Changes: Rovar

Revision as of 00:49, 20 May 2018

The Skeke refers to the collective of various species native to the world of Nanshe. A planet filled to the brim with jungles and very few deserts. Along with the Hunyago, the Skeke themselves pioneered advanced space-flight. Creating a galactic empire that would rival it's life-long enemy.

Name

The name 'Skeke' is actually a universal designation for all species of Nanshe. In pre-spaceflight Nanshe, all species went by the name of what they belonged to. While skeke comes and goes, another name they go by are the Brechlyn which was said and used by many during the Nanshe Civil War.

In a derogatory fashion, skeke are called 'bugs' or 'insects' due to their insectoid nature and appearance. Another is 'goog' which is a corruption of the word 'googly'. Referring to some skeke having googly-like eyes.

Species and Sub-species

The Skeke are the only race in the galaxy to have a myriad of sub-specie variants of themselves. All of which cater to a specific task in hives or cities. It should be noted that each member of a certain species and/or branches, has many different appearance and physiology traits. They include the following:

Rioga - A species of skeke who are born into royalty and bred to rule the greater skeke society in cities. The cultural and behavioral importance cannot be understated, given the importance of rioga themselves and the 100-year lifespan. They're rarely married to commoners be it lower skeke or non-skeke. In the most rarest of cases, they have been married to royalty of a different species (i.e. Hunyago). Although given combat training, said training goes unused, often forced to command armies from a distance. When it comes to non-rioga in their presence, they release an irresistible pheromone to force all around to pledge an unflinching loyalty to them.
- The appearance of these people largely resemble a humanoid in structure. They have two arms, legs, eyes, ears, and hands with five fingers. And lips. To smell their nose is two open slits. The torso surface consists of hard chitin used to protect the main organs such as the heart and lungs. The lower stomach area seems to have a 'depository' to transfer from 10 to 30 eggs into females. Unlike the lower branches of the caste, they actually have a mouth used for vocal speech. Since they have no teeth to chew down solid food, inside is a proboscis used to siphon any edible liquid-form of food. From the top area of their forehead, lies two antenna that stretch to the back of their head that for appearance reasons remain covered in a thick veil. To communicate with other skeke that don't have vocal speech ability, they use sound, eye flash, body movement, and odor very similar to modern-day insects. In all cases, only male rioga possess wings for flight.
- The mating rituals of rioga differ based on gender. Since the rioga are held above all others, most marriages are arranged. A way to ensure genetic diversity and the prevent the marriage of foreigners. Although it can be similar on how most species mate, for skeke rioga the later stages can make it a distinctly new process. Workers and Dona are actually used to assist in the trial. For males the wings are bitten off by workers or dona. Even when taken off they are not wasted for they contain some nutritional value. Before a ritual, females slim down to save energy for the mating process. This weakens them physically but not in terms of health. Workers or dona are called to assist mobility. When a male and female begin mating, they conjoin their torso's physically. In the stomach area a 'port' opens for males to pass eggs into the females body where they can be fertilized. Once finished, the female is carried off to safety. Males continue the final act of the ritual. The mouth is opened as wide as possible. From inside a gooey-like nutrient is secreted to attract the workers. For the workers of the ritual it is considered 'payment'.
- Rioga culture seems to be greatly honor-based. For a rioga to lose the two antenna on their head is considered a great shame. The same applies to males who have not cut off their wings to a mating ritual. If a rioga has lost one or two of the aforementioned body parts, the only way of preserving their honor in death is to offer themselves to a hive as food. This way the shamed individual finds solace in being useful in a sacrificial fashion.

