Left to Right: Human, Mazkai, Etachi, Libid
Humans are a quite technologically advanced species.
Martians are a unique human phenotype.
Transhumans are people who have had their brains fiddled with to be nicer.
Conjuxes are genetically engineered mates for the rich.
Ravens are genetically engineered genius-level humans.
Wolves are genetically engineered special forces soldiers.
Parduses are genetically engineered assassins.
Irai are two species of closely related matriarchal aliens.
Mazkai are a species of socially domineering pack predators.
Etachi are a species of dimwitted servants, long since domesticated by the Mazkai.
Libids are a very recently contacted species of tribal precocial monoecious aliens.
Martians are a unique human phenotype.
Transhumans are people who have had their brains fiddled with to be nicer.
Conjuxes are genetically engineered mates for the rich.
Ravens are genetically engineered genius-level humans.
Wolves are genetically engineered special forces soldiers.
Parduses are genetically engineered assassins.
Irai are two species of closely related matriarchal aliens.
Mazkai are a species of socially domineering pack predators.
Etachi are a species of dimwitted servants, long since domesticated by the Mazkai.
Libids are a very recently contacted species of tribal precocial monoecious aliens.
Human
Humans are the founders of the International Economic Union, leaders in science and industry, and the species most familiar to the reader. Most humans are unaugmented and unaltered,
despite the technology being fairly cheap, due to it being largely taboo throughout the IEU. Most of the highest echelons of society pay for longevity
treatments that can extend their lifespans indefinitely; some are older
than a hundred years without looking a day over forty.
Ceretian and Military Cyborg write ups and stat blocks to come.
Ceretian and Military Cyborg write ups and stat blocks to come.
Martian
Martian is the generic term for those native to Mars, and is used to describe their unique, "ethnic" (but largely non-genetic) phenotype. Modern Mars has an atmospheric pressure of about .4 bars and a gravity of .38 G, making it relatively inhospitable to human life compared to most worlds now colonized, but still livable for genetically baseline humans. As a consequence, Mars was the only planet that had been colonized prior to the discovery of Warke Drive, with civilian colonies starting in 2077 and self-government beginning in 2093.
Initially, Mars provided large quantities of real estate and plentiful paychecks to technical professionals willing to go, and served as a destination for penal labor and excess population. The population exploded with subsidization of moving expenses, but growth quickly dwindled with the realization that, despite the large investment, the planet simply wasn't that hospitable to humans.
Physiology: Martians are human, with little variation in terms of genetics; the most notable one is a slight shift towards darker skin due to Mars's lackluster UV shielding, but not outside human norms. Martians are normally identified by their height: they stand in an average of .3 meters taller than their Earthbound equivalents, and some clock in at over 2.6 meters, due to the developmental effects of Mars's low gravity. Martians also have a tendency to be barrel-chested, a consequence of the low oxygen environment of Mars.
Psychology: Martians are mentally human, with little-to-no variation. Many Martians are fierce nationalists, in response to their unique history among human society. Average IQ for Martians is slightly higher than it is on Earth, by about 4 or 5 points, probably due to the engineering and technical background of many of the first colonists of Mars. It has also been proposed that Mars's low gravity may also be a contributing factor, since height correlates to intelligence and the low gravity makes circulation (necessary for higher functioning) easier.
Social Position: Martians are often viewed as a unique ethnic group, with all the problems that come with that. The negative stereotype of the Martian is arrogant, unemotional, and overtly nationalistic; the positive stereotype is meticulous, intelligent, and proud. The negative stereotype is far more prolific, due in large part to Chinese and IEU propaganda during the First and Second Mars Wars.
Religion: While generalizations of such a large multinational group are difficult, Martians tend to be areligious more than their Earthbound counterparts. Scientific naturalism is the majority "religion," followed by Catholicism and Hinduism, with significant minorities of Muslims, Protestants and various tribal religions.
Initially, Mars provided large quantities of real estate and plentiful paychecks to technical professionals willing to go, and served as a destination for penal labor and excess population. The population exploded with subsidization of moving expenses, but growth quickly dwindled with the realization that, despite the large investment, the planet simply wasn't that hospitable to humans.
Physiology: Martians are human, with little variation in terms of genetics; the most notable one is a slight shift towards darker skin due to Mars's lackluster UV shielding, but not outside human norms. Martians are normally identified by their height: they stand in an average of .3 meters taller than their Earthbound equivalents, and some clock in at over 2.6 meters, due to the developmental effects of Mars's low gravity. Martians also have a tendency to be barrel-chested, a consequence of the low oxygen environment of Mars.
Psychology: Martians are mentally human, with little-to-no variation. Many Martians are fierce nationalists, in response to their unique history among human society. Average IQ for Martians is slightly higher than it is on Earth, by about 4 or 5 points, probably due to the engineering and technical background of many of the first colonists of Mars. It has also been proposed that Mars's low gravity may also be a contributing factor, since height correlates to intelligence and the low gravity makes circulation (necessary for higher functioning) easier.
Social Position: Martians are often viewed as a unique ethnic group, with all the problems that come with that. The negative stereotype of the Martian is arrogant, unemotional, and overtly nationalistic; the positive stereotype is meticulous, intelligent, and proud. The negative stereotype is far more prolific, due in large part to Chinese and IEU propaganda during the First and Second Mars Wars.
Religion: While generalizations of such a large multinational group are difficult, Martians tend to be areligious more than their Earthbound counterparts. Scientific naturalism is the majority "religion," followed by Catholicism and Hinduism, with significant minorities of Muslims, Protestants and various tribal religions.
Cost Feature
-5 -5 STR
-2 -2 BODY
-7 Total Cost
Cost Complication
25 Physical Complication: 1/2 REC, x2 END Cost in 1G Environment (Very Frequently, Greatly)
10 Social Complication: Minority (Frequently, Minor)
35 Total Complications
Transhuman
Transhumanism is based on the idea of transcending human immorality, primarily through the use of mind-altering cybernetics. Modern transhumanism emerged as a cohesive political philosophy in the late twenty-first century. Its beginning is generally dated to 2074, with the publishing of The Selfless Human, but the antecedents stretch back over a century, and fiction and nonfiction works with transhumanist elements can be found in especially dense formation for about a decade prior. The core principle dates back to Nieztche: man is something that shall be overcome.
Transhumanism grew in power in significant part due to reaction by the general public to the oncoming economic unification of mankind into the IEU. Although a worldwide structure with real power was approaching, the IEU's predecessor organizations were bureaucratic quangocracies, and worries about an amoral future came to the fore, motivating students and young professionals in particular to become transhumanists. As transhumanism became a large movement, various cybernetics were fabricated for the purpose of making their users more and more empathetic.
Physiology: The majority of transhumans are physically unaugmented, but a significant portion have been cybernetically altered, from small additions, such as cybernetic eyes or internal stimulant reserves, to complete bodily replacement. They come from all ethnic groups and walks of life.
