I'll be using Nova Aurora Humanitas, a faction of survivors from the annihilated-Earth idea outlined in the initial post. I put that idea up in the first place because I wanted to make sure that multiple Human factions would be possible should someone choose to sue them... but I suppose such a precaution was unnecessary.
I do have a race I can use as a fallback should y'all downvote my idea, though. I can't use them both as once, for reasons pertaining to extended * backstory.
Loco: Blixty is being briefed from the Skype convo, I haven't updated on it yet for the evening but last I had checked he was going to give it his best shot and we'd see what he came up with. USAF said he wasn't participating due to hardness/flavor.
edited 7th Sep '11 7:51:40 PM by SOCR
How can you be in two places at once when you're not anywhere at all?updaten.
The Likaree
The Likaree are a small, humanoid species originating in the Pegasus star system. They superficially resemble short, horned humans (they are usually no more than five feet tall). All Likaree are superficially female in appearance, usually having long, curly blonde or light brown hair and a wide variety of eye color, however, the race is unisex. Likaree mate by joining their reproductive organs, small hooklike structures between their legs, upon impregnation, both parents will carry an 'egg' inside of what can roughly be called a womb for three weeks to a month, at which point, the Likaree will give birth to a larvae to be raised by the community.
Likaree society, and its "economy" if it can be called one, is based on a single substance, Maut. Maut is a beverage made by fermenting the roots of the native Palentat Tree. Maut's importance largely stems from it being what might loosely be termed an aphrodisiac, when consumed, a Likaree's mood will swing wildly, sometimes lapsing into a strong lust, and it is in the aforementioned mood that the Likaree will usually mate. Mating without the aid of Maut has become impossible over many generations, hence the entirety of Likaree society being based around the beverage. However, it is not Maut's sole use, and Maut is often used recreationally as well. Making the Likaree something like intergalactic drunkards with wide mood swings.
The Likaree never formed nations as such, instead, groups (what could approximately be termed "clans") formed out of related families, with leaders being decided by sexual dominance battles, or sometimes simply straight drinking contests. The groups became larger and larger over time, with some controlling large numbers of the islands in Likareedomo's archipelagos. The entire planet was united under the San-Wil-Hat-Me-Hat-Nee Clan even before the discovery of space travel. On a more localized level, a Likaree's lot in life is very fluid, a given Likaree may work at a factory for some time, and then abruptly decide to pursue farming and leave. Such split-second decision making is seen as entirely reasonable among the Likaree, and anyone attempting to live among them should learn to get used to it.
It is also for this reason that the concept of "crime" is very ill-defined in Likaree society, since the concepts of "good" and "bad" do not apply as they do to humans. Likaree only really define things as bad if they cause displeasure to another sentient being. Since Likaree are generally not inclined to do such things in the first place, crime is very, very rare amongst the Likaree. As is general disagreement. This does however have its downsides as Likaree society is known to stagnate for long periods of time, simply because no one feels like inventing anything new. However, because of their attitudes, the Likaree are generally hospitable enough to aliens, though they distrust anyone who "thinks too much", as overthinking one's actions is usually taken as a sign of plotting. Likaree are capable of occupying themselves quite contently by simply swaying back and forth, as they will often do.
Dispute amongst the Likaree is not all that common, but when it does happen it will be resolved in one of two ways. The more common is a ramfight, where the two Likaree will lock horns with one another until one forces the other to the ground, winning the match and the dispute. Somewhat less common is when both Likaree are in the mood to mate, at which point the two combatants will kill two birds with one stone and have a sexual longevity match instead, with whichever Likaree that orgasms first losing. This has the side effect of usually permanently resolving the dispute for rather obvious reasons.
Though Likaree do not generally organize on smaller levels, they do have a loose planetary government, headed by a Lik-Tat-Mek-Tin, which can be translated as both "The First and Foremost Likaree" and "The Heaviest Drinking Likaree", not coincidentally, as while the position is elected, a good deal of getting elected is impressing other Likaree with one's drinking abilities, as this is directly related to one's socialness, which is critical in Likaree society. The Lik-Tat-Mek-Tin's children will generally serve as ambassadors if they are needed. The current Lik-Tat-Mek-Tin is Mok-Ah-Ran-Tee-So-Mat-Ten, commonly known as Moka, she has one child, Mok-Ah-Ran-Su-Mak-Ha-To-No, or Moka Jr.
==under construction, bro==
edited 7th Sep '11 8:28:53 PM by BlixtySlycat
go ahead and do every stupid thing you can imagineHello, all. I've set up this race for a while now, growing from a somewhat silly concept to a serious race. Without further ado, here they are.
The Dotar
Physical update:
The Dotur are an unusual race. Appearance wise, they somewhat comically appear similar to the common rodent race known as “rabbits” or “bunnies”. This similarity has caused some mirth on the behalf of some races in relations with them. I assure you, however, never express this sentiment in their presence, as they regard this as an insult of the highest order, and considering the aggressiveness of the average Dotur, a possible cause to a serious diplomatic accident.
In any case, the average Dotur stands proud at a height of two feet, ten and a half inches(when bipedal), although specimens may reach up to three feet seven inches in height, and are completely covered in soft fur. They have large ears, often to a length of well over a foot and a half, and treat their ears much like we treat our hair. Unlike the rabbit species that we commonly associate them with, their ears flop down behind their heads. Doturi ears are a mark of physical attractiveness for both sexes and they commonly brush and wash their ears regularly, and it is the most common place for Doturi jewelry, with earring and such being immensely popular. Their eyes are rather large, and come in a wide variety of colors, primarily black and brown. Again, unlike the common rabbit, these eyes are not located on the sides of their heads like most assume, despite the wider range of vision offered. Their distinctive, large, rabbit-like snouts are quite proficient in detecting scents.
