Salarian

Mordin Solus, Greatest Salarian Scientific Minds

The **Salarians** are a race of amphibians from the video game, Mass Effect. They are very intelligent, short-lived, and very inventive.

## Physiology

The Salarians are a race of humanoid, warm-blooded amphibians with elongated bodies well-suited for their high metabolism, and skeletons composed of more cartilage than most species, which makes them a little more flexible. However, their high metabolism make them live for an average 40 years while also making them only having an hour of sleep, their minds and bodies work faster than normal beings that make them seem restless and hyperactive. Their heads are long and thin, and have a pair of horns protruding from the top of their skulls. Their skin varies in coloration from bright reds and greens to the more common shades of blue or grey. Salarians are androgynous, and exhibit no major facial differences between males and females. However, the differences can be noted by their outfits or the sound of their voices with females having a higher pitch than males.

The Salarians have large and oval eyes and have thin membranes in place of eyelids. The pupils are a wide slit, oriented horizontally, and the irises can be dark green, purple, red, blue, or brown. Salarians can see ultraviolet at the short-wavelength end of the spectrum. Salarians blink upwards rather than downwards. When they roll their eyes, it is not a sign of disdain, but rather a response to situations where the thin protective membranes require extra help in defending against dryness or irritants. They also possess green blood.

The Salarians are amphibian haplo-diploid egg-layers; unfertilized eggs produce males and fertilized eggs produce females. Once a year, one Salarian female lay a cluster of eggs yet social rules prevent all but a fraction from being fertilized. As a result, 90% of the species is male. Unlike most species, reproduction is not a hormonal responsive but rather than a necessity. However, many Salarians are attracted to Asari.

Salarians have photographic memories and rarely forget a fact. They also possess a form of psychological "imprinting", tending to defer to those they knew in their youth. Salarian hatching is a solemn ritual in which the clan matriarch, known as the Dalatrass, isolates herself with the eggs. The young Salarians psychologically imprint on her and tend to defer to her wishes. During the hatching of daughters, the Dalatrasses of the mother and father’s clans are present at the imprinting. This ensures the offspring have equal loyalty to both, ensuring the desired dynastic and political unity.

## Pre-Apocalypse

The Salarians were and always will be a technophile race with many curious about various forms of scientific endeavors. They were also responsible for creating the genophage that effected Krogans in order to stop them from creating an empire built on atrocities, genocide and bloodshed. As a result, they are hated by the Krogans that made them semi-sterile. However, a Salarian scientist named Mordin Solus cured the Krogans of the genophage at the cost of his life. This resulted in the Krogans joining the fight against the Reapers as their world started growing green again and Krogans having more than just one child.

Many ventured into the psyche multiverse to learn more technologies and sciences of other species and sci-fi factions. Some of them even work alongside the Chiss, the liberated Borgs, the Vulcans and other species that value science and knowledge. A few even study on how The Force works through science. This also includes on how magic works. But some find them more like pests when they keep on asking questions along with trying to learn more about magic and various systems of magic. But many do appreciate the help with the development of colonies and studying many artifacts.

## Post Apocalypse

When the apocalypse happened, many Salarians came in the uniform of the Special Tasks Group to fight back the horrors of whatever creations that humanity made. Thanks to their quick response, they managed to help get footholds on Earth easily to allow more troops and supplies as well as shelter the civilians. They provided food and medicine as well as cures for those that have been bitten by zombies. Unfortunately, not everyone made it.

Now, they take part in researching and studying everything that they could. However, they do have trouble with the Citadel of Ricks that prefer to hoard all forms of knowledge and technology rather than share it. This made the Salarians and many others that want to share at odds with the selfish Ricks. Many of them set up clinics and research posts in colonies in both the United Nations & Creations, the United Confederacy of Exiles and many others that are willing to accept them.