Yoru Shakou
Well-Known Member
Name: Citherion
Designation: Sentient
Homeworld: Unknown
Conquered Homeworld: Terminus
Language: Cthar
Average Height: 2.1m
Skin Color:
Originally the coloration of their skin was much paler than what we see today. This was caused by the enviornment of their original homeworld, which resulted most days being dominated completely by rain clouds. Coupled with a much dimmer sun than that of the sun in the Terminus system which they currently reside. Adaptation though is the name of the game, and since the time they had first come to and conquered the Terminus system they have adapted very well to the conditions. This has in turned changed the colorization of their skin, not only due in part to the newer brighter sun, yet also in turn from the enviornmental differences as well caused in part from the nutrients they consume from their new surroundings.
This change has brought on new shades and colorizations not seen before in the species. While there are still some who have the original pale shade, they are now considered to be a minority as shades have shifted. This has brought on darker skin colorization as well as diverse shades as well. These new shades also tell where on the planet that the specific being comes from. As such, those Citherion that now have a more blue tint to their skin are often associated with the colder climates near the peaks of mountains and the polar caps. Those that have shown a more red like pigmentation in their skin often come from a more canyon based enviroment, while others still have a green tint that provides a camoflauge like appearance in the woods.
Even to this day newer shades of colorization are still being discovered, though many of these have been created through interbreeding of Citherion beings. The most notable being a grouping of Citherion who have a more violet colorization due to one parent being from a polar climate and the other from a more canyon based enviroment. The most recent discovery of these different pigmenations has been those of an island based grouping of Citherion. Originally thought to have been lost to the elements and new predators, this bluish skined grouping of Citherion have become well adapted to a more island lifestyle.
Hair Color:
Unlike their skin colorization which is adapated from their new surroundings, the colorization of their hair is still deeply genetic. Coming from their progenerators and being passed down through the female side of the species. This means that many children will inherit their hair color from their mother. There are those few though in which a genetic abnormality occurs and produces the color of the father's hair in the child. Originally their hair color was nothing more than a Pure White, which would at times gray with age.
However since the outbreak of the Gulag Plauge, many different colorizations of hair have appeared. Making it apparent that the Gulag Plauge may have caused some form of genetic mutation in the Citherion that caused these new hair colors to appear. Now a Citherion can have hair colorization that ranges from Pure White, to Blone, Cream, and Ochre, as well as Greys, Browns and Blacks. It is still unknown how far of an extent the genetic mutations in the species has gone, which may bring about newer hair colors in future generations.
Breathes: Breathable Type I Oxygen Mix
Strengths:
Force Immunity: Much like the Toydarians, Hutts and other similar species, the brain chemistry and structure of the Citherion gives them a natural force immunity. This immunity however is only specific towards those force abilities that would affect the brain, primarilly the famous Mind Trick. Though this immunity also extends to the more specialized force abilities that also affect the mind. Including Force Fear, Drain Knowledge, Force Camoflauge. At the current time it is theorized that this natural Force Immunity was evolved through the generations of the species in order to aid them against the most fearsome predator of their original homeworld. Their legends tell of a force using predator that could affect the minds of its prey, which in turn resulted in the Citherion species evolving a natural immunity to those force based powers that affect and target the mind.
Predatory Nighteye: Another biological adaptation from their original homeworld. With their original homeworld shrouded in cloud formations that would often keep entire continents covered for months to even years at a time, the nights on their world were especially dangerous. This brought about the adaptation of a nighteye ability which allowed the Citherion to see clearly in the dimmest and darkest of situations as if it were daytime. This adaptation gave the Citherion species a better chance at protecting themselves against the predators of their homeworld which would prey on them specifically at night.
Weaknesses:
Force Immunity: While it is a great strength of the species, it is also a hinderance to those Force Sensitive among them. Their nautral immunity not only protects their mind, it also has an side effect of nearly cutting off Citherion Force User from the living force all together. Even with training it is still difficult for many Force Using Citherions to properly connect to the force. This may account for their limited numbers of natural Force Users.
