====== Species 439 ======
| **This article is not yet approved for IC-Usage** |
===== Nomenclature Note: =====
Species 439 //do// have a name that they refer to themselves by. However, as their ‘language’ is entirely based on body language largely beyond the human spectrum, they have thus far only been referred to by their initial catalog designation.
===== Biology: =====
Species 439 are sulfur-based oxygen breathers that evolved in a high gravity environment.
The Species is arranged on a radically triaxial body structure. Their basic body form is pear shaped with three spines running from the top of the body and terminating in hoof-like feet. The spines, actually long rigid bones, extend beyond the bottom of the main body. The have a single saddle type joint before terminating in a hinge joint with limited movement with which the hooves articulate. This arrangement is notably clumsy, but the arrangement served the species well on the high gravity world they evolved on, the simple structure providing limited points of breakage and the tripod arrangement providing stability.
For manipulation, the Species is equipped with three sets of two tentacles growing from the between the spines on the main trunk. Each set has a ‘true’ tentacle and a ‘false’ tentacle (once again, not how the species actually refers to them). The true tentacle is the longer of the two and relatively weaker, serving as the species primary means of communication. They average two meters in length, and are surprisingly dexterous when necessary. The false tentacle is by far the stronger of the two and is much shorter then the true tentacle and serves as the primary means of manipulation. Each false tentacle ends with a cluster of three manipulators.
While in comparison to the other animals on their home world the Species are only moderately strong, in Yamatai-standard gravity they are extremely strong. The tentacles are extremely well muscled, the true tentacles of an adult specimen capable of throttling a human’s head from their shoulders should the need arise. The false tentacle is comparatively stronger.
The sensory organs of the Species show an emphasis on durability and protection generally at the expense of effectiveness, apparently consistent with other life forms on their home world.
They have three compound eyes, each located above one of the tentacle clusters, on cartilaginous stalks with capacity for limited movement. While providing three hundred and sixty degree vision, these eyes are not as highly developed as those of a human. The species has developed a set of three eyelids for protection of their eyes, and they are much tougher then the human organs. As a side note, while the red end of the visible spectrum is not visible to them naturally, the Species can see into the ultraviolet.
Their hearing apparatus is located between the tentacles and the eyestalks and is slightly less precise then human hearing. The Species cannot hear the higher ranges of human speech.
The digestive system of the Species is extremely efficient, consisting of little more then a mouth on the top of the body, a throat, two highly efficient stomachs and a rectum on the bottom of the body. They derive most of their complex protein chains from sulfur-based vegetation native to their home world. The vertical arrangement of their digestive system stems from the structure of their primary fare, tall fungal ‘trees’ whose spores provide a significant degree of nourishment. Their respiratory system is likewise highly efficient, taking in oxygen from the environment and expelling sulfur dioxide.
Unlike humans, the respiratory and digestive systems of Species are not interconnected. Rather, the digestive system runs down the core of the body, and lungs wrap around this. The respiratory vents of the species, six in total, are located just below the bones of the spines, one on either side, and run almost the entire length of the body. The vents can be partially or completely sealed, like a human’s mouth.
The Species’ brain is not significantly more developed then that of a human, though it features only a single lobe. The thought processes of the Species are very alien, as they think primarily in what humans would interpret closest as rebuses rather then words, rendering surface telepathy difficult at best.
Similar to birds and reptiles, the species is oviparous. Additionally, each member of the species carries both male and female reproductive organs. Eggs are laid in large crèches and guarded collectively by the community.
The Species are very long lived, expecting to reach three hundred years barring violent incident. They mature relatively quickly, reaching biological adulthood after thirty years, and remain at a relatively stable level of natural health for most of their lives. They decay very quickly at the end of their lives, their internal systems collapsing completely over the course of five years.
