The Saati Archives

Ninde was one of the first Sahkti that Yso met. Like her, Ninde was also homeless, nameless, and survived off of what she could take from merchants and pick-pocketing. However whereas Yso forcibly took what she could, Ninde was able to manipulate some of her targets by playing the poor, defenseless orphan approach to get food and supplies.

The Talkani are a bipedal, humanoid species that dwell in almost every climate in Talkas. There are 7 subspecies based on the environment of their birth, but for now, I'm focusing on the basics. They'll have individual posts explaining their culture, mannerisms, specific features, etc. at later dates.

As a species, they can grow anywhere from 6 to 8 feet in height, and weigh anywhere from 400 to 1500 pounds. Their anatomy is mostly humanoid, with a few differences seen throughout the subspecies. All Talkani have dark skin ranging from tan to very dark browns. While there can be fair skinned Talkani, their chances of survival are very slim, as their skin tone is more often than not a sign of illness and almost guaranteed death. They have catlike facial features, namely their noses, fangs, and eye shapes. While they are bipedal, they have digitigrade pawlike feet with thick soles to aid them in travelling in their respective terrain. It should also be noted that most Talkani can shift from a bipedal to quadrupedal stride at any given moment. They are able to maintain balance with the help of their tails, which can range anywhere from 3 to 7 feet, depending on height. Generally, all have 4 digits and opposable thumbs. There are exceptions to that rule, but I'll get to them in another post.

Generally speaking, males are bigger and stronger than females. For what females lack in size and strength, they make for in aggression and numbers. Their breeding patterns are heavily dependent on what subspecies/tribe/city/etc that they're a part of, as are gender roles and such. *For example: Soheki tribes are normally lead by the oldest or strongest female, whereas Hoenn tribes are lead by males of a certain bloodline. There are more that I could list but I'm getting tired*

While most groups have a patron god, all Talkani worship a pantheon of various gods. The strictness of said beliefs, again, vary across the subspecies.

A brief overview of the subspecies

Sahkti - Desert Talkani. They live in a central city or in villages around said city, and are ruled by a royal family. They are one of the most civilized breeds of Talkani, as well as one of the richest/most influential. Most Sahkti are very arrogant and condescending towards the other breeds, Tuinar excluded, and take pride in their ability to dwell in one of the harsher climates.

Sohek - Jungle Talkani. They live in tribes throughout the jungle, and are lead by the oldest female in the tribe. They are fiercely loyal to their fellow tribesmen, and some sister tribes. The Sohek are known for their constant tribe wars and feral behaviour, which in turn makes them feared/distrusted by the civilized Talkani *i.e. Sahkti and Tuinar*

Tuinar - Forest Talkani. They live in a large city that spands across the forest. While there is a King, a council makes up the laws and enforces them. The Tuinar generally keep to themselves, only communicating with the Sahkti and, albeit rarely, the Ikahn. They tend to be distrusted by most of the tribal Talkani, and severely despised by the Sohek.

Cefir - Plains Talkani. They live in tribes across the Plains, but unlike the Sohek, their tribes are connected through their chiefs and generally don't go to war against each other. With this being said, they aren't trusting of outsiders or halfbreeds. Most Cefir are fairly aggressive and intimidating in stature, being of the largest breeds.

Hoenn - Island Talkani. Because the Islands aren't very large, all Hoenn come from a single tribe lead by the oldest *or strongest depending on the situation* males of 3 families. They are easily the most welcoming to outsiders, as remaining closed off would result in mass inbreeding. They do, however, harbor a deep grudge against the Cefir for reasons lost in generations.

Dahn - Mountain/Valley Talkani. They are a breed of nomads, with the largest known groups ranging from 5 to 7 adults with their cubs. Most wanderers hail from the Mountains, and are generally seen as nonthreatening. Most who leave the Mountains end up in the Forest or the Islands, resulting in those areas having the highest population of half-breeds.

Ikahn - Arctic/Snow/Tundra Talkani. By far the most mysterious and generally feared of the breeds, as very few are seen by outsiders. They are the second largest breed, and they are rumored to have a stronger connection with the Gods and the Other realms, thus believed to have power unknown to the other breeds. Like the Hoenn, they are a single tribe lead by the oldest male, and are ambivalent to outsiders. Half-breeds of this breed are Very rare.

Yso came to the Sahkti when she was 9, naked and nameless, riding on the back of a female deer. Her whereabouts prior to that are unknown, but it can be assumed that she had lived in the jungle and amongst beasts long enough to lose her ability to speak. It's unknown how she got past the gates of the city, as Sahkti guards and gatekeepers wouldn't let a Soheki child enter the city alone without first questioning them. 

For the first few seasons, Yso befriended two other homeless girls, and lived on the streets, stealing, fighting, and doing whatever they needed to get food. While they could normally avoid getting caught by Sahkti guards, they was eventually captured at 15 and sent to the Prisons when she was caught transforming into a Panahasi. While most street urchins found themselves in the dungeons, they were sent to work out in the desert, along with seven other young Panahasi. 

Yso Astraste I - Rough Conceptual sketches of Talkani & Panahasi forms

Keahi is the third daughter of the Queen, and thus third in line to the throne. As a cub, she unknowingly wandered into a snake's den. While she survived the various bites she received, the amount of venom in her blood was enough to permanently blind her. Because of this, Keahi grew up an angry child, as she quickly grew tired of others coddling and protecting her. She would often pick fights with her twin sister and snap at her father, but remained close with her older sister and younger brother. She harbored a deep respect for her mother, but at the same time blames her for her blindness, as the Queen had not been able to save her from the snake den.

While her mother's guard treated her like she was delicate or fragile, the Soheki tribesmen grew to respect the girl's spirit and strength despite her disability. As she grew older, she began adopting their way of thinking. While many did not approve of Keahi's behaviour, as it she had very primal views on how life should be and how the kingdom should be run, the Queen was fascinated and eventually came to appreciate it.

After her eldest sister's death, Keahi's anger and resentment grew stronger. She resented that her nephew would become the next heir, as she believed the boy was far too weak and soft to rule and maintain the Sakhti that her grandmother had built. More so, she resented her twin sister for being ahead of her in the line of succession. In Keahi's eyes, she was no stronger than the boy.