Playable Races: Gaian
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Due to the nature of the game and its development cycle, information here is subject to change, and certain pieces of information are missing or omitted. Please handle this with care.
To be more precise, YOU ARE READING A TOUCHED-UP ROUGH DRAFT. This writing is not production ready by any means and is more here for the people who are super curious!
This document written in-character, as if you were reading a manifest from the game's lorebook.
Key Overview
| Attribute | Associated Information |
|---|---|
| Home World | Gaia (Sol II System (G2V), Planet № 4) |
| Propagation Technique | Sexual Reproduction (Male/Female), Live birth |
| Average Height | 1.5m |
| Average Mass | 30kg |
| Average Lifespan | 92.2 Years |
Overview
Gaians are descendants of the Human species of the late planet Earth. They are responsible for the foundation of The Coalition of United Species, and are much more docile and unified than their ancestors. They are mostly bald, endoskeletal bipeds, which exhibit particularly high intelligence.
Phenotype
Gaian anatomy is effectively the same as Human anatomy with a few changes.
Gaians still have two primary types of hair, vellus (the thin, almost invisible kind that covers their entire body) and terminal (the large, thicker, visible hair, such as that on their legs, face, or head). Hair colors are typically brown in shade, with varying lightness, ranging from bright colors like pale gray, to dark colors like brown or black. Orange hair, which was a rare trait in some Humans, was not passed down to Gaians.
Gaian eyes follow typical Human eye colors (green, brown, black, hazel, blue) but a mutation has caused rare occurrences of bright gray to occur. The sclera still remains completely white, and their pupils round. Unfortunately, there are no known natural Gaians who have 20:20 eyesight; the distribution among individuals with refractive error still remains roughly the same as it was with Humans, with a majority of individuals being nearsighted. Technology is often used to correct eyesight however, so eyeglasses are not common, considered to be more of a fashion statement rather than a useful tool.
Gaian appendages still follow the standard vertibrate model, with four fingers and a thumb. Gaian feet have evolved to discard their four smaller toes, though the bone structure still remains the same, giving their feet a "sock in a sandal" look. Height remains relatively the same as their predecessors, with an average height of 1.5m.
The Gaian respiratory system is still the same, with two lungs which perform respiration through capillaries in the alveoli. The trachea is connected to the upper esophagus, and much like their predecessors, they are occasionally prone to inhaling food and drink as a result of their significantly shifted larynx (voice box).
The Gaian digestive system is also largely the same, however they do not have genetic disorders like diabetes in their genone. Additionally, Gaians still have an intestinal microbiome, but it has changed fairly significantly, with a stronger dependence on microbes for processing. It has changed so much in fact, that gaians have discussed the topic of being classified as symbiotes in the near evolutionary future as a very real possibility.
Home World
Gaia is a lush, partially terraformed, partially natural planet. It is the fourth planet in its orbit and very suitable for sustaining carbon-based life and liquid water. Most of the world is composed of lush landmasses, with a network of extremely large, river-like oceanic bodies permeating the landmasses. It has low seismic activity.
Most power sources use nuclear fusion, fission, solar radiation, or wind currents. Buildings are often constructed from an artifical liquid rock compound called concrete, composed of gravel and a binding agent called cement. Metals from the planet's mantle are often used as well, primarily as varying forms of Ferrite and Titanium.
Culture and Standards
Gaian culture is largely based on that of their ancestors, with several fundamental changes both introduced via artificial evolutionary pressure and cultural norms. They frown upon their ancestors' behaviors and often cite it for the reason behind Earth's destruction.
Previously significant cultural setbacks, such as discrimination for identifying features, have been entirely resolved, likely as a result of the people that initially composed the species not having such prejudices, which led to this being the de facto outlook for their descendants. Additionally, scientific advances such as full body modifications have enabled many individuals to see aspects of the self as malleable and entirely controllable, causing people to consider their bodies much like an outfit.
The tale of Earth
Gaian historians often tell the tale of Earth as a cautionary tale for other races looking to join The Coalition. Earth was once a lush world much like their current home of Gaia, but was destroyed due to careless overindustrialization from people in positions of power who refused to - or were incapable of - listening to reason. It is often mentioned that a prior trait of Humans was the emergence of sociopathic traits within some individuals in large communities, who often abused their community's goodwill to get into positions of power that actively harmed those below them. This was an evolutionarily favored trait which relied on the vast social diversity of Humans to leech from.
Scientists who studied the effects of pollutants being introduced into their atmosphere often would warn these individuals in places of power about the imminent decomposition of the biosphere. Despite the obvious effects, a surprisingly large portion of the population actively denied the effects - including effects like significantly more powerful tropical storms that often destroyed the lives of these very deniers. This, coupled with skeptics and conspiracy theorists getting into positions of power, quickly drove the biosphere out of stability as they held zero regard for their actions beyond themselves and like-minded individuals.
Those that were able to escape were the scientists and engineers who were well aware of the effects before things got out of hand, and who were willing to try their chances in the stars once they realized their home was hopeless. While many good people died as a result of the careless actions of the few, including many of those that tried and failed to take this great journey. Thankfully, one of these communities was successful. Through countless years of adjustment and survival on their newly found world, through the course of hundreds of thousands of years, they were shaped and evolved into the Gaians.
Romantic and Bonding Interests
Gaians remain largey the same as most humans in this regard, with care for only one romantic partner being the most common type of relationship, with occasional instances of polyamory. Typically, romantic groups remain together for life.
When joining together, the concept of having a wedding reception has largely remained a norm, however the original meaning of Marriage rooted in religion is considered a historical leftover, turning the events into more of a "civil union with a party attached" than a bona-fide Marriage by its true definition.