Kig-yar: Difference between revisions
→Anatomy and physiology
| Line 63: | Line 63: | ||
Kig-yar are saurian, but they have features similar to birds of prey as well as reptiles. Their legs are sinewy and have muscular thighs, and are triple-jointed and bend backward, in a similar fashion to birds. They have sharp, curved fingernails and toenails. Being carnivores, their sharp beaks are lined with rows of razor-sharp teeth; some have far more numerous teeth which bear a passing resemblance to [[wikipedia:Baleen|baleen]].<ref>'''Halo: Combat Evolved'''</ref> Kig-yar have been known to eat the flesh of fallen enemies, as well as live prisoners. Kig-yar have extraordinary senses of sight, hearing, and smell. Male Kig-yar possess plumages of spiny quills at the back of the head and on the elbows; the color of this plumage indicates the Kig-yar's mood.<ref name="Contact">'''''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''''', pages 56/58</ref> Females lack these quill plumages, instead having calloused plates at the forearms and the rear of the head. This thick skin helps protect the female during courtship: when mating, the male will often bite, chew, and tear on the back of the female's head, neck, and arms. Kig-yar reproduce by laying eggs which the female incubates, similar to birds. When mating, the male can choose to fertilize the egg, in which a male is produced, whereas, if the eggs are not fertilized, a female is produced. | Kig-yar are saurian, but they have features similar to birds of prey as well as reptiles. Their legs are sinewy and have muscular thighs, and are triple-jointed and bend backward, in a similar fashion to birds. They have sharp, curved fingernails and toenails. Being carnivores, their sharp beaks are lined with rows of razor-sharp teeth; some have far more numerous teeth which bear a passing resemblance to [[wikipedia:Baleen|baleen]].<ref>'''Halo: Combat Evolved'''</ref> Kig-yar have been known to eat the flesh of fallen enemies, as well as live prisoners. Kig-yar have extraordinary senses of sight, hearing, and smell. Male Kig-yar possess plumages of spiny quills at the back of the head and on the elbows; the color of this plumage indicates the Kig-yar's mood.<ref name="Contact">'''''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''''', pages 56/58</ref> Females lack these quill plumages, instead having calloused plates at the forearms and the rear of the head. This thick skin helps protect the female during courtship: when mating, the male will often bite, chew, and tear on the back of the female's head, neck, and arms. Kig-yar reproduce by laying eggs which the female incubates, similar to birds. When mating, the male can choose to fertilize the egg, in which a male is produced, whereas, if the eggs are not fertilized, a female is produced. | ||
Kig-yar skin is rough, thick and scaly, and is tough enough to allow the Kig-yar to fight without wearing any kind of arm or foot protection, something even the Sangheili have. While Kig-yar have hollow bones and are physically frail, they are highly athletic, due to their muscular legs and predatory nature. It is likely they evolved from creatures that would have to have physical prowess to hunt.{{Citation needed}} This is evidenced by their speed and agility on human planets, even though their homeworld has weaker gravity and would make them lighter. Their blood is bright purple in color, similar to that of the [[Sangheili]], possibly showing a similar chemical makeup. The lack of calcium in their skeletons makes them a poor source of biomass for the [[Flood]]. Thus, Kig-yar that are infected by the Flood are typically turned into [[Flood Carrier Form|carrier forms]] rather than [[Flood Combat Form|combats forms]]. However, they have been utilized as combat forms during at least one [[Battle of the Flood-controlled Shield World|engagement]]. <ref>''[[Halo Wars]]''</ref>. This uncommonality seems to imply that the Kig-yar are deemed impractical for use as combat forms. | Kig-yar skin is rough, thick and scaly, and is tough enough to allow the Kig-yar to fight without wearing any kind of arm or foot protection, something even the Sangheili have. While Kig-yar have hollow bones and are physically frail, they are highly athletic, due to their muscular legs and predatory nature. It is likely they evolved from creatures that would have to have physical prowess to hunt.