Keidskygen (keeds-KIE-ghen)
Commonly called keids, they are found in most regions of the world.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Humanoid water-dwelling species with dragonfly wings. While in water, their wings act as fins, and out of water they need to dry their wings before they can fly. Although they do not need to stay wet, they prefer to. Their wings also function as external gills, allowing them to absorb oxygen in the water across the broad surface. A thin film covers their wings when dry to protect them from the air and from getting too much oxygen.
Genetics and Reproduction
Female keids have an average of six children at once, in a live birth similiar to humans with each baby weighing only a few pounds. As a humanoid species, they have the ability to mate with other humaniods but their genetic make up is bianary. If the mother is a keids, all of the children will be. If the mother is another species, there is a 50/50 chance her children will be keids or her own species. In that situation, births can be mixed keids and other. It is impossible for keids traits to manifest in a non-keids sibling.
Growth Rate & Stages
Children reach physical maturity at three years of age, with the appearances and intelligence of an adult human or elfae. When compared to humans, a young keids would age from infant to six in their first year, from six to twelve in their second years, and twelve to eighteen in their third year.
Ecology and Habitats
All keids prefer isolated stretches of water away from noise polution and shipping lanes. Their coloration allows them to be nearly invisible in the water and they can be mistaken as boulders. River-keids prefer freshwater, while sea-keids are saltwater dwellers; however, with great dedication and endurance, they can adapt to the saline content of either location.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Keids are carnivorous, eating primarly small fish and bottom-dwelling creatures. They like to stir up mud into before "drinking" since the minerals found in the earth are vital to their diet. They have been know to forage for land insects and small rodents when on dry land. They will eat tree roots and berries medicinally or in cases of extreme hunger.
Behaviour
Naturally shy and reclusive, river-keids expecially are be territorial and vicious when provoked or they feel threatened. It takes a lot to provoke them but once they are, they are aggressive and relentless. In their mind, they can't be safe until the threat is eliminated.
Their sharp memory means that anyone seen as a threat will be a target as long as the river-keids is alive.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Naturally shy and introverted, keids prefer to live in solitude except for every three years when they mate. Marriageable age can be as young as adulthood at eighteen but most wait until age twenty-one or twenty-four. The number three is important to the keids and all of their important ages or cultural milestones are a factor of three. A child born in the third month, on the third day, in the third hour, is considered lucky. Similiarly, nine is revered as three groups of three, and a child born on nines is considered to have good fortune.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
Reclusive and hard to win over, they make excellent long-distance messengers if they trust someone. Their extensive knowledge of waterways is desirable when establishing trade routes or picking locations for settlements.
Facial characteristics
Hair is often grey-green or other similar colors to aid in camouflage. It is worn shoulder length and parted into many sections, each one knotted neatly in several places.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
River-keids can be found in nearly any body of fresh water but not all freshwater is home to them. Sea-keids are saltwater dwellers and have their own territory (location TBD).
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
They can communicate instantly through the water, mainly through their ability to "ping" the location of any person or thing that enters any water connected to the water they are currently in (ie the entire length of a river, all of its tributories, and where it meets the oceans). Due to their extreme sensitivity to sound, excessive noise in the water is like the shockwaves of fireworks to their body. Their ability to hear underwater is by detecting sound waves on their skin; thus they can hear sounds above and below water.
Civilization and Culture
Common Dress Code
Men and women where a loincloth of woven marsh grasses held in place with a belt. Women additionally wearing a wrap of similar material to cover their breasts.
Most keids carry a small blow gun attached to their belt with two types of darts - one for underwater use and one for on land, both poisoned. They also carry sharpened stone knives.
Lifespan
30-40 years
Average Height
7'
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Their skin is the color of river rocks, most frequently in shades of browns, grays, and pinks; speckles and banded swirls in slightly different colors are also common.
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