Introduction
Skrell are a species of amphibious humanoid, with a colorful gelatinous appearance and tentacles on their head. Their current homeworld is Qerr’balak, a humid planet covered in swamps and jungles, in the same star system as Sareshi, the Teshari homeworld. The Skrell are largely known for their advances in FTL travel, for being Humanity’s First Contact, and for having formed the Vikara Combine, one of the three Galactic Governments. However, they are also known for being rather stuck on their own caste system, for coming across a bit like racists/speciests, and for always basing their decision on emotionless logic.
Biology
Physicality
Skrell visually appear as gelatinous, opaque, humanoids with three tentacle-like tails on their head, with their skin covered in a layer of mucus. Their skin color can vary from a large range of colors, including black, red, green, blue, pink, purple, orange, and teal. The eyes of Skrell are naturally completely black. Compared to humans, their vision underwater is much better, and slightly better in darkness. Skrell hands and feet are largely similar to those of humans, but are slightly webbed. If a Skrell spends an extended amount of time outside of moist environments, their skin will dry out, which is quite uncomfortable, but not immediately deadly. The average Skrell stands between 5’10” to 6’0” for males, and 6’0” to 6’2” for females, making females slightly larger than males. An outsider might assume that the various Skrell castes are various races within the Skrell species. However, race and caste has nothing to do with each other, members of any race (mostly varying on skin color) can be members of any caste.
Head Tentacle Tails
On the head, Skrell have three tentacle-like tails, which have a muscular structure allowing them to move and even attempt to grab objects. A Skrell who is missing part of or an entire tentacle are seen as disfigured, and many will attempt to hide their injury. These tentacles serve two main purposes. The first is to keep eggs in the moist, dark, sticky places between the tentacles, holding them safely. While some Skrell still carry their eggs like this, arguing that it’s logical to follow nature’s way of carrying the eggs, most Skrell nowadays keep their eggs in specifically prepared nests where the eggs are protected and kept moist, arguing that it’s logical to leave behind antiquated techniques in favor of better solutions. The second use is to work as improvised grabbing tendrils, holding onto simple objects for a moment to keep the hands free. Fine manipulation is nearly impossible with them. A third, unusual use is for ornamentation. A variety of accessories, like cloth bands, piercings, and chains, are displayed on those head tentacles to show off wealth, caste, or taste.
Reproduction
Skrell have no external reproductive organs and instead use external fertilization. Because of this, Skrell have a very minimal nudity taboo. The typical clutch contains fifty eggs, most of which successfully hatch into small tadpoles. Because of the tadpoles' weak immune system, rarely more than five of those survive and grow up into adults. After a clutch of eggs is laid, the eggs stay inactive for up to five days, waiting for external fertilization. If none such happens, they break apart. Three months after fertilization, the eggs hatch and the tadpoles then continue to grow. Over the course of three years, those with weak immune systems will die, but any who survive until the third year usually survive. At the age of 3, most tadpoles have grown to be about one foot tall. Around this time, they slowly start showing signs of recognition and intelligence, and after two more years the tadpole has grown arms and legs, with a total size of two feet, and will be able to walk together with their parents and start to learn. From there on, the child keeps growing and reaches their full height at roughly 17 years, while reaching adulthood at 20. Compared to humans, Skrell have an incredibly low fertility rate, and their fertility rate is furthermore influenced by their surroundings. A Skrell living in an area with many other Skrell experiences a drastic decrease in their fertility, while those living far away from others experience a rise. Many Skrell view a human’s idea of romantic relationship risible. It’s not uncommon for a Skrell, especially one who grew up among humans to think fondly of the idea of having a soulmate, but most Skrell display a much more logical approach to reproduction. Partners are chosen based on logic with little emotion. Many will offer their services for reproduction to those with greater lineages to help them keep their lineage going, and pairs will usually investigate each other’s family for notable acts or for genetic sickness. When Skrell re-discovered the technology needed and were able to scan their genes, many with favorable ones proudly paraded them in search for mating partners. During upbringing of the children, there are clear roles, which also dictate which caste the child belongs to, following that of the primary caretaker. As a note, both the primary and the secondary caretaker can be of either gender and either caste. No matter if male or female, the primary caretaker is the Qarr-Maqa, and the children will be members of the Qarr-Maqa’s caste. The traditional roles are:
.) Qarr-Maqa, the main parental figure, tutor, and caretaker.
