#non primate humanoids
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Making Humanoids Less Human
I did make a small post on this, but now I've got the art for a much bigger and more detailed post! so here we go.
I had several anonymous asks that all came in quick succession weeks ago. Every single one of them was basically just a variation on "how would you take (typically humanoid) fantasy being, and make them look less human?"
This blog does not exist for me to just give people original designs for free, my goal is to show off my own personal thoughts about fantasy design and help people figure out how to adjust their own designs to fit their vision better. That means when people ask me questions about how to do something, I want to give them things to think about so they can come to their own conclusion. I don't mind making original designs to illustrate concepts, but a whole flood of "show me how to make this specific thing look different" all at once like that was too much. I'm not answering them all individually, it's just not what I want to do.
But what I can do is show my own thoughts and ideas about how to take any fantasy design and push it further away from "human", and you all can look at my ideas and figure out your own way to do things!
So here are the main 4 methods I've come up with to make humanoids look less human.
(image description: a simplified drawing of a humanoid face surrounded by four altered versions of the same face. clockwise starting from the top left, they are:
Speculative, drawn as a cat person. Additive, drawn with horns, pointy ears, sharp teeth, and a second pair of eyes. Subtractive, drawn with blank eyes, no nose, and no eyebrows. Exaggerative, drawn with a long face and huge eyes, as well as a wide mouth, narrow nose, and big ears.
end description)
I am personally a fan of the speculative route, which means exploring an alternate root of evolution to create a new design. Through this method, I've created monkey elves, frog goblins, and pig orcs.
the additive option is the most common, I think. adding new feature or doubled features to a humanoid form is a very intuitive way to change the design and make it look less human. you see this in most fantasy and scifi designs, like star trek aliens and the dnd player races.
subtractive and evaggerative are the most common options for people that like the uncanny valley. it's really easy to make uncomfortable designs by removing or exaggerating recognizable features, and they're often used together. Slenderman, for example, removes all facial features and skin color but also exaggerates the limbs and body.
Combining the four methods will give you a really interesting design as well! So for practice I decided to explore an alternate design for Tieflings, the part-demon player race in dnd.
(image description: four examples of differnt tiefling designs using the previously described methods. the additive example is just offical dnd art of a tiefling woman with purple skin, horns, and a long tail.
the subtractive sketch looks very alien, with a bald head, empty eyes, and no other facial featuers aside from a small mouth. it has three fingers per hand and two toe per foot.
the exaggerative sketch shows a hunched humanoid figure with huge eyes and big ears. the neck, limbs, and digits are all long with claws at the ends of the fingers and toes, and the limbs are also quite muscular.
the speculative sketch shows a bipedal figure with features similar to a giraffe, including a long neck, ossicones, and hooves.
end description)
now, because tielflings have such a distinct look to them, obviously my new sketches don't really look like tieflings, do they? the only one that comes close is the giraffe. relying only on one type of alteration to the human form has left the designs rather empty and lacking in the more iconic traits of the original concept. so i tried a sketch that combined my ideas! it came out looking like a completely different creature lol, like it could be a kobold or something, still not really a tiefling.
(image description: a sketch of a creature with a giraffe-like head, long tongue, and sharp teeth. it appears to be roaring at something and stands in a half-crouch. it has long limbs with hoof feet and clawed hands, as well as a long tufted tail curled behind it. end description.)
didn't work out. too far into the animal side of the speculative evolution, I think. so I tried again and got a design I liked much better!
(image description: a digital painting of a tiefling leaping back and casting a glowing orange spell. she is wearing a tunic with a corset and detached sleeves, as well as several pieces of jewelry. Her skin is purple with dark patches like a giraffe's spots, and she has a giraffe's ossicones as well as hoof-like hands and two-toed hoof feet. Her tail is long with a tuft at the end. She has glowing eyes and a flat nose, and there is a single sharp tooth visible poking out of the side of her mouth. end description.)
Brought the face back into slightly more human proportions and that helped a lot. Sometimes designs just take a few tries! that's normal.
and hopefully this is helpful to all of you! there are so many ways to alter humanoid designs to come up with something original and unique to you!
#humanoids#making humanoids less human#altered humanoids#non primate humanoids#tiefling#long post#my designs#and btw ai cannot do this#does not matter how detailed you prompt it#it can't really get things to look this original and unique#it can't really blend different features like this in a way that makes sense#you have this power#the computers cannot replicate it
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A LEGENDARY/MYTHOLOGICAL/SUPERNATURAL CREATURE LIST FOR WRITERS:
(Please note that while I have included a variety of creatures, there are many many others that I haven’t been able to mention here. Had I listed every legendary/mythological/supernatural creature, I’d probably still be writing this post because let’s face it, there are thousands of badass mythological beings. Please also note that there are quite a few creatures that overlap in various categories. I hope that you all enjoy reading and that this helps with your writing!)
