Shekami

Standing shorter than a human by a head, the 'males' have similar physiology to a human. Major differences between human beings and Shekami come from the 'females' of the species, breeding habits, and social structure. Shekami 'females' are massive things, often referred to as Broodmothers.

The Broodmothers of the species reproduce after absorbing the genetic material of 'male' specimen through skin contact. They are capable of a very quick breeding tempo. Shekami Broodmothers use excess fat stores to develop small barnacle-like growths which are detached and placed in pools containing ground up vegetation, meat, and water. These grow and hatch into an infant Shekami 'male'. Gestation and maturation is short, meaning large numbers of Shekami can be continually produced by their tribe.

The Broodmothers are leaders of their offspring. Shekami societies are structured to the whims of the eccentric and intelligent 'females'. 'Male' Shekami can be intelligent but their motives are inevitably the same as the rest of their tribe, they receive unconscious suggestion from their Broodmother.

Larger Shekami states function based on several Broodmothers working together for any reason, often held together by violence or manipulation by the more dominant Broodmothers. These Shekami states often seem offensive to the human eye due to the eclectic mix of dress and architecture in a single Shekami region, town, or even city block due to a multitude of tribes coexisting in the same area.

Different tribes have varied physical traits or fashions, based on the wishes of their Broodmother.

The largest known civilization of Shekami is a collective of Broodmothers known as the 'Padishah', far to the west of the ASH.