Races - Arix

Summary

Description

Their place in relative isolation from many of the other races has earned the Arix a reputation of being reclusive, though this is more the exception than the rule. They work well with most other races, though many are taken aback upon their first meeting with one of Arix descent. Their gravelly, uneven voices and broken diction aren't pleasing to the ear, which has earned them a special loathing amongst the smooth tongued Phirrus.

Their physical appearance is also slightly disturbing, with eyes set wide apart and almost on top of their bald, bulbous heads. Another somewhat disquieting factor is that, on further inspection, their eyes are equipped with a third eyelid that stays perpetually down, protecting their eyes and allowing them crystal clear vision underwater. Their faces protrude quite a bit, and its main feature is a wide mouth filled with a triple row of small teeth. A thin strip of flesh runs from the back of their head down the side of their neck to under their chin, forming a rill. This rill is a great source of pride among the Arix, and when they come of age they are permitted to have symbols indicating their lineage and birth year tattooed on it. Many female Arix will also have their mate's name tattooed on a special section of the left side of their rill.

The Arix's skin is a dense network of interlocked scales. Males most often are shades of dark blue or green, while females are usually lighter shades of pink or purple. It has lately become a fad among young Arix to undergo a special treatment to alter their skin color, though most will only do small patches at a time out of deference to their elders. Most of this coloring is done in bands on their arms, generally in shades of bright orange or red.

While years of living underwater has given them a very fragile skeletal structure, the Arix have developed incredibly strong arm and leg musculature.Their lungs and gills set them apart, the lungs quite often are collapsed as they explore the depths of their world caving their chests by at least thirty percent. One of the most unsettling thing for many outsiders is to see an Arix pull up onto land after being in the waters, standing shirtless and watching as their chests re-expand like a newly moist sponge. Next are the gills, which extend anywhere from six to nine inches off both sides of the neck. These are two brightly colored stems covered in frilly oxygen-grabbing frills that catch and extrude efficiently as the Arix swim through the waters. Their hands and feet seem almost disproportionate to the rest of their bodies, as they have long, thin fingers and toes that have a fine mesh of webbing in between each digit. Though this makes them appear clumsy at first, they are actually quite good with their hands, their numble fingers flying over keypads and allowing them to create miniature curiosities that astound off-worlders.

Their keen intellect and mechanical knowledge has made them ideal engineers, architects and shipwrights. It was an Arixian designer who created the plans for the resort Sobeísa; and most ships produced in the galaxy were designed and constructed by their hands. This proficiency has netted them enormous production contracts with the Astrum, as well as the Black Star Group and numerous other small paramilitary organizations, and given them a de facto monopoly on the ship building market.

Notable History

Water-Born Curse

When the first generation of Arix were born their adaptation went too far - forcing the age-accelerated people to live out their days locked in the waters. This was a problem that was rectified, but only after laborous scientific effort.

With the Arix being one of the earliest extra-Sol race to develop alongside the Desh, they faced the challenge that the science was less than perfect. Still, in the end the Arix were spliced with the ability to have above-water lungs. In the years since these early splices have been improved thanks to procedural breakthroughs as the art and science that is splicing evolved like the genes it modifies.

A Moon of Promise

The Arix are proud of their watery world, but even more so of the moon above. With pools of the metal-enhancing liquid

Land for the Dippers

(Landmass)

Game Mechanics

Nimble Lungs

From years of living underwater, the Arix have developed lungs that are capable of extracting breathable oxygen from less-than ideal environments. The lungs of the Arix are capable of collapsing and re-expanding at need, allowing them to dive deep and absorb the crushing force of the waters.

Gill Frills

With their lungs collapsed underwater the Arix rely on highly efficient gills that evolved on the first tube-born of the race. Those Arix were the unlucky ones, with no ability to exit the waters their gills confined them to a life in the water on the azure world. After that first generation's failing was uncovered the genetic map was opened up to splice in the functioning, collapsible lungs that they currently have. The gills exist in two short projections off either side of the Arix's neck.

Brightly colored with flowing blood and oxygen while they swim the frills are very sensitive and often covered up while on land with a scarf or other material to shield them from the winds and gawkers alike. Although many Arix are known to enjoy the stares that come from their flamboyant gills and display them prominently.

Refined Musculature

Though they are equipped with frail, light bones to help them float, the Arix make up for this by having incredibly strong muscles. Honed from a lifetime of swimming the average adult has the strength of a highly athletic human.