Ketsuki

[Dina Doo]

Ketsuki
Ket-soo-key

_{Region of Origin:} Unknown

Basic Biology:
The physical appearance of ketsuki varies. Their hair color and eye color can be any color, including unnatural tones but ketsuki generally do not like to stand out in a crowd. It is in their nature to blend in in order to properly feed. Their skin tone is generally pale as they do not and cannot spend time under the sun. Ketsuki canines, top and bottom, are sharper and more pronounced than a normal humanoid’s canines, appearing as fangs, length generally varying between ketsuki. In physical appearance, a ketsuki will appear quite young despite their age if they feed constantly. Others appear to age if they do not feed as much.

Ketsuki are not born with an immediate attraction to blood or weakness towards the sun. Juvenile ketsuki eat normal food, still having the ability to taste food and they can walk in the sun's light with no ill effect. When they become adolescents, around the ages of 12-16, they begin to 'Awaken.' In this stage, young ketsuki are at their weakest as they begin to lose their sense of taste, developing their affinity for blood that they will feed on for the rest of their lives. And it is then that they are no longer able to enjoy the warmth of the sun without it harming them.

A juvenile ketsuki’s fangs begin to grow during this ‘Awakening’ stage. Like an infant whose teeth begin to come in, a young ketsuki is sent through another stage of teething. If, later in their life, their fangs break or are removed, new fangs take up to three to six weeks to grow back, sending the ketsuki through another period of teething. The teenage hormonal phase also lasts up to two to three decades longer than a normal human’s.

Their anatomy structure is very similar to a human’s. Before a ketsuki Awakens, eating food is their primary source of nutrients, which means their digestive system is still used. After a ketsuki Awakens, their digestive system is no longer needed but still used to digest food if a ketsuki chooses to eat. The primary organs of the ketsuki are the lungs, the heart, the urinary tract, and the liver. While nutrients from feeding on blood are absorbed into the body, the liver serves the purpose of filtering out harmful substances of the blood and the substances the body does not need are sent down to the kidneys, then to the urinary tract. Ketsuki saliva is another important aspect of their anatomy. Like a vampire bat’s saliva, a ketsuki’s saliva can be used to stop bleeding of various wounds. It is coveted in the medical field as its healing properties can save lives. Their legs are also stronger than a normal humans, giving them the ability to jump higher distances and jump from greater heights without hurting themselves.

Ketsuki are a hardy race. Not only are they capable of living for nearly a century, but they are sturdy as well. Wounds that would normally kill a human may greatly injure a ketsuki but they are still capable of surviving. Bleeding to death and long exposure to the sun are the easiest ways to kill a ketsuki. When it comes to diseases, they are as susceptible to common colds and flus as any other race. However, their bodies are immune to transferable blood diseases such as AIDS or HIV. They are susceptible to sepsis, which is the poisoning of the blood.

Male and female ketsuki have virtually the same anatomy save for the distinguishing differences such as the standard male sex organs and the female sex organs.

_Lifespan: 1897-2027^YRS

General Behavior:
Ketsukis are generally a political, organized race. They have a tendency to interact with their own race, though inter-racial interactions are not uncommon. Instinctively, they have been known to be more cautious of other races, especially after the recent genocide attempt that set out to exterminate their kind.

Usual Habitat:
The general habitat for ketsukis would be in smaller towns, living in houses on the outskirts of the town or houses completely hidden in forests and other such terrain. Staying hidden is key but not hidden to the point where they are completely isolated from society.

Aliment:
They do not go around sucking random people's blood. Every ketsuki has a certain affinity for an emotion and are drawn to said emotion. An example would be love. If a person feels strong love, the ketsuki with this affinity will be attracted to the victim. Upon sucking their prey's blood, they simply rob them of the feelings they were attracted to. The loss of the certain emotion is not permanent and it is likely that the effects will wear off in a matter of days or a week.

Basic Social Structure:
The ketsuki race is led by a leader and said leader is in charge of managing problems within the race such as class struggles and financial disputes. Below the leader are the head of each noble house who participate actively in meetings, give their input, and report to the leader the current events within the race. Below the higher nobles are the lesser nobles, and below them is everyone else.

Family Life/Gender Roles:
Like all good societies, there was once a time when women were second-class. Except, now women are seen as equal. The second-class wasn't as nearly as bad as it was in older societies, so the only difference when women finally gained full rights is that if they wanted they could try and become ketsuki leader and that they could make a political change. Some of the older (really old) ketsuki might still have the belief of this second-class system.

Family life usually doesn't happen till later in a ketsuki's life, seeing as they are still seen as children till they reach to about 500. But, until recently, more and more ketsuki are settling down early and having children at a much younger age.

Procreation:
There is no special way in which the race is created other than the basic union of a male and female. Hybrids of this race are entirely possible and can inherit traits from their ketsuki parent, though how much depends on how dominant the traits are. Sometimes the ketsuki hybrid feeds on blood completely, sometimes they only need blood only once in a while. Sometimes the sun bothers them and sometimes not at all. The abilities of a ketsuki are also affected in the case of a hybrid. Again, it all depends on which genes are the most dominant.

Childbirth and Childcare:
Like a normal human, ketsuki women are pregnant with a child for nine months and generally experience the same symptoms during this time. The childbirth process is generally the same as well, though it can be just as dangerous as a normal human birth as bleeding to death can cause the mother to die, even the child.

Since Ketsuki children are basically humans when they Awaken, ketsuki have to adjust their life style to taking care of something that eats and will often have to stay up later in the day, or try to have the child sleep during the day. Children stay with their parents for as long as they please. In earlier societies, it was expected of children to remain with their parents so that they may one day become head of the family. In recent times, the age at which a ketsuki leaves home is becoming younger and younger.

Magic and Abilities:
While they lack normal magic like other races, they do have their own unique magic. Ketsuki possess the ability to erase the memories of others, mostly the memories of when their victim is bitten. The stronger the ketsuki, the stronger the ability is, yet if their victim has enough will power, they can fight it. They also possess the ability to control bats, they can see and hear through the bat they control. Some other powers have been known to have great senses that can identify anything such as a smell or sound or even the magic of the person close by. They have a strong sense of smell when it comes to blood.

Legends and Folklore:
(To be completed)

History:
The exact origin of the ketsuki is unknown but less friendly legends of the race say that the ketsuki spawn from (blah blah blah.) The early decades of the ketsuki were chaotic and disorganized. As more and more ketsuki were Awakening, the young members of the race were unable to control their instincts, causing several fatalities when they tried feeding. Soon, they were hunted and sought out, as people feared them, calling them evil for thriving on the blood of others. Ketsuki were forced into hiding after that, forever remaining cautious and in the shadows. To prevent more unnecessary deaths, it became a tradition for an already Awakened ketsuki to take a juvenile ketsuki under their wing and teach them how to feed properly to avoid more problems with the other races.

After living centuries in confused disorganization, one noble man decided that it was time to unite the race. For four hundred years, Nicholas Forester ruled as the ketsuki leader and during this time, the position was compared to a king. After four hundred years, some ketsuki decided that they didn't like the new system and sought to remove the leader. After wiping out the Forester family, the race once again fell into disorganization until Clyde Tudor took control and led the race. It was during this time that frictions between the classes spawned; the poor suffered more and more and the rich continued to live prosperous lives. Only recently was Clyde knocked out of power and Kenneth McCarther took over.