Ra'lai

Basic Information

Anatomy

Ra'lai are humanoid felines, and are closely related to the felidae family on Earth. This broad spectrum of species makes the ra'lai the most physically diverse among known sapients. Though they diverge heavily in features, all ra'lai share certain traits.

Ra’lai have powerfully developed leg muscles that allow them to perform great leaps and jumps, covering distances twice those achieved by non-ralai of similar size and strength. Their ears are highly mobile and can swivel independently of each other to pick up sounds. The ears are also strong indicators of their moods. Such can also be said of their tails. Most ra’lai tails measure approximately 75% of the height of the individual to aid their balance. Their bodies tend to be longer than most races and have highly flexible spines which grant significantly increased mobility in many cases, able to change direction rapidly.

Biological Traits

The ra'lai make up the most diverse species in known space, to the point that more traditional ra'lai may argue that the various subspecies are in fact fully distinct species. This argument gained further traction after the discovery of Earth, where the ra'lai equivalent appears to be the entire felidae family. However, unlike most felines on Earth, all ra'lai are fully capable of interbreeding.
Despite the argument for dozens of different species among the ra'lai, they ultimately coalesced into only five recognized subspecies.
Ra’tieen include the striped ra'lai. Like tigers on Earth, ra'tieen are typically the largest among the species, and come with the accompanying large bulk.
Ra’monaar are the patternless, such as lions and cougars. A feature most commonly associated with the ra'monaar are large manes of fur mostly seen on males, but may occasionally develop on females, along with thick tufts of fur on the ends of their tails.
Ra’elees make up the spotted ra'lai, and are linked to earth felines like leopards, snow leopards, jaguars, lynxes, and cheetahs. This subspecies is made up of the most diverse physical features, ranging from builds suited for incredible running speed, to oversized paws and exceptionally plush fur for harsh winter conditions. Some individuals may exhibit melanism, giving their fur a black and dark brown hue.
Ra’ihash are categorized more by their smaller sizes than anything else. These ra'lai are comparable to earth wildcats and other smaller felines such as the rusty spotted cat, and may be as diminutive as a tordenchi. Their fur patterns are often striped or spotted, but some will have multi colored splotches like a calico cat on Earth.
Ra'hamiir are the hybrids. Typically they are determined by a mix of spots and stripes, but they may also be identified by particularly distinct crossovers of traits. A striped or spotted ra'lai with a mane will be considered a ra'hamiir Another example would be a maned ra'lai with an overtly large tail and oversized paws. Despite being an officially recognized subspecies of ra'lai, the ra'hamiir still face prejudices, much of it fueled by fears that hybridization may one day drive the non-hybrid subspecies to extinction.
Hybrids, however, maintain recessive genes, making it so breeding with one of the other subspecies leads to most if not all significant features coming from the non-hybrid parent.

Genetics and Reproduction

Ra’lai are warm blooded mammalians that give birth to live young. Pregnancies last between five to six months and result in litters of no more than three children at once. The children are nursed by their mothers via breast milk and reach maturity within twelve years. Ra’lai only have two naturally healthy sexes, male and female. Anomalies are exceedingly rare for the species, and thus only three percent of the species are hermaphrodites post in-utero therapy. Women are capable of bearing children from approximately age 15 through most of the rest of their lives, though they do not feel a need to mate and breed more than once in a two to three decade long cycle. Thus the population of the species is not overly expansive. Further methods of population regulation are maintained outside of biological means as well.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Though all ra’lai have superb night vision, the ra’ihash can see over three times as far in the dark than other ra’lai. All ra’lai have impressive senses of taste and hearing. They also have excellent noses, behind only the falashai and lupari in terms of ability.

