Fading Halo:Pyjel

Name: Pyjel
Nicknames/Aliases: Fins, sharks, grunts
Creator: iwantpie

Physical Description

The Pyjel are a stocky race of bipeds, generally of similar height to humans though typically of a heavier build with dense layers of muscle. The males' skin tone ranges from mustard yellow through amber and ochre to burned caramel and is touch like leather. Hairless, they have anywhere from one to six fins on their heads running from forehead down to the base of the skill. These fins are made of light bone and many Pyjel have them tattooed or coloured for distinctiveness. Their eyes are deepset, small and suspicious and they have two sets of tiny sharp teeth in their mouth and strong, clawed hands. Pyjel are not an academic people and their intelligence tends to peak lower than most other intelligent races in the galaxy. That is not to say they're stupid though and many have met their end underestimating the perception and cunning of a Pyjel opponent. The Pyjel are naturally a subterranean race and are easily dazzled by bright lights so tend to wear visors or the like to protect their eyes. Their squat bodies and clawed hands are designed for digging through sand and loose rocks.

Female Pyjel are similar to those already described but tend to be smaller and less heavy-set with quicker minds and hands. As far as the Pyjel have inventors and scientists they are almost exclusively female.

Home World

Neykenar II is desert planet with little remarkable about it. Days are long and hot, nights short and cold. Though it does have seasons there is little to mark the difference between any of them and rain is rare with Pyjel cities generally being built deep underground for easy access to water stored beneath the surface of their world.

Society

The Pyjel are a territorial, combative race that war constantly with one another. They possess a degree of genetic memory; each newborn Pyjel comes into the world with memories inherited from its ancestors as part of its DNA. As a result they hold grudges a long time and it is not at all uncommon for two Pyjel to come to blows over actions taken by their grandfathers or even great-grandfathers. As a race they put a lot of stock on strength of arms and honesty, liking a fair fight and disapproving of sneaking about and underhanded tactics. Ironically, many off-world Pyjel have become smugglers, criminals and thieves though. Whilst this is at least partially due to their combat prowess, there has also been the odd suggestion that being away from their homeworlds causes a hormonal imbalance in Pyjel that affects their psychological wellbeing, making them more likely to lose their sense of moral perspective. This has yet to be conclusively proved however, mostly because no Pyjel has ever submitted to any tests.

Needless to say, the Pyjel's bickering and in-fighting has led to their inability to meet the Silfa Accords and they are denied the use of mass relays. Scientifically they are somewhat stunted as well, relying on tech and research salvaged, traded or stolen from other cultures. As a consequence, Pyjel tend to be found alone or in pairs out on the galaxy and almost always in the company of alien races.

Interactions With Other Races

Pyjel encountered outside their home system tend to be mercenaries, soldiers, pilots or criminals who work for personal gain and have a reputation for being amoral and confusing right and wrong. This isn't true of all of them, though the longer they are away from their homeworld, the more it does become so. Some Pyjel take regular trips home to keep their hormones in balance and a project has recently started on Pyjel to look further into this hormonal imbalance as some are getting concerned about the poor reputation their race has.