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Lepi - Race Guide

[spoiler]Lepi - An impressively long info dump
Lepi Physiology and Anatomy:



The Lepi, also commonly referred to as the Lepricanians, have a humanoid frame with a small tuft of fur at the base of their spine, and the addition of stalk-like antennae on the crown of their head resembling rabbit ears. These antennae are covered in micro-fine sensilla and provide a sort of peripheral gauge of the surrounding area, sensing by touch, air motion, heat, and vibration (sound). However, Lepi have an actual set of ear-like receptors, complete with tympanic membrane and external auditory canal, at the base of their skull. These concavities are barely noticeable to the unassisted eye and are turned at an angle to ensure they aren't receptive to being clogged by dirt and skin particles.

The Lepi come in a variety of colors, with fine hair covering their whole body, though it is not a type of fur as many assume. It is better compared to the fine hair covering humans, though Lepi hair is slightly more dense and consistent than what humans have in their more vulnerable regions (legs, arms, arm pits, pubis). Melanocytic nevus created patterns on the skin can be seen through the hair, and they vary in size depending on region. The markings often run up the sides of the Lepi's body, from knee level to throat symmetrically, though sometimes extend to the cranial hairline. It is a sign of great beauty among the Lepi to possess a 'full body' set of markings.

Lepi noses possess a slight incline to their nasal cavity, which flattens the tip of their nose in a manner better associated with a shortened nasal bridge. This is coupled with a widened ethmoid bone to give their features a flatter, sleeker appearance than that of humans. Lepi have jawlines similar to humans, but lack canines. They also have a natural malocclusion of their two forefront incisors which is commonly referred to as 'buck teeth'.

Lepi are lanky and more narrow than humans with longer torsos and limbs, but they are still capable of mating with most humanoids. Lepi mate seasonally, usually in the spring, and female Lepi have litters of three to seven Kits, though are capable of having more. When born, Lepi are blind and require constant supervision for the first 8 weeks of their lives. After they gain sight, they require less supervision and are more capable of functioning at a higher standard of motor skills. Mental development is similar to that in humans, but their physical maturity is refined in half the time, making Lepi more prone to be poached early in their life because they are assumed to be fully grown.



Lepi are bipedal, with two arms and two legs.
Lepi have four fingers and an opposable thumb on each hand, and four toes on each foot, with one dew claw attached to their ankle bones.
Lepi irises are commonly colored in pale reds, greys, browns, or golds, though sometimes are light blue or violet.
Lepi hair and skin coloration vary depending on which region they descend from, with darker skinned Lepi coming from areas closer to Leprica's equator, and lighter Lepi hailing from the far north or the far south. Common coloration includes an albino look of pale red eyes and pale skin, a more standard mocha coloration with gold or grey eyes, and a black coloration with brown or coal colored eyes.

The average Lepi male lives to be 115-118 (earth) years old.
The average Lepi female lives to be 123-127 (earth) years old.
The average Lepi male is 6.11-7.4 feet tall.
The average Lepi female is 6.4-6.8 feet tall.

Planet Leprica details and composition:



Leprica, also known as Le-in'mar Pak, is a planet within the Alpha Magrathea Quatro galaxy. One of seven life sustaining planets in the star system, Leprica is known for the great expanse of savannah that stretches much of its land mass. The three major continents of Leprica are Nerl, Bonchiwei, and Vayon, spread across four oceans. Philovesk is the largest of the four, spanning much of the planet between Bonchiwei and Vayon. Many of the local fauna on Leprica are mammals or birds, while amphibians and reptiles are not native to the planet. Any of these now inhabiting Leprica are a byproduct of commercial travel and illegal trading.

Bonchiwei is the largest of the three continents, surrounded by island chains on all sides. The native population is an industrious one, as their main exports are raw mining materials like coal, copper, iron, precious gems, and crude oil/fossil fuels. Their burrows connect in intricate networks beneath the surface of the continent, making it easy to traverse Bonchiwei without ever having to journey topside.

Vayon is the second largest continent, with the largest amount of temperate forest to the land mass, making living above ground a much easier feat. There along small forests, Lepi inhabit adobe style homes topside, with clay and kiln work as their main source of revenue. They also work in glass and metal, producing weaponry, armor, ornaments, décor, and more.