Animals:
birds (bird people, caladrius, griffon, harpy, hippogriff, luan, phoenix, roc, sirin, strix, thunderbird.)
canines (amarok, cadejo, cerberus, fenrir, hellhound, werewolf.)
felines (demon cat, griffin, merlion, sphinx, tigris, underwater panther, white tiger.)
fish (hippocamp, undine, water spirit.)
primates (bigfoot, yeti, yowie.)
reptiles/serpents (basalisk, dragon, feathered serpent, hydra, loch ness monster, rainbow serpent, sea serpent, wyvern.)
Elements:
aether (angel, demon, devil, elemental, elf, fairy, nymph, spirit.)
darkness (black dog, bogeyman, ghost, grim reaper, hellhound, vampire, werewolf, wild hunt.)
earth/subterranean (dwarf, earth dragon, gargoyle, giant, gnome, goblin, hobbit, ogre, troll.)
fire (dragon, hellhound, phoenix.)
light/rainbow (light elf, rainbow serpent.)
metal/gold (griffin, gnome, leprechaun.)
thunder/lightning (chinese dragon, cyclops, thunderbird, valkyrie.)
water (chinese dragon, drindylow, loch ness monster, mermaid/merman, nymph, pisces, water dragon, water spirit.)
Habitat:
cave/underground (dwarf, european dragon, gnome, goblin, troll.)
celestial/heaven (angel, feathered serpent, pegasus, grim reaper, swan maiden, valkyrie.)
desert (amphisbaena, chupacabra, cockatrice, ghoul, oliphaunt, sphinx.)
woodland (bigfoot, elf, unicorn.)
lake/river (chinese dragon, hydra, kraken, nixie, lake monster, ondine, rainbow serpent, warlock.)
mountain/hill (dwarf, griffin, hippogriff, hobbit, mountain giant, yeti.)
sea (dragon king, fish people, leviathan, mermaid/merman, sea monster, sea serpent, shen, siren, water dragon.)
polar/ice/winter (abominable snowman, jotun, yeti.)
urban/house (banshee, boggart, jinn, vampire.)
underworld/hell (cerberus, cyclops, demon, devil, earth dragon.)
Humanoids:
human skinned (brownie, dwarf, elf, fairy, giant, gnome, gremlin, jinn, leprechaun, nix, nymph, pixie, siren, valkyrie, vampire, vetter.)
monster skinned (banshee, boggart, centaur, demon, ent, goblin, imp, manticore, mermaid/merman, orc, siren, sphinx, troll.)
monstrous (baba yaga, boogeyman, cyclops, gargoyle, ghoul, giant/giantess, goblin, hag, jotun, mummy, ogre, oni, orc, titan, troll, yeti, zombie.)
Hybrids:
part human (angel, centaur, fairy, faun, gorgon, harpy, horus, meduza, mandrake, manticore, mermaid/merman, minotaur, siren, sphinx, tenju, triton, winged genie, werecat, werewolf.)
non-human (basilisk, capricorn, cerberus, chimera, griffin, hippogriff, merlion, pegasus, typhon, wyvren.)
Shapeshifters: (animagus, demon, kelpie, merpeople, nix, werecat, werehyena, werejaguar, werewolf.)
Undead: (banshee, ghost, ghoul, frankenstein, headless horseman, mummy, poltergeist, skeleton, spirit, vampire, wraith, zombie.)
#writing prompt#writing ideas#writing tips#creative writing#writers of tumblr#writers block#writing things#writers#writing advice#creatures#mythological creature#legendary creature#fantasy creature#high fantasy#myth#mythical creatures#mythical beings#mythical beasts#mythical animals#monsters#supernatural
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You say you dug up those noncanon concepts for the 2017 beta draft from your files? What other ideas do you have from there, are they also Hamster's Paradise early rejected ideas?
Mostly just a jumble of old rough doodles on an older drawing app whose name I can't even remember, eh I've found Sketch much better anyway.
Most are earlier doodles of the beta Hamster's Paradise post, nothing really new there, though there were also some random art of all sorts of a spec evo grab bag of other ideas I had back then just playing around with speculative evolution tropes, years ago.
Some notable non-Hamster's Paradise ones:
Pentapodal indricothere-like kangaroo descendant that turned its tail into basically a fifth leg. Also some carnivorous macropods that may have influenced the loupgaroos and the harmsters.
An attempt to wyvern-ize a pegasus after hearing some spec evo explanation on why the dragons of Westeros are all wyverns for "realism".
Some big headed baleen whale azhdarchids. How and where and why these could evolve, I have no clue.
A semi "realistic" take on Meowth from Pokemon interpreting it as less of a cat and more of a feline-esque primate with the coin as a brightly-colored display organ. Also probably would involve the heightened intelligence and apparently latent ability to learn human language only some individuals learn.
...whatever the hell this is. I don't even know anymore, it was a long time ago.
Sapient "dinosauroid" descended from probably some generic maniraptoran, with the half-beak and teeth used as a third manipulatory organ. Also long middle fingers for some reason, maybe a scansoriopterygid?
