Denironians

The Denironians are a sentient species that live on the planet Denironia. They are known for their unique physiology and violent obsession with war.

No, you do not understand. Our species is not easy to defeat. We live and breathe war, it is written into our bones. This galaxy cannot stand against us.

— Drago, Purge

History

The Denironians of today evolved from a very similar species called the Ancients. The Ancients discovered Denironia around 9000 BPC and settled on it. Since they were cut off from the rest of the galaxy, they developed their own calendar for counting years. The period when the Ancients settled on Denironia is known as the Conquest of Ancients or CA. It lasted 252 years. During the Conquest of Ancients, the atmosphere of Denironia changed the physiology of the species until they became Denironians.
As the Conquest of Ancients came to a close, the Denironians had begun to split into various

Queen Lilith by Lilliana Casper

city-states and fiefdoms, all without a singular leader. In the last few years of this era, a pair of twins, Lilith and Ezekial, began to battle other Denironians and grow their troops into the largest group on the planet. In 252 CA, they conquered the last pockets of resistance and were crowned on the first day of the new year, solidifying a new era under their rule.
Under Queen Lilith and King Ezekial, Denironian culture blossomed and the kingdom grew. The twins created the Denironian Honor Code, wrote general laws, and instituted a monarchy led by royal

twins. Under their reign, poverty, war, and homelessness dropped while wealth, healthcare, and education rose. Ezekial died at 57 and Lilith followed six years later, her twin children taking the throne. They continued this form of monarchy, which lasted all through the Age of Twins (AT) until 3028 AT when King Vladimir the Victorious gathered his friends and had his sister Queen Zeruah killed.

King Vladimir began a monarchy led by the oldest male child of the king, using magic to prevent the birth of additional sets of twins. This era became known as the Time of Kings or TK. As the rest of the galaxy outside of Denironia entered its age of exploration, many planets sent scouts to Denironia. The kings who ruled when visitors arrived welcomed the scouts and learned from them. With the help of these offworlders, the Denironians were able to build limited technology, used mostly for transportation, communication, and entertainment.

We can't go there again, we can't. They're vicious, they're brutal, they're violent. We can't compete with them. Even with our weapons, we can't win. They have superior strategies, superior strength, and a home advantage. If we keep going there, they'll just learn how to build ships and reach us.

— an escaped scout

Most visitors to Denironia died, either from the dangerous geography or by death from the Denironians. A few escaped and warned the rest of the galaxy to avoid the planet and people. Luckily for everyone, the species never learned how to make starships that traveled further than nearby moons, keeping the rest of the galaxy safe from their military might.

Basic Information

Biological Traits

Of all the sentient species in the Janya Galaxy, the Denironians are the species with the most differences from them all. They are warm-blooded and carbon-based but breathe carbon dioxide instead of oxygen. Other major differences are physical and easily visible. All Denironians have four arms, attached at the shoulders, and gray skin. Their skin is often shaded in colored undertones, with red, blue, green, pink, and brown being the most common. All Denironians have black hair, although it usually has another color as an undertone or shade, like blue-black or red-black. Their eyes are similarly dark.

Drago by Eleni LaFond

The average height for an adult male Denironian is 5 feet 10 inches and for adult females is 5 feet 6 inches. Heights usually vary by only a few inches and barely any Denironians grow past 6 feet tall. They have incredibly high bone and muscle density and almost no fat stores, which causes their skin to stick very closely to their muscles and give them an emaciated, skeletal look. A skeletal looking Denironian is a healthy one, as too much fat will slow their movements and cause cramping at their joints.
Because they breathe carbon dioxide instead of oxygen, the Denironians are less vulnerable to smoke and volcanic eruptions.

They are, however, highly allergic to chlorine. Exposure to the chemical, especially in direct amounts on the skin, will cause a painful reaction, starting with a rash and eventually escalating to melt through each layer of skin. After the Ceruis Rains disaster, the Denironians were able to discover this weakness and make rules to avoid chlorine. The Bonehunter species, native to Denironia, is also affected by chlorine.

Growth Rate & Stages

Denironians have the shortest lifespan of any sentient species in the galaxy, with males generally dying between 50 and 55 years old and females living between 55 and 60. To balance this lifespan, they also mature faster. Both males and females reach full mental maturity around 10 years old. Physical and reproductive maturity does not occur until about 14. At 15 years old, a Denironian is considered an adult. They can now accept and issue challenges as well as enter marriage.

Civilization and Culture

Major Organizations

Although the Denironians had always been mostly united as a species, their unique culture often caused separate groups to form. The Denironians were originally organized in

city-states that waged war with each other until the first pair of twin rulers conquered them with superior tactics and numbers. The twins created the first monarchy of Denironia, led by a pair of male and female twins who ruled over various fiefdoms. This way, local rulers could maintain control of their own lands but the Denironians would remain united.
In 3028 AT, King Vladimir betrayed his twin sister and took the throne alone. He instituted a monarchy that was passed

They were the first pair of twins born in almost seven thousand years. The king, their father, could not let them rule. They would be too powerful, too revolutionary. It was easy to accuse the girl of weakness, and easy to order her killed. Only her brother would miss her. Only her twin would remember her loss.

