Reketta (ree-ket-tah)
The Reketta are a race beginning in early Ezqotia as reptilian humanoids, inhabiting most dominant continents in various forms. While retaining primitive tribes or lesser kingdoms across most of the world, they rose to fierce power in the early history as one of the dominant global empires. During the era of their best reign, they held stiff traditions of classes, slavery, and exotic arts and technology. They held reverence and strict hunting or worship terms for Dragons, and participated in chaotic divination in a form they classified as "The Viel", and "Dreaming". Meanwhile humans were rivals to be killed or enslaved, and most other races were considered expendable or exploitable by their views. Their god worship was mostly limited across much of the imperial span to only a few select figures or icons, with much more concern based in social status and materials. They are however responsible for pitching names like Gilda, Yol, & Polmressa as gods of worth. Gilda would later be intermixed with Sytiha worship. Their empire was also best at preserving and recording ideas behind the once only oral stories of Titan mythos of world creation that came from early Kayotian tribe stories.
Across time, there evolved a more mammal-like variant, and the groups changes and shifted, but the race retained strong power throughout most of its history. They wound up going to the stars as the second major force from Ezqotia under the ruling identity as The Gilda Federation, where they work on & off with mixed relations towards the more human-directed United Ezqotian Council. In post-empire years, a small set of the Rekettan population co-exist with humanity up to even their UEC phase in Starcroft.
While this topic will cover information abroad and include many details of their imperial phase, it is recommended to look into the Antiquity ethnic group for certain distinctions and closer information regarding imperial complexities.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Reketta tend to be more reptilian based across the main era, and have scales over top of their flesh, and in some instances can grow feathers or feathery fur-fiber. Longer or more developed plumage is more prominent on females, and rare along males who tend to often have harder scales instead. They have snouts, claws, and digitigrade feet that often have receding back-claws that used to be talons.
They are mostly cold blooded, but hold a higher retention of heat with insulation from feathers. May have extensional membrane, crests, or similar head features. Horns may grow at the back of the head, with unlikely cases sometimes developing stubs along the top of the snout, jaw bones, or multiple sets along the scalp. Most stay quite slim, though excess fat typically stores in the tail first. Males have a chance to grow more stocky with their muscles and slightly shorter tails, whereas females may appear slightly taller with longer tails.
Post-Imperial collapse has a split divide in some Rekettan evolution, with some developing to colder environments with more mammal features like warmer blood, internal child development, and holding more central fat stores. This more mammal-developed race is sometimes considered an ethnic class considered Mountain, or "Overland" Reketta. They're more difficult to distinguish in some time periods, and have cross-bred back with regular Reketta in some instances, but as time went on their males show more plumage or fur and can sometimes be heavier set. Females can be more obvious between the added difference of primitive milk glands, tail length more even with males, or in mature scenarios their method of child delivery. They are more disadvantaged in hotter climates, and some have even referred to traditional reptilian Reketta as "Sand" Reketta as a result of their better inclination to arid lands, or "Antiquity" with respect to their supposed time of imperial power. Despite these changes, many still retain phrasing all Reketta as reptiles or reptilian out of habit, including their own kin.
Genetics and Reproduction
Females are capable of laying eggs without much male interaction. They will only hatch however, with a male partner that shares sperm. The female will start egg production with the right hormonal timing, and have come into contact with a mature male - Either strong arousal or in-taking some form of DNA can start forming an egg, with it being common that this can even occur accidentally. Up to six eggs may make a clutch, with each egg averaging between two baseballs, up to near a basketball in size. Unfertil eggs take only a couple weeks to be laid, and the egg will have only the female's base DNA at first, but has porous openings and can take male sperm or certain nutrients. Multiple males can influence the egg, but this is rare and socially undesired in most instances. Impurities may result if another race contaminates the egg, but its more mild than normal halflings as the unfertile egg will default more to a Reketta's side; "full" halflings are more the product of direct bonding of the Reketta + other.
