Praxu

Praxu (Ovidijus Sapiens) are a furred species native to Kosha Vron and the innate species of the Kingdom of Kosha Vron.
Born from an arctic world, Praxu have thick, fluffy coats designed to keep them warm. The whiteness and fluffiness of a praxu's coat has become a general indication of their nobility, with lower-class praxu having blacker, shaggier coats. Kings and queens themselves generally having the whitest, fluffiest fur.
== History ==
=== Evolution ===
Life was not easy for the creatures inhabiting Kosha Vron. The Harsh frozen climate has resulted in a majorly omnivore array of creatures living in packs for both protection and hunting. Competition for food was very difficult in the Kosha Vron landscape as most predator-prey relations were interchangeable. 
The genus Ovidijus evolved and diverged from primal omnivorous-carnivorous creatures from a shared ancestor in the Ungulata Clade called mesonychids. These mesonychids had hooves, one on each toe, with four toes on each foot. The foot was compressed for efficient running with the axis between the third and fourth toes (paraxonic); it would have looked something like a hoofed paw. 
Praxu evolved from a descendant of this creature, mostly residing in valleys between mountains, especially around volcanoes where mineral rich water would not freeze and flow down to ponds in the lower and relatively warmer valleys. 
Praxu are covered by a fur coat to protect them from the cold in their home-world. Their eyes are usually almond shaped to protect them against the strong winds blowing through the valley. Their fur can range from solid black to alabaster white and their eyes are by majority brightly colored. Their ears are not hominid ears, but rather resemble sheep ears, so as to protect their ear drums from wind whistling and cold damage.
=== Rise of Ovidijus Sapiens ===
For Praxu, communication came as a result of competition between Praxu flocks, or packs. The more a flock bred and communicated, the better chances it had for survival. One of the most sought after qualities in Praxu mate selection was the possession of a white coat, which was invaluable for absorbing sunlight as well as provided an uncanny camouflage in the snow-white environment. This has led to white Praxu rising almost always to the “Alpha” status of their families, to ensure breeding of females would have the maximum chance of resulting in white coated offspring. 
Soon, flocks with few or no white coated Praxu, began exhibiting vassal-like behavior to ones that did to ensure their own survival in an increasingly disadvantageous competition for resources, thus forming the first Praxu tribes led by white Praxu families.
From there, the way to the formation of kingdoms was short, with tribes joining and allying with each other through blood marriages. This continued until the entire planet was unified under one dominant flock. 
=== The Age of Nobility ===
Praxu social development peaked around late medieval culture, with a very dominant white concentration in the nobility and lack thereof in the lower classes. 
=== Modernization and Space Travel ===
Growing population and increased demand for food ushered in industrial technologies and the startling realization that the way the population was growing meant the planet would no longer be able to support them by the end of the century. Thus commenced the space age, the Praxu King Dariux Virvaldax commanded a great deal of resources to be dedicated to space travel and colonization technologies, but unfortunately was informed that there are no nearby planets that are habitable and Terra-Forming was not expected to be within their reach in time. As such the King focused all of the research on space travel, hoping desperately that they could find a habitable planet, or at the worst, send a sizable part of the population away for expeditions, buying them more time. 
This paid off, but in a different way than the Praxu King expected. One of the expedition ships was found by a council scientific vessel and immediately the council began trade of food to aid the kingdom. 
The Praxu has since ascended to the common level of technology found in the Council Races, have Terra-Formed and inhabited several planets in their system and though not one of the more influential council members, are highly regarded by all.
Praxu Dances are well known to be spectacular sights and many influential people often send requests to the Praxu King to be invited into such events. All Praxu celebrations and events are usually full of high ranking dignitaries. 
== Biology ==
=== Habitat ===
Praxu live mostly inland, in mountainous regions or valleys where there are running water to collect from mountain or underwater springs. Being suited to the cold, they are most comfortable in alpine tundra environments between −20 °C and 20 °C.