And on the topic of sophonts and manipulatory organs, some attempts at sapient aliens as un-humanoid looking as possible, including some modular bipeds and some kind of triradially symmetric one that uses the eyelids of its three eyestalks as manipulators.
An entirely scrapped project labeled "Lystronia" with the premise of an alternate timeline where the Permian Great Dying was worse and killed the archosaurs and cynodonts too, and with no crocodilians, dinosaurs, pterosaurs or mammals to eventually outcompete them the dicynodont Lystrosaurus took over like it did irl, but then stayed in prominence and dominated the Mesozoic and Cenozoic.
And yep that's basically all, as well as the pop-culture reference one-offs, the planet of the pseudosnakes one, and a Tullimonstrum seed world that went nowhere as we simply didn't know much about what phylum it even is. Hamster's Paradise was the only one that really took off, conceptually.
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Out of all the animals in Minecraft, rabbit are indeed our closest relatives!
Primates, rodents, rabbits, and a few other small groups all belong to the superorder Euarchontoglires. As there's no rodents or non-humanoid primates in Minecraft, that leaves us and rabbits as each other's closest relatives
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Question for the resident inter-species dating expert: do they have to be the exact same species in order for them to have children together? Or could two different felines (like a lion and tigress) have babies, kind of like how we have ligers here? Or two different species of birds? What is your headcannon?
Interesting question! Despite Sing being fictional, I’m a stickler for biology. So I don’t believe unrelated species can produce hybrid babies (Sorry Johnny fans, I don’t believe in bio babies between him and Ash or Nooshy). It’s the reason I will never give Cadence and Klaus some kind of winged monkey monstrosity baby 😂 Sorry for the very amateur biology lesson below but it’s a topic I find very interesting!
Very closely related species can produce hybrid offspring like lions and tigers (ligers), horses and donkeys (mules), or horses and zebras (zorse). However the key word is closely! Many related species still can’t interbreed, for example monkeys! New World monkeys are too genetically distinct from Old World monkeys to produce any babies at all, just like how humans can’t reproduce with either group despite also being a primate. A magpie is a bird like a macaw, but they’re two totally different groups, so they can’t successfully breed.
Being within the same Class (mammal, bird etc) or Order (feline, primate) doesn’t mean two animals can reproduce. They have to be similar genus: a lion and a tiger are both Panthera. Horses, donkeys, and zebras are all in the genus Equus so they can breed. Cadence’s genus is Pica (fun fact: my username Pica Pica is the Latin name for her species), while Klaus’ is Nasalis, so 100% no natural babies for them 😂
Another fact is that hybrid offspring have a high rate of infertility, to the point that 100% of male Ligers are sterile and only a small percentage of females can have babies. Hybrids are sometimes called “genetic dead ends” for this reason.
ANYWAY RANT OVER my headcanon is that I just stick with biology on this one. Even in fiction I just cannot believe a bird and a monkey could have a biological child. And rather than make up arbitrary rules, I just draw the line where nature has: stick within your Genus and you’re ok to have them babies, mostly, but not outside it.
HOWEVER I also have many headcanons on interspecies dating in Sing, which I will proceed to dump all over the place!
✨ Interspecies relationships are uncommon, and there used to be social stigma attached. I kind of compare it to the stigma there used to be around interracial couples and that is sadly still currently around LGBT couples. In the old days, there was a lot of pressure on animals to marry within their exact species. Different-but-similar species like a lion and tiger were frowned upon but more accepted. Something wildly different like a lion and a crocodile were considered offensive and “wrong against nature”.
✨ In the modern day that Sing is set in, it’s much more accepted and animals don’t care so much (see my old post on interspecies couples I spotted while watching Sing). Judgement is still strong among the upper class, and that’s why Cadence had a lot of struggles with accepting her relationship at the cost of her career and social position. Klaus is a lot less bothered about what other people think of him and just does what he wants, so it doesn’t worry him. He’s less directly involved in the high society.
✨ It’s only natural that interspecies will happen, though. Take us humans: one glance over Tumblr or anywhere else will show you humans who are attracted to all manner of humanoids, animals, furries, even objects. If a human can fall in love with a non-human then of course the Sing animals can and will fall in love with different animals. They all have the same level of sapience, the only difference between them is how they look.
✨ There are programs in place that offer surrogacy services to interspecies couples, LGBT couples, and other couples were they can’t naturally reproduce. I based this off the fact that surrogacy is legal in the USA, where the Sing films are set. So a couple can be species-matched to a surrogate and they can have a kid via IVF. Klaus and Cadence are quite well off so this is the route I plan to have them go down - they will have a pair of twin proboscis monkey sons that are biologically Klaus’ and Cadence will be their adoptive mama 💖 I may or may not give Cadence a bio kid but honestly she’d be perfectly happy with that family 💖
✨ Random bonus brain fart: this would make Johnny x Ryan both interspecies and LGBT. I could but probably won’t but SHOULD do a fluffy one shot on all the prejudice they’d have to fight to stay together and how it’s worth it in the end because they love each other!!
