OU: The Tavori of Cytheria...
Johnny1a
Banduch, from GURPS Aliens, though many differences exist.
The TAVORI:
Accepted taxonomy (as of 2090 A.D., simplified):
_Animalia Chordata Vertebrata Mammalia Eutheria Multispinaria
Palusiadomusia Tavora ingeniosis._
The Tavori are a species of sapients native to the planet Cytheria
(Aphrodite IV). In appearance, a typical Tavor looks rather like an
undersized sauropod, with the same flexible neck, long tail, and
general body shape. They are, however, quite mammalian, and their
closest Terran relatives are the Cetacea and the Artiodactyla. The
relationship is quite distant, however. The lines of evolutionary
descent diverged some time before the Cetacea began to adapt to an
oceanic existence.
Though only handful of even remotely related species exist on
Cytheria, other worlds are host to members of the larger clade which
late twenty-first century taxonomists call the Order _Multispinaria_,
so named because, almost uniquely among the vertebrates, this Order
evolved long, flexible necks by multiplying the number of vertebrae in
the neck rather than simply evolving longer neck vertebrae. The
‘typical’ seven neck vertebrae common to the huge majority of mammals
across the Galaxy are far more numerous in the Multispinaria, the
exact number varying widely from species to species. Additionally,
the joins of these multiple vertebrae are both tougher and more
flexible than in their related Orders among the Mammalia.
The result of this is an _extremely_ flexible neck, usually shrouded
in and supported by dense layers of muscle tissue. The large majority
of species of Multispinaria are purely herbivorous, and their long and
flexible necks are adapted to the purpose of making efficient use of
the food resources of their niches.
The Tavori are part of a single taxonomic Family, the Palusiadomusia,
the ‘swamp dwellers’, since all six species of Multispinaria to be
found on Cytheria are monophyletic and all dwell in various types of
swamp or swamp-like environments. Some extinct relatives lived in
other niches on Cytheria, but these have been extinct for several
million Terran years.
The Family Palusiadomusia comprises three genera, of which the Tavora
contains only one extant species, _Tavora ingeniosis_, the ‘bright (in
the sense of intelligent) Tavors’. Colloquially, _Tavora ingeniosis_
is generally simply called ‘the Tavori’, or ‘Tavor’ in the singular.
Though (slightly) more closely related to both the Artiodactyla and
the Cetacea, convergence has produced traits in the Tavori that more
closely resemble the Proboscidea, and specifically the elephants. The
legs of these quadrupeds are thick and straight, like those of
elephants, to support their considerable mass, and their feet show
superficial structure similarities to those of elephants.
It is in the digestive system that the kinship of the Tavori to the
Artiodactyla is most readily recognizable. Like their distant
relatives, they have complex, multichambered stomachs, though they are
adapted to a somewhat different diet than their cousins. Much of the
diet of the Tavori consists of various grasses well adapted to grow in
the hot swamp conditions so prevalent on much of Cytheria. Their four-
chambered stomachs are actually adapted to process grasses and other
plant life in one pair of sequential chambers, leaving the other pair
of chambers adapted to process fungi, which make up much of the diet
of the Tavori.
Fungi occupy many of the environmental niches on Cytheria that are
filled by plants on Earth. Nearly thirty percent of the diet of a
typical Tavor is made up of the various fungi growing in the swamps
that are their native environment, and Tavori require certain
nutrients from those fungi to maintain proper health. The fungi
provide a more concentrated source of energy than the various grasses
that make up most of the rest of the diet of the Tavori. The third
significant component to their diet is certain kinds of fruit, rich in
fructose and providing a disproportional amount of the energy supply
for their volume. [1] [2]
The teeth of the Tavori are adapted to sheering and crushing vegetable
and fungal matter, and crushing fruit, but it should be noted that
these teeth, while not particularly sharp, are quite hard and durable
and the jaws behind them are _very_ powerful. While a Tavor certainly
could not _bite_ off a Homosentient hand or limb with its teeth, it
could quite possibly _crush_ that same appendage into a useless state
with little damage to either the teeth or the jaw. [3] [4]
The head of a Tavori is larger than most of its kin, containing as it
does a substantial brain mass relative to the body size, and also
powerful and well-anchored muscles driving the jaw. The ears of a
Tavori are not immediately obvious, two small holes on either side of
the head, with small flaps that can be pulled shut to protect the ears
while the head is underwater. Tavori do not have particularly good
hearing, as mammals go, though they are fully capable of hearing and
parsing out the full range of Homosentient vocalizations.
