So, let's create some species!
The best way to think about what you need is to ask, how do they differ from the humans we know? The differences can be minimal and subtle (one less rib; inability to grow sideburns; double the alcohol tolerance), or moderate (small, blue, and scaly), or extreme (sentient capybaras; flying hive minds). Think about looks, diet, senses, special abilities, special deficits.
Don't bother with an anthropological (creaturological?) description— that's the next stage. Your species should be good for multiple ways of life, anyway. I'd also suggest (but not require) that it be generalist enough to survive in different climate zones.
Now, we might end up with a D&D-like world with twenty absurdly differentiated sapients. I think that will be taken care of in voting, and people should just design what they feel like for now. But we can talk about it in the rules thread.
EDIT: You should include any magical abilities, or lack thereof.
CCC Species creation - CLOSED; GO VOTE
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Salmoneus
- Sanno
- Posts: 3197
- Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2004 5:00 pm
- Location: One of the dark places of the world
Re: CCC Species creation
Surely this is fairly meaningless unless there's some discussion in advance about what type of setting this is? (particularly since on the evidence of the first round there won't be much discussion in the voting process itself). I mean, are you asking for fire elements and giants, or humans with bumpy foreheads, or magic badger spirits, or realistic aliens?
[I think, incidentally, that 'differences from humans' is a bad way to go about it, as it encourages people to see humans as the default, resulting in less conceptually independent and coherent species - it's like making a conlang by deciding how it's going to not be English.]
[I think, incidentally, that 'differences from humans' is a bad way to go about it, as it encourages people to see humans as the default, resulting in less conceptually independent and coherent species - it's like making a conlang by deciding how it's going to not be English.]
Blog: [url]http://vacuouswastrel.wordpress.com/[/url]
But the river tripped on her by and by, lapping
as though her heart was brook: Why, why, why! Weh, O weh
I'se so silly to be flowing but I no canna stay!
But the river tripped on her by and by, lapping
as though her heart was brook: Why, why, why! Weh, O weh
I'se so silly to be flowing but I no canna stay!
Re: CCC Species creation
What sal said. exactly what sal said.
well not exactly, 'how are they different from humans' is a very good tool [which we need because, unlike with linguistics, we don't really have a comprehensive set of categories which describe sentient species], its just grossly insufficient. but still.
well not exactly, 'how are they different from humans' is a very good tool [which we need because, unlike with linguistics, we don't really have a comprehensive set of categories which describe sentient species], its just grossly insufficient. but still.
Re: CCC Species creation
I concur with Sal and Torco. We need a better idea of what the world is.
Adúljôžal ônal kol ví éža únah kex yaxlr gmlĥ hôga jô ônal kru ansu frú.
Ansu frú ônal savel zaš gmlĥ a vek Adúljôžal vé jaga čaþ kex.
Ônal zeh. Ônal zeh. Ônal zeh. Ônal zeh. Ônal zeh. Ônal zeh. Ônal zeh.
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احمکي ارش-ھجن
- Avisaru
- Posts: 516
- Joined: Mon Dec 02, 2013 12:45 pm
Re: CCC Species creation
well I have an idea, on humanoid:
they aren't that distinctive in terms of body shape, they are roughly like humans.
However, what's most distinctive is they have a bony exterior to their heads... like an extension of their skulls, kinda like this mask:
In that the skull extends out of the face, but there are still skins like cheeks.
They also have pitchblack skin to help them blend in to hunt.
Their heads do not have lips, so they would be unable to produce bilabials or rounded vowels, they don't eactly have a nose, but nostril holes, not sure how that will affect nasals. they also grow tusks, but these serve no current purpose, but are remnants of an evolutionary past, currently they actually might hinder their ability to feed, so they usually have to break them off, however it's not very painful, more like cutting one's hair. They also have small clawed nails on their fingers, that hinders their ability to grip objects to the extent of a human, as the nails could dig into their skin, but they can grip objects, even if not very well.
They have a limited ability to sense heat, some may not even be able to feel heat at all. They do, however, have an excellant ability of night vision, being able to see what most animals cannot, they are nocturnal creatures. They also have good sense of hearing, but their sense of smell is not quite as good as it's night vision and hearing.
They have an inherant mgical sense that can detect things from a great distance. It acts differantly than eye or echolocation.
all I got so far.
This race I'm calling Ḵsīnesīr™ [x'si.nɛ.sir] .
they aren't that distinctive in terms of body shape, they are roughly like humans.
However, what's most distinctive is they have a bony exterior to their heads... like an extension of their skulls, kinda like this mask:
In that the skull extends out of the face, but there are still skins like cheeks.
They also have pitchblack skin to help them blend in to hunt.
Their heads do not have lips, so they would be unable to produce bilabials or rounded vowels, they don't eactly have a nose, but nostril holes, not sure how that will affect nasals. they also grow tusks, but these serve no current purpose, but are remnants of an evolutionary past, currently they actually might hinder their ability to feed, so they usually have to break them off, however it's not very painful, more like cutting one's hair. They also have small clawed nails on their fingers, that hinders their ability to grip objects to the extent of a human, as the nails could dig into their skin, but they can grip objects, even if not very well.
They have a limited ability to sense heat, some may not even be able to feel heat at all. They do, however, have an excellant ability of night vision, being able to see what most animals cannot, they are nocturnal creatures. They also have good sense of hearing, but their sense of smell is not quite as good as it's night vision and hearing.
