Castithan

The Castithan are one of the member races of the Votan. They originate from the planet Daribo but had a significant presence on the planet Casti.

Biology & Appearance
The Castithan appear very similar to humans. Their coloration is very pale, however, verging on albinism, with pale white skin, white hair, and pale blue eyes. Compared to humans they had a higher olfactory senses, able to distinguish scents of other living beings.

Culture
The Castithan society is aristocratic and hierarchical, and the other Votan races view them as arrogant. The Castithans used to have a patriarchal, rigidly segregated society on their home planet based on castes (known as liros), though this has broken down somewhat among the survivors on Earth due to the harsh conditions of the war and its aftermath.

Datak Tarr, co-founder of Defiance (in the former location of St. Louis) is a Castithan, from one of the lower castes. His wife, Stahma Tarr, is from one of the Castithan higher castes. As a member of the lower castes, Datak possesses more egalitarian values, striving to work with other races through sharing of power to achieve mutual defense.

Castithans view themselves as the most important of any species often leading to many other species viewing them as arrogant. Female Castithans are expected to be submissive to the males, as well as not being allowed to bathe alone, doing so would bring shame to themselves and their family. Castithans are very liberal in regards to sex and often use it to get their way. Castithans view bathing as a family activity and wealthy Castithans bathe at least three times a day.

Marusha
Marusha, or one's social worth, is a concept important to the Castithans. Marusha is their social standing, their behavior, accomplishments and how well they perform in their social roles. If a Castithan fulfills their roles appropriately they are able to spend their free time any way they want; however if a male member disapproves of a females free time choices they are expected to give their pursuit up. Castithans will do what they can to ensure that they reclaim their marusha if it is hurt, even resorting to murder but ensuring that no one knows they did it.

Liros
Castithan society was originally separated into a strict system of liros, or castes, and interactions between the various castes was rare; however some higher liro members married lower liro members. This social system was fragmented after their arrival on Earth and led to the system being challenged by the newly created Thorn Liro. Single members of a liro are believed to be able to take the honor of all of their liro if they behave a certain way, leading to them having to undertake a cleansing ceremony to purify themselves, their family and their liro. Castithans have a special handshake between members of different liros, running the backs of their hands across one another. Members of the highest liro believe that their own spit is cleaner than everything below them.

The liros are:
 * Thawandayo - the casteless, reserved for criminals, outcasts and rebels
 * Thorn Liro - an unofficial caste, formed on Earth
 * Yuke Liro - the worker caste
 * Rizi Liro - the soldier caste
 * Emine Liro - the merchant caste
 * Valáne Liro - the noble caste
 * Shanje Liro - the ruler caste

Religion
Castithan society is deeply religious. The Castithans religion, Shirivanawo, is monotheistic, has a strict dogma and is lead by the Skabolo. Violation of these practices are harshly persecuted. While dogmatic in many other social areas, the Castithan religion has few restrictions on sexuality, and Castithans are actually quite liberal in their attitudes towards sex.

Shirivanawo is monotheistic worshiping the god Rayetso and led by a strict dogma. The religious leader is known as the Skabolo and each church is run by a Shigustak and attended by the Thasuzwo.

History
The Castithans evolved on the planet Daribo along with the Indogene. Around 4,000 BCE the Castithans sent raiding parties to Irath to round up Sensoth to be used as slave labor and had to put up with resistance from the Irathients who took it upon themselves to fight for the Sensoth. The Castithans put many of the Irathients into caves and flooded them with chlorine gas, killing the Irathients in an event that became known as the Great Diaspora. The Castithans were one of the founding members of the Votanis Collective and have held the seat of power among the organization since the beginning. In 3502 BCE Indogene scientists discovered that the Votanis System was going to be destroyed but the other races did not believe their findings, until Kumbak Iro, the Skabolo of the Shirivanawo religion, asked the Castithans to join in the efforts to save the Votans that they put their full support behind building the Arks.

In 3317 BCE the Indogene terraformed a planet orbiting Sulos and Castithan leaders in the Votanis Collective named it Casti and appropriated it as a new home to the wealthy elite. When the Arks were being completed the Castithans decided to only send those of the higher liros aboard, however many lower liro members gambled or bartered their way aboard or even stowed away. Castithans were one of the races, along with the Irathients and the Indogene, to have more of their race on the Arks, something which the other races found to be unfair. When the Votans arrived on Earth, their ambassador to the United Nations was the Castithan Onulu Toruku. In 2046 a new liro arose on Earth - the Thorn Liro - who opposed the traditional, and strict, caste system used by the Castithans.