Kija

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Basic Stats NAME GOES BY AGE SPECIES SEX HEIGHT WEIGHT FUR HAIR EYES POB OCCUPATION Kijamr'axul nö Jonaxaa Kija 112 Kaesci Male 6'1 ~190lbs Short & soft, black/plum/grey-violet with dorsal stripes Black, wavy, scapula-length Minty silver Jonaxaa, Stryvenaal Importer of Penumbran goods Breeder of zurïn and other Penumbran exotics Quartermaster of Marduunian & Veselian armies (former)

Kaesci Traits FUR TYPE TAIL EARS FOREARMS KANTRA KANTRIC MARK Short & soft Spine ridge Fetlocks Plush tip Standard Scaled Light blue Stripes on back of neck and head

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Kaesci

Kaesci are a people hailing from the region of Penumbra on the Greater Continent in Devas. Devas can be described as another planet or realm separate from Earth or the realm in which Kasuria exists, but can be accessed via rifting, a form of trans-realm teleportation.

Much like Kasuria, Devas is steeped in magic and a variety of magical forces, creatures, and entities exist. One such magical entity, the Primordial Dark, created the Kaesci for itself. As such kaesci have intrinsic magical ability for shadow magic in particular. Contrary to popular belief shadow magic is distinct from black magic, and kaesci are not any more inherently evil than anyone else. Kaesci have free will to live their lives as they choose with guidance and assistance from the Umbras, deities created by the Primordial Dark - known as Dren'u to the Kaesci - that hold dominion over certain aspects of existence such as war, pleasure, life, and death.

Being creatures created of the embodiment of darkness, the Kaesci's spiritual adversary is the Primordial Light which is described as being a jealous and vengeful entity that drove Dren'u away from a lost continent of Devas, the denizens of which unanimously devoted themselves to the Light and scorned the Dark. This rejection is what drove Dren'u to create the Kaesci on the Greater Continent, even going so far as to terraform a desert into a lush region now known as Penumbra.

Since their creation the Kaesci have flourished into a proper civilization with a rich culture, expanding into virtually every reach of the Penumbran territory - and even beyond. They aren't the only sapient race to exist on the Greater Continent, however, and they must contend with humans of various nations, many of whom view the Kaeci as a wicked and savage race in service of dark forces, and subterranean 'elves' evicted from ancestral lands when Dren'u created Penumbra.

Shadow-walking A form of teleportation intrinsic to all kaesci. The individual can disappear or 'sink' into a shadow large enough to accommodate their size and reappear through another shadow. The distance walkable is proportionate to their skill level, but the kaesci must be able to know where they are going. Most must locate by sight - that is, being able to see the target exit shadow but those with considerable skill can shadow-walk to shadows they cannot directly see but know are there. If the shadow isn't there, the shadow-walk simply doesn't happen. Kantric Lifeforce A key characteristic of kaesci is their kantra, their lifeforce derived from Dren'u itself and therefore unique to them. Unlike other creatures, a kaesci's kantra is visible in various ways, most notably in their kantric mark but also in certain places such as inner nostrils, inner ears, between scales (if they do indeed have scaly forearms, a variable trait), fresh scars and more. If one were to look into the back of a kaesci's throat they'd see the deep, vibrant glow of their kantra as though it were a fire burning in their core. At times a kaesci may exhale what might seem like the embers of this 'fire'. Kantra comes in many colours, ranging from green to magenta, and its colour is not strictly hereditary. Kantric marks (kantra'aayurof)are the Kaesci equivalent to a birth mark. Every kaesci has one, and they are unique to that individual. They can appear anywhere on their body, be it the palms of their hands, soles of their feet, face, rump, scalp, you name it. Like the rest of their kantra, their kantric mark also glows and it affects the fur or hair from root to tip. A kantric mark on the scalp will be visible the entire length of the strands growing within the mark. Upon death the deceased kaesci's kantra must be properly released back to Dren'u through cremation. A kaesci that does not receive cremation and is instead buried or otherwise left will still release their kantra, but only slowly as their corpse decomposes. Low Sexual Dimorphism Many animals are sexually dimorphic: humans, many species of birds, lions, deer, et cetera but kaesci are not nearly as dimorphic. Both sexes have comparable average heights, weights, and muscle mass but to outsiders kaesci women tend to have slightly wider hips and some have small breasts. Unless naked (where genitalia would be visible anyway) these differences aren't likely to be clear or at all visible. To kaesci it is easy to tell through scent and subtle secondary sex characteristics they are 'hardwired' to discern. Given the lack of meaningful difference between sexes both men and women are equally considered for virtually all professions and social positions. Their society is highly egalitarian with sex and gender identity playing a minimal role in their society. That is to say regardless of biological sex or their identity all kaesci are created equal. Axumat, Umbra of Truth, Justice, and Secrets, had decreed such since the dawn of kaesci-kind.

