Arikeshxi

To describe the species of the Dominion, one must first look at the ecosystem of the worlds the Dominion inhabits. Each world, no matter how large they may be, or what kind of star they orbit, is dominated by a sulfur-rich environment dominated by the *Shevaxisi-Torand Sil* or World-Forest. These forests extend across the surface of their worlds, with sprawling seas of sulfuric acid and chlorine clouds roaming where the branches do not cover. Beneath the boughs of the massive forests, is where life begins for the Dominion, and where it will one day end as well.

Upon the branches of the Arikeshxi trees the larval stage is grown from fruit-like pods which eventually drop to the ground to seed the next stage of life. Here is where life branches out into the many varied flora and fauna of the worlds, with the seeds sprouting into either form. Should they sprout into flora, this will be the end of the cycle for that particular seed, as they will form into what is needed to maintain the ecosystem and persist as such until they are harvested by the Tarix-Na or other creatures. The variety of animal species that form from the seeds can vary greatly, the herbivores tending to shift more towards lithe reptillian forms so as to climb the Arikeshxi trees and harvest fruits, while the carnivorous forms adapt into larger, more feline forms to overpower their prey.

In this second form, the species spends several years depending upon their specific form and region, some living for up to a century before they instinctually gain the desire to leave the spawning grounds and enter synthesis. Those who either perish before leaving the forests, or never gain the desire at all take root where they lay at the end of their lives, returning to the soil to feed the Arikeshxi. Those who do make the journey beyond the spawning grounds will enter into a deep hibernation, in which they cocoon themselves with both their own bodily fluids and collected foliage, forming a hardened shell to protect them during the long sleep. In this process they become either the Tarix-Na, or the Acruxis-Sul, their nature before hibernation dictating how they form. The Tarix-Na themselves are an upright vertebrate hexapod, distinguished by their primary set of legs upon which they typically stand and move about, their primary set of arms which they use to manipulate and project force, and their vestigial arms located along the sides of their torso. In regards to the legs of the Tarix-Na, they are reverse-jointed with hooved feet, the hooves themselves made of a highly dense material in similar makeup to stone, though has been unconfirmed if that is the actual material.

The legs of the Tarix-Na are their primary source of strength, with the average member of the species capable of delivering blows with their hooves of up to 300lbs of force per square inch, as well as enabling the average member to lift five times its own body weight. Upper-body wise, only the upper pair of arms are capable of lifting significant weight, or exerting force in a way similar to other humanoids due to their disadvantage in having only three fingers and a thumb per hand. On the other hand, their vestigial arms are not quite useless. Normally kept folded across their chest, the vestigial arms are commonly used to assist the upper pair in tasks that need a steadying hand, or in some cases they are used for tasks which do not require immediate attention. It is a common sight to see a Tarix-Na engaged in menial activities with his vestigial arms, while he is also utilizing his primary arms for more labor intensive tasks. The Tarix-Na are also curiously lacking in vocal cords, instead possessing a series of thin bony plates within the throat which are vibrated to project an audible hum, or clicked together through the muscles of the throat. This results in a highly complex language, and a high-degree in difficulty for the average member to speak other languages.

Another distinguishing factor for the species is both their deep-red skin tone, and the varying degree of horns the typical male grows from their skull. These horns vary depending upon region, though for the most part the horns are very similar to the antlers of common deer and can branch out to up to thirteen points. Lesser Tarix-Na grow horns more similar to the common ram, or mountain sheep, with the curvature of the horns denoting their status among the commoners. A steeper curve lends the male a role as a sort of consul, while shallower curves tend to leave the male as more or less, a commoner. Skin tone also denotes status among their fellow Tarix-Na, as deeper shades of red are found more appealing, while lighter shades tend to result in the individual being outcast from society. Rarer tones shift over into the burgundy and violet hues, with very few ever being born of a blueish tint. These individuals are typically taken up by the religious caste and taught the ways of their forests, though it is not unheard of for such an individual to be adopted into the immortals.

Biologically speaking, the Tarix-Na are quite different from other humanoid species. The chief factor which separates them from other humanoids is their inability to breathe oxygen in the same quantities as carbon-based life is capable of. They breathe a mixture of halogen gases which are secreted by the plant life of the forests they inhabit, a mixture which is processed by a large singular lung which forms a semicircle within their torso cradling the tri-valve heart which pumps a mercury-based solution throughout their bodies. Part of their respiratory system is also the conversion of naturally created carbon and the discarded nitrogen into cyanide gas, which is then exhaled from the same air ways which take in halogens. The diet of the Tarix-Na usually consists in sulfur rich animal tissue or plant tissue, both of which are in abundance in the forests of their lands. This sulfur, once digested into the body, forms the building blocks of their bone-structure, as well as fuels the metabolism and gives the body the ability to breakdown other chemicals. Oxygen is one element which the body is incapable of bonding with other molecules or elements, and so is often processed through an organ very similar to the human liver, though in this case the oxygen is pressurized until it is a liquid, and then forced from the body. Despite being able to excrete this chemical, the liver of the Tarix-Na is not fully able to rid itself of the element, and the oxygen which is left will often crystallize inside the organ over time

Most Tarix-Na will live to anywhere between 50-175 years in age, though this is primarily due to a host of diseases and parasites which begin attack the body of the Tarix-Na once they reach this age range. The reason that they suddenly become susceptible to existing disease and parasites, is because at that age most Tarix-Na will find their livers failing from the build-up of oxygen through the years, and be at the point where oxygen is starting to deposit in other areas of the body. One of the most common disease which strikes the Tarix-Na is that of the dreaded Shelvorak, a disease which gradually necrotizes the vital organs of the infected until they finally die of brain-death or drowning in the liquefied tissue that has built up within their lungs. Those who are afflicted with the disease are highly feared by the community due to the communicability of the disease to those who are not as advanced in age, and it is not unknown for entire regions of worlds to go suddenly silent after a single Tarix-Na became infected. In terms of lifespan unaffected by disease or parasite, the species is believed to be capable of living for hundreds of years, with the rare case breaching multiples of a thousand, and the Immortals as well.

Once either species has come to the end of their humanoid lives, they return once more to the spawning grounds, either of their own accord or assisted by the living. Here they will take root, their bodies instinctually seeking the fertile soil and planting themselves deep into the ground. From their corpse will grow a new Arikeshxi tree, the shell of their former body rising up with it to nurture its growth and seed new life. In ancient days the corpse-tree would continue growing, merging with those around it to form larger and larger trees to bear more and more life upon their limbs, but with the advent of space-flight and the rise of their growing technological prowess, the Arikeshxi which grow within certain regions are harvested in order to further the species. Those who do remain will grow strong and begin anew the cycle of life, bearing the fruits of new generations upon their branches and eventually becoming one with the *Shevaxisi-Torand Arikesh*, or The World Tree.

These trees are among the most magnificent wonders of the Arikeshxi species, with the first few nearly covering their entire worlds with a singular canopy. On average a single one of these trees can measure hundreds of kilometers across, and stand high into the atmosphere, some specimens even boasting their own internalized ecosystems within their boughs. To these giants, life is eternal, for they are beings who know not mortality and bear the memories of countless billions. At least one *Shevaxisi-Torand Arikesh* stands upon each world of the species, seeded by the Dominion in the case of the colonies, or simply bearing the eons as does the first of their kind.