The Dotur are, despite some misconceptions, both bipedal and capable of walking on all fours. Their bottom feet are extremely large, soft, and padded with a velvety material. They have four digits on each foot, but almost no conscious control over them, instead they passively and unconsciously adapt while running. Shoes are considered a sign of wealth in Doturi culture due to their extravagance: the Doturi have no true need for them, making them an item for the rich.
Doturi hands, or paws, consist of a thumb and three fingers, all rather large and fat, making their fine mechanical control somewhat… not fine. Their thumbs have evolved to be incredibly versatile and strong in response. Their palms are very similar to their feet. This paw structure is very well adapted for running.
The Dotur drop to all fours as a way of transportation mostly. Physically, they gain an immense speed boost, helped by a natural adrenal predisposition towards flight. Doturi sprinting speeds have been known to exceed sixty mile per hour, if only for short periods.
Status-wise, the running stance is considered a show of pacifism and submission. It is commonly used around those one knows well, such as family or close friends. Respected people, elders, and unknowns use the bipedal stance. This is because of a cultural disposition: in ancient times, weapons could only be held in the upright stance, while running was only possible in the downward stance, thus the current social statuses, standing as a sign of respect and dominance and vice versa. In an emergency however, the statuses are forgotten, necessity taking precedence.
In reproductive matters, the Dotur are extremely similar to humans, and I suspect that their anatomy and it’s effect on Doturi culture need not be discussed. However, their massive birth rate is a crucial factor. The average Dotur family has over thirty offspring, hugely decreased from the former of seventy just under a century ago. Normally, offspring are produced as triplets or quadruplets, although hexideciplets(16) have been recorded. Culturally, singular children are extremely rare and traditionally thought to have great destinies.
This massive birth rate is the single most important factor in Doturi society, and it's true staggering effects will be discussed in the "Culture" update, and mentioned in the "Military", "Economic", and "Political" updates which will follow.
An important factor in Dotur development is their adrenal reflex. While the average human may keep up a heightened state of physical activity for hours upon end, the Dotur hormonal system instead produces an enormous burst of a chemical similar to adrenaline when threatened. This burst allows for physical activity of an incredible degree, such as truly fantastic land speeds and reflexes, but only for a short time. Normally, a Dotur can only keep up intense physical activity or ground-combat for half an hour, a crucial factor in their military system.
Your legacy shall drift away, blown into eternity, like the sands of the desert.Alright, here's a smaller bit, partly owing to time...
Whiskers
Having a rigid, mostly inflexible face often results in creatures with extensive and complex body language or vocalisations to express themselves. While the Molo'Qraaat do indeed speak, in the hissing, clicking, burbling, chirruping language of theirs, for basic expression, they rely on their highly flexible and prehensile whiskers.
Each whisker (males have two, females four)is made up of thousands of tiny segments, not unlike a spine, so that every piece of it up to the connection can move. Therefore, the smallest motion in the right area can express a wealth of things. A twitch can indicate bemusement. Rotation can indicate laughter. Both whiskers raised skyward could display barely suppressed fury.
These are also good indications of a Molo'Qraaat's mental health, as each of these movements requires conscious control. If a sandsifter is about to lose it, their whiskers will be twitching spasmodically and without pause. A healthy mind will equal at least a second's pause between these movements.
"He could not know it. For it was not all a joke."I'll have some more information on the Kin up at some point tomorrow afternoon, guys; this updat will likely concern at least some of their history as a galactic polity, among other things. I'd work on it right now, but I have class in the morning.
The Danse Macabre CodexThat's something we should come up with lol.
How can you be in two places at once when you're not anywhere at all?Language?
Speaking of, universal translators or no?
Also, a few little details: Yvunll have incredible fast-twitch reflexes (as do most amphibians, or fish for that matter, IIRC); this in addition to their eight-limbed-ness puts their physical combat skills almost on par with the Molo'Qraaat.*
Some individuals (usually those with yellow skin-patterns) are capable of spitting their venom, much like some species of cobra. Like said cobras, the point is to blind an attacker, or, just as likely, a victim.
An update on Katak: Instead of three spears, the "Katak" refers now to a set of weapons: The Kah (a glaive-like weapon with a short shaft and a very long blade) and the two Tak, the aformentioned double-ended short spears.
My name is Cu Chulainn. Beside the raging sea I am left to moan. Sorrow I am, for I brought down my only son.Hokay, more info on the Kin as promised.
History
The Kin were once one of the most widespread races in this sector of space; their imperium spanned considerable territory and wielded great influence, and it had existed in this state for well over a thousand years. So long have they lived amongst the stars, in fact, that the Kin have forgotten the world where they were born; all memory of this ancestral birthworld, the cradle of their civilization, has faded away over the centuries. Despite this lack of knowledge concerning their origins, the Kin of the old imperium were content; barring the occasional attacks by raiders and wyrms on their outlying worlds, their imperium had been at peace for a fairly large portion of its existence.As such, they were ill-prepared for the so-called Silent Crusade of the Molo’Qraaat; the crustacean aliens’ homeworld was within spitting distance of Tefvizmar, capital of the imperium, and it was one of the first worlds to experience the unrelenting savagery of these monsters. Because of this, the imperium suffered greatly and the hands of the alien barbarians; even though the soldiers of the warrior castes made the Molo’Qraat pay dearly for every inch of land they took, Tefvizmar fell, the imperator and his most trusted aides and councillors were slain by Molo’Qraaat assassins, and the archive world of Garrholahk, repository of all the imperium’s knowledge and history, was set ablaze by orbital bombardment. With the death of the imperator and no clear line of succession, the only thing holding the imperium together was their hatred of the Molo’Qraaat; once the war ended, the imperium then fragmented into dozens upon dozens of smaller colonies which immediately descended into petty squabbling with one another. As the colonies began to battle each other in an effort to prove their right to succeed the imperator, the Kin’s numbers and territory continued to dwindle, and it seemed certain that their own internecine conflicts would finish what the Molo’Qraaat had started five years earlier.
