Skantoans

"Skantoans" may also refer to a collective term for all individuals native to the planet Skantos

Flamundus Falomo
Biological Classification
Common Name	Skantoans
Scientific Name	Flamundus Falomo
Type	Humanoid
Races	Karakorami Skantoans Mosonarali Skantoans Saikhani Skantoans Senkheri Skantoans Mixed Skantoans
Physical Characteristics
Average Height	160 Centimetres
Skin Colour	Varies...
Hair Colour	Varies...
Sexes	Male, Female
Respiratory Gas	Oxygen
Locomotive Method	Bipedal
Distinctions	Look nearly identical to Humans despite no records of migration between Yata and Skantos. Generally very religious. Often nomadic outside of larger settlements due to less vegetation than planets such as Yata and Theia
Average Lifespan	68 Years
Demographics
Endemic to	Orientine River Basin
Inhabits	Most of Skantos
Endangered	Least Concern
Sociocultural Characteristics
Intelligence	Sapient, Sentient
Homeworld	Skantos

Skantoans are an intelligent humanoid species native to Skantos that comprise a majority of the planet's population, notably being visually nearly identical to Homo Sapients (suggesting that one may be a descendent of the other, though which this would be is unclear) despite being considerably less technologically advanced. Skantoans are highly social, living in complex social structures such as families, kinship networks, and political states, leading to the development of various values, social norms, languages, and rituals with a particular fascination on their highly complex and all-encompassing spiritual beliefs. Skantoans tend to be much more peaceful than most species despite being divided for most of their history, with wars amongst themselves being extremely infrequent (though in the past conflicts against other species were more common), which appears to be a trend which is likely to continue after the War of the Triple Alliance saw them largely unify under one confederacy known as the 'Sacred Union of Skantos'.

While most earlier settlements were dependent on natural resources used for subsistence, the widespread usage of Magic among the Skantoans has allowed them to adapt to various climates which otherwise wouldn't be easily liveable for them such as the frigid tundras of Senkher or the volcanic wastelands of Karakoram. Certain technological advancements have also allowed such settlements to exist, though Skantoans tend to be quite technologically reactionary which has prevented widespread adoption of more advanced technologies such as basic electricity beyond steam power in certain larger settlements. Despite their lacking technological advancement, Skantoans have an average life expectancy of roughly 68 Years, likely thanks to their highly advanced intellectual skills (which allow them to easily teach generalizable information and communicate/create complex concepts) allowing them to construct large settlements and utilise medicinal treatments.

Skantoan Cultural Groups

Skantoan Cultural Groups;
Red - Karakorami
Yellow - Mosonarali
Green - Saikhani
Blue - Senkheri

Due to how widespread they are, Skantoans are divided into countless small cultural and linguistic groups that vary greatly from one another, though generally these cultures can be simplified into four 'Cultural Groups' with similar traits amongst one another, with the continents of Karakoram, Mosonaral, Saikhan, and Senkher each featuring their own largely self-contained cultural group aside from much of northern Saikhan, which is generally more similar to Senkher than the rest of Saikhan culturally. Aside from this major exception to the rule, some degree of overlap is inevitable due to the migration of peoples between regions, with occasional small enclaves of 'mismatched' sub-cultures and isolate groups being fairly common.

Karakorami Culture is the most uniform and centralized of all four groups due to the harsh volcanic climate of their home continent and occasional tensions with the neighbouring Praxtins forcing them to advance, leading to higher levels of technological and social progress than in other regions. Karakorami societies are generally centralized with a focus on order and honour, with 'family' serving as the most important social group, though high levels of class-based stratification are also prevalent with significant influence being in the hands of the nobility, which are the traditional heads of the various Karakorami clans and also influential within the Karakorami clergy (a 'class' unique to the Karakorami cultures), though many rulers also implement meritocracy to some extent where possible in order to allow people of lower classes to advance higher up the social ladder. Despite its harsh landscapes, Karakoram is arguably the most resource-rich region of Skantos which has allowed many Karakorami societies to possess very high standards of living. Socially, Karakorami culture is fairly progressive in many issues, with most sub-cultures featuring widespread gender equality and tolerance towards various groups. Other Karakorami beliefs include the burying of cremated ashes, ancestor worship, nuclear families, coming-of-age rituals, and somewhat of a 'warrior culture'.

