Post by Meira on Apr 7, 2012 16:33:08 GMT -5
Species Name: Duine
Species Type: Mammalian
Planet of Origin: An Domhan
Average Maximum age: 70
Age of Maturation: 15
Average Height: 4.5 ft.
Average Weight: 75 lbs.
Notable biological features:
In a word: bat-like. The Duine have a thin, loose membrane, called pata that connects from the wrist to the waist under either arm which facilitates in catching updrafts and allows for limited gliding capabilities. A complex sinus systems allows for bio-sonar clicks and whistles and large ears pick up the faintest of sounds. Their large eyes are deceptively weak in vision, but a peculiar adaptation has caused the auditory complex of their brain to tap into the optic nerve, allowing for visual stimuli to also be interpreted as sound. This adaptation allows the Duine to navigate without the constant use of bio-sonar, though it is considerably less precise. They have soft, short fur that covers their bodies, apart from the pata. This fur is black, with patterns of white or silver that vary between individuals. Both hands and feet sport thumbs, making all four useful for manipulating objects.
The Duine are marsupials. At birth, the infant Duine is no larger than the palm of its mother's hand. The infant is kept inside the mother's pouch where it is able to feed and grow safely for the next several months. At around two months, the infant is developed enough to be carried outside the pouch and begins to move on its own. Walking begins at around 7 months, but the child will continue to occasionally return to its mother's pouch to feed until around one year old.
At this age, the pata are fully developed and the child is capable of supervised gliding. Duine are considered children until about 10 years old, at which point they are considered adolescent. By 15, they are considered adults. 45 is considered middle age and 60 is considered elderly. Those who make it past 70 are fairly rare and are held in great esteem. The brood caste rarely lives into their 60s.
Of particular note: Because of the dark conditions of their planet and their weak eyes, Duine require eye protection when in places that are lit to "normal standards". They are also most comfortable sleeping upside down, hanging by their back feet.
Number of limbs and Type: Four, all useable as hands, though the front two tend to be used more often. Front hands used for balance while moving.
Culture: The Duine have a collective sense of belonging. Care for one another is a natural instinct and cruelty, though not unheard of, is quite uncommon. They live in city-states, referred to as colonies.
Each colony is ruled over by a Sean-fuil, or "old blood" family. This family holds the loyalty of any number of noble, Uasal, families. In this sense, they are a feudal society. However, when needed, the old bloods of various colonies with convene to collectively make decisions. In this sense, they are an oligarchy.
Below the noble class exists the largest group within the Duine caste system; the commoners, or oibri. This group has the most diversity and makes up the bulk of business owners, traders, and other working-class people. The commoners pay taxes to the nobles, who in turn pay their own taxes to the old bloods.
The lowest caste, and most misunderstood by outsiders, is the brood, or choir. Natural social breeding behavior among the Duine has evolved the brood caste into a simple-minded group suited toward easy tasks and manual labor. Alien efforts to unshackle the brood from their doomed lives of servitude have proven fruitless. The brood are exceptionally content in their lives, and are indeed well cared for. Their homes are made in what is called the "commons". The commons are overseen by a sect of the religious order and simple and comfortable quarters that suit the caste perfectly.
Outside of this main hierarchy are two castes with their own structure. These are the dilis and the mac leinn.
Dilis
The dilis are those who submit themselves to the religious life. The Duine believe in a deity they call Mathair, or mother. She is, essentially a nature deity, and they revere their planet as being her body. It is the mindset of the Duine as the Mother's children that facilitates their communal bond. Among the religious caste, there are four sub categories:
Priestesses, known as faid form the leadership of the caste and are religious figureheads in the Duine community. They oversee all religious rites and festivals. In more ancient times, they were prophets, but in the modern era they serve more as spiritual advisers. Only female Duine can become priestesses and this rank is celibate. Priestesses live cloistered in the Temple of the Mother, of which each colony has one.
Healers, or bandraoi, practice a combination of spiritual and medical remedies for the sick and injured. The balance these healers have struck between the scientific and spiritual aspects of medicine is a beautiful example of the Duine's harmonic existence within their own ecosystem. Like the priestess rank, healers are celibate females. Healers live in the hospitals where they work.
