The Naians - Rework

THE NAIANS​

A diverse, twin species of small, fuzzy marsupials with varied cultures, best known for their great culinary skills and even greater appetite.

TABLE OF CONTENTS​

1. Biology.
2. Anatomy
3. Astrography.
4. The Capital Worlds
5. Culture.
6. Behaviours/Habits
7. Ideologies
8. Technology and Technological Themes
9. Social-Political-Econimic Structures
10. History.
11. History
12. Intentions for Story & Setting Interactions
13. Misc/Trivia
14. Cosigners

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BIOLOGY
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Spoiler: BIOLOGY

Appearance​

Pictured: 4 naians next to one another. The two naians to the left are Neri’on naians and the two to the right are Okki’von naians.

Naians are stereotyped as small, fluffy and voraciously hungry. These stereotypes, though not inherently false observations, carry more depth than one might initially expect.

Naians usually stand less than 5 feet in height, their bodies following a vaguely humanoid structure. Their heads are marked by a distinct muzzle, long ears and horns or antlers. A tail sprouts from their lower back. Naians are covered in a dense coat of fur which varies in colour from browns, blondes, whites, blacks and everything in between. These coats of fur can sometimes bear patterns like stripes or spots. In most naians the fur transitions from a coarser, normal fur across most of their bodies to a softer, lighter, pale white or ivory fluff on their chest and stomachs. Some might also have this fluff around their forearms, ankles and necks. Naians generally lack upper body strength, however they more than make up for it with a set of powerful digitigrade legs. Their hands and feet (scientifically known as paws) have three digits (including a thumb on the hands) and are tipped with a set of retractable claws. Their paws have grip pads on their palms and the inside of their digits, allowing great grip.

Naians are further subdivided into two species, both originating from a common evolutionary ancestor.

Neri’on​

The taller and stronger of the species, in ancient history these naians prowled plains and savannas, hunting prey and living as nomadic, semi-agrarian societies.

Neri’on naians, also known as southern naians, are the taller counterparts of the naians. Standing at between 111 cm to 135 cm (3’8” - 4’5”), neri’on naians often have a leaner build and more evenly distributed muscle mass. Compared to the other species of naian their fur is slicker and coarser and their muzzles are longer and slimmer. Neri’on naians usually weigh around 45 kg (100 lbs).

Okki’von​

On the shorter and stockier side, these naians spent ancient history huddled up in cold climates. Usually gathering and farming whatever would grow in the far north.

Okki’von naians, or northern naians average between 84 and 99 cm (2’1’’ - 3’) and weigh around 20 kg (50 lbs). Okki’von naians are built in a more compact manner, with most of their muscle mass centred on their legs to allow for quick bursts of agility. Their faces are slightly flatter, with larger eyes. Their fur is thick and soft and built to hold onto heat with incredible efficiency and their paws are larger in comparison to their body.

Okiri​

These naians have little ancient historical presence, though likely they were shunned from ancient tribes whenever they appeared. Today these are embraced in naian society just as readily as any other naian.

Okiri naians are the product of two members of opposing species bearing offspring. Also known as a mix, an Okiri naian will inherit most of its appearance from the mother. This will determine their height, fur thickness and general physical traits. The father will then impose other traits such as colouration. Curiously, Okiri naians can grow quite tall, usually gaining around 10 cm over their mothers species, even if she is a neri’on. Okiri naians range greatly in weight, depending on their size.

Okiri naians are, however, fully sterile and as such cannot bear offspring of their own as they cannot produce their own gametes (artificial procedures usually work however).

Diet​

For such a small creature, naians burn a lot of energy very quickly and tend to struggle to hold onto body fat. As such, they must consume a lot of varied food to power their little bodies.

Naians are omnivorous with the ability to eat and digest most forms of food. Modern naians enjoy everything from fruit and vegetables to various meats. The specifics of a naians diet varies however depending on species. Neri’oni, traditionally being more of a hunter species, are to a larger extent more carnivorous, enjoying all kinds of meat. Okki’voni naians on the other hand are worse at handling dense muscle fibres and struggle to digest these. This does not mean they cannot eat meat however, but they should only do so in limited amounts or by consuming leaner or fattier meats such as fish or poultry. Naians are also very sensitive to alcohol, on account of their small size. Naians have a high metabolic rate, higher than most species. Your average naian can easily consume 1.5 to 2 times as much food in one day as a human would.

Unique Structures & Evolution​

Set someone down in a naian city during rush hour, and most will find the most striking thing about their surroundings to be how diverse naians as a species are. Naians exhibit an almost unnatural amount of biodiversity. Not just between the species, but also between individuals.

