Tales From the Terran Republic

Chapter Species Guide

Here, in order of appearance are the various races of TFtTR. (At this point)

Z’uush:

The Z'uush are roughly 3/4 human height and on average about the same mass. They bear a strong resemblance to an arthropod though that resemblance is only superficial. They are covered in thick black segmented overlapping chitinous plates with a large sturdy back plate protecting their vitals from behind. They have two large strong manipulating arms terminating in four independently articulated claws with a number of smaller manipulators clustered along the center of their torso where the large chitin plates of their back and sides meet. They walk on four limbs similar in size and strength as their "arms" with a distinct scuttling motion. Their heads can only be described as bizarre with twelve eyestalks clustered on the top and large mandibles dominating the front of their "face". They look scary but the vast majority of Z'uush are meek and extremely mild-tempered. There is a weird quirk of their nervous system though. If subjected to enough stress for a long enough time they will "alter". They will experience extensive changes to their brain, central nervous system, and body that result in them becoming very dangerous. The z'uush know how to inhibit this transformation and the government of their home system outlawed Z'uush becoming altered. Their treatment of this "condition" is incredibly inhumane so an altered Z'uush would have to be subdued or killed. One of the big problems the Z'uush government had during the insurrection is that the rebel Z'uush altered en-masse and the government suddenly found itself having to fight an army of "super-Z'uush". It was widely thought that altered Z'uush were too violent and too erratic to manage and that may very well be the case but it turns out that they can work together quite well and that the worst of the insanity seems to wear off as an individual Z'uush gets used to being what is in essence a completely different life form. They still look the same. A Z'uush can tell the difference but nobody else can. There is an interesting theory concerning this change. Several of the altered with a more scientific focus have put forward the theory that becoming “altered” is in fact the final stage of the Z’uush maturation process. In their early history the stresses that trigger alteration would be commonplace and alteration would be an almost certainty.

Juon:

The ruling race of the Juon Empire.

The Juon are one of those examples of parallel evolution. They look like octopi. They evolved along the same lines as an octopus but they diverged as they became more and more interested in land. They are now capable of living completely on land though they still prefer to at least be moist if they have the chance. Their tentacles are stronger since they bear the entire creature's weight on solid ground and have tapered to very fine tips to better manipulate objects. Their body and head are also much more muscular for the same reasons. They have retained their chromatophores which they use in communication (usually basic emotions) between each other. Their military, especially their elite nightguard units, excel in using their chromatophores in camouflage and in more complex silent communication. They are roughly the same mass as a human. A height comparison is difficult due to the vastly different body structure but if you laid one out with its tentacles straight they would on average be one and a quarter times as long as a human. There is a lot of variance individual to individual.

They rule a massive Empire and do it quite well. They are masters of bureaucracy and show what is possible when “the system” is fairly and efficiently run. Their subject systems and races are happy and very loyal to the Empire. The government does have one key vulnerability, the competence and character of the Emperor and other high lords. Before the Terran War of Independence a lot of the actual laws were very archaic and gave broad sweeping powers to the Emperor and nobility. After the madness that was the independence wars and the totally corrupt and incompetent emperor of the time a massive updating of all laws and sweeping reforms have changed that and have brought the actual laws in line with what was customary and expected.

The current Empress is known as the Cyan Empress due to the brutal savagery that she displayed when she deposed her brother and the lords that supported him (Juon blood is cyan in color and at one point she and her clothing were completely covered in that lovely hue). She was the one who brought the independence wars to an end and negotiated the transfer of systems and territory to the brand new Terran Republic. Her generosity and grace are what really laid the foundation of good relations with the Empire very quickly.

The normally very powerful Juon military has been badly damaged as a result of The Great War and it will take years for them to fully regain their strength. The imperial shipyards are working continuously and likely will for decades. Their military is predominately Juon. They segregate their forces with individual races completely crewing a vessel or comprising an army or a marine unit. They do this for logistical reasons and design concerns. An Imperial human vessel is designed for humans for example. There is little friction between the various racial units and the system seems to work well. Imperial human forces distinguished themselves during The Great War and are highly respected.

