Sonyx

Sonyx

Information
Homeworld	Stratos
Habitats	TBA
Unique Traits	Varied ears, patterns, and wings based on bats Large pupils (In some cases) "Tails" connected to the base of spine
Writer(s)	Pixie, Cy (credit for headshot)

"Not my circus, not my Sonyx..." — a common saying among Sonyx performers when faced with someone else's problem.

The Sonyx are bat-like, bipedal creatures living in Stratos known for their flamboyance and boldness. Upper Sonyx are more neon and brightly colored- think 80's Disco or Popstar kind of vibes. Those from the underground deep below the cities are less fortunate and tend to be moodier colors with more Hair-Metal, Gothic, and other forms of Rock styles. Regardless of location, massive updos and a great sense of fashion are something that Sonyx are practically born with. Sonyx cities are known for their art and performances, bright lights lit up among the path to fame. Concerts, blockbuster movies, songwriters, theatre, and even fine arts blossom. Of course, if you're looking to get your fix of something more... illegal, the underground can obtain practically anything under the sun for the right price. The Sonyx believe that fame, money, and power is everything, and that living in the limelight is the most desirable lifestyle one can have.

Core Worldview

The Sonyx, more or less, have a very straight-forward view on the world: Work hard, party harder. Money, fame, and power are the driving factors of society, with everyone looking out only for themselves and reaching the top of the “food chain.” It is a wicked cycle where those born into riches have a generational head start in life, and those coming from rags have a slim chance of even climbing the social hierarchy. However, there is a place and purpose for everyone, and many seek out opportunities for lofty goals through performance and other forms of art. One great show, one short film, one song could change a life in a heartbeat, and many come to Sonyx cities to try and get a glimpse at the glamorous lives of those on top.

Physiology and Design

The Sonyx are moderate beings on average with heights ranging from 4’5’’ to 6’0’’, naturally with some outliers here and there. They have fluffy, dense hair on their heads that is typically worn in big, bold styles with plenty of volume and personality. Depending on genetics, some may have longer body coats than others, ranging from areas with lengthy patches of “fluff” to only a thin layer of fuzz covering skin. The Sonyx are one of the two winged, sentient species on Stratos, however due to hardships in the past and devolution, as well as reliance on technology, they cannot fly independently and only can glide and coast on wind currents. Their wings can either be attached to arms and hands, making for a total of 4 limbs, or detached for a total of 6 limbs. The wings vary in size, typically arm’s width especially if attached, however there is room for variation through genetic diversity. The Sonyx have two large ears, elongated fangs, and various fur coverage. Traditional Sonyx have snout-like faces, and small eyes, though contacts are worn by many.

The types of wings

Sonyces have two distinct genotypes affecting colors, the dominant gene allowing for brighter, more colorful variations often with pinks, purples, blues, and greens. Historically, the species has been much more darker and moody in colors, with deeper shades of similar color palettes. Those with the recessive gene are more often found in Ara’ki, hidden below the cities, and arguably “less desirable” when it comes to garnering attention for popularity.

Sonyx have excellent hearing and are mostly nocturnal. They are visually impaired, with many struggling to read smaller print found on other planets. Due to this, the majority of the species knows how to read through tactical writing with raised words and symbols, along with most of the technology being offered with audio features to allow for usage even for those rendered completely blind. Bright lights are often painful due to light sensitivity, and the dark is much more comforting. Despite this, Kleos Doxa is known for their spectacular light shows during the night.

Regardless of location, all Sonyx love self decoration and accessories. Jewelry, tattoos, and glow-in-the-dark body painting can be seen on almost any Sonyx.

	Pure	Mutated	Causes for genetic mutation
Wings	Attached	Detached	Natural evolution due to migration out of caves; loss of flight meant the gene to attach wings diminished overtime
Body	Anthro	Humanoid	Interspecies mingling and natural evolution, particularly in Doxan sonyces.
Colors	Muted	Bright	A mix of artificial dyes, chemicals, and overall evolution as sonyces migrated into brighter locations. Fur patterns have similar hue shifts. Muted Sonyces are typically born in Ara'ki or to Ara'kian parents, and bright sonyces are born to Doxan ones.

Social Structures and Community

Kleos Doxa Inspiration

Sonyx typically live in large, floating metropolises with a plethora of nightlife, shows, concerts, and typically illegal but easily obtained substances. The wealthy have since migrated to the surface, despite the dreaded sunlight during the day, while those who are less fortunate live underneath the city amongst sewer systems and ancient tunnels. Above ground, most live in penthouses, apartments, but rarely is there a stand-alone house. Ara’ki is mostly shacks and worn down infrastructure.

