Myths (Facts) of the Raith: Who Are They?
By Laura Mumma
“Raith? (Chuckling) They are nothing but a colonist boogey man. A story to make sure the kids don’t wander into the waste-lands. I can’t believe people believe they exist.” 
– G’than, Professor of Xenoanthropology, Capital University of Truane’s Star
“A Raith took my baby! I didn’t kill me baby! It was a Raith! (sobbing)” 
– Susan Filla, citizen of Laco, interviewed by FNN prior to her conviction for murder of her own child
Note: This information is adapted from a story by Laura Mumma (Tchklinxa) that was posted on starfrontiers.us under “Tch’s Projects.”
Background
The Raith first appeared in Star Frontiersman magazine, issue 3, on pages 25 and 26 with a short adventure and map called the “Raith Lair.” The Raith have been changed from a medium herbivore as presented in the Star Frontiersman article to a medium carnivore as that is more in keeping with its ecological niche and body design. 
The Raith seem to be based off the Scorpionfolk in Dungeons & Dragons which are probably originated from the legends of the Scropion Men known as aqrabuamelu or girtablilu from ancient Akkadian Mythology.
In Star Frontiers
Until recently the Raith where consider nothing but a fantasy tale told by colonists on Laco or other desolate wilderness worlds to keep children from wandering off. They are creatures of horror – described as being as part Man or Vrusk and part Scorpion.
Long dismissed as campfire tales or bar yarns spun by exploration teams and miners, law enforcement and colonial governments had ignored the occasional report of Raith often in conjunction with a missing person’s report as an unbelievable alibi concocted from the bottom of bottle to cover up homicide. 
Recent events on Laco near the settlement of Enderom and the Tetrarch ruins of Xinonus have now lent credence to these long ignored tales of Raith (see the “Raith Lair” adventure). Now officials believe that colonists may have had actual encounters with this elusive and dangerous life form. The rescue of two siblings from a Raith Lair and the bodies of Raith recovered has sparked controversy and diverse opinions across the Frontier.
“In light of recent discoveries of the existence of the Raith on Laco, Susan Filla’s attorney has filed for appeal concerning her conviction for the murder of her 1 year old child Tilla Mark, whom she claimed was abducted by the Raith.” 
– Yuthan, Reporting for Laco FNN 
For the first time ever, scientists were able to dissect the bodies of several Raith including several adults and several immature specimens that had been recovered after an intense battle to rescue two Human children. Though other reports of Raith have occurred, no bodies were recovered from such encounters.
The lack of bodies from past encounters between colonists and the Raith had led to the belief they did not exist. Now scientists are offering other reasons for the lack of bodies. 
Some scientists have suggested the Raith cannibalized their own dead, while others believe the Raith have an organized burial practice. 
Star Law invited xeno-biologists, xeno-archeologists, xeno-paleontologist and xeno-anthropologists from across the Frontier to examine the remains that were brought to their Laco office. Star Law specifically wants to determine more about the nature of the Raith. 
The following is based on scientific reports to Star Law, the UPF Board of Inquiry, and the Laco Government.
“The Raith ancestor’s evolved from an ocean creature similar to the “sea scorpion.” These alien sea scorpions were probably formidable predators that thrived in warm shallow waters of their homeworld. 
“It appears that they were well-adapted for maintaining a secure hold upon rocks or seaweed against the wash of waves. Gradually these primitive creatures began crawling out of the oceans and seas of their world and adapting to land. 
“Gradually some of these creatures began becoming social hunters working together to hunt down their prey and in time they became sentient hunters of arid and desert regions.” 
-- Zen, Professor of Xeno-biology,University of Port Loren
DNA tests of the recovered Raith show that they do not originate from Laco. Where, how and when they came to the planet remains a mystery.
Raith Statistics
Type: Medium Carnivore
Number: 1-10 hunting, 50-500 lair.