The eyes of a Tavor are so placed to produce a compromise between
forward-facing binocular vision, and horizon-scanning, predator-
detecting vision. The result is that Tavori have some depth
perception, but not as good as that possessed by most Homosentients,
but they are far better than Homosentients are detecting motion and
have a much wider range of vision. They do not have color perception,
as such, but they do see somewhat into the infra-red range, which
together with their large, sensitive retinas give them excellent night
vision, far superior to any possessed by any of the various
Homosentient species. [5]
Tavori do not suffer for their excellent night vision, because their
eyes are adapted to respond rapidly to the presence of light. The
light they are evolved to prefer is the cloud-filtered light of
Aphrodite, however, and _direct_ sunlight, from either their own star
or Sol, is painful and reduces their visual acuity considerably. Such
unfiltered sunlight is rare in their native environment, however. [6]
The epidermis of these creatures is thick and tough, superficially
resembling that of the African elephant in texture, though not
necessarily in color. It is highly sensitive, however, and Tavori
have an excellent sense of touch. Unlike most mammals, these
creatures (and the other Palusiadomusia) are almost entirely hairless,
adapted well to their semi-aquatic environment. This lack of hair
(except for a protective scruff around the genitalia) enables the
Tavori to cool themselves by sweating, as well.
The Tavori display a startling range of colors, for a mammal. The
majority of the Tavori are gray-green in color, but shades ranging
from a very light blue-gray to a rust-red are observed. A _very_ few
are albino, but this is a serious maladaption in the UV-heavy
environment of Cytheria. The few albino Tavori often do not survive
to adulthood in spite of the efforts on the part of their herds to
protect them. [7]
Tavori have a long, highly muscular tail, supported by an ‘expanded’
set of vertebrae similar to those of the neck. This tail thickens
near the body, and is easily strong and flexible enough to be used as
a weapon.
Adult Tavori range in size from about the size of a male bovine, to
about thirty percent larger. They are far stronger for their size
than most mammals, the physical power of an adult male Tavor can rival
that of s small female African elephant. They are not built for
running, but they can, like an elephant, maintain what amounts to a
reasonably fast walk, and their endurance is enormous, they can walk
at a sedate pace for days on end, especially if they remain in their
preferred swampy environments.
MORE LATER.
[1] Some of the fungi consumed by the Tavori even provide a certain
amount of protein.
[2] Female Tavori become especially hungry for fruit during gestation,
which is timed to match the supply of their stable fruits in their
native environment (before sapience).
[3] ‘Herbivorous’ is not a synonym for ‘harmless’ or ‘helpless’. Nor
necessarily for ‘gentle’.
[4] Some of the fruits and seeds favored by the Tavori have hard,
tough shells that must be broken to reach the fruity matter.
Likewise, some of the fungi on which they feed have tough outer layers
as well.
[5] A typical Tavor has natural night vision superior to military-
grade nightsight gear.
[6] Direct sunlight on Cytheria gives them a -2 to all vision and
perception rolls, and -1 to concentration due to discomfort. Sol has
a similar effect, because though dimmer, it’s not their preferred
spectrum.
[7] Even given the nearly ubiquitous cloud cover, and an ozone layer,
Cytheria’s surface receives sufficient UV flux to surpass that
encountered on most of Earth on a clear summer day (though not by
much).
Johnny1a
The Tavori are sexually dimorphic to some degree, the males average
about twenty-five percent larger in volume than the females, are have
greater physical strength in proportion. Other than that, however, in
terms of behavior both sexes show, from the Homosentient point of
view, a relatively similar set of behavior traits.
The Tavori are, culturally and biologically, somewhat divided along
sexual lines, however. The males and females instinctively herd
together, in somewhat separate clusters, though each gender-distinct
‘herd’ is itself paired with one of the opposite sex. Paradoxically,
though the Tavori tend to segregate physically along gender lines,
they are also strongly inclined toward forming long-term, often life-
long, monogamous pair bonds. This is part of why the male and female
herds are paired off as groups.
