Inter-Species Relation, Mk II

[ThreeWords]

What if Earth wasn't the only cradle of life? What if all the planets (and asteroids too) supported life, in a tapestry of wonderful forms? And what would happen if these races met?

This is where these aliens meet, a time in which the Earthman has never lived (or perhaps has been long gone)

This will be an RP about discovery and diplomacy, maybe war and hopefully friendship. It will also be about the difficulties of conversing with someone who cannot ever share your perception of the world, and even exists in a different state of matter

Each player will play as the inhabitants of a planet in our solar system, with most posts being overviews of the race as a whole, with events being played out by individual characters. Thus the Individual sheets aren't needed upon submission, and should be used when you need to give info on a new being. You may end up with several individuals...

Spoiler: Races

Here's the catch: I expressly forbid you to make a creature that is a 7 foot tall, green skinned humanoid. In fact, half of you shouldn't even be solid.
There will be slots available for every planet and several of the moons (those with atmospheres)
-The inhabitants of Mars, Io and Europa can be of vaguely Earth-like physics, but I'd like some wild and alien anatomy.
-The inhabitants of Mercury and Venus can be of Earthly materials, but should be used to temperatures far above those of the Earth.
-Likewise Pluto, but temperature far below Earthly standards.
-The inhabitants of the gas giants should either be suitable to those planets; either super-dense things living on the actual solid surface or gaseous constructs that float in the huge atmospheres.
-Earth itself is off limits
-The asteroids and/or the atmosphere-less moons may be inhabited as well, but such creatures may be difficult. I look forward to submissions.
-As I have a habit of bending the rules a little, I will allow, nay, encourage people to challenge these rules. I would make suggestions, but that would be against the point...
Remember, make them as alien as possible, I want first encounters (and maybe relations in general) to surprising and unsettling for all involved. This is a chance for an awesome display of RPing skills; don't disappoint me

Spoiler: Sheets n' Stuff

Spoiler: Race

Name: Blah
Planet: Blah
Physical description: Go wild; the weirder the better
Requirement to live: What do they need to survive? What do they eat, drink, breath?
Psychological description: Again, go wild. Help me (and others) understand how these things really think
State of technology: Technophobes or Scientocracy, you'll need to be about present day Earth levels, by which I mean capable of observing and communicating with the rest of the system, as well as on the verge of inter-planetary travel
Desires: What does your race want? Land, resources, slaves, new tech, or just to be left alone? Give a reason, not just 'cuz i wantz it!!1'

Spoiler: Individual (Template)

Name:
Gender (if applicable):
Rank/position:
Appearance:
Personality:
Bio:

Spoiler: Guidelines

-The obvious: no godmodding, character control, trenchcoating, Mary Sues etc
-Try not to be a dick, unless it's part of your race's personality. Unless it's a characteristic of your race, don't suddenly declare war on people
-Avoid omniscience; these will be first encounters. Before this, each race thought it was alone, so be suitably surprised
-Impress me with your sheets: I can't pretend I won't be biased towards those who I've RPed with before, but a cool sheet will increase your chances (and remember that I'm fond of divergence from the norm)
-Please remember you spelling, punctuation etc; stuff that hurts my eyes will be ignored. This means both sheets and posts (continuous bad posting may cause kickings)

Spoiler: Available planetary bodies

Italics are reserves, or those yet to accepted completely

• 
  Mercury - Khedive Rex
  
  Venus - Lost in the Void
  
  Earth ---
  
  Mars - Viking Incognito
  • Phobos-
    Deimos-
  
  Asteroids:
  • Ceres - Yorgmiester
    Vesta-
    Pallas-
    Hygiea-
  
  Jupiter-
  • 
    Io- Shanaar
    Calisto-
    Ganymede-
    Europa-
    etc
  
  Saturn
  • Ring(s)
    Titan - Nukey
    Rhea -
    etc
  
  Uranus
  • 
    Miranda-
    Ariel-
    Umbriel-
    Titania-
    Oberon-
    etc
  
  Neptune- willofbob
  • Triton-
    Naiad-
    Thalassa-
    Despina-
    Galatea-
    Larissa-
    etc

This is by no mean 'just another RP'; I want you all pushing the boundaries of what I'll accept, and surprising me with the weirdest ideas you've got. Got questions, criticisms, challenges? Don't hesitate to ask =)

 

[Sir Strange Of The House Lycan]

Reserve!

 

[Yorgmiester]

Alright, let's do this! I may make some edits to them this time around, which I'll record in this post.

Spoiler: Ceresians

[HEADING=2]Ceresians[/HEADING]

Spoiler: IMPORTANT: Note on translation

The Ceresians communicate primarily through light. They have no vocal organs, however they are capable of emitting high and low pitched hums, much like whales. These sounds, however, are nothing like the vocalizations of other species who posses more sophisticated sound emitting organs. Thus, translations into written word from Ceresian are very difficult. The Ceresian words in the following text have been translated as closely as possible.

They do have a rudimentary writing system, but it is extremely complicated. It consists mainly of repeating figure eights and circles, arranged in very complex interweaving patterns that would take foreign species many many years to learn.

Spoiler: Ceres and the Gefion asteroid family.

[HEADING=3]Ceres and the Gefion asteroid family.[/HEADING]
Basic Facts

Ceres is a dwarf planet located in the Asteroid Belt, with an orbit between Mars and Jupiter. It is the largest object in the asteroid belt, containing almost a third of the belt's total mass. It has a diameter of 590 miles.

The internal structure of the planet consists of a rocky core and a mantle of ice on top, with a vast sea of liquid water between. There is no geothermal activity, as the core is completely cold, but the planet is host to a multitude of different minerals, many of which suggest past activity. The surface of the planet is the ice layer. It has a very thin atmosphere that may as well be nonexistent.

Ceres belongs to the Gefion asteroid family, a group of 766 objects, ranging in size from 47 km across to the size of cars.

Ceresian Influence on Ceres

Ceresian activity has changed the appearance of Ceres significantly. The surface of the ice is dotted with holes marking the entrance to tunnels, and numerous needle-like pinnacles rise high into space. These gigantic towers are made of ice, tapered with careful precision and slowly buil layer by layer over many generations. They serve primarily as launching guiders for Ceresian transports, but many also double as spot-lights, sending powerful beams of light far out into space in hopes that some extraterrestrial life form will see them.

Next is the ice layer. This layer is where the Ceresian equivalent of cities are located. Millions of tunnels snake this way and that through the ice, forming caverns and rooms and causeways, eventually reaching the water level and continuing to descend from there. Underneath, in the frigid water, the cities are built downward, and gradually convert into grown materials instead of ice. Typically it would be pitch black in Ceres' ocean, but the Ceresian cities are magnificently lit with thousands of different kinds of glowing gems, stones, and minerals. It makes for quite a mystical, beautiful underwater environment.

Below the cities, on the surface of the planet's rocky core, are the Crystal Farms. The Ceresian's are extremely advanced in the field of mineral agriculture, which involves combining and tampering with certain minerals in order to make them grow, much like crops. Vast reefs of different minerals cover the ocean floor, some glowing brightly enough to be seen from the cities high above.

