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Schocoa's Species

This is just to have a dedicated thing for any species I'll make/have made.




Xariels are a space-faring species that coexist with the Ievak on their home planet.
Their relations are fairly strained, as they were warring off and on for a while before they finally solidified a truce.
For the most part, the planet itself has many steep valleys and mountains. The trees that grow there are pretty wack.They in general are a very curious species, aiming to document everything in the known universe. They try their best to work with the native species, but like their home planet, different regions may have a disagreement with the terms one region may have come up with.

Anatomy (Basic)

A fairly simple fella - they're primarily canine with ears inspired by bats. The inner flap is a more extreme version of ear fluff as their ears are pretty massive, and so the ear flaps must be deliberately moved out of the way if they want to listen better.Their tails are primarily muscle and fairly reactive, but they are able to train themselves to use it as a third hand.

Patterns

The patterns are fairly consistent for Xariels, the main thing is the difference for the accents, which way the lil offshoots curl, how many of them offshoots there are, what side the white dots are on, and whether they go from largest to smallest or smallest to largest.Now, when it comes to their general colors, it is all based on their internal color. Xariels' internal color can vary - from being saturated, pastel, or dark - there's a wide range in colors, but their internal color is NEVER gray.
Their fur color is usually a very dark version of the internal color - both near black, but usually the stomach fluff is darker. Sometimes, around 1 in 30, the stomach fluff is lighter.The only way for them to have 2 colors is if they are multicolored, and even then, it's just 1 color split roughly 50/50 on each side of their body.One of two exceptions to the dark-only fur would be Merle Xariels as parts of their fur and hair is lighter - it's still as desaturated as the fur, but now lighter.The other exception is Albino Xariels - where either their primary or secondary color is white, and the other is a paler shade of their internal color. The example may seem to have no white dots, but they are there, it's just white-on-white.Another thing to note is most fur color abnormalities can also have the inverted effect.

Irregular Coloration

It's not super common, but Xariels have started to have irregular fur patterns more and more often, and the superstitions tied to them have practically evaporated as advancements in tech have been made and natural camouflage isn't as important to the crew's survival.
On top of the effort by the Council to dispel any preconceptions made without a solid basis in science.Albino Xariels are fairly rare but becoming more common (1 in 6,000). In the past, Albino Xariels would usually be paired with other Albino Xariels as their white fur made them better suited for Arctic expeditions.Merle are somewhat common (1 in 500) and also used to be paired up with each other, but for planets with lots of varied foliage.Multicolored Xariel are extremely rare (1 in 1,000,000) so it's highly unlikely to see more than 1 with that fur pattern on a ship.If you have dice (or don't, then you can use a number generator) and want to let RNG decide the coloration, I recommend first doing a 1d100 role to determine if they have a color alteration (100 & 99 would be a yes) and then another 1d100 where 99 & 100 would be multi-colored, 80-98 would be Albino, and the rest Merle. If you really want a color alteration, I did a 1d6 with 6 being multi, 4-5 being Albino, and 1-3 being Merle.

(Left to Right: Atax, Potchly, Rimeru, Sisyphus, Alice, Basilisk)

Sexual Dimorphism

There aren't many differences in male and female Xariels, just height and their genitalia. The average height for female Xariels is 7'8" (233.68cm), while for male Xariels it's 7'2" (218.44cm).
This is for Xariels that grew up on their own planet - those on other planets may have more variance in their build due to the environmental differences.

Gender & Sexuality

Due to how hard it may be to discern a Xariel's gender, Xariels primarily refer to each other using gender-neutral terms. Most won't disclose their gender unless they know the person fairly well, as it's a bit of a private matter, and some just prefer being referred to in neutral terms.In regard to their sexuality, they typically don't care too much on which gender their partner is, as the only time it would become relevant (to an extent, to be fair) is if they want children. It also isn't all that irregular for some to have a complete disinterest in finding a partner.

