Erenaian

"Rise, before the drums of Erenai.
Fear their endless might;
Heed their bellowed cries;
Steel their darkest days;
Lest the darkness come your way."
Ancient Verse "The Drums of Erenai", Elkar Nacromenos, 1.231 AC

Basic Information

Anatomy

Erenaians possess bipedal structures not unlike those of humans, two arms emerge from shoulderplates located close to their elongated, sometimes frilled necks. Their faces are marked by the presence of a shortened beak, extending from the lower mandible up to the forehead, two oval, opaque eyes located at each side, from the back of the head to the ear holes extend four large finned "crowns", used as part of courting rituals, and differenting the female's larger, retractible crowns from the male's smaller, bulkier ones.
An erenaian's torso is slender and curveless, regardless of sex, only gaining mass around the muscular waist and thigs, as well as the support of the prehensile tail, utilized both for grappling and support; their hands possess four clawed fingers, with one serving as a makeshift thumb for grabbing movements, while their feet possess three foward facing claws and one talon.
An erenaian's body is almost completely covered in thick platings of scales of varying colour, covering a fleshy interior, however, small slitted openings make themselves present in varying portions of the female's body serving as egg carriers.

Biological Traits

As developed from hunter-gatherers, erenaians still possess some traits and dymorphisms, the most notable one being the female's increased height and bull compared to the male, alongside that, claws and talons are typically more robust and elongated and the beak possesses sharper teeth.
Meanwhile, the males have instead adapted a variety of courting traits, alongside the maleable frills, the male possesses a small bell-like protrusion located on the inside of their throat capable of "whistling" and producing noises at frequencies the vocal chords are incapable of achieving.

Genetics and Reproduction

Following the typical reptile insemination process, the female will gestate litters of 3 to 6 eggs stored within small frilled protrusions originating from horizontal slits connecting to below the carapace typically around the hips and thighs. Gestation lasts approximately 2 to 3 months while external incubation, overseen by professional nurses, thrives at temperatures of 35-45° C lasting 2 more months.

Growth Rate & Stages

Erenaians spend around 12 years in a juvenile state, growing their tail about 3 months after birth, frills after 6 years, and sexual maturity at 10, followed by a sudden growth spurt. Erenaians older than 12 are considered adults, although the search for a mate only occurs 3 years later at age 15, while societal adulthood is determined by the conclusion of their education and assignment to a job within the local community.

Ecology and Habitats

As a pecilothermal species, erenaians thrive in warmer environments capable of maintaining their metabolism in function. Their diet is composed mostly of fish and small mammals, which are commonly farmed and exported across their occupied planets.
Houses and huts are typically built of simple materials, or at most some common metals, with several openings and humidifiers allowing its occupants some extra comfort, while most are built on ground, a few erenaians, particularly Cambrians, prefer to construct their occupations over lakes or on trees.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Erenaians, on their native planet, possess an almost completely carnivorous diet, feeding on harvested local mammals and large bugs, with wildlife such as fish and birds being considered delicacies.
While not naturally adapted for the consumption of vegetables, a few plants and spices have made their way into erenaians culinary, though they're only ever eaten as compliments instead of the main meal. Vegetarianism in erenaians society is rare but not unheard of, and happens more often on off-world colonies.

Biological Cycle

Erenaians shed their scales 1 to 3 times a year, the average increasing as they grow older, the molting lasts 1 to 2 weeks although the full underbody is never completely exposed, instead manifesting as small patches not unlike rashes that gradually pop up around the body.

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

Perhaps the erenaian's most noteworthy facial feature is the frills: a collection of four webbed extensions protruding from the back of the head, larger and bulkier on females while shorter but more malleable on males. Forming the general shape of the front part of the head is the beak, once much closer to the mouth of an alligator, evolutional obsolenty has shortened it into a more birdlike appendage, although the sharpened teeth inside remain.
On each side of the beak, close to the bridge connecting to the forehead, two oval, opaque eyes server as the erenaian's main form of locomotion, tinting exists, although the difference between two eye colorings is very slight.
Erenaians possess no ears, their usual placement on the human body instead being occupied by the frills, however, the earholes remain, with sound being reverberated by the frills two outmost extensions.
Lastly, while there are two forward-facing nostrils located on the beak, they only serve respiratory functions, with small instead being managed by the bifurcated tongue located inside the beak also responsible for palate.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Erenaians thrive in warmer, moist regions around a planet's equator, although artificially heated dome occupations to the colder north and south are commonplace, though usually only built for scientific purposes rather than expansion of territory.

