Post by Richter on Jun 18, 2013 23:09:12 GMT -6
((Welp, time I get this posted now that I got some free time at last. If you have trouble imagining what these guys look like its kind of like this here, which is what I based em on. The middle pics in the first and second row specifically, only with 3 legs and eyes and more powerfully built limbs that the ones shown.))
Faction Name: The Iltruskar Hierarchy
Race Name: Iltruskari (Iltruskar singular, lit. [Those] Born of [the] Root)
Nickname: Kelp
Homeworld: Root
Race Description:
The Iltruskari are often said to resemble kelp by humans, a type of seaweed back on Earth, not surprising considering the race's biology. Their body consists of one central stalk with 3 red eyes at the top, along with a beak-like “mouth” for in taking meat, and two nostrils to smell the same way a terran fish would, although their sense of smell is not very well developed. Jutting out from the main stalk are two smaller shoots which end in a 'hand' and four almost finger-like appendages, two in the center and two on both sides like a thumb. As with all plants they have a strong root system that they use to anchor themselves in the ground and absorb nutrients, these can be pulled up and used to move if needed. Most Iltruskari have 3 major roots at their stalk’s bottom, which can work as legs, and from which branch dozens of smaller, snaking roots that curl up around the central one when uprooted.
They can survive indefinitely uprooted, although in these cases they require a greater and more diverse than normal ration of meat to make up for the lack of nutrient intake from their roots. As well, they require sunlight or a suitable substitute to survive, along with a marine environment to dwell in lest they dry up and die. To that end, terrestrial exploration and travel are prohibited to them in much the same way a human cannot explore the ocean without equipment. Most Iltruskari who leave their watery homes do so in their distinctive sealed exo-suits to amend that shortcoming.
Politically, the Iltruskar are arranged into a Hierarchy, in other words a caste system as the name entails. Leaders are at the top, politicians, diplomats and then professionals (doctors, scientists, etc.) come right after on the same level laterally, third in rank are the military and “skilled” laborers, with other types of workers making up the largest caste at the bottom of the ladder. These tiers are further subdivided into a staggering array of sub-castes that are really only understood by one raised in their society. In general one is born into a caste, but upward movement is possible if sufficient aptitude is shown, the opposite is also true; although for the most part they remain fairly static. Being that the Iltruskari as a whole are naturally cooperative, the system works well enough, helped along by the fact your average Kelp has a lower capacity for intellect than their human counterparts. In general the only friction in regards to governance arises on border colonies with heavy alien contact, most are blind or naïve to the fact “better ways” exist.
Iltruskari tend to stand around 5 feet tall when rooted in the ground, up to 8 when stretching their roots. Life span tends to vary between 20 to 35 years. Likewise, they mature very quickly, considered 'adults' at age 6 and at full physical development. The race has the unique advantage of cultivating memories from their ancestors, typically ones related to their castes, that work to ready the short lived species for their lives ahead of time.
Internally, the plants possess a rudimentary digestive system that is very similar to any carnivorous plant you’d find on earth, little more than a single organ that secretes digestive enzymes to break down ingested meat into its basic components; which are then absorbed into the stomach lining for use throughout the body. Beyond that a very powerful vascular system ferries nutrients and water throughout their bodies as it would any other plant, distributing materials from the stomach and roots. Unlike in mammals the brain of the Iltruskar race resides at the base of the sensory stalk where all the roots lead into, placing it beside the stomach. This makes the traditional strategy of shooting a foe in the head all but useless in battle, since it would do little more than cripple the plant to shoot at its ‘head’ analog. As with all plants, the Kelps are protected by a thick, rubbery skin that is surprisingly resistant to blades and claws, teeth, etc. Obviously an evolutionary throwback, such precautions are little more help against modern weaponry than a person’s skin to a bullet. Even so, this combined with a lack of mammalian circulatory system and organs make them quite robust when it comes to battle.
