Category: TfT Sentient Species

Driddyon

Physical:

A tall, thin, winged race.  They are very fast and dangerous with a defense mechanism that fires poison hair in all directions, they bring pain and devastation when they attack.  They are also very flimsy creatures; with hollow bones and a skeletal appearance.  Thin, translucent membranes are all that holds their innards in.

Due to the amount of energy required to stay airborne, they are very limited when it comes to clothing, armor, and weapons.  They can carry up to 200 lbs. for very short distances, and then must rest for hours to recover.

 

Social:

 

Their social structure varies radically from group to group.  Some seek peace with other species, but many prefer battle and domination.  Most are migratory nomadic, building temporary structures out of woven wood and branches.  Being cold-blooded, they travel towards the equator in the winter, mainly to deserts.  In the summer they tend to live around the tree line in mountainous areas.

There are a few permanent Driddyon buildings and monuments around Talifar.  These are built by the more civilized factions.  There is minimal trade between Driddyon and other races for two reasons.  Firstly, most races are terrified of them, their language is very difficult to understand, and the males who are the ones who do the traveling are very stupid.  And secondly, Driddyon don’t have many needs that they can’t fulfill themselves.  Some of the more civilized colonies have taken to wearing decorative sashes, cords, and ribbon.  But these are seen as luxuries.

Like Koala bears, there is one particular food source that they all need to live.  It is a cactus-like plant that produces a very thick sap.  This sap works perfectly with their metabolism, powering them like no other food source.  So those that wish to expand their territory must plant groves of this plant at least a year or two before they can move into the new area.

Another unpleasant fact is that their reproduction cycle requires a live animal which they attach a parasitic egg that fuses with the host body, sapping its life to grow.  They usually find small creatures like sheep, but some of the nastier tribes are known to grab sentient species, including human children and Spitters.  

Generally the females are the political and religious leaders.  They are more intelligent and live longer than the males for a variety of reasons.  (Mainly the men-only military campaigns, and less flying stresses on the part of the females.)

 

History:

 

Driddyon were brought to Talifar on the A.I. Ark from a system threatened by a supernova.

 

Statistics:

	Male	Female
Height	6’	16’
Weight	50 lbs.	600 lbs.
Strength	2	7
Speed	3 (ground) 9 (air)	3 (ground) 9 (air)
Intelligence	2	6
Dexterity	3 (ground) 7 (air)	3
Toughness	2	7
Vision	9(light) 5(dark)	9(light) 5(dark)
Hearing	6	6
Smell	1	1
Taste	4	4
Age	10	60
Reproduction	NA	Up to 2 per year(F) 1/day (M)
Population	10,000	200
Group Size	200	6
Diet	Plant matter, sap, meat	Plant matter, sap, meat
Regions	Temperate Mountainous, and Desert	Temperate Mountainous, and Desert
Politics	Matriarchy, Communism	Matriarchy, Communism
Religions	Shamanism, Pantheism, Monotheism	Shamanism, Pantheism, Monotheism
Special Abilities	Flight, poison to the touch, long scythe-like appendages, very fast.	Size, long scythe-like appendages, spear like toes.

 

The Swarm

Description:

The swarm is made up of billions of individual insects, with a few Queens who operate within their designated boundaries.  The Swarm insects have the ability to form a hive mind when enough of them congregate.  Individuals can only follow instructions given to them just before they break off from a hive mind.  A complex chemical data storage tank in their brain allows them to act out what the hive mind decides, while instinct takes care of every other process necessary for survival.

The Queens act like cartel bosses, working behind the scenes to control the destiny of Talifar.  The main method they utilize is controlling the information flow of the world.  Due to their size and intelligence, the Swarm is used by most races and kingdoms as communication devices.  Small enough to fly past almost any security, but large enough to carry tiny written messages, they have created a proto-world-wide-web.  With their ability to manipulate that information in subtle, but profound ways, the Hive are working to take over the world.  The only way they are able to do this is by keeping the Queens a secret.  No one outside of the Hive has any idea there is an organization behind the communication network.  Any who start poking around disappear quickly.

