Raji

## Appearance

Raji are humanoid in build, although they are much smaller than most of the other known races. They tend to be narrow and athletic, with an exoskeleton beneath their skin and slightly longer proportions. They have long, draconian-like faces with a dipped ridgeline and a crest that consists of many pointed protrusions. Following their spine, they have a series of wispy tendrils, and they have strong tails often double their height in length. These tails tend to be diamond-shaped and sailed from the base to about midway down the sides of the tail, and feature a sharp, spearlike tip. Raji have what appears to be gill-like organs at the ribcage, however, they are reversed so that they may capture dust particles and let them be pushed into plasma-producing sacks within the torso.

With how thin Raji skin is, plasma can be seen pulsing between their skin and exoskeleton, and when moving through space or water this plasma bleeds through the skin and leaves glowing trails of energy.

## Culture

The Raji have a fairly limited culture in comparison to the majority of other races. As a people, they are divided into many small groups known as “Schools” and don’t appear to have any clear indication of leadership within these groups. Major decisions are often made together, collectively, in a linear form of democracy. The species has largely evolved around the Leviathan’s of the void, and therefore so has their culture and way of life. The survival of every school of Raji heavily relies on these great creatures, and with how much Leviathan’s move around, the Raji have no kind of settlements beyond a series of outposts where Leviathan’s may frequently gather and offer schools of Raji the chance to congregate. Otherwise, schools of Raji reside within various orifices of a Leviathan, effectively using the creature as an organic starship.

The Raji as a culture have evolved around a fascination for exploration in an environment that demands respect. They are the gypsies among the stardust; bound to no one place and eagerly seeking adventure. As a people, they behold minimalistic lives and seem to hold no one thing too closely. With no access to more luxurious structure resources like wood or marbles, until recently the Raji home was simply just the flesh of a Leviathan and nothing more, initially leading researchers to believe that the Raji were animalistic and perhaps extremely undeveloped. With the recent discovery of the other known races, however, their homes among a Leviathan may now consist of cascading colorful fabrics and the occasional accent of fur, but otherwise nothing that may harm the Leviathan or massively alter its body.

As a species, the Raji are often standoffish, quiet beyond idle noise-making and have some tribalistic traits. However, as it was quickly discovered, the Raji are remarkably intelligent and are theorized to be descendent from older branches of Nell. Though fond of nature and having adapted to life with minimal technology, they are a far from being voidborne wildfolk.

As a wandering species, it should come as no surprise that Raji art often has little detail or direction to it. It tends to be colorful with a wild mix of varying textures, ultimately abstract, and similarly so are their culinary dishes. Their food is quite briny, consisting mostly of raw aquatic meats over fresh or steamed vegetables and either rice or rice noodles. Sauces tend to be creamy, sweet and savory, and dishes are sided with finely chopped or crushed spicier vegetables and roots. Where art is abstract and a mix of things, Raji music tends to have a little more cohesion. Their music lacks vocals, allowing for more focus to be put onto the sound of the instruments themselves, which are most commonly stringed with knocks and softer drumming done on the side of the instrument itself.

## Religion

The Raji do not consider their beliefs to be a religion, but rather a way of life. Practicing the doctrine of animism, where all natural things have a spirit and everything is alive with motion and some ability to act, these beliefs are pantheistic in nature as the Raji do not recognize a deity where other people might. There is as many spirits as the void is endless; everchanging in composition for all but their hearts that are the stars creating light and warmth in the dark. All is equal in the eyes of the Raji, for spirits do not fade away as they do in other ways of life, which the Raji describe as ceasing to see what you believe is gone when it has only changed. Very similarly to Kheprian’s, the Raji will keep containers closed and their dishes with their openings down to avoid capturing spirits that have yet to form themselves again, yet unlike the Kheprian’s, the Raji will go as far as to leave doors and windows open or not have them at all. Among equals, all are welcome to come and go. For the Raji, there is no heaven or hell; only reincarnation.

## Size

When you select Raji as your species, your base size is Small.

## Languages

As a Raji you speak Reshamee Gaana and one other language of your choosing.