Ite
Ite is a genus of intelligent, humanoid mammals. It consists of 2 species and 4 main races and 4 mixed races.
Anatomy
Ite are very similar to humans, sharing the same bipedal movement, general body build, omnivorous diet, and most of the internal organs. However, there are some crucial differences.
- Ite have grayscale skin, ranging anywhere from pure white or pitch black. Non-grayscale coloration is generally associated with mutations, cosmetic alterations, or medical conditions.
- Ite have black blood. Non-grayscale blood coloration is considered an indicator of being cursed. Cursed individuals are commonly called the damned.
- Instead of more human-like ears, ite possess external ear flaps akin to that of sea lions.
- Ite is a fully hermaphroditic genus, being able to produce both male and female cells and hormones.
- Ite have longer lifespans in comparison to humans, averaging around 150 years.
- Ite have slightly better and faster regeneration in comparison to humans.
- Generally, ite have a height and weight range similar to humans, although taller individuals (> 190cm) are not as uncommon, especially in those with Riftborn lineage.
Species and races
As mentioned previously, there are 2 existing species of ite.
- Surfaceborn (VꞱɅI, utai, lit. "upper") are individuals born outside the Rift. They are the original members of the genus that were sent to the Rift, and are susceptible to all curses.
- Riftborn (IレɅI, igai, lit. "lower") are descendants of surfaceborn ite that settled within the Rift. Over generations they have developed minor adaptations to specific layers, as well as the complete immunity to the curse of their native layer.
Surfaceborn and riftborn are not a hereditary species in the traditional sense. An individual's species is determined by the species of the carrying parent ("mother") and the location of their birth. As a result, a true hybrid between the two species is impossible. Every individual is born as either a surfaceborn or a riftborn.
The following outcomes are possible:
| Carrying parent | Location | Offspring |
|---|---|---|
| Surfaceborn | Surface | Surfaceborn |
| Surfaceborn | Rift | Riftborn |
| Riftborn | Surface | Damned Surfaceborn |
| Riftborn | Rift | Riftborn |
Races
In both species, the following races are possible:
| Race traits | Race name in English | Race name in native language | Literal translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horns | Horned | Sarvite; ᛇɅᛚWIꞱ≡ | Horned person |
| Tail | Tailed | Hikuite; NIꞰVIꞱ≡ | Tailed person |
| Wings | Winged | Alaite; ɅꞀɅIꞱ≡ | Winged person |
| None | Blank | Datarite; ΔɅꞱɅᛚIꞱ≡ | Blank person |
| Horns and a tail | Mixed (horn-tailed or tail-horned) | Sarv-hikuite or hiku-sarvite; ᛇɅᛚW-NIꞰVIꞱ≡ or NIꞰV-ᛇɅᛚWIꞱ≡ | Horn-tail person or tail-horn person |
| Tail and wings | Mixed (tail-winged or wing-tailed) | Hiku-alaite or ala-hikuite; NIꞰV-ɅꞀɅIꞱ≡ or ɅꞀɅ-NIꞰVIꞱ≡ | Tail-wing person or wing-tail person |
| Wings and horns | Mixed (wing-horned or horn-winged) | Ala-sarvite or sarv-alaite; ɅꞀɅ-ᛇɅᛚWIꞱ≡ or ᛇɅᛚW-ɅꞀɅIꞱ≡ | Wing-horned person or horn-winged person |
| Horns, wings and a tail | Mixed (triple mixed) | Lahaite; ꞀɅNɅIꞱ≡ | Everything person |
Curse inheritance
The presence of a damned individual within a lineage introduces the possibility of inheriting the curse. Usually, curses are acquired through triggering the Rift's environment (see curses to understand how it's triggered) rather than inheriting it. However, descendants of damned individuals possess a heightened risk of being born with one. The probability of inheritance increases significantly when one parent is damned, and becomes nearly certain when both parents are damned. The exact type and severity of an inherited curse may vary. If both of the parents have different types or severities of the curses, the offspring may inherit both, although it's not as common. With normal parents and distant damned relatives within a lineage, the risk is much less severe.
Reproduction and gender
A little warning beforehand! This section includes non-sexual descriptions of reproductive organs and processes.
Because all members of the genus are hermaphroditic, ite don't have sexual dimorphism of any kind. The external structure of their reproductive system resembles female genitalia, with the clitoris acting as a pseudo-penis, as ite have no external male reproductive organs. Any individual may be a carrying ("mother") or giving ("father") parent, as ite cycle between producing either male or female cells and hormones over different periods. For the same reason, ite don't menstruate, and any individual may lactate.
Traditional concepts of sex and gender also don't exist within the culture of ite. Physical traits that are usually associated with masculinity or femininity are viewed as individual characteristics rather than distinct social categories. The physical characteristics are usually determined by early development of hormones, hence why some individuals may lean heavily into masculine or feminine appearance, or be somewhere in-between, yet function the same way when it comes to reproduction.
Trivia
- Due to originally being Roblox OCs, some characters still have loose traits left from the Roblox period. Most notable of these traits is the facial crest.
- Most of the characters with facial crests belong to Merenq.
- The grayscale skin of ite came due to a coincidence from the same period. All of the early characters were unintentionally made with grayscale skin, and the authors decided to keep it.
- Lore-wise, datarite originally were a genetic mutation, but appeared often enough to be considered a separate race.
- Datarite were actually made due to Zolo, as Merenq designed him without any distinct traits and didn't feel like giving any afterwards.
- Ite were made to be a hermaphroditic genus due to Merenq's "simple non-binary urge to have no genders".
- Judging by the characters, sarvite is the most common race, while datarite is the least common one. There are no currently existing characters of hiku-alaite or lahaite race.
- If the authors had to pick a race for themselves, Merenq would be a sarv-hikuite, and aquaticVirtue would be an alaite.