- Intent: To update and re-work an unused species
- "Bob Marley from the Lion's mouth", by Lee Bermejo
- Nickelodian's Legend of Korra Gif, Unknown Creator: LINK to Gif
- "Lanyra" by Sam Hogg
- Unknown, Image found on DnD Homebrew; LINK
- Unknown, Image found at "40 Mind Blowing Fantasy Creatyres"
- "jeehyung" by, JeeHyung lee
- "Gift Art - Specter Panther" by Harseik
- "Linoruti Clan", by CindyWorks
- "Beyond the Seas", by Chevelin Pierre
- "Sketch XXIII" by Charlie-Bowater
- "Creative Concept Art" by Jérémie Fleury
- Gifs From "Raga Bomb", by Skrillex
- Canon: No
- Links: Original Sub
- Name: Zanji
- Designation: Sentient
- Homeworld: Zanj
- Language:
- Average Lifespan: 100-200 Years
- Estimated Population:
- Scattered
- Description: The Zanji are a shapeshifting race of warriors, superstitious explorers, and impressive engineers. Living in almost complete isolation they have been able to develop impressive shielding and droid technologies. Able to shift in part or full into great beasts, they also have a modest reputation of being fierce mercenaries. Tall, dark, and mysterious, the Zanji inhabit the habitable moon of the gas giant BABYgnon, thought to be one of the first, and possibly only places the Witches of Dathomir colonized. As such their Force traditions revolve around Allyan Magik and superstitions based in fact.
- Breathes: Type I
- Average height of adults: 2 Meters; 1.3 Meters at the shoulder as a Lavi
- Average length of adults: N/A Normal human
- Skin color: Ranges from a light mocha to midnight black with occasional white stripes or splotches.
- Hair color: Blacks and browns. Rarely, white.
- Distinctions: Tall, dark and tightly muscled with kinky hair, the Zanji are a race of near-human shapeshifters from the Dathomir system. Strong jawed with prominent canines, the Zanji are blessed with the ability to shift into large, four legged felines. Called a Lavi, the form is thought to harbor a Zanji's truest self. Similar to their human form, the color of the course fur of this form ranges from golden tans to midnight black. Zanji that have succumbed to Sun's Call, a rare disease unique to the Zanji, they are trapped in their Lavi and their fur turns white as snow. While this is reversible, a Zanji is forever marked by their blue eyes and white hair along with the inability to ever change into a Lavi again. As a Lavi form there is no difference between male and female, both massive felines are made to look even more impressive by their majestic manes. In their base form however, they are easy to tell apart as they look no different than a dark skinned human of Coruscant. Children are born with tails that retreat during puberty and completely vanish after a Zanji's first transformation.
- Races: None
- Strengths:
Lavi Transformation
Animal Senses - Strength and Speed of a big cat
- Sharp Claws and Teeth
- Turns into a Quadropedal, manned feline measuring at 1.3 Meters tall
[*]Great Night Vision
[*]Fast Metabolism
[*]One-handed sword fighting style Artashir is trained from a young age to varying degrees
[*]Tech-Minded/Gear Heads
[*]Weaknesses:
- Easily Poisoned: Because of their fast metabolism, poisons and toxins spread through their bodies faster than humans
- Scarred: Scarred poison causes boils on the skin and is excruciatingly painful. Deadly if left untreated
- No natural defense against traditional weapons
- Pride: Pride and honor is everything to a Zanji. They will fight to the death to protect their Pride
- Sun's call Disease: Caused by using the Lavi transformation at night too many times
Rabies-like symptoms - Causes violence and madness
- Causes brain tumor that triggers the transformation without the control or consent of the afflicted
- If not tended to, causes permanent transformation into White Lavi for life, erasing their sentience and cutting their lifespan by approximately 80%
- Transforming at night under a full moon expedites the process and has been known to case symptoms immediately
- The "Cure" can only be administered once the random transformations have begun, and only by a Witchdoctor. The transformations stop and the life is saved, however the afflicted will no longer be able to shift into a Lavi and they will be forever marked by their white hair and blue eyes, or they will be caught somewhere in between. Either way, they are forced to live with the same of becoming a "Halfling"
CULTURE
- Diet: Omnivore
- Communication:
Written Zengī - Zengī
- Music
- Dance
- Basic
[*]Technology level: Slightly above Galactic Average
