The Girlyburp Clan

The Girlyburps are a dainty and fun-loving (some would say air-headed) clan, preferring games and fashion to war and politics. They spend their days making pretty dresses and trying to see which Girlyburp can make the cutest faces--something which all Girlyburps are unnervingly good at. Their adorable veneer sometimes hides a bratty nature and they can be quite petulant when they aren't getting what they want. Many Girlyburps are spoiled by their own good looks, and the cutest often tend to be the most selfish as well. That is not to say that the Girlyburps are mean by nature--they just tend not to realize it when they're being brats.

The stereotype that the Girlyburps are a clan of soft, dainty morsels with no combat ability is not completely unjustified; most of them are quite helpless in battle. Nonetheless, many a warrior has met their end when they let their guard down near a hungry Girlyburp. They're actually better at swallowing people than they are at beating them up. What's more, occaisionally a Girlyburp will be born with supernatural strength, greater than that of a girl ten times her size--but rather than using it for combat, these Girlyburps almost always use it to force other girls to play games with them.

That is not to say that the clan does not have other advantages. They reproduce very quickly, for one thing, and the fact that practically every one of them is almost painfully adorable has been taken advantage of more than once. Girlyburp fashions bring in a hefty chunk of change for the clan, and dalliances and matings with prominent members of other clans gives the group a passable amount of political leverage. (Of course, they tend to use it by making bambi-eyes at the person and saying "Pwease?")

There are some members of this clan that are actually quite cunning, but they keep up the facade of being cute little airheads simply because it's so useful. At least, that's how they justify it in their minds (much as they deny it, they really do like fashion). Others, particularly those belonging to the Sailheart family, make a conscious effort to develop leadership and combat abilities to help protect their sisters and are often successful in doing so.

Common Family Names: Girlyburp, Lynn, Sailheart, Tummyrumble, Candybubble

Spin-offs: The Dainty Darlings (Though ironically, the two clans are usually enemies)

Dominant Religion: Pantheonism

Favored Deities: Trina, Fabulara, Ruble

The Gurglemeister Clan

The Gurglemeisters have a reputation for being perverts and voraphiles, and this reputation is fairly well-deserved. They are fascinated by strange things that other clans find grotesque and frightening--particularly the concept of being eaten. While most girls would do most anything to avoid becoming a meal for a monster, Gurglemeisters have been known to willingly feed themselves to passing creatures just to find out what they feel like inside.

This would have led to the extinction of their clan, were it not for their exceptional abilities in escaping monster stomachs. Even the most skilled of escape artists finds it difficult, however, and this has kept the Gurglemeister population much lower than it would otherwise be...

Jumping down monster throats isn't the only strange thing this clan does. They have a very quirky sense of humor and it shows in the way they talk, trade, and even live. They almost seem to enjoy their bizarre reputation and revel in watching the reactions of other, more "normal" girls.

Despite the assumption that only a retard would let herself get eaten by a monster, most Gurglemeisters are actually quite clever and like to experiment in a variety of ways. This has given them an arsenal of abilities that, while not necessarily more powerful than those of other clans, are certainly different. Sometimes simply having something unexpected can be an advantage, and it has kept the Gurglemeisters a step ahead of their rivals more than once. (It has also ended in embarassing failures more than once, but hey, at least they got a tour of the other girl's stomach!)

Combat against an army of Gurglemeisters tends to be a rather confusing affair--half of the Gurglemeisters will be jumping down the enemy's throats while the other half are running around eating each other, yet somehow they still manage to win half the time. They are often turned on by the sight of other girls being eaten--enemy or not--and this inspires them to greater strength. Some even become stronger when they themselves are the ones being eaten!

Gurglemeisters do reproduce faster than most clans, being second only to the Girlyburps. This also helps make up for the fact that they are constantly becoming meals for just about everything that moves.

There are sometimes rumors that this clan knows how to resurrect a girl who has been digested, but if it's true, they don't seem to be using that knowledge very often.

Common Family Names: Gurglemeister, Groaningbelly, Hotpit

Dominant Religion: Rumpibumpi

Favored Deities: Pervertia, Yttme

The Ironbelly Clan

A tradition of strength, honor and fortitude define the Ironbelly clan. They value courage and martial skill, but are not as hostile or aggressive as other warlike clans. The Ironbellies see war as a way to protect what is rightfully theirs, and they do so with great zeal.

Ironbellies have a talent for building fortifications; their braced towers can shrug off sieges that would cause lesser cities to crumble into dust. Ironbelly villagers are often born with abilities similar to those of architects, albeit on a weaker scale, allowing the clan to build much larger structures than other clans. They are very hardy physically and bear the weight of armor more easily than most other girls.

Ironbellies are constantly weathering attacks from monsters, brigands, and other clans, and this makes them guarded around strangers. They are blunt by nature and have an intense dislike of dishonest or manipulative people, and they see these traits in most of the other "diplomatic" clans (whether it is deserved or not). As such, it can be difficult to earn the friendship of an Ironbelly, but once done, they are very loyal.

The one way in which the Ironbellies are non-defensive is in fighting monsters. Ironbellies see monsters as a threat to everyone, so they often make it a point to attack any monster tribe they encounter. The fact that this brings retaliation from the monster tribe (and it's allies) is part of why the Ironbellies need such strong fortifications. Some Ironbellies have the same reaction to demons, attacking them without provocation due to an inborn prejudice that demons are universally evil and destructive creatures. This is a great irony, as other parts of the clan often ally themselves with demons in order to learn their magics; Ironbellies are poor magic users and find demonic magic to be one of the few kinds they can consistantly grasp. There are precious few Ironbelly sorceresses or enchantresses; the most common magical class they have are Valkyries, and even they are inferior magically to the Valkyries of other clans. The exceptions are in Light and Dark magic, which they can learn with some effort--hence their tendency to learn it from Demons. (They would be equally happy to learn light magic from Angels, and they do when the opportunity presents itself--however, Angels are typically harder to find than Demons.)

