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I've got a lot more work to do, especially in the way of culture. I'm working on a particularly vibrant art, music, and performance sections. I also need to add a tech & ships, economy, and social structure.
Feel free to offer criticism/advice. It's very much a work in progress; I'm only putting down what I'm pretty much set on right now.
Biology
An adult Teuthid is an amphibious cephalopod featuring a distinct head, a central body, four fins, two tentacles, and six arms. Cephalopod arms and tentacles differ in that arms have suckers throughout their length, while tentacles only have suckers at their ends. For Teuthids, it is the six arms that serve as the primary locomatory organs, so henceforth they will be referred to as “legs.”
To make sense of this mess, we’ll start with these legs and work our way up. The legs get wider as they go up, but are streamlined throughout. Two rows of suckers, which operate out of water as well as they do within, run along the inward-facing side of each leg. Special, dense muscle and chondrocyte throughout a leg’s center serves as flexible skeletal support (a formula featured throughout the body so it isn’t crushed by gravity out of water). The legs meet just passed the creature’s midpoint, where they conceal the reproductive and waste organs.
Above the legs is the central body holding most of the vital organs. The Teuthid has an abdomen, with up to eight pairs of muscles, each pair arranged like a V across the abdomen. The two tentacles that serve as arms extend from just above the chest, where a humanoid’s shoulders would be. From the upper back sprout a pair of large, thin, flexible fins with a general upside-down teardrop shape, each almost as wide as the torso itself.
Starting where human nipples would be, is a slightly indented line, extending to along the base of the neck. This is the remnant of gills, which are sealed shut after maturation. During this process, lungs are developed, much like the transition from tadpole to frog. Teuthid lungs are rather large, so they can hold their breath underwater for long periods. As such, they grow outside the boundaries of the torso, protected by fat and muscle, giving the appearance of breasts. Fortunately, muscles protecting the male lungs have evolved to press the lungs in, since once the species became terrestrial, they encountered primates, for which breasts were a feminine feature. Female Teuthid caught on to this, and evolution took its course. Because of this trend, females can hold their breath 50% longer on average than males.
The tentacle arms are thinner and somewhat shorter than the legs, and are void of suckers up until the small paddle-like tenticular club. Around the mid-point, bone-like chitin growth inside the arm combined with cartilage constitutes an elbow, although the chitin does not continue either way from there. At the end of the arm, a flat club functions as a hand, splitting after a few inches into five digits. As there are no bones, these digits are very flexible, and several can serve as opposable thumbs. The ends of these digits feature chitin nails, which if not trimmed with grow increasing sharp, pointed, thick, and hardened. In prehistory, these nails and the leverage given by the elbow, allowed Teuthid to make stabbing “strafing runs” against large aquatic prey.
The Teuthid head is structurally standard. There are two eyes, a nose, and a mouth, but no ears. Though the second pair of fins is located on the side of the head, which can appear ear-like. They are thin, sometimes even translucent, flexible, with spines radiating from the base for support. The general facial structure is rather angular, especially the “jaw” line. The mouth is rather standard, with chitin teeth, and a tongue that can split in four. There are no bones in the face, just chondrocyte and muscle that maintains a structure. As such, they can smile wider than any species with bones, should there be a call for that. The nose is not particularly well defined, being rather a small mound with a pair of nostrils on its bottom.
Teuthid haven't any hair, but there are a collection of incredibly sensitive, hairlike electroreceptors. They are sensitive in the sense that they can detect minute and distant EM disruptions. They are not sensitive to touch or any of the other sensations.
Teuthid eyes are significantly larger than the average species relative to body size. They are cloudy and glasslike, with a shine to them. There is no white in a Teuthid eye, only the pupil and iris. The iris can be multiple shades of a color, or a mix of many different colors arranged in a nebulous configuration.
Teuthid skin is tough, like a shark’s, but flexible and smooth to the touch. There is no hair, Teuthids are bald. Their skin features chromatophores, giving the creature the ability to consciously—sometimes unconsciously—change color configuration at will. There is no “base color,” but most Teuthid have a few favorite palettes.
A Teuthid’s brain is organized nothing like a humanoid brain. There is a central brain in their head, but about a third to a half of the entire brain is located elsewhere in independent clusters. The central brain itself is shaped and structured differently. A decapitated Teuthid is a dead one, but that doesn’t mean the body stops moving. In many cases—usually when there was a lot of adrenaline coursing at the time of death—the body will continue flailing until someone stops it or it bleeds out.
