The Khant are a warrior people who, at the peak of their society, pushed into the core worlds of the Arkayian, Griel, and CPA, while fending off Centian forces and occasional Merko raids. The Khant have the most advanced weapons, armor, and conveyance of war. The Great War left their population in collapse, and their archaic mating rituals have led them into further decline.
The Khant originate from the world of Khanzimagos, Bloodied Dirt; they have complicated rituals for mating and status, exalt warriors, and maintain slaves for civil work. Standard Male Khant average 6’6 “tall, while females average 6’2”. Males grow straight, sharp horns, while females grow shorter horns over their temples. Khant skin is thick and strong enough to stop small caliber ICES weapons, and they are physically stronger than any other species of their size, and are highly capable in combat. They have olive-brown skin, black eyes, and teeth suited to carnivores rather than omnivores.
The Khant have specialized genetic leadership. A clan Bull is born when clan females lose confidence in the current Bull or when they die. They emit a pheromone that spreads and causes one Khant to bear a new Bull, a physically stronger, larger, and more powerful male. Females will produce a secondary pheromone when the clan lacks a Matron or when they lose confidence while under the influence of these chemicals. The Bull produces chemicals that, when absorbed by a female, will turn them into a Matron; Matrons will lose muscle mass, but their minds are rewritten to function far beyond that of a normal Khant. Khant look down upon general magic but respect their wisemen and women who wield the ancient magic and carry forth the stories.
The Khant live in a complex, brutal society. The Khant steal names from former, current, or future great enemies, bearing them as their own as a taunt that their terrors are theirs. With their population in steep decline, they maintain what worlds they have by their martial technology, making their space too much trouble for conquest. Khant make the best armor, weapons (though they’re dangerous to non-Khant), and spaceships. Most of their tech is designed to burn itself out if tampered with, and Khant will scuttle their ships rather than allow them to be captured. While Khant love battle and physical effort, many find quiet comfort in poetry, writing, and helping develop new toys. Most of their agricultural and industrial workforce is performed by slaves or adopted lesser species. They have a few warrior species they’ve welcomed fully into their clans, though most seek their battle lust as mercenaries, as the Khant Remnant is too underpopulated for a true war.
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