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[WillowLuman]

Starting on page 13 (for standard ppp)

For as long as anyone can remember, the Dark Star (as some call it) has puzzled people. An enormous event horizon, visible as a dark circle on the starry background, yet not exhibiting nearly as much gravity as a black hole of that size should. Yet, consistent with a singularity, nothing that has ventured beyond that event horizon has ever been heard from again. Some call it mad, but an expedition is being put together to go beyond the event horizon and see what lies within. This is where you come in.

Setting
The setting leans towards the "hard" side of the sci-fi scale, with the only major genre convention taken being FTL. The FTL method in this setting requires a large drive (about 20m). Ships need to accelerate to relativistic speeds before they can use it, which requires significant fuel use and months of acceleration, after which they can "jump" long distances in an instant. Coming out the other side, they must decelerate back to orbital velocity, which takes about as long. As such, ships must be large enough to carry the necessary drive, engines, and fuel to be FTL capable, and so many ships are designed only to move around within a given system.

Explored space consists of a large chunk of an arm of a spiral galaxy. Considering every known space-faring entity combined, this includes about 3 billion stars. As the purpose of this game is to venture into the unknown, though, the specific details of that space aren't that relevant, since the only races present from that space are the player-defined ones represented on the ship. Any pre-existing inter-species/entity politics are thus the player's choice. It should be noted that, in order to encourage creativity during character creation, there are no Earthlings. No humans, altered humans, uplifted Earth species, or sentient machines created by any of the above.

However, one race is worth highlighting: there exists a race who operates a vast fleet of FTL "Ferries" that carry non-FTL ships (or ships wishing to save fuel) between star systems. Because of the economic dominance this affords them, their standardized system of measurement is widely known and accepted.
Units of measurement: For completeness sake, so you don't have to worry about these too much if you don't want to. Of note are the Span (defined as the average distance between their home planet and their home star; roughly equivalent to 1.24 AU) the Cycle (how long it takes their home planet to complete 1 orbit, roughly equivalent to 1.82 years) and their Meter (defined as the measured wavelength of one of their often-used radio frequencies in a vacuum, almost exactly 1.1 meters). From these we get derivations like the Lightcycle, which is the distance covered by light in 1 cycle. By Earth standards, their "day" lasts about 38.35 hours, with 416 of them to one Cycle.

Ship
The Aelius, purpose-built by several entities for this very mission.

Spoiler: images, courtesy of Dorisdwarf (click to show/hide)

Note: Some inaccuracies here. Command and Control actually located in the center. The front is a massive transmitter/scanner.

Spoiler: Ship features and description (click to show/hide)

