Shydes

The **Shydes**, taxonomically referred to as Avite Sideris, are an ancient and proud warrior species of synapsids, and possibly, one of the oldest species in the galaxies. Because of the remote position of their home territory and the hostility of their planet, they remained largely an enigma to the rest of the civilized species, and contact with outsiders was limited.

## Biology and Appearance

Shydes are most often classified as synapsids or protomammals.
Shydes are endothermic creatures, animals that self-regulate their body temperature. They elevate body temperature and metabolic rate only during activity. At rest, Shydes reduce their metabolisms drastically, which results in their body temperature dropping to that of the surrounding environment. This makes them homeothermic when active, and poikilothermic when at rest.
Shydes are obligate carnivores that depend solely on animal flesh for their nutritional requirements.

Shydes are bipedal beings with bilateral symmetry. Humanoid in appearance, they have light coloured skin, usually a whitish-pink colour. Shydes were externally very similar in appearance to humans but had several biological differences internally. For example, Shydes can see infrared light, the retina of their eyes has an abundance of light-sensitive cells. Their pupils have a wide range of adjustments, allowing the right amount of light to strike the retina so shydes can still see in bright light. Their eyes are also covered in a nictating membrane, allowing them to see well even in snowstorms and blinding reflections off ice and snow.

They have a binary circulatory system where both hearts pump blood independently of each other, meaning that even if one heart is damaged, the shyde may still survive through the other. The use of both hearts allows shydes to remain warm even on the ice planet of Xaraco. Shyde noses are quite unfamiliar internally, taking more space than in human skulls, these larger nasal passageways aid in warming the air before it enters their lungs, further preventing heat loss. Another evolution that aids them in the snow are their feet with thick bumpy pads almost like rubber on the sole of their feet allowing them to grip ice easily. Due to cartilage in their feet, they can also alternate the shape and widen them, which allows them to walk on powdered snow without falling through. Shydes have numerous blood vessels in their feet, as a result, the blood keeps their feet warm.

The most alien trait among shydes is their gold-coloured blood, due to an abundance of gold particles in their bloodstream that stems from the abundance of gold in the atmosphere of Xaraco.

Shydes are slightly shorter than humans, often standing 170 centimetres at most. Shydes have two sexes: male and female, with the latter being distinguished by their pronounced breasts, overall more diminutive stature, around 10 centimetres less than men and lesser quantity of body hair. In Shydes 9 in 10 of the children are born female, leaving a tiny number of men. Finally, they have a long prehensile tail, which frequently grows in the same colour as their hair, although rarely the colours may diverge. They regularly hide their tails in their clothes, either under specialized belts or in their pants. Several shydes from Xaraco grow subcutaneous horns while others are known to have implants in their skull to add horns, which is an ancient practice rooted in ceremonial and ritual behaviour. As a seemingly regressive trait, shydes from Ferrandon are unlikely to have horns unless implanted.

### Life Cycle

Shydes are very similar to Auldrans and Humans, but unlike them, they are immortal, in that their bodies do not age once they have reached maturity so that they do not seem to become elderly or die of old age. They were not usually considered past adolescence until they reached 110 years of age.

Shydes do not slow down, weaken or lose fertility with age, and older shydes may be more fertile than their younger counterparts. This longevity is because of telomerase, an enzyme that repairs long repetitive sections of DNA sequences at the ends of chromosomes, referred to as telomeres. Most vertebrates express telomerase during embryonic stages, but are absent from adult stages of life. However, unlike most vertebrates, Shydes express telomerase as adults through most tissue, which is related to their longevity, coupled with their regenerative abilities, this grants them an unending lifespan.

Thanks to their longevity, Shydes are polyphyodonts, meaning that new, permanent teeth grow in the jaws, under the old tooth, from stem cells in the dental lamina similar to sharks or crocodiles. Shydes are also born with a full set of teeth. As they mature, new teeth take the place of their primary teeth, but then more teeth appear every 50 years. As predators, shydes have strong jaws and fangs and generally regarded as the apex predator across several planets.

### Regeneration

Although enough physical damage can kill them, all shydes possess incredible physical resilience and can feel little to no pain, they can regenerate grievous physical injuries at an astonishingly accelerated rate, giving them a large advantage in battle. All shydes can naturally regenerate lost limbs and organs thanks to their unique physiology, and, in certain cases, more vital structures, such as tissues of the eye and heart. They can even restore less vital parts of their brains, regrowing an entire lost limb can take up to a year, however.