Naians can exhibit a wide range of different features. From long horns, to short horns to even antlers. From slim perky ears, to rounded and mouse-like. From short and puffy tails, to long and slender ones. Most of a naians features will be inherited from their parents, occasionally as some kind of blend between the two's respective features.

A naians coat of fur is what’s known as a double coat, like what you’d see on some dog breeds. This means they have a dense undercoat of short, woolly hairs and a top coat of longer guard hairs. This provides a naian with excellent insulation, as the dense protective coat helps keep them warm in winter and cold in summer. It is also partially water resistant, meaning it helps them stay dry as well. Cleaning a naians fur is pretty difficult and time consuming and many naians make it a point of pride to have excellently groomed fur, especially if they have longer coats.

This insulation combined with a naians high metabolism means naians have developed an ingenious system of temperature regulation. On top of having a large number of blood vessels in the extremities like the paws and ears, naians have developed a special mucus lining that coats many of their vital organs. This lining contains various organic alcohols with an exceedingly low boiling point. As a naians body builds heat, this mucus starts evaporating, carrying with it excess heat to be expelled from the body. Usually this happens via the lungs, however significant portions of this lining also exists within the ear canal, meaning much is expelled from there as well.

Located in the back of the naian palate and on the chin are a series of gland-like structures, capable of generating various aromatic pheromones. Though they are too weak to be noticeable on other species, in naians they serve a vital role in communicating feelings and emotions, as well as the identification of other individuals, as each naian will carry a unique, personalised scent.

Senses​

The naian culinary history is largely driven by their intense sense of smell and taste. This leads to some truly rich experiences for both naians and other species alike.

Though naian eyesight is about on par with that of a human, hearing, smell and taste are greatly bolstered. Naians can hear sounds at around twice the distance a human can, however they will struggle with hearing frequencies lower than 15 hz. A naians muzzle also has a strong olfactory sense, or sense of smell. The naian olfactory sense is around 1 000 - 10 000 times stronger than that of a human. It's so strong that it plays a major role in naians identifying and communicating with one another as mentioned earlier, with scents acting as a sort of "second face".

However, the most unique sense among naians is their sense of taste. Naians not only have more taste buds than humans, but these are also stronger. Naians have a recorded palette capable of perceiving upwards of 12 unique tastes, including the 5 humans can perceive. Naians carry such an immense sense of taste thanks to the presence of two tongues in their mouth, allowing increased surface area for taste buds. Naians also have a greatly developed parietal lobe, which helps support their strong sense of taste, smell and hearing.

Development​

Naian parents have a habit of painting their eggs in striking colours. Traditionally this is believed to bring health and good fortune to the child. In ancient history it was used by seers to predict the childs future.

Naians are egg-laying mammals. After conception an egg develops in the mother for around 4 months before it is laid, where it will take another 4 months to hatch. Newly hatched naians, or kits, are around 4-6 inches long and weigh less than a pound. Naians hatch with most of their senses already present, with their eyes usually opening just a few hours after hatching. Naians are also born with a special dewclaw to crack the eggshell that falls off shortly after hatching. Naian kits are completely hairless when hatched, developing their pale white juvenile fluff within the first week. After that, naians develop rapidly. They can usually crawl as early as the first month, talk at the end of the fourth month and at the first year mark most naians are fully capable of walking and hopping (if a bit slow and clumsy). As the naian further develops they gradually shed their juvenile fluff in favour of their final adult fur, with only scraps of the fluff remaining on their body. This shedding picks up rapidly during puberty.

Present on the stomach of a naian is a pouch-like structure. Unlike other marsupial mammals the pouch is not meant for nursing their young like an external womb of sorts, instead it is merely meant to carry and protect their young, helping keep them warm and close to their parents. It should be noted that unlike other marsupial mammals the pouch is present on both males and females.

Naians usually grow to be around 90 years old, however with the aid of modern medicine they can easily surpass 120.

Combat Adaptations​

Though they might not seem a formidable foe, hubris is an insidious killer. Naians, if sufficiently trained, could easily go up against larger species and win.

Naians are physically very weak compared to most species. The average naian* can only lift around 25 kilograms (~55 lbs), or about a third of an average human. Naians are however very agile. The average naian has a top sprint speed of around 45 kilometers per hour (~28 mph), with an average jump height of 2 metres (~6'6"). Naians also accelerate quickly, being able to go from a standstill to 45 kph in less than two seconds.

Although naians possess claws, they're mostly unsuitable for combat. Naian claws are short, often fairly blunt and not super durable. Even if a naian takes the time to sharpen their claws, at most they could use them to cause shallow cuts or claw marks.

What's most damning about a naian however is their intense response to pain, as a naians pain receptors are much more sensitive compared to a humans. Naians also have an incredibly sensitive adrenal system, meaning that even injuries which most other species could recover from can be lethal to a naian if not properly treated. If a naian breaks a bone, unless they get administered painkillers and medical treatment within 30-60 minutes of the break, a naians neural system can go into total shock, with a high risk of inducing a lethal heart attack.