Although every nation of Iltruskari has some manner of genetic divergence from the others, they all more or less form one overarching group; only one real sub-species exists. This sub-species is an offshoot of the main Kelp species that was largely separated some time ago and adapted to survive within the waterways on the interior planet's landmass. They're shorter and stronger than normal Iltruskari, and generally considered primitive by most, their culture was equivalent to that of a bronze-age civilization when the modern Iltruskari first discovered them during their explorations to map the land's interior. Since then they've integrated into Iltruskari society as a whole but remain a separate group in terms of governance and culture. These Endrunkari, or Those born of Land, make adept soldiers due to their heightened strength and endurance, and unsurprisingly many enlist in the military. The most defining features of the minors are that their eyes are without fail dark green, and their bodies tend to be ruddy browns as opposed to the deep greens of the dominant branch.
The Kelp are very wary of animal-based sentients. To them, humans evolving are just as boggling as the inverse no doubt is to their counterparts from Earth. Early wars with humanity and an instinctive distrust of animals after their near extinction makes them predisposed to doubt their motives heavily. This is made worse by the fact they do not tend to “think” in ways humans can easily understand. They have little regard for life or collateral damage, knowing it all can be easily replaced and that the greater good wins out over personal preservation. They can be uncannily patient in some manners, yet frantic in others, seemingly without reason. Their experiences differ by wide gulfs, how can you describe to a human the pleasantries of photosynthesis on a bright day? A final roadblock is that the Iltruskar cannot speak any human language on their own, having to use complex translator equipment to do the deed for them. Indeed, their challenges on the galactic stage will be interesting ones.
Early History:
The planet known by its inhabitants simply as "Root" is a world not all that dissimilar from Earth. Its surface is, thankfully for its inhabitants, mostly covered by water, approximately 84%, while its rather scarce land above sea level is fertile and rich in both plant and animal life of varying forms. Despite being a planet perfectly capable of adapting sentient life, for hundreds of thousands of years nothing more advanced than simple beasts ever evolved to claim dominance over the lands the same way that life did on so many other worlds. Instead, rather, it would be in the bountiful and expansive oceans of Root that sentient life would finally evolve, though not for quite some time.
Indeed, much like on land, marine life was also common; fish analogs and the like patrolled the murky depths while plant life clung to the seafloor and subsisted off what they could pull up from the damp soil. And it was from here, which the Iltruskar would eventually evolve from. The proto- Iltruskar existed for countless millennia as non-sentient life forms in the ocean depths, not much different than any other marine plant life, really. They subsisted on a mixture of photosynthesis and carnivorous diets to supplement their needs for sustenance. Slowly over time they adapted to better survive in their environment, adapting a crude means of movement by pulling up their roots and using them as makeshift 'legs' to crawl across the ocean floor, or simple let the currents carry them, to hunt prey or move to more fertile grounds; the very basics of communication soon followed to allow for better hunting in groups. And thus, almost perfectly adapted to their niche, they remained genetically static for many, many thousands of years.
That changed however, after the introduction of a new predator into the ecosystem of Root. As Iltruskari archeologists looking in on the event would eventually find, it was the crashing of another sentient race's starship onto Root's surface that released the predator in question, apparently having been carried with or stowed away on the ancient spacefarer's vessel. Regardless of how it got there, the effects were soon felt. Being a foreign life form not adapted to Root, the predators were unable to consume most matter on their new world, finding it either toxic or otherwise inedible for one reason or another. The sole exceptions were the proto-Iltruskar, whom they soon began to prey upon voraciously. This quickly cut back their population across the globe in the process by staggering margins. Of course, being little more than dumb beasts that fed off sunlight and the occasional fish, the plants were able to do little other than die or hope the ocean currents could carry them to safety, which they usually did not.
Indeed, the plants soon became threatened with extinction. And thus, as happens so often with all forms of life, they too began to adapt once again. First were spines and toxins, hoping to stave off their predators in that way. Alas, the predators adapted too, for every biological change the proto- Iltruskar made, the predators made one to counter. And thus, they evolved in a new and almost unheard of direction for plant life forms; use of tools. Their spindly stalks thickened and became more flexible, allowing primitive grip, providing them the capability to now make use of weaponry, something their ecological nemesis could not match. With time their abilities to communicate slowly improved as well, gaining an edge as their brains developed to the point of understanding more complex ideas and circumstances beyond the necessaries of eating and sleeping. Thus began the time when the proto- Iltruskar as a species formally became the great ancestors of the Iltruskar known today.