An interesting note about the Juon Empire, corruption close to is non-existent. Even in the most tawdry backwater it does not happen. Even before the Cyan Empress created the office of High Auditor corruption was considered treason. It is worse than murder in their legal system and not only is the guilty individual going down, anyone who was party to it and anyone who knew of it and didn’t report it is also in pretty serious trouble. Now, after the short but very damaging reign of her brother, it is doubly so and the office of the High Auditor relentlessly hunts down the slightest discrepancy. It’s a capital offense. Demanding a bribe or misappropriating resources is suicide.

Kalesh:

The tough and versatile Kalesh are the Terran human’s sister race. They fought the Juon in a war of independence the same time as the Sol humans did and after they both won they allied to form the Terran Republic.

The Kalesh are the most "alien" looking of the bunch. They have a central squat thick central core with large flippers at the bottom and are surrounded by long thick flexible arms terminating in wide six fingered "hands" with a wide thick flexible palm. At the top they have four long eyestalks each bearing a large eye. They look a lot like a root vegetable actually. They don't look it but they can be surprisingly fast and light on their "feet" since their flippers are strong enough to bear their entire body weight plus some when they flex. Their coloration goes from earthy greens to browns with some mottling possible. They consider a mottled multi-colored skin tone to be very attractive when it occurs. They are reserved by nature to the point of being a bit "stuffy". As stated they really like service positions but it's not because they feel themselves to be subordinate to anyone or anything. They just like them. Anyone who thinks they are pushovers because of it is in for a surprise (like the entire Juon empire was once they pushed them just a little bit too far).

Pol-ka:

These amusing looking people are appx 1.5 meters tall, bipedal, with a four clawed pincer at the end of each arm. Their body is covered by a dense short fur that appears to be velvet if fastidiously groomed or more usually felt. This plus their protruding eyes and large mouths makes them bear a good and unfortunate resemblance to muppets, which is one of the derisive terms by which they are called by Terrans. They also have four to eight inflatable cylindrical protrusions on the top of their head. This crest bears an unfortunate resemblance to a certain part of the human anatomy leading to their second nickname, peckerheads.

As far as temperament goes they are for the most part a polite unassuming race (if a bit excitable) though as with any people you have your assholes. One of these was the Zaran system’s former councilor K-shal-ta. At present he is serving a twenty-five year sentence for a laundry list of crimes due to his involvement in the single greatest security breach in Federation history thanks to Sheila’s gang. He’s hoping that his homeworld will have forgiven/forgotten him a quarter of a century from now. (not likely).

A lot of Pol-ka are in government service either as cogs in the bureaucracy or in the military where they serve with honor and do very well as enlisted. As officers they are very competent but never reach the highest ranks. You will probably never see a pol-ka commanding a warship for example. Their society is quite stratified and their economy is a bit stagnant. There isn’t a lot of opportunity for those who wish more out of their lives. Therefore, those who do want to improve their lot often leave and the government is a huge employer.

Adding to their economic woes, their home system was paid a visit by the Retribution during the Republic War. They made the mistake of welcoming a large number of human refugees when the porkies first entered the Federation (in part for the tax credits and grants). Being labeled a porkie planet put them in on the gold list. Their system was damaged very very badly. It will take them decades to rebuild. The Republic might have done them a favor in the long run. The reconstruction has generated a lot of new jobs and the influx of disaster recovery funds is finding its way into the hands of skilled trades and entrepreneurs giving them a much needed boost. The destruction of a huge percentage of the economy has also encouraged many take the leap and leave their system in search of opportunities elsewhere. They are making a name for themselves as good reliable workers and skilled tradesmen as well as further increasing their representation in the Federation government and military.

As of now their future is uncertain but they are surprisingly resilient bunch of muppets and are doing better than most species who got the “deluxe package” during the war. Strangely enough they don’t bear the Federation humans that much ill will making the distinction between the common working stiff and the assholes running the show. In fact, the current councilor of the Zaran system is a human for the first time in its history.

Threen:

The Threen are a large bipedal creature with four muscular arms slightly taller than a human on average. They are a mammalian like critter with a protruding jaw, large nostrilled snout, and small eyes protected by a heavy brow ridge. They come in a wide range of hues with their version of melanin having a dark purple coloration instead of our brown. They are hairless except for their skull and a stripe down their back.