Psychology: The exact specifics of psychological rewiring vary, but the defining characteristic of the transhumanist movement is its approach to neuropsychology. Numerous different "chips" have been produced, which are inserted in surgical procedures and cause a hyperempathetic reaction to others' pain. The reaction is not as great as physical pain, but it does create significant discomfort and makes it difficult for transhumans to avoid reacting to others' pain.
Social Position: Transhumanism is generally perceived as a naive, infantile political ideology which ignores conventional morality. For most of the public, its members are perceived as political children or irritating missionaries at best, and dangerous subversives and zealots at worst. The widespread distaste for transhumans has translated into various laws preventing and impeding progress in cybernetics and related technologies.
Religion: Transhumans tend to be scientific naturalists with various moral philosophies ranging from the Confucian to the Kantian to the utilitarian. There is a significant minority of religious individuals, primarily liberal Christians and neo-pagans, with a small number of almost every human religion (and a few converts to alien religions).
Transhumanism grew in power in significant part due to reaction by the general public to the oncoming economic unification of mankind into the IEU. Although a worldwide structure with real power was approaching, the IEU's predecessor organizations were bureaucratic quangocracies, and worries about an amoral future came to the fore, motivating students and young professionals in particular to become transhumanists. As transhumanism became a large movement, various cybernetics were fabricated for the purpose of making their users more and more empathetic.
Physiology: The majority of transhumans are physically unaugmented, but a significant portion have been cybernetically altered, from small additions, such as cybernetic eyes or internal stimulant reserves, to complete bodily replacement. They come from all ethnic groups and walks of life.
Psychology: The exact specifics of psychological rewiring vary, but the defining characteristic of the transhumanist movement is its approach to neuropsychology. Numerous different "chips" have been produced, which are inserted in surgical procedures and cause a hyperempathetic reaction to others' pain. The reaction is not as great as physical pain, but it does create significant discomfort and makes it difficult for transhumans to avoid reacting to others' pain.
Social Position: Transhumanism is generally perceived as a naive, infantile political ideology which ignores conventional morality. For most of the public, its members are perceived as political children or irritating missionaries at best, and dangerous subversives and zealots at worst. The widespread distaste for transhumans has translated into various laws preventing and impeding progress in cybernetics and related technologies.
Religion: Transhumans tend to be scientific naturalists with various moral philosophies ranging from the Confucian to the Kantian to the utilitarian. There is a significant minority of religious individuals, primarily liberal Christians and neo-pagans, with a small number of almost every human religion (and a few converts to alien religions).
Cost Complication
15 Psychological Limitation: Extremely Sympathetic (Common,
Strong)
15 Total Complications
*: Transhumans tend to have any of a selection from a broad variety of cybernetics, including but not limited to: cybernetic livers (immunity to ingested poisons), neural accelerants (+INT and +SPD), skeletal replacement (+STR, +PD/ED), and bionic eyes (infrared and/or ultraviolet vision, telescopic vision, etc). Because there is nothing like a "standard" set-up regarding this, it is not included here.
Conjux-class Gengineered Human (AKA "Conjuxes")
Conjux-class gengineered humans are specially crafted for the purpose of relationships. In a way, Conjuxes are the apex of the commoditization of human interaction, the literal exchange of money for someone who will like you. The earliest models were produced by Japan in the early 2100s, using rather more primitive methods of imprinting. Because of sexual politics, most Conjuxes are female.
Physiology: Conjuxes tend to be very physically attractive, to a degree far outside of the norms. They are also infertile. Otherwise, they're fairly normal, except for being a bit healthier than normal and having the common sleep-reducing and life-expanding genetic modifications.
Psychology: Humans and Conjuxes are quite similar psychologically in most regards, except for sexuality. Traditional human notions of sexuality, such as the Kinsey scale, do not properly express Conjux sexuality. Their identity, including their sexuality, is completely wrapped up in their mate. The loss of their mate is psychologically devastating, and in 83% of cases, results in suicide or suicidal behavior leading to death. There is an extremely high correlation between survivors and Conjuxes who hold religious views that take a negative view of suicide. Conjuxes whose mates die are immediately moved into intensive counselling and suicide prevention centers.
Social Position: Conjuxes are generally the mates of the rich, and gain some small portion of their mate's social advantages from this. They are also extremely stigmatized, however, and generally treated as subhuman by their would-be peers. Their mates are also stigmatized by this.
Religion: Conjuxes have identical religious views to their mate.
Physiology: Conjuxes tend to be very physically attractive, to a degree far outside of the norms. They are also infertile. Otherwise, they're fairly normal, except for being a bit healthier than normal and having the common sleep-reducing and life-expanding genetic modifications.
Psychology: Humans and Conjuxes are quite similar psychologically in most regards, except for sexuality. Traditional human notions of sexuality, such as the Kinsey scale, do not properly express Conjux sexuality. Their identity, including their sexuality, is completely wrapped up in their mate. The loss of their mate is psychologically devastating, and in 83% of cases, results in suicide or suicidal behavior leading to death. There is an extremely high correlation between survivors and Conjuxes who hold religious views that take a negative view of suicide. Conjuxes whose mates die are immediately moved into intensive counselling and suicide prevention centers.
Social Position: Conjuxes are generally the mates of the rich, and gain some small portion of their mate's social advantages from this. They are also extremely stigmatized, however, and generally treated as subhuman by their would-be peers. Their mates are also stigmatized by this.
Religion: Conjuxes have identical religious views to their mate.
CONJUX
Cost Feature
6 +3 DEX
3 +3 CON
5 +5 PRE
4 Double Jointed
9 Striking Appearance: Beautiful/Handsome, +3 with
Interaction/+3d6 with PRE Attacks
1 Diminished Sleep, 14 hours per week
1 Longevity: 200 year lifespan
29 Total Cost
Cost Complication
20 Psychological Complication: Psychologically Dependent on
Mate (Common, Total)*
5 Social Complication: Minority (Infrequently, Minor)
25 Total Complications
*: Conjuxes who have survived the loss of their mate (a rare minority) are almost all clinically depressed. Replace this with relevant Psychological Complications in that case.
Corvus-class Gengineered Human (AKA "Ravens")
Corvus-class gengineered humans are specially crafted for the purpose of scientific, engineering and technical jobs. Their origins were in corporate thinktanks and military strategic initiatives, but as their genetic typology became more prolific they have become employed in virtually any area where there is a very high profit to having intelligent, creative individuals. Due to problems with duplicating the full range of effects in males, they are all female.
Physiology: Ravens are physically difficult to distinguish from humans. There are some minor variations, such as a slightly higher cranial capacity, but these are difficult to detect with the naked eye and do not lie outside of the baseline range. Their most important physical deviaton from the norm is that their body naturally produces a powerful mental stimulant. They are also infertile.
