SLYNES - Swirly Lights Yonder, a Never Ending Story
- Thread starter Bil
- Start date
North King
blech
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2004
- Messages
- 18,165
Yes, but you can't separate technology from the species. When a biologist or anatomist thinks "human", sure, they might see a naked hairless ape that prefers savannah, but most of us think clothed people walking around with some kind of tools about their person.
As for joining, we'll see. I'm only a week in and have a load of homework, so it's difficult to say whether I can NES at all...
Worst comes to worst, I'd actually not mind playing a subject race that someone discovers later on....
As for joining, we'll see. I'm only a week in and have a load of homework, so it's difficult to say whether I can NES at all...
Worst comes to worst, I'd actually not mind playing a subject race that someone discovers later on....
Megaman_zx
Dark Lord of the Sith
yeah, but sometimes, as in my case, a race's survival in other environments is defined by their technology. if you put a human in a desert and take away his shirt, it won't much hinder his survival. or if you put a human on an island, he can still swim without a wet suit, or make a homemade fishing rod. but my race, being cold blooded, receives special survival skills in places like jungles and deserts, but would need advanced biotech to survive in the arctic, or underwater. just swimming requires a special mechanized suit.
Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
RACE NAME: Satellian (Latinised from Sha-ah-hn-unn)
APPEARANCE: Almost elephant-like, but with a more rounded body, six strong limbs (which can be re-grown if lost), and forward mouth-parts which are placed low to the ground. Typical adults have the size and strength of a Terran Rhinoceros. The skin comes in various dull colours, and is always very tough; it sometimes hardens into armoured segments, giving a crustacean or insectoid appearance, but the internal physiology is much closer to Terran vertebrates.
The head contains only the senses and the grasping/chewing mouth-parts; the actual 'brain' consists of a chain of separate lobes located deeper within the body. Six simplistic eyes are placed in an arc above the mouthparts, giving basic close-range vision. Two larger and more sensitive eyes are placed on each side of the 'head', but these are usually kept shielded by flaps of corrugated skin. The 'ears' are internal, and most sensitive to low-frequency rumblings, which is also how individuals vocalise with each other. Numerous antennae grow at random across the front of the body, each providing a basic sense of smell and vibration; these continually grow and fall out in the same manner as Human hair.
Each limb ends in short and sturdy dextrous appendages, and a circular arrangement of retractable 'fingers'. Locomotion is slow, but most individuals can climb vertical surfaces, and even walk on ceilings with the appropriate hand-holds. The middle pair of legs were traditionally used to carry eggs and excess food, but over time the front limbs have become much more dextrous.
CIVILIZATION NAME: Hmmurue ('the Agreement', or to give its full name, Hmmurue Shm Uhme Urhm Me Shma Arm, 'Agreement two-hundred and twelve')
LOCATION: I/C (any)
CULTURE: The Satellian homeworld is a tumultuous moon of a massive gas giant; it is bombarded by twin sources of radiation, suffers frequent volcanic upheavals, and is hit by apocalyptic weather and magnetic pole shifts whenever the nearby moons and other planets align - at intervals of between one and thirty years. Life on this world is divided into those that bloom and die off, with only eggs and spores surviving, and those that stoically endure all that the universe throws at them. The Satellians are one of the hardiest species; they come from a long line of large and hardy plant-eaters, with a slow (but efficient) metabolism; the gradual addition of tool useage, intelligent forethought, agriculture, and limited cooperation has made them dominant species. Still, they are able to hibernate for decades, and live off scraps of buried fungus and dry vegetation if need be. Large predators have never really worked out on their homeworld, and small predators are rarely more than pests. Overpopulation has sometimes been an issue, but serious conflicts have been rare, and tend to be between individuals, rather than groups. It is very difficult for adult Satellians to harm each other without the aid of power tools. They have no concept of morality, but pride themselves on self-sufficiency.
Satellians are not really motivated by personal gain. They are not egotistical in the manner of other races; their prime motivation is to simply act out the role that fate and biology have assigned to them. The pursuit of luxury goods and greater social status are truly alien concepts to them. They have no concept of religion either; they have lots of competing ideas about the universe, but they take great delight in simply 'being'. This also translates into a desire to push back boundaries, and fulfil all the possibilities of their species, in honour of the mystery and miracle of their existence...
And so there is something of a schism; Satellians are still undecided about living together in large communities, let alone technology; no less than a million years have passed since the first industrial cities were built underground. Now, as interstellar exploration finally gets underway, the majority of the population still live as 'naturals', without any technological aids, deliberately exposing themselves to the elements, in order to feel closer to the raw power of universe; during the 'storms', their apparently lifeless bodies are to be found scattered at random, hibernating in barren wastes, partly covered by ash and dust, while their meditative minds slowly ponder the deeper questions of the universe.
If and when they encounter aliens, these may be labelled as 'the quick'. Satellians generally move and react rather slowly. Conversations can take a very long time, especially as it is customary to give an important question several hour's contemplation before answering. They live for centuries - up to a millennia or more of Earth's time - and reproduce slowly. But when an agreement is reached, they can move steadily and constantly towards their goals. They adapt well to space; careful movements and six grasping limbs do much to overcome their size and bulk when it comes to working in micro-gravity. Given their hardy nature, they may see a greater range of suitably habitable worlds than other species would.