Common Family Names: Ironbelly, Shadowback, Hellana, Stonefist

The Velvet Flower Clan

The Velvet Flowers value beauty, grace and skill in all things. They seek to perfect themselves, and their culture revolves around both personal and group accomplishments, whether material, political, or personal. Velvet Flowers are frequently artists, singers or crafters, but those who seek to master the paths of combat and magic are equally common.

Velvet Flowers often have an intricate network of allies, trade partners and associates. They are a very politically active clan, but they do not define themselves by politics as some other clans do. They are generally more interested in positive relationships than they are in subjugating others, but those who presume that this is a sign of weakness do so at their own peril. The Velvet Flowers are brave and tenacious fighters, particularly skilled in the use of spears and bows.

Philosophically, Velvet Flowers often seek harmony above all. They see each part of the universe--war, peace, sex, life, death--as part of an interconnected web of existance. They see in themselves all the imperfections and conflicts that pervade the world around them. What's more, they believe all of these things exist for a reason. As such, rather than attempting to purge the world of everything that distresses them, they instead seek to bring it into balance. The first thing they attempt to balance is themselves; they place a high emphasis on mastery of one's own feelings and powers. They believe that only once that is done can they seek to bring beauty to the world around them.

If this clan could be said to have a weakness, it would be their hearts. Though on the surface they are steeped in the practical arts of politics, economy and combat, Velvet Flowers are romantics and idealists deep down. They seek beauty and growth because they believe that both exist. While it is all to easy for a Demongut to turn to anger or for a Girlyburp to turn to laughter, the Velvet Flowers must answer whatever call their hearts make--regardless of how frightened they may be of the consequences.

Common Family Names: Vellana, Heartspear, Rosepetal, Jadethorn

Spin-offs: The Velvet Intestine Clan (Hybrid with Gurglemeisters), the Dark Flower Clan (Hybrid with Darkswallows)

Dominant Religion: Shotokan

Favored Deities: Trina, Ruble

The Firebelly Clan

The Firebellies are a warlike clan that is valued for it's martial skills and feared for it's temper. While they are willing to deal with other clans, they are always suspicious of them and do not make friends easily.

Firebellies are ruthless fighters and are very aggressive. It takes very little to provoke the Firebellies into combat and war, yet it takes quite a bit to get them to cool off. Provoking them is very dangerous; they are very talented in personal combat, and dueling is a common skill among members of this clan. It doesn't help that, among the Firebellies, to insult one of them is to insult the entire clan. They are very protective of one another, and not just in combat.

The Firebellies have a special hatred reserved for the Demongut clan. These two clans are almost always at war any time they share a border (and often when they don't).

Despite their short fuses, Firebellies can be befriended if you're careful. They dislike politics and two-faced diplomats, but something as simple as doing one a favor will often ingratiate you with her. And, just as with enemies, the Firebellies tend to see friends as a group; if you are accepted by one, you will generally be accepted by the others as well. (Just don't get too comfortable.)

Firebellies place an intense emphasis on loyalty. Their clan is very tightly-knit--this is one of the reasons they do not take well to strangers (the other reason being their notorious tempers). The occaisional infighting and rivalries that take place in other clans have no place among the Firebellies. Though they can often be found dueling one another for practice, it is always with the understanding that the participants respect one another. While they are all too willing to lash out at other clans who make them angry, when a fellow clanmate incites their temper, they simply accept it and move on. (Some say this is why they have such bad tempers in the first place...)

Common Family Names: Firebelly, Zarana, Kalexis

Dominant Religion: Pantheonism

Favored Deities: Zaera

The Demongut Clan

The Demonguts are known for two things: Their hatred of the Firebellies, and their hatred of everybody else. They are savage, violent and merciless. They have virtually no allies and they like it that way. They forgo most forms of military tactics, preferring to let their sheer ferocity win the battle for them. Demongut berserkers are very frightening enemies, and the most frightening thing about them is that they do win battles despite their complete lack of tactics.

Demonguts do occaisionally deploy "Allies" on the field of battle, but these are almost invariably slaves or mercenaries. Likewise, the Demonguts shun most other clans and are unwilling to make permanent deals except when the need is dire. They are willing to make certain kinds of temporary deals, however. Demonguts who don't have the power or the resources to go around conquering other clans will still seek battle, hiring themselves out as mercenaries to others. They are notoriously disloyal, however, being perfectly willing to betray one side if the other offers enough cash. Even so, it is worth noting that they are much cheaper than most other mercenaries, especially considering how much carnage they cause on the field of battle.

Demonguts do have a life outside of war, though few realize it and fewer still would notice the difference. Demonguts are very fond of rough physical sports and contests. They are particularly fun of "Stompball," a game that involves two balls, two teams, and a lot of raw violence. There is also, unbeknownst to most people, a very easy way to make friends with a Demongut: fuck the living daylights out of her. Demonguts are as aggressive sexually as they are in everything else, and giving them a really hard shag will actually buy you a Demongut's tolerance, if not affection. (The hard part is getting in a position to have sex with her in the first place.) Once you do become her friend, of course, she'll still treat you as roughly as she does all her other friends; the difference is she won't genuinely be trying to kill you.

Common Family Names: Demongut, Flamebile, Dragonthroat

Dominant Religion: Pantheonism

Favored Deities: Zaera, Saclia

The Darkswallow Clan

Known for cunning and craft, the secretive Darkswallows are a mystery to most outsiders. Though they constantly weave webs of commerce, diplomacy and intrigue to strengthen their position as a clan, few know what's going on behind the carefully crafted face they present to outsiders.

Darkswallows have a strong affinity for magic; sorceresses and other mage classes are far more common here than they are in other clans. They value personal power and spend a great deal of time seeking greater heights of martial prowess and magic, and they see political maneuvers as no different than physical ones.

Darkswallows are also known for using powerful monsters in combat; unlike other clans, who tend to impress the "common" monsters into their armies, Darkswallows like to cultivate relationships with exceptionally strong monsters; dragons, naga sorceresses and other rare and powerful breeds are this clan's favored pets and allies. When powerful monsters are not available, the Darkswallows rely on armies of magical or summoned creatures; elementals and shades are particularly popular. A few Darkswallows summon demons for this purpose, but the Darkswallows are smart enough to know that demonic alliances will always be a mixed blessing.

