The Naru
One of the many common themes you see in my blog posts is associated with what I think has been done and what is reality. This month’s post falls squarely into said category with a resounding thud. No, it is not an age thing, it is a “I have too much swirling around in my head and cannot keep track of everything in spite of how well I use Microsoft OneNote” thing. What follows is game, set, match on a mind filled with too much crap. As a matter of perspective, it is good crap because it assists me in making sure I am being thorough and creating the best universe I can. Still crap but it could be much worse.
The Naru were referred to originally as Lyzomes in the glossary and first version of The Cradle of Destiny. Since I am now at the tail end of fine-tuning book one before re-submitting it to publishers, I felt it prudent to revisit those areas I felt were not fleshed out as well or just didn’t sound right. I will not go into too much detail regarding these changes, suffice to say, I felt this one needed to roll off the tongue a little better.
As I began to muddle through the creative process of generating a more pleasing name both verbally and visually, I realized a glaring omission; I had developed absolutely nothing denoting where the Naru came from, nor anything associated with their culture or physical appearance. Here was a pivotal race in the history of my universe, one who had made first contact with humans, and the only bit of information I had developed was a paltry mention in a glossary. Fortunately, I love developing character backgrounds and conducting research. What follows is probably the most fun I’ve had in creating a new race for The Sy’Arrian Legacy Series.
Tucked away in one of the more remote locations of the Vinosa star system, a spiral galaxy several thousand light years from Alpha Centauri, the Naru were the first alien race to make contact with humans on Earth in 2306. They were instrumental in helping to end the Ethnic War, which had been tearing apart most of the planet’s cultures since 2301. Their initial contact is credited with ushering in a period where critical thinking, formal logic and evidence-based approaches became the new foundation for the human race. This period would later be called, The Second Age of Reason.
The Naru homeworld, Dorondus V, a class M planet, shares its name with four other planetoids with similar compositions but supporting only two other distinct humanoid species: the Mindris and the Felmar. Felmar are very similar to Traxians, exhibiting feline physiology, while switching between biped and quadruped styles of locomotion. They inhabit the mainly subtropical planet of Dorondus III. In contrast, the Mindris are insectoids with six, highly flexible and durable wings capable of carrying them over seemingly endless distances. Although they prefer to hover above ground, they are bipedal and have powerful legs. They tend to populate the tropical rainforest areas of Dorondus II.
Dorondus V shares a similar topographical history with Earth where, at one point, only two super continents comprised its surface until several geographical cataclysms reformed them into over a dozen, smaller land masses. Fortunately, the Naru only experienced one of these events, teaching them to be highly adaptable and serving to inform them on developing technological approaches to mitigate their disastrous effects should similar events present themselves in the future. Dorondus V has very diverse climatic zones with the Naru inhabiting the much larger tropical and temperate areas with offshoots of their population living in polar regions.
When compared to many of the other known races in the universe, the Naru have an above average height beginning at 213 centimeters, while many reach 244 centimeters. In spite of their taller stature, they have long, slender torsos, legs and arms, while displaying much shorter and thicker necks. Their ears are long, floppy and hang down to their shoulders, resembling those of wild or domesticated rabbits. In situations of high stress or when threatened, these elongated ears will shrink in size and stand upward to enhance their already heightened auditory capabilities. Their eyes appear as large, black discs, with thick eyelids, which when completely closed are still transparent enough to aid them in navigating their environment.
The Naru’s long stride and extensive leaping abilities is attributed to their evolution on Dorondus V’s diverse landscape, especially in those areas with dense vegetation and mountainous regions leading towards the planet’s poles. Their bodies adapt to weather very quickly, accounting for either a light or heavy coat of fur based on location. In the early stages of their evolution, skeletal records clearly indicated they had exceptionally long tails, with only a small, raised portion of the tailbone remaining in the most recent generations. Naru are able to maintain an optimal body temperature independent of external conditions, commonly known as thermoregulation in a variety of other sentient beings.
Initially a representative democracy during the early stages of their cultural development, the Naru transitioned to a demarchy over a thousand years ago. More commonly known as sortition, where the selection of their public officials is from a random representative sample of the population, the intent was to move away from corrupt oligarchs buying their way into public office, which had been a facet in the past due to them receiving large donations from major corporations. Given the considerable size of their technological and military sectors, it is no surprise certain public officials put the needs of their largest donors first over who they were duly elected to represent.
These representative samples of the population, referred to individually as an Enarian swear an oath, serving 1 ½ years and only once during their lifespan. Older Naru who have already performed the duties of an Enarian, no matter their current vocation, are called upon to examine prospective Enarian’s to assess character and ability to make sound judgments absent of personal biases. Hardly a completely flawless system, Naru have thrived under its principles and have rarely encountered disagreements with a representative group’s decisions.
In spite of their governmental composition and the many individual colonies scattered across Dorondus V’s landmasses, all Naru consider themselves part of one giant colony. This fits well with their philosophy of a collective, where the combined efforts of the entire race are valued above all else because when one Naru thrives and becomes the best version of themselves, so does all Naru. This mindset is attributed to their successes in the social sciences, technology, space travel, and starship development to name a few.
They live in extensive metropolitan fashioned locations both above and below ground. The architecture is reminiscent of the classical antiquity era associated with Greeks and Romans of Earth’s own ancient past. Considering the average height of a Naru, this style of living has worked well, fitting squarely with their cultural practices of using sustainable resources and minimizing impacts on the environment.
Inherently asexual, Naru do become sexually active during specific maturation cycles for the mere act of procreation. Due to their belief system in a collective, they do not recognize what would be considered typical relationship dynamics found in many of the other sentient species. The clear absence of two individuals coming together to form a pairing prior to or when instituting a family, tends to mystify some races when the Naru are first encountered. Birth parents remain deeply connected to their younglings, while their cultural network relies on all Naru coming together to not only raise younglings but to address needs of their global community.
After a four-month gestation period, a female Naru gives birth to a half-grown child, which will grow to full maturity in two-years’ time. Completely hairless at birth with an above average torso length, their legs and arms need the full, two-year maturation cycle to catch-up with the rest of their anatomical features. Their long, floppy ears are fully functional with their ability to shrink or tense up when threatened. Around the six-month post birth period, their body will begin to produce a fur coat. The color pattern and density, although a by-product of their environment will pull directly from the DNA of the parents.
Naru have a wide-ranging grasp of all types of technology and, although inherently peaceful, have an extensive military fleet. This stems from epochs in their history of being at war with the highly aggressive Felmar who, at one point, attempted to enslave both the Mindris and Naru. By having a strong and positive relationship with the Mindris, serves an effective counterbalance to keep the Felmar at a safe distance.
As always, I wish for you to be safe, be well, and continuously strive to build your mind on a foundation of compassion and unconditional love. By doing so, you will influence others to do the same and help make the universe a much better place to live by helping change one mind at a time for the better.
Thank you for reading or conversely, thank you for listening.