[*]Religion/Beliefs: There are four major gods within the Zanji religion, known as the Old Gods: Ragga; the all-knowing god of knowledge, Zettaj; the god of fertility and prosperity, Saresh; the trickster and deceiver, and finally Artaxias; the warrior god King. It is taught that these gods did not all come at the same time and they all have their place, even the evil god, Saresh. It is told that the Zanji did not always have the power to to change into the Lavi. It is told that Ragga, the newest god, is the god that pushed them into the people they are today. Young but still the wisest of the gods, he came on black wings with the his followers, the Starsisters. It is they that gave the Zanji the gift to touch the realm of the gods, Gehdi, which is their name for the Force. He and his Starsisters taught the young chiefs how to touch the realm of the gods and taught the gods how to manifest themselves in the physical realm. He also gave the Zanji language. But some chiefs thought it a good idea to take this knowledge and use it for their own gain. They gathered power and attacked the other tribes, leading the Zanji into the bloodiest war it had ever seen. It was here on the Summer Solstice that Artaxias descended upon the physical realm, bringing with him his Pride and granting the Zanji people to touch his power, granting them the power to change into the Lavi. Artaxias and his pride set the forests of the Nightbrothers and Nightsisters ablaze, allowing the newly empowered Lavi to destroy the the Coven of Nightbrothers and Nightsisters. In the end the Coven surrendered to the judgement of the gods.
Artaxias was furious though. Forced to destroy the land he and his wife had worked so hard to build and angered that these Zanji had taken a gift so graciously given and perverted its power he ordered them to death. Artaxias' brother, Saresh however was a jealous brother. He made a deal to free the Coven if they promised to help him overthrow his brother and steal his wife for himself. However, when Saresh was to kill his brother, Layla, the wife of Artaxias sacrificed herself to save her beloved. Devestated that his brother would betray him and kill is lover, Artaxias ripped the wings from his brother's back and swiped him across the jaw, breaking his teeth and cast him into the swamps along with the Coven forever banishing them from the life of the Zanji. On her deathbed, Layla begged her lover to allow Saresh back into their realm. To grant her final wish, Artaxias granted his brother entry, chaining him to the stars so that he would be forced to watch the gods and the Zanji live prosperously. Saresh's bitterness turned to venom and dripped from his broken jaw. These drops created new life on the planet, the Scared. To combat these creatures, Artaxias sent his youngest children back to the physical realm to protect the Zanji from the foul beasts, forced to forever protect and to eternally test the Zanji warriors' mettle as the Ariav.
This is the creation myth of the Zanji as understood by modern tales. Scholars have yet to decipher all of its meaning, but they believe that the Zanji are distantly tied to the Dathomiri people as their language is similar to that of the Dathomiri indigenous peoples. They believe that this story is the ancient meeting between the Dathomiri and Zanji people as even their use of the Force is similar to the Witches of Dathomir. Many of their customs such as a predominantly female dominated rule and opposing uses of this witchcraft, called Voodoo by the Zanji practitioners are too similar to be ignored. The ancient Ragga temple complex within Jamel, which is believed to be the only place the gods can enter the physical realm, is also incredibly similar to ancient constructs found scattered across Dathomir. Interestingly, their god Ragga is described in a similar to the Giant Cycle Owl that is told of in legends in both Dathomiri and Mandalorian cultures. Curiously though, the Cycle Owl is absent from the ecosystem of Zanj.
[*]Minor Gods
- God and Goddes of the Hunt, Zaiha and Zariah: Husband and wife the pair were a Starsister and her chosen groom who arrived alongside Ragga and thus both of Zanji form. Zaiha however was tricked by Saresh, forever trapping him in the body of a Cocha. Together the lovers hunt for the Greater Gods. The Zanji sacrifice small game and hold totems like claws from the world's many big cats to gain favor and safety while on the hunt. Zaiha is a Starsister brought by Ragga and acts as his adviser.