And finally, the core. Ceres' rocky core is very porous, and is the source of the Ceresian's minerals. They've long since lost the need to mine for the minerals, since learning how to grow them, but many mines still exist, in case the situation arises when they may need more than they have. There's also the possibility of new minerals being discovered, which still happens from time to time. Thus, the center of the planet is filled with sprawling mine shafts and glowing crystals.

Ceresian Influence on the Gefion family asteroids and others

All of the asteroids in the Gefion family have been explored, and about half of the ones that are large enough to be settled have been settled. These settlements differ greatly depending on the size of the asteroid and it's distance from Ceres, but in general each settlement will consist of at least one Docking Spire and a relief center. Ceresians only have to consume nutrients about once every two earth weeks, but that is a maximum time limit, and so settlements usually house relief centers.

The structures themselves are typically carved right into the asteroids(with the exception of the docking spires), most often to fit with the natural holes and pockets that the asteroids already possess. There are many chain-like constructions linking together the closer asteroids, which often serve as "pathways" to control traffic and avoid collisions. These are built out of many pieces of asteroid rock and usually contain rows of glowing crystals to mark them.

Since asteroids not in the Gefion Family eventually pass on, as they have different orbits, none of them have been settled. However, they have certainly not gone untouched. Expeditions are frequently sent to explore passing bodies, plus millions of messages and carved glowing crystals have been left for others to find, virtually filling the Asteroid Belt with signs of the Ceresian's presence.

Spoiler: Biology and Psychology

[HEADING=3]Biology[/HEADING]
Mentality and Psychology

The three words that would best describe the Ceresian mentality would be nurturing, joyful,
and creative. They are a peaceful species, take great joy in caring for things, building things, and helping each other. Their love of beauty has driven them to plant glowing lights all over their cities and planet, to carve magnificent sculptures out of ice and stone, and to expand into the reaches of space in search of more beauty. Ceresians have very few festivals or celebrations, instead they are almost constantly in some state of merry-making.

There has never been a war or a murder in all of their recorded history. In fact, there isn't even any word in their language for "kill", "fight", "hate" or even "harm". They have never encountered any other sentient species, much less any that were a threat to them. They've never had the need to kill, or defend themselves. They've never even had to fight over resources. Thus, Ceresian minds do not grasp the concept of conflict. One being wishing to somehow cause another being harm in any way just would not make any sense to them.

Due to their very early exposure to the vastness that is outer space, the Ceresians decided long ago that there had to be other sentient species out there somewhere. It wouldn't make any sense for there to not be. And so they've eagerly gone about the work of trying to achieve contact. Once they do, they will welcome their newfound "friends" with blind and completely open joy, for better or for worse.

Appearance

The Ceresian's body(not including its limbs and streamers) is usually 6 to 8 feet in length and shaped like a funnel, tapering to a point at the front and widening out at the back. It is partially covered in a tough outer shell. At the front of this shell, at the tapered point, is a single eye. This eye is usually blue in color and bears no markings. Rows of gill-like flaps, which are sound receivers and transmitters, run down both sides if the body. Just behind these flaps are a number of small, flexible limbs with gaspers at the end, these are used for delicate tasks like operating technology, writing, or carving small objects.

Their most prominent feature are the four giant limbs that branch out from the back in a fan-like shape. These limbs are extremely long, reaching out to the sides of the body nearly six times the length of the body itself, with powerful clamping claws on the end that prove extremely useful when navigating the asteroids fields.

As the Ceresians were originally an aquatic species, four large flippers extend from the shell in between the limbs. Somewhere underneath the flippers the mouth is hidden, along with some short tentacles that move food into the mouth.

Also extending out from beneath the flippers are the Ceresian's own personal slice of beauty. A mass of glowing streamers like jellyfish tendrils flow behind them like the tail of a comet, even longer than their four main limbs. The Ceresians can change the color and pattern of pulsating light that flow across these streamers at will, and that is the primary form of communication for their species. There are also little glowing dots covering parts of their body that change colors.

Requirements to live

The Ceresian's bodies are designed to gain energy from an almost infinite number of minerals. They do not consume plants, as there are none on Ceres or the asteroids, and they do not consume meat. Their bodies are able to convert nearly ever kind of mineral, including the ones in "ordinary" rock such as granite, basalt or obsidian, into the energy they need to keep functioning.

Their environment requirements are a little more specific. Their bodies cannot tolerate temperatures higher than 6°C; any higher than that and their internal structures will begin to dissolve. They also do not do very well in out-of-water high gravity environments, as their bodies are designed for being suspended in water or zero-G.

Gender and Reproduction

There are technically three Ceresian genders, one who pollinates and two that are pollinated. The twist is that the two pollinated then pollinate each other, and thus the carrying and birthing process may begin. So, viewed through the scope of humanities' established gender roles, the Ceresian's have one male gender and two female genders, kind of.

The male reproductive organs are a pair of long, fleshy tendrils that are located benetah the flipper on the underside of the body, just below the mouth. The female organs are very much the same as the males, except that they only have one, and it is wider, with an obvious opening at the end. The way these organs interact is fairly self-explanatory.

The only difference between the two "female" genders is the pheromones that their eggs produce upon contact with the male's seed. These two pheromones are required to combine for the gestation process to begin.

Ceresian sex is a wild, colorful ordeal. All three members come together, facing outwards, their long streamers covering and surrounding each other. The flippers and mouth tendrils are used to "hold on" as the pollination takes place, after which the two females exchange pheromones via the mouth. The male will usually stick around till the end, even though he is no longer required. Childbirth takes place about two months after gestation in the form of a cluster of little eggs, much like frog eggs, and is completely painless.

Sex is an incredibly pleasurable activity for Ceresians, which they partake in eagerly, even more so then humans. There is no social stigma attached to sex, and so Ceresians "going at it" is an extremely common sight among them, and having sex with close friends is considered an everyday pastime. They also have no notion of a family unit or mates, so the act of reproduction can take place with anyone.

There are no Ceresian gender roles outside of reproduction. Males, females, and females all hold equal positions and can fill any societal role they want. It would not be surprising for a member of another species to never even find out what gender their Ceresian friend was, as they don't find the fact at all important outside of sex.

Spoiler: Society and Government

[HEADING=3]Society and Government[/HEADING]
Culture
(Under Construction)
Education
(Under Construction)
The Family Unit
(Under Construction)
Government
(Under Construction)

Spoiler: Technology and Space Exploration

[HEADING=3]Technology and Space Exploration[/HEADING]
Iri and Essessral, the miracle minerals

Iri and Essessral are what other races would instantly dub "miracle minerals" upon discovering them. These two elements have been the largest contributer to Ceresian advancement, and without them the species might not have ever even gotten off the planet.

When combined in a certain way, these two minerals have an interesting reaction that could possibly be called explosive. They basically harden and create vast amounts of outward pressure against everything around them, and when that pressure and energy is funneled in a certain direction, the crystals will go the other way, quickly and forcefully. The combined form is called Liriss.

