Vulon

their appearance the Vulon were originally assumed to be mammals. However, after
researching their life cycles, it is clear they are in fact plantoid. The Vulon begins
to develop inside a pod on a Vulon tree, and after 3 months they are around the size
of a human fetus with no hair, small claws and teeth. The Vulons are born in
clusters of 20-30 which will keep together for the rest of their lives. After
the first year a Vulon is fully developed with long hair over their entire body
except the face, palms and soles of the feet which harden like leather. Their claws
become much longer and grow to 150cm, (although it is believed they could
grow to larger sizes after many years and more nutrients).

The Vulons eat a
diet of assorted dirt and leaves (although their anatomy suggests that they
would be carnivores). Despite being a plant, the internal organs are somewhat
similar to most mammals - with lungs, stomach and other crucial organs. They do, however, contain an
internal seed sack in which the seed of a Vulon tree is kept in special fluids.
When they die and their body decomposes, the seed will grow into a new Vulon tree.
The Vulons life appears to have some effect on the tree and therefore the Vulon
produced by it.

### Culture

As a slave
race, Vulons have little culture, however there are relics of their past civilization
that suggest they liked to paint animals they saw. Today the Vulons are kept
in special dirt pits containing their cluster, locked with a stick grate. They
are sometimes seen mixing their food with saliva and forming a cube shape. When this cube is dried
they sit on top of it, the reason for this is unknown.

### Language

There is no
one in the known universe that can understand Vulon except other Vulons as a
result of their isolation and the Crystalites disinterest in understanding it. Their
language often sounds like a person gargling, it is also worth noting that different
clusters of Vulon will sound fairly different from another which wold suggest
the language is based on the strand of tree. It is unknown if the markings in
the Vulon pits are a form of writing or just scratches.

### History

Little is
know about the life of Vulons before the arrival of Crystalites due to the language
barrier and the destruction of many relics. There are some artefacts held in the
Museum of Conquering such as cave paintings, pots and stone weapons suggesting
they where previously at the same technological level as recent humans. Before
the invasion of the Crystalites Vulon trees where quite rare on Ayopa.

When First
contact was made with Crystalites the Vulons where initially curios until met
with violence at which point they fled. It is unknown how long the Vulons had
been habituating Ayopa before the Crystalites arrived however they where deemed
a model race for slavery and the purge of Ayopa began.

The purge of Ayopa
included the mass extinction of many native life forms that would otherwise
interfere with the Vulon breeding program, although all species larger than a
hog have been exterminated there are still many small reptiles and insects on Ayopa.
All Vulon technology was destroyed and the current generation culled to prevent
the further development of the species. Despite the damage to the fauna most of
the flora was intact as the Crystalites had no way of removing them except by hand
which was deemed to time consuming. After the purge the mass production of
Vulons commenced planting thousands of trees over populating the planet with
Vulons.

For the first 50 years the Vulons where not given any form of nutrients
which lead to an average life span of a few weeks, this caused a shortage in Vulons
which lead to the eventual diet of leaves and dirt. Increasing their lifespan to
5 years. Now hundreds of Vulon are produced everyday and sent all over the Crystalite
empire to mine salts and various other low level jobs.

### Additional Information

If a stone
tool is ever found in a Vulon pit the entire cluster and all surrounding
clusters are culled to prevent development.