Predatory Nighteye: More than useful during the night or when light is limited, this strength can quickly become a weakness to the Citherion. This is caused either through a quick bright flash of light which can often blind the Citherion for a limited period, ranging from an hour to a few days. It is also very painful for many Citherion to stand bright and arid worlds such as Tatooine, which can easily blind them for longer than a few days. To counter this, it has become common for members of the Citherion to wear special googles that protect their eyes. At the same time others of the species have turned to the helmets of their armor, wearing those to create a shaded enviornment to protect their eyes from the sun.
Distinctions:
Bipolar Eye Colorization: The most common and visible distinction of the Citherion species are their multicolored eyes. Sharing a common ancestry with an ancient canine species on their homeworld, their evolution to an upright more humanoid figure and shape brought on different evolutionary adaptations when compared to a distant cousin descendant from their same original ancestral point. One hold over of their original ancestral point is the appearance of bipolar eye colorization in the species. This means that it is a common occurance to see a Citherion with eye colorization that does not match. These colors can often range across the spectrum, from bright and dark greens, to subtle shades of violet and burning fiery reds.
However this colorization still remains opposite in the eyes. While many humans have the same eye color in both eyes, a Citherion does not. The most common colorization pairing is of a green eye and a blue eye. This bipolar colorization is the most common as it makes up the majority of the colorization in the species as a whole. There are still those other members, specifically those Citherion that live in the more polar regions whose bipolar eye colorization are more closely in range to the red and orange colors of the spectrum. Where as it is more likely for those Citherion that have taken to living in the island regions to have colors more closely in range to the yellow and teal colors of the spectrum.
Pointed Helix: A secondary though not commonly seen distinction of the species is a pointed helical rim of their ears. This gives the upper portion of their ear a more pointed look in appearance. Though this distinction is not seen as often as their bipolar eye colorization, it is still a hold over from their ancestral evolution. More recently a genetic mutation thought to have been caused by the Gulag Plauge has seen the elongation of these pointed helical rims. This causes the ears to appear longer and more canine than they had before. For many Citherion, in an attempt to appear more human when speaking with others, they have taken to wearing forms of head gear to keep their ears covered. Often only taking their helmets off in the privacey of their own living quarters.
Elongated Canines: Seen primarilly when speaking, the Citherion Canine teeth are slightly elongated when compared to other canine teeth in similar humanoid species. As with most of their distinctions their elongated canines are evolutionary throwbacks to their ancestral canine progenerators. Most Citherions keep their teeth at their natural lengths, using them in their daily lives mainly during the consumption of meat. Others though have taken to the habit of filing their death down slightly, making them sharper to give them a more frightening appearance.
Clawed Fingers: Like many different species across the galaxy, the Citherion posses claw like finger nails. Additionally in their younger toddler years they are born with an extra dew claw on their wrist, which eventually falls off during puberty. While many of the species that have these same claw like fingernails consider it mad or culturally wrong to use them, the Citherion on the other hand view it mad not to use them in unarmed combat. As a species they view their claw like nails as natural weapons given to them for their use in battle and as such they should be used in that manner.
Naturally Long Hair: Oddly enough one of their most distinctive features of the Citherion species is their naturally long hair. While many species have hair, it is usually only the females of the species that grow their hair long. For the Citherion is is both male and females whose hair grows to great lengths. It is theorized that this is due to their evolution, which caused the loss of their natural canine like tails, including their natrual fur. As an odd form of compensation their bodies began to rapidly grow the hair on their heads to longer lengths to make up for the loss of their tails and fur. Through the continued years afterwards the hair remained at its normal length through the consecutive years.
Average Lifespan: 600+
Diet: Being an omnivorous species they are capable of eating a varity of different foods. However as a species they tend to lean more towards a carnivorous diet eating more meat than plant matter. However there are some foods that can not touch. As such the species does not consume Alcohol or Caffeine, as well as remaining away from foods that contain Xylitol or Theobromine; all of which can have adverse affects to their health. Due to this it is common for those Citherion who are offworld to carry nutrient supplements and chemical purifying tables to ensure they do not consume those chemicals.