Civilization and Culture

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Religion and philosophy are a major part of ra’lai culture, and while it has played a major role in divisions in the past, it ultimately became what united them.
The philosophy of One is the system that ultimately unified the ra’lai, and is taught to all ra’lai in the Identity. It was originally founded by the colonial philosopher Mu’hamraa hst Jur’rai in his book The Principles of Unity. He had been pushing his beliefs for years before the Homeworld War began, and it wasn’t until the colonies were isolated from home did the belief in ‘One’ begin to take hold.
The central idea of One is that unity is the only way to long-term prosperity. The idea of One isn’t necessarily a unified government, so much as a belief that all ra’lai are stronger when they cooperate, and suffer when they are divided by petty ideals such as appearance or origin, or compete for nationalistic reasons. It teaches acceptance of differences, how to compromise, how to identify if someone means you ill will or abuse rather than proper cooperation, the benefits of charity and forgiveness as well as accepting when one is wrong. The result is lasting, beneficial, and positive relationships with one’s neighbors.
One acknowledges that not all will adhere to these beliefs, as everyone is different. The more important thing is to lay the groundwork for moral direction and hope young ra’lai will follow most of them into adulthood. In the early days of One, unification had to be brought to the colonies by force at first, by the few that did unify in the beginning. This is a common criticism of the philosophy, that it didn’t gain traction on its own beliefs, but by yet more war. Further, when it came to bringing peace to the homeworld, it came with the stipulations of accept it, or do not receive economic aid.
Proponents of the philosophy defend this by saying that One is not a philosophy of peace, as a part of it is facing enemies as a united front. War is not always avoidable, and when it occurs, it is best done with allies and with full intent to forgive and help the former enemy when all is done.
One may also coexist with other philosophies and fully theistic religions. The first and oldest of all ra’lai faiths that still pervades today is a form of animism, called Him’hrurr, or ‘The Way.’ It is a belief that all things, both living and non-living, have a spirit within them and a path to follow in existence. All things follow this path whether they realize it or not, and will walk it until they fulfill their destiny. Once that path is finished, the spirit will move on and return to walk a different path, over and over throughout time.
The second and most widespread of religions among the ra’lai is a polytheistic one, Har’namruunath, lead by a fertility goddess figure known as Sha’ra’lai. It is commonly accepted that the race took its name from this deity, as it translates into Mother of The People. Numerous other gods and goddesses populate the pantheon, each governing various aspects of life and nature, as is normal in most all other pantheistic religions. As time progressed and technology advanced, several of the deities in the pantheon changed or had scientific progress attributed to them. Those who follow it believe that the gods always intended their children to discover science and reach the stars, that lack of any prophecy of such was all a test of faith. Even now, many ra’lai believe the next great test is upon them, which is to find the home of the gods which lay somewhere beyond the edge of the known galaxy. It is quite common to hear ra’lai swear upon a god or goddess from it for various occasions and in moments of stress.
Some minor philosophies and religions may be followed by small parts of the population, one example being the highly controversial philosophy of Subjugation. It is only followed by a minute fraction of ra’lai, thousands out of billions. The belief of Subjugation is that one should subjugate themselves to the whims of experience, and not their own personal moral beliefs, fears, or any other emotion. Followers make it a mission in life to experience everything they may think of. This ranges from everything from extreme experiences such as base jumping, to charitable causes, to illegal activities such as theft or even taking a life. Through experience, the Subjugated may form their own moral compasses and desires.
It remains highly controversial and strictly monitored by ra’lai authorities. All of its practitioners must be listed by local authorities and carry identification that shows they are legal followers of this philosophy. Practice of the philosophy is strictly monitored and often prohibited on non-ra’lai worlds or any world with a decidedly mixed population. Simulated experiences are not considered true experiences, even if they are hazed.
Once an experience is done, the ra’lai will know for certain whether or not they will partake in the act again. Ra’lai who find they are attracted to darker practices are expected to turn themselves in to the authorities appropriately. Support groups of Subjugation practitioners exist to aid younger followers in indulging the more negative aspects of the philosophy, while not adversely impacting society.
Subjugation used to be a respected philosophy, and more commonly practiced, but the rise of One has made many look upon it as a distinctly selfish philosophy that is incompatible with the compromises that One calls for. Still, many others use One to accept Subjugation, as Subjugation has no bias in what it does, and includes enacting all of the practices of One in the Subjugated’s pursuit for realizing their self.

History

The ralai have a long history of conflict stemming from their diversity. Religions rose and fell based around the purity and inferiority of certain types of ra'lai. Genocide, purges, and other atrocities are scattered throughout their distant past. They are one of three species - the others being humans and asishi - that did not experience unification before leaving their home system of Seshmarr, or before first contact.
For thirty six years after expanding from their home, colonies were rising and failing like clockwork, many of them attacked by rival nations, or devastated by unfair trade agreements. Economies on the homeworld Roashmarr were starting to fail from trying to support these doomed endeavors. It finally came to a head with a global economic collapse and an outbreak of war on Roashmarr.
The war put a halt to trade to the remaining colonies, leaving them to fend for themselves. Over the course of the following two decades of fighting on the homeworld, the colonies were swept with a new philosophy known simply as 'One,' that called for an end to division for sake of prosperity. Many resisted, but colonial outposts that unified quickly swept those that didn't, claiming control of entire planets and demonstrating the strength of One. United, they formed the Ra'lai Identity.
During the course of the Homeworld War, the colonies consolidated their economies to the point that made the Ra'lai Identity enough of an economic force to interject itself as an arbiter between nations on the war fatigued Roashmarr. Althought the Identity lacked the ra'lai power for a powerful ground military, their experience in space lent them a naval force that guaranteed their safety from a homeworld nation trying to seize their economy by force. The only way for Roashmarr to reap the prosperity the Identity offered, was to ceasefire, and make efforts to desegregate.
This brought an end to the Homeworld War, and the slow unification of the species. By the time contact was made with the United Treaty Organization a century later, after the exploratory vessel Wayward Stranger encountered the colony of Mar'alia, the Ra'lai Identity had become the overarching governing body for all ra'lai, and the classifications for the species had been reduced to only five officially recognized subspecies.
The philosophy of One proved to be highly compatible with unifying with other species, and after sixteen years, the Ra'lai had joined the United Treaty Organization.

System: Seshmarr
Homeworld: Roashmarr

Origin/Ancestry

Felines

Lifespan

129 years

Average Height

Ra’tieen - 1.89 valen (23.30 meters) (76.44 feet) Ra’monaar - 1.79 valen (22.13 meters) (72.61 ft) Ra’elees - 1.58 valen (19.45 meters) (63.81 feet) Ra’ihash 1.62 valen (20.02 meters) (65.68 feet)

Average Weight

98.639 kilofaarir (184.89 metric tons) (203.80 tons)