They have an inherant mgical sense that can detect things from a great distance. It acts differantly than eye or echolocation.
all I got so far.
This race I'm calling Ḵsīnesīr™ [x'si.nɛ.sir] .
Last edited by احمکي ارش-ھجن on Mon Feb 03, 2014 11:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
ʾAšol ḵavad pulqam ʾifbižen lav ʾifšimeḻ lit maseḡrad lav lit n͛ubad. ʾUpulasim ṗal sa-panžun lav sa-ḥadṇ lav ṗal šarmaḵeš lit ʾaẏṭ waẏyadanun wižqanam.
- Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
- Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Re: CCC Species creation
A roughly humanoid species in form, but with major differences from Homo Sapiens. Firstly, they have eyes somewhat similar to predatory birds, with high visual acuity. This gives them avian vision, allowing them among other things to notice fast movement better, they lack amodal perception. Their binocular and monocular vision is similar to species of owls, and this results in their ability to turn their necks almost 360 degrees around like a swivel to increase their field of vision. Their large eyes require a larger occipital lobe, resulting in a longer braincase, giving them a slightly higher brain-to-body-mass ratio and encephalization level than humans. They stand on average 4 feet, shorter than the average human, with little sexual differentiation in height. Their skin is reptilian and has a blue colour to it, with no hair anywhere on their body. Their vision allows them to see ultraviolet light, there are patches on the back of each individual which can perceived and allows differentiation between male and female and are secondary sex characteristics. These reflective patches have elaborate patterns that can't be seen without ultraviolet perception. Breeding patterns for the species are roughly human like, and they give birth. Gestation period is only shorter than a human. They do not go through puberty, having no growth spurt and assume maturation like the ultraviolet reflective spots earlier. They can live up to 60 years. They have four digits on hands and feet, have a slimmer build on average, and don't have prominent breasts and buttocks like humans, and more like other great apes. They have flatter ears than humans, but like humans they are a cartilage structure. They have prominent noses and primate like lips and no chin. Their mating is like that of the human, they fuck in doggy-style only, having genitals similar to mammals. The female partner usually turns the head around 360 degrees back to look at her other partner. They have omnivorous diets similar to humans, and also similar hunting methods, requiring about the same quota of meat and fiber and such. They can close their nostrils entirely, allowing them to nasalize their speech for extended periods of time. They have a moderate affinity to magic in general, and have no qualms against using it for day to day life, individuals with higher affinity for magic are made chiefs, and usually cremated and their ashes eaten at death, or used in other magical rituals.
For posterity, I'll name them Kuson.
For posterity, I'll name them Kuson.
Last edited by Tlatoani on Tue Feb 04, 2014 11:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: CCC Species creation
Alright, I'll jump into the fray here. This should be considered a preliminary sketch; adjustments may need to be made based on the decisions people make about the rules of the setting.
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The Cynocephali (a placeholder name, since we haven't developed any languages yet) are a bipedal species who share a number of traits with earth carnivorans, particularly members of the hyena and mongoose families.
Appearance and Physiology
Having evolved in cool northern plains and woodlands, Cynocephali are covered in a layer of wiry fur, which grows long and shaggy in the winter before shedding in the spring to be replaced with a shorter summer coat. Their fur ranges in color from pale yellow to nearly solid black, but generally falls within a range of yellow- or orange-browns, tending to gray as the individual ages. Most have dark brown or black spots, though spot patterns are highly variable and no two are exactly alike. As a result of sexual selection, Cynocephalus markings tend to be fairly complex, and the Cynocephali in different regions can sometimes be distinguished by distinctive elements of their spot pattern.
Aside from their fur, Cynocephali are set apart from hominins by their short, stubby tails and their large, carnivorian heads. Their features roughly resemble those of earthly spotted hyenas, though their skulls are somewhat less robustly built and their jaw muscles are much reduced, though still capable of tearing flesh and cracking bone. Distantly descended from nimble arboreal insectivores, have nimble hands tipped with short, sharp claws. The latter are largely vestigial and prone to breaking if used as weapons or tools.
The average, healthy Cynocephalus stands 6’ 5” (approximately 2 meters) tall and weighs 225 lbs (just over 100 kilograms). Females are generally larger and more muscular than males, though the degree of sexual diamorphism among Cynocephali is actually less than that of humans, particularly with regard to the prominance of secondary sex characteristics. As a result, members of more human-like species often have difficulty telling the difference between male and female Cynocephali.
Proportionately, Cynocephali are distinguished by relatively large heads, short legs, and long arms, making them look somewhat awkward and stocky to more human-like species. Their great physical strength and long reach, not to mention their powerful jaws, make them formidable fight, but as a species adapted for a predatory lifestyle they generally prefer to conserve their energy when not actively hunting and are reluctant to escalate a confrontation to the point of violence.
Diet
Cynocephali are obligate carnivores, but are quite adaptable in terms of the prey they hunt. Many rely on fishing, and others may be able to adapt to a diet consisting primarily of dairy products, in order to facilitate a pastoral existence. Like many predatory species, they can go for long stretches at a time without food or drink, but the resource demands of their larger brains generally requires them to hunt more often than an ordinary predator of similar size.