 

History:

 

The Swarm are native to Talifar

Statistics:

	Male	Queen
Height	1 – 3”	4’
Weight	1 oz.	40 lbs.
Strength	1	2
Speed	1 (ground) 4 (air)	0
Intelligence	1	7
Dexterity	5 (ground) 7 (air)	1
Toughness	1	2
Vision	3(light) 1(dark)	4(light) 1(dark)
Hearing	6	6
Smell	8	9
Taste	8	8
Age	1	30
Reproduction	NA	Up to 2 million per year
Population	4 billion	30
Group Size	any	2-5
Diet	Leaves, insects	Insects
Regions	All except underwater and the Poles	All except underwater and the Poles
Politics	Matriarchy	Matriarchy
Religions	None	Monotheism
Special Abilities	Can carry coded information, stealth, intelligence grows as the group does.	Secrecy, cunning, access to much information and ability to manipulate it.

Siij

Physical:

 

Barely qualifying as sentient, the Siij are a blight on all they come in contact with.  The Siij straddle the line between animal and plant.  Though they are free thinking and mobile, they grow from a rooted, tree-like queen.  They are birthed from pods that grow on her limbs, dropping to the ground when they are ready to hatch.

 

Social:

 

Their society is run completely on instincts that override any free thoughts that might interfere with the program. Their life cycle is based on a tribal-wide occurrence that happens every year or so.  A new Mother will split and once fully grown, (within a month) will begin to walk.  During this mobile stage the Mother never communicates.  On the birth of a new mother, the tribe sets apart the bravest and strongest members for the Journey.  When the new Mother starts to travel, her entourage follows and protects her.  They never know where she is going or how far it will be before she settles down and morphs into her next life-stage.  Once she does, her legs turn to roots, and her arms to limbs.  At that point the new tribe begins scouring the surrounding area for meat to feed her.  They also strip bark and leaves, devastating the environment.  As they destroy the area around the Mother they are forced to send out envoys further and further to sustain their tribe and its replenishment. As they are in constant conflict with any civilization they come near, they are very competent warriors.  

One very unique feature of the Siij is their huge variance in physical appearance.  Deformities are common and accepted.  Every individual finds some niche in the tribe to fill.  Being omnivores, every size of Siij can hunt something, even if it’s just worms.  If a Siij is born with no legs, he could get lookout duty, or grooming duty.  Many are born with four legs and no arms.  They are useful for dragging back large prey and carrying weapons or rations.  

Their language is rudimentary, mostly composed of clicking and rasping sounds.  It could be described as dried palm leaves scraping together.

Individual jobs are bestowed based on ability, need, and the intelligence of the nutrients affecting their growth.  For example, a tree that is fed enough humans will start producing Skilled Hands, Siij that can craft rudimentary tools, skins, baskets, etc.  All tribes have Chanters, which tend to be the smartest and act as coordinators and battle chiefs.  They have powers similar to the Mother Tree, to emit hormones and scents that manipulate the Siij under their command.

 

History:

 

Siij originate on Talifar from a meteor that bore a Mother Seed.  Siij are an artifact of an unknown alien intelligence and serve an unknown function, though ecological warfare seems likely.

Statistics:

	Drone	Mother
Height	1’- 8’	16’
Weight	10 – 300 lbs.	2 tons
Strength	1-7	1
Speed	0 – 8	0 (planted) 1 (roaming)
Intelligence	1 – 3	1
Dexterity	0 – 5	0 (planted) 1 (roaming)
Toughness	1 – 4	7
Vision	5(light) 5(dark)	0 (planted) 2(roaming)
Hearing	7	2
Smell	1	2
Taste	7	9
Age	2	4
Reproduction	NA	Up to 500 per year
Population	100 million	100 million
Group Size	200	1
Diet	Plant matter, meat	Plant matter, meat, soil minerals
Regions	Temperate and Tropical	Temperate and Tropical
Politics	Tribalism	Tribalism
Religions	Shamanism	Shamanism
Special Abilities	Fearlessness, viciousness, roll attack, ability to hear through vibrations.	Produce mass quantities of offspring.

Varon

Physical:

Gray or blue skinned sea-snake-like people with sleek, seahorse-like features, alligator jaws, and large serpentine bodies.  Several sets of fins adorn their head and back.  They are able to breathe both water and air (with less efficiency).  They are able to live on dry land as long as they can wet their skin a couple of times a day, and have plenty to drink.  There are freshwater and saltwater races within the Varon.  

