The Wenwehhek

The Wenwehhek are a species that dwell in the many rivers of the planet Duvvked, a world of almost perpetual rain that is teeming with life. Although they are adept at swimming, the Wenwehhek are air-breathers, living in nests that line the shores of the planet. They have two paddle-like feet and four little appendages on the “chest” that they use like fingers. A blowhole on their head allows them to breathe even when wading almost entirely into the water.

Rappuko is a teacher at a Wenwehhek nursery. The Wenwehhek lay eggs in communal nurseries where teachers raise the pupae, determining what their ideal use in society should be, and teaching them what they need to know to do that. Rappuko cares pretty deeply for her pupal pupils, and tries to set them up with occupations that will make them happy. But if everyone just goes into the jobs that they will enjoy, who is going to do the crappy jobs? Rappuko is going to make someone unhappy, or else society itself could be doomed.

Aflicksh is the type who constantly wants to talk about how great he is to anyone who will listen. Unfortunately for Aflicksh, he isn’t so great. For instance, he tries to tell people he can swim faster than anyone in the local river system, but he can’t. He has actively avoided many challenges to race and prove his speed, but he never accepts them. “I haven’t got to prove anything to you,” he says. The same thing goes for Aflicksh’s claim that he is the loudest yeller on the planet. He likes to say it, but never seems to have the time to prove it to anyone. It seems like that might be an effective way of deflecting the issue, but really it has gone on long enough that nobody think Aflicksh is anything but a jerk. That includes Aflicksh, though. He’s so sick of putting up with his own lies, but coming clean at this point would be so embarrassing that he can’t do it. He’s just fully committed to being the big jerk who talks about how great he is.

Creditt is the loudest yeller on the planet. He doesn’t know it, though. He played yelling games when he was younger, but never at a professional level, so even though he knows he was good, he has no idea that he’s the best. It doesn’t really come up much in his job, which is to clear rivers that have been blocked by mudslides.

A Fact About the Wenwehhek: The Wenwehhek don’t really eat for pleasure. Feeding is remarkably casual for them, accomplished by just resting their heads on the surface of the river, with their open mouth in the water, and waiting for small animals to drift in, then snapping the mouth shut. In strange circumstances, like an emergency trek through one of the planet’s rare non-rivered areas, they might fill a bowl with water and food to recreate this, but usually eating is just a matter of taking a break and stopping off at the closest stream for a minute.

Universe: White

Niftari

The Niftari are a species that lives on a planet called Carasteranak. They are a furry, slow-moving species that walks on hooved back feet and the elbows of their forelimbs. They are very solitary creatures and, once they leave their litter, they only join with other Niftari for the purpose of mating. Any natural predators the Niftari once may have had were gotten rid of in earlier times, so now Niftari are free to leisurely wander their planet occupying their time as they like.

The planet Carasteranak is smaller than Earth but its gravity is actually stronger owing to its unique makeup. Also, its days and years are both much longer than Earth’s. In most ways it seems like a very slow-paced world.

Vennis is a clockwork maker. The most advanced technologies of Carasteranak are clockwork masterpieces and Vennis’s are quite advanced among these. Though Vennis has created many things, the last several years have been spent on the latest project: a vast, complex device that can do complex mathematics, which Vennis suspects will make it even easier to calculate the best way to make still more complex clockworks.

Beodsom is an expert at mixing ingredients (plants, fluids, etc.) to create powerful potions of medicinal value. Though they are an asocial species by nature, Niftari “medics” like Beodsom are wont to track the scent of others who smell sick and give them potions to make them well again. There is no exchange of goods or currency for this (or for any other occupation on the planet), and the only reward the medics get is knowledge that they have helped others, and respect for doing so. These rewards are enough, though.

Igidup is an explorer. Though Carasteranak is small, and almost all of it has been traversed by Niftari of the past, no maps were ever kept. That means that every new place Igidup reaches is new to Igidup, at least. There’s little danger in exploring either, so it really is a nice quiet life.

A Fact About the Niftari: Niftari eyesight is such that they have never seen the stars in their sky, except the one around which their planet orbits. Still, they are a contemplative enough species that the idea of other worlds with other life has occurred to them, at least on a theoretical level.

Universe: Silver