The lorath are a humanoid monotreme species notable for their white hair, grey skin, small black feathered wings on their back, and golden eyes. As the lorath have different castes, this page will contain information pertaining to each caste as well as the species as a whole.
After copulation and successful internal fertilization, the successfully fertilized egg develops within the female lorath over a period of three to four months during which time the egg is provided with nutrients from the mother as well as exposed to hormones which guide the development as the egg expands, and forms a hard shell. Following the initial growth period the egg is laid by the female and is then incubated and cared for by the parents as a shared unit for six to seven Lor months while the young matures within the egg. After the six to seven months have elapsed and the young is done maturing within the egg and they begin the process of breaking free over a period of a few hours. The specifics of this development are affected by the parents' caste, genetics, and if of the lmanel caste aspectation; additionally the temperature, humidity, and local conditions of the egg after it has been laid has an impact on development making precise developmental times impossible to determine broadly, though lorath medical professionals are capable of assessing the development of an egg on an individual basis.
Upon hatching a lorath is developmentally equivalent to a human of three or four years old. Freshly hatched lorath are typically capable of self-locomotion within the first week of life, and are able to speak with some mastery within their first month of life typically becoming fluent within their first year.
Lorath then physically mature over the next several years reaching egg laying age around eight Lor years of age and continue to mature to a fully adult state around fifteen to twenty Lor years depending on caste and genetic traits.
Modern lorath have a natural longevity of 150-175 lorath years1), however modern lorath medical science is capable of indefinitely extending the modern lorath's lifespan. Due to recent turbulence in the history of the lorath however, individuals approaching 200 years of age are quite rare.
All lorath have a humanoid body type with a general vertical symmetry. Their body is designed to stand with an upright posture their head sitting upon a neck connected to their wide-hipped torso which is flanked by two arms transitions into a pair of legs. A secondary pair of limbs are anchored to the rear of the rib cage ranging from between the shoulder blades to sitting at the base of the rib cage hinting at their avian evolutionary heritage taking the form of, typically small, wings.
As a species lorath typically have athletic, though rarely bulky, builds. Females are prone to develop increased quantities of adipose tissues due to the need to have reserves for nursing and remaining near the nest when tending to a clutch. As a result of both evolutionary and eugenically cultivated trends these tissues most often concentrate in the breast structure as well as well as the thighs, hips, and buttocks of the woman with an lesser increase in adipose tissues being found in the rest of the body. Males on the other hand while not prone to developing adipose tissues notably tend to develop with less muscular tissue than females as well as in general having lower levels of growth hormones resulting in the male population having smaller, less physically powerful builds than the females.
Notably lorath connective and supporting tissue is observably more resilient to wear, and heals more effectively than similar tissues in other humanoids. This trait largely negates sagging of skin and connective tissue damage even in geriatric individuals resulting in the lorath species lacking many of the common indicators of old age such as loose and heavily wrinkled skin.
Naturally every lorath possesses two arms, each one starting at a shoulder connected to the torso, a single elbow and wrist connecting to a hand which features four fingers and a thumb.
The two legs of the lorath body start at the pelvis and travel down to a forward facing knee forming the end of the thigh. Past this point the lower leg connects to an ankle attached to a plantigrade foot with five toes of descending size from the inner most to outermost. The leg muscles of a lorath are notably well developed and are almost universally quite large compared to the arms.
The final set of limbs consists of a pair of black feathered wings which are anchored to a ball and socket joint present in the back of the lorath's rib cage. Due to genetic drift the location of the wing structure may either be present near the smaller shoulder blade structures which attach to the arms, or present lower on the rib cage occurring as low as the floating ribs. Each wing features a skeletal structure comparable to the arms with an 'elbow' and 'wrist' joint. Long fused 'fingers' form support for the wings. It is notable that in most lorath individuals the wings are much too small to provide flight, as well as the density of the bone material providing too much weight leading to the wings being safely be considered vestigial. Despite this if trained lorath wings can provide some utility as a secondary pair of limbs, and at the very least can be used for striking in self defense.
While the specific ranges of lorath height and weight vary greatly between the three castes the species is noted as having most adults ranging between 121cm (4') and 274cm (9') on average giving the lorath species a large variety of physical form in height alone. On average the weights of an individual range from 45kg (100 lbs) for the smallest adults to 363kg (800 lbs) for the largest with some variances for different dietary practices and varying levels of physical fitness.
