Shav-ek
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 | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 9,175,000 (1610) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Voidkree | 4,013,000 |
| Languages | |
| Voiditen, Ķir dialect | |
| Religion | |
| Shir'akali | |
Shav-eks [Voidite: Śäv-ek] are a race of mutated quadrupedal humans located in and around the Emerald Shade, primarily in Voidkree. The origins of the race is not entirely established and has fallen to vigorous speculation. It isn't know if this race was natural or caused by either the Reset or created before the Reset.
Etymology
The name originates from early Voidian stories and fairy tales that misinterpreted the race as a group of forest spirits and due to such circumstances they were called the "Śäv-ekula" in Voiditen or "Spirits" in common.
History
It is unknown what the Shav-ek were before the reset as they don't have any fossil evidence of existence nor artefacts that establish any form of pre-Reset history. Due to such circumstances their pre-Reset history is only speculative and does not have any material truth. Some more religious believe the Shav-ek may have been 'punished' during the Reset for their actions before the Reset.
The post-Reset history of the Shav-ek is hard to trace due to them mostly living nomadic and semi-arboreal lives for most of their history after the Reset with their only real reference being called forest spirits in Voidian oral tales. The first time it was realized they weren't spirits was in 1304 when the first true Shav-eki-Voidian contact was made. Though even then they remained mostly in the forest with only a few thousand actually being in Voidkree. It speculated that their kind may have seen how the Shibettans and others of their kind were treated and decided it would be best to keep their distance from Voidian settlements. Their numbers in Voidkree only rose after the sudden rise in technological skill and when the nation passed the "Sapient Equality Act".
Habitat and population
The habitat of the Shav-eki used to live arboreal lives in forested areas in and around the Emerald Shade but after the sudden rise in technology, the majority of their kind have begun to live their lives in more modern spaces such as cities and towns in Voidkree.
Biology
Physiology
Most aspects of Shav-eki physiology are closely homologous to corresponding aspects of human physiology. The Shav-eki body consists of the hind legs, the torso, the fore legs/arms, the neck, and the head. Shav-eki skin texture is fare rougher, being more akin to the skin of animals like rhinos and elephants.
Shav-eki, due to being rather top heavy and as such usally go about their day to day lives in a quadrupedal stance. In this stance they are at average a height of about 220 centimetres for males and 180 centimetres for females however when one does attempt to stand upright their height increases by 50cm.
Life cycle
Most Shav-eki reproduction, much like other mammals, takes place by internal fertilization via sexual intercourse, but can also occur through assisted reproductive technology procedures. The average gestation period is 52 weeks, but a normal pregnancy can vary by up to 37 days. Shav-eki infants are typically 5–6 kg (11–13 lb) in weight and 62–76 cm (24–29 in) in height at birth.
After birth, both the mother and the father provide care for Shav-eki offspring similarly to their human counterparts. At birth, the infant is capable of basic motor controls after only a few days, after which they will continue to grow for some years, typically reaching sexual maturity at 21 to 26 years of age. The Shav-eki life span has been split into various stages ranging from three to twelve. Common stages include infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age. Shav-eki females undergo menopause and become infertile at around the age of 70.
Diet
Shav-eki are omnivores but most of their kind has a preference towards fruits, vegetables and insects and their dishes reflect that preference with most being very vegetarian and only a few dozen actually containing meat of any kind.