Linguistic Potential
Although Cynocephali are able to gain more information about one another through scent than more human-like species, they are also highly vocal creatures. In general, scent cues fill a role in Cynocephalus communication similar to that of facial expressions in himinins; conversely, other species are often put off by the inexpressive faces of the Cynocephali.
The vocal capabilities of Cynocephali are somewhat different from those of humans due to differences in the anatomy of their mouths and faces. Their lips are less mobile than a human's, and while they can produce rounded sounds through lip compression or cheek rounding, the shape of their teeth makes articulating labiodental and interdental sounds difficult and uncomfortable.
Cynocephali have neither a uvula nor the sharply downward-curving soft palate of a human, and as a result cannot articulate uvular or (true) velar consonants. The total length of their palate, however, is longer than that of a human, potentially affording them multiple palatal and/or retroflex places of articulation. They also lack a pronounced alveolar ridge, and as a result their coronal consonants are predominantly (post-)dental.
Aside from these concerns, the Cynocephalus vocal tract resembles that of a human closely enough that their range of oral and nasal speech sounds is roughly equivalent to our own.
Magic
The magic practiced by the ancestral Cynocephali (and their descendants, if magic is species-specific) is relatively simple, consisting mostly of divination and "good luck charms." In both cases, magic, like most other elements of primitive Cynocephalus life, is oriented around hunting, and its power stems from some intangible vital force found in living things, particularly the prey animals that Cynocephali rely on for sustenance.
They are practitioners of haruspicy, the art of divining the shape of future events by examining the entrails of a freshly-slaughtered animal. In lean times, they can also practice various forms of divination using the bones left over from successful past hunts, but these carry only the barest residue of the power contained in a living beast, and the results they produce tend to be unreliable and limited to gaining a sympathetic impression about the general location of the herd from whence the slaughtered animal came.
The "good luck charms" made by the Cynocephali generally consist of talismans made from bone, tooth, hair, and sinew taken from a freshly slain animal. The animal is selected based on the particular strengths or talents it possesses, such as swiftness, endurance, or keen senses. The resulting talisman then enhances these abilities in the owner, though the effects are fairly subtle; enough to give them an edge, but not to make them a superhero.
The process of creating a talisman requires specialized knowledge and resources, and they gradually lose their potency over time, so they're in relatively short supply and considered valuable treasures rather than commonplace tools.
---
The Cynocephali (a placeholder name, since we haven't developed any languages yet) are a bipedal species who share a number of traits with earth carnivorans, particularly members of the hyena and mongoose families.
Appearance and Physiology
Having evolved in cool northern plains and woodlands, Cynocephali are covered in a layer of wiry fur, which grows long and shaggy in the winter before shedding in the spring to be replaced with a shorter summer coat. Their fur ranges in color from pale yellow to nearly solid black, but generally falls within a range of yellow- or orange-browns, tending to gray as the individual ages. Most have dark brown or black spots, though spot patterns are highly variable and no two are exactly alike. As a result of sexual selection, Cynocephalus markings tend to be fairly complex, and the Cynocephali in different regions can sometimes be distinguished by distinctive elements of their spot pattern.
Aside from their fur, Cynocephali are set apart from hominins by their short, stubby tails and their large, carnivorian heads. Their features roughly resemble those of earthly spotted hyenas, though their skulls are somewhat less robustly built and their jaw muscles are much reduced, though still capable of tearing flesh and cracking bone. Distantly descended from nimble arboreal insectivores, have nimble hands tipped with short, sharp claws. The latter are largely vestigial and prone to breaking if used as weapons or tools.
The average, healthy Cynocephalus stands 6’ 5” (approximately 2 meters) tall and weighs 225 lbs (just over 100 kilograms). Females are generally larger and more muscular than males, though the degree of sexual diamorphism among Cynocephali is actually less than that of humans, particularly with regard to the prominance of secondary sex characteristics. As a result, members of more human-like species often have difficulty telling the difference between male and female Cynocephali.
Proportionately, Cynocephali are distinguished by relatively large heads, short legs, and long arms, making them look somewhat awkward and stocky to more human-like species. Their great physical strength and long reach, not to mention their powerful jaws, make them formidable fight, but as a species adapted for a predatory lifestyle they generally prefer to conserve their energy when not actively hunting and are reluctant to escalate a confrontation to the point of violence.
Diet
Cynocephali are obligate carnivores, but are quite adaptable in terms of the prey they hunt. Many rely on fishing, and others may be able to adapt to a diet consisting primarily of dairy products, in order to facilitate a pastoral existence. Like many predatory species, they can go for long stretches at a time without food or drink, but the resource demands of their larger brains generally requires them to hunt more often than an ordinary predator of similar size.
Linguistic Potential
Although Cynocephali are able to gain more information about one another through scent than more human-like species, they are also highly vocal creatures. In general, scent cues fill a role in Cynocephalus communication similar to that of facial expressions in himinins; conversely, other species are often put off by the inexpressive faces of the Cynocephali.
The vocal capabilities of Cynocephali are somewhat different from those of humans due to differences in the anatomy of their mouths and faces. Their lips are less mobile than a human's, and while they can produce rounded sounds through lip compression or cheek rounding, the shape of their teeth makes articulating labiodental and interdental sounds difficult and uncomfortable.
Cynocephali have neither a uvula nor the sharply downward-curving soft palate of a human, and as a result cannot articulate uvular or (true) velar consonants. The total length of their palate, however, is longer than that of a human, potentially affording them multiple palatal and/or retroflex places of articulation. They also lack a pronounced alveolar ridge, and as a result their coronal consonants are predominantly (post-)dental.
