History

The Lynir are an ancient race far ahead of the humans. They managed to rid their society of violence, power struggles etc. They lived in a kind of utopia: the majority of the population were scientist, they were happy and there was enough of everything. Their factories and automatisation made sure that it was possible for the Lynir to study what they liked most without having to work for survival. They lived in a democracy, but there was not much to vote about. So when a problem arrived they called a planet wide voting after a (limited) period of discussion. This society worked quite well for some time until they got attacked by the Ch'thda. First they didn't react with big force because they didn't knew the concept of weapons anymore. For the Lynir going to battle themselves was unthinkable. After a voting the solution was to create something to fight for them, and use all techological knowledge to fix the problem. Since the Lynir were most gifted with Bio-technology they decided to put most resources in trying to re-engineer the Ch'thda captured to follow their lead and make them a more peaceful species. In a later stage they also started improving the weapons on the Ch'thda making them even more fearsome. But an unforseen problem arised; the Lynir control over the Ch'thda was very limited and started to weaken. As soon as the Ch'thda were set free again they went beserk, they were disconnected from the orignal Ch'thda but linked with other altered versions creating a second enhanced Ch'thda. Soon the Lynir found themselves caught between two factions of Ch'thda fighting over the planet. Both attacking eachother as often as the Lynir. This caused the extinction of the the Lynir.

Genjix: Look, I just don't find this realistic. Unless they have a small population there will always be infighting between themselves where core-interest among themselves and their immediate group is concerned. If they have colony style ant behaviour, then their personalities would be flat and lacking (no concern for their own well being). I think it would be much better to say the Lynir had an extremely dynamic cultured world, which was __tolerant__, but also so advanced that they were not very physically capable anymore (coach potatoes ;) ). In all honesty that could make a lot more interesting sub-plots into the history of the Lynir and how they maybe rose to their greatness through blood, sweat and spit. Just a small idea, but maybe the chtda could have existed for quite a few centuries on their homeplanet, with the Lynir having a constant war of attrition. Then when they started to experiment with bio engineered cyborg style chtda things could've gone wrong- they could've been releasing them not expecting them to breed or think. Then when the original chtda start running out, their start turning on Lynir to feed their agressiveness.

Anatomy

Often I think of this species as humanoid, but more agile and flexible. They are slightly taller and can move faster than humans. They don't have much strength though, since they never have to lift large loads or work. The only strength they get is from sports. They were smart enough to understand the concept of a healthy mind in a healthy body.

Ashims uploaded some concept art:

Lynir Design/Style

Lynir don't know shortness of supplies and power anymore. When they build a building it becomes a piece of art, not just a building. They have the time and resources to make beautiful building in the styles they like. Fashion changes slightly but all their cities tend to be very pretty. An average Lynir city would even outshine Earth cities like Rome, Paris, Londen, Prague, Istanbul etc. Because it's like a collection of all the fine works found in those cities. For practicle stuff it's very different. The researchers just build things to work and test. Labs are usually very plain and functional the tools without anything special. This contrast may look strange, but they are smart and don't want their science be hindered by small things like appearance.

Social and technological aspects

As said before the Lynir are far ahead of the humans. They are very social creatures, although in the war they became bittered by their defeat. Before the war Lynir never hurt eachother. There was no real hate in the Lynir world, there were no fights. Everything was just stable. A self-regulating society that didn't have the need for a real government.

On technological level the Lynir were just like the humans intrigued in life and the inner working of it. Their health care system was perfect. Lynir only died of natural causes or accident, there were practicly no diseases left. Also they studied every aspect of nature and engineering/physics. Did didn't have economics though, because there was no economy on the planet and the Lynir didn't see a point in trade. They just gave away what they didn't need and took what they needed mostly. There was enough of everything so no-one had to steal for it.

Relation with specific other Races

• Ch'thda - The Ch'thda invaded the Lynir's home planet and all the time they were together on the planet it was war. The Lynir obviously think of the Ch'thda of something evil and bad. A space virus, wich you could say they are.

Hakim: I tried to make a start with what Jorrit gave me for new input. I hope this is closer to what he imagines. Feel free to comment/change etc. I left he old concept below, maybe we can still do something with it.

Lynir (Older concept)

Here's a strawman attempt at fleshing out the Lynir (--evought) to start some more discussion. I have some sketches, but at present have no way to get them online. These actually started with some discussions a long time ago with a friend of mine and were fleshed out from there.

