Ziva
Ziva (Plural & singular) is a species of leopard-like felines, native to Jafizar. The species is regarded for a strong mystic and virtuous warrior mindset, often being active, sporting, and heavily determined for their tasks. Their powers reach potency in unusual areas of material manipulation, illumination, summoning/storing, and spacial dislocation/warping. Its very natural and common of a zivan society to be getting dressed or crossing streets with magic. However they also tire physically quite easily, and catnap profusely, even more than some other feline races. They can come off as disrespectful or untimely to some other species that have tighter scheduel systems, or formulas, while zivan society almost naturally requires a disregard or care-free outlook on time and planned goals.
Many can build up a strange mix of solitary nature, and communal welfare, mixing a strange batch of individualism and communism in some ways that simply don't mix with outside forces. As such, its hard to pick fights with one without raising the risk of drawing the larger community to fight back. They rarely form larger unions, or deliberate organized social structures. Governments are more often almost aristocratic in seeing one or a few close individuals amount power and respect without enough resentment to be challenged or lose their posessions and stances. In a broader vision, kingly/matriarchal ziva may seem a bit reclusive and lazy without much intent to demand hard things on their public audience. Shared schooling and common systems that are present were thought to have arrived incredibly slow for the species, and through agreed ideals of what many individualized youth were taught until it began to match and align with each other, and make a converging ideal.
The species gained a larger tech advantage in the years after The Night-Cat Occupation in which a large colony of Namju-sect okatsu invaded to claim territory and mine the planet. The ziva fought back, and gained an upper-hand with magic more than direct tools, and outsmarted many. The okatsu were switching tactics and attempts to hold on, even fraternizing or raping zivan females to force a lasting imprint onto the world, yet eventually they had to flee and incidentally left a lot of tech behind. While results are a bit scattered, the zivan people have had time to experiment with tech, alien infastructure, communicate with a variety of visitors, and begin small starbound flights and off-world colonies while their homeworld remains largely rustic to their liking.
Basic Information
Genetics and Reproduction
Zivess can have between 1-7 offspring, but 2-4 are the most common averages. Females take about 3-5 months to gestate and produce. During a pregnancy however, their magic is harder to conduct especially in relation to displacement and warping. However they have heightened senses, and often better at focusing summons, or even using 'shadow' style conjuration magic. Its common for mothers to abandon an aging cub to the community, often when they turn 6 or older, and let them 'figure things out' with their own social skills, siblings, and to their best ability. As such its very rare to consider a sense of mother/father figures, or maried unions, but rather promiscuity and smart or bad mentors.
As with many felines, Ziva can interbreed, yet by large the species tends to produce offspring that largely resembles themselves more than a strong semblance of hybrids. Saavi tend to share their sharper ears or longer legged genetics at times, and pawslovians pass females on with steatopygia, but more peculiar elements like tigiren colors more often disappear if the ziva is having its child. The only reason 'stormy' fur patterns came in from okatsu fathers is a longer period of trying to cultivate a hybrid to force their assimilation. This is mostly true from the male perspective though, that a male ziva will occasionally see minimal resemblance of themselves in feline hybrids. Its theorized that the native strong mana in zivan blood makes them 'shapeshift' closer to the womb of the being they're in.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Ziva are omnivores, with an older diet more partial towards meats. They tend to often eat alone, and quick, but can also be found in group feasts with ease. Their diet consists of a bit of everything, from fruits and nuts, to difficult game, and even tree bark called Purlik. They commonly consume chux bird & eggs from a native crane-like bird, imported vyllk, and soups or stews made from game and topi kelp leaves. Their more frenzied affection comes for coffee, and certain wines - While red is an ideal form they produce, they lack white wines with "Chartreuse" ones instead with a honeyed grape taste, followed by a sweeter blue, "milk" wine, and a gold one that's becoming slightly omniverse-famous. Golden wine is considered to often taste anywhere between 'smoked honey', to a 'spiced coconut rum', and sometimes a lemon zest note on it, depending on the style and region.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
They have keen smell, hearing, and very good nigh vision especially if raised in their native jungle habitats, or hazy snow mountains. Their night vision is thought to be some of the best on advanced feline races. They have high mana abilities and some unusual inclinations of powers and senses attoned to them. While they very rarely show signs of producing elemental casts, or more volatile active jolts, they instead show a profound understanding of spacial manipulations, shapes, and illusions, even able to track and enjoy Jafiian hallows they refer to as Eclipses.
