Race The Geosian Race

Discussion in 'NPCs and Creatures' started by Bonten888, Aug 22, 2016.

  1. Bonten888

    Bonten888 Aquatic Astronaut

    I have noted that none of the actual races actually included in the series is an insectoid race, even though arthropoid aliens are really common in science fiction. It should be noted that the game also lacks reptilian races and mollusk intelligent species as well, but the essential difference between these and an insectoid race is that this last one is a lot more flexible and varied to exploit.

    I do know that the game has been out for a while, but I do want to share my ideas to the community of Starbound as I don’t lose anything writing it down. There is people out there willing to develop different mods and maybe someone out there is searching for some new ideas.

    Well, I think when most of us think of insect aliens, the basic idea of an eusocial insect alien, not too distinct from ants or bees, comes immediately to mind. That’s the most interesting trait developed among insects and it can be (and is) readily exploited in science fiction. With that in mind, I can begin to explain what the Geosians are, even though it’s very name is subject to change.

    Geosians
    The biological inspiration of this race is actually very straightforward. Termites (order Isoptera), insects not closely related to bees and ants (order Hymenoptera), are interesting in various aspects that can be enumerated:

    1. First of all, they are mostly subterranean, which means they can appear and exploit a whole new (and mostly uninhabited) area in the planets. Subterranean cities like fortresses can be their primary dwelling, enclosed between earthy brick walls and unconnected with the surface, hundreds of meters below the ground.

    2. Secondly, their colonies, unlike bees and ants, are composed equally by male and female individuals. Unlike queens among ants and bees, Termite queens are almost always accompanied by a King that, even though shorter lived than the queen, is the father of the whole colony and also resides in the royal chamber. The colony has male and female soldiers, male and female workers and they all share their occupations between genders.

    3. As eusocial insects, their colonies are highly stratified and organized in different castes that build and maintain the colony together. There are soldiers, nurses, builders, gatherers, fungi growers and even a complex reproductive caste. Some colonies even have specialized castes, like acid spitting soldiers, exploding soldiers full of a chemical glue and secondary and tertiary reproductives (princesses). This can be developed in a full fledged space faring civilization with just a little imagination.

    4. Termites are great builders, even better than ants. Some termite species build impressive castles out of mud and saliva, with royal chambers, nurseries, fungi gardens, water vapor circulation and refreshing cooling system, among many other different facilities necessary for the work of the colony. Some characteristic like hexagonal cell building, shared among eusocial bees and ants can be added to the mix to make it more interesting.

    5. Like some ants, many termite species have developed a complex system of fungiculture, growing some kinds of fungi inside their castles using cellulose extracted from trees trunks and leaves and eating them. This can be combined with aphid, mealybug and caterpillar husbandry relatively common among ants to develop an interesting economy no possible over the surface.

    With these five simple ingredients and some imagination to flavor it, we can easily develop a very interesting and somewhat new science fiction race.

    Geosians, at least what I have thought, are a complex space age society based on castes and, at least materially and culturally, inspired by the Minoan and Babylonian cultures of earth. As a simple sketch, I think these big humanoid termites can be once a space travelling empire some ten thousand years ago, now fell in disgrace and gone deep to the dark underground of many barren planets. Geosians cultivate fungi in complex gardens underground and also cattle enormous aphid-cow that give them sugary secretions like nectar. Having living underground for a long time, Geosians have become somewhat isolationist and xenophobic, and most of the race is mostly pleased working tirelessly for the Colony (some kind of philosophic Hive Mind). The hive mind of the colony is controlled mostly by pheromones and secondly by word, but the most powerful force driving the complex society of the geosians is actually the profound devotion toward the Queen and the King (a.k.a. the All-Mother and the All-Father) and a deep reverence toward the Ancestors (the deceased royal pairs of old).

    I have thought they can be an old remnant of an star reaching empire of old (some ten thousand years ago may be a good estimate to start) cause the game is lacking of historical (or present, for that matter) empires and a long historical lore. Maybe it can be justified saying that there were no empires before the present and we can easily assume that none of the actual races is going to reach the position of galactic empire anytime soon. On the other hand, I don’t think that the Geosians should be the ones handing their technology to other intelligent races, quite on the contrary, this race is not going to share their secrets so easily. This I have easily justified, as these termite-like aliens are experts in the development of organic technologies, another thing mostly absent from the game. This specialty has its bases in the fact that development of new castes and new biological forms, going hand in hand with husbandry, is a logic end for a successful race. This means the switched from inorganic technology to organic tech long ago, before or just after the development of space faring technologies and this kind of technology is sometimes frowned upon by some races or is not easily taught to primitive civilizations as it needs a lot of knowledge in sciences.

    As a remnant empire, the Geosians have become somewhat stagnant in their culture and even have devolved toward older systems. This doesn’t mean they have forgotten their secrets and they keep them safe and occult in their subterranean and shadowy lairs. As for now, I’ll proceed to explain some of their characteristics.

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    Caste System and Society
    Geosians are a caste-based society not unlike many ancient civilizations. These castes are organized in a complex hierarchy headed by the nobility (the reproductive caste), followed by a “priestly” caste and a soldier caste. Under them there is a numerous group of worker and service castes dedicated to maintain the colony going. Each colony is essentially a big family composed by the Countess (equal to the termite queen), sometimes accompanied by the Princesses (lower in rank), and the Count. These two head a colony, but are in turn subservient to a Queen and a King whose rule spans the whole planet (or at least al the colonies in it). There is even a higher tier in the hierarchy, the Empress and the Emperor, whose rule spanned throughout the whole stellar empire long fell. The Countess is essentially the Mother of every individual of the colony, just as the Count is the Father.

    Under them revolves a highly complex society composed bay brothers and sisters, children of the royal couple. Immediately under them there are Princesses, even though these are not daughters of the King. They are actually cloned (parthenogenetical) daughters of the Queen, conceived by her to occupy her post once she dies. The Count, on the other hand, is somewhat shorter lived, but is replaced by a new prince came from another colony. The Countess is usually the biggest individual in the whole colony, giving birth to many eggs all the time, his abdomen being stretched and bloated. This “royal womb” is bigger in Queens, whose colonies are usually bigger, and Empresses were said to have “Imperial Wombs” spanning many halls. This renders them effectively immobile, and this is why they have younger and slender clones of themselves to fly away in case their colony was wiped away of in case they were under heavy attack.

    About the colony as a whole I have though two alternative (although similar) systems based upon a color spectrum. This color spectrum can be tied to a hemospectrum, similar to the one used by the Trolls in “Homestuck”, by Andrew Hussie. This doesn’t have to be the case, but different blood color is an interesting characteristic easily exploitable by an intelligent eusocial civilization heavy on organic technology and genetic or biological modification. The difference between the two systems is numerical, as the first, simpler and reduced has seven (plus two) wide castes and the second, somewhat larger and more complex is based on twelve (plus two) more specific castes. Both of them are based on the color spectrum, the first comprising the seven colors of the rainbow (or the visible spectrum of light) plus black (infrared) and white (ultra-violet). The second system is based upon the twelve colour spectrum plus black and white.

