Skarak

The Skarak are a race of reptilian humanoids native to the world of Kaerus, located in the Vaaros System. Among the sapient races of the Proxima Galaxy, the Skarath are renowned for their resilience and aggression, both of which lead to them having the strongest martial culture in the galaxy. It's thanks to these traits that the Skarak have been able to become one of the dominant forces in the Outlier Territories, with some of the fiercest mercenary and pirate groups having found their origins among them.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Skarak are humanoid reptiles with crocodilian traits, including hard scales on their spine, arms, and legs, two legs ending in feet with three clawed toes, two arms ending in large hands with three clawed fingers and a thumb, powerful fanged jaws, four backwards-facing horns, and a long, scaled tail.

Genetics and Reproduction

The Skarak give birth to live young, with infants already having the beginnings of fangs growing through their gums.

Ecology and Habitats

The Skarak are most comfortable in either dry or humid environments, like those found on their homeworld.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The Skarak are primarily carnivorous.

Behaviour

The Skarak are naturally predisposed to asserting dominance in a group environment and reacting with aggression towards any percieved competition/threats, contributing to their belligerent attitude.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Skarak groups, including their clans, structure themselves around whoever they consider to the the most dominant among them.

Facial characteristics

The Skarak have a facial structure similar to most humanoids, with strong, fang toothed mouths, large slit pupiled eyes, four backwards-facing horns, and pointed ears.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

The Skarak can be found throughout the Outlier Territories, particularly the systems they've claimed for themselves as part of the Kaerian Star Clans.

Average Intelligence

The Skarak possess average intelligence.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

The Skarak have keen eyesight, including the ability to see by heat.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Skarak names are harsh sounding.

Male: Nazek, Rhut, Kottax, Joruk, Gakar
Female: Skvadi, Tyra, Khesk, Rheis, Nagia

Major Organizations

The Suneaters: One of the largest and most fearsome pirate groups in the galaxy, with the Skarak serving as both their founders and primary recruitment source.

Beauty Ideals

The Skarak consider a strong physique and a fierce, bold personality to be attractive. Additionally, the Skarak consider scars earned through battle to be attractive physical traits.

Gender Ideals

While Skarak society typically doesn't distinguish between gender, males are still typically favored for more dangerous tasks, such as military service.

Courtship Ideals

It falls on the male to do the courting, typically by proving their worth through some noteworthy accomplishment.

Relationship Ideals

While the Skarath are normally monogamous, they will remain together only for as long as both parties are capable of equally supporting one another.

Average Technological Level

The Skarak have technology on par with most of the rest of the galaxy, with a heavy focus on military technologies. Additionally, due to the scarcity of materials in the Outlier Territories, as well as the generally utilitarian aesthetic of the Skarak, their technologies are less refined in appearance and function, but are much easier to produce quickly and in large numbers.

Common Dress Code

The Skarath favour clothing that's tough, yet easy to move in.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Since the earliest days of their species, the Skarak have always upheld strength as the most important trait in their culture. This trait was largely influenced by the harsh environment of their homeworld, which made it neccessary for the Skarak to adopt the fierceness and resilience they're known for today in order to ensure their survival. This focus on strength can still be seen in many aspects of Skarak culture today, including the dominance heirarchy that influences their group dynamics, as well as their willingness to seek out new challenges to test themselves against.

Naturally, this has also lead to the Skarak developing one of the strongest martial cultures in the galaxy. Among the Skarak, all are expected to be ready and able to fight, both for defense and expansion, and spend most of their lives preparing to do so. It's thanks to these martial traditions that the Skarak have grown to become one of the most dangerous fighting forces in the galaxy, as well as a dominating force in the Outlier Territories.

History

For the majority of their pre-FTL existence, the Skarak lived in tribal clans scattered across the mountains and swamps of their homeworld within what's now the Outlier Territories, whose harsh environment forced them to adopt the aggression and ferocity they would eventually become known for in order to drive off competitors for survival. At some point, the Skarak would come across a small number of long abandoned observation outposts (believed to have been constructed by the Shapers or one of their vassals to study the Skarak for military purposes), and begin using what knowledge could be recovered from them to speed up their own technological development. Despite their advancements, the disparate clans that made up Skarak society continued to compete with one another for living space and resources, and upon achieving interstellar travel, they would scatter across the stars in pursuit of building up their territories and influence.

It wouldn't be long afterwards that the Skarak would begin encountering other races in the Outlier Territories, and almost immediately come into conflict with them in the pursuit of further expansion. When the races of Inhabited Space began expanding into the Outlier Territories, the aggression of the Skarak would consistantly hinder their attempts at establishing peaceful contact with them, resulting in the worlds and systems under their control being deemed off limits. This fearsome reputation would persist into the modern day, and while the Skarak mostly remain confined to their territories, some can still be found working as guns for hire for anyone willing to enlist their services.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

The Skarak have poor relations with the majority of the galaxy, with their aggressive nature leading to several conflictsgreat and small. Despite this, some Skarak mercenaries are still able to find work within Inhabited Space, though mostly as enforcers for criminal elements.

Lifespan

90 years

Average Height

Male: 6'2" Female: 5'11"

Average Physique

The Skarak possess a a powerful physique, particularly their arms and legs.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

The Skarak have grey skin, with black scales covering their arms below the elbow, their legs below the knees, the outside of their biceps and thighs, the length of their spine, and the entirety of their tail. Additionally, their eyes are a solid red with black pupils, and their hair is either black or white.