Energetic Vampirism Though created by a superior being and in part fueled by tiny portions of its power, the Kaesci are in a way flawed. They must both consume food as anyone else does, as well as energy. In this context, 'energy' can refer to any of these three things: electricity, magic, or the life-force of others. In many cases they can subsist just fine off ambient sources of magic but in times where magic is scarce or not readily accessible they must turn to others to survive. Some feed of others because it is their preference. Regardless of the reason, feeding off others requires close proximity: the closer they are to whomever they are feeding from the easier, faster, and stronger the connection is. For most, intimate relations is the preferred method. Feeding on others rarely harms or kills the person being fed on, unless they are already ill or near-death. Common symptoms include fatigue and head-fog or a general 'hung-over' feeling for up to two days post-feeding. Younger or healthier people will recover quickly and there are elixirs and tinctures that can be administered to expedite recovery if necessary. It is tho'aam, 'sin', to feed on another kaesci. Thus they only feed on non-kaesci beings - also known as tantric or min-kantra (not to be confused with the unrelated Hindu and Bhuddist concept of tantra). It is considered polite and proper etiquette to ask permission of a potential dinner date before committing the act. Those a kaesci regularly feeds from, especially if they are bedmates, are called röbe-röthm: supper-friend. Highly Social Kaesci are a very social people, known for being affectionate and group grooming. Family units are not restricted to blood relation and orphaned children rarely stay orphaned for long. Kaesci will groom one another, sleep together, and eat together. Funerals are often public. Kaesci also don't have a conventional idea of marriage or relationships. While it is common to have a primary spouse or partner, called a Saabi (Prime), with whom one would live with, produce children with, and otherwise function as a couple it is also common to have one or more auxiliary partners. These partners are termed fürr or gatrïr based on whether they are male or female, respectively. When one does not have a Prime but a partner (or multiple) said partners are termed xïbel (m) or röpus (f). Energetic Discharge Just as kaesci can absorb energy, they can also release it. This is generally in the form of an electrical burst, though the strength of this discharge depends on the depth of their reserves. Given kaesci depend in part on these reserves for survival this tends to be a last resort self-defense mechanism where there is no time to muster any spells or fetch weapons.

The kaesci language is spoken by all kaesci. It was given to the Kaesci by Dren'u and its subordinate Umbras so it has no ancestors, and at this time no true descendants (though there are a small handful of pigdins spoken in places where kaesci and human society mingle).

Term GLOSSONYM ETHNONYM AS AN ADJECTIVE IF YOU ARE FROM PENUMBRA YOU ARE

English | Kaescïm Kaescïm | Kaescïm /keɪˈɛskɪm/ Kaesci (sg., pl.) | Kaesci /keɪˈɛsi/ Kaesci | Kaesciaa /keɪˈɛsiɔ/ Penumbran | Nö jaje'ïnathaa /nʌ ˈʒæʒɛʔɪnæðɔ/

Hello, what is your name?
Ethü, Xö Türr yü-rï rösaa?
/ˈɛðʊ ʃʌ tʊr jʊ ɾɪ ˈɾʌsɔ/

My name is Kija. How are you?
Qar Türr rï Kija rösaa. Xö xaö narr?
/kˣæɾ tʊr ɾɪ kiˈʒæ ˈɾʌsɔ ʃʌ ʃæʌ nær/

I am well! Where are you from?
Qar fïrr xaï! Xö rö xü jerr?
/kˣæɾ fɪr ˈʃæɪ ʃʌ ɾʌ ʃʊ ʒɛr/

I am from Jonaxaa. Are you hungry?
Qar xü Jonaxaa xaï. Xö aakajaa xaö?
/kˣæɾ ʃʊ ʒoˈnæʃɔ ˈʃæɪ ʃʌ ɔˈkæʒɔ ˈʃæʌ/

No, but I am thirsty.
Min, rarru Qar pumiaa xaï.
/min ˈɾæru kˣæɾ ˈpumiɔ ˈʃæɪ/

Sorry, I must go now. Good-bye!
Föpa, Qar kesï pï rï. Öse!
/ˈfʌpæ kˣæɾ kɛsɪ pɪ ɾi ˈʌsɛ/

Where is the washroom?
Qa ivaa stryu rösaa jerr?
/kˣæ ˈivɔ stɾjˈu ˈɾʌsɔ ʒɛr/

My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father, prepare to die.
Qar Türr rï Ïnigo Montoya rösaa. Xö Qar Türr ïbeluuxï paafaa, yid jema'rofat vodun.
/kˣæɾ tʊr ɾɪ ɪnˈigo monˈtoja ˈɾʌsɔ ʃʌ kˣæɾ tʊr ˈɪbɛluʃɪ pɔˈfɔ jid ˈʒɛmæʔɾofæt vodun/