Taeski

The Taeski are a warring, divided reptilian species first featured in "Twice-Shadowed Saint". Their original home planet, Fezon, was destroyed approximately 3,400 years ago by an antimatter bomb planted by the Constellation during the Fourteenth Artifact Conflict. As a result, they (and their parent races, the Okulaurum and the Ignis) have drifted apart and colonized many different worlds.

Physical Description
All Taeski look similar to humans at first glance, sharing the standard bipedal body. Their skin, however, is made up of two layers of scales, the bottom acting as solar cells which absorb and store sunlight. The upper layer, or epidermis, acts like the skin of a human. Taeski have five fingers on each hand, and five toes on each foot (much like a human) and stand about the same height. Indeed, it isn't erroneous to mistake the two at a distance of over twenty feet.

The differences between humans and Taeski, however, could not be more pronounced. Taeski normally shave their heads, symbolic mourning after the loss of their homeworld, but when they do grow hair it is nothing like that of a human. Taeski grow thin "filaments" which look to be semitransparent. These are actually filled with stinging nematocysts which can cause severe dermal reactions when touched by any race other than a Taeski. This is actaully NOT an involuntary action, as some Taeski invest time in learning to control this reflex.

Taeski also have three eyes, and all three have a different function. Their left eye is called the Dryulei, or "Time's Gaze". This is an ability many races envy, as it allows the Taeski to literally see into the future. By closing their eye for any duration of time, they gain that much time of being able to see four or five seconds into the future. Although this ability is extremely useful, it only affects objects the Taeski is looking directly at.

Their right eye, in contrast to the left, has no real abilities save for sight. Set in their forehead is a quasi-eye called the Cyulei ("Death's Gaze") which allows them, upon opening it, to synch their brain directly to that of any sentient lifeform which looks at it. This shortens a Taeski's life by approximately one year every minute, but allows them to cause hallucinations and even physical pain to a victim. If a victim believes he is dead while under the influence of the Cyulei, his body will die in reality: proof that the body cannot exist without the mind.

The Cyulei, while powerful, has limits. It does not work on individuals wearing visors with more than 60% reflectivity, and depending on the illusion or hallucination, some individuals may realize they are under the effect of the Cyulei and be able to fight it off. This, however, is rare.

A Taeski's internal biology, compared to that of standard bipedal sentients, is vastly different. Rather than having traditional, calcium-based skeletal systems, they have a cartilage-based framework closer to what you'd expect of a shark, not a lizard. They also lack conventional bone shapes, even with the cartilage. Their endoskeleton is comprised of 1,525 individual ball-and-socket joints. This provides an extreme, truly alien amount of flexibility. Taeski can twist around or through themselves in ways that appear horrifying, but to them are quite normal.

Weaponry and Technology
Taeski weapons are extremely advanced on both sides of the war, and their guns are prized throughout the Galaxy. SR-77 "Demon" sniper rifles and OS-05 "Crown Special" long pistols fetch eight-digit prices on the open market as a base price due to their craftsmanship and accuracy. Each piece is still made the same way, even after thousands of years. Individual components are manufactured (by hand for the Crimson Dominion and by machine for the Azure Empire) and are assembled on site by skilled blacksmiths. Each gun is then run through a ten-point inspection process before being cleared for use. It is uncommon to find a Taesk weapon (barring shotguns or high ROF weapons) with a range of under 500m. Furthermore, at a 500m base distance, most Taeski weapons (once more, barring shotguns or rapid-fire weapons) are accurate to within 1/300th of a millimeter. The exact process which produces these weapons is a closely guarded secret among the Taeski, which keeps the number of circulating weapons to an absolute minimum.

Depending on which side of the war you are examining, technology is either very advanced or almost neolithic. The Empire builds large cities, often with unmanned defense turrets and full-scale shipyards. They are the only side of the war to actually build and manufacture spacecraft, although they are better known for maintaining the ships of other races as their metalworking skills have no competitor. The Crimson Dominion, on the other hand, produces lightly armored mobile settlements, often constructed from wood or hides and capable of being disassembled and moved within a few hours. This mobility has kept them alive through the Hasmak-Dekara.

Culture and Beliefs
Both sides of the Hasmak-Dekara have an organized government, although the Crimson Dominion's is spread across their entire population. Amongst the Empire, each city is goverened by an Overseer and a cabinet of five advisors. As a whole, these six Taeski control the entire population within their rule. It is not common, but hardly rare, for an Overseer or one of his cabinet to choose a wife from among the populace, ignoring previous matrimonial bonds. Overseers are also charged with supplying and equipping troops within their cities. Seeing as the Empire has better equipment due to Senate funding, they are often regarded as the superior military force among the Taeski.

The Crimson Dominion, on the other hand, has only one Judiciar aided by a single advisor. This advisor is often the blacksmith for the "hold" the Judiciar oversees, as he is considered to be equally as important (if not more so) than the Judiciar himself. Unlike the Empire, in which each sity rules itself independently, all of the Judiciars answer to the High Judiciar Council, based out of the mobile stratofortress known as Salanad Hold. Communication between Salanad and the individual holds is sporadic, as the mobile hold is often kept in motion to avoid constant attacks. However, it has been known to draw near other holds for council review and to prevent corruption among the Judiciars - something which is not normally an issue among the Dominion.

The Taeski do not have a religion to unify them. The only thing that can even come close is the fanatical beliefs of the Keepers - fanatical rogue Taeski which dwell in the numerous Old Race ruins which dot most Taeski worlds. These zealots revere the Old Race as gods, and believe that violating their ruins (an act often accomplished by the Hunters) is heresy personified. They will attack better armed opponents with nothing but zealous faith and sheer numbers. Any defeated opponents are stripped of useful equipment and cast back out into the deserts to rot.

Military
Both sides of the war make use of Hunters - specially trained individuals who are armed with nothing more than their weapon, a mechanical exoskeletal cover for their left arm known as their "Gear", and a visor to protect them from the ever-present sandstorms of their native worlds. Both sides battle one another for critical choke points, often clashing with the Keepers for control over Old Race ruins which can serve as valuable weapon storehouses or advance scouting positions. Hunters answer directly to Judiciars/Overseers, but are also dependent upon blacksmiths (sometimes called "Maintainers") to repair their equipment.

Personality
For a race locked in an eternal conflict, Taeski are surprisingly calm and level-headed, often appearing aloof or degage. Their vocabularies are extensive, and many of their race - on both sides of the war - are literate and well-read, often appearing ostentatious or arrogant. They exude a cold, dignified air which often makes other races uneasy and perturbed. Taeski who seek employment and residence on other worlds are business-oriented and task-focused, often working far harder than is necessary to complete quotas early or to put in extra attention on their work. Indeed, work that has been done by a Taeski, weapon or otherwise, is considered top class.