Aside from these concerns, the Cynocephalus vocal tract resembles that of a human closely enough that their range of oral and nasal speech sounds is roughly equivalent to our own.
Magic
The magic practiced by the ancestral Cynocephali (and their descendants, if magic is species-specific) is relatively simple, consisting mostly of divination and "good luck charms." In both cases, magic, like most other elements of primitive Cynocephalus life, is oriented around hunting, and its power stems from some intangible vital force found in living things, particularly the prey animals that Cynocephali rely on for sustenance.
They are practitioners of haruspicy, the art of divining the shape of future events by examining the entrails of a freshly-slaughtered animal. In lean times, they can also practice various forms of divination using the bones left over from successful past hunts, but these carry only the barest residue of the power contained in a living beast, and the results they produce tend to be unreliable and limited to gaining a sympathetic impression about the general location of the herd from whence the slaughtered animal came.
The "good luck charms" made by the Cynocephali generally consist of talismans made from bone, tooth, hair, and sinew taken from a freshly slain animal. The animal is selected based on the particular strengths or talents it possesses, such as swiftness, endurance, or keen senses. The resulting talisman then enhances these abilities in the owner, though the effects are fairly subtle; enough to give them an edge, but not to make them a superhero.
The process of creating a talisman requires specialized knowledge and resources, and they gradually lose their potency over time, so they're in relatively short supply and considered valuable treasures rather than commonplace tools.
Last edited by CatDoom on Sun Feb 09, 2014 9:33 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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HandsomeRob
- Lebom
- Posts: 76
- Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2006 9:54 am
- Location: Wisconsin
- Contact:
Re: CCC Species creation
The description of the species I propose is pretty easy. They are just like humans, but sexy. Every single individual of the species is devastatingly sexy. I call them The Sexies.
Also, the offspring of a Sexy and any other race is a Sexy. This will prevent people from diluting their awesome Sexiness through breeding.
Also, the offspring of a Sexy and any other race is a Sexy. This will prevent people from diluting their awesome Sexiness through breeding.
Last edited by HandsomeRob on Tue Feb 04, 2014 2:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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KathTheDragon
- Smeric
- Posts: 2139
- Joined: Thu Apr 25, 2013 4:48 am
- Location: Brittania
Re: CCC Species creation
May I mispronounce that as the Skeksis?
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Civil War Bugle
- Lebom
- Posts: 151
- Joined: Fri Jul 09, 2010 5:04 pm
Re: CCC Species creation
The Birdmen
Broadly similar to humans, their differences are as follows:
They have feather-like growths in lieu of hair. It is not exactly feathers structurally but is similar, and in males is bright and patterned, while in the female it tends towards brownish monochrome. A higher proportion of the body is covered compared to human hair patterns, especially on the face and upper body.
They have hawklike beaks and a poor sense of smell. The throat is capable of producing human phonemes a la parrots, and this is the method of producing speech, although Khoisan style clicks are replaced by hawkbeak sounds.
They eat less meat than humans, and more plant material (I'm thinking pinecone sized stuff that can easily be crushed by beaks.)
Excellent visual acuity, night vision, sense of hearing, sensitivity to air movement. Ears stick out somewhat owlishly and can move around a bit like dog ears.
Cloven hooves.
Broadly similar to humans, their differences are as follows:
They have feather-like growths in lieu of hair. It is not exactly feathers structurally but is similar, and in males is bright and patterned, while in the female it tends towards brownish monochrome. A higher proportion of the body is covered compared to human hair patterns, especially on the face and upper body.
They have hawklike beaks and a poor sense of smell. The throat is capable of producing human phonemes a la parrots, and this is the method of producing speech, although Khoisan style clicks are replaced by hawkbeak sounds.
They eat less meat than humans, and more plant material (I'm thinking pinecone sized stuff that can easily be crushed by beaks.)
Excellent visual acuity, night vision, sense of hearing, sensitivity to air movement. Ears stick out somewhat owlishly and can move around a bit like dog ears.
Cloven hooves.
Re: CCC Species creation
Can I suggest humans as an option, or is their presence as such to be considered a given?
Adúljôžal ônal kol ví éža únah kex yaxlr gmlĥ hôga jô ônal kru ansu frú.
Ansu frú ônal savel zaš gmlĥ a vek Adúljôžal vé jaga čaþ kex.
Ônal zeh. Ônal zeh. Ônal zeh. Ônal zeh. Ônal zeh. Ônal zeh. Ônal zeh.
Re: CCC Species creation
Yeah, when it comes to voting, assume that "humans just like us" is one of the options.
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HandsomeRob
- Lebom
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- Location: Wisconsin
- Contact:
Re: CCC Species creation
But why you would choose normal humans when you could choose SEXY humans?
Re: CCC Species creation
Not meaning to butt in here, but I think one of the drawbacks to limiting your sapient species to humanoid is that you basically boil it down to two categories: humans (including short ones, ugly ones and ones with pointy ears) and furries.
Salmoneus wrote:(NB Dewrad is behaving like an adult - a petty, sarcastic and uncharitable adult, admittedly, but none the less note the infinitely higher quality of flame)
Re: CCC Species creation
Yeah, but if you don't require it to be only humanoids, you still only have two categories: humanoids and nonhumanoids.
