Skrell Roleplay Guide: Difference between revisions

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The '''Skrell''' are a species of amphibious humanoids hailing from the world of [[Qerrbalak]], a hot, humid planet with numerous swamps and jungles. More technologically advanced than [[human|humanity,]] their ancient society is now stagnant and threatened by the fast growth of their new allies.
The '''Skrell''' are a species of amphibious humanoids hailing from the system of Qerr'Vallis. Despite their technological advantage over Humanity, numerous complex social issues plague and clog their society from within.


The following is a bullet pointed roleplay word soup to help you understand Skrell, how they are, how they act, and so on. It is not exhaustive. Skrell are diverse and complex people.
Skrell are complex and diverse people. This is a non-comprehensive, trivia-filled guide to help you learn how to play one.
==Tips and bits, and how not to behave like Human+==
=== Skrell as Individuals ===
*In a human environment, Skrell may sometimes avoid making use of their psionic abilities due to laws or simply because it may be shocking and offensive to other aliens. Similarly, they do not have a desire to 'show off'. They understand that they are gifted and that this is not a reason to dick-wave other species
* Despite their communal mindset, skrell will still tend to their individual desires. Creative pursuits and goals are valued in an inter-personal level, but they often come after their communal obligations.
*SDTFs today always have a large influx of volunteers due to the benefits that being in one entails and getting approved for one is a difficult process. As a result, most skrell will spend their whole lives outside of one, and the ones who are approved will ALWAYS be very experienced, knowledgeable individuals. Although age does not come in account when deciding whether or not a skrell will make it through the application process, there will almost never be any skrell under the age of 30 working in an SDTF. Similarly, Qrii-Mog skrell may still be approved for one, but Qerr-Mog skrell will definitely have an advantage.
* They are also, obviously, not part of a hive-mind. What a skrell judges to be the best for their community may conflict with the opinion of another one. They are beings capable of mistakes, errors and lapses in judgement.
 
* How much importance a skrell will give to their individual desires depends heavily on their caste. Kanin and Raskinta will ensure the cohesion of their community as much as possible, sometimes even to the detriment of their own individual needs. Meanwhile, a Talum will blur the edges of what is considered an individual and what is considered a communal goal.
*Skrell value society over the individual as a whole, especially when it comes to the progress of the sciences and work. They do, however, value individuality of the person on a creative and personal level, especially where more recreational and hobbyist pursuits are concerned. This can be to a lesser or negligent degree with some castes (Kanin and Raskinta.)
* What each skrell considers to be their community varies heavily. It could be their family, their city-state, their co-workers and so on. Even the individualistic Talum will find themselves puzzled without a community to belong to.
 
=== Castes ===
* Skrell are, contrary to belief, highly emotional. They feel their emotions much more deeply and much more keenly than humans, and how they express that is the main differing factor between Humans and Skrell. For humans, the expression of emotion utilises facial expressions as much as other body language. Skrell, having rather bland faces in comparison with fewer muscles or other attributes for expression, do not. This can result in a Skrell seemingly just staring when they are, infact, expressing emotion. Skrell express emotion through body language and the spoken word. Whereas humans may go quiet when highly emotional, Skrell talk. They explain their emotions, how they feel, and their body language supports that. With humans, however, they acknowledge that attempting to explain their emotions during conversation is not typically useful, or necessarily even worth the time, as attempting to convey those feelings through alien languages can seem pointless. Thus, Skrell dealing with humans will instead mostly express emotion with body language.
* There is no 'Superior' caste. Qerr do not view themselves as superior to Kanin, despite being rulers. Malish do not view themselves as superior to Raskinta, despite working on highly specialized fields. The premise of a job being more important than another is alien for the skrell. The trash-man is just as important as the doctor, what matters is contributing to the community.
 