GOVERNMENT: Satellians live in anarchy of self-sufficiency and individual responsibility. There are no abstract ranks of social status. How individuals treat each other depends entirely on their own attitudes to each other. Authority is granted by recognition of achievements and the overall consensus of others, but this only applies to specific fields of work; all scientific and industrial endeavours are run and fully supported by devoted volunteers. However, there have been rare periods of 'Agreement', in which the 'elite' of the most respected and talented individuals have attempted (with varying degrees of success) to guide technological efforts towards certain goals. The latest 'Agreement' is an emerging force, which attempts to organise efforts to explore space and colonise new worlds. The Agreement would find itself responsible for any dealings with alien races.
DOMESTIC POLICY: There is no tax, or welfare. Individuals are expected to be self-sufficient, or supported by trusted friends and allies (family is less important as a concept). Laws are non-existent. Entering into the various 'Kinships' of science, industry or space exploration is like joining an army - food and shelter are provided, but otherwise there is no pay of any kind, and members are expected to devote themselves entirely to their chosen tasks. These Kinships rise or fall based entirely on who decides to takes part; individuals are always free to leave at any time.
XENOPOLICY: Although they have good reason to be isolationist, the Satellians will actually be intensely curious of alien races. If competition arises between races, they will look on it as a great test of their nature, or a great game of the cosmos (or both). Although they will be frightened by alien aggression and materialism, they will enjoy the contrasts of ideas and motives. They will only build weapons if threatened; currently they have no military and no battle tactics.
PERSONAL NAMES: Khu Mmarrh, Khu Ummarue, Rrumm, Urumarr, Mmar-harrn
PLANET NAMES: Hmmaiaa (homeworld: actually a moon, if this is OK), Ahrmm, Khulumm, Ulumm-Bukk, Mahrumm, Khu-Urumm, Mmaia-Umm-Ukk
STAR NAMES: Mar Aih (home star), Jumm Aih, Urue Aih, Hmm-Ahrm Aih, Khumm Aih
SHIP NAMES: Uru Hmmarra (first interstellar craft), Uru Hairra, Smmarai Ahrm, Ummdarra-Khu.
APPEARANCE: Almost elephant-like, but with a more rounded body, six strong limbs (which can be re-grown if lost), and forward mouth-parts which are placed low to the ground. Typical adults have the size and strength of a Terran Rhinoceros. The skin comes in various dull colours, and is always very tough; it sometimes hardens into armoured segments, giving a crustacean or insectoid appearance, but the internal physiology is much closer to Terran vertebrates.
The head contains only the senses and the grasping/chewing mouth-parts; the actual 'brain' consists of a chain of separate lobes located deeper within the body. Six simplistic eyes are placed in an arc above the mouthparts, giving basic close-range vision. Two larger and more sensitive eyes are placed on each side of the 'head', but these are usually kept shielded by flaps of corrugated skin. The 'ears' are internal, and most sensitive to low-frequency rumblings, which is also how individuals vocalise with each other. Numerous antennae grow at random across the front of the body, each providing a basic sense of smell and vibration; these continually grow and fall out in the same manner as Human hair.
Each limb ends in short and sturdy dextrous appendages, and a circular arrangement of retractable 'fingers'. Locomotion is slow, but most individuals can climb vertical surfaces, and even walk on ceilings with the appropriate hand-holds. The middle pair of legs were traditionally used to carry eggs and excess food, but over time the front limbs have become much more dextrous.
CIVILIZATION NAME: Hmmurue ('the Agreement', or to give its full name, Hmmurue Shm Uhme Urhm Me Shma Arm, 'Agreement two-hundred and twelve')
LOCATION: I/C (any)
CULTURE: The Satellian homeworld is a tumultuous moon of a massive gas giant; it is bombarded by twin sources of radiation, suffers frequent volcanic upheavals, and is hit by apocalyptic weather and magnetic pole shifts whenever the nearby moons and other planets align - at intervals of between one and thirty years. Life on this world is divided into those that bloom and die off, with only eggs and spores surviving, and those that stoically endure all that the universe throws at them. The Satellians are one of the hardiest species; they come from a long line of large and hardy plant-eaters, with a slow (but efficient) metabolism; the gradual addition of tool useage, intelligent forethought, agriculture, and limited cooperation has made them dominant species. Still, they are able to hibernate for decades, and live off scraps of buried fungus and dry vegetation if need be. Large predators have never really worked out on their homeworld, and small predators are rarely more than pests. Overpopulation has sometimes been an issue, but serious conflicts have been rare, and tend to be between individuals, rather than groups. It is very difficult for adult Satellians to harm each other without the aid of power tools. They have no concept of morality, but pride themselves on self-sufficiency.
Satellians are not really motivated by personal gain. They are not egotistical in the manner of other races; their prime motivation is to simply act out the role that fate and biology have assigned to them. The pursuit of luxury goods and greater social status are truly alien concepts to them. They have no concept of religion either; they have lots of competing ideas about the universe, but they take great delight in simply 'being'. This also translates into a desire to push back boundaries, and fulfil all the possibilities of their species, in honour of the mystery and miracle of their existence...
And so there is something of a schism; Satellians are still undecided about living together in large communities, let alone technology; no less than a million years have passed since the first industrial cities were built underground. Now, as interstellar exploration finally gets underway, the majority of the population still live as 'naturals', without any technological aids, deliberately exposing themselves to the elements, in order to feel closer to the raw power of universe; during the 'storms', their apparently lifeless bodies are to be found scattered at random, hibernating in barren wastes, partly covered by ash and dust, while their meditative minds slowly ponder the deeper questions of the universe.