Seriously, those are some pretty *broad* categories there, Dewrad.
Seriously, those are some pretty *broad* categories there, Dewrad.
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احمکي ارش-ھجن
- Avisaru
- Posts: 516
- Joined: Mon Dec 02, 2013 12:45 pm
Re: CCC Species creation
doesn't have to furries, could be scalies.Dewrad wrote:Not meaning to butt in here, but I think one of the drawbacks to limiting your sapient species to humanoid is that you basically boil it down to two categories: humans (including short ones, ugly ones and ones with pointy ears) and furries.
it also depends on what's meant by humanoid...
Golems are humanoid, you can even have water and fire creatures in "humanoid" form... not furries.
you can have creatures standing upright with digitigrade leg forms... not furry humans.
ʾAšol ḵavad pulqam ʾifbižen lav ʾifšimeḻ lit maseḡrad lav lit n͛ubad. ʾUpulasim ṗal sa-panžun lav sa-ḥadṇ lav ṗal šarmaḵeš lit ʾaẏṭ waẏyadanun wižqanam.
- Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
- Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Re: CCC Species creation
Ahzoh's mention of golems just reminded me of a species that I've had in the back of my head for a while, so I figure I might as well submit it here.
I guess I'll just call them Golems for now, until I can get a language going.
They're made of various kinds of stone (or even metal, in future ages..). Emphasis on 'made', as they are not born, but crafted. The basic form they are made in is humanoid, but variations on that theme can, have, and will be made. Nonhumanoid Golems are possible, but rare, since Golem psychology holds the humanoid pattern as normal. Their psychology also inherently leads them towards materialistic cultures - spirituality is something alien to them, so they struggle to understand most of the other sapients' religions.
While the humanoid pattern is the default, there are no inherent, psychological height restrictions, those being provided only by culture if at all. Therefore, Golems can come in all sorts of sizes, depending on what their builders intended of them.
Golem physiology has some similarity to biological physiologies in that they can perform involuntary self-repair based on consumed materials. However, this process is even slower than the biological version, but is not constantly needed, so Golems do not need to eat nearly as often as biological sapients. What they eat is typically stone. They can eat any kind of stone, though they typically prefer whatever variety they were originally crafted from.
Golems are sexless and genderless.
Because of their artificial nature, Golems would not have evolved, but have been created by some other people. Perhaps by some great civilization that arose on the world and fell, or even by non-native sapients that eventually abandoned their project and this world for some reason.
How exactly one can get a bunch of sculpted rocks to become alive and intelligent is a question for later, I think. If there is sufficient magic in the world, that would do nicely to explain it. Otherwise, I'm not sure.
EDIT: Some more things I should probably add:
Because Golems are made of stone, they don't physically age like biological sapients do. As long as they can eat, they can remain physically able indefinitely. However, the magic of their being can deteriorate over time. This gives Golems an average 'natural' lifespan of about a few hundred years. The potential to extend this via technology and lifestyle is greater than that of most biological sapients.
Population growth is an odd issue with Golems. Their lifespan and less need for food than biological sapients would suggest a slow population growth. This can be true, however, it is also greatly dependent on cultural factors. Biological species usually have some kind of innate drive to procreate, and in sapients, it can defy reason. Golems have no such thing, and thus typically only craft new Golems when they believe it is necessary. "When it is necessary" is, of course, going to be greatly dependent on culture. Because of that, no more can be said on it here.
I guess I'll just call them Golems for now, until I can get a language going.
They're made of various kinds of stone (or even metal, in future ages..). Emphasis on 'made', as they are not born, but crafted. The basic form they are made in is humanoid, but variations on that theme can, have, and will be made. Nonhumanoid Golems are possible, but rare, since Golem psychology holds the humanoid pattern as normal. Their psychology also inherently leads them towards materialistic cultures - spirituality is something alien to them, so they struggle to understand most of the other sapients' religions.
While the humanoid pattern is the default, there are no inherent, psychological height restrictions, those being provided only by culture if at all. Therefore, Golems can come in all sorts of sizes, depending on what their builders intended of them.
Golem physiology has some similarity to biological physiologies in that they can perform involuntary self-repair based on consumed materials. However, this process is even slower than the biological version, but is not constantly needed, so Golems do not need to eat nearly as often as biological sapients. What they eat is typically stone. They can eat any kind of stone, though they typically prefer whatever variety they were originally crafted from.
Golems are sexless and genderless.
Because of their artificial nature, Golems would not have evolved, but have been created by some other people. Perhaps by some great civilization that arose on the world and fell, or even by non-native sapients that eventually abandoned their project and this world for some reason.
How exactly one can get a bunch of sculpted rocks to become alive and intelligent is a question for later, I think. If there is sufficient magic in the world, that would do nicely to explain it. Otherwise, I'm not sure.
EDIT: Some more things I should probably add:
Because Golems are made of stone, they don't physically age like biological sapients do. As long as they can eat, they can remain physically able indefinitely. However, the magic of their being can deteriorate over time. This gives Golems an average 'natural' lifespan of about a few hundred years. The potential to extend this via technology and lifestyle is greater than that of most biological sapients.
Population growth is an odd issue with Golems. Their lifespan and less need for food than biological sapients would suggest a slow population growth. This can be true, however, it is also greatly dependent on cultural factors. Biological species usually have some kind of innate drive to procreate, and in sapients, it can defy reason. Golems have no such thing, and thus typically only craft new Golems when they believe it is necessary. "When it is necessary" is, of course, going to be greatly dependent on culture. Because of that, no more can be said on it here.
