Kartheans {Information Thread}

[TheCalicoTabby]

Welcome!

This is the information thread for my species, the kartheans. Karth, for short. This thread includes all the information I have on the species, questions and answers, and any karthean art.

If you'd like to adopt a karthean character, you can do so here.

Table of contents:

Biology
↳ Basics
↳ Young
↳ Adaptations
↳ Colouration

Culture
↳ Appearance
↳ Bonding
↳ Childhood
↳ Government
↳ Economy
↳ Religion

Behaviour
↳ Vocalizations
↳ Gestures and Expressions

World

Questions and Answers

Art
↳ Drawings
↳ Writing

Special Thanks

Karthean List

[TheCalicoTabby]

Basics:

Kartheans are, on average, 6-8 feet tall. They mature quickly, reaching adulthood at around the age of 14. They live an average of 90 to 100 years total. {You can find a age converter here.} Male and female karth look very similar, with some small differences. Males are slightly bigger, often have more scales, and have longer, more curved spikes.

Kartheans look reptilian, but have some traits more commonly associated with mammals. They are warm blooded, and have hair. They have rough, dry skin with scattered scales. The scales grow, becoming more pronounced and more numerous as the karthean ages. They have long hair on the back of their head which grows nowhere else on their body. This is stronger than human hair, and rarely falls out or breaks, though it grows very slowly. The strands of hair are thicker than a human's, and very smooth and shiny. As they never cut it intentionally and it never falls out, it is possible to judge an karthean's age by the length of their hair. Their hair is usually straight, sometimes slightly wavy, but never very curly unless deliberately styled.

Kartheans have red blood, though the shade of red is closer to purple than orange.

Their sense of smell is poor, no better than a human's. Their hearing is average, while their sight is excellent. They can see well on land, underwater, in bright light and in the dark.

Kartheans can have varied face shapes and body types similar to humans. The number and placement of scales can also vary.

Young:

They lay eggs, the shells similar in colour and texture to the karthean's scales. Generally only one egg will be laid at a time, though two, which would result in non identical twins, is possible. Also possible is two kartheans hatching from one egg--identical twins. This is rare. After being laid, the eggs will take anywhere from two to four months to hatch. Kartheans will begin counting age at the point of hatching. Karth will be given a nickname by their caretaker when they are hatched--it is generally a word describing the karthean in some way. When the young karth has hatched, their teeth have begun to grow but are still too short to properly bite into solid food. In the past, primitive kartheans would feed their young with regurgitated food. Now, they more often use soups or other food prepared to be soft enough for the young to eat. Baby kartheans will begin walking and even running within the first few months, though at this point they will only move on all fours. Their teeth will grow in completely after about one year, with hair beginning to appear around the same time. At two years, they begin to learn to talk and walk on two legs. By five they are usually able to walk and communicate well. It is around this time they will be given their unique, permanent name.

Adaptations:

Kartheans have sharp, curved nails and teeth, used for catching the fish that make up most of their diet. Their teeth are retractable, though their claws are not. The resting position for their teeth is retracted into their gums--their teeth come out when they're eating, hunting, angry or upset. They do not chew food as thoroughly as humans, instead biting it into large chunks then swallowing them whole. Their eyes have cat-like slit pupils, and they have a second, transparent eyelid that blinks from side to side to protect their eyes while swimming. They can also seal their ears and nostrils, and have webbed fingers and toes, making them strong swimmers. They cannot breathe underwater, but they can hold their breath for several hours. Their digestive systems have evolved to be able to drink salt water, though most prefer fresh water when it's available. Though they are mainly carnivores, they eat some plants in order to get vitamins and nutrients they can't get from fish--or just for seasoning or treats.

Colouration:

Karthean's skin is generally grey, though it comes in many different shades and tinted colours. They often have faint spotted or striped patterns. Their hair is naturally light, usually white, grey, or cream. Their eyes are usually bright, warm colours, such as red, orange, and yellow. Dark eyes are possible, but uncommon. Blue, green, or grey eyes are rare. {You can see a colour chart here.}

[TheCalicoTabby]

Appearance:

Hair is important to kartheans--long hair is thought to show experience and wisdom. It is often braided and decorated with colourful beads. A karth who commits a serious crime may have their hair cut as a punishment, often being exiled as well. This is one of the only situations a karth's hair will be cut, therefore karth who are not children and have short hair are seen as dangerous and untrustworthy. Wigs or any other kind of fake hair are seen as vain, arrogant, and dishonest.

Kartheans often tattoo their skin and dye their hair in various colours. The hair dye will eventually wash out, though higher quality dyes will last longer. There are two kinds of tattoos. The first are temporary ones, which are often used decoratively in the same way humans use make-up. These can last up to a month before needing to be renewed. Then there are permanent tattoos, usually symbolic, that are often used to mark important events, such as reaching adulthood or becoming bonded to someone. Some common symbolic tattoos can be found here.

