Stif'ka

The Stif'ka are an alien race in Sagittarius.

Physiology
The Stif'ka are a race of reptile-like creatures who are extremely resilient. Firstly, their appearance is fearsome. They stand around 7ft tall on average, and weigh around 250-300 lb. The Stif'ka are typically well-muscled and strong, capable of running faster and jumping higher than humans (although this is attributed to the gravity of the planet: 1.32x that of Earth.) The feet of the Stif'ka are large and split into two toes, like that of a camel. Their legs are forward-hinged, and typically very powerful. A kick can shatter a human's bones and break through wood or thin concrete. At the base of the chest is a tail, which is used for fighting, balance, or show of emotion (a tail wrapped around the legs indicates fear or obedience, like a dog's tail in between its legs.) The Stif'ka reproduce sexually and with live births. This is because of their need to remain mobile in hostile areas of the planet, rather than sitting and guarding their eggs. Their genitals are at the same place as a human's (crotch), which is a striking similarity. The chest of a Stik'ka is reinforced by a hardened cartilage growth in place of ribs. This provides 100% protection to the internal organs, rather than just a rib cage. The Stif'ka's internal organs are similar to humans', but without unnecessary ones like the appendix. They breathe a similar air to ours, and have red, iron-rich blood. Their digestive tract is streamlined as well, with only one intestine where everything takes place. Moving up from there, the Stif'ka possess backward-hinged arms and hands with five fingers (one of which is an opposable thumb.) They are longer than a human's, and capable of gripping the same things they can. The head of the Stif'ka is where the brain is located. It is larger than a human's, but are only slightly smarter. The head takes on a shark or serpent like look (think Elites from Halo, is what I'm saying.) The jaw of the Stif'ka is similar to a human's (unlike Elites), and full of omnivore-oriented teeth capable of eating plants and animals. The Stif'ka have no visible nostrils, as scent is taken in by glands in the mouth. The eyes are slit like a cat's. Eye color deviation is rare, so most Stif'ka possess a yellow-ish eye color. The Stif'ka also have no visible ears, with the holes being covered by a thin flap of skin. This creates a streamlined appearance of the head.

Factions/Empires

 * Kivro'sha
 * Tangoid Blades