Traditional intercourse may allow a quicker process of development, where the egg hatches faster as the female already collected sperm for it. Either way, the egg must have heat, very occasional water, and some believe placing certain herbs with it helps. There is only a one-in-five chance the egg will hatch a male in most scenarios.
Culturally this has lead to various strange developments, where sometimes the eggs of a female are laid and then auctioned or won by a male. Parents have been a faded concept that may or may not exist across some groups. The imperial standard is children being raised by tutors and mentors, with other standards laying out some rules for social mingling. Direct coupling or intercourse is sometimes seen as taboo for certain higher classes and dignities to the point where its common that a pregnant female must simply impregnate herself by containers of genetic code from a market often called "Primers" meant to be ingested to start a clutch. Often the eggs will then remain unfertile until a male achieves the right to claim an egg. Females with "good genes" are sometimes told to become professional hens who are assigned to breed with either an equal male, or to stick with a routine of primer doses and frequent clutches. When born, hatchlings may go straight to a Reketta deemed to hold their future job, or to be an hier, rather than who was actually the biological mother or father.
As Overland Rekettans formed more mammal properties, some tend to give birth to only half the potential children amount, and slightly more male production with the ratio now more likely 1:3 rather than 1:5 - most triplet cases include a male. Since some of these Reketta were in an age with slightly mending human relations, some adapted to keeping up with their child and attempting parentage similar to potential human neighbors, or merely from curious discussions. However cultural ideals were hard to shake, and many still give their child to a tutoring system once they're developed enough with senses, and no longer require suckling. As technology developed, it made it even easier to even prepare a child before they were even born, and soul-warping magic or machine advances could alter minor features that were harder to access through eggs.
Growth Rate & Stages
- Hatchling - Considered to be a "Hatchling" is interwoven with what others would consider a child of many sort, rather than contrived methods of toddler, newborn, etc. Any Reketta under the age of ten years is considered a hatchling. In this stage they are cared for with only basic educating of their potential future, or basics of life. More lower-class born Reketta in the imperial system will need to be nurtured more similar to a parent, with it being the mother's responsibility to find more of place.
- Protege - Often used in place akin to a tween/early-teen, the Protege phase is when they're learning more closely, and practicing with their role in society, without fully taking in harder positions. Others may begin more medial tasks and won't change much from their more mature phases. If it is female, they will be often conscripted into military, scouting, or defensive training. Some hatchlings may become protege to a moving position, like being sent to a different noble house.
- Mature - Approximately around fifteen-to-sixteen of age, the Reketta is considered mature and is often give ideal duties, privileges, etc. They're capable of breeding, but males in imperial periods were made to often wait until their twenties before being entrusted to have genetics worthy of either making primer bottles, or getting any claim to eggs.
Dietary Needs and Habits
They will eat much of the same, if not more, than what humans will... and include humans in some of their diets, as well as Taur, Merfolk, etc. Its probably quicker to say who they won't eat, as the edible parts of Sfixian and dragon are very limited, orc too tough like their own kind, and Ank'shii meat considered toxic and more of a mixing ingredient for poison. Still, they're roughly the most aggressive carnivore race short of the more savage exchanges from dragons and Ank'shii, and endangered several races through either trade or their own consumption.
Their teeth are more inclined towards meat, but they've been widely known to eat certain types of grass, brush, and vegetation (But mostly process those more as drinks or teas), as well as fruit with some highly fond of berries, grapes, mangos, and oranges. They drink plenty of tea, water, juices, and alcohol in mostly the form of wine or spirits, with their spirit of choice being a sort of amber rum. Meat, salt, spices, and rum are all well prized, with rice and cider being cheaper commodities that commoners have access to. Its speculated they don't eat nuts due to their teeth form, or perhaps primitive ideas of them being poisonous. This even includes some mixed relations with seeds that were mistakenly classified as too close to nuts, such as coffee, and cocoa. They will hypothetically eat coffee & chocolate, but only if they don't believe the source came from "nuts", and for some time only experienced them in buying processed or mislabeled products off trade.
