Lives of Others 13

Yet another Ascendancy thing! Sorry if anyone's getting tired of this, but me personally, I'm luvin' it. Such a creative little game. Sometimes to the point where I can't even discern their anatomy! This is my take on one of their more convoluted thingamajigs.

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The Hanshaks
Planet Shak-ha Nas'drre<./b>

The Hanshaks are a race of aliens which have subjected themselves to numerous self-imposed anatomical changes. They started off as biologically simple creatures, but have changed to the point where they can harness their natural gifts to the fullest. While a single Hanshak is capable of a lot, they are capable of attaining MASSIVE intelligence and highly attuned telepathic senses and powers by conjoining with another Hanshak for life. While this function was originally meant to only be a hermaphroditic mating function, the Hanshaks have modified their anatomy so that they can share information with each other and amplify their telepathic abilities while fused as a living torus. Not to mention, making the fusing permanent. Something that happens a lot more often than you'd expect.

The Hanshaks have originally reached their technological peak many thousands of years ago. However, by popular vote, they simply decided that it was a more fulfilling existence to live as one with nature. Therefore, leading to them putting their starships on stasis, dismantling their cities, turning off all the technological toys that they've previously built, and leading a lifestyle out in the wilderness. For older folks, that lifestyle consists heavily of meditating, and attuning telepathic powers. Why they would do THAT is to send a friendly greeting out to alien life, to say hello as a benevolent race willing to help make peace throughout the galaxy. The younger folks aren't quite there yet. They're still learning a lot about their history, and potential powers. Those individuals, who have not yet been conjoined with another, lead lives involving plenty of hard labor. Hard. But fulfilling. These are one of the few alien races that have attained that rare goal of interplanetary peace. Peace that they're HAPPY to have.

This Hanshak elder is meditating on top of the pagoda palms, as zhe is joined by his single, somewhat clueless grandchild. The youngster floats around zhim, trying to tell zher that lunch is ready. Eventually, zhe will wake up from the deep trance and realize that the youngster has resorted to using a stick to get the job done. Not to mention, they're out in the rain. I dunno, can alien elders still get the cold?