Darkswallows have exceptional skill at crafting weaponry. While their other crafting skills are merely average, a Darkswallow blade is often lighter, sharper, and stronger than it's common contemporaries. They are often enchanted as well; in fact, practically every warrior worth her salt in the Darkswallow clan will be carrying at least one enchanted weapon, and they sell such weapons in great numbers to other clans. This, in combination with their natural cunning and political prowess, has resulted in the Darkswallows becoming one of the wealthiest of clans (alongside the Whitethroats and, sometimes, the Mecki.)

They are also strategists by nature. Darkswallows love the intricate challenges of going up against an opponent in a battle of wits--it is something they naturally enjoy. Many play strategic games against other members of their clan and there is always lively debate among commanders during actual wars. This gives them an edge in some cases, but can prove a liability in others--sometimes Darkswallows will become overconfident in their unusual strategic maneuvers, choosing a feint or a sneak attack that is successful in a game when it isn't strategically appropriate in a real battle. Others will grow too fond of a particular kind of strategy, focusing too much on a particular unit type or only using a certain kind of diplomacy regardless of what the situation really calls for.

Those who have experience and insight in enough different areas, however, prove to be nearly unbeatable leaders. Much of the formidable strength of clan Darkswallow comes not from their magics, crafting or any other genetic advantage, but from just a few exceptionally cunning leaders who are able to find opportunities for victory (or at least survival) in almost any circumstance.

Common Family Names: Darkswallow, Kaleta, Spinebelly, Exitus

Spinoffs: The Dark Flower Clan (Hybrid with Velvet Flowers)

Dominant Religion: Empiricism

Favored Deities: Irael, Gethross, Meisha

The Whitethroat Clan

An enigmatic clan of grace and sophistication, the Whitethroats are as powerful as they are arrogant. Whitethroats are enamoured with finery, wealth, and status, and they hoard all three as much as possible. They are willing to trade one for another at times, particularly when the trade favors them, and Whitethroat lingirie and jewelry often finds it's way into the hands of other clans--at very high prices.

The Whitethroats also fare well in magical pursuits--in fact, they see the Darkswallows as their only rivals in magical power. The Whitethroats even deign to challenge the Darkswallows in enchanting, although they focus more on enchanted cloth and lingirie than the weapons the Darkswallows create. They eschew the use of armor, preferring instead to create "Uniforms" of enchanted cloth to protect them in battle. These uniforms often denote the Whitethroat's social position and duties as well.

There is another reason Whitethroats prefer enchanted uniforms to other forms of protection: they have a major cosplay fetish. They go so far with these roles that they develop their own skills and techniques that fit in with their preferred cosplay. A nurse fetishist, for example, might develop skills in both healing magic and potion making in order to better play the role of a nurse. They also choose enchantments that fit the role of the favored cosplay. The same Whitethroat nurse's uniform might bestow mild regenerative properties on it's wearer, while her cap will have enchantments to instill trust in her 'patient' so that she may do a proper 'checkup.' Her stethoscope could be a magical item as well, allowing her to sense what areas of the body are weakened or damaged, to either help heal them or, in the case of adversaries, find weak points.

Their weapons also revolve around their fetishes, producing effective (yet sometimes comical) results. Although most of these cosplay fetishes involve some type of formal occupation--waitress, secretary, teacher, ballet--some of them are more kinky, like BDSM mistress, school girl, assorted anime girls (although anime is not nearly as popular among the Whitethroats as it is the Meckis, it still has a following) and things of that nature. Not all Whitethroats care to admit that they even have a cosplay fetishes, thinking their "professional dress" is perfectly normal. Others have little choice but to admit it's a fetish; while a city guard may be able to get away with dressing like a policewoman without seeming out of sorts, a priestess who dresses like a schoolgirl in a city with no schools really doesn't have that luxury.

The Whitethroat's relationship with other clans is something that is constantly shifting. Their haughty nature tends to offend their would-be allies, and conversely the Whitethroats are often offended by meaningless slights committed by others. The Whitethroats love politics, however, and so they can rarely resist the allure of a new alliance or rebuilding an old one for long. They also see the intrinsic value in having allies, and this has helped them form relationships when all else has failed. They are not particularly hostile; they are merely full of themselves. They can be quite friendly when approached the right way.

When going to war, the Whitethroats deploy small numbers of heavily armed elite units, along with a horde of mercenaries. Whitethroats are not built for combat, so they rely on magic and magical equipment; a typical Whitethroat warrior will be bedecked in full enchanted armor, on a barded horse, with more magical rings and amulets than most people could even fit on their fingers. Because these units are expensive, only the most powerful warriors are fielded in this way. They form the core of the command groups and battle line, while the rest is filled out with mercenaries. This means that a Whitethroat army will typically consist of a few extremely powerful units and a whole lot of questionable fodder. When severely pressed, the magic-using classes of the whitethroats will join the battle, followed by the normal martial classes and guards, but only when the money has run out or the situation is desperate.

Common Family Names: Whitethroat, Deeplady, Snowbreast, Sillana

The Mecki Clan

A clan known for their contraptions, the Mecki clan loves to make odd things. They have more enchanters, artificers, engineers and alchemists than any other clan, and rare indeed is the Mecki girl who does not have at least a little skill in crafting.

Meckis also have a tendency to combine crafting abilities in unusual ways. They might, for example, use a powdered gem as part of a potion, then use the potion as part of an enchantment. Others might use a combination of simple enchantments to make a very complex effect, combining gears, potions and fire spells to make a motorcycle, for example.

These strange contraptions are the clan's primary advantage and their primary form of trade. They sell these devices and artifacts to other clans and use them to power their armies. As a result, the Mecki tend to be both adaptable and inconsistant. Some Mecki clans will have armies that are nigh-unstoppable while others can be rolled over with a minimum of effort, all depending on what devices they have built and in what numbers. While one group of Meckis may have been building railroads and technomantic sex toys, another may have been building an army of tanks, warmechs and battleships.

