Tsa-karr

Tsa-karr
Biological classifications
Designation	Reptiles
Subspecies	6
Physical characteristics
Height	0.5m-3m
Mass	12kg-200kg
Distinctive traits	Always including: Scaled or clammy skin Ectothermic bodies Sharp teeth Long tails
Lifespan	30-200 cycles
Socio‑cultural characteristics
Homeworld	Khorros
Habitat	Hot, but varied
Diet	Mostly carnivorous, some omnivores
Language	Hiss

Physical Description

Tsa-karr, meaning something like 'thermarchs' or 'heat-lords,' is the modern term for a species-complex that is exclusively ectothermic (cold-blooded) and scaled, but shares little else in common between species besides bilateral symmetry; some are not even bipeds, but have snakelike bodies. Most species are utterly reliant on high levels of ambient heat, and so it's not uncommon to see a Tsa-karri wearing a heated or even sealed suit even planetside. Tsa-karr is distinctly a word of their spacefaring era, as the planet was historically very politically divided between species.

The planet Khorros is a super-terrestrial world with a sluggish 42-hour rotation and a dense, CO₂-rich atmosphere. Its habitable zone (at least, habitable for the Tsa-karr) is a scorching equatorial belt 10,000 kilometers wide, where surface temperatures rarely drop below 38°C. Its recent geological history has given the world the supercontinent Ur-veth, through much of which flows the largest known river of any habitable planet by both volume and length, the Zarax, which in some sections might be classified in fact as lakes almost the size of seas. Most Tsa-karr civilizations have historically had ties to this river in some manner or another, though due to its size it spans several biomes, all of them hot.

Heritages

Desert Dwellers

Zharaki: Mostly resembling cobras and pythons, the Zharak-ai civilizations traditionally spanned the Zharak, or Gilded Land, a large desert nourished by the Zarax's floodplains. They are able to claim the planet's oldest continuous civilization, and have preserved some archaic non-bipedal lineages (ie nagas) into the modern day as their traditional priest caste. Most have elongated torsos and limbs, and they tend to be very flexible. The Zharak-ai are generally long-lived, reaching adulthood around 30 Standard Cycles of age and with a maximum observed age of 230. This is a maximum, however, and the majority of natural deaths center closer to 190-200.

The Zharak-ai are frequently stereotyped as haughty, detached, and scheming. In the modern day they gravitate towards work in the fields of bureaucracy, trade, or complex strategy.

River-dwellers

Nyss: Although largely bipedal, the Nyss-kar, meaning something like 'the wet' largely resemble anacondas and water pythons. Their feet are often webbed, and their tails somewhat flatter and oar-like, being adapted to the verdant jungle stretches of the Zarax. The Nyss-kar traditionally dwelled in muddy riverside dens reinforced with foliage, but some preferred elevating dwellings in the jungle trees.

The Nyss-karr are frequently stereotyped as uncomplicated but clever. Nyss-kar characters in media usually are the ones to come up with a simple solution that everyone else had been too focused on the details to see for themselves. They tend to gravitate towards academic and scientific jobs in the modern day.

Sytherax: Meaning 'thorny-backed,' the Ssytherax resemble crocodilians, and tend to be the largest of the Tsa-karr. Their evolutionary homes are the swamps and bogs of the eastern Zarax, but they've proven adaptable enough to serve across the planet, historically, as mercenaries.

Equipped with a powerful crushing jaw and usually incredible size and strength, it's understandable that the Ssytherax are stereotyped unfairly as brutes. They traditionally lived in semi-submerged citadels dotted across Khorros' wetlands, uninterested in the rest of the world unless some power or another was interested in paying them for their strength. Beneath their outer appearance, however, they're also frequently talented engineers and artisans, and are often more tasteful and sensitive than they're made out to be.

Xyrr: Meaning 'prismatic' or 'colorful,' the Xyrr resemble Terran chameleons and other tree lizards. Though they share the same wet biome as the Ssytherax and the Nyss-karr, they more frequently made their homes in the trees above, while the other two species would more frequently live in or near the water. They tend to be lean and gracile, with exceptional climbing ability, and while they can use their skin for camouflage like Terran chameleons, it sees more frequent use in the form of communication.

Stereotyped as quiet and physically slow but likeable, the average Xyrr is in fact exceptionally clever and diplomatic. In the modern day they don't tend to gravitate towards any one field of work.

Island-dwellers

Zylth: Meaning 'shimmering,' the Zylth resemble skinks with their smooth, reflective scales. They inhabit the easternmost land on Khorros, a massive chain of volcanic islands off the coast of Ur-veth into which the Zarax drains.

Vorak: Meaning 'fire-bellied,' the Vorrkyss are a diverse species that can resemble newts and dragons. The name is a coincidence and they are not in fact known for breathing fire, but rather the ability unique to the species to spit their highly caustic stomach acid as a form of self-defense.

Both of the above species share a reputation for a kind of scheming diligence, regardless of their personal physical ability. A common mental image of the average Zylth or Vorrkyss is, essentially, 'scummy.' Though they're known to be skilled artisans and merchants, they are said to never be entirely forthright about their work.