Move: Medium, 60 meters/turn, Climb 40 meters/turn, Burrows 40 meter/turn
IM/RS: +4/40
Stamina: 30
Attack: 50% pinch/pinch or sting plus weapon
Damage: pinchers 1d10, stinger 1d10 + poison (S5/T5)
Special Attack: None
Special Defense: hard shell, half-damage from inertia weapons as per skeinsuit
Native World: Unknown, arid wastelands, caves and tunnels
Body Structure and Senses
A stocky ten-limbed creature, the body of a Raith is divided into two parts: the upper body area which has a head fussed to its chest and the lower body (abdomen), which is subdivided into a broad anterior, and a narrow tail-like posterior.
The upper body contains the head, one arm pair, which have hand-like appendages. The second pair of forearms originates at the base of the abdomen where it meets the chest. The second set of forearms ends in claws or pincers. The abdomen also has three pairs of walking legs. 
The creature’s exoskeleton is thick and durable, providing good protection from predators. The cuticle of the Raith contains fluorescent which have been discovered to glow a vibrant blue-green when exposed to certain wavelengths of ultraviolet light such as that produced by a black light. 
Raith exoskeltons are believed to come in a variety of colors varying from white like in the very young to light tans or sand colors to reds, blacks and even blues based on eye witness accounts and the few bodies dissected. Scientist are unsure if this is normal biogenetic variation, the result of adapting to specific environments such as soil color or an indication of different races or species. Raith blood is blue due to the presence of hemocyanin which contains copper.
Raith have two eyes on the top of the head, and usually two to five pairs of eyes along the front corners of their head. Despite the fact that Raith have many eyes, their vision is poor when compared to other species. Nocturnal by nature, they find shelter during the day in the relative cool of underground lairs and cool cave complexes, emerging at night to hunt and feed. 
Exhibiting photophobic behavior, Raith prefer caves, tunnels and loose soils such as sand that they can burrow through. Though they prefer areas where the temperatures range from 20 to 37 degrees Celsius, the creatures can survive temperatures ranging from well below freezing to desert heat and do live in temperatures varying from −31 to 50 degrees Celsius. Raith can regulate their body temperature which is normally 23.9 degrees Celsius, but in extreme cold they will enter a hibernation state.
A Raith does not have ears like Humans or antenna like the Vrusk, instead on close examination of the bodies it was discovered they have a lot of fine “hairs”. These hairs are actually not hairs but are sensory structures that allow the Raith to sense vibration. 
There are also small slits called slit sensila that allow the Raith to detect mechanical strain, using these sensory components it is believed the Raith are adept at detecting vibrations coming through the ground. They can determine the direction by comparing wave timing among legs, they are sensitive to airborne vibrations (sound).
Using the much longer sensory hairs concentrated on their pedipalps they can catch prey or objects in mid-flight by picking up on the airborne vibrations they cause. The best way to think of Raith hearing is that their inner ear is spread out across the outside of their body. Despite this exception hearing Raith can adapt to constant loud background noise in that they can properly interrupt the sound for what it is and that it is to be ignored, however such sounds interfere with the Raith’s ability to hunt properly and severely inhibit its ability to navigate properly. 
The abdomen is segmented, each covered dorsally by a sclerotized plate and also ventrally for segments three to seven. The first abdominal segment bears a pair of genital opercula covering the gonopore. Segment two consists of the upper forearms appendages which have a five fingered hand similar to the Vrusk’s, and are used much in the same manner as Vrusk forelimbs making the Raith capable of the same fine motor manipulation as other species. It is surmised based on the eye witness reports that the Raith like the Vrusk is ambidextrous. 
The lower segmented clawed forearm appendages occur on segment three and are used for prey immobilization, defense, mating and sensory purposes. Segments three to seven each have a pair of spiracles, the openings for the Raith's respiratory organs. The spiracle openings may be slits, circular, elliptical, or oval.
The Raith's tail is comprised of five segments (the first tail segment looks like a last segment of the body) and the sixth segment bears the stinger. The stinger consists of a pair of venom glands and the venom-injecting barb. 
On rare occasions, Raith can be born with two tails. Two-tailed Raith are not a different species, merely thought to be a genetic abnormality. 