— from "Coronation"

down to the eldest male heir, ignoring the females. He also used magic to prevent pairs of twins from being born and challenging his new system. Very little changed under the new monarchy, although it was remarked on that the species became slightly more violent as a whole and the prized Honor Code was followed only by the most traditional of Denironians.

Average Technological Level

The Denironians learned technology from humans who visited Denironia during the Time of Kings. These offworlders helped them to build various bits of technology, mostly under threat and coercion. Luckily for the rest of the galaxy, the Denironians executed all of these visitors before they could learn how to build starships. Denironian technology is currently used for transportation (reserved for the wealthy), communication (also reserved for the wealthy), and entertainment (actually, everyone has access to this). Their entertainment (mostly movies) is known for being excessively violent and graphic, much like their culture as a whole.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

by Lilliana Casper

The most well-known of Denironian traditions is that of duels for status. While the species has a general class system (a very mysterious one), one can move up or down by challenging other Denironians to duels and defeating them. Most of these duels are done to the death, as the Denironian religion holds honor in high esteem. Courage, strength, and endurance are the greatest Denironian virtues, so much so that killing a helpless child or weakened elder is seen as deplorable.

Denironian months are named after themes and each has a festival associated with it. During the month of spirits is Nurquonile Caorokmakan, a ritual that celebrates the harvest and honors both the gods and the ancestors. During the month of honor, a festival is held to honor Ceruis, the Denironian goddess of death.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

The Denironians have lived on their planet for thousands of years and have had extremely limited contact with the rest of the world. Humans have visited Denironia, but nearly all were killed by the Denironians. Both the Crestantos and the Dito know of them but refuse to visit or interact with them. The Crestantos have a culture of life and creation while the Ditos praise knowledge and growth, qualities the Denironians seem to hate.

I suppose their redeeming trait is that they don't kill children. Killing a child, even one without use, is dishonorable. Killing a spouse, killing an unarmed opponent, stuff like that. They aren't evil. They're just...not good.

— a Dito scholar

It is unknown if they had any knowledge of or contact with the mysterious Rhyhendra, but it is possible that the Ancients they are descended from knew or were related to them.

by Lilliana Casper

The Denironians, to one's great surprise, are not mindless monsters. They value honor and strength above all, glorify war and violence, and yet for hundreds of years their honor code has insisted that the death of children is abhorrent. They may be different, they may be warlike, but they are not monsters. And perhaps they may even value life more than us.

— a scholar about Denironians

Lifespan

50-55 years (male), 55-60 years (female)

Average Height

5'6" to 5'10"

Average Weight

160 lbs (varies according to age and sex)

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Denironians have gray skin, often shaded with colored undertones like blue, red, pink, and green.

Sensory Capabilities

Most senses are the same for Denironians and humans, but Denironians have better eyesight and hearing. Those are the only senses that are heightened. Their sense of touch is ever-so-slightly worse than humans and their pain receptors are easily bypassed, allowing them to fight longer without debilitation. On the extrasensory/magic side, Denironians have one of the lowest percentages, as only 10% of Denironians manifest any magic.

by Lilliana Casper

Languages

All Denironians speak two primary languages: Jehnchar and the common tongue. Jehnchar is the Denironians' own language but is considered secondary. All Denironian writing is done in Jehnchar, which utilizes spiky script and vaguely resembles the Ancient Language that was once used by the rest of the galaxy.

Naming Traditions

Denironian names follow a unique structure with many syllables. Most have about four syllables, but three is also common. Names are usually abbreviated between friends and family members and shortened to just the first one or two syllablyes. For example, the name Ervenestral would be shortened to Erven among friends. Female names tend to end with "a" or "ah", but there is no list as all Denironians simply know which names are masculine or feminine.

Queen Lilith and King Ezekial were the first twin rulers and the children of Adarevar and Eivelyn.
King Jeroboam and Queen Vivviann were Lilith's children with her husband Lord Nedonazzar

— from a Denironian lineage book

Historical Figures

The Denironians have a long and complicated history, but their record-keeping is dedicated and precise. Lists and descriptions of all previous Denironian rulers can be found in archive rooms. The most well-known figures are those of King Ezekial the Mage and Queen Lilith the Great, the first rulers of a united Denironian species. Another is King Vladimir the Victorious, who murdered his own sister and instituted the current monarchy. Other well-known figures are Conorichal, a famous mage who hid the Amulet of Souls inside the Mountain of Souls; Lady Mykaela of Ruin, one of the only female Denironians during the Time of Kings to score a significant military victory; and Lord Garvinnalra, a notable case of a Denironian breaking the Honor Code.

The history of the Drumatikai is very interesting, filled with brave warriors and the like. You'd find it easier to digest than our movies.

— Drago

Myths And Legends

Just like their histories, Denironians extensively record their myths and religious beliefs. While Denironian religion is somewhat confusing, they believe in a pantheon of several gods who represent the greatest forces of their culture. While several of these have historical or magical roots, many belong only to the Denironians. Praise of ancestors also features in their religion, especially during the month of spirits. Two notable gods of the Denironian pantheon are Ceruis, the goddess of death, who some believe was inspired by the Celestial of death; and Avasvaren, the god of assassins, a historical figure who is believed to have been quickly deified.

by Lilliana Casper