BackworldTraveller
SOC-13
A member of the Dhaen have been a feature in a game I run...initially as a pet then, as the crew realised its intelligence, as an NPC crewmember.
Natives of Dhaen/Provence 0718, these sophonts are 55kg natives of a planet that is cold at the equator and frozen at the poles. They are bilaterally symmetrical with two arms and two legs, stand just 1.2m tall, have relatively long bodies and shorter limbs than the anthropomorphic stereotype. They are uncomfortable at temperatures over 15 degrees C but able to survive well in temperatures as cold as -50 degrees C.
The Vargr who control this world debate whether these are sophonts or clever animals. The IISS has classed them as Sophonts and the ownership of them is thus, legally, slavery on Imperial worlds. Despite this, there is a trade in servants drawn from a number of Dhaen castes throughout Provence and Tuglikki Sectors and into Corridor and Deneb. They are used in roles that would be filed with Domestic Robots within the Imperium. (The Vargr feel better being seen to be superior to a creature than to a machine.)
The Dhaen are genetically predisposed to specific roles in their society, and perform within those roles well. The particular castes may differ noticeably from the statistical norms for the race.
Dhaen are unusual in that they can significantly alter their metabolism. They can operate to conserve energy, when they are particularly slow, but utilise lower levels of life-support; in a general mode; or frenetically when they are much faster but require twice the life support to normal.
Dhaen are relatively weak, as befits their small size, but are dexterous. Their small bodies lack the reserves to have a sustained endurance, but their metabolic variability helps overcome this.
Dhaen are not as intelligent as many sophonts, and learn instinctivey within the skills required by their caste.
Because of the location of the Dhaen homeworld, the IISS has not been able to undertake a full study of this race. Despite of, or because of their lack of intelligence, the Dhaen are found in small numbers throughout the Provence, Tuglikki and occasionally Corridor sectors – particularly those of the various servile or worker castes.
They are not likely to last long into the future as their home-star is classified as F8 IV and is thus about to expand and wipe out the creatures homeworld. They have very poor vision in the red end of the spectrum but can see well into the long-UV spectrum by way of compensation.
Dhaen have a good sense of hearing and can vocalise, their base notes are audible to Vargr but not Humans and their top-notes are so high-pitched that they count as Ultra-Sound. Any conversation between Humans and Dhaen requires a pitch-altering mechanism; between Vargr and Dhaen is manageable (just) without. This communication issue has been part of the problem in getting Dhaen recognised as Sophonts on some/many worlds.
Dhaen social groups contain many individuals and a fully functioning unit appears to have about 120-300 individuals from around 60 differing castes. The Dhaen's homeworld culture had been almost static for about 30,000 years before contact by the Vargr, and it has not changed significantly since - despite the introduction of Vargr 'guidance'.
Native Dhaen culture is notorious for the use of a number of fast-acting neuro-toxins in hunting and warfare. They may be low tech, but they are potentially very dangerous. Dhaen taken from their homes as young and raised within Vargr packs seem to accept their lowly place well, provided they are not pushed outside their genetically-expected roles.
Natives of Dhaen/Provence 0718, these sophonts are 55kg natives of a planet that is cold at the equator and frozen at the poles. They are bilaterally symmetrical with two arms and two legs, stand just 1.2m tall, have relatively long bodies and shorter limbs than the anthropomorphic stereotype. They are uncomfortable at temperatures over 15 degrees C but able to survive well in temperatures as cold as -50 degrees C.
The Vargr who control this world debate whether these are sophonts or clever animals. The IISS has classed them as Sophonts and the ownership of them is thus, legally, slavery on Imperial worlds. Despite this, there is a trade in servants drawn from a number of Dhaen castes throughout Provence and Tuglikki Sectors and into Corridor and Deneb. They are used in roles that would be filed with Domestic Robots within the Imperium. (The Vargr feel better being seen to be superior to a creature than to a machine.)
The Dhaen are genetically predisposed to specific roles in their society, and perform within those roles well. The particular castes may differ noticeably from the statistical norms for the race.
Dhaen are unusual in that they can significantly alter their metabolism. They can operate to conserve energy, when they are particularly slow, but utilise lower levels of life-support; in a general mode; or frenetically when they are much faster but require twice the life support to normal.
Dhaen are relatively weak, as befits their small size, but are dexterous. Their small bodies lack the reserves to have a sustained endurance, but their metabolic variability helps overcome this.
Dhaen are not as intelligent as many sophonts, and learn instinctivey within the skills required by their caste.
Because of the location of the Dhaen homeworld, the IISS has not been able to undertake a full study of this race. Despite of, or because of their lack of intelligence, the Dhaen are found in small numbers throughout the Provence, Tuglikki and occasionally Corridor sectors – particularly those of the various servile or worker castes.
They are not likely to last long into the future as their home-star is classified as F8 IV and is thus about to expand and wipe out the creatures homeworld. They have very poor vision in the red end of the spectrum but can see well into the long-UV spectrum by way of compensation.
Dhaen have a good sense of hearing and can vocalise, their base notes are audible to Vargr but not Humans and their top-notes are so high-pitched that they count as Ultra-Sound. Any conversation between Humans and Dhaen requires a pitch-altering mechanism; between Vargr and Dhaen is manageable (just) without. This communication issue has been part of the problem in getting Dhaen recognised as Sophonts on some/many worlds.
Dhaen social groups contain many individuals and a fully functioning unit appears to have about 120-300 individuals from around 60 differing castes. The Dhaen's homeworld culture had been almost static for about 30,000 years before contact by the Vargr, and it has not changed significantly since - despite the introduction of Vargr 'guidance'.
Native Dhaen culture is notorious for the use of a number of fast-acting neuro-toxins in hunting and warfare. They may be low tech, but they are potentially very dangerous. Dhaen taken from their homes as young and raised within Vargr packs seem to accept their lowly place well, provided they are not pushed outside their genetically-expected roles.
