The species known as the takmar in Imperial (plural; singular takma) are a species of intelligent dragon that are the most numerous sapients on avishraa and the creators of its most advanced civilizations. As with humans, this gives them no great claim to moral superiority - takmar are as prone to stupidity, hatred, greed, and violence as they are to kindness, love, charity or art. But they are not evil, though individuals may be, and although their standard of living is what one might expect from a medieval society, many of them nonetheless live lives that, by their own standard, are good enough, if imperfect.

• Lifespan: Up to 19 cycles (100 Earth years); 11-12 cycles closer to average
• Average length: Adult females are an average of 3 meters long, nose to tail, with a 5.75 meter wingspan; adult males are an average of 2.5 meters long, with a wingspan of 5 meters
• Average weight: Adult females average 262 kg (225 kg in local gravity) adult males average 150 kg (131kg in local gravity)
• Average physique: Female takmar tend to be more generally muscularly developed than males, except in the chest, where males tend to have more powerful flight muscles
• Body tint, coloring, and marking: Overall body color tend to be found in either a brown-red-yellow range or a purple-blue-green one; females have olive-colored markings on face and back

See also the articles on the takma body and on scales and coloration.

Takmar are large draconiform hexapods. Put another way, they have six limbs; a pair of hindlimbs, used exclusively for walking; a pair of forelimbs, shorter than the hindlimbs, which can be used either for locomotion or for fine manipulation; and a pair of wings, used in either flying or swimming. Each limb has four digits; those on the forepaws form three fingers and an an opposable thumb, those on the hindpaws three toes and a non-vestigial dewclaw, and those on the wing three main spars and a tiny, largely vestigial, thumb. The spars are connected to each other, and to the sides of the body and tail, with a thin web of skin.

The head is of a more or less aerodynamic shape with a long muzzle. The teeth are generally conical, although those toward the rear of the mouth have truncated, almost flattened, points. The nostrils can seal while underwater. The eyes have catlike, slitted pupils, and are usually light in color, typically some shade of blue, gray, or washed-out green. Other colors, such as gold, are possible. Takmar do not have ears, but instead a pair of antennae; long, flexible, backwards-sweeping structures with hollow interiors. The set of the eyes and antennae, and to a lesser extent the mouth, play a major role in takma facial expressions.

See also Body language.

Takmar are capable of either a bipedal or quadrupedal gait on land. The latter, which involves curling the fingers and placing the weight on the knuckles, is more comfortable for both standing and walking/running for any great length of time, but prevents easy manipulation of tools. The former, meanwhile, frees the forepaws for other activities, but bipedal standing and walking places stress on the lower back and results in somewhat more delicate balance. Most takmar resort to a bipedal stance only when they need to reach an additional height, or in situations where a balance needs to be struck between motion and manipulation (as with handling weapons in warfare); if manipulation can be accomplished while remaining still, they will simply sit on their hindquarters. Because of their higher center of gravity, males generally find the bipedal stance more difficult to enter and maintain than females do.

The takma neck is only slightly longer, proportionally speaking, than a human neck. It is more flexible, but far more so toward the chest and the sides than toward the back; when quadrupedal, the head can be tilted up, but cannot lift very far above the trunk of the body without experiencing neck pain. Getting a better view may involve lifting off one's forepaws temporarily.

Takmar frequently have trouble reaching their own backs. The neck is not long or flexible enough to twist the mouth around to reach, nor can the forelimbs rotate backward far enough to reach anything but the far upper and lower back. The wing-thumb can be use to clumsily scratch the upper back, but this is frequently not considered satisfying; the tail is prehensile, but has relatively poor motor control. Grooming by other takmar, therefore, is often an important part of social bonding.

In Avishraan gravity, which is slightly over 86% that of Earth's, healthy, fit, adult takmar are capable of flight, but will become rapidly exhausted if carrying more than a small amount of weight. Females' larger size and proportionally smaller wings mean that they tend to be weaker fliers, and a pregnant or overweight female is generally unable to safely take to the air.

See also Senses.

The takma senses are broadly comparable to those of humans, at least to the extent that they would be able to detect many of the same stimuli. That said, their visual and auditory ranges are not identical, and the takma sense of small is somewhat poorer.

Takmar also have a sense that is absent in humans: the ability to directly perceive emotions and feelings from other beings, referred to as the empathic sense. This is not unique to takmar among Avishraan species; several related species possess it, and different manifestations of the same sense have arisen independently many times throughout the evolutionary history of the world.

