Drask
Assigned to:Hugo Luman
The Drask The Drask (plural Drask) are humanoid race of cold-bodied beings. The Drask come from Hoorlm, an ice-covered planet, with an average temperature of about -80°C. Even though they feel most comfortable in very cold environments, they won’t be threatened by temperatures normally encountered onboard spacecraft.
Mechanics
Overview
Naming
The Drask speak in a humming, droning language known as Orluum, which sounds similar to whalesong and is ubiquitous through their society. They tend to name individuals in a series of three short sounds, such as “Vrrm-Viisk-Oom”, which more often than not humans can approximate
Biology
The Drask are a species of bipedal humanoids. Their defining characteristic is their ability to survive in extremely cold environments (in fact their preference to be in such places), far below the freezing point of water. Their body is covered in thick, ice-like tissue, which is usually a shade of teal or cyan, but can range from nearly white to almost black in tone, depending on the individual’s genetics, which affect the refraction index of their tissue.
They possess a unique metabolism, the efficiency of which seems to decrease in proportion to temperature, even approaching absolute zero. With supercooled air introduced to their respiratory systems, they repair tissue damage at an exceptional speed. Study of their strange metabolic process led to the development of the drug Cryoxadone.
Due to this metabolic coldness, the Drask do not share the preference of most crew species for warm food. They find room temperature food somewhat unpleasant, and warm or hot food can even make them nauseous. Their sense of taste is rather different from most species as well, as many would find their native food bland, overly salty, or caustic, but the Drask can learn to appreciate some of the food of other races. In particular, they have shown fondness for ice cream, citrus, mint, cucumber, and soap.
The Drask, unlike any other known species, possess three eyes. Two located just above their “snout”, third one situated higher up, in the center of their sloping forehead. Their eyes are inhabited by faintly bioluminescent, symbiotic microbes, though the colors vary greatly between individuals. Their sight is adapted to very dim environments, as their planet is distant from their star and they tend to live underground, but they are able to adapt to brighter environments.
Drask bodies are relatively large and gangly, though lacking in muscle mass. Their limbs are thin, but long. With their ice-like skin mostly lacking a nervous system, they rely on softer tissue around their joints for sensing their environment. They also have a set of organic “spikes” on their forearms, which are well-nerved and serve to provide touch input to the individual, as well as a way to express emotions in Drask communities. They possess four digits on their hands and feet, with very long fingers and two opposable thumbs on each hand.
Drask, due to their biological makeup, do have an expected lifespan, as their organs do not seem to deteriorate as time progresses. While this still requires further study to confirm, it appears that if not specifically a victim to an accident or illness of some sort, a Drask can live indefinitely.
Drask do not have genders, as each individual carries the organs necessary to reproduce with a partner, but in adapting to gendered societies might express preference for male or female accoutrements, based on personal taste. They generally prefer to wear minimal clothing, as it interferes with their sense of touch and they do not often need insulation, but some choose style over comfort, and many appreciate some protection from the warmth of the artificial environments prefered by other species.
Society
Drask, even though drastically different from Humans and human-like species, share a similar social structure. Drask communities have grown over the years to large sizes, supporting up to a million individuals. Currently it is estimated that around 600 million individuals are present on Hoorlm, mostly members of one of the thousands of city-states scattered around the planet. Generally, a community is led by its oldest members, and the most powerful figures in Drask tend to have lived for as much as full millenias.
Drask tend to not form family-based bonds, as they quickly gain independence from their parents, but very often will form friendships, regardless of the age difference.
Though they never developed space travel on their own, the Drask have proven capable scientists. Their exceptional memory and capability for long lives make them capacious learners, and their technology at the time of their discovery was comparable to Humanity’s in the XVIth century
Drask put much emphasis on self-improvement and obtaining proficiency in multiple disciplines. The Drask societies have no class system, as very often individuals responsible for simpler tasks are also educated to perform much more sophisticated ones, but their hands are needed elsewhere.
On a societal level, the Drask are slow to change, save for the necessities of advancing technology. Their long lives, low birth and mortality rates, and the dim sunlight and lack of meaningful seasons on their planet do not foster a pressing awareness of time. Their slowness to change also helps to explain why, despite the separation of many of their settlements, there is little difference between the dialects of their language.
Background
The Drask evolved in a chemical environment drastically different than most other carbon-based life. Though liquid water is rare on their planet today, it is hypothesized that life first emerged on Hoorlm around hydrothermal vents in an ancient, subglacial ocean.
The history of Drask is poorly documented, as each separate state has traditionally relied on the living memory of its Elders. And with infrequent communication between many of them, and their conflicting accounts, it is hard to make out a coherent summary of the whole thing. As best as can be made out, the Drask once lived in small groups, migrating between fissures and ice caves that served as oases on the desolate surface, but eventually learned to farm chemotrophic microorganisms deep underground. The caves and fissures which had served as the shelters for nomads slowly grew into the labyrinthine underground cities known today.
While Drask settlements tend to be insular, the very largest of their City-states reached their present size in no small part due to conquest, mainly driven by desire for minerals and the need for access to more volcanic farms to feed growing populations. It is believed that the Drask have possessed laser weaponry technology for many centuries, and though the Drask are often slow to act, every city-state that participates in global affairs can recall numerous slaughters in the wars of expansion.
Drask were discovered in 2469 by an NT explorational vessel due to a course plotting accident. The vessel warped into the system by accident and its sensors immediately picked up signs of life on Hoorlm, which was later reported and a brief observation phase followed by a reach out in 2472 took place.
Ever since, the Drask have been captivated by the promises that space travel holds. The wealthiest states see the promise of increasing their wealth and influence, and some ambitious individuals see the promise of stepping out of the shadow of their Elders, or escaping the crowded tunnels of the largest state. With the help of the company, Drask colonies belonging to two of the largest states were established on other cold worlds in their system (though most of these are under NT mining or research contracts to this day).
While initially entirely dependent upon Nanotrasen for space travel, the Elders of the negotiating states were able to acquire engines and small spacecraft. At present, they have a small fleet that patrols their system, responsible for dealing with their colonies, which is controlled by a coalition of the three largest states, though they still heavily on Nanotrasen for space services. However, small groups of Drask have gone on to build, purchase, or otherwise acquire their own ships, founding new communities in space.
Homeworld
Hoorlm is a rocky planet covered in a thick layer of ice, orbiting the star Raarumvaar (Previously known as 381-Theta-Theta) at an average distance of 10.33 AU. About 1.9 times the size of Earth, Hoorlm is geologically active to a degree, with small-scale volcanic activity dotted everywhere, assisting with the formation of fissures and caverns that house much of the planet’s ecology. However, seldom do volcanic peaks break the icy surface, and the stark cold prevents their emissions from forming more than a tenuous atmosphere at surface level.
Drask live in large city-states on their icy planet. While capable of building on the surface, Drask prefer the dense, more breathable atmosphere found underground, often creating large underground networks of tunnels serving as cities. The planet’s many volcanic vents and fissures serve as the lifeblood of most of these cities, serving as the basis of the chemotrophic ecosystem (and thus agriculture), and providing a source of geothermal energy (though nuclear power is common as well).
Aside from a few close neighbors, or sites connected by ancient trade routes, railways, or mega-tunnels, most of the city-states have had little more than radio contact with each other for centuries. As such, only a handful of the very largest are active in space affairs, though there is fierce competition for off-world opportunities. Any Drask found in space likely originate from one of three city-states in particular (or are descended from Drask who are). It is likely that primitive holdouts at various levels of technology exist, unaware of the advancements of the rest of the Drask.