Sarseians

Sarseians (/sɑr-say-ɑns/) are a sapient feliform race inhabiting the planet Sarsei. They have roughly the same intelligence level as humans, although their overall knowledge differs in certain ways. Technologically they have advanced in a different direction than humanity, as they have embraced their natural affinity toward manipulation of the components of reality. While mechanically they are roughly in their second industrial revolution, they have made leaps and bounds ahead of humanity in terms of science due to their manipulation affinities.

Sarseian Anatomy

Sarseians have a bipedal, generally feline-like body and facial shape. They have tall, almost fennec-like ears set wide on their head, a pair of horns between and in front of the ears, and two pairs of feelers on their muzzles. Their torsos and arms are long, and their digitigrade legs are fairly short. Their torsos have two extra pairs of nipples on their lower abdomen. They have a tapered, longer-than-body-length tail similar in shape to an otter's. They have a hyena-like mane that starts between their horns and runs all the way down their spine, looping around the underside of their tail tip.

Their hyena-like manes grow in line from the front of the scalp, rather than framing the head and neck that extends all the way down their tail, ending in a longer tuft that wraps around the tip. This hair continuously grows and is trimmed to length based on an individual's preference, and many can be seen styling them or trimming them for fashion or hygiene, adorning their mane and fur with accessories, or styling it into braids or tying it back. Some may prefer to keep it short, while others may wish to never trim it at all. Males typically have a facial 'beard' in addition to their regular manes and their manes are longer along the spine. Females usually have significantly longer manes along the skull and neck, as well as along the tail. Their furs range in color from a reddish orange to a deep purplish blue, and every color in between.

Adult Sarseian heights range from 4 feet to 8 feet tall (1.2 m to 2.4 m), with females being slightly smaller overall. Their weights range from 130 lbs to 430 lbs (63 kg to 193 kg), although height, nutrition and genetics may cause their weights to fluctuate from these averages.

They are generally slightly physically weaker than humans, but of stronger constitution. They live for approximately 120 Sarseian years (Roughly 276 Earth years), although this number is slowly climbing as improvements in technology allow for healthier living. They are at home on land or in water, able to swim with ease due to their webbed fingers and toes. Sarseian's eyes have round pupils, with nictitating membranes to protect their eyes while still allowing vision underwater. Their eyes also have a tapetum lucidum (reflective membrane), allowing them to see very well in low light; like Earth cats, this causes the eyes to appear to glow at times in lower-light conditions. They can see the full spectrum of visible light equally well to a human, but struggle to see contrast in very bright light.

Their ears are set noticeably wider and lower on their head than a terran feline's, and are generally significantly taller and pointier. Ear shapes range in shape from a rounded triangle to a sharp point. They are covered in very fine, short hair, and occasionally their tips may be tufted.

Sarseians also have two pairs of fully prehensile, boneless appendages called feelers, which grow from the snout pads just above their upper jaw, instead of whiskers. The upper pair, which are the foci for the paranormal feats performed via Kirat, can be anywhere from waist-length to ankle-length, with some cases growing even longer, and are usually 2-3 cm in diameter. They are quite sensitive to touch, seemingly more sensitive than a human finger. These feelers are surprisingly strong, able to lift several pounds and squeeze with surprising strength. They can curl, twist, and fold with surprising dexterity.

The lower pair, which mainly figure into body language, are significantly smaller, usually less than 20 cm and usually 0.5-1 cm in diameter. They are even more sensitive than the upper pair, and also act as erogenous zones. Should these feelers become severed, they do not grow back on their own, and the loss significantly affects their abilities.

Their feelers allow for empathic ability as they are able to transmit the feelings and emotions to another that they are familiar with. These transmissions must be explicitly allowed by the recipient, otherwise the transmission fails. Since these transmissions are a direct one-way link with a Sarseian's mind, operating entirely on concepts and emotions, it is nearly impossible for a Sarseian to be dishonest or secretive through this method of communication, and miscommunications are almost nonexistent since there can be no language barrier.

Sarseians have a single pair of horns that emerge from the top of their head, just slightly forward and in-between, consisting of a crystalline material layered over a bony scaffolding. These ‘horns’ never stop growing, and elder Sarseians may have rather unwieldy horns. The shape which these horns take varies by genetic lineage. Some subcultures have been known to shape a young Sarseian's horns to conform to a specific look. The crystalline material is usually semi-translucent, similar to various kinds of gemstones in appearance and color, but this material and color is not determined by genetics. Their larger-than-average hands appear somewhat paw-like, with five slightly shorter webbed digits, each with a non-retractable claw. Their palms and fingers have pliable pads, affording them a strong, rigid grip. Their digitigrade feet have four webbed toes with retractable claws. Their feet have wide rubbery pads on the ball of the foot and the toes, giving them grip even while wet.

