Tz'ath

## Biology

Tz’aths are reptomammals that live in underground cave systems. They are in their element in the dark and are nicknamed by many as umbratheres--that is, beasts of shadow.

These unassuming little critters function perfectly in pitch black, and it’s all thanks to their highly developed sensory organs. Their large eyes allow them to switch between night vision and regular vision wherein they see color much like humans. Long, swiveling ears allow them to pick up the faintest sounds and single them out in noisy environments. The antennae extending from their foreheads allow them to pick up electric fields. And their powerful noses give them astounding chemosensory capabilities. They can sense the presence of certain liquids as well, and tell if there are any harmful chemicals in their vicinity.

Tz’aths are quite hefty, durable, and incredibly strong for their size. They can lift objects several times their weight, and tear through metal with their powerful jaws(bite force of over 7000 psi). As such, when taken captive they normally have their arms and heads encased entirely in metal. Such extraordinary strength is credited to their home’s environment where they feed upon exotic metals.

Killing a Tz’ath is a pain in the leftmost buttcheek. Just ask a Ragon. They once got involved in a war with these little demons, and even under fire, electric shock, and energy weaponry, they persisted. Each time they fall they would get back up, charging forward with much more ferocity than before. Though notably, one or two well placed hits from a viable weapon incapacitated or killed them.

Other than sustained fire and really heavy objects, liquids can also kill a Tz’ath quite easily. Their molecular density is rather high, which causes them to sink in such liquids as water. Due to this, they’ve adapted to be able to tell if there are bodies of water nearby and where exactly they might be. This is not only to sense danger however, as they also use this ability to locate pools of poisonous liquid metal which they use as swimming pools.

Falling into water is rare for these creatures though, as they have a very special gland in their footpads that produces a substance that lets them adhere to almost any surface. They use this to climb up cave walls to avoid water and find good spots from which to ambush prey. If threatened enough, they can mix the substance with their sweat, producing a faintly sweet smell, but an otherwise sharp acrid taste that lingers on the tongue.

So if you don’t want to be up against all of that, you could use a magnet to restrain them or a good gunto kill them with. Alternatively, you could use other deterrents like bright flashes of light or sonic blasts. Take caution though, as these methods are not guaranteed to work on all Tz’aths. As short temper seems to be a running problem with the species, you could end up angering one more by trying to disorient or stun it, putting you and those around you in greater danger.

If by chance you manage to ward off a Tz’ath, you may be able to observe them curling up into near perfect spheres of fur and scale in a demonstration of amazing flexibility. This is a behavior that carries over from youth and manifests when Tz’aths are hurt, frightened, and sometimes when they are lazy, or in a good mood.

## Appearance

Tz'aths are small sophonts. The average height for the Nilik subspecies is 3 feet plus a few inches, and for the Hurk subspecies it is 4 feet plus a few inches.

Tz'ath fur is always blue, in different shades. It is somewhere between bristly and soft in texture.

Albino Tz'aths do exist, and they're extremely rare. The fur of the albino is typically much softer and bears a pinkish colour.

## History

The Tz'aths used to be feared as a race of conquerors. Stories were told of how they flooded the skies over planets in the neutral zone, destroyed their armies, took what they wanted, and left as quickly as they came. For such small creatures they were ferocious, and their technology was impressive. Back home their great cities extended deep into the ground and housed millions of the Tz'athi population. They thrived on their fellowship in battle and the spoils of their victories and continuously pumped out weapons and vessels for their armed forces to use in their slow but brutal conquest of nearby star systems.

Eventually however, they met their match--The Ragons. The larger reptilians had a much more advanced fleet, and were difficult to damage. Though the Tz'aths fought hard, they were later pushed back to their homeworld where the Ragons began to isolate and consume them. The invaders soon found that this was not a very good idea though, as the little creatures quite literally tore their way out of the massive predators. And even when eaten dead, the Tz'aths gave the Ragons no satisfaction, and so they decided that their incursion was not worth the effort, and they soon left. Knowing that the little banebringers would be a problem however, they made sure to cripple the Tz'ath's ability to rebuild their space navy and blockaded their home system.

Now across the Neutral Zone, there are many Tz'aths who have been displaced by the war, mostly survivors of battles in space. Unable to return home either due to shame or lack of equipment to fight the Ragons with, they’ve resorted to living on whatever planets they could and became pirates or mercenaries.