Tever
Pictauris acuminata
Introduction
Tever are elven, in a word, with pointed ears, facial markings and a lifestyle traditionally based around territories and ambushes.
Playing as a tever will suit players who want a simple kit with a distinct culture: proud and self-possessed, but still keen to prove themselves. It will also be great for anyone who wants to be an elf, a hunter, a tracker, or all three.
In-Game Description
Tevers are descended from mesothermic ambush predators. They possess distinctively long and pointed ears, which act as heat sinks – by diffusing heat through the ears, the tever’s actual body becomes less obvious to thermally sensitive prey. The bright patterns on their faces and limbs evolved as a threat display and are often accentuated or altered with tattoos and/or scarification.
Their ancestors were strict carnivores; modern tever are able to synthesize the necessary compounds they would otherwise only get from the meat of their prey. Tever are reliant on their diets to regulate their body heat, as hot foods (such as fresh prey) and drinks raise their core temperature to replace heat lost through the head and ears. Slow-release MRE packs alleviate the need for tever to hunt and eat continuously, as was once necessary.
Alliance probes initially missed the tever, due to a combination of inclement storms and a cultural tendency towards concealment. The first crew to land on their homeworld were swiftly captured and held to ransom, in exchange for the advanced technology of the Alliance.
Introductory diplomatic incidents aside, the tever have long been in good standing within the Alliance. An independent outlook leads tever to take pride in what they do, while their territorial streak lends itself to fiercely protecting their allies and associates.
Roleplay Notes
Tever spent much of their history as isolated hunters, and many of them retain an instinctual anxiety around ensuring where their next meal is coming from. Is your tever stubbornly self-reliant, or keen to bring everyone they like into their “pack”?
Costume Brief
Requirements
Tever have pointed ears, which can be phys-repped with prosthetic elf ears of any length – these may also hang down instead of jutting out. Tever also have bright patterns on their skin, often accentuating their bone structure; these patterns can be created with face paint and makeup and should be consistent between events!
Avoid
Don’t cover your whole face with patterns – a few lines and shapes along the brow, cheekbone or jaw will do just fine, and keeping it simple will make it easier to replicate it consistently.
Additions
• Multiple tips on the ear
• Geometric tattoos merging with the natural patterns on their skin.
• Fangs or pointed teeth
Variant: Scora Tever
There are many tever who practice cosmetic scarification, resulting in an intense “masked” appearance. This tradition is called scora, and can be represented through makeup, ridge prosthetics ridges and bumps, small flesh tone “mermaid” style elf ears, or wound makeup (provided it is applied in a way that appears to be both deliberate and healed). There is no gameplay difference between tever who practice scora and those who do not.