The Empheri

[Martyk]

Ah the Empheri, those delightful spider folk from outer space...

Physical

The Empheri are large, hexapodal crustacans. They consist of a small body, about a meter in diameter, with six triple jointed legs extending from the top, suspending the body between them. these legs cna also act as arms, with the feet tactile enough to be used as hands. Empheri can grow to stand about 13 feet tall.

History

The Empheri are native to the planet Denara. Millions of years ago, the planet was rocky and fairly barren, with large, widespanning icecaps. One day, a large methane comet plummeted into the small ocean on the planet. The methane gas released resulted in a very strong greenhouse effect on the planet, melting most of the icecaps and flooding the surface, gradually turning it into a wet, swampy land with a very hot and muggy atmosphere. Plants flourished in this environment and as such the ground of the planet, most of which sits under at least 10 feet of water, is covered in a tangled mess of vines, mosses and tree roots. In order to survive, much life became aboreal, or able to survive in the water.

The Empheri evolved their long, dextrous legs for two reasons. When not in the water, the resided in the trees, and the legs allowed them to be able to move easily among the branches, as they could also act as hands. Secondly, it allowed the oxygen breathing Empheri to keep their heads above the water while hunting for fish and other aquatic creatures.

The planet has a fairly low gravity, allowing for easy movement on it, but unfortunatley, it causes the Empheri to be somewhat cumbersome on other planets. Also due to the high oxygen content of the air they are used to, the Empheri tend to be somewhat dreary and sluggish in other conditions, and as such will often use resperators.

Physiology

The Empheri have a very strange and simplistic physiology. Their radial body has a mouth at the bottom and an opening for breathing at the top, connected straight to their one large lung. Above their mouth (which contains their entire, very efficiant digestive system) is their heart (which acts very differently from that of most creatures, but I'll get into that in a minute). In the middle, protected on all sides is the brain.

The lung's sole purpose is to supply the brain and heart with oxygen, as no ther system needs it. Instead of a traditional muscel system, the Empheri move using a system of hydraulics, controled by the heart, which pressureizes their entire body and controls what goes where with a system of valves. This system is a bit of a weakness of the Empheri, because if punctured, they will leak rather quickly. Luckily, their bodies automatically close valves in injured areas, stopping fluid loss but stopping all movement. As such, if an Empheri is injured near the root of a limb, they will lose complete control in the rest of it until it is healed. Fortunatley this doesn't take very long for them.

The lungs also work off of this system as does their mouth. The brain is alone in not needing it and is able to survive dormantly for as long as a day in some cases, absorbing ambient air, in the case when the lungs shut down. this often gives them the chance to heal from injuries fatal to many others. However, without the high oxygen levels of their homeworld, this often doesn't work, but even so, there are stories of Empheri rising from the dead the day after being struck down. this partially contributes to their long lifespan.

Their digestive system consists wholey of their mouth, which intakes the foot and seals while it is quickly broken down by powerfull enzymes. Any nutrients needed for things such as replenisihing fluid or repairing the exoskeleton are taken into the system while the rest in ejected imediatley from the mouth.

Reproduction

There is only one gender of Empheri. When reproducing, they release a number of small eggs into the waters of their homeworld. In addition to this, a number of small tadpoles are also released. They venture out in search of the eggs of other Emperhi. Upon finding one, they methamorphisize into their larval form. In this form, the Empheri resemble waterstriders and are about a foot across. After about a year, they will have fully developed into a mature Empheri and will be ready to live out their 700 year lifespan.

Religion

The Empheri belive in 4 elements; Water, Fire, Air and Life. Each has a god assigned to them; Indir of Fire, Udaen of Water, Aedeon of air and Vitern of Life. They belive that they are siblings who create their world and act much like many siblings. They feud at times, but in truth, love and are dependant upon one another, as seen in nature through the relations of the elements.

A common practice to pray to them is a small shrine with some sort of plant in the middle, surounded by fire on one side, water on another, and an open gap on the last. It is belived by bringing together all four gods, you can request the council and colective wisdom of them all.

Society

The Empheri have an interesting governement that would probably result in horible ruin for most other races. They have no formal system, and instead rely fully on the fact that all Empheri have great empathy for others of their race, and see themselves as one. They act to better their race first, and their personal lives second. As such, their police, military and official galactic posts consist entirely of vigilantees and volunteers with the approoval of the general public.

