Nebrug

"I will admit I have never met a Nebrug. I am not even certain they exist. In all that time I spent on Unity, I never encountered one, and you would think once they heard of my arrival they would be keen to meet me! My publishers suggested that I take a trip down to their parts of the world, but that didn't seem necessary. Why would I go underwater when it is so pleasant on the surface?
So instead I will tell you what I've heard. They are apparently smaller than you'd think, and they all look the same. Apart from that there's nothing worth talking about.
I did, however, once attend a Brugen Courtship Cavort. Now there is a truly entertaining spectacle!"

— Extract from A System Of Hope And Glory: Travels Through The Aspiration System
by Peacekeeper V'Kly

Masters of Camouflage

The Nebrug see themselves as exceeding in disguise. Their ability to hide, or change their colour, is something that they prize highly, and this includes a level of social flexibility and deception.
The ability to disguise themselves makes them extremely illusive

Individuals

The Nebrug are not actually called the Nebrug. When the Peacekeepers first landed on Unity, they only encountered the Brugen. For decades they were unaware of the Nebrug's existence. When they were finally discovered, a note was sent back to Peacekeeper Diplomacy to inform them of the discovery. The person who received the information thought it was a mistake and logged it under "Nebrug" and anagram of Brugen. By the time they realised it wasn't a mistake, it was too late and the name had stuck.
The Nebrug's name in their native language is "Karra", and it is the same as the word for the number one, and the same as the word for individual. They hold on to their individuality and pride themselves on their own uniqueness. This is part of the reason the Peacekeepers thought it was a joke because to them all of the images of this new species looked the same.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Nebrug are small amphibious beings, with two arms, two web-footed legs and a long tail. They have small eyes, nostrils and a mouth. Their heads are surrounded by gills which look like feathers in appearance and give them a somewhat ethereal appearance.
They have the unusual ability to regenerate limbs, gills and parts of their eyes and brains. Notably, their ability to regenerate declines with age, but it does not disappear. This is believed to be why their life span is considerably longer than would be expected based on the number of predators who are higher on the food chain and also occupy the oceans of Unity.

Behaviour

Due to their amphibious nature, they are capable of living both underwater and on land. However, due to their reduced lung capacity, they are unable to survive easily on land for long stretches of time, their bodies unable to get as much oxygen as they require, causing shortness of breath, wheezing which can lead to hyperventilation and fainting. For this reason they only leave the ocean for a few days a year.
They are naturally solitary species. After the eggs are laid, they are left to hatch and discover the world for themselves, without the outside influence of parental figures. Occasionally small social groups are formed between those who hatch at similar times, but it is more likely for them to go off on their own in search of their own identity.
They are fast linguistic learners, and their language forms as they bump into and interact with other, older Nerbrug.

Civilisation and Culture

Naming Traditions

Names are very important to the Nebrug, and they only share their name with people they feel close to. They address each other as Ka (feminine) or Kar (masculine) until the point at which they know someone's name and are in a private setting.
Saying someone's name in front of another who does not know it is considered incredibly rude as you are forcing them into a vulnerable situation they haven't consented to.

The names themselves vary greatly and are chosen by the individual.
Some may be inspired by things that they see or experience on their journeys through life (for example Splash, Leaf, Wave, Coral, Depths, Cloud).
Others choose an emotion they want to embody (for example Joy, Boldness, Independence, Illusive).
There are also those who simply choose sounds which are pleasing to their ear (for example Yamooo, Tatatata, Korama, Blah).

Beauty Ideals

Nebrug judge each other on their dexterity. Their ability to dance, hide, and move quickly are all desirable traits. The physical appearance matters less, although Nebrug of a certain colouring are more likely to choose a mate of another colouring, but this is not always the case.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

As the Nebrug are not naturally social, there are only a few traditions which hold from one generation to the next. There are some variations depending on where the tradition is held, and the preferences of those performing it. Each of these traditions holds a societal need.

The Hide

The Hide is a tradition marks the coming of age from youth to adult. As Nebrug's outward appearance doesn't change over adolescence (with the exception of their size), this is the way of recognising that a Nebrug is fully grown.
Elders gather together as many of the youngsters who are five to six years old who have not gone through The Hide and challenge them to retrieve a green shell from the middle of a large open-water stadium known as a Bowl, without being spotted. The Elders patrol the Bowl, and any youngster who is able to retrieve a green shell unnoticed is then considered an adult.
Traditionally these shells are carried by the Nebrug for the rest of their days.

Variations

In some parts of the world it is not a green shell, but an item unique to that area, for example a pink stone, a metal coin etc.
Some Nebrug choose to wear the token on a necklace or a bracelet or other accessory. Others keep the token, but mark their bodies in another way to represent their success.

Dating Dance

Three times a year, adult Nebrug gather in large open-water stadiums known as Bowls. The women all gather around the edge, and the men in the center dance. These dances are a chance for the men to demonstrate their most attractive qualities; their dexterity, their ability to change colour, their speed and rhythmn. This dance repeats for three days.
At the end of the three days, the men place packets of their sperm on the floor of the Bowl. Women then descend and choose the packet for the man they find most attractive with their cloaca, a body cavity, which then fertilizes the eggs.

Variations

Sometimes these dances may go on for a longer or shorter period of time, depending on the number of Nebrug who attend.
After times of disaster, or during the wars with the Brugen, the Dating Dances would happen more often to encourage an increase in reproduction.

History

pre-1726 PT

Age of Waves

1726 -1902 PT

Age of Destruction

1902 - 2175 PT

Age of Calm

2149 PT

Brugen officially initiated into The Alliance

2175 PT

Nebrug officially welcomed into The Alliance

2302 PT

Aspiration System founded

The Nebrug kept records of those participating in The Hide and the Dating Dance from as far back as the Age of Rolling Storms (c. 400PT), but these were all destroyed during the Age of Destruction, and are now simply referred to as the Age of Waves.
The Age of Destruction started when the Brugen decided to expand into Nebrug territory, The Brugen believed that the Nebrug needed better culture and tried to enforce theirs on them. The Nebrug didn't take it well. Although more widespread damage was done by the Brugen, it is worth noting that during this time there were several guerrilla groups of Nebrug who successfully destroyed a couple of major Brugen landmarks.
In 1902 PT, the Brugen attacks finally stopped, although the Nebrug did not know why. They were just happy that the destruction came to an end.
The land-bound Peacekeepers did not discover the existance of the Nebrug until their initiation process was already underway with the Brugen. They decided as the Nebrug kept mostly to themselves, and didn't appear to get in the way at all, the Peacekeepers focused their diplomatic efforts on the Brugen. They treated the Nebrug as they might a non-sophant species.
However, after several long conversations within Peacekeeper Diplomacy and with other sophant species in The Aspiration System, they made a small effort and unofficially "welcomed" the Nebrug into the Peacekeeper Alliance.

Lifespan

35 years

Average Height

3ft (~1m)

Average Weight

22lbs (~10kg)

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Skin is usually white, black, brown, or dark green. Can be speckled.
Gills are usually pink, blue or black.

Geographic Distribution

• Peacekeeper Territories
• The Aspiration System
• Unity