Oorgolian
The grandfathers of the grandfathers of our grandfathers once sailed the night like a grand ocean, [...] thus we find still the magic they left behind from those times.The Oorgolians are small insect-like humanoids native to the continent of Adiath, who organize into mostly hunter-gatherer semi-nomadic tribes relying mainly on scavenging, animal husbandry and limited seasonal agriculture for their resources. They are known to be inquisitive and tend to take risks, especially the younger members. They are also genetically emerophobic, rapidly becoming depressed and visibly physically ill if they find themselves alone for a period of a few days. (see Emerophobia)
Their life cycle start with a pupa stage after hatching from their eggs, wherein they are entirely dependent on the tribe for their survival (see life cycle). The individuals are separated into three genders and three castes (see reproduction and social structure).
Many of the tribes has found a source of ancient technology, which they use as a base and source of numenera for their seekers. This access to high armament as lead to the extinction or endangering of many food sources in the continent.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Seekers
In general, the smallest of the castes. They can reach 1.2 meters (4 ft) in height and have six limbs: two legs, two rigid arthropod arms and two arms with the capacity to change the end appendages over time to preforms specific tasks. They also have a softer, more flexible exoskeletonDrones
They can reach 1.5 meters (5 ft) in height and four limbs: two legs and two rigid stong arthropod arms.Royalty
Divided into queens and matrons.Queens are more armoured versions of whatever caste they were before moulting. Their exoskeleton is thicker and more elaborate than that of drones and seekers. They may also present luxurious and colourful hair or feather-like growths to on their backs and heads. The matrons look much like Queens with the exception of the lack of ornamental growths and a translucent overgrown abdominal sack where they keep their eggs.
See life cycle.
Genetics and Reproduction
Males
All drones and seekers are male, although only the leading individual of each group is fertile. Leading individuals are called alphas (alpha drone and alpha seeker). The alphas provide the queen with sperm when required as well serve as bodyguards for royalty.Female
Also called the queen. Only royalty castes can be females and there is only one female per tribe. When the previous female dies, moults, vanishes or is, otherwise, unavailable, one of the alpha males will moult into a queen. Which male moults is unpredictable and out of the control of the males.The queens serve as tribe chiefs and guides with unchallenged authority over the pack.
Matron
Only royalty can be matrons. Their main reproductive purpose is as an incubator for the eggs the queen lays. Once a Matron dies or is, otherwise, unavailable, the queen Will moult into a matron. Her lower abdomen will inflate and transform into a translucid egg sack with two openings for egg reception and larval deposition. In this state, they are unable to move by their own means and must be carried by drones.The matrons serve as advisors and sages for the queen.
Ecology and Habitats
Dietary Needs and Habits
Biological Cycle
Additional Information
Social Structure
Intra-tribal relations
Within the tribe, the queen has absolute power and absolute responsibility for it, with the Matron serving as her adviser and the two alphas as her bodyguards and concubines. Any drone or seeker may challenge the current alpha at any point during a sedentary period which must be allowed by the queen, but the challenge usually results in the death of one of the contesters.Seekers
Within a tribe, Seekers are in charge of primary scouting. They go out before any migration to confirm the safety of the target settlement and the status of the wildlife on the way there. They are also in charge of looking for prey when the tribe has settled, usually working in tandem with a drone.Due to their elevated intelligence relative expendability, they are the first to test any artefact, cypher or, otherwise, any piece of numenera found by the tribe. As such, they are responsible and respected for the role of tribal armourers, artificers and architects.
Alphas of this caste are decided based on a combination of their skill in crafting, knowledge and control of the numenera (in the case of Nanos of the caste).
Drones
Drones have the role of hunters, using the information provided by the seekers to gather meat efficiently. when they're not hunting or if they're not fit to do so, they fulfil other necessary roles in the tribe: cleaning, guarding, building, caring for young, etc... They are free to conscript any seeker and make use of their expertise or skills to aid in their tasks. Alphas of this caste are decided based on their physical prowess or agility, or the power of their numenera (in the case of Nanos of the caste).Royalty
There are usually only two members of the royalty at any given point in the tribe's structure: The queen and the matron. Once one of the royalty dies, one of the alphas moults to fill the role. The queen is in charge of allowing the alphas to inseminate her and, more importantly, guiding and assuring the survival of the tribe. Her word is uncontestable and her visage divine.The matron is responsible for incubating the queen's eggs in her abdomen, as well as advising the queen with the wisdom obtained from her years.
