Querat

The **Querat** are a race of multiped humanoids from the planet Tosh.

## Biology

The Querat are large-bodied sentient multipeds, roughly humanoid in appearance with a distinctive vestigial "hump" on the back. The head itself features three pairs of facial tentacles enclosing a grinding maw and an internal beak used for ingesting food. The beak can deliver a powerful nerve toxin capable of felling the equivalent of an Earth bull elephant in only 10 seconds. Their precise anatomy isn't easily apparent as most Querat wear clothing that tends to consist of a long thick robe encircling their entire body except for their head.

Though relatively slow creatures, Querat are physically very strong and possess multiple limbs including two arms with three fingered hands and two to five toe-less "legs" used for ambulation. Their hairless skin is extremely tough and thick and can be coloured in pale mottled hues of greyish brown or green with blue patterns.

Unlike most other races which reproduce through sexual coupling of males and females, Querat have only one "gender" and instead reproduce asexually though a form of parthenogenesis. The Querat anatomy does feature genitalia, located on the flanks of their massive torsos; however, they are solely for waste excretion. The Querat do engage in forms of physical pleasure, though none can be considered sexual, at least as Humans would use the term. Despite this, individual Querat have been known to engage in couplings with aliens, even going so far as to use "technological assistance" to compensate for any anatomical incompatibilities.

Reproduction cycles for individual Querat usually occur around once every five Earth years, during which the Querat will develop six to ten nodes on their bodies which grow and eventually drop off, developing into young Querat offspring.

Infant Querat are born with gills and so spend their first few years of life in seawater before gradually metamorphosing from the larval to the terrestrial form, losing the gills and developing air sacs instead. After emerging onto land and joining the community, a mature pak'ma'ra can reach an average height of 150 to 210 cm and an average weight of 67 to 157 kg.

The Querat are carrion eaters, subsisting exclusively on dead putrefying animal flesh, of just about any creature, alien or otherwise, including mammals, reptiles and birds, though not saltwater fish. Feeding usually takes the form of a once weekly gorging on carrion, preferably "five days dead and decayed" (a sight most other races consider extremely unpleasant if not utterly horrifying). Their ability to eat such a wide variety of organic matter stems from their upper intestinal system which can destroy harmful bacteria on a selective basis, making them extremely resistant to bacterial infection. They also have a type of drink called Rmm\*zzq!wwx, which roughly translates as "Roadkill Malt". Humans are advised to avoid sampling at all costs. Despite their wide-ranging diet, not everything is acceptable to the Querat. As a biological precaution, should they ingest anything their digestive system cannot safely process (for example, inorganic compounds), their systems forcefully regurgitate it.

Though often overlooked because of their perceived lazy and obnoxious personalities, Querat are extraordinarily intelligent and extremely curious. Querat eyes can only perceive the infra-red spectrum and as such see the world around them as blobs of varying heat. Though not true amphibians like the Boray, Querat do breathe water for several years while in their larval state, though they lose this ability when they mature into air breathers. However, once developed their air sacs can process a number of atmospheres including oxygen/nitrogen and carbon dioxide.

## Government

The Querat operate under a unique form of government, perhaps best illustrated by the pak'ma'ra saying that roughly translates as "Querat, all same, all different."

While it is difficult for some races to comprehend, understanding this philosophy is essential to understanding the Querat government. For example, when other races made first contact with the Querat they naturally requested to speak with their leadership and were presented with an elderly Querat named something which sounded roughly like "Ssh'ssh'ya'ssh". The next time audience with the Querat leader was requested they were shown to yet another Querat with an entirely different name. It didn't take long to realise that the Querat had no concept for "leader" or "ruler" and that anyone that wished to can speak for the entire race, since Querat are all the same. However, since they are all also different, the "spokesman" can take no action on anything until ALL Querat everywhere consider the subject.

In time the alien governments discovered that they could deal with specific groupings among the Querat and actually achieve what passed for treaties that would be honored by the next group to fill that task.

Although the Querat are a spacefaring species, they only established a few mining outposts and an agricultural colony.

## Culture

Possessing no concept of marriage, Querat generally live alone.

Querat habitats are usually natural rather than fabricated structures: caves, grottoes, etc. A clustering of these habitats forms a sort of a village; each of these has gathering places in which tasks are divided up by mutual agreement. In this way one group of Querat may agree to provide food, another may build, a third may engage in research, a fourth in teaching, and so on. Whatever the tasks at hand, they are worked at diligently and for however long they may take. After completion there is rest and meditation and discussion until needs arise again and the Querat again gather to divide the tasks; however, they may fall to different Querat than the previous time.

Once or twice each Querat year the inhabitants of a village will gather at a designated location to discuss their lives and share any new knowledge gained. Once every five years, all Querat journey to a massive plain to do likewise on a much larger scale.

When alien races finally realized that the Querat are an almost completely task-oriented society it made interaction with them possible. For example, traders in foodstuffs found that a bargain with whatever group was dealing with food production at the moment would be honored by whatever group took on the task next.

This has led to speculation that the Querat possessed a hive mind. But research showed that this was untrue. In essence, the Querat have a hive-mentality; they do share all of their knowledge, but it's through discussion, not an automatic process. Many have also believed that the Querat are telepathic within their own species but the fact that they have a very complex spoken language tends to belie that theory.

Because of the shape of their mouths, they are unable to form words in the same manner that other races speak.

### Religion

The Querat have no organized religion at all. If anything could be considered sacred to them, it would be the idea. They believe thought is the spirit. Despite this, Querat believe that they are naturally superior to other beings, or roughly translated "chosen of god, very special". On rare occasions they also partake in what passes for religious ceremonies, one of which involves communal singing. Giving its rarity there is very little literature on the subject although those that have witnessed it claim that (surprisingly) the song is a beautiful sound full of sadness and hope and wonder and a terrible sense of loss.

It is perhaps because of their beliefs and their superior attitude that most other races consider them to be, among other things, slow, selfish, greedy, obnoxious, stubborn and not very bright. As a result of this, along with their diet and the associated aroma, they are often socially shunned and ignored by other races; though they are on many alien worlds trading, they are effectively invisible.