Feni

Feni
Biological classifications
Designation	Caniform Mammals
Subspecies	Five distinct but related species: Hgnaii -Jackal, Wild Dog, or coyote-like Hethi - Vulpine, Urocyon, or chrysocyon like. Sekki - Wolf-like Varski - Dog-like Kholi - Hyena-like
Physical characteristics
Height	1-2m
Mass	40kg-150kg
Distinctive traits	Diverse, Always Including: Good olfactory senses Robust parasite and disease resistant digestive systems
Lifespan	80-120 Years
Socio‑cultural characteristics
Homeworld	Fen
Habitat	Diverse climates, most species adapted to arid conditions.
Diet	Carrion-consuming non-obligate carnivores.
Language	Trans-Fennish and Standard Cellenic

From Ahni, Outwards! Said the five brothers, Brother Hgnaii saw a new places to raise a family. Brother Hethi saw new things to learn. Brother Sekki saw new sands to explore. Brother Varski saw new friends to make and brother Kholi saw new lands to conquer. Each knew that despite their differences, their bothers would be with them in the distant sands.

-Enrio Houyani, To the Stars!

Feni are a clade of upright two-legged omnivores with distinctly canine physiology. They originate from Fen, a planet in the Ahni system known for its dry climate and brutal weather. While Feni are most populous within their native Ruz'kahni Directorate, they're a common species in nearly every corner of populated space owing to their affinity for new ideas and concepts, and their natural curiosity and wanderlust. Stereotypical Feni are intelligent, educated, and possibly a bit naive. They are often considered natural scientists, but the numerous subspecies and clans that populate various planets in and out of the Directorate vary wildly in culture, behavior and skill sets. Of all the people in known space, they are the most advanced and diverse.

Physical Description

Owing to their origin as a number of closely related species, the average Fenian is incredibly diverse in appearance. From hyenaoids to vulpinoids to the more common canoids and some even more exotic species adapted to various environments. Nearly all however are rugged, capable of surviving a variety of difficult climates and tend to be light in build. Despite appearances, Feni are not related to terran canines and have an entirely different evolutionary path. Though some theorists insist the appearance is evidence enough of 'precursor meddling' with the major species of the galaxies, these are usually considered crackpot theories.

Heritages

Feni are less a singular species and are instead a cluster of related species originating from Fen. A list are presented:

• Hgnaii The species that above all others are scrappy, relatively diminutive scavengers and survivors. They resemble terran wild dogs, jackals and coyotes. They're by reputation opportunistic and their population centers are considered highly influenced by humanity.
• Hethi Large tailed, elegant and with sharp features, the hethi are agile, aloof and traditionally enjoy hunting for wild prey. They resemble vulpines, urocyons and chrysocyons of earth.
• Sekki More powerfully built than most, they are the largest on average of all the feni species and evolved around the northern and southern hemispheres of Fen as nomadic, tribal families. They most closely resemble wolves and other lupines of earth.
• Varski Rugged canines that came to dominate the most ecologically stable portions of their world of Fen, they're diverse and highly morphic in appearance and resemble many varieties of domestic canines.
• Kholi Powerfully jawed and highly divergent from most of the species of Fen, the kholi vary from very small insect-eating scavengers to powerful obligate carnivores. They originate from the dryer regions of Fen and resemble terran hyenas.

History

The divergent species of feni were once separated by environment, culture, and evolution, warring often and only managing to avoid out-competing each other via the terrible terrain and wild storms of their homeworld. Yet, as technology progressed, communication could begin and eventually, after centuries of conflict, the different species eventually made peace, their clans slowly diversified, and eventually, the people of Feni united their various clans in a global government and sent colony ships off to the stars. The results of this created the Ruz'kahni Directorate. But for the species' cultural history it caused a split.

The colony ships, due to the nature of time dilation, came from an era of Fen far removed from the common Directorate culture. More traditional, less integrated and gregarious, more focused on ancient tribal practices and with much greater division between the species. Leading to the Celleni clan and the Jesoban clans both minor sophonts or Feni, developing separate from the Feni clans. Today, the Feni are diverse and found almost everywhere. While a full clan leaving the Directorate is rare, numerous families and tribes have spread to the stars.

Society

Fenian culture is curious, adaptive and prone to fascination with other peoples. Originating out of nomadic clans and tribes, each clan differed from the next, and the tribes they made up similarly differed from other tribes, sharing different language, cultures or traditions. These ethnicities and various subspecies are visible today in the diverse appearance of the Feni people, as well as their diverse and integrated cultural centers. The most important aspect of Feni social life is the clan, essentially the nation within the Directorate that the person is part of. These are more than social familial structures or simple allegiances but determine cultural and historical identity for the Feni and changing from one clan to another is often a serious process that means leaving your family, nation, history, etc. for another. Sometimes this is done for work, but more commonly for marriage, and sometimes out of abduction or coercion in times of clan wars. Feni names are in the format of  Name | Family Name | Clan Name. There are no specific formats for given names and Feni have a tendency to have given names from other cultures. Example Names Lira, Hidari, Syrius, Hakim, Jack, Caroline

Cuisine

Of particular note is the Feni palate. As Fen is somewhat but not extremely dry by the standards of many life-supporting worlds, the chemical compounds of native plant life tend to be less diluted by water, or in other words more concentrated. This includes compounds that cause flavor. As a result, the average Feni palate has evolved with a tendency towards very flavorful food. In addition to their origination as carrion-scavengers, this has led to a development of highly divisive cuisine and a reputation that Feni will eat almost anything, regardless of quality.

Beliefs

Feni tend to believe strongly in the significance of their culture, history and importance of their clan, and their clan traditions often are the basis of their personal belief systems. Exact beliefs can vary dramatically from clan to clan, as well as individual religiosity; however, nearly all clans have a tendency for adaptation of others beliefs into their own. This has led to a plethora of micro-cultures and micro-religions throughout the directorate. The mystical traditions of the Abrahamic faiths of earth saw particular adaptation and influence within the Directorate’s religious landscape. The native Feni faiths, while diverse, heavily leaned towards monotheistic or pseudo-monotheistic systems with a deeply mystical bent and the faiths found numerous reasons to consider a shared truth between them.