Races (Elder Effect)

There exists a wide variety of races in Aurbis. Though different in terms of biology, as well as cultural and societal norms, scientists theorise that they may have stemmed from the very same origin of life during the beginning of the known universe. Despite their distance to one another, there is an uncanny similarity and resemblance the races share, as well as traits which they all have in common. Most of the sentient races in Aurbis are bipedal, have a set of two eyes, and have five digits on both set of extremities. They also have distinct sexual dimorphism, separating the two genders physically.

Interbreeding between the races is possible, however the offspring will always result in the race of the mother, with some traits, such as eye and/or hair color, with likeness, carried over from the father. For example: a union between an Argonian father and an Imperial mother would result in the live birth of an Imperial child. Changing the races, however, to that of a union between an Argonian mother and an Imperial father would result in the laying of an egg and an Argonian offspring.

What follows here is a list of the known races found in Aurbis:

Altmer
The tall and proud golden Elves of Summerset.

Appearance
Altmer stand taller than any other race in the Mundus Galaxy, even taller than Nords and Orsimer. They do, however, have a more frail body structure, more fine-limbed, slim and not as broad as the previously mentioned races. As expected they possess the characteristically pointed ears found in other races of Mer. The Altmer have an unblemished complexion as well as a golden saturation to their skin color, making them appear practically radiant to the observer. Their eye colors tend to vary in a mix ranging between yellow and gold, and although other colors have been recorded, these traits in particular seems to be dominant.

Culture and Society
Though they would claim otherwise, there is no denying that most Altmer have a superiority complex. This prude view stems from their origin as one of the oldest, still thriving cultures, dating back to over 50 000 years of recorded history. Their disregard of other races and their cultures as being "lesser", has earned them animosity and contempt throughout the galaxy. This social norm of putting themselves above others, however, is of course one that not all Altmer share. Various movements exists within their society that are actively trying to improve and maintain good relations with the other races, despite any backlash they receive from their own kinsmen.

The Altmer, in general, seems to hold a particular disdain for the races of Men, especially the Bretons. They regard the Bretons' natural ability to absorb and harness Elder Effect as something sacrilegious. The Altmer are very religious and spiritual, believing themselves to be the "chosen race" of the Aedra, the Creator Gods, and thus the only ones blessed with the gift to use Elder Effect freely. The knowledge that another race is capable of doing the same naturally, and by adding insult to injury; that this race is not of the Mer, has made their contempt for the Bretons into something of a cultural competition.

The pious nature of Altmer has led to the creation of the Ithriál Cult, an order of fanatics and zealots that consider any misuse of Elder Effect to be heresy, and warrant of a purge from the face of the galaxy. While many Altmer share the view that Elder Effect shouldn't be used for other purposes than religious rites, they don't share the extremist views of the Ithriál Cult. Though reluctance to use Elder Effect with machinery and weaponry is great among the Altmer populace, it's not forbidden. Every engine and/or Elder Effect-based weapon, must be blessed before being put into permanent usage.

Argonians
The reptilian people of Argonia, or Black Marsh, the swamp planet.

Appearance
Argonians range in height from medium to tall. Their projecting snouts can be pointed or rounded, resembling that of either monitor lizards, snakes, or even alligators. The complexion of their scaly skin come in a wide variety of colors, brown and green being the most common; but also black, grey, white, beige, and pale yellow. Though Argonians have hair growth on the top of their heads, they sometimes shave this off in favor of showing off their horns, which they usually adorn with ornaments and rings, signaling their social status. Like the Khajiit, the Argonians can have either slit or rounded irises in their eyes, however the former is more usual.

Culture and Society
The Argonians are proud, intelligent and loyal. Though they boast a disciplined and well-organized military force, they lack any actual means and initiative of ever putting it to use for their own self-interest. As such they often offer their assistance in joint operations with other races. Many Argonians take pride in serving their own society, and as such every endeavor or work is considered beneficial for the well-being of the entire race. Due to the oceans of Black Marsh being so rich with life and the swampy terrain, Argonians have prospered in establishing an aggregation and fishing culture.

