Lla

Never trust a squid.

-offensive, but widespread, maxim referring to the Lla

Basic Information

Anatomy

Lla are a sentient, cephalopod-like species from Llaja. They are generally pale blue in color, with spherical bioluminescent organs that line each of their eighteen long tentacles. These organs flash in patterns both up and down the tentacles. In roughly 88% of the population, this is synchronized in every tentacle; in the remaining 12%, the patterns flash in a disjointed manner than that gives a "spiral" appearance to the light's apparent motion.

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

Llaja have no true "face," but have four eye-like organs spread evenly around their braincases, allowing them to perceive in every direction.

Average Intelligence

Lla have a comparable intelligence to other Party species, such as humans and elves.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Lla have names of the form <profession> <given name>. It is not uncommon for a particular Lla to change its profession name multiple times through life, starting with what translates to "Youth," through "Student," and a few careers afterwards. Lla may name themselves in the bellowing Lla language which can only be partially heard by most humanoids, or employ an adaptation of their choosing.

Major Organizations

See the Din of the Deeps article for more information.

Gender Ideals

Lla have strict gender roles, especially for clutching females, who are not permitted to leave their massive (and rather luxurious) dens. Furthermore, females are forbidden from engaging in the rich Lla oral traditions of storytelling, dialogues (a form of two-actor scripted performance), and epic poetry. Females and males are both free to engage in the dance-like arts, employing their bioluminescence to generate fabulous and colorful patterns in the depths.

The Din of the Deeps is generally considered highly sexist as an organization, and does not permit female members. In fact, many Din agents go so far as to refuse dealings with females of other species.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Lla is a monolithic language in which dialects are more akin to various poetic meters in a humanoid language. It is a bellowing, loud language comparable to whale song.

Common Dress Code

Lla have no concept of clothing or modesty, despite their rigid sexual norms.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

In addition to the oral "holy trinity" of epic poetry, dialogues, and storytelling, Lla engage in ritual group hunts of large game. These are meant to emulate great hunts of the past, and are to be performed without assisting technology. As the Lla are exceptionally large and strong beings, their targets are obviously also exceptional, such as the great Llaja Leviathan.

History

The Lla joined the galactic community now known as the Party shortly before the eruption of the Great War. During that war, the Lla took no side, but traded its energy resources to anyone willing to pay. This led to vast amounts of money and resources pouring into Llaja, and ultimately also resulted in the formation of the organized crime syndicate that holds the true power on Llaja: the Din of the Deeps.

Since the signing of the Sol Accords and the end of the Great War, the Din have continued to amass power and wealth. With the recent uplifting of Llaja-based Hasedar Forgeworks to the level of a megacorporation, they have more galactic power than ever before.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Due to the stark differences between their preferred environment (the frigid depths of a methane ocean) and those of other Party species, they do not directly deal with other species. Rather, the Lla have created humanoid simulacra called Proxies through which they engage in their interplanetary business. These Proxies are androids—and androids they are, as they're exclusively male—that travel the galaxy masquerading as a humanoid. They are capable of independent action, and are therefore true artificial intelligence in violation of certain Party laws and norms. However, a Lla can assume direct control over an owned Proxy at any time, overriding the independent will of the android. This is further seen as a crime against sentient life by some Party officials, but attempts to sanction the Din of the Deeps have been unfruitful at best, and disastrous at worst.

Lifespan

140 (Sol III) years

Average Weight

7200 kg

Average Length

7 m

Average Physique

Lla are fiercely strong within the confines of their ocean depths, at least by humanoid standards. By Llaja standards, they are of above-average size and strength, but are far from the strength of the planet's natural apex predators.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Generally pale blue, but with bioluminescent organs that glow a variety of individual-specific colors. The most common light color is also a pale blue, but individuals that shed white light and orange light are common. A rich green color exists, but is rare and considered exotic on Llaja. Just under 1% of the population sheds this green light.