If and when they encounter aliens, these may be labelled as 'the quick'. Satellians generally move and react rather slowly. Conversations can take a very long time, especially as it is customary to give an important question several hour's contemplation before answering. They live for centuries - up to a millennia or more of Earth's time - and reproduce slowly. But when an agreement is reached, they can move steadily and constantly towards their goals. They adapt well to space; careful movements and six grasping limbs do much to overcome their size and bulk when it comes to working in micro-gravity. Given their hardy nature, they may see a greater range of suitably habitable worlds than other species would.
GOVERNMENT: Satellians live in anarchy of self-sufficiency and individual responsibility. There are no abstract ranks of social status. How individuals treat each other depends entirely on their own attitudes to each other. Authority is granted by recognition of achievements and the overall consensus of others, but this only applies to specific fields of work; all scientific and industrial endeavours are run and fully supported by devoted volunteers. However, there have been rare periods of 'Agreement', in which the 'elite' of the most respected and talented individuals have attempted (with varying degrees of success) to guide technological efforts towards certain goals. The latest 'Agreement' is an emerging force, which attempts to organise efforts to explore space and colonise new worlds. The Agreement would find itself responsible for any dealings with alien races.
DOMESTIC POLICY: There is no tax, or welfare. Individuals are expected to be self-sufficient, or supported by trusted friends and allies (family is less important as a concept). Laws are non-existent. Entering into the various 'Kinships' of science, industry or space exploration is like joining an army - food and shelter are provided, but otherwise there is no pay of any kind, and members are expected to devote themselves entirely to their chosen tasks. These Kinships rise or fall based entirely on who decides to takes part; individuals are always free to leave at any time.
XENOPOLICY: Although they have good reason to be isolationist, the Satellians will actually be intensely curious of alien races. If competition arises between races, they will look on it as a great test of their nature, or a great game of the cosmos (or both). Although they will be frightened by alien aggression and materialism, they will enjoy the contrasts of ideas and motives. They will only build weapons if threatened; currently they have no military and no battle tactics.
PERSONAL NAMES: Khu Mmarrh, Khu Ummarue, Rrumm, Urumarr, Mmar-harrn
PLANET NAMES: Hmmaiaa (homeworld: actually a moon, if this is OK), Ahrmm, Khulumm, Ulumm-Bukk, Mahrumm, Khu-Urumm, Mmaia-Umm-Ukk
STAR NAMES: Mar Aih (home star), Jumm Aih, Urue Aih, Hmm-Ahrm Aih, Khumm Aih
SHIP NAMES: Uru Hmmarra (first interstellar craft), Uru Hairra, Smmarai Ahrm, Ummdarra-Khu.
Anonymoose
KING OF MEESE
Tardigrades are closely related to insects. Welcome to the galaxy, cousin!
Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
Thankyou 
I hope to colonise planets that you don't want, and give you a share of the resources we produce from them, in exchange for military defence.
I hope to colonise planets that you don't want, and give you a share of the resources we produce from them, in exchange for military defence.
Anonymoose
KING OF MEESE
Such a symbiosis will foster a greater understanding between our species. The Hmmurue are welcome on all Distopteran planets, so long as the planets are ours to claim.
Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
Well maybe we're being a bit premature I'm not sure I'd want to share planets, I was hoping to have an angle with survivability in what would be hostile enviroments to most species, at the expense of military, science, culture, and other things.
I'm not sure I'd want to share planets, I was hoping to have an angle with survivability in what would be hostile enviroments to most species, at the expense of military, science, culture, and other things.
Anonymoose
KING OF MEESE
The Distopterans have no interest in sharing planets. The Hmmurue can have their planets, and the Hive can have its planets. The Hmmurue are welcome to make their own self-sufficient colonies on a Distopteran planet because The Hive is generally localized in a structure that does not encompass more than a couple of cubic miles. There is no need to ignore all of the underutilized space on a planet.
OOC: I think that you misunderstood the emphasis of the statement. I was saying that as long as the Hive has a planet, Hmmurue are welcome there. I was not saying that we'd be "sharing" planets.
OOC: I think that you misunderstood the emphasis of the statement. I was saying that as long as the Hive has a planet, Hmmurue are welcome there. I was not saying that we'd be "sharing" planets.
TaylorFlame
Nuclear Whale
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2008
- Messages
- 435
RACE NAME: The Geskani
APPEARANCE:
An average Geskani stands 1.6 metres tall. It has powerful hind legs capable of propelling it great distances through the air, and letting it run at amazing speeds. Its tail serves to help it balance, grasps onto tree branches and the likes, and removes parasites from its back. Its arms help it move, being able to double as legs, and grab onto prey with a powerful grip. The large probiscus on its head lets it suck the blood from its prey, and also serves as a weapon when needed, and the small tubes at the sides of its head spray a corrosive acid up to a distance of 2 metres. Its eyestalks are capable of swivelling to look in any direction, though are very vulnerable. The red crests serve both as a way to attract the opposite sex, and as a method of communication, essentially serving as antenna for the radio waves the the Geskani use to converse with eachother in the place of sound based communication.
CIVILIZATION NAME: The Singularity
LOCATION: [G,B]
CULTURE: The Geskani have two seperate and distinct cultures, which largely keep as much distance from eachother as possible. The first culture, which makes up most of the population, is the Family culture. Most Geskani are grouped into families, like small tribes or clans, which are connected by an active electromagnetic link that relays not only their conscious communications (that can be heard by any Geskani), but also their subconscious thoughts (which are strictly inter-family). This means that each family acts like a sort of small hive-mind, but only to a degree, as they still have some individuality. The family works together, lives together, moves together and above all stays together. If a Family-based Geskani loses its radio link to its family, it will go insane and seek suicide. Families number from 20-100 Geskani. To avoid inbreeding, Geskani never breed with family members, instead mating with Geskani from other families. A clutch of children is born, with each child having ties to one family or the other, and each will join its respective family and lose contact with its other parent.