#SORRY THIS IS SO LONG I LOST MY MIND#YOU UNLEASHED THE BEAST#I love to RANT and I’ve been dying to post about my interspecies headcanons anyways#thank you 💖💖#sing headcanons
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Ok so having seen Curious Archive's most recent video, the one about how alien should aliens be, has reignited the passion in me about how unoriginal and boring many alien species designs are, especially in the modern age of cgi.
Here is the tree of life on earth:
Here is the tree of life on earth with the 30 most intelligent animals (+humans) highlighted:
As you can see, many intelligent animals are mammals, but relatively few are in fact primates.
Here are the intelligent species of The Orville represented on the earth tree of life. The Orville is a TV show first made in 2017 by Seth McFarlane, a very well known creator, that had a budget of approx. $20 million a season:
In the tree of human life, primates account for only 5 of the top 30 intelligent animals. In the Orville, humanoid species outnumber non humanoid species roughly 4:1.
These are the intelligent species of the Halo TV show represented the same way. The Halo TV show was made in 2022 and had a budget of $90 million on the low end.
Halo has a much better spread of alien species, though many appear where they do simply because they are described as reptilian etc. in fandom.
Next is the marvel cinematic universe. This is only the cinematic universe, which was officially created in 2008:
Here we see again dozens of intelligent aliens that could be described as "humans but" with very few aliens that do not appear mammalian.
Next is Futurama, a cartoon show that is not limited by live action. The first episode released in 1999.
While there are still a number of humanoid aliens, many more do not appear to be adjacent to humans.
I have not included star wars or star trek because their Canon was formed before the advent of modern cgi and thus their more modern additions must adhere to that old Canon.
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The Possibility of Humanoid Space-Faring Creatures
There is a substantial likelihood that space-faring civilizations that may coexist with humans in the future will be humanoid in some manner. The evolution of humanity is one that is unique to all other animals. The discovery of fire, our opposable thumbs, and our rapid technological advancements are all features seldom found in other species, and humanity has made immense progress exploring our universe.
Humanities' unique evolution path was sparked from the discovery of fire. Other wild animals must consume raw meat and plants, and as such, need developed digestive systems. The microorganisms on untreated food must be fought off and filtered out. This leads to development of a strong immune system, and an overall physical advantage in animals that must adapt. For this reason, an efficient mind is not needed when strength can be employed. When humans discovered fire, this meant that not only can microorganisms be killed off, cell walls can also be broken down (with plants releasing cellulose, a sugar). For this, a high-efficiency digestive system is not needed, and evolution will instead favour the brain. With fire and a superior mind, humans have created tools and weapons such as spears and torches, which have pioneered the development of humanity.
These tools could not have been created without the additional use of the opposable thumb. While other species have differently formed appendages, they are specialised for their environment, such as cat paws being used to quietly walk on surfaces, as well as containing sharp implements. This is not the case for humans. Primates have a highly dexterous and versatile thumb, that can be used to firmly grasp onto a multitude of objects. Our sense of balance and bipedalism have enabled us to employ our thumbs much more than quadrupedal species. Intricate mechanisms and devices have been created using the careful control the thumb provides, which has propelled humanity through its advancements in technology and science.
Reaching space is a feat performed solely by humanity. No other species can build and control a rocket, as they do not have the tools we have. We have built systems that create machines that can then create more. This recursive automation and abstraction of creation is integral to development. Our advancements are unparalleled by any other species. This likely means that only humans will colonise outside of our planet.
Because we discovered fire, the humanoid figure has prevailed over all other species. The opposable thumb accelerated development of technology, and our relatively large brains have allowed us to survive and excel. This means that other space-faring civilizations that may arise have a high chance of being humanoid, as the unique features sparking from the humanoid figure have enabled us to reach space, and possibly colonise external planets severely earlier than non-humanoid species.
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Life on Verden
Verden is a Telluric (Terra-like) planet, meaning that it has environments and life roughly similar to that of Terra. It’s not even remotely the only one, but it is one of the most well known in the Sea of Stars (Milky Way). This is largely because of it having the unique characteristic of no extant and naturally indigenous sapient species, with all resident sapients’s species being extraterrestrial. This includes humans, who were introduced because of some of the previously resident civilizations relying on slave labor and test subjects in a similar manner to Africans having been introduced to the Americas. The practice has totally stopped in the 1700′s AD/CE, but it was already thousands of years old and already heavily controversial before the 1700′s.
Verden itself is slightly smaller than Terra yet has a more oxygenated atmosphere, allowing for larger organisms with insectoid respiratory systems, or otherwise, to survive. It has many dangerous native organisms, including megafauna, especially in the oceans. It has three continents, Nordheim (the northernmost continent, hence the name), Asura (a large continent roughly the scale of Asia), and Deva (several different mainlands, the largest of which is roughly the size of South America). Its biodiversity is another reason it’s well known among the Sea of Stars. Verden has relatively smaller polar ice caps than Terra, but Nordheim is still generally cold, as is the outer part of the Southern Eye, the ocean around the south pole. It also has deserts with somewhat more biodiversity than Terran ones, most of which are in the tropical regions, and the reptilian sapients are usually found there.
