K
K. El-Amrani
Guest
Original poster
So here's an original idea of mine that I'm going to put out there. I like world-building a lot, and this is a rough outline of the world and races I'd like to build an RP around. Remember, it's rough, so there's still plenty of gaps to fill in.
I like dinosaurs and I like accuracy, so hopefully I'm not too scientifically off. Anyway, here's the idea! Be prepared for a read!
--
Thousands of lights years away, there exists a planet much like ours. As human beings, we have long wondered on the possibilities of extraterrestrial life, and what is might look like in comparison to the life on our own planet. Some scientists are under the belief that life might have followed a path much like it did on Earth. Others think that life on another planet would be unfamiliar, even incomprehensible to us human beings.
But on this planet, which orbits a star in the main sequence that is very similar to our sun, life exists in a way most scientists might have never imagined. They are creatures who bear resemblances to the beasts of human history; the dinosaurs whose bones populate the museums of our world in vast numbers. And on a planet of creatures with an intelligence rivaling our own, one thing can be certain.
War and prejudice are both just an inevitability.
–
In later years, galactic astronomers would classify a yet to be named terrestrial planet with the name "Mesozoic." The name was chosen due to the planet's fauna having incredible similarities to the more primitive life forms of Earth's past. It would turn out to be an incredible coincidence when it was found out that the planets inhabitants call their home world by the same name, albeit with their own racial differences.
Mesozoic is a terrestrial planet similar in size to Earth, but with a more singular climate across its surface. It orbits around the star Beta Solaris 4, whose light provides warmth and life to a few other planets in a system known by galactic astronomers as Galaxian 5. Of all the planets surrounding Beta Solaris 4, Mesozoic is the only one with such diverse and advanced life forms. Mesozoic is home to mile-spanning rainforests, with sparse amounts of grassland and stretches of towering mountainous regions in between. The rainforests of the planet are incredibly bio-diverse, but they lack reptilian lifeforms, with most ecological niches filled by insects and mammals. The oceans of Mesozoic are vast and teeming with life as well. Wracked with frequent natural disasters, Mesozoic is a harsh planet, and so no attempts have ever been made to colonize it. Those scientists interested in studying the world do so mostly through satellite, since the hostile biosphere makes the prospect very unattractive.
Mesozoic is unique in that the planet has what could be called four dominant species. These four species are seemingly evolved from primitive creatures that once lived in the Earth's past; a fact which continues to puzzle galactic xenobiologists, who state the possible theory that the planet's lifeforms may have been genetically engineered. Below are the dominant species of Mesozoic, and how they fit into the planet's great ecological puzzle.
–
Despite all their differences, the four species of Mesozoic have some interesting similarities. All of them have a deep genetic memory that has led them to using something close to the English language as their basis for communication. There are racial differences between them, but for the most part they have the capability to communicate with humans, if one ever visited their world. Why this fact is remains a difficult and unanswered question.
The four dominant species of Mesozoic, when talked about as a whole, are ordered under the genus Zoica. They all partake in tribal societies that have yet to make it past gunpowder, but have developed their own unique cultures. All four species have their own creation story, and each of the four believes they were "The First"; they arose to prominence before the three others, and thus are superior because of it. All four species are warm-blooded, sentient, and capable of human concepts such as theory of mind. Two of the species can interbreed. They all have distinctly reptilian traits, such as egg-laying and scaly skin. Their young, however, do nurse at an early age and so the females of all four species have breasts which develop as they age, but only become functional after their young have hatched. But is is with these few things that the similarities end.
The Zargosauras, the first of the species to be discovered, are said to also be the most advanced. The Zargosauras are ancestrally linked to theropod dinosaurs, with the females and males of their species showing a very obvious case of sexual dimorphism. Males reach a height of eight feet in most cases, with some exceptions being taller or shorter. Their bodies are relatively humanoid, with large tyrannosaur heads that contain rows of serrated teeth. Their arms end in fingers capable of fine manipulation but ending in vicious claws. Armed with sleek tails and powerful legs ending in three-toed feet, Zargosaurs are fast and efficient hunters.
