Madra

"'Knowledge is a sentient right.'""-- Carbonna Mewota, 1st Madran Queen" The Madra (sometimes called Madrans) are a species from the planet of the same name, and are a part of the Aslali Trio. The species is renowned for their scientific achievements, such as the creation of the FTL drives, and their commitment to educating other species they encounter.

Part of the Aslali Trio, Madra are easily mistaken for Liška or Humans to the untrained eye, but a guide located at the bottom of this document briefly describes the differences.

Quick Info
Height Range: 6’0”-7’2” / 183-218 cm

Avg. Weights: 180 lbs. / 82 kg

Avg. Body Type: Balanced, inclinations towards curves or ‘plump’ builds.

Avg. Lifespan: 210 years (Adulthood reached at ~23 years).

Species Homeplanet: Madra [Protocol-1]

Key Physiology: Two hearts, common swings of high and low energy, sensitivity to emotion, acute sense of smell and sound. Humanoid, with noticeable canine or feline features depending on subtype, including ears that protrude vertically from the scalp and flexible tails.

Subtypes: Palya (Canine), Ucra (Feline).

Official Language(s): Wasawa

Common Dialects: Wasawa Owo (Native), Wasanda (Madra-Human), Wassili (Frontier Dialect).

Common Occupations: Researcher, Data Analyst, Pilot, Inventor

Common Traits: Scientifically minded, Cooperative, Curious/Inquisitive, Empathetic

Common Flaws: Skeptical, Moody, Prone to Exhausting Themselves

Common name schemes: Madra are a scientific people, and their names show this. Common names are based on elements, chemicals, famous Madran scientists, colors, and other simplicities. Examples: Qeta (Potassium), Tyrian (Purple), Amhi (lit. “Particle”), Doso (lit. “At rest”), Anno (lit. “Innovate”, famous inventor).

Xenophobic Terms: Madruman, Labpet

Visual References: Kemonomimi (Cat/Dog)

Physiology
The Madra are Humanoids with two predominant subtypes that feature feline and canine characteristics respectively, absent from other Humanoids of their DNA base. These subtypes are the Palya and the Ucra. Regardless, they can be easily distinguished from Humans by their vertically-protruding fluffy ears and tail.

Anatomically, the Madra have two hearts on either side of the chest. One operates as the primary heart, with the other using a slower alternating beat. Their highly flexible heart rate often leads to massive swings of high and low energy. They're also known to reach higher scores on empathy tests and test positive for mental divergences like ADHD, depression, bipolar, or other mood disorders. A Madra can survive with only the primary heart, though the loss takes great tolls on the subject’s energy levels and cognitive speed. Can be treated with about 14 months of therapy, though original prowess can never be reattained.

Other traits of note include: small lungs, meant for rapid-breathing instead of deep breaths; acute senses of smell; sleep more frequently for shorter periods (“cat-naps”); long fangs that protrude from teeth in either canine or feline fashion. The Palya are the canine subtype of the Madra, and the most common. They make up the taller half of Madran height statistics, and are known as the ‘energetic, friendly’ portion of Madran personality types (though this is purely a stigma). That being said, Palya have been proven to average out more exercise and higher heart rates than Ucra. Unlike the Ucra, a Palya’s tail is not prehensile (if they have one, as Palya may not grow a tail at all), and are usually longer and fluffier. Their ears may also come in different shapes, such as droopy, and are larger than an Ucra’s (but not a Liska’s). The Ucra are the feline subtype of the Madra, less common than their canine counterparts. Known to be shorter, less energetic and significantly less emotionally-driven. Their ears are smaller and usually triangular, and their thin tails are prehensile in nature. Though they provided much stability to Madran society, their tendency towards introversion and difficulties forming strong emotional bonds has led to population problems in the past.

Society
In pre-space Madran society, innovation was held in the highest regard. The names of great scientists are known by all Madra, and those scientists were considered nobility. Artists, laborers and the uneducated were shunned, with some cities enforcing that all citizens get basic schooling. The first Queen of the Madran people was Carbonna Mewota, an explorer who discovered ancient ruins of another civilization. Presently it is speculated that the ruins may have come from an abandoned Yihai outpost, but very little remains of it now after it was turned into a castle (and later, a tourist attraction). What was recovered, however, was a periodic table of the elements, from which Carbonna took her new name. The rest of the ship was mostly indecipherable, for the Madra were too early to understand its technology. Later on, the outpost was eventually briefly reanimated, and the soon-to-be fourth Madran King discovered holographic schematics of an FTL engine.

As space-flight technology began to accelerate, but before any major progress had been made, the Madra intercepted a signal from a passing satellite. This happened to be Voyager I, a Human probe that contained information about Earth. When the Madra figured out how to play the golden records, they were enthralled to have found non-Madran contact. “Dark was the Night” became the Madran anthem for the next several hundred years per the monarch’s decree.

By the time the Madra had innovated to spaceflight capabilities, scientists had already calculated the probable trajectory of Voyager, tracing it for several years until First Contact was made with Humanity. Though the Madra were expecting to find the people who left behind the ancient technology, they were still delighted to form an alliance with the Humans. Together the two species formed a great bond that is still known to this day.

The Madra later went on to establish First Contact with the Diemsei, Fins, and Liska. The Madra’s fascination with other cultures and scientific advancement had the negative effect of weakening their own. Historians have found very little record of ancient Madran society, with things like their architecture, fashion and original hierarchical structures being washed away with each major innovation. This has led to a new-age renaissance of sorts, as now that scientific progress is reaching a steady peak the Madra have had time to study their allies and embrace new traditions.

In that sense, most Madran fashion pre-space consisted of toga-like robes, then lab coats or pilot bodysuits. Now that they’ve had time to progress, their society has begun to branch out by ‘borrowing’ aspects from other species. Whether that’s Human fashion, Diemsei philosophy or Liskan festivals, the Madra delight in embracing these new ideas that were once so unthinkable to their society.

Trivia

 * Alcohol: Madran wine is some of the most expensive in the galaxy, and is a staple at every gathering in their culture. The Madra love wine to the point they keep three separate wine glasses (one for morning, afternoon, and evening) with each increasing in size respectively.

Aslali Trio Reference Table
The three species known as the Aslali Trio includes Humans, Madra and Liska, three species with different cultures, technologies and ideals. Despite these differences, several key features remain similar in physiology, so similar that non-Humanoids often have difficulty telling them apart.

It has been studied that the Aslali Trio all share very similar traits in DNA that other Humanoids and non-Humanoids fail to. Scientists theorize that perhaps once the Aslali Trio were all part of the same species, that some major split or hybridization caused them to ‘split’ off into their own species.