Jāraja

Jāraja

The **Jāraja** is a species of omnivorous reptiles originating from the planet Aslioa. A race of four-eyed bipeds, the Jāraja are a disreputable species that are often unwelcome in civilized space. The species have never managed to form a working government with a reach further than a single star system.

As a species openly practising slavery, sapient-consumption, and misogyny, the stark differences in culture between the Jāraja and other species on the Andromeda Galaxy has universally lead to conflict, fueling the open hatred between the Jāraja and the rest of the galaxy.

Jāraja posses a reputation for being shrewd businessmen and merchants, and most prefer profitable pursuits such as drug running and slave grabs to out-and-out warfare. Negotiations with a Jāraja are likely to be conducted at gunpoint.

## Biology

The Jāraja are a dextro-amino species standing approximately 1.8 meters tall on average, have four long, proportionately thick fingers and an opposable thumb on each hand, each tipped with talons. The most distinguishing feature of the Jāraja, however, is their quadruple-hinged jaws. The four mandibles comprising jaws are notably susceptible to injury during combat, although are highly capable of crushing and tearing.

Their legs are digitigrade, with short upper and lower legs, and elongated tarsals, using the distal and intermediate phalanges to support their weight when walking. Their knees do not bend backwards but forwards. This unusual hinging does not impair their mobility on solid ground but climbing is difficult for them. Their superior agility may also be attributed to their homeworld's higher gravity. The Jāraja are not very strong in terms of physical strength, instead of relying on their agility during combat.

The Jāraja possess indigo blood, due to their bimetallic haemoglobin, comprised of a cobalt-iron mix. It is said that Jāraja blood smells of tar.

## Culture

The Jāraja and their culture are characterized by an extreme mercantile obsession with profit, trade, and exploitation for gain, in which greed, extortion and scamming are considered praiseworthy behaviours and acquisition is raised to the status of a near-religion. They are also known for their business acumen and for rampant misogyny, with wives obligated to remain naked and at home, and women sometimes forced into the sex trade.

### Slavery and Racism

Slavery is an integral part of Jāraja culture and considered a highly normal, ethical practice by Jāraja, unlike most other sentient species. The Jāraja view alien species as lesser and befitting only of becoming slaves, a notion that has brought them great animosity from the other species of the Andromeda Galaxy.

Male aliens captured by Jāraja cartels are typically sold or rented as slave labour by their captors, worked to death in brutal work camps, factories, or starships. Usually, the threat of destitution, detention, and violence (including death) is imposed to keep slaves working, and collective and unwarranted punishments (including mass executions) are commonly employed.

Female aliens captured by Jāraja cartels (excluding children, who will typically be used as workers until reaching sexual maturity) are instead used by the misogynistic captains of their captors as part of personal harems or be used as a sex slave by the entire crew.

Alien slaves are typically eaten upon becoming too ill-fit for work or abuse.

### Role of Women

Jāraja society and culture is highly misogynistic and patriarchal. As such, laws and cultural norms reflect and deeply institutionalize such misogyny and discrimination.

Barred from most aspects of society, Jāraja women are treated as slaves to their husbands or fathers, forbidden from wearing clothes, nor to express independent thoughts or ideas. Furthermore, Jāraja women were forbidden from ownership of anything and were themselves considered property to be bought and sold.

Jāraja women are forbidden from leaving their residence unescorted by a male guardian related to their owner. Much of the home-life of Jāraja women is similar to that of female alien slaves, being treated as mere objects for sexual gratification.