 

Social:

 

Varon have a lot of different social configurations.  Everything from roving nomadic barbarians of the sea, to highly civilized kingdoms built at river deltas.  Often called River Men, the freshwater variety are smaller and tend to be more civilized.  One thing they have in common is being very useful to other races.  Serving as the interface between land and water, they are the gatekeepers to a great many mysteries.  Such as the Ancient Ones, fishing information, and water vessel travel.

Varon females have the unique ability to extrude a wide, opalescent sheet of material from a special spinnerets located under a V shaped pectoral flap.  They build most of their structures from this substance called Pearlescence, using it by itself, or as a kind of mortar, holding blocks of stone together.  It comes out soft, but solidifies into an almost indestructible substance.  Diet and other factors affect its properties, so those who produce it are well taken care of. (e.g. Eating silver compounds produces anti-macrobial Pearlescence so algea and barnicals won’t grow on it.) While it is malleable, Varon form all kinds of armor, weapons, and decorations out of it.  Pearlescence is highly prized for its beauty, strength and flexibility.  It can also be folded over other materials to create composites, but only during its fresh, malliable state.  When it hardens it is practically indestructable and fire resistant.  It can not be re-forged once set.  Forge fire will blacken and weaken it, but won’t melt it.

With all they have to offer, Varon can strike lucrative trade agreements with the land people.  What they seek most is worked stone for buildings, and gemstones.  As swinging a hammer is not as easy underwater as it is in air, they don’t do much carving, mining or metallurgy.

They are resistant to compression sickness, and are able to dive to around 5,000 feet.  Though they do not stay down that deep for very long.  They tend to build their kingdoms on continental shelves, preferring the natural light.  Many palaces even soar above the surface for status and trading purposes.  There is however, a substantial portion of Varon who live deeper and further from land.  They are generally nomadic tribes of barbarians who are almost always at war with each other, mariners, and the Shlak.    

 

History:

 

The Varon were deposited by an Ark ship 1,287 Before (Human) Crash

Statistics:

	Saltwater Male	Saltwater Female	Freshwater Male	Freshwater Female
Height	8’	7’	6’	5’
Weight	280 lbs.	220 lbs.	180 lbs.	140 lbs.
Strength	7	6	6	5
Speed	4(land)8(water)	4(land)8(water)	4(land)7(water)	4(land)7(water)
Intelligence	5	5	6	6
Dexterity	3(land)7(water)	4(land)8(water)	5(land)8(water)	5(land)9(water)
Toughness	7	7	5	5
Vision	5(light) 4(dark)	5(light) 4(dark)	5(light) 4(dark)	5(light) 4(dark)
Hearing	5	5	5	5
Smell	7	7	8	8
Taste	6	6	7	7
Age	100	110	150	170
Reproduction	NA	Up to 2 / year	NA	Up to 2 / year
Population	100 million	100 million	20 million	20 million
Group Size	10-10,000	10-10,000	40-800	40-800
Diet	Seafood	Seafood	Fish, plants	Fish, plants
Regions	Oceans and Seas to a depth of 5,000 ft.	Oceans and Seas to a depth of 5,000 ft.	Lakes, rivers, swamps	Lakes, rivers, swamps
Politics	Monarchies, Feudalism, Republics, Despotism, Tribalism	Monarchies, Feudalism, Republics, Despotism, Tribalism	Monarchy, Republics, Communism	Monarchy, Republics, Communism
Religions	Monotheism, Pantheism, Shamanism	Monotheism, Pantheism, Shamanism	Monotheism, Pantheism	Monotheism, Pantheism
Special Abilities	Swimming, diving, jumping, biting	Swimming, diving, jumping, biting, extruding Pearlescence	Swimming, diving, jumping, biting	Swimming, diving, jumping, biting extruding Pearlescence

 

Shlak

Physical:

Like giant sea-turtles, mixed with king crabs, these boney people inhabit the deep seas.  They are very different looking depending on the depth in which they live.  Those that inhabit the disphotic zone are tall, spindly and brightly colored, while those down in the deepest trenches are squat and pale.  

Their general propensity towards keeping to themselves is facilitated by their body structure.  Shlak are able to fold themselves up into a hard, spiny lump.  They can also squirt a choking cloud of chemicals towards enemies.  If a conflict can be solved in that way, that is what they will always do.  If necessary however, they have powerful claws and mandibles and are worthy opponents.

