Gordanan

The **gordanans** ([*'ɡɔː*ɹ*dənan] GORR-duh-nahn*) are a species originating from the planet Gordana Major in the Ren II star system. They are characterized by their taller than average heights when compared to humans. Though vicious in appearance, the sentient creatures are in fact a peaceful species, overly so possibly due to their appearance.

## Biology

Like most other sentient species, the gordanans share a large amount of their anatomy with humans. The gordanan body consists of the legs, the torso, the tail, the arms, the neck and the head. Like humans, the most common defined bodily systems in gordanans include the nervous system, the circulatory system, the digestive system, the immune system, the reproductive system and the respiratory system.

Like humans, the gordanans have been discovered to have several different blood types, though in the gordanans it is significantly more complex. While humans are known to have four blood types (A, B, AB, and O) which can be positive or negative, the gordanans are known to have seven (A, B, G, AB, C, AC, and AG) which can be positive, negative or neutral.

The gordanans are renowned for their superior climbing and swimming skills in comparison with other races. They also possess exceptional night vision, which originated as an evolutionary advantage as the gordanans' prey had poor night vision. Gordanans have large, circular eyes with split pupils, helping to protect the eye during daylight. Gordanans also have a translucent third eyelid that can be drawn over the eye from the inner corner while the lids are open, allowing them to have vision underwater while also protecting the surface of the eye.

The gordanans can be compared to reptiles on Earth. Though their internal makeup is not entirely similar, they share a surprising amount of similarities. For example, all gordanans possess scales. Depending on the race, a gordanans may possess either cycloid, granular, keeled or, in very rare occasions, placoid scales.

It is estimated that the average high for an adult gordanan male is about 226 cm (est. 7 ft 4 inches), while the average height for an adult gordanan female is about 172 cm (5 ft 71⁄2 in). The average mass of an adult gordanan is 122–132 kg (268–291 lbs) for males and 76–83 kg (168–183 lb) for females. Like other species, body weight and body type is influenced by genetic susceptibility and environment and varies greatly among individuals.

Gordanan reproduction takes place as internal fertilization by sexual intercourse. Subsequently, the gordanan female will lay between 7-12 eggs. Females become highly protective of their eggs, as they will only produce one set of eggs in a lifetime, and personal incubators are a very common luxury item among females. The sex of the hatchling is influenced by temperature. At 30 °C (86 °F) or less most hatchlings are females and at 31 °C (88 °F) or above, most hatchlings are males. Incubation takes place over the course of 120 days on average. The eggshell design is very consistent among all gordanan races, though there are enough changes in the structure of the shell to identify an egg's originating race.

At the time of hatching, the hatchling will have developed an egg-tooth at the tip of the snouts which allows them to break through the inner membrane of the egg. The hatchling may then break through the outer shell or be helped by an older gordanan. A group of hatchlings is called a Yuel, and will be protected by the mother for years.

Gordanans are carnivorous, and their diet varies depending on available food sources and cultural norms. Their sharp teeth allow them tear through the meat of any prey, and their extremely acidic stomachs allow them to digest even the toughest bones. Different cultural norms determine which animals are considered edible, and this varies wildly across cultures. For example, West Vala considers Bashka meat to be a delicacy, while in East Vala the Bashka is considered "unclean" and is taboo. Though the distance between West and East Vala is only 3,796 km (2358.7 miles), the culture of the two regarding food is vastly different.

Gordanans are primarily nocturnal, and will generally sleep during the day while most other races are active. An adult gordanan will sleep for seven to nine hours on average, while children will sleep for ten to twelve hours. During sleep, gordanans dream. Unlike humans, a gordanan will not experience themselves to be an active participant in the dream, only seeing themselves as a bodyless observer. Due to this, they do not experience sleep paralysis, as they would not attempt to produce movement while sleeping, and also tend to remember their dreams at a much more common rate than humans.

Gordanans have a key sense of self-awareness, able to recognize themselves in a reflective surface from the age of 6 months. The gordanan brain perceives the world through the senses, influencing an individual's thought process by his or her experiences. On average, the gordanans are able to control their emotions at a much easier rate than humans. They are not controlled by their emotions, though they do accept the validity of them. The gordanans put less focus on emotions that are believed to have been learned socially, and focus on emotions that are believed to be innate.

## History

### Invitation to the Prime

> Main Article: The Prime
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### The Tukrath Attacks

> Main Article: The First Galactic War
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### War Over Galactic Borders

> Main Article: The Second Galactic War
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### The Tukrath Resurgence

> Main Article: The Tukrath Resurgence
>
>

**Spoiler Warning**
 *Plot and/or ending details follow.*

## Culture

Gender roles are very strict in gordanan culture. Males are considered the providers of the family, while females are considered the caregivers. Even in modern times, these gender roles have continued to persevere throughout the species. It is often portrayed in media that in a homosexual couple, one gordanan will pertain to the masculine gender role and the other will take on the feminine role, though this rarely happens in reality.

Gordanans are known for their extremely close bonds between friends. Male gordanans often participate in an event known as the Hunt Ritual. During this ritual, the two friends will hunt and consume the same animal. Due to the general social stigma against eating another male's kill, this event is considered very significant. For females, the bonding process is much simpler. A true friend will consider the female worthy of protecting the friend's offspring, and vice versa.

## Notable gordanan

* Hun yo Valanta - Primeman Representative

## gordanan Colonies

* Gordana Major - home world

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