Over the centuries the Iltruskar hunted their predators to extinction, long before true sentience was achieved, and now almost nothing remains of them save artifacts in museums and long buried instinct. Now once again the dominant force in the oceans, yet still possessing the boons of evolution, they were more fruitful than ever. With tools and language, they began to herd and domesticate prey, which they could now hunt more efficiently with tools. They began to work together in larger groups, eventually building what could be described as cities. Indeed, this was the rise of the Iltruskar civilization.
Their early history was not much different than that of Earth's, at least not on the rough side of the scale. As with humans, they slowly moved on from nomadic tribes up to metal using cultures that domesticated food and clustered around the patches of the richest soil. As they advanced, those primitive villages became towns, and then cities, eventually moving up to expansive nations that carved up the seafloors of Roots. On the whole, the Iltruskar were by no means a peaceful society, nations and cities clashed over the same resources and lands that drove any sentient species to battle, but they were far from a warrior culture.
The Iltruskar would not move into space for some time, content with life on their planet combined with the difficulties of transitioning from a marine environment to space. The discovery of the same alien vessel that brought their ancient foes to Root would also be their key to leaving it. When it was first discovered during the 2nd major expedition onto dry land, an environment the Iltruskar could not survive without technological aid, it caused an explosion of interest in space, alien life, and expansion throughout Iltruskar society. Though many of their first attempts ended in failure, nothing would hold back the Iltruskari’s desire to reach the stars.
From there, they first colonized their planet's moon, once accomplished they had a foothold in space from which to use as a springboard into the rest of space. FTL was eventually unlocked from the carcass of the wrecked alien vessel, and using that, they were able to explore and push the boundaries of their knowledge and their empire significantly.
Late History:
Other races are not unknown to the Kelp, even though they have closed themselves off from the other space fairing peoples for quite some time. The expansion of the Iltruskar in the earliest years post-FTL were troubling as one would expect: the universe is mostly filled with barren lifeless rocks that barely support an atmosphere. This is hard enough for land dwelling, air dwelling species that simply need to create sealed domes with oxygen scrubbers to provide for themselves. For the plants this was significantly worse, any planets they wished to use had to first be given an atmosphere thick enough to hold a stable water cycle, followed by the introduction of a number of other elements into the air, followed by water itself which of course must come from somewhere. Or, the more short term solution, merely excavate and cap great craters and build cities in the bowls, pressurized and filtered akin to gigantic aquariums. The difficulty and maintenance required is truly staggering.
This is why the discovery and colonization of any and all water-bearing planets is at the pinnacle of importance for the entire race, their survival could well depending upon rooting themselves in as many corners of the galaxy as was possible. Of course, water is the basis for all life, not just theirs, and anyone in their right mind would surely reach the same conclusions that they did: those worlds were a necessity.
Humanity isn’t unknown to them, having run into fleets of colonists many years before the Emperor and his crusade to unite humanity into the Empire that currently raises its banner. And indeed, it was ownership of a rich water world that brought the Kelp first into contact with the “aliens”. The story was short but brutal: Two wildly different species met with civilians in tow over a heavily contested world, with mindsets that did not match and languages all but incompatible. The first shot in a short border war was fired by an uneasy Iltruskar captain who mistook the repositioning of a cruiser to be a maneuver to ready weapons. The results were a bloody 4 year battle that ended with the world ruined and the Kelp retreating home to lick their wounds. This would only have been the first border skirmish of several, and each time they learned from their mistakes. While late to the school of warfare, the Iltruskari were very well adapted to fighting it out in space; being born in a 3d environment, their minds were always wired to account for all dimensions. But in time the plants chose the path of least resistance when humanity began to unify, holding their borders and going dark to expand in other directions, lest the vastly more powerful faction seek punitive actions on behalf of the colonists they battled and repulsed – and were repulsed by in turn.
