Warm-blooded snake-folk. Large, intimidating, often alone, and not too sociable.
Often found working as bruisers, security, militia, or just a rough and tumble drunk in a bar, the Kismek are lumbering giants in a galaxy full of quicker, nimbler creatures. They have a history of keeping to themselves, their home planet's involvement in galactic trade originally focused on trading for precious metals and gems that were in short supply at the time. These days, though, these "precious materials" are easy to come by.
The Kismek's home planet is Zanna.
Similar to many cobras, the Kismek all feature hooded heads. These snakey hoods extend from the tops of their head down to their collars, giving them both a rather distinctive look and silhouette. Kismek feature scaly skin, long, prehensile tails, and a pair of arms and legs. They have clawed fingers with grippy, scaled hands. Kismek can vary significantly in height, ranging from 6'0 to 7'4. However, most Kismek are at least 6'5.
Their scaly bodies can feature various mixtures of patterns often found on their snake ancestors. However, many patterns that would be more convincing on their ancestor's bodies (such as fake eyes) are less than common on the Kismek. Their scales are most often darker shades of black, red, green, and blue, but can sometimes be found in more brilliant and bright shades.
Kismek are naturally very strong, but their race's evolution has completely forfeited any snake-like lunging speed for this strength. They're big, bulky, muscular creatures with sharp teeth and permanent fangs that protrude past their upper lip. They're also (luckily) venomless, but their saliva can have a gentle, mild numbing effect on other races.
Some Kismek can sometimes be found with less bulky, muscular features. This used to not be the case, as all Kismek quite a few years ago came directly from Zanna and would not have survived without their strength. However, plenty of space-borns Kismek exist nowadays, making more average body types a little more common.
Originally a collection of technologically advanced kingdoms, the Kismek's way of life dissolved into a homogenous, unified gold-rush for valuables as Magnus became accessible to them. Trade boomed, the economy surged, and the wealth-hoarding royal families of the time were reduced to simply common people in just a matter of months.
In recent times, Zanna (barely) functions as a chaotic, fractured democracy. Terrestrial Kismek people have remained rather difficult to govern, especially as old noble families struggle to cling to power. Much of the population has found refuge in the vastness of Magnus, for better or worse. Those who haven't wish they could, or simply haven't had an opportunity to leave yet.
Zanna is more or less a market for trade within Magnus yet, but their rather tumultuous state of affairs makes them inconsistent customers. Most refuse to work deals with governments on this planet.
Most Kismek you'll meet are those who've chosen to go-it-alone in space, often picking up all of their galactic-related skills as they went. They're a scrappy people without much for a backup plan if things go awry. Many are from fractured families due to the rather war-torn nature of their home planet.
If you've had a run-in with space pirates, there's a good chance a few of them have been Kismeks. Their rather mean appearance, strength, resilience in combat, and lack of affiliation make them big targets for pirates looking for recruits. Many fall into this trap with nowhere else for them to go, but many more join for the thrill of space piracy.
Kismek have a poor reputation in the galaxy due to many of their own people's choices, and as a result generally keep to themselves and avoid drawing attention. However, they're passionate people and hard workers. They're also generally quite talkative once you break the ice. If you're not too intimidated by them to try, that is.
The Kismek have an affinity for shiny, lustrous items, such as golden jewelry and gems. You'll often see Kismek wearing clothing and accessories with this theme in the colors and materials used, preferring these more brilliant accents as opposed to anything muted.