Ilkani

Basic Information

Anatomy

Physiotypical bipedal homonid.

Genetics and Reproduction

Ilkani reproduce sexually. Gestation period is one year. Females are fertile once in their lifetime, generally in their early adulthood, although the Ilkani use magic to prevent unwanted pregnancy and to ensure that older females that have not reproduced have the opportunity. Generally bear single offspring with twins being rare.

Growth Rate & Stages

Infancy 0-24; Early Childhood 25-100; Middle Childhood 101-175; Late Childhood 176-250; Adolescence 251-425; Early Adulthood 426 – 1,000; Mature Adulthood 1,001 – 1750; Old Age 1751 +

Dietary Needs and Habits

Omnivore

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

Slanted eyes and pointed ears, degree of slant and point vary.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Surnames are derived from famed ancestors, with new lineages being occasionally established by the Great Houses. A masculine given name is turned into a surname by adding an “I” or “E” (Talavir becomes Talaviri or Talavire). A female given name is turned into a surname by adding an “A” or “O” (Valanthe becomes Valanthea or Valantheo). First names tend to be multisyllabic, but follow few other strict conventions. Do not use punctuation separations of name parts (Tal’avir/Tal-Avir) for Ilkani names.

Major Organizations

The Great Houses
The Imperial Guard

Common Dress Code

The Ilkani make extensive use of face coverings and masks.  No Ilkani is seen in public with their face fully uncovered.  At the very least they would make extensive use of face paint and makeup.  Physical masks are far more common, both tangible and conjured.  Masks are generally featureless, with eyeholes and optionally a nose, but no mouth.  However they are often quite ornate in material and adornment, being brightly colored, etched and engraved, encrusted with gems or inlaid with other materials.  Alternately they can be conjured or illusory with dramatic variations including ice, sheets of flame and/or colored smoke, and so on.  Ilkani only reveal their completely uncovered face in moments of complete personal intimacy, such as in the personal bedchamber or very young children.  
Other clothing tends to be ornate and elegant, and may be supplemented with conjured or illusory components.  Physical nudity other than the face is not culturally shocking, and the quantity, type, and manner of clothing, like all other aspects of Ilkani society, is used to portray an image or role and make sociopolitical statements.

Common Taboos

Generally eschew the use of magical devices and implements outside of training, feeling that they are a mark of ineptitude.  The showing of a completely uncovered face in public would generate scandal not dissimilar to being unclothed in public in modern society.

History

Split from the Kani over 130,000 years ago, the group that would form the foundation of the Ilkani shared a talent for and obsession with arcane magic, to the exclusion of the more natural forms of magic practiced by their once-kin. Leaving the Teranwood, the Ilkani laid claim to the Sorallian subcontinent, establishing their empire centered on the Kumiobe plateau, where the powerful artifact that came to be known as the Heart of the Empire was found, and the magical marvel that is Ilkana City resides.

Genesys Game Stats for Starting Ilkani Characters

Characteristics

Brawn: 2 Agility: 2 Intellect: 2 Cunning: 2 Willpower: 2 Presence: 2
Starting Skill: Deception +1 Wound Threshold: 10 + Brawn Strain Threshold: 12 + Willpower Starting XP: 85

Special Abilities

• Arcane Gift - Can make Arcana checks without having ranks in the skill. If the character has the Arcana skill, their Arcane Gift gives them one automatic boost die.

• Heart Link - Linked to the Heart of Ilkana, as a result, always knows the current time, and can spend a story point to cast an arcane spell at no strain cost once per session.

Lifespan

~2000 years. Oldest recorded individual is currently 2,891 years old (still living)

Average Height

6' - 7'

Average Weight

180 - 250 lbs

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Skin color ranges from dark brown to true white. Skin color tends to fade with age, so older Ilkani tend to be paler, with the oldest being ghost white.
Eye color (in increasing rarity): grey, green, blue, yellow, purple, red
Hair color: common colors include white, black, blond, red, and blue, irrespective of age. Mixtures of hair color are also common, as well as simple enchantments to alter hair color, so wide variations of hair color including unnatural ones are pervasive.

Species-Specific Talents

Tier One

House Affiliation - All Ilkani are members of one of the Great Houses.  Those who have a stronger connection to that organization have taken advantage of their House's deep lore and skill in their areas of expertise and control within the Empire.  Characters with this talent get the appropriate Lore and Skill as Career Skills.  
House Adra

• Leadership
• Lore: Warfare

House Keythra

• Deception
• Lore: Art History

House Urikian

• Perception
• Lore: World History

House Kragolor

• Mechanics
• Lore: Physics

House Zeiros

• Negotiation
• Lore: Journeycraft

House Sarlar

• Skullduggery
• Lore: Appraisal

House Herneiros

• Vigilance
• Lore: Law

House Triskana

• Negotiation
• Lore: Protocol