Reyai'ei



A squat, powerfully-built tetrapedal organism, native to the large, high-gravity planet Reyone.

Gravitational biology
Due to Reyone's large mass (about 2.4 times Earth mass) the reyai'ei (as with most other Reyonean animals, of course) is relegated to a life spent with its belly a mere four inches from the ground at average, relaxed height.

Behavior and habitat
A fierce predator, the reyai'ei stalks the semi-arid plains and steppes of Reyone's southern continent, hunting solitarily. Primarily an active predator, preferring to use its muscular legs to hunt down its prey with brute strength and speed--occasionally however choosing to act as ambush predators, lying in wait flat on the ground until an unwitting creature happens within its range, when it leaps up and runs it down. The primary method of killing used by the reyai'ei is via swift strikes to its prey's vital areas with the wicked venomous claws on its forearms. Unfortunately, due to the claws' length and relative slenderness, they are somewhat easily broken, and during struggles with prey are often broken off and left to fester in the wounds of the victim. Fortunately however, the claws can be regrown within about a month. During this time (or occasionally through pure choice) the reyai'ei kills its prey with brutal bites from its powerful "jaws" (actually evolved from highly-developed, vertically-aligned mandibles). Unlike most of Reyone's terrestrial life, a reyai'ei's powerful hind legs allow it to stand bipedally for short periods of time, though due to the rather awkward position of the feet, this particular stance cannot be held for long--nor is bipedal locomotion feasible. A similar height to this bipedal stance can be achieved however by the extension of the reyai'ei's long forelimbs, though, this position cannot be held long either, as it not only raises it to a height whereby it is more visible (and hence less effective as a predator), and is less readily capable of sprinting should prey come within range. The average sprinting speed for an adult reyai'ei is roughly 25 miles per hour, though on sloping terrain, moving downhill, short bipedal dashes aided by Reyone's heightened gravity can allow for brief bursts of up to 40 miles per hour. Though primarily an active hunter, reyai'ei will occasionally resort to scavenging (often in the event of a fractured limb or broken claw), and will sometimes even supplement their diet with vegetation and fungi (though this is most often done for medicinal purposes by a sick or injured individual). As with most terrestrial creatures on Reyone, reyai'ei are technically eyeless, possessing rather than true eyes, two large eye-like organs inside their skulls called "thermoculi": organs which detect infrared radiation in similar fashion to thermal cameras. It is not categorically known as to why land animals on Reyone have never developed eyes, as it has been shown that eyes are a very simple, common thing to evolve. The leading theory as to Reyonean animals' lack of eyes is that Reyone's higher gravity requires that radiation-sensing organs must be correspondingly denser in composition, thus necessitating that they also be held in the cushioned cavity defended within the creature's skull (which is also protected externally by a layer of keratin atop the skin of the head). Having evolved from quasi-arthropodal creatures, reyai'ei (despite their apparent lack of true necessity for them) are equipped with a thick segmented dorsal carapace and a conglomeration of small translucent keratin scutes (the latter of which also flush with the reyai'ei's bright yellowish blood during mating season, serving to attract mates. As with virtually all of Reyone's land animals, the "hairs" sprouting from the reyai'ei's head (actually specialized Reyonean biological structures called "reyonofibres") are in fact whisker-like chemical-sensing organs that allow the reyai'ei to have a sense of smell (compared to other species, reyai'ei have a relatively weak sense of smell).

In Reyonean culture
Reyai'ei have been both feared and respected for millennia by Reyone's sapient inhabitants, the Aq'rey. In Reyonese, the reyai'ei's common name means roughly "princely beast", or "royal beast". In the myths and legends of ancient Reyonean cultures, reyai'ei were often taken as being the mightiest of all animals. The supreme deity of the Reyonean religion, Rey, was often said to take the form of a white reyai'ei upon coming down from the heavenly realm of Reyo'am, or (more rarely), when descending in his divine form, his fiery golden chariot was said to have been drawn by three virgin reyai'ei. One legend from the ancient T'umao civilization of Reyone's far south told of a young female reyai'ei named O'ttil, who dreamed of becoming an Aq'rey, and prayed to the pre-Reyist goddess, Ti'alhs. Her prayer was answered by Ti'alhs appearing in the form of a kekooi, when the goddess promised that though O'ttil could not become an Aq'rey, she should live a long, full life as a reyai'ei, give praises and honors to the gods, spare all of her own kind--reyai'ei--and after her death she would be reborn as an Aq'rey. It is believed by some religious sects that the birth of O'ttafi Hei I'iesi was a fulfillment of this promise (Reyists believe that the ancient deities of pre-Reyist civilizations were in fact spirits created by Rey to curb his loneliness before his creation of the Aq'rey), and that she was in fact the reincarnated O'ttil, chosen for her piety to be able to perform miracles and reform the corrupt Qa'alsu sect. It was believed by some primitive ancient tribes living on the Reyonean plains that a hunter who slew a reyai'ei and wore its skin as clothing would become impervious to harm. Reyai'ei are also sometimes called "Share'kutt", meaning roughly "arm sword", or "blade limb"--referring the the reyai'ei's prominent claws.