Xekzoi

People

The Xekzoi, or Xek, have a long and complicated history with the inhabitants of the star system, Daleth. Their sworn enemies are the Kr’v and extinct race, Tirakan, but they have also warred with many of the other species and races in their home system. The Xek thrive in conflict and conquest. It is a core principle of their way of life, and part of what has allowed them to amass technology beyond imagination, through conquering other species’ homeworlds and subduing inferior, but intelligent populations. To say all Xek are militaristic though is an over-simplification. The Xek are devoted to the pursuit of science, are vastly curious by nature, and enjoy building things from nothing.

Name

Xenosi live on the nearby planet of Xenosa (pronounced Zee-noh-saw). It is actually a misnomer to call them Xenosi (pronounced zee-noh-see]. These aliens, personally call individual Sims, “xeno,” meaning ‘the alien people.’ Their name is a misinterpretation of this term. The term ‘xenosi‘ literally means ‘alien seed.’ They call themselves “xekzo,” (pronounced zehk-sow) meaning ‘the green people.’  The collective group is called ‘Xekzoi’ (pronounced zehk-zoy). 

Origins and History

Though not many records survive, it is confirmed that the Xek once existed with Ṭirākaṉ (whom they called gol’odam). Early Xeks believed the dragons to be gods, and that O’dam was the dragon goddess responsible for all life. Naturally, they feared the fierce, powerful dragons, and believed that the Sims are the result of O’damsi or O’dam’s Seed. They also believe the first Xekzoi queen was hatched from a dragon egg. Their Traces of dragon DNA could possibly explain how they live up to hundreds, if not thousands of years, plus the addition of life extension technologies.

At first relations were peaceful, but gradually the Xek leadership grew more and more greedy, wanting Tirakan secrets and technology for themselves. The Xek are responsible for introducing an alien pathogen into the dragon populace, causing many Tirakan to go mad and begin petty wars with neighboring tribes on Kr’v, Jullanâr, Belzelasvajko (the Xek name for what would be Simterra), and Saturenorn. It is believed the Xek hoped to introduce chaos into the four inhabited planets on the other side of the asteroid belt to come in an exploit resources. Some believe they never intended to commit mass murder, nor did they intend to be fighting alien neighbors for thousands of years.

The Kr’v and Tirakan allied against the invading Xekzoi, and the Kr’v even developed an antidote to the dragon plague known as Tel. However, it was too late and most of the major cities had been destroyed on Kr’v, forcing the population underground due to the intense volcanic eruptions purposely detonated by the Xek, and Jullanâr was nearly engulfed by its own ocean. The battle for Simterra began as three races attempted to gain control. A telekinetic event known as The Interstellar Blip accidentally transported the majority of the Tirakan fleet, Kr’v warriors, and over half the Xek ships to the Sol System.

Important Early History

• The transported Xek conquered the Sims (people) in the Tropics on an island known as Atamusia, believed to be in the modern Earth day Bermuda Triangle. They utilized their superior military training and technology to force slave labor to rebuild starships.
• Back in the Daleth system, the last dromon (king) of the Xek negotiated peace treaties with its enemies, only to be betrayed by his lover and science advisor who staged a coup. To this day, the Xekzoi have been ruled by a ne’uuq (queen) or ne’uuqz (pair of queens).
• The Xek then used their military fleet to nearly destroy what was left of the crippled Kr’v regime and forced the Tirakan to retreat to their only remaining safe world – Simterra. An uneasy truce continued for eighty seven years.
• The Tirakan fought, what would seem to be, an impossible battle, defending the fledgling Sim nations emerging after the return of Tirakan and Kr’v of aliens from another planet (Sims from Old Eorthe). The Xek intended to conquer and occupy the Sim nations. The Twilight Hour (a three day skirmish) prevented the Xek from success, but at serious losses for all three parties. The Tirakan disappeared never to be seen again, the Kr’v returned to their homeworld behind the Xek blockade, and the Xek retreated in defeat.
• In the mid 20th century (for Earth), the Xek who disappeared to Earth returned with their slave labor force, only to find themselves outcast among their own people and rejected by the other races. Exhausted and depleted from their long journey, they became a sub-race known as the Orbix, adapted to long life in space. Orbix colonies settled primarily on backwoods and badlands on moons, places no one wanted to occupy.
• After the return of the Orbix, the Xek became newly interested in Simterra once again, and began abducting other races and species at hopes of determining ways to lengthen life. The Xek themselves were a dying people, doomed on a planet far from Sul, its sun, on the other side of an asteroid belt created in part by their own doing, the remains of space battles. The Belt prevented them from full scale war with Sims and other species until the late 2300’s – the First Xeno War (2365-2368 C.E.) and Second Xeno War (2378-2391 C.E.), most of which occurred in space with some infiltration/brief occupation in the jungles on the southern Simterran continents and on Luna and Cacophony.

