Homeworld: Rh'alara Valiss (Valiss)
Colony: Rh'alara Kessos (Kessos)
Race: Ashiir (Demonym: Ashiiran)
Rh'alara Valiss is a somewhat tumultuous planet with frequent seismic and volcanic activity. It is slightly larger than Earth, having a gravitational force of 10.7 m/s2, and has a climate that ranges from tropical at its equator to temperate at the poles. There is a single large ocean laden with archipelagos, as well as several expansive inland seas. There are three vast continents that make up the majority of habitable land, along with a few of the island chains; most of the archipelagos are highly volcanic and not suitable for life. The dense atmosphere, a result of continuous volcanic activity, keeps the planet warmed and, despite it having only a slight axial tilt, there is very little ice at each pole. The Valissan year has 410 days and is divided into five "phases," each lasting about 80 days; the days are roughly thirty hours long.
While a few of the volcanoes on Valiss have violent, explosive eruptions, most of the volcanoes are given to gentle eruptions with flowing lava that creates and expands existing islands. Because of the volcanic activity, much of the Valissan soil is very rich and provides for abundant vegetation which, in turn, had given rise to an impressive array of wildlife. Much of the planet is covered by dense jungle, spreading to deciduous forest moving away from the planet's equator. Regions of the eastern continent are covered by vast marshes, while parts of the southern land is rocky plains. The northern continent boasts the most impressive mountain ranges, as well as the most active and violent volcano, Kelakhaar, which is constantly and closely monitored.
The constant shifting of tectonic plates and ongoing volcanic activity make Valiss a rather dangerous planet. Nevertheless, life adapted and evolved to fit the bill. The Ashiir are a fairly new race on the universal scale, as Valiss is only about 2 billion years old, but were forced to evolve quickly to ensure their survival. They were once a nocturnal tree-dwelling species, though modern Ashiir have become more comfortable on the ground-- and in the skies. Despite the apparent diversity of life on Valiss, the Ashiir are the only fully-sentient beings.
They are largely humanoid in appearance: standing upright, possessing four limbs, and having two forward facing eyes with binocular vision. They still retain lithe forms, and are thin in comparison to humans. There is little difference in general size between the sexes, and they usually stand between 5' and 6' tall, though few reach a maximum height. Despite having thin bodies and a relatively small overall size, they are quite strong due to unique musculature and exceptionally long tendons and ligaments.
They are mostly hairless, having only dense, fur-like hair on their heads and around their faces; they lack any other body hair. Skin colours range from pale blue to dark green and, rarely, shades of pale pink or violet. Often, their skin is patterned or mottled but can be a solid colour. Albinism is exceptionally rare. The pattern of hair growth varies between individuals, with either sex being more inclined toward a particular growth pattern. The patterns range from a mane starting between the shoulder blades, to hair around the sides of their faces, to growth almost akin to that of human hair. The texture, length, thickness, and colour vary between individual Ashiir.
One of the most noticeable features are their ears. Positioned high on either side of their heads, their ears are elongated and wide-- somewhat akin to hairless bat ears. Most often their ears are laid backward, but can be stood erect and swiveled to collect sounds. It is common for ears to be an extension of their expression.
Their eyes are somewhat large (in comparison to a human's) and their vision is keen, especially in low light. They have a noticeable eye shine that reflects as a bright yellow or green. (Note that this occurs only when a light is shown into their eyes; it is most noticeable when there is dim or no light.) Eye colours are pale, often in shades of green, blue, or yellow. About half of all modern Ashiir have nictitating membranes in addition to their true eyelids; a fading remnant of their ancestors.
Their faces are vaguely elongated and somewhat animalistic (by human standards), with their nose, upper and lower jaw, and cheekbones slightly protruding forward. Their noses are somewhat flat, but defined, with narrow nostrils.
While they are primarily bipedal, they are capable of walking and running on four legs and often will when they need to move quickly. They are plantigrade and have retained the prehensile feet of their tree-dwelling ancestors. While years of walking upright has reduced some of the need for foot dexterity, they still use their feet and toes for gripping and balancing. Their feet are somewhat elongated, each possessing four toes-- though the big toe is oriented to the inside, acting as a grasping, opposable thumb. There is a slight midtarsal break that allows for flexibility in the foot; however, the foot can be flexed (such as for running) and stiffened provide better propulsion. It is uncommon for Ashiir to wear restrictive footwear and they are most often seen with scant straps or coverings in place of shoes. Their hands each have three dexterous fingers and an opposable thumb.
Due to the constant volcanic activity on Valiss, the atmosphere contains many toxic gases, including high levels of carbon monoxide that are released from the planet's inner layers. As the ancestors of the Ashiir came down from the trees and into the dense and poisonous gases, they evolved methods of surviving in the toxic environment. They breathe oxygen, but they are non-hemoglobic and suffer no ill-effects from the carbon monoxide. They also possess a sophisticated filtration system that is located above their "true" lungs that purges unusable gases out of two small vents behind either side of their lower jaw.
The Ashiir are designed for a primarily carnivorous diet, but can and will eat select vegetation as well. They have two rows of small, triangular, serrated teeth in both the upper and lower jaw. Instead of molars, they posses small protrusions of jawbone that serve as crushing plates for plant matter and other foods too difficult for them to chew. Unlike their smaller front teeth, these plates possess impressive force and can crush bone-- a staple in traditional Ashiiran diets.