Humans: The resident sapient primates and a relatively recent addition, known for their unique cultures and languages and often discriminated against in at least some form depending on the region. They are adapted to the differences in Verden’s atmosphere and though genetic experiments of the past, often have unusual physical characteristics, such as unusual hair color
Magonians: A series of closely related insectoid species of varying sizes, many species of which roughly resemble certain types of Terran insects, native to Magonia and ultimately the inspiration for the cliche modern Terran image of fae/fairies
Elves: A species of roughly cat-like semi-humanoid marsupials, known for their beauty and intelligence, native to Alfheim
Dwarves: A species of boneless and hairless semi-humanoid native to Alfheim, surprisingly strong and also having a reputation of being highly intelligent and hard-working
Dragons: There are a few resident sapient dragon species, including a semihumanoid one, a flying one, and a semiaquatic one
Dinosaurs: There are several sapient dinosaur species residing on Verden, mostly goblin (sapient dromaeosaurid) species
Aquatics: A set of distinct aquatic sapient species, including a cephalopod-like one and a few piscine-ish non-humanoid ones along with merfolk, an extraterrestrial semihumanoid aquatic species with reptilian characteristics
Verden’s human population, and to a lesser extent the other populations, have a subset of mutants collectively known as immundanes, which for humans include but are not limited to vampires, therianthropes (aka skinwalkers), and for any given immundane population, specifc lineages with unusual and often beneficial physical characteristics in general. Vampires and therianthropes here are best described as an imperfect attempt at supersoldiers, with vampires relying on nutrients usually found in mammal blood to survive (and also not any more photosensitive than mundanes, or non-immundanes) being the reason for “failure” and therianthropes, sheer physical abilities being too much for the aliens responsible for their existence.
Vampires in particular are very often found holding positions of power, high social standing, and/or are wealthy, and unlike on Terra, this is very often due to vampires having much longer lifespans than mundanes and actually working on up. For Judaism-related reasons, they and Judaists tend to not get along well, but Jewish vampires are not unheard of.
Therianthropes are often associated with warrior cultures, such as Nordic and Mesoamerican ones, but not always in a good way. The most common variants on Verden are werejaguars, werewolves, and berserkers (werebears). Berserkers in particular have a relatively bad reputation due to how they’re described in Nordic sagas, which is ironic considering that how they’re described is not necessarily portrayed as a bad thing in said sagas.
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Do you have any advice on designing tortle (dnd) characters?
not exactly, but i did once make a critique and redesign of some live action TMNT characters. so here's the most important part of that post:
(image description: three sketch pages showing turtle anatomy, followed by two versions of turtle people, one of which is more humanoid than turtle, the second of which relies more on actual turtle anatomy. end description.)
the thing to pay attention to with turtle people designs, is that the shell is part of the skeleton and it covers the entire torso. so turtle people will have very very limited flexibility.
if you want them to be able to pull their head and limbs into the shell, you need to make sure their skin is squishy enough to allow it. so less dense muscle, more flabby skin, head and limbs small enough to pull back into the shell. box turtles are a great reference for that.
here are some videos on turtle anatomy:
turtle defense
what's' inside a turtle shell
galapagos tortoise hiding in its shell
box turtle hiding in its shell
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From a scientific perspective, what do you think about the Sasquatch? I love the idea of a huge homo-erectus-esque ape-man species living in the woods of North America away from civilization-- especially since I'm a cryptid believer-- but what do you think of the legend as someone who studies primates for a living? Would it even be possible for something like that to live in this environment realistically??
Historically, like millions of years ago, there were primates in north America. I suppose it's possible not all of them died when the world froze, although unlikely. Scientists studying the ocean and rainforests are still discovering new species every day but North America is well inhabited and I think it is very unlikely for a bigfoot/ large bipedal non-human ape hybrid to exist.
We talked a bit about gigantopithicus on this blog before, and interestingly enough many who genuinely believe in bigfoot prospects think that there may be a sort of gigantopithecus in the vast forests of the Americas, but this is highly unlikely. While there are a ton of potentially undiscovered mammal species the likelihood that hominid megafauna roam the pacific northwest is not likely. The environment is quite harsh and unforgiving, and based on the time line of species dispersal this species would have had to exist in North America for up to millions of years. Even a species that is very reclusive and has low populations would be hard to miss- the fact that theres been dedicated search efforts and there have been no viable stool samples, bone fragments, or fossils is pretty damning. I’d like there to be a giant, potentially humanoid presence in North America but I think we might just have to settle for ourselves.
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Star Wars Alien Species - Chev
The Chevs were one of the two native sentient species of the planet Vinsoth. These humanoids were slaves of the Chevin, Vinsoth's other indigenous people, for most of their recorded history, a fact which shaped their culture and their interactions with the rest of the galaxy.
