Drazi

The **Drazi** are a sentient race and one of the members of the Independent Systems Alliance.

## Biology

The Drazi are humanoid reptilians in appearance with a distinctive scaly brow and ridged scales down the back of the head. Some Drazi also feature small spikes on their cheeks, which they consider to be a mark of age. Drazi blood is milky-white in color. Like humans, Drazi are four-limbed bipeds and have five digits on both their hands and feet. Their hairless scales are thick, hard, can withstand temperatures in excess of 49 degrees celsius and are divided in four basic ethnic groups, colored either purple, green, brown or black. The Drazi have a very acute sense of smell and can track a scent up to 50 meters away.

Drazi reproduce like many other species through sexual coupling of males and females. Since both male and female Drazi reproductive organs are internalised in the abdomen, fertilisation of a female Drazi is achieved through vigorous rubbing which transfers the male seed to female egg sacs through the skin. The organs themselves are almost identical in both male and female, with the distinction being the female's egg sacs and in the males, a small pouch under the left arm, covered by a skin flap.

Once fertilised, the female's eggs will grow inside her for 4 to 6 Earth months until they are naturally expelled and will hatch almost instantly. The average female will lay a clutch of anything from one to three eggs and will not be fertile again for at least another three cycles. Drazi young are surprisingly tough and can usually walk within three months. Once fully matured they can reach an average height of 150 to 200 cm and an average weight of 58 to 103 kg. Drazi are known to be able to reproduce with only one other species, the Yolu.

## Religion

Drazi culture consists of three primary religions:

* **Thrazda**, the Way of the Fighter, is the dominant belief. It consists of a warrior code that includes worship of the sun and stars.
* **Kri Maru**, the Sun Child, is a more gentle religion than Thrazda and is growing in popularity. It emphasizes peaceful cooperation between all sentient beings, with the prime deity being Droshalla, a being whose light fills the world and lights the way. The Kri Maru traditionally perform a ritual called the Transcendence of Dro'shalla. It involves small children swatting a Drazi adult playing the role of Dro'shalla across the behind with sticks wrapped in green and purple ribbons. For every swat, "Dro'shalla" must give the child a piece of Y'Tzeem. Kri Maru followers believe that a blessing can be transferred from someone who was near Dro'shalla during a visitation. Such a blessing is transferred by touching a person or object who was in close proximity to a holy event or visitation. In 2259 a sighting of Dro'shalla on Babylon 5 brought missionaries from across the Freehold to visit the station and share in the blessing.
* **Chayar**, the Azure Path, is a religious cult with mystic overtones that emphasizes individual growth through study and emulation of the Drazi legends, though it is not widely practised.

There are also a few minor religious cults on Cyrus III and in keeping with the argumentative nature of Drazi, there is often rivalry between the adherents of all of the different faiths. Drazi theology also includes patron saints and deities of different occupations, for example: Shokalla, the patron of pilots, whose image is often made in the form of hollow statues. Though held as sacred by Drazi, idols of Shokalla, like all Drazi statues, have no intrinsic value. Some Drazi also observe the sacred day of Chu'dag, a ceremony which requires the carrying of a special ceremonial blade.

## Society

Drazi civilisation first dawned on Zhabar. Drazi society is male-oriented: though there are no obstacles to female Drazi seeking power, culturally the females tend to prefer family duties above any such ambitions. The majority of Drazi belong to a large "middle class" with a smaller proportion belonging to the lower and upper classes.

The structure of the society itself is group-oriented with a great deal of rivalry between its many groups. These range from family ties to business associations, religious groups, academic societies, and military bands. For an individual Drazi, their status in society rests on how well they serve their particular group.

Drazi were originally an outdoor species, going indoors only when necessary. This is still reflected in their architecture which favors large balconies and only small rooms. Over time, like many other species they began living indoors, though the old styles and traditions remained. Drazi architecture also reflects the culture's long history of internal conflict, with city streets so narrow that even pedestrians can just barely get by. This was originally to protect against invaders entering their cities with war machines and to force any ground troops to go two or three at a time, leaving them vulnerable to defenders. Again, like their balconies Drazi culture and technology have rendered such features redundant, though tradition perpetuates the old styles. Despite all that, Drazi are still very big on nature and like to be outdoors as much as possible.

A passionate people, the Drazi have a well-deserved reputation for aggression and belligerence, especially if they feel they are being cheated or insulted. They also possess a keen sense of freedom and do not take well to being told what to do or constrained by anyone outside of their own authorities; as such they tend to prefer the company of their own kind. With very few exceptions, Drazi marriages are long-standing and both male and female Drazi are very loyal to their respective mates with infidelity being punishable by death. In the Drazi language, there is no equivalent word for "discretion".