Proximan

Proximan
Playable	Yes
Territory
Homeworld	Proxima Centauri c "Tackal"
Major Colonies	None
Biochemistry
Biochemical Base	Nitrogen and Phosphorous
Biochemical Solvent	Liquid Ammonia
Earth-Atmosphere Tolerant	Yes, with breathing equipment (Nitrogen-breathers)
Human-Food Tolerant	No (but see Dietary Needs)

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Basic Biochemistry

In comparison to Human and Teuthidoid biology (the two of which are pretty much identical in terms of chemistry), Proximan biology is best described succinctly as ‘weird’ due to their non-carbon based biology. In Proximan biochemistry, Nitrogen and Phosphorous take the place of carbon, liquid Ammonia takes the place of water (acting as the biological solvent), and Nitrogen takes the place of Oxygen (they inhale Nitrous Oxide in their natural environment and exhale Oxygen). This is made even weirder by the fact that the current conditions of their homeworld should not allow for liquid ammonia as the biological solvent in their chemistry. Geological records show that at one point in time the atmospheric pressure on Proxima Centauri c was high enough for liquid ammonia to exist in a natural state, and over time the pressure lessened and lessened until liquid ammonia was no longer able to be found. The lifeforms on the homeworld were able to adapt and evolve into their current state, with high-pressure fluid transport systems, and biological processes capable of creating ammonia from atmospheric nitrogen and hydrogen compounds found in their diet. Proximans range in height between 1.4 and 1.8 meters and have no innate capability for magic. A Proximan’s circulatory system could be best compared to a series of extremely resilient pipes, containing liquid ammonia (and other things) at around 1,070 kilopascals (around 155 PSI).

Thermoregulation

Proximans are resistant to a wide range of temperatures, and are comfortable between -100 and +25 Celsius. Proximans can safely survive temperatures ranging from +26 to +37 Celsius for periods of time, but they are extremely uncomfortable as they risk de-ammonization, a condition similar to dehydration in humans. In this temperature range they traditionally wear refrigeration bodysuits to avoid excessive ammonia boil-off.

Sensory System

Proximan eyesight is adapted for life orbiting a red dwarf star, and as such they have a different visible spectrum from Humans. They have evolved a limited ability to see into the infrared spectrum, but they are also consequently colorblind above the human color yellow – leaving them perceiving blue, green, indigo, and violet as increasingly dark shades of black. Their eyes are sunken into their heads, and are protected by bony plating on their eyelids. Blink reflex is extremely strong in Proximans, with the blink starting long (proverbially speaking) before an object comes in contact with the eye. This, combined with the strong plating over the eyes, makes Proximans very difficult to impair visually. The Proximan olfactory senses are contained within two consciously-sealable slits on their face.

Circulatory System

Best described as a set of extremely resilient high-pressure fluid pipes, a Proximan's circulatory system not only has to distribute nutrients and nitrogen, and remove waste - it also has to do so while carrying a fluid that should be a gas in a Proximan's natural environment. Proximan blood vessels are extremely resistant to damage, however once they are damaged it is a race against time to get them sealed before the Proximan's body fluids literally boil off - often in an explosive fashion. The normal pressure for a Proximan's circulatory system is 1,070 kilopascals (around 155 PSI) - unlike humans, the difference between systolic and diastolic pressure is minimal, and is at most a few kilopascals.

Respiratory System

The standard Proximan atmosphere is mostly nitrous oxide, and as such their bodies contain an amazing ability to separate the oxygen from the nitrogen in their lungs. Consequently they primarily exhale pure molecular oxygen. However, this leaves them vulnerable to what is comparable to Oxygen toxicity in humans. In an Earth-standard atmosphere when breathing unaided, a Proximan rapidly begins to suffer mental and physical side effects, eventually leading to unconsciousness and death.