Last edited by Matrix on Sat Feb 08, 2014 6:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Adúljôžal ônal kol ví éža únah kex yaxlr gmlĥ hôga jô ônal kru ansu frú.
Ansu frú ônal savel zaš gmlĥ a vek Adúljôžal vé jaga čaþ kex.
Ônal zeh. Ônal zeh. Ônal zeh. Ônal zeh. Ônal zeh. Ônal zeh. Ônal zeh.
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ol bofosh
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Re: CCC Species creation
Presenting the Amphibimorphs...
Name: Amphibimorphs
Description: humanoid quadrapedal amphibians; "human" hands, held in mantis-like position when at rest; cold-blooded; adults have green-grey leathery skin; their larvae are brightly coloured, which is a warning for how poisonous they are (adults are less poisonous); larvae breathe with gills, later stages, with lungs; omnivorous, eating mainly large invertebrates, fruits and fungi; larvae are predators; adults stand around 7”, though half of that includes the length of their four legs; their limbs are quite thin; on average they tend to be heavier and stronger than humans, and in the right temperatures they have much faster reaction times, too; they continue to grow, albeit slowly, throughout their lives, so the biggest individuals are the oldest; they have a vestigial tail, carried over from their larva stage.
Senses: sight is similar to humans, extends into ultra-violet (helps to pick out certain foods, not to mention see the bright colours of the throat pouch). Smell is slightly better than humans, not quite so good as dogs. Hearing is good, but the ears are a bit close together, so they can't locate sounds so well. Touch is very sensitive, and they can pick up vibrations, which compensates somewhat for their difficulty to locate sounds, especially underwater.
Reproduction: hermaphrodite, iteroparity (breed many times), r-selection (breed many young in one go), external fertilisation. They mostly live on the land, but can only reproduce in fresh water, usually rivers or similar connected to the sea. Huge amounts of larvae swim downstream towards the sea and live a "feral" existence, until they are ready to swim back upstream to their birthplace, where they are adopted by a parent. Every 4-6 years amphibimorphs enter a fertile period that compels them to seek fresh water, where they lay millions of eggs. Other individuals, at any stage of their fertility, may also go to fertilise the eggs. Many will have recently adopted a larva and are still hanging around; larvae return just before breeding takes place. Very few larvae return to be adopted.
Life cycle:
1) eggs, 2 months (fresh water rivers)
2) Larva, 2 years (fresh water rivers, lakes and ponds, later the sea - in this stage they develop gills and lose their lungs)
3) baby, 1 year (just one living in a jelly-like pouch, constructed by its parent)
4) child, 10 years (out of pouch, but dependent on parent for sustenance and learning)
5) adult, average life span in early "stone-age" individuals: 65 years, counting from adoption (living mostly on land)
Speech capacity: They can approximate human speech, except for a few things: their lips and tongue aren’t so dexterous, and they have less of an alveolar ridge. They don’t have voices in the human sense, but they are endowed with a very colourful throat sack which gives them a variety of other voice sounds to speak with. They are sensitive to vibrations, so can communicate through other mediums, such as water or direct contact, which is how the adopted larva start learning language.
Magic capacity: water diviners of unusual ability. They have a psychic sense for finding water and also sensing quality of water (salt, fresh, polluted, etc.). The most sensitive can even predict the weather. Very good companions for walking through a desert! (if there is no magic then this simply becomes a natural ability, with more naturalistic limits). They also can sense currents and tides.
Basic social structure: pre-sapient amphibimorphs were social by nature, living in small bands (8-23 individuals) based on extended adoption families. They got together more for mutual protection than anything else*, and individuals often wandered off by themselves, particularly around adoption-breeding season. They weren’t so territorial, so there was usually no tension between groups, though they did stick to their ranges within which they roamed. (this is to create an idea of what could develop later; I'm thinking more formal than stray cat colonies and groups of crocs, but less than humans, chimps or dogs).
* in groups they can cooperate to hunt for fish (using vibrations in a similar way that dolphins use ), also they have cooperated for their farming activities.
Farming: instinctively, Amphibimorphs gather wood within their roam ranges into big piles. Later, when they pass them again, fungi have grow and other creatures have taken refuge, from which the amphibimorphs find sustenance. This gives them the basis for their earliest farming activities, such as actively felling trees to make rotten wood, and using "compost piles" to grow other things, as well as places for their invertabrate "livestock".
Climate: they evolved and thrive within tropical climates. Because they are cold-blooded they are limited in their range. They have been observed to survive dry climates, with access to rivers and lakes, though in small numbers, since there's less opportunity to find their foods of choice. They may visit subtropical regions in the summer, and may even stay over the winter if conditions aren't too harsh, but these are not climates they can live and breed in the longterm. Non-sentient species related to the amphibimorphs exist in many tropical regions in the world.
Edit: I've put in a bit about cooperation, tides and currents, and farming.
Edit 2: something on climate (maybe something more detailed on phonetics will come later. at the very least I'll work on a few ideas).
