Creature:Oronusian Elatti

Appearance
The Oronusian Elatti are a tall, carnivorous reptilian species originating from the planet Oronus. They have a scaly red skin that can be as much as 5cm (2in) thick. Standing on average at 2.2m (7ft 2in) for males and 2.05m (6ft 7in) for females. Males are generally more bulky, with thicker plates on their chests and are more muscular in appearance, like many species the males' colourings are also brighter and more vivid than those of the females, to aid in their courtship displays. Both sexes have powerful claws on their hands and feet, although the foreclaws on the arms are usually larger in males. Oronusians can run at speeds of over 50 kph (31 mph) and are also proficient at jumping, peaking at about 3 times their height. The Oronusians are a poikilothermic (cold-blooded) race, and thrive in the perpetually warm, dense atmosphere of their home planet.

Perception
Oronusians have excellent sight due to their large eyes and are capable of binocular vision. A nictitating membrane is present over the eyes, preventing sand and other debris from irritating the eyes, which is common in their harsh environment. Oronusians have a poor sense of hearing but can detect the tiniest vibrations from up to a kilometre away. They can smell via a passage in the roof of their mouths and also have an enlarged vomeronasal organ in front of this passage that allows them to 'taste' passing air particles, in this way they can detect subtle atmospheric changes and locate prey over long distances.

Life in the oceans
The beginnings of the Oronusian race can be traced to the genus Atyaryus, starting with the A. eluttanganegas, a microscopic organism less than 1mm in size that inhabited the young, rich seas of Oronus around 2.8 billion years ago. Although some Oronusian scientists include the earlier herbivorous genus Euthawui, but this decision is discredited by the majority of higher-minded Oronusians. A relatively late species to appear, the Atyarus quickly made up for these shortcomings and speciated at an astounding rate, becoming the dominant species and evolving ahead of their prey. A. gsathlahatinu (literally wide jaw) was known to be extremely vicious, fossil records indicate that its diet consisted partly of much larger organisms, although it is unknown how these organisms were killed by the comparatively diminutive creature. Approximately 2.6 billion years ago the Oronusians lineage diverged as the Atyaryus genus began to disappear, at the same time the Echythaiu genus replaced it as the top predator, with each evolution growing larger and more deadly. E. akisthsikyiuas had the unique ability of being able to secret toxins from two glands under the cilia, surrounding the creature in a cloud of extremely potent poison - an advantage which made it dangerous to anything that ventured too close.

Over the next 1.5 billion years the genus Raktnuamyuik and Aisyeians carried the Oronusian race forward further as they gained superiority over the seas, during this time the generations evolved complex webbed limbs and a more muscular body to aid in propulsion. 900 million years ago the genus Naurakoronusi appeared, the metre long semi-aquatic creatures had already begun to make the transition to land, they were capable of breathing in and out of water and had developed more dextile limbs to traverse the sandy shores. After another 350 million years the Naurakoronusi genus had lost nearly all its aquatic abilities, the species did however retain its ability for remaining submerged for long periods of time. N. amaugyiethi - the first fully land based Naurakoronusi species - appeared 554 million years ago and claimed its place in history.

Arrival on land
As the Naurakoronusi genus settled into its new environment it had the difficult task of re-evolving to become the dominant species on the planet. As the generations passed the Naurakoronusi adapted little by little, this process was hindered significantly by their solitary nature and violent disposition towards others of their kind. After 400 million years the Naurakoronusi were surpassed by the young Oronusi genus, who began to show signs of social bonding, O. tyrskaunywahetiasuelutidae - also known as Vicious clawed one - is noted for being the first species in Oronusian evolutionary history to form small hunting groups.

With these new social skills the Oronusi flourished and soon became the dominant species on the planet, eradicating many species and displacing others. Beginning with O. hyrantiaissikkaudae (Strong ancient) around 2 million years ago the Oronusi showed signs of sentience, they began utilising resources found across the land to further themselves. They were thought to throw rocks to confuse prey, use small bushes and foliage as camoflage and fallen branches as crude weapons. Future generations discovered fire, which was used as an intimidating weapon and also for cooking food. They also mastered the art of crafting weapons by cultivating suitable plants, allowing them to mature then sharpening them on a large rock. By 500,000 years ago the Oronusi had begun building shelters to protect themselves from the harsh climate, O. elattinidae appeared around 450,000 years ago and began to form small communities with each member serving a distinct role. Their large brains opened up the possibility of many new advancements - the age of discovery had arrived.

