Elcor

One of the more unique species known to the Milky Way galaxy in terms of physiology and anatomy, the **Elcor** are a lumbering quadrupedal species native to the high-gravity world of Dekuuna. As slow-moving in culture and politics as they are in life, the government of the elcor, known as the Courts of Dekuuna, is based upon a circle of elders who spend their time pouring through the ancient writings of their own predecessors, distilling those recommendations until they can determine the best path forward.

## History

Prehistoric elcor traveled across Dekuuna in large tribal groups. These groups were led by the oldest and most experienced elcor, those who had made the trek before and were experienced in the ways of herd guidance. This later developed into the elcor culture of Elders, whose wisdom kept the tribe safe provided they followed the correct guidance.

### First Contact

In 314 BCE, the recently spacefaring Elcor were encountered by an asari scout ship within their home system. With the assistance of the asari, the elcor discovered the nearest Mass Relay and, within one lifetime, established a regular trade route to the Citadel.

In 198 BCE, the elcor and quarians were both given embassies on the Citadel.

## Biology

Elcor evolved on a high-gravity world, making them slow, but incredibly strong. Their large, heavy bodies are incapable of moving quickly, but they possess a rather imposing stature and immense strength, as well as thick, tough skin. They move using all four limbs to support and balance their massive bodies. Given their method of communication, they have highly-attuned olfactory senses.

Only challenged in pure physical brawn by the krogan, the elcor are naturally hesitant to leave the comforts of their own planets. Prolonged exposure to worlds with significantly lower forces of gravity can have lasting effects on their health, and the constant need to convey emotional tone with words instead of naturally can become grating when in the company of aliens. The elcor have an extremely developed sense of smell, able to detect differences in chemical composition from kilometers away. Much of their language and mood is conveyed using pheromones as well, something that is unable to be learned by other sapient species.

Elcor speech is heard by most species as a flat, ponderous monotone. Among themselves, scent, extremely slight body movements, and subvocalized infrasound convey shades of meaning that make a human smile seem as subtle as a fireworks display. Since their subtlety can lead to misunderstandings with other species, the elcor prefix all their dialog with non-elcor with an emotive statement to clarify their tone.

Elcor "lips" are multiple vertical slats situated in what is normally the location of the mouth in other races. Despite the peculiar arrangement, these "lips" are capable of holding on to protruding objects like cigars with no effort.

## Culture

> *"Respectful but dismissive: The tanks are out of the question in such an environment. With pride and confidence: We shall be the tanks." -* Genowadunbo
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Elcor usually prefer to stay on their colonies rather than travel in space, which may be why few elcor are seen on the Citadel or on other worlds. Possibly because of their size or evolution in the open air, the elcor find the necessary confines of space travel uncomfortable, and many modern elcor indeed prefer the open sky to the former. Evolving in a high-gravity environment where a fall could be lethal has made elcor psychology deeply cautious and conservative. Their culture is built on small, tight-knit groups, and their conservative nature means the elcor government is extremely stable. Despite this, they are always welcoming to outsiders.

Elcor are traditionally migratory in nature. This reflects on their choice of twin capitals on their homeworld, one for the wet season and one for the dry season. Modern technology has rendered the tradition obsolete, though elcor still observe it.

Like other sapient races, elcor are no strangers to entertainment and the arts. Artists like Forta are reputed to have made works that can make viewers go mad if stared at for too long. Other members of the race made forays into acting, with two ending up in a Blasto movie. Several elcor actors have been cast in an all-elcor rendition of William Shakespeare's *Hamlet*, where their particular species traits are used in conveying the nuances of the play.

Elcor cultural artifacts fascinate people enough to warrant archiving objects related to the topic. One such artifact, an elcor mating-totem, is filed away in vault 347B of the Citadel Archives. Another artifact, the Code of the Ancients, contains the collected wisdom of the elcor people and their ancestors. It is revered by many for the guidance it provides, and is sequestered away on their homeworld.

## Further Lore

### History

* Elcor Colonization Timeline (List of Elcor worlds)