Vidnizx

The Vidnizx are a species of small, six-legged shelled creatures that live in a cave system on a moon orbitting a gas giant. The atmosphere of this moon world does not reach the surface, so the Vidnizx have never seen the sky and don’t know of any reality beyond the interior of their caves. Although their moon is almost half the size of the planet Earth, the cave systems are not very large, so there is not a lot of living space for the Vidnizx and the other species native there. The entire population of the Vindizx species has never reached more than a million individuals. They do have exceptionally long lifespans, though, excepting when killed by predators. Even this is rare, though, as Vindnizx are, by far, the smartest beings in the caves.

Vindizx and a large portion of the lifeforms in the caves have eyes, though the only source of light is the luminescence given off by the most primitive lifeforms that exist, such as moss-like and worm-like beings that are the bottom of the food chain. Though most Vindizx have never though to question the setup, Cliak has been pondering the nature of light and has even begun experiments in breeding brighter worms. Though, to what end, even she does not know.

Like most Vindizx, Josik is a solitary individual, meeting with others only for protection or to breed. But unlike most, Josik actually suffers from an allergy of sorts that makes her feel ill in the presence of her own kind. Essentially a hermit, Josik dwells in a small cave protected from predators by its proximity to more populated caves, but sufficiently distant that she does not suffer constantly. It can get lonely, but is better than any alternative Josik can think of.

Bucoto is in one of the most dangerous lines of work for the species. She explores the oceans of the Deep Flooded Caves. It is the belief of Bucoto that there could be other cave systems that can only be reached by going through the Deep Flooded Caves and emerging into tunnels that don’t connect anywhere above the water line. There is a known president in written history of caves being cut off from travel by natural disasters. Bucoto has a semi-spiritual belief in a paradise society in some hidden cave that could benefit the rest of the world if found.

A Fact About Vidnizx: When a Vindizx retracts their head into their shell, their mouth will open to expose their sharp teeth, so that any predator that may try to reach inside will get cut up.

Universe: Grey

The Crent

The Crent are a species with ten limbs, five used for locomotion that grow out of their back and five that grow out of their head and are used for manipulation of things. They have one large eyeball, which they can protect by closing up the “fist” around their head. Their diet consists entirely of plants and they have to be eating most of the time to get sufficient nutrition. The technological level of their society has only progressed to a level we would compare to our Bronze Age, though it has remained at that level longer than our Bronze Age did, and it is starting to seem like they have hit a ceiling on their technological development. There is not a lot of climatic variation on the Crent homeworld, so they’ve never needed to invent any sort of clothing to protect themselves from extreme temperatures or anything like that, but they have developed a technique of dipping the tips of their five manipulating appendages into wax so that it is coated and therefore less likely to be cut or burned when they do things with them.

Byardean is a farm worker working in the fertile plains of the planet’s north. Farms in this region are owned by councils of thinkers who try to devise knew and better ways to produce plants and ship them around the world. Most farm workers swear to work for a thinker who is in some way related to them, but Byardean has sworn loyalty to a thinker who was once a rival to Byardean’s family. Strife between Byardean and siblings, coupled with an honest belief that the rival thinker’s operation is better, have made it the obvious choice to go against family history.

Clarbio is a big city type, living in the largest city on the planet. Simply residing in that location, Clarbio’s lifestyle is better than a lot of the rural locations. Only here could Clarbio make a living as an art critic. Perhaps the first person on the planet ever to be employed as such, Clarbio has made a study of all the various art styles that come through the city, which trades with regions all over the world, and has somehow convinced others to pay to hear Clarbios opinion.

Dorneyz is a soldier in the largest army on the planet. In the planet’s southern hemisphere, a warlord has assembled this massive fighting force and conquered larger territory than any other ruler the planet has seen. Dorneyz is proud to be a part of this gathering of warriors and is, in spare moments, writing a “rules of engagement” style document that will be studied by historians for generations to come.

A Fact About The Crent: The fact that the species has stagnated at their Bronze Age-equivalent level should not be much of a problem for them, but for one thing: an alien spacecraft, manned by dozens of a technologically advanced species, has crashed onto an island not far from the largest continent’s northern shores. Though these aliens are in suspended animation now, who can say what accident may awaken them to be released on this unprepared world.

Universe: Narsidon

Vurjileods

Vurjileod, an ocean-filled planet whose dominant species calls itself by that same name, is a place of high magic. This is the world that gave birth to the Universe Wizards, an event that caused the species to nearly drive itself to extinction. While Goolo is travelling the cosmos in a noble quest, most of the once-scattered Vurjileod population is now trying to reconvene at the world of their origin to rebuild their numbers, and find a way to repair the damage their magic-abusing ancestors have caused. The occupants of the world try to keep its location hidden, because many other species were also damaged by the Universe Wizards and some of them want revenge.

Vippor is a young Vurjileod who believes that the best way to right the species’s wrongs is to abandon anything that might be considered “magic” ways. Vippor now lives only in the oceans, essentially trying to return to an animal state of being. While most see this as a ridiculous overreaction, the numbers of those who believe in this lifestyle is growing.

Svoot was born on a world far across the universe, one of the farthest colonies of Vurjileods that ever was to exist. That planet, though, was attacked by an enemy species and only a small handful of survivors made it to the homeworld. Having seen the greatness that the Universe Wizard powers provided, Svoot could never think of giving up the access to the “magic” ways. Instead, like most of the population, Svoot is more interested in how to use the magic more responsibly and keep it out of the hands of those who would use it to damage others.