Females are noticeably faster and slimmer, and while males share similarities to such species as Tyrannosauras Rex and Giganatosauras, females are more comparable to smaller more agile theropods like Velociraptor and Deinoychus. Zargosaurs value hunters and warriors over all other societal roles, and as such hunting prowess is not discriminated by gender. In fact, female Zargosaurs are sometimes held at a higher standard than males. Despite a heritage based on hunting, many Zargosaurs are scholars and scientists, with intelligent minds rivaling those of Earth's greatest scientists. They are also artisans, and frequently create epic stories carved into the bones of some of planet's largest creatures. Though they are carnivorous and often aggressive, Zargosaurs are not inherently evil, and will give lesser beings a chance to prove themselves.
They are the most war-like of the four races, however, and are often the ones that conflict is most attributed to. Out of all four species, Zargosaurs are the only ones to have discovered gunpowder, and so they have a distinct advantage. The Zargosauras call Mesozoic by the name "Mesozocana."
Their version of the world's creation story is based on the life of a great Zargosaurian hunter, whose name and true purpose is unknown. His blood in death created the Zargosauras as a race, instilling in them a love for hunting and battle that they believe could not have come from elsewhere.
The second species to be discovered call themselves the Azhdar. They are ancestrally linked to pterasaurs, specifically Quetzalcoatlus. There is little to no sexual dimorphism among the Azhdar, with females being only more noticeably curvier and having the hidden mammary glands present in all four races. Male Azdhar reach eight to nine feet in height, with females being slightly taller. They have arms which function like their pterasaur ancestors, save for the fact that their wings end in complex fingers capable of incredibly fine manipulation.
Like the Zargosaurs, Azhdar have a humanoid shape and powerful bird-like legs that they can easily walk on for long periods of time. Gifted with hollow bones and strong but majestic wings, the Azhdar are powerful flyers who have mastered the skies of their planet. Azhdar have a deep reverence for nature, and their society is considered the most peaceful of the four races. They practice communal mediation, a practice which has long believed to help unify their species. They make their homes in the mountainous regions of the planets, where they are conveniently isolated from the other races.
Despite their peaceful outlook, Azhdar are capable of warfare, and their warriors are quite feared even among the Zargosaurs. They forbid females from battle however, and it is a widely known fact that Azhdar females are the most beautiful and desired of all the four species. They are capable of interbreeding with the Zargosauras, though these unions are seen as blasphemy for both races, and will result in the two lovers being exiled or even killed. In Azhdar society, healers are common, and their skills, mostly due to their extensive knowledge of the planet's many natural medicines, are legendary. The Azhdar call Mesozoic by the name "Mesozoa."
Their version of the world's creation story is based on the idea that they are the creation of a being known as The Sky Mother. She made the Azhdar in her image, and intended for them to safeguard the planet from those who would abuse it, namely the three other races they share it with. The Zargosauras and Azhdar, despite their capability to interbreed, share a particularly nasty rivalry as races.
The third species to be discovered are known as the Sauradon, and are easily the largest of the four races of Mesozoic. They are ancestrally linked to sauropod dinosaurs, specifically species such as Brachiosauras and Amargasauras. The Saurodon are titanic in size, with males reaching heights of twenty feet and usually weighing in at four or five tons. Females are drastically smaller and lack the bristling muscle and power behind the males. Saurodon's have long necks and small heads, with their nostrils being located at the top of their skull. Two powerful arms ending in three fingered hands come out of either side of their large chests, but unlike the Zargosaurs and the Azhdar, the Saurodon are centaurs. Their four legs give them powerful locomotive abilities and enable to them to multitask with less effort than the other races. A Saurodon tail is thick enough to snap an eon tree sapling in half.
Strongest of the four races, Saurodon as a race have a huge superiority complex. They rate things by size, and have a firm belief that the bigger something is, the more successful it is. Thus, being the largest of the four races gives them the firm belief that they are automatically superior. Their society is the most loose of the four races. The Saurodon gather in large herds among the great savannahs that separate the jungles, and it is there that they graze and lead an idyllic existence. Saurodon bulls frequently compete in tests of strength, both to impress females and to gain status among their peers.
Size is everything to the Sauradon, and smaller, scrawny members often don't make it past childhood. Unlike the Azdhar, Sauradon have little care for nature, and frequently destroy miles of jungle when they decide to migrate from the savannahs. Though most are little more than brutes, some Sauradon are gifted musicians, usually playing from instruments crafted from the bones of their deceased family. They have powerful voices which give them a unique kind of singing style. The Sauradon call Mesozoic by the name "Zocmes."
Their version of the world's creation story involves their race being created from nothingness, and given the planet as a place for their kind to compete on. The other four races surfaced as an afterthought, and their presence does nothing but distract the Sauradon and get in the way of their competition.
