Followers
Many have said (behind closed doors, of course) that Followers are the grease that keeps the wheels of Humanity's economic and military machine turning. Thanks to their humanoid appearance and exceptional intelligence, they have found a place close to humanity, as tech developers, programmers, engineers, and maintenance or household workers. Still, while favored with more privilege than other races, they tend to receive some of the worst abuse, thanks to their proximity to mankind. Despised by humans for their demonic appearance and highly socialized culture, and hated by their fellow aliens for their favor with Humanity, most Followers have no one but each other to turn to.
History
The Protectorate has done a very thorough job of eradicating any and all information relating to the history and culture of the Follower race prior to Human Incursion. That, combined with over 500 years of dilution, has effectively destroyed any memory of what the Followers were before they fell to Humanity. What is known is that they were the first alien race to be encountered by Humans, before the Protectorate even formally existed. Ever since, they have been picking up Humanity's slack, taking over more and more of technological development, to the point where the Protectorate is utterly dependent on them.
Biology
Followers are the most humanoid race to be encountered so far. At first glance, they appear similar to a smaller, more lightly built human, with red skin and a long, prehensile tail. Upon closer inspection, the differences are more noticeable: their limbs are longer, with slightly different bone and muscle structure, and their faces are significantly different. While it is generally accepted that humans evolved from a common ancestor with earth's great apes, Followers are similar, in that they are definitely primate analogs, but possessing more traits in common with a monkey than an ape. Their ancestors were nocturnal, arboreal creatures, originating from the jungle basins punctuating the deserts and arid plains of their home continent, and they still retain some evidence of their origin, such as large, light sensitive eyes, long fingers, sharp hearing, exceptional manual dexterity and agility, and of course the tail. At some point, they migrated to the plains in search of food, and have since evolved into the Follower we know today.
The modern Follower is a desert dwelling creature, with a low core temperature, powerful legs for running, and compact, efficient muscles and internal organs. They are bipedal, and walk and run upright like Humans, rarely if ever descending to four limbs. The Follower relies primarily on speed, reflexes, intellect and numbers to survive, being physically smaller and weaker than most of their competitors, including Humans, but faster and with more powerful senses (excluding the sense of smell, which is inferior to that found in Humans). Followers are believed to have been primarily crepuscular animals with a bimodal activity pattern, due to the twin suns and resulting high daytime temperatures of their homeworld. To this day, they are still most active around dawn and dusk, becoming noticeably sluggish during the noon hours.
A Follower has very powerful senses. Their eyes are larger than those of Humans, with excellent night vision, long-range vision, and motion tracking ability. A Follower can see the same color spectrum as a Human, as well as a little bit into the ultraviolet spectrum. Their ears are delicate and mobile, capable of tracking and hearing sounds with surprising accuracy, allowing them to pinpoint the source of a noise easily. Followers can hear and comprehend very rapidly, and are capable of detecting and deciphering conversations at long distances, even when spoken in quiet tones. The exception is the nose, which is not particularly sensitive. A Followerâs nose is slim, with vent nostrils on the sides that are protected by triangular, rear facing bits of cartilage which served to prevent dust and other air particulate from invading. This is useful in their original desert habitat, but inhibits their sensory ability. Followers also possess a sixth sense, in the form of a pair of electroneural "lines" along their flanks, stretching from the armpit to about halfway down the thigh. These lines allow them to sense the presence and approximate location of other organic beings within a radius of about 100 m, and are even capable of differentiating between individuals based on their unique electrical signature, provided the target is either in front of or behind them. People approaching from the side are much harder to sense, and while the Follower might detect that someone is there, they would be unable to pinpoint their position with any degree of accuracy.
Whether it is proper to refer to Followers as mammals is a subject of much debate among xenobiologists. They certainly possess the primary defining features of a terrestrial mammal, having soft skin, hair, mammary glands, a neocortex analog in their brains, and three inner ear bones, as well as giving birth to live young. However, they are also extraterrestrial, and many scientists consider their mammalian features to be analogs rather than purely mammalian. In any event, they function and behave with sufficient similarity that the difference is mostly academic. Their physical resemblance to humans is also a subject of contention, with theories ranging from the theological, to wild ideas of a common ancestor introduced by an ancient spacefaring race. The most common, and probably the most likely explanation is the simplest, that due to their home continent's similarity to Africa, where Humans first evolved, it is a matter of convergent evolution, and that particular type of bipedal form is simply the most efficient for that environment.
