Alyae

Pronunciation: Alya (AHL-yah)
Pronunciation, Plural: Alyae (AHL-yay)
Homeworld: Alya
Empire: Alyaen empire

The Alyae are a prolific species that is obsessed with the survival of their species. To this end, they continuously expand their galactic footprint, colonizing new planets, and establishing themselves in every major population center as they spread their sphere of influence. Additionally, they send scouts across the galaxy to bring information about new territories and their potential for settlement. The alyae are organized into a hierarchy of social and military groups, and their allegiance to these groups is a key tenet of both their culture and an individual's sense of personal worth. While the alyae have no hive mind capabilities, it can often seem this way to outsiders

The alyae have insectine physical features, including chitinous plates that cover the majority of their bodies. They have a set of four semi-retractable wings which give them the ability to fly, and a cover for these wings to protect them when not in use. Their heads are relatively narrow and are also comprised of a chitin exoskeleton, making facial expressions extremely limited. They have four eyes, which can operate independently of each other

The alyae use their eye placement and control of the skin and muscles around the eyes for non-verbal communication. Their bodies are humanoid shaped, slender, and short. Their bodies are covered in chitin plates that fit snugly together. Their legs are slender, armored, and have an inverted shin. Their hands have three fingers, an opposable thumb, and a set of two small claws that extend out from the back of the hand. Their feet are rigid and have only a single pad of chitin that resembles a hoof. They have almost no hair of any kind

Art by John Latta

An alya can emit a high pitched sound frequency which can be heard by other creatures though the sound is softer to most other species. Using the time delay of echoes returning, the alya can determine the relative size and location of objects within 15 feet. They can detect larger movement out to 60 feet, though this is useless against a creature actively hiding their presence. The Sylphen can hear this sound perfectly, and find it harsh and annoying

As a whole, the alyae have strained relations with almost all other species. Though they make extensive efforts at diplomatic relationships, their aggressive colonization is often viewed as invasion, and the alyae rarely back off from a sector once they have made the decision to colonize. They have fought protracted wars in many sectors of the galaxy, and are a ruthless enemy with very little concern for the individual members of their species. This attitude, in addition to their conflicts, earns them disdain from many in the galaxy

Individualistic alyae are extremely rare, though alyae scouts are common and work alone or in small groups, learning what they can over a lifetime of travel, even undirected travel and adventures. From time to time members of the alyae are effectively exiled. If an alya sentenced to die escapes, they rarely fit into mainstream societies due to the negative perceptions of them throughout the galaxy. Instead, they find a place within the fringes of society, where a more inclusive attitude prevails. An alya in this situation is still hardwired to survive and prefers hierarchical social structures

Hit Point Formula: Res + 2d6 + 2
Survival Instincts: +2 Dexterity, -1 Intelligence, +2 Resolve
Small: +1 size bonus to BDB when you are the target of the attack, 1d6 size bonus to Stealth
Movement Speed: Alyae have a base movement speed of 35 feet
Flight: Alyae have a flight speed of 80 feet, minimum 20 feet
Sonar: Alyae use sonar to “see” in dark or low light conditions, granting them the benefits of the Blindfight feat out to 15 feet, and the ability to vaguely detect movement out to 60 feet
Four-Eyed: Gain Perception as a Skill Focus at level 1

You may wish to randomly generate the physical characteristics of your character. To do so, you may use the following formulas

Chitin Color: Roll 2d6 and use the table below

Wing Color: Roll 1d6 and use the table below

Eye Color: Roll 2d6 and use the table below