Bombus

The **Bombus**, regarded as the most common species in the galaxy, are a race of bipedal reptilian bombids from the planet Bombis. Recognizable due to their vivid green scales and iconic spiraling nose horn, Bombus culture possessed and still retains an extremely religous nature. The Bombus are also the founding species of the Outer Galaxy Coalition, the most powerful governmental force in the galaxy. Bombus are near ubiquitous to the galaxy itself, and are able to be seen on nearly every planet, moon, and planetoid.

## Biology and appearance

The Bombus are a race of bipedal reptilian Bombids originating from the planet Bombis. As a bombid, also known as a humanoid, Bombus possess a bipedal stance, with two arms and two legs along with a head on the top of their torsos. The Bombus' knees bend backwards, giving the Bombus a well-balanced, though slower moving, stance. The Bombus' spine extends into a small tail, a hereditary remnant of their prehistoric past. Bombus are typically 1.75 meters tall and weigh in on average at 82 kilograms. Unlike many reptiles, the Bombus are warm-blooded.

The Bombus' face contains a common reptilian muzzle, with two, fat nostrils and a jaw containing eighty short, serrated teeth. All Bombus possess a horn at the end of their muzzles. This horn grows overtime, though how fast and how much depends on the Bombus' specific lifestyle. The horn starts out as merely a stub during prepubescence, but can contain three loops by the time of eldership. The back of the Bombus' head contains three bumps. Head spines grow out of these head bumps, which many Bombus style as "hairdos". These head spines vary in length and color, though they all typically come in shades of red. The Bombus head also contains two small eyes. Bombus eyes come in many different colors, but all Bombus eyes having purple coloring around the lids.

The Bombus' hands are remniscent of the Humans, with five fingers and claws that are relegated to fingernails. Bombus feet are tridactyl, and possess three toes, two in the front, and on in the back. Only the two front toes are capable of bending. The Bombus' scaly skin is thin, with small scales that are nearly invisible from afar. Bombus skin coloring is always lime-green, with purple or pink underbelly shading.

Over the typical 75 year Bombus lifespan, a Bombus might shed up to five times. This shedding is seen as a major occasion and a sign of change. Like most reptiles, Bombus lays egg that hatch after about 40 days. Newborn Bombus lack any spines, nose horn, or purple coloration, and develop them over prepubescence which lasts 17 years. Baby Bombus are capable of walking mere weeks after hatching, but don't gain the ability to vocalize until they are three years of age. This led to many baby Bombus to silently starve to death before modern technology.

The sexual dimorphism between the Bombus is minimal. Like most species, the Bombus have two sexes that are assigned at birth. Aside from the regular differences amongst reproductional organs, a Bombus female's main difference is in the head spines. Female Bombus head spines are less dense and longer than the males, leading to more variation amongst their "hairstyles". For cultural reasons, many male and intersex Bombus go bald, or lack head spines entirely.

## Society and culture

Despite being an advanced, spacefaring race, Bombus culture remains extremely religious. The main Bombus religion of Bism was developed on the Bombus homeworld of Bombis. Those who follow Bism worship a god called Beraz, who is seen as a benevolent entity who can only travel by word of mouth. Bism customs dictate that a shrine must be built in one's homestead, and weekly public sermons are held in public gathering places. Originally, nearly the entire Bombus population fervently followed Bism. However, due to space travel and exposure to other cultures, Bism belief has dropped to only 67% of the Bombus population, and merely an estimated 32% of the entire galactic population.

Bombus culture is welcoming, and values the preservation of Beraz's "image". This leads to Bombus creating sanctuary planets, and dictates their relations to other species. Religious Bombus are more easily offended, perceiving variation as "unpurity." The main Bombus language is Bisish, a common speech that places emphasis on exclamation. Due to the Bombus' nature, Bisish is naturally the most commonly spoken language in the galaxy.

Due to being spread across the galaxy, the Bombus populations of many planets have developed their own subcultures that vary wildly. Some retain their religious customs of their homeworld, others become completely isolated overtime, developing their own customs in nature much like the Shal.

## History

Originally evolving on the planet Bombis, the Bombus used to be a hyper-aggressive apex predator called the Bis beast. The Bis beast eventually began to gain sentience as their mating rituals became more advanced. It is estimated that the Bis beast gained a bipedal stance around 100 million YBO, and began to develop a tribal culture.

It is unknown how Bism first developed; speculation ranges from fruit induced hallucinations, from a visit from a more ancient species such as the Marae or Phylote. Regardless, Bism first became a reality in a small tribe located on the northern coast on Bombis. This original tribe didn't advance beyond tribal technology, even as nations of more advanced Bombus developed worldwide with steam-based technologies. Through back-door rumors and hidden espionage, the original Bism tribe was able to stage a prolonged warfare and take control of the planet, creating a planetwide religious police state.

At around two thousand YBO, the Bombus began to travel beyond their home system with their developed interstellar travel with ships of missionaries determined to spread Bism amongst the stars. Upon the discovery of other sentient races, the Bombus Empire began a conquest to convert all to Bism, often resulting in hostile takeovers of planets.

The OGC was first created after negotiations between the Bombus Empire and Lub Republic. Both governments merged and pooled their resources into the nearby planet of Osayr, creating the galactic center and capital of the OGC. The creation of the OGC at 0 YBO marked the decline of the Bombus culture's hostile nature, with reparations and more peaceful religious missions moving forward.

Over the course of the OGC's two thousand years of existence, the Bombus, along with the Lub, have remained the primary participators in the government, leading the expansions and negotiations. The Bombus, being the primary population in the galaxy, have been front and center in most events in galactic history. This, combined with the fact that three quarters of the OGC Parsons have been Bombus, mean the Bombus still are and will likely remain the most recognizable and powerful species in the galaxy.

## Bombus in the galaxy

As the founding species of the Outer Galaxy Coalition, the most powerful governmental force in the galaxy, Bombus are near ubiquitous to the galaxy itself, and are able to be seen on nearly every planet, moon, and planetoid. It is estimated that the Bombus make up around 36% of the galaxy's population, a startling majority compared to every other species.

Bombus, due to being the most common species in the galaxy, are seen as the "standard" for sentient species. Being one of the first species to travel throughout the cosmos, Bombus culture has effected nearly all perceived aspects of life; for example, species with a bipedal stance are referred to as bombids.

Due to the Bombus' versatility, Bombus can be found in all sorts of aspects of life, whether it be as mechanics, scholars, or soldiers. Bombus make up the majority of the governmental workforce, and make up the ruling class. The main Bombus religion, Bism, has been spread to other cultures by Bombus missionaries. The OGC itself was once an extension of Bism, though the religous aspects have mostly gone away.