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"The sky-devils come again, in their flying metal boxes. They offer us many things, many strange objects. We shall oil our weapons with their blood."
—Aqra-Tros, Ryleith warrior

The Ryleiths are a highly aggressive, centaur-like sapient species native to the moon Rylehkastra, located in Azurullya. Despite their relatively primitive lifestyle and technology, their sheer strength and aggression have allowed them to drive off far more technologically-capable species, particularly the Ski'pec, who had been trying to establish contact with them for millennia. The Theocracy of Silverstar has also been attempting to form peaceful relations with the Ryleiths, though their efforts have so far proven fruitless.

Physiology

Appearance

Ryleiths are quadrupedal, centauric beings with predominantly cool-toned skin. They stand only slightly taller than the average human despite their impressive mass, a clear result of the high gravity on their homeworld. Ryleiths possess a humanoid upper body, with bulky torsos and arms that end in four-fingered hands. On their stomachs is an interlocking set of teeth, opening up to reveal a gaping maw. The purpose of this secondary mouth is currently unknown.

A Ryleith's lower half resembles a predatory reptile, with four muscled legs ending in sharp claws. These claws give them incredible stability on many kinds of terrain, allowing them to keep their balance even while running at high speeds. Ryleiths also possess long tails that make up for more than half of their total body length.

Ryleiths have three large eyes, giving them an excellent field of vision. They can see in the dark far better than most other species. They have a mass of tentacles in place where a mouth would be, with a large beak being hidden underneath. They also possess large horns, with the horns of male Ryleiths being bigger than those of the females. These horns eventually turn into a ridge of spikes that run all the way down from the back of their heads to the base of their tails.

Strength and Durability

Ryleiths may be the shortest native species in Azurullya, but what they lack in size, they make up for in raw might. They can tear through solid metal with their bare hands, lift huge rocks with ease, and take on dozens of heavily-armored soldiers without breaking a sweat. While great physical strength isn't uncommon in species originating on high-gravity worlds, the Ryleiths are a notable anomaly as the Viritacloud has given them strength previously unheard of in creatures of their size.

While not covered in shells or armored plates like some other species, the Ryleiths' incredibly dense skin, muscles, and bones allow them to shrug off blows that would cripple or outright kill most other beings. Records from Ski'pec landing parties on Rylehkastra show how most small arms fire simply bounced right off the Ryleith warriors they had encountered. Only dedicated armor-piercing weapons or powerful thaumic attacks were capable of harming them, and those had the unintended side effect of making the Ryleiths they fought angrier than usual.

In addition to their incredible strength and durability, Ryleiths possess unparalleled stamina, able to run for at least an hour before showing signs of exhaustion. This helps them keep up with their livestock, as many of the animals they raise often stop for only a short time to graze. Their speed is also rather impressive, able to catch up to a multitude of ground vehicles when running at top speed. However, they do have a tendency to skid out of control when attempting to turn at these speeds, which often leaves them disoriented for a short time.

Sustenance

Ryleiths are omnivores, though their herding lifestyles means that much of their diet consists of meat. They primarily subsist on the great herds of bovine-like beasts they keep as livestock, though they will gladly eat almost any kind of meat they can get their hands on. They'll even feed on other sapient species, as some Ski'pec found out when their fellows were ripped to pieces and devoured by Ryleith warriors during a few of the many ill-fated expeditions to Rylehkastra.

Ryleiths also forage for many wild fruits, nuts, and grains as they travel, though they typically leave most of it to their young. Ryleith cuisine (if one could even call it that) focuses heavily on foods that last for months, sometimes even years, without spoiling. Though much of what they eat is bland and tasteless, some Ryleiths are known to possess an incredible sweet tooth that drives them to garnish whatever they eat with the sweetest fruit juices they can find.

Reproduction

Unlike most other land-dwelling species, Ryleiths are ovoviviparous, meaning that they produce eggs that are hatched inside the body of the mother. This method of bearing young is usually only seen in some marine animals like sharks, leading to a few scholars theorizing that the Ryleiths may have originally been aquatic beings before adapting to life on land. The gestation period lasts for around twenty-four months, with Ryleith mothers usually giving birth to around three or four offspring.

For most species, being pregnant puts them in a vulnerable state. The same cannot, however, be said for the Ryleiths. During the second half of pregnancy, as the eggs hatch within the mother's womb and begin to move around, the newly-hatched offspring inevitably end up fighting each other. This near-constant internal brawl results in a greatly heightened state of aggression for the mother, even by the standards of other Ryleiths. As a result, the mother is separated from the rest of the camp during the remainder of her pregnancy, only interacting with her most trusted clanmates when they bring her food.

Thaumaturgy

Ryleiths, like most other sapient species, are capable of accessing the Lux Aeterna via their minds and pylons, though the actual presence of Magi among them is fairly limited. Those who are Magi tend to lean heavily towards Invocative Thaumaturgy, as the Viritacloud has bestowed upon them incredibly strong wills and ideals. As a result, Ryleith Paladins tend to be among the most powerful of all, though they lack the refinement seen in the Magi of the more civilized beings of Azurullya.

