Physiology[]
The Koth are a sentient Reptilian/Humanoid species from the far reaches of the Beta Quadrant, with both reptilian and mammal like features. They are bi-pedal, walk upright, and have two arms. They have a keen sense of smell (very large nostrils on all) and a ferocious appetite. They prefer to feast on live prey (including other sentient species), sometimes feeding on it immediately, sometimes storing 'food' in stasis chambers for later consumption. Koth require hibernation for several months during a cycle (2 1/2 years), though they are not all on the same time schedule. Their young hatch from soft shelled eggs, grouped together in numbers of 2 - 12, depending on the kind.
There are three basic kinds of Koth:
- Khunuri: Basically the workers. They are small, normally about 3-4 feet tall, with greenish brown to greenish blue reptilian-like skin, bit eyes, big nostrils, and big pointy ears (imagine an overgrown Gremlin). Their comparably large mouth sports several rows of very sharp teeth. They have three fingers and three toes with thick sharp nails on each. Usually, the Khunuri hang in groups of 'hatchlings', which consists of about 6 - 12 individuals. They are lightning quick and attack in such groups, jumping all over their victim in no apparent pattern, as they rip flesh from it. Due to their enormous ears, they have a heightened sense of hearing. Appr. 50 % of the Koth species are Khunuri.
- Kszebi: These are the thinkers. They are usually between 5 and 6 feet tall, with deep to dark green reptilian-like skin that sports black spots along the back and a fluffy furry patch (usually white or grayish) on their chest to stomach area. Their eyes and ears are almost as big as the Khunuri's but look small compared to their whole body size. They have four fingers and toes, with no obvious claw like nails. Their heads are bigger than the Khunuri's, with almost Ferengi-like skull features, giving them the intellectual edge of the species. Positions of responsibility in the society and on ships are held by the Kszebi. Although, at first glance they don't seem as threatening as the Khunuri, they do have the same type of teeth and bare them when defending themselves (most of the attacking and hunting is done by the Khunuri). They usually hang out in groups of 2 - 3 individuals, and defend themselves by working together like a team. Appr. 20 % of the Koth species are Kszebi.
- Korumak: The guards. Very tall, easily more than 7 feet, broad shouldered and chested, they also sports bat-like wings. Unlike the others, their hide is more mammal-like, but tough. Usually medium to dark brown with a light fur cover all over and more pronounced hair on the chest and on top of the skull. Their eyes and ears are quite a bit smaller than the Khunuri's, and appear very tiny compared to their overall body size. They are enormously strong, though not very swift, unless in the air. Their aerobatic skills are awe-inspiring. If one wants to face the Korumak and have a chance, one needs to catch them on the ground, where they are less agile. Just like their brethren, they have a keen sense of smell, though their hearing and vision lacks, they do have something similar to echolocation (like bats). They also have sharp fangs and a powerful bite. Once they have a hold of their victim, they will not easily let go of it. They have four toes and three fingers with sharp claws. Most Korumak appear in groups of 3 - 5 individuals and are a deadly force to content with, making up for their lack of agility with bulk and brutal strength. Appr. 30 % of the Koth species are Korumak.
Science and Technology[]
There is little known about how developed the Koth truly are. They seem rather animal like, and yet they do have space-faring capability and have conquered many species in the expansion of their territory. Although their colonizing and hibernation facilities appear to be very advanced, only the Kszebi seem to be able to truly operate the technology they have created.
Society and Culture[]
Koth society consists of the groups of Khunuri, Kszebi, and Korumak that live in hive-like facilities off and on their homeworld. On the average, there are only 1 % females in existence in the whole of Koth society, all others are genderless, though seem to appear male-like, aside from the King, who is actually male. Hives are huge facilities, build largely underground, with about 20 % of the structure above ground. Temperatures and humidity levels inside the hives are kept very high for human standards. The Koth engage in conquest (largely eating their way through enemies), expansion, mining, and fabrication of more technology to facilitate their growth. The location of the Koth homeworld is unknown at this time, which makes it hard to truly judge the species' expansion rate.
Not much is known about the Koth's Government, aside from parts of their rulership.
King and Queens:
The King is a large individual Koth (only one born in every hatchling generation), almost the size of a Korumak but looks more like a Kszebi, who rules the species from a central point on their homeworld (location unknown as of yet). Every King has to content against the next newborn King and fight to the death for rulership. Sometimes the reigning King will win, sometimes not. The King has control of a harem of Queens, who are spread out in different hives all over the Koth's still expanding territory and who's main task is to lay eggs to facilitate the growth of the species. Once a new King is put in place, each Queen will receive his 'sperm' for future hatchlings (does not require him to visit her). The Queen stores the seed in a special pocket on her abdomen and applies it to the newly laid eggs. The 'sperm' will keep fresh in the pocket for half a cycle before she requires a deposit of new seed.
History[]
There is no data on Koth history available. As of yet, no one has been able to talk to them about it, nor were able to tap into their database to find out anything about their past.