Wrognoth

The Wrognoth (WROG-noth) are a very large and intimidating Native species, whose numbers are currently so few that they are not counted among the four main sapient Natives. A mammalian species of hulking, bestial humanoids, the Wrognoth are often considered almost as savage as the Slashrim - to which they are often compared for many reasons, particularly their size, strength, and ferocity - though a look at their culture reveals that this is far from true. Also, although often considered unintelligent due to their appearance, Wrognoth intelligence is easily comparable to a Human's. Wrognoth are rarely seen in Human or any other society, and their species remains shrouded largely in mystery.

Physical Appearance
Wrognoth are the Slashrim's only rivals in terms of sheer size and physical power. Their posture is generally more erect than that of a Slashrim, making them seem even taller when compared to a Slashrim's earlier growth stages.

Face and Body
Humans tend to associate Wrognoth with werewolves from old Earth legends, as their general body shape, and especially the shape of their head and ears, is extremely wolfish. Their faces bear fairly long, wolfish snouts, and they have a pair of pointed ears atop their heads. Unlike wolves, however, their canine teeth - both upper and lower - are so large they are not enclosed within their lips and jut from the top and bottom of their muzzle. Their hind legs are reverse-jointed like an animal's, and they bear large paws with enormous, retractable claws instead of humanoid feet. All Wrognoth stand several feet taller than a Human, with an average height of ten feet when standing erect, and the largest can even grow to heights of twelve or fourteen feet. Their hands are humanoid, but they bear long, retractable claws on their fingertips. Finally, all Wrognoth have fluffy tails closely resembling a wolf's. Female Wrognoth are only slightly smaller than males in terms of muscle mass, but generally reach around the same height.

Antlers
Both male and female Wrognoth also grow antlers just behind their ears, and these antlers vary widely in size and shape. The antlers are shed during two or three winter months - or what would ordinarily be winter months, regardless of the Wrognoth's location - and regrown thereafer.

Fur and Coloration
Being mammals, they are covered in thick fur that comes in a wide variety of colors, dependent primarily on the particular Wrognoth's home environment. Their fur ranges in color from black, white, brown, grey, crimson red, blonde, and various mottled combinations thereof. A blue-grey hue has even been observed in certain sub-species living in mountainous, rocky terrain, and some that dwell in thick jungles even have fur ranging from slightly greenish to bright green. Stranger colors may exist, but given how rare Wrognoth are in general, some of their wilder colorations may only be myths. Underneath their fur, Wrognoth generally have greyish skin.

Eyes
Wrognoths' eyes, which are just as wolfish as their heads, are extremely brightly colored and come in countless varieties, including - and not limited to - green, red, blue, yellow, orange, and even purple and grey-white. According to some hearsay, solid black eyes is an unusual but not unknown mutation, considered the sign of a curse in ancient Wrognoth culture.

Physical Capability
Wrognoth are incredibly fast and strong, having incredible physical power. They also have very acute senses and even the ability to "sense" fear, much like canines, as well as the ability to see in extremely low-light settings. They are capable of running on all fours, and they can achieve speeds of over 65 MPH, which their great endurance allows them to maintain for hours on end. Running on their hind legs, they cannot achieve as great of a speed, but they can still outrun a good deal of their prey. Wrognoth are well known for their endurance, and they are hardy against both injury and disease, particularly as they are capable of regenerating most wounds very quickly.

Reproduction
Being mammals, Wrognoth give live birth, generally to one, two, or three children; Wrognoth have more than one child far more often than do Humans, though twins remain very rare. A couple almost always mates for life, particularly as Wrognoth are known for the sense of loyalty bred deep into their culture. Wrognoth are not capable of producing offspring with Humans or any other Native species.