Mosonarali Culture, much like their continent, is the smallest and most isolationist of all four, encompassing a number of related monastic traditions which make them by far the most spiritual (and magical) of the four groups. Mosonaralians tend to reside within tight-nit communal villages surrounding vast temples governed by elders, while all others are held as equal and granted significant social freedoms when compared to the other groups despite their religious devotion. As a part of Mosonarali Folk Religion, it is encouraged to renounced worldly wealth and prosperity and minimize attachments in order to achieve enlightenment, leading to some tensions with other cultures which do not hold this tenet. Mosonaralians are generally accepting of all forms of love and attraction without any social expectation of hiding such feelings, while children are raised communally. Despite their generally progressive social views, many Skantoan temples segregate based on gender, though this is not necessarily universal, doesn't apply to pilgrims, and isn't very strict as exceptions are fairly common. Additional Mosonarali beliefs include cremation upon death, daily meditation, belief in reincarnation, belief in a 'world of spirits' and a 'world of thought', disavowing all violence aside from self-defence, and providing assistance to those in need wherever possible.

Saikhani Culture is arguably the most diverse (and least religious) out of any of the four cultural groups due to its position as the largest population-wise thanks to occupying most of the temperate and continental regions of Skantos, though their diversity has gradually weakened to some degree following the conquests of the Ikhtalnol, a Omkha empire which managed to unify most of the Saikhani peoples in the late 400s. Saikhani society is very stratified into a class-based system originating from the belief in the importance of 'respect' among one's socioeconomic peers, leading to the nobility beinghighly respected as the 'natural leaders' of society despite their detachment from the issues of 'commoners' due to their wealth, while the 'middle class' also generally has many opportunities despite their comparatively poorer position. Contrasting to the upper minority, most Sakhani individuals can be considered 'peasants' with a remarkably lower standard of living which has lead to issues such as crime being the most prevalent among Saikhani communities. Despite the prevalence of inequality among Saikhani peoples, each individual tends to hold reverence for the nobility and local rulers, with especially the monarchs of the major city of Khurukara being seen as a 'leading figure' throughout much of the Saikhani populated regions, while other regions tend to call their rulers 'Governors' in respect to Khurukara aside from some exceptions such as the monarchic Regialus. Beyond their stratified class divisions, Saikhanians often organize themselves into family-based 'Clans' which are generally synonymous with many of their smaller states. When it comes to social issues, Saikhanians tend to be among the most conservative of the four groups, avidly rejecting many advancements and having very strict social roles among their populace only rivalled by the patriarchal Western Senkheri cultures. Other major Saikhani beliefs include a rural lifestyle (outside of the few major cities), burying upon death, strict social hierarchies, stoicism, polygamy and maintaining tradition.

Senkheri Culture is generally divided into two distinct sub-groups, the 'Western Senkheri' sub-group practiced in Senkher itself, and the younger 'Eastern Senkheri' sub-group practiced in northern Saikhan, with the most notable difference being the higher importance of nobility and hereditary leadership in the West and a higher focus on egalitarianism and leaders being 'respected persons' in the east. The west is much more centralized, finding itself ruled by 'Chiefs' which serve as leaders of larger 'Chiefdoms' (generally 'tribal' polities based around familial kinship networks) with the Chief of Asslemang being the most influential figure within their culture, while the east is much more informal with each local chief (which are moreso 'elected' until death or resignation rather than being hereditary) being generally only held with major importance within their own Chiefdom. The west is culturally much more stratified, having strict patriarchal gender-roles brought forth by their home's harsh climate which lead to the hunting men rising to prominence while women primarily remained as homemakers (though their gender-roles mainly apply to 'social function' rather than how relationships and marriages operate thanks to a degree of individualism), while such a distinction is much less pronounced or even completely nonexistent in the east. Other major Senkheri beliefs include arranged marriages (exclusive to the west), strict social norms and expectations (more prominent in the west), a generally nomadic way of life (generally universal), a high religious reverence via Senkheri Folk Religion (more prominent in the west), and valuing generosity (more prominent in the east).