Peacekeepers of the Vast/Faliwryd

Faliwryd are species in the Vast Galaxy and members in some capacity of the Interstellar League

Physiology

Faliwryds are a monopedal species who measure in lengths of nearly two meters. Along with their singular leg, Faliwryds have a pair of flowing, rounded wings starting an eighth of the way down their bodies and ending a quarter of the way up. Faliwryds are coated in thin silica flakes or scales which allow them to breathe the fluorine of their atmosphere through a chemical reaction. Due to a period of significant eugenics during the Faliwryd's evolution, they have only minimal genetic differentiation. Their home planet has a very low density and gravity, and their chief mode of movement involves springing off of their leg and gliding for great lengths of time, conserving energy. Faliwryds have sets of two, three, or sometimes four prehensile digits reaching a meter in lenght at the uppermost union of the wing to the torso, which they use to manipulate items and gesture various signals. A small orifice just above the upper juncture point is where hydrogen-based food is ingested, but the biology of Faliwryds is such that they produce minimal waste, and the carbon and silicone their metabolic process creates is used in reaction with the silicates on their skin to permit them to breathe. Additionally, Faliwryds don't need to eat, as their metabolism functions on consuming hydrogen, which they can simply breathe in near any of the flora of their homeworld. Faliwryds have a set of ocular organs on the dorsal and ventral sides of their bodies, but their eyesight is quick and trained for movement but works very poorly in anything but heavily yellow light. As such, Faliwryds were dependant on the development of sophisticated augmentations before they could become a spacefaring species. Faliwryd physiology is fundamentally incompatible with human physiology, as well as the physiology of many of the ISL species, as oxygen-breathing species emit literal acid to them in perspiration and respiration, limiting significantly the number of Faliwryd that serve on other species' vessels, though some humans choose to serve on Faliwryd ships in specialized winged vac suits. Most other ISL species think that humans are batshit crazy for doing so.

Culture

Faliwryd culture stems from the slow chemical reactions which dominated their evolutionary path. They are hyper-conscious of the amount of energy they expend, as recovery from over-expenditure or exhaustion takes significantly longer than many other species, leaving them vulnerable. From an evolutionary standpoint, they prioritized, therefore, the careful expenditure of energy. As such, many other cultures see Faliwryds as slow-moving, slow-thinking, or, pejoratively, lazy. Additionally, Faliwryd can only make a set of rudimentary audible noises, so Faliwryd language relies on manipulating the light of their scales to create a brilliant semaphore language, which is complex and heavily contextual. As Faliwryds are hesitant to expend energy, and their language requires full-body movement, simple, short movements can carry a variety of meanings and ideas over long distances, but Falihelo is nearly impossible for non-Faliwryd to learn. A lack of early telecommunication significantly slowed their early industrial revolutions, allowing them to perfect other fields of research, specifically agriculture, genetics, and holography. This delay forced them to limit the exploration of their homeworld until much later. Faliwryd art is very visual, with a heavy reliance on light and shadow, and themes of desperate exploration are common among Faliwryd paintings, plays, and movies. Faliwryd clothing is centered around the utilitarian need to transmit light, so reflective materials that can be scaled and controlled are as essential as thread. They absolutely love sequins.

Other Notes

Faliwryd are stereotyped either as cloud-drifting, free-floating, lazy poison-breathers who take relative ages to get anything done, or a cautious species who act with deliberate purpose and intense conviction (it costs more energy to be wishy-washy) after careful consideration.