===== Language: =====
The language of Species 439 is based exclusively on body language. Communication is mostly the province of the true tentacles, with the false tentacles and their attendant manipulators only used for their equivalent of vulgar language. Each individual gesture, comprising three or more tentacles, holds a great deal of meaning, individual gesture-words imparting what would take an entire sentence for a human to articulate.
The written form of the Species language is comprised of complex ideograms, each one mimicking on paper the tentacle positions of a single gesture-word.
For those worried about inadvertently insulting a member of the Species through normal hand gestures, you needn’t. The human form is four limbs shy of meaningfully replicating the Species language, and the human arm does not have sufficient articulation to impart significant meaning.
===== Psychology and Sociology: =====
Due to their long lives and high gravity home world, the Species tends to a methodical approach to life. While they are quick enough to react to immediate stimuli (predator attacks, conversation, combat, etc…) they prefer to consolidate and confer over less immediate matters.
This manifests most strongly in their military planning. The Species are willing to embark on long term goals and campaigns that shorter-lived strategists would baulk at. Strategically, they prefer long and complex maneuver to direct engagements, though tactically they tend to take a more direct approach.
The species society could best be described as an industrial commune. The basic organization of the species is the work group, generally of six individuals, but larger and smaller groups are not uncommon. Generally, the oldest individual seems to take the lead, though this is not always the case. Interaction with other groups is usually, but not exclusively, through the leaders of the groups. However, the Species can and do operate as individuals.
The species do not form traditional family bonds, as humans would understand them. Rather, they are born into an industrial combine, forming a strong allegiance with it as they are raised. While they may move from one combine to another, they retain that strong allegiance for their entire life, albeit forming secondary allegiances with other combines that they may move from.
The high degree non-native members that all combine possess have served to prevent any major wars on the homeworld since the dawn of the modern age. While each combine invariably had more native then non-native members, there are never the less enough non-natives to seriously damage the combine should war with non-native’s home combine ever occur.
Relations with their first extrasolar settlements suffered for a lack of similar exchange, resulting the Colony War. With a low level of exchange between the combines on the homeworld and the combines on the colonies, the usual checks and balances were not in place, resulting in an attempted succession on the part of the colonies. The conflict quickly escalated, cumulating the use of first generation crust breakers, rendering the planet uninhabitable. The experiences of the Colony War turned the species off extrasolar colonization for the past generation, and they were only willing to attempt it again once they had archived ship speeds fast enough to make regular travel between colonies and the homeworld possible.
=====Government:=====
The government of the Species Collective can be best termed a meritocratic industrial collective. The political organization resembles more closely a massive corporation then an actual government as such. Overarching policy decisions are made by the Production Counsel, a six member body which changes membership every two Stronghold years. New members of the Production Counsel are chosen from the three Great Combines, two from each.
Each of the three Great Combines is in charge of a broad aspect of governance for the Species, under the direction of the Production Counsel. The Great Void Combine is in charge of space development and management, the Adamant Mountain Combine is in charge of planetary development and management and the Burning Sands Combine is in charge of military development and management.
Each of these combines in turn directs a number of Lesser Combines, each specialized in an individual field. The Great Void Combine directs Combines that manufacture and develop ship hulls, Combines that manufacture and develop life support units and so on. Likewise, the Adamant Mountain Combine directs Combines that manufacture and develop large aerial transports, Combines that manufacture and develop housing units, etc.
The Burning Sands Combine is different in that it directs has three Lesser Combines. The High Bulwark Combine is the Species’ space fleet and the Heedful Guardian Combine are the Species’ terrestrial force. The White Valley Combine is in charge of weapons development, and work in collaboration with the Lesser Combines of the other Great Combines.
===== Technology Note =====
Given their homeworld’s gravity, in order to make long term colonization of other planets possible the species has focused extensively on gravity manipulation technology. It forms the basis of most of their space based propulsion as well as weapons and defensive systems.
Additionally, all species technology is extremely durable, having been built to function in 6 G gravity.
My first, likely futile, attempt at adding a race to the setting. Thoughts and comments?