    The first system is arranged as follows:
    • Black: the absence of light and color, the members of this group are the casteless and the slaves and even other races. There is, nonetheless, a secret organization know as the “Infrared” or “the Black” (as infrared is perceived as absence of color) that works as an independent secret police or lodge, being integrated by members of all castes no matter their color.
    • Red: the common workers, like some kind of proletariat, they usually work in factories, gathering resources, moving weight and as unspecialized work force of low rank.
    • Orange:the members of this caste usually work building and repairing the enormous fortresses, castles and cities of the Gosians. They are just a little more specialized than the red, but have little more technique.
    • Yellow: the orange and red work under the yellow guidance, as the members of this caste specializes in architecture and technologic craft. They are the directors in constructions and factories, educated engineers in different subjects that maintain the structural integrity of the colonies.
    • Green:this caste outranks the yellow caste because its members do not only work cultivating fungi and also herding the aphid-cows and caterpillar-pigs but also nurture the young and build the organic technology the colonies use.
    • Blue:this caste is composed by soldiers, the military and the police, most of the security and armed forces are blue in rank. They are prepared to defend the colonies, the kingdom or the empire even if it means they must die doing it. They consider themselves the protecting big siblings of the colony.
    • Indigo:the children that form this caste are highly educated and literate, and are specialized in areas like justice and the priestly office. The geosian priesthood is akin to some kind of sacred ministry serving the higher castes, leading processions and helping the young.
    • Violet: the highest caste commonly present in all the colonies, it is comprised by the royal house, the parents of the whole colony. They are venerated and very respected by the lower castes, their children, and act as some kind of sacred nobility. It also includes a sacred guard known as the Praetorian, who protect the queen.
    • White: this is a dead out caste, or so it was thought until recently, when soldiers and members of the white caste began to reappear. These work for the “God-Empress” of the Geosians, an ancient Empress that lived and reigned for a very long time with an iron fist. They are also known as the Ultraviolet, and the armed white force is known derogatorily as the “Ultra-violent”. The “Infrared” formed as a way to resist the God-Empress o White-Empress rule, and after she died, even though she was considered immortal, the Empire fell in disarray and collapsed.

    The second system is not so different from the first one:

    • Black: the same as the previous system.
    • Red: the same as the previous system, unskilled workers in factories, carrying weight and gatherers.
    • Orange: the same as the previous system, laborers dedicated to the construction and reparation of structures.
    • Yellow: the same as the previous system, educated engineers who guide the red and orange caste in construction and factories.
    • Lime: the first subdivision of the previous “Green” caste, the members of this caste are specialist fungi cultivator known as the “Mycogenes”, who work tending to the fungi gardens (and, as such, are responsible for feeding the whole colony). A tiny group of the lime caste is dedicated to herding the aphid-cows and caterpillar-pigs.
    • Green: the members of this caste, previously included in the “Green caste” are specialized in building and developing the organic technology of the Geosians. As such, they build their ships, their guns and many other things.
    • Turquoise: nurses, babysitters, physicians and many other health and nurture specialist form part of this caste, also previously part of the “Green caste”. They are very good healers but most of them dedicate to the nurture of the younger siblings of the colony.
    • Cyan: this caste replaces the previous “Blue caste” even though it essentially remains the same, as it is composed by the armed forces and security forces that protect the order of the colonies.
    • Azure: with this and the next caste the previous “Indigo caste” is divided in two. The Azure caste members are the judges that specializes in Geosian legal system but also know the legal systems of protected races and also includes merchant members specialized in commercial matters.
    • Blue: the second portion of the previous “Indigo caste”, it corresponds to the priest-ministers that help the higher castes, take care of religious affairs and teach the younger members of the society the ways of the Colony.
    • Violet: in a common colony, the members of the violet caste, previously included in the homonym caste, are the royal guards, also known as the “Praetorian”, who protect the higher castes.
    • Magenta: this caste was previously part of the “Violet caste”, but in this system it is the rank of the princes, princesses, heirs and heiresses. The first two, princes and princesses, are winged siblings destined to go out of the colony, marry a prince or princess of another colony and fund a new colony. The heiresses are “clone” daughters of the queen while heirs are princes who will replace the king in the future, once he dies.
    • Fuchsia: this last caste, also previously part of the “Violet caste”, includes the Countess (Colony), Queens (Planet) and Empresses (Empire) and Counts, Kings and Emperors respectively.
    • White: remains essentially the same as the previous system.

    Even though I think the second system is far more interesting, I also know that it is more difficult to achieve in a game like Starbound. It requires an extended color palette, is big and more complex and it’s difficult to apply. Nonetheless, the easiest way to show this Twelve Caste system is through the ten racial armors:
    • Militia (Non-professional fighters and armed citizens)–Red Caste
    • Peltast (Ancient Greek javelin and shield bearing warriors)–Orange Caste
    • Hoplite (Ancient Greek spearmen)–Yellow Caste
    • Centurion (Shield bearing commanders of Centuries)–Lime Caste
    • Toxote (Ancient Greek archers) –Green Caste
    • Myrmidon (Legendary Greek soldiers created from ants)–Turquoise Caste
    • Legionaries (Heavy infantry of the Roman army)–Cyan Caste
    • Spatharios (Roman andGreek swordsmen) –Azure Caste
    • Athanatos (Persian Immortals in Greek language)–Blue Caste
    • Praetorian (Imperial Roman royal guard)–Violet Caste

    The last two castes, Magenta and Fuchsia, are strictly royal and reproductive castes, composed primarily by princes, princesses, heirs and the royal couple respectively and, as such, are not prepared to fight, that’s why they have the Praetorian o Royal Guard. We can consider the queen as obscenely obese or bloated, even though it’s just the lower part of her body that is deformed in an enormous womb prepared to give birth to a lot of eggs daily while the upper half of her body remains relatively thin. The king, on the other hand is somewhat uniformly bigger than other caste members and somewhat heavy built, but is also not fat. Both the queen and the king, nonetheless are fragile, and the queen is unable to move from the royal chambers, where she is attended day and night by her children.

    As simple as these two system may seem, both of these are just simplifications of the extended and complex Geosian caste hierarchy. Every one of these castes in turn groups together different sub-castes specialized in some field or job. Some are pretty common, like Turquoise caste nurses (individuals who cater the younger members of the colony) and physicians (specialized in provide attention to the older members and soldier castes). The Cyan caste also has soldiers going to war and protecting the colonies from external threats and the police, protecting the order inside the colony, and these have different heads and jaws according to their position. Members of the Azure caste are divided in Judges and merchants (also known as the "Beetle-Heads" for the hats they use), self explaining jobs, while the Blue caste in turn has Priests and Ministers. Lower castes are also subdivided, as is the case of the Lime caste having the Mycogenes gardeners and the shepherds. Even though these castes are fairly understandable, some sub-castes can be outright bizarre as the “organical” technology of the Geosian gave rise to new societal necessities, that’s the case of the “reactors”, members of the Green caste in whose bloated and immobile bodies biological reactions produce hydrogen to fuel Geosian ships, or the “digesters”, also bloated, full of predigested food (that is later canned to feed the Geosians), part of the Turquoise caste. The red and orange castes also have diverse sub-caste specializations, like the spinners (silk producers), the rock-borers (able to spit acidic saliva to dissolve rock) or the carriers (whose name says it all).

    There is a last “caste” not listed in none of the previous systems, primarily because this caste is not a true caste in the strictest sense. As Geosians developed in a full technological society it became obvious that they would need to go out to space to explore new worlds to colonize and to discover new alien races. As colony ships were too expensive for such a simple yet dangerous activity, the “Unfettered” were born to go out of the safety of the colony and explore the universe.