The second culture is the Fallen culture. A small amount of Geskani (roughly 5%) have no familial ties, nor any need for them. These Geskani are much more individual, are more intelligent, are often larger then normal, and are much more aggressive. However, depression amongst Fallen Geskani is common. The Fallen make up the leadership and military arms of the Geskani nation, as they are able to think clearly and as leaders, and are much more capable of operating as soldiers. As Fallen Geskani are ostracized by their parents, they are raised by the state in facilities which train them for their potential future roles, but they are given choice as to where in Fallen society they wish to work. Fallen Geskani make amazing soldiers, as they have little fear, are very intelligent, and are very physically able.
GOVERNMENT: The Singular Council which leads the Singularity is a council of 5 Fallen Geskani which make decisions for the entire state. A Geskani, when promoted to the position of Council Member, retains the position for life, unless all 4 other members call for their abdication. Every decision made by the Council needs at least 3 votes for it to take effect.
DOMESTIC POLICY: Family groups are taken care of greatly by the state, but they are also used to keep it running. Family groups work in agriculture, industry, commercial sectors and every other facet of society other then the government, and do so as family groups. They are ordered to where the government best sees a place for them, and there they will work until ordered somewhere else. The government makes sure that their every need is taken care of, and hides any information that may scare them or make them unhappy, making Family Geskani happy, hard-working and very naive.
Fallen Geskani are raised by the state and are expected to make their own way in life with little support from the state once they achieve adulthood, as, essentially, they become the state.
XENOPOLICY: Geskani Xenopolicy is of a fairly hostile nature. The Geskani make sure that they are feared by their neighbours, and that as little as possible is known about them. They are very secretive and xenophobic, and if the advantage of fear is lost, it is likely that war will occur before the loss of fear leads to a gain in knowledge for the 'enemy'. Subjugated races are given semi-autonomy on their own worlds, though various landmasses will be evacuated to house Geskani Family groups, who work better without ever having to see an alien. In some cases, genocide is seen as an acceptable solution to alien problems.
PERSONAL NAMES: Guxo, Ugeh, Xuba, Mazi, Beku, Tuxi, Yupi, Wavu, Peko, Sargri
PLANET NAMES: Ges, Geroxito, Guranami, Gezozo, Gendimiro, Gugran, Gospardi
STAR NAMES: Bu, Bactri, Benovo, Buxarda, Bulipa, Bukizi, Beferit, Benani
SHIP NAMES: Any word that signifies any sort of emotion. Examples: Happiness, Despair, Regret, Harmony, Jealousy, Anger
APPEARANCE:
An average Geskani stands 1.6 metres tall. It has powerful hind legs capable of propelling it great distances through the air, and letting it run at amazing speeds. Its tail serves to help it balance, grasps onto tree branches and the likes, and removes parasites from its back. Its arms help it move, being able to double as legs, and grab onto prey with a powerful grip. The large probiscus on its head lets it suck the blood from its prey, and also serves as a weapon when needed, and the small tubes at the sides of its head spray a corrosive acid up to a distance of 2 metres. Its eyestalks are capable of swivelling to look in any direction, though are very vulnerable. The red crests serve both as a way to attract the opposite sex, and as a method of communication, essentially serving as antenna for the radio waves the the Geskani use to converse with eachother in the place of sound based communication.
CIVILIZATION NAME: The Singularity
LOCATION: [G,B]
CULTURE: The Geskani have two seperate and distinct cultures, which largely keep as much distance from eachother as possible. The first culture, which makes up most of the population, is the Family culture. Most Geskani are grouped into families, like small tribes or clans, which are connected by an active electromagnetic link that relays not only their conscious communications (that can be heard by any Geskani), but also their subconscious thoughts (which are strictly inter-family). This means that each family acts like a sort of small hive-mind, but only to a degree, as they still have some individuality. The family works together, lives together, moves together and above all stays together. If a Family-based Geskani loses its radio link to its family, it will go insane and seek suicide. Families number from 20-100 Geskani. To avoid inbreeding, Geskani never breed with family members, instead mating with Geskani from other families. A clutch of children is born, with each child having ties to one family or the other, and each will join its respective family and lose contact with its other parent.
The second culture is the Fallen culture. A small amount of Geskani (roughly 5%) have no familial ties, nor any need for them. These Geskani are much more individual, are more intelligent, are often larger then normal, and are much more aggressive. However, depression amongst Fallen Geskani is common. The Fallen make up the leadership and military arms of the Geskani nation, as they are able to think clearly and as leaders, and are much more capable of operating as soldiers. As Fallen Geskani are ostracized by their parents, they are raised by the state in facilities which train them for their potential future roles, but they are given choice as to where in Fallen society they wish to work. Fallen Geskani make amazing soldiers, as they have little fear, are very intelligent, and are very physically able.
GOVERNMENT: The Singular Council which leads the Singularity is a council of 5 Fallen Geskani which make decisions for the entire state. A Geskani, when promoted to the position of Council Member, retains the position for life, unless all 4 other members call for their abdication. Every decision made by the Council needs at least 3 votes for it to take effect.
DOMESTIC POLICY: Family groups are taken care of greatly by the state, but they are also used to keep it running. Family groups work in agriculture, industry, commercial sectors and every other facet of society other then the government, and do so as family groups. They are ordered to where the government best sees a place for them, and there they will work until ordered somewhere else. The government makes sure that their every need is taken care of, and hides any information that may scare them or make them unhappy, making Family Geskani happy, hard-working and very naive.
