Slime People

Slime People traditionally communicate with a series of bubbling and popping sounds produced via the vibration of their cores. The nature of these sounds make it difficult if not impossible to successfully emulate the language through natural means. Direct translation has proven incredibly problematic without immense amounts of computing power thanks in part to Slime People’s unique production of sound, along with the abstract structure of the language itself.

Despite widespread adoption of Galactic Common, Slime People still make heavy use of their native language. Fascinatingly, the native language of Slime People appears to be an innate characteristic rather than a learned one. The exact biological mechanism for this innate language is unknown and is a hot topic of debate among scholars.

Written language, however, has proven far easier to translate, with most Slime languages following a pattern of flowing characters with occasional stylized pictograms, similar to contemporary Egyptian. This, in conjunction with the universal proliferation of Bubblish, has permitted extensive translation and copying of even ancient Slime works, such as the famed epic poetry of the ancient Slime poet Anaras.

Slime People Naming Schemes

Slime People utilize an unorthodox naming system that to this date lacks a traditional analogue or proper translation. As a result of the unusual pronunciation and characteristics of traditional names within Slime People society, many names are impossible to vocally reproduce for other species.

As a result of this language barrier and for the sake of simplicity, many Slime People choose an appropriate analogue in Galactic Common, or select an entirely separate secondary name for use when communicating with non-slimes. Interestingly, many of these second names are inspired by Mediterranean and Polynesian societies on Earth, as the many cultural exchanges between Earth and Xarxis has lead many to notice the surprising parallels between these societies and Slime history.

Slime People Physiology

Slime People are made up of what appears to be a transparent jelly-like substance that varies in color based upon the genetic predilection of the individual. Internally, Slime People possess a unique skeleton-like structure surrounded by a layer of durable gelatin which serves as an analogue of both skin and muscle tissue. Beneath the gelatin lies a skeleton-adjacent structure composed of a material similar to cartilage, which contains quintuple helixes of collagen instead of the common triple helixes, rendering the skeletal structure both extremely flexible and sturdy enough to offer support to the body. This renders their ability to stand as well to exercise strength. This unique skeletal structure, in combination with their gelatinous form, offers them a wide range of motion and flexibility, traits that were likely adapted due to the environmental conditions of Xarxis. Though this flexible "skeleton" is less sturdy than that of other species, their gelatinous exterior helps in supporting the body's overall balance as well.

The organ structure of Slime People is similarly unique. A single organ, referred to as the Slime Core, performs the functions of the heart, lungs, and brain simultaneously with another curiosity of Slime anatomy: Slime Jelly. Slime Jelly forms the "blood" of Slime People, moving oxygen and nutrients through the body and providing additional structural support to the gelatin surrounding it. While highly efficient, Slime Jelly is notable for having an unusually high freezing temperature, which, in combination with a Slime's structural gelatin lacking in heat retention, means that Slime People are incredibly susceptible to cold temperatures, a trait which was responsible for many deaths in ages past. Additionally, Slime People have the capability to change the shape of the gelatinous layer surrounding their head, lending them the capability to effectively change their facial expression. While Slime People naturally lack any sort of hair, this trait has been used to co-opt a variety of human hairstyles. Though the natural color of any given Slime Person is a matter of genetics, it can be changed via the ingestion of dyes or certain chemicals.

Slime People don’t have an inherent sex, but often assume a female or male gender and the associated accoutrements to adjust to cultures encountered abroad.

The Slime People Homeworld

Xarxis is a lush, tropical world with large amounts of plant life and native fauna, and is named after the god of the seas worshipped by the polytheistic pantheon of many ancient slime civilizations. The atmosphere of the planet is largely Earth-adjacent, consisting of a nitrogen-oxygen mix with small amounts of carbon dioxide and other trace gasses. While the many islands and archipelagoes show impressive amounts of biodiversity, Xarxis's most interesting features are its sprawling oceans - vast bodies of water that take up much of its surface and contain most of the world's species. While decently endowed with mineral wealth, much of this material is locked underneath the planet's vast oceans, which posed significant challenges for the Slime People of ages past. Xarxis has a single satellite in its orbit; the icy moon of Remin, believed to have formed eons ago when an asteroid impacted Xarxis and ejected a substantial portion of its water into space, which coalesced and formed the planetoid.

Perhaps the most notable feature of the planet is its highly elliptical orbit which led to unstable periods of cooling and heating as the planet draws closer or further away from its star. As a result of this orbit, the plant and animal life living above the vast oceans are incredibly hardy, being resilient to both hot and cold periods. While this used to be an issue of considerable importance for early Slime civilizations, the planet today is far more temperate thanks to the construction of the Xarxis Orbital Shade Array, an array of massive mirrors and solar shades which have done much to stabilize the world's seasons. While this array has caused a statistically significant amount of ecological damage due to the sudden climate stabilization, the Republic leadership at the time considered it worth the costs, a sentiment which easily persists today.

Today, as the capital world of the Xarxis Republic, Xarxis is a thriving, cosmopolitan world and proud bastion of the Trans-Solar Federation, harboring not only sophisticated homegrown industry, but a massive tourism economy thanks to Xarxis’s beautiful oceans and rich cultural history. Of particular note are the beautiful floating cities of the Sapphire Sea, a massively ambitious engineering project designed to create additional livable land on the world's surface.

Slime People Culture

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A Brief History


Xarxis

Known Slime history begins around the year 2000 BC, based upon carbon dating from ancient Slime artifacts and tools. Early Slime tribes of the period were highly nomadic, as Xarxis’s unusual orbit led to massive shifts in temperature over the course of the year. This, in combination with the massive oceans of Xarxis, lead to the Slime People developing a heavily maritime culture early into their societal development. Indeed, one of the oldest recovered artifacts on Xarxis is an ancient canoe, well-preserved within a dry cave. These early rafts and canoes would enable the Slime People to make short trips within their birth archipelago, and would lead to the development of ever-larger and faster vessels to travel to new lands for migration.

Early Slime civilization was heavily influenced by their world’s aggressively changing seasons. Without the protection afforded to them by constant migration, the Slimes who chose to settle were forced to use every resource at their disposal to survive the harsh winters of Xarxis. While many settlements failed, those that survived showcase ingenious mechanisms and methods for retaining heat and making the most of Xarxis’s limited resources. Following these initial difficulties, the nascent city-states quickly asserted supremacy over the old nomadic ways and began to engage in conflict over resources and territory. Naturally, the primary decider of these conflicts was naval power. The size and strength of a given nation’s navy was the primary measure of political power and national prestige, with land forces looked down upon as merely existing to hold territory.

For much of Slime history, these island-based city states and small nations would form the primary societal model across Xarxis due to the inherent challenge in forming a unitary state across many kilometers of open water. While commerce and migration between these states were commonplace, true unity was impossible for all but the most powerful or geographically close states. Instead, Slime history primarily revolved around these mini-nations and their constant feuding, both in terms of the ever-present naval warfare and the Byzantine arrangement of political treaties and agreements that inevitably grew in a given island chain.