Aquilians

Overview

The Aquilians are an aquatic humanoid in appearance. Unlike humans, Aquilians are generally bald; however, some males are capable of growing facial hair. They have light-toned skin and a large external bone crest on the back of their heads. Aquilian skin has either a blue or a green tint to it, and they have a crystal-like substance that covers their bodies, roughly looking like the scales of the Earth fish, Rainbow trout. Aquilians have a longer life span than humans do, living as long as 140 standard Earth years and, in some cases, even longer

Aquilians have a set of gills behind each ear, roughly looking like a pair of fleshy ridges covered by their ears, which are slightly larger than the average human. Generally unknown to non-Aquilians, each Aquilian has a secondary set of gills, smaller in size, on their lower back. Positioned on either side of the spine, these secondary gills serve as a back up to the main set, in the event of injury. They are highly sensitive to touch and if kicked or injured produces the same level of pain as a kick to the groin of a Human Male. These secondary gills can also produce a sexual response if touch or caressed by a mate, this is part of the reason that non-Aquilians are not made aware of them.

The Aquilians sense of taste is not as developed as that of human beings but they have a more acute sense of hearing. Aquilians prefer hot, spicy foods because of their weak sense of taste. Aquilians do drink beverages containing alcohol. But it affects their systems in such a way that Aquilians do not get drunk. Their systems purge the alcohol's effects before they take hold. Aquilians also have a lower tolerance for cold and dry weather than humans, due to conditions of their homeworld.

The notable bone crest structure on the back and sides of their head is not an extension of their skull-like most think, it is in fact an evolved fin. Aquilians are not born with the bone crest present. Instead, the bone crest grows over time. Female Aquilians have a smooth bone crest that tapers to a single point at the back of the head; males typically have headbones that taper to several points along the bone, although smooth bones crests among males (especially from the worker and religious castes) are not uncommon.

The Aquilian physically have more stamina than humans and can sustain injuries that would be fatal to a human. They're physically stronger than humans. Their headbone protects their cranium and brain from impacts that would be fatal to other races. Aquilian can tolerate a much greater blood loss than humans.

Body Size

The typical Aquilian male and female are very different in body type and size, due to their agile abilities and fluid movement, they are generally smaller in weight to most humanoid species. Except for some facial hair on the males, Aquilians are generally hairless; however, the females of the race are held as considerably attractive even by Human standards.

The typical Aquilian male averages between 5'9' - 6'2", and anywhere from 150 - 175#. They are typically broad shoulders. To contrast, females range in height from 5'1" - 5'7", and generally weight anywhere from 115 - 125#. Both male and female would be considered very slender to most humanoids, some might even say they are malnourished.

Physiology

Aquilian physiology has made intravenous injection impossible as damage to their outer skin can be fatal if serious enough, physicians administered medication through intramuscular injection instead.

The Aquilian reproduce sexually, in a manner similar to that of humans. Their sexual organs are similar to humans, however, located on their lower spine. Aquilian reproduction must take place in water, and generally is a process that can take up to hours, for a successful coupling. Aquilian reproduction takes lots of time and requires each partner to be completely relaxed. Mating is generally done in secret and away from any possible interference. As a rule, Aquilian do not mate outside of their species, believing that it would disrupt their racial purity; however, it is known that Aquilian can mate with some Humanoids.

Aquilian young are raised in their mother for roughly 5 months, as eggs; at which time the male and female, through a process known as Shaxx, the eggs are deposited into a hatching chamber where they are stored for another few months to mature. Young are hatched from the eggs, similar to the earth Frog; however Aquilian young mature at a faster rate, and generally kept in the family home till 2 years of age. At which point the young Aquil are considered complete, they go through a naming ceremony and are introduced to the colony or public; Aquilians have their family-names precede their given names.

It is difficult, if not impossible, to determine the sex of an Aquilian child at birth, with that in mind Aquilian children are raised without different treatment accorded by gender. This is one reason why Aquilian society is completely open and free. The child's genital organs remain dormant until first puberty, which starts at the approximate age of 10 and is completed by the age of 13, when s/he begins the neuter phase of adulthood. At this time, the sex of the individual first becomes apparent. The male possesses a retractable penis, subcutaneous testes, the female possesses a uterus and vagina which ends in a retractable ovipositor, a ventral pouch, and four breasts - flat and dormant in the neuter phase and arranged in pairs across the chest. The sexual activity of neuters does not result in pregnancy. Neuters are not allowed to experiment sexually and are restricted by social taboos. Any sexual interaction with a Neuter is considered an assault, and punishable by the highest standard.

Second puberty occurs when a neuter forms a serious emotional attachment to a neuter of the opposite sex and their normal empathic connection deepens into a full telepathic bond. Due to the process of second puberty, there is not an exact age it happens at, however, it is considered to take place after the 16th birthday. This process, known as formal courtship, lasts several months, often a year and more. During this courtship, the telepathic bonding, by a method, the Aquilian are reluctant to reveal, causes physiological changes that bring on full fertility. From the time of the first symptoms of change, the couple is considered betrothed, and they may marry at any time before the final bonding. Final bonding consists of mating between a male and female, while both are in full telepathic rapport for the first time, and results in the first pregnancy.

