K'siiva
The K'siiva are a race of high-tech and historically intelligent race of serpent people. Their society is a mix of magic and technology, with a lot of their own biology vastly reactive to mood and aura energies, but long potential lifespans of reincarnation leading many to develop vast technologies and travel connections across their potential for long lives. They dwell across a few planets, though it is believed their homeworld and last major point of central power was that of a planet called Vaxhora. They once held control of a vast empire across planets. However as they depend somewhat on a system of reincarnation and renewal for some hierarchy, the emperor was an exception that tries to hold an immortal form, but slowly decomposed of insanity. A civil war crippled the empire, and complicated various networks of influence and colonies the species had propped up.
Classifying them on the Orbital Archipelago's CDAM is complicated, and various extents of their kind are arguably yet to be discovered or understood, while those that are known dangerously rest between Comet & Hornet. They have influenced a number of various OA-recognized species, up to and including the Ryclin, Vyllk, Ho'naht, Krazzle, and others. While they have been on mostly friendly terms with the likes of ryclins, there's still complications when taking into account their slave systems, technological and sensory instabilities, and they naturally produce a venom that can transform most races into a gelatin-like amoeboid with irreversibly physical displacement, and amnesia. The OA is cautious about discoveries related to the K'Siiva, be it lost artefacts, or direct contact and trade.
Classifying them on the Orbital Archipelago's CDAM is complicated, and various extents of their kind are arguably yet to be discovered or understood, while those that are known dangerously rest between Comet & Hornet. They have influenced a number of various OA-recognized species, up to and including the Ryclin, Vyllk, Ho'naht, Krazzle, and others. While they have been on mostly friendly terms with the likes of ryclins, there's still complications when taking into account their slave systems, technological and sensory instabilities, and they naturally produce a venom that can transform most races into a gelatin-like amoeboid with irreversibly physical displacement, and amnesia. The OA is cautious about discoveries related to the K'Siiva, be it lost artefacts, or direct contact and trade.
Basic Information
Anatomy
The race are composed of snake-like bodies. They can grow between 3.5-6 meters in length on average, with a rare few being able to attain 10+ meter giants. Their long snake-like bodies ends in a torso, with common carbon humanoid similarities of possessing a chest, arms and shoulders, and stomach, with the tail connecting to the hips. Their heads most commonly resemble cobras, but may vary by individual modifications or developments, with a certain few sub-set born with smaller or no hoods as a result of some chemical and adrenaline differences and more comparable as the more 'domestic' or serving side of their race.
Each mature K'siiva specimen sheds their scales, and may occasionally change their colors a bit as they mature and age. They are very sensitive about the mater, and consider it a disservice to have their scales broken by outside measures, as that means breaking down and reforming the entire set to repair it and arguably even holds them back from proper growth or a genuine molt. They have a total of five fangs for teeth: Two tiny ones are always resting along the lower jaw, and considered 'grips'. The three along the top of the mouth can each be retracted. One at the center comes out for stuff like tearing open fruit for juice as a puncture. The two last parallel upper-fangs host a special venom more worth discussing in its own category.
Sexual dimorphism is mostly minimal. Males tend to often have more defined colors, sometimes slightly more rigid hood scales or crests that can vibrant a little on intense frustration or joy, and are more often a bit thicker from shoulders, to a more stronger tail, and darker eyes (amber, brown, yellow, green, hazel). Males also have tiny 'star glands' near the jawline, or along the cheeks, that can occasionally change color or swell/recede with certain actions of their aura or energy. Females more often have 'hollowed' eyes with a strange vibrant color (teal, sunset tones, or violet), or deep emptiness (black, 'starry', or a dull turquois). Their tails are slimmer, hips are broader, and instead of star glands they have translucent colors running in their scales that change with mood or energy. Neither gender has traditional sex organs, as they have long since thought to evolve (or even invent) themselves out of it. However, they do still have traditional ideals of a female hosting a child, and the male assisting to defend and teach it.
Genetics and Reproduction
The K'siiva have two different ways of starting a new life, be it proper reproduction where an energy bond is shared and transferred to be hosted in the female as a developing offspring. The asexual process of making newborn still involves some measure of physical contact between the partners, and an exchange of positive energy. They coil around each other in an embrace, and when enough of what is called 'synergy friction' is established between the two, the female inherits a great deal of energy. It begins to grow and foster one-to-three children that can take roughly two years to gestate, being physically ready in roughly 7 months, but needing a lot of more time to configure their senses, and sever ties of energy from their mother to be an individual. The amount of offspring is in part a choice of the energy exchange, and mood conditioning, with some higher status males taking on multiple females and leave behind many triplets (or broods) as a form of legacy or building a future obedient system of heirs. The female almost always perish (especially if making more than one child), between giving up a lot of its own energy, and the child's exit often coming as a bursting-out effect. The children are born fairly wise, often with some extra senses having already picked up on a few smaller ideas of a world they heard while in the late stages of growing in the mother.
