Arrbi Betna
Marauder
Name: Cheiracanth (pl. Cheiracanth
Designation: Sentient
Homeworld: Argo VII
Language: Non-verbal. Cheiracanth communicate through a mixture of minute electrical discharges, coloring, and mandible positions. Cheiracanth strong in the Force however, can communicate with Force users who are skilled in Telepathy.
Average height of adults: ~2m tall, ~3m long on average
Skin color: N/A, crystals forming their bodies are clear, but change colors depending on mood and to communicate
Hair color: N/A
Breathes: N/A
Strengths:
- Extremely durable - Cheiracanth are formed by multiple layers of crystals that continually grow throughout their entire life. These materials are often various forms of silicates and carbons which grow harder and tougher as they age. Because of this, Cheiracanth are extremely resistant to damage of all forms, though younger specimens are more vulnerable while the very ancient are almost impervious to harm by normal methods.
- Territorial - Cheiracanth would be considered predators by normal classification methods, but do not hunt for food or resources. Rather, they're purely territorial and hunt down intruders quickly and tirelessly. Areas considered Cheiracanth territory are generally nests and power source hubs.
- Force Sensitive - All Cheiracanth are Force sensitive, however unlike many species where the entire population can manipulate the Force, Cheiracanth are almost entirely very weak in the Force. They use this sensitivity in two ways. The first is to navigate the world around them where the Force acts as a form of echolocation as Cheiracanth vision is nonexistent. The second form is to help convert electrical currents found naturally on their homeworld into a sustenance source for themselves. Methods of this ability are unknown and Cheiracanth, while happy to explain if asked, can find no tangible way to explain it properly. Tutaminis is a valid guess at the ability, however those attempting such a feat always suffer fatal consequences, leaving the ability a mystery
- Force sensitive - All Cheiracanth are sensitive in the Force, albeit weakly. This extends to the point that more powerful Cheiracanth are not only exceedingly rare - even by galactic comparison - but also are seen as a sort of pariah. Cheiracanth possessing strong Force abilities are often exiled very young from their nests and are often forced out of inhabited areas by other Cheiracanth after a short time. Strong Force sensitive Cheiracanth are seen as a form a healer or, perhaps, a wandering miracle worker; useful for certain things, but ultimately an unknown quantity. Due to this, most societies tolerate the wandering Cheirocanth, but prohibit them from settling with others of their species, making them rare and very hard to find.
- Tool Use - Cheirocanth are restricted to what they can alter around them with their own natural forms and have no concept of simple tools. Nests, spires, and even energy conduits are burrowed out, slowly built by secretion glands, or are simply natural occurrences of the planet. As such, hand-held weapons such as blasters or even swords are unusable by Cheirocanth as well as simple tools like hammers, spanners, and other such things.
- Weight - As a Cheirocanth ages, its body becomes harder and denser, often protecting it against almost any form of regular damage at older ages. However, the older the Cheirocanth gets, the heavier it becomes. The most ancient of the species are often immobile, though nigh indestructible, and often reside deep within the planet and nests where they live.
- Crystalline
- Arachnids
- Force Sensitive
- Feed off electrical energy
- Extremely durable
Races: None
Estimated Population: Very substantial on Argo VII, almost entirely non-existent elsewhere.
Diet: Electrical Energy
Communication: Color changes, mandible positioning, and minute electrical discharges.
Culture:
Not much is known about Cheiracanth culture, but what is known is that the species is both very territorial and yet very open. The species divides itself into a type of caste system, not determined by rank or task, but by age. There are five basic categories, each with various sub categories, of Cheiracanth society.
The Infant Caste is entirely made up of the very young of the species. Each starts out as a crystalline chrysalis formed through budding from the body of the eldest Cheiracanth. As they develop, they finally break the chrysalis and absorb it into their bodies. From there, they reside deep within the nest until they've grown older. Until then, however, they are educated by the eldest of the species and fed by the energy hub at that location. This caste is seen as the beginning caste and, while functionally useless, are highly protected, allowing only those trusted by the entire unit to enter.
The Young Caste are Cheiracanth who are old enough to wander alone or in groups through the nest. They often reside within the same area as the Infant class, but are allowed to wander freely within the nest, but not outside of it. They are still educated by the eldest of the Cheiracanth and feed at the energy hub within the deep of the nest, but are allowed to learn and understand the world around them. It is at this point that the group is inspected by the elders to determine if a powerful Force sensitive is among the brood and, if so, it is cast out immediately from the nest and forced to wander alone.
The Adult Caste are adult Cheiracanth who are large enough and strong enough to defend the nest, build, and generally interact and survive the world outside the nest. These Cheiracanth are the most visible and are often seen scouting for new materials, adding to the nest, and generally interacting with other familial nests.
The Elder Caste are those Cheiracanth who have become large and sluggish with age and whose bodies have begun the process of becoming near indestructible. These Cheiracanth make up the equivalent of village elders, advising and cautioning the younger Cheiracanth in all things and providing a more experienced viewpoint on the inter familial relations as well as offering educated thought on nest expansion and politics.
