Post by Kitsuneko on May 30, 2012 0:03:21 GMT -5
The yaroii are an alien race who crash-landed on Pern nearly a turn ago. This guide should hopefully give you a strong enough image of the yaroii to create and roleplay one. This post will be added to as more information is revealed. (Also, I will add pictures soon as well.)
Physical Appearance: The yaroii are a cold-blooded, reptilian race who share a surface resemblance to Terran dinosaur therapods, though they are actually omnivores, with almost half their diet being boron-based plants. They are about three to four feet long from snout to tail-tip and stand about two feet tall. They have a lizard-like head with a long, blunt muzzle and four eyes (one pair low and towards the front of their head, and a second, slightly larger pair further back and to the sides). All four eyes are pitch black, with no visible pupil or iris.
A typical yaroii
The yaroii evolved as an arboreal race, living in the trees, and their build reflects their origin. They have a long, flexible neck, and four limbs connected to a long, thin torso. Their forelimbs are slightly longer than their hind legs and possess dextrous, four-fingered claws. Their hind legs are thicker and stronger; when walking, they typically travel on all fours, but they lift up their front limbs and run on two legs when they need to, using their tail for balance. They can manipulate objects with their front limbs, but their long, slender tail is prehensile, and they can use it as another limb as well as to balance themselves.
A running yaroii
Their skin is covered in small, smooth scales, but they have a layer of thin, hair-like proto-fur covering the back of their head, neck and spine, tapering out about halfway down their tail. The exact pattern of fur coverage varies among Yaroii, as do the colors. Yaroii naturally come in shades of black, grey, brown, red and yellow, from most to least common, with various lighter or darker markings; however, yaroii scientists can alter their own DNA in order to genetically "dye" their skin, offering a much wider range of colors for the vainer members of the species.
When startled or scared, a yaroii's fur will stand on end and their neck will become thinner and widen into something resembling a cobra's hood. Anger and other strong emotions may also cause their fur to rise, but the hood is purely a fear-response. Twining their tails together is the equivalent of a hug or kiss among yaroii. A quick twining and then release is platonic, more like a hug, but prolonged contact suggests a romantic interest.
A yaroii displaying the raised fur and hood
The Crash:
Well over a year ago, an expedition of colonists from a planet of the yaroii was put together. Their scientists had identified what looked like a flourishing planet uninhabited by sentient life. No one had visited the planet in person, but there were no radio waves or signs of communication and what little technology was in the sector was ancient, thousands of years old. They were told the planet was empty, and it seemed like the perfect colony, too good to be true.
The plans were a bit rushed, but yaroii were eager to set off, and twenty-thousand colonists and personnel set off on the long journey that would take them to their new home. When they finally arrived there, they were attacked, the ship assaulted by...something they couldn't even see. They had never encountered a true telekinetic race like the dragons of Pern before and had no idea what was happening. The ship was equipped with some weapons in order to protect itself, and these were fired at the planet's surface in warning, striking farmland in Nerat and sending the human residents into a panic.
The damage to the yaroii's ship had already been done, however, and the colony crash-landed just off the coast of Ista. Though thousands of yaroii drowned, most of the colonists were able to be rescued, and they salvaged what supplies and material they could from the half-submerged ship, though there was no chance of getting it to fly again. Almost immediately, they contacted the home world to send help, telling them there was a hostile alien race on the planet. The reply was that another expedition would take time, up to two or three years, during which time they would be on their own, and the colony was told to gather more information about their foes. It was unfortunate that the original leaders of the colony were killed in the crash or drowned; the chain of command fell to the military leaders, and they distrusted humans.
The first Hold they attacked was Ista Hold; the human residents were already spooked and attacked the yaroii on sight, so they retaliated with what weapons they had salvaged from the ship. They were a lot smaller than the humans, but their technology gave them an edge, and the humans were either killed or sent fleeing. The food and supplies left behind were enough to hold over the yaroii for a little while, but there were too many of them for it to stretch very far.
They started raiding local settlements, and when the dragonriders from Ista attacked, they were shocked by the sight. Identifying the dragons as the greatest danger, the yaroii located their base at Ista Weyr and set up an attack by nightfall. Once again, the surprise of the attack and the yaroii's weapons gave them an edge, and they killed what riders and dragons they could and sent the rest fleeing to the mainland. With most of Ista under their control, they settled down to wait for aide and defend themselves against further attacks. With little in the way of crops being tended and a limited amount of game to be hunted, however, they passed through a couple of very hard dry seasons and have lost some of their population to starvation as well as war. Recently, they've taken to raiding other islands and the area around Nerat for food.
Family Life:
Yaroii names are drawn from their; common vowel sounds include a, e, and i, and some of the most common consonants are r, s, t, k, d, g. Just about anything would be accepted, though, as long as it's not obviously human in origin.
Yaroii are an ovoviviparous species, which means they are egg-bearing, but the eggs hatch while still inside the mother, who gives birth to live young. Clutches generally have between two and four children, though single births are not uncommon. The children are raised primarily by the mother, with help from the father(s) though the parents don't usually live together. They are considered mature in about ten Pernese turns and generally live into their 60's or 70's. Romantic relationships are non-exclusive and may be short-lived; a yaroii can have multiple partners at one time without inciting jealousy.
