O-2 Species: T

Tandu ab-Nght6- ul-Inquisitor ul-Acceptor -ul-Episiarch:

Militant arthropod race, hostile to Earth.  Humans have never been able to negotiate with the Tandu and standing orders were to avoid them at all costs, until the Tymbrimi could teach humans how to beat them.  Ancestral Tandu were a wholly carnivorous species that had already domesticated many animals to help in the hunt.  They have little empathy for any other life-forms (except for some early co-evolved species, such as the proto-Inquisitors), and adhere to the Inheritor Alliance's beliefs that unworthy species [in practical terms, this means everybody else] will one day be exterminated.

They participate in all Wars of Enforcement declared by the Institutes and have been attributed with three "accidental" extinctions in just the last 2¹³+2¹¹ (or 10,000) hab-years.  They are under investigation for excessive genetic manipulation of two client races.

They are an insect-like species of spindly stature with six 'detachable' legs, 'detachable' pseudo-heads that can grow back from head buds, and a seven chambered heart.  A central brain and the main memory centers are located in the thorax.  The mouth and nose are also on the thorax, as are light receptors with very limited motion sensing abilities.  A secondary brain containing most higher-order associative centers and short term memory is located in a Tandu's mature pseudo-head.  The pseudo-head also has eyes, internal antennas and advanced balance/acceleration centers.  Sound sensors and secondary olfactory sensors are located on the section of each limb closest to the body.  Loss of a mature pseudo-head renders a Tandu economically useless for almost 2^-3 of a hab-year, while the next head bud grows to maturity.  When the new head reaches full growth at about 3*2^-2 of a hab-year, there will be minor changes in the individual's personality, and it will be given a new function --since its old job will have been filled.  Headless Tandu are also at high risk of becoming "mating prey."

[Illustration: Tandu viewed from left, right, and side.]

Tandu are "uni-sexual."  The cadaver of a recently dead (or paralyzed) Tandu provides one set of gametes while any number of other Tandu provide complementary sets.  The fetal (or grub) Tandu transform into miniature Tandu while in the host cadaver, and hatch within a few hab of each other.  A canabalistic frenzy then ensues.  An average of six infants survive, and hormonal changes produced by ingesting other recent hatchlings elicit nurturing behaviors from all older (non-infant) Tandu.

Tandu have, in effect, only three life stages: infant (a Tandu that has not yet molted), mature, and the more vauge category of "elderly."  This means that Tandu do not experience childhood.  A young Tandu --just past its first molting --is just another Tandu, who happens to be rather small and who has a very limited education.

At the end of the infant stage a Tandu grows into one of two biological castes --"officer" or "follower".  The prime determinate of higher caste is dominance among other infants.  Intelligence per se is, at most, a secondary determinant.

The Admiral of a Tandu fleet is referred to as "Leading Stalker".  Tandu are probably the fastest moving alien forces because they are willing to take the risk of using the Episiarch's reality warping as a telekinitic faster-than-light drive.  Their ships are spindly, grapnel-shaped, or grotesquely dragonfly-like in design, forsaking armor for speed and power.

Tarseuh:

The species that ended the 20 million year tyranny of the "Lions,"  600 million hab-years ago (otherwise known as the fifteenth eon).  They did so by enlisting the aid of six ancient races thought to have been extinct, but that most likely were not finished Stepping Off.  They disappeared after their victory and re-establishment of Galactic culture, along with the other six races.  This legend gave rise to the Abdicator belief in Great Ghosts.
 
 

Thennanin ab-Wortl ab-Kosh  ab-Rosh ab-Tothtoon ul-Paimin ul-Rammin ul-Ynnin ul-Olumimin ul-Nahalli ul-Garthling:

Somewhat fanatic Galactic species.  Until recently they were official enemies to Earth and Tymbrim.  The Thennanin now have a cold detente with Clan Compañero Tymbrimi and a rapidly warming relationship with the Terragen Confederation.  Thennanin are known as tough, honorable, courageous fighters and doughty starfarers with a phobic dread of reality warping technology.  Therefore, they build massive arrow-head shaped ships to environmentally resemble worlds --comfortable, solid and durable.  Nevertheless, most Thennanin can only truly relax on a planet's surface.

Physically they are a hulking, leathery species with big hands and arms, breathing slits, and big jaws powering a beak-like mouth.  Atop a bullet-shaped head is a ridge crest, like a rooster's comb with spiky gray fans, that releases excess heat.  Other organs include --a tail, an organ-of-prayer, sheathable finger-claws, a reptilian face and elbow spikes.  A mannerism of extreme incredulity resembles a sneeze-like expectoration.

Thennanin are model Galactic citizens.  They are responsible almost to a fault.  Thennanin are not only model planetary tenants and Patrons, but like all their Patrons are active in Galactic politics.  The Thennanin enjoy considerable influence in the Galactic Institutes of Civilized Warfare, Uplift, Migration, and Tradition.

The Thennanin are system or gestalt oriented, partly due to the inclusion of the organ-of-prayer during uplift.   Many Terragens (including, on occasion, Choosers) find them maddeningly patient, thoughtful, and above all careful.  Thennanin seldom rush in any endeavor.  (Despite being millions of hab-years older than the Soro or Jophur, psycho-historians expect the Thennanin to Step-Off millions of years after these two peers).  They do NOT deal well with novelty, disorientation, or any stochastic disruption of a systemic environment, nor do the Thennanin tolerate an a-systemic environment at all well.   Thennanin thus avoid travel in c or b-level hyper-space and cannot safely traverse e-space except in suspended animation or in a temporal bubble.  Thennanin also cannot spend extended periods of time in sterile environments.  Thus, all Thennanin ships either have --or simulate --the conditions of a reasonably complex and commodious bio-sphere.

