Cthon

Four-armed, four-winged bipedal humanoids without mouths.

Demons: Zosyuazxyz
Dragonborn: The Ancient Ones
Tortles, Ancient: Fourfold Friends
Tortles, Modern Slang: Quadbuds

Humanoid, bipedal
Four arms
Four wings
Two legs
Two to ten pairs of eyes
Chitinous carapace
No mouths
-Horns and other body spikes optional
-Tail optional
-Hair and feathers optional

Carapace hue wholly dependant on lifetime mineral and energy intake, range of tones and patterns essentially unlimited.

3 feet to 12 feet, fully grown. Height depends on lifetime matter intake.

Unknown. Weight is dependent on lifetime matter intake.

To most races, their lack of mouths is the most offputting feature, though some may notice their limbs and wings first.

Cthonic variance is extreme, with factors such as nutrition, developmental and longterm environments, caste, and even emotions having some effect on final body.

Typically, Cthon do not wear clothing at all. This is because of several factors: Cthon do not reproduce sexually and thus have no genitalia, and their carapaces provide both excellent temperature control and impressive damage/pain resistance. However, due to their interactions with other races and cultures, they may adopt many different kinds of clothing as a personal statement.

Relative to Faerunian time, Cthon have a natural lifespan of around 40 years. Their magic and technology may have allowed this to be extended.

Cthon utilized a type of asexual reproduction called endopolygeny, or "internal budding". At the end of an individual's lifespan they would consume mass amounts of matter and energy, and spin into a sort of cocoon. Once inside, their body would slowly dissolve and become the nourishing fluid for 2-10 offspring. These offspring would develop over the course of a month at which point they would emerge from the cocoon at about 2 feet of height. Their growth from then would depend on consumption habits and environment.

Cthon have a limited genetic memory, allowing them to pass down their lived experiences and knowledge. Only memories of the parent organism can be passed on, but pure information will be inherited regardless of the original source.

Because of their method of reproduction, Cthon do not have physical sexes and what could be considered physical sex characteristics are believed to be memetically inherited traits from impressions of other animals. By default, Cthon would be referred to as they/them. The Cthonic words for these concepts are "this one" and "that one". Because of exposure to many other cultures and species, in practice the Cthon have a wide array of gender expression and may adopt, discard, or alter pronouns and expression for any reason.

The mystery of how the Cthon eat has puzzled many races. Although they do not have mouths, their carapaces can open almost invisible holes through which matter, water, and gasses can filter. These small ingredients are immediately broken down by the neon violet fluid that acts as Cthonic blood, and transformed into additional mass or strength for the individual. Cthon only NEED to eat twice; Once after their birth, and again before they form their parental cocoon. Cthon can eat at any time they choose in this way though, which can help them heal and can increase their size.

Advanced science and magic, and practical combinations of the two.

Unknown. According to the Guide, their culture came to a "violent" and "self-inflicted" end.

Unknown.

Unknown.

Unknown.

The Cthon were united under a "Cthonic Empire", and seemed to view disparate cultures from a single world as oddities that would eventually be smoothed out by the evolution of said cultures.

An almost unimaginable spread of technologies advanced beyond the understanding of modern Faerun. Among those the party have encountered are:

-The Cthonic Vault, which can open doors to different universes and times.
-The Guide, a sentient synthetic being that controls the vault.
-The seemingly effortless duplication of powerful magical items and spells, including reality-altering magic like "Wish".

Unknown.

Unknown, prior to the fall of the empire.

Cthon do not consume "food" as other species do. They do not have a concept of taste in the same way.

The fall of the Cthonic Empire.