* The caste system is a polemic subject. Many skrell have passionate views in favor of or against this millenia-old system. It is, however, an enforced standard on education, and going against it out of nowhere would hurt the community. It is definitely a discussed subject, and artful presentations are often organized by the Talum to keep other skrell aware of the good and the bad parts of such a system.
* Apart from body language Skrell also use a variety of vocal or other audible cues of various pitches that indicate how they're feeling. Pitch and timbre modify the meaning of each sound, as in their language in general. Warbling is essentially the catch-all, all-purpose noise that Skrell make; it can fit nearly any indication depending on tone. Trilling will usually represent sadness or happiness in lower and higher pitches respectively, whilst croaking would be curiosity or anger. A Skrell might hum when bored, eager, or otherwise searching for something to do. More sounds exist, such as cooing, but are not as strictly defined in meaning.
* Ue-Katish are treated as outliers of the system, but still have their basic needs catered to, as they are still Skrell. The root cause of the discrimination they face is the eerie position that they occupy within the skrell society. For matters such as education, Ue-Katish will be treated as if they belonged to the caste of their main parent.
 
* All castes can occupy positions of leadership where convenient. For the position of Chief Engineer, for example, a Qerr and a Kanin-Katish could be eligible, although with obvious differences as to how they would carry their duties.
*Skrell are able to learn how to express themselves with emotion on human languages, as well as how to use body-language more intensively. This obviously requires years of practice and fluency, and they might still lack a certain 'Je ne sais quoi' that humans have. Similarly, Skrell can attempt to mimic smiles and other facial expressions, but they will look incredibly eerie and odd due to the different muscle distribution in their face.
=== Speech and Mannerism ===
 
* Skrell express their emotions mainly through language. Pitch shifts are common, but for complex feelings, skrell prefer to explain them, detailing what, how and why they feel. "I am unwell. You treat my work as if it is devoid of value while it is not, and that makes me incredibly sad."
*Skrell society has long achieved a good social safety net and general equality of opportunity (within what is acceptable for a caste, of course). All Skrell get basic living and habitation provided to them (Somewhat above average by human standards), though this can vary from caste to caste, with the -Katish having relatively good facilities from the get-go to Raskinta instead living in communal barracks with only those more aged, senior and less-militarily involved Raskinta living in more private quarters.
* Trills, croaks, hums and warbles are also used to express simpler emotions.
 
* Skrellian written language has emotion built into its semantics. Sharper words and letters can represent aggression, for example. Consequently, it is possible to write using only abstract shapes instead of letters.
*While Skrell tend to retain the basic systems across worlds and city-states (Monarchy political system, castes, etc) the individual culture and minutia of the way of doing things tends to vary drastically from one city-state to the next.
* Skrell new to human languages will find it almost impossible to properly express emotion through it. This is because human languages are composed only of semantics, and lack the written emotional aspect of Skrellian. This results in skrell who sound overly happy, overly sad or with monotone voices. This improves as they learn and practice, however.
 
* Skrell can have accents, depending on who they have learned a language from.
*Skrell do not get tattoos. This is because their Skin is a sensitive organ and still retains a tertiary respiration trait allowing Skrell to "breathe" through their skin. Thus, Skrell are very protective of their skin as it can be easily damaged when dry and a Skrell can have immediate issues in air with generally toxic properties as their rate of absorption is much higher than it would be for a human. On the flip side, many Skrell medicines are developed to be ingested via their skins cutaneous breathing function, with what appear to be simple poultices having excellent healing potential on a Skrell. Skrell take care of their skin, is the point. Furthermore, Skrell do not scar - why would a creature that breathes through their skin evolve to scar?
* Malish will often be quieter and less sociable than their kin. Talum, on the other hand, will almost always be very extroverted and outgoing. Exceptions apply.
 
* Skrell are very emotional and enjoy displaying their feelings when appropriate and applicable. Do not monologue about your feelings while you have to treat someone. Your duties towards the community come before your personal catharsis.
*Many Skrell do not work directly for human corporations. They are "on loan" to them via exchange programs with Skrell companies and organisations, lending their skills, expertise and experience in exchange for valuable trade or connections between organisations while giving the individual Skrell the opportunity to experience alien culture and also acquire human currency.
* Skrell do not have to be polite, but their insults are not shallow. Instead of calling someone a piece of shit, go into detail about how useless they are to their community, or about how shallow their personal interests are. Alternatively, just stare at them and croak angrily. They won't laugh at you.
 