In addition one body discovered lacked a stinger but instead had a tail fan indicating that not all Raith have stingers, how this specimen was able to survive is open to debate. Raith use their venom in moderation, it takes the Raith a lot of energy to produce venom. It is used for subduing prey, in self-defense and in mating.
Hunting Habits
Raith are opportunistic predators. Their large pincers are studded with highly sensitive tactile hairs, so they prefer to lay in wait under sand or in dark places and the moment prey animal touches these, they use their pincers to catch the prey. Raith will hunt this way as individuals or in groups. 
Witnesses have also reported seeing Raith at night run down prey often as a group and using weapons, though many people have called such claims into question. However tools recovered from the Raith Lair indicate that they do use spears as weapons. 
Depending on the toxicity of their venom and size of their claws, they will then either crush the prey or inject it with neurotoxin venom. Even though Raith possess venom, as a general rule, they will kill their prey with brute force if they can, as opposed to using venom. 
The venom is a mixture of compounds each not only causing a different effect but possibly also targeting a specific animal. Each compound is made and stored in a pair of glandular sacs and is released in a quantity regulated by the Raith itself. This will kill or paralyze the prey so the Raith can eat it. 
Raith appear to prefer raw, freshly killed animal life as food. They have an unusual style of eating using their, small claw-like structures that protrude from the mouth. This unusual mouth structure is very sharp, and is used to pull small amounts of food off the prey for digestion into a pre-oral cavity below the chelicerae and carapace. 
Only able to ingest food in a liquid form; they have external digestion. The digestive juices from the gut are egested onto the food and the digested food sucked in liquid form. Any solid indigestible matter (fur, exoskeleton, etc.) is trapped by setae in the pre-oral cavity, which is ejected by the Raith. 
The Raith can consume huge amounts of food at one sitting. They have a very efficient food storage organ and a very low metabolic rate combined with a relatively inactive lifestyle. This enables Raith to survive long periods when deprived of food; some are able to survive 5 to 10 months of starvation. Raith excrete very little; their waste consists mostly of insoluble nitrogenous compounds. 
Raith Reproduction
Raith reproduce sexually, having male and female individuals. Some scientist speculate the species can reproduce through parthenogenesis, a process in which unfertilized eggs develop into living embryos. If this is true, the parthenogenic reproduction starts following the Raith's final moult to maturity and continues thereafter.
Sexual reproduction is accomplished by the transfer of a spermatophore from the male to the female; Raith possess a complex courtship and mating ritual to affect this transfer. Mating starts with the male and female locating and identifying each other using a mixture of pheromones and vibration communication. Once they have satisfied the other that they are of opposite sex, and not closely related mating can commence.
The courtship starts with the male grasping the female's pedipalps with his own. The pair perform a "dance" called the "promenade à deux". In this "dance", the male leads the female around searching for a suitable place to deposit his spermatophore. 
The courtship ritual can involve several other behaviors, such as juddering and a cheliceral kiss, in which the male's chelicerae – pincers – grasp the female's in a smaller more intimate version of the male's grasping the female's pedipalps and in some cases injecting a small amount of his venom into her pedipalp or on the edge of her cephalothorax, probably as a means of pacifying the female.
When the male has identified a suitable location, he deposits the spermatophore and then guides the female over it. This allows the spermatophore to enter her genital opercula, which triggers release of the sperm, thus fertilizing the female. 
The mating process can take from 1 to 20+ hours and depends on the ability of the male to find a suitable place to deposit his spermatophore. If mating continues too long, the female may lose interest, ending the process.
Once the mating is complete, the male and female will separate. The male will generally retreat quickly, most likely to avoid being cannibalized by the female, although sexual cannibalism is infrequent with the Raith.
Raithlings:
Raith seem to be universally ovoviviparous. The young are born one by one after hatching and expelling the embryonic membrane, if any. The brood is carried about on its mother's back until the young have undergone at least one molt. 
The size of the litter depends on environmental factors, and can range from two to over a hundred Raithlings. The average litter however, consists of around 8 Raithlings.
