The Various Races & Peoples of the Equi Worlds

A Brief Physical Description of the Various Races and Peoples of the Affined Equi Worlds and the Seventh Galactic Alliance

By Timor Ah’brianne Ah’mae, for Master Breton

Let me just say as I begin this list, that we have much more in common than we have differences.  Even though the Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Galactic Alliances occupy a huge section of cosmic space, we were all seeded by a common ancestor in the distant past, and although we have adapted in some interesting ways to our various planetary environments, most of which also closely resemble one another, we retain many traits of our original ancestry.  This assignment will focus on the best-known races in Seventh Galactic Alliance space but it is not all-inclusive.

Respectfully,

Timor Ah’brianne Ah’mae

 (In Alphabetical Order)

Achernar ~ While not a planet in itself, the islands of Achernar on the planet Equus host a race so unique, and so different from those we think of as Equi, that they deserve special mention.  The denizens of Achernar are referred to variously as serpents, dragons, and sea dragons.  They are a race old beyond reckoning.  Extremely intelligent beings, they have flat, snake-like heads with tiny soft teeth and constricting bodies averaging twenty-eight hands (seven feet) off the floor with another fifteen hands (five feet) or so devoted to their powerful tails, which they use to balance themselves on their short, hipless legs.  They have thin, powerful arms and frond-like hands with multiple fingers, and no external shoulders.  They have smooth scales of emerald green, and there is no way for an outsider to tell one from another or male from female but by their voices, which vary in timbre and sibilance.  Lifespan: approximately one thousand years.

Amberia ~ an AEW member.  Very closely related to Equi, both male and female Amberians tend to be tall, broad shouldered, and athletic.  Their skin shades from deep peachy gold through orange, and their hair is usually black or dark brown.  Their eyes are slightly over-sized, almond shaped and range from pale orange to true black.  They have large, tapering ears with external ear-bones.  They have one set of slightly rounded cuspids.  Most Amberians are elaborately tattooed, a process which begins in childhood.    Average lifespan: 200 – 250 years.

Anguine Prime ~ an AEW member, has no “native” population.  Inhabitants are Equi

Anguine II ~ an AEW member, has no “native” population.  Inhabitants are Equi

Aranea ~ no affiliations.  Small people related distantly to Menorquins, more closely to Nargawerlders, the Araneans have spindly arms and legs which allow them to climb quickly and efficiently around in the enormous cave systems which they inhabit.  Extremely intelligent and task-driven, they are secretive and suspicious of outsiders, and have no strong alliances.  They tend to be pale of skin and eye, with thin, wispy hair, lantern jaws, needle-teeth and whispery voices, which has led some to describe them as spider-like.  Average lifespan: 50 years.

Calumet ~ an AEW member, has no “native” population.  See Equus or Terren for denizens of the various sectors.

Caspia ~ an SGA member.  Closely related to Menorquins, distantly to Araneans, Caspians are small, swimming folk who occupy a world largely covered with water.  They are elongated of limb and spend much of their time in a watery environment.  They are pale of skin, tending to a greenish or bluish cast, with slightly bulbous eyes, small ears covered with a fine membrane, and very short, needled teeth.  Like Menorquins, they are unable to mate outside their own race, and show no interest in doing so, being a solitary and solemn people.  Average lifespan: 100 years.

Coronia ~ an SGA member.  Closely related to both Tarkelians and Terrenes, Coronians are amply proportioned with a tendency to be thick-set, and stand on average seventeen and a half hands (or about five feet six inches) for males, and slightly taller for females.  Their skin tones range from fair to dark brown, their hair from blonde to black, and their eyes are generally some shade of brown.  They have a single set of sharp cuspids, or tearing teeth. Average lifespan: 86 years.

