Terrestrial Species: U-Z
A centaur-like species with four legs and two small arm-like appendages, two pouches on each side of the female's fore-body contain a brood of offspring or a miniature husband. Three eyes form a triangle. A composite eye without a lid faces forward and sits above a long snout at the end of a very flexible neck. The snout has the Urs' nose and mouth. The composite eye is very sensitive to motion, but provides poor resolution. Alone, it provides little or no depth perception. Input from the composite eye continues to be monitored unconsciously even when an Urs sleeps. Below the composite eye at both 120 and 240 degrees, focusable simple eyes also face forward. (Note the classic example of a hunter's binocular vision. Urs are preferentially carnivorous.)
Free water is very unusual on the nursery (and home) world, Urchaka. As a result, modern Urs are still physiologically hydrophobic and prefer living in the hot veldt --or similar artificial environments. Liquid water is, in fact, a moderate caustic agent for Urs and many Urchakan life forms. Modern Urs still only ingest pure water under extreme duress, preferring the fluids extracted from animals and, to a slightly lesser degree, plants.
Urs males are tiny, and many barely qualify as sapient. Male sapience is largely a side-effect of uplift. It follows that the females are the leaders, warriors, and so on. Female Urs are the Urs people as far as most outsiders are concerned. However, like most sapient species showing extreme sexual dimorphism in intelligence, preferential mating patterns are clearly resulting in generational increases in male Urs intelligence (and slower increases within the female Urs population).
The Urs are an active race of moderate power and wealth. They are active traders and voyagers, frequently encountered in port. They are decidedly non-hostile toward Clan Terragen. On an individual level, Terragens and Urs often get along quite well. This is particularly true of Humans and Urs.
They came to Jijo to escape
breeding restrictions. Urs are mortal enemies of the Hoon in
Galactic Society. It is the policy of the Terragen
Confederation to lend diplomatic support to the Urs against the Hoon whenever practical.
At under two-thirds of a meter tall, Wazoon are among the smallest of O-2 sapients. Wazoons come
from arboreal mammalian ancestors and rather resemble the
Tarsiers of Earth. They are short lived, though this is partly offset by a
high metabolism that produces rapid bio-rhythms, and thus, rapid thought processes. Wazoon are quite
devoted to their patrons. They are timid, but not cowardly like their Patrons. Unlike their
patrons they have a sense of humor, and are not above subjecting the Synthians to it. Wazoon make
excellent engineers and mechanics, partly because they are able to crawl through the bowels of ships and
machinery. Wazoon live on most Synthian colonies and have a few experimental ones of their own.
They enjoy the company of all Terragens,
though they are understandably physically intimidated by Neo-Elephants.
A client species with claims to three worlds. The Xappish are fairly small by O-2
standards. They resent the way their Patrons treat them. The Xappish are
favorably disposed toward Terragens.
Ocelot-like, with eight limbs, but able to walk on either six or eight
legs. The Xatinni sent their clients to do the fighting over
Kithrup instead of engaging their own forces. Xatinni
are shrewd merchants. They often deal with
Terragens. Some Xatinni scrap dealers sold ancient war
machines to the Humans of Garth. Practical considerations prevent the Terragen Confederation from boycotting the Xatinni, despite occasional calls by
some interest groups to do so because of how badly the Xatinni treat their Client species. Xatinni are
opportunistic and avoid entangling themselves in Terragen diplomatic
problems. Overall, they are a modest Galactic power.
Stoic, stilt-like, disciplined, armored kangaroo-like creatures. They
are still quite prone to stress atavism.
Last species to survey Garth before
Humans took lease. They were described as an
Elder careful and intellectual species by General
Athaclena a-Tymbrimi, honorary citizen of the Terragen
Confederation. Some were present as Uplift Institute Officials
during the Uplift Ceremony for Chimpanzee. They are tall and
gangling.
Members of the Awaiters Alliance. They are
solid Galactic citizens of no particular note and competent uplifters. The Zhosh
and Qheuen are neither hostile nor particularly friendly to Clans
Terragen or Tymbrimi.
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