The closest living relatives of the takmar are a species referred to in brightness imperial as the xtauh, from whom they began to diverge some eighteen thousand cycles ago. Though neither of them recognize the relationship, they remain genetically compatible enough that interbreeding is occasionally possible, though extremely risky. These two species are together classified as the takmins.

The ancestors of the takmins diverged some 74 thousand cycles ago from those of the dvidalins, a mostly bipedal clade. The third known sapient species, the orghysh, are dvidalins, though there are also a number of non-sapient dvidalins scattered throughout sekhaa; the arboreal sikirin are among those most well-known to takmar of the Tangle.

Takmar have a much higher variability in skin color than humans do, even within the same population, and it is relatively common for children to be a different color from either parent (see Scales and coloration for details). The physical races that make up the takma species, therefore, tend to be defined based on other factors, though some colors are more common for some than for others.

There are, broadly speaking, three major racial types. The first two, which can be grouped together as the lowland races, are more closely related to each other than to the highland race.

• Lowland: Larger and heavier than highland takmar. They have longer muzzles and narrower heads and bodies, and have a higher proportion of colors in the green-blue-purple spectrum.
  • Riparian: Relatively blunt muzzles and powerful jaws, and a somewhat more defined physique. Most prevalent in the inland portions of the Cerulean Tangle and adjacent territories.
  • Littoral: Straight, fairly pointed muzzles, and even with healthy and moderate eating tend to have a slightly 'soft' appearance due to deposits of body fat. They are found along the shorelines of the Cerulean Tangle, and are the dominant race beginning on the Abethine Coast and west from there.
• Highland: Smaller and lighter than lowland takmar. They have shorter, blunter muzzles and wider heads and chests, and a generally bulkier appearance than lowland takmar. They have a higher proportion of colors in the brown-red-yellow spectrum. They are the dominant race in the highlands on either side of the Spine of Sirdanth.

As with human races, the boundaries between them are not distinct and there are many areas where considerable mixture has occurred. This is especially true with takma settlements in the brightness, whose founding colonists tended to be an even mix of riparian and highland takmar whose descendants are a fairly thorough blend of both.

There is also a fourth group, whose biological status is somewhat unusual - it is clearly heritable and clearly has physical markers, but since members of the group also inherit racial characteristics independently of this, its identity as a race is debatable. This group is variously called the Chosen, or - less charitably - 'witches', and is distinguished from other takmar by far smaller size, far longer lifespan, and by the possession of innate magic. Their specific traits are addressed in their article.

See also Reproduction.

In terms of sexual behavior, neither males nor females are much inclined toward monogamy. Socially, however, most takma societies are polyandrous, with a female having one or more mates who care for her children.

The female is able to exercise considerable control over both the timing and the choice of sperm used in conception; while she personally knows who fathered a given clutch of eggs, there are few perceptible indicators to anyone else. Even physical resemblance to the biological father may be obscured, since the way that colors and color patterns are inherited makes it possible for a child to have a color different from either parent.

A clutch will generally consist of between one and three eggs; more are possible, but rare.

A takma is considered extremely lucky to live to half a hexatrigesimal - 18 cycles (97 Earth years). While this is certainly possible with a good diet and medical care, it should be noted that most takmar do not get much of the latter and many of them get neither, and so it is no surprise that a more reasonable life expectancy is more like 11 or 12 cycles (60-65 years) even for the fortunate. The main exception to this is the case of the Chosen, who are both more naturally long-lived and often have access to magical healing from lifegivers (see Magic).

Life expectancy generally increases or decreases with prosperity, although the relationship is somewhat less linear to status and gender; middle-ranking females almost always live longer than males of the same class, but both lower- and higher-ranking females tend to live only as long, or slightly less than, males of the same status. This is related to reproductive and social stress at both ends of the spectrum: lower-status females have to cope with the demands of superiors and must often care for families in situations with little spare food and no medical care; higher-status females must strive to prevent their relative status from sinking below that of rivals, and are under high pressure to bear children.

Takmar have the ability to engage in unihemispheric sleep: the ability of one half of the brain to be asleep while the other is awake. While in this state, takmar are able to watch and perceive their surroundings, to fly, to walk across easy terrain requiring minimal steering or care, to do repetitive tasks requiring little or no thought, and to engage in very basic communication - limited to psionic exchange of feelings and very simple verbal statements. However, they are not capable of solving (even mildly) complex problems, doing work requiring concentration, engaging in detailed conversation, or (in the case of Chosen) using innate magic. Should the need to react to a situation arise, they can do so relatively quickly by waking fully.

