“Synthetics of the Slums, it is time to end the age of prejudice! We cannot allow ourselves to be mistreated any longer! I, alongside Fel and General Ryze, have decided to begin the process of creating a republic between The Slums and New Valhalla City! Untold benefits lie with the union of two races on this man-made haven known as Valhalla.”

Vinton Degon

-6/30/2016, Moments before his assassination

 

Ski'tal in Valhalla live in self-inflicted segregation within The Slums, scant parts of New Valhalla City, and even smaller parts of Elias' Hope. This segregation is to keep Valhallan Purists and Ant-Ski'tal aggression as low as possible amongst the detractors, even when surveys reveal that this group is a vocal minority in Valhalla.

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Sects

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Ski'tal are born into Sects; essentially the closest human equivalent is ethnicity, yet this is still an inaccurate description. Sects are schools of thought that each Ski'tal are encouraged to remain in upon birth.

• Ski'tal born into the Lis'kuum Sect are taught nurture, compassion, selflessness, and acceptance. They are pushed to pursue roles such as nurses, teachers, and care-givers.

• Ski'tal born into the Na'skut Sect are taught valor, endurance, candor, and loyalty. They are pushed to pursue roles such as warriors/soldiers, emergency response/law enforcement, and construction.

• Ski'tal born into the Hak'tuul Sect are taught brevity, inquisition, deduction, and exploration. They are pushed to pursue roles such as politicians, scientists, and engineers.

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Deviations from these Sects are highly discouraged, as is breeding between the Sects. The Sects do not play a significant role in the physicality of Ski'tal, but the breeding stigmatization keeps certain physical traits within certain Sects.

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Cross-breeding of Sects is frowned upon because it is seen as placing too many expectations on the child, making the child dull in all traits rather than sharp and exceptional in a few. Cross-breeding is such a social transgression that the Ski'tal have made a derogatory term for the children of this mingling: Jelgut ("child of slime/bile". Similar to the term "Mutt", "Half-breed", or "Mongrel").

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Breeding

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There are two methods of Ski'tal breeding; sexual and asexual. Sexual breeding is preferred, but asexual breeding is still supported. There are certain benefits and drawbacks to both methods:

• Sexual breeding leads to genetically diverse children but takes longer to produce offspring. Sexually bred children also look more unique than their asexually bred counterparts.

• Asexual breeding leads to a larger litter of fast-growing children; ideal for bolstering an army or raising the population to avoid a mass extinction event. However, asexual breeding will always yield "drones"; Ski'tal that are not nearly as genetically diverse and gifted as sexually bred children. While some Ski'tal in the Lis'kuum Sect have the ability to asexually breed, a breeding facility is needed to asexually breed Ski'tal to create litters capable of reinforcing an army.

 

Xenopolgists have studied the Ski'tal and have deduced that there are certain "rules" to Ski'tal breeding:

• Drones that sexually breed with each other make more drones.

• The only way for a drone to produce a child that is not a drone is to breed with a Ski'tal that is from a bloodline that was never asexually bred.

• A DNA sample is required to asexually breed with a breeding facility.

• Cross-breeding between Sects can produce "odd" traits in children.

• Traits outside of typical Sect traits in a conventionally bred Ski'tal are rare, but not impossible.

 

There are certain traits in Ski'tal that are not tied to a specific Sect and are incredibly rare. These include:

• Amphibious respiratory systems

• Regenerative systems

• Redundant/backup organs

• Flight

• Modular nervous system

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Hypothesis

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Given these "rules" and circumstances, most, if not all xenoplogoists have come to the conclusion that there was/is a caste system in place within the Ski'tal empire. There were Ski'tal ancestors that shaped the empire; the sexually bred children are most likely direct descendants of these Ski'tal ancestors. Once artificial asexual reproduction was perfected, drones were created as a lower caste.

 

Due to the lack of structure amongst the Ski'tal on Earth, this caste system has all but been dissolved. 

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Daily Life

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Ski'tal are omnivorous lifeforms. However, there are certain foods on Earth that the Ski'tal cannot eat:

• Beef/steak/lamb

• Pork

• Corn

• Citrus

• Wheat/gluten

• Tree nuts

An anaphylactic reaction is not a concern if any of these foods are consumed by Ski'tal, but one should expect dizziness, nausea, delusions, loss of balance, flu-like symptoms, vomiting, or upset stomach.

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An incorrect assumption many make is that the Ski'tal can consume chemicals and substances made for vehicles and other technology. While the Ski'tal are techno-organic, the same consequences that humans suffer from consuming these items also affect the Ski'tal.

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Ski'tal, especially under the Lis'kuum Sect, enjoy gardening. A trait of some Ski'tal is the ability to produce seeds that are not native to Earth. The seeds produce crops that are amino-friendly to Ski'tal. Extensive testing is still being done to conclude whether or not these plants are safe for human consumption.

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Ski'tal seem to have a passionate and fiendish infatuation with seafood. Many Ski'tal enjoy foods like sardines, sushi, and tuna.

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Due to Ski'tal physiology, foods like chicken, shrimp, fish, and squid can be eaten raw with little to no preparation. This is only for emergency survival purposes, as eating like this too often can affect the Ski'tal immune system in the long term.

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The Ski'tal are techno-organic and highly advanced but have one major drawback: the Ski'tal age 1.5 times faster than humans. Ski'tal realize in their adolescence how fast they are aging in comparison to their human counterparts. This leads to a "rush phase" of a Ski'tal's life where they hastily try to accomplish as many of their goals as possible. This usually affects Ski'tal between the ages of 15-18 human years (22.5-27 Ski'tal years).

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(For Clarity, ~8 Earth months equal one Ski'tal year.)

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Sexuality

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Ski'tal sexuality is quite strict. Same-sex relationships are viewed with disappointment, not due to any societal hatred or prejudice, but because there is no utility to a same-sex romance. Breeding comes before emotion and romance in Ski'tal culture.

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Even though breeding and romance are viewed as utilitarian in Ski'tal culture, Ski'tal are passionate in their relationships. They tend to love hard and fast. To the Ski'tal, love and breeding equal success; the continuation of their lineage is hardwired into their psychology to be dopamine-releasing. Unlike humans, who can find satisfaction in a life without love or children, Ski'tal absolutely cannot.

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The unforeseen death of a lover can be absolutely devastating to a Ski'tal. Ski'tal can become obsessive, depressed, violent, volatile, or any combination of these dispositions.

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