Followers have several fundamental internal differences from Humans and other humaniods which bear mention. Their digestive system is highly efficient, capable of extracting the maximum amount of nutrition from swallowed food. In addition to the standard stomach and intestinal system, Followers possess a gizzard in the lower section of the neck and upper chest which grinds and pre-digests food, to compensate for their lack of grinding molars. The gizzard can also be used to store food or liquid, allowing them to compensate for scarcity by consuming and retaining large amounts of food or water when it is available. Followers also have a pair of long, hollow fangs which are stored in the upper section of the jaw, and can be extended when biting. Followers are venomous, but their venom is mild, acting as a narcotic and muscle relaxant rather than a deadly poison. Follower venom produces a pleasant, relaxing and soporific effect, intended to eliminate resistance and reduce struggling in prey. These attributes have led to its use as a street drug. They also have a very complex voice box, housed in their longer necks, which allows them to produce a wide range of sounds and inflections outside of the Human range, and makes them excellent at mimicry.
The Follower species is divided into three racial subgroups;
Solids, also called Serev. Serev Followers are characterized by their lack of skin patterns. They are typically a medium-dark red, with no discernable patterning or variation in their skin. Serev tend to be taller and slimmer than other Followers, with a willowy, slender build even by Follower standards. They have longer, more mobile ears and larger, straighter noses, their jaws tend to be more angular and their bone structure more harsh and defined. Their eyes are smaller than other races, and their tails longer, but thinner. Hair colors are usually dark, with blacks and browns being prevalent. Eyes are usually softer colors, with dark greens and browns being prevalent. Serev are fairly common, and despite being less numerous than Kess, are the best known and perhaps the stereotypical Follower to other species. Serev are considered by many to be the classic standard for Follower beauty, particularly in females, and are stereotypically more cultured and refined. They are often seen as aloof and condescending by other Follower races, and it is believed that they were the dominant race on their homeworld prior to Human Incursion.
Stripy, also called Kess or Tigers. Kess Followers are recognizable by their light red skin and darker horizontal stripes, which typically originate from the sides and fade out to a point near the middle of the front or back. Stripys are the most varied of Followers, both visually and genetically, and several regional varieties exist, differentiated by size, hue, contrast and cohesiveness of stripes. Two Kess Followers might have radically different skin patterns, with one having very light skin with crisp, dark red stripes, and another having darker skin with more faded, irregular stripes. Kess are typically shorter and stockier than Serev, with shorter ears, necks and tails, rounded faces, and more physical strength. Their eyes are larger and more vibrantly colored, with purples and yellows being fairly common. Their noses are frequently turned up and smaller than those of Serev. Kess males are known for being very strong by Follower standards, with broad shoulders and large hands, while females are curvy, with larger breasts and thicker frames than Serev or Laiters. Of all Followers, Kess are the most likely to be plump; they have somewhat slower metabolisms than the others, and tend to store more energy as fat. They are believed to have originated in northern climates, where this would be an advantage, and unlike Serev, who generally distain any amount of excess bodyweight, seem to view some degree of plumpness as attractive, and indicative of a healthy lifestyle. Kess are hardier than other Follower races, and can stand colder temperatures, though they still vastly prefer warm climates. Kess are often looked down on, most frequently by Serev, as being lazy, stupid, rude, uncultured and less than fastidious about their appearance. They consider themselves to be easygoing and are often the friendliest of Followers, and the most accepting of outsiders.