Their long lives have lead them to take their time with matters, despite their fast movement. They think deeply about matters and are often seeked by other speicies as advisors for their ability to look at the big picture and take into account many variables. They have a calm and friendly demeanor and are generaly liked by the galaxy, despite their outwardly strange appearance. They are a very proud race and will often defend their honour if insulted.

They have a great love of the art and consider it a great way of combining duty to the speices and oneself. A common form of art of theirs are intricate woodcut paintings, prepared in deep bogmud, keeping them free from rot. Due to the methodical nature of the Empheri, some peices can take a century or more to complete.

Technology

With their deep respect for nature and the elements, Denara has remained mostly unchanged over the centuries. Apart from the occasional mine created to access the abundant supply of fossil fuels under the surface, most buildings are in the trees. Without any solid ground from which to get stone or any easy access to metal, most of their buildings are made from wood. High in the trees, there are huge networks of cities made entirely of wood. In more reacent times, plastics have become more prevelent, but wood remains dominant.

When it comes to spacetravel, the Empheri have fairly simple ships that do the job of transporting whatever is needed. They have a very minimal naval fleet as they don't have much need for one. Their round plastic ships have a very sleek and futuristic outward look, but on the interior is a rustic wood desgin, nostalgic of sailing ships of old.

One thing they are very advanced in is medicine. with long lifetimes to learn in and a planet abundant in healing herbs and other plants, they are renowned for their uncanny ability to heal and their tendancy towards helping those in need.

[Martyk]

Alien sheet: Empheri

(Section 1 -- Biology)
Type : Arborial
Appearance : Insectoid
Gravity preferences : 0.5g - 0.8g
Temperature pref. : 30°C-70°C
Atmosphere breathed : High oxygen content
Body cover : Light exoskeleton
Body color : Murky brown
Hair : None
Hair color : N/A
Eyes : 6
Eyes color : Black
Body characteristics : Shell, large mandibles, long legs.
Diet : Omnivore
Sexual reproduction : One gender
Reproduction method : Eggs and tadpoles released into the water that begin growth into larval stage upon meeting another from a different Emphari. Larval stage lasts about a year.
Limbs pair n° 1-6 : Leg/arms ending in strong 3 fingered grabbers.
Mass : 100kg
Size : 400 cm

(Section 2 -- Culture)
Attributes:
Militancy : 6
Determination : 14
Racial tolerance: 16
Progressivness : 10
Loyalty : 18
Social cohesion : 19
Art : 16
Individualism : 3
Body : 18 on Denara, 10 off
Mind : 25 with oxygen, 11 without
Speed : 25 on Denara, 7 off
Lifespan : 700
Tech level : 8

(Section 3 -- Government and Religion)
Government type : Anarchy. All act for the good of their race first.
Religion : Elementism, with gods for Fire, water, Air and Life.
Devotion : Good

(Section 4 -- Extra things you should know)
Special abilities:

360 Vision
Acute Vision
Ambidexterous
Cold blooded biology
Cold Sensitivity
Disease Tolerance
Eidetic memory (Perfect or almost perfect memory)
Fast healing (Race recovers from damage quickly)
Heat Tolerance
Independent eyes (Think chameleons)
Leap (Has extraordinary jumping ability.)
Light sleeper (Needs sleep 15% or less of the time.)
Lightning calculator (Race has a knack for mathematics)
Manual Dexterity
Microscopic Sense (Has extremely acute sense that can detect tiny details)
Night Vision
No Sense of smell/taste
Odious racial habit (Race has habit(s) that are considered wierd by other races. Examples include sadism, slavery, caniblism.)
Perfect balance (Race can easily keep it's footing even on narrow walkways)
Pressure support (Can withstand heavy atmospheres or the vacuum of space.)
Quick maturity (Quickly reaches adulthood)
Regeneration (Able to regrow lost body parts.)
Slow motion (Race lives at a very slow rate. A few seconds for them are like years for most.)
Spatial orientation (Race can naturally orient itself relative to certain landmarks or planets)
Strange appearance (... Whatever that thing is, it's frea-kay!)
Swarm (Race fuctions as a group)
Toughness (It... Won't... DIE!)
Universal Digestion (I eats anything!)
Wall climbing (Who am I? I'm Spiderman!)
Water dependency (Needs to be kept wet for optimal health)

[Martyk]

Feets and hands!



Hands and feets!

[Martyk]

Picture! Of an Empheri! Awesome!

martyk7.deviantart.com/art/Empheri-161958078

[Plank of Wood]

*squints*

They look familiar...