In the empire era, grain materials flourished more in their diets. The poor had to settle for more basic forms, and often only had access to fish and rice, or mushed "pot food" that could spread finer meat thin. Meanwhile feasts for aristocracy and special people like captains or representatives were often being given innovating or stolen recipes for sweets, and baked goods, with products of cake and donuts becoming more popular in the early years. Such upper classes had more access to spiced meats as well, and finer cookware. It was an ideal trend for many to "fatten their tail" as a show of class or stature, but it was considered ugly to appear more deliberately piggish or more generally obese. Much of the eating was refined to hall gatherings with some rules and ideals about proper etiquette, with ideals that the military could be more sloppy, while banner-holders, captians, or cooks themselves had to hold a clean and dignified appearance around the table and food. Common-folk civilian habits were looked upon as drunks as rice grain ale and cider could be cheap to have in larger quantities than their simpler food, and developed expectations more that their larger meal is to be had after most of the day's work.
Coffee and chocolate were mostly just traded from K'mosian for some time before discovering it wouldn't harm them much later. By roughly half way into the 2nd Scholar millennia (post-imperial fall), such foods were basic and widespread to those who had the means to make it, though the collapse of the empire sent a few into some technological loss. Future Reketta would eat roughly any form of processed foods, but legal tightening and agreements lead to a decline in consuming the meat of some sentient beings like humans. By the Starcroft era, merfolk was illegal meat that Reketta only have at black markets, but Taur under regulated guidelines became a thing consumed by most other races again.
Additional Information
Uses, Products & Exploitation
Scales, and horns might have minor uses, but for nearly every body part there's a better alternative off another creature. Their only edible part by accounts of most other humanoids, is their tail, if cooked properly. Their most valued asset is if they wield rare tech, or special loot, making it good to outwit and beat a small detachment of the empire, but little else. It is theorized that early primitive conflicts with them was more defensive than offensive, because there was little to truly take off them.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Many have developed gifted attunement with what they have dubbed as either the "Veil" or "Dreaming" plane. A strange realm of existence between the state of gods and spirits in legend, while some races have considered it nefarious, Reketta worship their attunement to it and have established ways and methods to recreate the material world in it, and alter effects in ways that give results of oracles, diviners, and conjuration. In truly bringing the mundane into it, they can then reap magical benefits closer to the other world upon it, sometimes bringing it onto the real world, as if confusing the "dream" state that separates chaotic wells of magic. This is all easier said than done, and some reketta seem to lack it at all, with it possibly being a more discrete gene that has flourished in some areas more than others.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Names are typically broken up in small gaps of the word, often with sometimes half based on a past name of a sort, sometimes even the naming guardian's own. This method is especially more common with females, but males stand a chance to have a simpler, quicker name that just flows well. Their name is said formally after their job title, and the following name is one detailing a special personal title, or honorary.
So, if a female was to be born to the house of Rum, where Queen Turro'ki holds high history, and she goes on to work as a captain in the local sentry forces where she is recognized as a loud authoritative voice, she might be named something like... Captain Jodro'ki, The Ear-Taker. Alternatively, a male treasurer of the same local area who lost his finger in a poor dual of honor, might end up with a name Coin-Counter Drhogg, The Four-claw. Of course, this is formality only, and in casual speak they may be addressed either by Jodro'ki/Drhogg, or as their personal-titles Ear-Taker/Four-Claw. Typically its tradition to greet an equal by job-title first, and a superior by full formality. A reketta may lose or change their personal-title however, if committing a good or bad enough act. One completely stripped and ostracized from their group, is collectively assigned that of "torned" - a title coming from the likely notion that their horns are to be ripped out.