Morda - The Morda are a more higher branch of the Garda species. Having different appearance traits. Being as high as 7 ft. The head appears with four eyes and a mandible mouth. The left-arm is a four-fingered hand having razor-sharp claws that can retract while the right-arm is a organic fusion cannon that shoots a high-powered matter capable of destroying most objects caught in it's blast. Although some can be bred with two arms and hands. The only means of mobility is a eight-legged lower body covered in thick chitin. The underside of the legs that lead to the upper body, consists of soft chitin that can easily be penetrated. Among the empires forces, Morda served as heavy units.
- Morda mating rituals involve a long and well-prepared dance that they perform in the presence of other morda. A transfixed male or female being eyed by a potential mate will cease any action they were doing to examine the expectations that are to be performed. Each stage can last up for hours. In rare cases days. More importantly chances of success vary. The first action involves waving their arms up and down repeatedly. Imitating a hail. Here the intended target will now know it is being eyed. Next through the force of the arms the performer creates a pressure wind towards the male or female. The pressure wind determines the durability of said target. If the intended mate falls over, the performer will leave the area to find another. If the target doesn't lose balance, then the third stage occurs. The performer moves in closer to do a pacing around the mate while giving out a long screech. If unfazed by the sound, the final touch is when the performer moves more closer to give his/her mate a 'kiss' with their mandibles.
  - With the introduction of non-skeke in society, Morda have even attempted to win over the many visitors who come to the main cities. All of which end up failure. Either due to a rioga interfering or the intended non-skeke rejecting them in the first or second stage of the ritual.
Garda - The Garda are a servant-race of skeke used solely to guard cities as law enforcement under the orders of the rioga. Known for their distinct orange chitin and skin. The appearance of the Garda consists of four-arms, wings for flight, mandibles, two antenna, and an abdomen. Finally two compound eyes. Unlike the Dona, they have a degree of sentience, allowing them to understand vocal speech of galactic basic spoken by rioga. All garda, in the civilian sectors, are accompanied by a small translation machine they use to speak any language in all situations. Per the civilian iteration, they are usually seen holding plasma spears that have a sharp knife at the tip. Among the empires forces, Garda served as cavalry or shock troops. Wielding plasma rifles and wearing armor used to cover the softer area's of the body.
Strider - A long-legged skeke that roam the few deserts of Nanshe, Striders are used by other skeke to travel long distances across the only inhospitable arid deserts found on the planet. They have three legs on each side to move, with two hardened legs in the front to spot and crush potential danger by it's weight or reach across open chasms using them to dig. The head has four eyes on each side to look great distances. Sentience varies depending on it's pilot species. All striders are subject to the so-named Strider Law, if a strider needs time to go over a chasm or perform a certain task outside the usual transport, all non-skeke aboard must get off first while the skeke pilot leaves last. In imperial operations, they were deployed on desert planets.
Worker - A higher branch of the weaker and less intelligent Dona, workers operate much like them. Working hives alongside and caring for eggs and larvae. Unlike the dona, they surprisingly possess the necessary intelligence to work complicated positions usually suited to rioga or non-skeke labor like working ship systems and operating weapons. Owing to the training granted during their early development as pupa. In skeke poplated area's, they are a common
- With their many arms, they can operate more faster than a morph or rioga. Workers appear with six small arms with three on each side. The carapace is of a dark brown color with the only chitin on their stomachs carrying a distinctively darker hue. On the head is two eyes and two antennae. Unlike the higher branches, they have a maxilla used to chew food. In the imperial era, workers were used alongside dona to establish hives or colonies on uninhabited planets. In the presence of rioga, they are used for domestic servitude. Or sometimes, as pets.
Dona - The Dona, commonly referred as a 'drone', represent the bottom level of skeke hives, resembling a beetle. Acting only as a worker to operate and maintain the ecosystem which many thrive on. For lacking sentience for any basic problem solving. any skeke of a higher social level can give out orders to them, which they follow blindly. Even to certain death. The lack any sort of chitinous protection when compared to the upper sub-variants, making them very fragile. They share a mutualistic bond with the many skeke found on Nanshe. Used to care for larvae or eggs. In combat, the sheer abundance of dona on the field make them useful as cannon fodder. With the higher worker skeke, they help manage new hives.

