This is the species profile for an original species of mine. It’s potentially a bit disconnected, but hopefully interesting.
Mlecki
are Rigg’s people, affectionately known as “gremlins” by some.
They’re
small beings, about the size of a spider monkey, and usually perch on shoulders
or arms when interacting with larger beings.
They
come in a variety of reddish colors, usually dark, faded shades, and their
batlike wings are generally stone-grey and speckled. Their tails are prehensile
and strong, tapered at the tips, and they can hang by their tails and one
grasping foot. Babies can hang by just their tails, but adults lack the muscle
strength to support their entire body with their tail alone.
They
have short, blunt snouts, like monkeys, with large eyes set above. Their front
teeth are sharp, and they have a set of canine teeth with a set of smaller
canines just behind, with molars set further back. The overall effect is of a
curious and intelligent being, albeit one who may be mistaken for a child because of their size, until the teeth come out. A Mlecki with teeth bared is much less cute, they can pull their lips back very far in an angry display.
Their
skin is a slightly odd texture, as there’s tiny bone scutes embedded underneath
and the skin itself is laced with silicone. They feel like orange peels to the
touch, and their skin is stretchy and very strong. Both sexes have
kangaroo-style pouches on their stomachs, mildly stretchy, which are used to
hold anything from babies to snacks to random swiped objects. Most have patches
of larger scutes in various places, along their backs for the most part, in
different patterns depending on genetics. The origin of a Mlecki’s
ancestors can often be figured out by their scute pattern, assuming their past
isn’t too muddled for the patterns to be clear. Mlecki races exist, but are
differentiated almost entirely by scute patterns, and easily a third of the
population is too mixed-race to be differentiated. Not that they cared in the
first place.
They
have two, rarely three, pairs of tiny horns. Horn number is genetic, and the
genes for the three pairs is highly recessive. An especially rare mutation can
result in one pair of larger horns. Mlecki young are born with smooth nubs
already visible through the skin. The outer, larger pair of horns, just inside
and behind the ears, starts to grow and sharpen just about at puberty. The
inner pair or pairs, much smaller, start to grow at full maturity. The horns
are used as indicators of physical maturity and loose indicators of mental
maturity in most Mlecki societies. They grow to roughly the length of the ears,
an inch or so depending on body size, and usually curve up and inward.
Occasionally
the horns of especially old Mlecki begin to curl back towards the skull, in
which case they’ll be tipped with metal, which will be chained to the rest of
the horn to guide its growth away from the scalp. This is not a painful
process, the horns have no nerves in their actual structure. The skin around
the bases of the horns is typically sensitive.
Aside
from this equivalent to braces, Mlecki jewelry is largely simple, to avoid
snagging as they climb through trees. Bracelets, tail rings, and anklets are
common, all snug to the body, and horn rings are very common. Piercings through
the wing membrane, right up next to the limb, are unusual but present. All are
tightly fastened to prevent snagging on either branches or claws. Body paint is
used occasionally, often simple charcoal. A herbal mixture is used to produce
what is essentially henna for longer-lasting decorations, frequently on the
insides of the wings. Babies often have names or locations of parents written
on some part of them in said mixture in case they scuttle away or, unnoticed,
transfer themselves from a parent’s back to a branch.
Their
ears are shaped like those of a sheep or goat, with strong, flexible bases that
allow the ears to swivel in practically any direction, and are used in body
language and communication. A Mlecki with clamped ears is an extremely upset
Mlecki. A rare defect exists that causes the ears to droop, and Mlecki with
this condition usually wear small braces to support the ears upright so as not
to be seen as constantly upset.
Their
hands are delicate and nimble, with thick, strong fingernails, and their feet
are almost hands as well. Again, think monkeys. The wings are rounded at the
edges, especially the tips, and the section of wing between the two outermost
fingers is thick and especially leathery. When they land and hunch down, they
can use these sections of their wings as basic camouflage, with the visible
sections of red skin resembling veins of metal through the rocks of their
homeworld.
The
Mlecki homeworld is a strange place where flora and geological structures
intertwine almost to the point of being indistinguishable. The trees sap metals
from the ground and build them into their structures, the plants are laced with
crystalline shards, and metal ores are rich even on the surface of the world.
Organic matter is present in large, deep pockets and scattered across the
surface, and areas are covered with forests of ancient trees, but the plant
life has adapted to feed off of metals and oils in lieu of organic materials.
Some strange fungi-esque life-forms suck up chemicals from underground veins
and feed off the energy generated from the chemical reactions. These fungi are
essentially made of living silicone, and are an important part of the Mlecki’s
diet.
Mlecki
have skin laced with silicone to guard them against cuts and scrapes from the
mineral portions of their world, and they eat these fungi to keep the silicone
present. The fungi are difficult to intentionally cultivate because they need
long roots that reach deep into the crust of the planet, so Mlecki cities are often
intentionally built either near the fungus groves or along easy transportation
routes. Offworld, they eat silicone wherever they can get it. Sometimes this
involves drinking silicone-based lube. Mlecki are also much more resistant to
poisoning from inorganic materials, and their bodies contain an organ similar
to a kidney that filters out excess heavy metals from their system and reroutes
it into their lower intestines. Some of this metal is retained and used to
reinforce their bones and horns, making them heavier than most people expect,
though not by too much.
