Serpentids

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Serpentids

Basic Information

Origin Point:	Haruspex, Levis system
Temp Range:	Warm
Height:	215cm (~7'0")
Diet:	Omnivorous

Natural toolset
Limited equipment slots
Innate pressure protection
Very long

Serpentids (typically referred to as GAS, or Giant Armored Serpentids) are an insectoid species of considerable size. They have a reputation of acting instinctively and impulsively, though they generally prefer a methodical and careful approach to problem-solving when given the option.

Lore

Physiology

GAS are a species of insectoids ranging between 6 to 8 feet in height, and 15-20 feet in length. They often come in the colors brown, green, or blue of various shades – however, they have been known to occasionally feature odd coloration traits, such as red, purple, or featuring patterns on their carapace.

Their bodies are best described as serpentine from the chest down, while their remaining upper features bear similarities to the Common Praying Mantis. Antennae shape and head shape differ from specimen to specimen.

GAS feature 4 limbs, two of which have a resemblance to slender arms that feature three rotational digits which are evenly spaced from each other. These arms are typically below the other two limbs, which are larger and end in large graspers featuring spines of various sizes, to either delicately handle an object or to restrain a held entity.

In addition to the mentioned features, they feature wings that fold onto their powerful tails (typically connecting to the midsection of the body, or for better visualization, a couple inches from where their ‘raised torso’ connects to the ‘tail’). These wings are believed to have initially been used to scare away predators – now, they have become a staple in their language, a complicated set of mandible vocalization, body/limb movement, and wing display.

Reproduction

Serpentids have clutches of eggs ranging in 10s to 20s. However, the hatchability of these eggs is low, at an approximate 20% hatching rate. This low hatch rate combined with the fact that nymph Serpentids can often die through environmental hazards or biological defects causes the species to have a low birth rate – though this has become less of a problem with the progression of technology.

Serpentid eggs typically resemble small pearls when they are fresh. Depending on what happens to the egg, it can develop different traits. Eggs that survive the first month typically develop a pale pigmentation resembling the Nymph within, while eggs that have died blacken.

Serpentids typically take equal responsibility of the eggs, regardless of who laid them or the parent’s roles. Said eggs are carried around in the wing ‘compartments’ on their person. Outside of that, it is typically taboo to wear them in any other means, especially as an accessory.

Origin

The GAS native planet, Haruspex, is a humid jungle planet of above average temperature. This high temperature is especially prominent around the equator where vegetation is less frequent, as the jungle becomes more spotty and more constrained to water sources, with plains of cracked ground between each.

The planet’s surface is mostly dominated by water, and due to the previously-mentioned high temperatures, this causes the habitat to be filled with mist most times of the year.

Due to the oxygen-rich atmosphere and environment, the majority of fauna are insectoid, some of which are even larger then the already-large GAS. However, GAS are the only intelligent lifeforms native to Haruspex capable of advanced problem-solving and other developmental requirements for a civilization.

The system’s star is named Levis and is – relatively speaking – the same age and size as Sol.

The planet’s Ocean, Vene Dus, is crimson in coloration and unfathomably deep. It is said to have spawned all life on Haruspex (this, of course, kind of applies to other planets too, but much more so for Haruspex). The most unusual quality of the Ocean is that there is a phenomena with the inhabitants and objects within – exploration of the ocean is still a new venture and thus scientists are not certain about what or how it happens – but it appears that the life and geology of the Ocean is in a state of accelerated adaptation, now immediately noticable. Scans indicate evidence of primitive structures deeper that could have been built no more then a century ago, but with no evidence of intelligent life.

The barren regions of the planet near the equator of the planet house very little life, and while this region’s heat is brutal, it makes for the perfect location for a facility to make use of the more earthbound resources unique to the planet.

Culture

Serpentids are methodical planners when given the approprate time to do so. This is often shown by their great cities surrounded by walls to keep the jungle (and more importantly, the ocean) out. These massive walls themselves hold complex interior infrastructure, apartment suites, greenhouses, facilities, while still serving their primary purpose as a means of keeping things out. This is even better displayed by their military practices, their army trains diligently and their R&D works around the clock to develop new state-of-the-art technology to assist in any predicted scenario.

Serpentids are omnivorous creatures. However, they can be rather picky with their meat due to a common fear among the species of the color red, particularly red fluids. This is caused by one of the local predators on the planet that utilizes a potent liquid neurotoxin that, incidently, is the color red.

The serpentid tongue is very descriptive of things (sort of like how ‘washroom’ is called washroom in English because its a room you wash in, but more extreme). An example of this would be the Serpentid word for washroom being translated to Galactic Common without adjustments would be ‘room where you clean oneself’. Due to the nature of their language being composed equally of body language and color manipulation as it is vocalization, both art and dancing are highly important parts of Serpentid culture, with both activities often doubling as poetry. Serpentid writing looks like a form of cursive. There is a single long line that goes through the sentence in various heights and angles, which combines with ‘notches’ (which are vertical streaks through this line), giving you the Serpentid written language.

Serpentids typically refer to themselves as just that, Serpentids. However, due to a misconception during their first meeting with other species, they are typically refered to as G.A.S. (Giant Armored Serpentids).

Due to their low population, it isn’t uncommon for gaps in workforce to be handled by robots, normally IPCs, having learned and perfected the fabrication of said robotics from their Rachnid Allies.

Politics

Serpentid society is a constitutional monarchy – they have a Queen to represent them while the majority of the work and power is handled by individual governments unique to each Hold or City. The Serpentid Queen handles royal affairs such as attending events, pardons, and intergalactic communication with other factions, with the help of a retinue of advisors.