=== Biological Variation ===
There is biological variation in the Praxu species— with traits such as blood type, cranial features, eye color, hair color and type, height and build, and skin color varying across the globe. Praxu body types vary substantially. The typical height of an adult Praxu is between 1.4 and 1.9 m (4 ft 7 in and 6 ft 3 in), although this varies significantly depending, among other things, on sex, ethnic origin, and even family bloodlines. Body size is partly determined by genes and is also significantly influenced by environmental factors such as diet, exercise, and sleep patterns, especially as an influence in childhood. Adult height for each sex in a particular ethnic group approximately follows a normal distribution. Those aspects of genetic variation that give clues to Praxu evolutionary history, or are relevant to medical research, have received particular attention. For example, the genes that allow adult Praxu to digest lactose are present in high frequencies in populations that have long histories of cattle domestication, suggesting natural selection having favored that gene in populations that depend on cow milk. Some hereditary diseases such as sickle cell anemia are frequent in populations where malaria has been endemic throughout history—it is believed that the same gene gives increased resistance to malaria among those who are unaffected carriers of the gene. Similarly, populations that have for a long time inhabited specific climates, such as arctic or tropical regions or high altitudes, tend to have developed specific phenotypes that are beneficial for conserving energy in those environments—short stature and stocky build in cold regions, tall and lanky in hot regions, and with high lung capacities at high altitudes. Similarly, skin and fur color varies clinally with darker skin and fur around the volcanic, high radiation environments around the equator where the added protection from the sun's ultraviolet radiation is thought to give an evolutionary advantage—and lighter skin tones in colder, cloudier environments.
== Behavior ==
=== Language ===
Praxu is a highly inflected language. In Praxu, there are two grammatical genders for nouns – masculine and feminine, and there are three genders for adjectives, pronouns, numerals and participles: masculine, feminine and neuter. Every attribute has to follow the gender and the number of the noun. The neuter forms of other parts of speech are used with a subject of an undefined gender (a pronoun, an infinitive etc.).
Praxu also has two dialects, named "Light Praxu" used by the higher echelons of Praxu society and "Dark Praxu" used by the lower echelons. These dialects have sub dialects based on region. 
=== Dance ===
To discourage white Praxu from breeding with lower class Praxu, a new quality was set in the early medieval periods through which attraction would be measured - dancing abilities. Dance was introduced as a very important social tool for the nobility. 
So sanctified is the dance that one is not allowed to do anything during, not even speak. Speaking during, or stopping a dance before it has ended are considered social taboos for Praxus and very, very impolite. As a result of the introduction of dancing as a central piece of Praxu high culture, great dancers became highly sought after mates within high and low classes alike. 
This was very effective in reducing white\non-white couplings in Praxu, as dancing was an art the lower classes of Praxu had neither the finesse or time to practice nearly as much as the nobility and royalty and thus could never match their dancing prowess. 
=== Nomenclature ===
Praxu have two names, a given name and a Surname. 
Praxu male and female names are distinguished grammatically. Almost all Praxu female names end in the vowels -a or -e, while male names almost always end in -x, and rarely in a vowel -a. If a masculine name ending in -a has a feminine counterpart, it ends in -e, e.g. Jogaila and Jogaile. Female double-stemmed Praxu names always end in -e.
Praxu surnames have specific masculine and feminine forms. While a masculine surname usually ends in -ax, -yx or -ix, its feminine equivalent ends in -iene or rarely -uviene for married women and -aite, -ute, -iūte or -yte for unmarried ones. Examples:
Father / husband	Married woman or widow	Unmarried woman
Paulauskax 	Paulauskiene 	Paulauskaite
Bimbiryx 	Bimbiriene 	Bimbiryte
Adamkux 	Adamkiene 	Adamkute
Mielkux 	Mielkiene/Mielkuviene 	Mielkute
Kulesiux 	Kulesiene 	Kulesiute
=== Ponax and Ponia ===
Ponax and Ponia (vocative case Pone, Ponia) are the basic honorific styles used in Praxu to refer to a man or woman, respectively. In the past, these styles were reserved to members of the Nobility and played more or less the same roles as "Lord" or "Sir" and "Lady" or "Madam". They have since come to be used in all strata of society and may be considered equivalent to "Mr." and "Ms." There is a separate style, Panele ("Miss"), applied to an unmarried woman.
== Notable Praxu ==
=== Praxu Royalty ===
==== Present ====
Herox Virvaldax – King of Kosha Vron 
Tereine Virvaldiene – Queen of Kosha Vron
==== Past ====
Gediminax Virvaldax – 1st King of Kosha Vron
Etere Virvaldiene – 1st Queen of Kosha Vron
Aresenijux Virvaldax – Father of the King of Swords
Perseux Virvaldax – Brother of the King of Swords
==== Arcana ====
Herculex Virvaldax – King of Swords
Deimante Virvaldiene – Queen of Swords
Gunderikax Virvaldax – Jack of Swords
Vytix Gendarmex - Knight of Swords
Vetrune Virvalda – Female Gemini
Zaibax Virvaldax – Male Gemini
==== Other ====
Slane Daugirde – Ice Drake Female
Pilypax Zarijox - Black Phillip
Perseux Orfėjax – Bandit \ Midnight
Category:Galaxy One Species