    These Unfettered are members of any caste who are born without the constraints of the common geosians, born to be free and independent, not to feel unsafe out of the colony and not to follow rules and orders like the other geosians. These Unfettered usually develop different forms and mentalities, as they belong to a caste, be it red, green, blue or violet, and as such have different knowledge and preparation. They follow the “Colony” (somewhat like the Hive Mind) just in the loosest sense, even though they consider themselves part of it and usually return to it from time to time to tell their parents about their discoveries. This “caste” without rank is uncommon yet very important, and this is the rank any player choosing the geosian race will belong to.



    Geosian Architecture
    Geosians culture is mostly based on Minoan and Babylonian culture even though I have used some little bits from other cultures as well as fiction. Ancient Geosian culture was mostly based on Babylonian civilization, being the most prominent aspect its enormous ziggurat like fortresses now mostly abandoned and ruinous. These big ziggurats housed their entire cities, or at least these were the tip of the iceberg, the only part of the city visible on the surface. Underneath it a complex web of tunnels, rooms, halls, water stores and gardens extended deep in the ground, all organized around the Royal Chamber. Roads, paths and even little markets separated rooms and halls just as if it was a big city. Some halls were used for storage of food in enormous storage jars, while rooms, akin to houses, where occupied by fraternal or sororal groups which were given “unity rations” to be shared among the members of the room.

    These “Rooms” were big enough to house many siblings with their bed hanging on the walls, a bathroom and a kitchen-dining room. On the streets between rooms, long banners hanged from the roof high above the ground, showing the symbols of the geosians, and also big glowing fungi, usually inedible and unpalatable, illuminated the common spaces. The Royal Chamber was usually well illuminated, full with pillows, banners hanging on the walls and silky curtains hiding the royal couple. Important rooms were usually adorned with vivid paintings (similar to the Minoan palaces), red, white and black columns and also had fountains and fire braseros made of copper. Another common sight in Geosian streets could be statues of the Queens similar to the Minoan “Poppy Goddess” and inside some houses the golden tripartite house shrines.

    These enormous structures continued being built as the Geosians discovered how to travel among stars and began to colonize planets, and such ziggurats remained in many planets as testimonies of the Geosian empire. Near these big structures, and usually connected to it by tunnels the geosians excavated deep straight down Mines illuminated with lamps and glowing fungi, as a trunk system branching in many minor tunnels. These mining structures were usually used to extract subterranean water and metals. Colonies also had fungi crops in subterranean gardens and terraces, where the colony farmers dedicated their time to grow fungi to feed the population of the city. These fungi terraces usually lied at the outskirts of the colonies, sometimes inside its walls and sometimes outside it. Ziggurat, cities and mining tunnels were left behind or began to be uninhabited when the Empire fell in disarray and dismembered. Fungi, without the care of the geosian farmers stopped growing and began to be replaced by non edible “weed” fungi. These would be the common explorable ruins of the past Geosian Empire.

    As time passed and the Geosian culture declined, with the Empire dismembered and communication lost, Geosians retreated underground, closing their cities and hiding themselves in the deep darkness of lost planets. The underground fortresses, build at higher depths, away from the surface, are otherwise very similar in structure to the old colonies of the Geosian, lacking the ziggurat like external structure but being organize around the royal chamber and being just as labyrinthine as the old cities. A big difference between this and older structure is that these continue to be inhabited by Geosians.

    Just as an idea, I have also thought that a different kind of Geosian colony could start appearing on the surface of different planets once a quest line related to an unknown “Geosian Crisis” is completed. These last type of colonies would be different from the previous two described cities, being built mostly on the surface. These colonies would be similar to the Minoan Palaces, angular structures built around a central garden (or Royal Chamber), without streets between buildings but all of them composing an enormous labyrinthine Palace with many rooms, some of them extending under the ground but not too deep, these being mostly rooms and fungi gardens, with the storage rooms, royal chambers and other halls being located over the surface. The walls of these palaces could be painted like Minoan frescos, with red columns and statues like the Minoan snake lady representing the Countess of the colony.

    The biggest Geosian building, probably a good place for a quest, would be without doubt a great palace inspired in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and, to a lesser extent, the Tower of Babel. Possibly this would be the Imperial Palace, an impressive structure built to be the home of the Empress, the Imperial Mother who gave birth to many Queens and Kings, and the many heiresses who ended up occupying its position for millennia. This Hanging Garden Ziggurat would have been an impressive structure seen from outside, with its elaborate green gardens with plants from all over the empire and walls painted in many colors, and even more impressive when seen on the inside, with marvelous fungi gardens and wall frescoes unseen in any other colony, enormous golden and silver statues of Minoan inspiration depicting the many Empresses and Emperors who reigned supreme over the Empires.


    Geosian Culture
    Geosian culture is communal and abhors individualism but not individuality. These insect people are individuals with free will (unlike eusocial insects) even though they grow to be an integral part of their colony-family. Since they are grubs they are taught to be part of the colony, to fulfill a role in society and to love one’s family, some detractors of Geosian culture say this is indoctrination and mind-washing, feeling uneasy with Geosian alien culture and feeling disgust with their altruist (some prefer to say unnatural) service and unyielding devotion. Individualism or the pursue of one’s benefit in detriment of others, competence and egotism do exist in some Geosian individuals (primarily Unfettered and Higher caste members) but these conducts are considered deeply harmful for the Colony, and are considered sin committed against the Family, the abandonment of the Filial Piety and Sibling Companionship.