.) Qrri-Maqa, the secondary parental figure, the financial, material, and emotional support of the Qarr-Maqa and the children. Compared to Humans, the role of a close uncle or aunt.
.) Qarr-Baqa, siblings from the same clutch.
.) Qrri-Baqa, children from another clutch of either or both of the parents. Depending on the family’s structure, comparable to either cousins or strangers.
.) Mawa’lak, the Qarr-Baqa from either of the parents. Because of how close those are with the children’s parents, they often take a more involved role than a human’s aunt or uncle would.
Gender Differences
For Non-Skrell, it is extremely difficult to tell genders apart from appearance alone, since the body shape and general appearance does not change. Many female Skrell talk in a slightly higher pitch than the male ones, but that isn’t a foolproof way to tell the genders apart. The average female is slightly larger and has slightly longer tentacle tails, but the difference is hard to tell for the untrained eye. Skrell abolished gender roles and tend to refrain from using gendered honorifics, but those living and working around non-Skrell often inform their human colleagues indirectly, for example by introducing themselves as Miss or Mister, to make it easier for the other species.
Lifespan
The normal life expectancy for Skrell is around 100 years, but with good care and proper medicine racing the age of 130 isn’t unheard of. At the age of 20, a Skrell is considered adult.
Diet
Naturally, the preferred food of Skrell are fungi, though they are capable of digesting most plant matter. Meat is problematic for their bodies though, scientists are still arguing is Skrell are considered allergic to animal protein, or if animal protein counts as a poison for them. In the end, eating animal protein is bad for Skrell, and so many Skrell opt for a vegetarian diet.
History
Before Qerr’balak
A long time ago, multiple thousands of years, Skrell were widespread throughout the Galaxy. However, something happened which caused their numbers to drastically shrink. Skrell scientists to this day are pondering and making assumptions as to what happened, but no one knows the truth. However, the Scientists know that Qerr’balak is not their homeworld, but just so happened to be a world where thousands of years ago their ancestors landed and scuttled their ships.
On Qerr’balak
While Qerr’balak wasn’t the Skrell homeworld, it is a perfect world for them to grow and survive. With few natural predators, and a planet seemingly perfect, the Skrell were soon able to spread out over the entire planet and with time formed many monarchies, entire kingdoms both above and below water. Relatively early though, scholars have studied the planet’s fauna and deduced that the Skrell could not have evolved on this planet. This idea was further fortified as the first explorers, about ten thousand years after the Skrell came to Qerr’balak, found pieces of the thousands year old ships which brought the species here. With many asking themselves where they came from and why they were here, some religions started, preaching that their all-knowing god had placed them here. However, as science evolved further and further, those religions were silenced behind reason and logic.
Renaissance
As more and more Skrell wished to know about their origin, more and more became scientists, studying old questions and answers, and looking for the new answers for the new questions. As such, the Skrell advanced quickly in technology. for some time, explorers set out over the entire planet, looking everywhere for more signs of the old ships, and they finally found some of those. But the technology used in those was far more advanced than anything the Skrell at this time could understand. Nevertheless, the Skrell quickly advanced into the modern age, utilizing radio for communication, building the first computers, and working on the beginnings of their first space program.
First Teshari Contact
Before the Skrell were able to start their first space program, they picked up something unusual, radio waves coming from one of the other planets in the star system. At first thought to be an error with readings, with time it showed that there were radio signals. Having found proof of alien line, the Skrell did their best to further advance their own technology. One of the first satellites they successfully launched into space had the sole role of observing the radio signals coming from the other planet. Scientists all over Qerr’balak worked on deciphering the alien radio signals, finding patterns, and understanding the language used. Before long, the Skrell sent wordless messages to the other planet, audio ques on radio waves, and after some time also got responses. From there, they slowly were able to decipher the other’s language and soon after the Skrell openly communicated with the Teshari on their neighboring planet.
