Naulixi Avali
Small, curious, and nomadic, the raptor-like avali are natural born explorers. Their home planet Avalon is located in a star system of gas giants in the Naulixi Claw sector.
Avali are not mammals, but instead more similar to prehistoric dromaeosauridae. Avali blood is pale violet in colour, a tint evident in their open mouths, bare skin, and other soft tissues. Male and females are most easily told apart by their feathers, as there are no other external differences. Females tend to have muted, two-tone feathers, often with speckled patterns, while males have brightly coloured, iridescent bands across much of their body.
A typical adult avali stands around 3 to just under 4 feet tall, and laid out, 5 to 6 feet from nose to tail tip (half of that length is from their long, counterbalancing tail) and weighs between 30-45 lbs. Their wing feathers allow full flight on Avalon, with it's low gravity and thick atmosphere, but are far less useful on higher gravity worlds. Avali on other planets are often only able to make controlled glides and break falls on their own, and cannot truly fly unaided.
Due to the relatively featureless topography of the planet's ice shelves and dense atmosphere, the Avalon's jet streams tend to have a significant effect on the surface level airflow, creating consistent winds that tend to travel in roughly the same direction which has a number of useful applications to the native inhabitants, ranging from power generation to navigation.
However, as a species, there are still certain cultural norms most packs display. It should be stressed, that while packs are an important concept culturally, the vast majority of avali are not necessarily in a pack at any given time.
Nomads to the core, the avali build both their tools and structures to the axiom of “keep it simple, discard what you can afford to, and look after that which you cannot.” avali design places much emphasis on lightweight, space-saving techniques. When possible, their tools are designed to be flash-forged from a 3D printer and discarded after use rather than adding to the weight of travel.
Modern avali techniques mix high-technology and nomadic sensibilities in equal measure; portable stoves replace campfires, synthesizers supplant traditional fireside music, and holographic displays are set up where embroidered tapestries might have once been hung in a tent. Carbon nanofibre weave provides tents that can stop bullets, while VTOL dropships and drones carry the tribe and their supplies far more efficiently than animals and sleds, and can provide safety when danger arises.
Avali find cybernetics appealing because they are implanted into/onto the user, making them easily transported, and have very valuable applications. Much of avali society has worked on the development of cybernetics, and most modern avali cybernetics involve nanites of some kind. Virtually all avali have in-depth knowledge of cybernetics and have some form of augmentation.
The avali are also a highly artistic race. Having creativity is considered one of the most valuable assets a pack can have. As might be expected given incredible avali auditory processing and comparatively poor vision, musical and performance art tends to be significantly more popular than visual arts. Unsurprisingly, many avali have some degree of musical experience and can either play an instrument or sing. Many packs play together as a band, a tendency that begins at a young age as avali kits often play games based around sound and music.
Though fine visual distinctions are often wasted upon them, the avali still appreciate intricate and high-contrast decorative patterns in their tent work and clothing. Packs usually have a set of colors, a sort of informal heraldry, that they prefer and identify themselves with through their belongings and clothing. Avali dress often integrates crystalline and metallic chimes as the auditory equivalent of wearing bright colors. Though a human ear might find the din distracting, the avali are no more confused by the melodies of a crowd than the human eye is by the task of tracking a single face among dozens.
Though their culture is decentralized in physical terms, the Nexus (See Nexus jack augmentation) provides even the most isolated tribes with a social outlet for their talents.
Due to their tribalistic society and often dependence on their packs, with few loners, avali usually lean toward a lawful or neutral alignment but can be anywhere between good and evil.
AEF - Avalon Exploratory Fleet
ADF - Avalon Defense Fleet
AMF - Avalon Merchant Fleet
Avali are expansionist but only moderately so, seeking to expand their sphere of influence and the amount of resources available to them slowly and carefully. A careful understanding of the implications of game theory has long convinced the Avali against a reckless policy of militaristic domination and conquest, and so they instead press their advantages slowly and carefully, creating alliances and brokering deals rather than bullying and using military might to get their way.
The Avali do not hesitate to use military force to defend themselves or neutralize threats, but are careful always to use the minimal amount of action necessary to resolve a situation, their philosophy being that if one negotiates with the barrel of a gun, it is only a matter of time before one meets someone with a larger gun.
Some avali hold an inexplicable grudge against humans, a grudge stemming from a similar bipedal hominid once exploiting their homeworld of Avalon for its natural resources.
Avali that intend to cohabitate with other species will use a personal environment suit, known colloquially as a "fridge-suit", in reference to the absolutely chilled interior of the gear.
Physical Description
Superficially resembling a cross between a large rabbit and a turkey, avali stand bipedally, with digitigrade poise. They are covered from head to toe in thick, insulating feathers of varying length, possess two large wings with rudimentary digits at the wrist/hand enabling them to manipulate objects dexterously, while also possessing 4 long, rabbit-like ears.Avali are not mammals, but instead more similar to prehistoric dromaeosauridae. Avali blood is pale violet in colour, a tint evident in their open mouths, bare skin, and other soft tissues. Male and females are most easily told apart by their feathers, as there are no other external differences. Females tend to have muted, two-tone feathers, often with speckled patterns, while males have brightly coloured, iridescent bands across much of their body.
