Neragi

The Neragi are a race catlike humanoid native to the world of Shanar, located in the Zral system. Among the various inhabitants of the Proxima Galaxy, the Neragi have earned themselves a reputation for being some of the finest hunters and trackers in the galaxy, skills that they've honed over generations within the jungles of their homeworld. Driven by the desire to seek out challenging quarry, many Neragi can be found throughout the galaxy working as bounty hunters, Wayfinders, and beast hunters.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Neragi have a humanoid build covered in fur, with two slightly digitigrade legs ending four claw toed feet, two arms ending in hands with three clawed fingers and a thumb, catlike ears, and a long furred tail with a slight tuft at the end.

Biological Traits

The Neragi are capable of producing a weakening toxin that can be injected through a pair of hollow fangs.

Genetics and Reproduction

The Neragi give birth to live young.

Ecology and Habitats

While they can now be found anywhere in the galaxy, they are most at home in jungle environments similar to those found on their homeworld.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The Neragi are omnivorous, though meats still make up the majority of their diet.

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

The Neragi have a similar facial structure to most humanoids, though with a mix of feline and snake traits, including fur, large slit pupiled eyes, catlike ears, a serpentine tongue, and fanged teeth with pronounced canines on the upper and lower jaws, as well as a hollow pair of fangs capable of injecting venom kept folded against the roof of their mouth when not in use.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

The Neragi can be found all throughout Inhabited Space, as well as some parts of the Outlier Territories, and are especially prevelant within the systems controlled by the Shanari Worlds.

Average Intelligence

The Neragi have average intelligence, and a highly adaptive mind.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

The Neragi have very keen senses of sight, hearing, and smell. Additionally, their eyes can see in low light and infrared, and their tongues can "taste" certain smells their other senses can't pick up.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Neragi names tend to use harsh sounds.

Male: Akaan, Nuka, Kresh, Zehn, Javak
Female: Zieki, Anut, Veza, Rryn, Ikal
Last Names: Hsak, Drasch, Saeth, Kavash, Raen

Major Organizations

The Lodge: The Neragi were founding members of the Lodge, an organisation dedicated to hunting dangerous beasts across the galaxy, and make up the majority of its membership.

Beauty Ideals

The Neragi consider boldness and a strong physique to be attractive. Additionally, scars earned from a successful, or at least impressive, hunt or fight are considered attractive physical traits.

Gender Ideals

While Neragi of both genders contribute equally to most roles, it's still generally expected for females to remain closer to home, while the males venture further out, a view that has it's roots in their ancient pre-FTL days.

Courtship Ideals

While the male is typically the one who initiates the courting, it's the female who has the final say. The courting process itself consists of the male providing some form of proof of their skill, often in the form of a trophy taken from an especially challenging adversary.

Relationship Ideals

The Neragi are commonly monogamous, and will remain together until either death, or until one of them is no longer capable of supporting them both.

Average Technological Level

The Neragi possess advanced technologies on par with the majority of the rest of the galaxy, with a heavy focus on technologies that can aid in hunting in various environments, including cloaking technology and detection systems. Additionally, the Neragi have used their technologies to enhance their existing hunting tools, as well as create new ones, including hunting blades utilizing Pulse Blade technology, precision rifles, stun weaponry, and stun nets.

Common Etiquette Rules

Among the Neragi, it's considered proper etiquette to allow whoever landed the killing blow on a hunting target to claim the kill, or at least most of the credit for it.

Common Dress Code

Neragi clothing is designed for light weight and ease of movement.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Among the Neragi, hunting has always been one of the great cornerstones of their culture. Since the earliest day of their people, slaying the many great beasts of their homeworld has been both a means of providing for their people, as well as a mark of prestige among the more successful hunters of their clans. Even after growing to become an interstellar civilisation, this reverance for the hunt has persisted among the Neragi, who now use the skills they've honed over generations to excel as beast hunters, bounty hunters, and assassins, and many Neragi Wayfinders are drawn to exploring the unknown regions of the galaxy in search of interesting prey.

This focus on the hunt has also given rise to many martial elements in Neragi society. Among the Neragi, ones ability to provide for their community, through both physical might and cunning, is a major factor in determining ones social status, as well as determining ones candidacy for leadership. While the technologies and assets made available by the Galactic Age have lessened this aspect of Neragi culture somewhat, elements of it can still be seen among small groups, such as clans, strike teams, and hunting parties.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

The Trial of Fangs: An ancient initiation ritual for new hunters, wherein the participant is left on a Wild World to survive for a month, unassisted and with only primative tools.Upon successful completion of the trial, the participant is made an official hunter, and given full access to the advanced tools and technologies that come with the title.

History

Before achieving the means to venture into the wider galaxy, the Neragi originally lived in tribal clans scattered across their jungle homeworld. While the development of their civilisation was largely uneventful, some believe that the Neragi have had encounters with Shaper relics and technology, citing the mentioning of "metal beasts" (possibly Shapper drones deployed or crashed on the planet) as evidence. This would all change during the Age of Discovery, whenthe Neragi would recieve their first visitors from beyond the stars.

A few years after the start of the Age of Discovery, a research team consisting of Halai and Veraxi made planetfall on the world of Shanar, and at the suggestion of the Veraxi, began the process of uplifting the Neragi into a spacefaring civilisation. While initially suspicious of these outsiders, the Neragi began taking interest in the technologies they brought with them, particularly that of the Halai with their focus on speed and precision, and eventually used the knowledge and tech given to them to expand beyond their homeworld and into the wider galaxy beyond. While their initial arrival in the galaxy wasn't without it's issues, the Neragi have been able to grow into a respectable galactic power, constantly seeking out new hunting grounds among the many worlds of the galaxy.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

The Neragi have mostly neutral relations with the rest of the galaxy, and are considered associates of the Free Systems Alliance. There are, however, some races which they've formed rivalries with as a result of their pursuit of challenging quarry, such as the Aradi and the Skarak.

Lifespan

110 years

Average Height

Male: 6'1" Female: 5'11"

Average Physique

All Neragi have a lean, yet well-muscled physique, and are more flexible than most other species.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Neragi fur comes in various shades of brown, yellow-gold, and occasionally white, sometimes with dark markings. Additionally, their hair is typically brown, black, or grey, and their eyes are often yellow, green, or yellowish brown.