Velminyak

The **Velminyak** (*Sophodracoides lunicolos*) are the native sophonts of the habitable moon of Minya (A moon comparable in size to Ganymede) and are considered the most primitive of The Milky Way's extant sophonts, as they have not yet have developed space flight nor even anything more advanced than a chariot.

## Biology

Unlike several other notable races in The Milky Way Galaxy, the Velminyak are neither bipedal, nor do they stand upright like humans. Instead, they can be best described as octopodal, four-eyed, monitor lizards. Despite their serpent-like form, their legs are pillar erect, rather than sticking out to the sides. Like all "vertebrates" on Minya, they have eight limbs, four of which are used for walking and four as manipulators, giving them a vaguely centaur-like appearance. Useful for tool making, as their weaponry, though primitive, is very well-crafted, and unlike what a human blacksmith could pull from his/her forge. The Velminyak evolved as herbivores, but after gaining the use of fire, they became more omnivorous.

Their head is equipped with four eyes; two facing the front, two on the sides. This allows for 180 degree vision and makes it extremely difficult to sneak up on them. They also have two pairs of nostrils, with one pair located on their chests. The average length for Velminyak is 36 feet, about half of which is tail, and the average height for them, is 17 feet for males, 13 feet for females--this makes them the largest known sapient species.

 Like sea horses, both males and females play a vital role in pregnancy. As a result, rape is rendered impractical, as that would mean that the male would have to carry the female's eggs in the brood pouch located on his back, and shoot the offspring out into the air, like dandelion seeds. Thus, requiring the male to be a constant presence, which to a promiscuous human male, would be the definition of eternal damnation.

## Evolution

The Velminyak, like all "vertebrates" on Minya, evolved from a worm-like ancestor that used a series of fleshy oar-like appendages along its sides to swim. Even today, elongated worm-like body plans are much more common on Minya than on other planets with life. Because this type of body leaves little room for actual bony limbs to evolve, organisms have adapted in other ways. In the dominant clade, the one to which the Velminyak belong, the flesh swimming paddles of their distant ancestor have evolved into muscular limbs, and most "vertebrates" on Minya sport four pairs of these.

The dominant clade of land "vertebrates" on Minya is a group known as the Dracotheres, which are defined by the possession of a brood pouch in the males for the incubation of the leathery-shelled eggs laid by the females. The Velminyak are members of this group, as are most other megafauna on Minya. Because of Minya's low gravity, a number of its "vertebrates" reach gigantic sizes, with the very largest being comparable to the sauropod dinosaurs of Earth's past.

## Culture, Language, and Society

Technology-wise, the Velminyak have not evolved much beyond a level comparable to that of medieval Europe. Unlike medieval Europe however, they don't utilize a feudal system as a form of government. In fact, their society is oddly democratic, with leaders being elected by the people, rather than appointed by the state religion or inheritance, and everyone gets to have a place in the parliament. Both sexes have equal footing, but gender violence is an issue they're currently trying to resolve in the current timeline. Though rape is impractical for reasons stated above, the most common form of gender violence for the Velminyak, is often physical, and it's almost always fatal to one or both parties involved. Nonetheless, it is frowned upon in all 8 territories, and is punishable by exile.

Velminyak architecture, however, is widely considered to be second to none. Over their centuries of civilization, they have erected vast hangar-like dwellings and created ornate wood carvings that are prized on other worlds. They use a silk secretion produced by glands on either side of their heads (evolved from a nest-building material in their ancestors) as an adhesive when building. Using their skills at carving wood, and their built-in glue glands, they have even been able to construct large communal dwellings.

Their language mostly consists of crocodilian-like bellowing and "crackling", with a rapid drumming sound being their version of laughter. Like many species on Earth, they can imitate human speech, but whenever they do, it's always in a basso voice.