Urahl

The urahl were an intelligent species of humanoids who died off an estimated 8,000 years ago. The ruins of their civilization can be found on several planets, most notable being Livonia. They primarily lived underground, and much of what we know about them comes from a single individual.

Prior to having interviews with a living member of this alien species, we knew only what we could ascertain through archaeological examination of the alien ruins:

• They possibly lived underground, or had underground bunkers and above-ground structures didn't survive the millennia.
• They likely prioritized military efforts, since only weapons seemed to have self-repair capabilities.
• Their appearance was largely unknown. No artistic interpretations survived, but they were likely humanoid due to size and shape of ruins and weapons.
• Their planet of origin was unknown, but their ruins spread across several planets within the Talos Sector alone.

What follows is information gleaned from interviews with this individual.

Physiology

Through convergent evolution, the urahl were remarkably humanoid. They were bipedal and their four fingers had three knuckles each. Their nervous systems functioned much the same as ours, and ran through their spines with the root at the base of their necks. The key differences between them and humans lie within their sensory capabilities, diverted from ours by virtue of their entirely underground existence.

Sight

Living underground removed their need to see color. Instead, they sensed different ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum. Every item or individual they saw produced a unique EM "signature" that told them the size and shape of the object, as well as its texture, material, temperature, and even a degree of ancestry. They could tell how closely items or people were related by how similar these signatures were.

This form of sight was much more attuned to the dim of their underground dwellings, but proved harmful on the surface. The radiation from the star the planet orbited, or stars in some cases, was near blinding without protection. This suggests they transitioned to underground living early in their evolution, or perhaps evolved from a species that already lived underground.

Because their sight worked so differently from our own, we still don't have access to a physical description of the urahl. We may never know their color, or how their size would compare with ours.

Touch

While their different means of sight gave them a great deal of information, it lacked specificity in location. This is where their heightened sense of touch mattered most. Early urahl likely used it to follow drafts through cave systems, or trace patterns in stone to know where water flowed. Modern urahl developed writing that relied on it, engraving messages in stone not dissimilar to braille.
They also had an ability to apply a type of electric current to objects and creatures they touched. This allowed them to trace a creature's nervous system, get a mental layout of their surroundings, and even communicate complex thoughts with other urahl.

Cause of Extinction

Multiple theories exist for what led to their extinction. Our resident expert tells of an eternal war between their various cultures. It had gone on for long enough that no one knew of its true cause, and there was no end to it in sight. Though there are no signs of nuclear weapon use, the planetary defense cannon on Talmar is proof of how destructive their non-nuclear weapons could be. That they destroyed themselves through war, is a leading theory for their disappearance.

The daily bulletins stopped being daily. One reminded residents to quarantine. After that, they slowed to a stop. No evacuation notice, nothing.

— Bry, on findings on Nisora

However, an alternative theory is that a contagious illness may have decimated communities. An airborne virus in particular would thrive in the underground structures. There are references to an illness and quarantine within an urahl residential structure on Nisora that support this, but little else. Investigations on other planets is required to determine if this illnesses affected more locations.

Planet of Origin

Where the aliens originated also remains unknown. They had different names for the planets and their means of travel didn't require leaving the atmosphere. Between their underground existence and different means of sight, even recreating star charts from thousands of years ago would be little help in determining where the they hailed from.
It's likely their origin planet had numerous other underground species with similar physiology and sensory capabilities as the urahl. It's unlikely they would evolve in a wholly unique way compared to every other species on their home planet. No documented species is similar, so it's likely this planet isn't within the Talos sector, or has faced a global extinction event such as Geoterra.

EXTINCT

Information

Associated Cultures

Niris

Geographic Distribution

• Geotera
• Livonia
• Nisora
• Talmar

Related Historical Events

• 1 Jan 3228
  A New...Friend?

Related

Author Commentary

Reskinned Humans

I agree with the concept that sapient aliens should probably look nothing like humans, but since I'm running this for a ttrpg and wanted my players to be able to use alien weapons... I had to take some shortcuts. Some day I'll create truly alien aliens.