If you've been watching me for a long time and have a good memory, I drew a few pictures a long time ago for an RP campaign with a couple of people I know (the last one being http://www.furaffinity.net/view/803435/ ). I've been planning a sequel for quite some time. It was originally going to be a proper sequel of sorts set some thousand-odd years into the future, but it eventually got turned into only a spiritual sequel in a completely original setting.

New characters, new races, new setting, new mechanics (but still based off of Fire Emblem), the only thing that really carries over is the person running it. The Star Insignia, as it is currently named, run between me and a handful of people - one at a time though. I plan to run it like Fire Emblem 7 in that you control a 'tactician' type character (a Comms Officer), except that you actually get speaking lines and interaction with the characters. This way you get to be a pivotal part of the story, while having a plausible excuse to have complete command over all the units and an omnipotent view of the battlefield.

But anyway, this reference sheet is for one of the races that will feature in the campaign, the Malgraan. They are the main race in the campaign, and they are quadrupedal. This decision has resulted in a lot of interesting consequences, but before I get into that let me say my piece on the art (if anyone is still reading this wall o' text).

There were a lot of things here that I haven't drawn before. Quadrupeds, digitigrade legs, and above all front views. How I hate front views, I have never yet drawn one that didn't look horrid. I went to absurd lengths here by - wait for it - modelling the head from one of the side views, in Blender using half-cylinders and then adjusting the vertices, taking a picture of the front of that model and then drawing over it. At least it will make doing the myriad face portraits for the characters easier.

Anyway. I will not deny that at least part of the inspiration here came from  not-fun's Inhuman races (particularly Myches in this case), as I agree with her totally on one point: Too many alien races in science fiction are the same. They're all bipedal humanoids who look a bit different but aren't really all that separated from people. So I made this race quadrupedal to start - and it went on from there.

For example, the loincloth detailed here. What need does a fur-covered quadrupedal race have of clothing? Not warmth, I'm sure, but only decency. They can't stand on one leg, so pants are out of the question. A simpler garment that can be worn without having to stand on a single leg would be needed - such as a loincloth. Being quadrupedal they would need to be decent from both in front and behind, so it has cloth both in front and behind. But, being a highly advanced race, it's not made from mere cloth scraps, but the same materials we might make clothes out of - polyesters, cotton, silk, denim, whatever.

This also has very deep-running effects on their society. Quadrupeds don't need chairs, cushions are more their preferred form of furniture. Instead of beds, larger cushions they can curl up on. Things like computers that need to be used with both hands would need the controls almost at ground level so that they can be used while sat down.

There are all sorts of other little decisions I made while creating them that have resulted in lots of interesting things. The Malgraan are herbivores, they do not, and moreover, cannot eat meat (animal byproducts such as eggs or honey are okay). They are small creatures and so have a slower metabolism than us, and only eat two meals a day.

The females also give birth to litters - between 1 and 4 babies, but usually 2 or 3. Just as siblings are considered 'closer' than half-siblings, litter-mates are considered 'closer' than siblings.

They can walk on three legs if necessary, and can stand but not move while on two legs. Most of their devices are one-handed because of this, or anything that is two-handed is made to be carried in one (or better yet carried on the back).

Lots of other fascinating things have arisen from various little design decisions while making them, and I look forward to exploring them more. All the more because they contrast a bit with the other races I have planned - but that's a story for another time.

While they are born with white fur, they dye it to their personal tastes - specialized dyes are added to a bath of water, so that the dye can soak into the roots to stop them showing up for a while. More imaginative (or eccentic) Malgraan may take the effort to dye themselves with multiple colours, and/or in patterns. These dyes are available in virtually any colour - and there are a few of them that like to leave their fur its natural white colour, too.

All in all, while drawing the artwork was a major pain in the ass, coming up with enough ideas to make this race unique was certainly fun, as was finding out what the results of those various decisions would be. There are two more races I have to do as and when I have the time, so keep an eye out (if there is anyone at all still reading, that is).

Also, I still hate drawing fabric. Just FYI.