• Purpose: exploratory vessel.
• Internal gravity: centrifugally-achieved artificial gravity.
• Power source: 3 fusion reactors, 2 main and one backup, to ensure ship operation and propulsion. Has low-grade hydrogen scoops for collecting particles when moving really fast, auxiliary solar power arrays to maintain ship systems in case reactors fail for some reason, or to save on fuel when within reasonable distance of a stellar body.
• Propulsion: Fusion-powered main engines, which have some thrust-vectoring capability. Numerous thruster-ports located throughout the hull that use reactor byproduct gasses as propellant. 20x4x4m FTL drive requiring the ship to reach relativistic speeds to function.
• Size: 300m long, 40m wide and tall. The rotating ring section is 120m in diameter, 10m thick (2 floors).
• Shape: a long cylinder, with rotating sections attached via arms to provide artificial gravity to crew quarters and certain facilities
• Atmosphere-capable: Nope, needs to send shuttles/ROVs
• Food stores: carefully managed, replenishment through hydroponics and a high degree of waste recycling. Crew may have personal life support to further increase efficiency
• Hangar Capacity: 2 shuttles (max 10 crew), space plane design. Room for a small amount of ROVs/Drones. To save interior storage space, most ROVs/Drones (as well as some heavier EVA equipment) are stored on the hull, which is covered in rails for such things to attach to.
• Airlocks: main one is hangar, located near the rear, but there are numerous smaller ones for accessibility/emergencies distributed evenly throughout the length.
• Windows: imitations, displays with relaxing images on them.
• Fabrication capability: Capable, with enough time and resources, of making nearly any part used in the ship (including replacements for factory equipment), as well as ROVs and drones. Engineers can program production of additional things. Not capable of producing the parts needed to repair a heavily damaged FTL drive, requires certain alloys to create parts for repairing heavily damaged reactors.
• Corners: cut and smoothened to avoid injury.
• Entertainment: dexterity and reflex-based videogames from Solflax Nine (the company, not the planet, easy mistake to make), mysterious room of creative alien exercise devices.
• Vents: as many as fans.
• Medbay: triage-oriented. Surgeries are robot-assisted. Drugs are mostly painkillers, coagulants, anticoagulants, that sort of thing, largely for addressing trauma. A variety of antibiotics is also available.
• Life support: enough to sustain the existing crew as long as need be, may come under strain from any increases.
• Sensors: a future equivalent of the Hubble Space Telescope (spectrometers, wide angle optical camera, that sort of thing), plus cameras, accelerometers and what have you. Basically any sensors involved with determining ship motion, temperature, fuel levels, internal climate, damage, all that good stuff. Lots of space for recorded data. Receivers arranged in rings around midsection of ship, to enable reception regardless of orientation.
• Communication array: Many of the sensors double for this, since most things involve detecting EM waves or high-energy particles. The front of the ship contains a powerful transmission array for long-range scanning / long-distance signaling, needs to be pointed the right way to work properly.
• Shielding: 125mm of indeterminate composite alloy comprising the hull outer layer, and a 40mm thick pressure hull beneath that, along with internal divisions. The midsection of the ship (where all the core systems are located) has a 200mm ablative reinforced carbon nanomaterial coating to protect against space debris, and provide extra protection in a theoretical combat scenario, should any life existant beyond the Dark Star prove hostile. All exterior hull surfaces are painted with a thick white material, with a layer of metallic reflective paint on top, to assist with heat control and laser dispersal. Additionally, it possesses a magnetic field generator located near the ship's geometric center. This consists of 2 large, powerful capacitors, between which charge is alternated to keep the field at a constant strength when in use.
• Computer core, primary: 4mx2mx1m central computer bank (quantum) running life support and ship coordination algorithms with crew input. Not directly connected with secondary AI, non-sentient, systems highly secured and encrypted. Takes input from crew via a set of terminals, integrates received information from sensors into a cohesive whole, rendering it accessible through shipwide informative network.
• Secondary AI: 2mx1mx1m black box quantum computer on loan from AI Collective, do not open under any circumstances, surrounded by 10mx4mx4m cooling system on loan from AI Collective, do not try to fix without AI's permission. Black box has dedicated start button on outside of cooling system (no shutdown button, however).
• Space distribution: most is taken up by fabrication facilities and mining equipment should they come in handy - said facilities are placed in the central parts of the ship along with the reactor, propulsion system and telescope.
• Mining equipment: Asteroid/comet mining suite, primarily ablative lasers and equipment mounted on ROVs/Drones. Capable of collecting vaporized minerals and imbibing them for separation/refinement
• Personal quarter size per crew member: 27 cubic meters (exact dimensions vary). Can also be sealed to double as holding cells.
• Laboratories: lab primarily meant for general material analysis and chemistry. Biological research also possible (biochemical reagents, glassware, pipettes and heating/cooling implements available). Contains a limited number of holding areas for moderately-sized alien life forms. Specialized lab facilities exist for whoever needs then (to be finalized with the crew)
• Doors: request-based automatic with central overrides possible.
• Purpose of filthy organics on board: Experts in their fields who are capable of analyzing data and running the ship, should the Dark Star cause spontaneous failure of electronics.
• Suspended animation: For use in either emergencies or long, boring transits, in either case can be used to save on life support. Crew goes to sleep while the AI remains awake.
• Degree of automation: central computer can run all essential ship functions with aid of robotic systems, including but not limited to basic maintenance and cleaning. Fabrication, mining, telescope operation requires no organic input, though has organic accessibility and minimal operational capability in case of massive computer core/AI failure.
• Fire extinguishers: placed in corridors in dedicated (probably unlocked) cabinets. Probably use CO₂.
• Isolation systems: Any given room can be sealed off by its doors and vents, and crew quarters can also double as isolation cells if need be.

Signups

Though widely viewed as a suicide mission, those funding (and participating in) the expedition believe otherwise: however, they still see it as pretty dangerous, and no one knows what to expect on the other side. As such, the ship is equipped to be versatile, adaptable, and efficient, and carries a small crew, since they don't want to risk loosing too many lives. However, as a scientific expedition, facing a situation requiring unknown capabilities, they do not send worthless cannon fodder: everyone on board is highly qualified in some way. They most likely volunteered (though your reason for joining may be otherwise).

I'll need a description of your species (people may choose to play as a species defined by another player if they don't want to make their own), a personal description of the individual you will be playing as, and their skills/capabilites. Be as detailed as you want, just remember: details from what they are (e.g. their species can spit acid/breathe methane) are important, but details on who they are (the skills they have, the role they serve for the mission, their personality) are more important.

[WillowLuman]

Character sheets, thanks to Tiruin for compiling them!

Spoiler: Pencil_Art // Averus Salamoth (click to show/hide)

Name: Averus Salamoth (Name of a worm residing in the middle of the body)

Description:

A Bondling fitted out in the standard space suit for it's race. Stands at almost 2.5 Standard Metres. A tall bipedal being made of many Salavrand Worms, coiled upon each after layer after layer, making the innermost worms very hard to damage. The Worms closest to the surface are the one's with the most muscle. Often seen wearing a complicated headpiece that is it's respiratory headset.

Backstory:

One of the best of his kind, Averus spent most of his life studying for such an occasion. He went to many of the best schools, making revolutionary advances in the field of science. When the Dark Star expedition came along, Averus just had to come as well. His reasons for coming were, as he put it: "Where there are discoveries to be made, I am also."

