Strain Species

Strain's are a CLOSED species! You CANNOT create your own variation of them, but if enough people are interested... I might change my mind. >:3

Here are other references of Strain's... the information to the other references are out of date so ignore what's written there.
Strain Sketches
Strain Sketches 2

UPDATE 021015 - yes, I noticed the typo... It'll be fixed when I make a digital reference of this picture.

Not sure if this needs a mature tag but, just in case... it's there. This was suppose to be a simple doodle but I went too far with it so I decided to go ahead and clean up the line art as best I could. While I was compiling all the info I had on this creature tried to imagine myself there to "witness" the event with mixed emotions like extreme fear, anxiety and honor; it was interesting. TTuTT Also, Strain's are modeled using Greyhound anatomy. 

INTRODUCTION
Strain's have been on Mariin since before man set foot on the ground... they have four legs, a lean, powerful torso and have evolved on Mariin to travel swiftly over long distances in search of prey. Very few predators will attempt an attack on a strain. They almost always move in packs that can mass together into a highly cooperative hunting party within seconds of finding prey. Each paw has four toes, fixed razor sharp claws and an opposable thumb, most prominent on the front paws. This allows it to climb trees as well as stalk from the ground and, thereby, creates a three-dimensional hunting field. It is mostly cream in color, but is banded with jade and iridescent cerulean, its hairless skin appears polished. Strain's have extendable snake like jaws with translucent teeth and long twin tails with semitransparent membranes that act as fins for stability. Patterns are used for pack identification. Adults reach up to one meter, six inches tall at the shoulders and weigh 136-153 lbs or more.

BEHAVIOR
When stalking prey, strains are able to reduce its profile using a highly evolved trait of mixing blood cells with a genetic molecular enzyme in their DNA that grants the creature virtual invisibility by nearly shutting down all organs, this provides them superiority over prey (or in rare instances, as a means of escape from large predators). They can actually still be seen while invisible but its very difficult. Its transparent body allows it to blend in with the environment at night and thus hidden, a strain can often approach within a few meters of unsuspecting prey and then attack with frightening efficiency. One xenobiologist describes this graceful, ominous movement as “liquid darkness”. Only months after birth, a strain cub is required to hunt on its own. However, the cubs mature swiftly and grow to half the adult size by their sixth month. By then, they also have a full set of teeth and their jaw muscles are almost mature. Young strains are playful, in much the same manner of wild wolf pups. Although vicious during combat and hunting, strain mothers treat their cubs in a gentle, loving manner.

HABITAT
The habitats of strain's include rainforests, savanna's, and subarctic regions of Mariin.

FEEDING ECOLOGY
Strain's are for the most part, nocturnal carnivorous pack hunters with territories ranging over 480 kilometers (298.25 miles).

ABILITIES
The ratio of brain mass to body weight of the average adult strain indicates a high order of mental processing, pattern recognition, and communication skills. Their keen inferred sensory glands can see clearly at night but not as well in the day. Their long distance hearing and feeling perception is superior. Their sense of smell is second only to the Whysp's and strain's can sense prey from more than 8 kilometers (5 miles) away using the four tendrils that extend from it's head. Strain jaws can exert 4 kilograms (8 lbs) of pressure per square centimeter, enough to crush bone, or even stone; and their claws are sharp enough to shred through a 1/2 inch of ceramic armor or 1/4 inch of steel plating... other dense alloys have yet to be tested.

COMMUNICATION AND LORE
Packs appear to communicate information about the potential prey or predator with audible tics, paw gestures, and audio cues resembling coyote-like barks, hyena cackles, and snake-like hissing. It is also believed that strains are clairvoyant as well as telepathic.

Based ancient lore... "strains and man were linked, they inspired man, spoke of the future, man listened... and, it became real". A recent ethnoarchaeological team discovered a fragment of a stone tablet, carbon dating it to only a few decades. It reveals the thoughts of a strain describing its observation of man; "...man does not listen, very well, there need to own everything lead him to greed and separated from our wisdom. Through the centuries we stopped trying to share our foresight and knowledge. We have witnessed the world of man became more violent... war, upon war played out as there were no guidance to listen too. We are trying again, to reach where man lives. A handful of our precious young ones are sent into the world of man, they need only be cleansed and the awakening of man will happen... "

REPELLING OR CAPTURING
As strain's are dangerous to both Mariinians and Humans, each race developed their own way of keeping the creatures at bay. Human's use sonic rifles to disable there invisibility and with enough focused fire, paralyze them. Mariinians have long since discovered a type of plant sap that replicates the scent of Fyko [Phy-KOH] (an enemy of strains) to repel the creatures, one piece of literature, describes the actual details of baiting a pair of young strain's and trapping them at the bottom of a dry stone well...

DOMESTICATION AND COMPANIONSHIP
It is possible to domesticate strains by force but they're more resilient than even the most disciplined soldier to date. A strain will only be loyal to who ever can earn it by means of a physical challenge from which they are provoked from a challenger; in this sense... a fight to the death. Only a handful are crazy enough to attempt this challenge... most, do not succeed. If a challenger does succeed and the strain accepts its defeat, only then are they truly broken and pledge their loyalty to the victor. Wild strains refer to those that have been captured as "Stolen" and therefore, outcasts.

On unexpected and rare occasions, strain's willingly choose a companion. Recently for reasons unknown, first meetings occur during the day in public view of other people. Ceol, above... is one example of young strains who have sealed bonds with someone at a public place. It is a confusing mixture of emotions ranging from extreme fear, anxiety and honor both for The Chosen Companion and Witness' of a once in a lifetime event. From lore, the signature of this bestowal is the bowing of a strains' head and the Chosen Companion sealing the bond by touching its head. A gust of wind emanating from the two signifies the rituals end and the two beings are considered "Awoken", a telepathic link is connected to The Companion and this link can arc through others in the immediate area as the strain allows it.