The Daughters and Sons, collectively known as leanai are tasked with the general welfare of the brood caste and all other charity and general works required of the dilis. They are a non-celibate rank which males are allowed to join. Members of this rank live within the community, as many are married and have families.
The Brood level members, known as soineanta, perform general labor and other duties for the sect. Like the Brothers and Sisters, males are allowed in this non-celibate rank. Brood ranked members live in the commons.
Mac Leinn
The mac leinn are the keepers of law, history, and song. They are the cultural center of Duine life and even their lowest members maintain a form of esteem wherever they may travel. All mac leinn will begin their lives within the caste at a college. Each colony has its own and while members tend to remain at their home colony's college, transferring to another is not unheard of.
Their highest ranks, the brehons are consultants to nobles and old bloods and keepers of legal decisions and judgements. This rank is very exclusive and requires a lifetime commitment to continuous study.
The historians, starai keep heraldic records as well as the general histories of the Duine. Most are teachers and professors and remain close to the colleges where they earned their title.
The fili are poets and philosophers and are the most common of this caste. Many have the patronage of nobles or even old bloods, but most are wanderers and romantics at heart.
The scop are the least refined, though not untalented, of this caste. Often known for their jester-like performances, they seek to entertain above all else. They are also known for their crude and base humor.
Young Duine attend schools from about 3 until their adolescent years around 10. After this, they enter into more specific training or schooling toward chosen professions, or simply begin their working lives. A Duine is legally recognized as an adult at 15. The dilis and mac leinn both accept new members after 10 years of age, though the mac leinn are more selective. Depending on the desired path a prospective mac leinn caste member wishes to pursue, certain tests or requirements must first be met before admittance is allowed.
Perhaps the most prominent feature of Duine culture is the importance of song. Indeed, the word for one's soul in the Duine language, anam is synonymous and interchangeable with song. Because vision also carries with it an auditory interpretation, beings are said to have their own music about them. Each is unique and beautiful, and is just as important to a Duine as some might place on physical appearance or personality. In fact, in the rare instance of violent crime or cruel behavior, the transgressor is often labeled gad anam, or "soulless/songless" and cast out from Duine society.
History:
Much of the ancient history of the Duine is clouded with legends and fables. The most prevalent being that of the "first children". This legend, however, has been partially substantiated by archeological discoveries made over the the course of history. The legend was that the first children were beloved by the Mother and given free reign of the planet to do as they saw fit. But the first children were greedy and proud and ignored to songs of the Mother. As punishment, they were wiped out.
Evidence suggests that An Domhan did indeed support an ancient civilization at some point in history. Records and artifacts are rare, however, due to the nature of the events that led to the planet's current condition. Hundreds of thousands of years ago, two planets in An Domhan's system collided. The results nearly destroyed An Domhan altogether. Debris from the two planets rained down on An Domhan, wiping out most of the surface life and creating a perpetual haze in the atmosphere. In space, more debris created asteroid fields and more haze, casting the planet in near perpetual darkness.
What had once been a lush and verdant world full of colossal rainforests became a barren waste of ghost white giant, leafless trees and scorched plains. The only lifeforms to survived carved out their existence within the elaborate and massive cave systems present in the abundant mountain ranges.
It would be here that the Duine evolved, perhaps a cousin species to the so called "first children", or perhaps descendants of those who might have chanced to survive. As they grew and evolved, the Duine took advantage of the planet's natural geothermic qualities, eventually adapting technology to harness it for power. And while their technology had advanced considerably by the time they were discovered by the Republic, they were still considered quite primitive.
The Duine chose not to integrate into the Republic after first contact, and have remained neutral and independent ever since. They have maintained a general "low-tech" policy on planet, preferring to use natural and replenishing resources whenever possible in an attempt to maintain as much respect for their Mother as they can.
Aside from a few scientific research facilities which study the geothermics of An Domhan as well as the bio-luminescent plant and animal life, the Duine restrict much of the off-world travelers to tourist areas. These areas are centered around spa resorts, which are An Domhan's claim to fame in the galaxy.