Likes and Dislikes:
(Note: this is the controlling worm, not the whole.)
It likes being connected to other Worms, exotic forms of life, planets capable of supporting Salavrand worms and Advanced Technology. It doesn't like being backstabbed, outcast Worms, and things with 'an unnatural air about it'. It absolutely detests anything trying to kill it.

Abilities:

- Can Split - Can split up into multiple worms
- Critical and Intelligent Thinking - The many worms in the bondling combined make a huge amount nueral connections, enabling the controlling worm to be able to think incredibly quickly. Even if those worms are hibernating, their brains are still accessible to the controlling worm. 
- Unused to singular form - Will be unused to being a singular worm. Also gets dumber as number of worms in Bondling is reduced.
- Hard to kill. If a worm is killed, another worm will come to replace it until there is not enough worms left.
- Can change form - being an assortment of worms, It can manipulate worms to change body shape.
- Cluster Eyes - By clustering eyes together, the Bondling can gain a less-limited sight.
- Sensitive hairs - Described in race description. Can sense distortions and their shape in air.
- Parasitic - Can lay eggs in a living or non-living body (usually non-living). The eggs will hatch soon after and as such the body will explode.

Skills:

- Basic Survival Skills - Knows basic survival skills
- Biological Knowledge - Knows advanced biology
- Chemistry - Knows the structure of atoms and advanced chemistry
- Advanced Lab Protocols - Familiar with all lab protocols and behavior
- Advanced Lab Tools - Familiar with almost all Standard Lab Tools
- Basic Firearms - Knows a bit about standard handheld projectile and energy weapons
- General Practitioner - Knows a bit about all areas of science.

Description:

The Salavrand:

The Salavrand is a unique creature, surviving mostly because of it's ability to bond together temporarily with others of it's kind to become bigger. They are basically slugs with multiple connection nodes on their bodies, which can connect to another Salavrand's nodes to share thoughts. These 'nodes' allow them to communicate effortlessly amongst one another when connected, though in larger bondings there is often one Salavrand elected to control the others. The nodes also can carry a gas(that is the equivalent of oxygen for Salavrands) and food along, thereby relieving the need for worms deep inside the structure to breathe and eat. The worms can survive on their own, as they each have their own set of organs. A worm that has had it's nodes removed has it's ability to bond reduced drastically, and is considered an outcast to others of it's kind. Each worm is roughly 1/4 of a widely accepted Metre. It's eyes are very small and as such it's sight is very limited. Hairs on the body, however, can sense disruptions in the air, including where the disruption originated from and it's size. Using this, the Worm or Bondling can determine whether it has met whatever-it-is before. It can also sense disturbances in the air bouncing off other objects, such as walls or the ground or the ceiling. As such it can navigate with relative ease.

Reproduction:

A singular worm is asexual and may or may not carry eggs in it at any particular time. If a worm has eggs in it, and it is not hibernating as part of a Bondling, It will go to a nearby corpse of relatively large size(unless it is of a Salavrand worm) and lay it's eggs in it. The eggs will hatch and the resulting newly-born worms devour the corpse, and in extreme cases, each other, to gain energy. The growth process takes, roughly, one widely-accepted fortnight.

History (to explain some stuff):

At one point in history, the Salavrand realized the need to create a larger, uniform.....form, to be able to make advances in the field of, well, anything useful really.

Like many other races, they reached the pinnacle of technology that was space exploration. They launched multiple ships, making their space-suit the priority for improvement, since they needed adaptability. Eventually, they made a space suit that houses a bipedal bonding similar to a human, with multiple slots on the side for suits that can be equipped by individual Salavrand so that exploration is made much more streamlined by the ability to launch several worms at once. The gas required of individual worms is quite high compared to larger, bonded forms, considering the lower metabolism in a larger bonding because of the very large amount of worms that are not doing anything exceptionally useful, except being there to maintain integrity of the whole. These worms slip into a state akin to hibernation. To counter the fact that individual worms could not carry large gas tanks, they simply made along, flexible but durable hollow coil that connects the worm suit to the suit of the whole.

Diet:

While carnivorous, a fruit tree exists on that planet that allows for limited reproduction; A worm will lay a single egg inside, and the hatched worm will eat the fruit, including a seed. When the worm next excretes, the seed shall come out as well, allowing for the spread of the fruit tree. Also an option for daily consumption. Otherwise, the worm or bondling will just find some meat and eat that.

Terminology:

- Bondling - A bonded entity composed of Salaravrand worms.
- Worm - A singular worm.
- Host - A corpse in which a worm has laid it's eggs.
- Bonder - The 'nodes' that connect to other worms to create a Bondling.
- Hibernation - The state a worm enters when it is only part of a Bondling to provide structural intergrity. Not actual hibernation.

Spoiler: LuckyKobold//Jiggle (click to show/hide)

Name:Jiggle
Age:23
Back-story:He was wandering around in search of food when he came upon the ship. He liked it, So he stayed, Unknown to the crew who decided to allow him to stay because of his janitor skills and potential casualties trying to detain him.
Job: Jiggle is the Janitor/Local Crackpot, Despite his insane love for 16th century naval tactics he's good at being a Janitor and regularly outperforms drones.