Shlak grow gardens on their shells and their regional differences keeps their coats uniques.  They also garden larger plants which they take great care in arranging in specific aesthetic styles which varies by region.

In general, the deeper they live the more pronounced their bioluminescent antena are.

 

Social:

 

Most Shlak don’t travel much, preferring a simple, quiet life.  The lower they live the more they are like this.  Those above 4000 feet have to deal with barbaric Varon and other large predators.  The ‘deep ones’ keep inviting them to come deeper and shake their heads in confusion when refused.  The ‘tall ones’ think the ‘deep ones’ are insufferable bores, and seldom visit.  However, they have always been cordial towards one another and there are no records of interspecies warfare.

For homes they generally dig holes into soft rock and cover them with slabs of stone.  Some communities have above-ground structures that are reminiscent of Stonehenge.  Where the current is slow, they may stack many slabs together like a house of cards, filling in the gaps with seaweed. Many live on and around the mid ocean mountain chains near black smokers.  

 

As they are the closest to the Ancient Ones, the Shlak are the filters through which information travels to them.  The Shlak are the only ones who can communicate directly with the Ancient Ones, though on a limited level.  Generally news will come through civilized Varon, to Shlak, then finally to the Ancient Ones.  From their perspective, the Ancient Ones find the Shlak amusing little people; always buzzing around, talking quickly, and never stopping to think.  When, in fact, the Shlak move and speak about 10 times slower than humans.

Shlak culture, especially among the ‘deep ones’, is heavily influenced by the Ancient Ones.  The Shlak see them as great teachers and prophets.  Though they never ask for anything but wisdom from the Ancient Ones, they often bring gifts of whale carcasses to them as signs of appreciation.  

History:

 

Shlak were deposited by an AI Ark.

Statistics:

	Male	Female
Height	10’ – 30’	10’ – 30’
Weight	200 – 800 lbs.	200 – 800 lbs.
Strength	7 – 8	7 – 8
Speed	2	2
Intelligence	6	6
Dexterity	6	6
Toughness	9	9
Vision	5-6(light) 7-8(dark)	5-6(light) 7-8(dark)
Hearing	6	6
Smell	9	9
Taste	8	8
Age	300	300
Reproduction	NA	2 per decade
Population	2 million	2 million
Group Size	6-200	6-200
Diet	Plant matter, Carcasses, fish, barnacles	Plant matterCarcasses, fish, barnacles
Regions	Deep ocean	Deep ocean
Politics	Theocracies, Communism	Theocracies, Communism
Religions	Monotheism	Monotheism
Special Abilities	Protective shell, ink, huge claws.	Protective shell, ink huge claws.

Spitters (AKA The People,  Krachnak, Dung Suckers)

 

Physical:

They are short, stout, black leathery beings that can curl up into a lump.  They can extrude webbing from their hands and can defend themselves by spitting noxious venom or swelling up like a needle blowfish.  The have sharp little teeth and they eat fecal matter or rotten/moldy organics.  They do not find this in the least bit humiliating.  They consider all the lower lifeforms that process their nutrients for them in the same way human hunters and farmers consider their animals to be machines that convert energy from plant to meat form. 

 

Social:

 

Calling themselves “The People”, these little guys have closed off almost all relationships with outside races.  They see all other species except for the giants as lower animals.  Generally pursuing knowledge, they build their societies around gathering information.  Working secretly to build libraries of data as well as ‘herding’ various species around with a grand, thousand-year-plan.  Most other races don’t realize or care about their intelligence or pursuits, they just like that their waste is disposed of.  So there is a tenuous relationship with most cultures.

 

History:

 

On their home planet, spitters were originally parasites on the Majismontem, but when the Giants advanced technologically enough the spitters were genetically modified to be servants to them.  After settling on Talifar they grew in numbers and as the Majismontem left their farming and spread around the planet, many spitter colonies emerged independent.  But they are still genetically attracted to the Majismontem with a kind of familial bond, so they generally consider it an honor to serve as a Majismontem groomer

Statistics:

	Male	Female
Height	2.5’	2’
Weight	30 lbs.	30 lbs.
Strength	3	2
Speed	3	3
Intelligence	6	6
Dexterity	5	5
Toughness	6	6
Vision	5(light) 7(dark)	5(light) 7(dark)
Hearing	7	7
Smell	9	9
Taste	8	8
Age	100	100
Reproduction	NA	Up to 2 per year
Population	20 million	20 million
Group Size	100-10,000	100-10,000
Diet	Fecal matter	Fecal matter
Regions	All except underwater and the Poles	All except underwater and the Poles
Politics	Republics, Communism	Republics, Communism
Religions	Monotheism, Humanism	Monotheism, Humanism
Special Abilities	Webbing, much knowledge, stealth	Webbing, much knowledge, stealth

Humans      

Description:

Humans on Talifar are quite varied  They all descended from a like minded people: future scientists and explorers.  That is a pretty good gene pool to come from.  Since the fiction of Talifar is being created for the entertainment and edification of humans, they will be the main lens through which we will see Talifar.  And all the statistics are based on them.

As humans spread throughout Talifar over the course of thousands of years, the environment and peoples affected them in numerous ways.  Also, through genetic engineering from their history on Earth, there was a fair assortment of ‘specialized’ humans.  Some that were very lithe and small, some large and hairy, but none with pointy ears. There were different races created to thrive in various ecosystems.  Darker, semi-reflective copper skinned people for tropical and equatorial regions.  Furry, chunky people for colder climes.  Very small people for scarce-resource areas.  There is even a race designed for living in water.  Because the settlers did not know what kind of a planet they might find they had a contingent of several different groups.  There are many different cultures and philosophies throughout humankind.

Statistics:

	Male	Female
Height	6’	5’9”
Weight	170 lbs.	130 lbs.
Strength	5	5
Speed	5	5
Intelligence	5	5
Dexterity	5	5
Toughness	5	5
Vision	5(light) 2(dark)	5(light) 2(dark)
Hearing	5	5
Smell	5	5
Taste	5	5
Age	90	95
Reproduction	NA	Up to 1 per year
Population	100 million	100 million
Group Size	20-5,000	20-5,000
Diet	Grains, meat, fruit	Grains, meat, fruit
Regions	All except underwater and the Poles.	All except underwater and the Poles.
Politics	All	All
Religions	Monotheism, Humanism, Atheism, Pantheism	Monotheism, Humanism, Atheism, Pantheism
Special Abilities	Good adapters	Good adapters

Rumsha (AKA Labyrinthine, Mazies)

Physical:

The rumsha are a Nocturnal, subterranean people.  They have a mammalian leg and arm anatomy, and generally walk on all fours.  They have a fat hump that allows them to go for a long time between meals and water.  All rumsha have a spiny, scaly underbelly that lets them climb almost any stone surface with ease, though the Warrior’s weight prevents them from much climbing.

Bound by a strict caste system, they have evolved different body types for each societal role.  There are four castes: Worker, Warrior, Nurse, and Royalty.  Only one in ten rumsha are female, and their caste is that of Nurse.  Workers are approximately human height, but more burly.  Warriors are monstrously large and instinctually fierce when any social protection is triggered.  (Such as mentioning women or children)  Nurses are fairly small with many teats for feeding nurseries.  And Royalty are the size of small adult humans, and generally stand erect.

 

Social:

 

Only the Nurse and Royalty castes are educated.  Workers and Warriors only know enough to do their jobs.  Obviously, there are no nuclear families in rumsha society.  Mating is highly organized and ritualized, serving to perpetuate the caste system.  This makes their society, religion, philosophy, moral code, etc. dramatically different than that of humans.  Many rumsha societies are propelled by the concept of a Cosmic Joker, who has hidden Nirvana somewhere underground.  

It’s not uncommon for other races take advantage of this, by directing rumsha colonies towards valuable deposits.  Then they trade the minerals and gems for paltry returns.  As the rumsha are focusing on the goal of finding paradise, the material they remove on the way is of little interest to them.  

This unique disposition makes them naturally friendly and almost pacifist since they rarely compete for resources and are more than happy to relocate to uncontested territory to further their search.

Rumsha wear little or no clothing with the exception of some leather armor for the Warriors and fancy clothing for the Royalty.  Rumsha Royalty (referred to as Surfacers) are not technically royal, they are simply the interface between rumsha society and the rest of the world, and they try to emulate whatever race they are working with.  This usually includes clothes, jewelry, and walking upright.  They also go to great lengths to minimize their unique rumsha features such as whiskers, climbing barbs, and fat humps.

The Royalty stay up to date and are competent in the latest technology, doing mining, smelting, leather working, etc.