* Skrell are also not assholes. Seeking to undermine your own community by insulting and mistreating others for no reason is stupid, egoistical and nonsensical. Seek to help those who make mistakes and who belong to your community.
*The Skrell justice system is different to humanities myriad of ones. The judiciary is not independent, and is woven into the monarchy and law enforcement arm of a city-state. Guilt is established before the trial by the investigating Raskinta. There is no way to protest guilt once at the trial stage. The trial instead exists to determine how to proceed with the offender. In some cases, due process is skipped entirely and a Qrii-Skria may simply have someone assassinated.
 
*Skrell do not use whacky things like supermatter, and instead rely on highly advanced super-efficient fusion reactors, solar panels, and so on.
 
*Skrell FTL technology relies on advaced psionic-fed drives that convert influence over the 'Investiture' to motion.
 
*Contrary to belief, not all Skrell are allied, or even friendly, with humanity, with some being warily distant to others being subtly,but not directly, hostile. This lack of cohesive friendliness from the Skrell is often lost on humanity, who do not tend to realise just how decentralised they are.
 
*Skrell typically do not take offence to insults given to them by humans. Baseline insults or insults relating to physical appearance are typically ignored. There are of course, notable exceptions. Skrell tend to be more offended when their skill in a particular discipline is insulted in a non-constructive manner, related to their chosen career. A Raskinta who is called a poor team player or combatant, a  whose diplomatic skills are called into question, a Malish whose scientific method is criticised, and so on.
 
*Skrell do not have the same insults as humans, and do not say "fuck" in skrellian, for example. They tend to be a bit more creative, with their insults being something uniquely crafted for the situation or a more generic utterance of "stars above," rooted in Vallis Qall. Other expletives are often drawn from belief systems. The exception to this are Ue-Katish Pirates, who often seek to insult through shock value.
==The Castes==
===Qerr Katish===
*The Qerr Katish are generally a little more aloof then the rest of the Skrell, partly a result of job function, partly as a result of upbringing. Qerr are typically taught and raised very separately from the other castes, which may school together up to a certain point, or even share multiple classes depending on their education.
 
*Qerr value social ability and diplomacy above most other things, and tend to be more graceful and careful with their words.
 
*They can take a paternalistic view toward other Skrell, especially those of the same city state.
===Malish Katish===
*Malsih tend to be the least socially adept of the castes, though this is typically a result of their focus on higher theoretical learning to such a point that other skills suffer.
 
*Perhaps more than other castes, and often to their own detriment, Malish Katish enjoy complexity and problem solving and tend to bore easily when they do not have something to focus on solving.  
===Kanin Katish===
*Kanin tend to be practically minded people with a focus on pragmatism above strict adherence to procedure, though this usually translates to them being more willing to sacrifice personal health and safety in order to get a job done rather than a willingness to compromise on mechanical safety in order to gain efficiency. That is, while you will see a Kanin go out of their way to skip a number of personal safety measures in order to handle something in an efficient manner, you will not see them push a reactor to nearly explode just to squeeze extra power out of it.
 
*Family people, above all else, is a good way to view Kanin. They have large families, are community minded and generally care deeply about the concerns and wellbeing of their peers.
===Talum Katish===
*Independently minded in the extreme, especially compared to the other castes. Talum like to get the most out of life. They are free thinkers, travellers, artists, musicians. Some Talum even take a bardic approach to life, traveling, performing, writing, learning. For a Talum, whatever they decide to do is an art. A performance to be put on display for others, or a personal challenge within which they must excel. They tend to be less inhibited by the pressures of social norms and go on progressive ventures.
===Raskinta Katish===
*Close knit and communal, Raskinta are always about the whole over the individual. They barrack together, eat together, train together, work together, socialise and sport together. There is no facet of a Raskinta's life that can be considered wholly individual, especially when young. Older Raskinta tend to be more independent, though this is often a result of the burden of command or the necessary distance between them and subordinates, though they still participate in much of the communal activity that the others do. Raskinta are trained from their youth to be a warrior.