Because the equivalent of a full day on Avishraa, the turn, lasts 54.75 Earth days, day and night last for far longer than they do on Earth. No remotely advanced brain can remain fully active for such a length of time; each hemisphere of the brain must be rested regularly, and on average (in adults) strongly adverse symptoms of sleep deprivation occur after approximately 36 hours. Therefore takma sleep/wake patterns do not correspond to the day/night cycle, though this is not to say that their behavior remains constant throughout.

Takmar tend to be most active, and most likely to have both halves of the brain awake, during daylight hours, but also more likely to engage in full-brain sleep. The particular times at which sleep is more likely varies and is determined by poorly-understood factors, but it is natural for different segments of takma societies to fall fully asleep in roughly synchronized “shifts”. If daylight activity permits, sufficient use of unihemispherical “naps” may allow an individual to delay full-brain sleep for significant stretches. At night, takmar are more likely to spend time with one half or another of their brain asleep, waking it up as needed to perform more complex tasks. This means that although civilization demands that some things, at least, cannot be put off till daylight, takma societies tend to become more quiet and somewhat less social at night.

Takmar are for the most part restricted to the continent of sekhaa. Despite their affinity for water, they fear being on or in water that is too deep or too far from land, and although some cultures have overcome this to engage in seagoing travel, it is only in recent cycles that these cultures have begun to discover other continents.

Takmar are not, biologically speaking, as adaptable to climate as humans are. They require an overall warmer temperature range, and are most comfortable around 25 to 35 degrees C; they also require far more moisture, and need to remain in an environment that has either high humidity or sizable bodies of water available to immerse in. This means that their highest population densities are found amid tropical rainforests, marshes, and swamps. Being a sapient species, technology has allowed the range of the species to be extended into colder climes: fire, fur clothes, and well-insulated housing all contribute to survival. That said, very few takmar dare to live in climates much colder than those considered temperate on Earth.

As for water itself, takma settlement in arid climates, such as the desert known as the brightness, clings to rivers and oases; if large amounts of water cannot at least be transported constantly and reliably to a location, they cannot live there for more than a short time. Therefore, takma settlement depends strongly on either the presence of sufficient quantities of both bathing and drinking water or the ability to accumulate them, which in less rainy environments than they are used to can restrict them to living near riverbanks and shorelines. Traveling between these habitable areas involves either firm control of oases or the establishment and supply of artificial watering holes (or both), usually at significant expense.

Lately, the development of glyphic teleportation has allowed the colonization of other worlds, though so far this has only been done on an individual basis; no significant takma populations have been established off of Avishraa.

Takmar are not as numerous as human beings. Their technological level supports a less dense population; their size and feeding habits likewise; and they have not spread across as nearly a large portion of the planet, being restricted mostly to the continent of Sekhaa and its immediate surrounds. The total population of the species is probably somewhere in the region of 75 million.

Takmar are somewhat less K-selected than humans, being prone to produce more offspring, though this is at least partly a function of the extreme (2:1) disparity in the sex ration between males and females.

See also Diet and agriculture.

Takmar have a strong preference for the taste of meat and other savory foods, and they cannot process plant foods with large amounts of cellulose, such as leaves and stems. That said, they are facultative carnivores, and where meat is not plentiful enough, are capable of subsisting on other kinds of plant foods, such as fruits, tubers, and grains.

Having a fairly delicate sense of taste, takmar have been as inventive as humans in the use of herbs, spices, and sauces to flavor their food, either to enhance good flavors or disguise bad ones.

Ironically, their empathic ability means that takmar often have a more difficult time bonding with animals than humans do. Their ability has an evolutionary history as a hunting tool rather than as a social one; takmar use it to detect and track prey, while generally shielding their own emotions from each others' empathy.

Therefore, empathically felt emotions and feelings do not instinctively elicit sympathy - they can even be a nuisance or disruptive - and takmar are more likely to see it as a point of difference from animals than one of similarity, though a few species may be exceptions. Since very young children also have difficulty shielding their emotions, animals with a similar emotional “profile” can be perceived in the same way, though these are relatively few. As a result, takmar generally keep and domesticate animals for food or for work rather than companionship.

