SEIRA [SPECIES DOC]

What follows are completely fictional events, presented as reference. Written by Seira novelist ███ ██████ ██, the phenomena and ideas described within are purely theoretical. Fourteen nights ago, ███ was placed within our custody for suspicions of conspiracy.

“Mother, Bal-Ceutov, can't bear to let her children leave. Every one who takes flight chips her diamond heart. Her countless tears take root in the foreheads of her children, pushing up the fertile soil and gifting every one special power. This life is nothing but suffering, "Desca ond sazenyie karie yas viscenn", but Mother brings comfort and sleep. Few try to leave, knowing what pain it would bring her.

But there is idealism in the night sky, and fool's opportunities on the ships that touch down in the port, and some Seira push through that selfish, deserved agony. Others are torn from Her by shackles and chains, writing in pain inside of cages, dragged to a place far away. Mother cries louder for them than any. 

But most Seira stay content, holding hands and praying every night. The special rations distributed by the Kremendt make the pains of hard work disappear, and listening to Mother's singing can bring back a smile to any child's face. I love her, as do we all. The Kremendt is wrong about her.”

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“Bal-Ceutov is a Leviathan-class wavelength emitting from the core of Ceutov. But that’s all we know for certain. She used to sing us those lullabies when we were small, the ones everybody learns how to play on their flutes in school. But honestly, we’ve got no goddamn idea what she is. And our planets “unique conditions” (Read: ANGRY ███ING FAUNA) make further examination difficult and leads to more questions than answers.

What’s important is that we Seira live to see tomorrow. That’s complicated enough as it is. Mother watching over us is the only guaranteed thing in this life, so why now does the Kremendt tamper with ███ they should not know?”

- Account from a former contractor of the Kremendt, and current suspect of dissent.

Seira are hardy but nimble, designed to be both adept at escaping and prepared to go tumbling down a mountain side without stopping to tend their wounds. Many Seira have very strong immune systems, due to their planet's extravagant repertoire of biological threats. Seira skin has the texture of cardboard, and is extremely difficult to tear in most areas. Their feet have extremely thick, rigid black pads that protect the soles and toes of their feet. Their spines and Achilles tendons are also protected by cartilege growth.

All Seira are born quite soft and pliable, but as they get older a rigid but flexible cartilege builds up in large quantities on their most delicate joints, such as the wrists, ankles and fingers. These deposits cushion their bones and internals and help to prevent fractures. The horn is very small at first on babies, but erupts out of the head quite violently after six months.

Seira horns could be considered the center of their nervous system. Bal-Ceutov's influence endows all Seira with varying degrees of psychic focus, ranging from telekinesis to telepathy to even stranger abilities. 

Seira horns are deeply connected to their brains, and a broken horn is extremely dangerous. The initial break could cause anything from strokes and seizures to instant death. 50% of Seira whose horns are broken die from complications shortly after. Many Seira believe in superstitions around horns, especially in regards to the shape of ones horns being a hint towards their personality or their fate. Seira often crowd around babies whose horn just grew in, loudly bickering and laughing about what secrets it might hold about their future.

Interestingly, the horns of Seira born off-world will never erupt from their heads, remaining underdeveloped.

Seira society revolves around community. All must do their parts to survive. Those who are unhelpful may be left behind, and even in large settlements anyone who doesn't contribute to society is heavily scrutinized. All Seira are hermaphroditic, but a gender binary does exist. If a Seira decides to bear a child, they are seen as a mother, a separate social class entirely. Mothers are well respected for their self-sacrificial choice to rear a child in such a difficult, dangerous world.

Solar flares and environmental conditions frequently disrupt communication and electronics on Ceutov. Most areas of the planet primarily use radio technology to communicate, as more advanced instruments are tampered with by the unique field around the planet. Spaceports are used for trade by the Kremendt and other large corporations, and are one of the few areas where common Seira can reach internet access and communicate with the larger galaxy. While there is no official ban on leaving the planet, most Seira find the idea painful to even think about. Many Seira are ignorant of the universe at large, knowing relatively little about the life present outside of Ceutov.

Though the Kremendt has made no official statements, it's a well known fact that slavers frequent Ceutov more than other planets. Being torn away from Bal-Ceutov's grasp often causes immense psychic trauma, rendering their brains severely damaged and pliable. A broken Seira is a hard worker from a planet that forced them to be strong, and can often lack the mental facilities to fight against authority.