Just the female for my species the palladium! Still have to finish making the Male palladium character among other things for the palladium species reference sheet! So yep! Please enjoy! And feel free to ask questions!
These guys! I love them and their funky magical biology. They're kinda reverse mettalus--magic turned biological instead of biology turned magical.
Transcription/full image description under readmore.
Labeled Diagram:
[The diagram shows a catlike creature with short legs, tall earlike antennae, and a long tail with a bulb and fin at the end. The organ resembling a nose is labeled a "photosynthetic membrane." The organs resembling paw pads are labeled "podal suckers." The organ on its chest is labeled as its "core."]
Culture:
Each nebulis bears a (voluntarily adopted) ethnic mark on their cheek.
The fai [who wear a four-pointed star] are known for their communication skills and problem-solving. They often work as scientists and educators.
The sa [who wear an upside-down triangle] are known for their combat skills. They often work as laborers and entertainers.
The lenetae [who wear a circle] are known for their debate skills. They often work as philosophers, artists, and politicians.
Pronouns are assigned based on cultural group.
Example: they/them/their*/theirs*
Fai: fa/zaf/fir*/fiz* (alt: she/her)
Sa: sa/zas/shi*/shif* (alt: it/its)
Lenetae: ta/zat/tae*/taez* (alt: he/him)
Unaligned: ke/zae/kan*/kaz* (alt: they/them)
*Starred cases (possessive) are not used in the nebulisian language. They exist for use in other languages, such as English.
[The symbol for the nebulisian government, a nebulis with three arrows.]
In the past, the three groups lived apart. They were united under a single government within the last 3,000 years. This government is led by a council composed of one member from each group, known as the Fashi Klashae.
[The symbol for the Sa rebels, a nebulis with three scratchmarks in place of its face.]
Basic Physiology and Appearance:
[A nebulis glaring at the viewer, gel oozing from a cut on his cheek.]
Nebulisae are filled with a gooey gel rather than having a circulatory system. This gel is typically the color of their eyes.
[A melting nebulis with a tired expression on her face.]
A nebulis's outer shell will soften or melt if they are severely ill or injured, or if they are starving.
[A nebulis glares at the viewer, the core on its chest showing a large crack.]
A nebulis's core is their most vital organ. If it is damaged, their lifespan is reduced. Cores cannot be repaired. When a nebulis dies, their core vaporizes.
[Two very different looking nebulisae side by side.]
Nebulisae vary greatly in appearance! They can be any color, have any number of fins in any shape, and their cores can be any solid shape. They can alter any aspect of their appearance at will with the exception of their colors, cores, and size. They are approximately the size and height of a munchkin cat. One important thing to note is that they are not actually hairy/furry! They are merely covered in a light fuzz. Think of them like flocked figurines when designing them!
I don’t remember the species, but there’s this one type of bird where there are three kinds of males, and the males who mate with other males more often are more likely to be approached by females.
I’m pretty sure Scalpel’s species does this. The males are smaller and fancy already, I wouldn’t be surprised if they like to start things off in sight of an attractive female and hope she joins in. It’s probably very effective.
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.
