Lodran

Basics:

Name: Lodran
Pronunciation: Low-dra-n
Homeworld: Lodrus
Political Affiliation: UCSB
Incorporation Date: 0.001
Government Type:
Democratic Republic
Genetic Class:
Carbon-Selphamorph-Homonid
Oxygen Amphibious Metabolizers
(Right Handed Amino-Acid)
Sensory Organs: AVOTGS
Visual Spectrum: WI
Sexes/Reproduction:
2 (Male/Female)/Sexual
Gestation: 300 cycle
Litter Size: 1-2
Sexual Maturity: 13-14 annura
Life Span:
_____Male: 115 annura
_____Female: 125 annura
Ave. Height:
_____Male: 6.8 Metra
_____Female: 6.1 Metra
Ave. Mass:
_____Male: 22 Kilobar
_____Female: 19 Kilobar

Physical Description:

The Lodran are bipedal forward hinge kneed amphibians evolved from large sharklike fish. Skin coloration varies by region and depth beneath the ocean, from a pale white to red or blue tinted dark gray. The Lodran are completely hairless but their faces and bodies are typically marked by a series of jagged stripes, with males having dark black stripes while females have lighter, colored stripes. Other than their colored stripes Lodran females are distinguished as being nearly a full metra shorter then males and have less pronounced fins.

The Lodran have a sleek aerodynamic head further distinguishable by having four eyes, two at the facial midline beneath a heavy eyebrow ridge and one on either side of the head giving them a full 300 degrees of unobstructed vision. A pair of large slit like nostrils can be found between and beneath the forward set of eyes and above the Lodran’s large toothy mouth. The Lodran mouth makes up the majority over the lower part of the head, with rows of jagged teeth crowding the upper and lower jaw. Lodran ears are little more than a small pair of holes on either side of their head approximately level with their nostrils. As such Lodran hearing is not as sensitive as in some other races, but their sense of smell is one of the most acute amongst the founding UCSB races.

Lodran have six digits on their hands and feet. Each ped has four fingers which are of the same length as the rest of the palm and dual opposable thumbs mounted to either side of the rear of the hand/foot. A strong webbing can actually extend to cover the space between the digits while swimming, and partially retracts back into the hands and feet when on dry land.

Lodran males have dual external genitals either of which or both can be used during mating. Female genitals are internal. Lodran females have six fertile cycles a year during which an egg is released for fertilization. Lodran carry their young internally and most young are birthed in water.

Lodran young are near feral at birth and will require immediate sustenance often attacking the nearest available source of protein even if that be their mother.

Lodran have a dual nature cardiovascular system. While possessing only a single heart and pair of lungs the Lodran still maintain their gill system for underwater breathing. The extent of gill/lung development depends greatly on the individual Lodran and either system can be developed or atrophied by usage or lack there of.

History:

Most early Lodran history is known only in song, and speaks mostly of the old schools or rogue loners. Lodran developed sentience long before they took to the land and their current form. As such the evolution of the Lodran from their fishlike state to their current hominid form is well documented. In olden times Lodran earned glory and fame for their hunting skills and war was nearly unheard of amongst the Lodran. The Lodran first took to the land warily, testing their newly developed lungs with distrust. However upon learning that they could live on the land easily more and more Lodran took to the surface, populating the shorelines quickly. The Lodran were reluctant to travel very far inland and all inland explorations were made following the rivers. The ocean Lodran soon came upon great inland seas and lakes, establishing colonies and cities here as well.

A great drought spread worldwide forcing most Lodran back into the ocean, however the Lodran of the inland seas and lakes were cut off, many abandoning the waters all together. Cut off from their ancestral waters the land and inland sea Lodran began to quickly develop industry and technology to find ways to survive. The land Lodran quickly realized that they did not need to live in water to survive, though their skins became tougher and more leathery. The land and inland sea Lodran formed alliances early on and lines of trade and commerce opened that encouraged technological growth. The Lodrans of the ocean however retreated back to the deeper waters of their homeworld, and focused on rebuilding the cities lost by the drought below water. Great leaps and bounds were made technologically by both sides. But, upon learning of the prosperity of the deep waters the land and shallow water Lodran, as they came to be known, became resentful. Mostly that their long lost cousins had never tried to reestablish contact or help them in the early times of the drought.

As the drought ended and the waterways connecting the inland seas to the ancestral waters reopened the shallow and deep water Lodrans came back into contact. The rift that had formed between the two became more evident as the shallow waters tried to rejoin their cousins only to find themselves rejected. Wanting to reclaim their ancestral homes the shallow water Lodran waged war on their long lost cousins. What resulted was a centuries long conflict in which great submersibles armed with terrible weapons decimated the oceans of Lodrus. Torpedo, missile and beam weaponry was quickly adopted by both sides and soon submersible launched aircraft entered the fray with both sides bombing each other from the sky.

