Altan

Other names:Homo Procerus

Category: Hominids

The Altan (Homo Procerus) are slender, tall and rangy hominids with a diminished appearance, they are arrogant, intelligent and expansionist and creative minded.
They are one of the three dominant species in Terminus and their population is mainly found in the Altan Empire which is considered the strongest and most extensive empire, they can also be found in the multiple independent factions adjacent or opposed to the empire.

Anatomy

The Altan are one of the three surviving hominid species today. They are the slimmest in appearance and the second tallest with an average height of 1.90cm for males and 1.80cm for females. They have highly developed senses, allowing them to detect smells, sounds and subtle movements that other hominids could not even notice. Their most characteristic feature are their elongated ears. The spine of an adult Altan has 40 vertebrae and so are very flexible, with this ability and in addition to having small clavicles allows them a flexibility superior to that of their cousins.
Originally native to the cooler, more temperate parts of the Terminus, their bodies are not adapted to the high temperatures of the vast deserts where most commercial activity takes place, so they must wear light clothing to cover themselves from the heat, as well as other practices such as performing labor at night or using the help of other species more adapted to the heat to perform the heavier work. The increasing nocturnal habits that the altan population has to practice in the warmer zones has provoked an important change in their behavior, making them mostly nocturnal.
An additional ability they possess is to be able to enter a state of lethargy so as not to drink or feed for weeks at a time.

Society

The Altan are social and structured, they also are more open to coexist with other Terminus species mainly for their own benefit. The Altan are known to accept nomadic populations of other creatures and in exchange for total obedience they can be under their care in their territory, this is known as the Subordination Agreement. Imperial Altan live decently as far as they can fit into the uncertainty of life in Terminus, as it is inevitable to meet an end at the hands of an enemy, a horrible beast or working in the mines, a common desert labor.