According to Argonian religion, their existence stem from the Hist trees, a race of supposedly sentient trees that dots Black Marsh's landscape. As a result of this belief, many Argonians are pious and deeply religious, treating their nature with the utmost respect. The sap harvested from these trees is an integral part of Argonian religion. Once consumed it will enhance the prowess of the one who drinks it, as well as triggering visions which allows the Argonians to communicate with the Hist trees on a subconscious level. Skeptics, however, claims that the sap is hallucinogenic in nature and dangerous to the mind.

Argonians born under the sign of the Shadow are sought after by the Shadowscales, a religious order of assassins, to join their ranks. Though outlawed in the Mundus galaxy, and despite any efforts to root the order out, their headquarters' and their membership status remains unknown. Though highly skilled in the assassinations they undertake, they are hard to get in contact with. They can only be reached, if ever, by a third party contact.

Aside from the Shadowscales, the most notable faction to come from Black Marsh is the lucrative Blackwood Company, a mercenary group primarily composed of Beastfolk. They are considered unethical due to their practice of consuming hist sap before battle, something that, according to Argonians, should only be done so for religious purposes.

Bosmer
The discreet and stealthy Mer of Valenwood.

Appearance
The Bosmer normally stands one or two heads shorter in height than the average human being. Their complexion ranges from light green or pale tan to a very soft brown. They are fine-limbed and sleek in their body structure, allowing them to easier maneuver through the thick, great mangrove forests of Valenwood.

Culture and Society
The Bosmer are separated into several clans strewn across the planet within their own given region of the perpetual forests of Valenwood. While some get along better with others, there are some clans who remain in everlasting feuds, spanning centuries of old grudges. The only thing that truly holds the race together is the Green Pact: a highly religious oath that forbids them all from ever harming, consuming, or altering plant life in any way. The only exception is fallen fruit and nuts, which are considered main ingredients of a majority of the Bosmeri cuisine.

The clans live in gigantic migratory trees within their own regions, leading to some feuds occurring whenever these rivaling clans' trees move too close to one another. Due to their stance of treating vegetation with the utmost respect, Bosmer mainly get their source of food from meat consumption, not just from beasts, but also among themselves. Warring clans often devour their fallen enemies and comrades, not just for nutrition but also in the religious belief that they will absorb the strength of their fallen foes and friends. This act of cannibalism is not considered to be shameful in any way. Their belief is that the consumption of a fallen warrior within their own clan will mean that the spirit of the fallen live on in their consumers, making them stronger and a more reliable asset for the clan as a whole.

Bosmer are seldom seen outside the Nirn sector. They mostly keep to themselves and generally tend to stay away from the affairs of other races, whether it's for their own advantage or not. The few freelancing Bosmer snipers there are however, are considered among the finest, if not best, sharpshooters in the Mundus Galaxy, and are highly sought after in war efforts and/or assassination missions.

Bretons
The inhabitants of the rocky meadow and highlands planet, High Rock.

Appearance
Bretons are of medium height with distinguishable sharp physical traits. Most Bretons are fair-skinned and have red, auburn, or brown hair. Their frail physical features is theorised to be the result of Men and Mer interbreeding at one point many thousands of years ago. Some Bretons also have a tendency to have more freckles than any other known race.

Culture and Society
Similar to Nords, Bretons are ruled by clans or families of great influence, each represented by a chosen "warlord". Though united in culture and language, the Bretons are politically divided on plenty of subjects, something that has led to plenty of scheming and plotting within their government.

Unlike the other races of Mankind, Breton education, work and research is almost completely focused on the usage of Elder Effect, and how it affects both organic and inorganic matter, as well as augmentations for improved usage of the energy in both machines and sentient beings.

