Khirmagne
The Khirmagne are a Kind of Sazashi. They were designed by the Vadakendanic Procession to survive in what others would consider uninhabitable.
A Khirmagne's hardiness in unrivaled, reinforced digestive systems, physical strength and advanced filtration organs combine to ensure that no matter how bad a land may be, a Khirmagne can be found making it livable.
Khirmange's survivability was acheived by not only using Sazakraht genes, but the Laughing Night as well. This gives them a more rugged and alien look compared to other Sazashi, which can lead to a detrimental reputation.
Common Banners
ValuSelu PactFederation of Free Planets
Uncommon Banners
Church of The SomnolentVanthric Haimarchy
Jupiter Syndicate
Kranth "Rosy" Or'rlin sat alone at the trunk of the worlds most comfortable tree— her orga-hide leather armor had sunken nearly two inches into the loamy soil.
The sky radiated a brilliant blue to dull purple, fluffy clouds sparked godrays that beat out any holoshow she'd seen. Nature provided her all the company she needed, the chirping of the birds, the rustle of wind through the vibrating flora.
She occupied her mind with a particularly inviting stick, her obsidian-lined claws carving intricate Sazasharanare patterns that stated "Rosy was Here."
A sharp pain lanced through her legs, rolling up from her toes until it came out in a gutteral growl from her lips.
"Little fucker packed a punch."
She forced out, bringing her gaze up to the bloody paste of the crab-spider thing that got her in this mess. Some if its chitin still stuck to her sole.Her fellow colonists told her to find food, so she found whatever the hell that thing was. Turns out if it felt threatened, it exploded some sort of neuro-toxin that turned her muscles to mush and her bones into lightning rods of pain. Could only imagine it'd kill anyone but her.
"At least you squished with a nice sound, eh?"
So here she was, carving her name into sticks waiting for her more fragile friends. She could already hear their boots crunching the leaves as they made their way over.
She stared up at the sky, enjoying the moment of peace made even sweeter knowing that she had conquered yet another unknown beast on this new world.
As a Species
The Khirmagne are a chimera of two of Jhoutai's apex predators: the Sazakraht and Laughing Night. The ancient Verin took prominent features of both predators to develop the Khirmagne as the ultimate survivors.
They are tall and muscled. Thick limbs and long legs give them reach and speed. They aren't as mobile as a Hiserabi, or as strong as a Kajh, but few adventurers can travel as far as a determined Khirmagne.
The Khirmagne has a thick hide. Thick and shaggy fur ranging between tan and black grows like a cloak around their upper body. The fur tapers out around their face and abdoment where the fur only grows as a lighter-colored short fuzz.
A Khirmange's face is unique among the Sazashi. They have large eyes, a wrinkled nose, and massive tusks that hide multiple sets of jagged and brutal teeth. Their ears are long and upright, with only fuzz to cover them.
You could point in any direction, and travel until you can't move another inch. Wherever you wind up, you'll find the toothy smile of a Khirmagne there to greet you.
Well unless it's their property, then you'll find a very gnarly scowl.
Eyes
Khirmagne have deep-socketed eyes with vertical line pupils taken from the Laughing Night. Some describe the eyes as having a haunting appearance. Their eyes draw from dark hues such as red, purple, and green.
Tame the dangerous.
All the Sazashi have an Akjhe which provides them a drive to fulfill a purpose. For the Khirmagne their Akjhe is to conquer places that no one else could.
A Khirmagne is driven towards danger, not to punish themselves but to add it as something they have brought under their heel. Dangerous terrain, unknown flora and fauna, all just another challenge for the Khirmagne to overcome.
What is Akjhe?
Kranth "Rosy" Or'rlin
Exemplar, MartialA rugged survivor who gets her kicks by kicking down any unknown fauna that threatens her colonists. Kranth is a pathfinder for The ValuSelu Pact.
Rosy has experienced posions and venoms from the most exotic locales, all for the sake of surviving it and letting her team figure out how to counter it.
"Necrotoxins, Cytotoxins, Myotoxins, whatever-toxins. Nothing has proven itself too much for ol' Rosy to handle."Open Slots
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As a People
Khirmagne were the first to survive across the sea, the first to survive in the stars.
The settlement of new worlds doesn't happen without Khirmagne.
The Khirmagne were the first Sophont created by the Vadakendanic Procession that utilized traits from multiple species. They were designed to conquer what they could not— the Jhoutai mainland. They served as scouts, colonists, and constructors.