These armies are not necessarily deployed all that often, however. Meckis are socially very tolerant of others, whether they be from another clan or even another species. They rarely start fights, and most of them are willing to forgive an attacker if they believe their apology is sincere.

One drawback to having so many crafters in one clan is that some of the other functions go unfulfilled. Few of the Mecki have the patience for guard duty, and few Engineers have the skills to capture creatures to eat without resorting to some strange device (which is what they usually end up doing). They can make up for most of their deficiencies with their magical or technological items, but if you catch a Mecki unprepared, she's usually screwed.

The Mecki are one of the few clans who have a consistantly positive relationship with the Black Crescent clan. First off, they both love submarines, whereas most other clans are lucky if they've ever even seen one. Second, they both love starships. Third, the Mecki can provide the Black Crescents with all of the aforementioned, complete with all kinds of cool whizbang gadgetry. And fourth, the Crescents' spy network can give the Mecki a heads-up on any attack that might be coming from another clan. So while they're not quite sisters, the Crescents and the Meckis are generally very friendly with one another.

The Mecki are capable of making enormous amounts of money with their skills, provided they put them to the proper use. While they are always hesitant to sell weaponry and war machines to other clans (for obvious reasons) they can make a killing by building, selling or using equipment that serves other functions for their clients. Vehicles and mass-transit can provide a hefty chunk of income, as can simple widgets like long grabbing arms that help other girls harvest nuts from carnivorous plants without becoming meals for them. They also love to trade in gems, though they always seem to prefer buying them to selling them.

Common Family Names: Mecki, Zurabelle, McWidget

Predominant Religions: Empiricism, Rumpibumpi

Favored Deities: Technicia, Meisha, Ruble

The Maizer Clan

The gluttonous Maizers seem nice enough on the surface. They are careful not to offend other clans and are actually very open and friendly, forming trade relationships and helping other clans with their business. They go to great lengths to maintain this facade of benevolence, because if the other clans found out what their interests really were, their main source of food would be cut off.

Maizers are secretly taught mastery of powerful shrinking magic from a young age. After the Maizers have spent a certain amount of time building up a relationship with the surrounding clans, certain members of those clans will start disappearing. Most assume that they fell prey to monsters; this is, after all, a common occurrence.

The truth is much more insidious.

A Maizer's favorite way of scoring a meal is to make friends with another girl, invite her over one night, then shrink her. Maizer shrinking magic is incredibly powerful--it is practically permanent, and even skilled mages find it very difficult to break the spell. For those Maizers who don't use magic, they can use one of the potent shrink rays or shrinking potions their clan can provide; this clan has an unsurpassed mastery of both. Once shrunk, the poor girl will be practically at the mercy of the hungry Maizer.

Maizers love this part of the game. Some will taunt the girl for a while, while others can't wait to get them down into their belly. Some will even keep them as playthings for days on end, but ultimately, they all end up in the same place: The Maizer's belly.

Most clans have no idea how many of their members are being shrunk and swallowed whole by gluttonous Maizers. While most limit themselves to indulging in a girl every week or two, some Maizers may end up swallowing as many as four or five girls per week, or even per day. Some even build up collections of prisoners, making the survivors watch as their former compatriots are eaten.

Some Maizers abstainfrom this practice, either because they have ethical issues with it or because it would pose too great a risk. Few betray their clan's secret, however, because to do so is practically a guaranteed way to find themselves on the losing end of their own clan's shrinking magic. When they do warn others, it is discrete and not necessarily very specific, and they will typically only warn those they care about. Most Maizers already have plans in place to handle renegades who go blabbing to the other clans; they will have any number of stories and trails of falsified evidence to exonerate themselves at any given time.

Maizers--whether genetically or due to their gluttonous diets--have extremely large breasts and are often more thickly built than other clans.

Common Family Names: Maizer, Bostella, Gholita

Predominant Religion: Pantheonism

Favored Deities: Zaera, Phoebe

The Black Crescent Clan

The stereotype that all Black Crescents are spies and thieves, while popular, is hardly accurate.

They're also pirates.

None dispute this clan's mastery of both the waves and the shadows, pillaging caravans and homes alike for treasure and meals. Not every Black Crescent ship is hostile--many of them are merchant ships--but most seagoing captains have learned to fear and respect Crescent banners.

The Black Crescents are masters of the oceans; not only are their small skiff vessels and destroyers faster and sturdier than the ships of other races and clans, but the Crescents are one of the few factions to routinely deploy submarines and other exotic watercraft. As they consider the seas to be their domain, it is common for Crescents to exact a "toll" on travellers. (Often, this toll can be waived if the ship in question will trade a certain value of wares with the Black Crescent captain, giving them great leverage as merchants.) Those who refuse or choose to fight come to learn that the Crescents' other reputation--that as masterful swordswomen--is just as well deserved as their reputation as thieves. The advantage to paying the toll, conversely, is that you won't get robbed...usually.

The Black Crescents don't prey on everyone, of course. Like all clans, they've got their favorites and friends who have earned (or bought) their respect and thus free travel across the waves. In addition, not all Crescents are pirates or thieves; in fact, most aren't. It's just the fact that most pirates are from this clan that leads everyone to believe that everyone from this clan is a pirate.

The Crescents are also masters of the shadows. A Black Crescent spy is very tricky to catch. Ironically, this is partially because they refuse to use invisibility magic of any kind. Instead, they use powerful spells that are designed to thrwart magical detection, then rely on old fashioned sneaking to get past anyone who might want to catch them.

The Crescents are also strong as a spacefaring clan--some would say even moreso than on conventional boats. They seem to grasp the cloak and dagger of starship combat very well, especially when their technology allows them to take the "cloak" quite literally.

Common Family Names: Shadowhand, Stargazer, Moonlace

Predominant Religion: Celestialism (Lunarism)

Favored Deities: Liara

The Beastvine Clan

The Beastvines are a clan predominated by huntresses, and their culture reflects this. They have a greater affinity for beasts and monsters than most other clans and they are one of the few that actively studies them on a large scale. A typical Beastvine is born knowing more about monsters than most girls could ever hope to learn.

