Charr
Like many other species of canines, Charr are social and tend to remain in packs - the Charrian equivalent of a family unit. As their species evolved, packs merged to form tribes, which merged to become clans, forming the basis of their home country's present political divisions. Loyalty to their clans, and by extension their packs and tribes, is a key component in Charrian behaviour, beliefs and even law.
Contents
History
Evolution
Charr evolved on the isolated island of Tyria. Fossil records indicate that prehistoric Charr were significantly larger than their modern descendants, and anthropologists believe that they were significantly more aggressive and territorial as well. From an early point in their development, they had to compete with the indigenous lifeforms of Tyria such as Devourers, Bone Dragons and Dune Lizards to name but a few. Without their size, natural armament and high level of intelligence, Charr would certainly have become extinct long ago.
With the rise of civilisation in Tyria, Charr gradually began to shrink in size before finally settling on their present frame.
Habitat and Population
Charr are naturally suited to the jungle forests of central and western Tyria, although they can be found living anywhere from the highest mountains to the hottest deserts. As naturally nomadic species, prehistoric Charr followed the movements of their prey. With the dawn of civilisation, they tended to establish settlements as near to hunting trails and water sources as they could. Hunting is still a large source of food for modern Charr, but even in history they recognised the need for a reliable source of food, and so the use of fertile land for livestock became commonplace early on.
Much like humans, Charr are intelligent creatures and have the ability to manipulate their environment to better serve their needs. Although modern cities may outwardly appear to be primitive and rustic, they are home to large scale infrastructures and transportation systems, thus negating the need for cities to be built in close proximity of key resources such as food and water.
According to the last official government census, there are just over three and a half billion Charr in existence, although due to the nomadic nature of many Charr, and their unwillingness to conform to modern institutions such as national governments, an exact figure is difficult to come by.
The island of Tyria is co-habited by a much smaller number of humans, who are not native to the island but are descended from human invaders who were defeated by the Charr centuries earlier.
Gender Characteristics
Males
The most prominent feature of males is a highly developed brain capable of reasoned thought, linguistic communication and self-awareness.
They are bipedal, standing on average between seven and nine feet tall and weighing between 250lb to 500lb, and are physically distinctive in that they are adorned with numerous horns, tusks, spikes and claws around their heads, mouths, shoulders and arms. These bony extrusions serve both practical and ceremonial purposes.
Most healthy Charr possess significantly more strength and durability than humans, although due to their weight and bulky frame they lack speed, agility and long-term stamina. These physical attributes were necessary evolutionary traits that allowed them to physically challenge the various predators living naturally on Tyria - it is thought that early Charr were much larger, vastly stronger and significantly more aggressive.
Their legs are comparably similar in length to those of a human proportionately speaking, however their knees tend to be bent at 90 degrees most of the time giving them a more squat appearance. The particularly large torso of a Charr gives him a pronounced 'hour-glass' shape, with extraordinarily broad shoulders. Wide, stubby necks jutting forwards and long snouts give them quite a hunched appearance, although some smaller males appear more upright than bulkier Charr. Long tails tipped with a tuft of darker fur are features on all males.
With particularly long and muscular arms, tipped with clawed fingers and occasionally spiked forearms, Charr are capable of running on all fours, allowing them to carry their significant weight at higher speeds than would ordinarily be afforded to them (although they choose not to most of the time for cultural reasons).
Their hands are more like paws with three fingers and an opposable thumb, all tipped with sharp claws, allowing them to defend themselves, kill prey and manipulate tools. Their palms tend to have leathery, patterned textures to assist with running and gripping objects.
Powerful jaws are lined with sharp, curved teeth typical of carnivores, and especially long canines (also referred to as tusks) often jut out of the mouth above the lips.
Females
The most significant feature of females is their significantly reduced brain capacity. They are technically sentient creatures, but they lack many of the reasoning and deductive skills of their male counterparts, and tend to act on instinct more than rational thought. They are capable of learning the basics of spoken languages, but have difficulties with written communication.
One of the most noticeable aesthetic differences between the two genders other than size is that females lack the numerous horns, tusks, spikes and claws that are so predominant on males.
Most healthy Charr females tend to be no stronger than humans, however they are capable of astonishing feats of speed and agility, with long-term stamina that outclasses both humans and Charr males alike.