Mlecki can fly. Not too well, a Mlecki’s flight path always
trends downwards, but they can fly well enough for it to not be considered
gliding. They tend to walk on three or four limbs at all times. Bipedal walking
is possible but difficult, as their posture is hunched forward and their hips aren’t
made to support bipedal walking for long. When needed, they can walk on both
hindlegs and on their wings, holding items in both hands, and the small claws
on the wings are often used to cling when climbing. Fear of heights is
extremely rare, as the trees mean safety from their homeworld’s large
predators. Even in areas where those predators are no longer present, Mlecki do
not build on the ground, and will choose to sleep in an elevated place even on
ships.
The structures in Mlecki cities are as woven into the
natural world as the geology and the plants are woven together. Trees and
plants are guided with wires and braces to grow into shapes and around forms,
and many smaller Mlecki cities are made almost entirely of shaped trees and
vines with minimal added materials. They may also build into cliffs or develop
structures on top of rises, and several cities have been built in the emptied
hulls of crashed ships.
Their tech is varied and development has been highly
piecemeal, many of their world’s major technological discoveries based off of
ship fragments that hit the planet after the ship breaks up in the world’s asteroid
field. They’re a relatively young species and relatively new to complex tech,
but their understanding of the energy lines among the forests of their
homeworld, of the lines and roots of the fungi, of how the metals interact in
the cliffs and mountains, is innate and lends itself well to technological
understandings. It is extremely rare for Mlecki to not have a knack for some
aspect of technology. In particular, they’re fantastic mechanics, thanks to
their durability, resistance to poisoning, mechanical understanding, and tiny, dexterous
hands. They put this to use in their building, tracing paths of fungal or tree
roots to figure out how to keep them intact, or how to cut off energy flow into
the trees to kill off a tree and make more space.
Innately curious beings, Mlecki were first discovered by
other species when they came out of the trees to investigate search parties,
and immediately hitched rides to get onto the ships. This hasn’t changed much.
They often venture offworld out of curiosity, and any ships that land on the
Mlecki homeworld will invariably end up with several onboard, at least
temporarily. Family groups may journey offworld together to set up shop
elsewhere, usually in the company of a mechanic or similar. They often set up
deals where a mechanic will provide them with housing, basic food, and
materials, and will pay them a small salary in addition.
To outsiders, Mlecki sexual dimorphism is relatively obvious
on its extremes, then baffling in the centers. Females are larger and tend to
be darker in coloration, with shorter, thicker horns. Males are smaller, more
slender, with longer horns, and are more likely to have three pairs of horns
and more intricate patterns of scutes. That’s on the edges of the scale,
though. Many Mlecki are somewhere near the center of the scale, making it
difficult for those without a good sense of smell to differentiate between the
sexes. There are four gendered pronouns in the Mlecki language, in addition to
multiple genderless ones; a word for distinct males, midway males, midway
females, and distinctive females.
Gender roles (and, indeed, genders) are practically nonexistent,
but sex roles are still present. Distinct males are thought to be better at
complex, intricate planning, at abstract thought, at work that’s intricate even
by Mlecki standards. Distinct females are thought to be better with physical planning,
working out exactly how something will move, at work that requires physical
effort. Distinct males are more likely to be gatherers, distinct females are
more likely to be hunters. This is, truthfully, largely accurate. Midway males
and females can go either way, but those with hormone levels putting them on
one distinct end or the other do tend
to be better at certain things. Exceptions may be regarded with mild puzzlement
at first jobs, i.e. a distinct male in a hunting party may not be expected to have
much success, but those who prove themselves capable will quickly shake off any
skepticism. There’s also no underlying idea that one sex or the other is
better, just that some of them are better at
certain things.
Mlecki often don’t have distinct genders. Those offworld are
more likely to take on specific genders, but they tend to go by gender-neutral
terms in casual conversation. If it’s relevant, they may be indicated to be one
sex or another in conversation. Transgender Mlecki exist, but are relatively
rare due to the lack of strong gender roles. Some may take hormones to change
their musculature and build if they’re especially dysphoric, and it’s
definitely not uncommon to see Mlecki, especially offworld, who’ve rubbed a
pigment into their skin to make themselves lighter or darker and experiment
with a slightly different perception by others. This is never really questioned
aside from occasional polite-slash-curious inquiry.
Mlecki children are referred to in gender-neutral terms,
since their sex isn’t possible to determine until puberty. Base sex is easy
enough, but whether it’s midway or distinct can’t be checked, and isn’t at all
important until puberty.
When Mlecki are born, they’re small and roughly helpless.