Tribal customs
By 400,000 years ago the Oronusians had formed their first tribe - known as the Gyu'ilui'ml'tagu'ela'thi (Ones of Greater Knowledge in the Old Oronusian Language) - and set about taming the vast wilderness of the Aynoordiyan continent. The Gyu'ilui'ml'tagu'ela'thi worshipped Oronusiil, the first of the gods, believing him to be the guardian of Oronus and protector of life on the planet. Within 1,000 years other tribes appeared, formed either by members of the Gyu'ilui'ml'tagu'ela'thi who were disillusioned with their religious beliefs or by other sentient species looking to gain the upper hand.

The second tribe, known as the Giy'ereui'maiytloa'ui (Masters of Fire in the Old Oronusian Language) formed only 200 years after the Gyu'ilui'ml'tagu'ela'thi and were hostile towards them from their inception. They instead worshipped Gyerfiil, claiming him to be the rightful protector of the planet. Although the Gyu'ilui'ml'tagu'ela'thi initially tried to befriend them and reunite them under one rule, the Giy'ereui'maiytloa'ui were resistant and attacked the other tribe which began a bitter war between the two. They fought for many centuries until the Giy'ereui'maiytloa'ui chieftain was killed in a raid on their village, severely weakening their tribe. A young Oronusian called Dcaun'mshayis'hyn'tlosku assumed control of the Giy'ereui'maiytloa'ui and ordered an immediate attack on the Gyu'ilui'ml'tagu'ela'thi village. The diminished tribe stood no chance against their much larger and better prepared rivals, and their attack failed. The Giy'ereui'maiytloa'ui immediately surrendered, their chieftain was executed in a brutal public display and the remaining members returned to the Gyu'ilui'ml'tagu'ela'thi tribe.

The third tribe, the Tyl'lajk'kji'kaor'ret'sesi (known as the Wroa'stlse'ai'ela'thi or Ones of Peace by the Oronusians) were formed by the newly sentient Drasoronusi tulumptidae species - a primitive ancestor of the Elatti - many centuries later. They had no religious beliefs, and the Gyu'ilui'ml'tagu'ela'thi soon set about converting them, the process was complicated by the Tulumptians limited linguistic capabilities and smaller brain. The Tyl'lajk'kji'kaor'ret'sesi were a friendly tribe who saw the advantage of trading and had no desire to fight, after many centuries the two tribes eventually became allies, with the Oronusians even teaching the Tulumptians to speak their language, albeit to a limited capacity.

During this time three other tribes appeared across the Aynoordiyan continent, the Schao'tei'ela'thi (Ones of Power), H'auyn'toau’enj’ei'eu'uillei (The Living Gods) and Ehst'eiir'nalu'aii'kir’ess’yau (Running Spirits). All of whom were somewhat distrustful of each other and the Gyu'ilui'ml'tagu'ela'thi. Being the more dominant tribe, the Gyu'ilui'ml'tagu'ela'thi were the main target of attack from the three surrounding tribes. They used their ingenuity to form an alliance with the strongest of the three; the Schao'tei'ela'thi, and with the help of the nearby Wroa'stlse'ai'ela'thi tribe they launched an unstoppable assault on the H'auyn'toau’enj’ei'eu'uillei, who offered little resistance and were quickly slain. The Ehst'eiir'nalu'aii'kir’ess’yau tribe proved more difficult to destroy as the defending forces had prepared for the attack, they repeatedly fled into the forests to regroup and resupply while luring the attackers into traps and guerilla ambushes. The remaining tribe members were eventually tracked down and killed, and their village was burnt to the ground to prevent any chance of a resurgence.