Schooling begins for the young yaroii at about two years of age, and they continue their schooling until ten or even later, depending on their skill set and favored career. Because teachers are highly prized and well-paid, classes are split into small groups of between 3 and 6 students and one teacher who runs the lessons. Barring insurmountable differences in personality, this same group will stay together for the entire length of their education, usually in eight years. It isn't until all of the class has graduated or moved on to more specialized education that the teacher will take another class. Unsurprisingly, students in the same class tend to form strong bonds with each other that often last throughout their lives.
Religion:
The major religion among yaroii is Eurlism, a monotheistic church with a fused trinity at its center, similar to Christianity. Holy aspects can be divided into Eternity (symbolized by a violet ever-flowering plant), Aether (the black space between planets), and Life (a red-boned skeleton); but all three are aspects of the Creator. There are other religions as well, but a large number of yaroii pay no more attention to religion than celebrating traditional holidays, and many pronounce themselves to be atheistic as well.
The symbol of Eurlism
Government:
The yaroii have an empire that spans a dozen or so planets over four solar systems. The empirical family has a lot of political power, but they are not the only ones who make decisions; there are two councils, an upper "noble" council and a lower "common" council who make the bulk of the laws. The yaroii who inhabited the ship headed for Pern were part of a group intending to start a new colony; the crash killed many of the leaders of the expedition, however, and put the leadership of the colony in control of the military, who have been leading the war on the planet's native inhabitants as well as commanding the civilian members of the colony.
Technology:
The crash of the colony ship destroyed a lot of the yaroii's technology; much of what survived was either small and sturdy objects or weaponry and shielding technology. One of the main problems facing the Yaroii colony now is lack of food; many of their native plants and livestock were destroyed in the crash, and the yaroii are still struggling through harsh winters when they can barely scavenge or steal enough to feed their population. A large impetus to the continuing violence of their encounters with humans and dragons is the need for food; yaroii are deeply opposed to eating sentient species, even if they are their enemies, but they will not hesitate to steal the crops, livestock and other supplies of whatever humans they come across.
Yaroii geneticists are present among the colony members, and it is a branch of science that they have come far in. They can manipulate the genes of their own species and species of their homeplanet; with time and study, they can make changes in the genomes of other species as well.
One of the yaroii's most useful pieces of technology is a bio-technological web of communication similar to our internet. It is in fact known as the aetherweb. All yaroii can access it telepathically to exchange thoughts with each other and access information. They can "log off" when necessary, as well. It is typically installed in their brains at a young age, and it is possible to use with certain animal species as well, which the yaroii brought with them.
Physical Appearance: The yaroii are a cold-blooded, reptilian race who share a surface resemblance to Terran dinosaur therapods, though they are actually omnivores, with almost half their diet being boron-based plants. They are about three to four feet long from snout to tail-tip and stand about two feet tall. They have a lizard-like head with a long, blunt muzzle and four eyes (one pair low and towards the front of their head, and a second, slightly larger pair further back and to the sides). All four eyes are pitch black, with no visible pupil or iris.
A typical yaroii
The yaroii evolved as an arboreal race, living in the trees, and their build reflects their origin. They have a long, flexible neck, and four limbs connected to a long, thin torso. Their forelimbs are slightly longer than their hind legs and possess dextrous, four-fingered claws. Their hind legs are thicker and stronger; when walking, they typically travel on all fours, but they lift up their front limbs and run on two legs when they need to, using their tail for balance. They can manipulate objects with their front limbs, but their long, slender tail is prehensile, and they can use it as another limb as well as to balance themselves.
A running yaroii
Their skin is covered in small, smooth scales, but they have a layer of thin, hair-like proto-fur covering the back of their head, neck and spine, tapering out about halfway down their tail. The exact pattern of fur coverage varies among Yaroii, as do the colors. Yaroii naturally come in shades of black, grey, brown, red and yellow, from most to least common, with various lighter or darker markings; however, yaroii scientists can alter their own DNA in order to genetically "dye" their skin, offering a much wider range of colors for the vainer members of the species.
When startled or scared, a yaroii's fur will stand on end and their neck will become thinner and widen into something resembling a cobra's hood. Anger and other strong emotions may also cause their fur to rise, but the hood is purely a fear-response. Twining their tails together is the equivalent of a hug or kiss among yaroii. A quick twining and then release is platonic, more like a hug, but prolonged contact suggests a romantic interest.
A yaroii displaying the raised fur and hood
The Crash:
Well over a year ago, an expedition of colonists from a planet of the yaroii was put together. Their scientists had identified what looked like a flourishing planet uninhabited by sentient life. No one had visited the planet in person, but there were no radio waves or signs of communication and what little technology was in the sector was ancient, thousands of years old. They were told the planet was empty, and it seemed like the perfect colony, too good to be true.