Yet this was not the end for the Kin; some twenty years after the fragmentation of their imperium, a male of the ruling caste was born on the distal colony world of Dis. This being, known as Dis Baba, matured far more rapidly than was the norm for his species, and with this maturity of body came a keen mind and a drive to restore what had been lost; within two years of his birth, Dis Baba had united all the warring hives of Dis into a single colony, and in another seven he led his people back to the stars to begin colonizing other worlds. What followed was a long campaign to both expand his sphere of influence and reunite the Kin into a single polity, and while this goal is by no means complete at present, Dis Baba’s efforts have certainly gone a long way towards saving his people from extinction; in the past thirteen decades, his empire—known as the Ark Reach Overcolony, owing to the fact that its roots lie in the Ark Reach star cluster—has expanded from a small patch of land on a single, barely-hospitable jungle world to thirty planets scattered across seventeen star systems, and eighty-five percent of all the Kin in known space have sworn fealty to him.
Though still a far cry from the glory of the old imperium, Dis Baba’s Ark Reach Overcolony is a force to be reckoned with; having faced the threat of extinction once already, the Kin will not be caught off-guard in such a manner ever again.
Religion
The Kin of the Ark Reach Overcolony are atheistic to a near militant degree; they hold that everything in the universe can be explained through rationalism and science, and that no higher power had a hand in the formation of the galaxy, their development as a species and people or anything else. Kin who come to follow the tenants of a religious faith are considered to be under the sway of alien charlatans, and depending on the Kin’s caste it may be forcibly re-educated as to the proper nature of the universe, exiled for being an insane dissident, or killed off to prevent the ‘poison’ of belief from infecting its fellows.That said, while the Ark Reach Overcolony follows no faith and holds no dogma, the Kin were not always so empirical in their beliefs. In ages past, the Kin are said to have venerated a complex pantheon of deities, psychopomps and daemons, but—as a result of their archive world’s destruction at the hands of the vile Molo’Qraat—few records of this faith have survived up until the present day; many of these, if not all, are believed to have been destroyed by agents of the Ark Reach Overcolony in an effort to promote and enforce Dis Baba’s policy of ‘empirical truth’. Nevertheless, not all mention of the Kin’s archaic faith has been stamped out; splinter colonies of Kin have been known to venerate a being known only as Yiaxatar, which—purportedly—was worshipped on the Kin’s ancestral homeworld as the god of innovation and strength.
Without the spark of life to animate them, the clades of a dead Kin are simply dead tissue which could be put to use as something else, and so the common practice in the Ark Reach Overcolony is to recycle the fallen whenever possible. This is not to say that they care nothing for those who die, however; whenever a Kin dies, its name is inscribed into what is known as a Gel’horahkt (stone of remembrance), a large slab akin to a mass tombstone located within every Kin hive, and it is to the local Gel’horahkt that relatives of the deceased come to pay their respects.
Important Worlds
- Dis: Capital of the Ark Reach Overcolony. As the birthplace of their Paragon, Dis Baba, and the centrepoint of this polity, Dis is the closest thing the atheistic Kin have to a holy site. It is also one of the most heavily-guarded planets in the galaxy, with a small yet heavily-armed fleet stationed in the system at all times to provide protection from any threats; off-worlders are subject to intense scrutiny before they are permitted to land on the planet's surface, and Not-Kin are not allowed to set foot on the verdant world's soil for any reason.
- Tefvizmar: the former capital world of the Kin imperium.
- Garrholahk: the so-called archive world which served as the repository for the Kin's history and accumulated knowledge. This planet was destroyed by orbital bombardment during the Silent Crusade; much of its contents have as a result been lost, and it is no longer suitable for habitation by any species.
edited 9th Sep '11 3:23:18 PM by SullenFrog
The Danse Macabre CodexGood question; I'll let you know when I have a concrete answer. As it stands, though, it will either be shortly before or during the events of the RP.
The Danse Macabre CodexSo it would be safe to assume they are in or near a state of hostilities during the RP's run?
How can you be in two places at once when you're not anywhere at all?More info on the Dotur.
Dotur History on the Intersolar Scene
The Dotur developed reliable interplanetary travel just over a hundred-fifty years before the Silent Crusade wrecked havoc throughout known space. For the Dotur, expansion into space wasn't a dream or a scientific goal. It was necessity that brought them into the void of space.
The Dotur homeworld, Myryll(pronunciation: mur-il) was, much like today, facing an overpopulation problem of epic proportions. The natural Doturi birthrate had skyrocketed out of control, the population of Myryll was over thirty-six billion Dotur. Only strict government management of food, agriculture, and the economy had kept society running, but there was a point where even that was not enough. The colonization and expansion plan enacted was essentially the last option before Dotur civilization fell into total anarchy.
Shipping over sixteen billion emigrants offworld in vast colony ships equipped with terraforming technology, they quickly snapped up every terraformable world in their home system before heading even beyond that in search of new planets and resources to feed the overwhelming hunger of the Dotur.
