The Necroderm (“skin of death”) is a plant-like species endemic to the Empire of 1,000,000 Suns. Most of the time it appears to be an algal mat floating on the surface of the water in wetland environments. Necroderms can survive for years on photosynthesis alone. When anything swims by or through the Necroderm, however, it immediately wraps itself around the intruder, constricting its prey viciously, often strangling or smothering smaller animals. Once the prey is subdued, the Necroderm gives off a powerful acid that digests its catch. If the prey is heavy enough, the Necroderm can survive at considerable depths deprived of sunlight while eating. The particular blend of plant and animal -like traits has led most xenographers to conclude that the species is closely related to the Cielioid race. Necroderms are simple enough creatures that they reproduce by regeneration. If a Necroderm is cut or broken up, each piece will grow into a mature specimen.
The Grand Nalaxian
The Grand Nalaxian was a series of modified Nalorgian spawning pools, created by the Empire of 1,000,000 Suns shortly after the conquest of Artanis 4. The Grand Nalaxian was based on several other such pools that had started to develop a sort of autonomy, and had influence over the Nalorgians of their regions, but the Grand Nalaxian was vastly more complex and had its own consciousness.
The Grand Nalaxian was intended as a planetary governor, a role which it served well, but it also transcended its original purpose and became a vast repository of knowledge. One of its most notable achievements was the creation of the Nalaxian Code, an algorithm that could protect robots from the influence of Troniac, during the 1,000 Years War.
A huge palace was built around the Grand Nalaxian after it was established on the largest continent of the Artanis system, and beings from across the Spozak gathered there to exchange knowledge and seek the advice of the Nalaxian. Nalorgians entering the pools could directly exchange memories with the Grand Nalaxian, and it was home to the most elite of the symbiotes.
During the War of the Empires, the most productive and intelligent sections of the Grand Nalaxian were secreted away by the imperial government, with help from the Yatagarasu, and eventually became part of the nascent Galactic Republic on the planet Tartarus.
The conscious existence of the Grand Nalaxian stretched from the early days of the E1MS until it joined the Galactic Consciousness, midway through Era-2, giving it the longest living memory in the recorded history of the galaxy, even longer than the famously long memories of the Gorox.
Nalorgian Colony Beings
Inspired by an original concept by Fred Graves
Description
Nalorgian colony beings are not individual organisms, so much as the symbiotic fusion of four different species. They stand about 1.5 Meters high, and most of the component organisms live on average about 20 years, although the combined symbiotic organism can live substantially longer as new organisms replace those that die. Their "feet", and the ends of their "fingers" are suction-cup like organs that allow the Nalorgian to hold onto things. Nalorgians are omnivorous.
The symbiotic nature of their anatomy gives Nalorgians the distinct trait of being modular. If one of the constituent organisms dies, it can be replaced by another of the same gender and species.
Nalorgians are native to the planet Artanis 4, but have spread throughout the galaxy. Nalorgians lived at a level of technological development similar to the Victorian period when they were conquered by the Empire of 1,000,000 Suns. Many Nalorgians later joined with Ool-Tyr pirates, and together they formed the Nomad Armies, the fiercest and most dreaded enemies of the E1MS.
Anatomy
The body section, and the head section of the Nalorgian are the female, and the male members, respectively, of a semi-aquatic species, and live in a mated pair until one or both die. This species includes some different subspecies that give certain populations of Nalorgians distinct body plans.
The arm sections are from an aquatic, fish-like species, and they also live in mated pairs, which takes place through the mediation of the body section. The left arm is always male, and the right is always female.
The leg sections are a third, fish-like species that also live in mated pairs, joined by the body section. The left leg is always female, and the right is always male.
Finally, Nalorgia is a microbe that lives in special organs found in the three other species, and acts as a central nervous system, coordinating the others.
Life Cycle
The component organisms of a Nalorgian are all either aquatic, or semi-aquatic, and they start their lives in shallow ponds, like those that cover much of the surface of Artanis 4, their home-world. These ponds are teeming with the Nalorgia microorganism that permeates the others.