This combination provides enough thrust and propulsion to very easily get Ceresian transports and ships moving, as well as provide the Ceresian's themselves with "personal propulsion" for when they're out in the asteroids. The only problem with this seemingly perfect mixture is that the Iri and Essessral dissolve each other. The more you combine at one time, the more powerful the thrust, but also the faster the dissolving. And it takes a lot of Liriss to keep a ship going.

Technology

Ceresian technology is very organic, as in they grow almost everything. They have yet to discover electricity, but so far they haven't needed it. They don't need warmth, and they already produce enough light from their bodies and minerals found on Ceres.

Much of their technological advancement centers around building and shaping. The Ceresians are adept at constructing things, from massive city tiers to tiny, barely visible cogs that help their odd machinery function. They are also amazingly advanced in the field of "crystalline agriculture".

Space Exploration

The Ceresians "reached space" a long, long time ago, and the soundless, Zero-G vacuum has ben part of their species' development since almost the beginning. However, they have never been able to settle outside the Gefion asteroid family, due to the differing orbits of the other asteroids and their inability to carry enough Liriss onboard ships to get them to other planets.

They have two smaller "spaceships" in operation, which perform routine expeditions into passing asteroid groups. These ships are made almost entirely out of rock, sculpted and carved into beautiful, flowing, streamlined shapes.

There is also a third ship, being grown far beneath the ice, on the planet's surface. This third ship is massive, spanning roughly the size of Earth's Manhattan Island. It's construction was begun many, many generations ago, starting from the forwards end and slowly being built up from the section of planet surface dedicated to exactly that task. As new layers were constantly added below it, the structure gradually rose. Now, it is almost complete, it's towering form reaching up out of the depths of the ocean and nearly touching the ice layer.

Contact

The Ceresians have gone to great lengths to achieve contact, in the form of lights. For starters, their entire planet sparkles and glows due to the many millions of florescent crystals they've dotted it with, as well as the asteroids they've colonized. They have also used gigantic spotlights, with beams strong enough to reach far into space.

And, of course, there are the signs they've left in the Asteroid Belt. Long ago, the Ceresians took to leaving bits of glowing crystal on the asteroids that passed them, usually carved into intricate designs to let whoever found them know that intelligent life had created them. The Asteroid Belt is literally filled with these glowing crystals, and the Ceresians regularly find ones that were left off my their ancestors or even parents.

EDIT: You don't mind if I use the same species, do you 3W?

 

[Sporky111]

*sigh* it really sucks that this didn't work out the first time. I had a great race made up [/sadface] But I find it a bit funny that it's been nearly exactly one year since you posted the OP for Mark I

But I'm trying to cut down on RPing, so I'll just wish you luck making this successful

If anyone's interested in adopting a mammal-like race that live on the forest moon of Endor Jupiter's moons take a look here http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/362.166260.4535655 Hooray for recycling

Spoiler: And a picture I remember I whipped up

 

[ThreeWords]

You don't mind if I use the same species, do you 3W?

That's fine, but I need one edit: they need to at least have radio capabilities, or some other inter-planetary communication. Light flashes might work, but either way, the tech needs to be beefed out a bit.

This goes for space travel too; your race should be reaching out into space at about the same time the RP starts.

 

[Sir Strange Of The House Lycan]

Spoiler: Race

Name: Meirain

Planet: Venus

Physical description: Low to the ground spiny reptillian creatures.Walk on three three claw like appendages,two further up it's it's long stretched out body,which is attached to the claws by three spindly appendages that lead from the body to a join used to for twisting the claw and moving it in different directions.The third is located at the back of the races from,it manipulates the one by pushing it into the ground and lifting itself up with it.It's head is a scaly sphere,split in half by a sharp toothed mouth,inside which resides a long prehensile tongue.When threatened,it's spines with flash up on end,to give a frightening appearance.It also does this when it is absorbing sunlight (See Requirement to live).They lack noses,but have extremely acute eyesight and hearing to compensate.they lack a language,instead communicating through they're spines,causing specific ones to stand on end to communicate.In addition,the meirain reproduce asexually,laying eggs and nurturing them until they hatch.

Requirement to live: The Meirain do not need to drink or eat foods consistently,being able to go for extremely long periods of time with liquid sustenance,and fair amounts of time without food.It requires one thing consistently however,which is sunlight.The Meirain have evolved the ability to derive energy from from the sun through their scales and use it heat themselves and gain the power we would gain from consuming food and having our body break it down.The Meirain also cannot live without heat,as they rely on the suns heat.A drastic drop in temperature would kill a Meirain quickly.

Psychological description: The Meirain are peaceful race if treated kindly and not threatened in any way,and will pay kindness back with kindness when interacting with others.If they are threatened however,they will become hostile and dangerous,and will attack what has threatened them or another Meirain relentlessly.They are not incredibly smart,having only achieved sentience recently.Meirains will usually spend time by themselves rather than in large groups.

Style/level of technology: The Meirain have barely broken out of the status of animal,and are in the early stages of being tribal,as such,their technology is at an extremely low level compared to the current level of man.

Desires: The Meirains only purpose is to survive.

Spoiler: Lru

Name: Lru
Gender (if applicable): later
Rank/position: later
Appearance: later
Personality: later
Bio:later

 

[Yorgmiester]

You don't mind if I use the same species, do you 3W?

That's fine, but I need one edit: they need to at least have radio capabilities, or some other inter-planetary communication. Light flashes might work, but either way, the tech needs to be beefed out a bit.

This goes for space travel too; your race should be reaching out into space at about the same time the RP starts.

Got it. By the way, how long will we have until the RP starts? People should have plenty of time to perfect their races.

 

[ThreeWords]

You don't mind if I use the same species, do you 3W?

That's fine, but I need one edit: they need to at least have radio capabilities, or some other inter-planetary communication. Light flashes might work, but either way, the tech needs to be beefed out a bit.

This goes for space travel too; your race should be reaching out into space at about the same time the RP starts.

Got it. By the way, how long will we have until the RP starts? People should have plenty of time to perfect their races.

No worries, they're gonna have a while. I will be taking quite a while justpicking holes in what they do give me...

Crelm

I've seen you use this twice, and I don't doubt you've used it other times as well. Furthermore, this sheet is simply copypasta, without even the decency of editing in suitable details.

I'm not impressed.

If you want to join, write a proper sheet, and then maybe we'll see.

 

[ThreeWords]

Meirain

Your tech needs to be more advanced; I want you at about the level humanity is now. That is, capable of signalling between planets, and on the verge of inter-planetary travel

That goes for language, too; I need you to be able to talk to other races.

 

[Khedive Rex]

Mercury. I'm in.

I hope you don't mind if I bring back the Rm. I was always dissapointed I never got to see them in action.

 

[IBlackKiteI]

Alright, let's do this! I may make some edits to them this time around, which I'll record in this post.

Spoiler: Ceresians

[HEADING=2]Ceresians[/HEADING]

Spoiler: IMPORTANT: Note on translation

The Ceresians communicate primarily through light. They have no vocal organs, however they are capable of emitting high and low pitched hums, much like whales. These sounds, however, are nothing like the vocalizations of other species who posses more sophisticated sound emitting organs. Thus, translations into written word from Ceresian are very difficult. The Ceresian words in the following text have been translated as closely as possible.

