Katcho

"Katcho are a race of sapient that many in Azalea know as a nuisance, but there is a bit more nuance to their existence. A guarded race, they've sought out refuge in the Azalean sewers, as their ancestral home was polluted centuries ago in The Great War. Despite their depiction as dirty, primitive peoples, there still remains a beautiful oral tradition."
---Carmo Alvarez, 'Beyond the Wall: An Architectural Approach to Ancient Civilizations'

Basic Information

Anatomy

Katchoin anatomy strays from the standard sapient body plan somewhat: they still are bipedal, and most have two legs, but Katchoin possess four arms, and a face with six eyes. Some even have a few pairs of vestigial wings on their backs, which allowed them to fly over a milennia ago. Since their home is now in the tight confines of the Azalean sewers, they've shrunk to the point of being incapable of flight.

A feature fairly unique to Katcho, they possess not only scales, but chitinous plates in select parts of their body. It is said that they evolved for display purposes, but Katchoin scholars insist that they were used for courtship rituals which involved fighting: the chitin may not have been resilient, but it was far easier (and safer) to naturally regenerate than scales.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

The Katcho's native range was within the Bakujima prefecture, an archipelago that was found southwest of the city of Sunovia. There, the Katcho intermingled with other sapients, but always were wary of the issues that may pop up due to a clash of cultures. On many accounts, Katcho interbred with these sapients, which allowed the reptilian Katcho a more "friendly" representative for their people.

Unfortunately, due to severe radiation poisioning in the Katcho's ancestral lands, most of them felt force to take refuge in Azalea. It is speculated that this was done to "keep their enemies close", as being out in the open would leave them vulnerable. Despite the fairly inhospitable conditions of living in a sewage system, these Katcho were able to keep themselves fed and otherwise protected from the elements, even when Azalea's protective petals ceased function.

As for the Humans that previously lived in what was known as Bakujima, most of them moved eastwards into the Ceresian state of Ooshima. Some Katcho have managed to immigrate to the island chain, with varying degrees of success. In fact, the Human-passing ancestors of mixed Katcho are categorized as the island chain's indigenous, and most bring Katcho into their communities with reverence.

Scientific Name

Genus Katcho ["lizard bug"]

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