Early Space Age
With there being undeniable proof of alien life, a space race started. Competing groups of Skrell all worked on getting the first Skrell into space, getting the first satellite to do a fly-by of the Teshari world, and making the first permanent space station. Sadly, during this time, a war between various Skrell nations broke out, spanning out to encompass half of the planet, leading to a setback in inter-species relationships with the Teshari as many people thought it more important to focus on the war rather than improving relationships. It certainly doesn’t help that during the war, various nations sent false information to the Teshari in an attempt to sabotage the other nation’s efforts.
Finally, the war ended when one side discovered the technology for nuclear weapons and used three nuclear missiles on a testing ground, showing off their force to the other factions in the war. Said other factions saw it logical that faced with such destructive power there was nothing they could do, and as such surrendered immediately. News of the nuclear weapons quickly reached the Teshari and caused a bit of a panic with some of their groups, who feared the Skrell would use nuclear weapons to subjugate the Teshari, and thus they demanded that the Teshari develop nuclear weapons as well to strike the Skrell in a preemptive attack. Thankfully though, this never happened, and after a short time of diplomatic troubles, the two species continued towards common prosperity.
After some time of recovery from the war, the Skrell underwent planetary unification, where they combined under the banner of one faction. In honor of the scientist Vikara, who had made the breakthrough for nuclear weapons, the new Qerr’Balak government renamed itself into the Vikara Nation. They were then able to expand into space and, using recovered technology from the old ship husks that were found on their planet, they were able to quickly produce ships capable of starting and landing on multiple planets without needing to refuel. As such, the first ambassadors were sent to meet the Teshari on their home planet, and the technology for such ships was readily shared across both species.
As it became apparent that the Skrell did not want the Teshari as a Subjugated or Charge Species, but instead wanted them as equals on their way into the stars, and with the readily available and shared sunlight engine technologies, a real space boom happened. First expeditions were mounted not only by the biggest nations, but also by the big companies of both species. Rapidly, asteroid mining started, the first permanent space stations were built, and then the first colonies within the same star system.
In future talks about this time, the Skrell even went as far as to say that they never “uplifted” the Teshari Species, but simply developed next to them. Quickly though it showed that the two Species could complement each other well, and as such Skrell and Teshari worked together. Some groups on both sides were opposed to this friendly behavior, but they were outnumbered and with time had to change their ways, or had to leave the system once FTL travel was discovered.
Current
Following their last big war on Qerr’balak, and their union with the Teshari, the Skrell founded the “Vikara Combine”, which they founded as a collection of Species, helping each other with whatever they were best at. As the Vikara Combine expanded over the Galaxy, they met other Species, some of which were incorporated into the federation, like the Akula and the Vulpkanian. When the Vikara Combine met the pre-spaceflight species Akula, despite there being some obvious similarities between them and the Skrell, tensions were high. With how Akula resembled marine predators, and Skrell resembled marine prey, the Skrell were immediately distrustful of them. However, in diplomatic talks the Skrell could slowly be convinced that the Akula aren’t all barbaric, and in fact they could easily work together with the Skrell because of the similar environments. As such, both the Skrell and Teshari decided that uplifting the Akula was a good idea and did so. Among Skrell it quickly became a status symbol to have Akula guards for houses, since their disregard of the Skrell caste system, while obviously preposterous, allowed them to truly guard a place from anyone not permitted to enter. The Vulpkanian were a welcomed addition to the Vikara Combine. Not only did no species of the Combine have any unusually negative opinion about them, their natural habitat was able to fill a lot of checkboxes none of the other Vikara Combine Species could fill. Namely, while Skrell and Akula thrive in wet regions, and Teshari thrive in tundra regions, the Vulpkanians were able to live in hot and dry regions like deserts, as well as common temperate areas. As the Vikara Combine met the Vox, they tried a diplomatic approach at first. However, it quickly became obvious that this wasn’t fruitful and attempts of integrating them into the Vikara Combine were abandoned. Sadly this happened after, as a sign of good will, the Vikara Combine shared some of their at the time newer FTL technological discoveries with the Vox. With ever new advances in FTL technologies, and good relations to many nations, factions, and species, the Vikara Combine are one of the three Galactic Powerhouses, with the Skrell as the de-facto leaders of it.