After uniting what remained of the scattered Aynoordiyan tribes the Oronusians turned their attention to other creatures who had gained sentience and were forming tribes of their own. Seeing them as unwilling to cooperate and submit to the Oronusian way of life, the only option was to eradicate them, the unified Oronusians were unrelenting in their attacks on the smalller villages, and soon the remaining tribes were wiped out. In celebration of their victory the Oronusians began building a vast temple to worship Oronusiil, this would become the site of their first city; Oronusi'hyn'gul'siyuhu (city of the great Oronusi) and signal an end to the nomadic era.

Civilisation
After the completion of their first temple, the Oronusians built great walls around its perimeter to keep out roaming pack animals that plagued the smaller less-developed villages, and the area within it was quickly filled with small abodes and merchants. During this time the Oronusians began advancing themselves technologically and intellectually with many great discoveries that opened up new possibilities; the wheel offered a simple, efficient form of transport and soon many carts (known as taqaugak) appeared. With the introduction of Kauytii - the Oronusian currency - the crude trading methods of earlier times were abandoned, Oronusians quickly adapted to this new way of life and began spending lavishly. Millennia later spice mining had become a lucrative profession for many, but the mines themselves were greatly contested and disputes arose as to who owned them, this led to many conflicts between rival nations, the most well known of these conflicts was the gulu'haiysh'rauti (Great Spice Wars) that lasted more than a century. However this was only one of many small wars that were part of the larger conflict that lasted for millennia.

The fragmentation of Oronusian society created three distinct factions; the aggressive military nations chose to use their technological might to crush the opposition. The crusading religious sects kept their faith in the gods, and propaganda became their primary weapon for converting the masses. While the prolific economic conglomerates tried to maintain their neutrality, bribing and buying out their rivals cities with huge amounts of cash. Initially the neutral stance of the economic nations gave them the advantage, but the militaristic states were much more brutal and could capture cities at an alarming rate.

As the hundreds of nations clamoured for supremacy alliances were quickly formed and ended, across the three continents various different wars were waging and sometimes battlefields saw action from two different engagements simeltaneously.

During the first few centuries of war the main offensive was directed upon the barren but spice-rich Authiyan continent, the conflict between the Agarissuliau'auuviantauri and its smaller rivals was seen as a minor dispute that did not concern the entire planet. At this time the Praaundusi'tauli were on neutral terms with the military states, although they disliked their aggressive approach they maintained trading efforts. The smaller military nations allied against the Agarissuliau'auuviantauri, but were still unable to oppose them directly. During the battle of Herettki'ayoumuk the Agarissuliau'auuviantauri easily defeated their opponents with few casualties, claiming a large amount of territory in the process. The port city of Dkorrshuli'ghyn'gulu'mauykul became their main base of naval operations, allowing the nation to capture coastal cities on the neighbouring Junthiyan continent. This angered the Praaundusi'tauli and they halted trade, ending relations between the two. After millennia at war the Agarissuliau'auuviantauri eventually destroyed the smaller military nations and claimed the entire Authiyan continent.

The passive Iili'raiuthul'umauthu, who had remained neutral throughout the war, were brought into the conflict when their cities were bombed and captured by the Agarissuliau'auuviantauri, although they had no weaponry available at their disposal they nevertheless declared war. Reluctantly, they accepted the offer of a trade route with the Praaundusi'tauli, and the two nations formed a weak alliance, still, the Agarissuliau'auuviantauri were able to capture the capital Oronusi'hyn'gul'siyuhu, earning them yet more recognition and loathing from the rest of the planet. The Iili'raiuthul'umauthu allied with many smaller religious nations and the Praaundusi'tauli to capture the Authiyan continent. Covertly they infiltrated cities, bribed officials and used propaganda to confuse the enemy, effectively disorientating the Agarissuliau'auuviantauri with conflicting reports and information.

Entering space
The Oronusian race entered space 4,776 years ago, in what marked the beginning of the stellar era. The newly appointed Council of the Greats (Curyanos'Ghyn'Guli) oversaw the development and construction of the first fully space capable craft; the Dzteicasseiri'culg'ayllaum'hmutluk (Starchaser-class Light Shuttle). The ship was boxy, unstable and couldn't travel far before it needed refueling, however it could be piloted by a squad of just three Oronusians. The council elected Duak'llyerku'ghyn'tallakis, a decorated war general and wealthy landowner, to lead this squad, believing him to have the military expertise and diplomatic acumen to fully utilise the craft's capabilities.