Inter-tribal relations
Relations between tribes are ruled by tradition to avoid constant war from occurring. Each tribe occupies a rank in an ever-changing tribal pseudo-hierarchy, with higher tribes having the first pick of nomadic routes and hunting grounds in case of a contest.When two tribes meet, one of the tribes immediately acquiesces inferiority, usually with a placating gift of concession (Some food, a good member of the tribe, an artefact, a set of cyphers, weapons or armour, etc...), the size of which usually depends on the difference in rank. Otherwise, they engage in traditional diplomatic rituals.
You're better than us/
You're better than us/
You're better than us/
We're weak, our song sucks and our queen is ugly
Facial characteristics
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Average Intelligence
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Their sense of touch is limited to only heat and cold on the carapace, with the more complex contact senses isolated to the hands and feet.
They have drum apertures on their necks for listening.
Their antennae can sense chemical differences in their surroundings, giving them an advanced sense of smell, even underwater.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Beauty Ideals
- Have you heard of Artrak lately? He never even talked to us when he was given to the trick'ckick - clicked Orgash, sunbathing on a Cliff by the Ravenous Basin.
- I hear she moulted from another hunter. She's their queen now. - Oolaardin responded.
- Man, that's a shame. Their queen was fiiiine - Orgash traces the general shape of the queen with his arms
- I hear Artrak came out even better looking.
Orgash jumps and points his arm at Oolaardin aggressively:
- Hey, don't talk about her like that, she used to be my friend.
- Fine, molted even better.
Gender Ideals
Females are to be, by necessity, wise, confident and when the situation demands it, ferocious.
Matrons are mysterious and wise. Considered untouchable by combat.
Courtship Ideals
Average Technological Level
Despite this, many of the tribes have found and even reverse engineered artefacts of the numenera. As such, it's not uncommon to see tribe member wielding what appears to be energy firearms and retractable shields.
Common Dress Code
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
As mentioned before, the Oorgolian lifestyle is one of constant struggle against themselves and the environment around them, not unlike humans, only more so. I postulate that it is for this reason, that they tend to be pragmatically survival focused to the point of ostentatious over gathering.
Settlement creation and upkeep
The tribes have a mostly nomadic lifestyle but tend to follow set routes between permanent settlements built at or near the main hunting and agricultural spots. The edges of forests, cliffs overlooking herd migration routes, the main rivers of the badlands or places near known trove of numenera are usual spots for the placement of settlements.
These settlements are, for the most part, dismantled before moving on, and rebuilt upon arrival. Some materials may be carried by any unburdened members of the tribe or calyptors, in order to be recycled into the new construction, but the largest part of the materials is harvested on spot. For this reason, the features of the environment that already provide natural protection from the elements are points of gathering.
The settlements are then reinforced with local resources. Wood, stone and bone are used to provide the skeletons for huts and tents. Skins, pelts and leafy branches serve as protection from the elements. Metals, synths, precious stones and other more exotic materials tens to be used in the construction of the tallest buildings or at the borders of the settlements in order to show the wealth of the tribe to any other passing rivals. Through the collaboration between drones and seekers, the tribe is able to erect a livable settlement in less than ten hours, depending on the size of the tribe; dismantling the settlement takes even less time.
These settlements hold garrisons of tribe members responsible for the upkeep and, if possible, expansion and improvement of the construction therein. They are also responsible for the maintenance of any cattle or fertile ground they may occupy as well as the exploration and investigation of any ruins they may retain.
In addition to the practical role of the settlements, these are also used as a symbol of power and rank. Permanent sites are adorned with colourful leathers, precious gems and artefacts of numenera that generate light, fireworks, lightning or any other spectacular manifestations. The garrison tends to build large habitations and monuments to the wealth of the tribe in order to show the high rank of the tribe to any passing rivals.