Within a century and a half, the Dotur had expanded to over thirteen systems and forty-two worlds. The population had grown even more, over a hundred seventy billion Dotur lived, but a stronger central government had managed to surpass the overwhelming natural breeding urge that so multiplied the race and enforced a limit up on the population: sixteen children allowed. This limited the out-of-control population growth that had troubled the expanding race to an allowable degree. In fact, in different circumstances, this could've transformed the Dotur into a peaceful and stable race from the resource hungry juggernaut they were.
However, it was at this time that the Dotur had their first contact with an alien civilization: the Molo'Qraaat.
The Silent Crusade
The Silent Crusade struck a race unprepared for conflict. The interstellar military was almost nonexistent: a fleet or two still testing out what type of fighting worked in space. In fact, private vessels outnumbered the military by a ratio of over ten to one.
The first assault took a Dotur colony world off the stellar map in just five weeks, while the military was unable to respond. The entire military and political hierarchy had been decimated in under a week, another example of the supreme skills of Molo'Qraaat assassins, and it was quite a while before a lone admiral grasped the reigns and instituted military law and a state of total war.
The great bulk of the Dotur race finally responded after losing nearly two dozen colonies and having many more besieged. Millions upon millions of factories began to crank out weaponry to arm the billions of conscripts that mustered for war. Ship docks worked around the clock, building carrier upon carrier at a prodigious rate. The birth limit was removed, and a huge new generation of Dotur were born for the war.
The Dotur threw their full force at the Molo'Qraaat, and it was possible that, despite the unbelievable Molo'Qraaat successes, they would be turned back by sheer numbers alone. In fact, they held, inflicting great losses upon the Dotur fleets. But the Dotur could take losses, and for every fighter destroyed, a thousand more were ready to take it's place.
Either way, the Crusade's lightning advance into Dotur territory had been stopped, the impact blunted by countless swarms of Dotur fighters and horizonless armies of soldiers. The line would hold for almost the entire war, the hardy Molo'Qraaat military machine taking the hammer blows of the Dotur horde. It was not until the final year of the war that the tide turned, as the newest generation of Dotur were thrown against the Molo'Qraaat lines and gradually pushed them from Dotur space. It was only at this time that the stubborn Dotur high command accepted peace terms from the Molo'Qraaat.
Effects of the Crusade
By the end of the war, called the "Storm of Blood" by the Dotur, nearly ninety billion Dotur had been killed. Twenty billion civilians had died, from both Molo'Qraaat forces and the intense and demanding industry routine at home. It is estimated that almost three billion Dotur workers died from industrial accidents alone and another six from exhaustion, a testament to the awesome, but harsh, power of the harnessed heavy industry of the race.
The effects of the Crusade of Dotur society can not be understated. It instilled a sense of xenophobia and jingoism that can still be felt to this day. It also united the formerly at-odds coalition of the colonial governments with the central authority of the home planet. Perhaps most importantly, it solidified Dotur society into government controlled civilization it is today.
After the war, the Dotur focused on rebuilding. They re-expanded, settling what former holdings they could, the ones not scarred with dirty bombs or nuclear fire, and when they ran out of former holdings, began to expand ferociously into new territory. Despite this wave of settlement, the Dotur territory is less than half of its former size.
The new state is still burdened by overpopulation, although with government control, it is still at easily managed levels. A great obstacle has been the removal of the birth restrictions, which have only recently been lowered to thirty children per family. As such, the Dotur have adapted an imperialistic and aggressive attitude. Pouncing upon Molo'Qraaat regret about the war, they have been aggressively seeking territory as compensation ever since.
Religion
The Dotur race does not have a single religion, rather they have a number of major faiths. Hyjudra, Jyssris, and Lunctal are but a few of these, but Hyjudra is by far the most common.
Another example of the cultural implications of a high reproduction rate, Hyjudra emphasizes a cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth. It lacks some common elements of a religion, and in fact, many have classified it more as a philosophy. Hyjudra law states that all Dotur souls are really one collective, one body. This collective is scattered throughout the entire race, and souls return to the collective to be born anew upon death. This structure emphasizes a racial unity and supports the common Dotur tendency to favor the group over the individual.
For what is essentially a peace-oriented religion, Hyjudra has taken an ugly turn in recent years. Ever since the horrors of the Storm of Blood, Hyjudra has taken an almost militant stance against aliens, deeming all non-Dotur to be outsiders, not of the Dotur collective and intending only harm to it. While some liberal minded clerics have preached acceptance, they are drowned out under the tide of anti-xeno officials.
edited 9th Sep '11 8:37:00 PM by rabbitRider
Your legacy shall drift away, blown into eternity, like the sands of the desert.Now then, as everyone else is doing it I've decided to provide you all with some information on the biology of the Kin. I'll add some stuff for the shell later; wanted to get the rest of this up first.
