The Da-Vaasi

Discussion in 'Species Applications' started by zirconzz, Dec 30, 2020.

  1. zirconzz

    zirconzz da guy Staff Member Community Monitor Gold Donator

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2017
    Messages:
    133
    Likes Received:
    152
    Stage 1: Basic Synopsis

    An exotic, non-oxygen breathing species of arthropod-like beings, with a love of exploration, discovery, technology, and mystery attempting to unravel the mysteries of both their own people and the universe around them.

    Tags

    Exotic, highly curious silicon-based insectoid-like aliens, with a love of the unknown and technology, clinging to their past.

    [​IMG]

    The Da-Vaasi are, at first glance, quite similar to Earth insectoids or other Earth arthropods, but the resemblance is only superficial and surface level. They aren’t even carbon based-- rather, they are silicon (or rather organosilicon) based. Da-Vaasi are covered in a thin, heavily articulated, but otherwise smooth and glossy “exoskeleton” (it is not a true exoskeleton and has some internal support structures attached to it), typically quite dark in coloration with the occasional exception for one reason or another such as genetic mutations or ‘infantile discoloration’.

    They possess plantigrade legs and a short, stubby tail in the rough appearance of a lobster or a whale’s tail, likely owing to an aquatic origin. Their exoskeleton also possesses sporadic feather placement. They are the most prevalent upon the forearms, legs, and tail, covering the aforementioned areas almost entirely. They also have a prominent feathered plumage sprouting from the head, in a manner similar to birds or Avians. This is not a constant, and Da-Vaasi may be bald. These feathers come in millions of colors, styles, and pattern variations and it is very uncommon for any two Da-Vaasi to have both the same color and pattern, even those closely related.

    Da-Vaasi possess four very large (relative to insects) compound-style eyes made up of three sections per eye, capable of detecting both visible and ultraviolet light, and placed in a symmetrical manner. These eyes, like the feathers, vary in their color and pattern though are not exclusive to the individual unlike the feathers. The most common color of their eyes is amber, and the most common pattern is a disconnected vertical line moving vertically across the eye giving the superficial appearance of a slit pupil. They have a complex mouth, mostly flush with the face, made up of multiple parts.

    Four ‘limbs’ make up the main mandibles of the mouth, which pull food into the interior of the mouth which contains a number of both flat and jagged, serrated teeth-like* plates for grinding and tearing/cutting food, and an extending, folding, forked proboscis-like appendage in place of a tongue on the floor of the mouth. They are incapable of tasting sourness or acidity, though their taste of bitterness is actually enhanced. Da-Vaasi do not breathe oxygen, and instead respirate fluorine. They also have manganese based blood with two separate transport proteins that make it a minty green color. They exhale silicon tetrafluoride (SiF₄)1.

    Da-Vaasi are generally slender and lanky, the shortest among them generally being 5’6” and the tallest being around 6’8”, with the average at roughly 6’2, though of course just like in other species there are exceptions to this and individuals may be taller, shorter, broader, or slimmer based on genetics. They possess a pair of antennae on their heads which may appear in various shapes and lengths. Da-Vaasi have four digits on their hands, one of which is a thumb. They have complex feet, similar superficially to those of mountain goats, with an additional heel ‘toe’ to support them, though are continuous with the exoskeleton and not a separate ‘hoof’ structure.

    Da-Vaasi display simplistic sexual dimorphism. Females tend to be slimmer, with a narrower waist, and narrower shoulders while males tend to have wider waists and broader shoulders. Females often have wider tails than males, and are also generally physically larger overall, specifically when it comes to height, despite the difference in proportions. The digits on females tend to be longer and sharper than those of males but this is not always the case in recent years. Males on the other hand have flat, relatively dull fingers.

    1 This, and all of the chemistry mentioned throughout the application, has a high chance of being inaccurate. I did basic research but I am not a biochemist and only based things on whether or not they seemed roughly feasible.

    [​IMG]

    Da-Vaasi culture is one of mystery and discovery, of both the unknown and previously known. Many of their traditions have been a result of cultural revival of their ancient past, melded with the adaptations they made following the Cataclysm (see: History). In more ways than one their culture is a mix of the past and present. A great example would be their language. The modern Da-Vaasi language, or at least the one most commonly used, is a result of the recovery of ancient technology utilizing a long forgotten alphabet, now reapplied to a modern Da-Vaasi vocabulary.