Their home system is, for lack of a better word, a dump. There are little to no social safety nets save what the Federation provides and that is pretty scant because the programs are rife with misappropriation and corruption. Organized crime is unchecked and sadly almost a good thing since they tend to take better care of their neighborhoods than the actual government does. People in need often turn to the mob instead of the government.

As a result any Threen who can usually leaves. They are a very commonly encountered race in the Federation in every role imaginable with many serving in the military where they excel as soldiers and ship crewmen. They are also excellent labor due to their strength and endurance.

They also are quite well represented in the criminal element.

Xvli:

The Xvli are vaguely humanoid in the sense that they are bipedal creatures with two arms that walk upright. That's about it.

They superficially resemble a Terran rabbit but there are significant physical differences. A thick coat of fluffy soft fur conceals most of those and further reinforce the image of a walking bunny. Their legs are quite long, much longer than a human's when fully extended and capable of some truly amazing leaps. They normally keep their legs somewhat folded and tend to "squat" under normal circumstances since it's hard for them to keep their balance when the legs are completely extended.

They tend to move with a bouncing motion when they walk and will actually hop short distances rather than stride.

Their bodies are lean and flexible, much leaner than it appears due to all of the fur. Females nurse their young and possess two small (A-cup to B-cup) breasts on their abdomen. Even for the most endowed Xvli, these are completely concealed by their fur.

Their heads are more elongated than a human's with long floppy ears that they can either allow to flop or they can hold fully extended. They do have whiskers and "cute" nose.

Their teeth are due to diet similar to a rabbits but they also have short omnivorous fangs on either side of their incisors. (You really don't want to get bitten)

A notable feature is that they possess long very sharp retractable claws. Each hand and foot has three of them. The claws for their arms are significantly longer than the ones for their feet. These claws are big source of pride and are intricately decorated with the designs denoting societal status or rank. Members of the Xvli military have theirs metal shod and razor sharp. Even unshod these claws are very dangerous.

Due to biology and temperament they are human-tier as far as a physical threat goes. Most of the Federation treat them with extreme caution putting them in the same category as a human or a Drax.

They are considered one of the Federation’s “problem children”. The reputation is well deserved. They never especially wished to join the Federation but as the Federation grew they found themselves completely surrounded with all of their former trade partners becoming members. They finally decided to join so that they could move freely in space without hassles and trade without some pretty steep tariffs. They ignore a lot of Federation regulations especially where it comes to the maximum size of their (cough) “planetary defense forces”. The Xvli have a very large, very well equipped, very well trained, and very dangerous army and navy. Their first contact with another sapient species was when they were attacked in an attempt to subjugate their system. They were caught flat footed with a very undersized military. After they completely destroyed their attackers they made the decision to never be at that sort of disadvantage again.

They once had a vast trade empire but eventually the Federation imposed severe sanctions on them due to them not disarming to the mandated levels. This ended the Xvli trade empire for good. After the sanctions were lifted because the Xvli started dealing with the Empire and there was a serious push for succession from the Federation the Xvli focused on complete economic self-sufficiency instead of rebuilding their trade routes. They do engage in trade but mostly sell rather than buy what they do buy is from the Empire. They blatantly ignore tariffs.

The Federation lets this slide. They treat the Xvli very carefully. The Xvli were rapidly expanding their military and inches away from leaving the Federation when the sanctions were hastily lifted. They were fully prepared to fight.

As of now the Xvli are still members of the Federation but don’t like them very much. Your average Xvli can’t stand the Feds and there is virtually no Federation presence in the Xvli home system. They pay their dues and that’s it. There are Xvli working for the Federation but not all that many and virtually none in the military. There are a fair number of Xvli working in the civilian sector especially in banking and other financial roles. There are also a lot of Xvli entrepreneurs.

The Mux: Only briefly mentioned they waged the only other successful independence war during the Juon crisis. They voted to remain in the Empire after the wars due to their faith in the new empress and a whole lot of gifts and promises (which were kept).

They are a gray leathery skinned quadruped with a flexible spine and an additional set of arms ending in strangely human looking hands (centaur format). They have smooth rounded heads with a blunt snout with wide flat teeth that suit their entirely vegetarian diet.

