Birdsong Natives: Difference between revisions
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== History and Culture == | == History and Culture == | ||
The birdsong natives, who refer to themselves as The People, are a seed species of the planet-killers, who maintain technology on their world to anchor the [[Slides|slide]]. The natives refer to | The birdsong natives, who refer to themselves as The People, are a seed species of the planet-killers, who maintain technology on their world to anchor the [[Slides|slide]]. The planet was wiped to bedrock at least once, and the current natives are the new species that replaced the dead ones from that life before.<ref>''[[In Good Company (Fiction)|In Good Company]]'', Chapter 17</ref> The natives refer to the planet-killers as 'destroyers' and think of them as gods whose attention must be avoided; they believe that signs of life and particularly technology attract the destroyers and have declared all such evidence aboveground to be taboo.<ref name=":0" /> Those who break the taboo are sacrificed at the "darkest hour," which is associated with the destroyers, usually by feeding them to the "seed"... the giant non-sapient dinosaurs from which they evolved. The People venerate these creatures, which live in pits in corridors dug for them by the People. These are barred by thick metal rods, to prevent the Seeds from eating the People. The Seeds are always hungry.<ref name=":1" /> | ||
The People are separated into tribes, in geographical areas. They are xenophobic in the extreme. | The People are separated into tribes, in geographical areas. They are xenophobic in the extreme. | ||
Revision as of 19:12, 4 August 2023
The natives of the planet Birdsong.
Biology and Appearance
Bluntly beaked faces, like reptiles, with enormous hooded eyes and an armored plate extending from the backs of their skulls with feathers. Limbs fat as a tortoises, hard and corded, with talons, and "four separate claws, and one of them is at a different angle from the rest. And it's about the size of three of my fists put together."[1] Long tail, bird-like gait.[2] They also have tufts of feather at their joints,[3] and are incredibly strong for their size, with rocklike hides.
They communicate in hand signs.[2]
History and Culture
The birdsong natives, who refer to themselves as The People, are a seed species of the planet-killers, who maintain technology on their world to anchor the slide. The planet was wiped to bedrock at least once, and the current natives are the new species that replaced the dead ones from that life before.[4] The natives refer to the planet-killers as 'destroyers' and think of them as gods whose attention must be avoided; they believe that signs of life and particularly technology attract the destroyers and have declared all such evidence aboveground to be taboo.[2] Those who break the taboo are sacrificed at the "darkest hour," which is associated with the destroyers, usually by feeding them to the "seed"... the giant non-sapient dinosaurs from which they evolved. The People venerate these creatures, which live in pits in corridors dug for them by the People. These are barred by thick metal rods, to prevent the Seeds from eating the People. The Seeds are always hungry.[3]
The People are separated into tribes, in geographical areas. They are xenophobic in the extreme.
They appear to have achieved--or preferred to remain at for their safety--a stone age technology level, and use spears to hunt. (Above ground, where they secure their meat).
Meeting with the Alliance
The Birdsong natives were discovered by the UAV Stardancer during that ship's mapping run through the Sargasso in the year... either 465 or 466 BA.
References
- ↑ In Good Company, Chapter 11
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 In Good Company, Chapter 13
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 In Good Company, Chapter 15
- ↑ In Good Company, Chapter 17