Another form of new life is actually reincarnation, where enough molting and life with preserved energy will eventually allow a K'siivakian to expel a diminishing level of energy into making a form of cocoon they are reborn in. This process however is both revered, and yet highly unpredictable. The individual loses a large wealth of their knowledge, but retains a sense of energy-purity that can accomplish familiar or enhanced projects, and do new things, with old possessions remaining or even a few things left to help retrain the new self. Yet they come out younger with less strength, and a lot of times will even change gender, with the female variety often being the individual's final end if they mate and die with a child. So often it is the males that only reincarnate, and the highest practical amount of lives lived is three masculine life cycles. As suggested, reincarnation must be more intentional and a premature death is forever. This has lead to a few distinctive terms...
First Cycler: The K'siiva was born new, and has never reincarnated. Most females won't change from such a role, and rarely even acknowledge themselves with this term because of its common place. Each life lived through grants the K'siiva a 'Skin Token' charm to keep somewhere personal, often strung along as a necklace to indicate they have surpassed being a First-Cycler.
Aura Sage: A K'siiva that has lived for more than one cycle of life. Most often applied to males on their third life, but can be found in more advanced for a few. Must have two or more authentic skin tokens.
Broodless: A K'siiva that has reincarnated on from a female life, and likely never had a child. Might have turned into a male in their next life, but most likely retained a female form and might even pass it on their current run, but a very rare few become a female Aura Sage sometimes nicknamed a Queen Sage.
Never Molt: One called the Never Molt might be demeaning or revered based on its context. It is when the K'siiva attempts to grasp immortality, by passing their draining energy into personal charms and talismans to help preserve their core being and life. They often struggle to heal themselves or shed broken scales, and may slowly become more mentally unstable, but before then hold vast amounts of knowledge and often physical power. The emperor of their people are supposed to function in such a way, where they have the best techniques taught to them in an attempt to live and prosper with their people for an eternity, and mostly to good effect. However in each historical account of a Never Molt, they always have a turning point of going mad or surrendering to death or reincarnation. As such though, it is argued to be a detestable practice for anyone other than the emperor to try the practice without a large supportive base.
Dietary Needs and Habits
The K'siiva are difficult to categorize between dietary needs, but are most often seen as either strictly fruititarian, or carnivores depending on the place and experience. In more prospering nations, they mostly just feed on fruit and juices. Naturally they have developed to only drink their diets, be it blood or juice, but many have devices at the ready to serve as artificial sets of chewing teeth if they wish to adopt or work with another species customs or cuisine. Contrary to their serpent design, they can not unhinge their jaws or devour things whole. That said, they still have a horrifying way of consuming things be it through bleeding them, or the other fangs that host a strange venom...
There are two upper-fangs along each side of the top jaw that distribute a quick reactive venom that effect most carbon life. Its unknown how artificial this was developed into place, but for a long time now the species have used this venom on individuals or certain soft objects to rapidly liquify them into a strange gel paste. Items like fruit or fabric can be changed down to a sludge that can be drank with a slightly oilier change of its nutrients. Creatures bitten by it become more of a strange sentient blob with a deteriorating self-identity. Crueler imperial periods or sovereign colonies have used this to abuse other races with it. The slime-critter can be used as fuel, graft together a completely new individual, or (as one might expect within this section) slurped/eaten as a K'siivakian favorite.
Eating habits vary widely by discipline, with better nations or people often eating very rarely, and conserving their energy or charge in careful ways as a practice in line with their beliefs on best contributing to a healthy reincarnation, or growing careful molts of the scales. A K'siiva with proper balance in their life may consume very little across a wide span of time. However with higher intakes, the individual can sometimes understand and use the energy to growing longer and more defined scales through a few extra molts, sometimes becoming giants. In other cases, they might just become obese by overconsuming without purpose, or consume oilier nutrients that aren't suited for the proper vain developments.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Imperial & Repolishers: The imperials are once a class of those that merely took care of the emperor at its height, and thrived as a strong social class of experts and helpers among an elite. They directed a mostly prospering society that got along well, but when the emperor cast out stranger orders during the dark period, the inner-circle either fought in disputes, or become the perceived villains. In the current after-math, the imperials (more widely called "Repolishers" for a more accurate idea without an emperor) are a broader title attributed to those from common or noble worth trying to revive the culture seen in prosperous days, but still quietly dispute for a new central power. They often host more friendly relations, but strict conditions, to other species that swear loyalty or alliance to them.