    1. Family: the concept of family unit among Geosian is extended to whole colonies, all of the individuals forming it being children of the Royal Couple. Logically, some higher or usually external groups, like Unions or Guilds, usually considered as independent of the family among other races, are lesser groups considered as integral parts of the geosian family, synonymous with the Colony. All the colony members are siblings, organized accord to caste and age and committed to communal endeavor and personal work and responsibility. Filial piety, the respect for parents and ancestors, is a quasi-religious cardinal virtue who guides the Colony behavior, as it means to be good to the one’s (royal) parents, take care (working for) one’s parents, to perform the duties of one’s job well so as to maintain the Colony’s order and function, not to be rebellious, display courtesy, uphold fraternity/sorority among siblings, wisely advise one’s parents, display sorrow for their sickness and death of one’s parents, and to perform rituals after their death. In this sense, Geosian society is very Confusian at its core.
    2. Art: Geosian expressed their artistic spirit in the form of painting, sculpture, gardening, pottery and to a lesser extent in architecture. Painting is characterized by the typical profile view and side view common to Minoan, Babylonian and Egyptian painting. They used many and varied colors and forms, and tended to profusely portrait and represent the Royal Couple and, to a lesser extent, lower castes working and surface nature, sometimes trying to bring the overworld colors and lively spirit into their underground lairs. Colorful representations of the Queens and the female goddess of the Geosian are common, this last character usually surrounded by minor winged geosian “angels” (with termite wings). Sculpture, the second most profuse and well preserved form of art of the Geosian culture varied in style throughout time. Old style sculpture was somewhat rigid and extremely stylized, lifeless and with lower half like a uniform cylinder (Minoan Poppy Goddess), while home shrines usually had little representations of the mother similar to the Goddess of Myrtos. The “father” was usually less represented, but his statues tended to be like Babylonian divine idols. Both figures appeared usually in temples and shrines of the Geosian. Later Imperial sculpture tended to be more fluid and colorful, and while King representations continued to be distinctly Babylonian and Queen images were still Minoan inspired, Queen figures evolved into figures more fluid and colorful, similar to the Minoan Snake Goddess. Pottery, the last of the three geosian arts, was also very Minoan in style, with stylized jugs painted with linear patterns or with naturalistic motifs, while mass produced storage jars, unpainted and simple, with geometric design, was used in the storage rooms to preserve food.
    3. Alimentation: the basic constituent of geosian gastronomy is fungi and mushrooms, rarely complemented with different substances and ingredients. This “alien” alimentation can be exploited to make the game interesting. As fungi actually lack variation, some new kind of fungi will come in handy. Little (conical hat) and big fungi can be a basic variation, along with “coral fungi”. Rice-like yeast in a bowl can be another fungi form, along with spherical “gongylidia”, a fungus fruit harvested by ants and termites and last some form of truffle. To add some variation, geosians could have a “racial ability” to eat and digest wood, even though this should give them little satiety. Another interesting “underworld” food can be a “subterranean orchid”, growing along with fungi in geosian gardens. An energetic drink like “Nectar” produced by big aphid-cow can complement their boring gastronomy. In general terms, geosian are not fond of elaborated and spiced food, and their recipes are usually bland and most often than not very plain. Some surface colonies also developed algal cultivation in ponds, exporting sheets of dried alga to other colonies, as it became an stable and cheap food for the masses (along with bowls of yeast) along with the mysterious canned trophu (from trophallaxis and tofu), produced by digesters from wood and canned. As side dishes, and to compliment this mostly animal-protein-less diet, Geosians usually eat insect larvae, earthworms and other subterranean vermin.
    4. Belief: the most conspicuous and general belief upheld by all Geosian culture is a sincere devotion toward the Mother and the Father. The Mother is most likely the representation of the Queen of the Colony, who gives birth to every individual of the colony, as such it’s somewhat akin to a Mother Goddess with elements of a Earth Goddess. Female statues (mentioned in Art section) are both representation of the queen and this mother goddess. Some geosians believe that every planet is a “queen” or mother, and that they live inside it, in the womb, or that they will return to the mother when they die. This Mother represents motherhood, fertility, birth and the bounties of the earth and is sometimes said to have given birth to the very first royal couple. (As a side note, Mother Goddesses were very common in near east and Mediterranean civilization, Minoan civilization among them) The Father, on the other hand, usually represented as a standing royal figure, is complementary to the Mother but most often than not considered her consort. He dies cyclically, to be reborn anew, bringing with him the fertility needed for the Mother to conceive her children. He is seen also as a cultural hero, who brought the laws and writing with him, and who taught his children the art of fungiculture. He also represents death and the darkness of the underworld, welcoming geosians in death and judging them. He compliments his wife, as she is a goddess of birth and fertility, who allows fungi to grow and blesses eggs to hatch. The “Father” and the “Mother” should not be confused with the Count and the Countess of a colony, not with the Queen and the King of a planet. The Divine Couple are mythological and chthonic gods revered by the geosian, although their theology states that the Count and Countess are representations of them in a Colony (just as the Egyptian Pharaoh was seen as Horus in life).
    5. Legal system: just as a side note, the legal system of the Geosian has its own particularities as a result of their uncommon social structure. Inheritance, for example, works differently for the royal castes and the non-royal castes. Heirs and heiresses can inherit the place of the previous rulers/parents, but that’s not the case for the rest of the colony, as all of them are children of the royal couple. Nonetheless, younger siblings can inherit the work and place of older siblings, known as “Tutor Siblings” who take care of them and teach them their work. Different castes have different “Codes” and these codes are specific for the rank and caste, not applicable on other castes. Each code sets different standards, rights, crimes and punishments. Marriage, for example, is only considered in the “Violet Code” o “Magenta and Fuchsia Codes”, as the only members of the society allowed to marry are heirs, while the only married couple in the entire couple are the Queen/Countess and the King/Count. This doesn’t mean there are not universal crimes acknowledged by all geosian society, as is the case of regicide, the most atrocious crime recognized by geosians as a whole. Property is also a different concept in geosian, as the Colony is considered a family as a whole and it distributes equally it’s goods among its members. Unity rations and a home are assigned by the Colony and cannot be given away, a little wage is also given to all members of the society so as to give them the possibility to buy clothes and some extra stuff, like imported goods or deluxe food. Kingdom legal codes and imperial legal codes also specified laws and rights to be applied to Rulers, Colonies as “legal personas”, and even to Tributary or Protected races under the rule of the Geosian.


    Geosian Technology
    This alien race, just as every other race, can alternatively be assigned common yet personalized inorganic technology or can be assigned organic technology, something that has not been extensively used in the game. This “organic” technology is living matter with some technological implants but mostly modified structurally and biologically to fulfill some function. These living machines could be considered as living organisms able to self-replicate and evolve, an example of this can be easily found in games like “Half Life”, in the form of Synths, the Dark Elves on “The Elder Scrolls” or the Collectors in “Mass Effect”, but is also common in other media, like the Yuzhan Vong of “Star Wars Expanded Universe books”, Dune and even Discworld novels. Interestingly enough, humans ourselves have been playing with “organic” technology for a while, take for account horse as transport, elephants as war machines, construction of living bridges, even agriculture and cattle breeding, genetic engineering are forms of organic technology. Nature itself, in the form of bees and ants, show forms of organic development and these are inspiration for geosians. This strange combination of organic and robotic characteristic is also an interesting possibility from artistic perspective, just to downplay the biological part.

    Living guns able to spit acid or shooting venomous darts, living grenades able to exude noxious gases, neurotoxins or blinding odors are just as possible. Following this same idea, many other pieces of technology can be modified to appear organic, even heavy machinery and transports. One possible idea I have been thinking is a stellar ship resembling a gigantic Ohmu, a titanic woodlouse-like arthropod that appears in “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind”, a Ghibli studio film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Other possible forms vary, but it makes sense that it should be an arthropod creature able to withstand radiation, the void of space or the friction of an atmospheric re-entry thanks to its hard exoskeleton. Trilobites, some miriapods, even crustaceans can be easily used as inspiration.

    It’s not impossible to complete the idea of organic technology with some kind of bacterial computer, living cells able to generate geosians bioships, even living materials able to regenerate and grow over time. Organic technology can extend down to the very geosian species, as genetic engineering can create individuals that spit acids or chemical glues, that produce wax or edible substances (akin to bees), or individuals that produce paper with plant fiber and saliva to utilize in many different structures, up to houses and entire villages and down to beds and umbrellas.

    A necessary logical end to this relatively new technological branch is the barrier or incompatibility with totally inorganic robotic or cybernetic technology. Once a civilization goes in some direction (organic or robotic), it’s difficult to turn back or change it. In this way, a common mechanic (like Penguin Pete or his penguin companions) will be unable to help the geosian to repair their ships or extend them, mostly because they lack the necessary knowledge to do so. Geosians then will be relatively independent and will need to recur to different specialist in the area of “organic” technology. This means a geosian will recur to another geosian or, alternatively, to another species able to help them, a species with the necessary expertise in the field of “organic” technology, this second possibility I will discuss in a later section.

    An interesting question about this “organic” development is the relationship of Geosian race with robots such as the Glitch. This question is easily answerable but not recurring to the geosian view of technology but their work ethic. Geosians are, in a sense, workaholics, and live for work and for they colony. Their philosophy states that “life is work and to work is to live”, and as such inactivity is considered death and laziness a sin. Robots, as they are designed to work and to replace living workforce, are inconceivable in Geosian development, as this will deprive them of work and will make them unnecessary and superfluous. Geosians do not like robots but don’t hate them either, but won’t accept them in their society because that would cause them distress. This conflictive relationship with robotic technologies has led to struggles between geosian and other races, or would have if Geosians weren’t so isolationist and xenophobes.



