Intelligent Races in the Hub Universe
This list represents those races that you would be likely to
have any knowledge about. Most player characters will be human,
as the protagonists of all the Hub stories are human.
- Baluin Crest Cat
- Native to the planet Jontarou, Baluin crest cats are
approximately the shape and size of the prehistoric
saber-toothed tiger of Earth. Their fur is normally a
bronze-brown color with a white tuft or crest atop the head, but
they have a chameleon-like camouflage ability that allows them
to change the color patterns of their fur in order to blend in
with their surroundings. In addition, they have sucker-pads on
all four feet, allowing them to climb sheer surfaces. Their
teeth are like those of a saber-toothed tiger, complete with
curving oversized tusks. A crest cat's purr is a measured
oscillating sound, alternating from high to low tones, like the
ticking of a clock. Their Federation-supplied name comes from
the Baluin Mountains, their original habitat on Jontarou.
- The Federation only recently recognized this species as
intelligent; they were previously hunted for sport, an
arrangement which the cats did not mind, since the cats saw this
situation as great sport for themselves, with a success ratio of
about one Federation hunter killed per cat taken, even when the
hunters had the best equipment permitted by the sporting rules.
This ratio changed, however, when the scientists moved in and
started using aircars, long-range detectors, stun-guns, and gas
rather than taking their chances on the ground, since the
scientists weren't bound by sporting rules. It made no
difference that the scientists were only tranquilizing specimens
for transport to zoos; the cats unanimously decided to even the
odds and stop following their sporting rules as well. They
collectively disappeared into the jungle and started pinpointing
the major human settlements, preparing to purge their planet of
humans. At the same time, Federation science had decided that
the crest cats were becoming extinct and stepped up their
program of tranquilizing and preserving them, in hopes of being
able to reintroduce the species later, once the cause of their
"extinction" had been discovered. Only at the last moment was a
treaty worked out recognizing the cats as an Affiliated Species
of the Federation and permitting their hunting only under fair
sporting rules.
- Great Satog
- Natives of the planet Kalechi, the Great Satogs are
enemies of the Federation, fearing the technology and numbers
possessed by the humans. They are genetically unstable; there
are several different type-variations of the species. Their
technology is inferior to the Federation's except in the area of
genetic manipulation, a talent they have learned because of
their own unique biology.
- Hlat
- The planet these beings are from is unknown, but they are
intelligent and possess the ability to phase through solid
matter, bringing other objects with them if they choose. They
can kill human beings by phasing them into solid matter and
leaving them there. Hlats are covered with black fur and are
shaped like human-sized, hairy amoebas, with many flexible
extensions jutting forth from their surfaces.
- Human
- Humans in the Hub universe are approximately the same as
humans of our time; the only difference is that psi powers are
much more prevalent, although most people have heard of them
only in stories and few believe they exist.
- Mutated Sea Otters
- Sea otters are among the Old Earth species preserved in the
Life Banks on Maccadon, and an attempt was made to introduce
them on the mostly-ocean planet of Nandy-Cline, with a few
genetic manipulations to make their species more viable in their
new environment. There may have been some sort of
miscalculation, however; the resulting species is intelligent.
They have their own language, and many know how to speak a
broken version of Federation translingue. They seem to be a
successful transplantation; in the 20 years since they were
introduced their numbers have grown considerably. Some of them
work in cooperation with coastal sea beef ranchers; others
simply live off the bounty of Nandy-Cline's deep seas. They are
approximately human-sized.
- Old Galactic
- The Old Galactics had a galaxy-spanning empire over 100,000
years ago, but now the only evidence of their existence is the
artifacts they left behind. No one knows what the Old Galactics
looked like or much about their civilization. Their technology
seems to have been based on biological, jelly-like "plasmoids,"
which can be microscopically small or as large as a spacecraft
and can perform any of a variety of tasks; it would appear that
in a situation where a human would build a machine, the Old
Galactics would bioengineer a plasmoid to do the job. Several
plasmoids have been discovered, some still functioning after
100,000 years, and are under study at governmental and
university laboratories throughout the Federation.
- Palayatan
- Completely human in appearance, the Payalatans are
interesting in that they are almost all very close to average
humanoid intelligence. (The standard deviation is very low.)
They don't seem to have any interest in going into space. Their
civilization is more advanced than one would think they were
capable of, however, which is a mystery. Talking to a Palayatan
has one of two effects on people: it is either a very pleasant
experience, or it causes migraines and fatigue.
- Parahuan
- These aquatic aliens attacked the Federation about 70 years
ago and made considerable headway before finally being repulsed
by the Federation Navy. Their homeworld's location is unknown,
but they called it Porad
Anz, the Sacred Sea.
- Raceel
- This species is thought to be extinct. Native to the
now-destroyed planet Tiurs, the
Raceels were extremely distrustful of other species and quite
vulnerable to population pressures. Unsurprisingly, their
science eventually invented a planet-destroying weapon and
learned how to separate the personality from the body, store it,
and later instill it in another body. When they attacked the
other planet in their system, Malatlo, the backlash from their
weapon destroyed their own planet as well. It is said that some
of the Raceels' elds (stored personalities) may have
survived.
- Sparan
- Not truly aliens; the Sparans are a giant strain of
humanity, commonly eight to nine feet in height and
proportionally larger than the average human.
- Tang
- Pseudo-humanoid is the only description we are able to get
of these aliens, which have a primitive culture but possess an
immortality serum that works on humans as well as it works on
Tang. The problem is that taking the serum causes the taker to
smell unapproachably horrible for months until it wears off.
Federation scientists are reportedly working on the
problem.
- Wirrola
- A belligerent reptilian species, the Wirrolans have fought on
and off with humans since before the War Centuries. They still
lay claim to a few scattered planets.