Squam

## Summary

Squam are lizards standing between around four feet tall on average famous for their trading ability and business acumen. They change colors to match their emotional state or camouflage themselves.

## Overview

Hailing from Squama, Squams possess 360 degree ultraviolet vision, a prehensile tail, and can stretch their tongues to grip objects at a distance. They have a long history of economic competition which colors their interactions on their world and off. They possess scales that both allow them to camouflage and convey their emotions and intentions to others when communicating, often unintentionally.

They commonly function as middlemen and merchants in Federation trade, utilizing an impressive stubbornness and guile in haggling and advertising. They are also found in transportation as innovators or drivers, due to their punctual nature and strong situational awareness.

## Culture

Squam as a society primarily value the accumulation of wealth as a measure of personal worth. Other concerns, from politics to art, are only have importance in how they contribute monetary success. Although, they might nonetheless be entertaining. Much of their basic interactions are steeped in attempted trickery, which isn't seen with much malice in their world, as the intentions of another Squam are generally very easy to read. This has changed since the introduction of Chrome Ale, but the cultural perception of trickery has not. Those who trick are clever wordsmiths while those who are tricked are seen as having deserved such a fate for failing to properly consider their situation. It is often stated that a fool losing his money helps everyone, as the wise man will spend it better.

Despite the emphasis on trickery, empathy is very important to them. As such, deception is not tolerable if it skews one's perception of a personal relationships. For example, it would be acceptable to give a false name to a coworker, but it would not be acceptable to falsely state that your consider someone to be a friend. Courtship is direct and honest, without the romantic preamble standard to other races.

## Physiology

Squam are cold-blooded bipeds standing between three and five feet tall. They can live to be eighty Federation years old. Their tongues can extend to six meters to grab onto object and pull it towards them, or pull themselves to the object. The tip of the tongue has an adhesive effective on most surfaces and strong enough to hold up four hundred kilograms, though not necessarily without harming the Squam. When not in use, their tongue is coiled in their upper torso, with only enough of the tongue remaining in the head to allow them to speak. Their tails are prehensile and precise enough to manipulate simple tools, while also being strong enough to support the Squam's weight.

Squam skin is covered in overlapping scales made of keratin. In addition to preventing water loss, they can shift and change color, allowing Squam to camouflage very efficiently with their background. They can replicate their environment so effortlessly that they can appear nearly invisible, outperforming modern optical camouflage equipment when stationary or moving slowly. However, the effect is less convincing within two meters of the subject. When not using their color changing abilities for stealth, it is used for communication and establishing empathy. Their color corresponds to their mood or intentions, allowing effective candid communication.

Squam eyes are capable of viewing a full 360 radius around the viewer simultaneously, which is necessary for their camouflage to function. They can rotate independently to view objects in any direction with more clarity, but their field of view does not change as they do so. They additionally can see in ultraviolet, which allows them to defeat active camouflage from technology or other Squam.

## Chrome Ale

The Chromale Solution, or Chrome Ale, allows Squams to better control their color changes, otherwise even slight changes in emotion can cause changes in color, making them very easy to read. It is possible to control these color changes, just like it is possible to control the signs of lying in Humans, but Chrome Ale has eliminated this need, and most Squams use it habitually. Its effects cannot be detected without special equipment, and it does not directly interfere with Squams’ camouflage.