Saathid

An insectoid race baptized by endless violence since the very beginning. Saathids are strong, resilient, and hard-working, but any chance they would have at being excellent workers is ruined due to their inherent rebelliousness. Most other races find Saathids repulsive; even members of their own species, which leads to natural infighting of an untold scale. The Saathid homeworld of Cataclysm earns its name for a very good reason. Relatively early in the Saathid’s technological rise, they learned the valuable but dangerous art of splitting atoms. After only 8 years, the planet had reduced itself to a wasteland. This nuclear event unsurprisingly did not spell the end for the Saathids, who used the new terrain to their advantage in battle, and now finally had an excuse to seriously consider colonizing space. Cataclysm orbits in the Zaktoria System, a binary star system containing a black hole and a red dwarf.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Most notable to members of other species, Saathids today commonly have 4 arms and 2 legs, giving them an advantage in hand-to-hand combat and matters of physical dexterity. Saathids, however, do not all follow a strict template of morphology like Humans or Kenjodan. Instead, Saathids have a great variety of insect-like forms with different styles of antennae, exoskeletons, horns, heads, torsos, and any other possible feature. Though more rare, it is also possible to see Saathids with just two arms, some with six, some with natural wings, and more drastic anatomical changes. Despite this huge diaspora of different sub-species, they all remain genetically compatible and therefor have led to mixing of these traits to such a degree that science still cannot classify all different variations of Saathid.

Genetics and Reproduction

Unlike mammalian-based species, Saathids reproduce via laying eggs in a similar fashion to Vesk. Insects can lay hundreds or thousands of eggs in a single clutch, but Saathids break from this norm. Experts in xenostudies on Tirer have speculated that greater intelligence in a species will lessen the amount of offspring that remains viable, resulting in the trend for all sentients to have single-digit numbers of children at a time. Most often laid in single or pairs, Saathid eggs provide the needed nutrition for the Saathid embryo to develope for about ~5 months, before the egg will hatch. Infant Saathids display a somewhat heightened awareness and intelligence than newborns of most other species, but still require care from adults for a number of years.

Growth Rate & Stages

In some aspects, Saathids recieved the short end of the stick in terms of longevity. After reaching ~10 years old, Saathids are capable of reproduction and remain in good health for a number of decades. Slowly, starting around 40 years of age, Saathids will begin to age rapidly and show decline in nearly every field except mental acuity. By the time a Saathid reaches 80 years old, their exoskeleton has likely become much more pale in color, their skin more wrinkled and dry, and scars become far more visible. Culturally, this tendency for the scars of one's life to suddenly show themselves brightly once more in old age is known as a 'War Chronicle'. Extensive War Chronicles are a visual sign of respect for most traditional Saathids, and the elders with the most scars in their chronicle often rise to prominent advisory positions within their clan, ceremonial roles that show reverence to the elder. Saathids do not regularly live much longer than 90 years of age without the aid of modern medicine. Unsurprisingly, this has led to a huge demand for longevity treatments and related cybernetics in the Tuvak Dominion, with doctors specialized in the related fields regularly being paid more than in other nations. Without these treatments however, the oldest a Saathid has ever reached was 120 years and 86 days, from an individual known simply as 'Elder Kyrt.'

Ecology and Habitats

Imagine being born in, raised in, and living in a nuclear wasteland for most of your life. For a period in Saathid history, this was the norm after the cataclysmic series of nuclear engagements that left the surface of Cataclysm inhospitable to most species. Known as Irektar before then, the planet became known over time as Cataclysm due to its violent nature post-war. Living in irradiated conditions for so long forced Saathids to adapt and develope a natural resistance to it, among the increased strength and survival instincts needed to thrive in such an environment. Though a terrible situation for those living there, the results of this adaptation has allowed Saathid culture to spread across every planet with the slightest hint of habitability. Arctic worlds and desert planets alike are fair game for Saathids willing to take a chance in the frontier.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Saathids are omnivorous, and can eat most carbon-based lifeforms with ease.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Their eyesight is often slightly worse than humans in high light conditions, however Saathids posses a low degree of natural nightvision thanks to Cataclysm orbiting a very dim star. Having antennae, members of the Saathid species can make up for their poorer eyesight by sensing variations in air pressure, though evidence suggests this antenna-sense used to be much more potent in Saathid biological history and is continuing to degrade for unknown reasons.

Civilization and Culture

Major Organizations

Tuvak Dominion

Scientific Name

Bellicosus Insectum

Lifespan

80 Years

Average Height

5' - 8'

Average Weight

120 - 250 lbs

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Exoskeletal coloring for Saathids ranges across the entire color spectrum.