The native habitat of these creatures is the depths of the valleys on the planet Armashtagan. They have an advanced civilization and are considered among the most successful organizers of space fleets. They use a complex language based on visual perception among themselves. Overall, they lack organs for detecting sound and smell, or at least, in the range where other cosmic races use auditory and olfactory languages, they are considered deaf and insensitive. However, they possess an astonishing talent for analyzing facial expressions and body language of other races.
These creatures have a body as large as a robust ostrich, with a barrel-like body covered in rough purple wool. They stand on three long, muscular legs, and their single slender, frail arm used for delicate tasks protrudes from underneath their belly. Their own language consists of various patterns of colorful spots that appear on the bare, thin skin of their faces. The skin on their heads, along with the rough, horny covering of their feet, is the only part of their body not covered in long purple wool, and these two areas play a significant role in sending verbal messages.
Cassowaries always travel in groups of three for space journeys. This trio is essential for their reproduction and serves as their basic family unit. However, there is no noticeable sexual difference among these creatures, and the only thing important for their egg-laying is the presence of three versions of their species’ specific genetic code. Each trio can lay up to twenty-seven green, tube-like eggs. The hatchlings that emerge from these tubes quickly grow and form their own trios, joining their parents’ fleet by building new ships. As a result, they can often be seen in large groups, possibly consisting of ten to twenty ships and thirty to sixty cassowaries.
During the chaos following the collapse of the Molok Empire, they organized themselves into structured groups and engaged in space piracy. However, after the rise of the Cosmic Republic, they were eradicated, leaving only lawful and trading fleets among them. Most of their population lives in space on their specially designed cylindrical ships, with only a few remaining on Armashtagan.
Their city on Armashtagan is a scaled-up version of their space fleets. There, a strong tribal and familial system determines the social structure, and the entire society is led by 315 large tribes, each with hundreds of thousands of members. A few cassowary families exist outside this leading spectrum, known for their gray skin and white wool. These lower families play no role in determining the social destiny of their city and typically handle the menial jobs in society. Most workers and servants come from these families. Despite being the poorest social class, they still enjoy basic social rights and, despite the contempt they receive from their pure-blooded fellow citizens, benefit from the fundamental advantages of belonging to the cassowary community.
Their city is located in a very deep valley named after them, Cassowary Valley. The city’s exterior resembles a network of launch pads and docks for repairing and building ships, with the primary occupation of its inhabitants being the production of fast, light spacecraft. These creatures have their own specific racist beliefs and are very arrogant and self-centered. Art is not known among them, and apart from building ships and hunting in the dense forests of Armashtagan, they do nothing else. Interestingly, they consider the use of computers and artificial intelligence processors as bad luck. Although they are one of the largest inventors and producers of advanced computers, they navigate their ships based solely on mental calculations. Some sociologists believe this is why three cassowaries must be present to operate each of their ships, working together.
Etymology: The name of these creatures is derived from the cassowary, a type of Australian ostrich. (ibid)