Coraxi

The Coraxi /kɔ.ra.ksi/ are a species native to \(\mathbb{F}_{2}\) credited for their support immediately after The Great Split. That they existed was unknown before the War of Patrons, during which their species re-emerged. The majority of the population now live in Boundary's Edge, Western \(\mathbb{F}_{2}\), though a growing number have moved to major cities, notably Santarri.

Once an arboreal species, the Coraxi were augmented by Pakaru in order to help the new species (the Coraxi group term for Humans, Orcs, and Snow Elves) survive. Their integral support was the catalyst for the foundations of our society. Then, save for a brief window of peace, we fashioned tools to hunt them. We sought war, then their extinction, then we let their legacy fade.

During the War of Patrons, Naira, the Chimæra was unearthed and later fought alongside Airve Snowblood. The two evacuated the Coraxi into our present, reappearing on the 16th of Ilubya, 6225, from which point the displaced species began to rebuild.

Many who come here will be looking to understand a creature they have only fleetingly encountered. If you do fear this unknown, we implore you to read further. This information has been graciously volunteered by Coraxi students, who face daily a society that accommodates them through ignorance; learn what has shaped them, for you will find warmth in their company.

Biology

An unaware passer-by will assume the Coraxi are cervine, but their anatomy is notably distinct. Most visible are their bipedal conformation, minor limbs, talons, and their mandibles and plates.

An average Cora stands at 190–250 cm [6'2"–8'2"] tall. Their bodies are almost fully covered in fur, which is longest around the shoulders, muzzle, and upper leg regions, whilst their minor limbs and lower legs have none. Most notably, their faces have long, flat muzzles which curve into their rounded browbone and extruded mandibles, creating a recession for their eyes. Their ears protrude backwards with a slight outer tilt by the end—both to maximise hearing range and to avoid their antlers.

The colour of Coraxi fur was vital to their survival. Their markings resemble tree bark, which helps for them to blend into their environment; this is further aided by their antlers, which break up their silhouette and allude to branches. As such, the specific markings, colours, and antler patterns changed regionally to fit in with the local trees.

Bipedalism

Even before their Augmentation, the Coraxi were bipedal. Their legs are digitigrade, though with extended flexibility that allows both sections of their legs to rest comfortably in parallel. This extra manoeuvrability is vital for their ambush hunting, as they may jump very far with little run up.

Unlike other mammals, the Coraxi have talons that provide an excellent grip to tree bark. With two toes at the front and back, they can walk comfortably along branches and flat ground—though it takes time to develop endurance for flat terrain.

Major and Minor Limbs

The biggest distinction between the new species and the Coraxi is in their secondary set of arms, known as the minor limbs, commonly called their claws. Traditionally, the Coraxi relied on their claws for hunting and fighting. Their major shoulders, like humans, lie just under their neck, while the minor shoulders are just under the lower ribs.

Their minor arms are extremely optimised for piercing. The shoulder and upper minor arm are relatively thicker than the forearms, but also soft; in contrast, their lower portion is covered in a thick chitin typically darker in shade than the rest of the body. These limbs, while weak to lateral stress, can support landings with a direct local impact.

Their major arms are much more humanoid. They have a strong grip with larger muscles than humans in the upper arm, which help with traversing the canopy. Their hands have four digits, like an Orc, but with the two central fingers larger than the smaller outer thumbs. Instead of a nail, they have small, hooked claws.

Pakaru’s Augmentation

Immediately after The Great Split, Pakaru enlisted the Coraxi for support; it augmented their species in the process. This process—never observed—gave them their sentience, their height, and their strength. Now suitable for search and rescue, they also became strong enough to defend themselves on the woodland floor.

With only anecdotal data, it’s unclear what truly happened to the species. Considering Pakaru has disappeared since the Unbinding, we may never know.

Plating

Coraxi have chitinous plates covering their torso, with kite-shaped intrusions and extrusions allowing interlinking. When a Cora falls asleep, they typically round their back, which lets these plates form a cohesive plane. Their mandibles and lower minor limbs are made of the same chitin, often a deep purple colour.

