Umanu
Physical Characteristics
Average Height: 5’4”-6’2” (162-188 cm)
Average Weight: 110-180 lbs (50-80 kg)
Average Life Expectancy: 80-100 years
Skin: Soft tissue made up of an outer later of dead cells and inner layers of collagen and fat cells
Notable Features: 5-digit hands and feet, hair (particularly concentrated on scalp, underarms, and pelvis), golden-bronze colored skin, some umanu have the ability to communicate to any intelligent organism, both verbally, as well as telepathically
History
Pre-Contact
Early Civilization
According to ancient texts deciphered by scholars and academics, the Umanu were the evolutionary successor to a species called “humans”, who originated from a planet called Earth. Although these humans were supposedly quite diverse in bodily proportions and skin color, it is believed that hundreds or thousands of generations upon generations of intermingling of these different human variants resulted in a racially-ambiguous breed that came to eventually refer to themselves as umanu instead of human.
Post-Contact
The Resonance
What little has been uncovered and translated indicates that the umanu were able to achieve hyperspace travel only a few decades before a genocidal war brought about their near-extinction. The Resonance ping was the first indication to the umanu of life beyond Earth and this sudden knowledge sparked a planet-wide arms race unlike anything the umanu had experienced before. Tensions would boil over as rival countries competed to build weapons capable of combating potential alien invaders and starships powerful enough to traverse the universe. Only a handful of starship would end up being completed and launched on expeditions to find the source of the Resonance prior to the war that eradicated those who remained on Earth.
Journey to Kylia
The umanu fortunate enough to find themselves aboard the vessels that managed to escape the doomed planet would eventually reconvene and build the Kibo, a self-sustaining, terrarium-like megaship that allowed them to continuously traverse the stars for several hundred millennia until they finally reached the Acarias Solar System and the planet of Kylia.
A great deal of umanu history is still unknown due to the lack of record-keeping, or at least the preservation of said records, during their time aboard the Kibo. There are many theories as to why this is the case, the most popular of which speculates it was the lack of a common language. For a great deal of their history, the umanu and their human predecessors had been known to have spoken at least a hundred different languages and counting. It is unclear the origin language of the word “umanu”, but discoveries have revealed that our common language, Zanyarin, is likely a derivative of this hybridized common umanu tongue, which itself is mainly derived from an old human language called “English”.
The umanu were the fourth alien species to discover and settle on Kylia after the avarga, olari’i, and saagas. While their arrival did incite minor skirmishes, in general, their presence was welcomed, mostly due to the fact that as an extremely linguistic-capable species, the umanu were able to bridge communication barriers between the other three. This continued after the arrival of the nirgul and karlik, and eventually, Zanyarin was adopted as the Kylian common tongue.
Millennium War
As with most other species, there remains little on the precise happenings of the umanu during the Millennium War. Although they were among the less-proactive during the war, it was inevitable they would be caught up in the crossfire and have their hands forced into battle. Many umanu sought diplomatic solutions to little avail, but their efforts were not wholly in vain, as by the end of the fighting, the umanu emerged arguably the least-scathed of all the alien species who had come to Kylia. Despite this fact, many umanu ended up being much more wary of others and it was difficult for them to trust even their own.
After Unification
Golden Age
The rise of the Nuru Moja signaled the end of the Millenium War and the start of the Kylian Golden Age. Without the worry of war, the umanu were able to flourish as a species. Art, fashion, entertainment, and other cultural pastimes quickly became staples of umanu society once again, since many such activities and traditions had been lost after their departure from Earth.
Although the Golden Age was a time of great peace and prosperity, lingering effects from the Millennium War left a sour taste in the mouths of many umanu, and as time wore on, talks of disillusionment began to surface once more.
Formation of the Council
After the Nuru Moja transcended the mortal plane of existence and the Council of Seven was formed, one umanu Seraph, recognized for their prowess, was made a council member. Given this change, many umanu were happy to have representation at such a high level of governance however the same societal issues on an individual level still persisted and over time, like all of the other alien species, the umanu began to lose faith in the council’s abilities.
The Fall
After the disappearance of the Council of Seven, and the inevitable Dark Age that followed, the umanu did what they could to survive, some faring better than others. The waning resources proved to be an obstacle many were unable to overcome and eventually survival became more of a necessity than record-keeping.
Some two-millennia after the Fall, new nations began to reappear as civilizations reformed on Kylia. The umanu would play a key role in the founding of many of these nations.
Post Fall
Current Kylia
At present, given their population on Kylia nearly doubles that of any other species, it should come as no surprise that the umanu have a great deal of influence in every nation worldwide. Their general amicability, coupled with a natural charisma and strong command of linguistics have made them popular candidates for leadership positions and political figures, as well as frequent teachers, professors, business owners, and other professions where strong interpersonal skills are required.
Plenty of umanu choose to walk the path of the Seraph, undergoing the indokan process to gain access to the magic of the Paragons. Many of these umanu Seraphs, and even some who are not, end up joining the Olmorani as hunters, mercenaries, or explorers.
Culture
From a cultural standpoint, the umanu have arguably the most diverse and inclusive society. Their willingness to incorporate and understand other species’ traditions and customs into their own have made the umanu one of the more respected on Kylia. As a result, many consider umanu culture to be a melting pot that combines many of the best elements of the six primary alien species.
That being said, umanu culture is not without merits of its own making. One particularly well-known practice amongst the umanu is the celebration of birthdays: commemorating the day in which one is born each year thereafter with a gathering of friends and family and festivities that include games and symbolic food adorned with candles representative of the new age the umanu turns.
The umanu also have a profound culinary aptitude, thanks to their rather refined palettes. As a result, many of the restaurants and local eateries on Kylia are often run and frequented by umanu. From popular fast food chains like Pebble & Pops and Zesty Express to fine dining establishments like the world renowned, Estelle Magnifique, you will find that almost all of them are owned and operated by umanu.
Perhaps the most well-known aspect of umanu culture on Kylia however, is their notoriety for engaging in coitus and other such endeavors. By far the most sexually active of the alien species on Kylia, and resultingly the most populous, umanu engage in such pastimes for both pleasure and procreation over three times more frequently than any other. This level of activity has garnered the umanu a certain reputation amongst the other species, and many consider umanu experts on the subject matter, often turning to them for advice on how to go about their own sexual encounters.