Races: Unlike other species, the Citherion are not broken into different races. Being a clan based society, they are separated into their respected clans. At any one time these clans can number in the thousands, with each clan having its own heritage, culture and identity. So much so that there is no possible way to list all of the separate clans and their beliefs and culture.
Communication:
Galactic Basic Standard: As many of the species in that have made Galactic Contact do, so to do the Citherion species speak Galactic Basic Standard. The only reason they began to speak Galactic Basic Standard was due to the Gulag Plauge being forced the Citherion out of the Unknown Regions and towards the Galactic Outer Rim.
Cthar: The native language of the Citherion Species. It is an amalgamation of an older Cthar dialect, and oddly enough Cheunh. The language itself has many Cheunh words and phrases, which are marked by growls, barks, whines and the use of pheremones. The Citherion species only uses Cthar while speaking to each other in private and on their homeworld, prefering to use basic in the presence of others to ensure that their language can not be reproduced or translated. The fact that it contains Cheunh has lead those that can pick up on the subtle uses of those words and phrases, that the Citherion have or had at one point constant contact and a friendly relationship with the Chiss Ascendancy before it fell to the Gulag Plauge.
Culture:
Clans: The Citherion species is separated into various different clans. At any one point there can be thousands of clans in existance, however both new and old clans alike are subject to falling and rising with the eb and flow of time. Each clan usually controls its own independent city state. While the Citherion species are known for their own streak of independence and holding fast to that concept and belief; they none the less will always work together when it comes to the protect of their city states against outside agressors or when faced with the prospect of waging war against a worthy advisary.
Lord Commander: The title says it all. The Lord Commander is the singular Citherion that rules over all Citherion. They do not demand the loyalty of all the clans; though while the clans control their own Independent City states, they still come together as a whole to form a united people and a united Empire of clans. The Lord Commander is much like the cheifs of the separate clans, a hereditary position. This position however will only remain with a clan if that clan is strong enough to remain the Lord Commander. Much like clans rising and falling, should the clan holding the title become fractured, then it falls to the Lords and Ladies to elect a new Lord Commander.
Lord/Lady(s): A Citherion Lord or Lady rules over their own City State, while at the same time hold the fealty of various other Independent City states. The most common process of this happening has the Lord or Lady absorb other clans into their own due to their own clans strength and power. Often they will use shows of strength and wealth to inspire other smaller clans to seek the shelter of the larger clan. These larger clans however are not exempt from the possibility of rising and falling as all clans are. In the past it was not unheard of for a single clan to break apart into many smaller clans at the death of the Lord or Lady.
Chiefs: Each Independent City state is contolled by a chief of the clan which rules over their own city state. Each chief is often placed upon the throne through a hereditary line. This line states that it is the first born, no mater the gender, that is chosen as the successor of the current chief. There are times though when a clan will become defunct, often due to it being absorbed into another clan, or the last living member of the clan dies. This is a common occurance, and usually the most common means that a Citherion Lord or Lady is brought into power.
Religion: A concept that seems to illude the Citherion species. They do not understand the need to whorship a disembodied spiritual entity that does not appear to be a physical manifestation. However as this is the opinion of the vast majority, it must be said that there are still those clans in the minority that whorship ancient deities that have been passed down through the ages. Even now there are whisperes of those cults dedicated to ancient Citherion deities that remain secret. While talk continues to spread among the masses of a new awakening that will see the Citherion people as a whole turn back to the arms of their ancient nearly forgotten deities that their ancestors once followed.
Marriage: A sacred occurance in their culture, marriage is seen as the ultimate show of loyalty. For those that are seen breaking their oath the result is usually exile or death. Due to the many clans and their unique beliefs and practices, marriage vows and ceremonies take all manner of shapes and forms making it difficult to describe each and every ceremony. The primary similarities are the two sides of the families coming together, with the ceremony eventually culminating at its peak into a great feast.