Species Type: Mammalian
Planet of Origin: An Domhan
Average Maximum age: 70
Age of Maturation: 15
Average Height: 4.5 ft.
Average Weight: 75 lbs.
Notable biological features:
In a word: bat-like. The Duine have a thin, loose membrane, called pata that connects from the wrist to the waist under either arm which facilitates in catching updrafts and allows for limited gliding capabilities. A complex sinus systems allows for bio-sonar clicks and whistles and large ears pick up the faintest of sounds. Their large eyes are deceptively weak in vision, but a peculiar adaptation has caused the auditory complex of their brain to tap into the optic nerve, allowing for visual stimuli to also be interpreted as sound. This adaptation allows the Duine to navigate without the constant use of bio-sonar, though it is considerably less precise. They have soft, short fur that covers their bodies, apart from the pata. This fur is black, with patterns of white or silver that vary between individuals. Both hands and feet sport thumbs, making all four useful for manipulating objects.
The Duine are marsupials. At birth, the infant Duine is no larger than the palm of its mother's hand. The infant is kept inside the mother's pouch where it is able to feed and grow safely for the next several months. At around two months, the infant is developed enough to be carried outside the pouch and begins to move on its own. Walking begins at around 7 months, but the child will continue to occasionally return to its mother's pouch to feed until around one year old.
At this age, the pata are fully developed and the child is capable of supervised gliding. Duine are considered children until about 10 years old, at which point they are considered adolescent. By 15, they are considered adults. 45 is considered middle age and 60 is considered elderly. Those who make it past 70 are fairly rare and are held in great esteem. The brood caste rarely lives into their 60s.
Of particular note: Because of the dark conditions of their planet and their weak eyes, Duine require eye protection when in places that are lit to "normal standards". They are also most comfortable sleeping upside down, hanging by their back feet.
Number of limbs and Type: Four, all useable as hands, though the front two tend to be used more often. Front hands used for balance while moving.
Culture: The Duine have a collective sense of belonging. Care for one another is a natural instinct and cruelty, though not unheard of, is quite uncommon. They live in city-states, referred to as colonies.
Each colony is ruled over by a Sean-fuil, or "old blood" family. This family holds the loyalty of any number of noble, Uasal, families. In this sense, they are a feudal society. However, when needed, the old bloods of various colonies with convene to collectively make decisions. In this sense, they are an oligarchy.
Below the noble class exists the largest group within the Duine caste system; the commoners, or oibri. This group has the most diversity and makes up the bulk of business owners, traders, and other working-class people. The commoners pay taxes to the nobles, who in turn pay their own taxes to the old bloods.
The lowest caste, and most misunderstood by outsiders, is the brood, or choir. Natural social breeding behavior among the Duine has evolved the brood caste into a simple-minded group suited toward easy tasks and manual labor. Alien efforts to unshackle the brood from their doomed lives of servitude have proven fruitless. The brood are exceptionally content in their lives, and are indeed well cared for. Their homes are made in what is called the "commons". The commons are overseen by a sect of the religious order and simple and comfortable quarters that suit the caste perfectly.
Outside of this main hierarchy are two castes with their own structure. These are the dilis and the mac leinn.
Dilis
The dilis are those who submit themselves to the religious life. The Duine believe in a deity they call Mathair, or mother. She is, essentially a nature deity, and they revere their planet as being her body. It is the mindset of the Duine as the Mother's children that facilitates their communal bond. Among the religious caste, there are four sub categories:
Priestesses, known as faid form the leadership of the caste and are religious figureheads in the Duine community. They oversee all religious rites and festivals. In more ancient times, they were prophets, but in the modern era they serve more as spiritual advisers. Only female Duine can become priestesses and this rank is celibate. Priestesses live cloistered in the Temple of the Mother, of which each colony has one.
Healers, or bandraoi, practice a combination of spiritual and medical remedies for the sick and injured. The balance these healers have struck between the scientific and spiritual aspects of medicine is a beautiful example of the Duine's harmonic existence within their own ecosystem. Like the priestess rank, healers are celibate females. Healers live in the hospitals where they work.
