Prologue

This is an expanded edition of information about the Dizyntk. The previous version merely supplied details of their bonding practices and the Pledge of Bonding. Since that original post, I have developed more details about their race and background. I have included this updated information. Enjoy.

Dizyntk racial details

The Dizyntk are a race of bi-pedal mammalian sentients whose territory exists Trailing and Rimward from the Terran Protectorate. The Dizyntk Grand Imperium consists of 14 inhabited star systems with six more currently under settlement. The Dizyntk homeworld, Dizyn, lies approx. 120 LY Trailing from Earth. Dizyn is a temperate planet very similar to Earth. It has a slightly cooler overall temperature, as it is slightly further from its star, which is of the same class as the one in the Terran system.

The Dizyntk are descended from a cat-like predator species. The average height, counting the ears, is almost five feet (150 cm) for females and an inch or so taller for males. Average weight is about 100 pounds (45.4 kg) for females with males running about five pounds (2.3 kg) pounds heavier. As can be seen Dizyntk males are not significantly larger than females, nor are they much stronger.

The Dizyntk posses a fine layer of fur over parts of their bodies. On the torso this fur covers the top and back of the shoulders, runs down the spine and runs to the front in strips that follow the ribs. It also covers the back of the neck and upper arms. The legs and lower arms have an even finer layer of fur. The chest, abdominal and facial areas are generally devoid of fur. On the head, their hair grows to about the waist in both genders. This hair can be, and usually is, cut and styled to the preference of the individual. The color of fur and hair is similar to that of humans, with the exception that occasional green and blue hues can be seen in some Dizyntk. The most common colors are brown and auburn. It is fairly common to see swirls of a slightly different color in the fur and hair. This tends to act as a natural camouflage by breaking up the outline of the body. Solid colors are just as common. Stripes and splotching do exist but are quite rare.

The varieties of fur colors were once related to the overall sub-racial group that a particular Dizyntk came from, similar to skin color among humans. The Dizyntk also went through periods of racial strife, just like humans. Over the cyankas, however, this has become less and less of an issue among the Dizyntk. The last remnants of this applied to the Darzen Dizyntk (the rarest of fur colors, black). Even this is pretty much a dead issue now. For the vast majority of the population, a Dizyntk is a Dizyntk.

Dizyntk ears are located on the tops of their heads and are, in appearance and range of movement, similar to those found on Terran felines. The ears are, on average, five inches (12.5 cm) high.

Dizyntk also posses tails of varying length, but the average is about 24 inches (60 cm). While they are able to control the tails to a great degree, they are not prehensile.

Dizyntk hands possess four fingers, one of which is an opposable thumb. All four digits are equipped with retractable claws of between one-half inch (12.5 mm) and one inch (25 mm) in length.

Dizyntk eyes are about 50 percent larger than human eyes and possess vertical pupils. Dizyntk eye color tends to be more vibrant than that found in most humans; emerald green, topaz gold and ruby red just as examples. They also have silver flecking in the iris to varying degrees. Dizyntk possess excellent low light vision.

While Dizyntk are not very good distance runners, they are phenomenal sprinters. A Dizyntk can run for up to 3 miles (5 km) at a decent pace but they will never be as good as humans at any longer distances. At distances of up to 400 meters or so however, Dizyntk can run at speeds of up to forty-five miles per hour (seventy-five Km/h). A speed they can reach within five or six strides.

Dizyntk females are born at a slightly higher rate than males; approximately 120 females to 100 males. Due to the effects of estrus on Dizyntk females, discussed below, this ratio grows more imbalanced by the time Dizyntk reach the average bonding age of Sixteen Cyankas (24 Terran Years).

Dizyntk females generally enter their first estrus cycle at 10 cyankas (15 years), although this does vary a bit by individual. Their cycles last ten to fourteen days and occur once every three months. While most of the effects of estrus on Dizyntk females are generally the same as for most mammalian type species known to Terran science, there is one significant difference. A certain hormone released into the Dizyntk female's system during estrus causes emotional reactions in the brain to be greatly intensified. While their sentience does allow them to control their actions to a large degree, it is not a good idea to irritate or anger a Dizyntk female at these times. Because young Dizyntk are less able to control themselves at these times, however, accidents still occur.