Average Intelligence

Erenaians are highly intelligent creatures capable of rational thought, abstract representations, philosophical reflection and artistic understanding, their culture possesses a great emphasis on painting and poetry specifically, with poets and bards holding high positions in society, other forms of entertainment and artistic expression, such as theatre and singing, while still celebrated don't hold nearly as much value under society, that due to ancient traditions of written representations and prose over successful hunts.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Erenaians are capable of typical hearing and enhanced sight, sometimes adapted specifically for underwater or dimly lit environments, an erenaian's bifurcated tongue serves as their main way of detecting and identifying smell, while also providing palate.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

As part of their vocal equipment, erenaian names are typically composed with lots of -rk, -er, -na, etc. vocalizations.
Female names are typically based on symbols of greatness and might, such as large creatures and monuments; while male names are based on symbols of grace and beauty, such as flowers and small creatures.
Upon marriage, both participants' last names are combined onto one, which is then passed on to their heir(s).

Major Organizations

The Erenaian Trade Empire.
Enforcers of Umpyrity.
The Cabal of Inakir.

Beauty Ideals

For males, beauty is based on one's frills, particularly their glister, coloration, and the erenaian's control over them. Alongside that, the male's whistling ability and slenderness are also considered important factors.
For females, bulk is by far the most important factor, imposiveness and intimidation are particular in the parts they play on the creation of a female's harem. Alongside that, fighting ability and frill size are also considered very important attributes.

Gender Ideals

As expected from the intense sexual dysmorphism occurring between male and female erenaians, transsexuality and other variations on gender are strongly discouraged under their culture and society, however, it is not unheard of erenaians making their way out of the planet and into highly inclusive Council Territory precisely for those reasons.

Courtship Ideals

As part of erenaian culture, the female is expected to, through the use of intimidation and physical presence, steadily "recruit" other erenaians onto her harem, including other females; the size of a female's harem determines their status in society and even political presence.

Relationship Ideals

While harems are perhaps the most important factor of erenaian society, they are considered almost exclusively political moves and symbols of status rather than actual romantic relationships, and while reproduction does occur, harem children are rarely kept, instead being sent to smaller families and government institutions for caretaking.
Instead, the typical romantic erenaian relationships are composed by 2 to 4 participants of varying gender, should all participants possess the same biological sex or simply not desire biological reproduction, children will instead be haremborn should the participants desire heirs.

Average Technological Level

Erenaians are a highly developed technological force, with small spacecraft commonly being used to traverse to and from each of the Trade system's habitated planets.
Other noteworthy discoveries include incredibly accurate cartographical devices, both for planet and spatial locomotion, as well as revolutionary improvements over the Council's volatile control over the incredible energy source that is purple matter.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Following the official founding of the Trade Empire, there occurred a systemwide integration of Common Erenaian based on the Holocenical's native language.

Common Dress Code

Erenaian dress is focused on practicality over style, with exceptions made for the highest of the high. Typical worker's garb is little more than a simple shirt over loose shorts; fighters, regardless of merit, wear simple plated defence; while poets and harem members tend to wear more risquè outfits suited towards their occupations.

Common Taboos

Perhaps one of the largest taboos in erenaian society is the act of romantic cheating: as attraction and interpersonal relations hold so much value in their culture, to betray a partner is to commit greatest treason.
Other taboos and traditions are not unlike those of modern day Earth, including activities such as theft, harassment, racial discrimination and murder, representing the strong moral value placed on erenaian culture.

Historical Figures

Erenaian culture pays great tribute to the exploits of poets and warriors alike, as an example of which we have Elkar Nacromenos, responsible for the Cabal's motto and greatest poem, and Nadria Madreis, warrior responsible for the defeat of a great leviathan that threatened the Cambrian people.

Common Myths and Legends

Perhaps one of the most noteworthy erenaian myths is the Drums of Erenai: worshipped by the Cabal of Inakir, the Drums are notable for their presence as one of the few planetwide religions. The myths of the Drums details a series of great warrior canonized to sainthood by the Creator following a series of great conquests that led to the establishment of Erenai as a habitable planet.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Due to the isolation of the Erenai homeworld and its associated planets, as well as the lack of erenaian insight into faster than light technology, relations between the erenaian people and other species are simply nonexistant, however, when given the opportunity, erenaians have shown amicability towards other species, particularly those with similar genetic distributions such as human, sometimes even leading to interspecies offspring.

Scientific Name

Reptilia Sapiens

Origin/Ancestry

Pleistial, Holocenical, Cambrial

Lifespan

50 years

Average Height

1.5 - 1.8 (Male) 1.8 - 2.4 (Female)

Average Weight

50 - 80kg (Male) 70 - 100kg (Female)

Average Length

2.2m (Head to tail)

Average Physique

While males possess much simpler physiques, as a result of being trained and educated for occupations such as poets, accountants or caretakers, often taking gym and other exercise forms as side activities, the females' education is focused around manual labour and physical clashes, leading to much more defined and bulky physique.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

As part of ethnic differences, scale colouring varies depending on each erenaian's typical habitation: the Cambrians' dimly lit underwater dwellings lead to darkened waterproof scales; the Pleistials' desertic habitations lead to a rusted yellowish coloration; and the Holocenical's jungle habitations lead to colourful, vibrant scales.