Appearance and biology
As mentioned before, Kin are not singular entities; the mind of a Kin is spread out across hundreds if not thousands of clades, small arthropods which bear an astounding resemblance to Terran insects and arachnids. These clades come in countless different sizes and forms, depending on what task they are required to fill in the social hierarchy of the Kin, though few are larger than the palm of a human hand; furthermore, while they might be wildly different in appearance all the clades of a single Kin share a single colour scheme, which helps with identification. The precise mechanisms which allow a Kin’s mind to exist in such a diffuse state are not fully understood, but as long as they remain within a certain radius of the main swarm a Kin can exert complete and total control over every single one of its clades, allowing it to perceive the world as its clades perceive it and have them spread out to perform numerous, complicated tasks. The range of their control is not infinite, however; beyond fifty feet, the bond between a Kin swarm and its clades begins to weaken—its ability to see, hear, smell and taste through that clade gradually fades, and the tasks it can command the clade to perform grow far more simplistic and rudimentary. If the clade ever gets more than two hundred feet from its Kin swarm, the bond between them is severed completely and it is reduced to a simple, mindless insect; without the mental guidance of its Kin, the clade cannot even perform the basic actions required to care for itself and it will die in short order.Similarly, the health of a Kin is dependent on the health and integrity of its swarm; even if the Kin sustains serious injury and many of its clades are killed, as long as at least a third of its swarm survives, the Kin can recover given time. If less than a third survives, however, then the Kin itself is in danger; the loss of so many clades, especially if they were all killed at once, threatens the integrity of its mind, and if the swarm is ever reduced to less than a quarter of its full size the Kin’s mind will fragment beyond recovery. This is roughly equivalent to brain death in a vertebrate organism; the swarm will continue to live on for a time, but there is no mind to direct them and eventually the remaining clades will perish from starvation or exposure. Kin clades reproduce with remarkable speed, with a new ‘generation’ of the insects being born once every seven Terran days; as the maximum lifespan for an individual clade is, on average, twenty-eight days, and clade reproduction typically occurs only once every generation, this ensures that a single Kin swarm never grows too large for its shell to handle (see below). That said, Kin exert considerable control over the processes of their clades; older Kin of certain castes are able to impel their clades into a brief spurt of frantic breeding and exceedingly-fast reproduction, which they typically use in tandem with the malleable nature of their shells to produce new appendages. Such a thing can safely be done on an hourly basis; it is possible for these Kin to force such a period of absurdly-swift cade production several times in quick succession, but doing so tires out both the members of the swarm and the Kin’s mind.
The average lifespan of a Kin is fifty Terran years; however, as their clades are constantly renewing themselves, a Kin could theoretically live forever if it does not succumb to injury or disease first.
Reproduction
While the clades of an individual Kin swarm mate and spawn frequently, this is not considered true reproduction as far as the race is concerned; to the Kin mind, this is roughly equivalent to the human body’s production of red- and white-blood cells. True reproduction only occurs when a new mind begins to form in some of the clades, and this can be accomplished either asexually or with a partner; in the case of asexual reproduction, the clades and mind of the newborn Kin will be quite similar to those of its parent—referred to as either a genitor or genitrix, depending on the gender of the parent—while the offspring of a union between two Kin will take mental and physical traits from both its parents, allowing for greater genetic diversity.Notably, newborn Kin present a rather unique problem to their genitors as compared to other species: because the minds and clades of parent and child are so similar, both can exert a measure of control over the swarm of the other. This creates a conflict of interest, as the two minds often do not agree with one another, and if kept in close proximity to one another the two minds will begin to struggle for dominance; as the mind of a juvenile Kin—also known as a protolarva—is generally weaker than and lacking in experience compared to that of its parent, such a struggle typically results in the adult assuming direct control over the clades of its offspring—inadvertently killing the child’s mind in the process.
To prevent such cases of infanticide, genitors send their protolarvae away shortly after their birth to be raised in communal establishments known as crècheschools for the first few years of their lives; there, they are cared for and educated by members of the nursing caste, receiving instructions on how to shape their shells and how to cooperate with other members of their castes for the good of the colony. At three years of age, the protolarvae—now considered to be young adults in the eyes of Kin society—graduate from their crècheschool and are sent back to their parents, where they will receive more in-depth instruction on how to work within their caste and sub-caste. On occasion, however, the youngster can still exert a measure of influence on the clades of its parent and vice versa, and they are instead sent to learn and be taught by another relative in order to prevent potential conflict.
This problem is less prevalent among Kin born as a result of a coupling than it is amongst Kin born via asexual reproduction; the mixed lineage and genetic diversity means that the resultant protolarva has less influence over the clades of its two parents, and vice versa. Because of this, asexual reproduction is generally frowned upon in Kin society and protolarvae that result from such a singular conception are typically considered ‘problem children’, even if they have done nothing to deserve such a label.
The Shell
By far the most distinctive and bizarre aspect of the Kin’s biology, the shell still defies full explanation by Terran sciences even after years of co-existence with and study of these insectoid aliens. In essence, the shell is an organic structure secreted and shaped by a certain type of clade in a Kin swarm; it is woven around the swarm much like a caterpillar might weave a cocoon or a spider might weave a web, forming an ersatz body of sorts which contains the swarm in its entirety. Despite being a product of the clades’ secretions, the shell is actually a living—albeit mindless—organism that shares something of a parasitic relationship with its Kin hosts; it can heal rapidly from any injuries sustained, and derives sustenance both from photosynthesis and by absorbing dead clades using special digestive glands scattered throughout its interior.While such a procedure might seem baffling at first glance, there are a number of benefits proffered to a Kin by its shell. For example, not all of a single swarm’s clades are capable of flight, and its land-bound clades are not all capable of moving at the same speeds for the same length of time; by allowing all of its clades to be contained within a shell, a Kin thereby achieves constant mobility and does not have to worry about losing the cohesion of its mind should its clades become separated. Similarly, the shell offers an additional layer of protection and insulation to the swarm, making it easier for a Kin to survive various forms of injury; in this sense, a Kin’s shell is not entirely different from a human’s epidermis or the scales of a reptile, serving as a layer of armour to protect its fragile internal components from the outside world. Additionally, in times of famine the shell can function as an emergency food source for its swarm’s clades; the inner surfaces of the construct are edible—at least for a Kin—and can be renewed over time.
