Introduction to Zaee
Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 6:30 pm
Zaee, hailing from the planet Adwavi and its colonies, are sort of humanoid, except for the wings and tails. They have weak but dexterous hands with two thumbs and three fingers each. Their tails are strong and can support their weight alone for extended periods; they're not really grasping appendages, but can be used to clumsily manipulate objects the way a human might use a foot, if they're not being sat on. Zaee feet are weak and toeless, and Zaee cannot stand on their legs alone for any significant amount of time. The typical gait involves pushing off with the the tail, landing on the feet, sweeping the tail forward between the legs to push off again, and so on (this is called "lolloping"). Zaee can walk in a conventional manner with something to hang on to, such as a banister or a cane, but this is not very comfortable.
Zaee have wings, which consist of powerful, tapering tentacles that emerge from the shoulders and have tough membranes stretched between them and parallel lines down the back and part of the tail. These enable prolonged flight, given adequate room - Zaee-friendly architecture which spans multiple floors usually has corridors stretching around a large open center, or landings on each floor open to the outdoors, and occupants fly from balcony to balcony. Hospitals, infant daycare, and other locations expected to be hospitable to Zaee who can't fly make use of ramps (stairs are impractical, but the ramps can be quite steep before an average Zaee has trouble lolloping up). The wing tentacles are strong, flexible, and sensitive, with better reach than the arms, and for any purpose for which the membrane itself wouldn't get in the way, they can be used to manipulate objects or pick things up. Zaee have a clear, hard extra eyelid under the outer opaque one; the clear lid is shed and regrown once every Adwavi year (1.2 Archipelago years) to protect the eye. The eyes have a double, concentric iris, the outer ring often a different color from the inner: the inner functions much like a human's, but the outer can contract on the inner enough to completely close the pupil, temporarily blinding the Zaee but protecting the eye from bright light more than the outer, opaque eyelid can alone. Zaee have long, movable ears, which perk up when the individual is agitated, excited, or alert, and droop when he or she is calm, tired, or unhappy. They are not a very sexually dimorphic species, and humans often cannot tell the difference between their males and females when they're wearing clothes unless the individual they mean to identify is pregnant; however, as a species Zaee have no nudity taboo (using clothing only for decoration, as humans use jewelry) and they often lollop about in the nude.
Zaee skin colors range through a variety of reddish-browns, and their hair is generally some shade of red or pink. Their irises (either) come in miscellaneous shades of blue, gold, red, and gray. They live about 250 Archipelago years given adequate healthcare, and are considered adults at roughly 45; they become able to fly when they are two or three.
Zaee have wings, which consist of powerful, tapering tentacles that emerge from the shoulders and have tough membranes stretched between them and parallel lines down the back and part of the tail. These enable prolonged flight, given adequate room - Zaee-friendly architecture which spans multiple floors usually has corridors stretching around a large open center, or landings on each floor open to the outdoors, and occupants fly from balcony to balcony. Hospitals, infant daycare, and other locations expected to be hospitable to Zaee who can't fly make use of ramps (stairs are impractical, but the ramps can be quite steep before an average Zaee has trouble lolloping up). The wing tentacles are strong, flexible, and sensitive, with better reach than the arms, and for any purpose for which the membrane itself wouldn't get in the way, they can be used to manipulate objects or pick things up. Zaee have a clear, hard extra eyelid under the outer opaque one; the clear lid is shed and regrown once every Adwavi year (1.2 Archipelago years) to protect the eye. The eyes have a double, concentric iris, the outer ring often a different color from the inner: the inner functions much like a human's, but the outer can contract on the inner enough to completely close the pupil, temporarily blinding the Zaee but protecting the eye from bright light more than the outer, opaque eyelid can alone. Zaee have long, movable ears, which perk up when the individual is agitated, excited, or alert, and droop when he or she is calm, tired, or unhappy. They are not a very sexually dimorphic species, and humans often cannot tell the difference between their males and females when they're wearing clothes unless the individual they mean to identify is pregnant; however, as a species Zaee have no nudity taboo (using clothing only for decoration, as humans use jewelry) and they often lollop about in the nude.
Zaee skin colors range through a variety of reddish-browns, and their hair is generally some shade of red or pink. Their irises (either) come in miscellaneous shades of blue, gold, red, and gray. They live about 250 Archipelago years given adequate healthcare, and are considered adults at roughly 45; they become able to fly when they are two or three.