Techonin are humans that are tied closely with the planet. They are not a common human species and are seen as one of the more monstrous species. They are also known as elementalists or elementals. The usual lifespan for a techonin is 90-100 years, depending on where they live. Ones that live in volcanic areas or deserts tend to live longer than ones that live in chillier regions.
Diet
Techonin are technically omnivores. They are capable of eating both meat and plants. They are also capable of eating rocks and dirt, and a number of techonin will swear that this is the healthiest and most natural way of living. A special quirk that's been reported about their eating habits is that they can eat a variety of very hot foods. The most extreme variation of this is eating magma as a sort of soup. This has also led to the idea that techonin had very poor taste in general when it comes to food. It is a bit unclear how much truth there is behind this concept.
Reproduction
It follows along with general human reproduction. It is uncommon for techonin to have more than one child per pregnancy, though twins are not unheard of. That's sort of the max, though. There's no records of triplets or larger quantities being born at the same time.
Abilities and Magic
Techonin are a very sturdy species that can take a lot of hits and keep on moving. This resilience and their physical power is seen as their biggest strength. They are tough and built to last. They are viewed as having less intelligence, in general, than most of the human species. It is possible this comes from the species' focus on strength over curiosity, but it is not always a species constant. There are cases where techonin have proven themselves to be very sharp and scholarly, though it is far from the norm.
In general, they are more focused on actions and accomplishing things than finding out how things work.
These humans have a close connection with the planet itself. All techonin have a natural affinity for stone and the ground and, if they are focusing on it, are able to tell if a patch of land or stone is sturdy or not. This is very useful for the elementalists who live in mountains and travel across potentially dangerous stone paths on a daily basis. It's known as stonesense and is a highly valued talent among builders and people in a crafting profession. If a techonin focuses on honing this skill, they can try to detect the shifts in the planet's crust which is useful in predicting natural disasters such as earthquakes.
They are also able to use the ground as a weapon or shield, much like their distant cousins, the ruutan. It takes a lot of training and focus, but they can use their natural affinity for stones and the ground to manipulate pieces of it however they'd like. Usually, the techonin who employ this tactic will hoist up pillars of soil or stones and use them as a shield or bludgeoning tool against their attackers. There are also reports of techonin trapping others in the ground by loosening the soil around another and then solidifying it around them. This sort of skill is uncommon in techonin raised in cities and towns and is seen more in the more monstrous variants.
Culture
This species tends to live either in isolation or in small villages out in the mountains. They have an affinity for stone carving and other stone crafts and take full advantage of this. They're said to be some of the greatest forgers around, too, thanks to their ability to work with fire and heat without too much damage. Mining is another one of their common professions thanks to their physical strength, tough bodies, and heat resistances.
While they tend to live apart from other species in general, they tend to be hospitable and welcoming to outsiders. They are known to be a warm species that is maybe a bit over the top at times.
They tend to worship Space for creating the land and Dimethyl for the protection they gave to them against harm.
The techonin are primarily bipedal mammals. There are occasions when they find it easier to move on all fours, but they have evolved to use two legs and are most proficient when upright. The techonin can live in most climates, though they prefer hotter and drier areas in general.
They have a high resistance to heat and can move through areas like volcanoes without many negative side effects. The more monstrous a techonin is, the less bothered by extreme heat they seem to be. The flip side of this seems to be that techonin get sluggish in colder climates and have a hard time dealing with humid areas unless they've worked hard to adapt themselves.
Biology
This species is very dense and does not do well in water.
Techonin are consistently sturdy creatures that have an average height of 7 feet (2.1 meters). Their skin is tough and hard to scratch and is covered in spikes or scales that act as a natural defense against attackers. They usually have tails with a ball at the end that is used as a primary weapon when they are in a tough situation. The more rone-like techonin have hands and feet like the rone, while more monstrous variants have claws and bestial feet. Even the rone-like techonin have sharp claws.
Physical Description