Many Beastvines even go so far as to ally themselves with monster tribes, giving them resources few other clans can muster. Mixed legions of Beastvines and monsters--some trained, some enslaved, some willing--are not uncommon. In fact, in some areas the genetics of the Beastvines and their monster allies become so intermixed that there are literal halfbreeds--creatures that belong both to a monster tribe and the Beastvine clan. Genetically the Beastvines are closest to the Whitefeather tribe, but this clan is not the only clan the Beastvines have been known to ally or share genes with.

Beastvines have a scholastic streak, and they have a particular interest in the natural world, which they study with great fervor. Beastvines trace the effects of interbreeding and genetics much more closely than other clans and are one of the few who have a detailed grasp on Ishara's ecosystem as a whole. They are the only clan that keeps a history of monster as well as human events, and they track the internecine alliances and conflicts between monster tribes as closely as they do the girl clans.

Beastvines possess unusual skills in alchemy, but it is not because they are particularly exotic or powerful--it is, instead, because practically their whole population is capable of mixing potions, and those classes who could already do so (alchemists and, to a lesser extent, huntresses) are more talented. A few Beastvines--particularly their real alchemists--are even capable of creating monster totems and shamanistic charms.

Common Family Names: Beastvine, Ephyta, Mountainshadow

Predominant Religion: Totemism/Empiricism/Celestianism

Favored Deities: Trina, Zicata

Unaligned Girls

Not every girl is born as a member of a clan. In fact, on many worlds, the majority of them aren't. Such girls sometimes join a clan and sometimes they form factions of their own. Most unaligned girls live in simple villages in much the same way as clan girls, and in many ways the two are indistiguishable outside of the fact that they don't hold allegiance to any particular group. They are also more diverse, owing to the fact that they don't have the unified personality quirks that come with sharing a particular clan's genetics.

The distinction between "Clan" and "Unaligned" girls is a hazy one--as clans are partially genetic, "membership" is measured more by degrees than as a simple yes or no. A Girlyburp may only have 15% of the genes that are considered "Girlyburp" genes, and this would be perfectly normal--in fact, it is impossible for a single girl to have all of the genes that are associated with a particular clan, and "purebloods" are fantastically rare--even the most inbred Firebelly will not have more than 35% of her genes come from her clan. "Unaligned" girls are simply girls that don't have enough genes from any particular clan to feel like they're a part of it. They can still join the clan politically, but if left to their own devices, they won't claim to be part of any clan.

Because unaligned girls have a greater mix of genetics, it is sometimes possible for clan girls to be born in unaligned villages. Some will not even realize they are genetically part of a clan, depending on the genetic memories they are born with. Large unaligned villages can brim with girls of every clan, forming a piecemeal society that is far more integrated than others; a city that has a small population from every clan will often see it as natural that the clans get along, even as the planet next to them suffers under massive clan wars.

Girls can also be born of mixed ancestry--a girl who is equal parts Ironbelly and Beastvine is perfectly possible. Such a clean combination of genes is typically only possible when two members of different clans mate, but sometimes the randomized genes of a newborn will just happen to have predominant traits from in two clans simultaneously. In cases where large numbers of such girls are born, an offshoot or sub-clan is often formed (such as the Dark Flowers or the Stonefists).

Many of the large spacefaring factions, such as the Allied Star Protectorate and the Planetary Defense Coalition, also contain a mix of clans. Typically these girls have put aside their old clan rivalries (if they ever knew about them at all) and work side by side with others. Sometimes, though, these clan rivalries can resurface--the Interstellar Assault fleet, which contains a large number of Firebellies, always seems to be at war with the Breasted Regime, which contains a large number of Demonguts...

The Dainty Darlings (By Brad Repko)

This clan is not only the oddest of all the girl clans, but it's girls are the strangest of any creature in Ishara. Where as the Girlyburps are known for weak girls, all Danity Darlings are pitifully weak in all forms of combat and magic. From the simplist of spells to the most rudamentry of physical labors, these girls are horribly innefficient at it. It doesn't help that they rival the Girlyburps as the cutest of clans and the tastiest of morsels, either, which has made some call them by the Dainty Delights, instead. Due to this fact, they reproduce faster than any other girl, and some of the greater monsters too. This could also be an effect of them being constantly digested and the fact that they mate like bunnies, being horny all the time. What makes them so unique, however, is their innability to digest anything with spirit matter present within, or, in otherwords, anything living. Their bodies produce a special chemical that coats anything with spirit matter inside their stomachs with a mucus that specifically reacts with their digestives to cancel out the effects, and in fact, make their stomachs an even more pleasurable experience than it would be. However, this mixture in their stomachs only works with their acids, and can't be used to make anti digestion potions. Although some have came up with the idea of making anti digestion potions from the special ability of these girls, many others have come up with the idea without ever hearing of the Dainty Darlings. In fact, those that use the mucus in the Dainty Delights stomachs as a basis for their research on anti digestion potions typically end up with more questions than results, while those trying to make them from their own studies often have better results. It appears the Goddesses made the special mucuses of these girls stomachs in a unique way that cannot be reproduced, meaning any other forms of anti digestion formulas will have to be come up with from scratch.