Though quiet and out of sight for a great many years, the Iltruskar never once forgot about humans and their empire. Word reached them, however slowly, and their borders were constantly watched and patrolled with wary eyes and cool heads. With the political turmoil in the Empire fully recognized, the Kelp finally decided it might be time to investigate the meat-creatures they had met centuries before once again…
Faction Name: The Iltruskar Hierarchy
Race Name: Iltruskari (Iltruskar singular, lit. [Those] Born of [the] Root)
Nickname: Kelp
Homeworld: Root
Race Description:
The Iltruskari are often said to resemble kelp by humans, a type of seaweed back on Earth, not surprising considering the race's biology. Their body consists of one central stalk with 3 red eyes at the top, along with a beak-like “mouth” for in taking meat, and two nostrils to smell the same way a terran fish would, although their sense of smell is not very well developed. Jutting out from the main stalk are two smaller shoots which end in a 'hand' and four almost finger-like appendages, two in the center and two on both sides like a thumb. As with all plants they have a strong root system that they use to anchor themselves in the ground and absorb nutrients, these can be pulled up and used to move if needed. Most Iltruskari have 3 major roots at their stalk’s bottom, which can work as legs, and from which branch dozens of smaller, snaking roots that curl up around the central one when uprooted.
They can survive indefinitely uprooted, although in these cases they require a greater and more diverse than normal ration of meat to make up for the lack of nutrient intake from their roots. As well, they require sunlight or a suitable substitute to survive, along with a marine environment to dwell in lest they dry up and die. To that end, terrestrial exploration and travel are prohibited to them in much the same way a human cannot explore the ocean without equipment. Most Iltruskari who leave their watery homes do so in their distinctive sealed exo-suits to amend that shortcoming.
Politically, the Iltruskar are arranged into a Hierarchy, in other words a caste system as the name entails. Leaders are at the top, politicians, diplomats and then professionals (doctors, scientists, etc.) come right after on the same level laterally, third in rank are the military and “skilled” laborers, with other types of workers making up the largest caste at the bottom of the ladder. These tiers are further subdivided into a staggering array of sub-castes that are really only understood by one raised in their society. In general one is born into a caste, but upward movement is possible if sufficient aptitude is shown, the opposite is also true; although for the most part they remain fairly static. Being that the Iltruskari as a whole are naturally cooperative, the system works well enough, helped along by the fact your average Kelp has a lower capacity for intellect than their human counterparts. In general the only friction in regards to governance arises on border colonies with heavy alien contact, most are blind or naïve to the fact “better ways” exist.
Iltruskari tend to stand around 5 feet tall when rooted in the ground, up to 8 when stretching their roots. Life span tends to vary between 20 to 35 years. Likewise, they mature very quickly, considered 'adults' at age 6 and at full physical development. The race has the unique advantage of cultivating memories from their ancestors, typically ones related to their castes, that work to ready the short lived species for their lives ahead of time.
Internally, the plants possess a rudimentary digestive system that is very similar to any carnivorous plant you’d find on earth, little more than a single organ that secretes digestive enzymes to break down ingested meat into its basic components; which are then absorbed into the stomach lining for use throughout the body. Beyond that a very powerful vascular system ferries nutrients and water throughout their bodies as it would any other plant, distributing materials from the stomach and roots. Unlike in mammals the brain of the Iltruskar race resides at the base of the sensory stalk where all the roots lead into, placing it beside the stomach. This makes the traditional strategy of shooting a foe in the head all but useless in battle, since it would do little more than cripple the plant to shoot at its ‘head’ analog. As with all plants, the Kelps are protected by a thick, rubbery skin that is surprisingly resistant to blades and claws, teeth, etc. Obviously an evolutionary throwback, such precautions are little more help against modern weaponry than a person’s skin to a bullet. Even so, this combined with a lack of mammalian circulatory system and organs make them quite robust when it comes to battle.