*average naian is assumed to be moderately fit, training once per week and eating relatively healthy

ASTROGRAPHY
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Spoiler: ASTROGRAPHY

The Capital Worlds​

Pictured: Naian space as viewed on the galactic starmap.

Today, naian space harbours six major population centres. The so-called capital worlds are a collection of planets ranging from perfectly habitable to inhospitable but colonised. These six planets are then divided amongst the three major naian factions; the Royal Core, the Dynasty, and the Vanguard.

Nivasa (Royal Core)​

“I must say I am both proud of our leaps in progression, but also worried that we’ll lose focus of what matters. Right now we’re on the doorstep of something great, and I think we should open that door. But let it not come at the cost of what matters. Our people, our families, and our homes.” - Spokesperson Katyai Tami-Yun introducing the first interstellar settler ship.

Nivasa is a warmer world, marked by a single large megacontinent surrounded by various island chains and peninsulas. Much of the continent is savannah and desert, with stretches of choking jungle and swamps. To the north lies a large volcanic island chain which is marked by colder climates. Hardier woods and forests grow out of the rich volcanic soil and in the tallest mountains lay the planet's only permanent glaciers.

Nivasa is held to a high regard in Naian space, and as the homeworld of the Naians it absolutely should. It was the birthplace of the naian species and has long since been at the core of naian culture and expression. Though it has had a tumultuous past, it is now treated as the political centre of naian space and the crowning jewel of their territory. Nivasa is marked by extensive natural preservation and restoration projects, historical heritage sites and advanced, cutting edge cities. Some megacities stretch for miles, with tall, gleaming plasteel buildings towering into the sky.

Avriga (Royal Core)​

"We gaze longingly upon the eternal green fields of Her. Oh great jewel of our night sky, kingdom of souls and spirits." - Poem from old naian religious texts

Avriga is a rather old name, made up as a combination of the two words aveina and riga, which roughly translates to ethereal kingdom. The name comes from old naian civilizations who looked up at the moon and believed it to be a sort of afterlife or paradise.

Avriga is a fully habitable moon orbiting Nivasa. Around 3 billion years ago, when photosynthetic bacteria first emerged on Nivasa, a large meteorite struck its north pole. At the time, large swathes of extremophile microbes lived in the glaciers there in relative safety and stability. When the meteorite struck, large amounts of frozen material was flung into orbit, with the microbes hitching a ride on the fragments of glacial ice and rock. As much of the material would collect on Avriga, the newly settled microbes flourished. Since then it followed a very similar development to Nivasa, with its land being dominated by various flora and fauna. Today, the little moon's dense atmosphere gives rise to strong storms and weather events, with large hurricanes being a seasonal occurrence.

Historically, Avriga has been largely a mining colony. Much of the moon’s surface has been quarried and strip mined for various metals and minerals like copper, lithium and platinum group metals. Nowadays all major mining operations have been halted, spare for a lucrative gemstone industry. Much of the planet is now beautiful nature reserves, forestry industries and agriculture.

Naluso (Royal Core)​

“ ”It’s PINK!” - “Yes captain, we’d expect different planets to use different kinds of photosynthesis. Violet retinal actually makes a lot of sense as an alternative to green chlorophyll!” - “Right, right whatever, but you do see what I’m seeing right? The whole planet is PINK!” - “No sir, I’m colour blind.” ” - Bridge recording of the LLS Nimila, the first scientific expedition to the Nalos system.

Naluso is one of the oldest Naian colonies, not counting Avriga, and is considered one of the “old worlds”. The first settlers of Naluso arrived some 700 years ago and the planet's well established nature reflects that. Naluso is one of the most independent colony worlds in Naian space, in that it doesn’t need to rely on trade to meet the needs of its citizens. Today, thanks to its rich soil and stable (if colder) climate makes the planet an agricultural cornerstone of naian space.

Of course, one cannot talk about Naluso without mentioning the obvious. The planet's striking colour. With extensive forests and grasslands covering most of the planet's natural landscapes, it is all coloured an unmistakable shade of pink. This is due to the planet’s local flora evolving to use Retinal instead of chlorophyll to filter the harmful UV rays from its host star Nalos, which is a K type star. Naluso orbits very far from Nalos though, and with a powerful magnetosphere the UV rays pose little threat to organic beings on the planet.

Kharnaka (Dynasty)​

“The standard Ayati Model Dynasty Arcology is a self contained, modular city with housing and commercial districts suitable for up to 10 million residents at peak standard capacity. In addition it features a full waste treatment facility, adequate defences and the entire city is centred around a geothermal power plant, providing both heating and safe, clean power.”

