HOME | DD
bensen-daniel — Aliens
Published: 2013-12-16 19:51:04 +0000 UTC; Views: 2424; Favourites: 30; Downloads: 3
Redirect to original
Description
The sophont species of New Frontiers www.thekingdomsofevil.com/?pag… , now condensed into one image for your convenience.
Top left are the pnamns (represented by the engineer P'whapm). Boneless creatures from a cold, high gravity world, hermaphroditic pnamns fence with carbonate penises until one punctures the ovarian sacks of the other, impregnating him. Their combat/sex psychology extends from war to conversation. First line: "Alright let's get this over with. Tell me what you things want from me so I can go home."
Bottom left are the beezles (represented by Bubba and Junior). Hive organisms composed of three species of insect-like "bug," a reef-building polyp, and algae, beezles mate by exchanging swarms of egg- and spore-laden drones. These drones form cysts on the parent beezle, which grow into "pippins," often of inferior mental abilities. To ensure succession, beezles can also produce clone "scions" by cutting and planting branches. First line: "And then the bartender says, wait a minute, I forget. Was that ethyl alcohol or methyl? Ha ha!"
Top right are the aahas (represented by Mr. Moore). Aahas mate for life, with the smaller arboreal male riding the back of the terrestrial female, and exist as legal and social persons only as a couple. Coupled "individuals" even speak at the same time, filling in gaps to complete sentences. First line: "Do I have to tell you how seriously bad that news is, Harry?"
Bottom right are the oonkhs (represented by the Ambassador, the Cultural Attache, and the Technology Liaison). From a high-pressure Venus-like world, the oonkhs bodies on Earth might not resemble their true or traditional form to any extent. Their behavior, however, indicates that they are tournament breeder, with large male "husband-pets" defending harems of smaller "owner-wives." Given the flexibility of their body form, oonkhs can also develop into crypto-males (which look like females) and eunuchs. They find it difficult to extend the concept of person-hood to anyone who does not fit one of these gender roles. First line: "Don't think you can fob me off with a hand job this time."
STATUS: As of today, New Frontiers version 2.5 is 82% finished, which means I am almost ready to send it to beta-readers. If you're interested in being one of those beta-readers, stay tuned. I hope to have the manuscript ready for you by the end of the week.
Related content
Comments: 22
Hee, the oonkh reminds me of a morbildly obese Elder Thing, or perhaps a particularly rotund Xorn! :
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Hey you're right! That I did not do intentionally. My design process was Drogo from Farscape+elephant+tentacle rape monster
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Sounds uncomfortably close to my selection process in deciding where to have lunch!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Nice alien concepts!
I'd love to be a beta reader, but my schedule won't allow it for the moment
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Well send me a message if your schedule clears up. I'll probably be open to critiques until the summer.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I must say, you’ve certainly worked to make these species physically distinct and psychologically alien: I imagine it gives a migraine to diplomats, specifically when dealing with the beezles (I’m reminded of a scene in Master of Orion, where hostilities arose upon first contact with the gem-like silicoids after we began addressing their household ornaments, because we could not distinguish between them and their gem-like furniture).
Their forms are somewhat confusing. I’m guessing that to be terrestrial yet boneless the pnamns must be pretty small, which would seem to suit them on a high gravity world, but would also make it tougher to survive in the cold (it presents more surface area relative to their volume to lose heat). They don’t seem to have any obvious appendages – how do they manipulate their surroundings?
When you say that cysts form on the parent beezle, I take it you mean that each individual species composing the hive must bear its own children, rather than have one group birth them all. Do all three (including the algae) partake in thought processes, or is it really more that the polyps and algae are symbiotes tended by the bug? I guess in that case they could still consider the reef to be a part of themselves, but we would only be addressing its mobile part. I kind of wonder how intercolony politics work too…
How do the arboreal aahas move through trees – do they swing with their arms, with their neck and tail, or do they simply pull themselves around or even hug the tree like a snake? For that matter, do you have an image of a terrestrial female somewhere around here, and what happens to an individual who loses one of his-her gender-halves?
As for the oonkh… well, our shy friend hasn’t shown us his better side, but I’m having trouble reconciling the apparently triradially symmetric appearance with the quadrupedal description. At least the body is already fairly nice and rounded which simplifies building a pressure suit when coming onto more earthly worlds, but it does make me wonder what gives reason for them to interact with us in the first place.