Funerary Rights: As with all things the funerary customs of the Citherion are as varied as their clans. Each clan has its own way of intering or preparing their dead. There are only few similarities across all of the clans. The greatest point which is seen adhered by all clans is the pyre. While each clan has its own specific way of erecting their pyre, for instance those Citherion leaving near the coast or in island regions set boats aflame; the pyre remains a constant. The second point of similarity is the mourning period, in which seven days are taken to allow for proper mourning of the lost one. The third and final similarity comes at the end of the mourning period, called the celebrations. These celebrations take up to a week and are set aside to celebrate the lost ones life and see them off to the afterlife with a great celebratory feast.
Force Users: While not entierly rare in the species; at the same time they are not entirely common. This is due mainly to the species force immunity, which often causes the sideeffect of limiting the species connection to the force. Those few that have a strong enough connection are trained in the old ways of an ancient force practice that has nearly become forgotten since the Gulag Plague. The Force Sensitives are trained to be the personal bodyguards of the Lord Commander and the Lords and Ladies. They also serve as soldiers in the Citherion military, often as generals and commanders.
Organization and Hierarchy:
The Lord Commander: As stated above, the Lord Commander is the singular leader of the Citherion species. He or She commands the united forces of the Citherion clans and is expected to act accordingly. To put it into context, they serve in the same capacity as an Emperor. Likewise they have their own powers to rule as they see fit, however those that are smart will often take console in the Lords and Ladies that they rule over.
House of Lords: Serving in the same capacity as a ruling council, the House of Lords is comprised of the Citherion Lords and Ladies of the Independent City States. They are often looked towards to keep the Empire running smoothly as they are expected to look towards the larger formation of the government.
Clan Hall: A singular building that acts like the Galactic Republic's Senate Rotunda. The Clan Hall is the meeting place on each Citherion world that the chiefs of the clans come together. Here they settle issuses and challenges without the needless sheding of Citherion blood through pointless conflicts that would tear their people apart. Each Clan Hall on a world is expected to deal specifically with the needs and situations on the world it is established on; thus preventing the need for mircomanagement by the Lord Commander.
Tech Level: Hyperspace
General Behavior:
All Citherion are loyal to those of their family, their clans and most importantly; those that would stand by them in the darkest of times, especially if freedom is on the line. They value Independence, be it through free thought or free will. Independence is the sole guiding principle of their culture as seen in their formation of independent city states that are capable of working together for the common goal which is the continued independence of their people. This guiding purpose has seen the Citherion in the past go to war against other planets merely because that planet practices slavery in one form or another. Their actions when it comes to loyalty have proven that they are a species that you would want watching your back in a battle.
History:
Much of their history was lost during the Gulag Plague. During the panic to save as many lives as possible, great libraries and archives of texts and artifacts were lost or destroyed. For every life saved it is said that twenty text or artifacts were lost. The greatest blow to the Citherion came at the loss of their lore keepers and master story tellers who had learned the history from their masters before them. In the end many of their worlds were destroyed in an attempt to eradicate the plague and even more lives were lost in the years after during infighting over resources.
Eventually the Gulag Plague would force the Citherion out of their once mighty empire to travel the stars until a time that they could resettle. In the following years they would lose their original navigational charts and be forced to head towards the Outer Rim of the galaxy in an attempt to find a new world to settle. Towards the end of the outbreak, when it was clear that the plague had run its course, the Citherion came upon the Terminus system in the Outer Rim. In a swift and nearly bloodless campaign they conquered the world and shut the Terminus system down, effectively turning it dark to any news.
It wasn't until recently that the Citherion reopened the borders of the Terminus system and have begun to look towards the stars to expand once more. With a booming birth rate and a growing population, the Citherion must turn to the stars in order to provide from their people.
Notable Player Character:
Lord Commander Kuriyoshi
Intent:
The intent behind this species is to breath new life into an old concept that I had sitting on the shelf for years now. Since I originally had to shelf the species it has become incresingly difficult to find a site that would allow such a freedom and ease to bring it back. I am glad that I came across this site and from what I have seen I hope to make it the new home of the Citherion, and to add onto the overall lore and gameplay of the rp.
