oncara

ONCARA

A lithe race of feline treedwellers.

BIOLOGY -

Like most species in the galaxy, the Oncara are carbon and water-based, though they are adapted to living in a denser atmosphere than most species.

The Oncara body is made up of lean, taut muscle with very few fat deposits. It is coated with a very thin, fine layer of fur that varies in color, though pale pinks and violets are the most common. Oncara are capable of tightly coiling their thick legs muscles and making incredible leaps straight up into the air. The feet are flat and thickly padded, helping their stability for their relatively recent bipedal development and for leverage against rough tree bark. Their arms, though weaker, still are capable of impressive dexterity, and their fingers are tipped with retractable claws. Perhaps most useful for climbing are their three-pronged tails, fully prehensile and strong enough to support the entire weight of the body, if only for a few minutes, though it lacks the dexterity for proper tool use.

The first thing noticed about their facial structure are their massive eyes. Being canopy and understory hunters in an incredibly dense rainforest, low-light vision was, and still is, a necessity. Their slitted pupils allow for almost perfect vision in a variety of different light levels, though they struggle with bright lights. Their ears are tall and remarkably precise, able to swivel in a number of different directions to distinguish sounds against the din of the rainforest. A slit, flat nose filters out thick humidity and leads down to a pair of robust lungs.

Perhaps most interesting is the mane of fleshy tendrils that drape drown around their face. Each independent and partially prehensile, they are largely used for communication, and serve as the primary way for Oncara to express emotion. It is theorized that, much like speech in humans, it was this adaptation from what was once that allowed for the rapid increase in Oncaran brain growth. Their tendril gesturing is incredibly intricate and subtle, and because they rely so heavily on it, it has lead to their speech sounding flat and emotionless. There's a lot lost in communication with other races.

The rapid growth of the Oncaran brain lead to a shrinking of the mouth. Once possessing large, powerful killing jaws, it has since atrophied to make room for more important brain functions, with tool and weapon use taking over the need to physically use their bodies to hunt. As their teeth are still disproportionately large, dental surgery is common.

SOCIETY-
-Matriarchal. Males aren't formally oppressed, but are under-represented in many areas, and almost completely absent from higher government. Matrilineal.

-Polyamory is common. Formal marriage is a rarity and seen by many as an antiquity to days where tribes had to make peace with each other by intermarrying. With a mostly unified society, there is largely an atmosphere of "free love". Children often grow up with many parents, aunts, and uncles, all of which take part in the child-rearing.

-Scientific development, particularly space-related, has been slow, with interstellar travel being a very recent development. Biology and chemistry are greatly favored over astronomy, and there is a considerable movement that actively opposes branching out to other planets. At the most altruistic, they claim it is out of a fear of giving into brutal colonialism, but there is a very vocal sect that claims that since they've adapted to their own planet and things are "perfect" there, there is no need to waste time and resources trying to leave it. Radical groups have spawned from this mindset, and the government tends to turn a blind eye to their attacks on astrological scientists.