Now, the total lack of defenses, even in using vore, may make some of you feel sorry for these girls, but no creature in Ishara would agree with you. That is because ALL girls in the Dainty Darlings clan are submissive, and love to be digested. They are often taken by other girls as slaves or pets, if not eaten outright, and the ones that aren't will go right up to another girl and ask to be her slave. This has made some comical scenes when the particular girl knew nothing of the Dainty Darlings, and having a girl come up to you and ask to be your slave is not a normal occurence in Ishara (except, of course, if you live near these girls). Although pain is less in Ishara, and is inevitably good pain, because it causes pleasure and desire, too, these girls have the pleasure caused by pain amplified, meaning they love really rough mistresses. That isn't to say they don't love mistresses that are loving and kind, they can just climax much more powerfully from pain, and infact, can experience orgasms just from pain alone. The problem with that is, their health is often weaker than most girls because of their unusual genetics, and the fact that they can't digest living beings, so they will faint if someone treats them too agressively, although this can often be solved by magic or enchanted items. Their personalities make them the only girls that are true allies with the Demonguts, as they enjoy making these cuties squeal almost as much as the cuties enjoy being made to squeal. In fact, they make such an impact that even the ferocious, cold hearted Demonguts have been known to break through their shell and become truly sentimental of their favored little pet. They try not to show such emotion to anyone else, although the girl will invariably know it from the emotion involved in their treatment. Of course, the Demongut will show these feelings with increasing wicked tortures, to which the dainty little pet will love all the more. Many girls that don't initially eat them, Demonguts included, can become so emotionally attached to these girls that they become fiercely protective of them, not allowing anyone but themselves to hurt them.

The fact they rival Girlyburps in cuteness, and although the Girrlyburps won't admit it, they are irked with being rivaled in tastiness too, are the main reasons why they can't stand these girls. Also, when they try an agressive approach with them, the Dainty Darlings girls will inevitably become enamored and overjoyed with them, leads only to further frusturation. This distaste towards the Dainty Darlings is not a mutual expression, as they love and enjoy the company of all girls. Some Girlyburps do not dislike the Dainty Darlings, however, and in fact, even like them so much as to join there clan in order to dominate as many of them as they can. These cases are the only exceptions to all Daninty Darlings being submissive, unable to digest, and defenceless, as the leaders of the few towns that aren't 'kennels' to other clans are led by Girly Burps.

Although the Dainty Darlings love all girls and respond to hostility possitively, they have a natural fear of anything that isn't a girl. This isn't as much a dislike so much as a fear of the unknown, as many of them have become slaves and pets to monsters, demonesses, faeries, and even angels. They just find the additional traits in their appearance unnerving and get fearful of them, which can be cleared up with proper handling, particularly the 'tender roughness' aprroach, where they talk to sweetly and caress them gently inbetween brutal bouts of rough handeling. This is a technique especially favored by demonesses. Most Dainty Delights have a secret fetish involving monsters, what it would be like to be owned and digested by one of them, but they keep this to themselves, although, it is of note that some of the happiest of Dainty Darlings were owned by monsters and demonesses.

The Demon Princesses (By Brad Repko)

The Demon Princesses are a hybrid clan of Demongut and Girlyburp, usually with some demoness genes mixed in as well. They are haughty, prideful, and well balanced in all things. It isn't unusual for girls of the Demon Princesses to dabble in several things at once, like magic, combat, potion brewing, and smithing. Having multiple interests doesn't seem to hinder their progress in them either; in fact, they generally excel in all feats that interest them. This makes them typically tremendously powerful and unpredictable, but also tends to severely limit their reproduction speed. Their are typically far fewer of them than most clans, which means they tend to not group together and live as individuals in other clans or unaligned towns. Even their villagers tend to be well practiced in what they do, mixing potions, knitting fabrics, constructing building, etc.

Despite being a girl clan, they tend fare better in Faneglut than they do in Prime, as they tend to view themselves as better than the average "human," and this haughtiness tends to irritate other girls. They revere demoness however, having a great respect for their power and lifestyle, which even they admit is typically more so than their own. They tend to favor one fane among others though, so established Demon Princesses will typically be found around like minded Demon Princesses and their fane of choice. The color of the jewel on their emblem is determined by what fane they ally themselves with, red for blood, silver for bone, tan for flesh, green for bile, and so on. Their personality also tends to be more in tune with the Fane of their preference, so Demon Princesses are often full fledged members of that fane rather than with any established Demon Princess town. In Prime, they tend to be obsessed with demoness and will often try to summon them or open portals to faneglut. When part of another clan, they tend to be the envoy to the demonesses, although they have bee known to backstab their clan and work for the demoness.

Demoness, for the most part, respect their loyalty and devotion to their cause, and appreciate their power, and either accept them as full fledged members of their clan or, if they live in an established town, have close ties with them. Queens of Demon Princess towns tend to have even more demoness genes than most, and usually have some slight features, such as small horns or wings, or a small, slender demon tail. One other place where Demon Princesses commonly establish themselves as their own clan besides Faneglut is in the reaches of Space between planets on Prime. No where else do they display themselves as a force to be reckoned with on their own than in space, although their to they respect and tend to ally with demoness of their preference. One oddity about the Demon Princesses is their reverence for the unbirthing process of the Empirisai. While most fear it for it totally rewrites the soul, the Demon Princesses see it as destroying their own mortal ties and being reborn as an immortal demoness; the fact that they lose all memories and powers of their former lives is of little consequence to them, they see it as a total improvement, and welcome the power such a transformation brings.

Auterie

Auterie reproduce more quickly than Lexians but their birth classes are proportionally weaker. The most common birth classes for the Auterie are classes that rely on stealth or mischief; the most powerful Auterie are typically witches, assassins, rogues and saboteurs. Part of this is doubtless because the Auterie are exceptionally clever and intelligent; in this respect they regularly meet and even exceed the Lexians. In fact, the Auterie produce some of the sharpest minds in the galaxy.

Auterie are unusual in that they compulsively secrete honey when they think they are about to be eaten. Auterie honey is a strong, quick-acting narcotic, similar to Shior'Tass honey, and the resulting distraction gives the more cunning ones an opportunity to get away. On the other hand, if they miss the opportunity, or the distraction isn't enough to loosen the predator's grip, they will be all the more eager to send the hapless Auterie down their throat.

There is some speculation that the similarity between Auterie and Shior'Tass' honey is genetic, especially since the Auterie are one of the only non-tiny races that the Tass seem willing to talk to. In fact, the two seem to be co-conspirators more often than they are enemies, and considering how incredibly xenophobic the Tass are towards other "normal-sized" races, it's almost impossible not to suspect a connection between them.