Cutter Colonies: Cutters or Cutter Colonies are sovereign groups that splintered when the empire collapsed. Many of them actually enacted tragic and terrible things under the mad period, and lost a sense of bond with the morals or ideals of many others, even abusing their own kind or starting civil unrest or strength-based dominance and anarchy. However others are merely quiet types in search of solutions, old tech, or science, and don't wish to share it with a central authority, or even forgot much of where their origins were. In most cases their relations to other species are either abusive, or convoluted and confusing per odd caste decisions or disgruntled governance.
Korl: A Korl is a K'siiva born without much of a hood or crest feature. They are often considered 'ugly' and tend to act more timid, and agreeable. They are often mocked, considered the 'runt' of their family, and tend to work in grimier jobs than most.
Gelzoids (Gels): Gels are the name attributed to those of other races, or a few of K'siiva kind that are reduced by K'siivak venom into a gel-form. These critters are then left alive to still be considered a part of this social grouping, often forget who they are, or what they did. They instead feel only basic emotion, and slowly grow cognitive thought anew similar to a K'siivak infant, and will readjust to often be a blissful but naïve individual. Often these people may have once been criminals repurposed to be merchants, or laborers that now work as blobs using mechanical suits to live anew and work. If they are further disagreeable, or lack a better purpose, the K'siiva authority will often either burn them down to a fuel form, graft them as construction material, or consume them, sometimes even punishing another K'siiva by overfeeding one to eventually induce the same vulnerability to be transformed into a gel.
Without heavy engineering, becoming a gelzoid is irreversible, but can be improved by mixing and grafting multiple Gelzoids into a greater form with additional tech turning them back into a more solid and redesigned life. These new forms are often then called Zombies (oddly more often with a mark of honor, to be held in regard higher than those subservient as Gelzoids), while gel workers in mechs are nicknamed Golems. Depending on the place and time in history, the gelzoids weren't all so guilty, so much as the need or demand for them outweighed the purpose and population of 'others'. Often some regions might even build so much of their structures off gelzoid grafting that the other races dwelling there gesture on their living area being somewhat of a graveyard, or haunted sight, and speculation that the K'siiva even draw some of their energy off the reformed souls of others.
Without heavy engineering, becoming a gelzoid is irreversible, but can be improved by mixing and grafting multiple Gelzoids into a greater form with additional tech turning them back into a more solid and redesigned life. These new forms are often then called Zombies (oddly more often with a mark of honor, to be held in regard higher than those subservient as Gelzoids), while gel workers in mechs are nicknamed Golems. Depending on the place and time in history, the gelzoids weren't all so guilty, so much as the need or demand for them outweighed the purpose and population of 'others'. Often some regions might even build so much of their structures off gelzoid grafting that the other races dwelling there gesture on their living area being somewhat of a graveyard, or haunted sight, and speculation that the K'siiva even draw some of their energy off the reformed souls of others.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
Their scales, technology, and even the Star Gland organs of males are all highly sought, with even some superstition about getting and preserving K'siivakian eyeballs or the tips of their tails. Sometimes their sheds of skin are preserved or repurposed, and rarely one might steal a reincarnated being's skin-token. Once the empire fell, technology from its period was highly sought after, and some various races may seek it in their collection alongside similar trinkets from advanced conquerors of other universes like Izgorens.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
K'siivas have the basic senses, plus an additional sense around auras and a discharge of energy that can be used and wielded in tandem with their emotions and awareness. K'siivas have a great sense of smell, and sensitive nerves for touch that are further amplified by a sense of extra-consciousness along their aura. Vision can change on a multitude of colors, with a special membrane-eyelid being able to project a different view than their plain set of eyes, and able to see in more colors than many species. Their sight also applies to being able to perceive another K'siiva's aura even in a time where they're not projecting it enough for a normal species to see. Their only mediocre quality is really that of hearing, which is marginally better than humans.