[Martyk]

They should. I designed them for the NG a year or so ago and never ended up doing anything with them.

[DarthGrievi]

Ah, yes, I remember them now. Didn't GD make a drawing of one as a pirate? Either way, its nice to see them back in action.

[yuu]

Ditto.

I hope some members of my species can be friends with your someday. : )

[UFO King]

Anarcho-communist alien spider crustaceans. Awesome.

[Martyk]

(Section 1 -- System)
Star: Indir
Star Type: Yellow, G5 main seqence star
Planet #1: Indir 1: Small, Hot rock. Uninhabitable
Planet #2: Indir 2: Midsized, pressure cooker. Uninhabitable.
Planet #3: Indir 3: Midsized, rocky planet. Potentially teraformable.
Planet #4: Denara: Midsized, rocky, greenhouse planet. Inhabitated
Planet #5: Indir 5: Cold, Captured Asteroid. Uninhabitable.
Planet #6: Indir 6: Large Gas giant.
Planet #7: Indir 7: Large Gas giant.


(Section 2 -- Terrain and Atmosphere)
Size: 0.75
Gravity: 0.6
Average Temperature: 45°C
Liquid: Majority of surface is swamp. One small, freshwater ocean.
Land-Liquid Ratio: 15% - 85%
Average Terrain: Arborial swamp.
Continents: No major land masses.
Density: Dense, clouded atmosphere.
Composition: 45% Nitrogen, 28% Oxygen, 15% Methane, 10% Water Vapour, 2% Carbon Dioxide Trace amounts of other gasses
Length of Day: ~36 hours
Length of Year: ~800 days

(Section 3 -- Life)
Main Species: Native Empheri
Native Animals: Advanced, diverse biosphere.
Imported Animals: None
Native Plants: Advanced, diverse biosphere.
Imported Plants: None

(Section 4 -- Development)
Structures: Yes
% Urban: < 4%
Spaceports: Yes, on the surface and in orbit, though they are limited and few.
Imports: Metal, Advanced Technology
Exports: Wood, Petroleum and derivitive products, herbal remedies.
Capital: No functional capital, though largest city is Denara City.



Now, you may be wondering why the planets of the Indir system are so unorigionally named. This is because they were not discovered until after the Empheri had already attained spaceflight. Due to the constantly clouded skies of Denara, it was impossible for early Empheri to observe the heavens, or even be aware of such things.

[Martyk]

I'm sorry Greivi. I know you said not to do this, but I can't help it. I just love filling these things out!

Race name: Empheri

Reason or meaning of name: Derivitive from the derivations of many permutations of language. Origional source lost to the ages.

Nickname(s) given to the race by other races/groups: Twiggy, Bugs.

Reason(s) or meanings of nickname(s): They are twiggy, and also bugs.

Where does this race live?: The Arboral Swamps of Denara.

What is the environment around them like?: Hot, humid, wet, and trees.

How have they adapted to it?: Heat tolerance, dexterity, height.

How does it affect them?: Not much.

How is their society organized?: Communal living.

If there is a hierarchy, what is it based on?: N/A

How do these people govern themselves?: They act with the best intrests of the group in mind.

Do they live in an empire?: No

A league of nations?: No.

How are leaders chosen?: Temporary leaders for certain goals can arise if others choose to follow them.

How large is the society?: ~ 450 million.

Is this race the only intelligent species on their world?: Yes.

If so, how do they feel about this? Proud? Lonely? Do they know/care?: Accomplished.

If not, how do they relate to the other races of their world and how different are these races: N/A


===Biological Anatomy===


Is the race unicellular or multicellular?: Multicelular

How does the race breathe?: Breathing hole in top of head and single, powerful lung.

What is the circulatory system like?: While they have a heart, they do not have a circulatory system as we know it.

What/How does the race eat?: Anything they can break down/ Upon ingesting into the mouth, it is then broken down with powerful incisors and enzymes, the necessary nutrients extracted. The waste is then ejected from the mouth shortly after.

How does the race grow/mature?: Larval which quickly matures into a full grown Empheri. Physically at least. Emotional and Intelectual maturity takes much longer.

How do they reproduce?: Asexual, reproduction via eggs.

Are they warm or cold-blooded?: N/A

What kind of symmetry does this race possess?: Radial symmetry

Where are their sense organs located?: Eyes and hearing sensors located around the periphery of the torso.