Kharnaka is the homeworld and the only major settlement of the Dynasty, or rather the only major settlement on public record. Kharnaka itself is rather unremarkable except perhaps its age. It is in the late protoplanetary stages and though its surface has frozen over, the planet's core is still very hot and molten.

The Dynasty used this to their advantage when colonising the planet. Volcanoes frequently breach the surface of Kharnaka, forming large pits in the glaciers ending in a volcanic or geothermal hotspot at the bottom. The dynasty would use these natural glacier walls as anchoring points for large arcologies. The volcanic vent in the middle would be covered with a geothermal generator, providing heat and power, and the top of the pit would be covered in a glass dome to contain an atmosphere.

For a long time, Kharnaka has been synonymous with a sort of mystery. Although most naians can visit the planet, much of it is heavily restricted. Visitors are essentially limited to large, public population centres. Without proper clearance it is illegal to leave an arcology, and many arcologies, although well documented, are kept radio silent and enforce strict airspace lockdowns.

Irilayka (Vanguard)​

“People are willing to give up a lot for a new start. It’s something I learned back on Nivasa. People want to feel in control of their own lives. That’s what I like to think I provide here, a chance at a new life, through our investments.” - Anlia Sonu, then CEO of the now defunct Sonu Family Financial Group.

Irilayka has a dry, arid climate, with frequent dust storms spurred by intense winds. The wide steppes are reminiscent of those on Nivasa, except dustier. Much of this dust is extraterrestrial in origin, and was deposited when in ancient history the planet's largest moon was torn apart by gravitational forces. This also resulted in the impressive ring system we see around the planet today.

Irilayka is often seen as the capital of the Vanguard. Compared to many other Vanguard worlds, Irilayka is very well established despite its age. This is both due to it being a pretty close match to Nivasa in terms of climate, as well as heavy spending by wealthy corporations to establish the planet's economic and political sectors. All this made Irilayka a very attractive target for private colonisation.

Sarilu-Velsima (Vanguard)​

“ “You get used to it,” Milani told me. I was still reeling in my breathing mask after he opened the airlock. “It ain’t pleasant but it at least keeps the salt out of your lungs.” That didn’t do much to settle my nerves.” - Excerpt from Saltland, a popular mystery thriller book set on Sarilu.

Sarilu, often called Sarilu-Velsima, is the moon of a large, uninhabitable world and is the first successful terraforming experiment by the naians. Headed by the vanguard company “K.T.I”, the terraforming of Sarilu has been an ongoing project for the last 70 years.

The little moon features a large, global biome of extensive salt flats. At some point in its distant past the moon was entirely covered in a salty ocean. As the planetary system migrated inwards towards the local star the ocean evaporated away and deposited its salt and many rare minerals across the planet's surface.

Today, Sarilu hosts one of the largest mining industries in naian space, covering everything from asteroid mining to quarrying and fracking. Sarilu is used as a hub for mining and refining on Velsima III, its planet, and across the moon itself are several rare mineral extraction centres. One of the moon's major exports is the ever-popular Sariluan Mineral Salt, a type of kitchen salt popular in naian space due to its great taste, abundance and low cost.

CULTURE
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Spoiler: CULTURE

Behaviours/Habits​

Pictured: 6 naians from the different capital worlds of naian space.

Naians are often very impassioned believers in their ideas, and hold onto their values and communities firmly. It’s no surprise then that naians find themselves disagreeing on a variety of subjects.

Naian space is a grand melting pot of various cultures, ancient and modern alike. However, in broad strokes, naian culture can be divided into three primary nation states: the Royal Core, the Vanguard and the Dynasty

With naians being so diverse culturally it’s hard to nail down exactly how a naian may act or think just based on their nationality. Still, there are many stereotypes which are often the butts of jokes between different nationalities. Jokes like how Nivasans are all aloof and pompous, or how sariluans are all deranged maniacs. Listed here are the different stereotypes of the major population hub worlds of naian federation space, though it’s important to note that a naian from a certain planet is not guaranteed to act exactly as listed here. These are, again, just stereotypes.

Nivasan.​

“Nivasan, born and raised” Is a term heard frequently in the outer naian colonies as shorthand for pompous or entitled. Although most nivasans are an agreeable bunch, the age of the planet's mature economy, as well as its societal and technological advancement has brought with it a notable minority of wealthy, spoiled, snooty naians who look down upon the outer rim and the galaxy as a whole.

Naians from nivasa tend to be, physically, very ordinary. With simple, pointed horns and muted, earthy colouration, nivasan naians are most alike their original forms due to the lack of a need to adapt to new conditions.