Beauty Ideals
It is important to note that 'beauty' to certain variations of the central imperial Reketta, meant more like how one might judge a pet's pedigree, rather than how another might judge a partner. The larger array of serving citizens, and aristocracy, wasn't concerned or even considered it taboo to directly procreate, and rather the worth of beauty was summarized only occasionally in pairings, or spoken to flatter another. Standards were actually more often important to the male, for if the House knew what the female side of an egg looked like, it was an important trait to pair it with the right male. However some females were also kept restricted to laying only a few eggs, or having them destroyed, if they were designated as ugly.
Only the specially high-valued females and males of citizens were encouraged to bend such traditions, and breed more directly, or to at least lay and claim more eggs. A remarkable female might be reclassed as a 'professional hen' to breed or lay more eggs, while a remarkable male might be entitled to more eggs, or an arranged selection of females, though sometimes such people were also bought and sold off to another house like items. Royal nobility and the poor alike are of another exception; as the royal bloodline might wish to breed whatever heir they wish, and the poor aren't judged fondly enough for the social rulers to care.
Male
Males more typically pride themselves on their horns, and harder frame. Their broad snouts, more common horns, or stout arms may all be idealized, however along the empire a thin and elegant frame is still fine for those that appeal to the scholarly roles, especially in the House of Feather and such clan names. Bolder colors are ideal, and feathers less so, with some males being embarrassed and keeping the fibers plucked if they attain them. A fat tail can sometimes be a compliment of wealthy status, but this is more of a trait the males themselves highlight on a female rather than on their own merit.
Female
Females tend to more often have a generally sleeker frame with longer tails, bigger hips, and brighter colors. They more often have feathers, and are complimented for it, with some thicker coats often marking them as primary breeders. While favorable when thin, tail girth is measured as a common appeal for a healthier female, with it being ideal balance they eat wealthy enough to have a fat tail, without them overindulging to have it go elsewhere. Horns can be an occasional detriment, but when long and symmetrical, is considered a part of the poise and elegance. Ultimately the ideal image is large vibrant plumage, a sleek body, a long and fat tail on wide hips, and elegant long horns (or none at all). Some select people will also favor long frill-like membranes, including most incarnations of the empress herself.
Courtship Ideals
Direct mating bonds didn't ordinarily hold much ceremony, unless the class was of wealthy or significant value. In which case if a reketta of great acclaim and wealth was married with another, standards would be set in motion by demands of the individuals, and the people around them. For example, if a reketta of esteemed worth from both houses of Blade and Feather were to bond, there would be decisions and jurisdiction on which house the couple would migrate towards, auctions, and then a choice cerimony based on customs of their choosing like if fire-works, or commissions of art are to be had. In most cases, the legal groundings were settled first, with often the promise that the 'winning' house paid the bills for the couple's demands. Signs of devoted mates and bonds were marked with often painted scarring, or some jewel, but changed around by whim, with much less consistency than the average human cultures that made use of a ringed finger. In general, these bonds were rare and more a thing done by the elite of the elite, who would have to choose ruling heirs of a pedigree, or secondary partners in case they themselves fell or fled. So to have a devoted mate was more or less the duty of kings and lords, whilst partnering underlings could be sometimes scoffed at, and the lower class had little to no restrictions and no care or privileges of strict recognition if they did perceive to have a set mate.
Common Dress Code
Ancient Rekettans only wore loin coverings and basic protective accessories, but dressed less than humans with less vulnerabilities to cover, and a desire to keep potential plumage freer of chafing. As they developed more, they began dressing more elaborate in decorations leading to the Antiquity or Empire era where most separatists made decorative armors for survival, and the empire mixed elegance and style with efficiency and potential biodiversity. Dungeons and adventurers were given more fur-lined materials for warmth, and the rest depended more on class, rank, or display. Post-empire found most garments decreasing back to roles more central to just survival, or lesser wear and comfort.
