YGIV PEOPLES

YGIV (Arrene Combine)

(‘Yig-Yith’, ‘Ygiv Peoples’ and ‘Ygiv’ lead here.)

Overview

Natives of planet Serenity, and named after their blue world’s extreme blueness, the Ruhuhassar (Blues in Norrina), or Ygiv – by their endonym – are a small hexapodal lizard-folk species, characterized by their dark eyes, azure scaleless skin, and centaurine posture. The Ygiv world was conquered by the Luminary Combine (~3500 BdF) upon immediate detection of their first long range radio-wave experiments. Together with many Chelok peoples, they remained under Arrene rule as a slave-race until the collapse of the Luminary Combine in 1 BdF, and were among the first to sign the Treaty of Forzai at the creation of the Foundational Dominion as freed peoples. Their skillful art, coordination and construction abilities were among the few things that saved the Ygiv from being mere livestock to their Arrene rulers. Systemic oppression of the Ygiv peoples however has not been completely phased-out in present times.

[General Information]

Other names

Yig-Yith, “Smart Ones” by themselves.

Qesaxakuho, “Whisperers” by the Hoku.

Iurr’nakai, “Whimpering Ones” by the Raydee.

Aa'Ruhuhassar, “Blue Ones” by the Arrene.

Ygiv, by the Chelok.

Astrographical Distribution

Serenity (also called Aa'rihuteshqatar in Norrina, shortened to Rihuta by others, Osuna system)

Stormport (Kaegaels system, former Ygiv breeding-world under Arrene control)

The Foundational Dominion

Habitat

Thrive in lush tropical oceanic worlds. Highly adaptable.

Locomotion

Walking (centaurine quadruped)

Diet

Omnivorous, vegetarian preferences

Proportions

0.8–1.2m tall (head), 1.2–1.8m long, and ~50 kg || 2’7”–4’0” tall (head), 4–6ft long, and ~110  lbs

Relationships

Arrene. Negative, second-class citizen.

Qire. Hostile, wary.

Chelok. Positive cooperation.

Other powers / General. Neutral, socially dependent.

Status

Member species.

Not Threatened. Civilizational capacity compromised.

Former domesticated species.

Chronology

3490 BdF, annexed by the Luminary Combine

5 AdF, Joined the Foundational Dominion

Biology

Ygiv are short bilateral quadrupeds with an additional pair of well defined arms and dextrous hands. The front section of their bodies is more elevated and developed in musculature, with the front legs possessing limited degree of manipulation capability, the front section of the torso also harbors the majority of their internal organs and a significant portion of their mass and spine, with the head sitting at the top of the torso, joined by a flexible neck.

The head is vaguely similar in structure to that of Hoku, with two pairs of large eyes organized in a large side pair and one forward pair, and four sensory stubs located on the rear end of either side of the head, these can redden as blood fills them and be used to signal various moods and tones in nonverbal layers of their communication system. Because of the low-light conditions Ygiv enjoy, their enlarged pupils often make their eyes appear pitch-black – though under normal conditions enjoyed by other sophons, protection eyewear is common among the population – under moderate lighting conditions, the Ygiv pupil can be observed to be horizontal and elongated with a white sclera.

Ygiv hands and feet possess four long fingers, but the rear pair of feet is fully unguligrade while the front is only partially unguligrade. The Ygiv’s rear end rests lower than the shoulders and is muscle dense even if it appears shortened, in their natural habitat the rear legs and short thick tail are essential in stabilizing the individual in unstable rocky terrain and arboreal climbing.

Their teeth are also divided by chewing function due their omnivore diets and covered by flexible lips – to the discomfort or perhaps familiarity of many Chelok, Ygiv mouths appear to possess primate-analog expressions such as smiling, pouting, and growling. It also makes Ygiv language fairly compatible with the human vocal structure, for that reason, Common Nagiv, has become a popular trade pidgin among many Chelok for its ease of learning. Though native Nagiv is considerably raspier and high frequency compared to normal human speech, it's heavy in vocalized trills, clucks and lateral clicks, similar to many animal calls.

Space Travel

Common proton rockets for in-system travel.

Proprietary interstellar mode nonexistent.

Often accompany other species' crews during interstellar travel as a workforce.

History

Unfortunately for many Dominion historians, Ygiv pre-contact records have largely been erased by millenia of Arrene rule and later lost during the collapse of the Luminary Combine.

Contemporary Dominion-era history however is an extensive list of social and economic revolts in a tug-and-pull cycle of violence against and from the Ygiv and Chelok peoples trying to obtain prestige and socio-economic rights across the Dominion following the collapse of the Luminary Combine. Though these conflicts have largely been resolved around the Arrene core and Chelok-dominated worlds, having occurred somewhat infrequently in the past 1,500 years.

Cultural Highlights

Modern Ygiv culture varies from place to place across the Dominion, surviving through oral tradition and syncretisms with Chelok customs, religion and language. For that reason, listing them all is a research field in itself.

Gallery

The Ygiv’s overall shape in comparison to other Dominion Sophons

Notes

• There’s a general consensus that Ygiv populations that live on historically Arrene worlds display a pervasive social submissiveness when compared to those long integrated into other foreign societies such as the Hoku and Chelok. Submissiveness and deference are often mistaken for social etiquette and politeness by foreigners, and thus incentivized by positive feedback.

• Although not unheard of, Ygiv innovations are often local due to technological lag in between Dominion regions. Commonly considered ‘buffer-knowledge’ or as independent verification of pre-existing techniques. The Ygiv industry is globally regarded as cheap and simple, but reliable.

• Due to social and cultural stigma, even influential Ygiv individuals hire other sophons as their representatives in business meetings. It is also not uncommon to see other Ygiv serving said individuals in the same manner as they would other sophons.

• Because color shifting is a major part of how Ygiv express themselves, in simple human terms it can be said that they blush and bruise easily.

• Ygiv possess a primal fear of Saffi individuals, some theorize the Saffi possess several traits of predators native to Serenity – the other half of experts are also afraid of the Saffi.