Absurd Intelligence- Has 12 times the average human intelligence.

Ultimate Janitor- He is capable of cleaning an entire football field in only one hour.

Broom Warrior- Is capable of using a broom as a combat staff very proficiently.

Mechanical Harness- He has a Mechanical Harness/Robotic Floating Device that allows him to move as quickly as a human, Provided that the Harness is powered of course. This also keeps his slime from counteracting his Janitor work.

Very Subtle- He is subtle to the point that over half of the crew don't know that he exists.

Skilled Fabricator- He is a master at crafting Non-electronic devices using other devices and scrap metal.

He heavily distrusts any intelligent computers and is one of the last followers of a Religion dedicated to exterminating all Filth in the Multiverse.
He owns a very concealing Gas Mask that he never removes.

The Gornollians are the dwellers of Gornal, A fairly large swamp planet. They resemble Giant Snails and move very slowly. They are Herbivores although they can live off of nearly anything. They are also quite lazy and to a point gluttonous, However they are extremely intelligent to the extent that 10 times that of a human is considered sub-par, Their Eyes have multiple Pupils and have the sight capabilities of a Falcon,Along with their natural disease resistance and Regenerative properties.They manipulate their environment using small pod-less tentacles that they can withdraw from their skin and back at will. They do not have any gender and only reproduce once every 2000 years by splitting into two more of the Species.

Spoiler: heydude6 // Shamus Adversi (click to show/hide)

Shamus was a mere drone in his hive destined to live a wonderful but short life. He lived a life of mostly laziness and eating until one day the queen needed his services. Aware of what was going to happen to him Shamus abandoned his hive and tried to live on his own. The first problems that shamus encountered in the wild was that he actually had to get his own food. "To hell with that!!" he thought so Shamus decided to wander around until he found a hunk of meat lying on the ground. What he didn't know was that the meat was part of a trap the scientists from Eugenocorp had set. And like that he was captured.

Shamus was shipped to planet nerube where he gravity was much heavier. In captivity Shamus was fed and cared for, although he did have to handle a few brutal experiments. Once the IQ tests concluded that Shamus was sapient and sentient, interstellar laws and regulations forced him to be released. But Shamus didn't want to go, back there he was fed and cared for and he couldn't imagine having to go back to the life he once had. So Shamus filed a lawsuit to (insert name of science company here) under the claim that they kidnapped him from his hive preventing him from mating with his queen and therefore leading to the extinction of his species and ruining his way of life. Shamus was arguing that he should be fed 200lbs of Filet Mignon a day in order to make up for kidnapping him. The judge instead ruled that Shamus would be given an internship and then full-time job at Eugenocorp for whatever job he wanted. Shamus chose a job that would put his 4 arms to the most use and so he became a mechanic.

Thing is, Eugenocorp didn't need a mechanic but they couldn't fire him due to court order. So after his internship was done Eugenocorp took the first opportunity to get rid of him and sent Shamus to the dark star as his first job as a full time employee.

An insectoid alien with 4 arms 2 legs, a pair of wings, a pair of compound eyes, green and red chitin. Shamus is part of an alien species that evolved on a planet with very low gravity. Since departing that planet to join Eugenocorp he noticed that his increased weight made him too heavy for his wings to let him fly.  He now must walk like the rest of the aliens on his team. The increased gravity also causes him to be a bit light headed resulting in him acting a bit more stupider although the leap in intelligence from normal gravity to low gravity is quite impressive.

Ambidextrous

Glide: can flutter wings very rapidly to slow down rate of falling on non-heavy gravity non-vaccum environments

Dust storm: In areas with loose soil, Shamus can flutter his wings very hard kicking up a dust cloud which obscures an enemies vision

Low gravity flight: In VERY low gravity, non vaccum environments shamus can fly
                       
Exoskeleton: hard shell on the outside, small squishy vital organs on the inside (you can make this whatever you want)
                       
Inefficient  Blood: Will suffocate much quicker than an average alien

Spoiler: Arcvasti // Cathelyn (click to show/hide)

Name: Cathelyn

Background: Cathelyn spent nearly their entire several-million year lifetime performing heavy lifting to create the gigantic stone block citites the Yilgs are famous for. Later, when the Yilgs were discovered by explorers, Cathelyn was one of the few Yilgs to ever leave their home planet, leaving to study genetic synthesizing and advanced microbiology on a prestigious off-planet university. When the initiative to enter the Dark Star was announced, Cathelyn was chosen as the one to go through by lottery. Cathelyn, like a sizable faction of the Yilg population, believe that the long-lost gods and creators of the Yilgs lie on the other side of the Dark Star.

Skills and Abilities:
Abilities common to all Yilgs:
Amorphousness: Cathelyn can fit through tiny spaces and is naturally a blob, but cannot form any limbs more complex then a pseudopod or shape themself into any specific forms. Cathelyn requires a special suit to do that and starts with a basic two-armed bipedal suit that allows it to perform tasks like a normal humanoid.