Charr females have narrow, sleek yet muscular bodies, lacking the broad shoulders that characterise males. When standing upright they average at between five and seven feet high, and weigh between 140lb and 250lb. They do not stand on bent legs like males do, nor do they have such a hunched appearance, and so the shape of their upright bodies are often much more human-like than male Charr. They have long tails, but unlike male Charr the tail of a female is not tipped with a tuft of fur.
Their bone structure is generally weaker than that of the heavily built Charr male, however their bones are also significantly lighter and heal much faster when broken.
Like males, their hands are three fingered with opposable thumbs, all tipped with claws, and they have leathery textured palms.
Although lacking tusks, their mouths are lined with sharp, curved teeth. Their snout tends to be longer and thinner than that of a male.
In terms of reproduction, females typically give birth to litters of two to four pups. As many as six can be considered normal, but more than that is generally dangerous for both the mother and her offspring. For feeding their young, females have four mammary glands, which typically only manifest visibly after the significant hormonal influxes caused by pregnancy.
Biological Details
Physiology and Genetics
Charr body types vary as much as those of any other species. Typically males stand between seven and nine foot high and weigh in between 250lb to 500lb. Their most prominent physical characteristics are extremely broad shoulders and especially large chests, with comparatively narrow waists and short legs, and various horns, spikes and claws all over their upper body, head and arms. Females are smaller, thinner and sleeker, generally standing between five and seven foot high and weighing between 140lb and 250lb. They have longer, thinner snouts, a significantly less muscular physique, and lack the same spikes and horns that males have. See Gender Characteristics above for more details on Charrian sexual dimorphism.
Both genders have three fingered hands with opposable thumbs, each tipped with a sharp claw. As they are capable of bipedal locomotion they are able to use their hands to manipulate objects and operate complicated tools.
Charr are completely covered in a thick layer of fine fur, with the exception of the soles of their feet and the palms of their hands. The colour of this fur can vary from Charr to Charr, mainly dependant upon their lineage and the area their line originates from. Charr from the central regions of Tyria often have much thicker layers of grey or white fur with black mottling on their chests, although these Charr are particularly rare.
The most common fur colours are shades of brown and cream, with black mottling on males in certain areas (usually the upper body) for camouflage. A small minority of Charr, thought to have evolved in the deserts of Tyria, have rusty red coloured fur. Red furred Charr typically have greater heat tolerances and resistance to ultra-violet radiation than others and yet are not tolerant of the cold, whilst white or grey furred Charr are more comfortable in reversed conditions. These regional distinctions are often played as advantages in the Charrian military if the necessary personnel are available at the time. Males typically have more detailed mottling and spot patterns on their snouts, chests and upper arms, with much paler chests compared to the rest of their bodies, whilst females have a more consistent fur colour.
Most Charr have yellow eyes, though some mutations have seen red, orange or even blue or green eyes.
Like many mammals, Charr have an XY sexual determination system, and like many mammals, they are susceptible to numerous genetic illnesses and deformities, with males being particularly vulnerable. One of the most common genetic illnesses suffered by Charr is referred to as 'the rot' - it is a degenerative disease which causes brain tissue to begin breaking down from an early age, resulting in total brain death after only two or three decades. For cultural reasons, Charr suffering from this disease tend to commit suicide on the day of their coming of age.
They require roughly eight hours of sleep per night in their adult lives to avoid the negative and possibly even fatal (in extreme cases) effects of sleep deprivation. Younger and older Charr will require slightly larger amounts of sleep to remain healthy, and in the case of the former to maintain proper growth as well.
Smell
Charr have 120 million smell-sensitive cells over an area the size of a postage stamp, giving them an excellent sense of smell comparable to many canines. They are capable of detecting multiple distinct scents at a range of up to a kilometre, and are capable of concentrating on at least two scents at any one time when tracking. Females tend to have a slightly better sense of smell than males, due to their longer snout.
Sight
Charr have a similar sense of vision as humans, and they can see the full visible light spectrum.
Male Charr have a slightly wider field of view than humans, but they can see roughly the same level of detail. Females have a wider field of view than either humans or male Charr due to their longer snout and the positioning of their eyes, however they sacrifice some degree of long-range detail in the process.