By adopting the Nahalli the Thennanin also took on some of the responsibility for restoring Garth.  After being chosen by Gorillas as Patrons (and by Kault a-Thennanin's promise to Uthacalthing a-Tymbrimi) the Thennanin officially stopped hostilities with Earth and Tymbrim and withdrew all forces in conflict.  They also agreed to expel the Gubru from Garth --in the end this amounted to supervising an orderly Gubru departure.

Tothtoon ul-Rosh:

A Bohidisatva race ancestral to Don Compadre Thennanin
 
 

Traeki [ab-Poa, entry 1]:

Second of the exile races of Jijo.  Evolutionary offshoots of [THROWBACKS FROM, thank you] the Jophur species. They forsook their ancestors' violent and controlling "master rings" and the name Jophur when arriving on Jijo.  Like the Jophur they were conical stacks of rings, with each ring possessing a different ability.  Employed as chemical synthesizers.  They functioned as colonial personalities without a unifying ego, unlike their Jophur descendants.
 

Traeki ab- Poa [Obsolete due to extinction by Uplift, entry 2]:

The Traeki were the original Jophur.  They were rapidly phased into the Jophur population after the successful mass-breeding of master rings.  There has not been an outbreak of Traekiness among the Jophur in more than 1024 hab-years.  Reproduction was originally performed through "vlenning."  During this process the fabric of the Traeki was altered while new rings were quickly produced inside the stack.  The new stacks were expelled though the lining of the ring.  This was repeated with different rings, and once expelled the new rings clambered upon each other to form a new Traeki.

The same as the Jophur but for the black master ring, the Traeki were incredibly different from their successors.  A loose conglomerate of lesser components, Traeki stacks were racked with indecision constantly, as the different points of view between rings collided, followed by long periods of deliberation. The Poa became frustrated with the Traeki ways of pondering indecision.  So, the Oailie were hired to breed the master rings --effectively destroying the Traeki while giving rise to the Jophur.

At the time of the "upgrade" the Traeki had a great future as alchemists and philosophers.  However bright the Traeki future was, it was altered beyond recognition with the beginning of the Jophur.

During the last outbreak of Traekiness on a Jophur world, it is thought that a ship full of Traeki refugees left the colony before its Traeki inhabitants were reassimilated.  One theory has it that the ship landed on Jijo, a forbidden planet.
 
 

Tuvallians:

Some thought they were candidates for Humanity's Patron.  This theory has been discredited.
 
 

Tymbrimi absu-Caltmour-ab-Brma-ab-Krallnith-ul-Tytlal:

One of three species friendly to Earth; known for adaptability, wisdom, and a mischievous, biting sense of humor.  They are renowned for a psychic sense that detects strong emotions and a talent for crafting art out of empathy itself.  They enjoy human fantasy novels with dragons, ogres, and magic.  The Tymbrimi have a consulate on Luna and the Ambassador is the most important Galactic on Earth.

Humanoid and fox-like, a ruff of soft brown fur begins as a narrow stroke on the spine and rises up the back of the neck to end --cap-like --in a widow's peak above the bridge of the nose.  Tymbrimi smile by widening the gap between their eyes.  They are long-limbed with long delicate hands, long calves and short thighs.  A corona of silvery waving tendrils above their small ears allows for the sensing and crafting of empathy glyphs.  The corona also serves to cool off the body by venting excess heat.  A quick enzyme flux, known as a gheer reaction allows Tymbrimi to rapidly morph their bodies for any situation.  This anatomical change is called a gheer transformation.  Many other species on Tymbrim also have this ability.  The Tymbrimi also possess an articulated pelvis, small waist, high and low kidneys, thumbs, a triple-beat pulse, three pairs of longitudinal lactating mammaries (some pictures imply that only one pair is apparent [Tymbrimi Terragen Consul-General: This is because the Tymbrimi physio-anatomy is tremendously elastic and will gradually change in response to any environmental stressor.  Tymbrimi living in non-Tymbrimi environments experience social stress (particularly younger Tymbrimi) and physiological stress, largely due to ergonomic sub-optimality.  The Tymbrima pictured had been living in Human society for some time, and had undergone appropriate auto-modification.  Rest assured that Tymbrimi females living among Tymbrimi have six symmetrical, permanently swollen, breasts of approximately equal size.  Incidentally, the role of sex-play in Tymbrimi society falls somewhere between its function in Human society and its role in Bonobo society.]), and a marsupial-like pouch.  Tymbrimi give birth early and transfer their young to the pouch.

Like Humans, they don't flaunt their dominance over clients and believe that the convenience of the Library is a potential trap leading to an uncreative culture.  Furthermore, Tymbrimi possess a subconscious [not a universal trait among O-2 species], most consider Love to be the greatest power, and many believe that the universe is more than just luck and clockwork, but that "god" is still in charge.
 
 

Tytlal ab-Tymbrimi-absu-Caltmour-ab-Brma-ab-Krallnith:

Tytlal resemble otters from Earth.  They are furry and short legged.  Tytlal have achieved the Fourth Stage of Main Sequence Sentience.   During their Uplift Ceremony they chose Neo-Dolphins to be their Fourth Stage Consorts.  During the ceremony the Tytlal expressed their pride at being part of the Krallnith Clan.  Tytlal have an irrepressible practical sense of humor.  Most Tytlal dislike authority, so Tytlal social organization is remarkably egalitarian and ad-hoc.  

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