    Geosian Biology
    As a race, Geosians are basically insectoid aliens whose appearance is inspired mostly by termites. The most distinctive trait, easily recognizable in their morphology is their hard quitinous head like a helmet, while their thorax and abdomen is by a quitinous, although not as hard, exoskeleton (somewhat similar to the Turian form “Mass Effect”). Even though this exoskeleton may seem like a protective armor, it is not as hard as other substances, and does not confer that much of a defense to the common Geosian and so they recur to the use of armors and space suits. The helmet-like head of the Geosian is harder in warrior castes (even harder in Praetorian Violet Caste members) and grows in distinctive frills (like ceratopsian dinosaurs) and forms according to caste. Some castes, usually the warrior, soldier, police and praetorian sometimes even show horns according to subcaste. These frills can develop diverse colors and forms but can also be painted.

    Geosians have four distinctive eyes, two internal and two external, and two pais of jaws that grow more prominent and fearsome in the warrior castes (Head and jaws would change together as a unit in the character selection, as jaw-frill combination depends on caste and are not independent). In lower castes and administrative castes, the jaws are less prominent. Warrior castes are usually bigger and stronger than worker and administrative castes, and their bodily armor is also somewhat harder, sturdier, with a well-developed armor collar around the neck. Antenae are present in all members of the Geosian, and these act as multiple function sensitive organs, useful for touch, taste, smell and even perceiving heat and vibrations. In the course of evolution, Geosians have almost lost the second pair of legs, although it is present and well developed in the royal castes and Praetorian guard. Of the two extra pairs of legs, the first pair are the arms, and the second two are the legs, both pairs being covered with quitinous exoskeleton. All articulations of the Geosian bodies are usually soft and can be considered weak sports in their anatomy.

    The royal castes (Magenta and Fuchsia) have some peculiarities when compared to some lesser castes. First of all, Magenta Caste members (alternatively included in the Violet Caste in the reduced system), heirs, heiresses, princess and princesses, secondary Kings and Queens, usually have wings at least until they become part of Royal Couples and begin a new colony or replace their parents. This has led to them being represented as angelical forms surrounding their parents considered as living gods. Among all the members of the Colony, the most radical and distinct anatomy is that of the Queen, and, in second instance, that of the secondary queens. The Queen, unlike any other member of the colony, is usually voluminous and enormous in size, her lower half having transformed in the Royal Womb that constantly gives birth to her many children. Countesses, Queens and Empresses have wombs increasingly bigger, and although bloated, their royal womb is usually uniform in appearance, smooth on the surface, and sometimes it is painted with many forms and figures. The King form is more uniform and his differences are not as extreme as those of the Queens when compared to the rest of the colony.

    Last but not least is the development of Geosians from egg to adult form. Between these two stages there are four stages of development also equated to the four “styles” of starter clothing. During development, geosian are feed with different “jellies” secreted by the nurses of the “Turquoise Caste” (or Green Caste) according to the caste they will be part of when they reach adulthood. These jellies have different colors according to the corresponding caste and help the grubs develop their adult forms and characteristics. Once eggs hatch, a little Larva comes out, this will eventually turn into a Pupa, later it will turn to Nympha, and the last form before becoming an adult is that of Imago. During these stages of development, the little geosian are attended by the same Turquoise Caste nurses that feed them and reside in the Nurseries, occupying their own niches, until they reach adulthood.

    Some will consider the Geosian as a non-binary society, the Geosians should not know the difference between sexes and as such should be a monotonous uniform race. That’s far from true. Geosians do differentiate between male and female, as they have two very important “role” figures, the King and the Queen. Even though Geosians lack distinctive sexual differences in lower and non-reproductive castes, they are distinguished thanks to traditional and cultural traits. Like the Queen, women imitate her using dresses and sometimes painting some symbols in their faces to imitate their mother. Men, on the other hand, use shorter clothing and use no shirts. Body long dresses are worn by women, but they have no problem going bare-chested as they have no breasts to hide (their dresses are similar to Minoan priestly dresses). Beyond this simple sexual differentiation, lines between sexes often become blurred as there are no external characteristic defining one or the other sex and sometimes individuals chose what they want to be. Women and men live separated in sororal or fraternal houses, usually accompanied by their younger tutored sibling. Among member of the same caste and sub-caste there are ranks given in accordance to merit and age, without considering the sex of the workers.


    sand-in-weird-places+snail.png
    Geosian History
    Geosian home planet was inhabited and dominated by monstrous insects the size of mammals, some big as cows, long as anacondas or with the wingspan of an eagle. These insectoid arthropods evolver during a period when the planet atmosphere had plentiful amount of oxygen. A group of these insects developed organs similar to lungs thanks to some mutations. These mutations proved very useful when the concentration of atmospheric oxygen went down. Some of these lineages thrived and evolved and one of these races, a cockroach-like species began to evolve toward eusocial behavior. This lineage also began to develop a complex neuronal system that, in time, gave rise to consciousness and intelligence. One of its descendant species became the modern Geosians.

    Geosians evolved in fear of the monstrous predators that inhabited along them in the jungles and forests of Geosia. The developed a complex strategy of defense to be able to counter these threats. The primitive geosians began to build complex structures with what they had at hand, wood, stone, earth, and they also set the foundations of their eusocial behavior. They allowed only one female to reproduce and one male to be her consort, while the rest of the colony remained celibate, working endlessly to improve their cities and societies as brothers and sisters. The position of the Royal Couple ascended to the apex of the society, always followed by a complex set of rules, and the rest of the families and societies evolved, building a complex culture. Primitive geosian culture turned around the Queen and inside the Colony, this much didn’t change as the geosian discovered new technologies and their civilization grew stronger.

    Geosians discovered flight and soon spaceflight followed. An immense and unexplored void and infinite stars opened their doors to the Geosians. They saw the stars but their fears remained they were afraid of the openness of the external world, its dangers, its threats and its secrets. Nonetheless, some queens refused to yield. Some day their world was going to end up being insufficient for the growing Geosian civilization. Soon, the Unfettered where born, and they were willing to go out there and explore, to die discovering new worlds, to serve the colony from afar, to be free yet to have a place where to return. Many geosian ships traveled across the void of space and discovered many new planets.

    Soon the geosian founded their first extra-planetary colonies and soon too they met the first alien race, the Numinal. Together, Geosian and Numinal signed a pact of exploration and settled a diplomatic capital in an amazing and enormous complex of Ancient Ruins. Something made them remember a long time ago they had been favored by a benevolent race which gave them some responsibility to protect the universe. Just a few centuries later, the Numinal Union and the League of Geosian Worlds signed a new treaty, effectively founding the new Defenders League. This helped their civilization to expand and colonize new worlds, share technology, trade all kind of resources and discover new races. In time, the Numinal met the Vespian, taught the Frogg and even contacted with the Tolos. The Geosian in turn met the Alphean and Goniati, ascended the Ratopi to the spatial era and invited the Ranfos to the inner council of the Defenders League.

    The contact with the Alphean and Goniati proved specially fruitful, as soon the Geosian began to learn and perfect the arts of “organic” technologies. This stranded their relationship with the Numinal, as their civilization benefited from the technology trade with the Geosian. Finally the Geosian adopter completely the “organic” technological branches, leaving behind most of the mechanic technologies and robotics. This, conflated with the territorial conflicts and longstanding opposing opinion of the Numinal against the recent declaration of the Geosian Empire (headed by the Empress) and the distrust of the Geosian-Alphean partnership soon gave rise to conflicts and finally to the so called Rainbow Wars. That name was given to the conflict by the Numinal because they saw some irony in the fact that the conflict faced a race able to change color and an alien race unable to change color (given the fact the Geosian social hierarchy was based on a color spectrum). This war was disastrous for both sides.