The most notable aspect of these shells, however, are their metamorphic properties; a shell is quite elastic and malleable, and when subjected to force or pressured from the swarm inside of it the shell’s extremities can be altered and reshaped to suit the needs of that particular Kin. In Kin with humanoid shells, this typically manifests as them altering their hands or feet into tools related to their caste and/or the task at hand; for example, a labourer working on a construction project might morph his hand into a trowel or a spade, depending on what was needed. This ability is employed quite extensively on the battlefield, where Kin of the warrior caste frequently morph at least one of their limbs into a melee weapon of some sort; this can range from simply shaping a hand into a wickedly-curved combat knife analogue, as most soldiers are capable of doing, to the creation of more grandiose weapons such as the barbed, flesh-tearing whips employed by Dis Baba whenever the Paragon of the Ark Reach Overcolony takes to the field. There are limitations, however, to both the defensive and metamorphic properties which a shell exhibits; while it can heal rapidly from most injuries, these regenerations take a lot out of the mindless creature, and a sufficiently large and grievous wound—such as a blow that would disembowel a human being, or a fall from a considerable height—will ‘kill’ the shell, rendering it unfit for use by a Kin swarm. Furthermore, the elastic organism can only stretch so far when being altered; attempting to create exceedingly long appendages will cause the shell’s extremities to rip and tear.
Curiously, the vast majority of Kin have humanoid shells which bear a startling—if partial—resemblance to humans. This might not have been so noteworthy had the phenomenon occurred after years of trade and interaction with humanity, but what few records still remain from the days prior to the formation of the Ark Reach Overcolony indicate that such shells were employed long before the Kin first encountered humankind; the uncanny resemblance, especially given how different these two species are on a fundamental level and the wide diversity of sapient life in this part of the galaxy, has never been explained.
edited 14th Sep '11 5:54:27 PM by SullenFrog
The Danse Macabre Codexupdaten.
The Likaree
The Likaree are a small, humanoid species originating in the Meng-Tet star system. They superficially resemble short, horned humans (they are usually no more than five feet tall). All Likaree are superficially female in appearance, usually having long, curly blonde or light brown hair and a wide variety of eye color, however, the race is unisex. Likaree mate by joining their reproductive organs, small hooklike structures between their legs, upon impregnation, both parents will carry an 'egg' inside of what can roughly be called a womb for three weeks to a month, at which point, the Likaree will give birth to a larvae to be raised by the community.
Likaree society, and its "economy" if it can be called one, is based on a single substance, Maut. Maut is a beverage made by fermenting the roots of the native Palentat Tree. Maut's importance largely stems from it being what might loosely be termed an aphrodisiac, when consumed, a Likaree's mood will swing wildly, sometimes lapsing into a strong lust, and it is in the aforementioned mood that the Likaree will usually mate. Mating without the aid of Maut has become impossible over many generations, hence the entirety of Likaree society being based around the beverage. However, it is not Maut's sole use, and Maut is often used recreationally as well. Making the Likaree something like intergalactic drunkards with wide mood swings.
The Likaree never formed nations as such, instead, groups (what could approximately be termed "clans") formed out of related families, with leaders being decided by sexual dominance battles, or sometimes simply straight drinking contests. The groups became larger and larger over time, with some controlling large swaths of land on Likareedo. The entire planet was united under the San-Wil-Hat-Me-Hat-Nee Clan even before the discovery of space travel. On a more localized level, a Likaree's lot in life is very fluid, a given Likaree may work at a factory for some time, and then abruptly decide to pursue farming and leave. Such split-second decision making is seen as entirely reasonable among the Likaree, and anyone attempting to live among them should learn to get used to it.
It is also for this reason that the concept of "crime" is very ill-defined in Likaree society, since the concepts of "good" and "bad" do not apply as they do to humans. Likaree only really define things as bad if they cause displeasure to another sentient being. Since Likaree are generally not inclined to do such things in the first place, crime is very, very rare amongst the Likaree. As is general disagreement. This does however have its downsides as Likaree society is known to stagnate for long periods of time, simply because no one feels like inventing anything new. However, because of their attitudes, the Likaree are generally hospitable enough to aliens, though they distrust anyone who "thinks too much", as overthinking one's actions is usually taken as a sign of plotting. Likaree are capable of occupying themselves quite contently by simply swaying back and forth, as they will often do.
Dispute amongst the Likaree is not all that common, but when it does happen it will be resolved in one of two ways. The more common is a ramfight, where the two Likaree will lock horns with one another until one forces the other to the ground, winning the match and the dispute. Somewhat less common is when both Likaree are in the mood to mate, at which point the two combatants will kill two birds with one stone and have a sexual longevity match instead, with whichever Likaree that orgasms first losing. This has the side effect of usually permanently resolving the dispute for rather obvious reasons.
Though Likaree do not generally organize on smaller levels, they do have a loose planetary government, headed by a Lik-Tat-Mek-Tin, which can be translated as both "The First and Foremost Likaree" and "The Heaviest Drinking Likaree", not coincidentally, as while the position is elected, a good deal of getting elected is impressing other Likaree with one's drinking abilities, as this is directly related to one's socialness, which is critical in Likaree society. The Lik-Tat-Mek-Tin's children will generally serve as ambassadors if they are needed. The current Lik-Tat-Mek-Tin is Mok-Ah-Ran-Tee-So-Mat-Ten, commonly known as Moka, she has one child, Mok-Ah-Ran-Su-Mak-Ha-To-No, or Moka Jr.