 

History:

 

Rumsha were brought to Talifar on the Shepherd Ark from a system threatened by a supernova.

 

Statistics:

	Worker	Warrior	Nurse	Royalty
Height	6’	9’	4’	5’
Weight	200 lbs.	600 lbs.	100 lbs.	140 lbs.
Strength	8	9	3	3
Speed	5	5	4	4
Intelligence	3	3	5	5
Dexterity	7	6	5	4
Toughness	6	8	5	4
Vision	1(light) 3(dark)	2(light) 4(dark)	2(light) 3(dark)	3(light) 4(dark)
Hearing	4	5	4	4
Smell	9	9	9	8
Taste	7	6	6	5
Age	25	20	30	30
Reproduction	NA	NA	20/year	NA
Population	200 million	100 million	400 thousand	1 million
Group Size	1-5 million	.5 – 2.5 million	2,000 – 10,000	100-500
Diet	Insects, legumes, mold, moss, lichen, mushrooms, occasional meat	Insects, legumes, mold, moss, lichen, mushrooms, occasional meat	Meat, milk, insects, legumes, mold, moss, lichen, mushrooms	Meat, milk, grains
Regions	Subterranean in most zones	Subterranean in most zones	Subterranean in most zones	Subterranean in most zones
Politics	Communism	Communism	Communism	Communism
Religions	Monotheism	Monotheism	Monotheism	Monotheism
Special Abilities	Can climb on most surfaces, long times between meals, lives well in the dark.	Size and strength, long times between meals, lives well in the dark.	Can climb on most surfaces, cares for many young at once, lives well in the dark.	Can climb well, lives well in the dark.

Majismontem

 

Physical Characteristics

Majismontem are the largest sentient land animal on Talifar at around 200’ when standing.  They are Many-limbed mammal-like creatures with long, jointed necks.  They are able to rise up onto their hind legs, but not able to walk that way more than a few steps.  Their tremendous mass and height is made possible by several unique physical characteristics, including a web-like internal organ structure, an amazing waste reclamation system, and a cellular skin system filled with billions of tiny hydrogen-filled bubbles. Their nervous system intelligently shuts down parts of the body that are inactive preserving calories, resulting in a grayish appearance in that area.  Most majismontem spend most of their time at least 80% gray.  This leads to the idea of color being the primary indication of activity in their language and thought.  

They have a bony plate like a stegosaurus on their heads which are always intricately carved by the Spitters (or other willing contributors) and hung with meaningfully decorated quipus that denote personal, familial history, social status, and other biographical details.  

Reproduction is a complex system where a female creates an unfertilized egg that requires three males to fertilize.  The males have niches in their foreheads where they affix the egg for several weeks.  Because this process involves so many individuals, family heritage is incredibly complex, as well as heavily ritualized.

Majismontem have a royal appearance and demeanor. When they are asleep they resemble stone statues due to their desaturation and head carvings.

Social

 

Unlike common fantasy giants, these people are very intelligent.  They are not intolerant of the smaller people, but have strict codes of conduct regarding entanglements with them.  Majismontem see themselves as much more advanced than all other races, and find the thought of intervening in the matters of the small people a grossly inappropriate thing to do.  In fact, if any majismontem does get involved in the affairs of the tiny folk without very specific instruction from the Council, they are usually banished from majismontem society.  They have a story about a past in which they involved themselves in the political landscape and suffered great loss as a result.  They do not have the numbers that the other species have, so a single death has a much larger impact on their culture.

A simple way to think about their rules on this subject is this: only interactions that further the ends of majismontem society are permitted.  If smaller peoples benefit from these interactions, that is none of the majismontem concern.  Trade is forbidden.  But mutual advantage is not.  The arrangements are much like the birds that clean the meat out of alligators teeth.  So while political treaties are never signed, majismontem and other species are often found living in general harmony.  But strict rules are applied to all interactions to ensure that proper protocol is maintained.  If rules are broken, the majismontem may move away from their settlements, or drive off the other societies.    

They have created an immense set of protocols and traditions that must be followed on pain of banishment.  This extends to all levels of their society, from speech, to dress, to family structures.  They take great care of their appearance, with formal dress, jewelry, and hair.

They rarely have outright wars between their own kind.  Generally a cold war full of political intrigue, spying (by proxy), assassination, and the like, is carried out over generations.