Spotteds, usually called Laiters or occasionally Freckleds. Spotted Followers are the rarest breed of Follower, and were believed to be so even before Human Incursion. Laiters are typically of middling height and build, in between the tall, skinny Serev and the small, rounded Kess. They have longer legs, wider hips, thicker tails and more lower body strength than other races, making them very swift and agile runners or climbers, and are generally much more acrobatic than most Followers. Spotted Followers are instantly recognizable by their skin pattern, which starts off a richer red along the sides, then fades as it approaches the centerline, accompanied by irregular, dark red spots. They are notorious for being very high energy, hyperactive creatures, and are usually very inquisitive and curious, even by Follower standards. They frequently have difficulty sitting still, and tend to be very bouncy, upbeat and excitable. Laiters hate the cold even more than other Followers, but are much more comfortable with rain or dampness. It is believed that they are the closest, evolutionarily, to their original ancestor, and have many more of those original nocturnal, arboreal characteristics than the other races. They have large eyes, very mobile ears, and are very agile and dexterous climbers. They dislike bright lights and loud noises, and are more soft-spoken than other Followers. Laiters seem to possess a decent reputation with both Serev and Kess, and donât seem particularly involved in the ancient rivalry between those two, though they are typically closer to the Serev.
Followers originated on a continent on their homeworld which was very arid and dry. They are most at home in deserts, grasslands or savannas, preferring open spaces and a hot, dry climate. They hate the cold, and are extremely uncomfortable in wet or humid environments, especially wetlands and swamps. Left to their own devices, they will generally migrate to the saharan region of a planet, avoiding polar, continental or tropical zones, and will avoid high altitudes or river deltas. Followers are not as hardy as Humans and some other species, and lack Humanityâs ability to adapt to a wide variety of climates. They have a lower core temperature than Humans, and will not survive in the cold as well, being more susceptible to hypothermia. Forced to inhabit a cold or wet area, Followers will often become irritable and depressed, particularly in reaction to cold. Precipitation, especially rain, is highly annoying to them, and they have an intense aversion to it, preferring to seek shelter rather than expose themselves to it, even in protective gear. Followers have less body fat than Humans, and are far less buoyant. Their nasal structure, while excellent at protecting their sinuses from dust or sand, does not offer protection from water in the way Human noses do, and this, combined with long, slender limbs and a long digit-to-palm ratio makes them exceedingly poor swimmers. Unsurprisingly, they hate water and panic when submerged even partially, which only exacerbates the problem. Followers avoid large bodies of water like the plague, and are especially suspicious of swamps and bogs. While they are capable of overcoming this fear in the name of expansion and exploration, they still dislike sea travel and regard sailors as somewhere between incredibly brave, and entirely crazy.
Diet
Followers are notorious for their voracious appetites. They are technically omnivores, but their practical and prefered diet is mostly carnivorous. Followers have evolved specifically to consume large quantities of meat, and will typically consume vegetables or grains as a primary source of nutrition only as a last resort. Their teeth are mostly shearing teeth, designed for cutting and ripping, and they lack grinding molars, this function being performed by the gizzard. They prefer tender and soft meat, such as poultry, or very rare red meat, and generally cook for disinfection and sanitation purposes rather than flavor. Followers prefer savory and salty tastes rather than sweet, and especially enjoy greasy and spicy food. They tend to avoid foods that are chewy or hard, but like those with a slightly crunchy exterior and tender inside, such as deep-fried chicken.
Followers have evolved the capability to digest and absorb nutrients from the blood of their prey. This adaptation allows them to extract the maximum amount of nutrition from prey, as well as acquiring hydration from it, both vital abilities for a creature that lives in deserts. However, they neither require blood to live, nor are they capable of surviving on blood alone, and so, despite their reputation among Humans, are not true sanguivores.
Followers have a very high metabolism, and need to consume significant quantities of food daily, with 1/3 of their body weight serving as a rough minimum. Having evolved in an environment where food is relatively scarce, they have developed the habit of eating as much as possible whenever food is available. In a modern context, they tend to eat two very large meals a day, and snack regularly in between them. Follower skin and organs are fairly elastic compared to humans', allowing them to store large amounts of food in their stomachs in case of scarcity. They enjoy gorging themselves in this manner, but practical and economic concerns generally prevent them from fully satisfying themselves. After eating a large meal of this sort, they become lethargic and sleepy, and a meal is typically followed by a long nap.
