted around to the extent that they can look behind themselves without turning the rest of the body, with the addition of a bigger. harder and longer jawbone that grows slimer to the chin.

Biological Traits

An average Velkorian is about 140-165cm tall, and usualy weigh between 50-60kg. The Rhakk'ihr is usualy a bit taller and weigh more than the Ssech'khan. The female of the species is also slightly larger than the male, yet gender roles don't play too much importance for the race. They usualy grow to be between 67-81 years old.

Genetics and Reproduction

Velkorian's have similar reproduction system as humans.

Growth Rate & Stages

Velkorian's, unlike humans, spend their time as babies within a protected egg. After around a year, they crack the shell and become toddlers. They also reach full adulthood at the age of eighteen. Velkorians turn elder at the age of sixty.

Ecology and Habitats

The Velkorian species are fit for the wild, as the apex predators of the New lands, but as something in nature struck wrong, and the gods suddenly started to walk on Arcathia, they soon found themselves on the other side of the dinner table. They swiftly adapted and built a massive city that spanns the whole empire, with a wall protecting them.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The Velkorians are master hunters and eat mainly meat, but they grow their own food and breed animals within the city wall. The Velkorians are quite resistent to drugs as well, and thus often drink loads of alcohol and smoke on regular basis.

Biological Cycle

The Velkorian sheds feathers on arms and legs twice a year.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Sunblessed Matriarch -Female ruler of the northern Velkorian Empire, strictly Rhakk'ihr. Moonblessed Patriarch -Male ruler of the southern Velkorian Empire, strictly Ssech'khan. High Nobility -Nobility hatched from the cosmic nest, often carries the highest titles. Low Nobility -Leaders of the different nests underneath the cosmic one. These individuals are often acolytes, generals or dancers. Raptari -The military of the Velkorian race, praised high and often revels with the low nobility. Farmers -Still highly regarded, for their important drinks and drugs. The most revered of farmers sometimes ascend to low nobility. Workers -The backbone of the Velkorian civilization. Still treated with respect for their importance within society, even if they are the lowest in structure.

Domestication

Velkorians have been enslaved for their exotic looks by the Consortium of Westport

Facial characteristics

Velkorian's have tall humanlike faces, appart from the mouth which continues 3-4cm out from a normal human's corner of the mouth, yet with similar lips. The teeth are also far sharper, like knives, longer and twice as many.
Their noses are small and short, often pointing a bit upwards and followed by humanoid eyes with hexagon shaped pupils and irises that span from the colours yellow, orange, green and purple.
They also have smaller ears, along with slimmer chins.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Used to be distributed in the Cranelands, untill Ysandrian Inquisition. took over and enslaved the colony. The rest reside within Northern and Southern Velkoria and Matrach Spire, along with the surrounding jungle.

Average Intelligence

Highly intelligent and resourceful, the Velkorian race has managed to perfect the art of melding mysticism with technology without breaking the balance.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

The Velkorian has smaller ears, with a bit worse hearing than most humanoids. Their smell is far better than the average, along with their sense of taste. They also have nocturnal eyes and their minds host a similar capacity for mysticism as humans.

Civilization and Culture

Major Organizations

Rhakk'ihr, Ssech'khan, Cathedral of Sun, Cathedral of Moon, Cosmic nest and Cosmysticans.

History

Long ago, the Velkorian race carried many more ethnicities and factions that were the apex predators of their continent. Everything bowed down to their might and intelligence. Their skybound cities in the trees and mountains cast shadows over the whole continent, leaving the other creatures to cover in fear from the sentient bird's of prey that evolved from pre-historic monstrosities.
It all changed the landscape suddenly went ravaged by a massive mystical explosion in the lost lands, northeast from Arthuza. Cascades of devestating fire followed, changing nature itself, as it caused the trees that once stood tall and proud to curve, malform, change. Villages, cities and civilizations fell crumbling to the ground bellow, causing massive casualties, while sudden storms of raw mystical essence caused disaster after disaster in the mountain cities with thunder etching it's mark in the peaks and spires.
The Velkorians who survived had to make their way to the ground, fighting among each others for land, as an ever changing landscape cursed the whole east to be left an uninhabitable badlands for them. Many ethnicities were wiped out, and the survivors soon had to make peace, in desperate attempts to find a new home.
Some went southwards, were they found the Vampires seeking the source of the blast. They were soon wiped out and turned into food for their bloodlusted expedition.
Others went north, towards the mountains, which soon would come to be the home of the dwarves. There is no telling what happened to them, but finds of larger than ordinary Velkorian skeletons within the canyon speak of their demise.
Finally, the Rhakk'ihr and Ssech'khan ended their thought to be eternal conflict that raged since the empire of old. But something within the sky changed, revealing further star constellations, which is told to have demanded peace, and offered a harbourage in the northwest for the worthy.
Thus, on the last night of a dangerous journey, underneath the stars guidance, at the dawn of sun and dusk of moon, the matriarch of Rhakk'ihr and patriarch of Ssech'khan found something, a power within, an enlightment that opened up their senses to the myst. With the birth of the cosmic nest, the twin empire of Velkoria was formed, as the universe itself is believed to have married the two.