Before the first molt, Raithlings cannot survive naturally without the mother, since they depend on her for protection and to regulate their moisture levels. The young-mother association continues for an extended period of time. 
The young generally resemble their parents. Growth is accomplished by periodic shedding of the exoskeleton. A Raith's developmental progress is measured in how many molts it has undergone. 
Typically requiring between five and seven molts to reach maturity, when Raiths molt the new exoskeleton is soft, making it highly vulnerable to attack. The Raith must constantly stretch while the new exoskeleton hardens to ensure that it can move when the hardening is complete. The new exoskeleton does not fluoresce, but as hardening occurs the fluorescence gradually returns.
Lifespan
As not much is known about the Raiths so it is difficult for scientists to estimate their lifespan. In their current primitive state, estimates of 50 to 100 GST years have been suggested. Most scientists believe because of the harsh conditions on Laco, the Raith there may have an average life span in around 30 GST years.
Intelligence and Society
“The Raith are predators of the arid wastelands preying on the citizens of this good world. They are nothing but ravenous monsters of limited animal intelligence. There is absolutely no proof these creatures are sentient. As governor of this planet I will curb this menace to civilization! 
“These creatures are a threat to the development of our world and a danger to our communities. For the safety of our children we must cull the Raith population. Better yet exterminate them!” 
– Governor Hath of Laco
Many citizens of the UPF who have believed in the existence of the Raith on Laco also consider them to be mindless monsters of the waste-lands. The discovery of the Raith Lair has raised serious questions as to the possibility that the Raith are sapient beings. 
Little is actually known about Raith society or intelligence but a thorough investigation led by Star Law with Xeno-anthropologists and Xeno-archeologist has revealed enough information to make the UPF Board of Inquiry concerned that this previously believed fantasy creature may actually be intelligent life form.
Recovered from the Raith Lair’s entrance was a flat piece of wood with a rough-hewn image of unknown design or meaning – skulls impaled by two spears. The “concerned Frontier citizens” who rescued the children from the Raith where interviewed and reported the two spears where originally crossed to block the entrance. 
Various scientists working with Star Law agree this shows a cognitive attempt to warn intruders and mark the Raith territory and possibly identify to other Raith their tribal or band affiliation.
The interior entrance of the lair was covered in primitive art work of mostly unknown meaning, though it has been suggested perhaps to ward off evil. However to everyone’s shock and surprise in Pan-Gal was writing that clearly says “evil that walks on 2 legs.” This discovery touched off a debate as to how those words got on the wall.
Did a Raith write the words? If so, that means at least some of them can read, write and understand Pan-Gal. How did they learn Pan-Gal? Or was the saying the deranged writing of a lost soul who took refuge in the cave system before the Raith inhabited it? Why are those that walk on two legs evil if the Raith wrote it? 
It is accepted by most that the only logical implication is that Humans are probably the “2 legs.” If the Raith wrote it, why are Humans specifically evil? 
The further discovery by the rescue team of a human body and latter recovery of said human body in the entrance area by Star Law has raised even more questions. The Raith are carnivores yet they clearly did not eat this Human. In addition the Raith according to the rescuers had left the body armed indicating that they did not know how to use the weapons or perhaps viewed the weapons as evil as well.
The Ritual Chamber where the little girl was rescued also has raised questions. According to the rescue team the tribe of Raith clearly had an individual leading a ritual, this indicates to the scientists a structured and complex society with religion. 
Witnesses reported the tribal members present were chanting “Hazzen-Ka” which could be their god and indicates they have a spoken language. The recovery from the pit of dozens of corpses indicate sacrificial rights and again indicates they are not killing just for food which in the past was the assumed reason for the attacks. 
It was also reported by the witnesses that the “priest” or “shaman” attempted to flee and only became combative when cornered. Of the Raith bodies recovered from this site his lacked a stinger and was instead a fan-shaped tail. 