    The Geosian Empire, ruled by the Empress, whose seat was locater in the Tower of Gardens of Cretissos, had many empresses leading the Empire along with her Emperor consorts but the conflict proved nefarious to the state. When the war was declared, the Empire was unprepared to face such a big scale war against a powerful state. For many years, the Geosian resisted with the help of the Alphean Empire, but the Empresses were not prepared to face this threat. Even though the Geosians were more numerous, the Numinal had armies of mass produced robots to compensate for their low numbers and also had cut-edge technology. After many defeats and a lot of court scheming and palatial intrigue, a new Empress occupied the throne of the Geosian Empire.

    This queen was soon named God-Empress of the Geosian, as she was unlike any other empress that preceded her. She was not only bigger but also completely white, something that gave her some divine presence. She began to rule with iron fist and ruthless decisions, becoming a full-fledged dictator. She surrounded herself with alphean, geosian and goniati ministers and experts, ordered the development of new organic technologies and trained a new order of soldiers, policemen and guards. This new caste was christened “the White”, even though they were also called the “Ultraviolet”, just as she was considered the Ultraviolet Empress and the White Empress. Some more critical of this new armed force and military saw the excesses they committed and nicknamed it the “Ultra-Violent”. Nonetheless the new trained and elite army was successful in the battleground and the war began to turn the tides. White Caste scientist even began to research in mysterious projects.

    Under the God-Empress guidance, the Geosians won the war. When this conflict ended, the Numinal almost disappeared leaving no trace, the Vespian, before a superpower, now was in a ruinous state. The Geosians had destroyed many worlds, just as the Numinal did, and the Agaran menace was free, their creators had to do something. The actions taken to decimate the Agaran crippled the delicate economy of the Geosian, and soon after that, the Alphean declared war against the Ranfos, the Seashore wars that ended in a tie between to destroyed empires. The God Empress continued to rule for many years, as it was said that she was immortal. Nonetheless, after various millennia she finally died under mysterious circumstances, even though she left many clones sleeping in many worlds. Many of these were destroyed by the very geosians, almost all by queens who didn’t want the God-Empress dictatorship to return.

    Unable to protect the galaxy, the Ancient took back their six beacons, taking away the great responsibility they had bestowed upon the now decadent races of the galaxy and kept them for several millennia until six new races where prepared to face the dangers that could possibly bring the end of the world. The Geosians, being the least damaged civilization of the Defenders league retreated to their deep cities in the underworld, hoping to forget the crimes they commited and waiting in case the God-Empress returned or the Agaran woke up from their imposed ignorance.

    Related Races and Critters
    While confined to their original planet now lost in space or even destroyed under mysterious circumstances, Gesoians faced many different risks and dangers, and, among these, where a plethora of different animals of mysterious species. These monsters made them the xenophobe and isolationist species they are, as they always retreated into their defensive city-fortresses needing protection of their family. Some of these dangers, as the Geosian culture expanded, began to travel with them, followed them into the unknown. Some animals, on the other hand, began to be domesticated by the Geosian as the insectoid race began to discover they were useful, able to produce materials like silk or nutritive substances like nectar. As they became more civilized, they domesticated giant aphids, giant caterpillars and even giant snails to feed on their meat.

    As geosian culture reached is Golden Age and began to travel through space, they discovered many different alien races and began forming a full-fledged galactic community. A possible idea is that in the past, a different set of aliens were given the role of guardians by the Ancestors, before the rise of the actual six species. One of these ancient races could have been the Geosians, interacting with other alien species until their fall in disgrace and disappearance from the galaxy. This “disappearance” could have been caused by many different motifs, like the return of the Ruin, endless wars among empires or the simple decadence and eventual dismemberment of these galactic empires. These intelligent advanced races may have no connection with the next races in the “cycle” of galactic civilization, may have retreated to far away planets or even may have alternatively reached a point of near extinction.