Suffice to say, it’s a lot to think about, which is exactly what science fiction should aim to do.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Wow! What a lovely long comment. Thank you
>>I’m reminded of a scene in Master of Orion, where hostilities arose upon first contact with the gem-like silicoids after we began addressing their household ornaments, because we could not distinguish between them and their gem-like furniture<<
Ha! How embarrassing.
>>I’m guessing that to be terrestrial yet boneless the pnamns must be pretty small, which would seem to suit them on a high gravity world, but would also make it tougher to survive in the cold (it presents more surface area relative to their volume to lose heat).<<
They're actually pretty big. I haven't sat down and thought about it, but I imagine them between 1.5 meters when compressed to 3 meters extended. That would be measured from penis to the base of the tail, which is 3 meters long and flexible enough to work as a manipulator. For finer manipulation they use the sensory tendrils that sprout from behind the eyes. For even finer manipulation (down to the milimeter scale) they coil their bodies and handle things with their scale-like sclerites, which range in size from finger-nail- to palm-sized. Their "skeleton" is a mesh of interwoven helical strips or ribbons of stiff material, which they can tighten or loosen to make themselves stiffer or more flexible. When at rest, gravity compresses and tightens the mesh. But they do like to rest in mud or water.
>>When you say that cysts form on the parent beezle, I take it you mean that each individual species composing the hive must bear its own children, rather than have one group birth them all.<<
Yes. And all the eggs, spores, etc. are contained in the cyst.
>>Do all three (including the algae) partake in thought processes, or is it really more that the polyps and algae are symbiotes tended by the bug?<<
It's just the bugs that create consciousness. You could consider the fungus/coral tree, polyps, and bearer roaches to be domesticated species, but the beezles consider them to be part of their bodies.
>>I guess in that case they could still consider the reef to be a part of themselves, but we would only be addressing its mobile part. I kind of wonder how intercolony politics work too…<<
You got it. As for intercolony politics...No spoilers, but it's very weird. You'll have to read the book.
>>How do the arboreal aahas move through trees – do they swing with their arms, with their neck and tail, or do they simply pull themselves around or even hug the tree like a snake?<<
They move more like monkeys than snakes, using arms, leg/tail, and proboscuis. Since their brain and organs are in the center, they spin and cartwheel more often than monkies.
>>For that matter, do you have an image of a terrestrial female somewhere around here<<
I do...bensen-daniel.deviantart.com/a…
>> and what happens to an individual who loses one of his-her gender-halves?<<
Different cultures deal with it differently, but it's very stressful and sometimes causes emotional and mental imbalance, especially if the widow/widower can't find a replacement. Females tend to have better recovery rate (because separation is less physically traumatic for them), but widowers have an easier time finding new mates, especially if they are famous. Given the state of aaha medicine, I bet suicide and euthanasia for "separation anxiety" is their leading cause of death.
>>As for the oonkh… well, our shy friend hasn’t shown us his better side, but I’m having trouble reconciling the apparently triradially symmetric appearance with the quadrupedal description.<<
Quadrilateral symmetry. They have four of everything.
>>At least the body is already fairly nice and rounded which simplifies building a pressure suit when coming onto more earthly worlds, but it does make me wonder what gives reason for them to interact with us in the first place.<<
I hadn't thought about it, but yes, that dome-shaped body might be an artifact of engineering rather than evolution. Good point.
The ones who visit Earth are anthropologists or journalists, recording details of our fascinating culture before "it is sadly destroyed forever."
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
I am VERY MUCH INTERESTED IN BETA READING THIS (and also i think i have to ask someone monied in my fam for an ipad RIGHT NOW so i can read it)
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
That's the spirit!
And you were getting one anyway.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
You know they probably do.
And given the fact that the species has been technological for 30 million years, not only have they optimized their music for their nervous systems, they've probably optimized their nervous systems for their music. For them music is almost mind control, which helps explain their tendency to try the same trick on other species...
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
I think the Aahas are my favourite of youre sophonts
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Thanks! Hopefully the book does them justice.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Thanks!
I am now 82% finished with version 2.5 and I'm almost ready for beta readers!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
sweet! shame to say I will probably not have time to be a beta-reader... 
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
That's okay, your support so far has been helpful.
But from the last two books, I predict that my beta-reading "window" will be open for at least the next 6 months.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
All right! If that's the case, I am in too! 
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Nope. Writing is a very long process. My finest schedule granularity is 6 months
Good luck with finals!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1