Itchberry is a small bush, named for its fruit, native to Iblaan. The fruit of the itchberry has great cultural significance in the Iblexian Empire as a favorite ingredient in various dishes. So much so, that a cluster of itchberries is the official symbol of the BBQ and Delicatessen Guild, one of the most important social institutions in the empire (which functions very similarly to a professional sports league). The Iblexian name for the itchberry translates to “royal fruit”, but most humans know them as itchberries due to the mild allergic reaction they cause. The berries themselves are sour, and usually lead any human who eats them to break out in an itchy rash that can last for up to a week.
Squidbeast
Description
The Squidbeast is a large predatory animal native to New Promise. Terrifying the settlers, and preying off of smaller native animals, the largest populations of these creatures are found on the arid steppes, roughly in the triangle between Franklin City, Annan City, and Alexandria.
Vorgons
History
Vorgons evolved on New Albuquerque, (the original vorgon name for the planet has been lost to time) the lone native life-form that we would consider to be properly intelligent. Early in their prehistory, however, a large cosmic impact left their home-world largely arid, and the species which had evolved to live in a tropical, rain-forest-like habitat had to adapt to deserts and scrubland. Life was hard for the early vorgons, and as a consequence, their strength and stature diminished considerably.
New Albuquerque is a rare planet in that it exists as a habitable world in the midst of a stellar graveyard. Many of the planet’s neighbors are white dwarfs, black holes, or neutron stars. As a result, the region is constantly subject to cosmic storms, and is the site of a remarkably large number of shipwrecks. As a result, the vorgons learned, early in their history, to be scavengers and engineers, using the available cast-off materials to maximum advantage.
About 50,000 years ago, during the height of the 1,000 Years war, a fierce battle was fought on and around New Albuquerque by the Empire of 1,000,000 Suns, and the forces of Troniac. The battle of the three moons left many additional scars on the planet, and saw many vorgons conscripted into the imperial army, or subjected to various genetic engineering experiments. Most of the vorgons who live beyond the confines of New Albuquerque are the descendants of the diaspora from this period. After the war, the Empire made New Albuquerque into a scrap and salvage -yard.
Later, the lost colony ship Garcia’s Hope from the newly-formed Planetary League crash-landed on New Albuquerque, giving it the name that it bears to this day. In the meantime, the descendants of the vorgon exodus were gradually spreading tenuously throughout the galaxy, often serving as engineers aboard the vessels of the Nomad Armies and Breakaway States that cut loose from the Empire of 1,000,000 Suns around the time of the 1,000 Years War.
Biology
Vorgons are carbon- and water- based life-forms, like most in this galaxy. Omnivorous in diet, they still prefer a carnivorous cuisine. In desert environs, though, they will eat basically whatever presents itself. They have two biological sexes, of which, only females posses hair (usually black in color). Vorgons tend to be nocturnal in habit.
Names
Download: Vorgon Name Generator for Windows
“Oh, goody! I jus’ finded this beautiful golden ring jus’ rattlin’ aroun’ out here in the junkyard. Finders keepers!”
Lärkians
Lärkians are an intelligent species descended from deer-like ancestors. From the outside, it appeared that their home star was gradually dimming over time for unknown reasons. When scouts from the Planetary League arrived to investigate they discovered a burgeoning swarm of space habitats built by the Lärkians. The Lärkians didn’t have expansionist tendencies, but their population exploded after they exterminated all the large predators on their home-world. Running out of room and resources, they began to build space colonies to stave off famine.
A female Lärkian.
Biology
Lärkians are naturally shy and timid, owing to their history as a prey-species for large predators. However they did adapt to become omnivorous in the swampy biomes of their ancestral home. Hunting and gathering was their main means of sustenance, and most of their space habitats are filled with carefully tended ecosystems, and only sparsely populated.
Lärkians have their eyes at the end of stalks growing out of the sides of their heads. This gives them the advantage of 360° vision. Females have short horns on their heads while males grow large antlers. Lärkian skin is covered with short, velvety fur, usually brown in color.
Most Lärkians are female, with only one male per 50 on average. The few males are kept in the clan-houses that form the basic unit of Lärkian society.