Self Expression

Xariels have several options when it comes to self-expression - but the main way to let others know is either through outfits or body modification. It's usually more common for Xariels on planet to do this, but it isn't unheard of for those faring off planet to do the same, but usually even then to a lesser degree.

Body Art

Xariels sometimes pierce body parts, usually their ears.They also sometimes cut out parts of the cartilage of their ears to put designs in their ears. Most Xariels don't do this in fear of doing that would harm their hearing.
Some don't care.

Another thing Xariels may do is have pigment augmentation done to their fur to have a pattern etched into their fur of their accent color - it's possible to do the white like their spots, but that's fairly uncommon as it's harder for shops to get the equipment to do so. To have it done in their secondary color is also fairly easy, but usually used for shading as it does need mildly different equipment.This is also used officially, but purely to keep Commandos from scarring their face when they merge crews. Especially since crew merges aren't as permanent as they used to be.

Crew Specialization

Responsibility

Every part of the crew has something they can do "Off" and "On" Planet.
Some of them may seem to have one role, but that's because it's either that complex or broadly applicable.If the area they're exploring is hostile, they try to avoid it or explore undetected, depending on the capabilities of the team. They may end up in a hostile area as a part of an agreement to help.

Combat

Not all Crew Roles require combat training, but that doesn't mean non-combatant roles can't learn.Normally, non-combatant roles have a two-color arm band showing their lack in combat prowess. If they go through the training and pass the exam, their crew usually throws a mini ceremony celebrating it by the Captain Commando cutting off the arm bands.Roles with combat training have their armor as their primary uniform.

Commando #232aff

The symbol is agreed to be a simplified eye, although some speculate its origin to be a crossbow instead

The Commando role is fairly unique, as the job gets a good bit more complicated depending on whether or not the Commando is also the Captain of the spacecraft.In general, Commandos are well versed in battle tactics and strategies for approaching any number of situations they may come across.Captain Commandos work closely with Diplomats for social-oriented tasks - whether that's making sure the crew is getting along and morale is high, or to talk with the local people of a planet, the Captain has to make sure things stay as peaceful and calm as possible.A way the Commandos visually distinguish each other is through a mark on their jaw and small markings on their armor by their role symbol - this used to be something the Commandos did amongst each other by scarring their jaw and denting their armor, and when the government noticed, they provided an easy alternative to stop this mini tradition.

Doctor #ffffff

The symbol is an abstract representation of someone shielding or hugging someone else

Doctors are the ones monitoring the health of the crew, and nursing them back to health if they ever get hurt or sick. A crew usually only has 1 Doctor per 10-20 crew that helps their specific crew, but may get more from crew merges. If they have enough Doctor to crew ratio, they will pick roles - one Doctor may choose to be on the field as the crew's medic while another focuses on monitoring their health, caring for injured, and anything else ship specific. The more Doctors, the more specific they can get, but they will still need to make sure to know other aspects of their role through refreshers or swapping for a bit.If there's only 1 Doctor, and no Soldier working under them, they usually can rely on the Botanist to assist.

Soldier #e8262c

The symbol is based on the side profile of a weapon that once was a staple amongst Soldiers

They are the ones trained most heavily for combat of the combat roles, and the ones trained to use the gun emplacements on ships and in some crews, they're also the primary pilots - usually for gun ships on a Spacecraft Carrier.They typically also work under another non-soldier crew member to assist them in their job, and to have something to do outside of combat and guarding.Subcategories of Soldier are WIP

Hunter #ff8730

The symbol is based on the paw pads of the Xariels' tail hand

Hunters have specialized in tracking and following a target without being spotted. This makes them perfect for being the recon and scouts for the crew.Their tracking and stalking comes in handy as the crew member to hunt and study any fauna of a planet.Aside from that, they also work as the crew's chef - so they work with the Botanist to create meals out of edible flora and fauna.