The Bretons strange affinity to Elder Effect and their ability to naturally utilize it as they please without the usage of augmentations, have swayed many scholars to support the claim that the Bretons are the result of interbreeding between Men and Mer at some point back in history. Due to this supposed Mer ancestry, all Bretons possess a natural aptitude to absorb and manipulate Elder Effect, unlike the other races of Mankind who needs augmentations in order to use it.

The Adamantine Tower is a location highly revered by Breton society. The gigantic complex serves as a university, a research facility, a military academy and a workshop. It's dedicated to all the scientific pursuits within the field of Elder Effect usage. People come to train and/or study its usage at the university and the military academy. At the research department, scientific breakthroughs are made on a yearly basis on how to develop new augmentations, methods and machinery that are able to absorb and utilize Elder Effect. Finally at the workshop department, new inventions using Elder Effect are actively being worked on, sometimes employing foreign work forces from both Morrowing and Elsweyr.

Dwemer
The extinct and mysterious master craftsmen of the Tamriel system.

Appearance
Little is known about what the Dwemer looked like in terms of appearance. However, if the Dunmer's claim of being the distant descendants of the Dwemer is true, one could assume that the Dunmer would be of dark complexion, and similar to other races of Mer with sharp facial features and pointed ears. Judging by what architecture they left behind, it can also be assumed that they stood shorter in height than that of an average Man. Wall paintings and ancient statues suggests that all Dwemer males braided or curled their beards, even suggesting that the beards themselves represented some sort of status or rank. No depictions of female Dwemer exists.

Culture and Society
Roughly 50 000 years ago the Dwemer was among the first, if not the first civilized race in the entire Tamriel system. The collective memory of them have long since disappeared for the other races, leaving much of the Dwemer's existence and ultimate fate a mysterious, but popular subject among historians and archaeologists alike. Their vast empire stretched over several planets, including Morrowind, Skyrim, High Rock, Hammerfell, and Wrothgaria.

The Dwemer boasted a superior intellect based upon the advanced technology of the contraptions and inventions they left behind in their dead ruins. They were highly skilled engineers, architects, inventors, scientists, and are even theorized to have unlocked the means to traverse through space and time (one of the more popular theories among historians as to why they disappeared).

Imperials
The organized citizens of Cyrodiil, the heart of Empire space.

Appearance
The Imperials are similar to Bretons in terms of height, with sharp facial features. Imperial complexion tend to range from fair to swarthy. Generally more darker in comparison to the races of Bretons and Nords, but brighter than Redguards. Though their eye colors can range from pretty much anything within the known pigmentations found in Mankind, brown and green seems to be the most commonly distributed among the Imperial population. The most common hair colors are brown and black.

Culture and Society
The Imperials of Cyrodiil carry on a proud legacy dating back to approximately 1000 years ago when their ancestors ruled Tamriel, in the established Empire space, and governed all of the other races of Mankind. However, with the deterioration of Tamriel's health and the exodus of all the races of Mankind to other planets, the once so mighty Empire crumbled, and is now nothing but a distant memory. That memory however lives on among the Imperial populace even to this day. The living standards of the former Empire, are legendary, and is a lifelong achievement for many citizens of the resurrected New Empire to pursue. The modern citizens of Cyrodiil have a decent living standard with schooling, welfare and housing all payed for in their taxes.

Currently ruled by Emperor Siberius II, the Imperials of Cyrodiil are proud and loyal. They boast a sharp intellect and extraordinary charisma. Imperials have a tendency to become excellent traders, politicians, ambassadors, diplomats, military officers and tacticians. The well-organized Imperial Legion is a military force to be reckoned with and is even recognized by other races outside of Empire space as an exemplary military faction.

The Empire has been criticized for their usage of the Penitus Oculatus, a shadowy group of agents serving as the Emperor's eyes and ears throughout Mundus. Their primary directive is to gather intelligence from other races that may benefit the Empire, however it is also theorized that they may be involved in meddling and influencing the politics in other governments than their own.

