Syrac

Engineers and inventors at heart, the Syrac are responsible for incredible feats of technologic achievement and advancement. Revolutionizing space-flight with the creation of functional FTL travel and creating the artificial intelligence system known as Senec are but two of many accomplishments.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Curiously, the Syrac resemble Humans on both a superficial and genetic level. This would imply a common ancestor, however the two species are from star systems 4.4 light years apart.
Syrac grow a crop of hair on their heads in addition to eyebrows and sometimes beards, but are next to hairless elsewhere on their body. This hair grows in colors similar to humans, but also includes some colors that would otherwise be artificial in humans. The texture, growth patterns, and density varies wildly depending on ethnic group due in part to a startling amount of genetic diversity, much in the same way humans enjoy. In contrast to Humans, their frames are much more lithe and slender, standing taller on average than Humans. Their fingers are also longer and serve themselves easier to tasks requiring dexterity.
Syrac faces look largely human, though their eyes are a touch larger. Of real note is their softer expressions and finer features. Most are considered remarkably beautiful by most human standards, though Syrac often find humans equally attractive. Some would say this is partly the cause of the abundance of Human/Syrac interspecies romances.

Genetics and Reproduction

Syrac have a sexual reproductive cycle similar to those of humans, though their gestation period lasts for closer to a year and a half.

Growth Rate & Stages

Syrac children grow in a manner similar to that of Humans, though the differences are numerous. From infancy, a Syrac is completely dependent on its parents. Speech typically develops within a year of life, followed by the first steps within a few months. From early childhood, the Syrac educate their children in a generalized course load, eventually culminating in higher education and/or job training. Most Syrac find themselves more capable in science and engineering and many choose to follow this path. Towards the middle of their life, a Syrac tends to slow down and begin teaching in some regard, whether in formal education or simply serving as a mentor to the younger. This mentorship continues to the end of their life.

Additional Information

Social Structure

The Syrac, like most other species in the Milky Way Galaxy, are unified under a common government, known as the Grand Congress. The Congress is made of representatives from all planets and space stations under Syrac control who write, vote on, and sign in new laws and discuss the legality of others. Everything from the smallest federal laws to declarations of war are decided upon here. This form of government also determines local laws, although this is relegated to smaller local parliaments.

Facial characteristics

Similar to Humans, Syrac have a crop of hair on the crown of their head in various colors. Common colors include blonde, red, and brunette, in addition to shades of blue and pink. Eye colors vary, but the most common colors include green, brown, and blue.

Average Intelligence

Comparable to human intellect, although most Syrac specialize in applied sciences and engineering.

Civilization and Culture

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Syrac wear face masks constantly. This face mask serves a purpose beyond mere decoration, however, as it hosts onboard EMF sensors. This essentially gives the Syrac the ability to see wiring within electronics to amplify their natural engineering abilities. Furthermore, they provide services as personal journals, portable encyclopedias, and much more even before the networking capabilities the Aineto provides. These masks, stemming from their ancient days, have become a part of the Syrac identity, especially when worn in conjunction with their traditional garments the cover most of their body. Their first mask is gifted at birth, and more often than not, this is the last time anyone will see the Syrac's face until they have chosen a life partner.
The Syrac homeworld of Amisus is held as a venerated place. If a Syrac is not born on Amisus, it becomes a rite of passage to return home. For this reason, some Syrac born on Amisus consider them superior to any others. The term "pilgrim" is often used as a pejorative term for these offworld Syrac.
The Syrac focus on scientific development and progress leads them to celebrate individual achievements for what they do for society as a whole, rather than achievement for the sake of achievement.