Designation: Sentient
Homeworld: Unknown
Conquered Homeworld: Terminus
Language: Cthar
Average Height: 2.1m
Skin Color:
Originally the coloration of their skin was much paler than what we see today. This was caused by the enviornment of their original homeworld, which resulted most days being dominated completely by rain clouds. Coupled with a much dimmer sun than that of the sun in the Terminus system which they currently reside. Adaptation though is the name of the game, and since the time they had first come to and conquered the Terminus system they have adapted very well to the conditions. This has in turned changed the colorization of their skin, not only due in part to the newer brighter sun, yet also in turn from the enviornmental differences as well caused in part from the nutrients they consume from their new surroundings.
This change has brought on new shades and colorizations not seen before in the species. While there are still some who have the original pale shade, they are now considered to be a minority as shades have shifted. This has brought on darker skin colorization as well as diverse shades as well. These new shades also tell where on the planet that the specific being comes from. As such, those Citherion that now have a more blue tint to their skin are often associated with the colder climates near the peaks of mountains and the polar caps. Those that have shown a more red like pigmentation in their skin often come from a more canyon based enviroment, while others still have a green tint that provides a camoflauge like appearance in the woods.
Even to this day newer shades of colorization are still being discovered, though many of these have been created through interbreeding of Citherion beings. The most notable being a grouping of Citherion who have a more violet colorization due to one parent being from a polar climate and the other from a more canyon based enviroment. The most recent discovery of these different pigmenations has been those of an island based grouping of Citherion. Originally thought to have been lost to the elements and new predators, this bluish skined grouping of Citherion have become well adapted to a more island lifestyle.
Hair Color:
Unlike their skin colorization which is adapated from their new surroundings, the colorization of their hair is still deeply genetic. Coming from their progenerators and being passed down through the female side of the species. This means that many children will inherit their hair color from their mother. There are those few though in which a genetic abnormality occurs and produces the color of the father's hair in the child. Originally their hair color was nothing more than a Pure White, which would at times gray with age.
However since the outbreak of the Gulag Plauge, many different colorizations of hair have appeared. Making it apparent that the Gulag Plauge may have caused some form of genetic mutation in the Citherion that caused these new hair colors to appear. Now a Citherion can have hair colorization that ranges from Pure White, to Blone, Cream, and Ochre, as well as Greys, Browns and Blacks. It is still unknown how far of an extent the genetic mutations in the species has gone, which may bring about newer hair colors in future generations.
Breathes: Breathable Type I Oxygen Mix
Strengths:
Force Immunity: Much like the Toydarians, Hutts and other similar species, the brain chemistry and structure of the Citherion gives them a natural force immunity. This immunity however is only specific towards those force abilities that would affect the brain, primarilly the famous Mind Trick. Though this immunity also extends to the more specialized force abilities that also affect the mind. Including Force Fear, Drain Knowledge, Force Camoflauge. At the current time it is theorized that this natural Force Immunity was evolved through the generations of the species in order to aid them against the most fearsome predator of their original homeworld. Their legends tell of a force using predator that could affect the minds of its prey, which in turn resulted in the Citherion species evolving a natural immunity to those force based powers that affect and target the mind.
Predatory Nighteye: Another biological adaptation from their original homeworld. With their original homeworld shrouded in cloud formations that would often keep entire continents covered for months to even years at a time, the nights on their world were especially dangerous. This brought about the adaptation of a nighteye ability which allowed the Citherion to see clearly in the dimmest and darkest of situations as if it were daytime. This adaptation gave the Citherion species a better chance at protecting themselves against the predators of their homeworld which would prey on them specifically at night.
Weaknesses:
Force Immunity: While it is a great strength of the species, it is also a hinderance to those Force Sensitive among them. Their nautral immunity not only protects their mind, it also has an side effect of nearly cutting off Citherion Force User from the living force all together. Even with training it is still difficult for many Force Using Citherions to properly connect to the force. This may account for their limited numbers of natural Force Users.
