Post by Kenneth New on Jun 12, 2011 16:01:05 GMT -5
The Nilgar are also known as "the star traders". They're a widespread race of merchants who travel known space in large manufacturing and trading city ships. No one knows where their home world may be, but they're found in the New Frontier, the Old Frontier and presumably throughout the intervening 500 light years. They possess advanced technology [TL 15?] and sell lower TL goods that they produce in bulk on their ships.
Nilgar will trade with anyone and seem to have no scruples as to their clients or their products. No pirate is known to have every survived an encounter with a Nilgar Trade Ship. They go where they want and no government save the Chumakh Theocracy has ever tried to attack them (trade with the Nilgar is quite profitable).
Nilgar are bipedal humanoids with soft hairless skin, wide mouths and a generally frog-like appearance. They stand 1.5 to 1.8 m tall and seem naturally gaunt in appearance. Although they're air breathers, they love the water and can hold their breath for up to an hour when submerged. Nilgar tadpoles born live, but must live out their first two years in the water before developing lungs.
Nilgar are matriarchal (females are about 10% more massive than males), with all decisions made by the clan matriarchs. They're also matrilineal. Male Nilgar are raised until puberty and then exchanged for young males from other city ships. Once aboard their new home, the males are made part of that community and trained in the technical fields or as guards. [The only proper occupation for a Nilgar female is merchant.]
Wealthy and powerful Nilgar females allow themselves to put on a lot of weight. The height of fashion is to become large enough that a powered chair is necessary to get around outside the water. In general, the fatter a Nilgar trader is, the wealthier and more powerful she is.
Nilgar males wear simple jumpsuits in neutral colors, but Nilgar females prefer brocade moo-moo dresses and jewelry that displays their wealth.
Nilgar prefer not to fight, but they're more than capable of doing so in order to defend themselves.