Shydes can also readily accept transplants from other individuals, including eyes and parts of the brain—restoring these alien organs to full functionality. During limb generation, Shydes have a different system to regulate their internal macrophage level and suppress inflammation, as scarring prevents proper healing and regeneration. Their fast regeneration is an adaptation to prevent fluid loss from bleeding.

Through autophagy, shydes can replace their body cells, this occurs when Shydes go into a state of torpor which lasts six to ten hours at most, they can induce this state upon themselves, whenever they wish. Their regenerative ability makes them completely immune to diseases such as cancer that target their mutated cells explicitly. Shydes carry the Dsup protein in their DNA, a protein that suppresses DNA breaks by radiation; because of the protein, shydes can withstand 1,000 times more radiation than most other animals; they can efficiently repair damage to their DNA from exposure.

### Weaknesses

The most characteristic weakness of the shydes is the tail, if they are grabbed it causes a shyde to temporarily lose all their strength. The acute hearing of the shydes also causes sonic attacks to be highly effective. Their extreme strength in cold environments also comes with the drawback of Shydes becoming slower and sluggish in hotter environments.

## Society and Culture

Shydean culture is built around core philosophies that have been rigidly adhered to for millennia. It is difficult for their society to adapt to changing circumstances. Shydes can be fanatical in their religious beliefs.

The shydes are considered a "warrior race", although they were not constantly at war. They trained incessantly for combat, however. Shydes have a strict code of justice and honour, and strongly believe in their responsibility to enforce it. They strive for glory in battle. For the shydes, discipline and advanced technology are the key to success on the battlefield, and dying with honour is preferable to surviving through cowardice.

The combination of their technological prowess and arrogance has blinded the shydes to collateral harm suffered by "lesser species." However. The shydes have always been willing to sacrifice their lives for other members of their species. The shydes do not have a concept of luck, instead seeing "the synchronicity of events," and knowing there is a grander design behind them.

Shydes often assign nicknames based on accomplishments, and they often replace their last names with these nicknames, but they are always in Vaecaesintor. The royal and noble families rarely replace their last names unless they wish to revoke their claims. Among shydes, family is important, more so than in human societies. However, in shydean myth and legend, it is a common occurrence for brothers and sisters to spill each other's blood.

## Language

Shydes speak mostly Basic, the most prevalent language in the multiverse, although with something of a British accent. Among themselves, the shydes have only one language, called Vaecaesintor, which is a variation of Draconic. Every Shyde learns the language, but few speak it on regular. They frequently use the word "mortal" when referring to a non-shyde, "mortal" is offensive when used to refer to a shyde, and they say that wars have sparked over less.

Shydean names are melodic and can be quite long. Female names are more melodic because they end in vowels more often, but they also contain softer tones. Surnames can be even longer than first names, but they share the same melodic tones as first names.

## Technology

The shydes are among the most technologically advanced species in the galaxy. Their technology has shown itself to be far more advanced than many other species of the galaxy, including humanity, which was "digging in the dirt for grubs" by the time the shydes had achieved interstellar travel. Despite their technological advantage, the shydes constantly strive to enhance their weapons and armour.

Shydes utilize cybernetic technology to save lives, and bolster their warriors' prowess. This technology is so advanced when compared to that of humans that to some human scientists, classifying it as "technology" at all seems inadequate, as shydes have displayed a cognitive, almost spiritual bond with their cybernetic machines.

Some Shyde metals are incredibly durable, not decaying or eroding even after hundreds of years of neglect. Even battlefield scraps of shyde metal can maintain their undiminished shine without signs of pitting, scarring, or scorching.

Shyde armour contains teleportation technology, which whisks the warrior away to safety when they are injured to the point of death. Injured and crippled shydes can be transformed into cybernetic warriors. Because of their sparse population, the shydes frequently use robots in their military.

They developed devices as diverse and advanced as flying cities, beaming technology, solid holograms, zero-point power sources, devices capable of communicating over intergalactic distances and even through the rift in real-time, as well as FTL travel.

As a safeguard, most shydean technology requires the Shyde activator cell to use, a specifically engineered cell present within the shydes, so only their kind can operate their technology. This engineered cell exists within their central nervous system and is not connected to their circulatory system.