The Kalorbi

[dulci]

The Kalorbi are a humanoid species. Their most distinctive feature is the vertical extension (around five to eight inches) of their shoulder blades, portruding up and arcing forward. These flesh-covered portrusions are part of a wing-like structure of lightweight paper-like flesh material which extend from the top of these shoulder blades to the bottom of the elbow in a rounded demi-wing.

The paper-flesh material is iridescant and very delicate, making need for the material to be very protected. The Kalorbi usually cover this weakness by wearing sashes of tough material-armor over each shoulder, effectively shielding the wing while still alowing for agile movement.

These wings act as a sort of stabilizer, also allowing the Kalorbi higher jump ability in movement and combat, spreading ever so slightly to produce a descending lift.

The Kalorbi's skin is subtle flesh-tone, with blue starting and increasing in gradient at the bottom of their necks, around their chest and backs of the wing area and down their arms.

There are small similar wing-like flaps of skin on the backs of their legs, but not as large as on the arms. These need protection too, however, and are covered in the same material.

The Kalorbi are tall and thin, sometimes well-muscled but more often sinewy. Their speach is lyrical, lilting - one might say almost purring.

[Jeff Gerke]

Wow. Very cool.

What's their technology like? What's their homeworld like? What's their place in the galaxy?

Jeff

[dulci]

Sorry, I had to scram in the middle of writing this.

And now, for the rest of the story...

The Kalorbi's homeworld is a paradox, both hostile and beautiful. Much of the world is covered in water, forcing the Kalorbi to build towering structures from beams straight out of the ocean's floor. They must do this and live above the surface as they cannot survive as a culture in confined spaces. Their wings ache and become brittle with lack of use. For this reason they often avoid small space travel, although they are more partial to traveling in larger ships.

The cities of the Kalorbi are groups of the needle-like portrusions out of the water, entire sections of the city being built on swaying platforms with motions and movements much like an 18th century ship. Their wings keep them steady, though. Agriculture on the planet is what covers most of the dry land (only 10% or less of the surface area of the planet). There are some mining ventures into the ocean, but the Kalorbi mostly exist above the surface and avoid confinement as much as possible.

Because of their planet's rich resource of water, the Kalorbi use water-powered engines and generators to power their city and transportation. They do not travel in cars, but in open sky-barges with only their feet strapped to the surface of the barge and a thin hand rail to keep them in. Many have personal traveling wedges, mini versions of the open barges, which are something like controlled surf-boards. These transportation vehicles are all controlled by the movement of the driver's legs, sensed in the straps to the floor of the vehicle.

The Kalorbi are an old, wise race, considered by most to be somewhat of an anomoly, revered by others. They are much feared, as their speed and maneuvers in any type of aerial fight is unprecedented, whether they are using their battle wedges or merely on their own strength.
They are also feared because they never blink--with so much water on their homeworld, there is no need to replenish this moisture, as it's always in the air. They also seldom need to drink on their own world, as they constantly inhale moisture in the air.

When the Kalorbi travel, which is not often, they must wear a protective shield over their eyes, nose and mouths, allowing them to see and breathe while also maintaining a proper moisture level. They have maid much advancements in this technology, though, and several outside influences have enticed them to venture from their homeworld in recent times.

The discovery of the Mkata drug on Dreis, for instance, has enticed many young Kalorbi to leave their world and explore others. In the Kalorbi, Mkata entices the body's functions into a more cathartic state while maximizing the mental output - something that traditional Kalorbi rightly see as a threat to their own culture, as they exist mostly on creative ways, rather than the logic that the drug induces. For this reason, those who discover Mkata are often banned from the Kalorbi homeworld of Baya.

Those among Kalorbi traditionals do travel the galaxy as they see fit, but they do so in their own special ships, suited for their moisture and water needs. The ships are usually large and fluid, almost organic in nature, veins of water pumping throughout every part of the hull like a living organism. The Kalorbi place high emphasis on art in every area of their design, which shows in their ships as well as their cities. The controls of their ships are often aranged in poetic order rather than alpha-numerical or functional order. The ships are also of very open design, no specific sections except where absolutely needed so that the Kalorbi may jump and stretch their fragile wings at will.

The Kalorbi would probably be ignored in the order of the galaxy altogether if it were not for one essential thing that is their contribution to society at large: they invented the water-circulation systems used for all ships everywhere. These systems are essential during travel, as they allow the ships to be powered by a never-ending chemically altered water source (Kalorbi water), which in turn runs the "pure" (non-Kalorbi) water filtering systems used to renew and replenish water throughout a ship's journey. The Kalorbi have made a system for chemically altering any water to match their own, which is essential for all ship's water-powered drives, but they have wisely kept the knowledge solely to their own race, allowing them to bargain hard for other resources that are needed but lacking on their homeworld.

This delicate balance of power is being threatened, however, as more and more Kalorbi, usually the young and rebellious, take to Mkata, as the process of chemically altering the imported water cannot be comprehended in a logical way, but in a multi-spatial "childlike" way. In this sense, the Kalorbi are very childlike and innocent, even while retaining their firm and somewhat fierce presence. The Mkata Kalorbi are, however, the opposite, becoming cold and unweildly, their strength of body and mind becoming their identity rather than their childlike trust in the processes laid out for generations before them. For this reason, they cannot convert the water, nor can they even communicate solidly with the vast majority of the traditional Kalorbi, whose lyrical language can only be comprehended in that same child-like manner.

The Kalorbi have great fear and respect for their water, but because of their wings worship a god of the sky. They have not, for centuries, known the name of the god that they worship, but they trust, nonetheless, that it was he who made the water. This childlike faith in all that they do is the very essential basis of their culture and existance.

[brianjones]

Sounds interesting. I like the differences to those who take the drug and those who don't. Since their planet is hostile was there a time when the Kolubri were hostile when maybe they lived in the jungles or are their other races on their home world that exists or at one time existed?