OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
It is unknown exactly where these creatures originated from, however they have lived on Rishi as far as anyone can remember. Often used as a story to get children to do their chores, the truth of these stories is well documented in blood. Despite their danger, it is rare that anyone actually sees the Kazu as they are nocturnal by nature and often stay in environments that they can rapidly hide in and rarely observed within urban environments. A vicious creature alone, in packs they are even more deadly, rapidly capable of taking down creatures larger than they, in groups, the Kazu are perhaps some of the deadliest pack hunters on the planet if not through the sector.
- Intent: To create a natural predatory creature native to Rishi and a personal familiar for Hakai.
- Image Credit: Darren Wallace | Artstation
- Canon: N/A
- Links: N/A
- Name: Kazu
- Designation: Semi-sentient
- Origins: Rishi
- Average Lifespan: Up to at least 200 years, possibly longer.
- Estimated Population: Rare
- Description: From a distance, the Kazu appears to be a cute and cuddly creature covered in black hair. The truth is far more devious. Traveling in packs of up to 200, these creatures are ravenous carnivores who are more than content to eat any kind of meat, human or alien alike. Ultra fast metabolisms mean they must hunt for food often. Though primarily hunting using their speed and numbers, the Kazu has another eerie skill, capable of mimicking sounds its heard and even sometimes pronouncing full words, it can deceive its prey.
- Breathes: Type I, Type II
- Average Height of Adults: 64-91 cm
- Average Length of Adults: N/A
- Skin color: Gray
- Hair color: Black, Gray
- Distinctions: Much smaller than many bipedal races, these creatures sport a rotund figure covered in a maze of black and or gray fur. Some Kazu's bellies are also covered in fur, though this is not universal across the species. Short and small limbs explain why the creature chooses to travel by curling up into a ball and rolling. Kazu have tiny sharp claws and wide mouths filled with razor sharp teeth. They have a wide, flattened nose which allows them to get the largest possible bite when they clamp their jaws. Due in part to their high metabolism, when Kazu feed, they begin to grow almost immediately. When born, they are quite small but as they feed they grow proportionally in size. While carnivorous in nature, their advanced digestion system allows them to feed on almost anything, though they prefer live meat. Likewise, ingesting inanimate materials seem to cause them to shrink in size in contrast to meat which makes them grow. These creatures gain higher levels of intelligence the older they are, though a fully sentient specimen has yet to be witnessed.
- Races: N/A
- Force Sensitivity: All
- Force Sensitive: Each member of this species is low-grade force sensitive, capable of limited use of the Force in their efforts to detect prey. Also possessing some innate ability to influence the mind of their prey towards terror, these creatures can be highly dangerous in large groups.
- Mimicry: Capable of mimicking sounds they have heard and even approximating words, the Kazu is a crafty hunter. Utilizing its mimicry skills it has been known to lure prey into traps where packs of Kazu will rapidly attack.
- Voratious: Incapable of sating their hunger, Kazu are almost nearly always on the hunt. Likewise, they are always vigilant. If within the vicinity of other Force Users or Force Sensitive beings, it inevitably and continually attempts to dominate their mind and incite terror or fear.
- Non-Dextrous: Due to the small size of the Kazu and its short arms and legs, it is incapable of using tools or manipulating complex devices. In addition, if terrain prevents the creature from rolling from one point to another, they move excruciatingly slow.
- Low Strength: Again, because of their small size, their physical prowess completely relies in their numbers and jaw strength. Unable to protect oneself, if the Kazu are unable to overwhelm or trap their enemy, they are quick to retreat instead of fight.
- Vulnerable: Lacking any natural armor such as thick hide or bone plates, these creatures are extremely susceptible to injury which is why they rely exclusively on their voracity to overwhelm their prey before it can fight back. Whether kinetic or otherwise, these creatures are not built for prolonged conflicts.
- Diet: Omnivore, though Carnivorous prefered. While their robust digestive system allows them to make use of nearly anything as sustenance, their preferred food of choice is meat. Eating meat allows them the greatest potential for growth whereas non-meat objects and items ingested require more energy to digest and in turn, cause the Kazu to diminish in size.
- Communication: Creatures communicate through a series of telecommunication and chittering.
- Technology level: N/A
- Religion/Beliefs: N/A
- General behavior: Despite their semi-intelligence, their social structure is non-complex. Simply put, it's governance by strength. Often gathering in what's known as a "Ball", these creatures form unique groups, each lead by the strongest of their respective group. Though they are not territorial, these groups will sometimes have minor conflicts over feeding grounds but usually avoid each other, more intent on feeding than fighting each other.
Reproduction is standard, each birth resulting in one new Kazu. These creatures are non-familial in the sense that once a Kazu is born, it is immediately treated as possible competition for food. While this can cause conflict within the ball, it also allows for greater unity in seeking larger and more fortuitous prey. Primarily nocturnal, they can sometimes easily be spotted due to the ember like glow emanating from their eyes in the heat of the hunt.
It is unknown exactly where these creatures originated from, however they have lived on Rishi as far as anyone can remember. Often used as a story to get children to do their chores, the truth of these stories is well documented in blood. Despite their danger, it is rare that anyone actually sees the Kazu as they are nocturnal by nature and often stay in environments that they can rapidly hide in and rarely observed within urban environments. A vicious creature alone, in packs they are even more deadly, rapidly capable of taking down creatures larger than they, in groups, the Kazu are perhaps some of the deadliest pack hunters on the planet if not through the sector.