Thus each herd of Tavori is actually two subherds, a male and a female
one, of approximately equal size.
Tavori reach sexual maturity after about four Cytherian years, or not
quite eight Terran years. Typically a Tavor forms its initial pair
bond with a member of the opposite sex during the final Cytherian year
before reaching mating age, though occasionally this requires a longer
period. Gestation requires about one Terran year, or slightly more
than half of the Cytherian year. Tavori females are fertile during a
brief period (between three and six Terran weeks) once each Cytherian
year, timed to result in birth during the Cytherian ‘late summer’ when
certain food supplies are especially abundant. [1] [2]
Tavori females give birth fairly easily, and usually produce one
child. Twins are rare, triplets almost unheard of, greater multiples
usually require medical intervention to come to term safely. Set
against this, a Tavori female remains potentially fertile throughout
most of her life, becoming fertile every Cytherian year (roughly every
1.9 Terran years), and can easily produce dozens of offspring if she
so chooses.
The young of both sexes remain with their mother throughout their
first Cytherian year, at the end of which they are usually fully
weaned and have reached a stage of mental maturity equivalent to a
Terran ten year old, at which point the male offspring join the male
subherd with their father, who completes raising them.
The female offspring are raised by their mother, and usually remain
with the maternal subherd. At sexual maturity most Tavor choose a
mate from the subherd matched to their own, though sufficient
intermixing occurs to prevent serious problems with genetic
diversity. About twenty percent of the Tavor in any given generation
choose mates from outside their own larger male-female herd.
During the first year, sire and dam remain together with both sexes of
offspring, remaining with the female subherd. It is in fact quite
common for adults of either sex to visit and temporarily move with the
other subherd even without offspring involved, the gender divide is
instinctive, but not hostile, and visitors from either are generally
welcome with the other gender. Both sexes simply feel more
‘comfortable’ spending most of their time in their own subherd.
(Individual exceptions can and do exist, and no particular negative
association exists.) [3]
The two matched subherds generally move in tandem, but remain about
two to twelve Terran hours’ normal walking speed apart as they
migrate. The Tavor are migratory by nature, and also territorial,
they are ferociously protective of those territories they migrate
within, and have interlocking patterns, one larger herd will move into
an area while another heads out, giving the various herds access to
different types of food and other resources as the Cytherian year
passes.
Typically, following instinct, the male subherd moves first, several
hours ahead of the female one, this in pre-sapient times enable the
physically larger and more powerful males to clear out an area of
potential predators or other dangerous animals. In some regions, the
male subherd will break into two groups and one will come along in the
rear of the females, which also served a protective purpose at one
time, and remains an instinctive tendency.
The life-span of an otherwise healthy Tavor, unaided by any
technological or psionic means, is about fifty Cytherian years
(roughly 90 Terran years). The Tavor are, however, powerfully
psionic, and most of them make use of their native power to extend
their lifespan considerably beyond that mark. Some Tavor are recorded
to have lived as long as three hundred Cytherian years in their pre-
technological period.
Tavor are highly social creatures, and as herd animals they are able
to cooperate easily with a minimum of formal organization. Each
subherd is led by an Alpha female and Alpha male, but this refers
purely to their position of respect and authority, there are no
specific mating rights or privileges associated with the status, and
indeed most Alphas are past the primary reproductive age by the time
they assume this role. Usually, but by no means always, the Alpha is
the oldest mentally and physically sound Tavor in the subherd. The
Alpha is always one of the elders of the subherd, and will be advised
by and chosen by a ‘council’ of elder Tavori in the subherd. This
group can also remove an Alpha who appears to be unequal to the
demands of the role for whatever reason, or who acts in ways
consistently against the interest of the herd. The Tavori respect age
and experience, proven ability, and psionic strength, all of which are
usually necessary to become part of the leading circle of each
subherd.
The male and female Alpha of a herd may be, but usually are not,
mates. In either case the Alphas will work together, since they are
considered to share responsibility for the well-being and prosperity
of the entire herd. Between the two, whichever Alpha has been in that
position the longest will be the final authority of the entire herd.