Ryleith Magi rank among the deadliest living beings in the history of Azuzrullya. Combining their innate strength with the powers of the Lux Aeterna, they quickly rise to become leaders of their kind, conquering large swaths of territory in the process. However, these Paladin Ryleiths often end up becoming ruthless tyrants, brutally subjugating other clans and demanding tribute wherever they go. Because of this, Ryleiths view their thaumically-inclined kin with great suspicion, always watching them to ensure they do not go rogue. If they do, it can take an entire clan to bring a Ryleith Paladin down.

Sociality

The Ryletihs are a highly nomadic species, travelling throughout the plains and rolling hills of Rylehkastra in large clans consisting of hundreds of individuals on average. Though these clans display tight bonds of fellowship and camaraderie between their own members, the same cannot be said towards those of outsiders. Ryleiths from other clans are treated as strangers at best or demons at worst, with conflict between clans being all too common. Disputes over land, livestock, and other resources typically end with dozens, if not hundreds, of deaths and several slaves taken by the winning side. How they haven't fought each other to extinction is a mystery to even the greatest Theocracy scholars, and it's one that they likely won't figure out for a very long time.

Nomadic Camps

A Ryleith camp consists of one large tent belonging to the dominant mating pair surrounded by dozens of smaller tents arranged in rows. These camps are designed to be swiftly packed up and relocated at a moment's notice, able to fold up and be loaded onto carts with little difficulty. As these carts may contain a Ryleith's entire livelihood, they are heavily guarded by the clan's strongest warriors. The loss of even one of these carts is a devastating loss for any clan, so they are often heavily-armored to such a degree that even the most berserk Ryleiths struggle to break into them.

When two clans encounter each other upon moving into a new area, conflict is sure to arise. However, these meetings typically do not result in full-scale warfare, as difficult as it may be to believe. Instead, the clans will hold a duel between their greatest warriors who will fight for the right to live in the desired area. The losers of these duels will be forced to leave, though not all defeats are accepted so honorably.

Wars Between Clans (WIP)

WIP

War Trophies (WIP)

When a Ryleith defeats an enemy in battle, they will often claim some form of trinket from them. Weapons, jewelery, even limbs and heads, nothing is off-limits when it comes to what may be claimed. However, there are strict unspoken rules regarding trophy-claiming that, if broken, will mark a Ryleith as an outcast and may even lead to banishment from their clan. So severe is the potential social stigma that even the most rebellious Ryleiths never deviate from them.

WIP

Language (WIP)

Ryleiths do not speak one unified language, lacking the cultural unity to even propose such a thing. What they do share is a limited phonology that their languages produce, held in some reverence related to their faiths. The Rinhlenkhan, or Sacred Words, form a single shared alphabet that informs many of their customs and spiritual practices. Despite its angularity and general difficulty in writing quickly, it remains conservatively maintained in shape.

Rinhlenkhan
Letter	Name	Sound (IPA)	Transliteration
r	ral(ral) "pride"	[r]	r
z	zei(rhei) "bright"	[rʰ]	rh
k	kagtenm(kakhtenm) "autumn"	[k]	k
g	gtazum(khtarhum) "king"	[kʰ]	kh
q	qynathet(qynat'het) "marrow"	[q]	q
c	cokaz(qhokarh) "tent"	[qʰ]	qh
n	nyres(nyres) "virtue"	[n]	n
x	xated(nhateth) "armament"	[nʰ]	nh
m	meocyz(meoqhyrh) "storm"	[m]	m
l	laphas(lap'has) "fire"	[l]	l
p	palaug(palaukh) "dream"	[p]	p
b	briiha(phriiha) "crown"	[pʰ]	ph
t	tatwah(tatwah) "spear-thrower"	[t]	t
d	doquun(thoquun) "staff"	[θ]	th
f	flyki(flyki) "firestarter"	[f]	f
v	vhag(fh'hakh) "mouth"	[fʰ]	fh
s	stexah(stenhah) "lake"	[s]	s
w	weeqac(weeqaqh) "law"	[w]	w
h	hrikhly(hrik'hly) "gold"	[h]	h
a	aasazag(aasarhakh) "claim"	[a]	a
e	eemez(eemerh) "sapling"	[e]	e
i	iixomox(iinhomonh) "bonfire"	[i]	i
o	oolarax(oolaranh) "sky"	[o]	o
u	uucerle(uuqherle) "mountain ridge"	[u]	u
y	yymarand(yymaranth) "spirit"	[y~a͡i]	y

History

A Peaceful Past

Long ago, before the arrival of Silverstar’s flock into Azurullya, before the Ski’pec and Xherari had mastered the art of space travel, there existed a peaceful people on the far-flung moon of Rylehkastra. These beings, calling themselves the Ryleiths, roamed the rolling hills of their world in nomadic clans, gently tending to their herds. They lived and traded freely amongst themselves, rarely getting involved with any real conflicts. They led simple lives, never feeling the need to spread out into the stars. After all, why should they? Their world had provided them with all that they needed: food, land, and fellowship.