    [​IMG]

    Da-Vaasi are highly communal and social, and there’s a focus on making and maintaining close relationships. They are extremely important to the Da-Vaasi, and one should always keep in close contact with those they love, and loyalty is highly valued amongst them-- though for Da-Vaasi, the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb. That is, their relationships are important by choice, and not by relation. Da-Vaasi often do not know their parents, children, or siblings. They are typically orphaned after birth, and raised communally by a group. These foster parents take them in by choice rather than obligation.

    Much of Da-Vaasi culture post-Cataclysm is centered around duality and balance. Life and death, chaos and order, past and future, good and evil. Life and death in particular are important to them. Despite their modern focus of discovery and science, many Da-Vaasi are still highly superstitious and often quite moral owing to the religions that were and still are so widespread throughout Da-Vaasi society. This religion, known as Zo Kaas (literally translates to “balance”), is represented by the three deities, Isi, Solas, and Zaala. Isi represents the lighter side of duality, and Zaala the darker side. Solas represents balance between them and is also represented as being the Da-Vaasi-- beings between dark and light, who are vulnerable to being pulled to one side or the other.

    Da-Vaasi, despite not always being as spiritual as they used to be after the Cataclysm, still follow many of their traditions to the letter with very little change, so long as they are not obstructing what the cadres deem to be ‘societal progress’. Important rituals surrounding death and birth, for instance, are still often followed even by the least religious of them. It’s their way of reconnecting with their history and honoring the echoes of the past. Yet despite this, it can often clash with the modern Da-Vaasi ideals of efficiency, curiosity, and progress.

    In many ways, the Da-Vaasi are in the midst of a culture war, and it is yet to be seen what will triumph: the past, or the present. Traditionalists and progressives are often at the forefront of political discussions, with open discourse being encouraged in public forums monitored to make sure they remain calm. This is a common trend. Da-Vaasi are encouraged to speak openly and freely about their woes in these public forums, and local government officials very often sit in on these discussions to learn what ails their people. In Da-Vaasi society, should a politician become corrupt or serve themselves rather than their community, it is in the hands of the people to remove them from power, by force if necessary. The memories of the patriarchs and matriarchs of the Post-Cataclysm Era are still fresh in the minds of many, and so the maintenance of political freedom and the removal of corruption for the health of democracy is considered paramount to most Da-Vaasi.

    [​IMG]

    Da-Vaasi history begins long ago. Over 10,000 years ago to be precise. Their homeworld, the moon of Non Sola, had once been home to an advanced space-faring race with technology akin to that of the modern day if not more advanced. This race was themselves. The Da-Vaasi were, in a sense, their own precursors. It was the downfall of the ancient Da-Vaasi that left them scrambling and sent them into a new dark age. Thousands of years worth of knowledge was destroyed and millions perished in an event known only to the Da-Vaasi as the Cataclysm. The Cataclysm was so detrimental to their culture that many historical events became so clouded in mystery that they became myth. As a result the modern Da-Vaasi know very little about their own history before a certain point, and the exotic surface of Non Sola is littered with tens of thousands of ruins spanning all eras of time, some so degraded they have become geographical features.

    After the Cataclysm, the Da-Vaasi were left in their equivalent of a medieval era. This “neo-medieval” era lasted a long time, nearly two thousand years before they could advance again, and had a profound impact on the newly post-apocalyptic societies of the Da-Vaasi. Their storytelling was heavily relegated to oral storytelling and tapestries, something maintained even today in a sense. Power was focused into matriarchs and patriarchs that had money and power, and so could source and uncover the ancient technology of their people. This split the Da-Vaasi into near continent-spanning clans in constant conflict with each other and themselves. Treachery and subterfuge from within was commonplace and you were as likely to be killed by someone from an opposing clan as you were to be backstabbed by your closest advisor. As more of their own culture and history was unearthed their society shifted once again.

    As their more simplistic technologies were rediscovered, in conjunction with discoveries of more ancient technology, the common folk began to become far more educated and took politics into their own hands. They took pages from the books of the more community oriented societies of ten thousand years ago, and looked to implement this style of living into the modern day. The clans that vied for control of the continents and the moon had less time to fight each other as risk of internal coups by the people became ever more a worry. These worries were well founded as many of these clans were soon toppled by internal fighting and the formation of new ‘cadres’ in their place, focused on the rule of many rather than the rule by one.