Civilization and Culture
Beauty Ideals
K'siiva are simultaneously superficial and pragmatic around their attraction. They adore colors, and males with high status seek mates that are colorful, long and slender, and with a 'healthy blue' or superior aura. Females in such an instance rarely search back or seek a harem with a wealthy mate, but rather will be persuaded into a relationship with a wealthy male and comforted for the few years of a potentially expiring life when pregnant. However more monogamous or simpler class citizens will mostly look for performance in their partner, and it may be more often a female doing the seeking as much as the male. Work, technological understanding, collected materials, or exchanged virtues are all considered attractive, and sometimes two efficient workers are just a positive day or social meeting away from agreeing to breed.
Gender Ideals
The function has of their biology and life cycles have lead the two to host some fairly divided but not unfair roles of life. Females don't typically expect to live long lives, as they usually die after hosting one or numerous offspring. So females more often fall into categories based around simpler lifestyles, hedonism, and arts. Males may more likely live for a few potential lives, and will strive to learn and control their auras, and progress science or understandings for the next life and future. As a result, males more often take proactive and serious or stoic attitudes to a situation whereas a females tend to be more curious, and crafty. However as females do die to life this has lead to two polarizing outcomes divided by ruler ideals on if females are to be protected until they host children, or if they are free to experiment on or kill for projects because of their natural expendability.
History
Their empire is the cornerstone of much history and progress, with much else in the past and their evolution a serious mystery. With the empire, they endured several various phases of up-and-down kings and leaders, where one empire would try to live for immortal life spans until they had to reincarnate. They endured four cycles, with each in-between phase a small dark period of decline and distress, but never cast too long in its shadow. The K'siiva in these imperial glory days went out to colonize different planets, meet and work to indoctrinate various races and even new worlds and foreign systems. Many would come back and join society with strict rules, but easy access to knowledge and arts, and sometimes a much easier life than a troubled home world... or one that was currently going into a warring phase with the K'siiva. Then the emperor began to exhibit new behavior... they no longer wanted to endure another reincarnation, but rather test the limits of an extended life. The imperial circle began to fight, and struggle, eventually killing and replacing various members as the emperor changed the order of things.
A mad period soon degraded into a long standing dark era that now persists in present times. During the decline, aggressive laws and brutal policies terrorized some commoners and a lot of adopted alien races, and some colonies took to harsh measures like a poison in their very souls - which is actually possible given some aura inflections of their race, and how much social pressures can influence them. Some rebel groups started to form, and among them was a group that interacted the most with the OA...
SPOILERS AHEAD
One branch of the rebel forces began to monitor an unusual force they believed was caused by the mad emperor, where they were detecting a distant universal planet sphere that had life, but unusual tears and products of universal rifts. They eventually took to the planet of Kyberus, where they investigated to find the place itself was merely one of a few connected rift anomalies, but lingered on with striking fascination at the unintelligent but vastly capable predatory practices of Primal Ryclin . They conjured a plan to reengineer them, with intelligence and understanding that could be used to employ them as a countermeasure against the emperor. When all was said and done through a lot of work, they recieved intelligence on a dead emperor, and a fractured fabric. With many wars and confused colonies, they looked to some of the abuse and feared adding ryclins would merely complicate things or even turn against them. They only borrowed a few to continue and test with, and left the rest with bare essentials to continue their newfound uplifted evolution. It took another century or more before the ryclins started to become their current form, and they lived with such ambiguous confusion with other visitors that it became lost knowledge for some time that the K'siivaks had even been their source of artificial uplifting, with some confusion even giving way to the idea it was the Ho'naht . Corrections and rediscoveries with this kind are ongoing.Spoiler end.
Presently, the K'siiva are still enduring a mix of hardships from losing their emperor and colonial networks. Those seeking to make amends on the kinder side are working either in small isolated pockets of collectors and explorers such as a small few on the Vyllk world of Cauven, or Repolisher imperialists that wish to recreate the prospering era on more gentle regions of Vaxhora. Other places are still locked into longstanding hardships, with some like those sharing the Krazzle's homeworld running a dystopian realm of industrial exploitation. Those that come to understand them, revere and fear their technological ability when they are at their best potential, and its unknown how or if a situation will resolve itself, or if it will even be for the better if such a race were to unite.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Lifespan
60 years average per normal life cycle, but can press the life up to a couple thousand years at risky degradations, or metamorphically live for centuries in healthier reincarnations
Average Physique
Long and thin, with strong tails. Females tend to be more sleek, males tend to have more stocky strong-shouldered appearance.
Related Organizations
Related Technologies
Related Materials
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