Avrigan.​

Seen as modest and humble, but horribly stubborn. Avrigan naians are stereotyped as little more than hard working country folk. Avrigan naians are also often seen as endurant, as they tough it through incredibly harsh weather frequently. Avrigans are, however, often called "younger" nivasans, and are frequently compared to nivasa (often in a negative light). Naturally, this is a comparison avrigans despise, making many avrigans scornful towards their homeworld.

Most avrigans are also Okki'von naians, as during the initial colonisation of the moon there was a significant exodus of Okki'voni looking to start a new life. Naians here however remain relatively unchanged from their original forms, what with the lunar conditions being surprisingly similar to nivasa.

Nalusan.​

Gentle and spiritual, the nalusan society as a whole can be described as very "hippie-esque". Much of this stems from post-war frustration as naluso sat right on the Royal Core frontline, meaning it directly saw many of the effects of the civil war. Still, the planet remains fairly firmly unified under an old and surprisingly strong sect of old nivasan spiritualism. This sect values peace and tradition above all else, so although the planet is calm, it is rather regressive in its beliefs.

Nalusan naians carry themselves in a lofty, wispy manner. The low surface gravity, along with the age of the colony having allowed for physical adaptation of the locals, means that most indigenous naians are on the taller end of the spectrum. Naians here are also often thinner than most.

Kharnakan.​

The kharnakan naian is widely known to be firm, uptight and a total separation from the common naian values. They believe in order, strength and technological superiority and it is not uncommon to see normal citizens partake in extensive bionic enhancements, be they cosmetic or functional. Still, despite their attempt to remain professional on the surface, there is substance to the phrase: "noone knows how to party more than a kharnakan after dark". There is a thriving nightlife on the little dynasty world of kharnaka, and it is just as colourful and wild as it is dangerous.

Kharnakan naians, in spite of the Dynasties' attempt to appear discrete, enjoy existing at the frontier of fashion. Colour changing or glow in the dark hair dyes, bionics that can alter forms at will. The very idea that any part of one's physique or identity is permanent is one held very loosely among many kharnakans.

Irilaykan.​

Independence and self-reliance. This is the closest thing to a uniting moral to the irilaykans. Due to a combination of irilayka’s distance, large size, general hospitality to naian habitation and relatively young age, naians are spread far and thin across the planet's surface. Population centres are usually no larger than five- to ten thousand individuals strong and most of the population live far apart from each other in small communities, townships or lone farmsteads. This, along with a general distrust of the naian federation as a whole has made irilayka a hotspot of ideological experimentation. From rampant individualism, to even experimental religious worship, each town you visit is likely to be culturally very different from the other.

Irilaykans themselves are usually on the stouter side, with strong, compact frames. They are firm and capable, but adventurous and glad to try new things. Irilaykans are also highly utilitarian in their fashion, wearing rugged steel toed boots, protective vests and enough pockets to carry an entire workshop's worth of tools.

Sariluan.​

They say inhaling that much sariluan salt makes you go a bit stir crazy sometimes. Sariluan naians are bitter, hard working and just a little bit odd. Ticks, quirks and strange habits are commonplace among sariluans and although rarely debilitating, they're highly noticeable. Still, one cannot debate with their spirit. They know hard work and they know it well, be that strip mining the planet's extensive ore and salt deposits, supervising frontier construction projects or hauling cargo all across Naian Federation space.

Sariluans are hardy and strong, with coarse, often shaggy fur. It's not uncommon to see the horns of sariluans be cracked and flakey, as the keratin reacts poorly with the salty, stale atmosphere for extended periods of time.

Ideologies​

Pictured: A naian in traditional ceremonial garbs with painted pads and forehead spots along with 3 spirit medallions.

Spirituality and Animism.​

Despite having done away with most major organised religions, spiritual beliefs hold a firm place in naian society. The belief in spirits, animism and a force called "kitsnae", a force analogous to karma, is, in a lot of ways, stronger now than it has been for hundreds of years.

Spirits.​

The belief in spirits also usually comes along with a belief in kitsnae. It's the superstitious belief that spirits of all different kinds exist in a sort-of separate mirror world. Spirits are essentially souls, who manifest along with life and grant it consciousness. These spirits usually play a central role in many naian celebrations and holidays, with prayers for guidance or protection accompanying things like marriages or funerals. An ever present symbol of this belief is the ubiquitous paper lantern. These are seen as windows into the spirit realm and allow communion between the material and immaterial. Colourful lanterns are used as invitations for spirits and good forces, while drab coloured lanterns are usually used when guidance is requested, such as in weddings or funerals.

Superstition.​

In the case of the more superstitious naian, spirits develop into a far wider concept, involving various mythical beings and cryptids. From faerie-like entities who wander the woods, to ancient souls who control the weather and legends of magic and witchcraft. These mythical creatures are however often benevolent in nature, with entities like the forest dwelling kita-oka (literally tree-spirit) being said to guide lost children back home to safety.