Descendants of Arthuza:

During a pre-historic era, before Velkorian civillisation was a thing, the different nests had to endure constant struggle as they fought for survival. Struggling to hunt for food and land, or even fight against other races aiming to enslave them, they lived in constant fear and missery through generation to generation. Untill one day.
Said to be gifted with azure feathers, with one eye raging hot and bright like the sun and the other cool and cautious like the moon, a Velkorian with features never seen before arrived to the play.
With a mysterious power drawn from the cosmos itself, it's said he could control time. Night turned day, and day turned night on his command, while his blade and movement seemed to move just as fast as the day rythm.
He traveled through the lands, seeking each of his peoples nests, and with but a show of his power, they flocked around his banner. Those who didn't, or were tied up in chains, he freed with brutal ferocity, never taking a doubt or hesitation on his actions. It didn't take long before the whole Velkorian race stood tall and proud behind their first emperor, Arthuza, he who promised them the skies, and skies they got. They built their empire on tree crowns, towering spires and in the rockfaces of the mountains to perfect his vision.
But these skyborne cities were easily razed, should their foundations be burned down. Their foes knew this, but also Arthuza. He promised peace, if left alone, and swift defeat, if struck. His enemies laughed at the threat, untill Arthuza carved a path through all of them, winning conquest after conquest in the shortest war in history, proving him to be the apex predator.
With his crusade, the whole continent soon had to live in peace and prosperity, but how long would it last, as a time come when all Velkorians must face death and become one with the stars again. And what would come by when Arthuza passed? No one got to know the answer, as Arthuza one day entered his observatory and never returned.
The few whom gazed on the cosmos that that night, say they saw a new azure star pop up to shine brighther than the others, and thus, they believed he transcend beyond the skies, to a new plain of existance. In honour to him, the whole continent was named Arthuza, and his empire still came to hold for a dozen generations afterwards, untill the disaster finally struck.

Scientific Name

Raptari Sapiens

Origin/Ancestry

Arthuzan

Lifespan

73 yeas

Conservation Status

A massive wall block out the great empire of Velkorian, to assure it's enemies has such a hard time as possible to get to them.

Average Height

153cm

Average Weight

54 kg

Average Physique

The Velkorian usualy has very muscular legs, but quite lean arms, with a slightly stronger lower body than a normal human, that rounds of to be similar on the upper chest, but with a slightly protuding ribcage.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

The Velkorian has skin varying from gray to blue to purple and green, depending on their genes. Some even got spots on their body, or stripes in their faces.

Cosmic Scions:

Instead of praising a god, the Velkorian's have since time immemorial devoted themselves to star constalations, along with the sun and moon. It's believed that their belief comes from ancient shamanistic rites, to praise the hunt. The moon during night and sun during the day.
As a species to have evolved to be both nocturnal, but still just as effective at the dayhours has caused a possitive split in Velkorian society between individuals that rather be active at night, and sleep during day, and vice versa. This has greatly benefited the twin empires with constant upkeep both day and night at work and military, along with significantly less issues regarding overpopulated areas, as only half the civillisation are wake at all times.
This has led towards the cathedrals of Sun and Moon being constructed. Further, as an important part of their culture and religion, these two cathedrals champion one of the two ethnicities.
It's the priests of these two organizations that practice thaumaturgy, and keep the mystical pillars running, so they can siphon and protect the race against the myst storms, as well as harness their force to keep the city's thaumaturgic systems running.