The plans were a bit rushed, but yaroii were eager to set off, and twenty-thousand colonists and personnel set off on the long journey that would take them to their new home. When they finally arrived there, they were attacked, the ship assaulted by...something they couldn't even see. They had never encountered a true telekinetic race like the dragons of Pern before and had no idea what was happening. The ship was equipped with some weapons in order to protect itself, and these were fired at the planet's surface in warning, striking farmland in Nerat and sending the human residents into a panic.
The damage to the yaroii's ship had already been done, however, and the colony crash-landed just off the coast of Ista. Though thousands of yaroii drowned, most of the colonists were able to be rescued, and they salvaged what supplies and material they could from the half-submerged ship, though there was no chance of getting it to fly again. Almost immediately, they contacted the home world to send help, telling them there was a hostile alien race on the planet. The reply was that another expedition would take time, up to two or three years, during which time they would be on their own, and the colony was told to gather more information about their foes. It was unfortunate that the original leaders of the colony were killed in the crash or drowned; the chain of command fell to the military leaders, and they distrusted humans.
The first Hold they attacked was Ista Hold; the human residents were already spooked and attacked the yaroii on sight, so they retaliated with what weapons they had salvaged from the ship. They were a lot smaller than the humans, but their technology gave them an edge, and the humans were either killed or sent fleeing. The food and supplies left behind were enough to hold over the yaroii for a little while, but there were too many of them for it to stretch very far.
They started raiding local settlements, and when the dragonriders from Ista attacked, they were shocked by the sight. Identifying the dragons as the greatest danger, the yaroii located their base at Ista Weyr and set up an attack by nightfall. Once again, the surprise of the attack and the yaroii's weapons gave them an edge, and they killed what riders and dragons they could and sent the rest fleeing to the mainland. With most of Ista under their control, they settled down to wait for aide and defend themselves against further attacks. With little in the way of crops being tended and a limited amount of game to be hunted, however, they passed through a couple of very hard dry seasons and have lost some of their population to starvation as well as war. Recently, they've taken to raiding other islands and the area around Nerat for food.
Family Life:
Yaroii names are drawn from their; common vowel sounds include a, e, and i, and some of the most common consonants are r, s, t, k, d, g. Just about anything would be accepted, though, as long as it's not obviously human in origin.
Yaroii are an ovoviviparous species, which means they are egg-bearing, but the eggs hatch while still inside the mother, who gives birth to live young. Clutches generally have between two and four children, though single births are not uncommon. The children are raised primarily by the mother, with help from the father(s) though the parents don't usually live together. They are considered mature in about ten Pernese turns and generally live into their 60's or 70's. Romantic relationships are non-exclusive and may be short-lived; a yaroii can have multiple partners at one time without inciting jealousy.
Schooling begins for the young yaroii at about two years of age, and they continue their schooling until ten or even later, depending on their skill set and favored career. Because teachers are highly prized and well-paid, classes are split into small groups of between 3 and 6 students and one teacher who runs the lessons. Barring insurmountable differences in personality, this same group will stay together for the entire length of their education, usually in eight years. It isn't until all of the class has graduated or moved on to more specialized education that the teacher will take another class. Unsurprisingly, students in the same class tend to form strong bonds with each other that often last throughout their lives.
Religion:
The major religion among yaroii is Eurlism, a monotheistic church with a fused trinity at its center, similar to Christianity. Holy aspects can be divided into Eternity (symbolized by a violet ever-flowering plant), Aether (the black space between planets), and Life (a red-boned skeleton); but all three are aspects of the Creator. There are other religions as well, but a large number of yaroii pay no more attention to religion than celebrating traditional holidays, and many pronounce themselves to be atheistic as well.
The symbol of Eurlism
Government:
The yaroii have an empire that spans a dozen or so planets over four solar systems. The empirical family has a lot of political power, but they are not the only ones who make decisions; there are two councils, an upper "noble" council and a lower "common" council who make the bulk of the laws. The yaroii who inhabited the ship headed for Pern were part of a group intending to start a new colony; the crash killed many of the leaders of the expedition, however, and put the leadership of the colony in control of the military, who have been leading the war on the planet's native inhabitants as well as commanding the civilian members of the colony.
Technology:
The crash of the colony ship destroyed a lot of the yaroii's technology; much of what survived was either small and sturdy objects or weaponry and shielding technology. One of the main problems facing the Yaroii colony now is lack of food; many of their native plants and livestock were destroyed in the crash, and the yaroii are still struggling through harsh winters when they can barely scavenge or steal enough to feed their population. A large impetus to the continuing violence of their encounters with humans and dragons is the need for food; yaroii are deeply opposed to eating sentient species, even if they are their enemies, but they will not hesitate to steal the crops, livestock and other supplies of whatever humans they come across.
Yaroii geneticists are present among the colony members, and it is a branch of science that they have come far in. They can manipulate the genes of their own species and species of their homeplanet; with time and study, they can make changes in the genomes of other species as well.
One of the yaroii's most useful pieces of technology is a bio-technological web of communication similar to our internet. It is in fact known as the aetherweb. All yaroii can access it telepathically to exchange thoughts with each other and access information. They can "log off" when necessary, as well. It is typically installed in their brains at a young age, and it is possible to use with certain animal species as well, which the yaroii brought with them.