Family structure is very similar to Western culture, with a heavy push for children to be able to start working early and advance themselves in their careers to hopefully excel in life and support the family later on. There is a lot of pressure put on the young, regardless of wealth, to make it to the top and have enough to live a lavish life while allowing for their parents to leave the workplace and have peace. Retirement systems are not commonplace as many workers are independent contractors without benefits, making it difficult to fully quit a job even when elderly unless you are able to save.

Ara'ki Inspiration

The government is run by an upper and lower council, taking charge of various sections of the city or areas of finance like imports and trade or tourism. There is typically a lead of each council, elected by council members, and new council members are rarely from outside of the inner social circles they reside in. Most of the time, council members will privately select and train their replacements, unless they are impeached.

Lower cities/underground (Ara’ki) is much less governed and typically run by gangs and policed through violence. They are seen as “barbaric” by those living in Kleos Doxa, and living an unattractive lifestyle. It is very difficult to get out of the lower cities due to high crime, low income, and poor education.

Overall hierarchy in society is determined by fame and wealth, with the rich being in control, and those less fortunate used for cheap labor and exploited.

Religion and Spirituality

Sonyx are not typically religious, however they are very spiritual people who believe that good deeds will pave your way to a peaceful afterlife. Or, if you are rich enough, you can bribe whoever’s in control of that and secure a nice place in death. They are often raised to respect the old and take care of the young and weak, but not many follow this practice.

Those who are especially dedicated to a spiritual cause and want to become genuinely good people often walk down the path to become a Shaman. Shamans are trusted as private sources to go to, and essentially confess sins and crimes without being judged. They are seen as guides to “being a good person”, but as any mortal, if threatened or bribed they’ll give you whatever answer you want.

Shamans are often from wealthier families as well, as education to become one is expensive and beginning to practice requires funding as it is not a very profitable field. Shamans are seen as advisors in nearly every aspect of life, and Council members have several to speak to about plans and guidance about what to do. Shamans are very often one of the few groups in power looking out for all Sonyx, not just those who are profitable.

Technology and Science

Due to genetic development, Sonyces don’t use their wings to fly. Inventors create artistic vehicles of transportation, always competing to make the next best design. Monorails, trains, cars, and bikes are made primarily for swiftness, status, and artistry over safety.

Though technologically advanced to rival other spheres, the only inventors, doctors, and mechanics that are publicly praised are ones who make a show of their work. Presenting it as an art leads to more funding and appreciation. Those who focus on the nitty gritty, scholarly, hardworking aspects of their trade are seen as tryhards who lack flair or talent. Plastic surgeons are treated as if they do the work of gods, while real doctors are often shunned for spending too much time in the hospital.

The undercity has these ideals ingrained in them by the barons and gangs that run them, though you’ll find madder individuals trying to come up with crazy inventions and serums to get their way to the surface, or to get free test subjects.

Traditional Clothing and Fashion

Older styles of clothing for Sonyx are often seen as outdated and primitive, however, there are some traditional outfits that they keep around. For festivals, parties, and high-stake events such as dinners with diplomats, there are often Sonyx dancing and singing in outfits similar to Carnival/Samba dancers. This is seen as the most “traditional’ style of clothing that they have. The outfits are made with flexible, sparkling fabrics, and adorned with large Caelune feathers with debatable ethics on sourcing. With that being said, more expensive outfits are often made with donated feathers, but tourist traps are either synthetic or stolen from Caelune.

Doxan Sonyx are often seen in clothes similar to 80’s Disco styles, with sparkling pants, patterns, and bright colors. However, for more professional settings, they are seen in bold suits, dresses, and custom designed pieces that take years to create.

Ara’kian Sonyx, on the other hand, dress in much darker colors and grungier styles. Often wearing blacks, dark reds, purples, and blues almost as a sign of rebellion from the “picture perfect” cities above, they follow 80’s rock styles like Hair Metal and Goth fashion. Other alternative looks have appeared recently as well with a bit more color, such as Scene fashion.

Occupations

Kleos Doxa gets most of its money from performance and tourism. Business thrives off the arts, and those who aren’t performers or publishers are the wealthiest patrons that pay for private commodities and shows. If you can think of it, there’s at least one Sonyx family dedicated to a craft. It’s incredibly important for a Sonyx to be artistically inclined in one way or another, and if a Sonyx child wants to find its own path, it better be one worth watching/buying. As a result, there’s not much of a disparity between those who dedicate their lives to physical trade (jewelers, painters, potters, etc) compared to performers (musicians, dancers, actors, illusionists) because of this cluttered, busy lifestyle.

Doxan families are known for being patrons of the arts if not performers themselves. It’s not uncommon for a family to provide a home and the basic necessities for personal painters, maids, chefs, and performers. If you get lucky enough to be noticed by one of these families, they might even fund your way out of the undercity—for a price. Plus, your spots are never guaranteed permanence. A Sonyx child can easily fall out of favor with their family or contractor for something as simple as wanting to pursue a life outside of the arts. And if they do take this path, it’s socially painful, a constant scrutiny on their lives for not providing something to the constantly growing, modern culture. Sonyx who pursue teaching, sciences, and medical work are asked on the daily what side projects they’re doing to “handle all that boring work”, despite how necessary these less-than-fabulous careers are to their society.