The fight soon entered into a century long cold war that ended not because of war but because of discovery. During a small but heated battle a deep water Stingray assault submersible found itself above a shallow waters Cenobite submersible destroyer. It opened fire on the larger submarine with its massive stinger beam cannon while it was pointed skywards. A miscalibration of the beam cannon resulted in it using the Cenobite as a sort of launch pad and the Stingray was rocketed into orbit by the blast.

After regaining their bearings the crew looked back upon their planet for the first time from orbit and saw firsthand the devastation their war had wrought. They saw that the beaches and shores were red with the blood of their dead and the dead of the rest of oceans. The pictures the crew transmitted back were a wake up call to the Lodran people and a peace accord was immediately signed by the leaders of both sides.

The Lodran quickly began to rebuild their infrastructure and to peacefully explore space. The Lodran took easily to space, the micro gravity above their homeworld as welcome as their home waters. The Lodran were quick to dismantle their weapons of war and expanded out into their solar system. The Lodran built up numerous space stations and upon discovering the slipstream drive opened up trade with the nearby Anulian and Otlian star systems. As is their custom every ten annura all Lodran that are able return to their home world for the reddening of the shores. The ceremony involves red dye being dumped into the oceans to remind the Lodran why to avoid war.

It was at a reddening of the shore that the Vedekian came to Lodrus and attacked viciously. The Lodran were devastated by the initial attack, but luckily an Anulian cruiser was present at the ceremony under special invitation. It was able to hold back the Vedekian long enough for reinforcements to arrive, but at the cost of the ship and all hands. The peaceful Lodran struck back immediately resurrecting their long since disposed of weapons of war and reequipping starships meant for trade as mighty warships. The Lodran fleet soon outnumbered even the militarily mighty Anulians and with the assistance of Anulians, Otlians, Shinekian and the new to space travel Drashig hunted down and destroyed the Vedekian down to the last.

The Lodran are still key players in the UCSB, typically playing the role of the cool voice of reason. The Lodran desire peace above all, sometimes letting others infringe on their rights, however the Lodran take the spilling of Lodran blood as a serious offense. Infact unless Lodran blood is spilt the Lodran tend to remain neutral in most conflicts, keeping most of their forces back for homeworld defense. Because the first casualty of the UCSB/GF war was a Lodran however the Lodran can be found in frontline units, their skills as fighter pilots highly prized by all.

Culture:

The Lodran culture calls for peace, something considered ironic since they evolved from ocean predators. The centuries of war that nearly decimated their planet are held as a constant reminder of what mindless conflict can bring. Lodrans tend to be very accepting and amiable, and Lodrans are known for the even temper. It is very hard to get a Lodran mad, and to provoke a Lodran to fight is generally even harder. However when a Lodran is killed in cold blood for no reason or when the Lodran homeworld is attacked the Lodran respond in full force. When engaged in combat the Lodran are a vicious unrelenting foe, however when away from the battlefield they are typically quiet and reserved.

Major Religions:

The Lodran never developed any sort of religion that follows the teaching of any one person or group. Instead the Lodran have a very deep connection to the oceans of their homeworld and believe in protecting it and maintaining peace. To the Lodran space is like a greater ocean and so they have taken to it better then many other races.

Philosophies:

The Lodran value peace above all else, but will not tolerate offenses against the home ocean that birthed them or against the Lodran people as a whole. The Lodran see space as their second home, many all but giving up the oceans in favor of the cold darkness of space. The Lodran enjoy zero gravity a great deal, and can be found swimming about in the 0G cargo holds often. The Lodran see swimming, even in space, as a connection that binds them all together, and gives them a common bond to other races who must “swim” through the great oceans of space.

Population:

As of UCSB Census Date 1000: 22 billion including all colony worlds.

Notables:

Throughout the UCSB the Lodran are highly sought out as pilots. An innate almost perfect sense of direction, combined with an appreciation of weightlessness and wide field of vision make them some of the best fliers in the UCSB. Lodran love to fly as well and so most if not all Lodran have at least one small spacecraft of their own. In space combat the Lodran are deadly foes, seemingly reverting to their ancient hunter forms as they track and destroy their foes. In times of peace the Lodran are often found as cargo pilots, their love for flying sometimes convincing them to take lower commissions just so they can fly. Usually however Lodran cargo pilots make a great living.

Psionicism- Lodran as a whole possess a low level telepathic link, that is stronger amongst family and friends. Telekinetic abilities did not manifest until shortly before their first alien contact however. As with most races more and more Lodran young are being born with stronger psionic abilities, representing another step in their evolution. All Lodran are of a level 1 or 2 ability while Lodran psionics typically are of a level 6.5-7 with very few higher then level 8.5.

Sub-Species:

The Lodran have no true sub-species however philological differences do occur depending on exposure to water. These differences take the form of atrophied or developed lungs or gills and are directly attributed to a Lodrans lifestyle. However, many Lodran born raised in space or on land never develop their gills. Seeing this the Lodran government has taken steps to keep the Lodrans from loosing their gills all together, and most Lodran are willing to go along with these measures. Lodran long out of water typically have smaller less flared gills and finger webbing as well
as more leathery skin.