laurelaicoop

[laurelaicoop]

saw something about hybrids? 👀 what's that about?

Parsi humans are the only species that seem to have any ability to hybridize with other species, but it's such a statistical miracle that a hybrid fetus would make it to term without self-aborting due to incompatible genetic features. More often then not the human egg just self-destructs on its own before any sort of fetal development begins in the first place. Needless to say, hybrids are extremely rare (think like a 1 in 10,000,000 chance of being viable), and each one has very unique medical issues that make finding specialized care very difficult even with Persis' incredibly robust healthcare system. No two hybrids are the same even if they share the same parent species combination.

I'll take the time to get into the medical disaster that is Von at a later date, because that dude's a mess.

#coop text #speculative biology #parsi humans take preventative measures for alien sex very seriously but that also makes hybrids even rarer

[laurelaicoop]

Anonymous asked: can we see some stuff about the planets you've introduced so far?

While I do have maps for the Maran homeworld and the Mahl twin planets, I'll just do Frontier for now since it's the most relevant due to it being the setting for Threshold People.

Frontier has a supercontinent with only two distinct countries, Frontier and Aodilea. Aodilea is purely Audi country, and due to the exceptionally small population they only inhabit the east and west coasts. Everything in between is wild country. For Frontier, it's been pimarily used as a home for displaced Marans affected by the 80-year war on Mara. Humans and Mahl have a place in the LIPA Zone, but Marans have the highest population overall.

Fun facts about the World Flag:

Only Frontier is technically part of the Laurelai Inter-Planetary Alliance. Partnerships with the Audi are still ongoing.

The inner seal is a mixture of the three Maran subspecies' main lines of commerce. The forging clamp represents the Cosí, the two needles represents the Èlais, and the closed mussel shell represents the Ysk. The white circle reperents the Amora, who consider themselves ghost children of Mara itself.

The flag is considered the first real symbol of collective peace and representation between the Maran subspecies, having an official truce in place nearly fifteen years sooner then Mara.

#art #speculative biology #maps #Frontier #Threshold People takes place in the LIPA Zone specifically due to Thu's work!

[laurelaicoop]

Anonymous asked: In your "Threshold People" post, it said Thu was "Parsi (human)". Is this an alternate name for Earth humans or is she something completely different?

Persis is a separate planet from Earth all together! While Parsi (the name of their people) are humanoids evolved from primate ancestors, they have no relation to Earth-based humans. If you want a meta answer, I wanted humans but the freedom to make a planet from scratch. Thu's specifically from southern Baskan.

Fun facts about the World Flag:

Each line on the outer circle represents each country of Persis, with the color coordinating with which continent the country is in.

The black triangles emitting from the central emblem represent each planet Persis has colonised or immigrated into (Mara and Frontier on the bottom two, Roawei on the top)

The four 'comets' represent the alien species that have immigrated onto Persis (Cosí, Ysk, and Èlais Marans and Mahl collectively)

Only planets part of the Laurelai Inter-Planetary Alliance (LIPA) have official world flags. As of present, there's only four.

#art #speculative biology #maps #persis #i have more maps on the way because i got another ask about what other planets look like. maps are pretty fun as it turns out #just very tedious

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I'm dedicating some time to writing for Threshold People, but I welcome asks from anyone curious about anything I've made so far! I might even draw something for it!

#coop text

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Mahl Fun Facts

Due to their language being nigh-impossible for non-Mahl to speak, it's very common for individuals who regularly work with other species to name themselves after their favorite word of that species' native language.

So sometimes you'll run into Mahl named 'Niblet' or 'Crack' or 'Double' simply because the Mahl thought the word sounded neat.

#coop text #laurelai mahl #this goes for every language not just standard (which to us is english in this case)

[laurelaicoop]

I do have a second story being done in tandem with Threshold People that I'll eventually draw the cast of that, too. But one thing at a time.

#coop text #i'll share the title of that one when i actually draw the characters

[laurelaicoop]

Some of the main cast for my story-in-progress: Threshold People!

While on an under-wraps diplomatic mission on the planet of Frontier, professional translator Thu Đoan witnesses the violent crash of a mysterious mute stranger of dubious origins. Suddenly intertwined with his integration into society, Thu realizes this stranger is bringing more to Frontier's wild backcountry then just himself. It's only a matter of time when it, too, makes landfall...

Content Warning: Will delve into heavier themes including emotional/psychological/physical abuse and suicide, and will have scenes of violence and vulgar language.

#art #speculative biology #aliens #laurelai audi #laurelai maran #i do make funny aliens but i also make stories where bigger things happen so take the content warning to heart #Threshold People

[laurelaicoop]

Satakis She displaying one of many, many performance outfits.

Even though Audi have very poor eyesight, they're still capable of seeing color, shape, and movement. Performance outfits are an integral part to Audi theater, with vibrant colors and sound-making accessories working in unison to make the experience more four-dimensional.

Satakis, being the master of the arts, has some of the more elaborate ensembles, with headpieces often weighing several hundred pounds.

