The Mentarrids

The Mentarrids are a race of psionically powered aliens. Their physical forms are essentially just life support systems for their massive, complex brains, with eight stumpy legs help them graze the fields of their high gravity world, Torrascad. With almost no threats to their bodies on the homeworld, the Mentarrids are free to project their consciousnesses into the mental realms. Through this medium they have made contact with intelligences from other worlds and even other dimensions and realities. Most of the time the Mentarrids are more powerful than the others, being almost like natives of the mental realms, but unlike the true natives, they have a physical form to which to return when needed.

Fast Brain is a Mentarrid noted for being especially perspicacious. Wizards and astral projectors from all over the multiverse come to Fast Brain to answer vexing questions, and Fast Brain obliges because such puzzles are quite enjoyable.

Not all Mentarrids are kind to those they meet in the mental realms. Thought Spy, for example, has a tendency to steal information that other beings would prefer to keep secret and either sell it to those who are interested, or blackmail the victims with the threat of such sales. Since currency is not of much value in the mental realms, Though Spy prefers to be paid in servitude. Those who owe Thought Spy are asked to perform tasks in the physical worlds, the purpose of which Thought Spy has not revealed.

Astral Guide is a people person. When a mind wanders into the mental realms but is not quite as skilled at traversing them as a wizard might be, Astral Guide will offer them help finding where they need to be.

A Fact About the Mentarrids: Torrascad is the only planet to develop complex life forms in its galaxy. Were it not for their mental abilities, the Mentarrids may never have realized that other intelligent life exists. The remoteness of their world has definitely helped to keep them safe from invasion by other species.

Universe: Brown

Since I’ve been free of illness, I have had less of a need to do updates, but I’ve got some time so I will do so right now:

The big thing this week was a minor, but expensive, car problem. I am used to one big car problem every winter, except for last winter when the car did not break down, but I did. So, I don’t know if the recent problems are a leftover from last winter, or if this is the first and only problem that I will have until this time next year. Let’s hope for that one. Anyway, it was just a case of replacing the rotors. Cost me about seven hundred bucks. Coulda been worse.

Apart from that, little to report. I am trying to work my way through the goals I set for myself to accomplish in 2017. I am almost done goals related to reading and have been making progress on goals related to writing. One goal that I have really been slacking at is Secret Government Robots. It’s as if I have this mental block where I want to get all the other goals done so I can focus on it, but that just leads to me not working on it. And 2017 is nearing completion, so I had better get going.

Omnivoroids

By most human standards, the Omnivoroids are basically monsters. They stand about three meters tall on average, and as they have begun to spread across the galaxy they have learned that they love to eat any of life forms they find on other worlds. The form of digestion they have evolved allows the Omnivoroids (called Goulos in their own language) to digest biological life regardless of its origin. As such, they have no respect for other sentient beings, seeing the universe as one big buffet presented for them. Led by a ruler that we might call an emperor, the Omnivoroids are spreading across the galaxy in vast colony ships.

A couple of Omnivoroids can be seen over here, and then being visited by Little Choy over here. Surely everyone has been full of questions about them after those thought-provoking experiences.

Nunk is a commander of a Goulos Space Ship. It isn’t one of the colony ships that is bringing Omnivoroids to other planets, but instead a scientific scout ship that is mapping and cataloging the universe. If they detect an atmosphere that seems to support life, Nunk and his loyal crew will boldly go there to eat it.

Omnivoroids have very weak hearing, but their sense of smell is so advanced it it practically magic compared to anything on Earth. Because of that, there is no music among Omnivoroids, but there is a technique of timed incense burners that are meant to tell stories or evoke emotions in the way music is among humans. Eoicks is a scentsmith who creates such smell experiences. While most of the mainstream scentwork on planet Goulog these days is meant to be uplifting and life-affirming, but Eoicks is trying to challenge that by creating the scent-equivalent of punk rock music, harsh and challenging smells that run counter to the popular stuff.

Kerbo is a medical worker. The Omnivoroids are a particularly hardy group, viruses and bacteria are not a big concern for them, so the biggest medical concern is physical injury. Their equivalent of a hospital operates on principles that resemble a pit crew or an assembly line, with whole teams of workers toiling together to patch up injuries as quick as possible.

A Fact About Omnivoroids: Omnivoroids desire to mate for life is so strong that the ideal of promiscuity or adultery are utterly foreign to them. Mate pairing isn’t seen in a “romantic” way as it is on Earth, though couples are often quite fond of one another. Romantic love doesn’t exist among them, but loyalty is supreme.

Universe: Blue