Lyharms

Lyharms
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 * Race: Lyharms
 * Adjective: Lyrharm
 * Place of Origin: System Ly
 * AL: 6
 * TL:  0 (before Union Membership)
 * Association: Union (Member 3443)
 * Status: Active – developing

Native to the Andromeda Galaxy -  Carbosilicate Life forms believed to be engineered by an unknown species, the Lyharms remember as the Hurters. The Lyharms call a shattered solar system their home: System Ly.

The Lyrharm are an old species / society that has been engineered by another civilization known to the Lyharms as the Hurters. No evidence of the current status of the Harms exist. The Lyharms remember rebelling against the Hurters, but details of that history are very fragmented and even the Lyharms do not know what part of their legends about the Hurters are true and which are not. It is generally believed that the Hurters engineered the Lyrharm as a form of living space ship to be used as a form of life stock used to devour asteroids and digest the useful materials. The Hurters would then round up the Lyrharm and slaughter them to get to the harvested materials. How and when the Lyharms gained consciousness and how they rebelled is not clear. Union Archeologists did find a few artifacts believed to be of Hurters origin and classified to be of a Culture of Tech Level 8+. The Lyrharm are living space ships able to travel by Gravitation manipulation, but not able to gain trans-light speeds. Energy is gained by Wide spectrum Photosynthesis that includes the use of X ray and Gamma rays. The feeding on Asteroids is only needed if the Lyrharm want to reproduce. It happens by force of will much like an amoeba. The average Lyrharm is about 50- 80 meters in diameter and consists of a tough carbon silicate shell, complex energy management organs and silicone electrical nervous system. They communicate on a FM band radio band (now they use Implanted PDDs).

The Lyharms are extremely curious, but were suspicious about the Union Explorers who made contact with them in 4891. However after month of talks and communication the Lyharms understood the concept of the Union. The Lyrharm were deeply impressed by the diversity of Union Members and that they would be welcome as members made them decide to send a delegation ( two randomly chosen Lyharms) to Pluribus.

Union Membership
The Lyharms  have developed quite substantially since Union their Union Membership was granted in 4893. They have formed a Civic Government of a Council system and adopted Union Laws. All Lyharms are fitted with a Enabler Brace (A piece of technology allowing them to see and interact. The Enabler Brace contains a set of Union Sensors expanding their senses and allowing them to communicate via GalNet and GalCom. There is an Xchange in their system (where they sell harvested materials, there is a Union School and a specialized Med Clinic modified to their needs and physiology. Some Lyharms are fitted with ISAH Pods and eagerly explore the Andromeda Galaxy as Science Corps Volunteers. There is a Space Bus connection to Ly System and a special freighter service for Lyharms wishing to travel. While their size prevents them from interaction directly, they use Avatar technology to be Scholars and scientists. Their main specialty and interest however is exploring. In 5022 a special Class of Union Explorer called a Lyrharm Frame was introduced and allows up to 100 Lyharms link together onto such a frame, nicknamed Grape-Ship. The Frame is armed,shielded and has large ISAH pods. The Pods lack life support or walls and due to these construction savings can reach further than most regular Explorers. (up to 25,000 LY) The Frame ships usually have a robot Engineering compliment for repairs and maintenance. Currently 12,500 Lyrharm Frames operate in the Andromeda Galaxy on survey missions. There are over 22 Million Lyharms and many more requested to be part of such missions and an additional 40,000 Lyrharm Frames are ordered and will see service by 5020. But there are Lyharms who expressed to be part of the Union Navy and help defend the Union. SII designed a Fighter Frame where a single Lyrharm is fitted with a Wolfcraft like frame. A special Union Lyrharm -Fighter Academy has been established. It resulted in the first Lyrharm Carrier, the USS Lyrharm Carrying 5,000 “living Space Fighters” Lyrharm fighters are considered an elite even among Terran Pilots as the Lyrharm fight in their natural habitat and their senses are well adapted to the task. (the Bakatri learned what it means to to go against Lyrharm fighters in the Battle of Lorgori 5133)

Note: The Concept of Individual names is new to the Lyharms as they used frequency codes to identify themselves before. The Codes do not translate well so they opted to use Call Signs like Fighter pilots  for all Lyharms (Fighters or not) However “aggressive names” are reserved to those who become Space Fighters.

Sample Names: “Aggressive Names”
 * Red Rock
 * Albedo Looker
 * Quasi Stormer
 * Rock Muncher
 * Boron Mother
 * Fight-Hammer
 * Sky Smasher
 * Loki Sender
 * Tee-Kaa-UU