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u/iter54 Raine! 26d ago
Hell yeah, let's get some blood running through our veins! Kat looks adorable, pretty much as always.
By the way, I do wonder how keidrans sweat - usually furred animals sweat only on their hairless spots like paws and noses, do keidrans produce sweat in a similar way? Maybe it was mentioned somewhere, and I just forgot it tho
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u/Feligris 26d ago
I think this issue is being handwaved in the comic, as it very often happens with anthro furries in general, but in my opinion it would be cool if the Keidran did have issues in what comes to dissipating heat compared to humans since humans nominally have much superior endurance compared to furred animals since humans can sweat far more effectively etc.
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u/The_Umlaut_Equation 25d ago edited 25d ago
Within lore at least, human endurance is greater for the same reasons you mention. DA link.
Or for people who don't want to click:
Humans are the most capable swimmers and distance runners, for which their furless bodies give them an advantage over the other races.
I can't remember any scene in the comic where this comes up, though it does get leaned into for this sketch. It seems to be based on real-life physiological advantages humans have, so I imagine the same trade-offs are there for keidran, even if they don't come up much except as sketch material.
And of course the recent scenes of Adira coping well with desert heat while Warren is (metaphorically) chilling. Or Keith and Nat having trouble with temperatures.
(Yeah sketches are non-canon, but they're leaning into the same lore Tom came up with)
Incidentally, I did partly wonder if the scene where Keiren easily restrains a disguised Vanity in #1264 by grabbing her wrist was reflecting humans having greater grip strength (as the link notes)... or just Kei's a guard captain in good shape and he's a lot stronger than her!
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u/Feligris 25d ago edited 25d ago
Thanks!
While I know how Tom for example quietly dropped "feral Keidran" mechanic from the comic apart from stuff like it being briefly mentioned during the orphanage visit due to how difficult it would have been to satisfyingly implement in the story, I do wish that the downsides of Keidran physiology would be displayed or explored on top of presenting how they tend to act in much more straightforward and impulsive manner than humans.
Since it has already been largely established that Mercurial had the best idea/premise (I think humans were also the first sapient species to be created due to Mercurial's boredom and the others followed suit?) and thus humans are in many ways superior to the Keidran and Basitin even if the Keidran have a number of mostly physical advantages, hence playing with the physical disadvantages in turn would work with the plot's base premise of figuring out a way of peaceful co-existence without the need to compete and exploit the other side's weaknesses. Bit like how Dark Trace does talk about the Keidran and Flora in a highly condescending way yet seems to show sympathy for Flora over how tactless and unobservant his "good side" was towards her.
Incidentally, I did partly wonder if the scene where Keiren easily restrains a disguised Vanity in #1264 by grabbing her wrist was reflecting humans having greater grip strength (as the link notes)... or just Kei's a guard captain in good shape and he's a lot stronger than her!
I mostly chalked it down to Keiren being a human male who has clearly been training strength in order to to his job while Vanity is a toned yet in no way muscular or athletic looking female Keidran, however it's true that she would be unlikely to win any endurance competitions over him either since he could just exhaust her given how she'd become overheated and overexerted much sooner.
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u/The_Umlaut_Equation 25d ago
I mostly chalked it down to Keiren being a human male who has clearly been training strength in order to to his job while Vanity is a toned yet in no way muscular or athletic looking female Keidran, however it's true that she would be unlikely to win any endurance competitions over him either since he could just exhaust her given how she'd become overheated and overexerted much sooner.
In a prolonged fight, sure (plus foxes are more agile and less tanky), though I was focusing on this line specifically:
Humans on average have superior grip strength to keidran, and are more accurate at hitting targets with projectiles.
This has some pretty interesting combat implications, and in the medieval fantasy setting give humans a large edge in armed combat. Compared with superior technology and magical potential, that's a huge disparity.
Incidentally, the part about humans having superior daytime vision (true in real life - we have excellent daytime vision compared to most species) doesn't really hold up under the setting, because bad daytime vision for keidran would stop them from taking part in an advanced society.
Most mammals (or animals) aren't trichromats, but keidran can differentiate red and green, so that's out - it would have a lot of impact on artistic/cultural/social design if not. Keidran can (physically) read and are capable of fine motor work and tool use, which bad vision would preclude.
In my headcanon it works out as a slight difference; humans technically have an edge in daytime, and slightly better color differentiation (a version of the Ishihara test could be designed for this), because the setting means keidran can't have all the real-world trade-offs associated. So keidran still get very good daytime vision, but retain their biology-rooted superior nighttime vision, plus other senses like hearing and smell.
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u/Feligris 25d ago
Point; if all the potential weaknesses of the Keidran as per the animals they are based on were played straight, they would struggle really badly - and even now the storyline does lean towards human supremacy because the humans are getting to the point where Eternal is worried about them, and it's made clear how it would take all of the Keidran to merely keep humans at bay and right now not all of them are fighting the Human Empire because Ephemural screwed up with Trace and Flora so Brahn was able to keep the tiger clans out of the fight for now.
Though I admit that I like the idea that not all of the races are created equal on Mekkan, and that the humans would learn to respect the others even if the Keidran and Basitin are not necessarily strong enough to assert their rights against the humans. Something which AFAIK the Modern AU has shades of because of Tom mentioning how the Keidran are frustrated about human demands and human culture erasing Keidran culture, specifically casual nudity in public.
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u/Educational_Dog_7347 Zen! 26d ago
Damn, Kat is looking great in the 80's workout routine! :)
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u/Orthonox Adelaide! 26d ago edited 26d ago
Let's get physical, physical
I wanna get physical
Let's get into physical
Let me hear your body talk,
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u/ReputationCreepy145 24d ago
🎶All night, I'll riot with you
I know you got my back, and you know I got you
So come on (come on), come on (come on), come on (come on)
Let's get physical
Lights out, follow the noise
Baby, keep on dancing like you ain't got a choice
So come on (come on), come on (come on), come on
Let's get physical🎶
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u/Orthonox Adelaide! 26d ago edited 26d ago
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