A typical adult avali stands around 3 to just under 4 feet tall, and laid out, 5 to 6 feet from nose to tail tip (half of that length is from their long, counterbalancing tail) and weighs between 30-45 lbs. Their wing feathers allow full flight on Avalon, with it's low gravity and thick atmosphere, but are far less useful on higher gravity worlds. Avali on other planets are often only able to make controlled glides and break falls on their own, and cannot truly fly unaided.
Home World
Avalon is the major moon of a gas giant, and is notably the home-world of the Avali. With its extremely cold temperatures, liquid water is very rarely encountered, even in the form of water vapor. It is known that the planet has arid regions, analogous to desert in the moon's geosphere (Though by human standards they represent arctic tundra) and while temperatures towards the poles can drop low enough to freeze ammonia.Due to the relatively featureless topography of the planet's ice shelves and dense atmosphere, the Avalon's jet streams tend to have a significant effect on the surface level airflow, creating consistent winds that tend to travel in roughly the same direction which has a number of useful applications to the native inhabitants, ranging from power generation to navigation.
Society and Alignment
Like their independent kin, the avali packs pride themselves on having their own individual customs. A trait readily maintained thanks to the relative seclusion of independent colonies and the societal need for integration of newcomers.However, as a species, there are still certain cultural norms most packs display. It should be stressed, that while packs are an important concept culturally, the vast majority of avali are not necessarily in a pack at any given time.
Nomads to the core, the avali build both their tools and structures to the axiom of “keep it simple, discard what you can afford to, and look after that which you cannot.” avali design places much emphasis on lightweight, space-saving techniques. When possible, their tools are designed to be flash-forged from a 3D printer and discarded after use rather than adding to the weight of travel.
Modern avali techniques mix high-technology and nomadic sensibilities in equal measure; portable stoves replace campfires, synthesizers supplant traditional fireside music, and holographic displays are set up where embroidered tapestries might have once been hung in a tent. Carbon nanofibre weave provides tents that can stop bullets, while VTOL dropships and drones carry the tribe and their supplies far more efficiently than animals and sleds, and can provide safety when danger arises.
Avali find cybernetics appealing because they are implanted into/onto the user, making them easily transported, and have very valuable applications. Much of avali society has worked on the development of cybernetics, and most modern avali cybernetics involve nanites of some kind. Virtually all avali have in-depth knowledge of cybernetics and have some form of augmentation.
The avali are also a highly artistic race. Having creativity is considered one of the most valuable assets a pack can have. As might be expected given incredible avali auditory processing and comparatively poor vision, musical and performance art tends to be significantly more popular than visual arts. Unsurprisingly, many avali have some degree of musical experience and can either play an instrument or sing. Many packs play together as a band, a tendency that begins at a young age as avali kits often play games based around sound and music.
Though fine visual distinctions are often wasted upon them, the avali still appreciate intricate and high-contrast decorative patterns in their tent work and clothing. Packs usually have a set of colors, a sort of informal heraldry, that they prefer and identify themselves with through their belongings and clothing. Avali dress often integrates crystalline and metallic chimes as the auditory equivalent of wearing bright colors. Though a human ear might find the din distracting, the avali are no more confused by the melodies of a crowd than the human eye is by the task of tracking a single face among dozens.
Though their culture is decentralized in physical terms, the Nexus (See Nexus jack augmentation) provides even the most isolated tribes with a social outlet for their talents.
Due to their tribalistic society and often dependence on their packs, with few loners, avali usually lean toward a lawful or neutral alignment but can be anywhere between good and evil.
AEF - Avalon Exploratory Fleet
ADF - Avalon Defense Fleet
AMF - Avalon Merchant Fleet
Relations
The Avali are a fairly peaceful race, content not to concern themselves with the affairs of others so long as such affairs are of no importance to themselves. That said, the Avali are still shrewd and calculating predators and possess strong military and defense forces which they keep at high operational capacity.Avali are expansionist but only moderately so, seeking to expand their sphere of influence and the amount of resources available to them slowly and carefully. A careful understanding of the implications of game theory has long convinced the Avali against a reckless policy of militaristic domination and conquest, and so they instead press their advantages slowly and carefully, creating alliances and brokering deals rather than bullying and using military might to get their way.
The Avali do not hesitate to use military force to defend themselves or neutralize threats, but are careful always to use the minimal amount of action necessary to resolve a situation, their philosophy being that if one negotiates with the barrel of a gun, it is only a matter of time before one meets someone with a larger gun.
Some avali hold an inexplicable grudge against humans, a grudge stemming from a similar bipedal hominid once exploiting their homeworld of Avalon for its natural resources.
Adventurers
Since avali have only recently made contact with the UGF, there is still much for them to learn about this star system. While the Illuminate discourage their main flock from trying to mingle with the UGF, the rogue packs, and even members of the Adventure Corps have begun immigration into UGF space, many of them seeking to experience the unfamiliar culture and customs, others find themselves traveling throughout the planets as adventurers, whether it be due to their insatiable curiosity, the desire to explore, to help those in need, or simply a convenient employment opportunity. Avali adventures are most commonly envoys, mechanics, or technomancers, due to their natural charisma and keenness for technology. Operatives and soldiers are somewhat less common, however their small frames make it easier to go unseen and utilize cover. Avali mystics and solarians are almost unheard of.Technologies
The Naulixi Avali employ a crystalized gel to protect their feathers, while maintaining flexibility.Avali that intend to cohabitate with other species will use a personal environment suit, known colloquially as a "fridge-suit", in reference to the absolutely chilled interior of the gear.