Culture
The Typical Experience
Your daily life as a Skrell is decided by your Caste, which defines your general line of work. For example, as a member of the Caste of the Mind, you will find yourself a scientist, teacher, or similar. Maybe you will spend your day teaching others? Study something? Observe an experiment? Study the stars? But no matter your caste, if you are the primary parent for a clutch, you will also spend time teaching them as best as you can, even if you aren’t a teacher by profession. No matter the caste, almost all Skrell have adopted a similar view regarding genders and other Species within the Vikara Combine. First being that genders don’t matter, it doesn’t matter if someone is male or female outside of if one is looking for a mating partner. Second is that some Species are simply better at some things than others. Akula make naturally better soldiers than Skrell, and there is nothing wrong with that. Instead of shaming Akula, celebrate that you have an ally who can do what you can’t do.
And no matter what caste you are, you should always do what is the most logical thing to do. Work towards bettering yourself, improving yourself and your surroundings. Sure, you can rest your mind for some time, meditate to re-focus when you’ve noticed you let emotions influence your decision making. It’s important to root out such mistakes.
Language
The Skrell language consists of a series of hums, warbles, or croaks, which is impossible for many species to hear or reproduce without the assistance of a computer or a translator. As such, many Skrell learn at least one of the other galactic languages to make communication easier. The language has a rather flat tone with only subtle changes, which are easy to hear for a Skrell, but hard to identify for others, leading to the language often being seen as somewhat flat. The written language consists of thousands of logograms with only slight and subtle differences, making reading it for a non-Skrell all the harder. It doesn’t help that for some topics there are many words and signs which, outside of this specific topic, have no meaning.
Naming Conventions
Given the structure of Skrellian voiceboxes, their names are often heavy in Qs, Ks, and vowels. However, when dealing with non-Skrell, many Skrell will adopt a nickname which can be pronounced by their co-workers.
Religion
Long ago, in the early stages of the Skrell living on Qerr’balak, the Xilar Qall religion gained quite some traction. According to it, one day long ago, the Skrell were a cowardly species, living in small tribes and raising their tadpoles the best they could. They never dared to look up into the sky, always keeping their head and eyes low. Then one day, the sun suddenly stopped shining. And when the Skrell looked up for the first time, they saw a massive tentacled being moving past, blocking the sun with its mass. And as it flew past, a singing could be heard, a beautiful melody. The being then passed, and the song stopped. Left wondering why the beautiful song stopped, the Skrell tried to replicate it, and by doing so, said the first words in their new language, thus learning how to speak. In an attempt to hear the song again, the Skrell spread out over the entire world, building as high as they could in an attempt to get closer to this being should it ever return.
With time, religion was given less and less importance in day-to-day life, replaced by science and logic, but many still like to remember the ethical teachings of their ancient religion:
Keep your eyes to the stars Harmony comes from discipline A united society strives Harm only when harmed Stay forever inquisitive
Holidays
Vertalliq-Qerr (Festival of the Royals), Jan 12: A massive festival that celebrates the Qerr-Katish and all they have provided for the rest of Skrell society, it often features colorful displays and skilled performers take this time to show off some of their more fancy displays. Modern Vertalliq-Qerr festivities are often hotbeds for anti-royalist demonstrations, which on occasion turn violent. Qixm-tes (Day of mourning), March 3rd: A day where Skrell gather at places of worship and sing a song of mourning for all those who have died upholding traditional Xilar Qall ethics or serving the city-state. Modern practice tends to construe “service to the city-state” broadly, as the philosophy behind the caste system teaches that everything is in service to the city-state.
Jiql-tes (Day of celebration), May 28th: Similar to Christmas, Skrell communities gather for a grand feast and give gifts to friends and close relatives.
