Grifajes

Not to be confused with Gryphons.

**Igarinoids**, or **Gɨrfiža** or **Grifajes**, are a species of blue-skinned humanoids that dominate much of the Galaxy's demographics. Many of them were descendants of the races of their home planet of Gausari, while a few races already live separately on other planets.

## Biology

Igarinoids have blue skin.

Igarins reproduce like humans do, but their babies hatch from clutches of eggs on a nest.

Chocolate and soda are considered to be poisonous to Igarinoids, except for the mutated Kuelgons. Some bekrijes can eat chocolate and soda safely, but most of them do not want them, because they want to fit in with the rest of grifa society.

### The Four Genders

See also: The Four Genders

Igarinoids have four physical sexes instead of two (as in humans and many other sentient races): male, female, drone, and carer. Drones function as extra warriors, and carers function mainly as servants and substitute mothers: both drones and carers are mostly sterile. Only males and females can reproduce naturally via heterosexual sexual intercourse.

Many Igarinoids fiercely defend their cultural belief in "the *four* genders", so the Jerdiskar or Earthling idea of "there are only two genders" can be very offensive to them. To them, their four sexes a sacred duty from the gods to maintain harmony in the universe.

Igarinoids who refuse to consider themselves within any of the four sexes are known as "bekrijes". By law, they were ordered to be altered into shapeshifters and mutants: although this led to mockery, it also allowed them to work in more safely in dangerous jobs that would otherwise kill a typical grifa, such as firefighters, mechanics, and handling dangerous chemicals. Some civilisations draft them into armies as mutants and spies.

In ancient times, and even now, drones and carers were more akin to the eunuchs of other civilisations. Their lack of sexual desires and their inability to reproduce at all would make them more suitable as bodyguards, although males were sometimes preferred for being more aggressive and stronger.

## Lineages and races

### Poreseai

The most numerous of the Igarinoid races. They have indigo hair.

* Zelarin Igarins (Igarin Empire, Galactic Community)
* Dapiwelans (Free Igarin Alliance)
* Ironworlders (Ironworld) - a civilisation formed from a rebellion against Imperial rule. Notorious for its fanatical form of atheism, militarist attitude, and devotion to their supreme leaders.

### Resparins

The second most numerous of the Igarinoid races. They have red hair and hot tempers.

* Resparin Pirates
	+ These nomadic raiders lived in world-ships, which had their own climates to grow their own food. Many of them preferred tropical climates similar to their archipelagic homeland.

* Nandegakkovians (Nandegakko)
* Chakravela
* Exiles of Nandegakko/Nandarins
* Ñatolarin
	+ The Nandegakkovians, Nandarins, and Chakravelians are all descendants of Ngatolarins.
* Kalkatrin
* Parökarin
	+ Kerasonians
* Seven Hundred Eyes - worshippers of Odin

### Noskowis

A number of them -- the Kuelgons -- developed mutations from their homeworld's polluted ecosystem and harnessed those mutations into abilities they use to their advantage. Commonly-used abilities include shapeshifting (the most basic), glowing skin, shooting fire from their hands, and invisibility.

* Kuelgons (Galactic north, Konjor Supercorporation)
* Kolliqren (Konjor Supercorporation)
* Noskoi or Noskowi (Galactic north) - they rejected the cruelty of their dominant kin.
* Gliskara (Galactic northwest) - they prefer beauty and kindness over hatred and cruelty. Some of them were influenced by their devotion to Odin to value creativity and intelligence.
* Baimulxekke (Galactic northeast, Malendor Supercorporation) - they were fugitives who fled from the Konjor Supercorporation, and they converted to the worship of Odin. The Baimulxekke are subjects of the Malendor Supercorporation and they have magic powers, and their abilities unfortunately made them a target of cruel warlords who sought to use their powers.
* Rukthaneh (Galactic east, Malendor Supercorporation) - an earlier community of magic-wielding migrants who settled on a haunted urban planet.

### Pluranei

They have dark hair. A certain race, the Druharzans, were heavily influenced by the Eimares Celestials and their culture.