    Races
    • Numinal: (Byzantine) ancient race of chameleonine aliens. These aliens were one of the six chosen races to be part of the “Defenders League”, and for a long time they were allies of the Geosian. Numinal where scheming and cunning experts in robotic and mechanics and headed in technology for many centuries. When the Geosians started to drift toward organic technologies, this caused a rift between both races. The Numinal were governed by the Numinal Union, a complex network of political alliances between noble families, and their society was organized around clans. The Numinal allied themselves with the Vespian and Frogg and betrayed the Geosian, declaring war conquering a Geosian planet. The Numinal developed robotics, cloning sciences, created mechas and ships able to be invisible and trained spies able to use camouflage to become almost invisible. Finally the devastating “Rainbow War” (as the Numinal named it) ended with the defeat of the Numinal, brought to the brink of extinction, and their allies being subjugated. Some of their last settlements were laboratories inhabited by clones of few scientists. They don’t have a concept of romantic love, having as other put it, “cold blood”, and sexuality was strictly for the purpose of reproduction.
    • Alphean: (Ming Chinese) a race of eusocial shrimp-lobster people. During the time of the Geosian, they soon ended up discovering their underwater colonies. Alpheans were skilled in organic technology long before the Geosians and actually they helped their terrestrial counterparts perfect the art. Alpheans had a long time relationship with de Goniati, their most trusted allies, as these cephalopod aliens were expert organic technology shapers and cultivators. Alphean built their houses and palaces with sponge and corals, and, like the Geosian, where eusocial arthropods. They organized their societies around Duchesses, and later they also developed an imperial state around the Grand Empress. This “Empire” had a lesser extent compared to the Geosian Empire, and more often than not these two races shared planets as they ruled over dissociated environments (earth and sea, respectively). One of their most valued secrets was the production of “sea silk”, extracted from oysters, and also used extensively pearls and mother-of-pearl for adornment. Grand Empresses ruled in the successive Pearl, Amber, Coral, Nacre, Abalone, Copal, Morse, Ammolite and Seashell dynasties. As metal and paper were hard to obtain and manipulate in deep sea, Alphean monetary system used cowry shells and sand dollars as a medium of exchange. Later Alphean culture turned around the Grand Empress, although her power was largely ceremonial, and their art profusely represented dragon-lobsters, mythological creatures with magical powers prominent in Alphean lore (akin to Chinese dragons). During the Rainbow Wars they allied with the Geosians in the Imperial Alliance.
    • Vespian: (Harappan/India) a graceful wasp-bee race. This race developed and thrived in jungles, grasslands, forests and even dry savannahs and flourished thanks to the commerce of wax, honey, nectar and propolis. Thanks to this they amassed great wealth, and were fond of using precious metals to adorn high ranking members of their society. They venerated the “Sun”, priest and queens using golden sun masks made of gold to impersonate it. Dancing was an important art among the vespian, and their architecture utilized mostly paper produced with plant fiber and saliva, so it was at the same time resistant, waterproof and very cheap. Entire cities were built with these paper structures and they perfected so much their art that they were able to build entire castles and palaces out of paper. On the other hand it was not particularly resistant in event of war or natural disasters. They were a female dominated society, their Queen-Priestess directing their daily sun worshiping ceremonies. Females occupied many ranks in their social hierarchy, while males where generally confined to the palace or cloisters, abbeys or dedicated to asceticism. In the later years of the Council, they allied with the Numinal but as part of the losing side of the war were reduced to a miserable Protectorate state when the Geosian won the conflict. Their houses usually had sealed hexagonal jars where they stored honey and other products, and this form let them organize these in high walls of tightly piled up jars. This same hexagonal pattern was used in libraries and drug-stores.
    • Ranfos: (Roaring Twenties) shy race of pterosaurian aliens. Unlike the other five races of the alliance, the Ranfos kept their neutral stance during the Rainbow War. They developed in forest planets where they ended up losing their ability to fly. At first their nest evolved in wooden houses and, in time, not having lost their taste for heights, these evolved into tall buildings. Ranfos liked to use dresses and suits, females adorning themselves with feathery headdresses and boas. Males, with their colorful and sometimes well developed crest and tail-sail had no need to use these ornaments. Of the six races that formed the “Defenders League”, Ranfos had the smallest economy in the council.
    • Frogg: (Amazonian) sub-race of jungle dwelling colorful frog people. It is possible that the Numinal sent their missionaries to teach the Frogg after their first encounter in the swampy and jungle original planet of the Frogg. The races of the jungle and forest were quicker to learn the Numinal sciences and some centuries after that they were traveling through space to colonize new planets and beginning merchant enterprises with commercial partners. Jungle Froggs were more colorful than their cryptic swamp cousins, showing skins colored yellow, blue, red, black and orange in many different patterns, not just the green and brown colors of their cousins. Jungle Frogg skin was very poisonous, and like the Numinal, their diet consisted primarily on insects, some of which the Numinal bought for consumption. Even though somewhat primitive, the Frogg proved a valuable asset in war, as their flexibility, agility and expertise with poisons and hunting was very useful for espionage and assault tactics. Nonetheless, the Numinal side of the war lost and the Frogg retreated to the protection of their jungle planets.
    Minor Races
    • Ratopi: (Tibetan) intelligent race of alien mole rats. They were ascended to the space age by the Geosian, and were commonly seen as their protégés (possibly a Protectorate). The Ratopi organized around a Baroness (or alternatively a “Abbess”) who ruled a colony, having between one and three Barons (or “Abbots”), while the rest of the colony where considered “monks” and “nuns” and worked hard to maintain it running. Ratopi architecture resembled Himalayan architecture, but their building and houses usually were built head down hanging on the roof of caves. Their “communities” were usually built over lakes, and more often than not in shared planets, ratopi abbeys were built near Geosian underworld cities. Ratopi also usually built “stupas”, usually entirely white while in many planets the more important stupas were made of gold. Geosians provided with enough gold to build these because they had no use for this metal. Ratopi clothing was usually red, saffron or yellow and like their masters, they painted profusely their homes and abbeys, although their style was quite different.
    • Goniati: (Organic) race of super intelligent ammonoid aliens. The originally marine aliens evolved to breathe as well as they were able of jet propulsion in water (just as other cephalopods). They didn’t develop neither an exoskeleton nor an endoskeleton, but their resilient helix shell proved a great defense against predators and the weather. Goniati had many strong tentacles able to manipulate and exert a lot of strength, just as they were skillfully used to manipulate tools of all kinds. Goniati had three main brains an many lesser brains depending on the individual, and as such were very intelligent. These large molluscoid aliens where used as computer by some species, especially Alpheans, and were highly esteemed by other races. They continued to grow slowly as they aged, reaching impressive sizes at old ages, and were then unable to move out of water without help. Their heavy shell could be an impediment for locomotion but they had four strong arms to manipulate their environment. Goniati perfected the art of organic technology and biological manipulation and as such were sought after by the Alphean and Geosian alike and were well respected.
    • Tolos: (Incan) mysterious race of silicon beings. The best human word to describe these mineral beings is “golem” and in many ways they are very similar to those legendary constructs. Their siliceous body evolved in an acidic and magmatic environment of a Venus-like world, surrounded by mercury seas, endless methane storms and calcareous trees. The Tolos were very intelligent and they constructed a prosperous empire in their world, discovered interstellar travel and some even say they know mysterious secrets, like the ability to walk in star surface or to move entire world from their orbit. The shroud of mystery that surrounded them was fruit of contact with other races, primarily because their environment was very hostile and because without protector suits they could explode in different atmospheres and chemistries. Nonetheless they built impressive palaces in mountains (like the Incan), glorious tombs for their kings (similar to Moche pyramids and tombs), developed their own artistic pottery. The Tolos worshiped enormous monolithic carved stones (like the Chavín civilization) and mummified their ancestors, although it was not so difficult considering their rocky anatomy. They build enclosed citadels with walls full of images of fauna and geometric patterns and also erected enormous stone statues of their ancestors (akin to Rapa Nui Moai). They occupied a position similar to that of the Novakid in galactic society.
    • Agaran: (Tribal) modified race of intelligent fungi. During the great “Rainbow War”, a long sought geosian project was finally completed. As their experiment reached completion in their underworld cities the Numinal feared what they could have created. Soon they discovered the new secret weapon of the Geosian, an intelligent fungal life form able to extend itself through spores. This violent new race soon proved to be a great asset in the war, as the Agaran soon decimated the Verpian armies and waged endlessly against the Numinal forces. Soon, the chamaleonine enemies of the Geosian retreated to their worlds and offered to surrender. Although the God-Empress accepted their surrender, the Agarans where not as eager to return to the underworld cities of the geosian civilization and continued fighting against the Numinal. Soon the ancient proud race of reptiles was brought to the brink of extinction, having lost their planets to the fungal pest and fled to lost worlds among the stars. The Geosian began an arduous mission to reduce the threat they had created bombarded worlds with antifungal gases and used dangerous fungivore species to fight against the Agaran. Finally the agaran were defeated, but the damage they did could not be undone. The Geosian feared the monsters they created could return some day to take revenge.
    • Cerox: (Mongolian) four legged centaurian ant race. The cerox originated in a world with hypergravity and as such they adapted to resist it. They were a large quadruped race of arthropod origin who developed enormous strength, strong arms and a resistant exoskeleton, adapted to resist many hits. Once they escaped the strong gravity of their homeworld, other aliens feared their amazing strength. Their quick life style ended up took them to many different planets were they rallied settlements, in some worlds the hordes of Cerox were feared and respected. Strangely, even more than the Vespian, the Cerox were an all female race of Amazonians who killed their men after they mated with them. They were ruled by a Chatun, the cerox mother-queen ruling over a horde, and their family was ranked according to size and age. The Cerox were a nomadic people who traveled great extensions, feared the sea and lived in yurts made by the Order of Weavers. They loved gold and precious metals and traded dyes and tinctures with which they adorned their queen and painted themselves in complex patterns. They had an interesting rivalry against the Geosian, as they ravaged their colonies many times in many worlds and the Geosian exterminated many Hordes wanting to destroy their colonies.