Psychology: Ravens are much smarter than baseline humans on the whole, scraping up to the upper limits of human intelligence. There are a few baseline humans who rival or even outthink Ravens, but they are extremely rare. They are somewhat less capable of interacting with people normally; some of the genetic and developmental effects they use have traded a decent amount of social intelligence for other kinds. Ravens are almost universally aromantic and asexual.
Social Position: Most Ravens are employed as highly skilled labor working for corporations or governments. The handful of former employees and retirees are in high demand in the labor market, but many employers do have worries that a formerly-employed Raven will not be as loyal towards their company as another employee might, since they've already demonstrated an exceptional ability to switch careers midstream. Among the general public, Ravens are perceived as antisocial and subconsciously avoided by peers.
Religion: Ravens are almost invariantly scientific naturalists, and have minimal exposure to ethical systems. They are taught to solve problems, not decide what problems to solve. Most Ravens who become interested in such things eventually come to humanist and utilitarian moralities.
Physiology: Ravens are physically difficult to distinguish from humans. There are some minor variations, such as a slightly higher cranial capacity, but these are difficult to detect with the naked eye and do not lie outside of the baseline range. Their most important physical deviaton from the norm is that their body naturally produces a powerful mental stimulant. They are also infertile.
Psychology: Ravens are much smarter than baseline humans on the whole, scraping up to the upper limits of human intelligence. There are a few baseline humans who rival or even outthink Ravens, but they are extremely rare. They are somewhat less capable of interacting with people normally; some of the genetic and developmental effects they use have traded a decent amount of social intelligence for other kinds. Ravens are almost universally aromantic and asexual.
Social Position: Most Ravens are employed as highly skilled labor working for corporations or governments. The handful of former employees and retirees are in high demand in the labor market, but many employers do have worries that a formerly-employed Raven will not be as loyal towards their company as another employee might, since they've already demonstrated an exceptional ability to switch careers midstream. Among the general public, Ravens are perceived as antisocial and subconsciously avoided by peers.
Religion: Ravens are almost invariantly scientific naturalists, and have minimal exposure to ethical systems. They are taught to solve problems, not decide what problems to solve. Most Ravens who become interested in such things eventually come to humanist and utilitarian moralities.
Cost Feature
10 +10 INT
3 +3 EGO
-5 -5 PRE
10 +1 SPD
3 Absolute Time Sense
5 Eidetic Memory
3 Lightning Calculator
4 Speed Reading (x10)
1 Diminished Sleep, 14 hours per week
1 Longevity: 200 year lifespan
35 Total Cost
Cost Complication
5 Social Complication: Minority (Infrequently, Minor)
5 Total Complications
Lupus-class Gengineered Humans (AKA "Wolves")
Lupus-class gengineered humans followed hot on the heels of the development of Parduses. While Parduses were developed for the purpose of assassination, Wolves were more focused on group operations, such as sabotage, rapid insertion, prisoner rescue, and other black ops that required an extremely well-coordinated group of professionals. Their genome is a long-divorced derivative of the Pardus genome, but the decades have left the two as distant from each other as they are from any other human variant.
Physiology: Wolves reach towards the top of human physical limits, operating at a level well above human norms. Their body is, however, contained almost completely within the set of baseline possibilities. There is a much larger number of male Wolves to female ones; the small number is to limit Wolf breeding.
Psychology: At their core, Wolves are pack animals. understand, intellectually, the scale of the world around them, but they react to it at a level markably lower than humans. To a Wolf, the world is comprised of only a few important things: the Wolf, their pack, their handler, and whatever their current task is. Other things are relevant only insofar as they affect one of these things. They are capable of expert simulation of normal human empathy, though in unrestricted environments their more sociopathic side is allowed free reign.
Social Position: Wolves are respected to some degree, with several prominent declassified operations to their names. They are often viewed as war heroes by the general public, given the tight, low-casualty methodology pursued by most operations they are involved in. They are not beyond suspicion, however, and do suffer from some amount of discrimination by police forces.
Religion: Many Wolves have raised their packs to a level of supernatural importance - beyond that, they are almost all areligious.
Physiology: Wolves reach towards the top of human physical limits, operating at a level well above human norms. Their body is, however, contained almost completely within the set of baseline possibilities. There is a much larger number of male Wolves to female ones; the small number is to limit Wolf breeding.
Psychology: At their core, Wolves are pack animals. understand, intellectually, the scale of the world around them, but they react to it at a level markably lower than humans. To a Wolf, the world is comprised of only a few important things: the Wolf, their pack, their handler, and whatever their current task is. Other things are relevant only insofar as they affect one of these things. They are capable of expert simulation of normal human empathy, though in unrestricted environments their more sociopathic side is allowed free reign.
Social Position: Wolves are respected to some degree, with several prominent declassified operations to their names. They are often viewed as war heroes by the general public, given the tight, low-casualty methodology pursued by most operations they are involved in. They are not beyond suspicion, however, and do suffer from some amount of discrimination by police forces.
Religion: Many Wolves have raised their packs to a level of supernatural importance - beyond that, they are almost all areligious.
Cost Feature
3 +3 STR
16 +8 DEX
3 +3 CON
10 +1 SPD
2 +2 PD
2 +2 ED
4 +4 REC
4 +20 END
3 +3 BODY
3 +6 STUN
3 Teamwork at 9+DEX/5 (typically 13-)
5 Nightvision
12 +4 PER with all Sense Groups
1 Diminished Sleep, 14 hours per week
1 Longevity: 200 year lifespan
72 Total Cost
Cost Complication
5 Social Complication: Minority (Infrequently, Minor)
5 Total Complications
Pardus-class Gengineered Humans (AKA "Parduses")
Pardus-class gengineered humans have antecedents stretching all the way back to the 2070s. These early proto-Parduses were assassins, much like their current parts, but although they were much less efficient than their modern counterparts, they worked with an incredible degree of skill. Due to the development of the Yensin cocktail, the modern Pardus is now a well-honed killing machine, created by various governments to perform a wide variety of wetwork.
Physiology: Parduses have exceptionally slow metabolisms, except for brief periods of heightened activity. Their heartbeat and breathing are normally at levels that would be dangerously low for normal humans, but spike higher than normal when they are in periods of high activity. Their senses are also exceptionally refined, and their eyes are altered to enable night vision. They are also infertile.
Psychology: Parduses have a unique, specially constructed variant of antisocial personality disorder. They have minimal empathetic skills, and though they are taught how to interact with people on a cursory level, their social skills lag distantly behind as a consequence. Parduses are also heavily biased towards following orders from their superiors; this serves as their primary motivational tool, since they also have subdued emotional responses to stimulus. Parduses have no sex drive and do not obtain pleasure from sex if they do engage in it.
