Rebeyr

The Rebeyr (//, singular also "Rebeyr") were a sentient reptilian species native to Sair in the.

Biology and appearance
Rebeyr were snakelike in appearance. Their torsos flowed into long, tail-like trunks which were at least the same length as from the ground to their heads, if not longer. This tail served as their primary means of locomotion; Rebeyr would contract their tails, then push forward to slither along the ground. Their tails were very powerful, and the Rebeyr could balance on small portions of their trunks briefly to use their tails as whips. Strikes from a Rebeyr tail could be strong enough to break a humanoid's leg. The body of a Rebeyr was covered in tough scales; they did not secrete any mucus to aid their movement, but their hardened lower bodies were impervious to most physical injury from traveling over nearly any terrain. This quality also made them difficult to injure with melee weapons or non-energy projectiles.

Rebeyr had two tentacles instead of arms. These tentacles could be used as whips too, but they also had sufficient dexterity to manipulate tools or poke objects with their tips. Most Rebeyr had enough strength in their tentacles to lift light objects, though their tentacles lacked the defined bone structure needed for heavy lifting; the bones of their arms were essentially the same as those of their tails, built for agility and speed but not lifting strength. When in need of fast movement, Rebeyr could lie flat on the ground, slithering forward and using their tentacles to drag their bodies, which built up more momentum. However, this was considered impolite out of a battle or sporting context.

The Rebeyr had mouths with two rows of uneven, sharp teeth, and tongues which they used to "smell" their surroundings. Their torsos flowed into their heads with little in the way of neck, and they had only slight chins. They were hairless, though males had crests on their heads which extended down to their backs. Rebeyr were carnivores.

Rebeyr mated for years at a time, but usually not for life. Females, which were larger than males, laid eggs in clutches of two to five at a time, though only one was possible and the record was thirteen. Baby Rebeyr hatched after half a year of incubation, and grew to physical maturity over twenty standard years.

Rebeyr younglings shed their skin roughly once a year, sometimes more during growth spurts. Mature Rebeyr shed their skin much more rarely, usually not more than once every five years.

Society and culture
Prior to the arrival of the Golden Empire (and to some extent even after), Rebeyr religious practices were centered around belief in the Sacred Flower of Hyssylia, a primordial cosmic entity. Some Rebeyr were appointed priests of the Sacred Flower, and provided religious services to their communities, including blessings and annointing leaders.

Rebeyr society was warlike, with tribes fighting over food supplies, territory, resources, or even communal grudges. The traditional weapon of the Rebeyr was the hevressp, a type of flail worn on one or both tentacles and used to slash others. However, the Rebeyr also developed complicated siege engines and ballistae to avoid melee combat. Rebeyr societies were usually led by a council of elders, from which one was appointed as the military leader.

Rebeyr communities appointed a midwife to oversee the incubation of their eggs. Rebeyr eggs were encased in specially blessed mud, then kept properly warm until they hatched. Large communities sometimes had multiple midwives; the largest had multiple nurseries. As time went on, the nurseries came to double as schools, and midwives took on the role of teachers too.

The Rebeyr preferred warm environments, and the vast majority of activities which could be done outside were. The buildings which did exist usually had sunroofs and many windows, except nurseries and treasuries, which were usually burrowed underground.

The Rebeyr could speak many languages if taught, though they had markedly sibilant voices, but their native tongue was called Shyessk.

History
Biologists debated the evolution of the Rebeyr. Some believed that they had evolved from traditional snakes, sprouting their tentacle arms somewhere along the chain. Others posited that the Rebeyr had been amphibious reptiles and that their fins had transitioned to limbs during the evolution to a land-dwelling form.

In any event, early Rebeyr civilization was centered around family units, with most clan members being biological relatives, however distant. Over time, communities and villages developed, usually located around water resources or areas with ample prey. Eventually the Rebeyr developed agriculture; though carnivores themselves, they used the plants they grew to attract and domesticate prey animals, which in turn provided ample food. This development also spurred numerous wars for Sair's arable land.

Most Rebeyr societies were forged by violence, with stronger tribes conquering weaker ones and incorporating survivors. By the first century after the, Sair had been grouped into seven loose confederations of tribes, though loyalty remained to smaller, internal divisions rather than to the overarching confederation, and civil war was as common as external war.

In 96 ABY, Rin Sakaros led the Golden Empire to Sair. Her forces were initially attacked by reactionary Rebeyr armies, but the Rebeyr rethought their approach when their strongest forces were butchered by the Empire's technologically superior army. Rin herself openly fought the Rebeyr along with her brother Tariun and her apprentice Keltrayu, and all three consequently won a great deal of respect from the natives. The leaders of the seven confederations (including two hastily appointed to replace those Rin had killed in battle) agreed to pledge their people to the Empire.

Rin appointed a Consul to administer the entire world, but she let the confederations maintain their independence from one another to keep the peace. Sair was initially a flashpoint of inter-tribal conflict, requiring regular visits from Rin or her agents, but eventually the continual influx of high technology served to distract the Rebeyr from perpetual warfare.

In the galaxy
The Rebeyr were viewed with some apprehension by other sentients in the Golden Empire, but they were a curious and inquisitive people, and many ventured off their homeworld to explore the broader galaxy. Though their physiology disqualified them from service in the Royal Army, a significant number of Rebeyr joined the Royal Navy instead.

In the first half century of its membership in the Empire, Sair produced a single Centurion of the Order of Keltrayu, Tillandra Moraes, the Order's only. Captain Salin Tesshir was a Rebeyr officer of the Royal Navy who commanded Breek Zagrev's flagship, the Valkyrie.