Sarseian fur can be any color, from vibrant blues, reds, or even greens, or even black or white, though are more typically muted, warmer colors. Their manes are typically the same color as their fur, but can vary in lightness. Their fur typically is lighter around the chest and belly, and may be marked with stripes, streaks, specks, spots, rings, nebulae, rosettes, patches, blotches, mottling, or just be a bi-tone, point, or solid color. Their markings are also passed down through genetics, and are usually either darker or lighter than the base fur color. Their fur varies based on climate, with colder climate typically having thicker, denser, and longer fur, while hot climates have shorter and sparser, and wetter climates are oilier and coarser.

Body Forms

Sarseians conceived during a full moon of either Vaylei or Hansha will have a centaur-like body structure, with a bipedal upper half attached to a quadrupedal lower body. A pregnancy that occurs at the start of a given week, and multiple times during the year will result in a taur-bodied Sarseian.

Conversely, Sarseians conceived during a new moon of either Vaylei or Hansha will have a quadrupedal body structure, unable to walk properly on two legs. They retain the intelligence, manual dexterity, and verbal capability of a bipedal Sarseian. A pregnancy that occurs at the middle of a given week, and multiple times during the year will result in a quadrupedal Sarseian.

All other times of the year, when neither Vaylei or Hansha are in new or full phase will result in a 'typical' bipedal form. Body-workers are capable of accelerating or postpone conception by 6 days after the fact, in order to achieve a specific result.

Reproduction, Maturation, and Sexual Anatomy:

The Sarseian reproductive system is far more complex than that of a human's, a full spectrum from fully male to fully female, and everything in between. They have three genetic markers for sex, and can be categorized into five groupings based on which markers are male or female.

An individual with at least one male marker will have a sheathed penis, and a scrotum with two large testes. If they have two male markers, they will have an additional pair of internal testes. If all three markers are male, then they will have a second pair of internal testes. The more male markers an individual has, the more masculine their bodies tend to appear

An individual with at least one female marker will have a vulva with labial folds. They will also have a pair of ovaries and a uterus in the lower-central abdomen. If they have two female markers, they will have an additional pair of ovaries connecting to the single uterus, and their uterus is larger to accommodate larger litters. If they have three female markers, they will have three total pairs of ovaries, and their uterus is even larger. The more female markers an individual has, the more feminine their bodies tend to appear.

An individual with at least one male and female marker, they will possess a sheathed penis, scrotum and testes, a vaginal opening immediately behind the scrotum, as well as a uterus and ovaries.

About 35% of the population has all male markers, about 32% all female markers, 17% two male markers, and 15% two female markers. Approximately 1% of the population has a chimeral condition where the right and left halves of their body's genetic markers do not match.

A Sarseian's penis is about 13 inches long (35 cm), with a tapered head, and three sets of bulbs on either side of their penis that increase in size toward the base. These bulbs expand in order to lock the penis inside their mate, and become highly sensitive when expanded, producing a great deal of pleasure when squeezed. The bulbs begin to expand as the Sarseian nears orgasm, reaching their maximum size just before release, and will stay fully expanded as long as pleasure is continued and orgasm is not achieved. If left unattended, the bulbs will not begin to shrink for several hours. Upon orgasm, these bulbs will stay expanded for several minutes, up to half an hour. The largest of these bulbs, at the base of the penis, expands from 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter to 6 inches (15 cm), with the rest expanding to a lesser and lesser degree nearer the head.

A Sarseian's testes are significantly different from a terran mammal's testes. They perform the functions of the prostate, testes, and seminal vesicles, with the internal pairs acting as storage reservoirs for prepared semen, while the scrotal pair produce semen at a rapid rate. The average Sarseian's scrotal testes are each approximately 4.5 inches (12 cm) in diameter, with the internal testes slightly smaller at 3 inches (8 cm) in diameter. Should the internal pairs become full, the scrotal testes will begin storing semen. Should all testes become full, they can begin to stretch quite significantly as they attempt to produce even more, but this can cause severe pain if stretched too quickly.

A Sarseian's vulva has tri-lobe bulbar structure just behind the labial folds that performs the duty of keeping the penis securely inside. It swells just before orgasm to form a restrictive canal behind the penis' basal bulbs and squeezing the penis, locking it in place. The vulvar bulbs are extremely sensitive to touch and pressure. They remain swollen for a few minutes after orgasm, but immediately start to shrink if the Sarseian has not yet reached orgasm.

A Sarseian's ovaries are capable of continually producing ovae over the entire span of a sexually mature Sarseian's life. The presence of the largest penile bulb within the vaginal canal stimulates ovulation from all ovaries present. A Sarseian is highly likely to produce a litter equal in size to the number of female markers they have.

