Onqa

[Xah]

Introduction

The Onqa are an I2 level client hailing from the arid world of Nidi. Until the arrival of the Nexus, the Onqa were largely illiterate but had a strong oral tradition and, as such, remain largely ignorant of their own history. Mentor-Client archaeological expeditions have revealed a little of their past, but the nature of their world limits further investigations. Speculation is that the Onqa are the genetically engineered remnants of an older, far more advanced civilisation that, for one reason or another, no longer exists.

Physiology

Onqa are a terrestrial species with four limbs and bilateral symmetry that stand, on average, 2 meters high, although this varies considerably. The torso is short and thin and contains the major organs, including a single lung, digestive and reproductive organs and the main brain. Two limbs branch from the bottom of the torso and form long legs with two joints about equal distance apart that articulate in opposite directions and end in a broad, circular foot. The two other limbs branch from the top of the torso to make arms of equal length and articulation to the legs, but end in a hand of four opposable digits. A flat, circular head extends on a flexible neck from the centre of the torso and holds the main sensory organs, including four small eyes, evenly spaced on the 'front' of the head, surrounding pits containing olfactory and aural receptors, and a number of tendrils, typically between four and six, that contain heat detecting receptors, around the fringe. Two sets of lips on the 'neck' open into mouths containing grinding style teeth as an entrance for food into the digestive system. A number of other holes on the neck allow for the exchange of air with the lungs. The skin is tough but flexible and water impermeable, with a leather-like texture and no hair or fur.

Onqa have a varied skin colour, with most colours of the visual spectrum exhibited, including patterns, and indicate the genetic disposition of the individual. Onqa appear to have knowledge of certain techniques and abilities 'hard coded' into their genes. The current hypothesis is that this was undertaken many eons ago to preserve the retention of knowledge amongst the Onqa, although the exact nature of this coding remains unknown. Skill sets are generally broad, but each individual will find their own speciality as being something they are naturally gifted at. Example skill sets are Crafters, Herders, Leaders, Healers, etc, with a skill set designed to contribute to the success of an Onqa tribe. Such skills are not directly inherited, and appear to occur in response to environmental or social influences; tribes facing certain challenges will find their new-borns more likely to have the required skills for the situation.

Distribution

As a largely nomadic species, Onqa are found everywhere on their world following the seasons, which are quite extreme. The lack of large bodies of water, and the large variation between summer and winter, causes the Onqa to move from northern latitudes to southern latitudes on a regular basis. Nidi is also quite level, with no large scale mountain ranges and minimal tectonic activity. Onqa tend to stay away from the highest altitudes, mainly due to a difficulty in moving over such terrain.

Diet

Onqa are opportunistic omnivores, eating a wide range of biological materials based on availability at the time, with little regard for its source. Most foods are prepared or cooked before consumption, and there is some regional variation in preferred styles. Pastoral farming is common, but arable farming is almost unknown, save the cultivation of some specific plant species in caves and other protected biomes.

Movement

Onqa are capable runners, with an efficient gait that can be kept up for several hours. They also use riding beasts and have begun to create moving machines, powered by a combination of solar, wind and steam.

Communication

A number of languages exists within the Onqa, although they all share a root and, whilst not mutually intelligible, have enough similarities that learning another is not particularly difficult and translation easily accomplished. It is spoken with a combination of sounds expelled from the lungs and a clicking organ within the head that, it is speculated, may have been for echolocation in the past.

Life Stages

The Onqa have four sexes, although only three are directly involved in reproduction. External indicators of sex are minimal, and Onqa display no sexual dimorphism; the genetic disposition of the individual being more apparent. Reproduction is a tribal affair, with responsibility for raising the young distributed throughout the group.

Reproduction begins with the first sex forming a soft-shelled egg, about 5 centimetres across. These eggs are formed no earlier than every six months, although it may be longer if the individual is subject to unfavourable environmental conditions. This egg is passed, using an ovipositor, into a cavity inside the second sex, where it is fertilised the first time and held for about 8 weeks where it grows to around 30 centimetres across, before being passed using an ovipositor to the third sex. The third sex adds its own contribution of genetic material and retains the egg for a further 16 weeks, where the shell is dissolved and the growing fetus held in a membranous sac. Once the fetus has reached the correct size, the shell reforms and it is laid. An unborn Onqa can remain inside this egg for an undetermined time until conditions outside are favourable, when it then hatches. Typically this time is around 2 to 3 weeks, although cases of almost a year have been reported; anything longer than that is because the young Onqa is usually unviable. Learning language skills begins within the third sex gestation, and Onqa are born able to walk and talk, although still emotionally immature. Due to the genetic nature of their skills, new born Onqa are identified at birth and display instinctive abilities within a few days. Onqa grow to full size in about ten years when they become sexually active and typically live for around eighty years, although this varies based on environment and exposure to detrimental hazards.

The fourth sex is infertile and appears to be a consequence of the way genes and gametes are formed. This fourth sex however, has a much greater life expectancy, with some living up to three hundred years old. Distribution of the sexes is largely equal, and appears to have some unknown selection process like the genetic skill set selection.