As the dust settled from the Sazashi Revolution, the Khirmagne were given the nation of Khatoum. The land was harsh as a Nege Jungle, and became even tougher after being turned to a desert by the Shejlt-Rajh.
They were innovators in warfare technology, having little meta to wield led to advancements in chemistry, mechanics and even the introduction of the firearm. Their entire economy became warfare, even if the nation itself was run by indvidual warlords rather than an organized government.
Only after The Bannercasting did the Khirmagne unify under a single leader.
Throughout history, their natural ability to survive and their differing appearance has given them a harsh reputation as crude and uncivilized. Something that most Khirmagne would protest in their own unique way.
Common Culture
Khirmagne culture is about making a place for themselves, many times in a place that fights against their presence. Khirmagne are solitary compared to other survivors, such as the Hiserabi and Nasyk. Many own their own stores, others can be found in the middle of the wilderness.
The Khirmagne strive to be tough, and to overcome the worst obstacles. Even in their home of Khatoum, there are acid pits and scorching deserts. It is hardly a vacation spot, but for the Khirmagne it provides the satisfaction of conqeuring what others would not even dare.
Settler
You have found new purpose with the current Expansion Era, new unknowns to make known. There are thousands of planets still unclaimed, new challenges for a Khirmagne to face. You find these planets, and become the first to tame them.
Survivor
You take your survival skills to the next level. You take on your challenges alone and not just tame it, but live it. You are a solitary force of nature, perhaps you work as a guide, or maybe you are a hermit. Wherever you have chosen, you are the expert.
Renegade
You survive different situations than the others. Combat is as wild and untamable as the harshest nature, and you can find combat anywhere. You utilize your physical strength to tame fights. You may be for hire, you may be employed, but you can survive fights that would leave others in the dirt.
In Play
Khirmagne were first designed to survive the unsurvivable and make it tame for those who followed. To do this they were given a set of natural tools dedicated not only to let them survive, but learn how to make living easier.
These natural abilities combine with their sickle-like claws and multiple rows of savage teeth to make a rugged indiviual designed and equipped to wrangle any wilderness.
Khirmagnes can play multiple roles in a party. They can be fantastic fighters with their strong bodies and conquers of situations which require survival. They are often not very people oriented though.
Play a Khirmagne if you want to be able to dole out some physical punishment and take some yourself.
Khirmagne can be found in the most desolate or hostile of places. They make great guides!
Khirmagne often know the local flora and fauna, at least which ones are safe to eat.
Khirmagne can be very attuned to the dangers of a location, and have learned how to survive them.
If a party needs a fighter. A Khirmagne makes a very strong choice.
Traits
Khirmagne Claws are long and sharp, with a shape like a sickle blade. A Khirmagne has specialized ducts in their fingertips that deposits any ingested posion to the claws. They have multiple rows of teeth that surround a pair of tusks that are fused with the bottom jaw. The tusks stick out of their jaw, tucking in front of their upper lip.
Poison Filtering
The Corralums from which the Khirmagne's ancestor, the Laughing Night, hails is a hotbed of poisons and toxins. One of the Traits which made them an apex predator was their ability to metabolize and weaponize these biohazards.
All Khirmagne are born with this ability, though metabolizing biohazards is much more of a strenuous task for them than a Laughing Night. It can be debilitatingly painful, exhausting, and in some cases can trigger a 'purge'.
A Khirmagne can withstand nearly anything that they ingest. They can eat any natural poison or spice. If it is enough to debilitate most races, it will give them a nasty stomach pain or force them to 'purge.'Khirmagne armor heavily protects the stomach. Gut wounds are excruciating deaths for a Khirmagne, enough that they have myths and tales invoking the terror of it. No Khirmagne wants to die of digesting themselves.Poison Ducts
Once a Khirmagne has metabolized any poisons from their body, it is secreted out through special glands running to their mouth and hands. The higher the rank of this, the more refined the process becomes as the Khirmagne picks up the habits of diet, exercise, and self-care required to process poisons, until the poison being secreted is almost as potent as the poison ingested.
Echolocation
While a Khirmagne's quills and jaw are too dense to be used as a barometer, they pair well with your Laughing Night ears to grant you echolocation. Not every Khirmagne realizes they can do this. Mastery takes time.
These are a really fascinating species. I love the idea that they can utilise ingested poisons in their own self-defence. That's such a cool aspect of these guys!