Fallen Geskani are raised by the state and are expected to make their own way in life with little support from the state once they achieve adulthood, as, essentially, they become the state.
XENOPOLICY: Geskani Xenopolicy is of a fairly hostile nature. The Geskani make sure that they are feared by their neighbours, and that as little as possible is known about them. They are very secretive and xenophobic, and if the advantage of fear is lost, it is likely that war will occur before the loss of fear leads to a gain in knowledge for the 'enemy'. Subjugated races are given semi-autonomy on their own worlds, though various landmasses will be evacuated to house Geskani Family groups, who work better without ever having to see an alien. In some cases, genocide is seen as an acceptable solution to alien problems.
PERSONAL NAMES: Guxo, Ugeh, Xuba, Mazi, Beku, Tuxi, Yupi, Wavu, Peko, Sargri
PLANET NAMES: Ges, Geroxito, Guranami, Gezozo, Gendimiro, Gugran, Gospardi
STAR NAMES: Bu, Bactri, Benovo, Buxarda, Bulipa, Bukizi, Beferit, Benani
SHIP NAMES: Any word that signifies any sort of emotion. Examples: Happiness, Despair, Regret, Harmony, Jealousy, Anger
Anonymoose
KING OF MEESE
Cool beans! I like the multi-faceted mental capabilities that the Geskani have. As a fan of the hivemind, I gotta say you have a cool hybrid system going.
TaylorFlame
Nuclear Whale
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2008
- Messages
- 435
I liked the hivemind aspect, but I thought it was a bit too generic. After a little while of fumbling with strange ideas, I made that.
And yeah, individually-minded organisms FTW ^_^
And yeah, individually-minded organisms FTW ^_^
Anonymoose
KING OF MEESE
Well someone has to play the pint-sized monster insects.. As far as being generic, the hivemind doesn't seem to generic to the hive; in fact, ALL of us love it!
TaylorFlame
Nuclear Whale
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2008
- Messages
- 435
I didn't mean to be insulting, it just wasnt for me 
Anonymoose
KING OF MEESE
No offense was taken. 
Not everyone wants to be a bunch of mindless drones controlled by a hivemind.
Not everyone wants to be a bunch of mindless drones controlled by a hivemind.
Bil
Prince of Space
Looks good, everyone! I was actually thinking about posting a map of the races-so-far, but looks like Iggy beat me to it
@Megaman: A little more detail would be appreciated, if it's not too much to ask. Keep in mind that this is largely a story-driven NES, and so it would be fairly beneficial to have a clearly defined presentation of your species in order to establish for everyone exactly what they're like, what they look like, how they function. You don't have to get into super-deep detail, just more than you have
I'll be going through everything starting Monday and piecing Update Zero together as soon as I can. It'll definitely be online by Wednesday night (EST), and I'll be ready to start taking orders immediately.
By the way, I'd just like to say I'm sorry for jerking things around a little bit over the past week or so, but I'm still trying to get these initial kinks out of my idea before we actually start. Thanks for being patient with me, all of you, and I'm hoping this is going to be fun for us all More details on how I want orders and the progression of the story to function will come with Update Zero, in case anyone is wondering how this is all going to work out exactly.
@Megaman: A little more detail would be appreciated, if it's not too much to ask. Keep in mind that this is largely a story-driven NES, and so it would be fairly beneficial to have a clearly defined presentation of your species in order to establish for everyone exactly what they're like, what they look like, how they function. You don't have to get into super-deep detail, just more than you have
I'll be going through everything starting Monday and piecing Update Zero together as soon as I can. It'll definitely be online by Wednesday night (EST), and I'll be ready to start taking orders immediately.
By the way, I'd just like to say I'm sorry for jerking things around a little bit over the past week or so, but I'm still trying to get these initial kinks out of my idea before we actually start. Thanks for being patient with me, all of you, and I'm hoping this is going to be fun for us all
More details on how I want orders and the progression of the story to function will come with Update Zero, in case anyone is wondering how this is all going to work out exactly.Fuschia
A Little Odd
*snippet from a classified document in the far future*
...the average Kant is slightly taller than the average human, and weighs significantly less. They lack both ears and mouths, neither having been necessary for their survival. They also lack the senses related to these organs, those being the ability to taste and to hear. To make up for this deficiency, the Kant possess a greatly exaggerated sense of sight. They possess eyes, but these are not the sole, or even the most important, receptors of visual information; the entirety of a Kant's outer body, what we would call skin, is a functional photoreceptor, although a Kant rarely takes advantage of every photoreceptor in his possession.
Beyond this, the Kant also possess an odd sense that comes from the analysis of particles absorbed from the atmosphere; in a way, you could describe this sense as smell, although you would be wrong. It is analytical in nature; it provides no value judgment on what is analyzed, simply providing information on what is present. It is this sense that provided the greatest edge of survival for the precursors of the Kant, as the vast majority of threats on the world of their origin, as well as the Kant themselves, release very distinct chemical signatures into the atmosphere when performing what we would consider digestion.
It is here we come to the crux of our discussion, that is, how the physiology of the Kant has directly effected the development of their society, for it is here that we come to what could be considered the most distinctive physical feature of the Kant. The Kant do not eat; rather, they absorb particles from their surroundings through which they assemble nutrition and energy through some complicated chemosynthetic processes, none of which can be discussed within the scope of this book. This process produces excess, unused energy, which is emitted in the form of light; without artificial amplification, the light can reach near-blinding levels, but has little to no use as a defense mechanism.