A Sarseian's gestation period is 4 Sarseian months (approximately 28 terran months), and twins and triplets, multiples that grow from a single ovum, are uncommon. However, for those conceiving under the effects of the Fertility artifact, it is common for the number of cubs conceived to double or triple. Due to their unique anatomy, it is highly unlikely that a Sarseian would be able to find some other compatible species to mate with, so interspecies hybrids are likely impossible.

All Sarseians have six nipples, with individuals who are not pregnant, nursing, or otherwise lactating possessing small or nonexistent breasts. While pregnant and until all nursing has ended, an individual 's breasts may swell quite noticeably, providing plenty of milk for the cubs.

Due to the strong link to social interactions having a notable change biologically, there has to be an existing positive relationship between two individuals for a pregnancy to have a good chance of even occurring, so pregnancy from rape and unwanted sex is almost unheard of.

A newborn Sarseian's feelers appear as small buds and grow as they age. Their horns do not breach the skin until roughly 15-20 Sarseian years. A Sarseian goes through puberty much like a human does, around 30 Sarseian years, with a surge of growth and various changes. The fur grows slightly more coarse, the mane grows longer and thicker, the feelers lengthen, and much more fine motor skills develop.

The Sharinnah-Okoti Organs:

A Sarseian's horns begin growth as typical bones - subdermal organic scaffold within their skulls which is slowly replaced as they age by a crystalline structure, fusing to the bone to make a strong integrated link. They consist of a material unique to Sarsei called Sharinnah, which their bodies synthesize. This material exists only as grown by the Sarseian body, and does not occur within nature. The material appearance of the horns can be separated into sixteen groupings: Tanzanite, Peridot, Sunstone, Feldspar, Moonstone, Sodalite, Cuprian, Spinel, Aquamarine, Ruby, Jade, Onyx, Amethyst, Citrine, Rubellite and Diamond. Their individual appearance varies, but they typically appear similar to the raw, unpolished form of the gemstones they are named for, and with the exception of Diamond, they are usually fully opaque or semi-translucent.

The material a Sarseian's horns take on depends on the individual's core personality traits, beginning as flecks of minerals embedding within the organic scaffold to seed its future growth. By 16 Sarseian years, the individual's personality has likely solidified, and growth begins in earnest, using the mineral seeds to accelerate the growth and breach the skin. Once the horn-buds have breached the surface, they begin to resonate with the cosmic background radiation bombarding their planet, starting to vibrate at the atomic level, imperceptible by touch. It is speculated that the radiation from Kao and Raish is what causes the first Sharinnah to form and seed its growth in the first place.

The specific makeup of the Sharinnah and its seeding minerals determines the frequency at which the horns vibrate, as well as what harmonics are produced. These vibrations are picked up and processed by a group of twelve receptors collectively called Shari. Two specific pair of Shari activate based on the frequency of the vibrations and harmonics.

All Sarseians are born with twelve working Shari, with six around the base of each horn. As a Sarseian’s horns grow Sharinnah, the Shari that are not regularly activated begin to atrophy, quickly becoming completely nonfunctional and leaving the two Shari associated with the Sharinnah. Since this base frequency and its harmonics almost never change over the lifetime of the individual, it is exceedingly rare to find an adult Sarseian with more than two functional Shari. The activation rate of these Shari varies by individual, making each completely unique.

If a Sarseian's horns are damaged or broken entirely, the amplitude of the vibrations can be greatly diminished, altering the activation rate significantly. A Sarseian with no horns, either through some genetic anomaly or through some injury sustained will still have an active pair of Shari, but their activation will be minimal at best. If the Sarseian's horns are damaged early on in their life, they will likely continue to grow, but the damage is permanent.

The Shari's activation produces a catalyst called Okoti. Okoti is stored within the Sarseian's lymphatic system, and is used to power their abilities. Okoti becomes inert if extracted from a Sarseian, and has yet to be synthesized in any form.

Okoti is pumped through the body through motions by the limbs and body movements, collecting at locations called Nodes where it is focused and compressed. It is then expended to produce supernatural effects. Since the Sarseians' upper feelers have a massive matrix of lymphatic vessels solely for these effects, they are primarily used as foci.

The fourth planet in the Kao-Raish star system. The only known inhabited planet.

Sapient feliform race inhabiting Sarsei

Martial art system used to create magical effects, utilizing Shari, Okoti, Nodes and Sharinnah.

The larger of the two moons orbiting Sarsei.

The larger of the two moons orbiting Sarsei.

Crystalline material which grows on sentient fauna on Sarsei, that gives them the ability to create magical effects.

Catalyst used to directly produce magical effects.

The larger, white main sequence star in the Kao-Raish system.

The smaller, red main sequence star in the Kao-Raish system.

Organs within the skulls of sentient fauna on Sarsei, that enable specific Domains of magic.

Organs within the bodies of sentient fauna on Sarsei, that direct the flow of Okoti and alter the magical effect.