Psychology
Teuthid are generally a passionate, emotional people. They are hard-wired, by biology and history, to be social creatures. More often than not, they are rather outgoing, even towards new and alien species, usually even towards those with a bad reputation. They are anything but xenophobic (in some cases, xenophilic). While it can be argued they are too trusting, history has taught them to be wary. First contacts are conducted with cautious optimism.
As a species and a state, the Teuthid are generally peaceful and kind. They consider intelligent life sacrosanct and will protect independent entities within their spheres of influence. Unique ecosystems, celestial bodies, and many of nature’s other wonders are similarly valued and protected. A star system with the slightest scientific oddity that other species would consider useless is liable to be colonized by Teuthid.
As an emotional species, you’ll rarely find a stoic. They like to smile and spread their joy; most couldn’t hold back if they wanted. If they’re miserable—and that’s rare—they’ll want to hide it, but they’re often not capable of doing so. Teuthid joy is contagious, but so are their other emotions.
Their uniquely decentralized brain structure protects them from many psychological disorders, but opens the door and welcomes others. PTSD and most forms of memory loss are hard to come by, but schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder arises more commonly than in other species.
This same unique structure gives them some advantages and disadvantages versus the average humanoid brain. The Teuthid has greater multitasking abilities, memory retention and empathy. Teuthid are very fast learners, especially of language. Attention spans are somewhat more difficult to maintain and dyscalculia is more common.
Culture
Real emotion is cherished and considered necessary to do one’s work well and lead a full, progressive, and happy life. But so is control; violence outside of sport or war is considered an unfavorable and useless manifestation of one’s passion and a waste of emotional energy. Thus, violence is usually punished by the law, and always frowned upon, but it’s understood that everyone and everything has its moments. Teuthid tend to be forgiving. Proper application of emotional energy, such as art, music, poetry, and better work, is appreciated and lauded.
The culture is a diverse one, but common themes are emotional expression, their love for nature, and their love for intelligence. Individuals who exemplify proper application of emotional energy (a tenet called Searunya), conservation of life and nature, and/or promotion/demonstration of intelligence in grandiose ways are celebrities in Teuthid society.
Architecture
Teuthid architecture is as much about artful expression as it is about functionality. Buildings are designed to be organic, curvaceous, and flowing. You won’t see cubes or rectangles, or many corners at all. Curving, arching, and irregular external buttresses and spires are common. Globes, domes, cylinders, arcs, bowls, and spirals of many sizes and variations are common as architectural elements or buildings themselves. Some look as though they shouldn’t be standing, and some wouldn’t if it weren’t for antigravity units or buoyancy if they’re underwater.
As social creatures, Teuthid almost invariably live in apartment complexes in large cities, although there are suburbs with smaller apartment dwellings.
Media
Teuthid news blends opinionated fervor and sensationalism with actual facts, much like advertising. Most Teuthid are aware of this, and keep it in mind when reading or watching the news. Fact checking is legally enforced, but spin is still possible. Most will read and watch the spin they happen to agree with, so network popularity and popular opinion varies per planet, economic class, and belief system. Teuthid’s pension for empathy lends them able bullshit meters, so only truly capable spin doctors survive in the business.
There is no television per se, but episode and movie format entertainment is available on the Subnet, a network of subspace corridors too kata to be affected by gravitational disturbances and solid objects. This is similar to most species’ information sharing systems.
Clothes
Due to the Teuthid’s chromatophores, there isn’t much room for innovation in Teuthid fashion, at least color wise. Styles focus on effects the Teuthid skin can’t duplicate. This includes bright, bold, single-colored items, or palettes featuring large geometric shapes with sharp edges. Nylon-like synthetics are common, with varying degrees of shine. Whale and reptile leather is used often. Whatever they wear, it must be a material that handles water well.
Modesty is somewhat of a virtue, though one only enforced by common decency. It’s generally agreed upon for both sexes to conceal the area between the six legs, with skirts, shorts, or short pants. For females, the “breasts” are usually concealed with at least a circum strap. The abdomen is displayed and concealed by roughly equal populations. For both sexes, shirts that move with the shape of the body are common. Turtleneck shirts are popular. Tight clothes are more common than baggy ones.
Bare “feet” are as popular as shoes. Tough Teuthid skin usually negates their practical use, so they’re only worn if they complement the outfit as a whole or for military or sports purpose.
The above styles are the average, but colder and/or dryer climates require heavier clothing.