Auterie belong to the same clans as Lexians in a general sense, but they almost always form a sub-clan for themselves, even when they consider themselves part of the main clan. There are a few exceptions, notably the Black Crescent and Mecki clans, but for the most part Auterie tend to stay in the background and let their Lexian sisters worry about the day to day business. That's assuming they're lucky enough to be with Lexians; it is all too common for them to find themselves sharing a habitat with Daiza.

Auterie tend to be eccentric and have a few abilities that other girls do not have. For example, they are capable of siphoning a small amount of another creature's energy simply by being in close contact with them rather than having to eat them. They do this numerous ways--touching, biting, sex, laying on top of someone while they sleep. With practice and some magical boosting this ability can become dangerous or even lethal. The reverse is also true; Auterie with an excess of energy can share it with others. This is an invaluable trait in adventuring parties that include non-humans, as it can actually sustain non-human creatures, reducing or even eliminating the need for them to eat other living beings. This can be quite important when a group needs to conduct business with groups that might hold a grudge if one of them gets eaten. This is not a perfect solution, however, as it merely diverts the costs of feeding the party elsewhere; an Auterie who is making up for a hungry friend needs a ridiculous amount of food, which is part of what gives this species a marked reputation as gluttons. Auterie will almost never turn down food, and since they will typically "give away" excess energy if their own reserves are full, they can actually keep eating almost indefinately. (In fact, in places such as Brightwind, especially ravenous Auterie are often required to have an angel in their belly at all times, just to make sure they don't starve all the other angels)

Whether they are draining energy or giving it off, being in close contact with an Auterie induces a much reduced version of their honey's narcotic properties, making the sense of being with an Auterie very pleasant regardless of whether she's giving or taking. (This might make them popular in Faneglut if demons didn't consider it demeaning to even acknowledge that human races weren't all just one big faceless rabble.)

Semestia

Semestia are recognizable by their exaggerated curves and the subtle sheen on the surface of their skin. They typically have unusual, exaggerated proportions, such as extremely large breasts or broad hips with very narrow waistlines.

The Semestia's strange visual proportions arise from the fact that their digestive tracts are considerably extended and capable of doing things that normal girl species cannot. The most prominent ability is "breast vore;" the ability to ingest creatures through their nipples and absorb them within the breast. This is unique primarily because it does not require actual digestion.

Semestia, like the Latiyce, are capable of meta-absorption. In the case of the Semestia,

Daiza

Of all the Girl races, the Daizas have the most trouble surviving off of normal food. It can be done, but they do not enjoy it; they are one of the few girl races that actually feel the lack of living food even if they have sufficient normal food. They rarely have to, however, for their spores are biased towards producing members of their favorite prey species: the Auterie.

As they are both Girl species, Auterie are not naturally frightened of Daizas, and the Daizas make sure to hide the fact that they make regular meals out of the Auterie. They are very similar to the Maizer clan in this respect; in fact, it has been said that a Daiza is simply a Maizer who was born in the wrong clan. (They share other characteristics as well, notably the ability to become fat. Not all Daizas get fat, but those that do can get fatter than almost any other girl is capable of.)

The Daiza have found the most convenient way to keep their steady stream of meals is to keep large groups Auterie captive. They can't be overt about this, of course--they don't want to fight an army of Auterie prisoners. Instead, they confine them in places which are supposedly for their own good, most commonly masquerading as schools. They typically tell the Auterie that the school is sealed off to prevent monster attacks, which is usually at least half true--it's sealed off, and while there are often monsters outside, the threat they pose is generally highly exaggerated.

Of course, the Daiza don't bother to put much effort into the educational aspects of this masquerade, and many don't even put that much effort into the security either. Girl-eating creatures that lurk in dark places often manage to sneak into the "schools," hiding in lockers and bathrooms to snatch unwary prey.

Even though this is the simplest way for Daiza to feed themselves and it is a fairly common phenomenon in isolated areas, Daizas are fairly normal elsewhere. Those who prey on their fellow humans carry out their deceitful predation with varying degrees of finesse, but many of them simply choose to feed on monsters instead.

Amoebas

Amoebas are a unique brand of monster that are fairly common in space. They are unusual primarily in that their entire bodily structure is composed of gelatinous elements. There is no solid matter inside them. Instead, their flesh and internal organs are composed of thick slimes that are separated from one another by enzymes and membranes that ensure that the unique parts of each "organ" remain in their proper places. What distinguishes them from giant enzymes and slimes found on planets is that they actually have organs in the first place.

The primary advantage of these gelatinous organs is that amoebas are immune to all but the most powerful of kinetic weaponry. The damage caused by cannon shells and bullets is of no consequence, as the gelatinous organs will simply flow back into their original configurations.

Extremely powerful kinetic weapons can damage them, however. While amoebas can simply absorb normal kinetic damage, anything that causes major shockwaves to move through it's body will cause the gelatinous tissues to spray into one another and, to some extent, out of the amoeba. This damage is more difficult for it to repair.

Likewise, explosives of low yield will do very little damage, but high yield explosives can damage or even destroy an amoeba.

Energized particle weapons (plasma bolts, ion beams etc) will typically have their full effect, whereas the effect of lasers is somewhat unpredictable since amoebas are often at least partially translucent or transparent.

Amoebas feed primarily by simply engulfing their targets. Their entire bodies contain digestive enzymes that liquify anything they come in contact with and convert it into nutrients for the amoeba. Materials that have been broken down are often channelled into dedicated digestive organs, but even the outer skin of an amoeba is capable of digestion. This means that even a small amoeba poses a threat to a starship, as it can attach itself to the ship and begin dissolving the hull.

Amoebas digest a much smaller percentage of their meals than most space creatures, since they do not make much use of solid matter. They typically only absorb organic, fleshy tissues and then discard or destroy the rest.

Cone Crabs

These spaceborne crustaceans are uniquely adapted to fighting and eating armored targets. They attack using a long tongue with an armor-piercing tip. This tip expands like a grappling hook once it pierces it's target and pulls it into the cone crab's mouth. At this time, huge, claw-like mandibles chew and punch holes in the target as it is drawn through the mouth and into the cone crab's belly. While this does little but weaken other space monsters, it is devastating to starships as their armor will be riddled with so many holes that the entire ship will begin to fill with acid the moment it reaches the cone crab's stomach.