Corvus ~ an AEW member. Handsome and brilliant, the Corvi look much like their Terren cousins in general height and build, but because their planet is cool, they are lighter of both skin and hair.  They tend to be slightly taller, and marginally slimmer than Terrenes.  Corvi are almost exclusively homophilic in their pairings, and belong to deeply-bonded groups of eight for purposes of reproduction and companionship.  Corvi are excellent parents and fiercely protective of their offspring. Average lifespan: 100 years

Declivis ~ an SGA member, (has applied for entry into the AEW). True Declivians no longer exist as a race, having been overrun by and then interbred with Coronians, Terrenes and Tarkelians.  Of their original heritage a certain lankiness of frame remains, along with the dominant feature of brilliant gold eyes, occasionally flecked with cider brown or deep green.  The most remarkable remnant is a bony, dual chin resembling two small, knobby horns extending about an inch and a half below the lower jaw, which marks those carrying the heaviest Declivian blood.  It is bantered about that Declivians are stupid, which is not at all the case.  They were true pacifists and had no way of defending themselves and their agrarian culture from invasion. Average lifespan: 70.5 years.

Demeter ~ an AEW member.  Because of its location, Demeter is a true “Crossroads of the Alliance” from ancient times. Because of this, Demetrians, much like Declivians, are a mix of many races and are therefore many colors, shapes and sizes. The original denizens of the planet were believed to be refugees from either Coronia or the Lebonathi worlds, and legend says they fled the Telenir before the First Dragonhorse appeared ten thousand years ago.  There is no genetic evidence to indicate that they are from anywhere outside Alliance space, and the general population most closely resembles Corvi, Coronians and Terrenes in a mix.  Average lifespan: 85 – 90 years.

Equus ~ an AEW member.  The Equi tend to be tall and slender with broad chests, sloping shoulders and long legs.  The taller males top out at around twenty hands (six and a half feet), females at around eighteen hands (six feet).  Skin tone ranges from pale, which is rare, to dark olive, with light olive skin and black or dark brown hair being the norm.  All High Equi have large, slightly almond-shaped eyes some shade of green, or mottled green and gold with ophidian pupils. Because they have never been flesh-eaters, Equi have large, white, flat teeth with no pronounced cuspids.  Their ears, having been described variously as “ram horn” and “chambered seashell,” are large, and delicately fluted with external ear-bones which give them extremely acute hearing.  Like their Amberian cousins, male Equi have a phallic sheath and tuckable phallus.  Both males and females are telepathic; some extremely so.  Average lifespan: 200 – 250 years.

Hector ~ no affiliations.  The true native population of Hector consists of desert nomads, who stand on average twenty-eight hands (seven feet) tall and who are primitive in the extreme.  Almost nothing is known about them.  They have rudimentary vocal chords but very little language. They live in scattered tent villages and survive by hunting both large and small game with crude weapons, and by trading with the expatriate Corvi and a smattering of Demetrians, Terrenes and Tarkelians who eke out an existence on the fringes of the planet.  Average lifespan unknown.

Kohath Zadok ~ an SGA member.  The Kohathi are small people.  Standing about twenty-one hands, or just over five feet tall, they are very round, with seven pudgy fingers on each hand, and seven elongated toes on each foot, all of which they ornament extensively with rings and jewels.  They have small, bright eyes of various colors, and fluted noses with five small nostrils and four septa, which they pierce at the columella and decorate with rings and gems of various kinds.  They have large, flat teeth which they have fitted with permanent, jeweled caps, and their hair is kept long and worn elaborately twined with ornaments and rich fabric. Average lifespan: 125 years.  (I must say from personal experience, their personalities leave something to be desired.)

Lebonath Jas and Tras ~ no affiliations.  Because of their extreme xenophobia, not much is known about the Lebonathi.  From our very limited contact we have observed a people with pink or colorless, slightly bulbous eyes, and white or blond hair.  They have two sets of sharp cuspids.  The males tend to stand well under twenty-four hands and are stocky in build.  The females are smaller, but built on the same, square frame.  Apparently there are examples of darker Lebonathi, but, again, there is no hard evidence.  Average lifespan unknown

Menorquin ~ an AEW member.  Historically an aquatic people of ancient lineage, Menorquins are small and exceptionally graceful, with slender, elongated bodies which allow them to move, eel-like through the water.  They have elongated eye sockets, bright lavender or purple eyes, and almost no external nose or ears.  Their voices gurgle as though they were speaking underwater, and they can hold their breath for over an hour even at considerable depth.  Though they are garrulous and expansive by nature, Menorquins rarely marry outside their own people, and cannot bear children except within their own species. Average lifespan: 200 – 250 years