The Chevs originally developed a civilization on Vinsoth thousands of years before the Imperial era, thriving for some time before they were enslaved by the Chevin. Since the Chevin were a nomadic people, the Chevs were forced to live that same lifestyle as well. Their temporary settlements of tents and lean-tos were ruled by a Chevin overseer, with the oldest female Chev acting as the leader among the slaves. Giving what political power the Chevs had to the oldest among them was criticized by some younger Chevs, who believed this simply perpetuated the system of slavery. Generations of subjugation had left most Chev docile and submissive. Despite this, they would gather at night to try and understand the strengths and weaknesses of their masters, in hopes that a future generation might someday have the courage and the opportunity to free their people. The Chevs even had legends which foretold that someday, they would become masters of the galaxy.
As nomadic slaves, they wore simple garments, and had few possessions. Despite this, they had a rich culture, strong in folklore and the visual arts. Their cultural rituals were tolerated by their masters, and even encouraged as a way to keep the Chevs content. Some Chevin even found lucrative offworld markets for the art of their Chev slaves. Chevs were also highly skilled technically, though they sometimes hid their technical expertise from their masters.
In 44 ABY, journalist Madhi Vaandt went to Vinsoth on an assignment to uncover various slaving practices throughout the galaxy, and won popular support for the Chevs after an interview with a former Chev slave. The event, along with the actions of various anti-slavery organizations, caused a galaxywide outcry against slavery, and in the aftermath, the Chev slaves were freed by their Chevin masters.
Chev slaves were found off-world as well, whether owned by traveling Chevin or sold to non-Chevin masters. Some free Chevs existed away from Vinsoth, escaping either by stowing away on visiting starships or fleeing their masters offworld. Free Chevs tried to keep a low profile, and avoid politics for the most part. Some became quite wealthy, and used their wealth to take almost paranoid precautions against losing their new found freedom. Off-world Chevs who had escaped slavery often dressed elaborately, or tattooed or dyed their skin, in order to express their previously suppressed individuality and set themselves apart from their enslaved brethren.
During the Galactic Civil War, some Chevs became part of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, where they befriended members of other enslaved species such as the Wookiees. Interestingly, some Chevin were disgusted by their people's reliance on slavery. A few of these Chevin left Vinsoth, and joined the Alliance. (It is not recorded if any of them worked alongside free Chevs, however.) Ephant Mon, a Chevin ex-criminal and religious leader, led a movement to emancipate the Chev on Vinsoth.
Jedi Master Tresina Lobi, who fought in the Yuuzhan Vong War and the Swarm War, was a Chev. Jedi Knight Sothais Saar was also a Chev.
Though they were sometimes classed as Near-Humans, other sources indicate that they were humanoids who evolved from Vinsoth's indigenous primates. By the time of the Galactic Empire's rise, they had been enslaved by the pachydermoid Chevin for millennia.
The outward appearance of the Chevs was generally similar to that of Humans, with pale skin, short blond or white head hair, no facial hair, and heavy brows. Their hair was often dyed in bright colors to identify them as property of a particular Chevin. Their lidless eyes were black to violet in color, and were protected by thin transparent membranes. They were physiologically much like other humanoid species, with their twin hearts being a notable exception. According to sources such as The University of Sanbra Guide to Intelligent Life, one Chev heart could take over when the other failed, allowing Chevs to live for up to three hundred standard years. As Chev slaves could outlive their Chevin masters, this meant that Chevin slave-owners often left prize slaves to relatives in their wills. Other sources, however, gave a more modest 75 years as a typical Chev life expectancy.
They are shorter on average than baseline Humans, standing 1.4 to 1.8 meters or 4.6 to 5.9 feet tall.
Chev age at the following stages:
1 - 13 Child
14 - 18 Young Adult
19 - 40 Adult
41 - 62 Middle Age
63 - 74 Old
Examples of Names: Afrec, Amencia, Brophar, Inchef, Percifel, Sajan, Varel, Zethan.
Languages: All Chevs speak Basic in addition to their own language and that of the Chevin; their masters encourage the Chevs to practice the galactic tongue to make them more useful and easier to sell to offworlders.
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I don’t know how well the science works out but as a species I really love the Xindi I love how even though the humanoid ones have very distinct designs you can also clearly see the similarities (the primates and the reptilians both have spikes on their upper cheeks, the primates and the arboreals have similar foreheads and those compressions on their cheeks, the reptilians and the arboreals have similar noses and the way the hair grows mimics the ridges on the reptilians face) so that you can tell they evolved from the same planet
And it’s harder to see the similarities with the non humanoids because they’re made of terrible cgi versus good practical make up but I love that they decided to make them just completely alien and different than humans and the usual prosthetic on the forehead and call it a day
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Primafolk
In the fantasy world where my @enemiesofcreed series takes place, humans, goblins, elves, orcs, and dwarves are all variants of the same species. This means that even though they present different physical traits from each other, they’re all capable of interbreeding and producing viable offspring that would also be able to reproduce.