Nutrition

The Coraxi are omnivorous with an incredibly varied diet. They hunt through ambush, leaping off of branches, piercing their prey, then climbing back up. Their tolerance for foraged goods is unrivalled: they feat on delicacies like tulips flowers, young shoots and, occasionally, bark. They tend to eat more than the new species, but many have survived on less, given their history.

Aging

Coraxi children are born incredibly small, and in litters ranging from 1–4. They grow very slowly in their infancy, until the critical age of about 10. From this point onwards, their development is catalysed—their feet roughen, their antlers begin to grow, and their cognition accelerates. A Cora is considered almost fully developed five years later, with their more durable set of plates the last to develop.

Society

Traditionally, the Coraxi were separated into two creeds: the tribal Coraxi settled on the ground and adopted a more collaborative lifestyle, whereas the territorial Coraxi focused on individuality, seeking to defend their forestry from the new species. In contrast, the Coraxi of the modern era seek to rebuild what they lost during their extinction. They have reclaimed and regrown their old forestry areas—known as Boundary's Edge—where they have built a hybrid tribal and territorial society in the trees.

Few chose to leave as their population resettled, but this pattern is shifting. An increasing number of young Coraxi travel to new species cities, most often to study. Santarri is a popular destination due to its history with Naira, the Chimæra; consequently, the city is more accepting of the Coraxi than other areas like Noriin. Surprisingly, some have also travelled to London on an exchange programme.

Education

Coraxi children enter school significantly later than other species due to their different development periods. Before the age of 10, fawns are home schooled primarily to help with motor function and independence. Boundary’s Edge has focused more on schools that mirror secondary education, so that the next generations can integrate better in \(\mathbb{F}_{2}\). Their current programme has six years before graduating, at which point many choose to supplement their education in other settlements.

One aspect of this integration is language lessons. Like with their development, Coraxi begin language acquisition significantly later than other species. Humans may distinguish between vowel sounds even before birth, but the Coraxi only start perception months into infancy, with no theories on why yet. Nevertheless, Boundary’s Edge has successfully pushed for bilingual education and, alongside other languages, is an early adopter of London English education.

Macrodesire

The Coraxi were very early adopters of Irrealis, having formed Mutability soon after the Unbinding. Their acquisition of the power so quickly after returning surprised some, scaring others, but their treatment of it and reaction to it has differed greatly from other first introductions. While perhaps unfair to compare London’s introduction to Macrodesire with the Coraxi’s, the latter has adopted it as their own, seeking independence, whereas the former refuses to engage with it.

In fact, this sentiment displays a very prominent trait of the Coraxi: they are, above all, defensive creatures. They do not want violence or conquest, but peace and independence, as all of us do. They are resourceful, with a perspective that contrasts our own significantly; in that space between us lies the spark on animosity, further catalysed by ignorance.

Lack of Information

The very nature of their re-emergence, as well as a history defined by obligation, servitude, and war, has left the Coraxi in a unique position. While we had the cultural inertia of whatever life preceded The Great Split, the Coraxi have matured so rapidly into a culture of instability. We may know only so much about what and who they are, but we have the luxury of physical difference; in their lived experience, where there is no contrast, what do they know of themselves?

The questions that remain with us now may be answered in weeks, months, or years. We don’t understand their language faculty, we don’t know how their cognition differs, nor what their augmentation changed. Their unique developmental period will undoubtedly present them with a novel school system, and perhaps their art will reflect new perspectives of the self that we have never considered. It will take time for them to adjust. Let us not judge their species so quickly on the unknowns, nor try to fill in the gaps with our own knowledge; we must respect them and their terms, as they will ours.

History

Undergoing rewrite.

On the 16th of Ilubya, 6225, Airve re-emerged with the renewed Coraxi: lost, scared, yet optimistic. Initially staying in camps in the Northeastern Peaks, they eventually relocated to Boundary's Edge after the war.