Physical Description

Encon are four limed amphibious liquid chlorine breathers with long prehensile tails that make up half their bodylength.  Encon are lithe and sinewy in appearance with their arms, legs, and tails divided into three even segments.

The Encon head is thin and long, with brain distributed into three main nodes and audio-visual subnode in the skull.  The other three brain nodes are contained within the three spinal segments between the head and tail.  The double pupiled eyes of the Encon are mounted on either side of its head and over the long snout and double jaw that opens downwards and to each side.

Amphibious in bursts, the Encon breath liquid chlorine and operate without breathing for extended periods as needed.  Encon actually breed outside of their homeworld’s vast chlorine oceans, laying their eggs in large nests on the shore.  In their early development, the females would often die during the egg laying process, either of asphixiation or due to land predators.  Their bodies would shelter the eggs and provide initial sustenance to the hatchings before their trek back into the Chlorine oceans.  As the Encon evolved however more and more females would survive the egg laying and the predators that once hunted them would then be killed and buried with the eggs.

History 

Encon history is typical of most ocean-dwelling races, and they achieved sentience before they evolved their arms and legs.  The Encon still debate whether or not that evolution was natural or due to outside interference.  What is known, is that after this evolutionary step they developed industry and began to look outward from their own world.

The Encon were reluctant to develop air travel as the mass requirements to fly with the liquid chlorine they breath were enormous.  As such they developed short-range hoppers that would leap out of their oceans and splash back down while still covering great distances while the crew and passengers held their liquid.  Portable liquid chlorine “breather” rigs soon allowed for longer travel and then eventually spaceflight.

The Encon still did not explore deep space for several centuries as their slow population growth and massive oceans did not make that necessary.  When they were discovered by the Galactic Federation they had only just sent their first expeditions to their nearest planetary neighbor.  They welcomed the Galactic Federation, and due to their relatively primitive nature were originally brought on as a “protectorate race.”

They have since found a niche in manufacturing highly efficient pressure vessels and in operating in cleaning up hazardous environments.  They are however kept largely in the dark regarding the war in general and their place in the Galactic Federation, content in their ignorance.

Culture

 The Encon are a peaceful race, all but untouched by the war save for its contributions to their economy.  They share all in their small communities with little regard or concept for personal property.  The elders of each commune lead them and thanks to arranged marriages between communes all groups are considered to be part of a vast family.  They do not even words for war or conflict in their language beyond fights between individuals, most of which are settled by contests.

Major Religions

 No known religions.

Population

As of UCSB Census Date 1000, 20 billion including all colony worlds.

Notables

Peaceful beyond belief and far too trusting.
Psionicism- There have been minimal reports of any telepaths amongst the Encon.

Sub-Species

 No known sub-species, however a semi-sentient short limbed creature that is genetically similar are kept as pets and may be closer to the original Encon pre-evolved form.