They do have a rudimentary writing system, but it is extremely complicated. It consists mainly of repeating figure eights and circles, arranged in very complex interweaving patterns that would take foreign species many many years to learn.

Spoiler: Ceres and the Gefion asteroid family.

[HEADING=3]Ceres and the Gefion asteroid family.[/HEADING]
Basic Facts

Ceres is a dwarf planet located in the Asteroid Belt, with an orbit between Mars and Jupiter. It is the largest object in the asteroid belt, containing almost a third of the belt's total mass. It has a diameter of 590 miles.

The internal structure of the planet consists of a rocky core and a mantle of ice on top, with a vast sea of liquid water between. There is no geothermal activity, as the core is completely cold, but the planet is host to a multitude of different minerals, many of which suggest past activity. The surface of the planet is the ice layer. It has a very thin atmosphere that may as well be nonexistent.

Ceres belongs to the Gefion asteroid family, a group of 766 objects, ranging in size from 47 km across to the size of cars.

Ceresian Influence on Ceres

Ceresian activity has changed the appearance of Ceres significantly. The surface of the ice is dotted with holes marking the entrance to tunnels, and numerous needle-like pinnacles rise high into space. These gigantic towers are made of ice, tapered with careful precision and slowly buil layer by layer over many generations. They serve primarily as launching guiders for Ceresian transports, but many also double as spot-lights, sending powerful beams of light far out into space in hopes that some extraterrestrial life form will see them.

Next is the ice layer. This layer is where the Ceresian equivalent of cities are located. Millions of tunnels snake this way and that through the ice, forming caverns and rooms and causeways, eventually reaching the water level and continuing to descend from there. Underneath, in the frigid water, the cities are built downward, and gradually convert into grown materials instead of ice. Typically it would be pitch black in Ceres' ocean, but the Ceresian cities are magnificently lit with thousands of different kinds of glowing gems, stones, and minerals. It makes for quite a mystical, beautiful underwater environment.

Below the cities, on the surface of the planet's rocky core, are the Crystal Farms. The Ceresian's are extremely advanced in the field of mineral agriculture, which involves combining and tampering with certain minerals in order to make them grow, much like crops. Vast reefs of different minerals cover the ocean floor, some glowing brightly enough to be seen from the cities high above.

And finally, the core. Ceres' rocky core is very porous, and is the source of the Ceresian's minerals. They've long since lost the need to mine for the minerals, since learning how to grow them, but many mines still exist, in case the situation arises when they may need more than they have. There's also the possibility of new minerals being discovered, which still happens from time to time. Thus, the center of the planet is filled with sprawling mine shafts and glowing crystals.

Ceresian Influence on the Gefion family asteroids and others

All of the asteroids in the Gefion family have been explored, and about half of the ones that are large enough to be settled have been settled. These settlements differ greatly depending on the size of the asteroid and it's distance from Ceres, but in general each settlement will consist of at least one Docking Spire and a relief center. Ceresians only have to consume nutrients about once every two earth weeks, but that is a maximum time limit, and so settlements usually house relief centers.

The structures themselves are typically carved right into the asteroids(with the exception of the docking spires), most often to fit with the natural holes and pockets that the asteroids already possess. There are many chain-like constructions linking together the closer asteroids, which often serve as "pathways" to control traffic and avoid collisions. These are built out of many pieces of asteroid rock and usually contain rows of glowing crystals to mark them.

Since asteroids not in the Gefion Family eventually pass on, as they have different orbits, none of them have been settled. However, they have certainly not gone untouched. Expeditions are frequently sent to explore passing bodies, plus millions of messages and carved glowing crystals have been left for others to find, virtually filling the Asteroid Belt with signs of the Ceresian's presence.

Spoiler: Biology and Psychology

[HEADING=3]Biology[/HEADING]
Mentality and Psychology

The three words that would best describe the Ceresian mentality would be nurturing, joyful,
and creative. They are a peaceful species, take great joy in caring for things, building things, and helping each other. Their love of beauty has driven them to plant glowing lights all over their cities and planet, to carve magnificent sculptures out of ice and stone, and to expand into the reaches of space in search of more beauty. Ceresians have very few festivals or celebrations, instead they are almost constantly in some state of merry-making.

There has never been a war or a murder in all of their recorded history. In fact, there isn't even any word in their language for "kill", "fight", "hate" or even "harm". They have never encountered any other sentient species, much less any that were a threat to them. They've never had the need to kill, or defend themselves. They've never even had to fight over resources. Thus, Ceresian minds do not grasp the concept of conflict. One being wishing to somehow cause another being harm in any way just would not make any sense to them.

Due to their very early exposure to the vastness that is outer space, the Ceresians decided long ago that there had to be other sentient species out there somewhere. It wouldn't make any sense for there to not be. And so they've eagerly gone about the work of trying to achieve contact. Once they do, they will welcome their newfound "friends" with blind and completely open joy, for better or for worse.

Appearance

The Ceresian's body(not including its limbs and streamers) is usually 6 to 8 feet in length and shaped like a funnel, tapering to a point at the front and widening out at the back. It is partially covered in a tough outer shell. At the front of this shell, at the tapered point, is a single eye. This eye is usually blue in color and bears no markings. Rows of gill-like flaps, which are sound receivers and transmitters, run down both sides if the body. Just behind these flaps are a number of small, flexible limbs with gaspers at the end, these are used for delicate tasks like operating technology, writing, or carving small objects.

Their most prominent feature are the four giant limbs that branch out from the back in a fan-like shape. These limbs are extremely long, reaching out to the sides of the body nearly six times the length of the body itself, with powerful clamping claws on the end that prove extremely useful when navigating the asteroids fields.

As the Ceresians were originally an aquatic species, four large flippers extend from the shell in between the limbs. Somewhere underneath the flippers the mouth is hidden, along with some short tentacles that move food into the mouth.

Also extending out from beneath the flippers are the Ceresian's own personal slice of beauty. A mass of glowing streamers like jellyfish tendrils flow behind them like the tail of a comet, even longer than their four main limbs. The Ceresians can change the color and pattern of pulsating light that flow across these streamers at will, and that is the primary form of communication for their species. There are also little glowing dots covering parts of their body that change colors.

Requirements to live

The Ceresian's bodies are designed to gain energy from an almost infinite number of minerals. They do not consume plants, as there are none on Ceres or the asteroids, and they do not consume meat. Their bodies are able to convert nearly ever kind of mineral, including the ones in "ordinary" rock such as granite, basalt or obsidian, into the energy they need to keep functioning.

Their environment requirements are a little more specific. Their bodies cannot tolerate temperatures higher than 6°C; any higher than that and their internal structures will begin to dissolve. They also do not do very well in out-of-water high gravity environments, as their bodies are designed for being suspended in water or zero-G.

Gender and Reproduction

There are technically three Ceresian genders, one who pollinates and two that are pollinated. The twist is that the two pollinated then pollinate each other, and thus the carrying and birthing process may begin. So, viewed through the scope of humanities' established gender roles, the Ceresian's have one male gender and two female genders, kind of.

