Volcanic Tark'ee, also known as Rock Tark'ee, are a bulky, muscled race with a focus on physical power and prowess. Even a severely malnourished Volcanic can cause serious injury if challenged. They have thick hides that protect them from attackers and often sport spiny protrusions and scales, traits recognized to be prized mutations within their culture.
While the event that brought them to Xiunus caused their genes to disperse and intermingle, they still hold that inherant love for mutations that protect themselves and make them more powerful. Many volcanics walk with their heads lowered to emphasize spikes, muscles, and aggression. You will rarely see a Volcanic Tark'ee with its head raised higher than its shoulders, as the thick neck muscles make it difficult if not impossible to do so.
Volcanic Tark'ee are more prevalent in hotter, drier climates, preferring to avoid overly wet areas if they can help it. When living in the mountains, they will generally remain underground in cave networks, away from cold wind and closer to any possible source of lava they can find.
Volcanics are an aggressive and actively hostile race towards all Tark'ee, including their own kind. Their society is built around fear and survival of the strongest. Any sign of weakness is exploited for either gain or pure sadistic fun. They do not form cities or towns, instead living as hunters, scavengers, and rogues.
Volcanics are rarely able to swim, avoiding shores and water sources that they would not be able to stand in. This is likely where their fear for Aquatic Tark'ee originates.
While the physical location was lost and has yet to be recreated, Volcanics of old's society centered around The Pit, a place where every Tark'ee fought to earn their place among the living. This was the location of many tournaments, treated as festivals among the warlike volcanics. It is said that the Rock Father would be here, watching over as the hatchlings and young fought to prove themselves both to their Ancestor and to their own parents, who would not acknowledge them until they had survived the Pit.
Volcanics rarely interact peacefully with other species, especially if they are considered weaker. When volcanics come across strangers, they will usually duel to find the strongest and may even kill the weaker if they determine that they are not worthy of life.
Volcanics are often irrationally wary of Aquatic Tark'ee, avoiding most interactions with them despite the fun loving attributes of the smaller water-loving creatures.
Common Tark'ee are seen as neighbors and often have disputes over land. Volcanics who have been abandoned and have been determined to be very weak might join a Common Tark'ee tribe but you would not see one living anywhere near an Aerobic city - the Volcanics and Aerobics have a blood rivalry.
Volcanics will often raid Aerobic settlements and cities, attacking any lone Aerobics they see on sight. Those that they don't kill, they may capture in order to create what Aerobics believe to be "Abominations" - mixtures that have traits attributed to both Aerobic and Volcanic. They train these beasts brutally from an early age to reject any instinct from Aerobic blood and instead turn to brutality. They are considered tools in an attempt to overthrow the Aerobics and are considered both prized possessions and feared companions.
It is very much accepted that each Volcanic is on its own, often effectively abandoned at birth when their eggs are left in buried deposits and expected to hatch - or not.
Females select males to mate with based on the reputation of the male as a warrior or his visual power. It is rare, but Volcanics may team up to survive the rough world, forming groups. These groups are often tied by familial bonds made up of a mother and her young offspring that are too young to leave or a paternal figure with his mates and female offspring. Like in Sol Earth "lion" prides, adult males rarely stay with their families, instead they are chased out to prevent competition for leadership.
At any time in a patriarchal tribe, a female may leave in search of a stronger mate or once she has determined the leader is no longer useful.
Mating is an aggressive and violent occurrence, usually occurring at the end of a duel where one has grown exhausted and can no longer fight back. To most other subspecies, this seems barbaric, but it is the way of life to many Volcanics.
