The Ketsi
General Information;
A species related to the veldryn, morra Sin and the descendants of the nehryngi, the ketsi are large, one-eyed creatures with long ears, two pairs of forelegs, and long, prehensile tongues. Despite their large eye, they have poor eyesight, though they make up for this with exceptionally keen hearing.
Statistics;
Name:: Ketsi
Average Lifespan:: immortal
Average Height:: 7ft/2.1m at the shoulder
Average Weight:: 1,500 pounds
Location Found:: Abroad.
*all statistics based on averages; extremes in any direction, or found in odd locations, are always allowed.
Notes;
The Blind Side While they have slits cut into either sides of their eye sockets, ketsi tend to prefer one side or the other, leaving a large blind spot. Entering this spot uninvited and unannounced is a good way to get bitten. Ketsi kits learn this lesson while still young, while outsiders run the every real risk of death if they make the same mistake. Being permitted to approach the blind side unannounced and unchallenged is a sign of great trust.
Day of Eye-Opening Ketsi kits are born with skin covering their eye sockets completely. The day of eye-opening is a ritual where the mothers use their dewclaws to gently cut slits in the skin covering the eye of their kits, allowing them to see for the first time, and signifying their transition from infancy to childhood.
Deep-Lidded Rarely, on the day of eye-opening, a kit's mother will fail to cut through the skin covering the kit's eye. In such cases, the elders present will carefully examine the kit to ensure the mother simply failed to cut deep enough. If the kit is deemed to be a true deep-lidded, they will be raised by the elders, with the help of any other deep-lidded in the clan, if any. Blind as they are, deep-lidded are assigned escorts, and live a life apart, often serving as shamans and advisors to the elders. While it is the duty of the assigned escort to keep the deep-lidded from harm, it is considered taboo to strike a deep-lidded who has wandered into a ketsi's blind side.
Diet This is what this species, and any variants, may eat at any given time.
Common:
red meat, grasses, fruit.
Uncommon:
tubers, nuts, succulents.
Rare:
white meat, fish, mushrooms.
Overview:
Ketsi are primarily carnivores, but can be omnivores if food runs scarce. They employ individual hunting techniques that enable them to ambush prey, often either biting and chewing in the venom (for smaller animals) or biting and ducking away to wait until their victim dies (for large prey). They tend to enjoy sweeter fruits, though their tastes vary from ketsi to ketsi. Those with territories close to humanoid settlements may bring prey to be cooked by more capable hands, though some may learn how to prepare meals themselves, much to the enjoyment (or chagrin) of their clan. However, ketsi-hunted prey is inedible to all other races, as their venom cannot be purged by fire or spice.
Credits;
Species info credited to Moonbleached, Fyfergrund, and Verridith.
In-Depth Information;
Appearance Ketsi are large, vaguely reptilian canine creatures. Their most prominent trait is their large, single eye which makes up the majority of their heads. This eye can be virtually any color, and is highly mobile within its enormous socket. This eye, when a ketsi is born, is initially covered in thin, nerveless skin - which is slit ritualistically by their mother in anywhere from three to six vertical slashes, enabling them to see. As they only have a single eye, despite the large socket, the pupil may only be seen on one side at a time.
Their tongues are very long and highly prehensile, and are always the same color as their eye. Their ears are long and pointed, and can be swiveled widely. All ketsi have two sets of forelegs, the larger of which can vary between draconic, avian, or equine and sports a large dewclaw on a prehensile digit, while the smaller pair resembles a pair of humanoid arms. Their hind legs are nearly always lupine in shape, and their tails are long, thick, and muscular. Thick, leathery hide covers their bodies with little to no scales or fur, and can be of any coloration.
Culture Though they have one large eye that can swivel to see on either side, ketsi have poor eyesight, and a large blind spot when gazing out of one side of their skulls. The remaining hide that covers their eye on either side of each slit presents other, smaller blind spots, and a badly done slitting may result in permanent eye problems. It is considered extremely rude at best to enter this blind spot unannounced, and doing so often means the transgressor will be bitten. With ketsi clans, anyone approaching this blind side will make their presence known, most commonly with soft vocalizing. However, in a few cases, ketsi may form such a close bond with others that they can freely walk about on the blind side without risk.
Ketsi clans are familial-based, but loosely organized. Led by elders, a single clan may disperse over a wide area to prevent over-hunting, particularly in times of drought or similar hardships. Individual ketsi are permitted to leave their birth-clans to join another as they please, though it is customary to announce this decision before the clan elders. In times of danger, or for birthing, a clan will come together at a den-site. The mothers and their kits will remain at the den-site until shortly after the day eye-opening, where each ketsi kit has the thin hide covering their eye carefully sliced open, permitting them to see.