Political Structure
The Teuthid believe that the universe tends toward a balance of order and chaos at all levels. They also believe in the free will of sentience, and by extension, that the universe requires sentient beings to maintain the balance of order and chaos in the realms of the intelligent. Since intelligent life will invariably seek to create chaos, it is the duty of societies and governments to create and maintain order. Such is the mandate of the Interstellar Dominion for Order. The Dominion government is broken in three bodies.
The Legislative body is bicameral. One side is the citizenry itself, incorporating direct democracy into the legislature. Then there is an Assembly of Proxies, consisting of one representative, called a Proxy, from each recognized Dominion Collegium. A Dominion Collegium is a union of individuals with common goals, interests, or obligations formed to further and/or protect their own interest. Corporations cannot start or fund a Dominion Collegium, but DC’s can and do represent entire industries. After establishment, a DC funds its management through a miniscule tax, like union dues. A new DC may be formed at any time, assuming criterions are met.
1) A Dominion Collegium must have a stated purpose and interest in issues important to and/or affecting sentients across the Dominion, and must not have division (state, protectorate, planetary) specific interests.
2) The Collegium must start with a certain amount of members. The exact number changes but stays at a certain percentage of the total population. These members cannot be concentrated within one political subdivision; there is lower level government for that.
3) The Archexecutor must recognize the Dominion Collegium and its interests as valid, or must give reason why they’re not. This decision can be appealed by the would-be founders to the Dominion’s Judiciary.
A Proxy is not elected by their Collegium, but instead applies for the job. Applicants must submit a Statement of Education and Experience (pertinent to their Guild), pass a health inspection (which is more psychological than physical), and take two tests: a Test of Intelligence and a Test of Savvy. A Test of Intelligence is a general examination of one’s acumen, akin to an I.Q. test. A Test of Savvy is specific to their Collegium, requiring extensive knowledge pertinent to their Collegium. The health inspection notwithstanding, the applicant with the most impressive combination of SEE, ToI, and ToS is selected. A potential Proxy cannot be a member of another Collegium during his term.
The Proxy serves for life until a majority or the Collegium votes for removal. Any member can call for a referendum for removal, but persistently annoying members are likely to be removed by the Collegium’s management. New members, and their money, are welcomed by collegia, unless the potential member’s line of work or other memberships and antithetical to the Collegium’s interests. Bribery is enforcedly prohibited, but “sabotage membership” is still possible. Sabotage voting is impractical, but creative opposing entities can install agents into the unsuspecting Collegium’s managerial staff.
A Collegium can die out if its membership declines below a certain amount, or if the Archexecutor decides the group is no longer relevant. That decision can be appealed to the judiciary. Each Proxy has one vote in the Dominion’s Assembly of Proxies.
The Dominion’s judiciary body is known as the Arbitration of Order. The highest level is specifically called the Highest Arbitration of the Dominion’s Law, composed of only 13 Supreme Arbiters. This level concerns itself mostly with keeping tabs on the other two bodies of Dominion-level government, making sure they don’t overstep their bounds or go against the Core of the Charter. Supreme Arbiters serve till retirement, and replacements are selected from applicants in a similar manner to the selection of collegia proxies. The Arbitration of Order is the most pervasive government body, uniform and following strict guidelines at every level of government, even amongst non-teuthid protectorates.
The path of a proposed law begins in the Assembly of Proxies, as only a Proxy (or a group of them) can formerly propose a bill. Proxies of Collegium indifferent to the bill are liable to abstain from voting. If over 50% of Collegium Proxies that participate vote for the bill, it passes the Assembly. The bill is then put through a general citizenry vote. If the percentage of citizens that vote for the bill is greater than those that vote against it, the bill passes the Citizenry. The Archexecutor can veto the bill within roughly a two-week period. If he does not, the bill is law, and is eligible to be revoked by an Arbitration of Order majority vote if it is against the Core of the Charter. If the Archexecutor vetoes the bill, 66% majority votes in both Citizenry and Assembly can cancel the veto.
The executive body is known simply as the Executive body. The head of state of the IDO, the Archexecutor, and his cabinet of Executors are charged with implementing and enforcing laws and standards set by the Assembly and Citizenry. There is an Executor of Education, Executor of the Navy, Executor of Commerce, Executor of Diplomacy, et cetera.
The Archexecutor is elected or reelected every five years by the Citizenry. The office holder can be impeached if the law is broken. A vote of no confidence can be called by a proxy or committee of proxies, but each proxy can only do this once during a single archexecutorial term. If 66% of Proxies vote for removal, the motion is passed to the Citizenry, which also requires 66% of voters to vote no confidence for the archexecutor to be removed.