Psychology
A predominant feature of Followers is their remarkable intelligence. While it would never be openly admitted, they are smarter than Humans, particularly in technical and scientific matters. The most likely explanation for this is their ability to maintain multiple trains of thought simultaneously. A human can think of only one thing at a given instance in time, but a Follower can think of multiple things at once. This concept is difficult for Humans to grasp, but is observable merely from watching a group of Followers engaging in conversation: upon first listening, it sounds like schizophrenic gibberish, but closer observation will reveal that they are actually having multiple conversations at once, and simply jumping from one to the other as their brains move faster than their mouths. While it is easy to confuse, this is not multitasking, which Humans are more than capable of doing. When a Human multitasks, they are thinking of one thing at a time, and simply keeping the others stored in their memory until they need to switch to them. A Follower does not need to do this, they can keep multiple (usually 2 to 4, depending on the individual's intellect) tasks in the front of their mind at the same time.
Culture
Follower instinct and society emphasizes the communal, and their choice of living space reflects this. Followers live at very close quarters, preferring densely packed buildings, or large, multi-unit dwellings. While Humans or other more solitary species might find this claustrophobic or stifling, Followers derive comfort from it, and will seek out neighborhoods or apartment buildings which maximize closeness and communal spaces. With their penchant for rapid breeding, they will very quickly dominate an area and drive out other species if left unchecked, and once in control of an area, will build on top of or around existing structures to provide additional closeness and protection from the elements. Followers have been known to inhabit abandoned shopping malls or warehouses, and convert them into living spaces, and on frontier worlds where the Protectorateâs control is weaker and Humanity has less authority, they will expand on these structures, swallowing the area around them until contained. Once they run out of room to expand, they will begin to build upward, creating massive, ramshackle, hivelike cities which can overshadow even the tallest freestanding skyscrapers, or burrow underground, digging intricate networks of tunnels and subterranean living quarters. These âFollower Hivesâ are considered a nuisance by other species, and are particularly offensive to Humans, who will attempt to stamp them out whenever possible, sometimes even resorting to burning or blowing up Follower structures which get out of control, frequently without bothering to evict the inhabitants first. While cruel, their concern is justified to some degree, as unchecked Follower Hives have frequently swallowed up entire cities.
Follower are well known for their extremely social behavior. They form large extended family/friend groups called "Colonies", which are very close-knit and are very important to Followers. A Follower's Colony is a large part of his or her identity, and more important to them than their own lives. Followers seem to have a hierarchy of loyalties in life which looks something like this; 1) Colony, 2) Nation, 3) Self and 4) Species. They are fiercely loyal to their Colonies, and most will defend them to the death, or sacrifice themselves without a second thought. In a series of Protectorate-funded experiments to test Follower social loyalty, when a Colony was isolated and put in a situation where there were not enough resources to sustain all it's members, the weakest members of the Colony routinely committed suicide in order to conserve resources for the rest. While this might seem crazy to Humans, it is perfectly natural and expected within Follower society. Colony mates form bonds which last a lifetime, even if an individual leaves the Colony, they will always be welcome back, and Colonies will offer any aid they can to former members in a heartbeat. Follower Colonies are often very ancient, some of them even dating back to before Human Incursion, and have long-standing traditions and rivalries that the Protectorate has not managed to eradicate (though not for lack of trying). Followers will leave their Colonies if they form a romantic relationship with a member of another Colony, or join a group intent on founding a new Colony. Colonies are typically geographically bound, and will form offshoots and sub-Colonies in order to expand into new territories. As a result, Colonial Lineages can become very complicated, and young Followers from traditional or "cultured" Colonies are expected to learn them by heart. Colonial Heritage is more important than biological family (since offspring are frequently born outside of formal relationships), and while Followers have a working knowledge of their biological heritage in order to avoid incest, they are more likely to associate with the history of their Colony than their individual parents.