Nerl is the smallest of Leprica’s continents and is considered by the native population to be the least technologically advanced of the three. Here, the Lepi live in small tribe like Burrows underground with vast spaces between themselves and neighboring tribes. Resources are gathered by hand or farmed within the burrow, and very little progress has been made for the Lepi of Nerl when it comes to social, economic, or political change. Tribes have an Alpha who leads the packs of families and the community shares in the responsibilities of raising and teach children.


Galaxy: Alpha Magrathea Quatro
Planet Type: Exoplanet of a binary star system
Satellites: N/A
Internal structure of Leprica:
1. Crust: 245 km thick
2. Mantle: 500 km thick
3. Core: 1,900 km radius
Orbital Distance: 113.83654 million kilometers
Orbital Period: 383.1 Earth Days
Radius: 5,836 km
Day Length: 26 hours, roughly 14 hours of light.
Surface Pressure: 96.958 kPa
Surface Gravity: 8.144 m/s
Surface Temp: 37C
Mass: 0.893 Earth Masses
Water Sources: 61% of Leprica is made up of water sources (Oceans, Lakes, Rivers, Ice shelves and glaciers)
Biomes (by spacial size): Temperate Grassland (50%), Temperate forests (21%), Boreal forests (14%), Arctic (9%), Alpine (6%).



Inhabitants:

Lepi: Commonly known as the Lepricanians, are a race of rabbit-like humanoids from the planet of Leprica. These Lepi share several qualities with the previously mentioned rabbits, but they deny any ties they may have to the Earth natives, and scientists agree the two are separate biologically. Lepi are community driven creatures, living in bands of at least ten individuals, with several males and females to take up the tasks required for the unit to survive. Depending on the area, Lepi may live above ground, or below it, though the reason for living below ground relates more to the environment than it does to regional preference. The planet is primarily prairie covered, without many trees to aid in keeping the winds blocked, so tornadoes and twisters are fairly common, especially in the inland locations.

Along the coasts, major storm surges have been known to strike, but the Lepi tend to keep far from the oceans. Inland lakes are commonly settled around, but any source of water larger than the eye can see the edge of is considered bad luck. Underground water sources are the most coveted, and a fully fledged burrow is one with its own below ground supply of water.

The Lepi are gatherers, with hunting being a secondary priority because their race is unable to digest most animal products. So, they refrain from killing the other wildlife on Leprica, which in turn causes a shifting in the food chain at times. There are countless types of big game predators roaming the top side of Leprica, but those which had been known to live underground were eradicated by the Lepi centuries ago. Lepi are cunning and agile, and use their natural flexibility to evade and outrun the massive beasts they compete with on the surface.

The Lepi believe a boy becomes a man when he downs an armored Prixri (giant bat-like creature with slender stilt legs) on his own, though this practice is beginning to die off in modern times. Lepi are arranged to be paired by the oracle of the burrow when they are mentally mature, and they live with that partner for the rest of their lives; though sex is not considered something required of the Lepi in their union. Sex is considered a bodily function, and in the Spring, mating season turns male Lepi in aggressive and domineering beasts who would kill to mate with their choice of women. During their mating season, it’s legal to murder another Lepi if you have issued a formal demand that they stand down, and they do not.

Female Lepi are considered a commodity, as only 1 in 30 Lepi are born female. Some scientific testing done has shown that Lepi sperm is preassigned with the genders it will communicate with the egg, which is a problem because female Lepi sperm is naturally slower to travel, and less inclined to attach to the egg itself. There is no known medical procedure to fix this yet. In the mean time, female Lepi find themselves carefully guarded and cared for, though in this over protectiveness, they often are kept from venturing topside. They are expected to refrain from any hard labor or work, and instead focus on the creation and care of young Lepi. Female Lepi almost always outlive their male counterparts.

In recent times, the Lepi have faced a startling number of intergalactic poachers taking young Lepi from the more rural areas of Nerl. The tribes there are more cautious in recent years, but lack the necessary means to fight back alien slavers, and usually end up dead in the process of defending themselves.



World Population: 171 million Lepi
Largest agglomeration: Huunvech Burrow, Bonchiwei, Leprica
Mostly Widely Spoken Languages: Leschpri, Galactic Standard.
Government: Chosen Alpha males for each burrow, they congregate to form war pacts in times of threat.
Religion: The Lepi are spiritual and see ancestral spirits in everything. They value life above all things, but also reason with death as being the next big adventure. Oracles of Burrows are the ones expected to commune with the spirits of the ancients, as well as decide what two adult Lepi are meant to be placed together in a family unit.
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