Although the council desired to spread the word of Oronusiil to every corner of the galaxy they realised that the Oronusians were a severely weak empire, having just begun their galactic quest. They quickly formed alliances with local empires that were already well established, this not only created a buffer between them and any potential enemies, but also opened up the possibility of forming trade routes and also the ability to buy equipment at a cheaper, more competitive price. The Oronusians gained favour with these empires by performing menial delivery tasks, and soon had several prominent allies, with ships ferrying supplies and produce between worlds. The Oronusians knew they had to wait until their empire was large enough before they even considered any sort of offensive against other empires, if any attack was made now it would surely mean defeat for their fledgling empire.

The Oronusians begain establishing colonies on numerous planets, these colonies were governed by a single haayr'mantyric (high marshal) who basically had control of the planet they occupied, the colonies were fortified where possible to defend against raiding pirates. All planets colonised by the Oronusians were terraformed to T3 conditions, and their terrain, seas and skies were recoloured to resemble that of Oronus. As the Oronusians took control of more planets, they became bolder, seizing systems from smaller empires by force and quickly doubling the size of their empire. It was around this time that a new class of spaceship entered prduction; the Ildjudicari-class cruiser, it swiftly replaced the aging and archaic Dzteicasseiri-class shuttle to become the standard craft of the Oronusian fleet.

The Oronusians next task was to locate the Grox empire. Although the only information the Oronusians had about the Grox was garnered from tales and rumours spread far across the galaxy, they were still intrigued by these "abominations of nature" and their apparent might, and made it their priority to locate them and assess the situation for themselves. The Oronusians located the Grox 557 years ago, and were amazed and impressed by their expansive empire. They began to respect the Grox, seeing their ruthlessness as a form of honesty.

The Oronusians knew the Grox were hated by most of the galactic community, but they also knew they were the most powerful empire in the galaxy and a valuable asset, with the Grox as an ally the Oronusians would be equally feared. Although the Oronusians did not consider themselves evil, they knew an alliance with the Grox would alienate them from many of their potential allies. After much deliberation from the Council of the Greats, the alliance was formed. Immediately local empires began bombarding Oronusian border worlds, but the Oronusians had already anticipated this and had fortified their planets accordingly. This was all part of their grand scheme, the Oronusians' true intentions towards the Grox were known only to the highest in command.

It was always the Oronusians' intention to eventually destroy the Grox, one way or another, however a military offensive would have alerted them and brought the entire might of their armarda to the Oronusians' borders, which even the Oronusians knew was an unstoppable force. The decision was made not to conquer the Grox with might, but with cunning. As their ally they would evade notice and were free to plot their next move. After maximising their profit from spice mining the Oronusians set about forming trade routes with the Grox, buying out their systems and establishing a foothold in the galactic core. It is indeed ironic that the Oronusians were hated by the galactic community because of their alliance, yet they had in fact done so with the intention of removing the Grox from the picture, thus liberating the galaxy from their mechanical grip and usurping their vacant empire.

Attire
Oronusian clothing started off as simple garments made of natural materials fashioned to crudely fit the wearer in the early nomadic era, but quickly became much more exuberant in their design, by the end of the discovery era clothing came to signify social status and power, woven fabrics were soon created to provide a better fit and increase mobility. Wooden masks were also popular as they gave the wearer a more menacing and mysterious appearance.

With the invention of metallurgy during the engineering era moulded plate armour became popular among the rich Oronusians, and proved to have a very practical use during the war for control of the planet.

During the metamaterial era new fibres were invented, and the heavy armour gave way to light, flexible underlays that were stronger and more durable. Some high-quality materials are even said to have made the wearer near invulnerable.

Mating
As a creature Oronusians breed once every 5 standard years, and lay a batch of approximately twelve eggs which are incubated underground for 11-12 months, being abandoned by the parents. Upon hatching the baby Oronusians will compete for food and resources, with the weaker babies becoming food for the more dominant young, generally only one or two babies will survive to adult life. Oronusians grow to full size within 10 years and can mate at 11 years of age. Males are primarily solitary, but may roam in pairs on occasion, females group together in packs of about five or six and lay their eggs together in one nest, with the elder female laying her eggs at the centre of the nest.