The male reproductive organs are a pair of long, fleshy tendrils that are located benetah the flipper on the underside of the body, just below the mouth. The female organs are very much the same as the males, except that they only have one, and it is wider, with an obvious opening at the end. The way these organs interact is fairly self-explanatory.

The only difference between the two "female" genders is the pheromones that their eggs produce upon contact with the male's seed. These two pheromones are required to combine for the gestation process to begin.

Ceresian sex is a wild, colorful ordeal. All three members come together, facing outwards, their long streamers covering and surrounding each other. The flippers and mouth tendrils are used to "hold on" as the pollination takes place, after which the two females exchange pheromones via the mouth. The male will usually stick around till the end, even though he is no longer required. Childbirth takes place about two months after gestation in the form of a cluster of little eggs, much like frog eggs, and is completely painless.

Sex is an incredibly pleasurable activity for Ceresians, which they partake in eagerly, even more so then humans. There is no social stigma attached to sex, and so Ceresians "going at it" is an extremely common sight among them, and having sex with close friends is considered an everyday pastime. They also have no notion of a family unit or mates, so the act of reproduction can take place with anyone.

There are no Ceresian gender roles outside of reproduction. Males, females, and females all hold equal positions and can fill any societal role they want. It would not be surprising for a member of another species to never even find out what gender their Ceresian friend was, as they don't find the fact at all important outside of sex.

Spoiler: Society and Government

[HEADING=3]Society and Government[/HEADING]
Culture
(Under Construction)
Education
(Under Construction)
The Family Unit
(Under Construction)
Government
(Under Construction)

Spoiler: Technology and Space Exploration

[HEADING=3]Technology and Space Exploration[/HEADING]
Iri and Essessral, the miracle minerals

Iri and Essessral are what other races would instantly dub "miracle minerals" upon discovering them. These two elements have been the largest contributer to Ceresian advancement, and without them the species might not have ever even gotten off the planet.

When combined in a certain way, these two minerals have an interesting reaction that could possibly be called explosive. They basically harden and create vast amounts of outward pressure against everything around them, and when that pressure and energy is funneled in a certain direction, the crystals will go the other way, quickly and forcefully. The combined form is called Liriss.

This combination provides enough thrust and propulsion to very easily get Ceresian transports and ships moving, as well as provide the Ceresian's themselves with "personal propulsion" for when they're out in the asteroids. The only problem with this seemingly perfect mixture is that the Iri and Essessral dissolve each other. The more you combine at one time, the more powerful the thrust, but also the faster the dissolving. And it takes a lot of Liriss to keep a ship going.

Technology

Ceresian technology is very organic, as in they grow almost everything. They have yet to discover electricity, but so far they haven't needed it. They don't need warmth, and they already produce enough light from their bodies and minerals found on Ceres.

Much of their technological advancement centers around building and shaping. The Ceresians are adept at constructing things, from massive city tiers to tiny, barely visible cogs that help their odd machinery function. They are also amazingly advanced in the field of "crystalline agriculture".

Space Exploration

The Ceresians "reached space" a long, long time ago, and the soundless, Zero-G vacuum has ben part of their species' development since almost the beginning. However, they have never been able to settle outside the Gefion asteroid family, due to the differing orbits of the other asteroids and their inability to carry enough Liriss onboard ships to get them to other planets.

They have two smaller "spaceships" in operation, which perform routine expeditions into passing asteroid groups. These ships are made almost entirely out of rock, sculpted and carved into beautiful, flowing, streamlined shapes.

There is also a third ship, being grown far beneath the ice, on the planet's surface. This third ship is massive, spanning roughly the size of Earth's Manhattan Island. It's construction was begun many, many generations ago, starting from the forwards end and slowly being built up from the section of planet surface dedicated to exactly that task. As new layers were constantly added below it, the structure gradually rose. Now, it is almost complete, it's towering form reaching up out of the depths of the ocean and nearly touching the ice layer.

Contact

The Ceresians have gone to great lengths to achieve contact, in the form of lights. For starters, their entire planet sparkles and glows due to the many millions of florescent crystals they've dotted it with, as well as the asteroids they've colonized. They have also used gigantic spotlights, with beams strong enough to reach far into space.

And, of course, there are the signs they've left in the Asteroid Belt. Long ago, the Ceresians took to leaving bits of glowing crystal on the asteroids that passed them, usually carved into intricate designs to let whoever found them know that intelligent life had created them. The Asteroid Belt is literally filled with these glowing crystals, and the Ceresians regularly find ones that were left off my their ancestors or even parents.

EDIT: You don't mind if I use the same species, do you 3W?

That.
Is.
Epic.

Anyways, this seems awesome, I'd love to be a part of this, if I can get in I'll make a sheet real quick like.

 

[Lost In The Void]

Ya, making me drudge up my old sheet for this, I'm on Venus for those who care, this was made a year ago so I plan on improving it, but anyways

Spoiler: The Varents

Spoiler: Social Culture

[HEADING=2]Social Culture[/HEADING]

The Varents are a much divided culture, the planet being divided into over 300 countries, all of which have a federal government. There are many differences about each culture that make it difficult to unify the entire nation. Only in times of extreme emergency has any attempt been made to act as one nation and not a squabbling rabble of the population. Family values independence and charisma, as these are two things that lead to a successful child, and later adult who will contribute to the society as a whole.

[HEADING=2]The Family Unit[/HEADING]

Each family has two to three kids, as is the custom among the culture. This number is much higher in poorer region. The mother and father leave much of the upbringing of the child to itself as how well it adapts to the world determines where it will be placed in school and how far that child will go in the world. The child is not given a caste based on what his or her parents have done, but rather what the child displays in intelligence and proficiency. This leads to what the Elders see as a more efficient society. The extended family does not stay with the family, leaving when the child reaches maturity at the age of 20 Venetian days.

[HEADING=2]Education[/HEADING]

When a child reaches 5 days old they are put before the Education Panel where they are slotted into schools based upon their located talents. If a child is charismatic they are taken into politics, workers go into labour school and business types go into said school. The children are not coddled with courses they do not need, rather the courses are specialized in order to have the children in their assigned jobs as soon as they are out of their education.

Labourers are sent into the workforce after the 12th Day of school, whereas more ?Gifted Students? are sent to the secondary education institutions where their gift are better defined and are able to proceed to the primary tier of society.

[HEADING=2]Living Conditions[/HEADING]

As all jobs are predetermined after the IQ test, there is no unemployment in the 1st world countries as there is constant development always going on. In the third world nations, and to a lesser extent, the second level countries, there is a certain degree of unemployment, though this is usually limited to those who are deemed ?ungifted? and unable to contribute to society in any way. These individuals are usually disgraced and sterilized.

Living conditions for the average Venusian citizen are quite well, especially if you are in either politics or science, as these two jobs are the highest paying on the planet. Each citizen has a shelter for its family, usually located in bunkers that look like craters from a space view. The wealthier individuals have their homes underground where their houses are completely safe from any impacts or sulfuric rains.