Distant post-imperial days began to change some adjustments for traveling and more diverse Reketta, with cold-blooded Antiquity groups sometimes becoming equipped with more thermal electronic suits, while Overland Rekettas began to exchange more direct trade with some human wears, if making small adjustments where needed. Specialized uniforms were mostly dying out, as were some metallic armor sets. By the Starcroft era, most productive military corporations make much of the same styles in format variants suited to human, Reketta, and even some halflings. Reketta fashion is only more distinguished in this point by small cultural marks, like their higher fondness for draconic or avian motifs, with Antiquity bred Rekettans still also requiring thermal protection in colder spaces.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Neck-lift bow: Instead of a traditional bow, rested by the knees and lowering of the head, Reketta almost reverse the process by lifting their snouts to the roof/sky. The difference is with an elongated snout, they've found it to be more submissive to expose the throat and jugular, than to lower and bend their head as a human might. This is common through a long history, and is mostly a gesture they continue through most of the species' history with symbolic significance.
Void Crematory: Death is handled in sometimes odd ways, but much of the culture eventually manifested it into classism and death by belief in systems like the veils, dreaming, and void energy. It was at one point superstitiously believed the void preferred colors of magenta, blue, and similar 'cooling' ethereal choices. It was believed the stronger this experience could be, the better their soul would transfer to a different plane, or even reincarnate elsewhere, while lesser treatments might have the void reshape the soul, or else remain forever dead in the mundane plane. As such, those who could afford it were cremated by wrapping the body in a silky cloth of purple, blue, or gold, coated in oils. Once burned, the flame was supposed to be blue. Poorer got regular flames, and those deemed unworthy or disgraced are thrown to just rot in wilderness or waste fills. Humans often have a perception that Reketta are so brutal, they merely cannibalize their dead, but this is mostly a myth short only of some odd tribes.
The Evolution of "hen" & Fat-tails: Social customs made Hen a very strange vocabulary that could change in the generation to generation. In the broadest sense, it represents the word of "girl" or "woman" for reketta. It is a female term. However, in older times it was likely started as a word to replace their idea of 'matriarch', where a female would rest behind a pile of unfertile eggs, and make demands of a male if they wanted any claim to seed their legacy with one. Later, this term defused into just females for a bit, before resurfacing to hold meaning with eggs. In mid-to-late imperial eras, Hen could be applied to equal parts designated and revered "breeders" for the aristocracy that might be best to continuously produce eggs for a perfect House image, but also to the poverty and ragged female majority of commoners, and the whores who try to escape conscription by bedding an upper-class male. So in the end, the word is a confusing amalgamation of compliment, insult, and semantic labeling alike. Likewise, the idea of having a fat tail can change by context. Some consider it ugly, or undignified, like they're a pig. Other times its a status of success, and handsome worth; Akin to shifting from "You're pretty" to dismissing the individual as "Some pretty-boy".
Historical Figures
- Kesi'iloquet - First Empress
- Jaq'lejima - Deceased king that wed Kesi into power.
- Turro'ki - First imperial queen for Amber Isle, and conspirator within the empire.
- Yus'Mej - Another surviving queen of the civil war, who relented her command, but is still responsible for progress within the empire and its eventual progress to a fierce navy fleet.
- Royc'ver - Great inventor, and among those that lead to some of Ezqotia's first use of electricity.
Common Myths and Legends
Their myths and cultures abroad often contain elements of...
- Titanism: The observance mostly from Kayotia that the world was created by primordial giants, and "void" charged gods. Often - though not always - this included the names of such like Yol, who was depicted as the central creator of the world and other godly entities.
- Dreaming: A state of sleep that can manifest the conscience in the plane of magic.