Social Position: Parduses are one of the most disliked gengineered humans. Their freedom of movement is highly restricted, and they are generally the first suspects in any murder-for-hire. Although Parduses who have retired from service are now legally "free," this freedom is surprisingly less than that enjoyed by their baseline peers. Parduses don't seem to mind much, however.
Religion: Parduses do not generally believe in any god, because they tend to focus much more on temporal matters. Some take up philosophy, but most just do whatever they feel like (which is occasionally quite bad).
Physiology: Parduses have exceptionally slow metabolisms, except for brief periods of heightened activity. Their heartbeat and breathing are normally at levels that would be dangerously low for normal humans, but spike higher than normal when they are in periods of high activity. Their senses are also exceptionally refined, and their eyes are altered to enable night vision. They are also infertile.
Psychology: Parduses have a unique, specially constructed variant of antisocial personality disorder. They have minimal empathetic skills, and though they are taught how to interact with people on a cursory level, their social skills lag distantly behind as a consequence. Parduses are also heavily biased towards following orders from their superiors; this serves as their primary motivational tool, since they also have subdued emotional responses to stimulus. Parduses have no sex drive and do not obtain pleasure from sex if they do engage in it.
Social Position: Parduses are one of the most disliked gengineered humans. Their freedom of movement is highly restricted, and they are generally the first suspects in any murder-for-hire. Although Parduses who have retired from service are now legally "free," this freedom is surprisingly less than that enjoyed by their baseline peers. Parduses don't seem to mind much, however.
Religion: Parduses do not generally believe in any god, because they tend to focus much more on temporal matters. Some take up philosophy, but most just do whatever they feel like (which is occasionally quite bad).
Cost Feature
16 +8 DEX
-5 -5 PRE
10 +1 SPD
4 +4m Running
2 +4m Leaping
5 Nightvision
12 +4 PER with all Sense Groups
1 Diminished Eating, 1/week
1 Diminished Sleep, 14 hours per week
1 Longevity: 200 year lifespan
47 Total Cost
Cost Complication
10 Social Complication: Legally Restricted Minority
(Infrequently, Major)
10 Total Complications
Irai
The Irai are the sapient natives of the planet Ozto. First contact with the Irai occurred on October 26th, 2123 and was conducted by a group of colonists who quickly brought in weapons several millenia in advance of the local technology. The existing social order was completely shattered as a consequence, and a series of wars known as the First Contact Wars were fought between various Irai states. On April 12th, 2125, the IEU sent an expeditionary force under the auspices of the Initiative for Continued Peace to examine the vastly increased demand for weaponry on Ozto, and quickly realized the extent of the damage. A large-scale military campaign of unification and pacification (known as the Ozto Conflict) began on May 3rd, 2125, and the campaign was finally completed with the Kingdom of Niri's entrance into the IEU on March 1st, 2134.
Although first-contact with the Irai suggested a much younger civilization than humanity, since their technological development was on par with that humanity during the bronze age, this initial belief has since been proven incorrect by physical evidence. The first signs of agriculture and civilization date back to over 25,000 years ago, making Irai agriculture more than twice as old as humanity's. The reasons for their slow technological development in comparison to humanity is currently hotly debated; various theories include their unique biology, their environment, and simple luck. It is worth noting that the Irai originate from a mineral-poor island named Takota approximately the size of Madagascar and that they reached a level of astronavigation necessary to reach the Kozto supercontinent only 294 years ago (1852 CE).
Physiology: The Irai are a taxonomic family of sapient bipedal omnivores, descended from plains-dwelling bipedal omnivores, with two extant species, the Etachi and Mazkai. The two sexes are distinguished primarily by the shape of their frill: males have a longer, angular frill, while females have a shorter, curved frill. They are otherwise similar in size and shape, though there are minor variations. Females give birth to live young after a period of gestation of approximately 7 months, and the young are almost completely helpless for over a year, and reach physical maturity after 9-14 years. Pregnancy in females can be induced by lack of heterosexual sex, resulting in a male "clone" child, in a process similar to parthenogenesis (in such a case, the child is genetically identical to the mother: Irai sex is determined solely by hormone exposure in utero). Brothers of this type have the closest form of social bond that Etachi experience, and their births are generally considered holy events and good omens. The females do not breastfeed, but both sexes can and do regurgitate partially-digested food for those Irai that are too small to properly digest food on their own.
Irai biochemistry is startlingly similar to humans, and many foods can be safely digested by both species. Its most distinguishing feature is the unique brain chemistry of the Irai, which relies on a steady influx of Irin B, a chemical that is naturally produced by the Etachi, but not by the Mazkai. Because all other sources of Irin B were hunted to extinction tens of thousands of years ago by the Mazkai, the Mazkai would need to regularly eat the body of an Etachi, or their brain and body would shut down. Six months after the discovery of Ozto and the Irai by the IEU at large, an artificial source of Irin B was produced by genetic engineering.
Because of their shorter lifespans and distinct plumbing, Irai remain almost exactly as fertile over their entire lifespans, and females do not have a menstrual cycle. A 30-year-old Etachi is about 95% as fertile as a 10-year-old Etachi, and this is true of both males and females; a similar principle holds for Mazkai.
The Irai have an elongated, horselike skull with one eye on each side, providing a larger field of vision than humans but reduced depth perception. A large protective frill, similar to that of a triceratops, defends their unusually long necks. Their three-jointed legs end with a small foot with four relatively long, but largely vestigial toes. Their hands have three fingers and a thumb. Their skin is chalk white and has a rough, thick texture.
Psychology: Irai psychology is difficult to characterize, as the Etachi and Mazkai have a truly vast gulf in terms of mental acuity and social behavior. Although the original shape of Irai society was almost certainly quite different, over a million years it has shifted and today the natural social structure of the species is about three hundred Etachi lead by a family unit of Mazkai. Regardless of whether it is a cultural or psychological trait, almost all Irai expect a social structure roughly corresponding to this shape, albeit possibly adjusted for the particulars of modern society. Both species are matriarchal, though with large differences in expression.
Social Position: Irai face harsh discrimination within modern society. Discrimination is informal, rather than formal, and seen through numerous statistics, such as rate of promotions, conviction rate, income (for virtually all occupations), access to health care, and so forth. While many argue that these high rates are a consequence of the difference between Irai and humans, the trend of discrimination continues even when adjustments are made for poverty, murder rates in Irai communities, and other relevant data. Discrimination reduces in volume when Irai society is viewed through the lens of Ozto, but "positive discrimination" towards humans as part of modernization offensives still has visible effects.
Religion: There are numerous religions among the Irai, but describing them as a group is nearly impossible due to their high diversity (7 boast more than 1 million practitioners). Almost all major Irai religions have a dualistic aspect, but with strength contrasting weakness and following contrasting leading; it is generally agreed that this is a consequence of the unique social relations of the Irai. The vast majority also venerate Etachi sacrifice as an exceptional moral calling, the highest and greatest gift an Etachi can give to his community.