{{Citation needed}} This is evidenced by their speed and agility on human planets, even though their homeworld has weaker gravity and would make them lighter. Their blood is bright purple in color, similar to that of the [[Sangheili]], possibly showing a similar chemical makeup. The lack of calcium in their skeletons makes them a poor source of biomass for the [[Flood]]. Thus, Kig-yar that are infected by the Flood are typically turned into [[Flood Carrier Form|carrier forms]] rather than [[Flood Combat Form|combats forms]]. However, they have been utilized as combat forms during at least one [[Battle of the Flood-controlled Shield World|engagement]]. <ref>''[[Halo Wars]]''</ref>. This uncommonality seems to imply that the Kig-yar are deemed impractical for use as combat forms.== | ||
There is a great deal of physiological disparity among the Kig-yar. Some specimens, most notably the Skirmishers, possess a more squared cranial structure from typical Jackals, while others have slighter, more avian heads: in both cases, these Kig-yar lack the beak-like "overbite" shared by the majority of the species. Kig-yar eyes are also greatly varied, with Jackals having large, bulbous eyes and Skirmishers having narrow, slitted eyes. Kig-yar eye colors are known to include purple, pink, pale, yellow, gold, orange, brown and black. The Skirmishers, unlike most Kig-yar, are more heavily built, with powerful muscles, and feature feathery plumages on the head and elbows in lieu of fleshy quills. Among the Jackals and the Skirmishers, skin color is also greatly varied, including red, gray, green, pale brown, tan, yellow, and golden skin; Skirmishers often have similarly colored feather plumages. Additionally, in Halo Legends: Origins, ancestors of the Kig-yar were depicted with many more skin colors, including blue, cyan, and purple. This physiological diversity is likely due to uneven distribution across many worlds and drastically varied environments.<ref>[http://halo.xbox.com/en-us#/intel/theuniverse/characters/video/the-jackals/24dc0ecc-8cf0-473a-aae3-266fe6019d61?filter=all '''Halo Waypoint:''' ''Kig-yar'']</ref><ref group="note">In ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', the Jackals feature green or red skin, squared heads, and far more numerous teeth. In later media, all Kig-yar, except the Skirmishers, have yellow-orange skin, narrower heads, and fewer teeth.</ref> | There is a great deal of physiological disparity among the Kig-yar. Some specimens, most notably the Skirmishers, possess a more squared cranial structure from typical Jackals, while others have slighter, more avian heads: in both cases, these Kig-yar lack the beak-like "overbite" shared by the majority of the species. Kig-yar eyes are also greatly varied, with Jackals having large, bulbous eyes and Skirmishers having narrow, slitted eyes. Kig-yar eye colors are known to include purple, pink, pale, yellow, gold, orange, brown and black. The Skirmishers, unlike most Kig-yar, are more heavily built, with powerful muscles, and feature feathery plumages on the head and elbows in lieu of fleshy quills. Among the Jackals and the Skirmishers, skin color is also greatly varied, including red, gray, green, pale brown, tan, yellow, and golden skin; Skirmishers often have similarly colored feather plumages. Additionally, in Halo Legends: Origins, ancestors of the Kig-yar were depicted with many more skin colors, including blue, cyan, and purple. This physiological diversity is likely due to uneven distribution across many worlds and drastically varied environments.<ref>[http://halo.xbox.com/en-us#/intel/theuniverse/characters/video/the-jackals/24dc0ecc-8cf0-473a-aae3-266fe6019d61?filter=all '''Halo Waypoint:''' ''Kig-yar'']</ref><ref group="note">In ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', the Jackals feature green or red skin, squared heads, and far more numerous teeth. In later media, all Kig-yar, except the Skirmishers, have yellow-orange skin, narrower heads, and fewer teeth.</ref> | ||
{{SectStub}} | {{SectStub}} | ||