Approximately two-thirds of all deaths among Dizyntk between 10 and 12 cyankas can be attributed to a Dizyntk female in estrus being angered and slashing out with her razor sharp claws. As Dizyntk females are better able to sense when another female is in estrus than males when at this age, the vast majority of these fatalities, almost 90 percent, are young males. These deaths are treated as regrettable accidents by Dizyntk society. As young Dizyntk grow and mature, these incidents become far less frequent. Not only do females learn to better control themselves at these times, but the males also learn how to identify females in estrus and be more careful in dealing with them. Thus by the time most Dizyntk reach thirteen cyankas, while injuries are still commonly inflicted, deaths almost never occur. By this time, however, the ratio of females to males is close to 2 to 1. For this reason, among many others over the millennia, current Dizyntk society has been matriarchal for over 500 cyankas (750 years).

The flip side of this is that these same intensified emotions make Dizyntk females far more open in expressing affection towards those that they care for. This can seem excessive to humans as most Dizyntk have little problem expressing affection in the first place. So if one is in the good graces of a Dizyntk female while she is in estrus, then you can expect her to nuzzle, pet, lick, and kiss on you, even in public. For this reason other Dizyntk take little notice of these things as anything other than signs of affection from a friend and accept them as a normal part of life.

This does not mean that a female in estrus will have sex with just anyone however. Liking someone is one thing, but a Dizyntk will have to have had a desire to have sex with an individual already before her estrus would cause her any problems in this regard.

If she did view an individual as a potential lover before her estrus, however, then she will be far more likely to tell him (or her) when her estrus does start. Usually one can tell if a female in estrus views them as a friend or something more significant by where she is touching and licking.

For friends, touches and licks and kisses are generally done on the arms or chest. Or, in the case of kisses, sometimes on the cheek if the friend is particularly close. However, if the female in question begins touching and caressing ears and the tail, if her licking extends to the neck and ears, if she begins kissing on the lips, then these are definite signs that she is thinking of them as more than just a friend.

Sex and Dizyntk.

Dizyntk are very sexual creatures.

This statement may seem to be an obvious fact, given that Dizyntk are mammalian and reproduce sexually. Perhaps the sentence should be written in this way.

Dizyntk are VERY sexual creatures.

Sex is not just a means of reproduction. Dizyntk, like Humans, view sex as a pleasurable experience. Also like Humans, Dizyntk engage in sexual activity for pure enjoyment even if no reproduction is expected.

The major difference lies in the fact that Dizyntk society sees nothing wrong in having sex with many different partners prior to being bonded. While hugging and nuzzling are common ways to interact with new friends, it is quite unusual for non-bonded Dizyntk who have been friends for some time to not have had sex with one another. Dizyntk view sex as a completely appropriate means of expressing affection for, and strengthening bonds with, a close friend. While Dizyntk who are particularly close will end up becoming bonded with each other most of the time, this is not always the case.

Dizyntk children are traditionally allowed to begin experimenting with kissing and touching with others of their general age (8-10 cyankas) at eight cyankas (12 years). Those who share their first kiss at this age are not necessarily going to end up bonded, although this is the case about 15 percent of the time.

Dizyntk are legally allowed to begin engaging in sexual activity, again only with those of the same age range, in this case ten to twelve cyankas, when they are ten cyankas (15 years). Again it is not always the case that a Dizyntk will end up becoming bonded with the first individual the he or she has sex with but it is fairly likely. In this instance the odds increase to almost 40 percent.

In those instances where the same pair share both their first kiss and their first sexual experience with each other, it is almost certain that they will bond. The odds rising to over 90 percent in this instance.

It should be noted here that while Dizyntk society is basically a feudal one in terms of their governmental structure, there are no social restrictions about those of different social classes having sex, or even bonding, with each other. While some families do steer their children to socializing only with others of their class, there is nothing they can really say about whom said children will eventually bond with. This is because there is absolutely no requirement that a Dizyntk's family approve of, know about or be present at their Bonding Ceremony. For this reason, even if a family has misgivings about a particular bonded mate, they will usually try to make the best of the situation.

As can be seen, Dizyntk culture is very open and supporting of sexual activity. That being said it is a good idea to look at Dizyntk laws regarding things such as sexual abuse and rape. These things are rare in Dizyntk society for a very good reason. In all cases of sexual abuse of children or rape, the offender is executed. The form of execution is not a pleasant one. The offender is taken to a public area set aside for such things, is flogged for up to an hour and then disemboweled. In modern times, this process is usually televised. Needless to say there are no repeat offenders.

For purposes of both legal and cultural standards, a Dizyntk is considered a minor until he or she reaches the age of 10 cyankas (15 years). There is also a "grey area" in Dizyntk age. Between the ages of 10 and 12 cyankas, Dizyntk are no longer children, but neither are they considered fully adults.

