Nga-Seng-Kler

The Nga-Seng are a unique race as far as sentient organisms go. This is because unlike all other known extant sentient lifeforms, the Nga-Seng are microscopic. Their interaction with other sentient forms is possible because the Nga-Seng inhabit the bodies of certain non-sentient creatures, specifically two races known as the Kler and the Diul. They are best described as a symbiotic (some would say parasitic) form of life. In exchange for building "colonies" of their kind inside the bodies of individual Kler and the Diul (thus providing a safe environment for their kind to breed and live in relative safety), the Nga-Seng bestow a number of benefits upon their hosts. The Nga-Seng have used the differences between the Kler and Diul to build a pair of civilizations unique to the host lifeforms; the relative proximity of these civilizations to one another has made the Nga-Seng races vital to trade in the coreward sections of the Delta Sector. For their part, the Nga-Seng make a conscious effort to inhabit only these two species; it's unknown why the Nga-Seng favor them above all others but it may have something to do with the fact that both the Kler and Diul are similarly sized and are both unaocular races, or that they alone out of all the species the Nga-Seng have contacted have a physiology suitable for their well-being. It is entirely possible that there are other Nga-Seng races out there among the cosmos, though this can only be ascertained through further space exploration.

## Basic Characteristics

* *Type*: Echinoderm
* *Durability*: 3
* *Learning Rate*: 6
* ***Science***: Good
* ***Navigation***: Poor
* ***Tactical***: Poor
* ***Engineering***: Poor
* ***Communication***: Average
* ***Medicine***: Average
* *Genders*: 1
* *Life Stages*: Adolescent at 6 years. Adult at 22 years. Middle Age at 34 years. Old Age at 51 years. Venerable Age at 64 years.
* *Lifespan*: 66 + 4d10 years.
* *Height*: 2.0 meters; 1.4 + (1d5 \* 0.2) meters.
* *Mass*: 80 kilograms; 60 + ((1d5 + 1d5 from height) \* 4) kilograms.

* *Niche/Symmetry*: Chemosynthetic Radial Producer
* *Speed/Transit*: Multiped, 10 m/rd (6 kph)
* *Volume*: 0.08 m^3
* *HD*: 50/50/50
* *HP*: 30
* *Unarmed Damage*: 0 HP
* *STV*: 72 MU (900 MU/m^3)

## Physical Description

The Kler are a race of non-sentient echinoderms extant to the Delta Sector. Like all echinoderms, the Kler exhibit pentamerism, one of the special forms of radial symmetry. Similar in some respects to the sand dollars of old Earth, Kler exhibit some very unusual features. The most unusual of these features is a column that continually emanates from the dorsal center. Depending upon the needs of the individual, this column can be anything from a smoky gas to a semi-solid state (which often manifests as clear sphereoids resembling soap bubbles). What is so unusual about this column is that, though it lacks any kind of physical connection to the rest of an individual's body, it serves as the housing for the sensory organs, motor appendages, and vocal apparatus. Further study of the mechanisms involved is warranted. No matter what form the column takes, however, Kler have only a single, spherical visual organ located near the top of the column that provides the individual a complete field of vision. Kler can produce their own energy, though it is sometimes necessary for them to consume small amounts of the native carpet lifeform in order to gain additional nutrients. Kler move by means of hundreds of "feelers" on their underside, which also serve as gustatory organs when the time comes to feed on the carpet lifeform. Typical Kler sit at two meters in diameter and have a mass somewhere around eighty kilograms. They are somewhat fragile and not noted for their resilience. "Native" (non-infected) Kler are generally inactive after sundown, while infected Kler colonies are typically inactive for no more than seven hours per day regardless of ambient conditions. Like most echninoderms, Kler are capable of reproducing either asexually through fragmentation, or sexually through external fertilization. Non-infected Kler will use whatever calm body of water they can find in which to deposit their gametes; Nga-Seng will direct their host to relatively sterile, controlled environments. Nga-Seng prefer their Kler hosts to use the external fertilization method, as they can inhabit the gametes beforehand and have an immediate presence in a new host (such a presence is not guaranteed when a Kler fragments). Typically it takes six months for a viable individual to form after fragmentation, and roughly the same amount of times for eggs to hatch after fertilization.

## Space Units

*Not Applicable: Species is Non-Starfaring.*

## Ground Units

This gives a general listing of the vehicles available to the given race. Engaging the ground units of a species in combat will have the same general effect on the player's relations with the species as engaging their units in space. The mineral composition of ground units will be the same as that listed for space units, though the amounts will be somewhat lessened. Indication of "turrets" for a ground unit allow the unit to fire a weapon in any direction; otherwise, the unit must face their target before they may attack another unit. Ground units always include a very generic description of how the unit will appear. Ground Units in general use the same ratings as space units, but have a few additional properties as outlined below:

* *Still need a response on energy.*
	+ *Melee*: An attack that can only be delivered when that object's collision area is touching the collision area of its target.
	+ *Flat*: The speed/efficiency the unit travels on flat land.
	+ *Mount*: The speed/efficiency the unit travels on steep mountains. This will likely be determined by rapid changes in planetary elevation, though the exact amount of elevation change necessary has not yet been determined.
	+ *Liquid* The speed/efficiency the unit travels on a liquid surface (possibly also including ice and cooling lava.)