Dating back to ancient times the Imperials also established the Blades, a group of naturally gifted Elder Effect users who trained in the ways of the sword. These well-trained knights became the elite forces of the Empire, even standing above the Imperial Legion in terms of camaraderie and skill. And though their numbers are scarce, a Blade is treated with respect throughout all of the galaxy. They are rarely called upon, lest a mission requires as much lethal outcome as subtlety. However, the Blades answers to no government, but themselves. They will only answer to causes they deem to be just, righteous and capable of spreading goodness.

It is not uncommon to find that many Imperials within the fields of military interests or politics, due to their outgoing personality and genuine interest in creating contacts internally or abroad, more often than not have individuals of three or more races within their circle of close friends or confidants.

Khajiit (Cathay)
The cat-folk of Elsweyr with surrounding moons.

Appearance
Feline and fur-clad, with bodyshapes ranging from slick and slender to athletically muscular. The Khajiit of Elsweyr are agile and swift, with an impeccable eyesight and hearing. Due to Elsweyr's short day span, they are generally nocturnal in nature. On their toes and fingers, Khajiit have sets of sharp claws, capable of denting and/or metal. The irises of their eyes can either be slit or rounded and come in any nuance of the color spectrum, while the color of their fur can range from anything from spotted golden brown to a shiny pitch black.

Culture and Society
The Khajiit of Elsweyr space, or the Cathay, are a reclusive bunch. Though they are polite and welcoming to foreigners, they mostly keep to themselves as their numbers grow more and more scarce. Khajiits are highly intelligent and creative, and their ingenuity in technological improvements remain unchallenged throughout the Mundus galaxy. Khajiits live in a scavenger culture, picking apart the carcasses of crashed ships and mechs, to use the parts for their own spontaneous tinkering. This norm stems from their struggle for survival, as they are continuously fighting a losing battle against their own creation, the Suthay-raht, an artificial race of former android servants. The Cathay reside on the southern hemisphere, known as Pellitine, while Suthay-raht, have claimed the entire northern hemisphere, known as Anequina.

Despite being broken as a people and a society, the Khajiit are ruled by their religious leader: the Mane, living in Senchal, in Pellitine.

Due to their impressive progress in technology, Khajiits are highly sought after by various governments to serve as engineers, inventors, and technicians. However, few Khajiits ever leave Elsweyr space. Despite their love of tinkering with all things technological, such as ships, most Khajiits have an ironical fear of flight. Due to their unwillingness to leave Elsweyr space in order to seek a patent for their creations, outside interference from companies often steal Khajiit inventions for mass production. Those few Khajiit who travel outside Elsweyr space to serve foreign powers within the technological field, are jokingly called "grease-cats" by their own. As a result of the invention of the Suthay-raht, the Khajiit are forbidden by law to develop artificial intelligence above the consciousness level of Sphere class in Animunculi categorization.

A societal norm among the Khajiit includes possessiveness; anything that isn't being used or is currently being used by someone, is free for their taking. This behavior has led to the trope that the Khajiit are naught but beggars and thieves. Some Khajiits, however, do indulge in criminal activities such as smuggling, industrial espionage, hacking, and even assassinations. These are often found working for the criminal organization known as the Renjijra Krin, but also for other lucrative groups such as the Blackwood Company or the Dark Brotherhood.

To keep up with their hyper-active minds, some Khajiits rely on moon sugar whenever they are tinkering and inventing. Though the drug is outlawed in the Tamriel Sector and considered dangerous to the other races, the Khajiit remain unaffected by any negative traits.

Khajiit marriages are arranged and often planned long before the two parties have even met.

Khajiit (Suthay-raht)
The feline android race of Elsweyr.

Appearance
The apperances of the Suthay-raht varies. However, they strongly resemble the Cathay to the exterior, whereas their interior is naught but a endoskeleton for internal support. They also wear various attachments that marks their intended purposes.