Cold vulnerability: Cathelyn's exterior membrane freezes and traps them at approximately 0 C, rendering them helpless, but unharmed.

Schisming: If extremely conflicted by a moral dichotomy, Cathelyn might split into halves, each on one side of the dichotomy, which will then battle to the death. The victor declares itself Cathelyn and has all of their memories and skills.

Mimicry: Cathelyn can make any sound they have ever heard by vibrating their exterior membrane at a certain pitch. They also have a near perfect audio memory, although this does not extend to anything else.

Skills possessed by Cathelyn proper:

Genetic Synthesizeation: Cathelyn can, given the correct facilities, combine or modify DNA or any genetic structure similar enough to it to achieve a given purpose. This takes time and may require rare genetic samples which are not always on hand.

Architect: Cathelyn is a master of identifying the purpose of structures, their composition and structural stability. Cathelyn also has considerable experience building stone structures with their pseudopods and can draw out and read detailed 3D building plans nearly effortlessly.

Personality: Cathelyn is curious to a fault, especially about the complex gender and reproductive systems of other races. They are usually calm, but can be roused to white-hot fury if they or anyone they care about is threatened with cold, even if they wouldn't be harmed by it like a Yilg would. Cathelyn comes off as emotionless and is often compared to an organic computer, but they do have standard emotions and can develop fairly normal relationships with others. Cathelyn speaks in eerie fragmented snippets of speech in the voices of others they have heard. As Cathelyn learned many of the words it uses in casual conversation from a computer training program, they mostly speak in an electronic monotone, reinforcing the impression of a robot.

Role on the ship:Cathelyn will probably serve as a survey officer, one who would examine and analyze any lifeforms found on the other side of the Black Star. Due to their architectural expertise, they could also serve as a more general xenoarcheologist.

The Yilgs, as the closest verbally pronounceable version of their true name sounds, are essentially giant ameobas. They can manifest pseudopods capable of crude but powerful manipulation of objects and share information via connecting directly to other Yilgs. While they are capable of making almost any sound with their surface membrane, Yilgs do not usually talk to each other verbally. They are asexual and they are physically incapable of creating more of themselves. The closest thing to reproduction they have is Schisming, where an EXTREMELY conflicted Yilg will split into two halves, each with a different stance on the controversy and fight each other to the death. This odd phenomenon is defended fiercely by the Yilgs and is considered semi-sacred. Since Yilgs cannot create new Yilgs and shun cloning technology as unholy, there have been no new Yilgs since the species was born. Attrition has slowly lowered the population until they now stand near the brink of extinction, with only a few million surviving Yilgs. While they naturally cannot be any form other then large blob, they can fit themselves into suits to assume different forms. Usually, when they must leave their native planet or when they need to perform fine manipulation, they occupy two-armed bipedal spacesuits to appear relatively normal and gain the use of articulate limbs. The surface membrane of a Yilg will freeze at low temperatures, rendering the Yilg immobile, but fully alive and conscious as it slowly dies from starvation. Cold and winter have a special stigma in Yilg society, being almost synonymous with death. Yilgs don't speak of their religion with outsiders, but its apparent to anyone who inquires that they HAVE one. Yilgs require sustenance, water and oxygen like most races, but seem to have no limits as to their natural lifespan. Yilgs are rarely seen off their home planet, whose only importance is as a resupply stop between two important trade systems. So it came as a surprise to everyone when the race collectively booked a valuable spot on the vessel that was to enter the Dark Star.

Spoiler: Dorsidwarf // Bringer (click to show/hide)

The Sigmites are a race of essentially 2-3 metre long gasbags. Evolved to live in the upper atmosphere of their home planetoid, Sigma XCIIR/-54-IIII, they consist of a thin layer, extremely dense with blood vessels, around a series of Helium-filled gasbags, which provide the lift needed to sustain this delicate species. Gaseous exchange from the dorsal and ventral gills allows fine control of the buoyancy of the Sigmites, which under gravity allows them slow vertical travel, albeit at varying rates depending on local g.

Sigmites move slowly, by fluttering the frills across their body, or twisting themselves from side to side, as if a fish. They possess a mouth which extends outward elastically into a scoop, naturally used for catching food. They have six ventral short grasping appendages, each with a circular 'palm' surrounded by 8 bi-jointed 'fingers', capable of fine manipulation. The eyes are evenly spread along the centre of the underside, in two rows of 6, with an additional 4 compound eyes spaced roughly around the nose, allowing forward and limited vertical vision.

 The culture of Sigmites varies vastly depending on where the colony in question is located.
On the home world a wide net of ranging sky-clans co-exist, largely spurning technology, whilst those more trade-minded dwell deeper in the atmosphere, where merchants from the colonies below come to trade & invent, while on newer and more far afield worlds, either civilisation recedes completely, incomprehensible direct democracy sub-clans form, or brutal dictators seize control.
 Interstellar Sigmites (Those which live either primarily on space, in ships, or away from dedicated colonies) however, tend to preach solace and peace, can often be found in intermediary positions, and assume no great parts in the world, drifting quietly and working carefully, always saving constantly. Many other species resent them for their placidity, and tendency to quietly, without fanfare, obtain valued jobs, buy up consortiums, whilst invariably remaining polite, being submissive to any form of physical violence, whether it endangers them or simply requires them to drop a hotly-contested debate.