Hearing
Charr can hear extremely low frequency sound (as low as 15Hz) as well as extremely high frequency sound (up to 20Hz in some Charr). Female Charr generally have a better range of hearing than male Charr.
The ears of a male, positioned somewhat unusually on the sides of their heads just below the base of their horns, are elongated V-shapes, capable of independent and conscious movement allowing them to accurately pinpoint the exact location of a sound at four times the distance of a human, and generally much faster. Females' ears are positioned close to the tops of their heads, and are similarly flexible.
Lifecyle
Charr undergo a similar reproductive process to that of most mammals, with new Charr developing viviparously from the moment of conception until their birth. The female egg is fertilised by male sperm through intercourse, which divides inside the female's uterus to become embryos. The normal gestation cycle lasts for twelve month, after which time the embryos become fetuses. At this point the mother births her litter, and the infant pups breathe independently for the first time. A typical litter is two to four pups, with up to six being considered normal. Serious health problems are much more likely with larger litters.
As with humans, the bipedal nature of the Charr makes the birthing process a dangerous one for both offspring and mother. According to Charrian custom, saving the litter is more important than saving the mother, although mothers who die during labour are regarded almost as highly as fallen warriors. Each pup will typically weigh between 4lb to 6lb. This small size is necessary for large litters to be birthed as safely as possible, and as with humans it means that Charr pups are essentially helpless for the first year of their life.
Pups will learn to walk on all fours within two years of being born, and they will become adept at bipedal locomotion within four years. Males will grow their first horns and assorted spikes during this same period. Charr pups are particularly aggressive and instinctive, and so have to be controlled extensively by their parents. This animalistic aggression does not begin to fade to manageable levels until they are about 10 years old. Between the age of 0 to 12 Charr grow exponentially, reaching their full-grown size by the age of 13 on average. Because of the massive energy requirements of such rapid growth, Charr pups are particularly ravenous and must be fed large meals numerous times a day. If not properly fed, a pup can turn particularly vicious, and they have even been known to attack other Charr in a desperate search for food.
Charr of both genders will reach sexual maturity when they are about 10 - 14 years old. Males officially become adults when they are 15, when a cultural coming of age ceremony will take place and they will no longer be referred to as 'pups'. Females are officially recognised as adults at the same age, but there is no ceremony to accompany this and their status remains unchanged.
Healthy males have a typical life expectancy of seventy years. Healthy females can be expected to live for as long as a century. Both genders suffer from visible aging effects after roughly fifty years of life; which may include muscular atrophy, greying fur and decreased physical durability.
Although bipedal species primarily, Charr of both genders tend to revert to quadrupedal locomotion in their later years, as their considerable weight begins to exert painful amounts of pressure against their pelvic areas as their bones weaken with age. Females suffer from this less than males because they are not proportioned so unevenly. Males who live longer than their estimated life expectancy, and who can successfully withstand the constant and significant pain and force themselves to remain bipedal in their later years, are revered as honoured elders by younger generations. Males who reach their centennial birthday often earn recognition in the Capitol Building in the form of a portrait and plaque.
Diet
Charr are carnivores, preferring to catch and eat their prey live if at all possible; their bodies are largely incapable of properly digesting vegetation, though they do enjoy fruit. They prefer to consume raw meat over cooked meat, for cultural and practical reasons. It is estimated that Charr can survive for only a week or so without food; due to their large size and significant energy requirements, they cannot survive as long as humans can without food. They can, however, survive slightly longer without water, with some males reportedly lasting for over five days on disastrous hunts in the Crystal Desert.
They maintain hunting as a primary method of food collection in modern times, although not quite with as much dedication as their prehistoric ancestors. Roughly 40% of all Charrian food is obtained by hunting animals, with the rest being taken from domesticated creatures. Hunting is a big part of their culture, and most packs will undergo a ritual hunt together at least once a week, obtaining their food from farms or professional hunters in the meantime.
While the hunt is a large aspect of their culture, the actual consumption of food is not a social experience like it is for other species. Charr prefer to take their portion and eat alone, possibly out of an instinctive fear of other pack members stealing their food. There are no recognised 'mealtimes', they simply eat whenever they are hungry.
