Iko
| Iko | |
| |
| Domain | Ko |
|---|---|
| Classification | Mammal |
| Lifespan | 150+ Years |
| Height (average) | 290cm (male) 275cm (female) |
| Weight (average) | 200kg (male) 175kg (female) |
The Iko are a large, bipedal omnivorous mammal species native to the planet of Envire. They are the native species of the Kingdom of Nh'Koseni. They are proud, intelligent, quick and strong, and strongly attached to their traditions and their culture. Iko are renowned for their beautiful and abstract art, and more so for their warriors, who are known to be among the toughest, quickest and most ferocious in the galaxy. The word Iko means "Ko's First" in Rehl.
Unlike the other species in the galaxy, Iko does not come in many colours. There are only two known subspecies of the Iko: Southern Iko, whom come from the colder areas deep down in the southern hemisphere and have grey skin. The other is Northern Iko, whom have light blue skin and come from the more tropical areas of the northern and central southern hemisphere. All Iko have light blue or light purple eyes. Like Humans, and unlike other species, Iko have hair that always grow in a mohawk-like mane that goes down to the shoulders. Known hair colours are black, brown, blonde, and silver. They also have a long, muscular tail with a brush-like growth of hair on the tip. The hair on the tail always have the same colour as the hair on their head. Should the Iko in question be bald on their head, the tail will still have a brush. This tail can be used not only to help the Iko keep balance, but also has the potential to be used as a strong whip to keep off any attackers.
Iko have double-bent legs, with two kneecaps in each, making them excellent runners since their legs work as springs, allowing them to put more strength into each stride. They also have a higher density of muscle fibres than all other species, making them naturally stronger than all except the Haká. This also allows them to use their legs to let them jump far higher than any normal Human could, and also gives them superior agility. Iko blood is bright blue and is also thinner than that of all other species, making it easy to recognize, and also gives the insides of their mouths as well as the webbing between their five fingers and their four toes a peculiar bright blue tone. It is currently unknown why Iko blood is blue, as it does not contain copper, like the blue blood of Kerackians do, but contain iron, similar to Humans. Their blood is thin, though, because of the very high levels of oxygen present on Envire, which has allowed the Iko to grow so large.
This brings a downside to the species, however, as Iko require high levels of oxygen in order to use their muscles to their full limit, and get exhausted exceptionally quickly if this need of oxygen is denied. This complicates both colonization and fighting on other worlds. The local flora on Iko colonies must often be scaled up tremendously in order to supply the colonists with enough oxygen, and sometimes flora from Envire must be introduced into the local ecosystem. This is a lengthy process, however, and colonists are often troubled with constant exhaustion, and there are many cases of infants not developing their brain correctly due to lack of oxygen. When it comes to off-world fighting, soldiers must typically carry small oxygen tanks with them, with a built-in recycler to prevent it from running out, and must also have constant access to adrenaline that is pumped into their carotid arteries, should the oxygen tank not suffice.
