Nature's Gifts

According to the fossil record, the Korudo (literally ‘beautiful people’) are descended from an extinct strain of temperate grassland carnivores; though those who uphold the belief that they are children of the moon do not take kindly to this claim. Further research suggests they formed groups to hunt large prey more effectively and fight off competitors. They were nonetheless often driven from kills and forced to subsist on the remains that other hunters left behind. Fresh marrow provided them with important nutrients, and their opposable thumbs developed from the dew claws used to steady bones they were breaking with their teeth. This habit became redundant when stone tools were used for the same purpose. The process of making more specialised tools and carrying them until they were needed are believed to have further honed ancestral Korudo intelligence, encouraged more complex language and prompted upright locomotion; the end result of this can be seen in the race that dominates the world.

During their transition from savagery to civilisation, the Korudo drove many species to extinction, and tamed others which they altered further through selective breeding. The first of these were apelike creatures that appeared on the plains as the forests contracted during prolonged climate change. The Korudo found their better sight and perception of colour an asset while hunting, just as the ground apes benefited from their new masters’ better hearing, smell, tools and social organisation. Today the apes’ descendants, the Sai (literally ‘servile’) carry out a range of tasks assigned according to their breed; but most just provide companionship. Their capricious masters have repaid their loyalty through deliberately cultivating interesting deformities; deformities that have grown so severe few Sai could survive in the wild. The smallest, most dependent breeds, which often display such infantile traits as large eyes, short limbs, bulging skulls, and a hyperactive but awkward demeanour, are especially popular among Korudo females who lack the time or inclination to find a mate and reproduce. These creatures’ helplessness and clumsiness accentuate their owners’ intelligence and grace, traits only proper for a race that defines itself as beautiful.

Biological and Cultural Traits:

Korudo:

- Tool use has changed the Korudo as much as their environment. Besides their upright stance they are more gracile than their ancestors, with lighter bones and smaller muscles. They retain their strong olfactory sense but their jaws are considerably weaker. Their teeth have not shrunk at the same rate, so dental complaints are common, especially among the upper classes who consume more sweetened food. Fur, once thickest on the back, is now more heavily concentrated on the head and upper shoulders where it offers more protection from the elements. Light clothing is worn more for modesty than insulation, while jewellery and other adornments are used to denote wealth and status.

- In a culture where olfactory cues are as important as visual ones, perfumes, scents and dyes are extremely popular. The blue stripes on this female’s arms are infused with fragrances that enhance her air of cold allure. The vials on her belt contain substitutes that might be used or combined to different effect.

- Korudo do not sweat, but radiate heat through their skin, breath and tongue. As panting is considered vulgar in polite society fans are often carried to aid cooling, while flasks of scented water provide rehydration on hot days.

- This female’s crescent tiara denotes a member of the New Moon sect, a more radical denomination than the more widespread but less outspoken Full Moon traditionalists. Korudo societies are characterised by charismatic leadership, complex but fluid hierarchies, and ever-shifting networks of allegiance and patronage.

- Elevated footwear keeps the feet clean and dry and increases the wearer’s stature but reduces mobility, suggesting this individual cares more for appearance than adventure.

Sai:

- This Sai belongs to the Golba breed, whose most salient traits include a short broad head (brachycephaly) protruding eyes (exophthalmos) underdeveloped upper jaw (hypoplastic maxilla) enlarged tongue (macroglossia) protruding chin (mandibular prognathism) hunched back (kyphosis, though this specimen also suffers from a mild case of scoliosis) short limbs (achondroplasia) small stature and severely reduced intellect. The asymmetric face is a further sign of inbreeding, and the reduced nasal cavity necessitates mouth breathing. Many Korudo consider the Golba’s resultant panting and drooling less vulgar than childishly endearing.

- Small silver rings in the ears and hair bespeak the owner’s affluence as do the simple clothing. The tattoo on the left hip denotes genetic lineage and helps identify any Sai that might be lost or stolen. To reduce the chance of either this Golba’s owner keeps him on a leash, though larger, stronger breeds of Sai are more often seen on chains.

- Purebred Golba suffer high rates of miscarriage, stillbirth, infant mortality, and adult infertility; mothers are also at risk during pregnancy due to their genetic defects, so caesarean section is often required. Fertile adult Golba are rare and valued all the more for it, conferring further status on those able to acquire them.

- Golba also suffer from a reduced life expectancy; while most Korudo live past sixty, few Golba survive twenty years. This is rarely of much concern to the owners who can afford to replace them after a suitable show of grief. Breeders hope to speed the rate at which Golba sexually mature to increase their fecundity and make prime stock more profitable. Some Korudo ethicists claim no Golba should be bred at all, but their statements earn less than the sale of these creatures and are generally ignored.