Society
Lärkian society is based around clan houses of about 30-60, mostly unrelated females, and their children with a single male whose main role in life is reproduction. Each house has a name, and a ranking (at least compared to its nearest neighbors) rankings are based on reputation, the productivity and skill of its working members, and a complex series of alliances and deals. There are several large house-ranking bodies (and many more small, local ones), and every clan-house belongs to at least one.
On reaching maturity, most female Lärkians will leave their clan-house and join a new house. A few will take up single life, independent of the houses, but this is a fairly rare event. When the population grows to a certain size such that the existing clan-houses are at capacity, a group of females from allied houses will form a new “maiden house”. When a new male Lärkian is born, he will join an existing maiden house, and upon his reaching maturity, the maiden house will become a regular clan house.
When a male dies, his clan house becomes a “widow house”. If the house has a good reputation and many allies, a rite of purification will be performed and the house will become a maiden house again. If the house has a bad reputation or few allies, it will be disbanded and the former members will either join new houses or live independently.
Males have no personal wealth or political power in this arrangement, but are often publicly displayed by their clan-houses as a status symbol. Sometimes, the clan-houses even have competitions over who can groom and dress their house-husbands in the most impressive fashion. Males are forbidden from having productive jobs, but most do have at least some hobbies.
Male Lärkians are relatively rare.
After the arrival of the Planetary League, the majority of Lärkian clan houses voted to join the League, with the promise of mutual defense, as safety in numbers is an idea strongly ingrained in the Lärkian psyche. The rest of the clan-houses carried on as independent entities, with little conflict, as the Lärkians are one of the more peaceful intelligent species.
Necroderm
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.
Del-Brikki
The Del-Brikki (meaning “drink tree” Del = tree, Brikki = to drink) is one of the more infamous plant species native to Dionysus. It grows in the wide expanse of the planet’s tropical and sub-tropical biomes, and its fruit is one of the main exports of that world.
The fruit of the Del-Brikki consists of an inedible hard outer shell that contains a sweet nectar that has an alcoholic content of about 90 proof. This naturally occurring cocktail is an important part of the laid-back tropical culture of most of Dionysus. The fruit naturally takes on rainbow coloration when ripe, and the top of the fruit where the stem attaches easily pops off, opening the fruit for consumption. The main enhancement to the enjoyment of the Del-Brikki was the introduction of refrigeration when the first humans arrived on Dionysus in GSC 155.
Once outside interests began farming the Del-Brikki, it was difficult to recruit the Dionysian population to work in the orchards, as the notion of commercial work was an alien one to most of their cultures. Initially, most of the work was done by an imported robotic workforce.
Glogvine
Glogvine is a short plant (average height is around 25cm fully grown), native to the highland regions of New Promise. The main stalk consists of several vines that twine and braid around each-other. The bright blue seed-pods attract foraging animals, and make a sweet and crunchy addition to a spring salad.
The Orgaff
The Orgaff (from the vorgon words 'Orr' - mighty, and 'Gaff'- beast) is a large animal native to New Albuquerque. Often used as a pack animal, the Orgaff's enormous body and stout legs store an abundance of water and nutrients for long desert treks. Their habits are diurnal and herbivorous, grazing on whatever vegetation presents itself.
Before the catastrophe that turned New Albuquerque's climate into a desert, Orgaffs were migratory, returning to the same regions each year for mating season. As the planet dried and Orgaff populations dwindled, they became asexual, reproducing through parthenogenesis. Wild Orgaffs are solitary creatures, though they can be fairly social when in captivity.
The high hump on the Orgaff's back is topped with a secondary pair of eyes that constantly scan the horizon for trouble while the creature's main brain is concentrated on finding edible plants.
An average adult Orgaff stands about 3 meters tall (2.5 at the shoulder), weighing around 2300 kg. Rare specimens have been found to exceed 4 meters, some weighing as much as 7000 kg.
Orgaffs give off a pungent odor when wet, and to say someone “Smells like a wet Orgaff.” is a not uncommon insult on certain planets, particularly in and around the Vorgon Empire.