Cone crabs have two stomachs. The first one is optimized for dissolving and absorbing organic matter, such as other space monsters or your typical starship crew. The second is designed for digesting and absorbing metal--particularly the stronger kinds. After a meal has spent a certain amount of time in the first stomach, it is moved into the second where the cone crab begins digesting it's metal components. The strongest materials are built onto the tips of the mandibles and tongue to ensure their ability to pierce the armor of future meals, while the rest is added as armor on the crab's head and it's cone-shaped shell. Thus, cone crabs which feed in areas with a lot of starship traffic tend to be stronger than those who feed in monster-controlled areas (these do not have access to metal cannot sharpen their mandibles or strengthen their shells, so they are referred to as "softshells.") Sometimes cone crabs will eat asteroids or other objects with high metal content in order to strengthen themselves, but objects with a high enough concentration of metal are hard for them to find (they have to be able to see the metal on the surface).

Sac Spiders

Sac spiders are vaguely spiderlike creatures consisting of an abdomen with a mouthlike opening on one side and a set of four long arms on the other. Each of these arms ends in a claw with a powerful pulse ion burner.

The sac spider feeds by projecting a weblike material from it's mouth and pulling it's target to it. If the target is a starship, it will begin attacking with the pulse ion burners inside it's claws, destroying all of it's weapons so that it can feed safely. If it is another space monster, it will grab ahold of it's limbs using it's claws for long enough to swallow the creature.

Sac spiders swallow their targets by pushing their stomachs out of their bodies and using them to engulf their targets. During this process, tendrils from deeper inside the sac spider will move into the target and assist in digestion by absorbing nutrients or swallowing smaller pieces that can be digested inside one of the sac spider's many internal secondary stomachs. In the case of a human-sized sac spider, the tendrils will generally just wrap around the person inside and go all hentai on them. In the more common case of a starship-sized sac spider, the tendrils will actually seek out and swallow any crew that the tendrils can reach so that they can be digested inside the sac spider itself.

Once all meaningful nutrients from the target have been absorbed, the stomach retracts back into the sac spider and the slimy remains of the meal will simply be left floating in space.

Sac spiders' primary defense is their speed. They cannot take much damage and have no long-anged weapons, though the ion burners on their claws are very powerful at close range and can incapacitate most foes in short order. Likewise, the claws themselves are very strong and can pin down most other space monsters for at least as long as it takes for the sac spider's stomach to wrap itself around them.

Sac Mothers

Sac mothers are a broodlord form of sac spider, with typical specimens being 0.5 to 2 kilometers long. Sac mothers maintain enormous networks of webbing and can shoot it across considerable distances. Unlike the small, simple sac spiders, sac mothers have large and complex bodies consisting of many different segments, the end of which is actually a human taur.

The webbing created by sac mothers comes in two kinds: One is a thick, white, sticky webbing similar to that used by sac spiders. The second is a transparent, silk-like webbing which is used as more of a sensory organ. When something touches this webbing, the sac mother and her sticky webbing move towards it. The webbing arches around the target in an attempt to trap it.

Once a creature is trapped in the webbing, sac spiders will begin to swarm over it. If it is small enough, a sac spider will engulf it with it's stomach and either digest it on the spot or carry it to the sac mother. If the target is too large, the sac spiders will disable it with their claws and then drag it to the sac mother. Once a target has reached the sac mother she will simply take it in her hands and swallow it. If her normal belly is full she has several external and dozens of internal secondary stomachs identical to those of normal sac spiders.

Sac mothers spawn sac spiders directly and will spawn them in multiple sizes, ranging from human-sized to mammoths about 1/3 of the size of the sac mother herself. These enormous specimens serve as the mother's personal bodyguard.

Frogspheres

These unusual specimens resemble dark, fleshy orbs that float through space. Small black eyes dot their surface at irregular intervals. Upon close inspection, small sphincters can be seen across it's entire surface. These sphincters contain one of two things: a long, sticky tongue, or a long, poisonous spike.

Whenever they sense a potential meal nearby, one of the sphincters on their surface will open and a tongue will lash out, siezing the target and yanking it down into the frogsphere's body where it is channeled into it's stomach. Approximately half of the sphincters on the frogsphere are of this type.

Because these tongues must be large enough to snatch the prey and pull it through the sphincter, frogspheres tend to feed on considerably smaller creatures. A 100-meter Frogsphere may feed on creatures the size of normal humans. They rarely attack starships as a result, with the dramatic exception of fighters--frogspheres are a flying nightmare for fighter pilots because a frogsphere can snatch them up three and four at a time, ingesting entire fighter wings in a matter of minutes.

If another creature attacks or tries to eat a frogsphere, it will fire long, razor-sharp spikes out of the other half of it's sphincters. Each of these is impregnated with a powerful, though short-acting, poison. After a short time it will retract these spikes and, if the attacker is still upon it, it will fire them out again.

Dewstars

These plantlike space monsters consist of a central sphere and dozens of long tendrils which end in blobs of thick, sticky acid. When attacking, dewstars attach these tendrils to their targets and the acid blobs begin dissolving the target. As the target liquifies, the dewsphere channels the liquid through the tendrils and into it's digestive organs. The tendrils have "mouths" which suck this liquid in and are also capable of sucking in small creatures directly (such as humans). When attacking a starship, it is most common for dewstars to use the acid blob on a tendril to burn through the hull, then use the exposed mouth on the tendril to suck up any crew in that area.

The most dangerous thing about dewstars is that they are able to teleport. One moment they could he half a mile away, and the next, they could be wrapping your ship in their tendrils. Even if the dewstar is subsequently killed, the acidic blobs will continue to eat through the hull (and potentially the crew) for quite some time.

The weakness of the dewstar is that, aside from their tough, fibrous skins, they have no defenses. Some have a few secondary means of attack, the most common being a stinger bearing a paralytic poison for use against other space monsters.