TfT – Sentient Species – Majismontem

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.

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