Bonding:

Karthean's 'bonds' are slightly different than human marriages. They focus less on romance or reproduction, and are often closer to what humans would consider very close friends than couples. Bonded pairs are just as commonly pairs of the same sex as those of opposite sexes. Not every karth will become bonded, and it is not a decision they undertake lightly. To become bonded, a karthean must be 14 years old or older. Though allowed, young kartheans becoming bonded is generally seen as rushed and foolish. Most wait until they are older--at least past 30. A bonded pair is expected to spend the rest of their lives together, protecting and caring for one another. They may still have relationships, romantic or otherwise, with other karth, but are expected to put their bonded partner first.

Childhood:

Karthean children are not usually raised by their biological parents. As eggs, they are given to caretakers--kartheans who devote their lives to protecting, caring for, and teaching young karth until they reach maturity. Caretakers are not allowed to bond with other karth; the nature of bonding expects one to put one other karthean above all else, and caretakers are expected to care for nobody more than the children under their care. There are no laws against leaving the job to become bonded, but it is frowned upon. Caretakers are very well respected in karthean society, and though they have no real authority over adult karth, they are often sought out for advice.

Once a karthean has reached maturity at 14, they can choose to leave their caretakers immediately, though many choose to stay for a few more years before they feel ready to set off on their own. Once they do leave, they must choose an area to work in. Some common occupations are caretakers, farmers, fishers, architects, smiths, weavers, dye makers, woodworkers, healers, artists, entertainers, and soldiers. Once a young karth has chosen, they are expected to find an older karthean already established in the trade. They then must impress this older karth in some way. Depending on the trade and on the karth, this may come in the form of gifts, demonstrations of skill, or even sparring matches. Very successful kartheans may have multiple young karth vying for their attention. Eventually, they will chose one apprentice, and will begin to teach them all that they know. It will take anywhere from a year to a decade, but eventually they will deem their apprentice ready to continue without them. At this point, that karth may take an apprentice of their own, and the cycle will continue.

Government:

The kartheans in this part of the world are ruled by a queen. Very few have actually met her, and for the most part she does not interfere, allowing villages and cities within her domain to govern themselves so long as they follow some basic laws sent forth each year by a royal messenger, who also collects mandatory 'gifts' from each karthean for the queen. She is rumoured to have a powerful army; not particularly large, but made up of the most strong and skilled kartheans known. Each year, many karthean warriors journey to her fortress in hopes of joining. Most return to their homes disappointed--the others are never heard from again. Whether they met misfortune on their journey or succeeded in their quest is unknown. The queen and her guard are almost mystical figures to the average karthean--apart from the rumours and stories and the yearly messenger, they play next to no role in every day life.

Each individual village and city is lead differently. Some have a single ruler, either voted on, ruling by force, or by birthright, and some are lead by groups with similar reasons. Some smaller villages have no clear leaders, managing to work together without one. One consistent law of the queen is that no karthean or group of kartheans can rule more than one city or village, with rules regulating the size of the city that can be ruled. This law is one of the few directly enforced by the queen's knights.

Economy:

Kartheans have no money or other currency. Instead, they trade. Most villages and cities have a large central marketplace where kartheans can come to trade their goods and services for others. The soldiers, who guard the cities and keep the law, are paid by the queen herself. The payment varies, but is usually in small, valuable items (such as fine jewelry) that can be traded for other supplies. Caretakers, who, like the soldiers, serve the community but have nothing to trade, live on donations from the rest of their city or village. Because of how highly respected they are, these are not hard to come by. It is traditional for parents giving a new egg to the caretakers to include a gift with it.

Religion:

The religions and spiritual beliefs of kartheans are varied, but the ocean plays an important role in much of their mythology. Though it can be dangerous, kartheans have always relied on the ocean--fish make up a large part of their diet, and ocean water has sustained them in times of drought.

[TheCalicoTabby]

Vocalizations:

Karthean's voices are, on average, deeper than human's. Besides their normal speech, they make a variety of other sounds. Rather than laughter as humans would recognize it, kartheans make more of a purring sound when amused. When nervous, they make a kind of chittering sound caused by the clicking their teeth. When angry, they can growl, snarl, and even roar.
By speaking in a slightly different way, they can make their voices heard even underwater.