Executors are appointed by the Archexecutor, usually based on SEEs, ToI’s, and ToS’s. The Archexecutor has a pool of applicants to choose from, but it’s not unheard of for archexecutors to choose a Proxy, who then must leave his post to take the job, if he or she wanted the position. It’s very rare for a selectee to deny the offer.
Languages
The Teuthid’s four flexible tongues, omnivorous chitin teeth, and ocean-adapted nasal cavity allow for a wide vocal range and flexibility with languages. Most know several alien tongues, and many delight in mastering them and playing with words. Every Teuthid knows at least two languages, and has a name in both, the Language of the Sea, and the Language of the Land.
The Language of the Land is the more commonly utilized. It consists of phonemes common to most species, with the addition of aquatic clicks, much like a dolphin would use. In Basic, these short bursts of clicks are represents as “xx” unless the clicks are sounded at the same time as a vowel or soft consonant. In that case, the double x’s and the supplementing phoneme are separated by a slash, and contained from the rest of the word by dashes. For example: “xx/ee-rsher-ah/xx-uma,” which in fact means “Language of the Land.”
Non-Teuthids trying to speak the language may not pronounce the clicks, but that often leads to total misunderstanding. More fluent non-Teuthids may pronounce the clicks as x’s or z’s, depending on the context, but usually can’t overlap the phonemes. Thus: “Zeersherahxuma,” is an acceptable pronunciation for foreigners. Few manage to pull off a coherent paragraph, so most Teuthid prefer to speak with aliens in basic, or the alien’s native tongue.
The Language of the Sea is used when underwater, where sounds produced on land can’t travel as far in their original form. To an outsider, the underwater language consists of unintelligible clicks and quick violin-like whines. Variations in pitch, tone, and note length allow for a complicated, precise language. Many of these sounds are ultrasonic for most species.
Body language and tone are as important for Teuthid as they are for any other species. But for locomotion’s sake, body language is limited underwater, mostly to shifting of color in chromatophores. This is added to normal body language above water, which can be quite animated. Before all forms of deafness was curable, the primary communication for the deaf was a sign language relying solely on chromatophores and facial expressions. This survives today in the small percentage of the deaf that choose to remain so, and a subtler version exists for those who’d want their conversation kept unnoticed.
The Navy of The Interstellar Dominion
The Navy is as much a scientific, humanitarian, and peace keeping force as it is a war machine. As such, there is an extremely varied assortment of ships, stations, divisions, and positions. As far as combat tactics go, in the ship-to-ship theatres, the Dominion supplements powerful, hard-hitting energy weapons with advanced sensor technologies and impressive appearances to bring swift ends to battles. Defense relies on point-defenses and moderate shielding, as the hull itself is weaker than the average galactic power’s warships.
Ground and soldier-to-soldier battles utilize the same powerful weaponry, but to a less exaggerated degree. Troops are generally well-trained and equipped; some more than others, depending on their particular jobs. Orbital support and superiority in battle awareness, due to advanced Dominion sensors, are often relied on. Mechs see heavy use as a type of close air support, and are even used in ship boarding, close-in ship defense, and fighter/bomber interceptors.
Starships:
As stated above, Dominion starships focus on offense and awareness rather than defense. They can dish much more punishment—in short order too—than they can take. The design and structure of Navy ships is a delicate art, a balance between two messages; impressing would-be attackers and reminding them of Teuthid firepower, but welcoming potential friends or those who might need aid. Colors may vary depending on the ship’s purpose and the desired message, but naval starships are generally a deep, metallic purple. There is always this purple in a naval vessel, though some incorporate very near shades of blue.
The ships are structured similarly to the Teuthid’s squid cousins, with a head-like fuselage, often with fins, and menacing arms. Although the arms are almost always static on starships, meant to create the illusion of a larger vessel. If the starship’s purpose is scientific, humanitarian, or similarly benign, it is less likely to have these arms, and more likely to only consist of a bulbous, organic-looking fuselage.
Teuthid civilian ships almost never have squid-like arms, and are usually modeled after alternate aquatic anatomies. Colors are more variable amongst civilian ships; cerulean is a common favorite, and the metallic gleam is less common. Civilian ships usually have paint over the construction material, or chrome plating of some color. The metallic “Navy Purple” is reserved for military and government vessels.
Last edited by Anomaly on Wed Jul 21, 2010 4:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
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