A common practice among the more superstitious of naians is prayer or sacrifice. It usually starts at a shrine of some sort, a table with assorted trinkets and a lit lantern to attract the desired spirits. Although not integral to a shrine, most will feature a spirit medallion suspended above the shrine. Made from copper, these small, ornate, round dishes are said to act as wards and signal to the spirits that the area they're in is peaceful and friendly. Usually there is also an ornamental dish of copper or silver, as well as an "oakru", a copper pitcher containing a fluid, usually vegetable oil. Prayer is performed in a kneeling position before the shrine, where first a person will "summon" their desired spirit before simply talking with them, thanking them or proposing a request. Usually alongside this, as an incentive for the spirit, the prayer will involve sacrifice. A small sacrifice of food, wooden or cloth effigies or some other item is placed in the dish before being coated in oil, the oil is then lit on fire as a way off allowing the sacrifice to "bridge the gap" between our world and the spirit world.

Technology and technological themes​

“Slick, stylish and ergonomic” are a few choice words you may associate with naian technology. “Small, underpowered and a touch overdesigned” may be a few others.

Naian technology is roughly on par with that of most other modernised species, having accepted and assimilated new technologies with glee. Technologies like the teleporter and hyperdrive were never discovered by the naians themselves, and have only in recent years been introduced to them, so they’re still culturally fairly new to these.

The general appearance of naian technology varies between the 3 nations, however usually it can be described as “smooth”. There are few jagged edges on most naian built devices, be that weapons, spaceships or vehicles. The end goal of building a device like this is to protect the end user. Things are smooth and rounded so that bits of fur can’t get caught and uncomfortably plucked from a naians skin during normal use, as well as to help a naian get a good grip on a device with their paw-like hands.

The technology of the royal core is very smooth and rounded, almost excessively so, with great exaggerated features and striking colours. A royal core starship for instance will usually be made up of curved shapes and painted in a single, primary colour. On account of its size and economic influence, most civilian grade technology is still made by the core, meaning even in the dynasty and the vanguard, civilian technology will often follow the shape language of the Core.

Conversely, Dynasty technology is bold and blocky, featuring dark, utilitarian colours and very few bells and whistles. Form generally follows function, and what design there is is applied in a strictly functional fashion. Even still, there is a form of extravagance in enigmatism. Dynasty technology, military technology especially, is designed with a certain “unknowability” in mind. The idea is to not only make it hard to reverse engineer as the dynasty exercises their technological advantage, but to act as a subtle form of psychological warfare, as their machines appear both alien and unknowable.

Vanguard tech is also utilitarian in nature, however with a bigger focus on maintainability and modularity. Vanguard ships are usually little more than loosely held together starship modules wrapped in external framing, and a vanguard rifle can often be pulled apart completely for cleaning or repairing, only to be reassembled again. Vanguard tech is also very dirty and loud, with resources like oil and gunpowder being much more plentiful on the Vanguard worlds compared to the core. Even still, Vanguard technology is very robust and capable of withstanding wear and tear unlike most other.

Social-Political-Economic Structures​

Naian space is governed by a central federal government. Based in Nivasa, in the royal core capital of Aminasu, the federal government handles global laws which apply to all three nation states whereas the nations remain mostly sovereign outside of federal laws. Federal laws include things like minimum wage, trade agreements and basic social welfare programs.

As a whole, much of naian society has moved into a sort-off post consumerism form of self fulfilment, brought on by brief post war scarcity and a societal reflection on their ingrained norms. Due in part to their cooperative and egalitarian policies and city planning which focuses on communal living, naians are generally very selfless. The practice of meditation and various spiritual beliefs have skyrocketed in recent years.

History​

Naian history is a turbulent one. With many ideological schisms and territorial expansions, such splits are to be expected. Even then, naians like to think they have learned from their previous conflicts and the acts of violence committed by their ancestors are to never occur again.

Only time will tell.

Prehistory and Early Civilization​

Prehistoric records date as far back as 4 million years ago, implying intelligent naians have been around for quite some time. Many ancient biological records however don't match either of the modern naian species. Instead, they mark the presence of multiple different precursor species of naian. One, and by far the most prolific, would've closely resembled modern Neri'on naians. At some point in ancient history these species disappeared, either through intermingling with other species or habitation loss. The two modern species are the product of this long and no doubt intricate process and are the result of different habitats, different food sources and different interbreeding species pairs.