Name: Amphibimorphs
Description: humanoid quadrapedal amphibians; "human" hands, held in mantis-like position when at rest; cold-blooded; adults have green-grey leathery skin; their larvae are brightly coloured, which is a warning for how poisonous they are (adults are less poisonous); larvae breathe with gills, later stages, with lungs; omnivorous, eating mainly large invertebrates, fruits and fungi; larvae are predators; adults stand around 7”, though half of that includes the length of their four legs; their limbs are quite thin; on average they tend to be heavier and stronger than humans, and in the right temperatures they have much faster reaction times, too; they continue to grow, albeit slowly, throughout their lives, so the biggest individuals are the oldest; they have a vestigial tail, carried over from their larva stage.
Senses: sight is similar to humans, extends into ultra-violet (helps to pick out certain foods, not to mention see the bright colours of the throat pouch). Smell is slightly better than humans, not quite so good as dogs. Hearing is good, but the ears are a bit close together, so they can't locate sounds so well. Touch is very sensitive, and they can pick up vibrations, which compensates somewhat for their difficulty to locate sounds, especially underwater.
Reproduction: hermaphrodite, iteroparity (breed many times), r-selection (breed many young in one go), external fertilisation. They mostly live on the land, but can only reproduce in fresh water, usually rivers or similar connected to the sea. Huge amounts of larvae swim downstream towards the sea and live a "feral" existence, until they are ready to swim back upstream to their birthplace, where they are adopted by a parent. Every 4-6 years amphibimorphs enter a fertile period that compels them to seek fresh water, where they lay millions of eggs. Other individuals, at any stage of their fertility, may also go to fertilise the eggs. Many will have recently adopted a larva and are still hanging around; larvae return just before breeding takes place. Very few larvae return to be adopted.
Life cycle:
1) eggs, 2 months (fresh water rivers)
2) Larva, 2 years (fresh water rivers, lakes and ponds, later the sea - in this stage they develop gills and lose their lungs)
3) baby, 1 year (just one living in a jelly-like pouch, constructed by its parent)
4) child, 10 years (out of pouch, but dependent on parent for sustenance and learning)
5) adult, average life span in early "stone-age" individuals: 65 years, counting from adoption (living mostly on land)
Speech capacity: They can approximate human speech, except for a few things: their lips and tongue aren’t so dexterous, and they have less of an alveolar ridge. They don’t have voices in the human sense, but they are endowed with a very colourful throat sack which gives them a variety of other voice sounds to speak with. They are sensitive to vibrations, so can communicate through other mediums, such as water or direct contact, which is how the adopted larva start learning language.
Magic capacity: water diviners of unusual ability. They have a psychic sense for finding water and also sensing quality of water (salt, fresh, polluted, etc.). The most sensitive can even predict the weather. Very good companions for walking through a desert! (if there is no magic then this simply becomes a natural ability, with more naturalistic limits). They also can sense currents and tides.
Basic social structure: pre-sapient amphibimorphs were social by nature, living in small bands (8-23 individuals) based on extended adoption families. They got together more for mutual protection than anything else*, and individuals often wandered off by themselves, particularly around adoption-breeding season. They weren’t so territorial, so there was usually no tension between groups, though they did stick to their ranges within which they roamed. (this is to create an idea of what could develop later; I'm thinking more formal than stray cat colonies and groups of crocs, but less than humans, chimps or dogs).
* in groups they can cooperate to hunt for fish (using vibrations in a similar way that dolphins use ), also they have cooperated for their farming activities.
Farming: instinctively, Amphibimorphs gather wood within their roam ranges into big piles. Later, when they pass them again, fungi have grow and other creatures have taken refuge, from which the amphibimorphs find sustenance. This gives them the basis for their earliest farming activities, such as actively felling trees to make rotten wood, and using "compost piles" to grow other things, as well as places for their invertabrate "livestock".
Climate: they evolved and thrive within tropical climates. Because they are cold-blooded they are limited in their range. They have been observed to survive dry climates, with access to rivers and lakes, though in small numbers, since there's less opportunity to find their foods of choice. They may visit subtropical regions in the summer, and may even stay over the winter if conditions aren't too harsh, but these are not climates they can live and breed in the longterm. Non-sentient species related to the amphibimorphs exist in many tropical regions in the world.
Edit: I've put in a bit about cooperation, tides and currents, and farming.
Edit 2: something on climate (maybe something more detailed on phonetics will come later. at the very least I'll work on a few ideas).
Last edited by ol bofosh on Fri Feb 07, 2014 6:22 am, edited 6 times in total.
It was about time I changed this.
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KathTheDragon
- Smeric
- Posts: 2139
- Joined: Thu Apr 25, 2013 4:48 am
- Location: Brittania
Re: CCC Species creation
What's the deadline for this? I've only got a rough sketch at the moment.
Re: CCC Species creation
I call forth the DREAD POWER OF DEADLINES! Let's say, Friday.
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KathTheDragon
- Smeric
- Posts: 2139
- Joined: Thu Apr 25, 2013 4:48 am
- Location: Brittania
Re: CCC Species creation - BY FRI 2/7
You kidding?
Re: CCC Species creation - BY FRI 2/7
All right, here's a species. They're basically orcs.
They have a very wide size differentiation— from four to seven feet tall, with rare specimens outside these limits. Coloration is normally green, but ranges from a sickly frog-like pale green to a deep jade-tinged gray. They have impressive dentition with extra-large canine teeth, which goes along with a preference for a high-meat diet. Small beady eyes; pointed ears. Humans consider them ugly, but then orcs look at humans and can't help thinking of piglets. The males have no hair, except an occasional shock of bristles down the center of the skull; females may have a full head of hair.
