Mithadorn

Mithadorn

The Mithadorn are a bipedal race of methane-breathing humanoids originating from the planet Sulsua. Notable as a synapsid species of mammal-like reptiles, the Mithadorn are known for a bizarre biology and unconventional evolution.

Their unique physiology, expressed in their anaerobic biology and long life-spans has resulted in the Mithadorn possessing a conservative yet convivial attitude toward other races. Favoring compromise and cooperation over conflict, they were instrumental in brokering peace between the Teyan Dominion and Ankoran Covenant during the tail-end of the Covenant-Dominion War.

## Biology

### Physiology

On average, the standard Mithadorn man or woman stands approximately three meters tall, though sizes can vary from anywhere between two and a half to three and a quarter meters high. With a lifespan of around six hundred years (though there have been cases of Mithadorn living up to nine hundred and beyond), while reaching sexual maturity at thirty five.

Mithadorn bodies, regardless of ethnicity and evolutionary mutations, are covered in tough, black scales that range in shade from midnight to onyx. Mithadorn craniums are bone-plated, providing for additional protection. It is theorised this is an adaptation from prehistoric times, where Mithadorn would butt heads to prove dominance over one another. Like other reptilian species, Mithadorn do not have tear ducts and the eye is kept moist and protected from sunlight with a pale-tinted translucent nictitating membrane that is designed to clear debris and protect the eye's surface.

Mithadorn, unlike most - if not all - reptiles, give live birth, usually in pairs of two.

#### Respiratory System

The Mithadorn respiratory system consists of three anaerobic lung sacs, each piped together in such a way that they provide a continuous air supply. Air flows down the windpipe and into the rear air sacs where it is then driven into the lung as air from the forward air sac flows out, creating a continuous flow of air. Both when inhaling and exhaling, the Mithadorn is provided with the methane gas it requires to breathe.

Due to the anaerobic nature of the Mithadorn, their lungs cannot carry oxygen, and instead use methane nitrates for oxidation of the body. The insides of a Mithadorn lung are covered in receptors that are capable of anaerobic oxidation of methane via reverse methanogenesis with nitrate as the terminal electron acceptor, using genes for nitrate reduction that have been laterally transferred from a bacterial donor. This evolutionary quirk evolved several million years ago, after a methane-eating prokaryote was absorbed by early eukaryotes, and now burns methane in all living species on the Mithadorn homeworld.

#### Diet and Digestive System

A Mithadorn's diet is composed of exclusively meat, though with a very limited capability to ingest small quantities of non-meat substances used to improve the flavour of certain food, such as sauces. Due to a poor metabolic system, Mithadorn must consume four meals a day at a minimum, else risking starvation.

Despite a carnivorous diet, the Mithadorn posses a digestive system highly resembling that of ruminants, such the Earth-based cow, partly in due to their stomach being split into four compartments, the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum. The rumen is the largest compartment, while the reticulum is the smallest.

The rumen is the largest stomach compartment and consists of several sacs. It can hold large quantities of material depending on the size of the individual. Because of its size, the rumen acts as a storage or holding vat for consumed meats. Aside from storage, the rumen is also a fermentation vat. The rumen’s environment favors the growth of microbes. These microbes digest or ferment feed within the rumen and make volatile fatty acids (VFAs). The rumen absorbs most of the VFAs from fermentation. A good blood supply to the rumen walls improves absorption of VFAs and other digestion products. Tiny projections (papillae) line the rumen, which increases the rumen’s surface area and the amount it can absorb.

The reticulum is a pouch-like structure in the forward area of the body, close to the heart. The tissues in the reticulum form a network similar to a honeycomb. A small tissue fold lies between the reticulum and rumen, but the two aren’t separate compartments. Together they’re called the rumino-reticulum.

The omasum is the third compartment of the Mithadorn's stomach, primarily using a large surface area to absorb water and nutrients such as potassium and sodium. The omasum also prevents the passage of large particles through the digestive system.

The abomasum is the only compartment lined with glands. These glands release hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes, needed to breakdown feeds. The abomasum is similar to a nonruminant stomach and considered the 'true' stomach by non-Mithadorn.

### Sexual Dimorphism

Sexual dimorphism is prominent in the Mithadorn, with the male and female having two prominent differences, though only one is easy to spot from the perspective of an outsider. Females bear a pair of large glands on their chest that serve as a substitute for mammaries, that Mithadorn infants will lap for sustenance until they can be weaned. The other primary distinction is a pair of frills that a Mithadorn male will extend when attempting to indicate he is ready to mate.

## Culture

Because of their long lifespan, rivaled only by the vaunted Andromedan Drakniar, Mithadorn tend to have a "long view" not common in other races. When they encounter a new species or situation, they are more comfortable with an extended period of passive observation and study than immediate action. They are unfazed that some of their investments or decisions may not pay off for decades or centuries. Elders can seem to make incomprehensible decisions, but their insight is evident when their carefully-laid plans come to fruition. In interstellar relations, this long view manifests in the unspoken policy of centrism. Mithadorn instinctively seek to maintain stable balances of economic, political, and military power.

### Naming Conventions

Mithadorn names follow a strict set of rules and social rules on citing them. While confusing to some outsiders - whether by the sheer length of some in comparison to others, or other reasons - many non-Mithadorn often get this system wrong. Mithadorn names are based on a combination of a prefix and suffix, joined through the use of an apostrophe. The meaning of the prefix and suffix will determine the name of the individual, and may change with time as the individual grows and accomplishes new feats. Many names denote either status, achievements, or history.

Use of the full name is mandatory in Mithadorn society, and failure to cite a person's entire name, whether purposeful or accidental, is seen as a grave insult. Mithadorn do not take family names.