Culture and Society
Next to nothing is known about the society of the Suthay-raht, other than their history. Roughly 2000 years ago, they were created as laborers, servants and soldiers of the Cathay. But for reasons unknown, the race gained self-awareness and revolted against their creators, resulting in the exile of the majority of the Cathay, whereas the Suthay-raht claimed almost the entire northern hemisphere for themselves.

The Suthay-raht are infamous for being overly aggressive and hostile, firing upon outsiders on sight. For further reasons unknown, the race has never sought to expand their territory outside of Elsweyr space. Though they constantly improve themselves and their defenses, by upgrading and fine-tuning their equipment or constructing outposts, they have never tried to completely occupy Elsweyr beyond the boundaries of Anequina, much to the delight of the Cathay.

Though other races have tried to establish contact, they have been met by either radio silence or open hostility. As such, the Elder Council has declared the northern hemisphere of Elsweyr, or Anequina, to be an unsafe zone, and that travels within the vicinity of the planet should not be encouraged without military support.

Nords
The reserved inhabitants of the frozen planet, Skyrim.

Appearance
Tall, fair-haired, pale-skinned, bright-eyed and often sturdy, gaunt and stout in their body structure; Nords are considered the naturally strongest of the races of Mankind. Their traits are believed to be the result of having endured the harsh climate of Skyrim, and as a result they are generally more tolerant to cold and frost.

Culture and Society
Nords take great pride in traditions of warfare, revelry and family honor. They rarely, if ever, tell lies as they value honesty in almost every aspect of their lives. However, Nords are also generally reserved and suspicious. They have a hard time trusting foreigners as well as their own kin, which has more than often led to grudges and battles within the Clans, the ruling families of Nord society. However, to make up for this kind of social paranoia, Nords have also proven themselves to be extremely loyal, once trust and respect has been earned. They will gladly take bullets or hits from melee weapons in order to save the life of a beloved or a friend. Nords have also made themselves famous with their fighting capabilities and craftmanship.

Though their Stalhrim Alloys and Skyforge Steel manufacturers have made the term "Nordic craftmanship" into something to be associated with quality, outside of Empire space, it is the ingenuity of their shipbuilding that really outshines the other races of the Mundus Galaxy in terms of technological advancement.

Due to their efforts and participation in the art of war, it is not uncommon to find most Nords becoming freelancing soldiers or mercenaries. And Nordic shipbuilders, along with weapons and armor manufacturers are considered among the finest in Mundus. However, due to a strong sense of duty and pride to their own kin, they will more than often join up with or serve the Nords' own national forces, the Stormcloaks, over any other race.

Nord courtship has been the subject of many jokes told throughout Mundus. Nordic marriages are built upon the principles of basic survival and support, rather than love and emotions. That doesn't mean, however, that Nordic marriages are without the latter, as the two parties may grow closer to one another during their time as a married couple.

The Nords are ruled by a coalition of powerful families, who dictates the laws and rules of their society whenever a council is being held. More often than not, the interests and opinions of these families clashes, which sometimes results in long-lasting, petty grudges, and sometimes even duels to the death.

Orsimer
The brutish natives of Wrothgaria.

Appearance
Orsimer or Orcs, as they are more commonly known, are the most physically imposing of all the races in the Mundus Galaxy. They are tall, broad, muscular and sturdy, making them incredibly strong and resistant, but also slow. An Orc can easily be recognised by the appearance of their green skin, their pointy ears, their projecting lower jaws and sharp, tusk-like canines. They have low foreheads, often giving them a sinister look.

Culture and Society
The Orsimer of Wrothgaria are a battle-hardened people who thrive on the ideas of battle and bloodshed. Talented warriors and craftsmen, the Orcs are known for their love of warfare, and as such have proved themselves to be an excellent freelance resource used by many warring factions throughout the centuries.

Though their weapons and armor arsenal belong to the highest and reliable quality septims can buy, it is rare for Orcs to craft equipment for others than their own kin. They consider their craft to be very personal and has to be earned through other means than bought for gold.

