Week 3 Lecture: The Chitara

“Welcome, students, to another weekend lecture on the Seven Felinoid Races of Rowwwl. Now, I'll admit that your Professor has something of a sore head this morning... the staff-party may have got a little bit rowdy last night! I suspect that opening that second bottle of Plutonian raki was probably a mistake – as was introducing young Captain McGuire to the Ritual of Unwelcomed Entry...

*waves* Hey Chris, I'm glad to see that you're able to sit down again!... Full reconstruction, you say?... Well, I'm sure that your lawyer can tell me more about it in that pesky little Professional Misconduct Tribunal next week!

Anyway, enough about my social life. Today we'll be looking at the second of our Felinoid Races – the Chitara. 

Biology: 

Although the Chitara are popularly regarded as the most clearly 'cat-like' of the Seven Races, they actually present an interesting example of convergent evolution with canids. This is most visibly evident in the Chitara's unusually long snout and limbs, and their disproportionate chest-waist ratio. It is most behaviourally evident in their hunting practices (which I will address later).

Chitara have, indeed, evolved almost exclusively for the Hunt: with powerful claws and teeth, relatively small footpads, and slender, sinewy limbs that allow them to achieve speeds of up to 119 km/hr over short distances. Able to switch easily between bipedal and quadrupedal locomotion, the Chitara have long since lost their once large, straight tails. The males of the species has compensated for this loss with a lengthy penile shaft  - useful for balance while tacking at speed (and for waving away insects from both themselves and their mates). The females have adapted with unusually dynamic breasts, which they move back and forth whilst running to achieve a 'ballast-effect'.

As a side note regarding Chitara breasts, you will undoubtedly have observed the female's extraordinarily large nipples. These are each capable of suckling two Chitara-cubs at a time... yes, Captain Dirheim? Well obviously other species would also be able to suck... Oh. I see. Moving on!

Society: The Chitara are a savage race, with no significant technology and little in the way of established social structure. Typically pair-bonders, a couple will lay claim to a large, exclusive hunting territory of between 50 and 100 sq km. They inhabit the sand-flats and deserts of the southern plains of Rowwwl, sleeping under the stars and deeming clothing as unnecessary due to their richly coloured pelts and the warm climate.

Chitara life revolves around the Hunt –  their constant predation upon the other species of the plains. Their main prey are the big, lumbering herds of rowperbeasts which migrate annually between waterholes, and the swift little gatolizards which populate the sandrushes. However, the Chitara are happy to hunt and eat any species which steps into their territory - including other sentient races and fellow Chitara.

Chitara males are more naturally gregarious than the females, and are largely responsible for initiating social interactions with other couples. This requires entering another pairing's territory – a risky enterprise which involves days of elaborate cat-and-mouse evasion and 'flirtation' (primarily dance and ostentatious nonchalance). The intruding male will then display his hunting abilities to the couple, leaving the untouched kill as a Tribute to signal his good intent.

If the territorial couple prove receptive to the intruder's Tribute, he will be invited to join them in devouring the kill. Eating and sex are indivisibly entwined in Chitara psychology (to the extent that they are articulated by the same word – Garall - literally meaning 'Fuck-Eat'). Thus, an invitation to share the carcass entitles the intruder to mount the couple as much as he wishes while they feast... and be mounted in turn! This - often lengthy - threesome will last until the bones have been picked clean.

Citizenship:

Chitara, as a Lesser Race, play little role within the Union. Their hard-coded inability to either 'play nice' or share territory means that few have ever been conscripted into SpaceCorps. Indeed, most experiments with Chitara recruitment have resulted in rather unfortunate outcomes. 

Yes, Captain mark94?... Um, I won't go into details considering my queasiness today, but enclosing a Garall-crazed super-predator in an airtight vessel filled with people proved... messy.

Please ask any questions you may have about the Chitara below. Next week, we'll be taking a look at the third of Rowwwl's Seven Races – the Avavexi!”