Predatory Nighteye: More than useful during the night or when light is limited, this strength can quickly become a weakness to the Citherion. This is caused either through a quick bright flash of light which can often blind the Citherion for a limited period, ranging from an hour to a few days. It is also very painful for many Citherion to stand bright and arid worlds such as Tatooine, which can easily blind them for longer than a few days. To counter this, it has become common for members of the Citherion to wear special googles that protect their eyes. At the same time others of the species have turned to the helmets of their armor, wearing those to create a shaded enviornment to protect their eyes from the sun.
Distinctions:
Bipolar Eye Colorization: The most common and visible distinction of the Citherion species are their multicolored eyes. Sharing a common ancestry with an ancient canine species on their homeworld, their evolution to an upright more humanoid figure and shape brought on different evolutionary adaptations when compared to a distant cousin descendant from their same original ancestral point. One hold over of their original ancestral point is the appearance of bipolar eye colorization in the species. This means that it is a common occurance to see a Citherion with eye colorization that does not match. These colors can often range across the spectrum, from bright and dark greens, to subtle shades of violet and burning fiery reds.
However this colorization still remains opposite in the eyes. While many humans have the same eye color in both eyes, a Citherion does not. The most common colorization pairing is of a green eye and a blue eye. This bipolar colorization is the most common as it makes up the majority of the colorization in the species as a whole. There are still those other members, specifically those Citherion that live in the more polar regions whose bipolar eye colorization are more closely in range to the red and orange colors of the spectrum. Where as it is more likely for those Citherion that have taken to living in the island regions to have colors more closely in range to the yellow and teal colors of the spectrum.
Pointed Helix: A secondary though not commonly seen distinction of the species is a pointed helical rim of their ears. This gives the upper portion of their ear a more pointed look in appearance. Though this distinction is not seen as often as their bipolar eye colorization, it is still a hold over from their ancestral evolution. More recently a genetic mutation thought to have been caused by the Gulag Plauge has seen the elongation of these pointed helical rims. This causes the ears to appear longer and more canine than they had before. For many Citherion, in an attempt to appear more human when speaking with others, they have taken to wearing forms of head gear to keep their ears covered. Often only taking their helmets off in the privacey of their own living quarters.
Elongated Canines: Seen primarilly when speaking, the Citherion Canine teeth are slightly elongated when compared to other canine teeth in similar humanoid species. As with most of their distinctions their elongated canines are evolutionary throwbacks to their ancestral canine progenerators. Most Citherions keep their teeth at their natural lengths, using them in their daily lives mainly during the consumption of meat. Others though have taken to the habit of filing their death down slightly, making them sharper to give them a more frightening appearance.
Clawed Fingers: Like many different species across the galaxy, the Citherion posses claw like finger nails. Additionally in their younger toddler years they are born with an extra dew claw on their wrist, which eventually falls off during puberty. While many of the species that have these same claw like fingernails consider it mad or culturally wrong to use them, the Citherion on the other hand view it mad not to use them in unarmed combat. As a species they view their claw like nails as natural weapons given to them for their use in battle and as such they should be used in that manner.
Naturally Long Hair: Oddly enough one of their most distinctive features of the Citherion species is their naturally long hair. While many species have hair, it is usually only the females of the species that grow their hair long. For the Citherion is is both male and females whose hair grows to great lengths. It is theorized that this is due to their evolution, which caused the loss of their natural canine like tails, including their natrual fur. As an odd form of compensation their bodies began to rapidly grow the hair on their heads to longer lengths to make up for the loss of their tails and fur. Through the continued years afterwards the hair remained at its normal length through the consecutive years.
Average Lifespan: 600+
Diet: Being an omnivorous species they are capable of eating a varity of different foods. However as a species they tend to lean more towards a carnivorous diet eating more meat than plant matter. However there are some foods that can not touch. As such the species does not consume Alcohol or Caffeine, as well as remaining away from foods that contain Xylitol or Theobromine; all of which can have adverse affects to their health. Due to this it is common for those Citherion who are offworld to carry nutrient supplements and chemical purifying tables to ensure they do not consume those chemicals.