Spoiler: Political Culture

[HEADING=2]Provincial Politics[/HEADING]

Politics on Venus are divided into four subtypes, though in practice only three are used.

Provincial politics are usually run in a very democratic nature, but all laws created by this class are subject to change by the national political system. Elections are held every three Venetian years and are a competition between 2 or more parties, depending on the province. Citizens vote for whichever party best suits their ideals and the leader of that party because the Provincial Head. He then selects a 13 man council and this council debates laws and is tasked with running the entire province. Each council member has one provincial duty, with 50 public servants under him, to help better streamline the Councilman?s duties.

On controversial matters, the Council votes and the majority passes the law, if the Provincial Head will sign it into effect. Another duty of a Provincial Head, is to meet with the Head of the Country he lives in to give reports on the running s of the province. The National Head is the only person who can override the Provincial Head?s policies.

[HEADING=2]National Politics[/HEADING]

National Politics are the highest in each corresponding country. No one save for the international council can override anything done by these governments. The House where most debating takes place is composed of 600 members, on average, all of who are elected by the citizens that populate the riding they run more. After all 600 candidates are selected; three are chosen to be the runners for the Minister of the Nation. The populace votes on the three candidates, and the one with the majority of the votes, is sworn into office and selects his 40 person cabinet. These men are tasked with the huge job of keeping their country safe and running smoothly.

The only time international policies challenge the national political culture is when war has stricken, either in the civil sense or international. The International Council is the group that hands out punishment once the smoke has settled.

[HEADING=2]International Politics[/HEADING]

Every country on Venus gets one representative in the International Council. It is here where matters regarding the entire nation are decided. Economic prowess determines your standing in the Council, and so the five strongest nations form the Council of Affairs. Though this is not a formal group, the rest of the nation cannot act without the support of these countries. This causes many stagnant arguments, and unresolved issues.

[HEADING=2]Interplanetary Politics[/HEADING]

This department is regarded as a giant joke and was only put in place to keep the voters happy. Only one person is this office and it is only an office. His job is to coordinate other races and keep track of other races in the galaxy. Unfortunately to this point, he has yet to do anything, as no contact, or evidence of other races have emerged.

Spoiler: Biological Aspects

[HEADING=2]Physical Appearance[/HEADING]

The Varents are a four legged being, with claws for toes. This allows a greater grip on the surface of their world. Their torso sits in the center of the four legs. The beings also have four arms, and a longer torso, leading to their head. Every Varents head crest is different, allowinf for a uniqueness amongst the race. Their entire body is covered in a boney exoskeleton, which protects them from the dangerous Venetian weather. This exoskeleton is usually white, but in rare instances has been known to take on a cream colour instead.

Mostly improving on the Biological aspects maybe adding a psych profile too, for now this is what you get as a preview

 

[Sir Strange Of The House Lycan]

Meirain

Your tech needs to be more advanced; I want you at about the level humanity is now. That is, capable of signalling between planets, and on the verge of inter-planetary travel

That goes for language, too; I need you to be able to talk to other races.

I think I may have gotten tangled up in trying to original...I'll edit.

 

[Shanaar]

Spoiler: Gir'Sor

Name: Gir'sor

Planet: Io

Physical description: The Gir'sor are a slender race with a leg that has three joints and ends in a large spike. There hands are claws and have large spikes coming out of there elbows. There skin is a exoskeleton made from silicon, making them all black. They stand 5,5 feet tall. There mouth is near there legs and is filled with razor sharp teeth. The sense thinks trough vision and pressure. This is located in there head which is mostly a roundish triangle and not very big. They detect pressure trough a sack like bladder. They also have large sacks in there body were they can store air.

Requirement to live: The Gir'sor breath a mixture of SO2, SO, NaCl, S and O at day. At night large amounts of SO2 is lost as the atmosphere's thins. They survive this by storing SO2 in there sacks. There much slower at night then at day because they got to use there own stored SO2 for breathing. They eat the meat of the Sor, but are able to eat any meat as long as it contains the four essential amino acid's. Phenylalanine, Valine, Threonine, Tryptophan.

Psychological description: When the Gir'sor are born, they are throw in to a large pen, were they got to survive. The first five years they aren't sentient and act only as animals. When the reach the age of five, 1 in 87 become sentient. These are taken out of the pen and placed under a Gir'sor mar which they serve till there old to wield a Kar (a spear) The rest that doesn't becomes sentient is gather up in to herds and used as live stock.

The Gir'sor are separated in to multiple parent clans which rule certain parts of the planet. Under these clans are smaller sub clans which each strive to one day subdue there parent clan and become a parent clan.

There quite a honour bound society. If one clan clan challenges another clan to a Kar fight with 20 Gir'sor, the will accept it and honour the challenge. They also eat the dead, as they see it as a waste of food and a means to release the spirit of the dead.

They don't practice any art as they see it as a wast of time.

They revere the Haldoga, race that was killed long ago on there planet. They see this race as there gods and the Gir'sor as there best and most noble creation. The only way to become a Gir'sor Haldo is to learn from a Gir'Sor Haldo and afterwards break there Kar.

State of technology: Almost all of there the technology is reversed engineered for the Haldoga. They use forsterite for there computers as they see the use of silicon as perverse.
Most of there structures are mobile as the planet is very active and building that is permanent has a change to be buried under ash or get hit by a magma stream.

There structures are made from iron and very sturdy.
They communicate over long distance with radio. This is the most effective way on Io because of it's proximity to Jupiter.

They have managed to reveres engineer space flight a while ago, but they haven't gotten to it yet. The are currently building a space station on the darks side of Io. This isn't going so well because of internal strive.

Desires: To gain land, food and to find Halog there Eden and realm of there gods.

Ranks:
Gir'sor mar Elder
Sor Food
Gir'sor Hasmar Clan leader
Gir'sor Has leader of a sub clan
Gir'sor Haldomar High priest
Gir'sor Haldo priest
Gir'sor Cap Leader of a troop of people
Gir'sor The people

Spoiler: Kruolekk

Name: Kruolekk
Gender: Male
Rank/position: Gir'sor Cap
Appearance: Same as his people but with a iron band around his waist and wearing the first ever space suit.
Personality: Inquisitive, ruthless, paranoid, honourable.
Bio: Part of the Nan'ii clan, Kruolekk was selected to by the parents clan to lead the construction and use of the space station Glory for the Haldoga.
His complement exist of different Gir'sor of all the major Clans. Thus far all he has be doing been doing is stopping fights and staying alive till the station is build. Afterwards he can hopefully get some of his people up there and become the clan than holds the Station as there lands.

Oke here is another race. Need anything changed?

 

[Viking Incognito]

Reserve please? May I ask for Mars?

 

[ThreeWords]

Reserve please? May I ask for Mars?

You may

Gir'Sor

Spoiler: My objections

You're working form the basis of an ancient species that came vefore, which I object to. There shall be no Elder races. Edit that out, and give them their own culture.
Second, you say that only 1 in 87 achieve sentience. This I also do not believe; you'd have a minuscule amount of intelligent citizens, or massive over population. Plus, there's no goddamn reason for a race to only achieve sentience on an individual level against huge odds.
Also, their objective is to gain food? What kind of creatures are they? They have to have some kind of deeper racial desire than that.