It is notable that in the lorath species the female is typically larger than the male both in height and muscle mass.
Lorath naturally have smooth nearly hairless pale grey skin. Due to their prolonged time spent beneath the surface of their planet all lorath are naturally born with a sensitivity to sunlight which irritates their skin in direct contact, as well as leaving them prone to damage from UV radiation with extensive exposure.
Some small adaptation has been made following their return to the surface and some among the younger generations may develop a light tan. More commonly however lorath with significant melanin in their skin have undergone genetic therapy to stimulate production.
Most lorath have hair which grows on in abundance on the the tops, sides, and back of a lorath's head, keeping off of their ears3) and the majority of their face save for their eyebrows and eyelashes. Male lorath like male humans are capable of growing full beards. As a result of five millennia spent underground the lorath species has lost natural pigment in their hair and as such all lorath have naturally white hair. Body hair is almost unknown for lorath, having at most a peach fuzz-like presence, generally unnoticeable in contrast with the skin of the individual.
Lorath have two evenly spaced eyes on the front of their head flanking a bridge which leads down to their nose, a structure with two downward oriented nostrils. Beneath this is a single horizontally oriented mouth typically sealed by lips with a champagne pink4) cast due to the thinner skin. The mouth proper contains a mirrored set of teeth on the top and bottom jaw surrounding a short prehensile tongue. On the left and right side of the head slightly below lorath eye level is an ear the exact shape of which is determined by the individual's caste.
The lorath eye is a spherical organ naturally paired in sockets in the skull with one on each side of the bridge of the nose. Lorath eyes are capable of rotating to cover a 225 degree horizontal field of view. Typically Lorath move both eyes to a central focus, however coordinated individuals are capable fo moving each eye independently through voluntary motor control.
Inside the lorath eye are muscle groups which allow the eye to automatically adjust to optimize the distance between the lens and the cornea allowing for efficient focal capabilities. Additionally the pectin present within the eye contains pigment evolved to absorb UV radiation reducing damage to the eyes as well as converting the absorbed radiation into heat which aids in maintaining the temperature of the eye in low-temperature environments.
Lorath vision covers a range comparable to that of human vision, however the increased muscle control present in lorath eyes as well as structural quirks such as a more efficient blood supply allow for lorath eyes to operate in high and low light environments beyond that which would be comfortable for a human. Additionally at optimal health a lorath would have a vision quality of 20/55), however on average lorath eyesight is roughtly 20/10 comparable to human vision.
Due to the pectin present in the structure of the lorath eye, lorath irises are almost universally a shade of amber to goldenrod.
Located on the vertical midline of the lorath facial structure, positioned above the chin and beneath the nose, the lorath mouth is horizontal in its length, with soft-tissue and muscle lip structures framing the oral cavity. Within the oral cavity, the lorath have one tongue which measures on average fourteen to sixteen centimeters from throat to tip, with variations noted to shorter and longer lengths.
Lorath mouths range in capacity of teeth based on individual oral cavity size, with the 'healthy' minimum of teeth being 26 in an adult mouth. 36 teeth are noted as common in larger examples of Fyunnen and Lmanel oral cavities. Lorath dental structure is consistent with humanoid omnivores, with incisors and canines located in the anterior of the dental structure, with molars located in the posterior. Notably, lorath go through three stages of teeth; child teeth present from hatching to adolescence. Adolescent teeth present from their time of eruption to a transition to adult teeth which are present for the remainder of the lorath lifespan. On average, adolescent teeth initially assert themselves at sixteen years of age, while adult teeth emerge at thirty years of age.
Bite force commonly offered by the lorath oral structure ranges between 125 to 175 lbs of force delivered by the molars, and 47 lbs of force on average from the incisors.
Membrane tissues located in the lorath mouth allow for limited permeability into the lorath bloodstream allowing for a limited degree of chemical absorption as a result of oral contact. To compensate for a potential vulnerability to microbial and viral intrusion the membrane tissues have developed the capacity to secrete antibody compounds which reduce the viral and bacterial numbers present in the lorath oral cavity reducing infection viability as a result of oral exposure.
The lorath species is capable of a wide range of nuanced taste comparable to that of humans. Of note lorath are unable to detect capsaicin in all but the highest concentrations and it does not interact to any great effect with their physiology.
Vocalizations made by lorath are produced by running air past a structure designed to resonate at varying frequencies as dictated by muscular action, this sound is then modified by the position of the tongue, jaw, and lips to produce a wide range of sounds in a variety of registers.
