Advenans
Advenans are suspicious by nature, trusting only the company of their fellow neolates, or siblings. These groups are called guilds. Over generations, each guild has perfected particular types of work, and are considered the galaxy’s highest caliber of skill in their expertise. Since advenans don’t believe in large political bodies and interpret social propriety (such as politeness and formality) as soft lies, guilds often specialize in morally grey sectors: espionage, assassination, combat training, and reconnaissance.
Advenans claim wide territories. Because they’ve evolved in geographical (and galactic) pockets, there are several subspecies. They are solitary until the Season of the Hunt, in which the women ovulate and excrete a pheromone trail the men are compelled to follow. Though the men are aggressive and brutal, ultimately the women choose when and by whom to become pregnant. They can store a man’s seed for several years, and decide which among the Hunt she wants to sire her neolates. Because women are able to perform fertilization asexually, they rarely venture out from their own territories or interact with others. Men that have successfully added themselves to a woman’s seed bank are referred to as “spun.” This is a right of passage into adulthood.
Though traditionally, advenans have no marital conventions, modern advenans have adopted some social culture from the wider galaxy. It is exceedingly rare for an advenan to take a partner, but when they do, that person becomes a part of their guild and therefore earns their absolute loyalty. The occasional brother or sister of another species is part of why advenans tangle in ISU business. If a guild member asks for their services, they will come, no questions asked.
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Facial Features
Tall, slim ears perched atop the head, narrow eyes with reptilian slitted pupils, and a long face. Although their mouths are already full of carnivorous teeth, they also sport a pair of viperous fangs used to paralyze their target, including women during the Hunt.
Foreheads sport a crest of scales. Their faces and genitalia are the only parts of the body not covered in scales.
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Physique
Long and lithe with smooth, shiny scales. A slender tail like a bull whip nearly twice their body length and used as a weapon. Built for agility, stalking, and speed.
Awakened humans describe them as jackal dragons, but those that know them intimately compare them to chimeras. Poetically, they have the mouth of a snake, the tail of a bull, and the face of a jackal.
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Unique Anatomy
Scales are actually feathers that remain hardened and “zipped” closed until a man is “spun” or ready to mate. Scales lift to vent and take in heat as needed.
When scales vent, a soft layer of “down” is visible beneath, which is actually the downy ends of their feathers.
Venom is an aphrodisiac for women in heat, but lethal to others. Letting a man bite willingly is a sign of ultimate trust.
Exceedingly long tongues used to track targets and pheromone trails.