Livelihood
As can be expected, Wrognoth are primarily carnivores, eating a wide variety of meats - including, in the case of some Wrognoth, Humans. They are not entirely carnivorous, however, as they also occasionally eat various fruits and vegetables. It should be noted, however, that cannibalism is nonexistent among Wrognoth: a Wrognoth will simply never eat another of its kind. This is apparently not a cultural ideal, but an instinctive one, as even feral Wrognoth are known to never devour the flesh of their kin.

Lifespan
Given their reputation for high endurance to most any hardship, Wrognoth are hardy enough to live to very old ages. The oldest Wrognoth lived to be around 250, although most do not make it far into the 200's.

Culture
Overall, the Wrognoth culture is considered unusual by Humans, given their "monstrous" appearance. The primary ideals stressed by most Wrognoth civilizations, even since their most primitive roots, are honor and loyalty.

History
Early Wrognoth civilization was predictably simple. Wrognoth lived in fairly small, closely-knit clans on their native planet, which is currently unknown to humans, though it is thought to have been conquered and colonized by Helexith. Unlike the Slashrim, the Wrognoth resisted Helexith. In spite of the fight they gave, Helexith would have crushed the rebellion and destroyed the troublesome Wrognoth, were it not for the timely arrival of forces from the High Council of Harmony. Harmony drove back Helexith and some sympathizers even provided the Wrognoth with technology for space flight - which they had not yet invented before the arrival of Helexith - and they became allies, though not outright members, of Harmony. Since then, the Wrognoth have started to spread over other worlds, making a slow but steady comeback from Helexith's apparent determination to wipe out their species.

Society
Wrognoth society is founded upon two primary ideals: honor and loyalty. Although Wrognoth hunters frequently stalk their prey or their enemies, they always face them in open combat, rarely - if ever - resorting to underhanded methods such as assassination. Elders are always to be respected, and children are considered extremely important, even by enemy clans; if one Wrognoth clan defeats another, they will adopt the children from that clan and raise them as their own. They have an extreme respect for their dead and will go to great lengths to recover the bodies of their fallen comrades in order to give them a proper burial. Males and females are equally dominant in society, and, if anything, females often garner a bit more respect. However, they are in no way restricted from participating in battle. With their sense of loyalty, Wrognoth rarely do anything alone. If one is outcast from their society, that Wrognoth is often shunned from all the others as well, as it can be assumed he or she committed some unforgivable crime against one of their brethren or betrayed their honor.

Language
Almost impossible for most species to replicate, the Wrognoth language is a delicate set of growls, yips, snarls, groans, and grunts. To most, it would not sound like a language at all. After interacting with other sapient beings, the Wrognoth created a more coherent form of their language, although its words can still be difficult to form, sounding very harsh and often guttural. The howl is a very important sound in all Wrognoth languages, capable of conveying an endless array of emotions to other Wrognoth, although these intricacies may be lost on Humans and most other species, save the Sarran.

Religion
Currently, Humans are largely in the dark about the Wrognoth religion. Many say that the Wrognoth religion coincided perfectly with the beliefs of the Sarran, and the Wrognoth now claim to follow Afaelya, who - they say - goes by many names.

View of Other Races
In spite of their codes regarding honor and loyalty, the Wrognoth are generally an extremely close-knit people, and they do not favor outsiders. They are defensive toward others, even reclusive, and do not willingly accept most any other race into their society. Wrognoth respect free Slashrim, as they respect their strength, though the Slashrim of Helexith they see as brutes and beasts that should be destroyed. They are largely indifferent to the Achmer, but they favor the Sarran and often welcome them openly, showing them immense respect. Most Wrognoth are taught that the Sarran saved their species from destruction - also, Sarran can use their psionics to better understand the Wrognoth language. Mahlok are called the mortal enemies of Wrognoth, thanks to Helexith, while Humans are largely unknown to them, though still treated with a good deal of suspicion. More often than not, the Wrognoth prefer to be left alone, and they are not afraid to tell this to those who trespass upon their territory. As they are highly territorial in nature, Wrognoth will ask only so many times before they respond to intruders with violence.