Logistics Officer #fed20d

The symbol is based on a pen and pad of paper, or tablet to some

They're in charge of inventory management - making sure anything leaving or entering the ship is documented and stored appropriately.They also work with the crew to get any resource they may need but don't have, such as helping the Engineer get raw materials for their latest project, and their main job there is to find the best cost-efficient way to get the resource.

Engineer #30fee9

The symbol is based on an invention that kick-started the Xariels rapid innovation

They primarily work to make sure the ship well maintained and keep up to date with the latest innovations. They may also talk with others to help with innovation themselves - maybe using stuff the crew has found or from things they've observed - either way, they're a very essential part to the crew and Xariel innovation in general.

Botanist #35fe7b

The symbol is based on the top portion of a Botanist's staff

They are the ones that document flora and will either accompany or come after the Hunter has scouted out the area.After collecting samples of a planet's flora, they will test if they're edible as well as how they react with other planets as the Botanist also specializes in Alchemy.Part of a Botanist's course work is to grow their own staff to use as a ritual focus for their alchemy and other works. Their staffs would on average have taken 3-5 years to grow to a usable state (time varies depending on how well the Botanist grew the staff) and are used as the basis for a lot of work they do.

Diplomat #d30afe

The symbol is based on the front profile of a Xariel when their ears are fully perked up

They are the ones to make sure any social situation is going well for the Xariels and the crew - The Captain would tell them the things they need, whether or not something is able to be compromised on, and things of that nature, but it is the Diplomat's job to do the talking and negotiation.For the crew, the Diplomat talks with the crew and works with the Commando to quell any potential issues or address any concerns.

Ievak are also space-faring, but not exactly for just exploration. They coexist with the Xariels
They are a very strength and honor based society, valuing the strongest to be their leader, and any enemy that has shown their worth would be given the proper respect (even if the enemy is going to be killed or what have you)As of 'today', there is a fairly big divide amongst the people. There had been a growing divide in general, a portion wanting to make peace and get along with the Xariels, the others wanting to show their strength and conquering them - they do acknowledge the technological advantage the Xariels have, which is why they've had peace time, and also why a growing number of Ievak feel they should try to get along and stop fighting so much. After a certain Event, these two groups became even more vocal about their thoughts - the ones wishing for peace feeling continuous fighting may lead to the Ievaks' extinction, while the ones wanting to conquer feeling like they should retaliate. At this point, though, the ones asking for peace are the majority - in general, and in the government. So, the Ievak have been slowly getting along and making peace with the Xariels

Anatomy (Basic)

A base of beefy bovine (hah) that has an extra set of arms and has claws meant for digging for their primary set of arms. Their secondary set is smaller and more agile, and to a human, the second set would still look somewhat built but fairly normal. They also have pretty thick legs with large cloven hooves, similar to a cow, as well as a large tail, mainly used for balance.

Sexual Dimorphism

There are several differences between male and female Ievak.
Female Ievak are generally shorter (8'9" or 266.7cm) than their male counterparts (9'6" or 289.56cm), but have bigger digging claws. Their hands do also have one less finger on their primary set.Female Ievak also have mammary glands, as they provide milk for their young, while male Ievak don't (similar to humans, they're not developed in any way but something could cause them to start developing n such).Female Ievak generally have less intricate patterns on their fur and smaller horns, while male Ievaks have more variance and intricate patterns, along with large horns (example male horns are on the small end).All Ievak can grow tusks but it's more of just genetic lottery on that, and is considered a symbol of strength if you do have them.Another thing is that female Ievak have longer ears and fluffier tails than male Ievaks, where their ears are shorter and their tails have the same fur length as the rest of their body.Ievaks generally have the same muscle mass but female Ievak are able to store more fat to keep themselves warm or let them last longer without food.

Gender & Sexuality

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Patterns & Coloration

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Self Expression

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Strong or Weak

Depending on which mountain the Ievak came from, they may have a different idea of what makes someone strong or weak