The room now called the Audience Hall appears to have been the area where the leader or the “king” (as the rescue party called him) of the Raith and a group of female Raith resided. The older sibling of the little girl was found here in chains by the rescue party and again his weapons had not been removed indicating a lack of understanding what has on the boy and that the Human boy’s devices where weapons. The layout of the room was such as to allow or facilitate meetings with other Raith and still provide a private area for the chief and his consorts.
The area now identified as the Living Area contained sufficient artifacts of Raith construction to identify that they use staffs, poles, swords, and knives as weapons or tools in addition items believed to be games, medicines, and ritual artifacts. Furthermore, containers for storing various herbs, roots and supplies all indicate this lifeform has attained higher intelligence. 
Strangely marked pots, boards and basket patterns have been surmised to indicate that the Raith have a form of symbol language.
The sleeping area called the Inner Lair is where the families of the tribe slept communally. The lack of privacy in this area was a surprise to the Xeno-anthropologists, which has led to some interesting theories on the nature of Raith society, family structure and their cooperative nature. 
Sufficient artifacts were recovered from the various living areas to conclude that the Raith are hunters and gathers, appear to have knowledge of pottering making, flint knapping, primitive copper metal working, basket weaving, rope and other textiles such as fabrics for screens and what appear to be tents, nets and pillows.
In all a total of 78 Raith bodies were recovered for study by the research team and it is believed that no members of this Raith tribe survived. The research team has recommended further study and attempts to contact the Raith peacefully as they appear to be an intelligent primitive tool using species. However many local Laco politicians and colonists want them eradicated now that the existence of the species has been confirmed.
Fitting the Raith in the Frontier
In this article I placed the city of Endrom on Laco as the world seemed like an excellent location for the Raith to live. The original stats on the creatures imply they maybe be an elusive but dangerous life form on several other Frontier planets. If so than there are several possibilities that can be explored.
“The Raith are a Sathar bioform seeded amongst the arid worlds to hamper our colonization of our planets and harass our citizens. The Raith are a form of Sathar Terrorism. An insidious alien conspiracy!” 
– Laco Citizen Van Jon
The species could be a Sathar bioform that the Sathar seeded on UPF worlds or they may even abandoned Sathar slave species. They could also have been left across the Frontier by other races such as the Clicks or a Precursor Race such as the Tetrarchs.
“The Raith are a genetic accident, clearly one of the mega-corporations created these monstrosities and the government know doubt backed this insane plan, why you ask? Perhaps it was a misguided attempt to create a super warrior or perhaps they need to create a False Flag situation to keep the UPF races united out of fear and maintain their power over us! I tell you it’s a conspiracy of the rich and powerful to enslave the colonies!” 
– Vido from Outer Reach
The Raith could be a race released or escaped from a Mega-Corps lab or even a new race that has developed because of exposure to mutagens on a planet. 
“We need to find a way to become one with this world and live in harmony with all of the ‘verse’s life forms. The Raith are just misunderstood creatures of the waste-lands. Misunderstood because of our own disharmony. We need to give peace and harmony a chance. The Raith are the voice of the ‘Verse on this world. Would you like this free literature on how to be one with the Voice?” 
– Brother Gwen of the Church of the Universal Voice.
“The Raith are the Wrathful Hand of the Divine! Lux 10:14 “The Hand shall rise in the wilderness, consume the unclean and the destroy the infidel.” Repent Sinners!” 
– Clarion Citizen Yang Song 
The Raith could be native to a specific planet that has had nothing but bad experiences with colonists or they could even be surviving pocket populations of an ancient race that once dominated the stars and has been reduced to primitives on most of the worlds they had colonized in ages past.
References:
http://www.scorpionworlds.com/facts-about-scorpions/
http://arachnoboards.com/threads/is-loud-noise-harmful-to-scorpions.97537/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scorpion
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurypterid
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobster
https://www.scorpsweep.com/facts/
Star Frontiersman 03, Star Frontiers Locations Map page 25 & Raith Lair page 26 by Bill Logan.
The Rescue by w00t, http://www.starfrontiers.us/node/4066
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/monstrous-humanoids/scorpionfolk
http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Scorpionfolk_(3.5e_Creature)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scorpion_man