Zaractyl

Cannibalistic tribesmen of Reptoid and Fangol, the **Zaractyl** first appeared after the Reptoid Wars. Whether an offshoot of the Reptoid species or a new evolution is unclear, though the two species remain in constant conflict with each other. Zaractyls lack heads, instead having a massive, toothed mouth at their neckline. This is covered by minimal clothing, instead Zaractyls grow moss on their skin and cover themselves with plants. Like the Reptoids, Zaractyls are immediately hostile to outsiders, capturing any encountered and preparing them for later consumption. Zaractyls avoid any type of technology, relying on a tribal structure and primitive hunting techniques, never venturing off beyond their homeworld.

## Biology and appearance

Zaractyls are bipedal, sapient arthropods. From birth, Zaractyls lack a sense of both sight and hearing. Instead, they utilize plant coverings to compensate, using the tremors of the carnivorous plants of Fangol to react to noises and using echolocation through loud screeches to imitate sight.

Zaractyls have a limited exoskeleton, usually covered in moss coverings. They lack a head appendage; instead, food is ingested directly through their neck cavity. The neck hole is lined with six rows of sharp teeth, able to shred food through muscle contractions. Zaractyls are primarily carnivores, with rival tribes often hunting and eating each other. Travelers in Zaractyl territory need to be wary of traps set for prey or other Zaractyls.

Without plant covering, Zaractyls lack muscle definition and are heavily limited. Young Zaractyls begin growing coats of moss, to be able to sense and hunt. During this growing period, the Zaractyl remains underground, in its egg chamber, until it is able to effectively sense its surroundings. Male Zaractyls are the dominant in Zaractyl society, partaking in hunting for food. Female Zaractyls, though larger and usually more skilled in fighting, are rarer in number and stay protected in larger Zaractyl groups.

Zaractyls seem to be capable of developing intelligence and complex technology, with some tribes creating agrarian settlements or scavenging and using old Reptoid technology, but most display too much excessive aggression to advance beyond their tribal instincts.

## Society and culture

Zaractyls practice a tribal, nomadic culture. Their wandering seems to be random and disconnected from any greater purpose. Most Zaractyls live in the jungles and fungal forests of Fangol, rarely venturing into the less densely covered areas. In recent years however, Zaractyl tribes have begun to appear on Reptoid without explanation, often fighting the Reptoid tribes.

Zaractyl tribes revolve around a chieftain. The chieftain, usually an accomplished male warrior, settles temporarily in areas with their female concubines and other young Zaractyls. The other males separate in small hunting parties and track prey in the wild, bringing back large catches to share with the chieftain's tribe. The chieftain can be challenged to deadly combat by another active warrior, the winner gains control over the tribe. The role and relationship between the chieftain and the hunting parties varies according to the tribe; the larger tribes having a descending order of tribe subdivisions with multiple chieftains.

Zaractyls are skilled hunters, using traps and tracking to initially find prey. Using poison or crippling traps, the prey is injured and left to die, with the hunting party tracking the dying prey until they are too weak to fight back. Larger prey takes the efforts of multiple hunting parties. Zaractyls primarily use venom tipped obsidian spears or carved bone darts. On bountiful harvests, the tribe celebrates with a small festival, partaking in tribal rituals and christening ceremonies. Sometimes, the prey is directly engaged by the hunting party, to prove their skill in combat.

Zaractyls are minimally connected with other tribes; tribes often participate in open warfare with each other, attempting to kill fellow hunting parties or capturing females or chieftains to humiliate and diminish them. If a tribe is fully defeated, the remaining members are incorporated into the victor tribe. Those fallen in combat or to the environment are scavenged and eaten by Zaractyls, with the exception being those that have died from natural causes: those bodies are left to be consumed by nature. Zaractyls show no awareness to the outside world, regarding other sapient species as prey. The Zaractyls have a long-standing aggression towards Reptoids, with tribes on Reptoid deliberately hunting down parties of Reptoids and desecrating their corpses.

## History

The Zaractyl race was first documented after the end of the Reptoid Wars. Their origin is unknown. The first Zaractyl tribes was born from Reptoid ruins on Fangol. As the Reptoid civilization quickly collapsed, more Zaractyl appeared, with some attributing this to a common ancestor between the Reptoid and Zaractyl species.

While there have been isolated examples of greater Zaractyl intelligence, the Zaractyl have remained isolated within the Criminal Sector. Initially stranded on Fangol, after the Race War, Zaractyl tribes appeared on Reptoid. How they traveled offworld remains unknown, but this began the constant violence between the two species. Zaractyls remain hostile to on-world travelers, having no qualms on hunting and consuming them. As such, travelers are advised to avoid landing on Fangol.