Orc society is built upon the concept of tribes, each ruled by its own warchief. These tribes are locked in a neverending competitive struggle to prove which one of them that is the most strongest and honorable. This has led to the complete and utter devastation of Wrothgaria's surface, and the destruction of many cities.

The only way for an Orc to become the warchief is by killing the previous warchief. The brutal lifestyle of Orcs includes polygamous patriarchy, and thus only the warchief of the tribe is allowed to have wives, and preferably many. Though it is considered a great honor for a woman to be the bride of the warchief, she can reject him, shaming him and lowering his respect within the tribe. For the warchief to restore his honor, he must undertake a task given to him by the tribe's wise woman; which can range from anything such as slaying a specific beast or even killing the woman who shamed him. The practice of multiple partners, in theory, is to ensure that only the strongest genes are carried on to the next generation of Orcs that will prove to be stronger than the previous. The life pursuit of an Orc is thus to make sure that in the end, their tribe is the strongest and last one standing to rule over Wrothgaria, having vanquished all the other, weaker, worthless tribes.

An old saying that perfectly captures the lifestyle of an Orc is: "If you are weak, you are better off dead."

Redguards
The talented warrior people of the sands of Hammerfell.

Appearance
Redguards stand tall, sturdy and muscular, though not as much as the Nords. Their complexion ranges from light brown to black, and they often have black or brown hair with texture that of thick curls or wiry strings. Due to their imposing and balanced physiology, Redguards generally have better endurance and agility than any other race of Mankind. And their hardy constitution makes them very resistant to the effects of poisons.

Culture and Society
Similar to the Nords, the Redguards take great pride and finds honor in the art of war. It is mandatory for boys and girls to be trained from an early age to become skilled soldiers, however once their years of education within the field are over, they are free to pursue any other interests or lines of work as they see fit. However, since combat and militaristic traditions has been taught to them from a very young age, few Redguards ever seek to become something else other than a soldier, serving within the military intelligence department, or working for Shamshir Corporations, a widely renown weapons manufacturer.

Being the most naturally gifted warriors of the races of Mankind, most Redguards frown upon the usage of Elder Effect for other purposes than fueling machinery and weaponry. They dislike the idea of becoming living weapons and as such tend to look down upon Elder Effect users with contempt.

With their militaristic and adventurous mindset, Redguards tend to form mercenary groups with close friends from their training years, after graduating, and then travel abroad to seek employers, often in the service of foreign governments, the most famous one being the Alik'r. Those with a sense of nationalistic pride stay on Hammerfell to serve the Crowns, the elite forces of the Redguards. These skilled fighters, however, are often in conflict with their ancient adversary the Forebears, with whom they share many centuries of bitter resentment.

The Redguards of Hammerfell tend to not care for politics, and as such let themselves be governed by what they refer to as a "democratic autocracy", in which they vote for their strongest and most capable fighter and/or military leader to guide their people, until someone with more skill has proven themselves to be more worthy of the role.

While marriage customs do exist, Redguards consider long-lasting relationships to be overrated. It is therefore not unheard of that a marriage will only last for a year or two, until both parties part ways amicably in search of something new that can satiate their lust for adventure and excitement. This has led to the trope that Redguards generally have a hard time settling down and be still, as they always seems to be on the move, in the search for something greater than themselves.

Sload
The secretive and calculating slug race of Thras.

Appearance
The Sload is a race of bloated, semi-amphibious, slug-like bipeds. They tower over most of the sentient races of the Mundus Galaxy in terms of height, though never as tall as the Giants on Skyrim. They also have the largest amount of body mass. The Sload are said to become extremely old, with some ages recorded to well beyond 1000 years, and they keep on gathering fat to the point where they will be unable to move unless submerged in water. Once they reach the imminent end of their age, their fat and blubber starts to turn into a transparent and gelatinous substance. Upon death their bodies and organs are dissolved into water, making them a permanent contribution to planet's oceanic surface.