The society and culture of the Kant has developed to revolve around this particular aspect of their physiology, which is not shared by any known organism. The early Kant believed their so-called "inner spark" to be what separated them from other beings, what granted them their intelligence and their ability to craft and utilize tools. This developed into an early sort of mysticism and set of rituals which bordered on religion; as a result, the Kant never developed the idea of a greater power, instead putting the focus of their psuedo-religion on themselves, as a species and as a society.
Early Kant technological development was, from what we have determined, very different from our own. They began with the development of language, which took the form of sign language coupled with pulses of light. From there, very little is the same. The lack of a requirement in the form of agricultural or food production led the early Kant to experiment mostly with architecture, creating and building greater and greater structures, often offering housing for a great many individuals.
Another fundamental difference between the Kant and our own species is that of mating and sex. A Kant matures sexually only near the end of its natural life. Therefore, the privilege of mating is, as the early Kant consider it, reserved only for those who have managed to survive, and it is those individuals who reach this point that the Kant turned too when forming their first governments. Another result of sexual maturation is a quickening of the metabolism, which leads to death within only a few years; within this time period, the Kant release greater amounts of light than any other, supposedly as a method to attract mates, as well as serving as the only physical differentiation between the two stages of Kant life.
As such, early Kant society was split almost entirely by Sanctums, large housing structures, and each Sanctum was ruled by those elders within it who had sexed, often called The Brightest in reference to the increased output of light in that stage of Kant life. The youngest of Kant lived in the Sanctums with the elders, protected from the rather harsh outer environments of the Kant home world, which to this day are not completely tamed. Those who had reached a certain age almost universally left to make their own way, moving and living outside until they reached the age of sexual maturation, at which point they would find a different Sanctum and become one of the elders there. In this way, ideas flowed consistently between the various Sanctums, and inbreeding was nearly unheard of.
Kant rarely, if ever, know their parents. The act of reproduction almost universally results in the death of the participants, either in the act or shortly thereafter. This, coupled with the societal practice of ritual estrangement after adolescence, made the Kant a generally independent race, with the majority of Kant forming no real ties with another until sexual maturation, at which point they interact almost entirely with children and other elders. Moreover, their historically small population and the rigid and difficult requirements for reproduction led them to be, as a whole, an incredibly peaceful race.
The chief idea behind rules and regulations in early Kant society was one of reciprocity and, to a lesser degree, objectivity, two things that the Kant attempt to embody in all their actions, even today. It was believed that a crime should be answered in kind, with the first attempt made by the wronged individual, and the second attempt made by society, particularly the government. Actual laws were hardly ever formulated in Kant society, as the majority of policing was left to individuals, and only the most difficult of cases were brought before the elders, where rulings were generally simple and harsh.
And so Kant society developed as one based around individuality and the general pursuit of knowledge, something the Kant always desire more of. It was this pursuit of knowledge that eventually led the entirety of Kant society to evolve into something different and, arguably, greater than its original roots.
This development in society revolved around a single discovery in the realm of science, one more important to the Kant than the discovery of electricity, although often said to be very similar on a scientific basis. A Kant elder known as Hap developed a method through which the energy released by the Kant through normal means could be amplified, directed, and stored for useful purposes.
The implications of such a discovery should be fairly obvious. Imagine, if you can, a society that worships thunder discovering electricity; moreover, imagine that they generated electricity through the process of digestion. As would be expected, the discovery led to a rebirth of the early mysticism surrounding the Kant's inner spark, and that mysticism was melded completely with science and individualism.
Kant science quickly developed individual tools and implants through which a Kant could manipulate his own energy production to perform useful tasks. This eventually evolved into a sort of integration of machinery and biology. Today, it has evolved into the suits that the majority of Kants one meets wear, containing both an environment in which they can sustain themselves and a vast multitude of different tools powered by their own bodily processes. With them they are capable of surviving in a vacuum, destroying or immobilizing vehicles several times their size, render themselves almost completely undetectable to the five senses available to a human, and even, in some very special cases, perform inter-stellar travel.
One other key idea is necessary to understand the current form of Kant society. The natural Kant lifespan is roughly forty years, and the average Kant will sex at around age thirty-five. However, a Kant that does not sex can live to be in excess of 300 years of age; this, of course, is not something all Kant choose to do, as will be discussed below.
From here, we can analyze and describe the current state of Kant society. Their population is larger than it was, but still small relative to the vast majority of other sentient races. Their society, as a whole, is more law-oriented, as the discovery of other species and, more specifically, that these other species coalesced into governments and acted as a whole required some change. The rulers of their race are still the elders, most of whom still reside on the Kant home world, where nearly every Kant is born and raised. There are few colonies on other worlds, and those that exist are generally only a single branch of The Sanctum.
It is the period after a child has been raised that is radically different in Kant society. It is at this point that a Kant designs and builds his own suit, one that will run off of his own spark and will guide his path in life. The Kant then goes out and lives his life, often at his own whims, but just as often at the direction of the elders. They meet other races and interact, but Kants do not travel in large groups without a specific purpose.
A Kant that is in this stage of his life has an important choice before it. It can choose to either continue in this way, preventing sexual maturation and leading an extraordinarily long life, but with few, if any, connections to others of its race, and consistently following the orders of the elders, or it can choose to sex, at which point it will travel back to a Sanctum, shed its suit, and life its remaining years of life, generally around ten, as an elder. As you can imagine, the majority of them choose not to sex and, as such, they do not reproduce, again contributing to the low total population of Kants.