Nargawerld ~ no affiliations.  Disproportionate people with extremely short, thick arms and legs, the Nargas stand no more than twelve and a half hands (four and a half feet) tall. They are uniformly blue-black with black eyes and thick black hair.  When clothed it is difficult to tell male from female.  Xenophobic and jingoistic, they have a well-earned reputation for being savage and untrustworthy.  Next to the Nomads of Hector they are considered the most primitive people in SGA space, though they have spacefaring technology and a solid if limited economy. Average lifespan: 45 – 50 years, so far as we can tell.

Papillia ~ an AEW member.  Papilli are a slim, graceful and elegant people with beautiful, chime-like voices.  They have very large ears which resemble the wings of a butterfly.  Both sexes range in color from pure white to jet black.  Their hair, which tends to be very thick and curly, ranges from white, to yellow, through every imaginable shade of brown, red and gold to blackest black. Their large eyes come in many shades of blue, green, purple and brown, and many Papilli tint their hair with flower-dye to match or compliment their eye color.   They are relatively small and appear fragile, though they are not.  They are considered among the most beautiful and intelligent of the races of the AEW, revered for their love of beauty and renowned for their sensuousness.  Average lifespan: 150 years.

Phylla ~ an AEW member.  A handsome and intelligent, if slightly intimidating race, Phyllans have bold, wolfish faces marked by bright yellow eyes, large, heavily boned noses, and pronounced fangs in place of modified tearing teeth.  In males the chest hair climbs the neck to become a heavy beard, which is usually kept short and fastidiously groomed.  Hair color is usually grizzled grey or brown – occasionally black or white.  They have pointed and sensitive ears set high on the head, and both males and females have four heavily clawed fingers and toes, including opposable thumbs. Average lifespan: 85 – 95 years.

Potami ~ an SGA member.  Tall, very heavy-set and coarsely built, the appearance of their race belies their intelligence and ingenuity.  Their heads tend to be broad with flattened foreheads and large eye sockets, their jaws jut forward and their thick lips and heavy teeth protrude slightly, giving them a rather bellicose look.  Their hair tends to be long, wiry, and some shade of red.  Because of their thick, hairy skin, Potami are able to withstand uncomfortably high temperatures, and have colonized worlds upon which others could not thrive in a natural state.  Average lifespan: 95 years.

Taraxia ~ an SGA member.  Kind, curious and energetic, Taraxians are perhaps most noted for their tails, which they have encouraged as a sign of beauty from vestigial stumps to the luxuriously long, elegant appendages they exhibit today.  They are tiny people, with twelve hands (four feet) being about average.  They have bright black button eyes which show no white, flat teeth, and small ears set high on their heads.  Both males and females have considerable facial and body hair which they keep fastidiously groomed, and they speak with quick voices.  They are considered amongst the best parents in the SGA, and make fine teachers, creppiatricians and nurses. Average lifespan: 100 years.

Tarkelia ~ no affiliations.  Closely related to Terrenes and Coronians, and for the most part resembling them in height and coloration, Tarkelians are long, loosely boned, usually double-jointed people who seem more to shamble than to walk. They are largely a seafaring folk, and use their long, thin arms and legs to good advantage in the rigging of their ships.  They have a bad reputation for general sexual promiscuity, and have actually been observed perpetrating that most vile crime of child abuse, for which there seems to be no real punishment in their society.  For that reason alone they are shunned by the AEW, and they are considered by many in the Alliance to be an invasive species.  Average lifespan: 75 years

Terren~ an AEW member. Terrenes range in color from olive to black; those fair of skin or hair are rare indeed. The average Terren male stands at twenty-four hands (six feet), with the females being a hand or two shorter.  They tend to be dense-boned, with square shoulders.  Their arms and legs are proportionate to their size.  Most are brown eyed, with hair color ranging from light brown or red to the most common shades of dark brown and black.  They have one set of pointed cuspids, referred to as canine teeth.  Average lifespan: 90 – 95 years.