Known Skeke

Instan Orim - Last Skeke Emperor
Adallinda - Skeke Empress
Edlynne - Skeke Princess and Wyman's wife
Tamvis III - Skeke Emperor
Malko I - Skeke Emperor
Mercekos I - Skeke Empress

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 * Rioga - A species of skeke who are born into royalty and bred to rule the greater skeke society in cities. The cultural and behavioral importance cannot be understated, given the importance of rioga themselves and the 100-year lifespan. They're rarely married to commoners be it lower skeke or non-skeke. In the most rarest of cases, they have been married to royalty of a different species (i.e. Hunyago). Although given combat training, said training goes unused, often forced to command armies from a distance. When it comes to non-rioga in their presence, they release an irresistible pheromone to force all around to pledge an unflinching loyalty to them.
 ** The appearance of these people largely resemble a humanoid in structure. They have two arms, legs, eyes, ears, and hands with five fingers. And lips. To smell their nose is two open slits. The torso surface consists of hard chitin used to protect the main organs such as the heart and lungs. The lower stomach area seems to have a 'depository' to transfer from 10 to 30 eggs into females. Unlike the lower branches of the caste, they actually have a mouth used for vocal speech. Since they have no teeth to chew down solid food, inside is a proboscis used to siphon any edible liquid-form of food. From the top area of their forehead, lies two antenna that stretch to the back of their head that for appearance reasons remain covered in a thick veil. To communicate with other skeke that don't have vocal speech ability, they use sound, eye flash, body movement, and odor very similar to modern-day insects. In all cases, only male rioga possess wings for flight.
-** The mating rituals of rioga differ based on gender. Since the rioga are held above all others, most marriages are arranged. A way to ensure genetic diversity and the prevent the marriage of foreigners. Although it can be similar on how most species mate, for skeke rioga the later stages can make it a distinctly new process. For males the wings are bitten off by workers or dona. Even when taken off they are not wasted for they contain some nutritional value. Before a ritual, females slim down to save energy for the mating process. This weakens them physically but not in terms of health. Workers or dona are called to assist mobility. When a male and female rioga begin mating, they conjoin their torso's physically. In the stomach area a 'port' opens for males to pass eggs into the females body where they can be fertilized.
+** The mating rituals of rioga differ based on gender. Since the rioga are held above all others, most marriages are arranged. A way to ensure genetic diversity and the prevent the marriage of foreigners. Although it can be similar on how most species mate, for skeke rioga the later stages can make it a distinctly new process. Workers and Dona are actually used to assist in the trial. For males the wings are bitten off by workers or dona. Even when taken off they are not wasted for they contain some nutritional value. Before a ritual, females slim down to save energy for the mating process. This weakens them physically but not in terms of health. Workers or dona are called to assist mobility. When a male and female begin mating, they conjoin their torso's physically. In the stomach area a 'port' opens for males to pass eggs into the females body where they can be fertilized. Once finished, the female is carried off to safety. Males continue the final act of the ritual. The mouth is opened as wide as possible. From inside a gooey-like nutrient is secreted to attract the workers. For the workers of the ritual it is considered 'payment'.
-** Rioga culture seems to be greatly honor-based. For a rioga to lose the two antenna to another or have them cut off is considered a great shame. The same applies to males who have not cut off their wings during a mating ritual. If a rioga has lost one or two of the aforementioned body parts, the only way of preserving their honor in death is to offer themselves to a hive as food. This way the shamed individual finds solace in being useful.
+** Rioga culture seems to be greatly honor-based. For a rioga to lose the two antenna on their head is considered a great shame. The same applies to males who have not cut off their wings to a mating ritual. If a rioga has lost one or two of the aforementioned body parts, the only way of preserving their honor in death is to offer themselves to a hive as food. This way the shamed individual finds solace in being useful in a sacrificial fashion.
 * Morda - The Morda are a more higher branch of the Garda species. Having different appearance traits. Being as high as 7 ft. The head appears with four eyes and a mandible mouth. The left-arm is a four-fingered hand having razor-sharp claws that can retract while the right-arm is a organic fusion cannon that shoots a high-powered matter capable of destroying most objects caught in it's blast. Although some can be bred with two arms and hands. The only means of mobility is a eight-legged lower body covered in thick chitin. The underside of the legs that lead to the upper body, consists of soft chitin that can easily be penetrated. Among the empires forces, Morda served as heavy units.