Anguilin

## Background

Anguilins are psychic merfolk amphibians with extreme genetic plasticity.

* Psychic, group collective's, shared consciousness and experience
* Biological/ Biotech
* Open with thoughts and feelings
* Quick adaption to environmental/cultural/social changes

Appearance and Biology: Approximately 3 to 4 meters from tail to head, with a torso roughly the same size and proportions as a human (also head and neck, cause mermaids). They are able to stand up on their tails much like legs as the tail consists of dense and powerful muscle. They have a long dorsal fin running from the top of their head to tip of their tail.  They have have pelvic fins that can still be used when fast ground or water based propulsion is needed, but have been less important since the development of technology. The pectoral fins developed into arms with 3 articulated webbed fingers and an opposable thumb. Some remnants of the pectoral fins still remain as finned underarms frills. They are hairless, but produce a slimy mucus.

Musculature, bone structure, size, color and other features can vary significantly by environment due to their rapid changes.

As amphibians they can live on land, preferring moist climates, but can hold their breath for extended periods of time.They have a human like head and neck. They have large eyes bulgy eyes, with transparent and opaque eyelids. They have a tympanum on each side of their heads which is covered by skin by which they hear.

They have only one sex, therefore no discernible secondary sex characteristics. Anguilin have receptors in their mouths that sense and store genetic material.  This is then used when required at a later time  to fertilized ovum with desired genetic traits and produce more robust and ‘evolved’ offspring. Offspring are carried to term over a fairly short period of time. The needed genetic traits are psychically selected by the collective of Anguilin. Memories and information is passed on through genetic code and psychic connections.

Average live span 150 - 200 earth years, might have 5 offspring in a life-time.

Culture:

* All Anguilin are psychic, in fact they do not use complex verbal language.
* Only a small number have developed vocal cords after contact with humans.
* They form collectives of roughly 30 to 50, though group size is malleable and based partially on physical location.
* The collective has a democratically psychically elected leader that joins a larger collective that forms the unified Anguilin government and nominates representatives for the Assembly.

* Little concept of falsehood or lying
* Individuals within a group context, with significant group pressure to conformity
* Varied psychic abilities based on what is determined as needed by the collective, some will rebel against this
* Value peace and cooperation
* Technology is largely expansive biotech and biological engineering, e.g. ships mades of organic matter
* Good and biological terraforming of earth like planets
* Prefer humid, damp and swamp like climates
* Omnivores, primary diet is determined by location and availability, can digest anything organic pretty much

## The Anguilin guard at the Starlight Pavilion

Xe'anna and her crew spend some time with, and ultimately kill, an Anguilin guard during their run on Starlight's data for Chalean Anio. This guard is described as an amphibious, agender, psionic naga with a large moving tail. They are a little slimy and wear a suit that contains the slime.

Anguilins are able to, and indeed prefer to, communicate telepathically and can also use verbal speech. Xe'anna and her crew would detect any telepathic attempt at communication, or probing.

## Notes

1. ↑ *NftE*: The text in this section is Lauren's.
2. ↑ See Ep 14.