History

The Syrac homeworld of Amisus has always been curiously devoid of predators, and as such, they grew up in relative harmony with their surroundings. This oneness with nature proved to be a great benefit to their development, and free from the dangers of predation, they thrived. Scientific achievement skyrocketed from the moment of sapience. What took millenia for other civilizations took mere centuries for them. Quickly, they expressed their dominance of the land, but where others would exploit and destroy their world, the Syrac lived in coexistence. While their evolutionary cousins, the Humans, entered the First Century of their current age, the Syrac were exploring the stars. While the Legati were barely forming their first cities, the Syrac were constructing space stations and designing the now ubiquitous Aineto multitool. While the Chelon philosopher Arrau pondered life, the Syrac perfected faster-than-light travel.
Colonization of the galaxy proved difficult at first. The Syrac, not knowing struggle nor strife in their homeworld, had to adapt to the less than ideal conditions present throughout the life-bearing planets of the stars. In ignorance of what life was capable of, their first loss of life at the hands of another species came about in an event they would come to call The Enlightenment. Though only a single Syrac was lost in the event, the impact was felt throughout the species. New inventions were necessary. Technologies the Syrac would have never dreamed necessary. Resistance was firm, but inevitably and begrudgingly, the first firearms the Syrac had ever known were crafted. A resolution was set in place, however, that these were to be a last resort if such a thing were to happen again.
Now present on the galactic scale, it was inevitable that the Syrac would eventually contact alien life. There had been evidence of their existence for quite some time, but the question came of how to handle first contact. Some posed to assume hostility, while others would rather give other species the benefit of the doubt. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and the species they discovered were benevolent. The first among them were the Nenet, and while much more spiritual than the Syrac themselves, common ground was found in the love of the galaxy surrounding them. The Nenet, however, did neglect to tell them that Syrac technology began with primitive forms of Nenet technology, as was gifted to them early in their development. Eventually, this truth would be revealed to them, but only when the Syrac could handle such a revelation. The Syrac were more than pleased to learn the truth of their upbringing, and viewed the Nenet in a much more motherly light than had been anticipated, and with that newfound bond with the Nenet, an alliance was struck, Here, the first universal translator program was created and distributed among the two species (along with Aineto tools to the Nenet), which gave the Nenet pause, seeing as the species they uplifted were now more advanced than they themselves. This was seen as more evidence they had been wise to do so, as opposed to the Nenet's prior entanglements with other species. Now that the two species could communicate, an agreement was struck to build a galactic diplomacy station. Working with the Nenet and their own construction fleets, the work took mere decades. Next were the Legati. With the diplomacy of the Nenet, the military strength of the Legati, and the scientific achievement of the Syrac, truly, the stage was set for galaxy-wide peace.

Historical Figures

Vanna - Creator of the Senec

Common Myths and Legends

According to Syrac tradition, Amisus had always existed as a lush garden world. The wildlife was plentiful, but the goddess Hypatia found the world lacking. She gathered stardust from the heart of Amisus's sun and molded it into the first Syrac and gave her the name Pytha. Pytha lived in harmony with the world, and all was well, but she couldn't help but feel needing herself. She called to Hypatia, and confessed her loneliness to the goddess. Taking pity on her, Hypatia took a rib from her body and created Osthene, a male Syrac. They were both allowed to continue to live on Amisus so long as they did not exploit the world around them. They did as they were instructed, and in time they were rewarded for their diligence with ownership of the world. Hypatia told them to grow their family, to be fruitful and multiply, and then left them, informing them that they would be together again in time. This story is the center of the dominant Syrac religion, called Hypatism. This story, however, is known to be one transplanted from the Abrahamic religions of Earth by the Nenet, though Hypatism is still widely practiced.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Syrac maintain strong diplomatic ties with several species within the Milky Way. Chief among them are the Senec, their own creations, with whom they share research data and offer a mutual military pact, in addition to that which they share with the other Senate Species. Special mention goes to the Humans, who have been taken and treated as equals and counterparts within Syrac space.

Lifespan

100 to 110 years

Average Height

~1.6 to 1.8 m

Average Weight

~45 to 55 kg

Average Physique

Slim and lithe, though outward appearance varies on a per-individual basis.