Digestive System

Their mouth is small and sunken in, surrounded by lips which are comprised of bony plating to protect the mouth. Inside the mouth is a single row of small teeth of a single type – pointy teeth suitable for sawing and tearing chunks off of their food – they have no molar-equivalents, as the majority of food processing takes place in their digestive system. The Proximans have one notable advantage in their ‘odd’ biological makeup. Since Nitrogen and Phosphorous are the building blocks of their biochemistry, they must consume these two elements to survive. However, in actuality, they only need to consume Phosphorous – as they take in all the nitrogen they need to survive by breathing in nitrous oxide. Proximans clearly evolved from a meat-eating species, but these days, most Proximans abhor eating slaughtered wildlife of their homeworld, instead choosing to eat synthesized meat products made from plantstuffs.

Dietary Needs

• XYZ - blablabla

Skeleton

Structurally, they are humanoid, with numerous bony growths on their bodies. On their heads, these growths are located above their eyes and extending downwards from the sides of their chin. On their limbs, these bony extensions are found in positions where they can protect joints – such as extending down from the upper arms to protect the elbow, or down from the upper legs to protect the knee. Further bony growths are found over the rib cage in the form of tough plating to protect the torso. Their ‘hair’ is actually a fine, flexible, bone-like substance which naturally grows in a variety of structures. Males have a structure of this substance which grows between the chin bone growths, comparable to a human beard.

At the end of their arms are manipulator hands which have two opposable digits plus four additional digits. Their legs end in tetradactyl feet with three appendages pointing forwards plus a fourth pointing backwards.

Respiratory System

Their lungs contain cells which chemically separate the nitrogen from the oxygen. The nitrogen is then absorbed into their bloodstream, and the oxygen is exhaled back out into the atmosphere.

Reproductive System

It is inadvaised that anyone aside from a Proximan attempts to engage in...activities...with one. As a consequence of their liquid ammonia-based bodily fluids any actual exchange of biological information must be undertaken with the transfer medium remaining under high pressure. As such, Proximans evolved a biological epoxy that they can exude from glands inside their throat. Traditionally, Proximan marriages are in groups of three, as a third party is required to provide the epoxy for this to take place due to the arrangement of certain extremities involved and musculoskeletal flex ranges.

Diseases, Genetic Abnormalities, Parasites, and Vulnerabilities

The Proximans are extremely hardy beings, but they are not without their vulnerabilities. A Proximan’s vital fluids rapidly boil off when exposed to any temperature and atmospheric pressure condition where ammonia is a gas, leading to catastrophic organ and musculoskeletal structural integrity failure, which poses a grievous danger to anyone nearby. Furthermore, ammonia is also highly flammable, and one injured Proximan near an open flame could theoretically create a large amount of damage.

Additionally, a Proximan’s ammonia-based nature means they respond poorly to water (dihydrogen monoxide (H2O)). While mere exposure to water will not harm a Proximan thanks to their sealed skin layer, ingested or injected water is effectively a lethal poison to them.

Fire is also a major threat to an injured Proximan as their ammonia-based bodily fluids are also combustible. Thankfully, their adaptations to life in the cold, as well as their homeothermic (ability to maintain a stable body temperature regardless of outside conditions) nature leave them seldom relying on an outside source of heat.

The Proximan’s ammonia-based bodily fluids also have another downside, in that foreign chemicals introduced into them travel through their body extremely fast. However, their efficient and fast metabolism has a habit of burning these chemicals off rapidly, presumably this is an adaptation that arose as a means to combat the apex predators on their homeworld, most of which are poisonous in some form (to Proximan lifeforms).

It is also worth nothing that while Proximans can breathe an earth-standard atmosphere, the higher concentration of atmospheric nitrogen (in pure form) slowly overloads their biology, creating symptoms that are a mix the effects of lysergic acid diethylamide on humans and symptoms similar to oxygen toxicity – a condition referred to by Proximans as “having the vapours.” Proximans can utilize a breather mask which cuts down on the amount of nitrogen they inhale, but Proximans who spend long amounts of time in Earth-standard atmospheres have taken to utilizing an implant in their throat which performs the same functions as the mask.