Arions

== Arions ==

The Dark half of the Supremis Gene Pool, the Arions are the virtual opposite of their cousins, the Velorians, in every way.

Where as the Velorians are blonde, the Arions are proud of their black hair. Where as the Velorians created an Enlightenment based on cooperative trade and exchange of Information, the Arions have founded an Empire of brutal conquest. They split from the Velorians in a civil war 1,000 years ago and left to colonize the planet Aria.

Physically, all Arions are imposing, attractive and dangerous.

Becuase they practice free birthing, Arions are much more diverse than Velorians, however they are still much more alike than humans. While hair shade might vary from brown to almost blue, it is always dark and glossy. Likewise their eyes are clear sky blue and slightly larger than in humans.

Sexual dimorphism is pronounced in Arions, especially in secondary sexual characterists which gives males broader shoulders and greater thigh muscles while females have pronounced breasts and hips. Males stand on average six feet tall, with females two inches shorter. Both sexes appear with greater muscle definition than humans, although not to a degree which would distinguish them in a crowd.

In apperance, the Arion ideal has always been mesomorphic, but this is not always true; some Arions are lilthe and almost fae-like, while others are stocky. Whatever their shape, all are devastatingly attractive to humans; genetic predeliction for beauty and a near inability to scar means that they are almost immune to the imperfections which plague humanity.

The Arions are marked by a unique caste system.

Culture
Nothing shows the divide between Supremis greater than their choice in symbols; while the golden phoenixlike Flamebird is the Great Seal of the Enlightenment, the Arions have placed the batlike Nightwing on their Imperial standard.

Unlike the Flamebird, the Nightwing is a pack hunter and so are the Arions; their entire society is based around war and Conscription is universal at 16.

Most Arions are proud to serve the Empire in its military; not only is it a path to glory but every success makes their home more secure and prosperous. Their martial prowess has also outfitted them with a high level of technology, either stolen from conquered worlds or developed as a result of battle.