The Kants interaction with other species is very strange. They lack ships of any sort, individual Kants instead using their suits as a method of travel. Hardly ever traveling in groups, a species could meet a single Kant and not come across another for many years. However, in the first interaction, that single Kant will speak for the elders of the Kant race, which none but the Kants themselves ever meet. In fact, a Kant never sheds his suit in the presence of another race, as it is considered wrong, even traitorous, to demonstrate one's inner spark to another species. For this reason, the Kant were long considered an artificial species, or perhaps a series of robotic probes; it was only in the first wars that it was discovered that the Kant were, underneath their shell, biological in nature...
*end of snippet*
RACE NAME: Kant
APPEARANCE: Humanoid. Taller and slightly less heavy than the average human. Their most distinctive physical feature is the production of light as a by-product of their method of synthesizing energy and nutrition.
CIVILIZATION NAME: The Sanctum
LOCATION: B/H
CULTURE: Individualism, Objectivity, Reciprocity: the three tenets of Kant culture, put in human terms. They place great value in architecture and language.
GOVERNMENT: A gerontocracy, the leaders sequestered in the various Sanctums of the Kant race.
DOMESTIC POLICY: Historically very open to individual action, there is a recent trend to more government control as a reaction to the idea/discovery of other sentient species.
XENOPOLICY: Almost universally peaceful, their first interaction with a discovered sentient species is generally an exchange of information and goods, although they are rather secretive about their origins. They are always prepared for conflict. They seek to avoid it where possible, but they will reply in kind to violence or trickery of any sort.
PERSONAL NAMES: Hap, Tur, Guo, Mit, Qep. Generally mono-syllabic, as they are given translations from the Kant's original language comprised of flashing lights and hand signals.
PLANET NAMES: Sanctum, the Kant home world. They would probably name the rest of the planets as such: [Star Name] - [Planet Number]. For instance, Puor - 12
STAR NAMES: Puor, the Kant's home star. Ren, Hir, Ves, Bih. Also generally mono-syllabic, for much the same reason as their personal names.
SHIP NAMES: N/A
...the average Kant is slightly taller than the average human, and weighs significantly less. They lack both ears and mouths, neither having been necessary for their survival. They also lack the senses related to these organs, those being the ability to taste and to hear. To make up for this deficiency, the Kant possess a greatly exaggerated sense of sight. They possess eyes, but these are not the sole, or even the most important, receptors of visual information; the entirety of a Kant's outer body, what we would call skin, is a functional photoreceptor, although a Kant rarely takes advantage of every photoreceptor in his possession.
Beyond this, the Kant also possess an odd sense that comes from the analysis of particles absorbed from the atmosphere; in a way, you could describe this sense as smell, although you would be wrong. It is analytical in nature; it provides no value judgment on what is analyzed, simply providing information on what is present. It is this sense that provided the greatest edge of survival for the precursors of the Kant, as the vast majority of threats on the world of their origin, as well as the Kant themselves, release very distinct chemical signatures into the atmosphere when performing what we would consider digestion.
It is here we come to the crux of our discussion, that is, how the physiology of the Kant has directly effected the development of their society, for it is here that we come to what could be considered the most distinctive physical feature of the Kant. The Kant do not eat; rather, they absorb particles from their surroundings through which they assemble nutrition and energy through some complicated chemosynthetic processes, none of which can be discussed within the scope of this book. This process produces excess, unused energy, which is emitted in the form of light; without artificial amplification, the light can reach near-blinding levels, but has little to no use as a defense mechanism.
The society and culture of the Kant has developed to revolve around this particular aspect of their physiology, which is not shared by any known organism. The early Kant believed their so-called "inner spark" to be what separated them from other beings, what granted them their intelligence and their ability to craft and utilize tools. This developed into an early sort of mysticism and set of rituals which bordered on religion; as a result, the Kant never developed the idea of a greater power, instead putting the focus of their psuedo-religion on themselves, as a species and as a society.
Early Kant technological development was, from what we have determined, very different from our own. They began with the development of language, which took the form of sign language coupled with pulses of light. From there, very little is the same. The lack of a requirement in the form of agricultural or food production led the early Kant to experiment mostly with architecture, creating and building greater and greater structures, often offering housing for a great many individuals.
Another fundamental difference between the Kant and our own species is that of mating and sex. A Kant matures sexually only near the end of its natural life. Therefore, the privilege of mating is, as the early Kant consider it, reserved only for those who have managed to survive, and it is those individuals who reach this point that the Kant turned too when forming their first governments. Another result of sexual maturation is a quickening of the metabolism, which leads to death within only a few years; within this time period, the Kant release greater amounts of light than any other, supposedly as a method to attract mates, as well as serving as the only physical differentiation between the two stages of Kant life.
As such, early Kant society was split almost entirely by Sanctums, large housing structures, and each Sanctum was ruled by those elders within it who had sexed, often called The Brightest in reference to the increased output of light in that stage of Kant life. The youngest of Kant lived in the Sanctums with the elders, protected from the rather harsh outer environments of the Kant home world, which to this day are not completely tamed. Those who had reached a certain age almost universally left to make their own way, moving and living outside until they reached the age of sexual maturation, at which point they would find a different Sanctum and become one of the elders there. In this way, ideas flowed consistently between the various Sanctums, and inbreeding was nearly unheard of.
