In the depths of the Infinity Horizon, the Rakshas are a feared presence. Once created for war, they now inhabit the many uncharted territories of the Sphere, whose inner surface has regressed into a blend of futuristic ruins and primal wilderness. Their resemblance to ancient demon myths isn’t coincidental—humans, upon first encountering them, likened their grotesque forms and monstrous abilities to the demons of old.
Description
Rakshas are massive, towering carnivores, with some growing as large as 12 feet tall. They are characterized by their many arms – each tipped with long, razor-sharp claws that can tear through flesh and armor with ease. Their skin, a mottled mix of green and brown hues, blends seamlessly with the dense jungles and misty mountains they call home, making them expert ambush predators. Their glowing red eyes allow them to see in near-total darkness, a necessity in the dim environments they thrive in. Their mouths are wide with jagged mandibles, perfectly designed for consuming flesh, earning them the name “man-eaters.”
Yet, despite their fearsome appearance, they are also highly intelligent creatures, capable of complex strategies during hunts and raids.
Origins
After the Bea’viskar Empire sealed off the Infinity Horizon in their desperate flight from the Deluge, the sentient races within the sphere found themselves cut off from their former technology and understanding. Over centuries, as their civilizations regressed, new myths emerged—many based on fragmented memories of their advanced past. The Rakshas, once a primitive species that coexisted in the untamed fringes of the Dyson Sphere’s vast, varied ecosystems, have evolved into legends that blur the line between myth and reality.
However, their existence is not tied to the supernatural but rather the byproduct of long-forgotten genetic engineering experiments. These beings were likely designed as biological weapons or warriors by some pre-collapse faction of the Sphere’s inhabitants. However, when the Deluge threat closed off the Horizon and civilization crumbled, the Rakshas reverted to a more natural, primal state, adapting to their new, savage environment.
Culture and Social Structure
The Rakshas live in small, nomadic tribes of 8 to 22 individuals. While the Rakshas live off the land, they are also adept scavengers, frequently raiding the ruins of fallen cities and settlements for any useable weapons or relics they barely comprehend.
While their society lacks the formal hierarchies seen in more civilized cultures, they are united by a deep sense of kinship and survival.
Their beliefs revolve around the veneration of ancient spirits known as the “Old Ones,” which they claim to hear whispering in the wind or through the earth. Rakshas shamans, known as “Whisperers,” are spiritual leaders who commune with these spirits, offering sacrifices and interpreting the will of the Old Ones.
The voices they hear may be echoes of decaying AIs or malfunctioning tech, mistaken for deities. Their Whisperers are certainly adept at interfacing with what remains of the Sphere’s decaying network of systems, though they see this as magic rather than lost technology.
In a twist of irony, the “Old Ones” they worship may well be ancestors of many, now primitive cultures that they now war with and prey upon if given the chance.
The Rakshas also view the Sphere’s inner star, a fluctuating white dwarf as a living god. This celestial body’s constant fluctuation is interpreted as a divine signal, with the light representing favor and the darkness representing trials. They have rituals tied to this cycle, including hunts during the day and communal feasts under the dimming twilight of the “night.”
This entry was created by Artnoob100.