    Led by a council of the most educated in their society, international war began to fall out of favor and in its place there was international cooperation between cadres to rediscover their own past. They continued to advance with this style of governance and cooperation, rapidly moving through different eras of technology, and while they will never be as advanced as they once were, they have returned to the stars in the past few centuries to reclaim their past. Their rediscoveries have led to mass shifts in their culture, rejecting many post-apocalyptic adaptations of society in favor of ‘the old ways’. There are of course hardliners who believe that a return to these old ways within the half-millenia will lead to a Second Cataclysm, but they are often considered to be radical anarcho-semi-primitivists.

    Non Sola, as of 3288, is governed by a collaboration of these ‘cadres’. Though there is an international body binding them together and as a result creating a ‘federal’ government led by yet another council, the cadres still retain quite a lot of autonomy in many areas. This supranational government is known as the Non Sola Amalgamate, and is spearheading Da-Vaasi exploration of the surrounding space of Non Sola-- The Fringe in this case. They continue to re-discover their past technologies in hopes of one day recovering all that was lost in the Cataclysm.

    Intentions for Story & Setting Interactions

    My intentions for the Da-Vaasi are to make a unique and interesting culture and history for people to explore and learn about, and to make an exotic alien species for people to try out. I want to introduce more mystery to the setting and I hope that the Da-Vaasi satisfies my own desires in that regard, but also provides something fun to explore. I do not intend to make a faction out of their government, but they may on occasion interact with other Fringe powers and will likely be the employer of many Da-Vaasi in the Fringe during their initial introduction. People playing the Da-Vaasi may do political rp if they so desire, once everything is in motion.

    Any military forces sent by the Da-Vaasi would only be security members of whatever ships they’re crewing and I do not intend for them to have any military, or really any political presence in the Fringe at this time. That being said I do intend to have them explore various parts of the Milky Way, because I think that it would be quite fun to explore from their perspective!

    [​IMG]


    funny? Lol??? Hi cheffy :) :) :)
     
    Last edited: Jan 28, 2021
  2. Cheffy

    Cheffy La Creatura Bronze Donator

    Joined:
    Nov 23, 2018
    Messages:
    191
    Likes Received:
    208
    C o s i g n e d
     
    SilverGallium and zirconzz like this.
  3. crumchy

    crumchy pet food taster Silver Donator

    Joined:
    Jan 23, 2019
    Messages:
    158
    Likes Received:
    398
    cumsign
     
  4. zecon125

    zecon125 Lizzer Staff Member Moderator Bronze Donator

    Joined:
    Jun 26, 2017
    Messages:
    359
    Likes Received:
    533
    [​IMG]
     
    SilverGallium and zirconzz like this.
  5. Pinkbat5

    Pinkbat5 pocl v3.6.7 Staff Member Moderator Diamond Donator

    Joined:
    Jun 26, 2017
    Messages:
    574
    Likes Received:
    1,223
    woah haha what’s this woah!!!!!! woah!!!!!
    I like em. Get a load of that alternative respiration system! Very nice :) Pass
     
  6. Endiie

    Endiie Galactic Commoner Diamond Donator

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2017
    Messages:
    29
    Likes Received:
    93
    Co-signing
     
    Cheffy and zirconzz like this.
  7. WowGain

    WowGain Bara King Staff Member Administrator Bronze Donator Event Builder

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2017
    Messages:
    605
    Likes Received:
    340
    Hey there sorry for the delay on your second grade.

    I'll be passing this, but I do have some notes as for sections that I would like to see you specifically work on expanding and fleshing out as you work on the second stage

    -Try and expand more on the ecological niches that the Da'Vaasi and their ancestors held within their environments, specifically in relation to describing exactly why they have some of the particularly specific/specialized adaptations in their physiology that they have, such as the shape of their hands and the amount of fingers they have, the posture of their hips and the shape & form of their legs, their mouthparts, etc
    -Play around with how some of their physical traits factor into cultural customs, are their feathers important for displays, are their tails used for anything such as dancing or the creation of music?
    -What led to the trend of communal parenting among Da'Vaasi, is it a more biologically motivated trait or one that arose from the development of social constructs, what benefits does it confer onto their society as a result, and what issues arise from it?
    -I'm particularly interested to see a description of the world that they come from, what sort of alien environments do they live under that led to the development of such a form of life, and what complications does this lead to in terms of how the Da'Vaasi can interact with or exist within environments that while to us are liveable, may be extreme and hazardous to their own biology?

    Pass. I'm very excited to see the 2nd stage.

    @zirconzz
     
    Endiie, Cheffy and zirconzz like this.
  8. Exon

    Exon Galactic Enforcer

    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2020
    Messages:
    148
    Likes Received:
    257
    Co-sign.
     
    Cheffy and zirconzz like this.