The Daughters and Sons, collectively known as leanai are tasked with the general welfare of the brood caste and all other charity and general works required of the dilis. They are a non-celibate rank which males are allowed to join. Members of this rank live within the community, as many are married and have families.
The Brood level members, known as soineanta, perform general labor and other duties for the sect. Like the Brothers and Sisters, males are allowed in this non-celibate rank. Brood ranked members live in the commons.
Mac Leinn
The mac leinn are the keepers of law, history, and song. They are the cultural center of Duine life and even their lowest members maintain a form of esteem wherever they may travel. All mac leinn will begin their lives within the caste at a college. Each colony has its own and while members tend to remain at their home colony's college, transferring to another is not unheard of.
Their highest ranks, the brehons are consultants to nobles and old bloods and keepers of legal decisions and judgements. This rank is very exclusive and requires a lifetime commitment to continuous study.
The historians, starai keep heraldic records as well as the general histories of the Duine. Most are teachers and professors and remain close to the colleges where they earned their title.
The fili are poets and philosophers and are the most common of this caste. Many have the patronage of nobles or even old bloods, but most are wanderers and romantics at heart.
The scop are the least refined, though not untalented, of this caste. Often known for their jester-like performances, they seek to entertain above all else. They are also known for their crude and base humor.
Young Duine attend schools from about 3 until their adolescent years around 10. After this, they enter into more specific training or schooling toward chosen professions, or simply begin their working lives. A Duine is legally recognized as an adult at 15. The dilis and mac leinn both accept new members after 10 years of age, though the mac leinn are more selective. Depending on the desired path a prospective mac leinn caste member wishes to pursue, certain tests or requirements must first be met before admittance is allowed.
Perhaps the most prominent feature of Duine culture is the importance of song. Indeed, the word for one's soul in the Duine language, anam is synonymous and interchangeable with song. Because vision also carries with it an auditory interpretation, beings are said to have their own music about them. Each is unique and beautiful, and is just as important to a Duine as some might place on physical appearance or personality. In fact, in the rare instance of violent crime or cruel behavior, the transgressor is often labeled gad anam, or "soulless/songless" and cast out from Duine society.
History:
Much of the ancient history of the Duine is clouded with legends and fables. The most prevalent being that of the "first children". This legend, however, has been partially substantiated by archeological discoveries made over the the course of history. The legend was that the first children were beloved by the Mother and given free reign of the planet to do as they saw fit. But the first children were greedy and proud and ignored to songs of the Mother. As punishment, they were wiped out.
Evidence suggests that An Domhan did indeed support an ancient civilization at some point in history. Records and artifacts are rare, however, due to the nature of the events that led to the planet's current condition. Hundreds of thousands of years ago, two planets in An Domhan's system collided. The results nearly destroyed An Domhan altogether. Debris from the two planets rained down on An Domhan, wiping out most of the surface life and creating a perpetual haze in the atmosphere. In space, more debris created asteroid fields and more haze, casting the planet in near perpetual darkness.
What had once been a lush and verdant world full of colossal rainforests became a barren waste of ghost white giant, leafless trees and scorched plains. The only lifeforms to survived carved out their existence within the elaborate and massive cave systems present in the abundant mountain ranges.
It would be here that the Duine evolved, perhaps a cousin species to the so called "first children", or perhaps descendants of those who might have chanced to survive. As they grew and evolved, the Duine took advantage of the planet's natural geothermic qualities, eventually adapting technology to harness it for power. And while their technology had advanced considerably by the time they were discovered by the Republic, they were still considered quite primitive.
The Duine chose not to integrate into the Republic after first contact, and have remained neutral and independent ever since. They have maintained a general "low-tech" policy on planet, preferring to use natural and replenishing resources whenever possible in an attempt to maintain as much respect for their Mother as they can.
Aside from a few scientific research facilities which study the geothermics of An Domhan as well as the bio-luminescent plant and animal life, the Duine restrict much of the off-world travelers to tourist areas. These areas are centered around spa resorts, which are An Domhan's claim to fame in the galaxy.
