Shek are a Race of bony, horned humanoids. It is the only race which does not have a related subrace. They have a very low population relative to Humans and are prone to violence and aggression. They are generally only found in professions that require combat and strength.
The Shek have a culture that values pride, honor, and physical strength—so much so that many would prefer to die in a hopeless battle than continue living as a disgraced survivor. The Shek are known for their steadfast stoicism and considerable absence of humor when compared to the more jovial races, such as Humans. However, they are much more enthusiastic when it comes to battling matters or surviving bleak situations.
Shek's bodies are covered from head to toe in bony plates which serve as an excellent "natural armor", granting them 25 extra HP (but no special in-game damage resistance, unlike what is stated in the race's description). The Shek are also remarkable for their long bony protrusion/horns, which are a source of pride for many Shek. They are renowned for their exceptional strength and incredible toughness. The Shek legend, Kral, is a testament to the immense toughness of the Shek—or is at least indicative of how much the Shek value toughness, strength, and courage.
Sheks are visually significantly larger than most other races, and thus require more food than any other race to survive. It is important to consider this before recruiting a Shek.
While a large portion of Sheks belong to or originated from the Shek Kingdom[1], they are a small but globally dispersed racial group found across the entire continent of Kenshi. The population proportion they occupy relative to Humans is very small, being usually a low-single-digit-percentage share of the population[2][3][4], as their aggressive and rather suicidal nature drives them towards depopulation[5].
Nonetheless, despite their extraordinarily low population, their natural combat prowess[6] and a general lack of intelligence for skilled labor[7] or other dexterious pursuits[8] means that they are very often times found as bandits[9], outlaws[10], guards[11] and military[12] occupations, usually being overrepresented by a factor of 10 to 50 times compared to their population size. As a result of their aggressive nature, their criminality rates (specifically on violent crimes), are also noted to be exceptionally high[13][14], and there are more Sheks that have joined to be part of outlaws than those aren't[15][16][17].