Their ears are up and open, but their eyes are shut for several days, and their
wings are small and tucked to their back tightly. They’re kept in a pouch,
usually the mother’s but switching back and forth, for at least a week, until
they become strong enough to cling tight. When they can hold on properly, they’ll
cling to a parent’s wing base or shoulder rather than staying in the pouch the
entire time. Parents frequently wear soft harnesses to give their babies a
place to hang on. From there, they develop roughly as most humanoid beings do,
with the added fun of trying to learn to fly just before puberty hits. Small
children just learning to brace their wings properly will often be gently
tossed back and forth over a soft surface, teaching them to glide, and will go
from there. Homes of Mlecki with children in the learning-to-fly stage
generally have horn marks in many surfaces from largely unsuccessful flights.
As babies, Mlecki are largely fed tidbits of fungus and
fruit, with the occasional insect or piece of meat. When they start grabbing at
their parents’ food, they get more protein, usually in forms that won’t rapidly
spoil if stuffed into a pouch rather than eaten.
Adult Mlecki are omnivorous, and opportunistic. Fruit, large
seeds, nuts, insects, fungus, leaf buds, flowers, and any meat they can get
ahold of are all fair game. They gather largely from trees and cliffs,
venturing only briefly down to ground level, and often hunt a rather
squirrel-like animal slightly larger than them that lives in hollow tree
trunks. Hunting parties venture down to ground level now and then to hunt
larger prey, snaring it in rope traps and killing it with spears, and the homes
of successful hunting families are generally built partially of bones. They
never stay on the ground for long, however- even now, predators abound, and
killing them off causes more problems than they can deal with. To avoid the
predators, Mlecki simply have to stay in trees, easy enough for them. To avoid
prey overpopulation and its reverberating effects is much more difficult. Better
to simply stay out of reach, and bring flashbombs to frighten away predators if
they venture down. The meat is worth it. Mlecki homes often also have vines of various
edible fruits woven through the outer walls, alive and growing, and some
villages are almost entirely made of food species.
Likely due to this “eat anything in reach” diet, Mlecki are
compulsive thieves. It’s not intentional, they just grab everything small that
catches their attention and is in reach. Nuts, bolts, trinkets, pieces of
string, tiny tools, anything they can get a grasp on with one hand and easily
fit in their pouch. They can’t really stop it. It’s comparable to kleptomania,
except there’s no actual desire to steal, just a sort of brain subroutine
running “grab.exe” and nothing else. Subconscious grabbing. Mlecki houses have
baskets near the door, and guests will simply empty their pouches of anything
they’ve grabbed, putting the items in the baskets. In public places, small and
low-value items that are easily grabbed are generally considered the property
of the grabbee unless specifically asked for. Mlecki society treats this as a
normal thing, and has different rules for grabbing than for actual theft. The
words are different, for one- the closest translation of their word for the
impulsive grabbing is “maybe-permanently borrowing”.
This can pose an issue when interacting with other species
and other societies. Mlecki on other worlds often ride on larger beings, generally
inside pockets where they can fidget with something to occupy their hands and
prevent grabbing. They also tend to find the pocket calming, as it resembles
the pouch their parents would have been carried in. Still, there are clashes,
especially when a Mlecki grabs something small that turns out to be especially valuable.
They’re apologetic and will happily give any and all items back if requested,
but most people don’t request. If you know a Mlecki has taken something but don’t
ask for it back, however, that belongs to the Mlecki now. Mechanics quickly
learn to check with the resident Mlecki if they lose a small item like a drill
bit, and generally don’t bother with retrieving low-priority bolts.
Fortunately for the Mlecki, it’s not considered smart to
react violently to even what is seen by others as an actual theft. It’s
difficult to be certain that any large ship does not have at least one Mlecki on board, and they band together
immediately with any others of their species they encounter. Given that this is
a being with an innate sense of how electronics interact, of how to skew things
to their liking, and of how to cut off all sources of energy flow if needed, they
are not good beings to upset while aboard ships. By the time a snipped or
pulled wire is found far too deep into ship’s wiring for anything but a Mlecki
to easily reach, it may be too late. Sufficiently upset more than one Mlecki,
and you may find that the word travels, and every port you land at with
resident Mlecki (which is a very long list) will result in something going
wrong aboard the ship. Even aboard ships that the crew would swear have no way
for Mlecki to get on board, they find a way.
This reputation of theirs is limited somewhat, Mlecki are a
slightly lesser-known species, but spread quickly after their first major
introduction to the galaxy. Their first introduction was ships with curious
explorers, the second was opportunists hunting a new world for exotic pets and slaves.
In Mlecki, they found both. Their small stature and roughly childlike
appearance make them appealing to multiple less-than-savory audiences, unfortunately.
The first couple of ships that took Mlecki, however, severely underestimated
their capacity for chaos, and by the next port the ships belonged to Mlecki.
Mlecki are still working on their intergalactic reputation, not
helped by their innate grabbiness and their small, almost childlike appearance.
They’re clever beings, though, skilled mechanics, curious and intelligent.
Those who actually meet and interact with them tend to like them.
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