Kant rarely, if ever, know their parents. The act of reproduction almost universally results in the death of the participants, either in the act or shortly thereafter. This, coupled with the societal practice of ritual estrangement after adolescence, made the Kant a generally independent race, with the majority of Kant forming no real ties with another until sexual maturation, at which point they interact almost entirely with children and other elders. Moreover, their historically small population and the rigid and difficult requirements for reproduction led them to be, as a whole, an incredibly peaceful race.
The chief idea behind rules and regulations in early Kant society was one of reciprocity and, to a lesser degree, objectivity, two things that the Kant attempt to embody in all their actions, even today. It was believed that a crime should be answered in kind, with the first attempt made by the wronged individual, and the second attempt made by society, particularly the government. Actual laws were hardly ever formulated in Kant society, as the majority of policing was left to individuals, and only the most difficult of cases were brought before the elders, where rulings were generally simple and harsh.
And so Kant society developed as one based around individuality and the general pursuit of knowledge, something the Kant always desire more of. It was this pursuit of knowledge that eventually led the entirety of Kant society to evolve into something different and, arguably, greater than its original roots.
This development in society revolved around a single discovery in the realm of science, one more important to the Kant than the discovery of electricity, although often said to be very similar on a scientific basis. A Kant elder known as Hap developed a method through which the energy released by the Kant through normal means could be amplified, directed, and stored for useful purposes.
The implications of such a discovery should be fairly obvious. Imagine, if you can, a society that worships thunder discovering electricity; moreover, imagine that they generated electricity through the process of digestion. As would be expected, the discovery led to a rebirth of the early mysticism surrounding the Kant's inner spark, and that mysticism was melded completely with science and individualism.
Kant science quickly developed individual tools and implants through which a Kant could manipulate his own energy production to perform useful tasks. This eventually evolved into a sort of integration of machinery and biology. Today, it has evolved into the suits that the majority of Kants one meets wear, containing both an environment in which they can sustain themselves and a vast multitude of different tools powered by their own bodily processes. With them they are capable of surviving in a vacuum, destroying or immobilizing vehicles several times their size, render themselves almost completely undetectable to the five senses available to a human, and even, in some very special cases, perform inter-stellar travel.
One other key idea is necessary to understand the current form of Kant society. The natural Kant lifespan is roughly forty years, and the average Kant will sex at around age thirty-five. However, a Kant that does not sex can live to be in excess of 300 years of age; this, of course, is not something all Kant choose to do, as will be discussed below.
From here, we can analyze and describe the current state of Kant society. Their population is larger than it was, but still small relative to the vast majority of other sentient races. Their society, as a whole, is more law-oriented, as the discovery of other species and, more specifically, that these other species coalesced into governments and acted as a whole required some change. The rulers of their race are still the elders, most of whom still reside on the Kant home world, where nearly every Kant is born and raised. There are few colonies on other worlds, and those that exist are generally only a single branch of The Sanctum.
It is the period after a child has been raised that is radically different in Kant society. It is at this point that a Kant designs and builds his own suit, one that will run off of his own spark and will guide his path in life. The Kant then goes out and lives his life, often at his own whims, but just as often at the direction of the elders. They meet other races and interact, but Kants do not travel in large groups without a specific purpose.
A Kant that is in this stage of his life has an important choice before it. It can choose to either continue in this way, preventing sexual maturation and leading an extraordinarily long life, but with few, if any, connections to others of its race, and consistently following the orders of the elders, or it can choose to sex, at which point it will travel back to a Sanctum, shed its suit, and life its remaining years of life, generally around ten, as an elder. As you can imagine, the majority of them choose not to sex and, as such, they do not reproduce, again contributing to the low total population of Kants.
The Kants interaction with other species is very strange. They lack ships of any sort, individual Kants instead using their suits as a method of travel. Hardly ever traveling in groups, a species could meet a single Kant and not come across another for many years. However, in the first interaction, that single Kant will speak for the elders of the Kant race, which none but the Kants themselves ever meet. In fact, a Kant never sheds his suit in the presence of another race, as it is considered wrong, even traitorous, to demonstrate one's inner spark to another species. For this reason, the Kant were long considered an artificial species, or perhaps a series of robotic probes; it was only in the first wars that it was discovered that the Kant were, underneath their shell, biological in nature...
*end of snippet*
RACE NAME: Kant
APPEARANCE: Humanoid. Taller and slightly less heavy than the average human. Their most distinctive physical feature is the production of light as a by-product of their method of synthesizing energy and nutrition.
CIVILIZATION NAME: The Sanctum
LOCATION: B/H
CULTURE: Individualism, Objectivity, Reciprocity: the three tenets of Kant culture, put in human terms. They place great value in architecture and language.
GOVERNMENT: A gerontocracy, the leaders sequestered in the various Sanctums of the Kant race.
DOMESTIC POLICY: Historically very open to individual action, there is a recent trend to more government control as a reaction to the idea/discovery of other sentient species.
XENOPOLICY: Almost universally peaceful, their first interaction with a discovered sentient species is generally an exchange of information and goods, although they are rather secretive about their origins. They are always prepared for conflict. They seek to avoid it where possible, but they will reply in kind to violence or trickery of any sort.
PERSONAL NAMES: Hap, Tur, Guo, Mit, Qep. Generally mono-syllabic, as they are given translations from the Kant's original language comprised of flashing lights and hand signals.
PLANET NAMES: Sanctum, the Kant home world. They would probably name the rest of the planets as such: [Star Name] - [Planet Number]. For instance, Puor - 12
STAR NAMES: Puor, the Kant's home star. Ren, Hir, Ves, Bih. Also generally mono-syllabic, for much the same reason as their personal names.
SHIP NAMES: N/A
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