*No Data Available at this time.*

## Territory

The Nga-Seng are a non-starfaring race. Their host species can be found on two worlds, which are relatively close to one another and located in the area between the Humna Humna and Ng-Kher-Arla spheres of influence. The Kler may specifically be found at δ201x105, p4. Both races have a relatively high-level Metal Age society; it's suspected they haven't tried to industrialize themselves due to the negative physical effects industrialization could have on the Nga-Seng themselves. Many a savvy trader has turned a small fortune in lifeform trade working the Nga-Seng trade route: in addition to the specialty trade goods the two Nga-Seng societies sell to one another, both races buy high valued lifeforms that can be readily found on the opposite world. The Kler purchase Mip Furs (manufactured by the Aeoruiiaeo) and allow them to sit in vats with an Oily Spore Bush. The oil and spores breaks down the fur and causes it to ferment; after a sufficient amount of time has passed, the resultant liquid, known as Blue Ale, is collected and sold. Blue Ale is highly desired by the Diul as a drink used in local festivities. The Diul process the central nuclear structures of the native Pulsating Gummy population; the solid portion of these structures, which still thrum and pulsate well after the death of a Gummy, are collected and sold to traders as Harmony Stones. Harmony Stones are vital to the Kler; it's thought that their vibrations may be what in fact allows their bodies to remain safely inhabited by Nga-Seng. The Diul also process the semi-solid portions of Pulsating Gummies into a glowing paste with some regenerative properties known as Grow Goo, a commodity highly desired by the Draffa Bastii. The Diul have a somewhat sparse population that lives in the temperate equatorial lowlands of their world, on the eastern and western coasts of the main continent where there are some liquid water oceans. The Kler world is moderately populated, with most of the population living along the tropical coasts of the planet's three major continents. The acutal number of Nga-Seng on both worlds is unknown, as is their distribution; the best estimate places their numbers at roughly five nonillion (5x10^30) individuals per world (roughly the same as the amount of bacteria found on Earth prior to the Crystal Planet's passing), forming the vast bulk of the planetary biomass of both worlds.

* **Patrol**:
	+ *Alpha Sector*: None
	+ *Delta Sector*: None
	+ *Beta Sector*: None
* **Space**:
	+ *Alpha Sector*: No Sphere of Influence
	+ *Delta Sector*: No Sphere of Influence
	+ *Beta Sector*: No Sphere of Influence
* **Star**:
	+ *Alpha Sector*: None
	+ *Delta Sector*: None
	+ *Beta Sector*: None
* **Worlds**:
	+ *Alpha Sector*: None
	+ *Delta Sector*: Kler (201x105, p4)
	+ *Beta Sector*: None

## Status

Unlike most of the other non-starfaring races in the Delta Sector, the Nga-Seng species have a great deal of contact with other races. They are as close as a species can get to being a favored trading species with the Humna Humna; the Nga-Seng Trade Route is so profitable for them that they established their own colony, Commerce, on a world elsewhere in the Nga-Seng Cluster. For their part, the high trade volume has been both a boon and a curse to the Nga-Seng races. Both cultures manufacture goods which the other species needs in order to thrive, but they rarely if ever manage to turn a profit themselves in the exchange. As a result, the economies of both Nga-Seng worlds are horribly depressed, and are liable to remain that way for the foreseeable future.

* **Ally**:
	+ *Initial*: None
	+ *Final*: None
* **Enemy**:
	+ *Initial*: None
	+ *Final*: None

## Economy

* **Economic Status Levels**:
	+ *Kler*: Depressed
* **Specialty Trade Goods Purchased**:
	+ Harmony Stones (Kler\*; δ201x105, p4)
	+ Mip Fur (Kler; δ201x105, p4)
* **Specialty Trade Goods Sold**:
	+ Blue Ale (Kler; δ201x105, p4)

## Supplemental Information

No one really knows the personality of an Nga-Seng. This is because of the collective consciousness that must be formed in order for an Nga-Seng colony to successfully inhabit and interact with a host lifeform. The needs of any one individual within the colony are outweighed by the necessity for the group's survival, which in turn requires the supression of the individual personalities within the colony while interacting with outsiders. As a result, the Nga-Seng come off as very cold and very direct. In interactions with visitors to their world, the Nga-Seng usually do nothing more than give themselves a brief introduction, mention their wish to receive the specialty trade goods produced by the other Nga-Seng civilization, and get straight to business. It should be noted that both the Kler and Diul have trade goods that they will not sell to outsiders without receiving the specialty trade good of the other race first; few other Delta Sector races conduct business this way. Finally, it's worth noting that Nga-Seng colonies do inherit a very small portion of the personality of the host. While this doesn't affect them a great deal, it does mean that Nga-Seng are slightly more apt than other races to hold a grudge if a deal goes south.

Nga-Seng as a rule are interested in maintaining their colonies, which means taking care of the individual Kler and Diul that they inhabit. This generally means that individual Kler or Diul will not leave their worlds, as the best way of taking care of their colonies is to make more hosts. This doesn't prevent individuals from occasionally hitching rides on passing starships, but any who do will be compelled to return after so long. The purpose of these forays varies; very rarely is it to try and find new species for the Nga-Seng to colonize (given their transmission vectors).

## Importance

The Nga-Seng-Kler serve no purpose within the game aside from being a trading partner; they are thus a potential revenue source for the player.

## Communication Text

*As a non-starfaring race, the Nga-Seng-Kler had no comm text in SF2 (aside from their greeting message in trade), and will likewise have no comm text in SF3. All text for this species will be handled by the Trading and Commerce Module.*

NEXT: Tarn

PREVIOUS: Nga-Seng-Diul

TOP