#khionia

[noxequusart]

Ko'Zeine

[ashesofthecolours]

Originally I only wanted to check how safe Darem was on his space walk...

We got 7,000 pounds so 7,000 psi which on earth would be deep sea at ~4,900 metres, compared to 14,7 psi of an earth-like atmosphere (the Athena) and 0 psi of space.

Also -271°C (~1 Kelvin) aka the temperature of space.

But what got my attention is the way Darem said it:

"I've survived pressure differentials up to 7,000 pounds and temperatures as low as -271°C."

That's not a general fact on Khionians, but an experience he personally had. Was that part of a coming of age ritual or a different life threatening situation in the past?

[cybercybertron]

Also Darem saying they can’t transport onto Khionia itself makes me wonder if it is actually all water. Like no dry land anywhere because you can’t transport into water, right?

[lt-sparrow]

just spent hours working on a ref sheet for khionian anatomy and markings…

Organs are very similar to humans, however, there are a few changes:

Eyes: sideways blinking like a lizard (double eyelids), very good vision in the dark

Ears: entirely internal structure to dissuade problems from pressure, except for decorative webbed spines on the outside. khionians have rather poor hearing above water

Gills and Lungs: can breathe through gills (which connect to the trachea) while underwater, and is the preferred way of breathing. Have small, but functional lungs, making it a bit harder to breathe above water (khionians are used to a lower concentration of oxygen anyway)

Heart: two chambers rather than the human four, leading to a slightly slower heart rate than humans

Stomach: rather than employing stomach acid as humans do, food is broken down into small crystalline structures in the stomach. This causes digestion to be slower and leads to a slow metabolism. (this is also why, when khionians are sick, what comes up looks like glitter - it’s partially crystallized food)

Intestines: no distinction between large and small intestines, shorter length of the digestive tract

Appendixes: two functioning appendixes, rather than the one non-functional human one

Hands and feet:

both are webbed, with feet being more like a frog’s than a humans, with long, bony toes. Fingers are slightly longer.

Other:

Webbed spines on multiple parts of the body, assist with movement through water. tail with webbed spines does the same.

far lower body temperature than humans, Khionians are used to low temperatures and deep sea pressure.

[noxequusart]

I think, Shakespeare's vibes are a timeless classic of Star Trek 👌

[noxequusart]

A little bit of speculation about Khionia! @rainardfox made a headcanon that I think is fascinating! On Khionia, otters are kept as pets. These are the pet otters of Darem -- Runrum and Utal. And his pets were the only thing that made him truly happy before he left for the Academy.

[lt-sparrow]

i’m getting really into making lore and stuff for the khionian race do you guys want to hear about my ideas or is that dumb