Tuka, Artaxias' most trusted adviser: Appearing to mortals as an armored Lagus, he is a fierce warrior and minor god of wisdom. Chieftains often keep Lagus in their company as they are fiercely loyal and believed to grant mystical powers of precognition. - God of Death, Shinn: Shinn is a minor god who takes the spectral form of Zanj's many big cats. It is generally believed that while he is considered a minor god he is the most powerful and oldest of all and thus both respected and feared by man and god alike. It is also debated weather or not he is the sire of Zanj and the Old Gods. He comes to the mortal world to reap the souls of the dead and guide them into the afterlife, unless of course one has committed evil deeds in their lifetime in which case he will drag them into Hecret's hunting grounds where they are hunted, eaten and killed for an eternity.
- Hecret: Hecret is a minor god of the afterlife. He is a Halfing who along with Saresh betrayed Artaxias and the other gods. As a thank you for his betrayal Saresh granted Hecret the power of a demigod. His and his followers' punishment was to be cast into oblivion where he began to make his home. From then on evil doers and Witchdoctors were cast into that realm for Hecret and his followers to kill and punish as atonement for their betrayal.
- Lasirenn, Ezili, and Danto: Three beings of fluid gender, Minor gods are the queens of the different bodies of water. Lasirenn dominates all lakes and ponds, Ezili, the oceans, and Danto the streams and rivers. Together they rule over a mystical kingdom deep beneath the waves. Half fish and half Zanji the three sirens lure men and women to their watery grave with sensual songs, sometimes even coming to the shore to seduce their next victim. It is believed that they decide when the great floods of the rainy season will occur and offerings are made to them and their kingdom of half fish people to keep fishermen safe from drowning and to keep the floods from destroying their homes and families.
- Shaunteal, god mother: Considered to be the mother of the Old Gods and mother of Zanj, Shaunteal is a god of second chances and benevolence. She gave up her power over all when she gave birth to the Old Gods, the four main gods of Zanji tradition. It is debated weather or not the Old Gods and Zanj were of virgin birth or Shinn, the god of death was her lover. Because of this, children born of affairs or out of wedlock are often attributed to the blessing of Shaunteal.
- Seyja: Seyja is the free spirited god of luck and mischief, though his pranks are nowhere near as wicked as Saresh. Often depicted as a man living within the body of a Lavi, he emerges from the maw of the Lavi to speak and trick women and men into laying with him and trick honest Zanji out of their money. Every god has a story of him seducing them at one time or another, even producing bastard children among the Old Gods. He is also blamed for affairs that result in pregnancies and it is believed that children born of his seduction possess a small amount of god-like power.
- Nganga: While not actually a god, she is believed to be the first Witchdoctor and an illusive demigod. She gained immeasurable favor and power from Saresh during his coup attempt. Mistress to the Dark God Saresh, she constantly harasses the Minor and Old gods in a guerrilla-style war. She uses spells to control minor gods with her most famous attack being when she kidnapped Zariah and used her spells to control Zaiha, raiding and destroying the gods' storehouses and Zanji villages. Witchdoctors and Cannibals look to her for guidance when they fear Saresh cannot hear them. She is also considered one of the three Dark Gods.
[*]General behavior:
The Zanji of the jungle, mountain, savanna and Bayou regions live mostly as agrarian-based societies with established farming practices that differ dependent entirely on their location. However, they also function as hunter-gatherers creating a hybrid state of living and an almost caste-based system, though caste doesn't determine one's place in society. Relationships between Zanji are simple and contain little superfluous courting. This is because of the fast passed life many Zanji live as explorers, hunters and fishermen etc. Sexual orientation is a non-issue with them as well.
In the Bayou, the most dangerous place on Zanj, the Zanji are placed into two categories: normal and aberrant. Normal Zanji operate similarly to all other Zanji outside of the fact that they are more cautious and superstitious than any other group. Because the Bayou is the known home of several Witchdoctors and the cannibal, aberrant Zanji, they have steeled themselves into some of the planet's fiercest warriors.
The Aberrant Zanji, often simply called Cannibals by the Zanji are worshipers of Saresh and Witchdoctors. They kidnap Zanji in night raids and bring them back to their camps to eat and conduct heinous rituals with their captured designed to gain the favor of Saresh and bring him closer to freedom so that the dark god can kill his brother and destroy all who oppose them. They also work closely with Witchdoctors and are the most common Zanji to succumb to Sun's Call. Many halflings and White Lavi live among them. They also utilize the Scarred as their tenuous companions and harvest celeber crystals for the Witchdoctors to make strange concoctions for them.