Races: Unlike other species, the Citherion are not broken into different races. Being a clan based society, they are separated into their respected clans. At any one time these clans can number in the thousands, with each clan having its own heritage, culture and identity. So much so that there is no possible way to list all of the separate clans and their beliefs and culture.
Communication:
Galactic Basic Standard: As many of the species in that have made Galactic Contact do, so to do the Citherion species speak Galactic Basic Standard. The only reason they began to speak Galactic Basic Standard was due to the Gulag Plauge being forced the Citherion out of the Unknown Regions and towards the Galactic Outer Rim.
Cthar: The native language of the Citherion Species. It is an amalgamation of an older Cthar dialect, and oddly enough Cheunh. The language itself has many Cheunh words and phrases, which are marked by growls, barks, whines and the use of pheremones. The Citherion species only uses Cthar while speaking to each other in private and on their homeworld, prefering to use basic in the presence of others to ensure that their language can not be reproduced or translated. The fact that it contains Cheunh has lead those that can pick up on the subtle uses of those words and phrases, that the Citherion have or had at one point constant contact and a friendly relationship with the Chiss Ascendancy before it fell to the Gulag Plauge.
Culture:
Clans: The Citherion species is separated into various different clans. At any one point there can be thousands of clans in existance, however both new and old clans alike are subject to falling and rising with the eb and flow of time. Each clan usually controls its own independent city state. While the Citherion species are known for their own streak of independence and holding fast to that concept and belief; they none the less will always work together when it comes to the protect of their city states against outside agressors or when faced with the prospect of waging war against a worthy advisary.
Lord Commander: The title says it all. The Lord Commander is the singular Citherion that rules over all Citherion. They do not demand the loyalty of all the clans; though while the clans control their own Independent City states, they still come together as a whole to form a united people and a united Empire of clans. The Lord Commander is much like the cheifs of the separate clans, a hereditary position. This position however will only remain with a clan if that clan is strong enough to remain the Lord Commander. Much like clans rising and falling, should the clan holding the title become fractured, then it falls to the Lords and Ladies to elect a new Lord Commander.
Lord/Lady(s): A Citherion Lord or Lady rules over their own City State, while at the same time hold the fealty of various other Independent City states. The most common process of this happening has the Lord or Lady absorb other clans into their own due to their own clans strength and power. Often they will use shows of strength and wealth to inspire other smaller clans to seek the shelter of the larger clan. These larger clans however are not exempt from the possibility of rising and falling as all clans are. In the past it was not unheard of for a single clan to break apart into many smaller clans at the death of the Lord or Lady.
Chiefs: Each Independent City state is contolled by a chief of the clan which rules over their own city state. Each chief is often placed upon the throne through a hereditary line. This line states that it is the first born, no mater the gender, that is chosen as the successor of the current chief. There are times though when a clan will become defunct, often due to it being absorbed into another clan, or the last living member of the clan dies. This is a common occurance, and usually the most common means that a Citherion Lord or Lady is brought into power.
Religion: A concept that seems to illude the Citherion species. They do not understand the need to whorship a disembodied spiritual entity that does not appear to be a physical manifestation. However as this is the opinion of the vast majority, it must be said that there are still those clans in the minority that whorship ancient deities that have been passed down through the ages. Even now there are whisperes of those cults dedicated to ancient Citherion deities that remain secret. While talk continues to spread among the masses of a new awakening that will see the Citherion people as a whole turn back to the arms of their ancient nearly forgotten deities that their ancestors once followed.
Marriage: A sacred occurance in their culture, marriage is seen as the ultimate show of loyalty. For those that are seen breaking their oath the result is usually exile or death. Due to the many clans and their unique beliefs and practices, marriage vows and ceremonies take all manner of shapes and forms making it difficult to describe each and every ceremony. The primary similarities are the two sides of the families coming together, with the ceremony eventually culminating at its peak into a great feast.
