Bantrid

Bantrids are an unusual race of sentient beings native to the moon Hibb. They spent millennia of their history in stasis, and have only recently awakened into the wider solar system.

Biology

Bantrids have unusual anatomy. Their lower halves are nothing more than dense layered spheres of organic matter, similar to that of a pearl. Bantrids move by spinning these foot-orbs using hundreds of thousands of cilia on the underside of partial sheaths that cover the orbs. These orbs are not directly attached to the Bantrid, and in some cases (whether for medical or safety reasons), have been replaced with that of glass, ceramic, or even steel, but this is uncommon. Their upper torsos are stout columns that taper slightly at the top. Bantrids have no heads in the fashion most humanoids do. Instead, their visual and auditory sensors are located in the middle of their torsos, directly under small mouths containing a few teeth made only for chewing fruits and nuts. Bantrids have no noses and, in fact, no sense of smell at all. Near the apex of their torsos, bantrids have a pair of appendages that resemble large, flat hands with several thin fingers. Bantrids’ skin often bears striped coloration along the length of their torsos and across their upper limbs.
Bantrids have no gender and reproduce via a form of budding that creates tiny bantrids whose foot-orbs are not yet sufficiently developed to allow locomotion. These offspring must be carefully watched over until they can move on their own, which takes about 5 months. Has binocular sight with darksight capabilities, binaural hearing, and lacks olfaction capabilities.

Appearance

Bantrids, the little fleshy towers with a trackball on the bottom, are typically 3.5 feet tall, and weigh 85 lbs. Most descriptions of the Bantrid's appearance is fundamental to their biology, and has been covered there, but there are a few exceptions. Their skin is typically a shade of purple or blue, and their tentacle-y hand appendages typically luminesce a shade of teal, but this can be turned off at will. Fashion for a Bantrid typically revolves around body paints and jewelry that goes around their "hands". Armor, on the other hand, is typically like that of a car grill, with some Bantrid using their speed to ram into enemies.

History

Until recently, a small shepherd moon in the Liavaran system named Hibb was believed to be uninhabited. With rolling hills covered in stubby grasslike protrusions and very few bodies of water, Hibb held little of interest for explorers. The moon’s lack of natural resources and the pervasive stench that issued from the ground, which no manner of filtration could suppress, further contributed to Hibb not being colonized by the barathus— or anyone else in the galaxy, for that matter.
However, less than 5 years ago, previously unnoticed machinery under Hibb’s surface began to stir. All across the moon, apertures opened in the ground, from which rose tall towers with spiraling ramps. Heretofore unknown creatures emerged from these towers, their small visual sensors adjusting to the light of the distant sun. The members of this sentient species, who call themselves bantrids, had slumbered in stasis for eons before their ancient computers woke them. Because of stasis induced amnesia and faulty data-storage drives, however, the bantrids have no knowledge of the solar system’s current political climate and no recollection of why their people entered stasis in the first place. Some believe they were hiding from an imminent threat or natural disaster, while others posit that bantrids were one of the first sentient species in the galaxy, older than even The Ancients, and that they put themselves to sleep for an indefinite period of time to wait for others to interact with.
Most bantrids are curious about the “new” galaxy they now find themselves in, and are eager to learn about all the other sentient species that inhabit it. This leads them to rush (sometimes literally) into situations before fully understanding them. Some of their galactic neighbors find this trait endearing and happily bring bantrids into their businesses or starship crews, while a few others are put off by their appearance. Bantrids don’t hesitate to write off those who don’t accept them, and they easily move on to new opportunities.
Bantrid culture revolves around motion, from their ramped tower-dwellings to their treadmill-chairs. A bantrid who isn’t moving starts to feel an overwhelming dread akin to claustrophobia. If this lasts too long, the bantrid will simply leave wherever they are at the moment, despite the social consequences. A restrained bantrid will keen wildly and hyperventilate, usually passing out.

Gameplay

Ability Modifiers: +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence
Hit Points: 4
Size: Small
Type: Abberation (Bantrid)
Speed: 40 ft
Languages: Bantrid begin play only knowing Bantrid and Galactic.

Anosmatic

Bantrids have no sense of smell and are immune to sense-dependent effects that rely on smell.

Balanced

Bantrids receive a +2 racial bonus to AC against trip combat maneuvers and can stand up from prone as a swift action.

Daredevil

Bantrids receive a +2 racial bonus to Acrobatics checks.

Darkvision

Bantrids can see up to 60 feet in the dark.

Swift

Bantrids have a land speed of 40 feet.

Roleplay

You Likely...

• Are deeply curious about the universe, so much so as to rush into danger without thinking clearly.
• Embody a need for speed, as if you aren't moving, you aren't getting anything done.
• Dislike rolling over rather uneven or wet surfaces, as they usually make moving more difficult.
• Enjoy being in wide open spaces, more space to breathe.

Other Races Probably...

• Find you very hard to stop, even when you've reached your goal.
• Have trouble reading your facial expressions, and you can't imagine why.
• Admire your fearlessness to charge forward, no matter what's in the way.
• Can't keep up with you, mentally or physically.

Scientific Name
Ambulatum Orbis
Origin/Ancestry
Hibb
Lifespan
90 Years
Average Height
3.5 ft (1.1 m)
Average Weight
85 lbs (38.6 kg)