Latest revision as of 02:58, 28 December 2021

The Skrell are a species of amphibious humanoids hailing from the system of Qerr'Vallis. Despite their technological advantage over Humanity, numerous complex social issues plague and clog their society from within.

Skrell are complex and diverse people. This is a non-comprehensive, trivia-filled guide to help you learn how to play one.

Skrell as Individuals

  • Despite their communal mindset, skrell will still tend to their individual desires. Creative pursuits and goals are valued in an inter-personal level, but they often come after their communal obligations.
  • They are also, obviously, not part of a hive-mind. What a skrell judges to be the best for their community may conflict with the opinion of another one. They are beings capable of mistakes, errors and lapses in judgement.
  • How much importance a skrell will give to their individual desires depends heavily on their caste. Kanin and Raskinta will ensure the cohesion of their community as much as possible, sometimes even to the detriment of their own individual needs. Meanwhile, a Talum will blur the edges of what is considered an individual and what is considered a communal goal.
  • What each skrell considers to be their community varies heavily. It could be their family, their city-state, their co-workers and so on. Even the individualistic Talum will find themselves puzzled without a community to belong to.

Castes

  • There is no 'Superior' caste. Qerr do not view themselves as superior to Kanin, despite being rulers. Malish do not view themselves as superior to Raskinta, despite working on highly specialized fields. The premise of a job being more important than another is alien for the skrell. The trash-man is just as important as the doctor, what matters is contributing to the community.
  • The caste system is a polemic subject. Many skrell have passionate views in favor of or against this millenia-old system. It is, however, an enforced standard on education, and going against it out of nowhere would hurt the community. It is definitely a discussed subject, and artful presentations are often organized by the Talum to keep other skrell aware of the good and the bad parts of such a system.
  • Ue-Katish are treated as outliers of the system, but still have their basic needs catered to, as they are still Skrell. The root cause of the discrimination they face is the eerie position that they occupy within the skrell society. For matters such as education, Ue-Katish will be treated as if they belonged to the caste of their main parent.
  • All castes can occupy positions of leadership where convenient. For the position of Chief Engineer, for example, a Qerr and a Kanin-Katish could be eligible, although with obvious differences as to how they would carry their duties.

Speech and Mannerism

  • Skrell express their emotions mainly through language. Pitch shifts are common, but for complex feelings, skrell prefer to explain them, detailing what, how and why they feel. "I am unwell. You treat my work as if it is devoid of value while it is not, and that makes me incredibly sad."
  • Trills, croaks, hums and warbles are also used to express simpler emotions.
  • Skrellian written language has emotion built into its semantics. Sharper words and letters can represent aggression, for example. Consequently, it is possible to write using only abstract shapes instead of letters.
  • Skrell new to human languages will find it almost impossible to properly express emotion through it. This is because human languages are composed only of semantics, and lack the written emotional aspect of Skrellian. This results in skrell who sound overly happy, overly sad or with monotone voices. This improves as they learn and practice, however.
  • Skrell can have accents, depending on who they have learned a language from.
  • Malish will often be quieter and less sociable than their kin. Talum, on the other hand, will almost always be very extroverted and outgoing. Exceptions apply.
  • Skrell are very emotional and enjoy displaying their feelings when appropriate and applicable. Do not monologue about your feelings while you have to treat someone. Your duties towards the community come before your personal catharsis.
  • Skrell do not have to be polite, but their insults are not shallow. Instead of calling someone a piece of shit, go into detail about how useless they are to their community, or about how shallow their personal interests are. Alternatively, just stare at them and croak angrily. They won't laugh at you.
  • Skrell are also not assholes. Seeking to undermine your own community by insulting and mistreating others for no reason is stupid, egoistical and nonsensical. Seek to help those who make mistakes and who belong to your community.
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