E'kred (Eee-kred)

You know what's worse than one E'kred? Two of those little Θ#&*!
FIND THEM AND GET THEM OFF MY SHIP!

— A disgrunted GU Agent

The E'kred are a small species from the planet Onida. They are most known for their technology relating to stealth and invisibility.

Basic Information

Anatomy

E'kred are bipedal creatures, with very flexible arms and legs, leading to other species who are not accustomed to E'kred mistaking them for having broken limbs at times. The most distinct facial feature of an E'kred is their three large eyes.
They have thick skin with a translucent upper layer, and a lattice of miniscule crystals interlaced in the underlayer.

E'kred can adjust the wavelengths of light that's reflected off the crystals with relaxing or tightening their skin, resulting in the ability to camouflage into their surroundings when needed.

Dietary Needs and Habits

E'kred are omnivores, though have a preference of eating insects and small animals. Their diet is mostly protein based.
Food is the one they they avoid with jokes or pranks, as they don't find the results funny.

Average Lifespan

500 years

Conservation Status

Low Concern

Average Height

4ft

Geographic Distribution

Onida

Reproduction and Growth

E'kred reproduce through internal fertilization. Duration of E'kred pregnancy is about 15 months.
E'kred fully mature around 15 years, but aren't allowed to take part in any activities off world until they are around 30 years old unless supervised by a parent or mentor. They can live on average around 500 years, however their risk-taking behaviour and engagement in dares and pranks results them in having a higher mortality rate.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

E'kred traditionally have three names: a given name, their family name and their mentor name.
Their given and family name are assigned to them at birth, and their mentor name is added when they're around 10 years old. If their mentor changes then they have the choice to keep or remove their previous mentor's name.

Common Dress Code

E'kred are known for wearing brightly coloured but practical clothing, finding it to be more "fun" and "interesting". If in danger, they will quickly shed the clothes so they are able to quickly hide in their surroundings.
Because of this they've also developed underclothing that will mimic the colours of their skin, so they don't always have to be completely vunerable.

Technology

The E'kred are most known for their creation and usage of invisibility technology. As an extension of their own natural ability, the E'kred developed the technology to render themselves almost perfectly invisible to the naked eye, along with their equipment.
The technology originated from the convenience of having one's belongings to become invisible alongside themselves and is based on how their skin functions.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Humour

The ability to evoke laughter and amusement is held in high regard in E'kred society, and they find joy in shared pranks, jokes and other playful activities.
It is common for E'kred to engage in friendly competitions to outwit and entertain one another. Sometimes competitions will involve unwitting targets who end up being on the recieving ends of pranks from both parties.

Challenges

E'kred commonly hold innovation events where individuals and teams are expected to compete to create creative contraptions and equipment.
Challenges can range from being specific, pushing for more creative thinking, to being more vague, allowing for more freedom with what's being created.
While a lot of it is for fun and will result in ridiculous creations, many inventions and technology either end up finding practical applications, or assists in the development of more useful technologies.

Burial Rituals

Due to other species developing an interest with their skin, E'kred have developed various rituals when it related to the burial of the dead. If being buried, the remains will be covered in a bacterial formula that encourages breakdown of the skin, making it useless for anyone attempting to take it, before being quickly taken to the designated location to be buried. It is common for remains to be buried before any ceremonies occur.
If unable to perform a proper burial or any reason, E'kred will resort to burned and cremating their dead.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Reputation

E'kred have a reputation of being pranksters and troublemakers when is comes to interactions and negotiations with them. E'kred aren't malevolent by any means, but they are extremely petty and commonly hold grudges which result in unfortunate individuals facing their wrath in the forms of disruption and pranks for seemingly innocuous or unintentional slights.
For some intergalactic circles, the word E'kred has developed into a term of expressing frustration.

Exploitation

While illegal in many parts of the galaxy, E'kred skin is very sought after by some groups due to it's unique properties. The quality of the skin is dependant on how cleanly it is removed from the E'kred.