Urm
| Urm | |
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| Fullbody sketch of an Urm. Art by Camille. | |
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| Species: | U. tomentosus
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| Binomial name | |
| Urmus tomentosus | |
Urms (or Urmi, sg. Urm, Urmus tomentosus) are the native sophonts of Kanno. On average they are large, both sexes usually reaching 190cm on all sixes. Their crests are a characteristic feature, which they use to convey emotion by moving them up and down. Their whiskers also play a role in this, but their primary function is as chemoreceptors. They are carnivores, and their diet mostly consists of red meat, bone marrow and the occasional fruit or vegetable.
Having rod cells and only one type of cone cell, which detects infrared, they are IR monochromats. Their poor vision is compensated by their excellent hearing. FMRI scans have demonstrated that the auditory areas of their brains are very sensitive and exceedingly well developed, and it's been well proven that this, along with their spatial recognition and echolocation capabilities, essentially equate their hearing to sight.
Appearance
Body
Urms are hexapodal, with the first pair of limbs ending in four-fingered symmetrical hands, while the last two pairs are used exclusively for walking. Their hands, when not in active use, are also active in their gait, as urms knuckle-walk. They are able to walk without them, but if done for long periods of time this may become uncomfortable as their centre of mass wouldn't be level with their gait.
Head
Urm heads consist of their rostrum, a fur-less leathery area of the face which includes their four-jawed snout and crest, which they use to emote, not unlike eyebrows in elmiforms. They also possess a pair of small teardrop-shaped eyes and large, round, flat ears with no fur. On the tips of their four jaws sit incurrent nostrils, used in inhalation, while exhalation takes place either out the throat or the excurrent nostrils, which are found on either side of their neck. Four whiskers sit at the edges of their lips, tipped with small bulbous chemoreceptors.
Eye colour
Urm eyes are almost always green or light blue; a recessive gene may cause them to become yellowish or amber, though this is a relatively rare occurrence. Depigmented eyes, such as those of albino individuals, may appear a very light green.
Coloration
Urm fur combines browns, light greens and oranges, as well as blacks, whites and greys. Their skin colours ranges in the greens due to their use of biliverdin.
Biology
Respiration and blood
Urm blood primarily makes use of chlorocruorin for oxygen transport, giving it a green tint. Being a only a quarter as efficient as haemoglobin, urms require a higher amount of oxygen in their environment to survive. Due to this, their lungs are large and efficient.
Reproduction and ageing
Urms reach sexual maturity during their mid to late teenage years, and brain development halts during their late 30's. Urms anatomically may present two sexes, male and female, and sexual dimorphism is negligible. On average, males are about 5 cm shorter than females and present bigger crests, while females are more prone to leucistic pigmentation.
External genitalia includes a genital pore and testes held inside a scrotum for males, and a round, slightly protruding vulva for females, with a visible button-shaped clitoris under the opening. Genitalia for both sexes sit on the lower hindquarters, right under the anus, with the female genitalia sitting parallel to it. The penis of an urm retracts fully into the body when not aroused, and during intercourse will extrude and engorge before reaching a full erection. Its shape is held by a ribbed hydraulic baculum-like structure called the haemobaculum, which fills with blood during arousal. Generally, during erection, the penis has a mushroom-like shape, with a mostly flat head and a tapering shaft. During orgasm, the cavernous body in the posterior segment of the penis engorges, which is meant to lock the male to the female for higher chances of successful insemination.
Internal genitalia diverges massively between the two sexes. Males possess several seminal vesicles, two large egg-shaped testes inside the scrotum, and a large lubricating gland. The urinary tract is connected to the penis, although urine exits through a different opening (the excretory urethra) than semen (which exits through a wide canal called the ejaculatory urethra). Females, meanwhile, possess a long, stretchy vaginal canal ending in the uterine cervix. The uterus itself is large and accommodates the−typically−one to four foetuses present during gestation.
Pregnancy usually lasts 10 to 12 months, and a typical litter will have up to four small (~30 cm) cubs, covered in a soft and silky, pale white neonatal fur, soaked in an oily substance which aids in exiting the uterus. This fur is highly insulating, protecting the otherwise completely defenceless cub from the elements during their first few weeks of life.
Communication
Urms' main form of information exchange is through complex signed languages. These vary from culture to culture, and very few signs are universal. However, their vocalisations, though limited due to their lack of vocal chords, are understood by nearly every individual, along with facial expressions using their crests.
Visual
A variety of urm facial expressions and visual cues can be noted.
| Head position | Crest erection | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat | Semi-rigid | Rigid | |
| Held upright | Calm, neutral | Content | Happy, joyous[a] |
| Held low | Sad, cautious, tired | Comfortable | Curious, intrigued |
| Held back, retracted | Disgusted, uncomfortable[b], scared[c] | - | - |
| Held forward | Challenging[d], angry | - | Courting, affectionate[e] |
- ↑This may be accompanied by shivering whiskers.
- ↑While angling the head up.
- ↑While angling the head down. This may be accompanied by a display of aggression.
- ↑If there's no display of aggression, it's usually implied to be friendly.
- ↑It's also common for an urm to slightly angle their head up so as to look at the recipient from above.
Eyes may contribute for emphasis by being more open. Piloerection may also ensue with extreme emotions.
Vocal
There are two ways in which an urm may communicate vocally: through their throat or oral communication, also called howl-barks, or through contracting their excurrent nostrils and exhaling, thus nasal communication, or whistling. These may happen individually or simultaneously, in which case they are emphasising one another.
Whistles
- Fwee - a long, stable, high pitched whistle which usually signifies great excitement.
- Whine - a series of short whistles, like whines, usually indicating pain.
- Rumble - a long, stable, low pitched whistle, an angry warning sound.
- Growl - a combination of a rumble and a purr, so a long, vibrating rumbling sound reminiscent of a growl. Annoyance. If accompanied by a low howl, anger.
- Purr - a sound made by vibrating the muscles of the excurrent respiratory tracts. Sounds like a low purr or light vibrating sound. Depends on context. If it accompanies a comfortable posture, it's a sign of enjoyment and pleasure. Otherwise, it indicates discomfort.
- Trills - a sound made by juveniles, usually when they need the attention of their mother. Trilling sounds made by whining and purring at the same time. Adults may do this, albeit at a lower pitch to seem "cute."
Howl-barks
- Warn-barking - low, single barks with pauses. A warning sound.
- Laughing - very short mid pitched barks, interspersed by a long, high-pitched howl-bark, all in rapid succession. Joy, elation.
- Baying - mid or high pitched long howl-barks. Alarm sound, warning people around oneself to watch out or flee.
- Whoop - short, rising, mid pitched howl-barks. Used to catch the attention of people around oneself, calling for assistance.
- Low howl - a long, low pitched howl. Anger, usually accompanied by a growl.
- High howl - a long, mid or high pitched howl. Excitement, exhilaration, pleasure.
History
Evolutionary predecessors
Urms are descended from hypercarnivorous tundra-dwelling nocturnal pack predators, possibly at the very top of the food chain in their niche. They were extremely eusocial and gregarious, and had already developed a complex system of vocalisations for intraspecific communication, which their modern descendants have retained. These ancestors were probably obligate carnivores, and completely unable to digest plant matter.
Before first contact
Before first contact (i.e. shortly before Kanno year 2302), urms had fairly modern technology, resembling Earth during its 1970s. They were recently entering a period of globalisation, caused by the development of cheaper and more efficient methods of long-distance sailing, and increasing pressure for many urms to leave their natal homes in search of better work opportunities. Some remained in the countryside, and lived their lives as herders and horticulturists.