The fourth and final species to be discovered on Mesozoic call themselves the Souvirei. They are the second largest species next to the Sauradon, and are ancestrally linked to the aquatic pliosaurs such as Liopleuradon and Elasmosauras. The average male Souvirei is close to twelve feet tall in height, with females being thinner but much taller due to much longer necks. Male Souvirei have short necks and huge mouths filled with large, needle-like teeth.
Females have slim, long necks, small mouths, and more stream-lined, graceful bodies. Like the Sauradon, they are centaurs, and their lower halves have four paddle-like flippers which allow them to function perfectly in their element. Masters of the ocean, Souvirei are predatory by nature and eat just about anything they can catch. Some members of their race can control their bloodlust, but most are animalistic predators who seem to enjoy preying on the other three races more than anything else. They can move in surprisingly fast bursts on land, but are naturally more at home in the sea. Souvirei have a hatred for those who would trespass in their lands, which happen to be all of Mesozoic's oceans. Thus, they are almost always in conflict with the other three races, who each have a use for the ocean. The Souvirei breathe air but can hold their breath for up to five hours at a time, and their bodies are able to withstand the pressure of the deepest ocean trenches. They tend to gather along the shore during mating season, where males fight to death for the right to mate with what is considered the most beautiful female of any region. Their society is only a little more structured than that of the Sauradon, with family groups organizing into pods that rarely leave their oceanic homes.
Some Souvirei travel far into the jungles though, and often make temporary homes in the jungle estuaries. Souvirei society is centered around hunger and feasts, and they are oddly the best of the four races when it comes to creating good food. They have recipes involving each of the other three races, and some even involving their own. In fact, cannibalism is the most common punishment for such things as theft and murder among their race, and the act is seen as something to be cherished. The Souverei call Mesozoic by the name "Meo."
Their version of the world's creation story involves a being known as the Great Maw, which came into the world and took up the arduous task of eating most of its inhabitants. The Maw is said to have been eventually slain by an unknown warrior of Zargosaurian origin, and from the Maw's blood came the Souvirei.
--
So yeah, that's the basic idea really. This is something that's been in my head for the past year, so I'd like to hear if anyone is interested. Obviously those interested would play as a member of one of the four races, as I've yet to decide if I want to include humans in the story at all.
I like dinosaurs and I like accuracy, so hopefully I'm not too scientifically off. Anyway, here's the idea! Be prepared for a read!
--
Thousands of lights years away, there exists a planet much like ours. As human beings, we have long wondered on the possibilities of extraterrestrial life, and what is might look like in comparison to the life on our own planet. Some scientists are under the belief that life might have followed a path much like it did on Earth. Others think that life on another planet would be unfamiliar, even incomprehensible to us human beings.
But on this planet, which orbits a star in the main sequence that is very similar to our sun, life exists in a way most scientists might have never imagined. They are creatures who bear resemblances to the beasts of human history; the dinosaurs whose bones populate the museums of our world in vast numbers. And on a planet of creatures with an intelligence rivaling our own, one thing can be certain.
War and prejudice are both just an inevitability.
–
In later years, galactic astronomers would classify a yet to be named terrestrial planet with the name "Mesozoic." The name was chosen due to the planet's fauna having incredible similarities to the more primitive life forms of Earth's past. It would turn out to be an incredible coincidence when it was found out that the planets inhabitants call their home world by the same name, albeit with their own racial differences.
Mesozoic is a terrestrial planet similar in size to Earth, but with a more singular climate across its surface. It orbits around the star Beta Solaris 4, whose light provides warmth and life to a few other planets in a system known by galactic astronomers as Galaxian 5. Of all the planets surrounding Beta Solaris 4, Mesozoic is the only one with such diverse and advanced life forms. Mesozoic is home to mile-spanning rainforests, with sparse amounts of grassland and stretches of towering mountainous regions in between. The rainforests of the planet are incredibly bio-diverse, but they lack reptilian lifeforms, with most ecological niches filled by insects and mammals. The oceans of Mesozoic are vast and teeming with life as well. Wracked with frequent natural disasters, Mesozoic is a harsh planet, and so no attempts have ever been made to colonize it. Those scientists interested in studying the world do so mostly through satellite, since the hostile biosphere makes the prospect very unattractive.