Funerary Rights: As with all things the funerary customs of the Citherion are as varied as their clans. Each clan has its own way of intering or preparing their dead. There are only few similarities across all of the clans. The greatest point which is seen adhered by all clans is the pyre. While each clan has its own specific way of erecting their pyre, for instance those Citherion leaving near the coast or in island regions set boats aflame; the pyre remains a constant. The second point of similarity is the mourning period, in which seven days are taken to allow for proper mourning of the lost one. The third and final similarity comes at the end of the mourning period, called the celebrations. These celebrations take up to a week and are set aside to celebrate the lost ones life and see them off to the afterlife with a great celebratory feast.
Force Users: While not entierly rare in the species; at the same time they are not entirely common. This is due mainly to the species force immunity, which often causes the sideeffect of limiting the species connection to the force. Those few that have a strong enough connection are trained in the old ways of an ancient force practice that has nearly become forgotten since the Gulag Plague. The Force Sensitives are trained to be the personal bodyguards of the Lord Commander and the Lords and Ladies. They also serve as soldiers in the Citherion military, often as generals and commanders.
Organization and Hierarchy:
The Lord Commander: As stated above, the Lord Commander is the singular leader of the Citherion species. He or She commands the united forces of the Citherion clans and is expected to act accordingly. To put it into context, they serve in the same capacity as an Emperor. Likewise they have their own powers to rule as they see fit, however those that are smart will often take console in the Lords and Ladies that they rule over.
House of Lords: Serving in the same capacity as a ruling council, the House of Lords is comprised of the Citherion Lords and Ladies of the Independent City States. They are often looked towards to keep the Empire running smoothly as they are expected to look towards the larger formation of the government.
Clan Hall: A singular building that acts like the Galactic Republic's Senate Rotunda. The Clan Hall is the meeting place on each Citherion world that the chiefs of the clans come together. Here they settle issuses and challenges without the needless sheding of Citherion blood through pointless conflicts that would tear their people apart. Each Clan Hall on a world is expected to deal specifically with the needs and situations on the world it is established on; thus preventing the need for mircomanagement by the Lord Commander.
Tech Level: Hyperspace
General Behavior:
All Citherion are loyal to those of their family, their clans and most importantly; those that would stand by them in the darkest of times, especially if freedom is on the line. They value Independence, be it through free thought or free will. Independence is the sole guiding principle of their culture as seen in their formation of independent city states that are capable of working together for the common goal which is the continued independence of their people. This guiding purpose has seen the Citherion in the past go to war against other planets merely because that planet practices slavery in one form or another. Their actions when it comes to loyalty have proven that they are a species that you would want watching your back in a battle.
History:
Much of their history was lost during the Gulag Plague. During the panic to save as many lives as possible, great libraries and archives of texts and artifacts were lost or destroyed. For every life saved it is said that twenty text or artifacts were lost. The greatest blow to the Citherion came at the loss of their lore keepers and master story tellers who had learned the history from their masters before them. In the end many of their worlds were destroyed in an attempt to eradicate the plague and even more lives were lost in the years after during infighting over resources.
Eventually the Gulag Plague would force the Citherion out of their once mighty empire to travel the stars until a time that they could resettle. In the following years they would lose their original navigational charts and be forced to head towards the Outer Rim of the galaxy in an attempt to find a new world to settle. Towards the end of the outbreak, when it was clear that the plague had run its course, the Citherion came upon the Terminus system in the Outer Rim. In a swift and nearly bloodless campaign they conquered the world and shut the Terminus system down, effectively turning it dark to any news.
It wasn't until recently that the Citherion reopened the borders of the Terminus system and have begun to look towards the stars to expand once more. With a booming birth rate and a growing population, the Citherion must turn to the stars in order to provide from their people.
Notable Player Character:
Lord Commander Kuriyoshi
Intent:
The intent behind this species is to breath new life into an old concept that I had sitting on the shelf for years now. Since I originally had to shelf the species it has become incresingly difficult to find a site that would allow such a freedom and ease to bring it back. I am glad that I came across this site and from what I have seen I hope to make it the new home of the Citherion, and to add onto the overall lore and gameplay of the rp.