And that’s definitely the way I wanted it, but it also left me with a bit of a challenge: What do I call the species?
When I asked other people for ideas on this, the most common suggestion was to call them “humanoid.” But here’s the thing, aside from the word “humanoid” sounding so science-fictiony, I REALLY didn’t like the idea of humans being considered the “default” or “normal” ones, and the others were all “exotic” or “minorities.” (Especially since I feel like that just reinforces the way that us white people are taught to view ourselves as the default of what “people” look like.)
The solution I eventually came to was referring to the species as “Primafolk.” This term is mostly used by people in that world who aren’t primafolk (like satyrs, centaurs, merfolk, minotaurs, fairies, etc.) Primafolk themselves don’t often use the term to refer to themselves, choosing instead to specify whichever variant they’re talking about, rarely referring to all of them as a species.
The word “primafolk” was inspired by the modern fantasy names of mythical people like “merfolk” or “treefolk” (popularized by creature types in the game Magic: the Gathering.) Primafolk generally believe the term refers to the idea that they were the first people (or “prime folk”) of that world. Most non-primafolk people typically assume that it’s just a reference to them being an intelligent species of primates (or “primate folk.”)
I’m quite happy with this solution to the challenge, but I would also be very interested to know what the rest of you think about it. How does the term make you feel? Do you think it’s unnecessary? Would you suggest something else?
(All art featured in this post was created by @giant-bean and commissioned by @flavoracle. Please do not use without permission and/or attribution.)
#primafolk#random thoughts from dave#enemies of creed#my writing#creative writing#fantasy world#worldbuilding
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What about Dragonborn and Kobolds? And I think a better analogy would be "how do humans feel about hunting other primates," since even non-sapient dragons seem to be of great ape level intelligence.
neither Dragonborn or Kobold are true dragons! yet another close relative. the main groups of drakoniform cousins are Basilisks, Griffiniforms, Drakes, and then the humanoid sapient guys.
for Dragonborn it's taboo to hunt dragons, since there's a deep rooted belief dragons are their direct ancestors (not scientifically true, but traditional beliefs and all that), and they typically avoid using dragon products unless it's collected without death, such as feathers or naturally dropped teeth. most won't be a dick to other commonfolk for hunting dragons when it's done properly and sustainably, though there are obviously some assholes out there
Kobold are probably the ones comparable to great apes in comparison, and will eat a rival gang's young if given the chance. they're small and not very good at hunting large things but eggs and young are fre game lmao
Drakonia as a clade is MASSIVE, and highly diverse, and it's been around for much much longer than mammals. it is still kind of like.... if a Lung killed a Spiral for food, that's comparable evolutionarily speaking to a Tyrannosaurus killing and eating a Triceratops.
#raven.txt#asks#nevverse#lore post#anonymous#i know the only kobold drawing i have is of two making very hunany faces but its kind of old#and is mostly to be funny. they're smart but bastardous like chimpanzees#i chekced kobold lore and i actually put theyre slughtly abobe the intelligence of a crow so I've upgraded them here#comparing them to chimps LOL#ALSO THE DRAGONBORN DRAWING CALLS THEM DRAKONIAN SORRY!! theyre not drakonian....
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So, why don't you like the idea of Jinmay being human? (Theoretically, she doesn't necessarily have to be human, she could be another humanoid species, so is your problem with her bring human specifically, or being in any way organic?) Also, would your problem be that if she was human in any way she might be able to use the power primate, and thus be overpowered? Or that she could be much older than she appears? (Sorry for the long ask)
Alright. Alrightyyyyy right right.
This entire explanation can be summed up as “I’m autistic so I connect with non-human characters better”
But I’ll go a little deeper for clarity’s sake. It IS about specifically being human.
I’d be fine with having her be organic, or able to use the power primate, anything that isn’t human.
Jinmay is treated like a person throughout her entire existence (by the protags) and they all respect her as much as any human, despite being fundamentally different from humans. Her non-humaness goes a lot deeper for her than she initially thought, and after some training and learning, she’s been able to manage these things to be used effectively.
If you make her human, you take away a good chunk of that. A large component that I like about her is the sheer horror she probably felt when Sakko opened her chest only to see gears and wires. She thought she was human, but she’s not. All this stuff she thought was normal wasn’t normal. SHE’S DIFFERENT.
She could go to school and blend in with everyone there perfectly, make friends... and she would still think like a robot.
Which honestly is a good substitute for autism. I know the “robot character is autism rep” thing isn’t a good trope but that’s why Jinmay is great, because she’s still treated with as much respect as everyone else. Also she’s cute and cares about her friends.
If you were to make her like “a human brain put in a robot body” or “cyborg” or literally anything that meant she was made into the robot she is, it wouldn’t feel genuine. It wouldn’t be who she is, it would be something that happened to her. She’d be a human with extra bits added on.