They have in later developed stages, taught amongst their kin that there are several arts of magic to wield and use...
Lunar Arts Is the practice of often very easily inherited abilities to summon, and move things to form. This includes:
- Invisibility
- Summons/storing
- Warping
- Seals / Magic locks
- Illumination / Light casting
- levitation & telekentic grasp
- Gliding & "Cloud" or platform magic
- Shaping (partial/easier) or polymorphing ("True" shapeshifting)
- Forgery (cloning an item without its full properties)
- Conjuring
- Silencing (forcing aura to compress, stunting another's mana)
Civilization and Culture
Beauty Ideals
Spots, figure, and dress can play a common role in appeal. Mammal anatomy plays a role in gendered states, expecting males to carry a sturdier shoulder base shape, and females a more curved or hourglass frame. Spot attention can be more subjective, and diverse, with diverging opinions on color, size, shape, and how it flows together. Though by a large majority ideal, most 'tight spots' (more like a dot) can give off a "dirty" impression, especially if mixed with brown-red patches of fur, however there have been cases where an idea is cast that a male can pull it off better. Broader or merging ring patterns tend to be ideal, especially on females. More "cloudy" wide or smudged looking marks tend to be ideal for males. Male fashion tends to invoke feathers and sharp designed necklaces and jewelry more, while for females its more circular-symbols and geometry, sometimes fur lining, and even egg jewels.
Zivess have more bushy fur running out at the very tip, and the extra fluff has been regarded as attractive. Males tend to have thinner tails throughout the entire part, and a higher chance of a black-tip that is considered more appealing. By in large, tail-teasing and tail looks are more often a feminine ideal, and some can be seen guiding theirs, holding it up, or even 'chomping' it to playfully flirt or guard it from dirt. Some styles have even been done to ornate it, ranging from rings and bows, to entire clothings designed to invoke the idea behind it. For example, a Tail-cape dress is a top designed where a flowing skirt races around most of the hips. This is intended to be a softer color, and flows longer, while the front half of the body is left with a mid-length loin cloth drape that hangs seperately from the back. The back-end must be as long as to pass the calf, and can be as long as an entire meter dragging on the ground, often in more luxury, arid town, or royal-region cases. The actual tail may still be out or covered, depending on the style and design.
Close to the idea of a Tail-cape attire, popular with female fashion
Gender Ideals
Generally Ziva are close equality types on issues of sexual discrimination. Both genders are expected to be capable and independant, and strength is observed in all sides. Still instincts do divide and drive a difference. Females are expected to be more alert and careful, while males are supposed to be more assertive. Still across a large part of the culture, females tend to perform dangerous feats or guarding roles even when heavily pregnant, almost proving to use it as a sign of being fearless and daunting. It is believed this plays into their solitary psyche, and tends to prop up the idea that mothers 'do not need fathers' to continue their life style. Yet males will still often try to be the first-line, and when they feel there is no need for that in times of high prosperity, they often are bored without a feeling of contributing. Many attempt teaching or collecting their knowledge, and if the group seems to be set already, they tend to try more risky experiments or wandering to find something they can then add to the communal knowledge. Females when bored, more often either hone crafting hobbies, or becomg increasingly lustful until they repeat or start a maternal cycle with the nearest accepting male. In a broader sense, this tends to make males more likely pioneers & conceptual teachers until they're drawn to more intimate distracting circles, while females are more intimate and physically constructive until their needs distract them to go explore to forage.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
On good terms Ziva have met Vyllk/Lionkin/Riffarian/Kyois/tigiren (mostly Tarmic/Grounen & drathnar all on positive terms, even allowing drathnar to set a colony in a region, and promoting the import of vyllk meat. They've also been very generous to the prospects of Vanguard, and have positive speculation on what they've heard about regarding OA. Yet in return, these species find some habits and traits very odd with the Ziva.
They have mixed & unsettled relations with K'siiva, Doduav, Asuan, Tikerin, and Jraki Kvot. Bad relations have marred their experiences with okatsu to the degree they have essentially declared their species in a total warring state that 'may not be fully over', and they feel close to similar in regions that have run into Taur.
Lifespan
70-100 Years
Average Height
1.55m-1.83m
Average Physique
Toned, limber, & atheltic with short-fused high anxious energy. Huskier ziva tend to trade anxious active energy for more sedintary sleepless energy, and are better adaptive with seated tech roles.
Geographic Distribution
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