#art #speculative biology #alien #laurelai audi #Audi theater is not for the faint of heart

[laurelaicoop]

Mahl don't get spring stylings because they're indecent nudist beasts. Daisy dukes upon thee.

#art #speculative biology #laurelai mahl #alien #they accessorize at best

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Springtime Stylings, Amora and Ysk Maran edition!

For the Ysk, spring is the wettest season and the most opportune time for underwater harvests. While traditionally done by marè in the nude, modesty rules forced the Ysk to create full coverage diving suits to accomodate the restriction.

The highest concentration of Frontier-based Amora Marans sit near the equator, so clothing was designed with proper airflow and light materials in mind. Wide brimmed hats are also popular between both sexes, but are more commonly seen during the harsher summer season.

#art #speculative biology #laurelai maran #alien

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Springtime Stylings, Èlais Maran edition!

Spring in Èlais country is short lived in their tundra-like biome, giving Èlais Marans an excuse to bust out their most elaborate outfits and accessories to wear while they can. Coincidentally, the seasonal Couples' Festival also occurs during spring.

#art #speculative biology #laurelai maran #alien #they're also the only marans that regularly force themselves to stand upright so their spines are more then a little messed up

[laurelaicoop]

Time to put some clothes on these beasts, featuring Audi and Cosí Maran Spring Stylings!

Both appreciate the usefulness of baggier clothing, with the Marans having to accomodate both an extra set of arms and (generally) quadrupedal locomotion and the Audi simply finding loose sheets of cloth easier to finagle on their large frames.

#art #laurelai audi #laurelai maran #speculative biology #alien #i also happen to enjoy drawing baggier clothing so everyone's happy!

[laurelaicoop]

Slowly chipping away at story outlines at the moment and you all just knowwww you're gonna see art of characters soon.

#coop text #i'd really like character AMA's in the future cuz those look like so much fun

[laurelaicoop]

Realizing I need to dress my entourage of naked aliens and shooting myself in the foot for being ambitious by having the Marans have four variants with distinct cultural stylings.

#coop text #i will persevere but it will take time #at least the Mahl stay naked generally....

[laurelaicoop]

This Mahl has become a man.

#art #laurelai mahl #their gular sacs make a little body shape if you get past how testicular it looks

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The Mahl

Homeplanet: Roawei and Tik (Twin Planets) Habitat: High altitude mountain ranges (flying), shrubland (flightless) Lifespan: 50-90 years Diet: Hypercarnivorous (≥70% meat consumption)

At first glance, most would not assume that the Mahl, a quadrapedal knuckle-walking avian, are at the forefront of Laurelai Galaxy's interplanetary dipolamtic department. Armed with an elaborate series of gular sacs, Mahl can replicate any noise (verbal or otherwise) to near perfection. This, combined with their high intelligence and unwavering tenacity, gives Mahl quite the advantage when it comes to speaking a wide variety of languages across numerous species. However, mimicry is one thing. Learning the languages is another.

Mahl have four sexes (two fertile, two infertile), five size variations, and two forms of display. More on these under the cut.

The Sexes Three out of the four sexes serve a biological purpose when it comes to producing and caring for eggs. These are the egg layers, the producers, and the brooders. Egg layers and producers are the fertile pair, with an added brooder, an infertile Mahl with a special brood pouch, to take over incubation duties once the egg is laid.

The fourth sex is the keeper, an infertile Mahl filling a purely social role of gentle caretaking of the other sexes. This would include feeding, grooming, and housekeeping during times of egg laying and brooding, with producers generally absent from the process once insemination has taken place. Not every mate triad has a keeper, though it is highly unusual.

Fertile, egg laying Mahl only produce one egg a time, but mate networks (called 'universities') can be upward of eighteen individuals and can have any combination of the sexes.

The Displays Mahl have two versions of permanent display: plain and panache. Any Mahl can have either version of display and are not indicators of sex. The three most common forms of panache are shield, crest, and crown, but other variations of panache exist.

Despite not having association with sex, and Mahl tend to prefer merit over looks, many Mahl do appear to be physically attracted to the more flaunting forms of display (even if they won't admit it).

The Sizes Outside of the obvious differences, Mahl don't hold any outward and widescale prejudice against specific sizes of other Mahl. Even the names are somewhat superficial and are seen more as a fun addition to their identities then anything worth arguing over.

Preferences do exist, and noticeable life-span differentiations have potential to cause social strain. For example: "Little" and "Great" Mahl live the shortest lifespan compared to "Splended" and "Sweet", who live the longest. This doesn't appear to stop diverse mate networks from forming, though finding literal middle ground between the flying and flightless variations is still an ongoing problem

#art #laurelai mahl #speculative biology #alien #if you can get past that weird 'when a bird talks in a human language' robot-ness of their voices they're quite good company

[laurelaicoop]

If anyone wants a frame of reference of what Audi language sounds like, look to Balto-Slavic languages with Lithuanian being where I'm pulling most inspiration from.

#coop text #laurelai audi