# Context

Hi there! **Project** ***KARYA*** is a sci-fintasy setting in the works, in which, as I describe, "various iconic tropes found in fantasy and folklore/mythoi are viewed through the lens of science fiction"; the worldbuilding project intends to fully theorize "realistic" ways in which a variety of things, from organisms to magic and more, could exist. Today, we'll be taking a look at how each species of sophont (an organism with human-like cognition or greater) roughly compares to each other, with a quick silhouette size comparison.

What are traditionally treated as "races" in fantasy settings such as *Lord of the Rings*, *Dungeons & Dragons*, and more are, instead, separate species in **Project KARYA**, largely to avoid the problematic pseudoscience behind and associated with the former. Each species may possess a rather "humanoid" appearance, however - outside of humans - they each possess a common ancestor outside of the genus *Homo*. Despite being inspired by some fantasy races, Karya's sophont species possess some variations that may cause some to consider them wholly different.

1. Aurans - Karya's "elves" - share a common ancestor with modern felids. Their long ears are capable of a wide range of movement, lending to expression of emotion in place of multiple facial cues. There are four digits on each hand and foot, ending in nigh claw-like nails; these, along with rather prominent, sharp canines, aid to the hypercarnivorous nature of aurans. While most cultures do not actively condone the hunting of other sophont species, they are more than capable of consuming other sophonts with the ease as a human may process and eat a cow or chicken, though this is often accompanied with certain rituals. Much like their felid cousins, aurans treat some plants in the genus *Nepeta* as an aphrodisiac and they also occasionally experience sudden, intense desires to expend physical energy.
2. Cetans - Karya's "merfolk" - share a common ancestor with the only other cetacean on Karya, orcas, in the form of *Pakicetus karyaensis*. Unlike their flippered relatives, the front limbs on cetans retained their digits and evolved to be manipulators, helping the species to craft tools and structures from their underwater environments. Some cultures are nomadic and roam in clans throughout the Pankaryic Ocean; the vast majority, though, reside in permanent settlements along coastlines, often no more than fifteen feet or so below the water's surface (with some notable exceptions after the advent of industrial glass production in early history). They do engage in both trade and piracy of terrestrial sophonts, and some have occasionally been hired by explorers to act as guides through uncharted/difficult-to-navigate waters.
3. Corvans - Karya's "crowfolk" - evolved from an animal extremely similar to Earth's *Microraptor*. They possess a beak lined with small teeth, and their three-fingered hands have become adept at manipulating objects at the expense of losing the ability to fly with their arms. Corvans are adept runners, however, and their feathers do allow for a mild lift to slow their descents from high elevations. Their coloration typically stays within ranges of black and white as modern crows, ravens, and magpies possess.
4. Dracans - Karya's "dragonfolk" - evolved from an animal extremely similar to Earth's *Dimorphodon*. They possess an interesting mix of both scales and fine, hair-like feathers akin to those on a kiwi bird. The former is typically limited to concentrated patches around the face/muzzle, hands, and feet; the latter, while usually short (<2 cm), they can sometimes elongate along the spine to form a kind of "mane", and a few mutations allow for "head feathers" to become quite prominent in both size and color.
5. Gigans, minans, and humans - Karya's "giants", "dwarves", and "humans", respectively - all evolved from an australopithicine ancestor, much like humans on Earth. Gigans are facultatively bipedal, being able to walk on their rear limbs for short periods but otherwise mostly traversing on all four limbs; they typically live in colder environments or in higher elevations. Minans evolved in a cold desert slightly warmer than Earth's Gobi, and retained dense hair that otherwise reduced or disappeared for humans and gigans, partly to insulate against the cold but also to protect against the biting sands from sandstorms; the thick facial hair they develop is often considered a sign of beauty in many cultures' women. Humans...everyone knows what a human is.
6. Griseans - Karya's "orcs" - share a common ancestor with orangutans, which unfortunately are extinct on Karya. Despite their large fang-like tusks, akin to an *oni* from Japanese folklore, and massive builds, they are just as gentle or violent as a human can be, and actually engage in less warfare than humans. While bipedal, griseans are also quite adept climbers, second only to gibbons; many cultures in Karya's tropics have adopted the custom of forming arboreal communities. Much like flanges of orangutans, mature griseans can sometimes develop growths on their faces, which, due to being rather cartilagenous, are often mistaken for bony horns or spikes.
7. Papillans - Karya's "mothfolk" - share a common ancestor with true moths and butterflies, being most closely related to jawed moths. Unique to them among other insects is the presence of organs analagous to lungs, allowing for greater oxygen-carbon dioxide exchange. Their foremost and middle set of limbs end in clamp-like digits; the unequal sizes of the limb sets and their hands allows for an equal range of manipulation as the single, multi-fingered hands of other sophonts.
8. Squamans - Karya's "reptilefolk" - share a common ancestor with both lizards and snakes. Much like the latter, squamans exhibit quite the dimorphism between morphs, which generally follows a male-female split. However, reproductive organs are not necessarily tied to body morph, resulting in very unique stances on gender in many squaman cultures.
9. Ungulans - Karya's "minotaurs" - share a common ancestor with even-toed ungulates most closely related to pecorids (sheep, cattle, deer, antelopes, and giraffes).
10. Ursans - Karya's "bearfolk" - share a common ancestor with ursids, which have all otherwise gone extinct on Karya with the exception of Karya's "yetis".

[OC] Size comparisons of non-hybridized sophont species on Karya (made in MS Paint)