The exploitation of the land
The Oorgolian view on sustainability is limited to whatever crops and cattle they may maintain, and even then the total consumption of a domesticated herd is not unheard of. They tend to aggressively hunt whatever edible prey may come across, many times without regard to necessity or consequence. The excess of resources is, many times, displayed to other tribes as a sign of strength, resourcefulness and rank.Due to the advanced technological devices which many of the tribes have access to, they may end up exhausting the resources of an area if they settle for too long.
The seekers, while scientifically driven to an extent, tend not to keep a census of the species they hunt. However, after investigating the not too old skeletons of beasts I did not recognize, and questioning the matron about them, I can conclude that total extinction of several life-forms due to the Oorgolian lifestyle is a very likely possibility.
The views on the world
While it is true that the tribes tend to keep to the continent of Adiath, slowly expanding throughout the available land as the number of tribes increases, the contact and interaction with humans and wenghians has inspired many individuals to travel the world. Individual travel is prevented by the emerophobia, but some tribes have developed the tradition of sending out a group of drones and seekers to join a human settlement or migration group to eventually go further and explore the world.Tribes with this tradition have, over time, developed a propensity to keeping records and histories for prosperity, even going so far as to try and develop a rudimentary written form of their language. The stories brought back by the explorers are told to the tribe, with the best being selected to be maintained and retold to pupae as lullabies or to the tribe as fireside stories.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
They stopped attacking human parties when these started learning their diplomatic rituals. This confused the Oorgolians at first, but after cultural exchanged, some tribes have taken up the tradition of sending out seekers and drones every few generations to explore the world like along with human parties. Some tribes have come to respect the long lifespans of humans and wenghian, resulting in the tradition of sending some members of the tribe along with human migrants or wenghian explorers.
Attacks on Wenghians dropped drastically after the first tribes discovered that not only were wenghians not edible and tasted horrible but also that consuming their meat could damage several generations of pupae. After that, the wenghians were mostly ignored unless they interfered with tribe procedures.
After the explorer Arseem Bluebrow Redbreast stumbled upon a tandem of scouts and managed to comunicate his intentions, he was allowed to live among them as long as he could provide for himself. This allowed the wenghian to chronicle the life and customs of the tribes, as well as the sharing of scientific knowledge between him and the seekers of the tribe.
If an individual comes down with emerophobia, their Shell starts losing pigment, changing to duller colours eventually turning white.
Oorgolian drone
Emerophobic Oorgolian Queen
Diplomacy
What happens when the tribes do not agree on which one is the largest or, in lower ranking cases, the smallest?1. The members of the two tribes will gather and send out the best chanters to hold their ground. The two sides will then go through the traditional diplomatic chants, usually accompanies by the rumbles of the calyptor they may have domesticated. If no tribe acknowledges the message of the other and backs down;2. Ranks will open and the chants will progress into a ritualistic ululating, whereupon the alphas of both tribes will step forward and engage in ritualistic combat. If the fight is matched or no two alphas give ground;3. The Queens will order the fight stopped and draw back the alphas. Both queens will then step forward and parade the quality of their armour and arms as well as the flamboyancy of their natural adornments. If no queen gives ground, the parade stops and both tribes retreat to a safe distance;4. At this point the matrons are carried forward to converse and try to negotiate a peaceful resolution of the situation. This may culminate in the agreed exchange of matrons, with one side conceding rank having received the perceived best matron. if this doesn't work;5. The tribes will retreat and camp for the day. At the next dawn, the queens will gather their tribe into ranks in a show of military force, with herself and the two alphas spearheading. At this point, the last chance to concede is given and if neither takes it up;6. The two tribes will do battle, which usually ends with routing after the death of one of the queens, or on one tribe annihilating (and possibly cannibalizing) the other.
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well i would usually try to see if I can see something wrong but this article is fricking great you explain all the basics you need and expand on the greatly I can't even think of a question because you answer what I need to know and more this is an example article for a species you got appearance, culture, interactions, way of life all of that and more great article dude
Thanks for the feedback. would you see yourself being able to pick up and play an individual of this race in a game?
to be honest it is weird for a drone or a seeker to just leave but I guess with the right story or reasons it can be. I would probably prefer seeing them interact tho before I would try to play one
I see. That's something I have to work on then. reasons to get out and explore. thanks