Kkoarhae

The kkoarhae are the dominant species, and only native sapient species, of the planet Shäwhaess . Kkoarhae are aquatic mammals, averaging around seven feet tall, and roughly resembling bipedal otters. They are highly sensitive to biochemical cues indicating physical status and emotion, especially in other kkoarhae but also in other mammals, and as such are often considered by outworlders to be psychic, though they would not categorize their abilities thus.
The kkoarhae follow a life cycle dominated by the unique and powerful tidal rhythms of Shäwhaess. Every two hundred years, the planet completely floods, forcing the kkoarhae onto raft colonies for survival; after another two hundred years, the floodwater recede and the kkoarhae return to the land--and spend the next two hundred years preparing for the next flood cycle. The kkoarhae categorize their culture as split into two parts: the Rroi Kkoarhae, who live on individual raft colonies during the flood period, and the Vexxië Kkoarhae, who live on the land during the dryland period. They have no other cultural groupings larger than a raft colony.

"It's hard to describe if you have never been there. They dance--you wouldn't think them graceful, with those stubby legs and thick tails, but they certainly can be--and they sing. The singing is mostly riffs and trills and whistles, so loose and so fast that the wordfish can't keep up. It's lovely. But we're missing a whole chunk of it, is the thing. When you go, you'll see what it's like, the semicircle of Kkoarhae around the edges, looking like they're doing nothing much. But they're projecting feelings, with their zhïammaa . We can't feel it, but it's the most important thing to them. That's part of why we have so much trouble, really."

— Ta Le Ruina, an Ir Dru trader

Basic Information

Anatomy

Kkoarhae are bipedal mammals, standing six to seven feet tall. They have short arms and legs, long slender bodies, and long necks, as well as a thick tail, and are entirely covered by thick, waterproof fur. The kkoarhae face features a short muzzle with sharp teeth, short curved ears, and large eyes with both normal eyelids and a milky nicitating membrane that protects their eyes when underwater. Their hands and feet are long-toed and webbed, allowing for efficient swimming; they use their thick tails to steer in the water. Their short strong limbs and long flexible spine allow them to change direction swiftly in the water. Though modern kkoarhae hunt with spears and waterbows (see hunting among the kkoarhae for details), kkoarhae have both sharp teeth and tough, curved claws for unarmed hunting as well.

Dietary Needs and Habits

See food of the kkoarhae for more information.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Kkoarhae have decent eyesight, though significantly poorer than humans, with a milky nicitating membrane that protects their eyes from waterborne debris or particulates when swimming. Their sense of hearing and taste are acute, but their sense of smell is relatively poor.
The most notable sensory perception of the kkoarhae is zhïammaa, an ability that humans casually refer to as 'mind-reading' or 'psychic ability,' though it is neither. Zhïammaa is the ability to both perceive and project emotions using biochemical signals. All kkoarhae, except those who have been specially trained, express their emotions to a greater or lesser degree via zhïa, a biochemical aura or field. With training, kkoarhae can repress their zhïa, though they cannot alter it; a kkoarhae who is lying can suppress all zhïa signals, but cannot replace them with alternative zhïa signals. In addition, zhïammaa allows kkoarhae to pick up and interpret the zhïa, or biological signals, of others. Again, training can enhance or suppress this ability. Thus, kkoarhae are treated as functional empaths, though their abilities are biological and not psychic. In addition, both projective and receptive abilities vary based on individual biology; some kkoarhae are "louder" or "more sensitive" than others.
Most mammalian species of Shäwhaess are sensitive to zhïammaa. Kkoarhae domestic animals were genetically engineered to be particularly sensitive, permitting the kkoarhae to use zhïammaa to communicate with and control them. They can also read the zhïa of these species, allowing them to assess the wellbeing of their domestic animals.