Hroa'agh Biology

Hroa'agh resemble snakes with four arms, though they are not related at all to terrene serpents. They are warm-blooded and their circulatory system uses a form of hemocyanin to carry oxygen, leaving their blood a powder-blue. They evolved high in the treetops of temperate rainforests on their warm, humid, heavily volcanic planet.

Their teeth and the dermal scutes that cover most of their bodies are made of calcium carbonate. They do not have tongues as such, but they do have a fan of tentacles housed in the roof of their mouth that also serve as their main scent organ. Air is taken in through two holes, one on either side of their neck – these have secondary scent receptors and can be sealed. Behind the air holes are air sacs and vocal cords. They can easily support their weight on their long, muscular tails – however, slithering on their tails is slow, and usually use their bottom pair of arms to help locomote. They are capable of short bursts of speed, but they are generally ungainly on flat ground (though they are generally adept in rougher terrain). Hroa'agh are excellent climbers and brachiators, and are generally more comfortable hanging from the ceiling than on the floor. They are fairly strong swimmers, and can hold their breath for upwards 15 minutes without ill effects.

The average adult Hhroa'agh usually weighs between 900 and 1200 kg, with females tending to be slightly larger than males.

Speech

As their sound production does not involve lips or a tongue, their speech is unlike that of most species - mostly involving air between air sacs, it has been described as being similar to “whalesong” or “a frog playing the bagpipes”. Hroa'agh hearing descends much lower than that of humans, and their speech does as well, and they tend to rely on translators to communicate with other species.

The gendarme of the Ten Thousand Suns are taught an infrasound-only language called 'Hunt-song", appropriated from ancient hunting calls. While not as complex as the various languages spoken by hroa-agh languages, it conveys enough meaning to coordinate troop movements. The infrasound calls can carry around 16 km, and most hostile forces do not carry the specialized equipment required to decipher the messages.

Family Structure and Breeding

Hroa'agh are long lived and slow breeding. Only fertile for about a fifth of their year (which is 70% longer than Earth's), they are incapable of mating at other times. Gestation usually takes the full year, though stress or intent can delay gestation for up to four years. Excessive stress can cause a fetus to be reabsorbed. For these reasons, children are rarer than in most species and are generally celebrated and prized. A premature death of an individual is considered to be a terrible tragedy.

Most child-rearing and other familial responsibilities are handled by extended family or friend groups. A low birth rate ensures that only a few children will need care at any one time. These family groups also often give adolescent and young adult hroa'agh a hand up in life – nepotism is alive and well in hroa'agh societies.