Gestures and Expressions:

A common karthean greeting is a simple blink with both sets of eyelids, often accompanied by a small nod. They will nod downwards to show respect for someone they see as above them, and nod upwards if the person they're greeting is below them. These motions can be exaggerated, a low nod turning into almost a bow to show extreme respect and humility, and tilting their head far back to show dominance. A positive expression, much like a humans, will be a kind of smile, their mouths stretching back and slightly up. Unlike a human, however, they will not bare their teeth, as this is a sign of aggression. They may open their mouths slightly, especially when laughing, but their teeth will remain retracted. When feeling a more negative emotion, such as sadness, fear, or anger, their teeth will come out, sometimes involuntarily. A more aggressive karth with bare their teeth, while a scared or sad one will try to hide them. Their hair may also bristle slightly, though this can be hard to see on older kartheans with longer hair, and will be most apparent on children. While kartheans can produce tears when something is in their eyes, these are not associated with pain or emotion.

[TheCalicoTabby]

World:

Kartheans live on the world of Aradris. The planet is mostly vast oceans, with two large landmasses, one in the south and one further north. Kartheans inhabit the southern continent and a few nearby islands. The area where most karth live is warm year round, though it gets hotter and dryer in their 'summer' and slightly cooler and rainier during their 'winter'. Kartheans tend to live on the coastline, near the ocean they depend on. The surrounding land is rocky, with more cliffs than beaches bordering the water. Various grass like plants flourish here, with patches of tall, twisted trees. Further inland, the land becomes more barren and mountainous. Few kartheans live this far out; the area is mainly inhabited by criminals and exiled karth. There are rumours the area is also roamed by dangerous predators, but due to it's remoteness few know for sure.
The waters surrounding the coastline are warm and somewhat shallow. Further out, the ocean floor drops steeply, giving way to much deeper waters. The kartheans avoid this place--even in boats, most are reluctant to pass it. Legends tell of huge, dangerous creatures lurking in the deep. Whether or not these legends are true, there are dangerous currents in the area, and many who venture out this far never return.

[TheCalicoTabby]

Q & A

I will post the answers to any questions I get about the kartheans here. The questions and my answers have been rephrased for clarity.


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How many horns do kartheans have?


Kartheans have three 'horns' on their head--one on each side, below the eyes and above the ears, and one on the top. They also have similar horns on their elbows and ankles.



Do kartheans have tails?


No, kartheans do not have tails, though some of their distant ancestors may have.



Can kartheans have long hair?


Only very old kartheans will have very long hair naturally. Young kartheans won't have hair much longer than that of the default lines.



Do kartheans live in colder climates?


At the moment the only kartheans I've drawn/written about live on the warm coast. Though I am considering introducing subspecies who live in different environments in the future.



Will a karthean's hair grow back if it's cut?


It will, but very slowly. It will likely never grow back to the length it would've been had it not been cut, making cut or shaved hair a permanent mark.



How advanced are they, technology wise?


Kartheans are about at the medieval level. They will have simple tools for things such as farming and fishing, and use weapons similar to swords or bows and arrows. They are relatively advanced when it comes to making safe dyes for hair, clothes, and tattooing. They do not have very advanced machinery.



Do kartheans have jails?


Yes, I'd expect most cities would have one. It would most likely be for kartheans that have committed relatively minor crimes who would be released eventually; they'd use exile rather than life imprisonment. The shaving of the head insures that they're unlikely to be taken in by another city or village, which means they'd be forced to live in the barren, dangerous lands beyond the coast. So it's a very serious punishment--the only thing worse would be execution.
The queen would have a dungeon of her own, which would likely only be used for kartheans who have committed a crime against her, personally.

[TheCalicoTabby]

Drawings:

This will be where I will post any art of karthean characters.
You can click the images to go to the profile of the one who drew them. C:



Some awesome art of my character, Akiras, by Shinkei-Shinto!


An amazing custom drawn contest entry by Chibitalia!

Writing:

Here I'll post any stories written about karthean characters. ^^
Anything linked to here has been approved by me to be possible and fit in to the karthean world.


The Night of a Hunter {WIP}
~by The Lost Soul


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If you have any art or stories of your own, please send me a link! I'd love to see them and post them up here. C:

[TheCalicoTabby]

Thank you to:

french.toast, for giving me the idea of making them aquatic.
Casm, for coming up with the name "Kartheans".
Bonus, for coming up with the planet name, "Aradris".
The Lost Soul, for writing a story that inspired some of the information here.
Everyone who commented on my first drawing of the species, for inspiring me to do something with them.

And you, for reading this far! Unless you just skipped down to this post. ...ah, even if you skipped to this post. x3
Thanks for reading what I've written, I really appreciate it!

[TheCalicoTabby]

The List

Here you can find a list of all the adopted karthean characters so far.

Akiyras
Sao'ir'o
Alethan
Zerath
Chess
Indigo
Silas
Bria
M'rinda
Aventk'ee
Amara
Natara
Zaelea
Tacitus
Leothridius
Lilithium
Marcath
Narciss

[TheCalicoTabby]

Alright, posting is now open! Questions and comments are welcome. ^^