Each government, on the other hand, handles the law, trade, military and other affairs unique to their City/Hold. As a result, it isn’t uncommon for two Holds to come to an impasse due to this structure.

Serpentid society didn’t always have a single Royal Family. Tt was made after the First Incursion from Vene Dus, when the ocean inhabitants first stepped onto land and assaulted Serpentid civilization. This time period saw the founding of the Royal Family, which has many descendants who are known as war heroes and prestigious scientists. The Royal Family collects a portion of the taxes of all Holds and generally uses it for either intergalactic diplomacy or research, the latter of which has been a tradition since the First Incursion. While the Queen and the Royal Family as a whole have little input in the affairs of each Government Hold, individuals within the family typically gain positions in power in these locations.

The Royal Family itself is housed in the largest District on Haruspex, known as Aquo-Prim-Elchlar (From Whom the First Beckons), or known by tourists as Prime, it is there that the Noble Office also resides, which handles any and all bureaucratic business from other districts before it reaches the queen as well as foreign business, however, all business within Prime are handled by the queen and her royal advisors (if applicable).

Religion

The Ocean of Haruspex is known in Galactic Common as the Ocean, however, Serpentids call their home planet’s ocean by the name of ‘Vene Dus’ and often refer to it as a sort of diety. However, this veneration is paired equally with fear, as it isn’t rare for something to come out of the ocean and cause problems, thus earning the diety the title ‘The Creator and the Destroyer’.

Due to the above mentioned belief, Serpentid religion can often be two-faced. The more public arm of the faith welcomes the belief that the ocean should be admired and feared, and a force not to be underestimated. This belief is often refered to as Venedism, which has strong beliefs in the cycle of life, death and reincarnation. However, there is a darker side to this branch of Serpentid belief. There are a number of splinter beliefs that are more extreme, a few examples of which are The Venedist of Abyssalism, The Parting of Tides and Protean Abyssalism, each of which share the common belief that the ocean holds the solution to the woes of the species, despite it being hostile to them aswell, the ocean has always been a symbol of the cycle of life and depending on the splinter group it is their duty to accelerate the process. The three mentioned ‘cult’ groups above were originally a part of a larger group known simply as Abyssalism. However, due to differing interests, it splintered. Abyssalism is partially responsible for the First Incursion due to a certain science branch spreading information that resulted in both Civilian and Military folk being underprepared.

Venedist of Abyssalism holds the same beliefs of its father religion – the belief that leaving the Ocean was the ultimate sin, that Serpentid-kind left their Eden for good, forever to be banished and hunted by its inhabitants. Believers of the Venedist of Abyssalism are still active in current day, and while some may take to the street and preach the old teachings of Abyssalism such as Tithes to the sea and the abolishment of terrestrial desires, most believers may be indistinguishable from Modern Venedists, they could be among us and you wouldn’t know.

The Parting of Tides (Or known as Digre-Aquaestus) is the fanatical belief that the ocean must be fed – that the belief in the Two-Faced Diety is false. The true Diety of Serpentid-kind slumbers at the bottom of the Ocean, waiting to be appeased, and when it awakens the truth will be revealed. Believers of the Parting of Tides aren’t quite this day, however, during the Second Incursion, their headquarters was raided by military police and numerous influential leaders were detained, resulting in many of the faith to scatter.

Protean Abyssalism is a more scientific take on Abyssalism – it is the belief that in leaving the Ocean, Serpentids are ‘incomplete’ and ‘undeserving’. This is the religion that often aids whatever comes from the ocean in a form of ecoterrorism. Believers of Protean Abyssalism are most often scientists or other official scientific individuals who abandoned their government research positions to get a better more personal understanding of Vene Dus. It is a common rumor that said individuals delved too deep into their research and discovered something that lead them to adopt such a belief, but district governments insist that said individuals are just mad, shouldn’t be taken as a credible source of information/substances, and should be reported to the nearest official immediately.

First Contact

During a Naval Training Exercise, communication lines were interrupted by a foreign source mid-drill, and the Command Center briefly was thrown into panic as it was thought it was some sort of new attack from the sea. However, the Chief Naval Officer present at the time soon found out through quick thinking and questioning that this was an interstellar contact, a power from beyond their abilities had breached their encrypted communication and established contact on a grand scale, as many other military channels in many other districts soon were ‘under siege’ from alien groups seeking cultural exchange and diplomacy.

Pandemonium nearly broke out amongst the population - it was impossible to prevent such a breakthrough from reaching the public, and fear would have germinated to panic had not Her Highness, the Royal Head of House, The One who Opens to Masses Queen Chie-loie the Second (tides rest her soul). She called for a District Head Emergency Meeting and took the title of Head of Interstellar Planetary Affairs upon herself, and established communication with the High-Matriarch of the surprise star-bound power.

Despite initial chaos, relations between Serpentids and Rachnids have grown into an alliance, both parties realizing they have similar ideals and exchange culture and scientific research happily.

However, for a great period of time as a result of this polite intrusion, The Royal Family asked their new ally to keep their presence concealed from other galactic powers for a time, and to be kept out of intergalactic politics until they have made preparation for interstellar activities.

Playing a Serpentid

huh. huhu. uhuh.

You might...

Really want to solve a jig-saw puzzle.
Avoid the Syndicate like the plague.

Others probably...

Might be scared shitless of you.

Serpentid Naming

i don't know dude

Motives

Serpentids are late arrivals to the scene due to their planetary conflict with the ocean, only introduced with the assistance of their ally recently. However, one may find the species already spreading their wings, if a bit uncommonly. Motives for Serpentids to leave their homeworld include the usual ‘work for companies in space for money’ shtick, but it isn’t rare for a Serpentid to have a desire to leave their district or even planet simply to look for a less confined or stressful environment.