Wrikreechee
Wrikreechees are a peculiar species, bearing a striking resemblance to mollusks with their chitinous exoskeletons and filter feeding mechanisms. Their spindly physique and robust lower limbs allow them to cling onto jagged surfaces for extended periods. However, their most distinctive feature is the long, fibrous whiskers that fan out like baleen to catch food particles. Each of their forelimbs also has a set of three grasping claws that allow them to manipulate objects and tools.
These creatures hail from Traseed, a planet that has a unique blend of desert and ocean. They evolved as soft-bodied organisms that developed rigid exoskeletons to wander and feed during the warming cycle. During the cooling cycle, they retreated into coral-like constructions to conserve energy and socialize with their wintering colony. Their communal living gave rise to self-awareness and higher thought processes, and they developed a love for history, mathematics, and philosophy.
Wrikreechees may have only rudimentary technology, but their academic aptitude enables them to quickly understand and adopt advanced technologies. They have created wonders of architecture and adapted old technologies in innovative ways. Their most significant contributions are pharmaceuticals and biotech solutions that allow them to adapt to life in dry environments. Hormonal enhancements enable them to maintain their shells year-round, and a biotech vocal enhancer helps them project their voices and enunciate at near-human levels.
Despite their many adaptations, temperature fluctuations remain the bane of most wrikreechees. They become torpid in cold weather and can become manic in hot weather. As a result, they wear environmental suits to maintain their body temperature and prevent mood swings. Wrikreechees love clothing and crowded rooms, finding them suitable replacements for the colonies they left behind. Communication among wrikreechees is primarily through arm movements and chirps, with entire syntactic structures expressed solely through vibrations felt only over short distances in the water.
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