Genta Candidates, Part 5

Today, we introduce the tenth and last species of genta on Newhome: the Pikalka. This was one of the longest and best-written submissions, and we apologize to the person who made it for taking so long to post it; we wanted to be sure to do it justice.

By the end of next week, we hope to have the final ballot prepared, and then the voting can begin at last! We'll be posting a summary of all ten candidates at that time for easy reading and a handy reminder, and then two separate votes will be taken, one from the patrons in general and another by the Draak-Kin level supporters. The two chosen will be appearing in the final game in at least a minor role, and possibly more.

We have more to announce, but for now, we're looking forward to focusing on the vote and finishing up the final design stages for the storyline, which will only be possible when our full cast of species is known. Afterwards... well, why spoil the surprise? Enjoy learning about Newhome's smallest genta!

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The Pikalka (a.k.a. The Many)

Though their own name for their species roughly translates to “Those Who Are Many”, common culture has named these creatures the Pikalka, meaning “little warriors”. The term was coined by the Luxa, who first encountered them via a sudden and well-coordinated attack on the team sent to survey the island of Vivale, in the Dusk. To the Luxa, the island was but an almost-featureless rolling field hundreds of square kilometers in size covered in tall purple wheat-like vegetation which swayed hypnotically in the wind. With no large creatures or even large-scale tree-like vegetation in sight, the island was thought to be of little consequence, and surveying it was expected to be easy in the extreme.

After only a pul and a half, however, the survey team was suddenly attacked by thousands of insectoid beings, seemingly born of the very soil itself. Though small in size… the largest of them were less than 3 kilos in mass… their attacks were quite organized, striking at the perfect time and targeting the most sensitive Luxa body areas. The Luxa were quickly overwhelmed and in the confusion were ultimately forced out of the island’s lifezone to the shoreline of the Melt. At that point, the attackers retreated.

Through a combination of restraint on the part of the Pikalka (their intention was only to drive away, and not to kill) and a few perspicacious observations on the part of the survey team, a full research team followed to study the insectoids on the heels of the failed survey. What they found shocked them. It was not believed that a species with such small brains could be given genta status, but today, the Pikalka’s main claim to fame is that they have achieved full individual sentience despite their tiny size. Once the basic elements of their antenna-and-limb-sign-based language were decoded and first contact was made, the Pikalka (who, for their part, previously believed that anything as large as a Luxa could not possibly be intelligent in a case of reverse reciprocal bias) proved quite reasonable, even eager for informational and cultural exchange, though they remain willing to fight when they perceive a significant threat to their security.

Morphologically, the Pikalka resemble certain Earth insects, with six primary limbs and expressive antennae. The antennae are used for sign-communication and scent, being lined with sensory receptors. Their adult bodies have three distinct segments, though they do not possess a true exoskeleton, with each segment being covered by a layer of fat, skin, and hairs. These hairs are highly sensitive to sound and scent both.

Like the Fyrsa, individuals are practically identical in the early egg and grub phases of their lives, but eventually emerges as one of five castes after several rounds of pupation. The “worker” caste comprises nearly 2/3 of the population; about the mass of an Earth weasel or squirrel, they are detail-oriented and dexterous, able to use their small size to explore areas and maintain structures too small for larger castes to easily interact with. The larger “soldier” caste Pikalka have bodies the size of an Earth house cat. With strong, compact frames and sharp limbs capable of both grasping and cutting, they comprise about 20 percent of the population. Rarer than these are the diminutive but clever Scout caste, about the size of a chipmunk or mole, sporting keener senses and leaner, swifter bodies suited to gathering and reporting information.

Less than 2% of the population emerge as Queens, about as large as a fox and capable of flight when not gravid with eggs. Their pheromones are capable of directly influencing the behavior of other Pikalka, and a single Queen can command and coordinate a population of hundreds or even thousands of Pikalka with the skill of a master puppeteer. Finally, there is the exceedingly rare (<.5%) Prince caste, which, although similar in size to a Scout, are far more ornate, delicate, and able to resist the pheromones of the Queens. Only Queens (F) and Princes (M) are capable of flight and reproduction, with the other three castes being flightless drones. Queens choose Princes to be their consorts, advisors and breeding partners in a surprisingly romantic process, and some Princes are very active politically, while others are content to merely be doted upon by the Queens.

Pikalka settlements are vast undergound cities shaped like inverse pyramids, with the Queens and Princes living near the nadir. From there, a council of Queens rules each settlement as approximate equals, though the dynamics can become rather complex and regicide can occur under several circumstances. Like human tribes, individual colonies are highly competitive and frequently engage in warfare and competition over resources. Drones are wholly incapable of feeling resentment towards the “winged ones”, or upper castes, as their emotions are directly controlled by the Queens. They serve their rulers with the perfect loyalty of an ant or bee to its progenitor.

For their part, the upper castes make war on other colonies in an endless, natural competition for resources, but are also concerned with long-term exploration of reality in the form of science, poetry, and philosophy. When resources are plentiful, they innovate new quality-of-life improvements for all castes ranging from architecture to entertainment. One Prince-caste Pikalka, brought to Luxalo for cultural exchange study, became a famous comedian; its shockingly refreshing commentary on other Genta cultures are now extremely popular literature even as far away as Carnivalia, and has done much to convince the world that, despite their tiny size, the Pikalka are worthy of a voice in the planetary conversation. Under the direction of the Queens and Princes, the colonies are also capable of producing interesting artifacts, and have quickly learned how to maintain the technology of other races. Their small size makes them shockingly capable repairers and operators of machinery, and small subcolonies exist on many a Carnivalian zeppelin, performing constant maintenance in exchange for food, tickets, and a chance to see the world.

Luxa biologists remain heavily divided in their explanations of how such a small species could have such advanced intelligence. Some maintain that the layer of fat covering the segmentary skeleton serves as a kind of secondary brain, while others believe that the Pikalka’s cranial brain is based on a kind of neural superconductor, a superior design compared to the brains of other known gentas, but public discourse over the subject has been terse and, for some reason, highly regulated and often censored by the Grand Archive. Whatever the case, Pikalka colonies have sprung up on many islands since the Opening, where they rule as lords over the plants and animals too small for other genta species to concern themselves with, and despite their willingness to fight are widely regarded as good neighbors, so long as one does not trespass upon the clearly-marked “roofs” of their underground colonies.

While the Pikalka do not have an official Hierophant, they have been known to reference their “Great Ally”, whom they also call “The Renewer”. Despite many attempts to investigate, the true identity of this powerful non-Pikalka who seems to command the respect of the species as a whole is not publically known.

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And so ends our in-depth explanations of the ten candidates to be added to the list of genta species in Hierophant! If anyone who has taken the time to read them all would like to give a few early thoughts on which they felt were the most interesting, we'd love to hear about it in the Discord or the comments. All of them will have their day at the polls very soon!

-L