Ara’ki does have a similar trend in occupation, but the performers and artists down here are less classy and polished. This is where you’ll find the loud dive bars and clubs, graffiti tags on every other street, and art made from the very cave walls they live in. Though there are definitely those that scam naive tourists or wealthy children, there is still an incredible diversity to the arts down here. After all, if you can make something special, that’s your ticket to making it up top. The wealthiest businesses in [the underworld] tend to be in cahoots with businesses topside, supplying Caleune feathers for showgirls or trading antiques in exchange for money that keeps them above the rest. This is also where those who wanted to pursue science and weren’t financially stable usually end up, turning into mad chemists or drug dealers more often than not.

Starships and Space Travel

Spreading culture across spheres is definitely a passion project for many Sonyx businesses and entrepreneurs. Plenty of them have private ships, typically in an astral express fashion in order to keep guests comfortable during travel and networking.

Entertainment enterprises (hotels, brothels, travelling performer groups, festivals, fairs) are larger, orbiting spheres like moons for months at a time before moving on to the next. These ships are often multi-levelled, large enough to fit entire parades.

Travelling out of this sphere is expensive, but the locals will insist it’s only fair. They’ve got plenty of different “affordable” cruise lines, after all!

Cultural Quirks and Daily Life

• The Sonyx are often viewed as stereotypical hedonists by other species, mostly due to the loud and proud lifestyles of Doxans that travel through Warp Gates to other spheres.
• Open to all forms of expression, including gender and sexuality.
• CLUTTERERS. All Sonyx LOVE cluttering and hoarding according to their personal niches.
• Omnivorous diet with a preference to fruit
• Despite being very independent, being solitary or alone is seen as weird. Sonyx love to be around one another and experience each other. Families are not always biological.

Kleos Doxa etymology takes inspiration from Hellenic and Romantic languages, mostly French and Greek. Names Ie:

• Amaranthe
• Aristo
• Xenon
• Leonne
• Marc-Andre
• Dantes
• Jacinth
• Romero

Ara’ki etymology follows native language sounds, using hard syllables and vibrations to mimic the sound of chirps or squeaks. R’s are rolled. Names Ie:

• Siik’a
• Tzk
• Teekh
• K’tix
• Kekrit
• Skritch
• Fritte
• Zzveth
• Ara

It’s common for Sonyx that escapes Ara’ki to take on a new persona and change their name to a Doxan one.

Glossary

All words are translated from native language (chitters and chirps) into common. Synonyms are often used when speaking with other species.

Word	Meaning
Roost	A home
Pup	A baby/child Sonyx
Colony	a group of Sonyx. Usually used to refer to travelling performers or families. Non Sonyx use the pluralized form Sonyces (pronounced Sauhn-ih-seas, like matrices). Also called cauldrons.
Doxan	Sonyces that live in Kleos Doxa.
Ara'kian	Sonyces that live in Ara’ki. Usually used derogatorily by Doxans to refer to Sonyces that were born in Ara’ki and migrated to the surface.

Notable Locations

The Starlight Circus/”Le Cirque de la Lumière des Étoiles”: A travelling circus founded in Kleos Doxa, historically only Sonyx but during intergalactic travels, picked up other species. Always on tour, but when they’re in town, they’re always sold out. Only the children of the ringmasters may be next in line to run the circus.

• Allegations of animal abuse, unwilling child labor, and tax fraud are all conveniently bought out by lawyers.

• If someone wants to be a member of the circus, contact pixie.styx <3 on discord for assistance in lore

Kleos Doxa: The largest Sonyx city on Stratos, and also the capital of government organizations such as Upper and Lower councils. There are several intergalactic travel stations nearby for both entering and leaving the planet, and Kleos Doxa is regarded as the pinnacle of innovation and society to Sonyx.

• The city is known for parties, festivals, and concerts. There are plenty of shopping areas to buy expensive fashion, accessories, and a few highly regulated medicinal shops.

Ara’ki: Down below Kleos Doxa lies the competitor for the title of largest city, another entire civilization living in the cave structures, tunnels, and sewers. Less fortunate Sonyx live here in crowded shacks, stacked on top of each other, with little to no areas giving natural sunlight.

• Ara’ki lies much of the crime in the city, including drug trades, illegal imports, and even crime-for-hire like hitman. Those who do not live here refuse to visit due to the levels of danger for outsiders, unless you are looking to supply something to Kleos Doxa.

Interactions With Other Species

- insert stratos lore here

Inspiration Images

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