Aperusa

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Aperusa
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Racial statistics
Type: Humanoid
Origin: Unknown
Size: Medium
Height: 1,5-1,9m
Average lifespan: 80 years
Climate: Any terrestrial
Innate abilities: TBD
Worlds: No dominant worlds, present on many aether-sailing worlds

Aperusa is a race of nomadic humanoids seen all across the inhabited Galaxy. Utilizing portals to get from world to world, they became a common sight. With a reputation for thievery, they're commonly subjected to prejudice and bans on how many of their numbers can enter a world. Aperusa have little respect for these bans, however, and proceed to squat on many worlds uninvited, often also disrupting previously uncontacted groundling worlds, all because of a belief that the earth belongs to no one and no one can rightfully ban them from entry.

Biology[edit | edit source]

Aperusa superficially resemble humans, with some potential elven admixture. On a deeper level, there are significant differences. An aperusa's skin and hair take on vibrant, striking colors normally not appearing in most humanoid races. They can be deep blue, bright green, blood red or jet black, and the colors often mix between families resulting in many different colors even between siblings. Their facial structure usually exhibits hooked noses and strong jawlines, as well as thick facial hair in men.

Anatomically, aperusa have several big differences from humans. They have two more abdominal muscles, thicker and stronger arm and leg muscles, semi-digitigrade feet and a heart located in the middle of the chest. All those traits suggest possible alien origin which accidentally evolved convergently to other humanoids, usually descended from the Titan constructs.

History[edit | edit source]

Aperusa do not share their history with outsiders and jealously guard most of their secrets. They do not interbreed with other races, and in rare occurrences when they do, the outsider is sworn as an honorary aperusa and obliged to keep their secrets. As such, the galactic society is unaware of aperusa origins or their history before their camps were discovered on a number of worlds on the border of Liminus Sector and Accords Sector. However, few theories are commonly postulated.

One popular theory posits they are the starlings of Djedsuti myth. According to a First Kingdom story, they were once human-like people on Djedsut who lived in the eastern parts of the major continent. They, the starlings, were very curious people who traveled the world far and wide but could still not satiate their curiosity. They began to pine for the stars and longed for them so much, they all became afflicted with a race-wide despondence. Their king, Isetseba (lit. star-throne, probably not a real name), longed so much he climbed the highest mountain on Djedsut and jumped from its peak so high, he landed among the stars. His people followed behind him and before the night was over, the entire race disappeared never to be heard from again. What may seem like a primitive myth trying to explain origin of the stars gains new credence when the murals depicting starlings show a clearly very human-looking race - and humans were absent from Djedsut in that era. However, some believe starlings may have actually been the akashics, and the theory is far from widely accepted.

Another popular theory plays on common traits attributed to aperusa. Known for thievery and fortune-telling, they are sometimes suspected of being outcasts and exiles from an otherwise unknown world in the Liminus Sector or even Unknown Regions. Speculated to be descended from criminals or political exiles, this theory is commonly disregarded for its racially insensitive connotations.

Culture[edit | edit source]

Although thievery and fortune-telling are the two most widely known parts of aperusa culture, their true society is as differentiated as that of any sentient race. They have craftsmen who create beautiful jewelry and textiles, as well as other pillars of every society. The reputation for thievery mostly stems from a cultural belief that only aperusa have to be properly respected, with many young outliers of their society, the ones the furthest away from their whole society, believing it gives them the freedom to take whatever they want from others.

Aperusa fortune-telling is an ancient practice based on "reading the walls of the universe". According to some, these "walls" are where the entire history of universe is written and sometimes speculated to be the true home of the akashics. However, the aperusa themselves refuse to comment on these few details that leaked out of their secretive society.

Races
Common races Human - Elf - Dwarf - Gnome - Halfling - Orc - Goblin - Goliath - Giff - Dohwar - Mercane - Oni - Reigar - Sphinx - Dracon
Other races Aboussaur - Ajazy - Android - Aperusa - Aureal - Baku - Blemmye - Boggard - Bugbear - Cactusfolk - Catfolk - Cecaelia - Centaur - Cerebromorph - Corallite - Craner - Crion - Cynosurine - Darfellan - Dragonid - Ereleshku - Ettin - Finchkin - Gargoyle - Ghilani - Giant - Girallon - Gnoll - Grav - Grippli - Gullard - Hadozee - Harpy - Hobgoblin - Hamsterling - Hopslet - Hothak - Hurwaeti - Hydross - Kappa - Kenku - Khorak - Kobold - Korraw - Kyton - Lektin - Lizardfolk - Locathah - Ma'yee - Medusa - Merfolk - Minotaur - Molekin - Myconid - Myrmidon - Nephilim - Naga - Nerugi - Nsing - Oortling - Osh'wari - Paprot - Plumkin - Polarid - Raptoran - Ratling - Salamander - Saturnite - Satyr - Scorpid - Sea Devil - Sealkin - Shivan - Siyokoy - Syrinx - Tanukki - Telchin - Thorak - Tiefling - Treant - Triton - Troll - Trox - Ursine - Vagash - Vannara - Vegepygmy - Velocix - Venerean - Vespene - Vroomn - Vyrhuo - Wayang - Wurm - Xantid - Xill - Xiwangmin - Xixchil - Yaksha - Yapper - Yeti
Spiritual races Akashic - Angel - Demon - Ghost - God - Worldmother - Wraith
Undead races Draugr - Death knight - Écorché - Ghoul - Jiangshi - Larva - Lich - Mummy - Natural undead - Vampire - Zombie
Extinct races Bond'wari - Titan - Xa'tac - Yellowstone Progenitors