Names: Irai written language is all based on the same script, which has restricted and controlled linguistic changes over the past few centuries. In this script, each character represents a simple syllable, such as Ka or Lo, and there is a special linguistic construction to add the letter "z" before a consonant (e.g. Ozto, Mazkai). The "ah" (or "au") sound is masculine and the "oe" sound is feminine. Etachi names are two-character, such as Kala or Roko. If the Etachi is domesticated and part of a Mazkai's household, the name is followed by "ka" (which means, roughly, "owned by" or "part of the household of") and the Mazkai's master's name. Mazkai names are generally three or four syllables long, and often longer.
Although first-contact with the Irai suggested a much younger civilization than humanity, since their technological development was on par with that humanity during the bronze age, this initial belief has since been proven incorrect by physical evidence. The first signs of agriculture and civilization date back to over 25,000 years ago, making Irai agriculture more than twice as old as humanity's. The reasons for their slow technological development in comparison to humanity is currently hotly debated; various theories include their unique biology, their environment, and simple luck. It is worth noting that the Irai originate from a mineral-poor island named Takota approximately the size of Madagascar and that they reached a level of astronavigation necessary to reach the Kozto supercontinent only 294 years ago (1852 CE).
Physiology: The Irai are a taxonomic family of sapient bipedal omnivores, descended from plains-dwelling bipedal omnivores, with two extant species, the Etachi and Mazkai. The two sexes are distinguished primarily by the shape of their frill: males have a longer, angular frill, while females have a shorter, curved frill. They are otherwise similar in size and shape, though there are minor variations. Females give birth to live young after a period of gestation of approximately 7 months, and the young are almost completely helpless for over a year, and reach physical maturity after 9-14 years. Pregnancy in females can be induced by lack of heterosexual sex, resulting in a male "clone" child, in a process similar to parthenogenesis (in such a case, the child is genetically identical to the mother: Irai sex is determined solely by hormone exposure in utero). Brothers of this type have the closest form of social bond that Etachi experience, and their births are generally considered holy events and good omens. The females do not breastfeed, but both sexes can and do regurgitate partially-digested food for those Irai that are too small to properly digest food on their own.
Irai biochemistry is startlingly similar to humans, and many foods can be safely digested by both species. Its most distinguishing feature is the unique brain chemistry of the Irai, which relies on a steady influx of Irin B, a chemical that is naturally produced by the Etachi, but not by the Mazkai. Because all other sources of Irin B were hunted to extinction tens of thousands of years ago by the Mazkai, the Mazkai would need to regularly eat the body of an Etachi, or their brain and body would shut down. Six months after the discovery of Ozto and the Irai by the IEU at large, an artificial source of Irin B was produced by genetic engineering.
Because of their shorter lifespans and distinct plumbing, Irai remain almost exactly as fertile over their entire lifespans, and females do not have a menstrual cycle. A 30-year-old Etachi is about 95% as fertile as a 10-year-old Etachi, and this is true of both males and females; a similar principle holds for Mazkai.
The Irai have an elongated, horselike skull with one eye on each side, providing a larger field of vision than humans but reduced depth perception. A large protective frill, similar to that of a triceratops, defends their unusually long necks. Their three-jointed legs end with a small foot with four relatively long, but largely vestigial toes. Their hands have three fingers and a thumb. Their skin is chalk white and has a rough, thick texture.
Psychology: Irai psychology is difficult to characterize, as the Etachi and Mazkai have a truly vast gulf in terms of mental acuity and social behavior. Although the original shape of Irai society was almost certainly quite different, over a million years it has shifted and today the natural social structure of the species is about three hundred Etachi lead by a family unit of Mazkai. Regardless of whether it is a cultural or psychological trait, almost all Irai expect a social structure roughly corresponding to this shape, albeit possibly adjusted for the particulars of modern society. Both species are matriarchal, though with large differences in expression.
Social Position: Irai face harsh discrimination within modern society. Discrimination is informal, rather than formal, and seen through numerous statistics, such as rate of promotions, conviction rate, income (for virtually all occupations), access to health care, and so forth. While many argue that these high rates are a consequence of the difference between Irai and humans, the trend of discrimination continues even when adjustments are made for poverty, murder rates in Irai communities, and other relevant data. Discrimination reduces in volume when Irai society is viewed through the lens of Ozto, but "positive discrimination" towards humans as part of modernization offensives still has visible effects.
Religion: There are numerous religions among the Irai, but describing them as a group is nearly impossible due to their high diversity (7 boast more than 1 million practitioners). Almost all major Irai religions have a dualistic aspect, but with strength contrasting weakness and following contrasting leading; it is generally agreed that this is a consequence of the unique social relations of the Irai. The vast majority also venerate Etachi sacrifice as an exceptional moral calling, the highest and greatest gift an Etachi can give to his community.
Names: Irai written language is all based on the same script, which has restricted and controlled linguistic changes over the past few centuries. In this script, each character represents a simple syllable, such as Ka or Lo, and there is a special linguistic construction to add the letter "z" before a consonant (e.g. Ozto, Mazkai). The "ah" (or "au") sound is masculine and the "oe" sound is feminine. Etachi names are two-character, such as Kala or Roko. If the Etachi is domesticated and part of a Mazkai's household, the name is followed by "ka" (which means, roughly, "owned by" or "part of the household of") and the Mazkai's master's name. Mazkai names are generally three or four syllables long, and often longer.
Etachi
The Etachi are the smaller, less aggressive variant of the Irai. They are the only living natural producers of Irin B, and have been effectively domesticated by the Mazkai as a consequence. The Etachi species dates back several hundred thousand years, although they have genetically changed significantly over that period.
Physiology: Etachi are the smaller Irai; when standing with their backs straight, their height averages 1.9 meters. They have a similar posture to humans, and their short frills provide very limited protection as a consequence. Their fingers are exceptionally long, about 25% longer than a human's in comparison to their palms. Etachi take approximately 9 years to grow to complete physical and mental maturity, which are achieved roughly simultaneously. Etachi also reach old age at a much more rapid rate, with a life expectancy after age five of 40 years.
Psychology: In terms of mental development, Etachi lag significantly behind humans. Though they have effective language and tool using skills, their capacity for critical thinking and independent thought have been gradually ground down by millenia of domestication by the Mazkai. As a corollary, almost all Etachi feel much more comfortable following orders than giving them. According to many xenopsychologists, most Etachi view themselves as participants or parts of society, rather than as genuine individuals in the traditional human sense. Like humans, they prefer to live in fairly large groups.