As a general rule, it is considered wrong by most Dizyntk for anyone over the age of 12 cyankas to engage in sexual activity with anyone under that age. This is not to say that this does not happen. If it does, however, the family of the younger Dizyntk may request that the local Temple punish the older transgressor. Whether or not they do so depends on a variety of things. This punishment normally consists of being lashed with a whip in a public place. The number of lashes varies depending on several factors, but it is at least four.

Usually, if the Dizyntk in question is not much older than 12 cyankas (i.e. 13 to 15) and has known the younger Dizyntk for some time, the family will not usually have a problem. This is particularly true if the Dizyntk in question is in good standing with the family. Even if he/she is not, the likelihood of the Temple punishing them based on this age discrepancy alone is remote. Some other factor must play into it. If it is believed by the Temple in these cases that the younger Dizyntk was the one who initiated the sexual contact, then punishment is never even considered.

For anyone over 15 cyankas, however, that has sex with someone under 12, there are only a few reasons that would not justify the Temple punishing the older transgressor. In these cases punishment is considered mandatory unless the family of the younger Dizyntk requests that the offender not be punished by the Temple. Even then, the family must usually provide a good reason to the Priestesses deciding the case as to why the individual in question should not be punished.

This all assumes, of course, that said sexual activity is known about by anyone other than the participants.

A good example is the relationship between Feyalisa and Michael.

Michael was considerably older than Feya when they started having sex. Feya was ten and a half cyankas (not quite sixteen years old). Michael was already twenty-six years old (seventeen cyankas). Normally this would have been quite problematic for Michael. There were several mitigating factors in this case working in Michael's favor. First, the two of them were stranded and alone together for quite some time. Second, it was Feya who initiated contact and requested that mating take place; although considering the age discrepancy, it is unlikely the Temple would have regarded this reason alone as a viable excuse. Finally, by the time they were found Feya was already fifteen cyankas and therefore of age to chose her lovers regardless of how much older than her they were.

The fact that they had a child outside of a mating group was also overlooked. Again this was firstly because of the fact that they were stranded and had no access to contraceptive devices. There was also the fact that neither of them realized that their two species could interbreed. Finally, it was the fact that Michael was willing to bond with Feyalisa as soon as the opportunity arose that convinced both her family and the Orders to let any prior transgressions slide.

All of this was discussed by Feya's family in private. They never really saw a good reason to let Michael know about any of this. Feya, being a Dizyntk, knew of course. She just hoped that her grandmother Liracalia, a prominent Priestess in the Orders, would understand and speak on her mate's behalf, which she did. Michael did not understand the trouble he might have been in until several years after he and Feya were bonded.

The Temple of The Goddess

The Dizyntk currently embrace a single religion throughout the entirety of their interstellar Empire. The same can be said about the Humans of the Protectorate but this is not completely accurate. There are actually many religious beliefs in Human space; it is just that only one is the official religion of the Protectorate. All others are suppressed and must be practiced in secret. This is not true of the Dizyntk. While there are some variations in their belief system, the basic religion is the same. Approximately ninety-eight percent of all Dizyntk believe in the teachings of what is known officially as, The Temple of The Most Beloved Winged Goddess of Dizyn. In day to day use it is simply referred to as The Temple.

This is not to say that the Dizyntk have not had their fair share of religious problems. It took almost five hundred cyankas for the Temple of the Goddess to spread from its humble beginnings along the eastern coastal region of the northern continent of Welkrik on Dizyn to nearly the entirety of the planet. It had achieved this almost 100 cyankas prior to the Dizyntk developing space travel. Even after the widespread acceptance of the current beliefs, there were still disagreements of interpretation. Some of these disagreements turned violent. For five hundred cyankas, there have been major wars fought with at least some influence from, or the assistance of, the various religious Orders of the Temple. In some cases, priestesses even fought in battles. They were some of the most ruthless, and most feared, warriors ever seen on a Dizyntk battlefield.

The last instance of this started one hundred twenty cyankas ago. At that time there were five noble houses that controlled Dizyntk space. The Dizyntk inhabited all of the fourteen worlds that are currently in the Imperium. Two of the houses ruled four planets each, one ruled three, one house ruled two and a single planet belonged to the smallest of the houses. A series of attempts by the two largest houses to gain control of all of Dizyntk space led to the bloodiest war in Dizyntk history. Priestesses were a common sight on the battle lines. Half were there for healing purposes and the other half as religious warriors. The war lasted for twenty-four cyankas (36 years). During this time, nearly two billion Dizyntk lost their lives. This constituted over two percent of the population. The heaviest losses came from atrocities committed by the warrior priestesses.

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