In the interests of keeping the couple together, the mating bond causes physical changes in the nervous system so that bonded individuals cease to have a sexual interest in any save their mates, and literally cannot perform a fertile mating with anyone else. "Adultery" is an unknown concept among Aquilians. This is considered a horrid disgrace and the usual punishment is death for both members of the couple - the female for having deceived her mate and the male for having been so thoroughly deceived (which implies unbearable stupidity and imperfection of the telepathic bond).

Each Aquilian at the age of marking, roughly 15 by Human years, undergoes a very spiritual/religious ceremony. The ceremony is very secretive and never shared with outsiders. At the end of the ceremony, the young Aquilian is considered an adult and is given a band of tattoos on their right forearm. The tattoo consists of three bands, one for their family, the second their clan, and the third their castes.

As a result of their open nature and their homeworld environment, Aquil are nudists; as clothing interferes with their ability to move freely in their watery world. It is common practice in most households from the oldest to the youngest Aquil, and very unsettling to outsiders to see entire family unclothed. While Aquilians who venture off-world have adapted clothing, in their own quarters they still remain without clothing. This situation has made it very hard for off-world Aquilians to actively have a social life, made even harder in StarFleet academy; where Aquilians are permitted to obtain their own quarters, shared with other Aquilians if needed. StarFleet maintains an O Class Environment in Aquilian Quarters.

Government

The Aquilian Federation is the government of the Aquilian worlds and colonies; it is based on Aquil, the ancestral homeworld. The Federation is an oligarchy ruled by the Central Council. Although there is a capital city on Aquil, DarKan, the Central Council usually meets outside the cities, or confides of the public in order to keep their identities a secret. The Central Council is made up of six individuals, two each from the Aquilian social classes, Warrior, Religious, and Worker. Members of the council address each other by the honorific title "Kesk".

Society

The Aquilian society is structured around three quasi-ethnic castes. These castes are called Worker, Warrior, and Religious. Membership in a caste appears to be a hereditary matter - children of parents from one caste will usually follow their parents. If the parents are of different castes, the mother's caste takes precedence - any children would belong to the mother's caste. Sometimes Aquilian who have a deep feeling for one caste - which they refer to as the calling of their heart - will join a different caste. The castes are not as limited as their titles would suggest, and to some degree try to be self-sufficient. For instance, all three castes maintain armed security forces. However, the only caste permitted to maintain a full military force among the three has always been the Warrior Caste. Each Aquilian caste has leaders who are referred to as elders. These elders oversee the governance of the internal matters of the caste and answer to the Central Council, who control all three castes. In modern time, while the caste system is a part of their culture, the castes are not enforced; it is more of a tradition that is honored.

Religion

The Aquilians are a very religious people. The Aquilians religion does not have a central god figure, nor does it have a pantheon of gods. The Aquilians have a belief that the universe itself is sentient. Consequently, every being is a projection of a part of the universal soul. They believe that the universe uses the perspective of individual sentient beings in a process of self-examination and a search for meaning.

Trepal and Ronove are two central figure in Aquilian religion, however, neither is considered a deity. Both figures were instrumental in the civil wars on Aquil centuries ago. After the war, the two figures helped restructure Aquilian society, organizing the Central Council to lead it. These six individuals came from each of the three castes. This form of government remains stable to this day, although the identities of the Central Council are kept a secret, even from each other in order to help prevent outsiders from taking over the ruling government. Each member of the Council meets secretly 4 times a year, and as needed if they are called into service.

Language

The Aquilians have three main languages, all three languages are based on a root language. In common speech, all three languages are used, as each is designed for a different purpose. The language of Lenn-Ah is technical in nature, filled with adjectives, and is used when one discusses mathematics or sciences. Adrenato is euphonic in tone and usually slow in delivery. It is the only one of the three with words for spiritual and philosophical abstracts. Vik is concise and sharp-sounding. It is designed to convey orders with few words and no ambiguity.

Abilities

Aquilians are an aquatic Humanoid race that can only survive underwater, most are formidable in hand-to-hand combatant. They have an extremely high intelligence and believed to be highly telepathic, within their own race; no Aquilian has been able to read the thoughts of off-worlders. The Aquilian genetic makeup gives then the power of ultra-sentience found in the most mysterious and intelligent underwater creatures. With a frontal lobe resembling that of a dolphin, the Aquilians is able to transmit and receive electro-psychic information in the same way that cetaceans use sonar. Although the Aquil are an aquatic race, they have been unable to survive out of the water for long periods without a collar-like apparatus (occasionally mistaken for a toilet seat by observers) that provides water to their gills.

The devices called a Havis fits over the back of the Aquilian's neck, it is open in the front and has two appendages one on each side that covers the gills and the back side of the ear. The Havis is round in shape and contants a purified water, that is cycled through the Aquilians system, purified and recirculated again. Each Havis also contains a small power pack that must be recharged periodically and a very small replicator to help keep the flow of water constant.