For millennia they lived this way, and it seemed that their way of life would stay the same for as long as they lived. However, their people would soon be changed forever. Not by any technological boom or invaders from beyond, but by the very cosmos itself. One night, the Ryleiths spotted what seemed to be a new star appearing in the sky. At first, they thought nothing of it, but as the years went by, they noticed that it grew brighter and brighter.

The Might of the Deagami

When the new star came close enough, the Ryleiths saw that it seemed to split apart, branching off in many directions. While they did not know it, this was no star at all, but one of the Deagami Nebulis. Specifically, the amber-green embodiment of willpower, the Viritacloud. Rylehkastra was soon completely enveloped by the nebula, turning its skies a vibrant viridian as arcs of extraplanar power danced through the air. Many of their kind thought that the end times had arrived, that their world would be torn apart and they with it. However, they seemed to be suffering no ill effects from the nebula. In fact, they were experiencing quite the opposite.

All across the moon, Ryleiths everywhere began undergoing immense physical changes. They grew stronger than they ever could have imagined, though it wasn't just their bodies that changed. At first, they reveled in their newfound strength, using it to accomplish great deeds amongst their people. But as the green skies faded back to their usual blue, the Ryleiths found that their bodies weren’t the only things that had changed.

Ryleiths began to grow more and more aggressive, quarreling with each other over the smallest things. These fights eventually turned into small-scale skirmishes, spiraling out of control until entire clans went to war. The plains of Rylehkastra became stained with the blood of thousands, with entire settlements razed to the ground in the fighting. Eventually, the constant warfare became the way of life for the Ryleiths. In fact, as time went on, they apparently forgot about their once-peaceful ways entirely, regarding them as little more than myth.

First Contact

Eventually, Rylehkastra would be visited by one of Azurullya’s other sapient species, the Ski’pec. They observed the Ryleiths from orbit, carefully studying their behavior before eventually touching down. They descended from the sky in shuttles, bringing with them numerous examples of their technology and culture. When they eventually encountered the natives, the Ski’pec greeted them as visitors from beyond the stars, wishing to bring them into the greater galactic community. Unfortunately for them, the Ryleiths did not see them as such.

They thought that the Ski’pec were devils seeking to trick them and make them into slaves. As such, the Ryleiths dealt with the problem the only way they knew how: by brutally slaughtering it. Most of the Ski’pec that landed on Rylehkastra were killed, with only a few managing to escape back into space. The survivors quickly told their comrades about how brutally strong the Ryleiths were, with some of the shuttles being knocked out of the sky by Ryleith archers shooting out their engines.

After this event, the Ski’pec quickly left the moon, returning to Smohera with their findings. They concluded that they must have done something to anger the Ryleiths, so they had prepared accordingly for another visit. They made sure that the Ryleiths would understand their peaceful intentions, but they also made sure to bring with them a contingent of soldiers just in case things went south. They flew to Rylehkastra once more, being much more prepared for their next encounter with the Ryleiths.

When they touched down on the surface, they chose to keep themselves hidden for a time before revealing themselves once again. Landing in the hills outside of a Ryleith settlement, they watched closely how the natives lived, seeing just how warlike they were. While many of the Ski’pec wanted to leave and never return, most of them still believed that they still had a chance to bring peace to the moon.

When they did eventually reveal themselves, the Ski’pec broadcasted a message in the Ryleith language to the whole settlement. They expressed their sorrow for angering them in their first encounter, and wished to make amends by offering to uplift the Ryleiths into a spacefaring species. Once again, the Ryleiths drove off these presumed devils, the Ski’pec weapons barely harming the brutes at all.

Constant Attempts, Constant Failures

Even after two horrendously failed attempts at peaceful relations, the Ski’pec did not give up. They tried several more times, each one failing as they were driven back into space with each attempt. When the Ski’pec eventually met the followers of Silverstar, they told their new allies about the moon of Rylehkastra, how the natives there were so powerful that they could “turn a tank into a crumpled orb in less than a minute.” The followers initially did not believe these claims and flew to Rylehkastra to inspect it for themselves. The landing parties they sent were wiped out within hours.

As the Theocracy of Silverstar became the sole dominant power in Azurullya, Moonmoon took great interest in the Ryleiths. Despite pleas from his generals that the Ryleiths should be left alone or, in the worst-case scenario, annihilated from orbit, he ignored them. He explained to them the benefits of having the Ryleiths as a part of their nation and would periodically send ships to try and uplift them. To this day, there have been seventeen attempts at peaceful contact with the Ryleiths, with every single one ending in failure.

Notable Individuals

TBA