After becoming sentient the Oronusian culture altered, babies were born into small groupings and nurtured until adulthood, although the ritualistic fight for survival amongst newborns was still commonplace and seen as a necessary step towards maturity and dominance.

During the construction era Oronusian eggs were incubated in special buildings and tended to on a weekly basis, this practice is still used today, although complex machines have assumed the role of carers and maintain a perfect environment for the eggs to incubate in.

Personality
The Oronusians are a fierce, zealous, cunning and ruthless race. They understand the concept of betrayal and are known for double-crossing their allies without any thought or remorse, or without any real reason. Oronusians are known to be paranoid, megalomaniacal and untrusting, some claim they are fearful of their allies intentions, and of being betrayed themselves, thus they must strike first in order to quell any such ideas. Even the closest friends of the Oronusians are not safe from their tyranny. The Oronusians are a smart race, and know when they are outmatched, in these circumstances they will befriend and try to please their enemy. This gives them an excellent cover, allows them to gain insight into their foe's psyche, and plan their next move while building up their attack force. Many naieve species have fallen prey to this sly tactic.

The Oronusians do however seen the practicality and usefulness of having allies, and will sometimes not fully destroy their allies empire but rather leave it crippled, capturing the majority of their systems and leaving them begging for mercy. This enables them to carry on buying equipment and tools at a cheaper price and further enforcing their superiority. A favourite tactic of the Oronusians is to surround an empire at a single system, capturing all nearby stars and leaving them stranded, some spacefarers call this tactic the "Oronusian circle of terror," although they are allies the smaller empire is effectively a prisoner within this circle, and any ships trying to leave would be forcefully returned or destroyed.

Philosophy
The Oronusians are generally classed as a knight archetype, although they do not follow the same principles of honour and nobility that most knights adhere to. They are known for making brash and overconfident statements, and also for their megalomaniacal traits. They cannot accept surrender and will often fight their enemy to the death. It was once said that an Oronusian's weakness was their unshakable pride, although the Oronusians are quick to point out their heroic and daring nature to anyone who questions their beliefs.

Notable quotes:

Eth'huus'dzotu'saut'dy'aynustiru'distarri"daafuturi'ouhu'ovaut'etaunikaul'nyourti"
 * "It is best not to anticipate defeat, before you have envisioned glory."

Au'thilin'taug'maosi, high commander of the Agarissuliau'auuviantauri, prior to a military engagement, circa 18,000 years ago. Lsi'Oronusi'vair'saut'caspecyi'distarri"autluti'eth'huus'tourki"
 * "We Oronusians will not accept defeat, unless it is yours."

Starship captain D'houlmant'arraya'shuls to a rival empire, circa 1,400 years ago. Yth'lau'luahs'tzom'aaln'hyn'faiud'ghu'aghdsorri'huus'ul'ctauhtor"yth'lau'vushau'alutht'dzern'noukrigi'huus'ul'gulu'eiinthu"
 * "He who looks back in the face of adversity is a coward. He who shys away from nothing is a great being."

Dzorni'myart'kauthan'wretisk, Council of the Greats member, admonishing a young Oronusian, circa 600 years ago. Ul'yuuthu'elut'vair'saut'goulati'aalndyu'hyn'hozthei'ghu'hyrantisuu"ektu'vair'luahs'thysk'eth'dhyn'ayllaum'daaphias"
 * "A wise one will not stare into the heart of darkness, but will look past it to the light beyond."

Raigs'kthaus'jauthin'aullaul, Council of the Greats member, circa 1,000 years ago.

Religion
The Oronusian Elatti are a fanatically religious race and worship six gods;


 * Oronusiil - God of life and immortality
 * Gyerfiil - God of fire
 * Aquinisiil - God of stability and perseverance
 * Hyranticon - God of strength and power
 * Duorshalti - God of nature and the seas
 * Aegasiil - God of war and death

These gods are known as hyn'enquauurti'iili (the eternal gods.) Each of these gods relates to one of the planets in the solar system, the star Oronusiil and the home planet Oronus are named for bringing life to the Oronusian race. Many other minor eternal gods exist, these are not to be confused with the lesser, mortal gods described below.

