Amanth

A telepathic insectoid species that emerged from the deserts of Gejellervae. Their quantum organ is the only currently known method of FTL communication, other than building an FTL drive and using it to carry a message. All attempts by the human nations to extract and control it have failed, as it dies when severed from a functioning Amanth brain.
All timescales in this article are expressed in Earth years.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Bipedal, with two upper limbs, head, and tail. Hardened, rough skin with bony protrusions on the tail and the head. Standard spinal structure with sensory organs concentrated in the head. Two small eyes for vision on the surface, and two larger ones for vision in caves or dark areas. Two ears on either side of the head, lower down than a human's and more set into the surface of the skull rather than extended out into protrusions. The wide mouth doubles as a nose.

Genetics and Reproduction

Reproduces by way of a male and female producing several eggs that hatch into nestlings. Eggs require heat by way of parents or artificial technology to hatch. Naturally, a newborn emerges after 3 months of gestation, but technology can reduce that to under a month. Spread of male to female is about 3 to 1.

Growth Rate & Stages

Full transition of a specimen to adulthood and the end of major physiological changes occurs at around 10 years of age. After 30 years, the body will start to show signs of age. Fragments of skin will occasionally be shed, and strength will gradually deplete until death at around age 50. Modern technology can extend the beginning of aging to 70, and death to around 110 years.

Additional Information

Social Structure

The Amanth live in a highly stratified society where the males are subservient to the females in almost every discipline, owing to their weaker strength, intelligence, and telepathy. The entire species, unlike humanity, operates under one unified nation, led by a council of High Mothers. The Amanth are far less democratically inclined than humans, and although the High Mothers vote on matters of policy, they themselves are not beholden to the populace and are instead selected through the competition of powerful dynasties.
The first contact with another living intelligent species and the subsequent Interstellar War with humanity have shaken Amanth society to its core. Many females have been swayed by the egalitarian norms of the aliens, and have begun trying to change their civilization to better equalize the two genders. Most females are highly reactionary in the face of this change, and have championed the return of dueling as a method of settling political debates.
The practice of dueling was abandoned in the late industrial era because of its penchant for killing large amounts of talented individuals, but modern technology allows both combatants to walk away unscathed in its new form. Projectile weapons of any kind are banned, leaving only medieval weaponry and direct telepathic combat. It's revival has caused a huge shift in the politics of the powerful dynasties, at the expense of those who wish for reform and equality. Interestingly, it has caused a ripple effect in human society as well. Some humans interested in the hobby of melee combat have traveled to Amanth space to test the weapons of their medieval period against those of the Amanth's, and any diplomats or ambassadors must be skilled with a weapon of choice. To date, the victory rate of humans in these duels is below 10%.
In Amanth society, females control most of the intellectual and political establishment, as well as almost the entirety of the military due to their higher strength and intelligence (How much of this is due to societal factors and how much can be attributed to biological differences is a topic of intense debate). Amanth males, meanwhile, do most of the manual and rote labour. However, the introduction of human computer technology has led to a crisis similar to the one that humans had been dealing with for centuries. The robot shock is currently hitting Amanth society like a lightning bolt, as shortsighted dynasties introduce automation and put ever increasing numbers of males out of work. Without the females' telepathic abilities, the situation would spiral out of control far more than it already has.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Possesses sight, sound, smell, touch, and telepathy. Telepathic organ allows instantaneous communication with any other member of the species, even across light-years. Females of the species possess an additional capability to attack and defend a mind by affecting its emotions, thoughts, and even bodily actions.