Impis

Basic Information

Anatomy

Impis are bipedal and four-limbed. They have short digitigrade legs with five toes, and longer hands with four fingers and opposable thumbs. Because of their proportions, they are comfortable using all four limbs to move.

They have claws in both toes and fingers, though they are relatively dull in their natural state. They tend to have muscular shoulders and neck, while their bite is strong enough to tear through light armour.

Biological Traits

There are several subspecies of impis, similar in many ways to various Terran hyenas. These include the long-furred Brun (brown), the smaller Ard (aardwolf), the massive Dibb (spotted), and the quiet Glan (striped). All impis are covered in fur, with a crest growing along their spine and on their head.

Genetics and Reproduction

Impis reproduce sexually, with gestation times being comparable to those of a Terran hyena. Females give birth to litters, typically of four to six cubs.

Dietary Needs and Habits

A carnivorous species, impis are capable of digesting some plants but rely primarily on meat for their dietary needs. They are not above consuming the flesh of other sentients, if necessary.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Each subspieces of impis has a different social structure, be it the nuclear family of the Glan, the single mothers of the Dibb and Brun, or the communal units of the Ard. Aside from the more egalitarian Glan, all impis families are matriarchal, with the males being dominated by larger and stronger females.

On a societal level, impis are matriarchal, ruled by the Shadow Council below the surface of Rapax. In practice, the various impis packs are scattered and only loosely connected, with the warbands forming as needed for a raid.

Each pack is comprised of a small number of warriors, and their entire families and belongings. A typical pack fleet has only a few ships that are used in combat, with the vast majority of the rest being used for non-combatants and spoils of war.

Facial characteristics

Impis faces are hyena-like but flatter, with large ears on either side of their head.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Native to the planet Rapax in the Necash system, impis can now be found in every world claimed by the Arochi Empire.

Average Intelligence

The average impis shows intelligence slightly lower to that of a human, but they are possessed of low cunning and instincts that easily offset that.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Impis senses are comparable to those of Terran hyenas.

Civilization and Culture

History

Impis evolved from a hyena-like pack scavenger and hunter, that routinely went against far stronger predators in order to steal their kills. Eventually, they would become nomadic hunters, following the scarce prey across the face of their planet. By the time the bos arrived on Rapax, the impis were a collection of warring city-states without a unified body to rule them all.

As was customary for the bos, they challenged the champion of the impis to a duel that would determine the fate of the species. That proved to be a gross miscalculation on the side of the bos. To them, duels were sacred but to the impis, duels were a fine way to earn more scars by which to impress the females. They squabbled over resources, wealth, and access to females. Their duels were brief, bloody, and without long-lasting consequences.

Given the nature of impis society, there was no real champion to speak for all of them. A crafty Glan was chosen, the young male being not even a third of his bos opponent. The champion of the invaders collapsed mid-swing, succumbing to poison. The Impis claimed a victory no bos would ever accept. As a result, Rapax was bombed from orbit, and the surface was rendered inhospitable to all life.

What the bos had not foreseen, was that the impis had commandeered several of their ships, while the duel was taking place. Strategically placed explosions convinced the Empire that those ships were destroyed along with the impis. A third of the population managed to escape the bombardment, fleeing to the stars. The galaxy had just gained a new threat.

Several centuries have passed since that fateful duel and, as far as the Arochi Empire is concerned, Rapax is a dead planet, not worth even mining it. In reality, some of the impis have returned, operating right under their neighbours' noses. Beneath the scorched surface of Rapax, lies a vast network of tunnels that serves as neutral ground for the dozens of impis raider groups.

Getting there without being noticed takes skill, and only the most experienced Impis are granted the right to even attempt it. The vast majority of the race lives in the outskirts of the Arochi Empire, harassing from the shadows and striking against undefended worlds. By the time the Empire responds, the raiders are long gone, leaving behind nothing but bloody mayhem.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Impis are hostile to most other sentients, but they reserve a special kind of hatred for the bos and their Arochi Empire. Holding a grudge for the glassing of Rapax, they have elevated harassing the Empire into an art form. Those living under bos rule have grown to fear their towering overlords, but they fear the cackling demons even more. Where raiders go, females are watching. Those that disappoint do not get to enjoy the spoils.

Scientific Name

Hyaena cristatus rapaxi

Lifespan

50 years for males, 65 for females

Conservation Status

Secure

Average Height

1.7m for males, 1.9m for females

Average Weight

60kg for males, 70kg for females

Average Physique

From scrawny to fit, specifics depend on subspecies

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Impis are covered in fur, displaying all the different patterns found in Terran hyenas. Pure black specimens have also been documented. Different bloodlines have different patterns associated with them.