PHYSIOLOGY
The Rahkyri (
plural) or Rahkyrean (
singular) are a bipedal, humanoid species. They exhibit many traits similar to humans, with some notable differences externally and internally. To recognize a Rahkyrean, one would look for a variety of visible cranial traits that lend themselves to a unique look amongst humanoid species.
Rahkyri have ridges on the front of their faces, beginning on the nose and running upwards into the upper portion of the forehead. These ridges are as unique as fingerprints, and a cranial print can be used to identify a person. In addition, they have slender, elongated and pointed ears, that curve upwards. In persons considered ‘attractive,’ they are complementary to the cranial structures that erupt on either side of the head and run along the skull on both sides.
The Rahkyri, in general, are tall, averaging about 1.9 meters in height, both male and female. The females are slightly smaller than the males. Both sexes usually wear their hair close to the scalp, properly displaying the attractive bony side-crests. In rare cases where hair is worn long, it is usually tied back so that is does not detract from the ridges or crests. These crests are usually light blue in females, dark blue to black in males with an occasional, very rare, red flare.
Rahkyri eyes are forward facing and reflective, an evolutionary trait from the excessive radiation from their homeworld. Eye colors range all over the spectrum but are most commonly aquamarine to deep blue. Hair color ranges from dark brown to black.
(Left:a female Rahkyrean,)
BIOLOGY
The Rahkyri have an average lifespan of around one hundred seventy-five to one hundred and eighty years. Part of the reason they have a longer-than-average lifespan is because they are slightly more efficient internally, and have advanced medical technology.
Internally, Rahkyri have enlarged lung capacity, improved circulation and increased endocrine system function. This leads to a greater response during heightened moments, such as fight or flight. While a human might have a thirty-second peak response to a longer-lasting two minute overall effect, a Rahkyri’s adrenal glands and corticosteroids response is increased to the points where they can have a heightened effect for several minutes lasting into five minutes or longer.
The slightly increased gravity of Rahkeria means that, in addition, the Rahkyri have a slightly greater-than-human strength. It is nothing to the extent that a Klingon, for example, displays, but is significant.
Childhood is relatively quick for a Rakhyrean, reaching maturity at eighteen years of age, like most humans. Cognitive development can continue for two to three years afterwards, so full decision-making processes are often impulsive until such time.
The most curious feature of the Rahkyri physical development involves the bony side-crests they display so prominently. These do not appear until puberty, around the age of fourteen or so, when they begin to erupt. While a Rahkyrean is considered an adult at eighteen, their crests are not fully-developed to adult size and coloration until the age of twenty. Originally, these evolved as a mating display from evolutionary ancestors, but their tough, bony nature affords some cranial protection as well, similar to the thickened cranial ridges of the forehead.
SOCIETY
The Rahkyri society is a caste system made up of three castes: the Artisans, the Warriors, and the Spiritualists. As implied, each caste has a particular way of life defined by their name.
Spiritualists regard the faith and defense of the culture as their bailiwick, originating as the priests. They learn the chants, pray on behalf of the people, and argue for the preservation of the purity of the people.
The Warriors derive from the fighting members of the people, and they are known for their ferocity and expansion policies. The Warriors are rather self-explanatory, choosing aggressive tactics both militarily and in day-to-day life. They would rather take than give, and attempt to dominate any chosen situation.
Artisans, however, are the basis of the culture. Originally, the common man, not only did the Artisans concentrate the artists and musicians, poets and sculptors, but they absorbed the peasants and farmers, responsible for the overall day-to-day of life. To this day, not only would an Artisan be a provider, a farmer or weaver; but this same farmer, by virtue of his or her caste, would happily spend time resting against a fence post and discussing the latest play or poetry.
While families attempt to raise their offspring into the caste in which they were born, one may move from one caste to another dependent on temperament. If one is wholly unsuited to the caste one comes from, then by the age of sixteen, one may choose to join another caste instead. However, that decision is permanent. Rebellious teenagers who seeks to throw off their parents’ yoke by jumping into another caste find they are often denied entry, or, on rare occasions, spend a lifetime of regret for the choice they made.
