Cilvarthian
Cilvarthians are the native people of Cilvarth, a planet in the Kurhira System. Their overbearing love for tea kickstarted their spacefaring age; the first ever cilvarthian spacecrafts were designed to store tea plants harvested from neighbouring planet Ivucarro.
These people have found homes on a handful of other planets besides their own. Several million inhabit Razhea Capita, Osao, and Maresa, among other planets in the Greater Oasis of the Milky Way.
Taxonomy
The scientific name for a cilvarthian is Procavia cilvarthii. They are in the same genus as hyraxes, and is the largest species.
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Hyracoidea
Family: Procaviidae
Genus: Procavia
Species: P. cilvarthii
Anatomy
Omg aren't you just the cutest little people!
Cilvarthians are a typically plump people, with short statures. Adult cilvarthians rarely stand more than 1.4 metres, or 4'5", in height. Their pale blue fur is short and thin, denser around the neck and head.
These people are comfortable in both a bipedal and quadrupedal stance. Each short claw is equipped with small barbs that allow them to scale great heights and on smooth, slippery surfaces.
The most prominent feature of a cilvarthian is their short tail extending from the neck. The tail is adorned with various jewellery and apparel, the more heavily decorated the tail is, the more desirable.
Newborn cilvarthians are white in colour, darkening with age.
Lower Body:
Average Height: 4'5" / 140cm
Average Lifespan: 55 - 60 years
Diet
Cilvarthians are typically herbivorous, but capable of digesting various meats. They grind down plant material using molars along the side of the jaw, using front canines to pierce meat. Heavily processed foods have been part of cilvarthian diet for thousands of years, food becoming a pillar of their culture.
Tea plants are the most cultivated plant on Cilvarth. Tea is the most consumed beverage, even above water. Tea is the central part of cilvarthian cuisine and culture and the people would truly be nothing without it. Not only have cilvarthians created an endless number of herbal teas, they have artificially engineered thousands of new tea plant species.
Tea parties are the most exquisite, endearing, intricate part of cilvarthian culture. Herbal teas are poured from the most carefully handcrafted teapots. The Aricos Royal Family spend millions hosting their annual private tea party.
Reproduction & Growth
Tiny Tots
Newborn cilvarthians are barely the size of an adult's hand. They grow quickly, but at the newborn state are incredibly vulnerable.Unlike most sophonts, cilvarthians are semelparous. The toll of birthing a litter is simply too great, and can only be done once in a lifetime. A litter of children is anywhere from five to fifteen babies. Gestation period is between ten and twelve months, an orbital year on Cilvarth being eleven months.
Babies are born precocial, born with opened eyes and a complete pelage. Infants drink the parent's milk for the first seven weeks, slowly switching to a plant paste ground up by the parents, then onto solid foods around ten weeks. Babies should be fully weaned by twelve weeks.
What've you got in your basket?Oh, just my babies.Aw, cute! Look at them all bundled up together, like little blue jellybeans.I only had them two weeks ago, can you believe it? It's a miracle I'm able to walk, let alone leave the house and carry my babies around.Ugh, tell me about it. When I had my babies I couldn't get out of bed for a month. Still not much better. Everyone goes through it, what can you do.
History
Cilvarthians first appeared five million years ago, around the flower fields of Jisefea. They were quick to explore more of the continent, spreading far and wide until they discovered the Middle Mountains. At some point around fifteen thousand years ago some people crossed the mountain range, finding themselves in Aurea.
Some found home in the mountains themselves, with one city and several rural towns occupying forested canyons between snow-tipped peaks. Those that made it to Aurea quickly established colonies and flourished over the next thousand years.
The Eochian Empire dominated the Silver Desert and neighbouring areas. The powerful emperors commanded a magical army, guarding precious temples containing weapons of mass destruction that may or may not still be buried underneath the scattered ruins.
People on either side of the mountains remained separated for several thousand years, allowing them and their culture to evolve independently. The invention of simple rafts and boats around ten thousand years ago helped bring everyone together.
Science and technology began to improve at an exponential rate once the two sides of the Middle Mountains were able to communicate and exchange ideas. Manual farming became a thing of the past in urban areas, with multi-story, machine-harvested, crop-field skyscrapers becoming a major part of most cities.
The innate cilvarthian love for tea was the biggest motivation to explore reaches beyond their home planet. The first spacecrafts that could survive a journey to the neighbouring planet, Ivucarro, was equipped with a massive conservatory for growing alien tea plants. The first spacecraft landed on Ivucarro exactly a thousand years ago.
The first slimes landed on Cilvarth just over three hundred years ago. Both species were shocked to meet people so different from one another, and things were slightly tense in the beginning. Through years of communication, both species developed a close friendship, and presently there are thousands of slimes inhabiting Cilvarth, and vice versa. Both species share a love for tea, and the tea trade boomed. Cilvarth is the number one exporter of tea in the Greater Oasis, supplying billions of tonnes annually and distributing it to thousands of exo-colonies.
Excellent article, Mochi! Love the cover. :)
Thank you so much! <3