Nearly everything on Valiss is poisonous to some degree, including the Ashiir-- most notably, their saliva. On its own, their saliva is mildly caustic and is used to help digest food before entering the stomach, but mixed with a venom that is secreted by glands in their jaw, it is a particularly nasty substance. Modern Ashiir venom is somewhat less potent than that of their ancestors and only truly toxic in large quantities or when concentrated. Ashiir are, of course, unaffected by the substance, but other species tend to experience mild tingling in their extremities after exposure, lasting only a few minutes. Concentrated amounts of Ashiir venom can, however, lead to paralysis and death-- though such incidents are few and far between. The venom they secrete into their saliva is largely a byproduct of their filtration of toxins from the environment, and Ashiir that live off-world have a notably milder venom composition.
Their average lifespan is 100-125. (Ashiiran years)
They reproduce sexually and give birth to live young. They are physically compatible with other races, but can only produce offspring with other Ashiir.
Much of the evolution on Valiss has been closed due to the Ashiiran management of the planet. As the only sentient species, they rushed to the top of the food-chain and, while they are slowly evolving less exaggerated features, they have changed little over the past several centuries. Theirs is a culture founded on the desire to learn. Education and knowledge are so highly valued within their culture that social status is determined by an individual's contributions to society and, particularly, to academia.
The Ashiir are notable for their advances in most every field of science and technology. They are highly innovative, tireless workers that will stand for nothing short of excellence. They strive to push the boundaries of possibility in their pursuit of knowledge, and they are proud of their collective intelligence. This is not without cause-- the Ashiir are quick-minded beings-- but it can lead to tensions when working cooperatively with other races. While Ashiir work together well enough with other Ashiir, many are distrustful of other races' intelligence. It's not something that is ever really addressed aloud, but rest assured that an Ashiir will be double-checking your calculations behind your back.
Due to frequent seismic activity, Ashiiran architecture is designed to withstand considerable trauma, but even then the Ashiir do not like to tempt fate. The urban centres, universities, and research facilities (with rare exceptions) are all built as far away from active plate boundaries as possible in order to minimize potential damage.
Because of this, and along with many of the other natural hazards of the planet, the Ashiir population is quite small in comparison to those of other planets. Excluding the two million Ashiir on the colony planet of Kessos, there are roughly eight million Ashiir that inhabit Valiss. Their small population and propensity toward pacifism has lead them to be a non-martial race. They have no formal military, but have little need for one. They have a sophisticated planetary defense system in place that can down the biggest ship in the galactic fleet, should such a vessel ever try to penetrate the Valissan atmosphere. Of course, other races have little desire to even visit Valiss, much less invade it. If the constant natural hazards and monstrous wildlife aren't enough of a deterrent, the atmosphere itself is toxic to non-Ashiir.
The racial unity has allowed for ease of distribution throughout the continents of Valiss. The land masses are divided by not country borders, but by sectors. Each sector is responsible for a general branch of study, and is further divided into districts with more specific schools of study. Each Ashiir attends perfunctory education in their home sector before moving to another sector for their secondary education. After completion of competency exams, an individual selects four universities at which they desire to study and spends one phase at each. They are permitted a phase to reflect on their experiences and make the selection to explore more universities or to pursue further education at one they previously visited. Each Ashiir is expected to complete no less than five years, often referred to as "terms," at a university, and spends much of that time working as part of a research team and competing with their academic peers. The highest honor one can receive upon completion of their five term education is to be granted their own lab and research team.
(One of the most intensive and important branches of study geology, particularly seismology and volcanology. There are researched teams devoted to monitoring and venting large volcanoes in order to reduce the impact of eruptions. As such, Ashiir are one of the galactic leaders in geological planetary evaluation.)
Ashiir economy is based upon a standard living wage, regardless of social status. Education and housing is provided at no charge, and each individual starts at the same level of income and social standing, regardless of parental status. As an individual progresses through their studies and offers advances or outstanding work, they are rewarded with research funds and teams to aid in their work. What research teams compete for most is greater funding of their work or study, but are never fully cut off unless their results prove hazardous.
There is only one belief system held by the Ashiir, and that is one of science and progress. It is often referred to as the "Universal Truth." They believe they exist in order to advance as much as possible in the time given to them, always moving forward.
The highly volcanic nature of Valiss has led to the majority of all power being geothermal. Items and devices that cannot be practically powered by geothermal energy, such as ships and other vehicles, are fueled by a chemical compound of several Valissan elements, condensed into a clean-burning fuel rod with a considerable use time.
The majority of Ashiiran relations with other planets is trade. Ashiiran technology is solid and well-trusted, but comes at a steep price. Nevertheless, most are willing to pay the price of innovation. Most notably, the Ashiir are the inventors behind the standard fuel used now used by most of the galactic races. The main imports to Valiss are raw metals and materials.
While the Ashiir are not xenophobic, they are highly cautious of outsiders. Those that live off-world are less wary of non-Ashiir, but are often still regarded as being high-strung. They like to keep an eye on the goings on, but aren't always the most social of beings-- often choosing to linger and observe, much to the dislike of many other races. They are not a people that frequently partakes in leisure activity and they can have a rather terse presentation, though this varies largely between individuals.
