Species:Uln

Those who have only names

Species

Aera

Species data

Uln
Homeworld (Origin)	TBAL
Age of spaceflight	TBAL
Physical characteristics	TBAL
Life span	TBAL
Habitat	Oxygen-Nitrogen
Number scheme	Radix 4

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Uln

FIXME

Physical characteristics

8 limbs, 4 legs, 4 arms. Each arm end in a "hand" with 4 "fingers" one of which is opposable. The four legs terminate in fleshy-padded feet, each of which ends in sets of broad, thick, fore and back claws capable of allowing "tree"-climbing. All four legs are visible in the rear picture (this specimen has somewhat skinny front legs). The two arm pairs are socketed between the two leg pairs, one pair of arms reaching over the head, the other coming up from under. The head is large and block-like, situated on a short, muscular stalk of a neck protruding from the main torso. The main torso features twin rows of breathing holes, visible on the back/underside.

There are 3 moving parts in the Uln jaw, a lower jaw, and two side portions, all of which are normally involved in eating. There is a single visual input band that stretches across the front and onto the sides of the Uln head, forming a cover for their complicated compound eye. Uln vision is actually remarkably good, and they can see from the infrared/near-microwave into soft UV (hence, some interesting trends in Uln clothing materials).

Food

The Uln don't do well with carbonated beverages. At all. Their digestive tract isn't suited to things that expand that rapidly upon consumption, and they will make a horrid, stinky mess of things when they exhibit that gem of convergent evolution (traditionally for toxin removal) of spewing their food back out.

Habitat

FIXME

Culture

The Uln culture sprang up among the remains of a sprawling set of Ancient structures and advanced in technology faster than their biology or social structures could adapt, leading one noted human researcher to note upon seeing them, "It was as if I had suddenly come across a spacecraft piloted by Homo Erectus -- if they hadn't been so ill prepared for the gifts they unintentionally received, they would have conquered the entire arm." Fortunately for the aspirations of dominance held by other species, the Uln were decidedly unprepared. Indeed, they spent so much time blowing each other up with weapons they didn't entirely control that it is a wonder that either they or the ruins on their planet still survive.

History

Uln development is somewhat difficult to follow, as they are not actually "native" to their homeworld. Indeed, very little of the plant and animal life on the entire planet appears to have been of native origin, present for only millions of years. In particular, the species on the planet appear to have come from many different origins, as is sensible given the broad range over which Ancient sites have been discovered in other star systems. The Uln are not generally very talkative about their origins, especially as it is the common agreement among the other sapients that they're the descendents of whatever the Ancients were using for lab rats/monkeys. It is therefore still a matter of some debate as to which features of the Uln are naturally occurring, which were engineered, and what reasons there were for such choices.

Clothing

The most commonly worn Uln garments range from "open-toed(clawed)" short-boots, some utility pouches with straps around the upper arms resting on the neck, and a helmet-scarf (draping down to cover more sensitive regions between the underside of the neck and the lower arms) which would be common casual-wear for the common peon, to the foul-weather knee-length boots and helmet-poncho and the bizzare extravagances of the aristocratic class, with gaudy creations not unlike wearing an array of very fine wire-meshes and doilies, that require servants to dress them. The back/underside is not normally overly covered, though something may drape loosely behind the top arms - to do otherwise would interfere with their breathing.

Religion

Growing up amidst the ruins of an exceptionally powerful and ancient culture on a planet where life was artificially introduced gave the Uln the idea that they were the children of failed gods. Convincing them that they are much more likely the descendants of lab-monkey-analogs from a long destroyed outpost hasn't gotten very far. What passes for organization in Uln religion involves seasonal festivals that mostly serve to reinforce the doctrinal line that being born Uln is a wonderful thing, relative standard of living to the other species be damned.

Number scheme

Base 4. Nothing special.

See also

• Source: ./history/species/uln/uln.txt
• Source: Religion by JackS in this post
• Source: Number Scheme by JackS in this post

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Those who have only names

Species

Aera