Within each caste, there are families of greater standing known as Houses. These nobility often carry much political sway within the caste and spend enormous amounts of time both in politics and in maintaining their influence. Marriages between the Houses are common, both for alliances and economic purposes, although there are known exceptions. Houses are expected not only to garner wealth, but to display it, in banquets and Artisan patronage.
POLITICS
The different castes are the driving force between the political climate of the Rahkyri. Even within each caste, there are internal politics and agendas that affect the Empire wholly and details within. Each caste on the Senate level has its own ideas to push forward, not only for control, but for personal ideals:
The Artisans are known for putting forward various developments of the workforce as well as funding cultural developments of the people.
The Warrior Caste pushes for more development in military areas, often pushing for an end to the cultural and actual isolation of the Rahkyri from the galaxy at large.
The Spiritualist caste, in direct opposition to the Warriors, claims that the xenophobic isolation--the result of the collapse of their society’s economic overgrowth--gave the Rahkyri time to grow as a people. They see the withdrawal from the galaxy as the will of the Fates. Often, they believe that force will not be needed to regain the former boundaries of the Empire (they agree with the Warrior caste that the boundaries should be regained). Simply, the purity of the Rakhyri will be enough to regain their former glory.
The arguments between the castes often drag on for years at a time in the Senate. Largely, the Artisan caste stays out of the political storm that often occurs between the Warrior and Spiritualist castes. They have fewer strong opinions on the expansionist goals of the Rahkyri and are content to manage the interior policies.
CULTURE
Rahkyri have a strong interest in music and performing arts, such as poetry and plays. Artisans are often patronized by other Rahkyri to put on proper performances for the enjoyment of all, and the interest in art even breaks down barriers in castes, although tastes vary.
Dances are often used to tell stories of ancient traditions. There are specific forms of dance dedicated to telling these stories, and each movement has a translated meaning. It is similar to the translation of the human ‘hula’ dance, although the motions are not.
All castes have various stories and historical events that they have translated into artistic form. This is the most common use of patronage of an Artisan. Murals and various styles of portrait art, dominate many of the more resplendent houses or Halls of the Empire.
Communal meals are also a large part of the Rahkyri, as many of the holidays focus on bringing them together at the same table. Large banquet halls are busy even on non-holidays as Houses may be hosting gatherings or celebrating something of import to them. In particular, holiday meals are to have guests of each caste present in the hosting home.
While it is logical this would not always be the case, some representation of an absent caste is required to be displayed prominently. (Often a gift from a caste member unable to attend due to other responsibilities.)
TECHNOLOGY REPORT
RATING: Advanced
The Rahkryi have successfully eliminated many diseases and developed effective treatments and cures for the majority of the remainder. Injuries are of very little import and organ replacement therapy is common.
RATING: Average
One manner in which the Rahkyri are considerably more advanced than the Federation is their casual use of terraforming. Over time, they have lost some of the more esoteric research they were involved in during the period where the Empire was at its height.
Another is its level of Genetic Engineering, while not at the level it held at its height. Rahyri Genetic Engineering lead to the creation of support forces to their military, genetically engineered ‘hounds’. The Engineers even went as far as to design into the hounds an allergy to Rahkyri flesh. This translated to creatures that were physically incapable of lashing out at their handlers, even in a frenzied state, without suffering.
RATING: Advanced
The Rahkyri are warp-capable and have weapons on par with Starfleet. The reason they are considered more advanced than their Federation counterparts lies in the fact that they terraform frequently (although less so than they did when their Empire spanned vast amounts of space).
Also, they have orbital stations around most of their planets designed to minimize the solar radiation from three stars landing on the planet’s surface, as well as being enormous solar batteries. These stations are developed to withstand massive amounts of heat and radiation, in addition to producing generous amounts of solar power for the planet below. It became a requirement for terraformed planets in a trinary star system.