- Some variety of reverence for other large reptiles, including dragons.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Dragons
Due to worship of either Gilda (Kayotia) or Sytiha (Basillua), Much of Reketta favors this goddess above others, with some even claiming her the mother of life. Represented always by them as either a golden dragoness, or projecting a Rekettan form, it is designated that dragons are symbols of godhood, warmth, and balance. However, they are also able to see the destructive and feral side of such creatures, and as such have a high but regulated bounty on hunting one. If a crystal dragon, their "heart" must be judged, the hunter dying if it is considered light or pure. In cases of more feral or ordinary dragons, it must be seen and permitted by an official of noteworth. Dragons are taken seriously as a symbol of great power and virtue, sometimes even having smaller cults or off-shoot groups paying tributes to one of their own will. In the further history, their federation was named after Gilda to spite dragon-slaying progress from their rivals.Humans
Much of their history with humans was full of blood. From tribal days, to the fall of their first empire, the Reketta did not agree much with humans aside from small exceptions, or short-lived trade ship agreements. Rekettan were considered a vicious threat, while humans were considered worth exploiting as food, slaves, or turf holders. During the era of Children of Turro'ki, trade routes and diplomacy eased tensions over with many, but didn't ever promise a fixed solution and still showed some issues. The first republic era started agreements to fight off any slavers, or meat butchers from the Rekettan end. When the Republic reformed with a centralized mindset, it reignited disparity, and separation with some tensions lingering even into the coming future. By Starcroft era an uneasy peace lingers between the two. However their mind for jewels and trade has always kept them more friendly to Orcasian humans, who were among the few specimens they also found disgusting to consume for their tough flesh.Taur
The Taur had only little tribal disputes with most local Reketta of the K'mosia region. The empire became the first to introduce more widespread exploitation of them as meat, and slaves. As a result, later generations separated from witnessing them depicted the Reketta as reptilian demon-spirits. By the reunion and Starcroft era, they view the Reketta with disgust or subtle fear, but can cooperate and work with them in many cases.Sfixians
In initial local-level issues, the K'mosian feline humanoids would see the tribal reketta as pests and primitive imbeciles to be mostly ignored, or killed. A few would collect their skulls. In later years they battled with the empire, and many began viewing them with strong hostilities during the short rule of "Anchor-Tail". They would hate them more if they knew later century conflicts partially caused by the Reketta lead to their endangerment. By the time they were rendered a protected class of Starcroft's eras UEC, they would view the Reketta and their history as thrifty traders, and untrustworthy allies. Akin to some ways the Taur see them, they will work with the Reketta, but hold subversive racist ideals against them that might make for some uneasy outbursts or confrontations.Merfolk
The Merfolk barely had contact until around the time of the Rekettan Empire, and their "Minotaur Trade" that brought boat activity around their K'Mosian spots. They were deeply intrigued with the reptiles, and when hostilities arose, they actually answered back by sacrificing some of their own less desirable kind to them with hopes of rewards. While some hostilities grew intense in the Rekettan fishing cruelty, others tried to entice them to breed with desires to have halflings that could dwell on the land and steal from their empire. As it was mostly female mermaids making the interactions, this odd paradox of ideals eventually lead to a gendered bias towards the Reketta. The Merfolk showed hatred for the many female soldiers on fleets, whilst trying to charm and befriend any males they contacted, in odd scenarios sometimes even trying to force them under water and raping them before they drowned. On the Rekettan end, the merfolk stayed as mysterious and conflicting creatures in their accounts. They could be described in reports as traders, helpful sea guides, to attackers, whores, and thieves, but all could agree their meat was tasty when salted and cooked. By the time of what few traveled in the UEC, the Reketta still desired them more as food with regulations preventing it, while the Mermolk were still more lustful despite also frustrating regulations that were trying incentive them to repopulate their own species.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Lifespan
60-120 Years
Average Height
Female: 1.5-1.9m
Male: 1.5-1.7m
Average Physique
Lithe & Strong for the most part, though some males could appear stocky. The well-fed might be thicker along the tail, while muscle distributes more evenly. Later mammal-like Reketta variants (See Overland) occasionally weighed moderately heavier with either coarser fiber-coats, or more evenly-distributed fat.
Related Ethnicities
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