The Dagon Logs
After the Crimson Incident, these logs were recovered from the attic of Prospero’s mansion. After seven years, we have finally been able to translate them from what seems to be an antiquated version of Afavi Common.
They have preserved here for study and perhaps some insight into this mysterious visitor’s psyche.
Log 1 DAGON: This is Etherea Dagon Ietas Khatas of Her Formidability’s Diplomatic Services, Ethite Wing. A few hours ago, I arrived on this planet. It took a bit of trial in order to find a suitable place to open a Warp, due to the low amount of Ether in this area of the galaxy. My objective for this mission is simple: I must convince the people who live here to ally with our cause. The Avi Empire may have strong citizens, but right now our territory is limited to a few asteroids and O-class planets. This planet has clean water, diverse ecosystems, and possible allies as well. They have not been exposed to the Confederation’s lies and deceit, so they will not be hostile to us initially...at least, that’s what I hope. [sounds of shuffling and mumbling] DAGON: (muffled)...name...(muffled)...alright, we’re done with all that! Thank the gods... But seriously, I’m super excited to be chosen for this job. I mean, who else can say they were responsible for the first contact for an entire species? One that’s been beneath notice all these years, like a hidden diamond in a window of worthless glass! Alright, maybe not quite a diamond, but you get the point. Anyways, I shouldn’t waste any more time. It’s time for me to start my research! Log 2 DAGON: It’s been about five days since I arrived here. At least, that’s what my tablet tells me. Days are a different length here. The yellow sun that this planet goes around has risen and set six times. Then again, I arrived as it was setting so... Well, the point is, days are shorter here and it’s messing with my brain...I mean it’s disorienting me a bit. But no worries. I’m sure I’ll eventually adjust. Yep. Totally. But, back on topic. I managed to track down several inhabitants of this planet (discreetly, I assure you), and subdued them in order to telepathically siphon knowledge and understanding of their language from them. Afterwords, I studied their outward appearance, took a few notes, and then released them. I would have liked to get a look at their guts, too, but that can wait. I’m sure they have extensive documentation of that. Plus, I don’t want to accidentally kill anyone. That would suck. This is what I found about the sentient species that lives here, who call themselves “hewmans”(note: there is no equivalent to “u” in the Afavi languages, so the pronunciation is represented here phonetically. This will be the same wherever there is a difference in pronunciation due to this.). Hewmans are a bipedal species with five digits on each hand and five on each foot. They have fine hair covering their bodies, which becomes thicker in the head, underarm, leg, and groin areas. It seems like there are two genders: male and female. However, one of the inhabitants I found showed signs of scarring, possibly from surgery, on the chest area. They appeared to have a female groin, but had the mammaries common to female hewmans removed. Whether it was due to some sort of infection or whether this is due to a different gender manifesting in the brain I don’t know. Anyways, in terms of coloration, humans are rather plain. They have pink or brown skin, coming in varying shades. For hair colors, it’s a bit confusing because hewmans seem to like to dye their hair, especially the younger ones. From what I can tell, only the colors of brown, black, blonde (a yellowish-brown color), and maybe red manifest naturally. That’s about all I’ve found out for now. I think I’ve siphoned enough knowledge to understand the language. My next step is to find a mark: someone I can convince that allying with us would be an amazing opportunity. Log 3 DAGON: Yeah, you know that thing I said yesterday, about being able to understand their language? Yeah, no. They have more than one. Way more. So back to work I go! [sound of electricity crackling] Log 4 DAGON: It’s been a long, long, long three months, but I’ve finally been able to set up a small base where I can keep watch over the events happening on this planet. It’s right beneath one of the hewman’s larger cities, one they call Paris. It has this big fancy tower right in the middle of it, which is apparently some sort of attraction for taking photos. I have no idea what the practical purpose is, or even if there is one. Maybe it’s an antenna of some sort? Well, whatever. It’s a crowded area where I can grab people to siphon off them, then release them with no one being the wiser. Of course, I had to rig up parts of the sidewalk and walls to make little trapdoors, since I can’t exactly go out myself. Maybe I could trick them into thinking I was wearing a costume. Nah, that wouldn’t work. These guys seem pretty perceptive. Plus, one of them might try to take it off and that wouldn’t end well for them. You know they have a thing they call the “uncanny valley”? It seems like when something is made to look human, but doesn’t look human enough, it really freaks them out. So it seems they have a good sense of when someone is only pretending to be human. Or they would, if they ever had any contact with other races. Also, that gender thing? Yeah, there’s more then just two. While hewmans seem to either be born in a male or female body, their souls can be male, female, both, or neither, and some seem to alternate genders. Those that have a soul that conflicts with their body change the body to fit the soul. It’s a bit confusing, but it seems like as long as you don’t try to tell them they’re one gender when they’re another, or try to change their soul, it’s all fine. A few more things about hewmans:
Their blood contains an iron compound that makes them bleed red
They don’t have a backup heart or brain, but they do have backup lungs and kidneys
They can regrow their liver if it is damaged
Hewmans have “blood types”, and if they do a blood donation, the type usually has to match up, or else bad things happen
Hewman females have quite a messy menstruation cycle. Instead of the lining being absorbed back into the body like most mammalians, it dissolves and leaks out the vagina in the form of blood. Because of this, females have to wear cotton “pads” or “tampons” in their undergarments to prevent stains
Also it apparently hurts a lot
So does hewman birth. Something about the head being too big to fit through the opening easily. It’s apparently one of the legendarily worst pains hewmans can suffer
The other legendary pain is when a male is kicked in the groin. It hurts females, too, but males will outright collapse and start shrieking. I’ll have to keep that in mind in the case of combat
Hewmans also tend to keep companion animals, mostly small canines and felines. Sometimes they have jobs like helping the disabled, but mostly it seems to be for companionship. Some hewmans treat these animals like they’re human babies.
After the interrogation of Prosperos, a small bunker was found about 10 feet (~3 m) underneath the Champ de Mars. Inside was a small room with a bed, a washroom, and 200 lbs. (90.7 kg) of electronics, most of which appeared to be surveillance equipment. This equipment was confiscated for further study, and some of it is currently on loan to the Musée Carnavalet in Paris.
Type
Record, Transcript (Communication)
Medium
Digital Recording, Audio
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
I rather enjoyed reading this transcript and imagining the view of "hewmans" through the lens of an Ether-influenced species! Great job setting the scenes and visuals!
Thank you very much! And thank you for the fave!