The Flink:

Flinks are a slender bipedal reptile analog slightly shorter than humans on average. They are various shades of green with stripes, bands, or mottled coloration. Their most notable feature are four independently focusing eyes that constantly look about in all directions.

Their system is currently in the grip of a very conservative theocracy with heavy censorship of all kinds.

An engineering firm with offices on the Flink homeworld did the controls engineering for the White Star. Jessie took advantage of their repressive government and traded a pile of pirated games and pornography (including some very rare live action stuff) with a Flink computer engineer and software pirate for ship’s schematics, control software, etc. which made their plan possible.

The Plath:

The humble little Plath are small, half human height at the most and very lightly built. They have smooth tough skin in various pastel hues with a light blue (like Sheloran) being the most common. They have thin limbs terminating in hands and feet with the fingertips being wide "pads". Their heads are large in proportion to their bodies with large eyes set somewhat on the side. Their mouths are quite large as compared to a human. The closest thing they resemble in our culture is the GEICO gecko except no scales, the head is a smaller in relation to the body (the neck and body has to be able to support it after all), and a Plath has a short stubby vestigial tail. They are physically quite weak by human standards but are incredibly tough and have amazing stamina. The stamina may be due in part to a Plath's stubbornness. They can be really stubborn and if they "stick their pads down" getting them to budge either physically or metaphorically can be an exhausting challenge.

Their government is a democracy and they have a quite conservative culture. Their culture, economy, and their very souls are agrarian in nature with the vast majority of Plath owning small farms that they operate using traditional, religious, methods. Strangely enough, their traditional methods of farming are very effective both from a yield and from ecological sustainability perspective. All of their produce is “organic” and highly valued. They don’t produce a massive surplus but what they do produce fetches great prices and sells out immediately. Almost all Plath live lives of quiet comfort, love working the land, and have ambitions no greater than winning the county fair. (This basksun berry pie recipe I just created is the best! Matron Harlorn is going down!) Yeah, that’s your average Plath.

One odd note about their “religion”. It’s pretty conservative and they stick to their bible… but their bible works! In addition to the usual history, morality, and tales of miracles and prophets their bible has the recipes and formulae that the prophets used as well as a lot of other very practical information. The full Plath bible is bigger than the old print versions of the Encyclopedia Britannica. Most of their medicine is still based on it and their medicine works and has worked for an unknown but very long period of time.

Their educational system is… well… not that great and focuses on what the Plath consider important… so… Their agriculture and child rearing with the basics (reading, writing, and basic math) thrown in. Any Plath leaving their world (none do except for one notorious criminal) are woefully unequipped.

The Kalent:

The Kalent are actually three species, the Sundrinkers, the Hands, and the Abyssal Lords that seem to work cooperatively. Of the three only the Sundrinkers come into contact with the “outside realm” as they put it and are thought to be the only species by virtually everyone.

First there are the Sundrinkers. These are the "Kalent" that everyone sees and almost everyone in the galaxy consider the only Kalent since they are the ones that venture outside their home system (which is off limits) and have any dealings with the "outside realm". They are a long flexible fish between one to one and a half meters long (the oldest can reach almost two meters but those are rare) with a large head and mouth with retractable (folding) fangs and sharp barbs on their fins. They are a silvery gray in color with small bright scales.

There is also a species of tentacled creature that are simply called "Hands" they seem to be just that, the only one of the three species that have any significant manipulative ability. Jaxona said that they are the real reason that the Kalent ever reached the stars or perhaps have any real tech beyond simple construction. They have briefly been mentioned as being engineering and mathematics specialists and are not a subservient species but a full sapient species and "citizens" in their own right even if many Sundrinkers consider themselves superior to them (probably not wisest to say it to a Hand's "face" though). They have never been seen by the galaxy at large and reside only in the home system and on the Kalent starships where they play an essential role. They are a long two meter creature with a flexible conical shaped body with a skirt like fin that runs along both sides. The “head” is the wide end of the cone and it is ringed with long strong tentacles. They are darker in color ranging from a dark green to a dark purple.