Qill-xamr (Night of the dead), September 17th: Skrell communities hold parties to remember loved ones who passed. Unlike Qixm-tes, this explicitly extends to all the dead and is a joyful, if bittersweet, celebration of their lives.
Vertalliq-qixim, Nov 22nd: A grand festival to celebrate the day when Skrell kind first landed on one of their moons.
Castes
Among Skrell, there are five “true” castes, and two “false” castes. The five “true” castes are:
.) Qerr-Katish, Caste of the Leader. Members of this caste are usually managers, diplomats, and lawyers.
.) Malish-Katish, Caste of the Mind. Members of this caste are usually scientists, educators, and writers.
.) Kanin-Katish, Caste of the Builder. Members of this caste are usually manual workers.
.) Talum-Katish, Caste of the Artist. Members of this caste are usually artisans, aesthetes, musicians, and similar.
.) Raskinta-Katish, Caste of the Warrior. Members of this caste are usually soldiers and police, as well as bodyguards of the Leader Caste.
The two “false” castes are:
.) Ue-Katish, Casteless. Unusual Skrell who were born to Ue-Katish parents, or were cast out of their caste for some reason or another. They usually end up doing dangerous, unforgiving jobs, live a life of crime, or leave Skrell space.
.) Kiquol, Guests. This Caste is technically given to all non-Skrell in Skrell space, not limited to members of the vikara Combine. Members of this caste work as whatever suits their abilities best.
Other Factions within the Skrell
Known as the Qerr-Glia, the leading Caste of the nation which lost the last big war on Qerr’balak chose to live in the shadows from that day on. Using trickery and deception, they expanded along with the rest of the Skrell and were able to thrive on the things the rest of the Skrell did not like to do, such as slave and drug trade. Even today, many of these live hidden among the other Skrell, and especially in places with non-Skrell, they make use of all-you-can-eat restaurants as money laundering venues. Living on the edge of Skrellian space, especially on the Human-Skrell border, are the Ue-Katish Pirates. Some Ue-Katish, after having seen how bad they have it in Skrell space as a classless Skrell, don’t decide to take on low-paying dangerous jobs, but instead live as outcasts, joining cargo flotillas which function as both floating black markets, where one can buy anything and anyone, and sometimes engage in piracy to steal from other ships and from stations.
Relationships with other Species
Teshari: Even though there were some obstacles with their first contact, the Skrell see Teshari as equals, and they are the species with which the Skrell have founded the Vikara Combine. Within the Combine, Teshari are often employed as explorers.
Akula: Also an aquatic species, but vastly different. Akula are part of the Vikara Combine and are often employed in a military role. Often Skrell tend to treat them as more of a beast which gets unleashed in a certain direction, rather than as equals, but officially Skrell try their best to treat Akula with respect and dignity.
Vox: One of the first species the Skrell encountered, talks to integrate them into the Vikara Combine were quickly and violently stopped. Vox are generally seen as violent and not to be reasoned with.
Vulpkanian: One of the other species the Skrell encountered and integrated into the Vikara Combine. Vulpkanian are often seen as reasonable, logically thinking, and good allies. They are often filling engineering roles and are generally well respected among Skrell.
Human: The Skrell were the Human’s First Contact and gave them their FTL technology. Many Skrell see Humans as powerful friends, but also many see how irrational and impulsive a human can be, which unsettles them.
Silicons: With most synthetic live in general, Skrell see them as reasonable and logical. After all, who would be more logical than a computer? As such, many Skrell hold sentient robots in high regard. Quite some can see non-sentient robots as nothing but tools and use them as such, but usually those proven to be sentient are treated with more respect.
Rumors and Speculation
As more and more information is shared between the various species, Skrell scientists are starting to wonder if whatever cataclysm had forced their ancestors to settle on Qerr’balak and cast aside all technology roughly 10.000 years ago, has any connections to how the Adherent robots came to be roughly 10.000 years ago. No one knows why, but according to statistics, the most often sent spam message on NanoTrasen systems is regarding a “wetskrell.nt” website.