Mesozoic is unique in that the planet has what could be called four dominant species. These four species are seemingly evolved from primitive creatures that once lived in the Earth's past; a fact which continues to puzzle galactic xenobiologists, who state the possible theory that the planet's lifeforms may have been genetically engineered. Below are the dominant species of Mesozoic, and how they fit into the planet's great ecological puzzle.
–
Despite all their differences, the four species of Mesozoic have some interesting similarities. All of them have a deep genetic memory that has led them to using something close to the English language as their basis for communication. There are racial differences between them, but for the most part they have the capability to communicate with humans, if one ever visited their world. Why this fact is remains a difficult and unanswered question.
The four dominant species of Mesozoic, when talked about as a whole, are ordered under the genus Zoica. They all partake in tribal societies that have yet to make it past gunpowder, but have developed their own unique cultures. All four species have their own creation story, and each of the four believes they were "The First"; they arose to prominence before the three others, and thus are superior because of it. All four species are warm-blooded, sentient, and capable of human concepts such as theory of mind. Two of the species can interbreed. They all have distinctly reptilian traits, such as egg-laying and scaly skin. Their young, however, do nurse at an early age and so the females of all four species have breasts which develop as they age, but only become functional after their young have hatched. But is is with these few things that the similarities end.
The Zargosauras, the first of the species to be discovered, are said to also be the most advanced. The Zargosauras are ancestrally linked to theropod dinosaurs, with the females and males of their species showing a very obvious case of sexual dimorphism. Males reach a height of eight feet in most cases, with some exceptions being taller or shorter. Their bodies are relatively humanoid, with large tyrannosaur heads that contain rows of serrated teeth. Their arms end in fingers capable of fine manipulation but ending in vicious claws. Armed with sleek tails and powerful legs ending in three-toed feet, Zargosaurs are fast and efficient hunters.
Females are noticeably faster and slimmer, and while males share similarities to such species as Tyrannosauras Rex and Giganatosauras, females are more comparable to smaller more agile theropods like Velociraptor and Deinoychus. Zargosaurs value hunters and warriors over all other societal roles, and as such hunting prowess is not discriminated by gender. In fact, female Zargosaurs are sometimes held at a higher standard than males. Despite a heritage based on hunting, many Zargosaurs are scholars and scientists, with intelligent minds rivaling those of Earth's greatest scientists. They are also artisans, and frequently create epic stories carved into the bones of some of planet's largest creatures. Though they are carnivorous and often aggressive, Zargosaurs are not inherently evil, and will give lesser beings a chance to prove themselves.
They are the most war-like of the four races, however, and are often the ones that conflict is most attributed to. Out of all four species, Zargosaurs are the only ones to have discovered gunpowder, and so they have a distinct advantage. The Zargosauras call Mesozoic by the name "Mesozocana."
Their version of the world's creation story is based on the life of a great Zargosaurian hunter, whose name and true purpose is unknown. His blood in death created the Zargosauras as a race, instilling in them a love for hunting and battle that they believe could not have come from elsewhere.
The second species to be discovered call themselves the Azhdar. They are ancestrally linked to pterasaurs, specifically Quetzalcoatlus. There is little to no sexual dimorphism among the Azhdar, with females being only more noticeably curvier and having the hidden mammary glands present in all four races. Male Azdhar reach eight to nine feet in height, with females being slightly taller. They have arms which function like their pterasaur ancestors, save for the fact that their wings end in complex fingers capable of incredibly fine manipulation.
Like the Zargosaurs, Azhdar have a humanoid shape and powerful bird-like legs that they can easily walk on for long periods of time. Gifted with hollow bones and strong but majestic wings, the Azhdar are powerful flyers who have mastered the skies of their planet. Azhdar have a deep reverence for nature, and their society is considered the most peaceful of the four races. They practice communal mediation, a practice which has long believed to help unify their species. They make their homes in the mountainous regions of the planets, where they are conveniently isolated from the other races.
Despite their peaceful outlook, Azhdar are capable of warfare, and their warriors are quite feared even among the Zargosaurs. They forbid females from battle however, and it is a widely known fact that Azhdar females are the most beautiful and desired of all the four species. They are capable of interbreeding with the Zargosauras, though these unions are seen as blasphemy for both races, and will result in the two lovers being exiled or even killed. In Azhdar society, healers are common, and their skills, mostly due to their extensive knowledge of the planet's many natural medicines, are legendary. The Azhdar call Mesozoic by the name "Mesozoa."
