Pejjits

The Pejjits live on a heavily forested world and have adapted to glide from tree to tree. Apart from their big gliding wings, they also have two forearms that are capable of tensing up into a rigid hook shape that allows them to swing from branch to branch. When they aren’t swinging anywhere, those arms, as well as the arms with the gliders, are useful for doing dexterous work like building tools and shelter. The proboscis on their faces is adapted for eating insect-like animals that live on and in the world’s trees. Pejjits live solitary lives only coming together during the mating season, during which they climb back up to the mountaintops where they were born. The rest of the time, they have no permanent residence, preferring to just roam wherever life takes them.

Roscon is something of an adrenaline junkie who enjoys climbing to the tallest trees and jumping off to soar off and stay in the air as long as possible, without a particular destination in mind.

Though Pejjits can usually get enough water by sucking from fruit in the trees, when fruits are scarce they occasionally have to come down to rivers to drink. Pebby is native to a region where the trees grow close to rivers that contain a deadly creature that preys on Pejjits. Though it is rare for one Pejjit to actually witness the predator catching another Prejjit and eating it, but Pebby has, so Pebby knows about the danger in the water. Though as solitary as the rest of the species, Pebby is now devoted to warning others about the predators and learning what there is to know about the monster.

Hevden is a cartographer of sorts, devoted to spending the year exploring, then telling the others the findings during the mating season. While the mapping does include information about things like notable trees that have fallen, it is mostly focused on where the tastiest bugs are swarming these days.

A Fact About Pejjits: The Pejjit homeworld is so near the edge of its galaxy that, while one hemisphere of the sky has many stars, the other is relatively dark. Among the lights visible in that dark half of the sky, however, is the galaxy that is home to such species as the Ugder and the Runk. From here, it seems like nothing more than a bright, blurry dot.

Universe: Narsidon

Dellwellians

The Dellwellians are a humanoid species whose homeworld (Dellwell) is in a relatively small, but very populous galaxy, which they call The Circle. In most galaxies, the meeting of two intelligent species is a momentous event, but with over a thousand species in a pretty tight space (cosmologically speaking), it’s pretty standard here. When Dellwellians invented their version of telescopes five centuries ago, there was enough activity present in their skies that there was no doubt, they were not alone in the universe. First contact came and went, and the Delwellians joined a galactic neighborhood that was active and lively.

Some Dellwellians do leave the planet, but many just remain on the homeworld, which has become very built-up and over populated. The planet’s location, near galactic shipping lines, makes it an ideal stop for spacefarers of other species.

Masgel is a typical young Dellwellian. She has given birth to one child, and raises it while she pursues her own education. When she is older, she will abandon her young and go on to a career. She is hoping to get into the entertainment industry.

Chisnee is one of those few Dellwellians who spend more of their life off Dellwell than on. Working with a shipping company, Chisnee is a translator who tries to keep language and customs operating smoothly between the many different species encountered on a regular basis. Since the galaxy has been operating like this for a long time, there are vast databases on the subject, but it seems like there’s always some new thing that alien species will find to hate about one another.

Skeedoy is the Dellwellian equivalent of a private detective. If someone needs a problem solved, they hire Skeedoy to do what he can to help. Because of this occupation, Skeedoy has seen the worst that Dellwell has to offer, and the worst that the rest of the galaxy brings to the planet. He’s become a very cynical and bitter sort. He’s not just world-weary, he’s galaxy-weary.

A Fact About Dellwellians: When Dellwellians reach sexual maturity, they are female-like in nature, possessing something similar to the egg and womb system of humans. When they run out of eggs, their body switches to a more male-like form, providing the sperm equivalent. After that they spend the last half of their life asexual.

Universe: Orange

Yesterday, I got out of jury selection because I am too poor. That kinda counts as a victory, right?

I got the summons to appear for selection for jury duty. I did that. I had to wake up to be at the place for 8:15 in the morning, at time when I am usually beginning my day’s sleep. The place was crowded with a few hundred other such potential jurors. There was a roll call done by verbally calling out names and responding with “here” that seems like an outdated method of dealing with this in this, the age of computers. Anyway, that took half an hour or so and then we had to wait another long while before the crowd was ushered into two courtrooms (because we couldn’t fit into one). The judge was introduced. Then we got the chance to ask to get out of it for “Medical, Employment, or Personal Hardship” reasons.

I overheard the judge tell one of the people asking to get let go that the trial was estimated to run about twenty days. Though jurors do get paid about forty dollars a day, that would leave me pretty darn broke. I got into line and presented my reasoning to the judge, that being on the jury is something I can’t afford. It seemed to me (or maybe I was just projecting my own guilt onto him) that the judge thought I was just being whiny, but he did accept it and allow me to go. That’s what really matters. And it isn’t like I was lying. I spent half of this year in shoes that were a size too small because I couldn’t afford new ones. Maybe I’m not going to die if I have to be on a jury, but it could seriously make me unable to pay bills and such.

And I didn’t even get into the fact that being awake in the daytime is a hassle. I would have been a real risk for falling asleep during the trial.

Anyway, it’s kind of a shame, because if I was in a financially stable situation, I’d actually be pretty interested in serving on a jury. Maybe someday down the line.