Adaskan

**Adaskans** were a species of sentient, bipedal humanoids with bilateral symmetry that were native to the planet Cantar Zhun, though had spread across their star system to various worlds, such as Cantar Shaddai. Whilst they had come from the mostly humid, misty, and forested worlds of their system, the species were able to adapt to most temperate climates. Physically, the species was characterised by a noseless appearance, mottled, primarily green-grey skin, and hairlessness.

They were not a numerous species in terms of their spread across the empire, but were found on most planets that bore some resemblance to that on which they were native. However, being a greedy species willing to hoard whatever they could from birth, they were most well known for the company that bore their species name-sake, the Adaskan Central Finance Conglomerate.

## Biology and Appearance

The Adaskans were a sentient species native to Cantar Zhun and generally preferred humid conditions. They were humanoid in form, complete with two arms, two legs, a torso, and a single head. Their facial appearance was not generally considered attractive, as they had smooth, mottled green-grey to blue-grey skin and large, red-orange eyes with a pupil that split it horizontally. Adult individuals were known to be tall, ranging from 1.9 to 2.1 meters. They had long, bony hands with five pointed fingers, one of which was an opposable thumb. They were known for their tracheal breathing system, in which a series of trachea, or long air pipes, travelled throughout their body, allowing oxygen to transfer between air and blood.

Raised in hatchery hives before taking their adult form, Adaskans spent the first five years of life in a larval stage, maggot-like with multiple sets of limbs that atrophied over these years until only their arms and legs remained. They were raised in an environment that forced them to compete with each other over a limited food supply. Only those that hoarded the most food survived. This diet consisted of various insects, vegetation, and fungi sources which they greatly preferred, though they could eat meat if they so wished.

## Society and Culture

Throughout most of the empire, Adaskans were known for their greed, though for those amongst the nobility, this was hardly a unique trait. Their society highly valued the possession of material goods and were fixated on hoarding. Regardless of whether or not this came at the expense of others across all social classes within their species, even the poorest Adaskans prided themselves on the good they owned. They were adaptive, but notedly less so than humans and had difficulty surviving within particularly cold or hot and dry conditions. All Adaskans thrived particularly well in warm, humid places and it was upon such worlds that the vast majority of their kind would come to live upon.

Weaker members of their society often remained on their homeworld, tending to insect hives, fungal farms, and other beetle hatcheries. In addition to this, Adaskans were a highly regimented society, deferring to superiors frequently, especially when they were of the same species.

Due to their culture and lives firmly revolving around matters of finance and economy, there was an encouraged sense of competition between individuals. This allowed for greater economic growth, increased production, and a superior work ethic amongst individuals. In contrast to this, Adaskans shied away from combat and were a physically weak species who sought out alternative means to fight their battles before the Empire. Orbital defence platforms were their once traditional form of protection from outsiders, which remained in place with the presence of the empire.

The most affluent of Adaskans avoided living on Cantar Zhun, and instead lived on Cantar Shaddai or Cantar Myng, a moon of Cantar Shaddai. These worlds had much smaller populations in proportion to their size, Instead of industry, these worlds were made up of vast manorial estates and residences, with cities to house the working populations and regional bureaucratic centres.

## Adaskans within the Empire

Due to their upbringing, being focused on hoarding food for themselves to survive, Adaskans were particularly ruthless as merchants, but very effective. Financial trades were an obvious area owing to their immense greed and obsession with status and material material goods. Their diligence in matters of financial transactions created a reputation that proceeded them across the empire. However, as this trait was shared amongst all levels of society, they were despised for selfishness amongst the lower classes. This same trait made them enviable amongst sections of the nobility.