 When the Interstellar Spear Group, one major group of companies largely owned or staffed or run by Sigmites,announced that they were forwarding a candidate for the Dark Star mission, there was mild confusion in why a placid group of assorted companies run by quiet beings was participating in what was widely considered one of the most expensive suicides ever.

Sound-Glorious-And-Bring-New-Life-Unto-Creation
 Sound-Glorious-And-Bring-New-Life-Unto-Creation, or Life Unto Creation to anyone who will ever have to write or speak his name more than a few times, is a mid-sized Sigmite, around 2.3 meters in length, and just under half that across at his widest. His compound front eyes are rounded and glint, always swiveling and angling in their recesses, as if to get a better look at the viewee. His ventral eyes are cyan, whilst his body is swirled with a light green and blue color pattern. His gills are constantly waving gently, giving him the appearance of movement even when standing still. His voice is whistling and high-pitched, occasionally difficult to make out when speaking rapidly or in a noisy environment.

Life-Unto-Creation, or Bringer to people who know him better than 'Paperwork annoyance', is a general-purpose subsystems specialist and designated pilot. He is trained in use of all minor controls and tasks, from  correctly managing and overseeing takeoffs and landings in the hangars to riding volcanic eruptions in a heat-shuttle. He specialises in ship maintenance and precision flying.

Bringer is space-born and raised, and exemplifies an Interstellar Sigmite, willing to discuss, and even argue many topics, almost endlessly debating, both with friends and the grudgers, and yet instantly submitting at physical aggression. He whistles in Sigmite cloud-speech as he slowly wafts his way along corridors, unhurriedly maneuvering to a broken landing gear, failed running light, or anywhere, all at the same drifting, patient pace. When in the pilot's dock however, his six arms constantly move, working fluidly at the modified controls.

Spoiler: IcyTea31 // Unnamed (as of intro//pre-game) (click to show/hide)

(name), chosen for the mission to be an EVA specialist engineer. Its core has a 20 cm radius and its tentacles are 2 m long, 5 cm radius at base. It wears a specially designed form-adaptive airtight suit to survive in oxygen-rich environments, with 'airlocks' to move things in and out, and plenty of pockets. It's not very protective or durable, however.

For personality, I'll start with a blank slate and build the character as I go.

(name), a silicon-based form of life. Their base form is that of a sphere-shaped 'head' with 6 tentacles, one for each cardinal direction, with friction-adding small spikes on the tips. 3 of them are usually used for locomotion, the rest for grasping. The body is of a stone/metal-like material that is surprisingly flexible for its look. It erodes rather quickly, however. Their 'diet' consists of various metals and minerals processed and fused into the body for growth and a remedy for erosion, and energy through minuscule amounts of matter-energy conversion. They do not need body heat or breath, and indeed oxygen is toxic to them as it crystallizes their structure to a hard and brittle one. With their traits, (name) can actually survive in space without special equipment beyond propulsion. Their reproduction is asexual; a (name) grows another set of tentacles and splits in two. Communication works either by electromagnetic radiation produced by the annihilation in their 'stomachs', or by rapid vibration of tentacles, producing a rather synthetic voice. An interesting aspect of (name) is their ability to bond metals and minerals to their body. This mostly used for 'eating', but interestingly, any mechanical or electronic components remain functional, allowing the (name) to use, for example, tools and weapons. However, each tentacle can coordinate a limited number of machinery, and the only way to remove it is to consume it or split it off.

(name), being capable of colonizing many planets with plenty of resources, that others couldn't, are quite wealthy as a race. However, money hasn't brought them happiness. Their culture is very austere, for even though their 'food' is plentiful, it is ultimately limited in each area, and they do not want the label of 'those things that consume entire planets'. Their current endeavours are mostly scientific, as their rare biology causes complications in many things. They hope their lunatic champion finds something groundbreaking on its expedition to the Dark Star.

• Asexual: use 'it' for pronouns.
• Silicon-based: oxygen is dangerous, eats minerals, spaceworthy.
• 3 grasping limbs available in regular gravity, up to 6 or down to 0 in other gravities
• Natural armour: tough and flexible tissue, no vital organs.
• Machine bond: metal and mineral objects, including machinery and electronics, can be bound to tentacles for simple and intuitive usage. Too large or too many objects limit the tentacle's other uses. Objects can only be removed (and the slots freed) by destroying them, whether by the (name) itself or by external sources.

[WillowLuman]

Reserved

[Pencil_Art]

YEEESSSS!!