Even a small orc is stronger than a human (much like chimpanzees are)— a big orc is as strong as a gorilla. They're also terrifyingly fast in short runs— they can outrun many mammals. However, they don't have the long-distance endurance of humans— they would collapse before completing half a marathon. It's evident that their hunting strategy is to quickly dash up to prey, rather than lope after it tiring it to death (our primeval strategy).
They have excellent hearing and a strong sense of smell, but their eyesight is bad compared to humans. They are less neotenous than humans— that is, adult orcs look more ape-like, and are less playful and curious. Humans consider them dumb, but educated orcs would beg to differ (and there is nothing more pedantic than a pedantic orc).
They do well in forest, savanna, and dry environments— they don't thrive in wetlands or high-rainfall areas. Too much moisture seems to throw their heat-regulation out of whack.
They aren't close enough to humans to interbreed— so, no half-orcs. The male-female size difference is less than among humans, and the period of gestation is longer— nearly 12 months. As a result orc babies mature slightly faster.
Edit: Orcs have one magical ability: with training, they can slip into a parallel world. It's described as cold, dark, and inhabited by fearsome spiritual monsters. It's mostly accessed for spiritual training, though it can be useful for hidden travel and espionage (of other orcs-- the otherworld is not accessible if there are too many non-orcs around).
They have a very wide size differentiation— from four to seven feet tall, with rare specimens outside these limits. Coloration is normally green, but ranges from a sickly frog-like pale green to a deep jade-tinged gray. They have impressive dentition with extra-large canine teeth, which goes along with a preference for a high-meat diet. Small beady eyes; pointed ears. Humans consider them ugly, but then orcs look at humans and can't help thinking of piglets. The males have no hair, except an occasional shock of bristles down the center of the skull; females may have a full head of hair.
Even a small orc is stronger than a human (much like chimpanzees are)— a big orc is as strong as a gorilla. They're also terrifyingly fast in short runs— they can outrun many mammals. However, they don't have the long-distance endurance of humans— they would collapse before completing half a marathon. It's evident that their hunting strategy is to quickly dash up to prey, rather than lope after it tiring it to death (our primeval strategy).
They have excellent hearing and a strong sense of smell, but their eyesight is bad compared to humans. They are less neotenous than humans— that is, adult orcs look more ape-like, and are less playful and curious. Humans consider them dumb, but educated orcs would beg to differ (and there is nothing more pedantic than a pedantic orc).
They do well in forest, savanna, and dry environments— they don't thrive in wetlands or high-rainfall areas. Too much moisture seems to throw their heat-regulation out of whack.
They aren't close enough to humans to interbreed— so, no half-orcs. The male-female size difference is less than among humans, and the period of gestation is longer— nearly 12 months. As a result orc babies mature slightly faster.
Edit: Orcs have one magical ability: with training, they can slip into a parallel world. It's described as cold, dark, and inhabited by fearsome spiritual monsters. It's mostly accessed for spiritual training, though it can be useful for hidden travel and espionage (of other orcs-- the otherworld is not accessible if there are too many non-orcs around).
Re: CCC Species creation - BY FRI 2/7
That's a week from the original posting... I'm happy to make it longer, but surely everyone will do it on the last day anyway?KathAveara wrote:You kidding?
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احمکي ارش-ھجن
- Avisaru
- Posts: 516
- Joined: Mon Dec 02, 2013 12:45 pm
Re: CCC Species creation - BY FRI 2/7
Well I certaintly finished mine so I'm good.
ʾAšol ḵavad pulqam ʾifbižen lav ʾifšimeḻ lit maseḡrad lav lit n͛ubad. ʾUpulasim ṗal sa-panžun lav sa-ḥadṇ lav ṗal šarmaḵeš lit ʾaẏṭ waẏyadanun wižqanam.
- Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
- Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Re: CCC Species creation - BY FRI 2/7
Based on what zomp said in the magic thread, I'm gonna decide that Golems are magical. I think that, being artificial in origin and having to craft new members of their societies, they would likely have a perspective on magic that would approach engineering.
Of course, they would not have everything figured out at first. At first they would, at the very least, have enough knowledge to craft new Golems, even if it's not great. Over time they would figure new things out. They would probably, at some point, figure out the engineering of magical things that are not golems.
So, I'm thinking they wouldn't just be able to, like, throw fireballs around and such. Not inherently, anyways. They'd have to make a device to do that, or even engineer it into themselves, and of course, that's not going to come right away.
Of course, they would not have everything figured out at first. At first they would, at the very least, have enough knowledge to craft new Golems, even if it's not great. Over time they would figure new things out. They would probably, at some point, figure out the engineering of magical things that are not golems.
So, I'm thinking they wouldn't just be able to, like, throw fireballs around and such. Not inherently, anyways. They'd have to make a device to do that, or even engineer it into themselves, and of course, that's not going to come right away.
Adúljôžal ônal kol ví éža únah kex yaxlr gmlĥ hôga jô ônal kru ansu frú.
Ansu frú ônal savel zaš gmlĥ a vek Adúljôžal vé jaga čaþ kex.
Ônal zeh. Ônal zeh. Ônal zeh. Ônal zeh. Ônal zeh. Ônal zeh. Ônal zeh.