Ghibrani

Ghibranis are beetle-like humanoids native to the planet Elytrio. After the ghibranis devastated their world with nuclear war, some of the survivors fended for themselves in the wastes, while the rest lived comfortably in a city protected by a bubble of force. The lingering radiation (even within the city) caused a rapid change in their biology, leading to two subspecies: husks, who have lost the use of their wings, and membranes, who have grown idle in their luxury.

Civilization and Culture

Culture and Cultural Heritage

The two subspecies of ghibranis have very different cultures; one focuses on survival, while the other enjoys more relaxed lives.
Husk ghibranis battle with Elytrio’s harsh landscapes on a daily basis, hunting twisted beasts for food, collecting water from the tough-skinned zikla plants, and enduring the abrasive dust storms that occasionally roll across the scrublands. They fight using analog slug throwers they inherited from their ancestors and scavenge ammunition from the ruins of the planet’s cities. Husk ghibranis know the value of teamwork, as it is a skill necessary for their continued existence.
Since they left Arkeost, these ghibranis have split into numerous clans, some the size of a small village while others are just small bands of nomads. These clans rarely clash and often merge, intermarry, and split into new clans. As such, traditions are very similar across different clans.
All husk ghibranis worship Mother Touloo, the imaginary deity created by their Arkeost ancestors. Mother Touloo’s faith espouses community, hard work, and a shunning of life’s creature comforts. Over the decades, a plethora of rituals has grown up around this religion. The most popular ceremony is the Welcoming, which husk ghibranis perform when a hunting party returns safely from a dangerous expedition or when two clans meet under friendly circumstances. The Welcoming consists of a community-wide dance with arms held wide, symbolizing the joy the groups feels to receive one another. The ghibranis often follow this ritual with a raucous feast when supplies are plentiful.
Membrane ghibranis tend to lead more sedentary lives, as the robots of Arkeost provide them with everything they need. These drones clean clothes, perform necessary maintenance, and prepare meals. As the robots have been operating for hundreds of years, the membrane ghibranis have settled into a daily routine. Pleasant chimes ring across the city to signal meals and both the beginning and end of the day. This offers the membrane ghibranis plenty of leisure time, which they use to create art, study science, and keep themselves fit.
However, in the past century, membrane ghibranis have focused less on innovation and simply wile away the hours in idle entertainment, no longer reflecting upon their past. Though this has led to a surfeit of paintings, poems, and sculptures, it means that no living membrane ghibrani understands the technological city they live in. If the computer that controls Arkeost were to malfunction, the membrane ghibranis would have no way to sustain themselves or restore their lifestyle.