Although every nation of Iltruskari has some manner of genetic divergence from the others, they all more or less form one overarching group; only one real sub-species exists. This sub-species is an offshoot of the main Kelp species that was largely separated some time ago and adapted to survive within the waterways on the interior planet's landmass. They're shorter and stronger than normal Iltruskari, and generally considered primitive by most, their culture was equivalent to that of a bronze-age civilization when the modern Iltruskari first discovered them during their explorations to map the land's interior. Since then they've integrated into Iltruskari society as a whole but remain a separate group in terms of governance and culture. These Endrunkari, or Those born of Land, make adept soldiers due to their heightened strength and endurance, and unsurprisingly many enlist in the military. The most defining features of the minors are that their eyes are without fail dark green, and their bodies tend to be ruddy browns as opposed to the deep greens of the dominant branch.
The Kelp are very wary of animal-based sentients. To them, humans evolving are just as boggling as the inverse no doubt is to their counterparts from Earth. Early wars with humanity and an instinctive distrust of animals after their near extinction makes them predisposed to doubt their motives heavily. This is made worse by the fact they do not tend to “think” in ways humans can easily understand. They have little regard for life or collateral damage, knowing it all can be easily replaced and that the greater good wins out over personal preservation. They can be uncannily patient in some manners, yet frantic in others, seemingly without reason. Their experiences differ by wide gulfs, how can you describe to a human the pleasantries of photosynthesis on a bright day? A final roadblock is that the Iltruskar cannot speak any human language on their own, having to use complex translator equipment to do the deed for them. Indeed, their challenges on the galactic stage will be interesting ones.
Early History:
The planet known by its inhabitants simply as "Root" is a world not all that dissimilar from Earth. Its surface is, thankfully for its inhabitants, mostly covered by water, approximately 84%, while its rather scarce land above sea level is fertile and rich in both plant and animal life of varying forms. Despite being a planet perfectly capable of adapting sentient life, for hundreds of thousands of years nothing more advanced than simple beasts ever evolved to claim dominance over the lands the same way that life did on so many other worlds. Instead, rather, it would be in the bountiful and expansive oceans of Root that sentient life would finally evolve, though not for quite some time.
Indeed, much like on land, marine life was also common; fish analogs and the like patrolled the murky depths while plant life clung to the seafloor and subsisted off what they could pull up from the damp soil. And it was from here, which the Iltruskar would eventually evolve from. The proto- Iltruskar existed for countless millennia as non-sentient life forms in the ocean depths, not much different than any other marine plant life, really. They subsisted on a mixture of photosynthesis and carnivorous diets to supplement their needs for sustenance. Slowly over time they adapted to better survive in their environment, adapting a crude means of movement by pulling up their roots and using them as makeshift 'legs' to crawl across the ocean floor, or simple let the currents carry them, to hunt prey or move to more fertile grounds; the very basics of communication soon followed to allow for better hunting in groups. And thus, almost perfectly adapted to their niche, they remained genetically static for many, many thousands of years.
That changed however, after the introduction of a new predator into the ecosystem of Root. As Iltruskari archeologists looking in on the event would eventually find, it was the crashing of another sentient race's starship onto Root's surface that released the predator in question, apparently having been carried with or stowed away on the ancient spacefarer's vessel. Regardless of how it got there, the effects were soon felt. Being a foreign life form not adapted to Root, the predators were unable to consume most matter on their new world, finding it either toxic or otherwise inedible for one reason or another. The sole exceptions were the proto-Iltruskar, whom they soon began to prey upon voraciously. This quickly cut back their population across the globe in the process by staggering margins. Of course, being little more than dumb beasts that fed off sunlight and the occasional fish, the plants were able to do little other than die or hope the ocean currents could carry them to safety, which they usually did not.
Indeed, the plants soon became threatened with extinction. And thus, as happens so often with all forms of life, they too began to adapt once again. First were spines and toxins, hoping to stave off their predators in that way. Alas, the predators adapted too, for every biological change the proto- Iltruskar made, the predators made one to counter. And thus, they evolved in a new and almost unheard of direction for plant life forms; use of tools. Their spindly stalks thickened and became more flexible, allowing primitive grip, providing them the capability to now make use of weaponry, something their ecological nemesis could not match. With time their abilities to communicate slowly improved as well, gaining an edge as their brains developed to the point of understanding more complex ideas and circumstances beyond the necessaries of eating and sleeping. Thus began the time when the proto- Iltruskar as a species formally became the great ancestors of the Iltruskar known today.
