Alien race ideas

[spshu]

This thread is for ideas for new alien races and similar to the two seed threads (Adventure Seeds and Series seeds) in the Narrator's Ready Room.

There is a thread at RPGnet that is similar that sparked my interest in starting this thread:
[Sci-fi]101 Alien Species
to get it started.

Prehaps find other thread about other aliens spieces and add them to this thread to have a master list.
Mods, could I get this sticked? Thanks.

[Tricky]

I was reading an IDW Star Trek comic, when I had a strange notion about a new alien race. I started from all the normal, strange things that I like (transgenic, biomechanical, things you don't see in Trek). But nothing really stuck. Then I had a different idea. I imagined a race, evolving from creature something like a combination of a lemur and mustelid. These creatures were social, and shared many traits with the various precursors of intelligent races of the galaxy. But in response to the many dangerous species on their homeworld, these creatures developed a kind of "berserker rage"; they don't have a "fight or flight" response, they have a "let's fight" response. Of course, they are rather durable. I mean, they'd have to be.
The road to becoming an evolved, sentient and eventually space fairing race was hard, especially when every member of your race can go berserk when things get bad. Wars were bloody affairs, social progress was slow. Social groups stayed small to keep the potential threats low. And they kept spread out for the same reason. Many philosophies came and went, that tried to contain the rage in their systems. But none really suppressed it.
The solution came when a group of individuals settled on a small island continent. They discovered a plant that grew all over, and was the food source for many of the herbivores. Herbivores that seemed extremely docile. The settlers first ate the plant, later it would be in a broth, and later still a tea. But the effect was noticeable from the start: the Rage was stilled. At lease for a time. Soon, for the settlers, ingesting the plant was a manner of social convention, a way of showing the rest of the group that you were safe to be around. They started cultivating the plant, and began to sell it to other settlements. While there were a few groups that disliked losing their evolved advantage, the rest saw the benefit of quieting their rage.
With the rage under control, their society would flourish, and they would quickly become a very advanced species. And the plant, now a processed drug, stayed with them. There were attempts at finding other solutions, but the drug was supremely effective. By the time they had their first warp ships, the drug was now delivered by a subdermal implant.

Wow, that was a lot longer than I expected.
So, I see this race as federation members; in the ideas in my head it's the TOS era, and they are relatively new members. Personality wise, they are much like your typical FED member; curious, brave, friendly and intelligent. I toyed with the idea of them being "blissed out" by their 'natural prozac', and I guess that would be a way to use them. I lean towards them being similar to Vulcans, with them being excessively smart/capable freed of their emotional baggage.
Well, that's my rough sketch of the latest idea stuck in my head.

[WaveMan]

I have always been fascinated by the Eridani from Battle Lords of the 23rd Century, affectionately known as Swordsaints. These are what I always hoped the Klingon would have been, truly honorable combat specialists born to wage war, dedicating their entire lives to honing their skills and becoming the ultimate "Swordsaint"

They are like a cross between a samurai and spartan.

https://gamelore.fandom.com/wiki/Eridani

Eridani: Philosophical methane-breathing humanoids from a rigid caste-bound militocratic society. They follow Kaush-mukal ("Study of the Inner Self"), a philosophy that states that the individual can find enlightenment through performing their function correctly within their cultural niche. The Vax ("warriors") are the upper class; they run the military and control the government. The Tolude ("gentry") are the lesser families of the Vax and form the middle class. They serve as non-commissioned officers and soldiers, technicians and artisans, doctors and nurses, bureaucrats and civil servants, industrialists, bankers, and merchants. The Mudig ("unclean") are the lower-class, who perform the manual trades. They serve as laborers and servants but also provide technical and support services to the military as mechanics, cooks, surgeons and medical orderlies, combat engineers, and other manual tasks.
The Tolude are the most common Eridani to meet offworld as their function often requires it. Vax only leave their world to go on campaign with the military, work as a mercenary, or perform a warrior pilgrimage. Mudig cannot leave their homeworld unless they are on campaign with the military; those who show great bravery and self-sacrifice are adopted by a childless Tolude family or allowed to marry into the Tolude caste.
("Swordsaint"): Elite ascetic warrior-adepts (Mokaba Datu; "Wisdom Warriors") who train in the use of sacred bladed weapons and firearms in order to achieve enlightenment through Goyoo Mabiki ("Silent Peace"; meditation).
(Buddon Priest): Retired warriors who, after finding Rota Mabiki ("Supreme Peace"; enlightenment), have ascended to becoming teachers and philosophers. Senior priests serve as religious commissars, staff officers, and generals in the Eridani armed forces.