History

The Lynir are a race of savannah predators from a world with somewhat higher gravity than Earth (1.2 - 1.3 gs). They are therefore a bit stockier and more solid in construction than most Earth critters. They started out as a six legged cross between a lizard and a great cat with a set of four small manipulating arms between the first and second pair of legs. The manipulators were used to carry young around the plains (protected from aerial predators) and sometimes food. Over time, they began to carry tools and walk more upright, with their back four legs on the ground. Their two fore legs are strong with claws and are used for defense or tasks requireing a good deal of force, but the manipulating arms are necessary for delicate work and most tool use. Note: that the Lynir are better evolved than the humans, they are an old race. Maybe one of the first and have great intelligence. Their major flaw is in the social aspect. They tend to be like nazi-Germany, they think their species superior over every other species and act that way. -Hakim

Jorrit: I don't like the idea of making the original aliens this savage and I also don't like the idea that they are thinking themselves as superior. Personally I would rather have the original aliens to be a magnificent (but now exinct) race. Is there any need to make them this 'cruel'?

Jorrit: the Lynir are a very pieceful race so they didn't have a very well protected planet and basically neglected much work in defense and so on. But they are very clever and after 10 years of being attacted by the Ch'thda they managed to build some powerful weapons. So the 80 surviving Lynir may be instrumental into finishing the game. Also many of their weapons made it into the engineered Ch'thda.

Anatomy

The Lynir have two hearts and three lungs (2 up 1 down) to deal with the additional stress of transporting oxygen under higher gravity. Their brains are located between the shoulder-blades of their fore-legs with a smaller processing center (mostly visual cortex) in the head itself.

Lynir, having their private parts hidden under their bodies, would not need clothing for modesty, but would typically use harnesses or packs for tools and possessions. <Do they have feathers, skin, fur, scales, something else? --evought>

Heavy tools might look quite unusual. It would make sense, for instance, for a weapon to be supported by the forepaws and actually fired using the manipulating arms. Craft controls might follow a similar pattern, with a steering yoke at chest height and more delicate controls underneath it. A craft's seat would of course look more like a hump a Lynir could straddle and strap to.

Lynir design / style

This has a couple implications for Lynir habitat construction. There will be no chairs or couches, but there may be low risers (kneelers essentially) in front of work areas and low cushions for lounging on in living areas. Doorways and corridors would be roughly normal human sized. Crawlspaces which would require humans to crouch present little problem to the Lynir since they could go on all sixes and still carry tools. Catwalks would not make Lynir nervous (being very stable), but narrow ledges would not be passable since they cannot walk sideways on them or turn around. Lynir are not climbers and would not use a zip-line or overhead rungs. Ladders would not be workable at all, but a slightly stagger-runged variation could work.

Workstations would look a bit odd since the controls would be lower than would be comfortable or humans but the displays would be normal height. Lynir equivalent of keyboards or control-panels would have two sets of keys, one panel above another to make it easily accessible to their four manipulators. Manhole covers and other panels would be set in the floor or angled into the wall so that their manipulators can work the controls or unlock the access while their strong forearms actually lift and move.

Getting underneath a vehicle or piece of equipment (flipping onto one's back and sliding) would be most unnatural for a sextaped-centaur-creature, so repair facilities would have things higher off the ground than normal.

Social and technological aspects

As noted in the background, the Lynir are good bio-engineers and geneticists. They think nothing of meddling with inferior creatures and in fact find other beings tiresome if they are not kept under control and made useful. They have created several client-races by dumbing down independent thought and using nanotech and biofacture to increase their work-ability. They also make common use of biological robots ("biots") which have limited repair and replication ability but are mostly disposable. A particularly nasty outgrowth of this was the use of specialized biots (and occasionally client races) for gladiatorial entertainment.

Jorrit: Again the negative conotations here. I would avoid them. They are perhaps good bio-engineers and geneticists but I don't think we have to combine that with 'meddling with inferior creatures'.

Relation with specific other aliens

• The Ch'thda were the inferior species on the planet, they were the workers of the Lynir. They are semi-intelligent, they can use tools and weapons but not design them themselves. They were poorly treated by the Lynir and that cause a riot, ending in the destruction of the Lynir empire, because there were MUCH more Ch'thda than Lynir (like 50 - 1 odds) and they used the Lynirmade weapons against the creators.

Jorrit: No, this is not how I envisioned it. The Ch'thda are invaders from another planet. They do not originate from this planet at all. This is also why there are so brutal and why local life has not really adapted to them and can't cope very well.

back to Creature list

back to AI