As a whole lorath sensory perception is comparable to that of humans with the exception of lorath eyesight being slightly better on average and the lorath's minimal physiological interaction with capsaicin.
Lmanel notably may have greater sensory capabilities dependent on their aspectation animal.
The Occhestian caste has an innate capability for psionic sensory allowing for both empathic and telepathic sensory capabilities.
The lorath skeleton is notable for its composition having formerly been a hollow light weight structure comparable to that of avian species, however over time the density and composition of their bones has changed making them incredibly durable relative to bones of a comparable weight. The most obvious deviations in the lorath skeletal structure however are visible in their pelvis, and femoral bones which are larger than human counterparts, and the additional limb structures of their wings.
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Lorath brains are located in their skulls. Notably lorath as a species learn incredibly quickly and remain mentally flexible throughout the course of their lifespan with an extremely small population of defects and illness as a result of the lorath eugenics and medical programs. Lorath brains are better able to deal with psychoactive compounds than most species and can tolerate doses of many compounds which would be lethal for humans.
Lorath are omnivorous eating a wide variety of organic matter sourced from plants and animals as well as select mineral compounds6). Metabolism is comparable to humans? Lorath due to the presence of high quantities of psychoactive compounds present in almost all flora and fauna on their planet have an impressive tolerance for such substances.
Resistance to viral, bacterial, parasitic, and foreign material exposure was emphasized in the lorath breeding program making the lorath hardy against both diseases native to Lor as well as those which are compatible with their biological chemistry that is encountered on foreign worlds.
Lorath are as a whole a relatively intelligent species with a cultural emphasis on understanding lending to millennia of scholarly development in conjunction with their species wide eugenics program which has cultivated the species to be capable of rapidly assimilating, understanding, and applying new knowledge. This is most apparent in the rapid technological advancement of the lorath from an information age society to an interstellar superpower in only half a decade of their time.
As a whole lorath have a community-centric outlook working toward the betterment of the lorath people as a whole and taking pride in their work knowing that they build a better future not only for themselves but more importantly for the future generations to come. This leads to the lorath being a very tight knit and self-inclusive species, seeing themselves as being part of a while rather than individuals. This attitude lends to the lorath avoiding an “us vs them” mentality reducing the perceived scarcity of resources in their society allowing for lorath to work toward the betterment of their society with minimal infighting.
The only exception to this is with individuals who have been ostracized within lorath social circles. This results in the individual being rejected often by the entire lorath population due to their inherent tight-knit and communicative nature leading to a near complete hedging out individuals who have caused sufficient social upset leaving them effectively cut off from the benefits of the lorath social mindset.
In contrast to in-species interactions, lorath are noted for having a distinctively slow development when it comes to forming empathetic bonds with individuals outside of their own species. This already slow development process has been further inhibited by previous poor interactions with other sentient species in lorath history which has bred a distrust into the lorath that lends to a display of a cooly polite front toward other species.
While the precise outlooks vary from caste to caste, the lorath as a whole tend to be open towards other lorath, even those which they are not close to. This lends to the lorath as a people being willing to help one another even without pre-existing social bonds, as well as having a willingness to form new social bonds by mingling with others.
On average lorath will seek to spend time with those whom they are familiar with greatly enjoying social interactions within their lives sharing labor, ceremony, or relaxation together with equal desire. This lends to the lorath as a people rarely choosing to spend time in solitude as most times it is better to spend their time in the company of others.
Magic has been a large part of the Lorath's society since it's early conception, being viewed as one of the Goddess' gifts and carefully cultivated, studied, and maintained. As such magic is fairly prevalent in lorath society and is experiencing a renaissance after a brief 'drought' in which the lorath people were cut off from magic.
Due to the eugenics program of the lorath ensuring physiological consistency, only the Occhestian caste are capable of naturally manifesting psionic abilities, however lorath medical science is fully capable of enabling psionic capability in those not born to it.
Deformities and defects in general are rare in the lorath population. They are typically only found in instances where an egg was neglected or otherwise poorly cared for. As such lorath that hatch with deformities may bring social and governmental scrutiny upon the parents as the source of the deformity or defect is determined and corrected.
Additionally, mutations in the lorath population are extremely uncommon due to the species wide eugenics program, medical screening during gestation, and widely available gene therapy. In the unlikely event that a mutation has occurred and was not identified, the Lorath would most likely correct it with medical procedures and corrective gene therapy.