The Zanji of the Badlands are of two groups, raiders or nomads. The raiders are Zanji warriors of fortune. They gladly kill other Zanji and travelers stupid enough to travel alone and utilize several of the big cat species and heavily modified droids for combat and raids. The Raider Kings also fight among themselves in small wars that devastate the Ragga ruins even further. They sell their spoils to black market vendors who then flip the spoils beyond the walls of the city-temple of Jamel.
The nomads are forced to move in small groups, scavenging and hunting for anything they can in hopes that they can either store enough food to make it through the Bayou to a friendly tribe or gather enough salvage to sell for passage into Jamel. Caught between the small wars between raider kings and the Cannibals their plight is one that spurs debate throughout Jamel.
The Zanji who live in the city of Jamel live incredibly privileged lives compared to other Zanji, though most Zanji are fine the way they are living (outside of the Nomads of course). They benefit from clean water, extra-planetary trade, and advanced infrastructure. Most Zanji within the walls speak and write in both Basic and Zengī fluently, albeit with varying accents. Here, they also have a standardized military force. The military works as both general peace keepers and a defense force against the raider kings of the Badlands. Trained to use blasters as well as traditional Zanji weapons they produce a heavy military tradition within the city which opposes the culture of academia that has been growing over the last three decades. As the Zanji become more aware of conditions outside of their own planet a call to bring the other tribes into the prosperity that is post-hyperspace living is strong in the youth and educated elite of the city. This kind of thought extends especially to the nomads of the Badlands.
Historical Information: Thousands of years of discovery, exploitation, desertion and rediscovery has left the planet of Zanj in an interesting position. Mostly overgrown with scattered ruins of various civilizations, the planet is seen as an archaeological gold mine by scholars all over the galaxy. The most recent civilization to take root on the planet's surface was the Dathomiri witches. Archaeologists pinpoint the time period of the Witches' first arrival to the planet at around 3,000 years ago, leaving arguably the biggest impact on the Zanji and its culture to date. This is not to say the previous cultures' effects are not felt. Because of outside influence, the biodiversity of the planet is incredibly high with species from various planets around the Galaxy.
Despite this, the Zanji religion revolves around a creation myth includes the first documented interaction with the Witches of Dathomir and a mysterious mention of the legendary Giant Cycle Owl, also mentioned in Mandalorian lore. While the Zanji have their own story which some see as allegory and many believe to be literal, archaeologists have discovered that the Witches of Dathomir crash landed on the planet. Stranded, the Witches of Dathomir raided the land with their advanced, albeit stolen, technology and their control over the Force. Along with their rancors and battle mounts they instilled puppet empires throughout the planet, constructing one of the largest Dathomiri structures to date. Believed to be a temple dedicated to the Giant Cycle Owl and other powerful beasts of the planet, the temple was constructed in the ruins of an ancient Zanji city. Ironically the ruins held greater technology than the primitive Zanji or the Dathomiri witches. During this time they bred with the Zanji and taught them their language and their ways which. This would eventually lead to a coup attempt by a sect of the witches who had gone dark and converted a few Zanji to their cause.
The war would drag on for almost a century until a sect of Allyan witches used powerful and ancient shapeshifting magic on powerful force using warriors of the allied Zanji tribes giving them the ability to change at will into an a great beast. Pulling at the genes left over from when the Zanji were a feline species, the witches brought forth their prehistoric form. With this the witches rode the sentient beasts into battle and destroyed the Nightsisters and their Witchdoctors. Over generations the irreversible spell that allowed this transformation would spread throughout the gene pool of the Zanji, making it commonplace and eventually a defining trait of the Zanji. After the war, the witches would use technology found in the ruined city to repair their warships and would leave, fearing further conflict and corruption.
The Zanji since then have used this war as their creation myth. For centuries afterwards tribe after tribe would take the title Warlord and sit upon the throne of the Dathomiri temple. The wars were fought over who had the closest bloodline to the gods who granted them their power. These long periods of war thrust the Zanji's technological prowess to its limits, producing powerful shielding and droid technologies that left many in the Outer Rim green with envy. Forced to unite or be conquered, technologies such as speeders, starships, and other advanced tech proliferated from Jamel and into the various villages throughout the planet. Because of their isolation in the Dathomir system, much of the Galaxy-spanning events held little consequence to the Zanji.
