Birrl

Created by: Garry Stahl
Appearance: The Eagle's Spawn -- Bendross Game
Number of Members: 10 billion
Nature of Members: A flightless avianoid people. Birrl stand 2.6 meters on average on very long legs, and a long neck. They are obligate bipeds of the uncommon "bird hipped" type they stand and move much as Sixliss do. They are egg layers. You get what there would be if ostriches ruled the Earth. Plains, pack, omnivores. The same niche as Humans. Birrl society does not treat the genders differently within the bounds of the the obvious sexual roles.
Birrl pair bond, the pairs being part of a larger clan structure. Each clan keeps a hatchery where the eggs are hatched the chicks are returned to the laying parents for raising. It is noted they do mate for pleasure and to strengthen the pair bond.
Birrl take 15 years to reach sexual maturity. Cultural maturity can be delayed to as much as 30 years as it is not considered to occur until the formal period of education ends. Birrl begin to age at 60 years and with good care can reach in excess of 140 years of age.
Organization: World government super nation.
Government: Constitutional Monarchical Republic. The King or Queen serves as the direct executive of the nation, but must consider the acts of the Senate. It is all very formal and very proper. Transparency is demanded. They do not have near the respect for the individual or personal rights the Federation does. Every governmental movement has its dance, sometimes that is literal. 
Culture: Birrl are prickly on the matter of protocol. They are exact and they are exacting. They will not take any action until all protocol is observed and the dances danced. 
The tone of society is authoritarian. Birrl geek heavily to rules and personality. They readily subsume their selves into group think. This is again is noted as culture as the Bendross Birrl are not as prone to this. 
There is a separate population in the Bendreoss system that is not as stiff as the homeworkers. They still dance. 
Game Role: An encounter and factor in "The Eagle's Spawn". the Avianoids in the Bendross game.
World Role: Life thing.
Relative Influence: Minor, two worlds
Public or Secret?: Very public
Publicly Stated Goal: Trade and die rich.
Relative Wealth: Decent for a two planet unit. The Birrl on the Federation worlds of Bendross are not considered part of their stellar nation.
Special Abilities: Kicking: A Birrl kick can take the slats out of a mule. Their martial arts are brutal and effective.
Super Color Vision: Birrl have four kinds of cones in the eye. the color vision is super deep and rich.
Race disadvantages: Egg laying: The time between laying and hatching means the act of reproduction has no immediate consequences. Birrl families do not value eggs greatly. If financial considerations are tight they will readily discard eggs rather than hatch the chicks. The government has to offer parenthood incentives to keep up reproduction. Now, once they have the chick the whole thing changes they are very protective of chicks. 
Relations: They are members of The League of Unaligned Worlds.
Area of Operation: Federation core
Headquarters Location: The Homeworld is "Nest" -0.5/0.9
Public Face: Prickly but just dealers.
Notable Members:
History of the Race: Seven hundred years ago the Birrl had a serious internal discussion that resulted in several slow warp ships being launched to the now Bendross system. A one way colony that had no support. This led to open war with the native Lemiurites. A war that did neither side any favors, pushing both off of post industrial economies and back to the stone age. Lemurites prevailed on Bendross III-A, and the Birrl on Bendross III-B.
Meanwhile things did not look good back home when a faction of the Vegan Tyranny started a war of conquest with the Birrl. the Orions failed in the conquest, but destroyed the Birrl as an early warp, post industrial culture. The colonies, left to fend for themselves, were never aware.
Nest recovered developing a more ridged and protocol driven culture. Eventually they made the climb back to warp drives. 
The size of the Federation was a shock. As they had struggled the Federation had grown around them and never offered any aid. They did not get, or did not want to get, the idea and purpose of the Prime Directive.
As a result of this and the Federation's more relaxed ideas of Justice they joined The League of Unaligned Worlds. They support the League in most matters, and urged the expulsion of Ekos for its aggressive policies. They are one of the more loosely attached members of the League and if certain issues could be resolved might join the Federation some day.
Their sense of abrupt (for Federation standards) justice keeps them out of the Federation. Birrl deal quickly and harshly with a known criminal. Too quickly and too harshly for the Federation. They however prefer their methods and while Federation membership might have advantages, they consider "proper justice" more important. 
Meanwhile they enjoy robust trade with the stellar peoples around them. Yes they are being slowly plowed under by the Federation economic engine and know it. What to do about it is being danced over.
Category:Unfinished Articles
Category:Races
Category:LUW
Category:Epiphany Trek
Category:ST-OM