Arae (Species)

Arae (uh-RAY) are extremely intelligent, passive, and diplomatic creatures that co-exist with four other sentient species under the Shadow Empire.

Age
Arae are some of the very oldest non-human sentient species in existence. Some Shadows say that they come from the same planet as humans, but this is just folklore. The first account of an Arae was in 2015, though they could have been around even before that. Many assume that they are around 80,000 years old.

Arae, similar to Shadows, can live for a very long time - the average is 300 years, meaning that they can outlive average Shadows. This is because they require little water and oxygen every day to live since their bodies are so efficient at processing the needed minerals to survive.

Location
Arae are currently living on 80 different planets - 74 that have been colonized under the name of the Shadow Empire. The other 6 are the rebels on scattered planets.

IQ
Arae are some of the most intelligent creatures in the galaxy. An average Arae's IQ can range from 120 to 400 - there's not a lot that can beat that! Even the smartest Shadow in recorded history was only around 300.

Language
Folklore states that Arae know every language in the galaxy. Reality states Arae merely have an easier time learning new languages than others. An average Arae is at least trilingual or higher, and one of those languages is almost always Shadonian.

Personality
Many Arae have a similar "backbone" to their personality - respectful but soft-spoken, highly intelligent scholars. Many are also quite adventurous, and have a natural desire to learn more about the worlds and stars that rest in the sky above their heads. Some can be quite religious.

Anatomy
Arae have incredibly light bones and muscles. Because of this, they are able to move very fast and be able to dodge any projectiles coming their way. In fact, they are tied first with Shadows for the quickest reaction speed. The heaviest part of their body is actually their brain - the average adult Arae only weighs about 30 - 40 lbs.

Arae only need a few milliliters of water every day to survive - their bodies are only 9% water. However, because of this, they have naturally dry skin and burn quicker when exposed to fire or extreme heat. Arae have a tendency to swim to keep their skin hydrated in Category II, where it can get very, very hot.

Even though they are some of the smartest creatures in the galaxy, the weakest part of an Arae's body is their head. They are some of the couple creatures known to have two hearts.

Reflexes/Brain Structure
Arae have tied Shadows multiple times for #1 fastest reflexes of all creatures in the galaxy. Since they can process thing so quickly, it feels to them like the rest of the world is going slow. This distortion of perception allows them to easily dodge most all projectiles heading their direction.

An Arae's brain is three times heavier and denser than a human brain. Their brains are meant to have a lot of storage for memories, facts, and knowledge in general. Due to this, they tend to have very good memory both long-term and short-term.

Size
An average Arae is approx. 5 feet/1.524 meters/2.26 paersi tall and 7 feet/2.1336 meters/3.164 paersi long. The largest Arae in recorded history was 9 feet/2.7432 meters/4.068 paersi tall and 13 feet/3.9624 meters/5.876 paersi long.

Clothing
Arae tend to dress very formally. Male Arae may wear top hats and monocle, while the ladies wear bows and dresses.