 

[Viking Incognito]

Spoiler: Sarthren

Name: Sarthren
Planet: Mars

Physical description: http://i900.photobucket.com/albums/ac205/thisisaformality/Alien_creature_by_Tyrus88.jpg?t=1294687902
They are about human size and have variations when it comes to the color of that bone hard exoskeleton and height and strength. The ?Eyes? are actually electric sensory nerves like a shark have and that is how they see. The talon-like claws are used for combat. They suck foods, which consist of several plants and occasionally each other, in through a straw-like tube that comes out of that little mouth slit. They can run at very fast speeds and jump very well due to their spring-like legs. The exoskeleton is filled in with thick layers of muscle with their small group of internal organs nestled together in the upper part of their abdomen. They communicate through a combination of body language and their own words. However, their communication organs are flexible and with practice they could no doubt speak other languages. They reproduce by having a ?male? excrete a fluid from his mouth-like organ into an opening just below the same organ on the female. Within one week the female will die and six or seven larva-like infants will emerge from her caved in chest cavity. The male then fiercely protects them until they are fully grown which takes about two years. This is what forms their ?Families? or as they say, Konba.
The males and females have no physical difference besides reproductive organs.

Requirement to live: They don?t need anything like air. They only occasionally (about once or twice each human month) eat the organic materials that they grow or each other in the right circumstances. If they go without any nourishment they will actually weaken and their shells will become soft and either die or be killed.

Physiological description: The Sarthren are not territorial but very proud and defensive among their Konba. They do not feel any connection such as love to their mate but the offspring are loyal to themselves and to their father. An attack on one is an attack on all. They don?t view each other as enemies unless provoked or insulted.

Society and community: They can work in peace together and often do. They usually can be found living in nomadic communities called Prowken composed of nine or ten Konba, much like Native American tribes. Also much like the Native Americans they have a leader figure they call the Nezgar. Prowken are referred to by the current Nalz, I.E. if the Nalz?s name was mark they would say ?That is the Mark Prowken.?. In times of harshness or threat however Prowken will band together to face other groups of Prowken in small wars, but never in history has there been any kind of large scale war of hundreds. No Prowken get involved in a fight that isn?t theirs. There is no actually unified government but their hierarchy is composed like this: 1. Prowken or Konba that have survived many wars and trials and proven themselves strong. 2. Prowken or Konba who just get by nothing special 3. Small weak Prowken. 4. Small worthless Konba with no Prowken.

State of technology: The Sarthren long ago discovered a strange metal that reacts and changes shape in response to electric impulses. They call it Mawz and use it to travel around the planet. The common form is sort of a sphere with wings that the Sarthren ride inside of as it flies. Only recently with the emergence of very skilled Mawz workers (the result of cross-breeding) have they been experimenting with space travel. They can see where they are going inside by channeling their ?Electro-vision? threw the Mawz and get a 360 view. They can travel very fast in the Mawz. Some try use it as weapons but it is much too hard to maintain the shape in combat so they only use it for transportation.
With continued experimentation they are getting farther and farther into space.

Desires: They all essentially want to be on top. They compete violently and non-violently all of the time. It is not so much that they are all power hungry; it is that in their society if you are not strong you will likely die.

Spoiler: individual

Name: Kale
Gender: M
Rank/position: Nezgar of the current head Prowken which, is composed of 11 Konba which are all carefully bred to be superior warriors.
Appearance: He looks like the picture but a little taller and his Skeleton is a dirty shade of gray. (as I said up there, it can vary)
Personality: He is very proud and skilled. He will be friendly and kind but will not accept any threat. He is a very ?down to business? type.
Bio: He was the only one of his litter to survive due to a harsh war that he was born into. By the time it was over he was fully grown and had killed every last one of the enemy Prowken. He immediately began breeding his own Konba and then used his strength to force the nearby Konba to join him. By carefully cross breeding his Prowken he was able to make a generation of genetic warriors.

I put much more thought into the intricacies of their species and society rather than making them off the wall mind blowing mythical beasts. Sorry if that isn't what you wanted.

EDIT IMPORTANT READ: I feel I should add this little side note- Things are mostly at peace on Mars right now. Kale's Prowken just beat a big badass Prowken into the dirt recently and that cooled the tensions a bit due to no one wanting to mess with him. There are rumors of challengers but at the moment nothing serious is happening, and they are focusing on space travel through the Mawz. At the moment with Kale having pretty much no challengers for the title he could essentially be the ambassador.

 

[CounterAttack]

I could be keen on this. However, there are certain conditions that I would prefer to be met before I join.

In any case I will write up a race and see if I can turn out something good.

Edit: Actually, I'm sorry, but I'm gonna have to bail on this one. My apologies and I hope it goes well.

 

[IBlackKiteI]

I'd like to join, but the race I'm thinking of is artifical (not created by humans but by other aliens) and their method of reproduction is cloning.
Also they come from outside our solar system.

I'd be happy to change this though if its an issue, I just don't wanna write up a sheet which may need to be drastically changed.

Anyways, you didn't respond to my earlier post, I'm not sure if its that you don't want me in this or I wasn't clear enough about wanting to join or something, but I would like to join, very much.

 

[Khedive Rex]

[HEADING=1]Rm Character sheet[/HEADING]

But first, a quick introduction to Mercury, so you can all imagine the environment.

Mercury is the smallest terrestrial planet and the nearest one to the sun. The temperature swings from 800 degrees in the sunlight to minus 200 in the shade (Fahrenheit). The amount of solar rays and subsequent radiation hitting it is roughly ten times that of earth. Their solar day lasts for 176 of earth?s and their solar year lasts 86 earth days. It's atmosphere is maybe one fifth the thickness of earths. It?s also partial to random magnetic storms which sound just as beastly as they are. With this in mind:

Spoiler: Biology

Form: Rm vary in size from three to five feet long. They can be anywhere from a foot to three feet wide at their fronts (the widest part). Rm shape is similar to a manta ray in that it?s kinda pear-shaped at the front and they quickly slim down into long thin tails. Rm?s tops are coated with calcium and silicates that they grow in much the same way turtles grow shells. Rm undersides are covered as well but with much less care. Underneath them are three fore-arms, one on the left and right side of the front and one just before the tail. These three fore-arms grow into six legs, two splitting from each. A flap of skin connects each pair of arms and these are used to carefully maneuver during flight. Each hand contains four fingers. Wings can slide in and out of two slits grown on Rm?s tops. They are twice as long as the Rm who possesses them, white, and very fleshy.