Homeworld

The Xek live on X’hala (known as Xeno to the Sims, or the official scientific term is Eta X), the tenth planet in the star system. The Tirakan called the planet Exhala meaning ‘last breath.’ The planet has a yellowish thin atmosphere, heavy with CO2, toxic to most species, including Sims. The mostly barren world has a near universal cold desert climate with some hotter desert to the north and polar ice caps to the south. In the hot desert regions, you’ll find sandy beaches, yellow carbonated pools (from iron bacteria) sand dunes, red brown sand mountains, and hills with limited vegetation.

The Xek live underground in a complex network of vih’es (hives), with the capital city, Xenix, in the southernmost part of the planet. Their moon is called Yara, and they have one remaining known structural colony in the Belt called Sixam.

Biology

the Xekzo queen (front left) and another queen (middle right)

The Xekzoi are different biologically from the Sims in some ways, although they are humanoid.

• Their skin is green. This is due to a thousands-of-years old genetic disorder. Their dark skin affords them a high tolerance and almost immunity to heat. However, they are susceptible to cold, snow, and ice (which is tricky given their homeplanet is so cold). On the contrary, Orbix are immune to cold and greatly susceptible to heat due to their evolution during space travel for 400 years.
• Skin tones are varying shades of green among purebred Xek. Orbix range from bright blue to a dull bluish green. Purple skin is commonly seen between Orbix and Kr’v hybrids and sometimes a genetic malfunction, if you will, in the genes of Sim-Orbix hybrids.
• All Xek are born with wings, but these are forcibly removed in a birthing ceremony. Only the birth queens (valra) are allowed to keep their wings. This is a sign of genetic and cultural superiority. It is said “Fae” wings are a result of Xek DNA.
• Xek eyes are black and oval-shaped, and lack an iris, or have an unusually small iris known as a ghli (light). They see similarly to a bee, though they only have two eyes instead of five. They have large compound eyes with thousands of lenses, giving them a pixelated view of the world. Their eyes also allow them to detect movement at much higher speeds than normal humans. Their eyes are much larger than Sim eyes, and typically have a slight tilt.
• Their ears vary in size and shape. Females typically have large ears, pointed and sharp. It is said that the tips of a female ear could slice open a small creature. Male ears (and all Orbix ears) are round and small, comparable to humans. The Xek pass gas through their ears rather than their ends.
• Their heads and faces are often elongated. It is not uncommon for male heads to appear bulbous.
• They are typically 1.8 meters to 2.5 meters tall, though some can be abnormally shorter. This is typically seen in hybrids and the Orbix. Females are almost always taller than the males.
• They lack hair, but they are capable of growing hair. They are genetically incapable of any other pigment but black, though Orbix can grow a light bluish-green hair. The females sometimes dye their hair, a trend copied from the Sims. Growing facial hair is almost completely unheard of, with the exception of isolated Xek off-world.
• Their noses are small. Their sense of smell is the weakest.
• Their lips are typically thin. Their mouths are typically light blue in color.
• Their blood is blue, with a large presence of hemocyanin. If their blood turns greyish, this is a sign of disease.
• They typically are vegetarian as meat bothers their delicate sensitivities. Their favorite foods include fruit, flowers, juice, and nectar.
• If they live in a cold, frigid environment with exposure to the elements, their skin may gradually adapt and turn blue (common in the Orbix).
• They  lack traditional sexual organs. Females lay an egg which is fertilized and implanted in a male (or infertile female) host. The males carry the children for their race. The val’ra, or birth queen, can carry the maximum number of eggs. After encountering the Sims and other alien races, due to genetic experimentation, the Xekzoi can artificially create sex organs for their people. They can mate in the traditional sense, but this is typically considered “beneath them” and a “crude” practice. Male Orbix are often kept around for pleasure and hosts for children, and would be expected to care for their donor’s nest.
• Due to their advanced technology, the Xekzoi can change their appearance drastically – they can shapeshift. This is due to a device implanted in their brains. However, this technology is not always compatible with every Xek.
• The universal language is Rek. Xek voices are naturally high-pitched and nasally, and sometimes mimic electronic sounds, especially when excited or flustered.
• The Xek seem to only have dominant personality traits, making it semi-difficult to distinguish between each other. Their lesser traits such as shyness or aggression are genetically programmed out before birth, or they simply aren’t selected.
• Special crystals can help a Xek recharge brain chemistry quickly. They only need to sleep “in pods” for approximately 3 to 5 hours at a time.
• Xek have special mental abilities – allowing them to perform surface scans to read immediate surface thoughts and strong emotions of another. Trained Xek may also perform mind controlling abilities on another (usually unwilling) host. They are telepathic, but must be within visual range for telepathy to work. They are also, through the use of advanced technology, able to transfer life energy between forms (something spellcasters are also capable of doing on varying levels).
• Less common, some Xek are strictly empaths, capable of physically feeling another’s emotions. This is most common among male Xek, and rare among female.
• An enchanter is capable of reversing and terminating an alien pregnancy through introducing a Sunlight charm spell. The carrier will not remember the pregnancy, but will only remember that they lost weight.