Over the centuries the Iltruskar hunted their predators to extinction, long before true sentience was achieved, and now almost nothing remains of them save artifacts in museums and long buried instinct. Now once again the dominant force in the oceans, yet still possessing the boons of evolution, they were more fruitful than ever. With tools and language, they began to herd and domesticate prey, which they could now hunt more efficiently with tools. They began to work together in larger groups, eventually building what could be described as cities. Indeed, this was the rise of the Iltruskar civilization.
Their early history was not much different than that of Earth's, at least not on the rough side of the scale. As with humans, they slowly moved on from nomadic tribes up to metal using cultures that domesticated food and clustered around the patches of the richest soil. As they advanced, those primitive villages became towns, and then cities, eventually moving up to expansive nations that carved up the seafloors of Roots. On the whole, the Iltruskar were by no means a peaceful society, nations and cities clashed over the same resources and lands that drove any sentient species to battle, but they were far from a warrior culture.
The Iltruskar would not move into space for some time, content with life on their planet combined with the difficulties of transitioning from a marine environment to space. The discovery of the same alien vessel that brought their ancient foes to Root would also be their key to leaving it. When it was first discovered during the 2nd major expedition onto dry land, an environment the Iltruskar could not survive without technological aid, it caused an explosion of interest in space, alien life, and expansion throughout Iltruskar society. Though many of their first attempts ended in failure, nothing would hold back the Iltruskari’s desire to reach the stars.
From there, they first colonized their planet's moon, once accomplished they had a foothold in space from which to use as a springboard into the rest of space. FTL was eventually unlocked from the carcass of the wrecked alien vessel, and using that, they were able to explore and push the boundaries of their knowledge and their empire significantly.
Late History:
Other races are not unknown to the Kelp, even though they have closed themselves off from the other space fairing peoples for quite some time. The expansion of the Iltruskar in the earliest years post-FTL were troubling as one would expect: the universe is mostly filled with barren lifeless rocks that barely support an atmosphere. This is hard enough for land dwelling, air dwelling species that simply need to create sealed domes with oxygen scrubbers to provide for themselves. For the plants this was significantly worse, any planets they wished to use had to first be given an atmosphere thick enough to hold a stable water cycle, followed by the introduction of a number of other elements into the air, followed by water itself which of course must come from somewhere. Or, the more short term solution, merely excavate and cap great craters and build cities in the bowls, pressurized and filtered akin to gigantic aquariums. The difficulty and maintenance required is truly staggering.
This is why the discovery and colonization of any and all water-bearing planets is at the pinnacle of importance for the entire race, their survival could well depending upon rooting themselves in as many corners of the galaxy as was possible. Of course, water is the basis for all life, not just theirs, and anyone in their right mind would surely reach the same conclusions that they did: those worlds were a necessity.
Humanity isn’t unknown to them, having run into fleets of colonists many years before the Emperor and his crusade to unite humanity into the Empire that currently raises its banner. And indeed, it was ownership of a rich water world that brought the Kelp first into contact with the “aliens”. The story was short but brutal: Two wildly different species met with civilians in tow over a heavily contested world, with mindsets that did not match and languages all but incompatible. The first shot in a short border war was fired by an uneasy Iltruskar captain who mistook the repositioning of a cruiser to be a maneuver to ready weapons. The results were a bloody 4 year battle that ended with the world ruined and the Kelp retreating home to lick their wounds. This would only have been the first border skirmish of several, and each time they learned from their mistakes. While late to the school of warfare, the Iltruskari were very well adapted to fighting it out in space; being born in a 3d environment, their minds were always wired to account for all dimensions. But in time the plants chose the path of least resistance when humanity began to unify, holding their borders and going dark to expand in other directions, lest the vastly more powerful faction seek punitive actions on behalf of the colonists they battled and repulsed – and were repulsed by in turn.
Though quiet and out of sight for a great many years, the Iltruskar never once forgot about humans and their empire. Word reached them, however slowly, and their borders were constantly watched and patrolled with wary eyes and cool heads. With the political turmoil in the Empire fully recognized, the Kelp finally decided it might be time to investigate the meat-creatures they had met centuries before once again…