Ryleiths

"Yes, they're terrifying. Yes, they're quite possibly the most aggressive species to ever live. No, I won't be approving the orbital bombardment of Rylehkastra. To wipe out such a mighty race when we could be using them to further increase our control over this galaxy would be a complete waste of time and effort. I've seen the reports, how they tear through tanks like they're made of paper and take an entire clip from a plasma rifle to bring down. Now imagine an entire battalion of them, clad in the best equipment we can provide and conquering this galaxy in Silverstar's name. It may take millennia, but mark my words, we will show these brutes the way of Silverstar, or die trying."

—Moonmoon on the Ryleiths

The Ryleiths are a highly aggressive, centaur-like sapient species native to the moon of Rylehkastra, located in Azurullya. Despite their relatively primitive technology, their sheer strength has allowed them to drive off far more technologically-capable races, particularly the Ski'pec, who have been trying to establish contact with them for millennia. The Theocracy of Silverstar has also been attempting to make peaceful relations with the Ryleiths, but with little to no success.

Characteristics

Appearance

Ryleiths are massive by the standards of most sapient beings, towering above almost everyone they encounter. They typically stand around twice the height of a human, with the latter only reaching a Ryleith’s midsection. They have a humanoid upper body, with muscled 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.

Instead of being bipedal, Ryleiths possess lower halves more akin to predatory beasts than any civilized race. They have four legs, ending in sharpened claws much like a reptile. These claws give them incredible stability on many kinds of terrain, which is useful given the high speeds that Ryleiths can run at. They also have long tails, which make up 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, with the only known race to be better in terms of night vision being the Elmaren. 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.

Biology

Ryleiths are undoubtedly the strongest race in Azurullya, maybe even in all of Cosmoria. They can tear through solid metal with their bare hands, lift massive boulders with ease, and take on dozens of heavily-armored soldiers without breaking a sweat. They are also extremely durable, capable of taking blows that would instantly cripple or outright kill other species. Small arms fire barely damages their skin, with even plasma weapons struggling to hurt them. There are even reports of single Ryleiths taking at least a dozen shots from a laser cannon before dying.

Ryleiths have 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 while.

Ryleiths are omnivores, farming their herds for meat as well as foraging for wild fruits, nuts, and grains. A popular dish amongst their kind consists of a large loaf of bread stuffed to the brim with whatever food they can get their hands on.

Behavior

If there is one word to describe the Ryleiths, it would be aggression. They seem to be in a perpetually angered state, particularly to those not of their own kind. This doesn’t mean that they won’t fight against their own kind, though, as wars between clans are all too common on their world. It is unknown why the Ryleiths harbor such a strong sense of xenophobia, but it is known that any attempt by an outsider to communicate with them will invariably result in said intruder promptly being hacked to bits by an angry Ryleith.

Ryleiths are also highly nomadic, never staying in one place for long. This is due to their highly pastoral way of life, as they must always be on the move to provide their herds with new lands to graze on. It is said that if a Ryleith stays in one spot for too long, they will go berserk and viciously attack anything that comes near them, including other Ryleiths. While this theory has not been proven, it is so widespread amongst their kind that any Ryleith caught displaying signs of madness will often be quickly killed by their clanmates.

Society and Culture

Ryleiths live in nomadic clans that travel all over their moon, being led by the dominant male and female. These clans often tend to large herds of domesticated beasts, farming them for meat, milk, hide, and whatever else they might deem useful. As such, there are very few permanent settlements on their planet, and these are few and far between. The Ryleiths that live in these areas typically only stay for around a few weeks at a time, moving on and leaving them empty until the next clan eventually moves in.

Ryleith clans often war amongst each other, usually fighting for resources, land rights, or pastures for their herds. They fight with simple weapons such as swords, axes, flails, hammers, spears, and bows. These weapons are made from an unknown metal that seems to be the only thing capable of reliably killing a Ryleith, though the species’ innate strength is also an important factor. While they have scavenged some weapons from the Theocracy of Silverstar, these are often quickly discarded as they are usually too small to be of any use to the Ryleiths, though they sometimes collect these weapons as war trophies.

History

A Peaceful Past

Long ago, before the arrival of Silverstar’s flock into Azurullya, before the Ski’pec and Xhehari had mastered the art of space travel, there existed a peaceful race 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 themselves. One night, the Ryleiths spotted what was seemingly a new star appearing in the sky. At first, they thought nothing of it, but as the years went by, they noticed that it seemed to grow 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 them 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 began to grow larger, stronger, gaining power like none of them had ever seen before. 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 just a way of life for the Ryleiths. In fact, as time went on, they seemed to have forgotten about their once-peaceful ways entirely, regarding them as little more than a 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, how they were even able to knock down some of the escaping shuttles out of the sky by hurling boulders at them.

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, all of them ending in failure.

Notable Individuals

TBA

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Dance, O Freest Aeon

This content is a part of Cosmoria.

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