Makuba (Race)

Summary
Makuba are primitive reptilians without legs, instead using their tails as their sole source of locomotion. They are thought of as superstitious and unpredictable by the galactic community.

Overview
Makuba are swift, strong, and inquisitive, but a bit out of their depth in the Federation. They are very new to the galactic community, so they haven't fully adjusted yet. Makuba who chose to leave their home world of the same name are faced with technology far beyond what any of them could have imagined before the first star-runners landed there as well as a general prejudice against such so called prims. Such stress can manifest in several ways, but the two most common are one of resignation, leading to a meek disposition and a desire to avoid attention, or one of defiance, leading to an aggressive disposition and a loathing for, as well as a desire to outperform, the other races of the galaxy. Unfortunately, both approaches serve to reinforce the image of the savage prim.

Culture
Makuban culture is deeply steeped in Mysticism. Without a strong scientific understanding of the world around them, they are forced to turn to the supernatural. Issues of drought, disease, and unfavorable weather are brought before priests to solve, who do so with appeals to ancestor spirits. Their art, music, and even city planning are designed, at least in part, to give praise to these departed guardians. They house their dead, regardless of their status, in large elaborate burial chambers. These tombs are brimming with traps designed not to keep intruders out, but to keep the dead in. Their legends state that with the spirit gone from the body to aid their living families, dark forces can enter the body to cause it to rise again.

Family ties are important to the Makuba. The eldest member of the family traditionally guides the household, and loyalty is to be given to them even over the local sovereign. However, the household head isn't necessarily the eldest. It is sometimes one who has proved themselves to be the most worthy. Those who for whatever reason do not have a family either chose to travel or pledge themselves to the a new family head, usually the local ruler, becoming a member of their family. Occasionally, a Makuba choses to leave their family. This is permissible, though they may find difficulty finding long term employment or housing by themselves.

Physiology
Makuba are cold-blooded reptillians between three and six meters in length. They can live to be one hundred twenty Federation years old. In place of legs, they have a tail that they use to move through a method known as lateral undulation in which the tail alternately pushes in opposite perpendicular directions to their intended path of travel, creating a backward facing wave. This method is most effective on packed sand, as it provides effective traction and can molds with the waves to create full contact points as they move, but rocks, twigs, rivets, or irregularities in soil can also serve a similar function. A modified form of this method is also effective in water. In environments where this is impossible, such as the loose sand at the peak of a dune or a smooth metal floor, they can still move by pushing off with only static portions on the body, thereby minimizing slipping. In environments with no maneuvering room, they may be forced to pull themselves forward with their arms. They can extend their upper body to its limit, grab hold of something, then simultaneously pull forward and pull their tail close to them.

Makuba skin is covered in overlapping scales made of keratin that aid in water retention, but also serving as armor against lacerations or punctures. They are adapted to desert conditions that are harsher than any that can be seen in anywhere else in Federation space. They are capable of comfortably going a month without a meal and a week without water. For a Makuba, these concerns are secondary to heat regulation. With their planet's highly variable temperatures, they must shift between sunbathing and staying in shade.

Those fortunate enough to live in an oasis can utilize their aquatic adaptations to hunt underwater. In addition to an impressive swim speed, they also possess air sacks on their upper chest that allow them to operate for half an hour of vigorous activity. If allowed to remain motionless, they can stay underwater for fourteen hours or more. These twin air sacks resemble the breasts of mammalian member races, so some female Makuba to keep them inflated when dealing with off-worlders in an effort to avoid being misgendered as a result of their comparatively subtle sexual dimorphism. Others use this same method for the sole reason of being able to wear certain off-worlder outfits they enjoy the aesthetic of.