As what would come to be the modern species of naians developed further so did their societies. Naians have actually known some level of agriculture for as long as around half a million years, meaning they are one of the oldest known agrarian societies in the galaxy, with simple agriculture being a relic from some of the earlier precursor species of naian. However it wasn’t until the last 30 000 or so years when we’d see the naian species develop culturally to a point akin to the early bronze or iron ages.

The Industrial Era​

The industrial era is a collective name for a period in recent naian history lasting around 1000 years. Following a collapse in naian society sprung forth by political chaos during what could be likened to the late mediaeval or renaissance eras, naian society seemed to enter a scientific enlightenment. Although the principles of topics like physics, electricity and simple machinery had long since been studied and largely understood, the beginning of the industrial era brought with it a new way of applying this knowledge. This allowed for mass production of goods and a general increase in global wellbeing, however this came at a cost, both on Nivasas resources and at the relations between global societies.

These factors eventually came to a head when the first attempts at spaceflight proved successful and the first tentative scientific missions to Avriga had naians survive a return trip to and fro. These showed the moon was not only ideal for naian habitation but also rich in vital resources, and so all out war broke loose. With war officially declared in 2045, several nivasan nations brutally fought amongst each other, wanting to be the first to stake claim to land on Avriga and to extract the bountiful resources. These tensions remained for a long time, even after the avrigan war had been settled, and eventually came to a head again when Avriga decided to declare independence from Nivasa in 2150. This act was incited with a brief civil war on the moon but ended quickly with Avriga being allowed independence from all the intermingling of Nivasan nations.

The Enlightenment​

Only a few years after the civil war on Avriga was settled came a great political shift on Nivasa. The planet had long since let industrialism run rampant, and with many of its resources depleted and its nature polluted, the ruling governments were pressured into taking action. What followed was a great restructuring of sorts, with a new, more encompassing political structure that was built on egalitarian and cooperative foundations, which would eventually take charge of Nivasa. This new political movement focused on people, on the planet and on technological advancement. During the Enlightenment there was a great push for scientific research and expansion of new colonies in the Karann system, as well as for restructuring and rebuilding the planet. Over the course of around 300 years, most of the immediate effects of pollution and climate change were entirely reversed and, though it is an ongoing process, the naians are still working tirelessly to restore and maintain their homeworld.

The Great Exodus​

One of the technologies invented during the enlightenment was the omnipresent warp drive. Capable of propelling ships at great velocities, it was on the back of the warp drive that most of naian colonisation was able to take place. Once the warp drive was powerful enough to cross even interstellar distances there came a great exodus of sorts, as adventurous naians took to the stars to establish new colonies. Several old colonies formed early on and are still to this day tightly bound to their homeworld, however a few broke off and decided to declare independence.

The first to declare independence was the small protoplanet of Kharnaka. Settled by a society of some of the best scientists at the time, Kharnaka became a hub of scientific research and military development and the homeworld of the Dynasty. After that, several very young frontier colonies decided to declare independence as well. On these furthest frontier colonies, far from the reach of the Core, would powerful and wealthy individuals fund their own personal settlements. Conditions here were brutal, and in many ways resembled the industrial era of Nivasa, however far more extreme. The Core, noticing this exploitation of both resources and individuals, decided to try and step in and enforce their rules. This, however, was not appreciated by the local corporations of the frontier colonies.

The Last Civil War​

45 years ago, in 3244, many frontier colonies joined together into a loosely organised militia known as “The New Vanguard”. Seeing the Cores' attempt to step in as an overreach, the Vanguard decided to declare war. What followed was a brutal civil war between the Core and the Vanguard. The Vanguard would claim it was fighting for the people’s rights to remain independent, however in actuality most of their soldiers were mercenaries and privateers or mass produced robotic units paid for by the large Vanguard corporations in an attempt to maintain their influence on the Vanguard worlds. For 20 years the Vanguard and the Core fought, with the Dynasty playing a small, but significant, part as a neutral entity as they would lend technology and manpower to whichever side would bid the highest.

In 3265, The New Vanguard surrendered following a crushing defeat on Irilayka. As per their agreements following the war, the New Vanguard would be dissolved and reorganised into a new federal entity known simply as “The Vanguard”. In addition, many of the corporations were liquidated and their leadership tried for rights violations and war crimes. Finally, the Trifecta Peace Treaty was officially signed in 3270. The treaty officially united all three naian nations under one common federal banner and was intended to finally bring peace and prosperity to naian space. Spurred by a new interest in expanding outwards and following the discovery of alien species, the treaty was an attractive way of maintaining stability as the naians entered into a new, uncertain era…

INTENTIONS FOR STORY AND SETTING INTERACTIONS​

Naians are an older species that have been around for a while, and though this revision makes few alterations to naians superficially, it greatly expands on their lore and history, hopefully being able to act as a springboard for new events and characters.