Spoiler: Race (Prepare for a wall of text) (click to show/hide)

Description:

The Salavrand:

The Salavrand is a unique creature, surviving mostly because of it's ability to bond together temporarily with others of it's kind to become bigger. They are basically slugs with multiple connection nodes on their bodies, which can connect to another Salavrand's nodes to share thoughts. These 'nodes' allow them to communicate effortlessly amongst one another when connected, though in larger bondings there is often one Salavrand elected to control the others. The nodes also can carry a gas(that is the equivalent of oxygen for Salavrands) and food along, thereby relieving the need for worms deep inside the structure to breathe and eat. The worms can survive on their own, as they each have their own set of organs. A worm that has had it's nodes removed has it's ability to bond reduced drastically, and is considered an outcast to others of it's kind. Each worm is roughly 1/4 of a widely accepted Metre. It's eyes are very small and as such it's sight is very limited. Hairs on the body, however, can sense disruptions in the air, including where the disruption originated from and it's size. Using this, the Worm or Bondling can determine whether it has met whatever-it-is before. It can also sense disturbances in the air bouncing off other objects, such as walls or the ground or the ceiling. As such it can navigate with relative ease.

Reproduction:

A singular worm is asexual and may or may not carry eggs in it at any particular time. If a worm has eggs in it, and it is not hibernating as part of a Bondling, It will go to a nearby corpse of relatively large size(unless it is of a Salavrand worm) and lay it's eggs in it. The eggs will hatch and the resulting newly-born worms devour the corpse, and in extreme cases, each other, to gain energy. The growth process takes, roughly, one widely-accepted fortnight.

History (to explain some stuff):

At one point in history, the Salavrand realized the need to create a larger, uniform.....form, to be able to make advances in the field of, well, anything useful really.

Like many other races, they reached the pinnacle of technology that was space exploration. They launched multiple ships, making their space-suit the priority for improvement, since they needed adaptability. Eventually, they made a space suit that houses a bipedal bonding similar to a human, with multiple slots on the side for suits that can be equipped by individual Salavrand so that exploration is made much more streamlined by the ability to launch several worms at once. The gas required of individual worms is quite high compared to larger, bonded forms, considering the lower metabolism in a larger bonding because of the very large amount of worms that are not doing anything exceptionally useful, except being there to maintain integrity of the whole. These worms slip into a state akin to hibernation. To counter the fact that individual worms could not carry large gas tanks, they simply made along, flexible but durable hollow coil that connects the worm suit to the suit of the whole.

Diet:

While carnivorous, a fruit tree exists on that planet that allows for limited reproduction; A worm will lay a single egg inside, and the hatched worm will eat the fruit, including a seed. When the worm next excretes, the seed shall come out as well, allowing for the spread of the fruit tree. Also an option for daily consumption. Otherwise, the worm or bondling will just find some meat and eat that.

Terminology:

- Bondling - A bonded entity composed of Salaravrand worms.
- Worm - A singular worm.
- Host - A corpse in which a worm has laid it's eggs.
- Bonder - The 'nodes' that connect to other worms to create a Bondling.
- Hibernation - The state a worm enters when it is only part of a Bondling to provide structural intergrity. Not actual hibernation.

Spoiler: Character (click to show/hide)

Name: Averus Salamoth (Name of a worm residing in the middle of the body)

Description:

A Bondling fitted out in the standard space suit for it's race. Stands at almost 2.5 Standard Metres. A tall bipedal being made of many Salavrand Worms, coiled upon each after layer after layer, making the innermost worms very hard to damage. The Worms closest to the surface are the one's with the most muscle. Often seen wearing a complicated headpiece that is it's respiratory headset.

Backstory:

One of the best of his kind, Averus spent most of his life studying for such an occasion. He went to many of the best schools, making revolutionary advances in the field of science. When the Dark Star expedition came along, Averus just had to come as well. His reasons for coming were, as he put it: "Where there are discoveries to be made, I am also."

Likes and Dislikes:
(Note: this is the controlling worm, not the whole.)
It likes being connected to other Worms, exotic forms of life, planets capable of supporting Salavrand worms and Advanced Technology. It doesn't like being backstabbed, outcast Worms, and things with 'an unnatural air about it'. It absolutely detests anything trying to kill it.

Abilities:

- Can Split - Can split up into multiple worms
- Critical and Intelligent Thinking - The many worms in the bondling combined make a huge amount nueral connections, enabling the controlling worm to be able to think incredibly quickly. Even if those worms are hibernating, their brains are still accessible to the controlling worm. 
- Unused to singular form - Will be unused to being a singular worm. Also gets dumber as number of worms in Bondling is reduced.
- Hard to kill. If a worm is killed, another worm will come to replace it until there is not enough worms left.
- Can change form - being an assortment of worms, It can manipulate worms to change body shape.
- Cluster Eyes - By clustering eyes together, the Bondling can gain a less-limited sight.
- Sensitive hairs - Described in race description. Can sense distortions and their shape in air.
- Parasitic - Can lay eggs in a living or non-living body (usually non-living). The eggs will hatch soon after and as such the body will explode.