How are bodily wastes eliminated?: See above

From where are they eliminated?: See above

What is the body cavity like? Are the organs specialized/highly developed?: Simplified with few, but very powerful, organs.

What kind of structural support does the race have?: Exoskeleton.

How does your race move?: Hydraulic valve system powered by the heart.

Does it move?: Yes

How does it grip things?: Three toed feet which can double as graspers.

Does it have opposable thumbs?: Yes.

Or prehensile tails or limbs like an elephant or octopus?: No.

From where did the race's "hands" develop?: Their feet.

What kind of opposable thumb do they have?: One toe in opposite direction of other two.

Could the hands have evolved from something other than the forefeet?: There are no forefeet. Empheri have no concept of front and back.

What is the nervous system like?: Centralized brain which controls bodily functions and recives input.

Does the race have a central nervous system?: Yes.

Is the race intelligent?: Quite.

Do they operate on instinct alone?: No, they tend to be fairly logical.

Physical Appearance/Physiology: Large, hexapodal crustacans. They consist of a small body, about a meter in diameter, with six triple jointed legs extending from the top, suspending the body between them. these legs cna also act as arms, with the feet tactile enough to be used as hands. Empheri can grow to stand about 15 feet tall.



===General Anatomy===

Common eye color(s): Black, Grey, Brown

Common hair color(s): N/A

Common skin (or scales, or etc) color(s): Brown, Grey, Green

Average Height (male/female): 400cm

Average Weight (male/female): 100kg

Average type of body/build (male/female): Thin.

Predominate features: Legs.

Distinguishing marks (head crests, spots, tails): Shape of exoskeleton crests on face and knees.

Number of Sexes (male, female, neuter, hermaphroditic, etc): Single

Number of Gender(s): Asexual

Means of locomotion: Walking, climbing

Average Lifespan (does it vary according to sex?): ~ 700 Earth years, though there is no theoretical limit.

Means of reproduction (egg laying, live birth, budding, etc.): Egg laying and sperm distribution.

Number of children/birth: Out of each clutch of eggs, around 3 will make it to adulthood.

Number of limbs (arms, legs, tendrils, tails, etc.): 6

Number of sense organs (eyes, ears, noses, mouths, etc.): 6 eyes, 6 ears, 6 hands

Most dominate sense (for humans, it tends to be sight): Sight.

Other senses (telepathy, pyrokinesis, etc.):

Other abilities (flight, increased strength, etc.):

Looks like:


===Culture===


Are there subraces/subcultures?: No, they are fairly homogeneous.

What are the rules of the society as far as gender is concerned?: As there is only one gender, there are no regulations regarding it.

How are children treated?: They are well taken care of and educated, as they are the future of the race.

Is there some kind of coming of age ceremony?: While they are quick to become physically adult, they are not recognized as such until completion of their 20 years of standardized education.

How does this society educate its children?: A combination of in class lessons, one-on-one learning with guardians and hands on experiences.

Are children taught by their elders?: Yes, very much so.

Is there a state-supported system of public schools, open to all citizens or are there private institutions open only to certain classes/groups?: No, but the system is fairly traditional.

If there are limits, how well are they enforced?: N/A

What sorts of knowledge are unallowed?: None. All knowledge, good or bad, is embraced and studied. It is not what you know, but what you do with it.

How severe are the penalties for breaking these laws for the teacher?: N/A

For the student?: N/A

Do certain professions require different schooling?: Upon their 20 years of general schooling, they can choose a profession to pursue as needed by the community, and begin an apprenticeship.

What is considered the minimum level of education necessary to be a successful adult?: The 20 years of standardized schooling, along with however long it takes for you to become familiar with your chosen proffesion.

How are pregnant females treated?: N/A

How are the elderly treated?: They are revered and respected as pillars of the community and repositories of wisdom.

How does this affect the raising of children?: Chidren are encouraged to interact with and learn from their elders.

The transmission of knowledge?: Young empheri rely heavily on the teachings of their elders to guide them in the world.

The concept of lineage and family?: Due to the nature of Empheri reproduction, children living with their biological parents are rare, though this has been increasing in modern times. Generally, as younglings are born, they are adopted by one of many clans in the community, with whom they will live with and primarily be raised by, though the whole community will have a hand in their raising overall.