Their version of the world's creation story is based on the idea that they are the creation of a being known as The Sky Mother. She made the Azhdar in her image, and intended for them to safeguard the planet from those who would abuse it, namely the three other races they share it with. The Zargosauras and Azhdar, despite their capability to interbreed, share a particularly nasty rivalry as races.
The third species to be discovered are known as the Sauradon, and are easily the largest of the four races of Mesozoic. They are ancestrally linked to sauropod dinosaurs, specifically species such as Brachiosauras and Amargasauras. The Saurodon are titanic in size, with males reaching heights of twenty feet and usually weighing in at four or five tons. Females are drastically smaller and lack the bristling muscle and power behind the males. Saurodon's have long necks and small heads, with their nostrils being located at the top of their skull. Two powerful arms ending in three fingered hands come out of either side of their large chests, but unlike the Zargosaurs and the Azhdar, the Saurodon are centaurs. Their four legs give them powerful locomotive abilities and enable to them to multitask with less effort than the other races. A Saurodon tail is thick enough to snap an eon tree sapling in half.
Strongest of the four races, Saurodon as a race have a huge superiority complex. They rate things by size, and have a firm belief that the bigger something is, the more successful it is. Thus, being the largest of the four races gives them the firm belief that they are automatically superior. Their society is the most loose of the four races. The Saurodon gather in large herds among the great savannahs that separate the jungles, and it is there that they graze and lead an idyllic existence. Saurodon bulls frequently compete in tests of strength, both to impress females and to gain status among their peers.
Size is everything to the Sauradon, and smaller, scrawny members often don't make it past childhood. Unlike the Azdhar, Sauradon have little care for nature, and frequently destroy miles of jungle when they decide to migrate from the savannahs. Though most are little more than brutes, some Sauradon are gifted musicians, usually playing from instruments crafted from the bones of their deceased family. They have powerful voices which give them a unique kind of singing style. The Sauradon call Mesozoic by the name "Zocmes."
Their version of the world's creation story involves their race being created from nothingness, and given the planet as a place for their kind to compete on. The other four races surfaced as an afterthought, and their presence does nothing but distract the Sauradon and get in the way of their competition.
The fourth and final species to be discovered on Mesozoic call themselves the Souvirei. They are the second largest species next to the Sauradon, and are ancestrally linked to the aquatic pliosaurs such as Liopleuradon and Elasmosauras. The average male Souvirei is close to twelve feet tall in height, with females being thinner but much taller due to much longer necks. Male Souvirei have short necks and huge mouths filled with large, needle-like teeth.
Females have slim, long necks, small mouths, and more stream-lined, graceful bodies. Like the Sauradon, they are centaurs, and their lower halves have four paddle-like flippers which allow them to function perfectly in their element. Masters of the ocean, Souvirei are predatory by nature and eat just about anything they can catch. Some members of their race can control their bloodlust, but most are animalistic predators who seem to enjoy preying on the other three races more than anything else. They can move in surprisingly fast bursts on land, but are naturally more at home in the sea. Souvirei have a hatred for those who would trespass in their lands, which happen to be all of Mesozoic's oceans. Thus, they are almost always in conflict with the other three races, who each have a use for the ocean. The Souvirei breathe air but can hold their breath for up to five hours at a time, and their bodies are able to withstand the pressure of the deepest ocean trenches. They tend to gather along the shore during mating season, where males fight to death for the right to mate with what is considered the most beautiful female of any region. Their society is only a little more structured than that of the Sauradon, with family groups organizing into pods that rarely leave their oceanic homes.
Some Souvirei travel far into the jungles though, and often make temporary homes in the jungle estuaries. Souvirei society is centered around hunger and feasts, and they are oddly the best of the four races when it comes to creating good food. They have recipes involving each of the other three races, and some even involving their own. In fact, cannibalism is the most common punishment for such things as theft and murder among their race, and the act is seen as something to be cherished. The Souverei call Mesozoic by the name "Meo."
Their version of the world's creation story involves a being known as the Great Maw, which came into the world and took up the arduous task of eating most of its inhabitants. The Maw is said to have been eventually slain by an unknown warrior of Zargosaurian origin, and from the Maw's blood came the Souvirei.
--
So yeah, that's the basic idea really. This is something that's been in my head for the past year, so I'd like to hear if anyone is interested. Obviously those interested would play as a member of one of the four races, as I've yet to decide if I want to include humans in the story at all.