The Likaree's homeworld, Likareedo, is rocky, most of it is dominated by deserts and vast, sweeping networks of canyons, which take on a rainbow of colors due to their highly jumbled mineral composition and the planet's unusual atmosphere. There is only a single continent, also called Likareedo. Deep, narrow lakes dot the landscape. Their deep violet waters host a variety of life, most notably Ismit, a jellyfish-like creature that serves as one of the Likaree's main food sources. Though in the modern day, many lakes serve as Ismit farms. Likaree also frequently harvest a plant called Apdet. Apdet superficially resembles grass, but it can grow on nearly any surface and fruits twice yearly, Apdet berries are a staple of a Likaree diet. Other plants are also harvested, such as the Mindat Tree, which is cultivated both for its fruit, and for its wood.
Likareedo's canyons are crusted with various gemstones and metals, including emeralds, diamonds, sapphires, rubies, topaz, silver, iron, aluminum, copper, gold, and a handful of native exclusive metals such as axperdite, which is incredibly strong and often used for large-scale structures, both by the Likaree themselves and other races. As such, axperdite mining is one of the few large industries on Likareedo. And bexeldite, which while not useful for construction, is renowned both by the Likaree and alien races for its deep green color and impressive luster.
Relations with other races
The Likaree are only recent entrants into the category of "spacefaring civilizations", their first FTL craft coming online just over a century ago. This expansion unfortunately left the Likaree open to attack, something they had little experience in and could not cope with alone. Realizing this, an alliance of sorts was set up with the Molo'Qraaat, and as a result, the Molo'Qraat act as the Likaree's military. It's a rather strange relationship considering the wide gulf between the two cultures, but it's offered stability to both, giving the Molo'Qraaat both good publicity and a sense of purpose, and keeping the Likaree safe from the more warlike denizens of the universe. The Likaree have little reason to distrust the Molo'Qraaat, being out of the way enough that the Molo'Qraaat Crusades missed them entirely.
The Molo'Qraaat/Likaree alliance was kickstarted by legendary Likaree Lik-Tat-Mek-Tin Oe-Sheng-Hel-Sek, whose dealings with the Molo'Qraaat uncovered that Maut acts as a focus aid to them, this became a catalyst for the further formation of the Molo'Qraaat/Likaree alliance.
The Likaree refer to the Molo'Qraaat as Met-Gin, a word that roughly translates to "Caretakers". Despite the odd arrangement, the Likaree have grown rather fond of their anthropoid protectors.
==under construction, bro==
edited 11th Sep '11 11:09:35 PM by BlixtySlycat
go ahead and do every stupid thing you can imagineYvunll and the Silent Crusade
Naturally, the Yvunll were not happy when their octopoid neighbours decided to invade their homes. They "retreated" into the seas, rivers and oceans of their planets, using brutal gueilla warfare tactics; the warriors would rise from the waters while the Molo'Qraaat wer unaware, kill a few of them, and slither back to the banks and shores. This process kept up for several years. When the Molo'Qraaat launched depth charges into their homes, the Yvunll fled, taking up nomadic lives, which made them all the more deadly due to unpredictability. Eventually, the Molo'Qraaat simply decided the effort was not worth the cost, and most left the Yvunll system; the minority that stayed behind were massacred.
The events of the Crusade did have a positive impact on the Yvunll people, both internally and externally. The people gained a new appreciation for the land they had fought so hard for, and the galaxy gained a new appreciation for the implacability of the race.
edited 12th Sep '11 4:19:19 PM by Diamonnes
My name is Cu Chulainn. Beside the raging sea I am left to moan. Sorrow I am, for I brought down my only son.The Verandi Empire
"With God as Our Vindicator"Capital: Zaphnath
Largest World: Saffron
Demonym: Verandi
Government: Republic
- Executive: President Bu Xamoda
- Legislature: The Legislature
Area: 17 Star Systems
Population: 17,500,000,000
History:
The Verandi Empire is one of the several human space-faring nations that are descended from the long lost planet Earth. After the end of the Golden Age and the scattering of humanity, one group found themselves arriving on a distant planet (Actually two planets) around the star Humanity had long ago christened Verandi. Things got off to a rocky start for the settlers, planetary conditions outside their control and social conditions they managed poorly led to the rise and fall of several attempts at a planetary government. Eventually things got underway under the organized Empire of Verandi, named after the star. With that out of the way, the Verandi began their steady expansion out off their planet and eventually out of the system.
However, expansion led various uprisings as colonized worlds began struggling for more freedom from the home world. These all failed, and led to a more controlling society reminicent of the old feudal system with a monarchy in place and various nobles, lords and dukes and such, ruling planets at different levels. Everything was finally under control.
As the centuries pasted, protests against government control and nobility privileges continued in more subtle ways. Any overt protests brought on themselves swift crackdowns and dissenters were arrested or simply disappeared. Nothing last forever though and the Verandi Empire began straining under its own overbearing hand. An economic downturn in 3619 led to massive unemployment rates on many worlds, and a inefficient government headed by a nobility that ignored the plight of the people. The Easter Riots of the same year occurred as a result, during which cities on Paaneah, Saffron, Vermillion, and Crystalia experienced rioting of the unemployed and disgruntled.