    Cattle and Pet
    • Scarab: these little beetle friends usually travel along with the Unffetered geosians and can also be seen in their underground cities. These beetles evolved from giant burrowing beetles that excavated their way through the ground. Later they were used by the geosian as a beast of burden, used to transport heavy weights. It’s not uncommon to see Geosian merchants, also known as the “Beetle-Heads” because of the hats they use, being accompanied by the bigger cousins of these little friends.
    • Pomi: cute cow-like insect similar to a Flufflalo, can be milked to obtain nectar, or can be feed with fungi, algae or flowers. These can be bought as eggs in Geosian markets and can only hatch and grow in mushroom patches. It’s not uncommon to see various of these creatures feeding near Geosian cities (both in the surface or in the underworld) and can also be seen walking around in geosian cities (like sacred cattle in India). The Cerox had a different, sturdier race of Pomi which usually traveled with them. Possibly the cerox pomis were the original race of pomi.
    • Cargot: peaceful and slow snails that eat fungi in Geosian gardens.Although not as common as the Pomi, the cargot are usually raised by the Geosian because they feed on fungi and can easily grow down in the darkness around the Geosian cities. The Cargot can be slaughtered to obtain mead and their shell, but Geosians usually keep cargot alive and cut little pieces of their body as these will regenerate. They also can deposit many eggs than can be harvested and eaten as caviar and their mucus is used by the Geosian as a natural low tie medicament. Although they appear to have two horns, two eyes and a mouth, their real eyes are located at the top of the so called horns which can be retracted.
    • Goniati: it’s not strange to see these little fellows on board of the Geosian ships, as they are experts on organic technology. They can repair ships, use bacterial computers, can help growing new section in coral houses o realize improvements. It’s not strange either to see older Goniati, sometimes hundreds years old, as computers of bigger ships as their multiple brain are prepared to handle a lot of incoming information.
    • Bombi: a cattle species similar to horse faced silkworms, able to produce silk and also, as meat, part of geosian alimentation. This proved somewhat more difficult to imagine or design and I don’t know how it can look. Even though aphid-cow and giant snails are more than enough, caterpillar-pigs or some other combinations also seem like an interesting possibility.
    • Porcelo: big woodlouse similar to Ohmu but terrestrial, smaller, raised as pigs by the geosian herders and eaten as such. These eat mostly dead plant matter and to a lesser extent fungi, and some geosian dishes cook these inside their shells (something like the dishes in “Emperor’s New Groove” restaurant). Smaller versions of these could also be pets in ships. Different colonies usually raise different animals, like Pomi, Cargot, Bombi of Porcelo, and later trade among them. Porcelo meat is somewhat cheaper than other meats and is considered food for lower castes.

    Final Thoughts and Conclusion
    I don’t know if somebody is gonna like my idea, and I do know it’s a little complex to implement, or even to make a mod out of it, but I had to share it as I don’t lose anything by doing so. I added a little image to offer an idea of what the “Geosians” look like (little termite-ant people) and also their pet, cattle and the Goniati, even though all of it can be changed later. I someone likes what I’ve written, I have no problem doing some more images, like their starter clothing, some statue or even some items (especially those mentioned in the “Alimentation” section), quite simple things, as I am no pixel artist to do bigger or more complex things. I can also upload bigger versions of the Geosian as photos. As for extra information (mostly world building information), minor and extra races mentioned earlier are not an essential part of the “Geosian” race, but they helped my form my idea and are mentioned as part of the sketchy “Geosian History”. I can design them later (as I already have some sketches of them), If anyone asks for it, and their ideas are in more basic stages than that of the Geosian.

    I made a lot of references that maybe I will end up piling in a final sections, and even though this race post is somewhat long, It nonetheless lacks some more sections, like associated monsters and bosses that I didn’t include because it was not the post to do so. I can also add some more images to the post If somebody wants, even though all inspirations I have mentioned can easily be found by typing what I have mentioned in Google.

    I am new in this, both in suggesting a new race and also in the Forum, and as such, If I have broken any rules, you just have to tell me. I am also no native English speaker, and I may have written down a lot of mistakes and errors, I hope that doesn’t annoy you. After all that, and some two days of elaboration, I hope you like it and if you have any questions, anything is not clear or if I have forgotten something, just mention it.
     
    Last edited: Aug 23, 2016
  2. Jareix Cryvix

    Jareix Cryvix The Waste of Time

    This... This is actually quite impressive... While CF has already confirmed that they won't be adding any races, this would be really neat to make into a race mod. It's actually pretty easy to make a race mod, so you could probably do it yourself. Though if you wanted any help, I could assist you.
     
    TheFloranChef and Arra like this.
  3. Relten

    Relten The Waste of Time

    I think he might have some head clipping issues though...
     
  4. Jareix Cryvix

    Jareix Cryvix The Waste of Time

    Perhaps. Can't the frames files be edited though?
     
  5. Bonten888

    Bonten888 Aquatic Astronaut

    Well, thank for reading that wtext wall and thank you for reading. About the mod idea, It sound really interesting, even though I have no experience doing mods. I don't know what can be done or how difficult it may be, all seems more difficult when you don't know how to do it. I have put a lot of thought on this idea and it would be nice to see it becoming true, even through a mod. I am no pixel artist but I kinda liked how mi little aliens came out. I'll tray to do some more images of items and maybe I will try to build a city to upload an image of it. As for now, I don't even know how or where to start.
     
    Relten and Jareix Cryvix like this.
  6. Jareix Cryvix

    Jareix Cryvix The Waste of Time

    Well. You can start with unpacking the assets and taking look at a referential mod. Not but a few months ago, my own race was little more than a colossal wall of text, much like yours. Now, it's a wall of text with a WIP mod to download with it. Just start tinkering and you'll start to realize how easy it is.
     
  7. Kronnos

    Kronnos Scruffy Nerf-Herder

    when would be finished?
     
  8. Bonten888

    Bonten888 Aquatic Astronaut

    I have no experience doing this so it can take some time. I have done some little things already but it is next to nothing give the complexity of the project.
     
  9. Jareix Cryvix

    Jareix Cryvix The Waste of Time

    Hey, if you want any help with coding anything, go ahead and send me an IM.
     
  10. Bonten888

    Bonten888 Aquatic Astronaut

    Well, I've been trying basic things at first, little asset changes and changing some images too, there are a lot of guides and tutorials on the web and these have been very usefel. I've been sketching some new things, searching new information and trying change some designs I had in mind (like the living spaceship, it has proved being a interesting challenge!) As for now, I have done minor changes and nothing too difficult.
    There are many things I may try later, as adding items, different pets and even NPC's exclusives to the Geosian colonies, even the "antagonistic" members of the race. Some ideas, like specific castes I mentioned before seem specially challenging. I have though some new characteristics I haven't posted yet, I don't know where I should add them or even If someone is interested. A civilization of eusocial insects is usually not the most popular idea, you know? I have a liking for eusocial animals that not everyone shares with me (If it was not evident enough reading my first post).
    I'll send you an IM if I have some problem though! Otherwise, any recommendation will come in handy, any ideas or sugestions are welcome!
     
    Last edited: Aug 29, 2016
    Jareix Cryvix likes this.
  11. Kronnos

    Kronnos Scruffy Nerf-Herder

  12. Bonten888

    Bonten888 Aquatic Astronaut

    Well, one idea i had some time ago is to have subterranean beetle like those as beast of burden used by the merchant caste. Somewhat akin to donkeys or camels, usually grazing near Geosian merchants near underground lakes or inside geosian cities. To found some of these traveling in caravans across the undergrond caverns will come in handy to sell items or to buy geosian items exclusive to the underground world.
     
  13. Kronnos

    Kronnos Scruffy Nerf-Herder

    I love the idea of your mod because I like bugs , I hope impatient when you finish is a great mod
     
  14. Omegagreen

    Omegagreen Starship Captain

    One of the most well-planned races. I would definitely play as this (I would prefer the 12 colour system personally)
     
    Jareix Cryvix likes this.
  15. TaterChipp007

    TaterChipp007 Master Chief

    Novakids are wack, I want to be a Geosian.
     

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