Finally there are the "Abyssal Lords". They are a deep sea creature residing in the eternal darkness and high pressures of the deepest parts of the ocean. It's the reason why the thing is inside that crystal chamber. It maintains the extreme pressures of the deep sea. Both the Sundrinkers and the Hands defer to them in a very reverential almost religious fashion. They are three meters long (or longer) with a large angler-fish like head and mouth with a single antennae that they can make glow with a pale blue light upon command. They are a pale white color with large milky pale eyes.

They are the clear rulers of the Kalent. For what reason has yet to be revealed. They have never been seen by any except other Kalent and even most Sundrinkers may never encounter one in the flesh. They seem to have had worship almost imposed upon them rather than have compelled it based on what the one Abyssal Lord said to Jaxona when the subject of protocol was mentioned.

The Kalent are a very ancient race with a civilization that has lasted longer than some entire sapient species. They were one of the big powers behind the establishment of the Federation but sometime in the past they became disillusioned with the whole thing (I wonder why) and have largely stepped back from the whole affair.

It is rumored that they possess technology that far exceeds the rest of the Federation and quite possibly the rest of the known galaxy. If so, they keep it a closely guarded secret along with all of the other secrets they keep.

The Kreenel:

They are a two meter high bipedal flightless bird with bright plumage and a hooked beak. Their feathery arms terminate in a three fingered clawed hand. They come in a wild variety of hues. The colors used to denote a person’s caste and strictly defined roles but that caste system ended long before first contact. A lot of them are in government service in all departments and branches of the military. They are also encountered all over the Federation in any civilian occupation imaginable.

Their home system is actually pretty nice. The reason they are so widespread is a natural wanderlust that makes them seek new places and experiences. They just like to see the galaxy. A number of them are in the Republic as well just for the hell of it.

Their personalities are as varied as their coloration. For the most part they are curious and adventurous but aside from that they can range from absolutely delightful to a complete and total dickhead. Notable individuals were the former head of the Federation Security Council Gz-Kal (assassinated by order of Axlea) and Major Skree of Military Intelligence (in the chapter Farewell, White Star). There is also one in Federation Intelligence working on the task force headed up by [email protected]@.

Detective Freela:

Detective Freela is a member of the Vexa. They are slender bipeds slightly shorter than a human with smooth pastel pink skin, iridescent compound eyes, and two large wide antennae on their hairless heads. The antennae give them an incredible sense of smell that rivals scanners when it comes to detecting airborne particles and chemicals. This is quite the mixed blessing since she is a homicide detective. The Vexa don’t really have a terrestrial animal that they are similar to but if one was pressed they are sort of a mix between a mammal and an insect. They appear weak and delicate but they are very strong for their mass and more than one perp has found that out the hard way when Detective Freela introduced them to her friends Mr. Wall and Mr. Floor.

They have a democratic government and their home system is about average as far as prosperity and quality of life goes. They are uncommon but far from rare in the Federation as they often venture forth in search of career opportunities. For some reason (maybe it’s the antennae) a lot of them go into law enforcement.

Kolvac’’ksa :

He is a member of the Haruuun, a Federation race that resides on a colder than average planet. They are known for their massive size, strength, and thick white shaggy fur. Despite their cold origins and thick fur they are very good at thermal regulation and can easily adapt to most environments. They are a four armed biped two to three times the weight of the average human of their height and usually stand between two to two and a quarter meters tall. They are extremely proficient traders and are found across the entirety of civilized space.

Their homeworld is a corporate state with “profit sharing” for the entire (working) population. There are good social programs for the few that are unemployed. A Haruuun has an instinctual need to be productive or profitable. The ones who don’t work are either disabled or “degenerates”. In either case there are plenty of social programs to keep them from becoming desperate. A desperate Haruuun is a lot more “expensive” than one on welfare. Their home system is insanely wealthy due to the mega corporations and individual entrepreneurs. One interesting point is that they are one of the few societies that developed organized labor and the workers are quite well represented.

In fact they are so well off that it is not unusual for a family or an individual to have an FTL equipped vessel and in a lot of families (especially trading families) they are given as graduation gifts when a Haruuun comes of age. They use these ships to explore and trade generating even more wealth for themselves and their families (who they usually buy the wholesale goods from). There is one other Haruuun in the Tales, Zora (Zorak’lun”sha) who is currently in jail on Terra pending trial.