All Vurjileods are born with only their two lower limbs (we’d call them legs). The process of gaining their upper limbs is a painful one. First, a wound needs to be cut in the spot where the limb is to grow, and then an arduous healing process that lasts months and requires a relatively massive food intake occurs as the limb grows. Most Vurjileods are therefore happy with a mere two limbs, but some, like Petolk, think that more can be useful. The thing is, Petolk doesn’t even have an occupation in which having an extra limb is particularly useful. Mostly, the extra limb is a status symbol that shows either Petolk’s strength or foolishness, depending on who is judging.

A Fact About Vurjileods: There is actually a relatively large Vurjileod population located on a prison world ruled by the evil Universe Wizard Karradak, though those on the homeworld are entirely unaware of them.

Universe: Brown

What could be more appropriate for the Halloween season than a team of monster hunters? Well, here’s one of those:

Monsters and ghosts are not confined to the planet Earth by any means. Luckily, there is a team of aliens working together to fend them off:

Windwatcher

A member of the species known as the Rootfolk, Windwatcher is the leader of this team of monster hunters. Windwatcher was given their name after claiming to see spirits as a youth. While nobody ever believed Windwatcher’s claims, Windwatcher continued to see invisible things, but kept it a secret. After serving in the war against the Strondovarians and the Omnivoroids, Windwatcher noted an increase in the amount of angry ghosts causing problems for the living. After trying to convince the other Rootfolk of the problem, and again not being believed, Windwatcher went off alone into the cosmos to form a team that could do something about supernatural threats.

Kartiss

Being a Strondovarian, Kartiss would normally be an enemy of Rootfolk, but Kartiss has no loyalty to any species’s petty politics. Kartiss is only concerned with the destruction of monsters. Born and raised on a space station near the construction site of the artificial planet New Gurx, Kartiss was the sole survivor of an invasion of monstrous beings from beyond reality. Kartiss would have died when the space station self-destructed, but was saved by Windwatcher, who had arrived to investigate the mystical energies present. The two are now loyal friends devoted to supernatural investigation.

Josgann

Josgann is a mysterious being, the origin of which even its teammates do not know. What is known is that Josgann is extremely capable of detecting the supernatural. It is said that Josgann can detect a ghost manifesting on a planet light years away. The team suspects that Josgann may be a demonic entity similar to many of the monsters they fight, but aligned to their cause of destroying the bad ones. Josgann has offered nothing contrary to this, simply stating that it is here because it is needed.

Dooori

Dooori is the member of the team who facilitates communication between the species that make up the team, being able to communicate with any of the individual members, and relay messages to others. Dooori is also the team’s exorcist, capable of drawing on some higher power to expel evil spirits from the physical plane. Dooori’s also preaches a system of religious beliefs that none of the others are all that interested in, but they can’t deny the results.

Roger Lincoln

A member of a family of Earthlings that are hunted by demons and monsters and therefore have devoted themselves to the hunting of demons and monsters as a survival tactic, Roger was banished from his homeworld by a sorcerer. It was mostly dumb luck that helped Roger meet with this crew of monster hunters, but it has worked out well for all involved. Though Roger does think of returning to Earth, there’s no rush, because he’s doing good work hunting for monsters out in space and making monsters fear the Lincoln family on entirely new worlds.

(Roger is related to Natalie and Claire, and his brother Reg was killed in a SecGov storyline.)

Hey, it’s nearing Halloween again. How am I gonna do some aliens with a spooky flavor this year? Something less ridiculous than Jack O’Spiders? We’ll how about if the aliens are the victims of the spooky stuff this time:

Tirglanes

The planet Tirgal is under attack. The dark hordes of the Hated Dead have broken out of their underworld imprisonment and now the Skeleterrors are rampaging through the cosmos, and the unfortunate homeworld of the Tirglanes.

Tirglanes are a three-legged, three-armed, three-eyed species whose diet is comprised mainly of berries and nuts. They live in tight-knit family units in large stone structures, with the different families doing different jobs in the communities. If a community has any kind of leadership, it is generally a family that has proven themselves skilled as leaders.

Delipo was a typical Tirglane citizen, living in a largish town with a family of garment weavers. But then the Hated Dead arrived and demolished the town, so now Delipo and family are refugees, seeking some place of safety in a world that has none.

Hossak is a warrior on the front lines of the battle against the Skeleterrors. Having served in a number of wars between cities on the planet, Hossak is a skilled veteran, but this fight against the cosmic undead is something unlike anything the Tirglanes have ever seen. Skeleterrors seem to be orbiting the planet, coming down in swarms whenever they have recharged whatever form of energy it is they use. Hossak and the other warriors occasionally do repel the attacks, but it is just as common for the Skeleterrors to just leave after they’ve apparently sated their desire for destruction for a time. Hossak is growing weary of seeing allies die, but refuses to stop fighting.

The figure of a humanoid skeleton should have no inherent use as iconography of death on a world with no humanoids, but it does now that the Skeleterrors have attacked. Cerrikar is a necromancer who uses the symbology of death to power spells, and has found that the use of Skeleterror imagery has unlocked a lot of new spells hitherto unknown on this world. But is this power worth the risk of the utter destruction of the planet? Cerrikar is not sure, but plans to keep using the power until a decision is urgently needed.

A Fact About Tirglanes: Occasionally albino Tirglanes are born and they are considered blessed. Usually trained to become travelling bards, they are rewarded handsomely for their services and treated as honored guests wherever they go. Though many Tirglanes memorize the poems that tell the history of their world, albinos are the ones who know the most.

Universe: Silver