Like their Mazkai cousins, Etachi are matriarchal. Labor - including childrearing - is divided quite fairly between females and males, though females are heavily prioritized in achieving high rankings, and there is little-to-no preference for males over females in hunting and other violent activities. Etachi rear the children collectively: motherhood has little effect on how close a child is to a female engaged in childrearing, and fatherhood is completely unrelated. Complex social systems of sanctions prevent individuals from showing too much favoritism to their own young, or from failing to provide to the children as a whole. Those Etachi who do not engage in childrearing are expected to make up for it by providing more to their social group as a whole.
The psychological effect of Etachi's mating is an interest in the continued well-being of their mate for a significant amount of time. As a whole, this is not applied in a way that is heterosexual or monogamous. Etachi take numerous partners, and homosexual sex is more common that heterosexual sex, especially between females. The most attractive characteristic of an Etachi female is social power, while in males, an athletic physique is preferred. For Etachi, sex is part of the social structure, like favors or reciprocation in humans.
Exceptions to the general domestication of Etachi do exist, but are treated very poorly by Irai society as a whole. These "undomesticated" Etachi are the opposite of the stereotype, and are loathe to obey orders and sit at the bottom of a power structure. At present, the exact cause is not known, but it is believed to be related to genetics or in-utero development.
Social Position: While the institute of Etachi servitude is nowhere near as harsh as it was a few decades ago, most Etachi are, either formally or informally, part of a Mazkai household. Outside of their own kind and Mazkai (who have a much more nuanced understanding of Etachi), Etachi are often perceived as dimwitted, naive, gullible, obedient and possessing a slave mentality. Humans tend to be paternalistic towards Etachi, generally thinking they're either too childish to be useful sources of information or input, or that they're too childish to be left on their own.
Physiology: Etachi are the smaller Irai; when standing with their backs straight, their height averages 1.9 meters. They have a similar posture to humans, and their short frills provide very limited protection as a consequence. Their fingers are exceptionally long, about 25% longer than a human's in comparison to their palms. Etachi take approximately 9 years to grow to complete physical and mental maturity, which are achieved roughly simultaneously. Etachi also reach old age at a much more rapid rate, with a life expectancy after age five of 40 years.
Psychology: In terms of mental development, Etachi lag significantly behind humans. Though they have effective language and tool using skills, their capacity for critical thinking and independent thought have been gradually ground down by millenia of domestication by the Mazkai. As a corollary, almost all Etachi feel much more comfortable following orders than giving them. According to many xenopsychologists, most Etachi view themselves as participants or parts of society, rather than as genuine individuals in the traditional human sense. Like humans, they prefer to live in fairly large groups.
Like their Mazkai cousins, Etachi are matriarchal. Labor - including childrearing - is divided quite fairly between females and males, though females are heavily prioritized in achieving high rankings, and there is little-to-no preference for males over females in hunting and other violent activities. Etachi rear the children collectively: motherhood has little effect on how close a child is to a female engaged in childrearing, and fatherhood is completely unrelated. Complex social systems of sanctions prevent individuals from showing too much favoritism to their own young, or from failing to provide to the children as a whole. Those Etachi who do not engage in childrearing are expected to make up for it by providing more to their social group as a whole.
The psychological effect of Etachi's mating is an interest in the continued well-being of their mate for a significant amount of time. As a whole, this is not applied in a way that is heterosexual or monogamous. Etachi take numerous partners, and homosexual sex is more common that heterosexual sex, especially between females. The most attractive characteristic of an Etachi female is social power, while in males, an athletic physique is preferred. For Etachi, sex is part of the social structure, like favors or reciprocation in humans.
Exceptions to the general domestication of Etachi do exist, but are treated very poorly by Irai society as a whole. These "undomesticated" Etachi are the opposite of the stereotype, and are loathe to obey orders and sit at the bottom of a power structure. At present, the exact cause is not known, but it is believed to be related to genetics or in-utero development.
Social Position: While the institute of Etachi servitude is nowhere near as harsh as it was a few decades ago, most Etachi are, either formally or informally, part of a Mazkai household. Outside of their own kind and Mazkai (who have a much more nuanced understanding of Etachi), Etachi are often perceived as dimwitted, naive, gullible, obedient and possessing a slave mentality. Humans tend to be paternalistic towards Etachi, generally thinking they're either too childish to be useful sources of information or input, or that they're too childish to be left on their own.
Cost Feature
-5 -5 INT
-5 -5 EGO
-5 -5 PRE
-5 Monocular Vision: -2 OCV, Only with Ranged Attacks (-1)
1 +2m Leaping
2 Increased Arc of Perception: 240-Degree on Normal Sight
-12 Total Cost
Cost Complication
15 Psychological Complication: Domesticated (Common,
Strong)*
10 Social Complication: Minority (Frequently, Minor)
50 Total Complications
*: Not all Etachi have this complication. Some Etachi are
undomesticated, though they make up less than 1% of the total Etachi
population.
Mazkai
The Mazkai are the larger, more intelligent variant of the Irai. In their modern form, the Mazkai date back about two hundred thousand years.
Physiology: Mazkai are the larger Irai; when standing with their backs straight, their height averages 3 meters. Their typical posture, however, is low to the ground, with their torso hunched over the ground and their palms being occasionally used to support their bulky weight; like this, they average 1.6 meters in height. Their frill is especially long, protecting their neck much better than it does for the Etachi, and a larger frill is considered a sign of virility. Mazkai take approximately 14 years to grow to complete physical maturity, and 16 to grow to complete mental maturity. Mazkai have a life expectancy after age five of 60 years.
Mazkai brain chemistry requires a regular supplementation of Irin B. Although in the modern era, genetic engineering has provided genetically engineered plants capable of producing Irin B, in the past this was not possible. As a consequence, the Mazkai would eat the bodies of Etachi in order to survive. They needed to eat an adult Etachi every eight months or a newborn Etachi every two months.
Psychology: Mazkai are roughly equivalent in intelligence to humans, though they might be a bit more clever. Socially, they tend to be heavily domineering over almost all sapient non-Mazkai, as a consequence of their unique evolutionary history. They also have a much smaller natural social grouping, living in small family units lead by the female parent (or, in case of the mother's death, an adult female child) and preferring to minimize interaction with outside Mazkai. In their interactions with those they perceive as peers, they exhibit remarkably high tendencies towards "pack" behavior, attempting to establish dominance over the other, generally through social maneuvering and cleverness, but more rarely through physical force.
Social Position: Of all the species encountered by humanity, Mazkai probably have it the best. They tend to be fairly well propertied, with even the lowest ranks of their society owning some land. Stereotypes regarding Mazkai tend to have a kind of grudging respect behind them. They're generally thought of as intelligent and capable, if antisocial and overtly domineering. Authorities tend to perceive Mazkai as reticent to provide information, and generally "self segregating," and often distribute resources away from Mazkai-dominated Irai communities as a consequence.
