Banari

A male zinora banari (left) and a female nlaria banari (right).

Introduction:

The banari are a semi-aquatic species native to the ocean planet Athia. They joined the Illithid-Dilug Intergalactic Empire of New Rocheron 31,237 years ago, after being an independent planet for 2,476 years. Because of their link to water, most banari either live on their homeworld or similar planets.
Scientific Name: Umor progredior

Appearance:

The banari are blue or green amphibians, measuring an average height of 6 feet. They have large black eyes that excel in seeing in extreme brightness and darkness. On the side of their heads, banari have organs called "beldo" that can pinpoint the origin of a nearby sound or vibration with fairly high accuracy, serving as their audio recieving organs.
Banari have very little sexual dimorphism compared to other species. The only observable differences between sexes is their heads. Males tend to have a sharper jawline than females, and females tend to have more spotted dark blue patterns on their heads as opposed to the males smoother patterns. This limited sexual dimorphism carries over to the culture of the banari. Banari see little difference in their two sexes and will often ignore the concepts of sexes and gender, apart from mating.
Perhaps the most unique aspect of the banari is their eyes. While they appear dull and featureless, the eyes of the banari are the most advanced eyes of any sentient species in the Founder Galaxy. The glossy black outer coat blocks all harmful radiation and can can become more translucent or opaque when exposed to different light levels, allowing banari to stare at nearly any light source without discomfort. The flexible muscles beneath can easily move and change the size of the pupil, allowing the banari to see in bright and dark conditions.
As amphibians, all banari begin their lives as an aquatic larval form. They exist in this state for 6 years, before they form a cocoon and transform into their adult forms. Banari larva begin to understand language and retain information around two years old.

Lifestyle:

The banari are an omnivorous species that naturally eat raw fish and tough plants. While most banary have a cultural link to their natural food, they are capable of eating most food commonly found across the galaxy and often do. Because the banari originally evolved as an aquatic species in their planet's freshwater oceans, the banari have a strong connection with water. While they no longer need to stay in it to survive, all banari need to stay moist in order to remain healthy. This is easily accomplished on their humid homeworld, but presents a challenge elsewhere. The main solution that has been created is surgically implanting a small machine inside of a banari's chest. This machine stores excess water, and releases it when the skin begins to dry out. This also means that while it contains water, the banari does not need to drink.
After maturing from their larval stage, banari move away from their parents and live by themselves or with a romantic partner. Banary do not retain the parent-child bond after the larva has matured, and most banari opt not to keep in contact with their parents. It is uncommon but not unheard of for banari children to retain a good relationship with their family members and visit them, usually on multi-species worlds where the parental culture of other species has an influence. Banari usually cooperate well with other species but may find difficulty spending time in proximity with species like Trel due to their aversion to water.

(Meta) Playing a Banari:

As a person with free will, your character can act and think in any way you want them to. If you want them to follow the norm for a banari, take the following into consideration:
-The banari's dependancy on water means that they have a natural aversion to arid environments. While they suffer no negative effects from visiting them, banari are often reluctant to travel to desert worlds.
-A banari's black eyes and lack of eyelids make it very difficult for other species to read their facial expression. Banari often express their moods in other ways, usually by adjusting their posture and opening their mouth in a particular way.
-Banari don't share the same connection between parent and child that most species do. While a banari child normally retains a good relationship with their parents, they are left alone at the age of 6. Banari see this as normal and often don't understand other species parental bonds.