The Ancient Caste is the smallest of the castes. These Cheiracanth have lived for centuries or more. Their bodies are almost impenetrable and most have become completely immobile. They are almost always in the deepest and most secure area of the nest where they remain stationary for ages at a time. This allows excess crystalline deposits to form upon their bodies that eventually become the crystalline Chrysalis of the species' infants. The Ancients remain within the deepest area of the nest for the rest of their lives, rarely moving if at all, and spend the last of their days budding new Cheiracanth and educating the newer generations until their own weight crushes them.
Outside of this, there are only two other groups within the network of castes. The Forsaken and the Weavers.
The Forsaken are those Cheiracanth who are strong in the Force and are often exceedingly rare. It is theorized that only a handful reside on the planet. They act as healers and sages, using their abilities to treat injured or sick Cheiracanth or to help discover new sources of energy for new nests. The Forsaken rarely remain in a single area for more than a few weeks to a month before moving on, forcibly or voluntarily. They are seen by the rest of the species as a necessary evil, an individual with useful and sometimes badly needed skills, but an individual with highly dangerous and volatile powers.
The Weavers are the historians and pseudo priests of the species. They are selected from the Young Caste for their task as a Weaver by the clearness of their color changing abilities. These Cheiracanth pass on the traditions and legends, the history of their people, from Weaver to Weaver and share them with the rest of their species. As they 'speak', the reason for their selection is evident as the clear colors they depict and their mastery of their positioning and electrical discharges means that the stories remain unchanged even after generations of telling. They often remain with their nest their entire lives, but nomadic Weavers are not unknown to the species.
Technology level: Equivalent to galactic standard
General behavior: Cheiracanth are naturally territorial of their nests but are otherwise industrious. Unless threatened, Cheiracanth are typically not aggressive, though most perceive unknown beings as potential threats to the nest unless proved otherwise.
History:
The Cheiracanth species has little documentation and absolutely no writing known. As such, all history is passed down through legend and 'oral' stories by the Weavers. Their origin is told below, roughly translated by the tales of a voluntary Weaver.
"Cheiracanth Data Report
Weaver interview
Translated to basic
Long ago, when Ch'rc'tht1 was young and bright and the Great Orb sat large and high in the skies, the Ch'rc'tht'n2 were made.
The Great Orb gazed down at Ch'rc'tht longingly and saw the stark beauty there. For many eons did this happen until one day the Great Orb saw fit to create life on our home. A race to walk upon the beautiful gem he had woken from the Great Sleep to find. The Great Sleep in which all was created.
And so the Ch'rc'tht'n were made, the children of the Great Orb, named after our home. For centuries we thrived upon our planet, sustaining ourselves from the Life Essence that permeated all around us. We drank deep from all around, for the Essence was all around us and we were within the embrace of Ch'rc'tht and loved by the Great Orb.
All was well, and all were loved. But such was not to last.
A great leader arose from the masses of the Ch'rc'tht'n and spoke of greatness, of a new age among our kind. The leader was named T'rn'tl'rc and sought power to rival the Great Orb. T'rn'tl'rc gathered others, powerful in the ways of Changing3 and brought them together.
Hundreds of Changers attended the call. Together, lead by T'rn'tl'rc - the greatest Changer among them - they called upon their powers, seeking to become greater than the Great Orb.
But the Great Orb saw their folly and spoke. The Great Orb saw the Changers and lashed out in fire and anger, scarring the surface of Ch'rc'tht, the beautiful gem the Great Orb had gazed so longingly at, and punished the Ch'rc'tht'n for allowing the Changers to attempt to rival the Great Orb's power.
Many of our kind perished and our home forever changed. Where once we lived in great spires that stretched to the stars, we now live deep within the shattered gem. Where once the Life Essence flowed freely for all, it now hid deep, hiding from the wrath of the Great Orb.
We had been punished for our inability to act, for not stopping the Changers in their actions. We knew it could not happen again, for while the Great Orb's wrath had killed so many, the Orb had been merciful to us. Rather than wipe out what it had created, it had merely punished. We knew that such mercy would not come a second time.
With this knowledge, we hunted the Changers. Their bodies were smashed and their Life Essence set free to slowly return to Ch'rc'tht in time.
But even we did not dare wipe them out, for we realized that as the Great Orb spared a meager few, so must we.
The Forsaken we call them now. We do not let them reside in our nests, for they always corrupt. We do not let them speak to our young, for they always corrupt. We do not let them build our homes or burrow their own, for they always corrupt.
The Forsaken will always corrupt, but we have spared them as the Great Orb has spared us. Through mercy, we learned of the wickedness of our inaction.
Our mercy shall teach the Forsaken a similar lesson.
1 This is believed to be the Cheiracanth 'word' for what we call Algos VII2 We believe this is what they call their species
3 Force sensitives?
End report"
Notable Player-Characters: None at this time
Intent: With a strange, new, and unique planet I figured I'd add a strange, new, and unique species. Thought about adding a new form of Shard, but... that doesn't leave a lot of room for things like culture or other fun things. So... sentient crystal spiders. What could possible go wrong?
