Dzillarton
Race Name (human coloquial): Kittens and Long-necks
Race Name (proper): Dzillarton
Tech Level: High
Galactic Distribution: Two of the earliest non-founding races to join the Galactic Federation, dzillarton’s are found throughout the galaxy but heaviest populated in the galactic core.
Appearance: Dzillarton have feline-like features including claws, and fur. There are two very distinct dzillarton races, which evolved over centuries on separate continents. The smaller, more aggressive and feral ‘kittens’ and the taller, graceful, more intellectually inclined ‘long-necks’.
‘Kittens’: Able to stand on ‘all fours’ with two arms (centaur-like) or (for short durations) fully erect, standing only the the rear two legs with four arms. On all fours they stand 5-5.5 feet high and 5-5.5 feet long. Fully erect they stand 7.5-8′ tall. Unlike McMacazorkians, who have four arms on their chest, ‘kittens’ limb’s are spaced out with a mid-section in-between each set. They are heavy-set, muscular and predatory by nature. Sharp claws and teeth make them dangerous melee combatants and their ferocity in battle is well respected.
‘Long-necks’ are slender with long legs and a 4′ long neck (for reaching leaves which are their primary diet) more similar to a giraffe than a cat. They stand 9′-10′ tall to the top of their heads, 5-6′ to their shoulders. Unlike ‘kittens’, ‘Long-necks’ are unable to balance on their hind feet and always walk on all four with two arms.
Traits: Kittens are bold, aggressive, and quick to action. They respect strong leaders and clear rules and consequences. They are competitive and will always look to on-up others, and seek ‘conquests’ to gain glory (or at least riveting tales to recount at the bars). Females are strong willed and can be equally fierce but usually leave physical conflicts to the males but a ‘cat-fight’ between two females can be very nasty and cut-throat.
Long-necks are meek, artistic or intellectually inclined and abhor violence, only using it as a last resort. They see the beauty in everything around them and celebrate life in all it’s forms. They like democratic governments and finding consensus that will benefit everyone. Males and females are equal in all aspects and to a non-dzillarton, difficult to distinguish. Long-necks will gladly sacrifice for the good of the family, country or race.
Abilities: Compared to humans:
Kittens are stronger, faster runners, higher jumpers and better climbers. While they can swim, they’re not well suited to it. They possess superior vision, night vision, and sense of smell.
Long-necks are intellectually superior to most humans (and kittens), much faster runners and more empathic and connected to nature. They are poor swimmers and climbers. They have superior hearing, and sense of smell but other senses are comparable to humans.
History: The two dzillarton races evolved on separate continents over thousands of years from a common ancestor. In the northern continent the ‘kittens’ became the alpha predators and developed a tribal lifestyle. In southern continent ‘long-necks’ evolved as the dominant race, but one that assume a care-taker role for their land. They are herbivores so they neither preyed nor were prayed upon. Having no natural predators they knew nothing of war or weapons until they first encountered marauding kittens and then they learn and master them quickly.
The two races soon began a long protracted war which served to solidified the tribes in the north and the communal but disorganized long-necks in the south. It also sparked an arms race which the ‘kittens’ had an immediate advantage in, but over the years, the long-necks developed more advanced weapons given them an ever increasing edge in the war.
Eventually the kittens agreed to a truth and a tenuous peace emerged. Gradually the two races learned to co-exist, separate but inter-related, and eventually reached the stars together.