Food figures very prominently in Follower society. Followers eat together, share food, or gift food as a basic means of social exchange. It is considered incredibly rude not to offer food to your guests, and incredibly rude of them not to partake of it. Individuals who have a conflict within a social group are often made to share a large meal, which usually results in the resolution of the conflict. Colonies hold food in common, and distribute it freely according to need. There is not generally any sort of rationing process, as Followers naturally avoid taking more than their fair share out of loyalty to their Colony. Followers traditionally have great respect for farmers, butchers and bakers, as providers of food, while they disdain merchants and large food companies as a necessary, though distasteful, evil.
Family & Breeding
Followers do not form nuclear families in the Human sense of the word. Rather, they use the Colony structure discussed above, both for living arrangements and childrearing. A Colonyâs children are raised in common, rather than exclusively by their parents. This is one potential explanation for their prolific and successful breeding, as having the resources of the entire Colony at their disposal makes it easier to support multiple young on a smaller budget. Young Followers are born live, but helpless, like Human infants, and require a great deal of attention from their minders. However, they mature much faster than Humans, reaching physical and reproductive maturity at the age of 13 (in Earth Standard Years). This, coupled with their shorter lifespan (rarely exceeding 70ESY) results in Colonies being very dynamic, yet still very closely knit. Followers would understand the Human phrase âIt takes a village to raise a childâ far better than Humans themselves.
Since their prehistoric origins, Female Followers have been the primary hunters and food gatherers. While males are physically stronger, the female is typically taller and faster, standing at roughly 5â5â to the maleâs average of 5â1â. As a result, the Colony with the most females tended to be the most successful, and Followers have since evolved to produce a higher female population, with approximately 3 out of 4 children being born female. A female Follower has a breeding cycle that lasts for approximately one third of their homeworldâs lunar cycle (their month being about three Earth weeks long), during which she is fertile and capable of producing and rearing offspring. Historically, females have rotated based on this cycle, with those currently in heat remaining behind with the males to look after the Colonyâs young, while the other two thirds went hunting or gathering. This has seen a resurgence following their subjugation by Humanity, with those who had once been hunters now acting as workers. Because of this, any given child will spend only about a third of their childhood being raised with their biological mother, and most will consider every female in the Colony their mother to a degree.
Unlike Humans, who almost universally associate physical and romantic attraction, Followers are notable for their separation of the two. Followers see sex and love as two very distinct attractions, and act on them separately. Love is very important to Followers, and they are deeply sensitive and emotional creatures, forming very strong bonds with both their Colony and romantic partners. Follower romantic relationships are seen as very special, sacred bonds, and are not entered into lightly. Followers are monogamous in their romantic relationships, and mate for life. Divorces are very rare, but are not stigmatized: a romantic relationship which is devoid of love is abhorrent to them, and best dissolved as soon as possible, with as little hostility as possible. Romantic relationships are often accompanied by an elaborate and extended courtship phase, with prospective partners eager to ensure that they are compatible before making any sort of formal commitment. While male/female romantic partners frequently breed with each other, they do not develop a nuclear family in the Human sense, and breeding or even sex is not considered necessary for a romantic commitment. Followers are usually romantically attracted to only one sex or gender, with biromanticism being quite rare.
It is difficult for Humans to comprehend the extent of Follower separation of sex and love, and this generally results in derision and stigmatization. While a Follower would consider having casual sex with a friend or acquaintance while in a committed romantic relationship perfectly natural, Humans would consider the same behavior cheating, an outlook which Followers find bizarre. As a result, Humans consider Followers to be amoral, uncivilized and "slutty", while Followers see Humans as uptight prudes who are afraid of sex and overburdened with boundaries and social conventions which make no sense to them. While Humans typically dismiss this separation as an excuse for loose behavior, it is a very real and observable behavior trait. Followers who are romantically attracted to the same sex will frequently mate with the opposite, and vice versa. By the same token, some romantic couples may never have physical relations, as they simply do not find each other sexually attractive. Since it tends to draw criticism and hatred from other species, particularly Humans, Followers are rarely open about sexual matters with other species, and tend to be very private about it in the presence of non-Followers, even though they are very casual and open with each other about such things.
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