There are many different accounts of the creation of the gods, and which if any claim the place as the elut'duvis'iil (one true god.) The main belief is that Oronusiil was the first of the gods, and others appeared later. The tribal Oronusians went to war with many of the other tribes that inhabited their continent, wiping out those that were unwilling to convert to their way of life. Eventually all were brought under Oronusian rule, and slowly they became civilised.

In addition to the eternal gods, Oronusians also recognise the existence of a series of aurkat'iili (mortal gods) these gods are less significant, but still form an important part of Oronusian society, the nine gods are;


 * Tshaouk
 * Ombaussk
 * Elaekkiyun
 * Keyduli
 * Vorathiluk
 * Terauniguul
 * Apaykitak
 * Fhyulahuth
 * Aseukaun



There are a small percentage of Oronusians who do not worship any god, called duisphau'ghyn'iili (deserters of the gods) or sometimes just duisphi (deserter.) They are seen as a disgrace to their society and are regarded as outcasts, often resulting in them being killed. Still, some Oronusians have formed a commune away from the general populace where they are free to express their beliefs. Upon discovering space travel the Oronusians encountered many new religions, and sought to crush those that conflicted with their views. Thus they entered into many wars with local empires, systematically and strategically wiping out their colonies and forcing them into submission, this led to the Chariuul'ghyn'iili (crusade of the gods) conflict that lasted for several hundred years.

Weaponry
The Oronusians innate hostility towards others led to a great advance in weaponry and armament as they sought to eradicate their enemies before they themselves were destroyed. Oronusians have always had a love of firepower and will often try to outdo each other in a game of one-upmanship with bigger and more deadly weapons, in the early engineering era this often led to mass casualties and even full scale wars. After the planet was united under one rule these conflicts subsided, and mass production was introduced, this led to a standardisation in equipment and vehicles.

The Oronusian philosophy towards combat is that many large forward-facing guns can crush an opponent well before a counterattack is possible; an oversight (although not in their eyes) that has in the past led them to many defeats when facing smaller, more mobile armies that could easily flank the Oronusian position, however this is always seen as cowardice on the enemy's part rather than a fault of the Oronusian commanders directing the battle. This tactic is referred to as Touriik'dveij (Touriik Turn), named after a timid reptile that inhabited Oronus, the term is considered the ultimate insult on the battlefield, although the opposing force rarely knows this, or even cares.

Notable Vehicle Manufacturers

Rykross Mechanics - A small company with a prolific history specialising in heavy armoured ground assault vehicles and artillery.

Hourkantulk Heavy Engineering - A relatively new company which design heavy assault walkers and single-pilot Akh'kreph'tuk walkers.

The Reithar'culg'gythlsiaru (Rapid-class Airwhip) was introduced as an agile and fairly durable air-superiority fighter with a good balance of firepower and maneuverability. It entered production 100 years ago and has been a staple part of the Oronusian Air Defense Unit ever since. It is 15m long and comprises a crew of three Oronusians; a pilot and two gunners.

The Dzteicasseiri'culg'ayllaum'hmutluk (Starchaser-class Light Shuttle) was the first fully spacefaring craft created by the Oronusi'dztei'nekeyeions (Original Star Constructors,) by today's standards it is an archaic and obsolete design, but upon its inception it was heralded as a breakthrough in technological advancement, the pinnacle of Oronusian engineering, it allowed the young Oronusian Empire its first glimpse of the universe outside of their home system. Although it was unstable and could only store enough energy for a week's flight it became the standard for future designs. Armed with four side-mounted single-pulse Aaeikj'Cupryijjaru'Dekeyual'Heilthiakul (Laser Projection Emitter Systems), two Defaurniuu'kyant'duot (Type-2 Defaurniuu) missiles and a single heavy quad-pulse LaPESystem on the underside of the ship for attacking ground targets. At 22m in length it is smaller than today's equivilant spacecraft.