Skills:

- Basic Survival Skills - Knows basic survival skills
- Biological Knowledge - Knows advanced biology
- Chemistry - Knows the structure of atoms and advanced chemistry
- Advanced Lab Protocols - Familiar with all lab protocols and behavior
- Advanced Lab Tools - Familiar with almost all Standard Lab Tools
- Basic Firearms - Knows a bit about standard handheld projectile and energy weapons
- General Practitioner - Knows a bit about all areas of science.

Might change the fluff. Doesn't really make sense as of yet.

[~Neri]

Soooo copypaste?

[Pencil_Art]

I assume so.

[LuckyKobold]

Spoiler: Race (click to show/hide)

The Gornollians are the dwellers of Gornal, A fairly large swamp planet. They resemble Giant Snails and move very slowly. They are Herbivores although they can live off of nearly anything. They are also quite lazy and to a point gluttonous, However they are extremely intelligent to the extent that 10 times that of a human is considered sub-par, Their Eyes have multiple Pupils and have the sight capabilities of a Falcon,Along with their natural disease resistance and Regenerative properties.They manipulate their environment using small pod-less tentacles that they can withdraw from their skin and back at will. They do not have any gender and only reproduce once every 2000 years by splitting into two more of the Species.

Spoiler: Actual Character (click to show/hide)

Name:Jiggle
Age:23
Back-story:He was wandering around in search of food when he came upon the ship. He liked it, So he stayed, Unknown to the crew who decided to allow him to stay because of his janitor skills and potential casualties trying to detain him.
Job: Jiggle is the Janitor/Local Crackpot, Despite his insane love for 16th century naval tactics he's good at being a Janitor and regularly outperforms drones.

Spoiler: Skills (click to show/hide)

Absurd Intelligence- Has 12 times the average human intelligence.

Ultimate Janitor- He is capable of cleaning an entire football field in only one hour.

Broom Warrior- Is capable of using a broom as a combat staff very proficiently.

Mechanical Harness- He has a Mechanical Harness/Robotic Floating Device that allows him to move as quickly as a human, Provided that the Harness is powered of course. This also keeps his slime from counteracting his Janitor work.

Very Subtle- He is subtle to the point that over half of the crew don't know that he exists.

Skilled Fabricator- He is a master at crafting Non-electronic devices using other devices and scrap metal.

He heavily distrusts any intelligent computers and is one of the last followers of a Religion dedicated to exterminating all Filth in the Multiverse.
He owns a very concealing Gas Mask that he never removes.

The Dark Star is Here!

[Pencil_Art]

Spoiler: Race (click to show/hide)

The Gornollians are the dwellers of Gornal, A fairly large swamp planet. They resemble Giant Snails and move very slowly. They are Herbivores although they can live off of nearly anything. They are also quite lazy and to a point gluttonous, However they are extremely intelligent to the extent that 10 times that of a human is considered sub-par, Their Eyes have multiple Pupils and have the sight capabilities of a Falcon,Along with their natural disease resistance and Regenerative properties.They manipulate their environment using small pod-less tentacles that they can withdraw from their skin and back at will. They do not have any gender and only reproduce once every 2000 years by splitting into two more of the Species.

Spoiler: Actual Character (click to show/hide)

The Gornollians are the dwellers of Gornal, A fairly large swamp planet. They resemble Giant Snails and move very slowly. They are Herbivores although they can live off of nearly anything. They are also quite lazy and to a point gluttonous, However they are extremely intelligent to the extent that 10 times that of a human is considered sub-par, Their Eyes have multiple Pupils and have the sight capabilities of a Falcon,Along with their natural disease resistance and Regenerative properties.They manipulate their environment using small pod-less tentacles that they can withdraw from their skin and back at will. They do not have any gender and only reproduce once every 2000 years by splitting into two more of the Species.

Wut.

[LuckyKobold]

Oops, I'll fix it!

[LuckyKobold]

I Fixed It!

[WillowLuman]

LK, that character description is the species description again. Also, we've discussed that he needs to be more skilled than a janitor. The ship can clean itself. With his massive intelligence, surely he'd have some kind expertise in science, engineering, strategy, or something? Because if he's stowing away, there needs to be a reason for them not to just kill him/eject him when they find him.

Also, important detail, is the ship assembled in orbit around the Dark Star, or is it assembled elsewhere and flies in?

[Pencil_Art]

Changelog:

     - Changed Backstory
     - Added Dietary Requirements
     - Added ability: Parasitic
     - Added skill: General Practitioner

LK, that character description is the species description again. Also, we've discussed that he needs to be more skilled than a janitor. The ship can clean itself. With his massive intelligence, surely he'd have some kind expertise in science, engineering, strategy, or something? Because if he's stowing away, there needs to be a reason for them not to just kill him/eject him when they find him.

Also, important detail, is the ship assembled in orbit around the Dark Star, or is it assembled elsewhere and flies in?

Why is this important?

[LuckyKobold]

Yes He is very skilled in Swashbuckling and Tinkering with Junk to make more useful junk, Also why would they kill him for being on board?

[Pencil_Art]

Well, we might not have any food suitable for you. Speaking of food, will it just be some sort of nutritious sludge?

[LuckyKobold]

You have a giant slug on board, I'm a giant snail, It's not much of a stretch.