The Xneel:

The Xneel are a short lightly built insectoid race resembling a praying mantis with longer, sharper mandibles and prehensile hands instead of claws. Their coloration tends to be dark, almost black, with reflections of a number of different hues. They see in a slightly different spectrum than most of the races but there is enough overlap that they can get along without visors. In higher wavelengths they have intricate patterns that cover their entire bodies. They tend to be a bit ill-tempered and aggressive and can be quite dangerous despite their smaller size. The new head of Federation Intelligence, Gvz-Taa and one of Sheloran’s jailhouse friends, Txx-zzu (How was she supposed to know that there was such a big artery just sitting there unprotected in a human’s neck. Seriously, that’s just poor design.)

They are a communal species, living in large arcology like cities on their homeworld. They are also a democratic society but their elected officials remain in office indefinitely unless a challenger presents themselves or a vote of no confidence is called. This has caused problems in the past but a system of checks and balances does a good job of keeping the populace empowered. They are seen across the Federation where they have a rather bad reputation for violence and have a perhaps unjustified reputation for being criminals.

Like the Xvli they aren’t especially fans of the Federation and joined after finding themselves in a very similar situation. There are a few in government service for various reasons but they are not common.

The Jaxa:

Tizz, another of Sheloran’s buddies, is a Jaxa. They are small, brightly colored, scaled reptilian like creature from the Empire. They are another adventuring species and their small exploration and trade vessels can be found across the Empire and all over Republic space. They tend to be fun-loving and can be a bit rowdy. One of them finding themselves in jail isn’t particularly surprising. They are loyal imperial subjects and there are even Jaxa military units, usually ground forces.

One interesting note is that they take “double dog dares” as seriously as a Terran, another reason they often find themselves incarcerated. Tizz was dared to urinate on a “True Terran” in a starport bar…

Also, much like a Terran when a Jaxa says words to the effect of “hold my beer” or “hey y’all watch this” pull out your camera phones because things are about to get fun.

Drax:

They are large (between 6-7 foot or so) hairy muscular bipeds looking a lot like a cross between a mandrill baboon and a hyena though they have longer legs and a build suitable for waking fully upright. They have strong claws and fangs and can use both for deadly effect. Unless armored for battle they wear very little in the way of clothing and often will go “bottomless” (That’s why Kash’s “spike” was so noticeable. It was literally out in the open). They have plenty of fur to protect/conceal their privates though they really don’t have much in the way of modesty. They often wear trophies on a belt consisting of remains of fallen foes (the more dangerous the higher status-- Human skulls, especially Terran ones are very highly prized). Their choice of weaponry is highly variable with each individual having their own preferences.

They don’t have a single centralized government or home system. They are organized in a tribal structure with each tribe living on a small fleet of ships or a space station. Some do form settlements on unclaimed habitable planets (unclaimed habitable planets are only marginally so). They have a well deserved bad reputation for piracy and other criminal activity since each tribe is pretty much free to do whatever they want with no oversight save for their chief or warlord.

Finally the irrepressible Craxina:

She is a member of the Careel, a race of small (Sheloran sized) mammal like creatures from the Empire.

They are a eight limbed very flexible being with short limbs and a long torso. All of their limbs end in a fully prehensile hand/paw. They are covered in a thick layer of fur that comes in a wide range of hues (Craxina is a pretty fox brown color with a white tip on her tail. The are ferret like in a cute way with perhaps even more flexibility. They can walk fully upright or on four limbs. They were originally an arboreal species and still live in very nice eco-friendly "treehouses" either built in a real tree (if you are fancy) or more typically on a single thick piling with rope/cable runs replacing sidewalks between them.

Their society is extremely sexual in nature and almost all of them are bisexual freely coupling with whoever catches their fancy. They do form mated pairs but true monogamy is a completely alien concept (they think it sounds horrible).

Craxina is adventurous even by their standards and ventured forth into the Republic with the expressed purpose of having sex with as many different species as she can. (She actually keeps a log.) While xenophilia isn't condemned by her people it isn't "normal" and her parents are scandalized by her behavior but freely discuss her adventures with their friends because they are so entertaining.