The Huthayark'yulstucu (Helm of Huthayark) was one of many similar designs created during the great Discovery Era nearly 70,000 years ago. The name of this particular vehicle comes from its resemblance to military commander Sharynt'heltv'huthayark'koruis's battle helmet, worn during his triumphant campaign for control of the desolate Authiyan continent. Created in his honour, it was much more exuberant in its design than most drawn vehicles of the day, which comprised of nothing more than crafted wood fixed to an axle and two wheels. Instead this vehicle was made by covering a rigid wooden frame with skins and hides. Like most vehicles created around this time it had no fixed weaponry, aside from a few large spikes, instead the rider would wield a spear or clublike weapon. The vehicle was lost from records long ago and never actually engaged in battle.

Government


The Oronusian race first introduced a bureaucratic system around 78,000 years ago, the leadership was comprised of a single Oronusian who had proven themself dominant enough to rule over the masses, a small group of marshals was chosen by the leader to ensure the rules were followed. This was basically an enhanced form of the primitive oligarchical government that the tribal Oronusians had used for millennia earlier, where the strongest lead the weaker. It wasn't until a second city was founded 33,000 years ago that this rule ended. A democratic leadership was introduced, and the masses could vote freely on who they wanted to rule over the lands. Around 25,000 years ago tensions began to rise as small factions broke away from the main governmental body, disagreeing with the current ruling system and their ideals. This - among other things - led to the global conflict that later became known as The Great Oronusian Civil War and changed Oronusian culture forever.

Around 4,000 years ago at the dawn of space exploration the Oronusian race was finally united as a planet and The Great Oronusian Empire was formed. The Empire is led by a group known as the Council of the Greats, formed from five elected members who oversee every decision, any new laws must be agreed upon by the council before they are put to the public vote. The Council members serve a term of 10 standard Oronusian years before they retire, and a new member is elected to replace them upon their retirement. Those selected are generally older Oronusians who are seen as wiser and more profound in their insights.

Ancestors
The ancestors of the Oronusian Elatti were mainly primitive and died out due to their inability to adapt and advance. The most recent and probably most successful of these ancestors was the Drasoronusi tulumptidae, also known as the Oronusian Tulumi. They stood at 1.72m (5ft 6in) tall and were much less aggressive than others in the Oronuathakasyi family. Although their brain was only 75% the size of an Elatti, they could still create robust hand tools and musical instruments such as the Houmau'auli, an intricate wooden horn. During the unification era they became sapient and formed a tribe; the Shalti'eluti, they quickly began trading with the Elatti and eventually allied with them. They lived until the construction era, in the shadow of the Elatti, and were regarded as second-class citizens and given menial tasks serving the more advanced Elatti. They would go no further than this, their brain capacity was too limited to allow them to advance further. They quickly fell behind the Elatti in terms of progress and gradually their numbers reduced to a few hundred. The last Oronusi tulumptidae died approximately 50,000 years ago, their loss wasn't mourned by the Elatti, who by then had entered civilised life.
 * From left to right;
 * Oronusi elattinidae (original one) - 10 mya - present
 * Oronusi guluinul angautidae (greater mighty original) - 60 mya - 30 mya
 * Drasoronusi tulumptidae (thinking original) - 20 mya - 50,000 ya
 * Oronusi aynoordauykae (original of the old age) - 150 mya - 80 mya
 * Oronusi guluinul antorshaarunae (greater one-horned original) - 80 mya - 55 mya

The ferrocious Oronusi guluinul antorshaarunae (greater one-horned original) was the largest of the Elatti's ancestors, standing at 2.47m (8ft 1in) tall, and had a brain 50% the size of a modern Elatti's. They were also the largest in physical mass, weighing as much as 453 kg (1000 lb). They had long jaws that were 90cm (3ft) in length, capable of tearing through cartilage, bone and practically any other material of the time.

Both the Oronusi guluinul angantliae and Oronusi aynoordauykae died out early in the Elatti's history, they inherited many of the Elatti's aggressive characteristics, but were incapable of social bonding, preventing them from becoming a dominant species.

Classification

 * Kingdom:
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 * Genus: Oronusi
 * Species: Oronusi elattinidae