Food
Kifien is a Skolexari drink, yellow in color and very thick. It’s made from cold fermented yogurt and various spices are mixed in. It’s both sour and slightly spicy. Sometimes mixed with mushy grains to give it texture.
Skolexari tastes and food likes, dislikes: sweet less, they don't crave sugar as much as other species. Enjoy copper, crave it, and like coppery tasting food and drink. Meat heavy diet, vegetable intake tends to be fresh herbs. Don't use or consume carbs as much as some species, so seldom eat bread, pasta, or grains. Like to drink a lot while eating and eat many dishes with liquid bases (soups). Enjoy spicy foods and yogurt.
Copperbone Broth: Traditional Skolexari soup base or broth, used in many dishes. Made from simmering marrow bones, tendon, and organ scraps to get a dark broth. Has strong mineral tang.
Fire-Yogurt Ram: Big cuts of ram meat are charred, meat is submerged in thick yogurt that has been whipped with dill and fermented chili paste. Meat is cut in silences, served with lots of yogurt and a copper vinegar dressing.
Blood-Tomato Drink: Ram or animal blood is mixed with copperbone broth and blended Skolexari tomatoes, drank warm. Often given to children as it's believed to fortify their bodies with minerals and vitamins they need to grow, classically given to weaker or smaller Skolexari children. Some adults drink it with hard alcohol called "warrior's vigor".
Blood-Tomato Stew: ram or animal blood is mixed with copperbone broth, slow-cooked meat chunks, and crushed tomatoes for acidity rather than sweetness. Heavy on green onion bulbs and searing spices. The flavor profile is iron-forward and spicy.
Spice Split Heart: Animal (any) hearts sliced thick and simmered briefly in a yogurt-based soup spiked with fermented peppers and dill seed. The yogurt curdles slightly, forming soft protein clumps in the broth. Comfort food, Skolexari style.
Green Flame (Meatwater): A thin, intensely spiced meat soup made from boiled shank and sinew. Loaded with green onions, dill fronds, and ground chili. Served almost scalding. It is meant to be drunk first, eaten second.
Fermented Livermash: Liver fermented lightly with herbs and chili, then heated and thinned with broth into a spoonable paste. The copper flavor is intentional and strong. Considered strengthening food before battle or long travel. Usually spread on Skolexari black bread.
Skolexari Black Bread: A thick, heavy dark bread with a sour rye taste. Usually eaten with liver spreads or other organ meat pastes.
Skolexari food for aliens, star-seeds, non-Skolexari: Is likely disgusting. Skolexari also have a higher tolerance for hot temperatures. Their food, to aliens, may taste very coppery or metallic, too spicy, too hot (temperature). It's often prepared with animal organs or has blood-based broths some species may find disgusting to view, let alone eat. Their yogurt dishes are tamer.
Herb Bone Boil: Skolexari traditional broth, large marrow bones boiled with purified water and crushed tomatoes, green onion whites, dill, and aggressive spice blends. The tomatoes break down completely, becoming part of the liquid rather than a vegetable presence. The bones are cracked and sucked clean afterward. The broth is drank. A dish most non-Skolexari find tolerable, often served at intergalactic functions.
Yogurt Fat Soup: Rendered animal fat emulsified into hot yogurt and broth, heavily seasoned with chili and dill seed. No sweetness, no grain. The texture is silky and heavy, leaves a faint metallic grease on roof of mouth.
Steaks, meat cuts: Skolexari regularly cook a chunk of whatever meat is on-hand, usually boiled or seared, eat it with a plate of fresh herbs, and drink water. This is a standard everyday normal, simple meal.
Animals
Skolexari Ram: Common animal from Skolexari homeworld, resembles a ram. Main source of meat, animal if found all over Skolexari homeworld with slight variations in appearance.
Daini: Small, palm-sized (between 4-12 inches) animal native to Waulam-5. Not dangerous individually but live in hives, swarming, become extremely dangerous as group. Strange, small humanoid animals with pale nude bodies and hard, rapidly moving glistening wings. Delicate bodies but hard, gnawling, pecking teeth which can easily pierce flesh. Carnivorous, aggressive if hive is disturbed. Build hives made of mud, create a honey-like substance which pools at base of hive, contained. Daini honey is golden colored, extremely expensive as delicious and difficult to harvest. If hive is destroyed, swarmed, Daini trigger nearby hives to also swarm. In group can devour Skolexari to bones, and also eat the bones rapidly. Armor needed to harvest honey.
TV & Entertainment
[Skolexari call TV the "holonet", some use a physical holotv mounted at home or through their personal
devices, holonet+holotv is just TV. They have a wide variety of media. It does not have to be viewed in 3D
or 4D, it can be viewed 2D or however the Skolexari wishes. Holovid is a video played on the holotv or
from holonet. This is different from a commline or communication device, which may only be used for
peer-to-peer conversation. Holonet, holotv, holovid is related to media, entertainment.]
[Skolexari long running game-show: Gemblade Gladiators, filmed on Skolexari homeworld. On season
766, has a waitlist. Skolexari with red cradle marks compete with each other through obstacle courses,
Reborn warrior duels, boxers, wrestlers, whatever the warrior or sportsman's forte is. Episodes decided
to specific sport, obstacle course, or duel. Winner gets small prize, not about the prize but bragging rights.]
Pitfights, Gladiators: Live pitfighting between Bokosh slaves which is brutal, bloody, and violent.
Skolexari Gladiatorial fights may pit willing Skolexari warriors against various creatures or
Bokosh slaves for entertainment.
Skolexari enjoy a variety of entertainment and arts: music, theater, and performances.
Movies: Skolexari don’t have as rich or developed storytelling as (for example) humans, they like formulaic
fictional tales that involve the same themes. Movies and fantasy for Skolexari emphasizes cultural heroes and
history, unity, repeating patterns, belief in a repeating and interconnected universe, helping or saving Star-Seeds,
bravery in the face of terror or horror, loyalty and devotion to family and elders. All mass media entertainment
is approved by the Culture Corps, an old Skolexari institution which monitors and regulates media (mostly
TV and movies) but it’s considered lax.
Lack of media consumption: Skolexari are not as into entertainment as other species, they tend to spend
their time with family, valuing direct communication and togetherness. They like to be in nature or devote
themselves to their hobbies and mastering skills. This is ingrained in Skolexari as children, when they are
educated and trained from an early age. It would be rare for a Skolexari child to spend hours sitting in
front of the TV. This, and having bigger families, always meant something was going on, needed to be done,
or a playmate was nearby. Skolexari view entertainment as something to do to relax when all other tasks
have been completed, not as a form of distraction due to boredom.
Skolexari Art
Skolexari Art is traditionally sacred geometry, they prefer repeating patterns. Skolexari geometry includes themes of circles, squares, triangles, stars, suns, spirals, and diamonds. Patterns are created using a compass, they must maintain symmetry and repetition. They like star patterns, interlocking designs, and tessellations. Some may incorporate both geomatics and natural elements, such as floral patterns. This art interlinks into their belief in a repeating universe and sacred connection between all species with pointed ears (created by the same seed).
This is the main form of art, which is widely accepted and beloved. It reflects Skolexari life (rugs, murals, ceilings, buildings, clothing patterns).
Skolexari also paint organic figures and illustrations. No art is forbidden, though it may be less popular.