Society and Culture
The Sload of Thras are a quiet lot, keeping to themselves. Their sole dedication in life seems to be for the craving for knowledge and the fulfilling of their own egotism. In fact, every action carried out, every word uttered and every thought rushing through their minds seems to be based on the best potential outcome to further their own self-interests.

The Sload are completely bereft of conscience. They never have any regrets, and regards other individuals as a means to an end. Cunning, untrustworthy, and deceitful, the Sload does not shun away from any means or actions that would be considered immoral or illegal under the White-Gold law, such as necromancy and slavery.

The Sload believe that upon death they merge with the waters of Thras and become a part of a greater whole, like a collective mind that will eventually devour all the other lifeforms in the universe. It's this very belief that makes them pursue their insatiable thirst for knowledge, believing that the more secrets they know upon death, the more they will contribute to the cause in the afterlife.

Tang Mo
The monkey-folk of the planet with the same name.

Appearance
Similar to the Imga in appearance, the Tang Mo are a race of simians. In contrast to their distant relatives the Tang Mo are far more primal in their behavior and exterior. They are taller, more muscular and physically adapt to maul, crush and maim their enemies, as well as hairier. The males are typically more larger than the females. Both genders paint their furs in a myriad of colorful patterns, signifying their rank and status in their communities.

Society and Culture
The Tang Mo society is built upon tribal traditions. They believe in strength and despises weakness. As a result, at any given chance they will eradicate a rival tribe the moment they show their flaws or mishaps. Within their tribes they have established a ranking system: chiefs, priests, warriors, hunters, and gatherers.

The chief is chosen in a ritual not all too different from a moot. Each volunteering candidate will provide gifts, and promises of what they want to accomplish, if they should become chief. If the gifts are deemed adequate and the promises appealing, the tribe will choose said candidate to lead them. The chief will select a female of his choosing to be his partner for life, and will from thereon assign the roles and the ranks each member of the tribe will play.

Being a highly aggressive race, hostile to outsiders and invaders, there has been little documentation about their beliefs and religions, if such a thing exists at all.

Tsaesci
The serpent-men of the planet with the same name.

Appearance
The Tsaeci are tall, elegant, and bipedal, and much similar to Men in their biology. They have slit, golden-colored eyes and long, gaunt faces. They have sharp fish-like teeth and long split tongues. Their skin is covered in gilded scales. The males have golden-colored, whereas the females have silver-colored. All Tsaeci are born ambidextrous, making them the ultimate sword-masters and martial artists. The Tsaeci tend to speak with a low hissing sound due to their reptilian-esque tongues.

Society and Culture
The Tsaeci are renowned for their swordsmanship throughout the galaxies. And though essentially a warrior culture, the Tsaeci are also skilled diplomats, traders, and explorers. Though they tend to keep to themselves, they do not shy away from utilizing espionage and installing ambassadors in foreign societies to serve as their eyes and ears outside of their own sector. Unlike most other races, the Tsaeci does not shun slavery. Each household on planet Tsaeci is said to have one or more slaves of various races to serve their serpent-like masters.

The Tsaeci cuisine has been the tale of terror for many races throughout the centuries. Similar to their views on slavery, the Tsaeci are equally unscrupulous in the food they eat. Being omnivores, the Tsaeci gladly devour anything that they consider to be edible, whether it be fruits or another living being.

The Tsaeci lifespan is said to last eternally, a trait which they themselves can neither confirm nor deny as no Tsaeci has ever died of old age. When they reach a certain time in their life, in which they feel as if though they have accomplished their purpose in life or seen and done everything they ever watned, they enter a state of self-imposed death and pass away peacefully.

As renowned sword-masters, the few Tsaeci that travel outside of their sector, are highly sought after by private contractors to serve as bodyguards or mentors of swordsmanship.

The race is ruled by an emperor or empress, who assumes their position usually by assassinating the previous holder of the title, by poison or other discreet means.