Phentari

From SSDC, Inc.

Race Overview:

The Phentari race is the most mistrusted, disliked, and feared of all the known races. They are bipedal squid-like beings with generally nasty dispositions toward life and are sometimes called names like Grim Reaper, Cold Death, Demon Spawn, and Soul Sucker. Phentari are indigenous to the methane planet Phena in the Tau Ceti star system. They are typically evil, but a few have been known to be good.

Members of the Phentari race are not liked by most other races who view them as evil and treacherous. This suits the Phentari just fine for he holds all weaker beings in utter contempt anyway. Many Phentari follow the philosophy that, "All fear me. Those who don't, I have already disposed of!" The squids understand their own version of persuasion which is coercion. Why would there be any other method of getting someone to do something for you? The only races that the Phentari actually like are Orions and Tza Zen Rigeln. Phentari do respect those who are powerful, but they deplore cowardice.

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Biology:

The Phentari species is roughly quadrilateral, which is to say that they have four upper and lower limbs as well as four lobes to their brain. While the upper limbs -- in this case, sinuous tentacles -- remain at full ability, the four lower limbs have evolved differently.

During the species' shift from an arboreal existence (four upper and four lower tentacles would enable the creature to move with great grace and speed through the frozen methane jungles of Phena, and the squids still climb very well) to a ground-based existence, they would have discovered that their lower tentacles were less adept at keeping their stocky bodies upright when at full extension. Relative stability would only be achieved with each lower tentacle pair curled around, each to provide support to the other. As a consequence, evolution has bowed to the necessity of 'unified lower tentacles', creating the stump-like legs which offer support, but neither speed nor significant advantage in balance. The use of prosthetic enhancements for movement, typically outside the home, was soon universal.

The Phentari's upper limbs are controlled by the four-lobed brain, enabling independent action for each, much like a human's two-lobed brain controls and enables independent action for each of their two arms. In the squid's case, it allows the being to fire multiple weapons at multiple targets or to perform multiple independent actions simultaneously. This has the effective result of doubling the squid's presence of whatever squad he's adding firepower to; in close combat, a Phentari is practically a mobile Cuisinart, especially with edged weapons.

However, the quad-lobed brain does bring some minor problems with it; almost every Phentari 'hears voices'. While some of them will say that they're the souls of all the people the Phentari has slain and devoured, the scientific explanation is more prosaic. The multiple lobes of the squid as they communicate with each other have a certain level of additional byplay; this steady subconscious 'conversation' is a constant low level schizophrenia, long since adapted to. Just remember, however, that if you and the Phentari are alone somewhere, she won't always be talking to you!!

Like Eridine, Phena has a 20% methane atmosphere, which requires the Phentari to wear an atmospheric processer when operating in nitrogen-oxygen environments. They are also adapted to cold environments, and though they can cope with 'average' temperatures relatively successfully, continual high temperatures (above 30°C/86°F) will require daily applications of coolant. Higher continual temperatures requiring more frequent cooling, whether via injection, matrix, or external application.

Otherwise, the Phentari are a very resilient species. Scores of species-wide wars and a natural policy of 'survival of the fittest' has resulted in a race whose natural abilities and resistances are statistically higher than the galactic average.

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