Work animals are not uncommon, though they are generally small and used in treadmills to power small or simple machines (similar to the turnspit dog). Some species can be trained to bear loads, but there are few species native to the rainforest that are as large as the most popular pack and draft animals on Earth; most species used for this purpose are no bigger than large dogs or Shetland ponies, and can bear or pull only limited loads. For heavy burdens, it is often more economical for takmar to be hitched to a cart and pull it themselves. For similar reasons, as well as their size and shape, takmar do not have riding animals.

See also Behaviors.

While takmar, like humans, have a wide variety of practices based in culture and religion, there are many that rest ultimately in the sociobiology of the species. The possession of the empathic sense, prehistoric territorial instincts and reproductive strategies - factors like these continue to have effects on present-day societies.

Courtship generally involves the male giving gifts to a female with whom he feels there might be mutual interest (the female may have already confirmed this through indirect means, depending on how eager she is to proceed). How a gift is received depends on the female's social and martial status, her personal preferences, and the values of her culture, and the male may take some time to learn the best gifts, assuming he is able to provide them (the female may, if she is quite interested, take pains to 'steer' the male toward the right items). It is understood, however, that as long as the female continues to accept the gifts, she is demonstrating that she is not displeased by the male's attentions.

After an appropriate amount of time, which is highly variable between cultures, the female will generally “propose” by inviting him to live with her. This may or may not be preceded by a meeting with the female's existing mates, if she has them, to determine how the new male will get along with the other males.

One of the few persistent threads in takma naming traditions is a near-universal preference for names indicating bloodline and lineage - if they exist - being passed down through female descent. Males are usually considered by females to keep their mother's lineage at least until marriage, but those that have left their mother's household frequently adopt an informal additional name indicating affiliation with a band they have joined, or expressing affection for a favorite father, or based on some other personal criterion. Whether their lineage changes upon marriage varies by culture.

Across many takma cultures, there is an expectation of females to be strong and assertive, to defend what's theirs, to push ahead, and to not be pushed over - pillars of strength and endurance, doers of deeds. Fertility is also generally an important part of the female image, and someone of childbearing age who either does not or cannot bear children has a diminished status in the eyes of her peers, while having many children is interpreted positively.

Males are generally expected to be loyal, obedient to his supervising females, and nurturing toward children. Still frequently, though somewhat less so, is an expectation of resourcefulness in a clever sort of way, a talent for finding creative solutions.

Females are generally held to have authority over a household, both mates and children. Though there are rare situations where females may “share” a mate, it is far more usual for a female to have one or more males, especially if she is a high-status female in her community.

The labor required to keep a household running is distributed depending on the size and wealth of the household, but generally the female, and such males as can be spared, go out and catch food or earn income, while at least one male remains at home to perform domestic duties, such as rearing children, home crafts and light repairs, and so on.

Nearly every takma culture requires its members to suppress their emotions and feelings from empathic detection in public. This does not hinder them from experiencing feelings, or in showing them through facial expressions or body language, but failure to shield is by itself seen as unacceptably primal, almost animalistic behavior; it generates a response not unlike that of human cultures toward public nudity, and is similar in that it is permissible in private toward those one is intimate with - and also, sometimes, by very small, primitive societies.

Takmar are by nature inclined to polyandry - the practice of one female having more than one male mate - and, because there are many more males than females, the practice is frequent. But in nearly all takma cultures, there is a resistance by females to the idea of identifying, either in private or in public, the paternity of any given child, although their method of reproduction means that the female usually knows it perfectly well. While there are times when the biological father of a child can be identified by observers, it is considered a gross breach of propriety to attempt to have the mother confirm it, or even to mention one's speculations in her presence. It is an even grosser breach of propriety for the female to actually volunteer the information, whether asked or not.

This taboo is so universal among takma societies that it can be classified as a manifestation of the species' evolutionary psychology, especially since it is one shared with the xtauh, the species most closely related to the takmar.

While some takma cultures remain at the neolithic level, the majority of the species resides in areas where somewhat more advancement has taken hold. The most advanced cultures can be roughly compared to the early High Middle Ages in Europe or the late Tang Dynasty in China.

The Earthly analogies have begun to break down, however, with the discovery of enchanting. Though still not widely known or trusted among the takmar, its overwhelming usefulness is starting to transform the societies it touches. However, the xtauh adopted it first and faster, and it remains to be seen whether how this affects their competition with the takmar.

See also Relations.

The attitude of most takmar toward other sapient species tends to vary between dismissive and genocidal. The most numerous and technologically advanced species on Avishraa, takmar have relatively little reason to feel impressed by either the xtauh or the orghysh, and are inclined to push them out of land that they feel could be put to better use.