How does this race view the physically/mentally/emotionally disabled?: For the physically disabled, accomodations are made, but so long as their mind is still functional, they are considered the same as any other Empheri. For those who are mentaly disabled, they are generally pittied and cared for by their clan, though they are fairly rare.

What is considered to be disabled?: Missing more than 3 legs.

What are racial views on intoxication?: The Empheri do not pursue such things, simply because they cannot easily get intoxicated and it is seen as wasteful.

Is there a stigma associated with being intoxicated or is it just part of life or is it viewed as part of a religious ceremony?: No.

What makes people intoxicated?: There are a variety of herbs that could have this effect. There are not prepared foods or beverages designed for this purpose though, save for some medicines which intoxicate as a side-effect.

What does this race consider to be deviant behavior?: In very rare occasions, there are Empheri who do not wish to associate with the group, or on even rarer cases, wish to do them harm. They are effectivly the equivilent of the huma sociopath.

Why are these people considered deviant and is the label fair or not?: As the majority of the Empheri people are very communal and caring for one another, it is understandable that such individuals would be viewed with suspicion. Though the community may usually try to help the individual in the beginning, they are usually either banished (or executed if they will not leave) eventually to keep them from harming the rest of the community.

What is considered criminal behavior?: Read above on deviants.

How is this crime detected and how is it punished?: Deviants are usually very obvious, but sometimes they will manage to disquise themselves within the community until they catch on.

How is marriage arranged?: There is no marrige. The closest analogue they have are the clans.

What type of marriage is common?: N/A

Where do married couples/groups live?: Clans live together in communal dwellings.

What is a marriage ceremony like?: N/A

What other ceremonies are important and why?: The ceremony of inducting a new member into a clan is generally a very joyous occasion for the clan in question, and the community as a whole, as usually there are many youths being inducted throughout the community at one time.

How is death viewed?: It is a sad occasion, but generally spent remembering the individual and their accomplishments in life.

What is the funeral ritual?: The bodies are intered in weighted coffins, before being sunk in nearby sinkholes under the water. They are then marked on a memorial kept by the community.

How is grieving handled?: They remember the individual and speak of them, but are quick to move on.

How long do they last?: They are remembered always, but formal ceremonies do not carry on for much longer than the burial.

How is inheritance determined?: The Empheri have a very loose definition of ownership, though particular items will tend to stay in the possesion of particular clans.

How important is birth order?: In the event of the death of the eldest member of a clan, the second eldest will take his place.

How is the family organized?: Clans are organized by age, with older individuals having more authority over younger.

Who is in charge?: By that logic, the oldest members of a clan are generally the most respected and in charge, though on rare occasions, younger Empheri who prove particularily intelligent may take the lead.

How are children named?: Empheri have three names. The first being a given name, the second their clan name and the third the name of their community.

Is there some kind of ritual to it?: Their names are given during the celebrations in which they are welcomed into a clan.

Does a person's name change through time?: No, except for the rare instances where an Empheri may change clans for some reason, in which case the clan name will change, and the community name if applicable.

Are names considered powerful?: Some clans are more respected and carry more history behind them. This may lead to members of these clans being better regarded and more likley to be followed.

Does a person have a private name and a public name?: No.

How does this race relate to other sentient beings?: Empheri are generally likeable for those who can get past their unusual appearance. They are very open to outsiders and are known for occasioninally giving honourary clan status to honoured guests.

Do they recognize other beings as sentient?: Yes.

How is this race perceived by its enemies and/or allies?: As of yet, they do not have any enemies or allies on the galactic stage.

Why are these groups enemies or allies?: N/A

Have these alliances changed over the years?: N/A

What does the race consider to be the ideals of their society?: They see themselves as here to help, to assist in whatever way they can.

What is the worst thing you could do if you were a member of this race?: Apart from simply killing Empheri, if you could sow discord amongst a community and splinter it, that would be a very destructive blow, albeit a very difficult one to pull off.

What is the best/most noble thing you could do if you were a member of this race?: Demonstrate your tolerance and compasion for knowledge, and your fellow living things to a great level. Create or do something that significantly improves life for all Empheri.

What personality traits does this race admire?: Intelligence, creativty, bravery, compasion, selflessness, adventurousness.

What personality traits does this race despise?: Greed, Wrath, Selfishness, spite

Who or what does this race consider beautiful?: See admired traits

What makes up that image of beauty?: See admired traits

What is valuable to this race?: Family and knowledge

Do they like pie?: Tragically they have no sense of taste, so they do not prefer pie over any other kind of food.