In addition, the presence of the Naian Federation in the fringe as a comparatively powerful npc force could present interesting political scenarios in the event that such scenarios would come into play. Naian space is also large and diverse, allowing it to be used as a stage for events. Already the naians have to some extent taken part in events and IC negotiations.

MISC/TRIVIA​

Spoiler: MISC & TRIVIA

Tomato Consumption​

A naians sense of flavour is a double edged sword, as there are a few quirks with their immense ability to sense flavour. Namely with umami. In some cases, umami has been known to act as a slight opiate, causing mild euphoria and calmness in naians. This reaches a curious extreme in the case of the common earth tomato.

Even so much as 0.05 mL of tomato juice dropped onto a naians tongue causes a bizarre neural overload in the naian. The most common response is blackout, whereby the naian will fall unconscious for around 15 - 30 seconds before waking again. The effect is about the same regardless of how much of the tomato a naian consumes and as of yet no permanent neurological damage has been exhibited in naians who consume tomatoes, even on a regular basis. The most immediate threat is potential physical trauma from suddenly falling unconscious. Other symptoms of tomato consumption in naians can include a shortness of breath, sensory overload, migraines and general nausea. It should be noted that, after a naian wakes from having consumed a tomato, they might feel a certain numbness and inability to sense flavour for around a minute after waking. During this time they are immune to the effects of further tomato consumption.

Tomatoes only cause a naian to pass out if it makes active contact with a naians tongue, meaning that, despite their effect, tomatoes are technically safe for naian consumption.

Olfactory Identification​

Since naians partially identify people by scent, it’s important to know how the naian olfactory system perceives a few different races. Here are a few examples.

Other naians: Naians to one another often have a sweet, almost fruity scent, with the scent varying wildly from individual to individual.
Humans: Varies greatly, though most would describe it as a "spicy" or herb based smell, like pepper, cumin or oregano.
Apex: Similar to humans, though considerably stronger. Some might also have a chemical smell to them.
Hylotl: Salty, like the ocean. This ranges from pleasant to borderline rotten eggs.
Florans: Floral, or sometimes like dirt or mulch. Some liken their scent to petrichor.
Glitch: Primarily plastic and rubber.
Automata: Varies greatly depending on the robot and where they’ve been, as usually smells stick to them. However most smell of grease, rubber or plastic. Naians usually struggle to identify these by smell.
Avians: Dust or fabric. Some might also smell like books or paper.
Novakid: Nutty, almost almond-like or sulphur. There is no inbetween.
Viriskon: Like charcoal, tarmac or burnt rubber.
Nysians: Like petrichor or rot.
Forlorn: Like gunpowder and ash.
Deadbeat: Burning firewood or smoke. Some might also smell like freshly cut timber.
Analoa: Sickly sweet, like honey or syrup.
Obsecrian: Citrus, specifically oranges with a distinct metallic hint.
Vampiric FEV/Drakablöd: Metallic, yet fruity like wine.
Igrians: Rock dust and grain. Some might also smell of nitre.
Shifters: A distinctly meaty, cloying smell.
Visitants: An unplaceable, otherworldly smell, neither pleasant nor unpleasant.​

COSIGNERS
Cheffy
Crumchy
Dorfus
Teldrassil
ZachChase
zecon125​

 

AUTHORS NOTE: The naians are an already passed species. This is a rewrite of their lore meant to be clearer, better organized and just all around more interesting. Minor changes have been made to their biological traits, and those that have been made are entirely cosmetic/story based. Ultimately it's the same species as before just with a new coat of paint.

All I want is for the old naian app to be removed from the GC lore pages and be replaced with this one instead. Thank you!

 

Update:

Added 2 new blurbs to the biology section of the app, as while they were intended to be there I had simply forgotten to write them. Whoops.

The blurbs added are as follows:

Under: Unique Structures & Evolution
"This insulation combined with a naians high metabolism means naians have developed an ingenious system of temperature regulation. On top of having a large number of blood vessels in the extremities like the paws and ears, naians have developed a special mucus lining that coats many of their vital organs. This lining contains various organic alcohols with an exceedingly low boiling point. As a naians body builds heat, this mucus starts evaporating, carrying with it excess heat to be expelled from the body. Usually this happens via the lungs, however significant portions of this lining also exists within the ear canal, meaning much is expelled from there as well."

Under: Combat Adaptations
"What's most damning about a naian however is their intense response to pain, as a naians pain receptors are much more sensitive compared to a humans. Naians also have an incredibly sensitive adrenal system, meaning that even injuries which most other species could recover from can be lethal to a naian if not properly treated. If a naian breaks a bone, unless they get administered painkillers and medical treatment within 30-60 minutes of the break, a naians neural system can go into total shock, with a high risk of inducing a lethal heart attack."