Society

the Xekzoi queens on the right, a Sim supernatural hybrid woman (back left), and a Orbix man in humanoid form (front left)

• The society is matrilineal. A birth queen (val’ra) rules the people and the planet. She is the commander in chief of the military, the absolute monarch of the political sphere, and sets the standards for societal living.
• A birth queen is typically chosen in a hereditary fashion. A birth queen is chosen at random from the previous queen’s eggs, a selection of females groomed for the position of queen. These females (zou’bret) receive privileges – better food, living arrangements, education, training, deferential treatment, etc.
• The first female to reach maturity kills her rivals, including the former birth queen. The only surviving female becomes the next birth queen. She then announces her arrival through a lavish party with music, dancing, and feasting. The ev’ih (hives), the colonies, pledge their allegiance and devotion to the new queen.
• On rare occasion, two “sisters” survive the final battle, calling for a w’dar (draw) and there are two queens. This only happens once every several thousand years. In this case, one serves to further the hives through reproduction and political rule and the other serves as a military commander.
• A birth queen must go through a process called gteinns (nesting) once every 28-35 days. This cycle allows her to develop and lay her eggs to be carried by males, infertile females, or host ‘specimens’ from among other races.
• A birth queen might also choose to mate with multiple drones. These drones are called uchuvo, and are simply used for sexual pleasure. Once mated with a “queen,” an uchuvo‘s highest honor is to take his own life, having served his purpose, or best case scenario, he may be rendered infertile and castrated. He might spend the rest of his days serving among the birth queen’s staff or may be banished to mines or some other hard labor. On Exhala, there are males that are specifically raised to be uchuvo, though a queen may choose anyone to be her mate.
• The majority of Xekzoi are workers (xo’dim), male or female. Slaves from other races are called xeno’gul or simply ‘gul‘ and are considered among the worker class. High class workers play a variety of roles on the planet (i.e. military, education, political, and religious). Lower class workers are employed in service (i.e. food, maintenance, gardening/landscape, transportation, hospitality, clothing, building, etc.). Very few Xekzoi are entertainers/artists/musicians called the o’yin’kul. Scholars, often groomed for religion or political/military advisors, are called o’dan (male) or o’dana (female).
• The Xek do not openly fight amongst themselves, including the Orbix, whom they refer to as Xekzo tazelo (zealots). They prefer sneak attacks, political games, and assassination for hire. Pay someone enough money and they may switch sides.
• The government provides a set of clothing for each Xek: a work uniform, sleeping outfit, a more casual off-duty outfit, and formal military attire. Every Xek is conscripted into the military at the age of 15 for mandatory service for at least three rotations.
• Children are most often removed from their parents to be trained in schuul (schools). When they are returned, they typically live with an uchuvo or a pauair (nanny).
• Pollination Technicians specialize in finding suitable hosts for the Birth Queen’s children. They are among the highest paid members of their species, and the only males to be treated with some respect and given privileges. Many choose to retire off-world after completing their work.
• Culturally plastic surgery is rejected. This is because aliens can shapeshift into other appearances so permanent surgical changes are unnecessary. It is also considered disrespectful of O’dam. You’re either born perfect or you aren’t born at all.
• Marriage is not typically an option on Xekzoi. It is considered a waste of time. Since natural sex rarely happens between Xekzoi, their is no need for “mating rituals.” Partnership, comfort and romance aren’t things to be desired. Some Xek retire off-world to adopt marital or partnership customs of other races and species.
• Through their technology, Xek can erase surface level and recent memories in its victims, resurrect dead alien tissue and lower life forms, transmute metals, crystals, and elements, probe the mind, combine different species’ DNA (though not always successfully) and create violent shockwaves with their ships.

On Other Worlds

Just before sunrise on Yara, the moon above Ex’hala

• The Xek have a technology that allow their males to carry children. They have, in the past, attempted to do this with Sims also, impregnating the males. Nestor Caliente and Glarn Curious are examples of impregnated males. However, some Xenosi prefer to mate with Sims directly in a typical male-to-female fashion. Over time, this has caused physical and social problems in Sims society.
• Socially, Xekzoi or part-alien Sims (extraterrestrials, XT’s) aren’t accepted and are often ridiculed, bullied, or simply ignored. Very few Xek actually choose to integrate with the Simkind because of this.
• On the planet Xek, part-Sim children aren’t accepted either. Children are taken away and raised in the collective hives or are simply abandoned on Simterra (sometimes known to the Sims as ‘changelings‘).
• No adult Sims have ever returned from Xekzoi, but in what little communication back to Simterra exists, it is speculated that Sim spouses/lovers aren’t accepted well either and Sims can be tortured, imprisoned, or executed.
• Their moon Yara has a thin reddish atmosphere, similar to Mars. Naturally existing crystalline structures allow and amplify long-range communications throughout the star system. Because of the axis tilt of Yara, Xeks living on the moon experience night almost 78% of what we would call a day. No Xek (or humanoid) can survive on the surface during the intense daylight. Nighttime movement is made easier by bioluminescent vegetation.