Physiology: Mazkai are the larger Irai; when standing with their backs straight, their height averages 3 meters. Their typical posture, however, is low to the ground, with their torso hunched over the ground and their palms being occasionally used to support their bulky weight; like this, they average 1.6 meters in height. Their frill is especially long, protecting their neck much better than it does for the Etachi, and a larger frill is considered a sign of virility. Mazkai take approximately 14 years to grow to complete physical maturity, and 16 to grow to complete mental maturity. Mazkai have a life expectancy after age five of 60 years.
Mazkai brain chemistry requires a regular supplementation of Irin B. Although in the modern era, genetic engineering has provided genetically engineered plants capable of producing Irin B, in the past this was not possible. As a consequence, the Mazkai would eat the bodies of Etachi in order to survive. They needed to eat an adult Etachi every eight months or a newborn Etachi every two months.
Psychology: Mazkai are roughly equivalent in intelligence to humans, though they might be a bit more clever. Socially, they tend to be heavily domineering over almost all sapient non-Mazkai, as a consequence of their unique evolutionary history. They also have a much smaller natural social grouping, living in small family units lead by the female parent (or, in case of the mother's death, an adult female child) and preferring to minimize interaction with outside Mazkai. In their interactions with those they perceive as peers, they exhibit remarkably high tendencies towards "pack" behavior, attempting to establish dominance over the other, generally through social maneuvering and cleverness, but more rarely through physical force.
Social Position: Of all the species encountered by humanity, Mazkai probably have it the best. They tend to be fairly well propertied, with even the lowest ranks of their society owning some land. Stereotypes regarding Mazkai tend to have a kind of grudging respect behind them. They're generally thought of as intelligent and capable, if antisocial and overtly domineering. Authorities tend to perceive Mazkai as reticent to provide information, and generally "self segregating," and often distribute resources away from Mazkai-dominated Irai communities as a consequence.
Cost Feature
10 +10 STR
5 +5 CON
5 +5 PRE
5 +5 INT
4 +2 PD/+2 ED
2 +2 BODY
3 +6 STUN
-5 Monocular Vision: -2 OCV, Only with Ranged Attacks (-1)
2 Increased Arc of Perception: 240-Degree on Normal Sight
36 Total Cost
Cost Complication
10 Social Complication: Minority (Frequently, Minor)
10 Total Complications
Libids
Libids are the sapient natives of the planet Armab. The Colonization and Reclamation Initiative (CRI) encountered the Libids on June 2nd, 2139, when a scouting probe detected complex multicellular organic life on Armab and an expeditionary force was sent in response. Until first contact with the CRI, the Libids had never previously encountered humanity, and their society was organized along purely tribal grounds. Because of this, traits typically associated with tribal societies - lack of understanding of, or respect for, a law and order society, extreme variation of religion and language, distrust and misunderstanding of modern technology - are prevalent among modern Libids.
Despite being the oldest known sapient species, dating back over two million years, the Libids have existed as tribal hunter-gatherer nomads for their entire known history. Interestingly, the birth and spread of Libids did not coincide with any mass extinction events, unlike the rise of humans and Irai on Earth and Ozto. Libids have also never suffered a near extinction event, unlike humans (e.g. the Toba event) or Irai (e.g. the Schmidt-Najjar Bottleneck).
Physiology: Libids are a single species of bipedal omnivores, but have a far greater level of genetic versatility than humans and Irai alike. Pigmentation, shape, body mass and even certain biological functions vary wildly across Libid subspecies (informally, they are often referred to as races or breeds). Because of this, it is difficult to generalize Libid biology.
Libids are a monoecious species that reproduces sexually with both partners involved. Less than a month after mating, one or both partners will lay a small clutch of five to eight eggs, which are then lightly buried and left behind by the tribe. After a period of approximately four months, the eggs hatch, and the children claw their way out of the ground. These young Libids, around the size of a small dog, are self-sufficient and capable of hunting like a pack until their tribe returns or another tribe stumbles upon them. These "packs" typically form a bare-bones language until they can make contact with adult Libids and acquire a more complex one. Unlike humans, Libids retain the ability to learn languages rapidly and without any frame of reference for life, so Libids do not require early parenting. After approximately seven years, a Libid reaches full mental and physical maturity. Average age of death after age five varies wildly (on Armab, it is 63 years) but there are living specimens who are estimated to be more than one thousand years old. To the extent that Libids do age, they do it very slowly - even the oldest specimens (with ages in the thousands of years) show only minor cellular degradation, akin to a human in his mid-to-late thirties.
Libid biology combines traits of both plants and animals. They use photosynthesis to help process their food, and as such spend the daylight hours inactive, simply basking in the sun. They also cannot maintain consciousness for long spans of time: medical testing suggests that after an average of eight hours of consciousness, they begin to hallucinate and lose their grasp on reality. Their natural sleep cycle consists of approximately two and a half hours consciousness followed by forty-five minutes of sleep during the night, and sleeping straight through the day. Libids can maintain consciousness during the day in a pattern similar to their night sleep cycle, but cannot remain active for very long.
The Libid form is basically similar to the human form. They have two arms, two legs, and a protrusion from the torso containing the sensory organs, brain and mouth. They have two hands which are similar to those of a humans, but their fingers end in hardened bone. They have two "fingers" and a thumb, their hand shape is reminiscent of the feet of Earthly birds. Their "feet" have a similar structure, due to their history as a brachiating species.
Unlike humans, Libids have no neck; they are capable of rotating their head thirty degrees to the left or right without causing any pain or damage. Their ears are simply slits in the side of their head, and instead of eyes they have a large sensory patch. Although it covers much of their face and is much larger than a human eye, it is also far less vulnerable to damage, with recorded cases of Libids who have suffered significant permanent damage to the area still being able to clearly distinguish between objects at long distances. Their sensory patch can detect light from the ultraviolet into the infrared with depth perception, and is significantly more precise than the human eye. Libids lack a sense of smell.
Psychology: Libids naturally live in nomadic hunter-gatherer tribes of about two hundred individuals which function on a fission-fusion basis. No recorded Libid society has any real concept of parents, spouses or children in the same way that human societies do. Historically, Libid children are left to fend for themselves until adulthood, though they may "orbit" the main tribe until they reach adulthood, remaining physically close but not being proper members. Libid children operate as a pack with their siblings in orbit. Libids do not really think about their young as people until they reach mental and physical adulthood.
Because Libids are native to a planet with no tilt, no seasons and no moons, and they live exceptionally long lives, they do not have a long-term sense of time in the way that humans do, nor did any Libid society develop a calendar. The idea of measuring minutes, hours or days makes intuitive sense to them, but measuring months and years does not. They do have exceptionally good long-term memories, however.
