This article will guide you through the process of creating an I'ee character or family.

Most I'ee individuals do not have names, but there are exceptions to this rule.

Mother/queen I'ee each have a name that also doubles as the name for the family that spawns from them. Thus, every I'ee technically shares the name of their mother. I'ee family names are derived from their spoken tongue, and usually reflect the aspirations and role of a family. An article on this topic can be found here. You are welcome to create your own I'ee family for the purpose of making your own I'ee character belonging to it, in which case you will create a name for your family using the simple language described in the article.

I'ee who belong to the Ee'ith family, whose self-appointed task is to interact with alien species and serve as the I'ee's diplomats, are the only I'ee who universally adopt individual names. These names are usually alien names; that is, names taken from the other species and cultures found in the Star Army universe. An Ee'ith I'ee's name can therefore be just about anything, though they tend to follow the trend of being childlike, endearing names that are disarming in nature.

I'ee outside of the Ee'ith family, or other potential families who desire close relations with aliens, do not use proper names for themselves. Those who gain a significant reputation for themselves amongst their family, or the I'ee as a whole, as famous or perhaps infamous, sometimes receive 'names'. These names are usually derived from a trait or achievement that other I'ee found memorable. For example, Gut-Stripe, a member of the warrior Thi-Thi family, gained her nickname from a mixture of military prowess and her habit of painting her body with blood-red war paint. In a similar vein, a brilliant I'ee navigator might possess a nickname such as 'Star-Finder', 'Dark-Killer' or something of the sort.

I'ee are eusocial, wasp-like aliens whose culture revolves around their hive-like families. At the center of every family is a long-lived mother, or queen, who gives birth to countless sterile females, or workers, that care for her and their infant siblings. Worker females are the largest demographic amongst the I'ee, and thus the more common choice for a character. Male I'ee are drones that mate with young queens; in antiquity, they would die soon after copulation, but amongst modern I'ee, they commonly donate their sperm for later use and supplement their sisters in the work force. Male I'ee are taller and skinnier than their sterile sisters, but are far less physically capable and lack the stinger that their sisters use to great effect in combat. Thus, male I'ee are commonly found partaking in less physically demanding jobs.

Queens at the center of younger, fledgling hives are often more active than their older counterparts, and will often work amongst their daughters until their gradually increasing reproductive capacity demands their constant attention. Some young, rascal queens decide to remain unfertilised, choosing to go out on their own to soul-search or seek adventure.

I'ee worker females average at around 4' in height, with the rare specimen reaching 5'.

I'ee drone males are usually taller than workers thanks to a more slender build, with the average minimum being 4'5“ and the maximum being 5'5”.

I'ee queens begin life at the same average height as sterile worker females, but after fertilisation they begin a slow, constant growth in size that continues for the rest of their lives. The tallest an I'ee queen has managed to get is 14'.

I'ee worker females generally weigh anywhere from 40 to 50 pounds.

I'ee drone males, due to their lighter bodies, usually weigh from 30 up to around 40 pounds.

Most I'ee appear more-or-less the same morphologically, relying more upon unique pheromones to identify one another through scent. That being said, the facial markings and abdomen patterns on I'ee individuals tend to vary to some extent. Most I'ee are also fond of crafting jewellery and other trinkets for themselves to wear on their person, such as necklaces, to express themselves physically.

The psyche of all I'ee is dominated by their sense of family: Without their mother, an I'ee has no purpose and no will to live, to the point where worker females will often literally waste away if their mother has died. An I'ee is motivated to work through the knowledge that in some way, their effort will contribute to the realisation of their mother's desires. For example, Ith'ee the queen loves space, exploration as well as mechanics, and thus the I'ee of her family all devote themselves to the arts of navigation and engineering. With this in mind, you will assign your I'ee character a family based on what you want them to specialise in: A warrior I'ee will likely be from the Thi-Thi family.

This 'rule' can be bent to a significant degree however. Most I'ee from the Ee'ith family are not warriors, as they dedicate themselves to befriending alien species, but some Ee'ith DO train themselves in combat to serve as bodyguards to their ambassador siblings in the event that diplomacy fails.

An I'ee's individual personality, beyond their adherence to their family's goal or task, can vary just as much as it can for any other alien species. A trained Thi-Thi warrior can easily have a soft side to her, while an Ee'ith ambassador might have a mischievous streak from time to time.

Look to the main I'ee article, found here, as well as the sub-articles linked to it, for more information on the I'ee. Examples of I'ee characters and technology, as well as more info on their culture and families, can be found there.

Littlewasp created this article on 2017/10/18 20:51.