Still digging through backlog art...

After runaway climate change left the dakaltre homeworld nearly unliveable, some of the people of Nirigda experimented with altering their own genetic makeup to better adapt to new environments. Most of the alterations are subtle or microscopic, like settlers of Rivek being able to taste hexaflouride in the air to avoid suffocating in low areas.

Two groups altered their form and genome rather extensively; the ozgin to colonize the seas of a water world, and the cidephi to live comfortably and permanently on space ships. Alarmed at the rampant experimental genetic manipulation, the dakaltre council put an interdict for 300 years on further alterations beyond those certified as safe and approved.



The cidephi are something of a subject of horror to the rest of the dakaltre, hardly recognizable as the same species at all. Genetic modification gave them hypermobile joints, an extremely flexible spine, shortened legs, no collar bone, extra tentacles and infrared pits, and a long tail capable of storing fat. The end result is a weasel-like conformation that can easily squirm through the narrow, maze-like innards of their claustrophobic city ships even without light.

While they can adapt to changes in atmospheric pressure fairly well if given an acclimation period, they suffocate when subjected to gravity.

Their bones are fairly sturdy if nowhere close to the strength of their planet-dwelling relatives, but the mutation that prevents their body from cannibalizing calcium from them makes it vital that they receive adequate nutrition.

The medus and tentacles are longer, thinner, and extend far down the spine and are important tactile sensors in the often dark bowels of their ships. The face has many extra heat-sensing pits that allow them to follow a trail of body heat or find leaks before they become truly dangerous.

The large tail keeps body fat out of the way so it doesn't impact maneuverability or put unwieldy pressure on the fragile internal organs, and the lack of collar bone means they can squeeze through almost any opening they can get their head through.

As the ihkhauptama are one of the only other people that live in space extensively, cidephi who don't fit the culture of their home ship, or who've committed crimes worthy of banishment are often dumped on their colonies. (While the offense may be serious, like murder, it must be admitted that being generally annoying is a banish-able offense too)

The ihk are officially very cross about this sort of thing at the government level, although most ihk find cidephi very cute and don't mind their presence in any personal sort of way.