Xinstol Wajo

The **Xinstol Wajo**, or simply **Wajos** (*ZIN-stahl WA-jo*), are a mysterious, long-lived species from Wajo III Major.

## Homeworld

Wajo III Major (or just Wajo, or W3M) is a very exotic planet. Oceans of formamide dominate 60% of the surface, and the crust is rich in heavy metals. The air is dominated by argon with lesser amounts of asonybine, which Wajos breathe. The skies are a vibrant blue as asonybine, like oxygen, scatters blue light, but with more intensity. W3M is the largest moon of the gas giant Wajo III Prime in the Wajo III system, which is one of three star systems orbiting around one another. The star Wajo III is a class B9V.

## Appearance

The average Wajo is about 6 feet (1.83m) tall, stocky, and blue. They have metallic knobs running from their hard nose to the back of the head—silver for males and blue for females. Their tail is thick and muscular, similar to an alligator's but more narrow. They are digitigrade and have very large feet. They have two sets of long, metallic canine teeth jutting down from the upper jaw, somewhat resembling a sabertooth. A common accessory of theirs is a pair of breathing tubes running from the sides of the mouth to a compact tank fastened to the back of the neck. There is a bioelectric sensory organ with a glowing tip dangling from the chin, which is used for detecting bioelectricity nearby as well as drawing certain delicious insects native to W3M, such as the eleaben butterfly (which have been likened to oysters with wings). A variety of eye colors are possible, though blue is most common, followed by gold and green. Male eyes are usually a deeper shade than females.

## Biology

Wajos have a very unique biology and are very hardy. The average lifespan is over 2500 years.

### Biochemistry

Wajos are titanium-based and subsist on formamide instead of water. They breathe asonybine, an exotic, odorless, and non-toxic (to carbon-based life) gas found on their planet.

### Internals

Their eyes are more complex than those of most species, allowing them to see normal light as well as ultraviolet. Their blood looks like blue mercury. For organs, they have various ribbon- and gourd-like structures that serve a number of purposes. They have a pulmonary arch instead of a conventional heart, and certain nerves within their torso are very thick and serve as brain extensions. Their cranial knobs, which look like polished metal, serve as sensory nodes and as an attractant for mates. They possess a gizzard like birds, a radula like gastropods, fur and breasts like mammals, pouches like marsupials, and an egg-producing organ like insects. Their bones are comprised of a special alloy dominated by metals and containing some non-metals, arranged in a durable micro-lattice and making the skeleton extremely strong. Their bones are filled with a mineral slurry, and their joints are cushioned by something akin to silicone. They can regenerate lost limbs and organs but are susceptible to electric shock, which can induce short-term delirium.

### Respiration

The Wajo respiratory system consists of a honeycomb-like series of tubes where standard lungs would be, with air entering through the mouth, nose, and holes in the ears. They breathe asonybine instead of oxygen; the latter is not toxic to them, but they will suffocate without their native gas. They can hold their breath for 30 minutes on average, and 45 minutes with practice.

### Diet

They can metabolize typical "carbon" foods, but they must also consume nutrient supplements that contain vital minerals native to their homeworld; otherwise, more exotic foods are needed. Similar to Eyollaks, they have extremely hard teeth and can eat (and metabolize) very hard substances such as stones and metal. They drink formamide instead of water—curiously, the latter has been described by them as "sweet" in both smell and taste. It is profound enough that Wajo society commonly employs water as a sweetener, and it can even make them fat. This leads to an odd reaction when a Wajo sees a water fountain—it is tantamount to a Human gazing upon a geyser of molten sugar.

Certain magnesium compounds have hallucinogenic effects on the species.

### Reproduction

Females lay 2-4 eggs per pregnancy, rarely less than 2 and never more than 6. The shells of the eggs are hard but soften shortly after birth, unraveling as a thread-like mass after a week and allowing the larvae to crawl out. These larvae crawl to a set of 6 marsupial-like pouches (in 2 groups of 3) lining the front of the lower abdomen of the female and seal themselves inside. This is known as a second-stage pregnancy and lasts for two months. The young emerge as infants and are then breastfed as needed.

### Size

Similar to Evordinos, but not as extreme, Wajos are naturally stocky. Their size is needed for the sake of proper thermal regulation (the average body temperature for a Wajo is about 121F/49.4C), cellular metabolism, and overall function. Factoring in the high metallicity of their biology, they are surprisingly heavy for their size.

### Fur

Their fur is made of elastic metallic filaments rather than the usual protein strands of carbon-based life forms. When in the proper light, they have an iridescent luster. Despite being made of metal, the fur is very soft.

### Other

A Wajo can spacewalk without a suit or air for 20 minutes before suffering debilitating delirium, followed by unconsciousness and death.

## Culture

Though the Wajo species is not monocultural by any means, the few individuals that are seen in the galaxy are typically from the adventurous Cgoch culture (pl. *Cgocha*). They are very curious and enterprising, exploring wherever they can and trading whatever they can, often indulging in souvenirs to take back home. Many Cgocha end up as business owners, sentientologists, journalists, essayists, and biologists. Other common occupations include musicians and other entertainers. Due to these factors coupled with their long lives, most Cgocha end up amassing great wealth and knowledge—the latter almost rivaling that of the Ikan'kugins.

## Offworld protocol

When away from Wajo III Major, they must keep a breather hose in their mouths at all times. They consume formamide in the form of ingestible fluid packets for the sake of courtesy when in public, since formamide gives an offensive ammonia-like smell to many other lifeforms. The species is robust and very tolerant of conventional "carbon foods", but they must consume nutrient packets to get what they need.

## Photos

Xinstol Wajo maleXinstol Wajo femaleMale head close-upFemale head close-upCommon asonybine tank

The Xinstol Wajo are copyright © Jerionis Kanik