* Old Druharzans (brought from Gausari to Novantir)
	+ Sadravaes
* Gedravas (Malendor Supercorporation and its rivals, also with Resparin mixed ancestry)
* Ihlundraes (southern Novantir)
	+ This race of Pluranei worships dragons.
* Druharzans/Novantirs (Malendor Supercorporation)
* Tanaecharins (eastern Malendor Supercorporation)
* Monterjos (mixed Pluranei-Noskowi ancestry)
	+ Vovtarlans (Vovtarla)
* Joñtře (northwest)
	+ A cursed race of Pluranei who were mercenaries to the Rynavonts, joining in their cannibal feasts and devouring prey in battle and raids. For their cruelty, they were cursed to become tormented spirits.

### Kerutei

They have golden hair. Their Razanid descendants control mines on scores of desert planets.

* Razanids

## Culture

Many Igarinoid societies begin their new year at midsummer, except for the Kuelgons who begin theirs at the start of winter when they first set foot on the planet Kuelgon.

## Languages

The Igarinoids speak and use different languages:

### Poreseaic

* Zelarin Igarin (glossary)
	+ Konjor Igarin
	+ Malendor Igarin
* Dapiwelan
* Ironworlder

### Resparinic

* Ñatolarin
	+ Ñatolaroi
	+ Nandegakkovian (glossary)
	+ Nandarin - the descendants of Nandegakkovians, most of them retained their ancestors' atheism as a cultural tradition. Some instead have reverted to the Resparin polytheism of their distant ancestors, while others began worshipping Odin.
	+ Truwarin
* Kalkatrin
	+ Kjalkori
	+ Ralarix
* Parökarin
	+ Paelonoi
	+ Kerasonian
* Nadoröes, Nödaröes
	+ Nandöres

### Kuelgonnic

* Kuelgon (glossary)
* Kolliqren
* Anchanok
* Rukthaneh

### Gedravic

* Novantirna (glossary)
* Tanaecharin

## Terminology

* Igarin: *girfa*, *grifa*, *gɨrfa*
* Nandegakkovian: *grĩfa*
* Razanid: *garva*
* Kuelgon: *qrŷf*, *qorvo*, *sqon*
* Novantirna: *gedrav*, *geřav*, *gedar*, *řan*
* Dapiwelan/Free Igarin: *gofra*
* Vovtarlan: *grifo*, *girfo, nolko(n)* (archaic)

### The four genders' pronouns

Igarin; Nandegakkovian; Kuelgon; Novantirna; Dapiwelan

* da; dô; kad; vjo - he (male)
* dea; deâ; ked; vai - she (female)
* tö(n); dâwan; tôr; vöd - xe, xem (drone)
* ta(n); dôwon; te; vïr - ze, zem (carer)

### Igarinoid eggs

* Igarin: nobi
* Nandegakkovian: nuébi
* Kuelgon: gyeb, gyob
* Novantirna: ñeb

## Trivia

* The Igarinoids, especially the Vovtarlans, were inspired by Yondu Udonta.
	+ The Igarin Empire was inspired by the Roman imperial cult (and its persecution of Christians), the Khorne armies of Chaos and the persecutions by the Imperium in Warhammer 40,000, the medieval Inquisitions, and the human sacrifices of the Aztecs.
	+ The Nandegakkovian people were inspired by the Octolings of Splatoon (red hair, fashion, octopuses, shooting, and the word "dera" for "very/much") and the Tau Empire of Warhammer 40,000 (technology and a warrior tradition).
	+ The Razanids were inspired by the Arabian Nights stories.
	+ The Kuelgons were inspired by the twisted characters of Snospis Eht, and the Chaos mutants of Warhammer 40,000.
	+ The Novantirna were inspired by Mattel's commercials, American pop culture and (also for the Free Igarins) futuristic technology in sci-fi works.
	+ The Vovtarlans were inspired by Majapahit Indonesia and Thailand.
* A non-Igarinoid is known in Igarin as a *kleda*, while a human (from two related languages used by their rival species, Freyrgardian and Sanskrit in Tuksharan) is known as a *manu*.
	+ Derisive names in the Igarin language for humans include *mangul*, *goli*, and *ludak*.
* Igarins proudly refer themselves as the "blue people" or the "people of the sea".
	+ Humans are derisively known as "sandpeople", "claypeople", or "mudpeople" for their skin colours.
* "Grifajes" should be pronounced as "GREE-fah-yes".

## See also

* Igarin mythology
* Resparin mythology
* Kuelgon mythology

* Novantirna mythology
* Aliens