Tavori have tremendous physical power, their musculature is both dense
and efficient. This also provides an additional layer of protection,
under their tough epidermis are layers of tough muscle that provide a
degree of damage resistance. There are very few creatures on
Cytheria, even during their pre-sapient time, that would risk a direct
battle with a group of Tavori. Though they lacked sharp teeth, they
could serious would or kill most animals with a single blow from their
powerful tails, or even from their neck and head.
All Tavori are powerfully psionic, by Homosentient standards. They
display all the Powers familiar to Homosentients, as well as
impressive skills in the use of these abilities. The Tavori lack
anything like the Homosentient hand, they have no ‘conventional’ means
of manipulating the world other than the quite limited abilities of
their mouths. Their psychokinesis, however, is sufficiently refined
to make this a non-issue, Tavori have been observed with sufficient
psychokinetic skill to perform microsurgery.
The Tavori are also able, by psionic means, to communicate with the
fungal supermind Cythorax, and by means of this connection to make
their home territories secure with a limited amount of direct effort.
This enables the Tavori to produce regions are the superbly adapted to
their needs, without much in the way of tools or equipment (though
they do possess technological skills and knowledge when they need it.)
MORE LATER.
[1] The fertility cycle is keyed to environmental conditions, and can
be temporarily disrupted if a female Tavor is moved to the opposite
hemisphere. Tavori require special arrangements to maintain a working
fertility cycle while not on Cytheria.
[2] Even the ‘winter’ on most of Cytheria is only mildly cooler (or by
Terran standards, less hot), the biosphere remains fully productive
throughout the year.
[3] Tavor are only sexually active during the period of female
fertility, the rest of the time both sexes are not much interesting in
mating.
Johnny1a
In GURPS 3e terms, adult female Tavori are DX-3, ST 130, HT 17/25.
Adult male Tavori are DX-3, ST 150, HT 18/30. Both are 3 hex
creatures.
The have a crushing attack (their jaws) that does 6d damage, and if
they can manage a trample attack it does 1d+2 damage. A tail-blow
attack that makes solid contact does 10d of damage and can wrap around
a sufficient small and slow target to inflict 1d of crushing damage
per turn.
The combination of their tough epidermis and the muscles beneath it
gives DR 3 against crushing damage, and DR 2 against cutting damage.
All Tavori have the following Advantages:
Absolute Direction [Cytheria only (involves link the Cythorax]; (3)
Acute Taste/Smell [2 levels] (4)
Alertness [1 level] (10)
Amphibious (20)
Empathy (15)
High Pain Threshold (10)
Intuition (15)
Night Vision (10)
All Tavori have the following Disadvantages:
Acceleration Weakness (-5)
Color Blindness (full) (-10)
Horizontal Posture [Quadrupedal] (-10)
Inconvenient Size (-10)
Increased Life Support (-20)
Poor Depth Perception (-5)
Sleepy (-10)
Slow eater [constant grazing] (-10)
Adult Tavori can be assumed to possess the following _minimum_ psionic
abilities:
ANTIPSI [5] (15)
*Psi Static at IQ (4)
BIOPSIONICS [5] (15)
*Healing at IQ (4)
Metabolism Control at IQ (4)
ESP [10] (30)
Clairaudience at IQ (4)
Clairvoyance at IQ (4)
PSYCHOKINESIS [15] (75)
**Telekinesis at IQ (1)
TELEPATHY [14] (70)
*Psi Sense at IQ (4)
**Telereceive [enhanced range: global, Tavori only, at IQ] (4)
**Telescan [Enhanced range: global, Tavori only, at IQ] (4)
**Telesend [Enhanced range: global, Tavori only, at IQ] (4)
Additionally, the minimum Mind Shield ability of an adult Tavor is
Power 14 (8)
*Skill is Mental/Average for Tavori
**Skill is Mental/Easy for Tavori
[Clearly the Tavori are high-point beings, a typical adult Tavor
starts at 275 points and it goes _up_ from there. Four hundred point
Tavori are not rare, and five hundred point Tavori exist.]