If you give her the opportunity to BECOME human, then you’re giving her a cure for her character. Thinking that a robot isn’t something great to be.
I want a character that has always been a little different form everyone else, and when she finds out why she’s different, she finds out the full extent of who she could be. To find others like her. This kinda story can be made with anything not the norm, but it’s most fun when it’s with a non-human thing.
This kinda logic is also why I don’t really see Antauri as a robot. He’s not, he’s a monkey. There isn't even an argument about his sentience. If he eventually embraces his status as “undead robot” he’ll be amazing and way too powerful but that’s a completely different story arc.
Also, if you make Jinmay human she’s just boring.
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World Building: Uplifted Animal Universe (and No-Asteroid Plague Universe)
While Uplifted Animal Universe has some similarities to Candy Land Universe and Mermaid Universe, there are also significant differences. All non-human sapient species in Mermaid Universe have naturally evolved that way, while Candy Land Universe is a bit more of a mixture - with the “uplifted” species of Candy Land Universe being mostly magically enhanced. By contrast, Uplifted Animal Universe is a little less fantasy-based and a little more sci-fi-based.
The point-of-divergence in Uplifted Animal Universe started around 1550, with the first studies focusing on parrots and non-human primate species. Not long afterward, the ray-fins of fish were found to contain medical properties - with physiological-altering but harmless side effects.
Using the ray-fin fish treatment on those suffering from paraplegia or have had amputation surgery on the lower half of their body can be fitted with a fish tail that allows ease of movement underwater or become scaly legs on land. Those with upper body injuries can have a full-body ray-fin fish treatment. This is what brings about the birth of mermies (merfolk) and aquams (fish people). Another side effect is them gaining the ability to breathe just as easily underwater as on land.
It is at this point that some portions of the scientific community have turned their attention to the underwater civilization. Soon afterward, various species of ray-fin fish are granted sapience - and the uplifted fish are usually larger and more colourful than the non-uplifted ray-fin fish. Attention is soon then given to many dolphin and seal species, and it is soon learned that they can communicate via telepathy and vibration waves. Dolphins and seals are both much more audible underwater, despite them not using their mouths to vocalize. Special headsets can be worn on land to block out all sounds, and to focus their minds strictly on dolphins and seals “talking”.
Various other mammals (including cats, dogs, rabbits, and various others) are also uplifted - along with various bird species (including parrots, doves, ravens, various passerine species, hummingbirds, and ducks). Various chameleon and frog species have also been uplifted - and they are generally bigger and more colourful than those the non-uplifted species. Of the invertebrates species, the cephalopods (octopi, squids, and cuttlefish) have been uplifted - which are also marked from their non-uplifted counterparts by their larger sizes and brighter colours. No other invertebrates, however, have been uplifted.
Chameleon scales have also been found to have medical properties, and can be used in place of ray-fins to create drazils (humanoid lizards). While drazils are similar to aquams, they are unable to breath underwater.
A medical solution created by mixing ray-fins and chameleon scales, and then draining the resulting liquid from the mixture, can be used to treat cancer and other chronic ailments without altering the physiology - but it still has the side effect of altering skin, hair, and eye colour. These changes are very harmless, although there is no way of choosing the new colours. When used for treating blindness, only the eyes generally change colour.
After incinerating the solid mixture left behind, it can be used to reverse any effects caused by a stroke or a heart attack. The side effect caused from the treatment is the opposite, as that it causes all colours to drain from the body - leaving behind a greyscale version of the body. Again, this effect is harmless.
Bleaching the solid mixture left behind can be used to treat any blood-related disorders. The side-effect from the treatment caused here is the the skin turns pale-white, the hair sticks up in various directions, the nose becomes shiny and luminescence, and luminescent colourful face designs appear. Unlike with the greyscale and technicoloured humans, clowns are a separate species - and, as such, they usually cannot successfully reproduce with a human.
While scientists have not really had any success with uplifting sheep (or any other bovid animal), sheep wool has been shown to contain certain medical properties - which can be used to treat various skin conditions. This has the side effect of creating colourful Jim-Henson-style muppets, which become a separate species.
Of the ungulates, only horses have been successfully uplifted. Bears have also been uplifted, along with otters.
Atlanteans have appeared in 1800 in Uplifted Animal Universe, with about half of them remaining human - and the other half morphing into mermies. Then, in 2008, much of the remaining human population from Plague Universe sought refuge in Uplifted Animal Universe - along with Alex the Grey Parrot, Koko the Gorilla, Washoe the Chimpanzee, and various others. While they are seen as primitive of language in Uplifted Animal Universe, the entire sapient civilization is rather accommodating of them.
With Uplifted Animal Universe having a clean atmosphere, the average lifespan for humans and various uplifted animals is about 180 years.
~~~~~
While not quite as much progress has occurred in No-Asteroid Plague Universe within a century - a lot of the uplifting work has progressed with primates, birds, seals, and dolphins.
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