[laurelhach]

I’m being slow on the full Vulcan design, so here’s a tidbit.

Nictitating membranes!

[laurelhach]

Vulcan Redesign addenda

 My redesigned Vulcans, unlike the canon species, do not have an excellent sense of smell that would be useful to find water, but they evolved other senses. The face and fingertips of Vulcans are dotted with electroreceptive ampullae. In the hot, dry, environment on Vulcan, electric signals do not travel well, but, unlike the aquatic animals that precise (active) electrolocation to find prey in the water, Vulcans use less specific fields to find water and to judge the weather. Since the air is usually dry, any humidity causes electrical signals to travel better, allowing Vulcans to sense different fronts. This sense is especially useful in the wadis, which provide shelter from the harsh sun and wind, but can flood violently. A Vulcan would be able to feel the change in humidity through electricity, and escape to higher ground.

It takes a Vulcan some time to adjust to a more humid environment, like Earth’s atmosphere. It could be likened to stepping into a candle shop—the odor is overwhelming at first, but you gradually get used to it. It takes time for the Vulcans to adjust to so many electric signals. It should be noted, however, that the Vulcan electrolocative sense is not particularly accute, and they would not be able to make out specific movements, only a generalized (to go with the candle shop analogy) ‘scent’ of activity.

Vulcans sense electric fields best with their fingers straight, since curling them pinches the ampullae and prevents the currents from reaching the nerve ending at the ends of the tubes (towards the heel of the hand.) The presence of the ampullae is what gives Vulcans their famed touch-telepathy, though we’re not exactly sure how. The people are notoriously closed on the subject. In any case, the face and hands of Vulcans are sensitive areas culturally and biologically.

The green areas just show where the ampullae are usually found on the face—around the eye socked (above the zygomatic bone) and around the temple. The tubes of the facial ampullae are shorter and don’t sense as well. If a Vulcan manages to find a storm front (which is the entire purpose of the ampullae) the facial ampullae help them avoid the most electrically active parts, so they don’t get struck by lightning. So—find a storm, which are usually pretty fierce, but don’t get struck by lightning. Two major concerns for ancient proto-Vulcans. 

Nowadays, the ampullae aren’t necessary for survival (you’d survive pretty well without a sense of smell, right?), but their use has become a part of the culture. By touching someone, they can feel the currents running through the body, and certain types of touch have become intimate, symbolic gestures.

[laurelhach]

Vorta redesign

I guess read more cuts don’t work on text posts anymore *sobs quietly in corner*

  The Vorta are a genetically engineered species used as diplomats and envoys by the changelings, and make up the majority of the Dominion’s government. Their skin is usually a pale purple, and burns easily in sunlight. Due to their artificial development as a species, when compared to a natural species, Vorta have much less phenotypic variation [it’s not that they don’t have any, just not nearly as much as other species.]

  Vorta have four eyes, two larger eyes located lower on the face and two smaller eyes located slightly anterior and superior. The color vision in the smaller eyes is better than in the larger eyes, and though Vorta have few red retinal receptors, their vision does extend somewhat into the ultraviolet. The two larger eyes have fewer rod and cone cells, so have poor color vision, but are better at detecting motion. The placement of the larger eyes and the horizontal pupils allow the Vorta a wide field of vision.

  Vorta have sensitive hearing, and slight tilts of the head help them to establish the direction of the sound and to pick up certain subtleties.  They’re also known for a peculiar diagonal tilt, as their anatomy makes it difficult to directly below themselves. Their senses of smell and taste are negligible. 

  The hands consist of four tentacles, each supported by a highly flexible central column of cartilage. This column creates a single knuckle which articulates with the bones of the hand [which are actually mostly cartilage as well.] The entire hand is supple but powerful appendage, capable of complex manipulations and sensory acquisition. The feet are modified, having a more rigid internal structure to support the body’s mass, but being flexible enough to absorb shock. The two front lobes are fused, creating a fleshy pad, while the hind two remain separate [I drew a picture of how it works when they walk because describing it was hard :P   ] It seems like their feet are small and balance would be difficult, but the split heel (what would be the thumb and third finger on the hand) can spread out and support them. 

  The plates on the body are not hard or bony—rather, they are fleshy and cartilaginous. They may have originally served as a sort of armor, but they have little purpose in their modern state.

Vorta are an middling-sized biped, averaging around 5’5”-5’9”. They sometimes bear scars on their necks and abdomens from the feeding tubes that are used during the cloning process. This is especially common in the clones that are brought up quickly as emergency replacements.

Modern clone Vorta are a sexless species, though this is through their genetic engineering rather than their natural state. Having any sort of sex is unnecessary for their function as the diplomats of the Dominion.

As for their immunity to toxins, I imagine the Vorta have an both extremely sophisticated immune and filtration systems, which would have been bioengineered. Certain resistances could have been built up during the cloning process as well, through whatever chemicals/nutrients they are fed [and by ‘fed’ I mean ‘had piped into them’ because they are vat babies, yay.]

 [an aside—I tried doing more with the body design with the Vorta, at least on the surface. As a genetically engineered clone race, environment wasn’t as big a factor as with some of the other designs. They probably look significantly different from the ‘natural’ Vorta.]

As always, my askbox is open to any discussions/questions, as I never put everything in the description because A) that would make it even longer and B) I forget stuff