Achmer
 "Sea Monsters" |
|
|---|---|
Achmer |
|
| Pronunciation: | AHK-mer |
| Homeworld: | Planet O |
Contents
History
Much like the Sarran, Humans know little to nothing of the history of the Achmer as a species. It is clear from their highly advanced technology ranging from mechsuits making them capable of walking and "speaking" on land to great starships filled with water suitable for an Achmer crew that they have an extremely intelligent and space-faring civilization. At some point, they clearly formed an alliance with the Sarran in the Council of Harmony, perhaps to aid in protecting themselves against the conquest of the Mahlok.
Society
Very different from the societies of Humanity, Achmer place little to no emphasis on individuality or even individual lives, and there is little to no biological variation among their species, with so much as different skin colors being relatively rare. In fact, it is almost impossible to tell individuals apart from visual appearance alone: something the Achmer embrace. Individuals are not individuals: they are part of a group, which Humans refer to as a "school" due to associating Achmer with fish. An Achmer's name generally translates to their place in society and the name of their house, with translations including names such as "Head Biologist of House Grol" rather than anything individualized. Houses make decisions as a group, not as individuals. Achmer waste little or no time on emotion, having coldly logical and curious minds that wish only to expand the greater knowledge of their people. Achmer care nothing for creative pursuits, and their culture as a whole has no form of art for enjoyment or care for symbology, only effective architecture and technology.
Religion
Achmer have no known religion. All Achmer now use the Sarran language to communicate with surface-dwellers, since their own language cannot be understood out of the water. They respect the Sarran religion only out of the desire to learn about it and discover whether or not there may be some truth behind it. The only thing the Achmer can be said to worship is knowledge and scientific advancement.
Biology
Achmer are entirely aquatic as a species. They have large, bulbous, and bony heads, their skulls covered by a carapace shield that protects their oversized brains. Their faces consist of three eyes above a circle of six short mouth-tentacles that are used to take in food, centered around a three-part beak lined with sharp teeth for tearing and grinding. However, their bodies are relatively weak, being little more than a snake-like tail ending in a fin and an eel-like torso with eight tentacles: six relatively short and two long "arms." The "arm" tentacles are so called because they split on the ends into three smaller "fingers." Achmer have no nostrils, breathing with gills along their sides, beneath their arms. Most Achmer are dull-colored, being largely blue-grey but occasionally drab shades of green, purple, or red. Biologically speaking, the natural lifespan of an Achmer is short, around 40-60 TSCs, though their advanced technology and medicine have increased this to approximately the average lifespan of a Human. Achmer sometimes "speak" to one another using bioluminescence over different parts of their skin, but it is a difficult language for other species to learn. As Achmer are entirely water-bound and must use technology to interact with, and communicate with, any other species, they are quite distant from all other peoples.
Sex and Reproduction
Achmer are sexless, with individuals taking up masculine or feminine voice modulators depending upon what kind of impression they wish to make upon other species. Humans often find it extremely strange to learn that all Achmer have children, as they reproduce asexually, laying small eggs at certain stages in life. These eggs later form into polyps, splitting into a small group of squid-looking creatures: Achmer larvae, referred to as Chogi. The Chogi are sheltered and protected by their parent until they develop into adult Achmer, and the cycle begins again. Sometimes the Achmer may keep their own numbers in check by discarding underdeveloped Chogi or destroying polyps before they hatch. They see no morla dilemma in doing so at any stage of life and even regularly practice social artifical selection (what Humans might call "eugenics") to maximize intellectual development.
Technological Adaptation
As underwater creatures, Achmer were forced to use technology to adapt themselves to life on land. They cannot breathe air nor speak, and they are incapable of moving on land, much like a fish. However, Achmer have developed advanced mechanized suits to wear on land. These suits are locked onto an Achmer's body and filled with water so the Achmer can breathe, while other devices ensure the water remains well-oxygenated. Since ordinary Achmer speech can only be heard underwater and using the Achmer's own specialized ears, the Achmer equip their suits with vocalizers, voice modulators that translate their speech into something understandable by air-breathers. Most Achmer mech-suits are equipped to allow for their tails to extend outside the suit and to allow them to continue using their various tentacles.
