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9 The Uju evolved from crustaceans on their planet. They're cold-blooded
10 with reddish/organgeish exoskeletons, which tends to become paler as
11 they age. Some are born with a rare (approximately 1 in 8 million)
12 genetic condition that results in their exoskeletion being more
13 yellowish instead. Their flesh is a greyish blue and their blood a
14 deep purple. They've evolved lungs and have nonfunctioning vestigial
15 gills located on the lower front of their body, near the top of their
16 legs. They primarily live out of water, although they still return to
17 salt water as part of their reproductive cycle. Their lungs are more
18 efficient than a human's, which helps them to remain underwater for
19 long periods of time but will die if left submerged in water long
20 enough without the ability to breathe oxygen. These highly efficient
21 lungs also help them to function in oxygen poor atmospheres.
23 They have two arms with eight fingers each although two seem more
24 claw-like; an evolutionary holdover from their distant past. They have
25 a large mouth full of sharp teeth for chewing food. They usually eat
26 the sea creatures of their home planet but have been known to eat land
27 animals or even offworld foods when it's not dangerous to do so. Their
28 digestive system can process only a limited amount of human food, with
29 help. A small amount of alcohol or fermented fruit juice will do the
32 They have two vertical eye slits that are more sensitive than our
33 eyes. Their eyes can both see more of the spectrum than humans and in
34 lower light situations. The average lifespan is about 70 years.
36 They have three legs and no hair. They have a crest of cartilage and
37 bone running from their nose to the top of their heads. They can
38 "elevate" this, and in so doing open their nostrils to give them a
39 better sense of smell, which even then is less advanced than a
40 human's. They have developed their hearing to an amazing level, able
41 to hear much better than a human. They're smaller than humans and are
42 usually 3 to 4 feet in height. The tallest recorded was around 5 feet.
43 Their arms are longer and legs shorter than a human's would be at that
44 height. They typically weigh less than a human of similar build. Their
45 bodies grow larger as they mature, and the males tend to be larger and
46 stronger than females.
48 They have a high-pitched/shrill voice that can produce a larger range
49 of vocal sounds than humans can. For this reason the Uju/English
50 dictionary is only an approximation, based on how close humans can
51 come to the actual sounds.
53 The Uju are a very old race, with a recorded history going back over
54 200,000 years but it is only been about 500 years since they developed
55 a single worldwide system of government. Before that they were a race
56 of scattered tribes. The exact number was in constant flux as they
57 would join forces for greater strength, or split into factions to
58 pursue different goals but usually ranged between 50 to 100. Each
59 tribe had its own name but they but they are also known by a larger
60 designation, shared among multiple tribes, based on the continent they
63 The turning point for the Uju toward a more unified world was when
64 they were "enlightened" by a philosophy professor. He taught them the
65 value of education, reading, writing, and math. He also taught them
66 that they had a duty to their community and their planet.
68 This professor was eventually executed for his beliefs, but by then
69 the changes had been made. By the time he died, the Ujuian people were
70 beginning to see themselves as a single unit, rather than numerous
71 sovereign autonomous tribal units. Within a century of his death they
72 had formed their first single government but even today, tribal lines
75 Ujuians are generally a cold, serious but also stalwart, proud and
76 fearless race. They have a very militaristic society that's based
77 around codes of honor and duty, and they measure each action by that
80 Ujuians believe in the concept of duty to the group. They believe that
81 their lives are spent for the good of the their community, and every
82 death is a sacrifice for the greater good.
84 Despite unification each Ujuian is still born into a tribe although
85 tribes are not viewed as important as they once were. Each tribe has a
86 different code of honor which are as varied as the tribes themselves.
87 If two Ujuians had a dispute they would attempt to solve it themselves
88 with honor rather than involving any outside interference. As tribal
89 lines become less important these various codes of honor are slowly
90 combining and there are some aspects that appear to be universal. No
91 matter the tribe or combination of tribes, certain things are just not
94 They do not lie, and do not tolerate laziness. Everyone is expected to
95 fully contribute to society. They are also very orderly. They keep
96 their living areas spotless and everything in its place. They are
97 fastidious about their weapons, keeping them clean and
100 War is a dirty business even among the Uju. Most Ujuians would not
101 attack another without reason. Attacking another without a just cause
102 is against all codes of honor. While not overly aggressive or cruel,
103 they see war as an inevitability, and prepare for it as such, though
104 they are slow to anger. If a Ujuian was ever defeated in combat, he or
105 she would be expected to surrender and submit to the winner. The
106 winner may exact tribute or a penalty of some kind, but the loser
107 surrenders any right to take any further action regarding the
108 conflict. This sort of surrender is done to prevent perpetual blood
111 The Ujuian people as a whole are expected to defend against outside
112 aggression. If there's an outside attacker, the Ujuian people as a
113 whole are expected to unite in defense. Their military tactics are
114 focused to bring about an end and win as quickly and efficiently as
115 possible. They do not waste time with strategies designed to cause
116 terror or hardship among the enemy.
118 Prisoners are seen as a resource, not a burden, and are assigned labor
119 positions. Those who are too young, too old, or too infirm to be of
120 use are kept comfortable and well fed, but not given luxuries. Some
121 may be interrogated to gain military intelligence. Torture isn't
122 generally a standard practice among the Uju.
124 They are a welcoming and inclusive people, accepting of anyone who
125 values their code of honor.