As they mature, the head and the body mate first. Then they are joined in the water by the arms, and finally the legs join the symbiosis, and the fully formed Nalorgian stands up, and wades out of the pond.
Adult Nalorgians spend the majority of their time on land, although they can live comfortably in the water as well. From time to time, adult Nalorgians seek out a pond to lay the eggs of the three bodily species, and to release some of the Nalorgia. If one of the component organisms dies, the remaining portion of the Nalorgian, (if viable), will seek out a breeding pond in order to find a new, compatible mate.
Related Life-forms
The Grand Nalaxian was a sentient complex of spawning pools that served as planetary governor, and created the Nalaxian Code.
Subspecies
The Climber is adapted to rough, mountainous terrain.
Thanians
Thanians are an intelligent, aquatic species from a planet almost entirely covered by water. The home star of the Thanians is an anomaly, as it burns primarily with green light, not overpowered by other wavelengths in the visible spectrum. The reason for this is unknown, as nature does not normally produce green stars, and the thanian home-world lies in remote, relatively unexplored sector of the galaxy.
Physiology: Thanian physiology tends to be fairly variable, largely due to bio-modification technology. What follows is a description of the most common traits. A Thanian’s head resembles a cephalopod, with two large eyes facing forward for hunting. Thanians tend to be blue-green in color. Thanians typically have a torso that resembles a human torso, but with four arms instead of two. Most Thanians do not have legs, but do have a tail, configured horizontally, like a whale’s. Thanians breathe water through gills, like fish. The gas-filled organ that Thanians use to control their depth is also capable of producing a wide variety of sounds, this is used both for communication and echolocation. Thanians are omnivorous, but are biased toward eating meat. Contact with the Empire of 1,000,000 Suns has introduced Thanians to bio-modification technology, which has produced a wide variety of forms, including land-adapted Thanians.
Thanians are an egg-laying species, and the physical characteristics that distinguish male and female Thanians are not immediately obvious to casual human observers. Thanians are similar to humans in proportions, with adults generally ranging from 1.5 to 2 meters in length, massing 50-100 kg.
Culture: Thanian society and culture had advanced to a state similar to that of the middle ages, before they were conquered by the Empire of 1,000,000 Suns. Government was based on a feudal model, with fairly large, settled kingdoms divided into smaller fiefdoms. There were also significant populations of nomadic Thanians. Like the middle ages on Earth, religion tended to dominate Thanian politics, with the largest religion wielding substantial power over the dealings of many of the larger states.
The largest, most influential Thanian religion worships a huge creature, said to be sleeping in the deepest part of the ocean. The trench where the creature is said to lie is so deep that the pressure is too high for Thanians, or even the most advanced submarines to descend. The faithful say that one day the creature will awaken, and ascend to destroy the world.
Tech: Thanian technology was primitive compared to their culture, due to the fact that the native environment of Thanians is underwater. Without fire, metal could not be smelted. Even though some wood-bearing plants could be grown in the shallower areas, wood was rarely used as a building material, and the manufacture of paper was basically impossible. Thanians also did not develop dyes, although the seaweed of their homeworld grew in a wide enough variety of colors for most purposes. Most Thanian tech consisted of stone, seaweed fibers, and the scales, shells, and bones of the local fauna. Bioluminescence also figures prominently in Thanian technology, as many deep-dwelling species produce some form of the phenomenon.
Thanian writing systems are typically achieved by tying knots in cords made of seaweed fiber, similar to the Incan system. Their arts include poetry, drama, and song, with the visual arts lagging behind due to technological limitations, although they do have some, mainly in the form of earthwork sculpture made from stacked earth and stone.
Thanian buildings are made primarily of stone. The first Thanian buildings were communal nests to protect their eggs from predators. These later had storehouses attached to them, and eventually developed into elaborate, underwater castles and temples.
Thanians tend not to wear clothing, but are biologically well adapted to a wide range of temperatures. Their blood contains a natural antifreeze agent.
Thanian warriors generally use two distinct weapons, a double-ended trident, and a net with weights attached around its perimeter. The tridents are traditionally carved from the bones of large fish, although after contact with the outside world, metal and composite models became popular.