Individual conflicts are resolved with duels (always between males with head butting)  that rarely result in death.

 

History

 

Majismontem were the first extraterrestrial species to crash their own ship on Talifar. (As opposed to the AI Ark.) They brought with them the Spitters, who are genetically modified former-parasites-turned-groomers, as well as the Driddyon, giant fungal cave systems and some fauna, all the floating gas-filled species.  During their first several generations on Talifar they farmed the fungus ecosystems they planted/constructed, but over time found other ways of sustaining themselves with local flora and fauna.  Now their fungal caverns are self-sustaining ecosystems.

Statistics:

	Male	Female
Height	200’	190’
Weight	100 tons	90 tons
Strength	10	10
Speed	2	2
Intelligence	7	7
Dexterity	2	2
Toughness	9	9
Vision	5(light) 3(dark)	5(light) 3(dark)
Hearing	4	4
Smell	3	3
Taste	3	3
Age	400	500
Reproduction	NA	Up to 1 per decade
Population	900	1000
Group Size	20-100	20-100
Diet	Plant matter, meat, water	Plant matter, meat, water
Regions	Temperate zones not to far above sea level	Temperate zones not to far above sea level
Politics	Republics, Monarchies	Republics, Monarchies
Religions	Humanism, Atheism, Pantheism	Humanism, Atheism, Pantheism
Special Abilities	Strength and size.	Strength and size.

Garloon      

Physical:

Garloon are like a mix between elves, trolls, and gazelle.  They are large and powerful, with a coat of fine, patterned fur.  Basically humanoid, but with backward-bending legs, a long tail, and graceful antlers.  They are powerful hunters and warriors, and very successful at adapting to a variety of regions.  Able to leap huge distances and wear heavy armor, they are a force to be reckoned with.

 

Social:

 

Garloon don’t mesh well with many other races.  They highly value art and make it a priority in their culture.  This appreciation of aesthetic, along with their size allows them to make some of the most awe-inspiring natural monuments. They seldom build permanent structures, opting instead to modify or rearrange existing nature.  Despite their size, they have long dexterous fingers that allow them to produce very fine weapons, jewelry, and textiles.  Central to every community is a theater where every kind of communication is played out.  Morality tales, educational and religious schooling, historic lessons, political addresses, and entertainment are all formatted to work in the theater.  Each of these is treated differently by the audience, with protocol for how they work.  In larger communities, multiple theaters are built to specialize in different formats.  

Though they are capable of creating large, powerful societies they tend to keep small villages with only a few structures.  Most of them are held back by a strong rejection of written communication.  It is deeply embedded in their culture that writing down thoughts causes stagnation, and that those ideas will rot.  Only the act of a living being communicating through spoken words, pictures, sculpture, music, song, or dance allow the ideas to thrive and grow.  The resulting illiteracy keeps them from fully entering the inter-race world of politics and trade.  Though many make exceptions for them, some agreements just need to be signed.

Another cultural curiosity is their vision quests, which are elaborate and potentially dangerous to outsiders.  All adolescent males go through a period where the state between awake and asleep blurs, emotions are heightened, and they are dangerous to anyone around them.  So this ritual was created as a way to deal with the physiological process. Anyone who makes eye contact with a Garloon on a vision quest causes an irrational rage and is hunted and killed unless they escape.  

 

History:

 

Garloon were brought to Talifar on the A.I. Ark from a system threatened by a supernova.

 

Statistics:

	Male	Female
Height	12’	10’
Weight	450 lbs.	380 lbs.
Strength	7	6
Speed	7	7
Intelligence	5	5
Dexterity	6	7
Toughness	7	6
Vision	7(light) 5(dark)	7(light) 5(dark)
Hearing	6	6
Smell	8	8
Taste	6	6
Age	90	90
Reproduction	NA	Up to1 per year
Population	10 million	10 million
Group Size	50-5,000	50-5,000
Diet	Meat, grains, grasses	Meat, grains, grasses
Regions	All except underwater and the Poles	All except underwater and the Poles
Politics	Monarchies, Theocracies, Communism, Tribalism	Monarchies, Theocracies, Communism, Tribalism
Religions	Monotheism, Pantheism, Shamanism	Monotheism, Pantheism, Shamanism
Special Abilities	Jumping, head-butting, art.	Jumping, head-butting, art.