Reforms suddenly took an upturn when the reigning Emperor, Christian IX, died of a sudden heart attack, leaving his young daughter, Amelia, just turned 18, as the new ruler of the Empire. Empress Amelia surprised everyone when in her first national address she declared her willingness to work with the reformers to end the strife and liberalize the nation. While some reformers expressed skepticism many praised the bold step by the new ruler and also stated their wish to work together. The nobility on the other hand,
Civil War
Full blown civil war erupted between liberalizing elements and the government. To make that long story short, the revolutionaries won and the old system was replaced. The transition was awkward, as the revolutionaries have no real experience with governments other than limited monarchy. Everything they knew about republican systems come from history files. Even today, a good 15 years after the transition, the government is often beside itelf arguing between people who are considered "closet monarchist" and others who are accused of subverting the government they should be trying to build up.
March 12, 3630 -
Culture:
Verandi culture still contains traces of its old aristocratic roots. People are expected to know classical works and artists, spoken promises are considered as binding as written agreements, hunting is still popular, though in cities this has given way to sports such as soccer and basketball. Duels of honor are still depressingly more often heard of then not, despite official efforts to stamp out the practice.
Family life is important, a typical Verandi will list having a family as one of their greatest desires. Though there are several religious factions among the Verandi, regular adherence to their doctrines is common among the people.
FTL
The war led the Verandi to look into other means of interstellar travel. After decades of R & D the Verandi developed a system that would allow them to create a series of tachyon portals that when connected to each other would allow rapid travel between system. The portal system is expensive to maintain and the portals themselves require constant maintenance. Only key systems within the Verandi Empire have them as of yet, leaving other planets to use more traditional tachyon drives to move from planet to planet.
Secretary of Foreign Affairs James Eli Brown Stuart
- Name: James E.B. Stuart
- Rank: None
- Gender: Male
- Age: 42
- Species: Human
- Cybernetics: None
- Nanotech: None
- Height: 5’11”
- Weight: 176 lbs
- Eye Color: Brown
Sacrifice: Julio and Sanctuary: Chelsie and Phillip Salvation: Amelia and Xamoda
To Be Continued...
edited 22nd Oct '11 7:03:44 AM by Parable
I'm kinda bumming about how half of you aren't in the Skype chat we've set up since I'm not sure if you have Skype or if you do, your name. PM me your screen name if you have one. There's a lot more discussion going on than just in this thread.
For instance, we're all going to be on a diplomatic station administered by Daltar's faction and defended by forces contributed by all factions. The RP will start with our various arrivals to this new station, and then a meeting between all ambassadors and the station commander to figure out just how this defense force will be divided, in terms of responsibility. From there we launch into whatever events and side-plots people decide to run.
If you have what you think would be a good 'starting state' for diplomacy between your faction and another, please discuss that beforehand with the other player
...I need to get info up. Hopefully I can shortly.
How can you be in two places at once when you're not anywhere at all?Perhaps that's because, like me, some of us do not have Skype and do not wish to bothered with it.
And what is daltar's faction, anyway? I don't believe s/he has actually posted in this thread...
The Danse Macabre CodexUm... Yeah, what Sullen said (also that I, um, really kinda don't like using Skype due to bad experiences with it, ahah).
I'm... Not entirely sure if I should try and continue with this, though. It's been this long and I still don't have anything actually posted in this thread. >.< I mean, I have an idea of what I wanted to do, but everything's flown by so quickly that I'm not sure if what I had in the RP that this spawned from is even relevent, or if there'd be any overlap making my ideas redundant. Ugh, sorry... I'll try to get something done, although I'm starting to wonder if I might have to start from scratch. I really don't want to drop out though, but it's been so long and I still have nothing to show for it... Gaaah. We'll see, I guess.

Yvunll technology
Compared to many races, Yvunll can be seen as somewhat lacking in the everyday use of technology. Many assume this to be a sign of a primitive species, but they are quite incorrect; their technology is as advanced as that of any other civilisation, they simply spend large amounts of time underwater, where electronic devices cannot function. Rather than watch television (or whatever the equivalent would be in space!), they tend to read books[[hottip:*:"Books" is a rather liberal term here, as they are not made of paper, but rather, a plastic-like substance which does not degrade in water.) or play sports; live entertainment is also extremely common, and roughly one of every hundred Yvun (singular individual) works as some sort of entertainer, whether actor, comedian, singer, or pro sports player.
But enough of what they don't use.
What they DO use is mostly based around hydrogen fuel and/or clever use of physics. To travel large distances, they use artifically-built tunnels, with currents that carry one along at many times their normal swimming speed.
Long-range communication is still a commodity to those who prefer to spend as much time as possible underwater (about seventy per cent of the race). Those that do regularly correspond wiht each other have traditionally used radios, though with the rise of "galactic civilisation", they are increasingly adopting the (Space! ?) internet.
Yvunll can use weapons used by most other races, but most other races cannot use Yvunll-specific weapons in most cases. This is because said weapons are either meant to be wielded two or three at a time (in the case of most melee weapons) or used with four hands. (As such, their ranged weapons tend to be large, powerful, and very precise, but slow to use.) Of special note for their effectiveness and widespread use are two weapons: A melee weapon called a Katak, which resembles a double-ended short spear and is wielded three at a time (it can also be thrown), and a "gun" of sorts, called many names and with many models, boiling down to one core design: Two hands hold and steady a large cannonesque weapon strapped to the abdomen, while another pair of hands fine-tunes the aim with a scope and a pair of dials. Upon activation, the weapon ejaculates a magnetically accelerated steel "arrow". Explosive options available.
Colonial: Not sure, yet. I literally came up with the race three or four minutes before I started typing the first post.
Yay for pulling stuff out your arse on the fly.
edited 7th Sep '11 7:49:30 PM by Diamonnes
My name is Cu Chulainn. Beside the raging sea I am left to moan. Sorrow I am, for I brought down my only son.