Stellifera

Stellifera

(Creature)

Type

Magical beast
(aquatic)

CR

By class level

Environment

Any water

Alignment

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Adjective

stellifera

Source: Escape from the Prison Moon, pg(s). 52

Stelliferas are a race of intelligent psychic cuttlefish native to Parin, a watery world claimed by the Azlanti Star Empire. They are capable of forming psychokinetic water bodies to survive on land.

Appearance

Stelliferas are cuttlefish-like creatures that measure 1 foot long and weigh around 6 pounds.

Ecology

Stelliferas mature at the age of 15 and live up to 240 years. Their language consists of changing the colour of their skin and the surrounding water, supplemented by telepathy. They cannot breathe air, but are capable of forming a human-sized humanoid-shaped hydrobody from the water in their surroundings. This hydrobody only disintegrates when the stellifera dies or dismisses it, can wear clothes, and protects the stellifera from attacks, diseases and poisons. It slowly exchanges oxygen with its surroundings, including protections from armour; without this exchange, the oxygen stored in the hydrobody is sufficient for the stellifera to breathe for an hour before there's risk of suffocation. The nature of the hydrobody makes the stellifera immune to vacuum, atmospheric and water pressure.

History

Stelliferas evolved in the deep seas of Parin and lived as nomads for millennia, developing psychic abilities. When the Azlanti Star Empire landed on Parin and started exploiting and polluting the planet, due to their itinerant and dispersed society, it took centuries for the stelliferas to realise the danger of the climate change perpetuated by the Azlanti. They began to develop their psychokinetic hydrobodies to survive outside the water and augmentations to speak to the Azlanti.

The first stelliferas to negotiate with the Azlanti received a curt offer of offworld travel. Since then, they have spread and colonised across the Star Empire, in order to prevent a single cataclysm from wiping them out.

Society

Since discovering the wider universe, stelliferas have made the most of it by seeking for new experiences. Most prefer life underwater, while others prefer land and space, and they are common across the Azlanti Star Empire. However, they struggle to integrate into Azlanti culture, and technology is a new concept to them.