Should a ketsi warrant a severe punishment, they will be blinded and exiled. Due to their large eye-sockets, and the manner in which they are blinded, the scars are easily seen, and unmistakable in meaning. Such ketsi are shunned, and actively driven away when food is scarce.
Lastly, a few ketsi are born with thicker hide covering their eye socket than normal, and their eye tends to be slightly atrophied. These are born blind, and when found, are held in high regard. These deep-lidded, as they are called, tend to be gifted with greater magic powers, any clan with deep-lidded born to them are considered to be blessed.
Abilities Despite the size of their eye, ketsi have poor eyesight. To compensate, they have incredibly keen hearing, and are even able to make use of echolocation. Since they are unable to blink, their eye is self-lubricating, and they can use their long tongues to clean and moisten their eye if need be.
When hunting, or defending their clans, ketsi primarily make use of their size and venomous bite, though their forelegs tend to boast talons or stout hooves as well. While they lack long fangs, their teeth have grooves in them that channel venom into their bites. The venom sacs are on the small side, and in any protracted battle, the ketsi may run dry, and have to wait for their venom stores to recover. To compensate, it's common for ketsi to engage in hit and run tactics, darting in to bite a foe then withdrawing to wait for the venom to take its toll.
Ketsi venom varies depending on age. For young ketsi, the venom tends to slow and disorient a victim, as well as causing a severe burning sensation. Venom found in adults interferes with blood clotting, making it easier for them to bring down prey since their large eye means their jaws tend to lack much by way or crushing or gripping power. Elderly ketsi have a potent venom that acts as a deadly neurotoxin, messing with a victim's perception, and potentially causing hallucinations. Ketsi themselves are immune to their own venom, and tend to be highly resistant to venoms and toxins in general.
Magic tends to be slightly uncommon, and when present, is usually a weak mix of earth, air, or water. Other elements are nearly unheard of. However, the deep-lidded tend to exhibit a wide range of non-elemental magics, usually psionics or some sort of clairvoyant abilities.
Species Origin;
Often as he could, Time liked to wander the Realms, visiting the various creatures he had created to see how they were doing, and to spend some time at ease among them, relaxing and sharing his wisdom. It was on one of these forays into Noctis to visit his stonelions, concerned that they were growing and expanding unchecked, that he spotted something new, and unusual.
At first, he thought they were a a pack of kamine migrated from Millirand, but these creatures lacked wings. Hiding himself from sight, he moved closer to better observe the creatures. He found them to be unusual, reptilian canids unlike any he had ever seen, covered in velvetine fur. Though they had only primitive minds, he was impressed by the cleverness and cunning he saw within them, and decided they would serve as a good balance for the stonelions, and curb their steady expansion.
He awakened their minds fully, and gave to them the gift of language and culture, then tasked them with serving as a balance for the stonelions so that neither species would expand too far, matching nehryngi cunning and agility against stonelion strength and fortitude. He blessed the leader of the nehryngi, the first he blessed with an awakened mind, with a higher level of intelligence, the ability to understand all languages, and the power of Sight.
~
Some time after the veldryn formed from the nehryngi, most of them followed their leader, the Ancient White, to settle on Felnova. Some few refused, removing themselves to the deep wilderness of Noctis, lured by the promise of knowledge promised them by Albion, should they prove their worth and loyalty. Swayed by the honeyed promises of the chaotic god, they refused to be swayed by the White One's call, and in time, he honored their decision, and left them to their fate.
After many years of waiting, and acting on Albion's whims, the veldryn were gathered together before the cunning god. He demanded they sacrifice an eye, both on their own behalf, and from all their descendants, before he would bestow his knowledge upon them. After some hesitation, they agreed, giving up one of their eyes each. In exchange, Albion told them all they would need to know about life with just one eye, and left them with his cruel laughter echoing in their ears.
Dismayed and abandoned, unable to join their Felnovian brethren, the one-eyed veldryn howled in grief until Seiten took pity on them. She gave them new bodies, though she was unable to break Albion's curse upon their eyes. She named them ketsi, and blessed them with keen ears to hear even the softest of sounds. Their single remaining eye was enlarged, both to serve as a reminder of their folly, and as a means to somewhat offset their curse.
In the days that followed, the new ketsi spread out across the Realms until they could be found in nearly all lands, and grew in number until they were a true species in their own right, not just descendants of the veldryn. Now, few live who remember the two were once one.
The First Nehryngi is a velvet-furred beast with colors of muted greys, silvers,and blacks, speckled in bright sky blue down her topline, cheeks, and tail. Small spines on her back and hidden in her mane, along with her eyes, horns, and spikes are all of the same color. A long mane of blue-black compliments a sleek form, while long fur decorates the sides of her face, under her tail, and on her chest. The nehryngi's ears are long and expressive, though often droop completely down when not pricked.
subspecies
No subspecies have been discovered for this species yet!