Function: Rm are coldblooded. They receive their energy from a process similar to photosynthesis. Their wings filter the air while they beat and absorb essential nutrients such as oxygen and silicates. They grow white calcium and silicate shells to protect their body from the intense radiation and heat of the sun. Their tails absorb the suns rays and turn it into energy. They spend most of their natural lives flying between the dark and bright sides of Mercury. They need to be on the bright side to absorb energy from the sun, but can?t stay there as the heat will cause their body to literally cook. So they escape to the dark side to cool down but, unfortunately, on the dark side they can?t absorb energy and slowly begin to die. As such, they migrate rapidly between the two always moving never resting. Rm don?t need to sleep or eat. They have a sensor on their chest that allows them to perceive light rays much the way humans do (although their ?eye? for lack of a better word is more designed for the ultraviolet spectrum as the sheer amount of heat and radiation would otherwise paint their world in red. So basically imagine everything they see as under a darklight) but they more strongly rely on sense of smell and hearing to discern what happens around them. They have no mouth but can produce humming, buzzing, purring and growling noises. These noises and scent are the essential building blocks of their communication.

Pictures to come as soon as I figure out how to not suck at drawing.

Spoiler: Society

Social Culture: Rm evolved on a planet where staying in place for long meant death. They also evolved to take everything they need from the sun or the air making them largely self-sufficient. Both these factors combined to heavily influence Rm culture. The most notable difference between Rm and ourselves is that Rm do not keep possessions. Having no home to keep them in and it being impractical to carry one item your entire life Rm have largely forgone personal affects instead choosing to build large things (called features) such as amphitheaters and statues that can be enjoyed by all Rm. This extends to land, which the Rm have never considered to be owned by anyone. Not having to eat to survive (being photosynthetic and air filtering creatures) Rm never invented agriculture, and the concept of conquering others (which comes naturally to species who must kill to survive) is very alien to them. The leading cause of death among Rm is still overheating due to slothfulness or distraction. Rm do not have familial relations and do not keep close friends, they revel in meeting new and interesting people but they maintain no loyalty or responsibility to each other even after prolonged interaction. They do not make long-term commitments and do not entertain routines they don?t find interesting. The constructing of features is almost competitive in nature, members of their species display their talent, expertise and virility by constructing features that other Rm may enjoy.

The Family Unit: Non-existant. Rm are nomadic egg layers. When the time to mate comes the females and males of the species travel to the north or south pole of Mercury where the temperature is steady and the sunlight is diffuse. Eggs are buried in the ice and the parents return to the equatorial regions where they may or may not every encounter each other again. When the children hatch they spend one Mercurian year (86 earth days) at the pole of their birth before venturing to the equatorial regions. Rm do not have families; they are almost incapable of conceiving of the concept of an earth family. Young ones are cared for by every Rm they encounter but none of them have specific obligations and the child is not expected to cling to one or two ?parental? Rm. In fact, this would be frowned upon.

Education: Rm are educated as they see fit. Whether very old or very young any Rm may board one of the many trains that constantly circumnavigate the ground below. Similarly any Rm may leave any train at any time as he or she sees fit. Each train may contain one or many areas of study. Tutelage is largely via apprenticeship, that is to say Rm who are inexperienced or uneducated learn from Rm with more experience while the ?tutors? go about their business. There is no formal concept of teaching. There is merely gaining experience while working with those who are superior in a field. Rm are not expected to choose one area of expertise and most decide to dabble in many areas.

Government: Rm could be said to live either under an ideal communist scenario or in anarchy. They have no governing body and no directing body. The closest any Rm can come to obtaining a position of authority is to come into possession of a train; all this allows them to do though is decide the destinations of the train. They have no say in who boards it or what conduct is upheld while these Rm are on board. The subject of authority is alien to Rm as is the subject of allegiance. It couldn?t be said they are separatist minded, the idea of prolonged cooperation and loyalty Never occurs to them. They just aren?t wired that way. They also share all their possessions with any Rm that can make use of it

Spoiler: Lifestyle

Flying Rm: Flying Rm spend their life constantly circumnavigating Mercury. They may communicate with any other flying Rm they meet, they may also play on any of the features built by Riding Rm. Flying Rm may travel to either pole in order to mate. Their life consists largely of darting across the surface of mercury, enjoying both the natural and constructed beauty of the planet while meeting new and potentially interesting people. They do not consider the constant motion a chore, they think of it as very natural. Staying in one spot means death so their species evolved around constant migration.

Riding Rm: Riding Rm spend their life constantly circumnavigating Mercury in trains. While on these trains they teach, study and practice their current vocation. Trains resemble modern subway cars except that they are wider, contain no chairs and have periodic entrances to the roof so that Rm can spread their wings to breathe/eat, warm or chill their bodies and absorb nutrients from the sun. Depending on the specialization of the train in question it may also contain clean rooms, machinery, instruments, ect. Riding Rm spend the majority of their time planning the construction of features (artificial constructions that remain in place on the surface of mercury.)

Spoiler: Technology

Strengths: Rm solar panels are things of beauty. Their entire civilization is solar powered and they get more energy from the sun than we do from burning fossil fuels. While these methods will obviously be less affective on planets that are farther away from the sun they still have the potential to revolutionize or at the very least heavily subsidize existing energy sources. Rm insulation is also very advanced. They've pioneered sevreal substances that can go from 800 degrees fareignheit to -200 without ill effects and their radiation sheilding is top of the line (as would almost be required on a civilization that close to the sun). Their understanding of solar metereology is also superior to earths. They can predict solar flares and radiation storms the way we predict the weather.

Weaknesses: Rm do not have a heavily studied medical field. There are no Rm doctors as the leading cause of death is simple over exposure to the elements. However with the introduction of trains and (somewhat) easier lives the Rm are living longer and desire to continue the trend. Illness has become much more of an issue in recent times as the Rm have little understanding of biology. They have no devices designed as weapons and would be at a complete loss as to how to fight an opponent. (although, they wouldn't really want weapons I don't imagine and with all their radiation and heat sheilding a lot of their stuff would be almost impentrable from lazar cannon type weapons).

General: Rm Tech is a lot like Earth. They don't have teleportation or anything fancy, they get around on trains. They're advantages (such as better solar panels) are simply the advantages that would be present on earth if we had put a focus on that subject hundreds of years earlier. Their disadvantages (such as lack of medicine or biological understanding) are simply the disadvantages that would be present here if we had put a focus on those subjects hundreds of years later.

Spoiler: Summary

Medium-ish rocky mantarays with wings. They stand on tri-podish legs and can fly. Photosynthetic, no mouth.

They spend their lives circumnavigating Mercury so they can get energy from the sun on the lit side and not burn to death in 800 degree weather on the dark.

Rm don't feel any sense of community with themselves or others. They don't have families or any status superior to "an interesting acquaintance".

Rm are anarcho-communist. They have no government and no real possessions. Most of the things they build are big things that can be shared by the entire race such as amphitheaters and statues and libraries. Everything else is on a "use it while you need it" basis. They are however competative about building big things.

They have super advanced solar panel technology and heat and radiation insolation. Their medical industry is almost non-existant however.

They study whatever fields they like at whatever point they like in their lives. They're not expected to specialize in only one thing. Their tutelage is done on trains.

They have all the senses humans have but their main ones are Hearing and Smelling. They also see in the early part of the Ultraviolet spectrum. They communicate with scent and purring/humming/growling noises.

My race, in as near a detail as I can manage to put them. If there are specific questions it would be my pleasure to answer them. I'll have an individual sheet up soon.