Social Position: Although technically the right of the Libids on Armab to responsible government is respected, the establishment of these responsible governments is still a work in progress and heavily reliant on human intervention, prompting widespread dissatisfaction with the status quo. For the limited Libid migrant community (est. 27,250,000), racism from within and without is the norm. Outsiders tend to perceive them as lazy, oversexed, uneducated and (less commonly) sociopathic in their disregard for children. Libids themselves closely identify various breeds with different behaviors: Mountain Libids are slow and methodical, Desert Libids are flighty and conservative, and so forth. "Mixed race" Libids are remarkably rare, probably due to interethnic racism. Among humans, almost all Libids "present" as male, since human society is (mildly) patriarchal, and among Irai, almost all Libids "present" as female, since Irai society is matriarchal. This is despite the fact that Libids are monogendered and have both masculine and feminine characteristics.
Religion: Libid religions tend to focus on folklore and explaining the mechanics of the universe rather than providing a moral standard as most modern Earth religions do. They are generally heavily animistic and inclusivist, to the point that cleanly distinguishing between Libid "religions" is virtually impossible. Ideas on the afterlife include all typical human ideas, including nonexistence, reincarnation, and a distinct afterlife which discriminates on the basis of moral behavior. However, there is also a very common idea of a transcendent afterlife, wherein Libids become part of a greater spiritual being alongside the other dead members of their tribe (or, more recently, their subspecies). Religion in Libid society is personal rather than dogmatic; there are no holy texts, just religious songs and stories which are passed on through an oral tradition.
Names: Libid names (like their language) vary wildly, but they tend to be rapid and "bubbly," with many "p," "b," "m" and "d" sounds.
Despite being the oldest known sapient species, dating back over two million years, the Libids have existed as tribal hunter-gatherer nomads for their entire known history. Interestingly, the birth and spread of Libids did not coincide with any mass extinction events, unlike the rise of humans and Irai on Earth and Ozto. Libids have also never suffered a near extinction event, unlike humans (e.g. the Toba event) or Irai (e.g. the Schmidt-Najjar Bottleneck).
Physiology: Libids are a single species of bipedal omnivores, but have a far greater level of genetic versatility than humans and Irai alike. Pigmentation, shape, body mass and even certain biological functions vary wildly across Libid subspecies (informally, they are often referred to as races or breeds). Because of this, it is difficult to generalize Libid biology.
Libids are a monoecious species that reproduces sexually with both partners involved. Less than a month after mating, one or both partners will lay a small clutch of five to eight eggs, which are then lightly buried and left behind by the tribe. After a period of approximately four months, the eggs hatch, and the children claw their way out of the ground. These young Libids, around the size of a small dog, are self-sufficient and capable of hunting like a pack until their tribe returns or another tribe stumbles upon them. These "packs" typically form a bare-bones language until they can make contact with adult Libids and acquire a more complex one. Unlike humans, Libids retain the ability to learn languages rapidly and without any frame of reference for life, so Libids do not require early parenting. After approximately seven years, a Libid reaches full mental and physical maturity. Average age of death after age five varies wildly (on Armab, it is 63 years) but there are living specimens who are estimated to be more than one thousand years old. To the extent that Libids do age, they do it very slowly - even the oldest specimens (with ages in the thousands of years) show only minor cellular degradation, akin to a human in his mid-to-late thirties.
Libid biology combines traits of both plants and animals. They use photosynthesis to help process their food, and as such spend the daylight hours inactive, simply basking in the sun. They also cannot maintain consciousness for long spans of time: medical testing suggests that after an average of eight hours of consciousness, they begin to hallucinate and lose their grasp on reality. Their natural sleep cycle consists of approximately two and a half hours consciousness followed by forty-five minutes of sleep during the night, and sleeping straight through the day. Libids can maintain consciousness during the day in a pattern similar to their night sleep cycle, but cannot remain active for very long.
The Libid form is basically similar to the human form. They have two arms, two legs, and a protrusion from the torso containing the sensory organs, brain and mouth. They have two hands which are similar to those of a humans, but their fingers end in hardened bone. They have two "fingers" and a thumb, their hand shape is reminiscent of the feet of Earthly birds. Their "feet" have a similar structure, due to their history as a brachiating species.
Unlike humans, Libids have no neck; they are capable of rotating their head thirty degrees to the left or right without causing any pain or damage. Their ears are simply slits in the side of their head, and instead of eyes they have a large sensory patch. Although it covers much of their face and is much larger than a human eye, it is also far less vulnerable to damage, with recorded cases of Libids who have suffered significant permanent damage to the area still being able to clearly distinguish between objects at long distances. Their sensory patch can detect light from the ultraviolet into the infrared with depth perception, and is significantly more precise than the human eye. Libids lack a sense of smell.
Psychology: Libids naturally live in nomadic hunter-gatherer tribes of about two hundred individuals which function on a fission-fusion basis. No recorded Libid society has any real concept of parents, spouses or children in the same way that human societies do. Historically, Libid children are left to fend for themselves until adulthood, though they may "orbit" the main tribe until they reach adulthood, remaining physically close but not being proper members. Libid children operate as a pack with their siblings in orbit. Libids do not really think about their young as people until they reach mental and physical adulthood.
Because Libids are native to a planet with no tilt, no seasons and no moons, and they live exceptionally long lives, they do not have a long-term sense of time in the way that humans do, nor did any Libid society develop a calendar. The idea of measuring minutes, hours or days makes intuitive sense to them, but measuring months and years does not. They do have exceptionally good long-term memories, however.
Social Position: Although technically the right of the Libids on Armab to responsible government is respected, the establishment of these responsible governments is still a work in progress and heavily reliant on human intervention, prompting widespread dissatisfaction with the status quo. For the limited Libid migrant community (est. 27,250,000), racism from within and without is the norm. Outsiders tend to perceive them as lazy, oversexed, uneducated and (less commonly) sociopathic in their disregard for children. Libids themselves closely identify various breeds with different behaviors: Mountain Libids are slow and methodical, Desert Libids are flighty and conservative, and so forth. "Mixed race" Libids are remarkably rare, probably due to interethnic racism. Among humans, almost all Libids "present" as male, since human society is (mildly) patriarchal, and among Irai, almost all Libids "present" as female, since Irai society is matriarchal. This is despite the fact that Libids are monogendered and have both masculine and feminine characteristics.
Religion: Libid religions tend to focus on folklore and explaining the mechanics of the universe rather than providing a moral standard as most modern Earth religions do. They are generally heavily animistic and inclusivist, to the point that cleanly distinguishing between Libid "religions" is virtually impossible. Ideas on the afterlife include all typical human ideas, including nonexistence, reincarnation, and a distinct afterlife which discriminates on the basis of moral behavior. However, there is also a very common idea of a transcendent afterlife, wherein Libids become part of a greater spiritual being alongside the other dead members of their tribe (or, more recently, their subspecies). Religion in Libid society is personal rather than dogmatic; there are no holy texts, just religious songs and stories which are passed on through an oral tradition.
Names: Libid names (like their language) vary wildly, but they tend to be rapid and "bubbly," with many "p," "b," "m" and "d" sounds.