Ijad

The Ijad are sentient symbiotic alien life forms in the Mobile Frame Zero universe; they originate from planet Shebehu (called Celiel by the Solar Union) in the Ahu system.

History

Pre-Human Contact

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Post-Human Contact

Human Colonization Established

Humans arrive at Shebehu (Celiel) in SC 0198, deeming the planet to be plentiful in exploitable natural resources. They began exporting food, materials and in at least one case Ijad through the Transit Gate. The colonist quickly discover that the Ijad were an intelligent species, who had formed parasite and symbiotic relationships with many of the local life forms.

The Ijad considered the humans actions to be immoral, ignorant and greedy, and thus unattractive hosts. The colonist's answering to the distant Solar Union was offensive and blasphemous, violating the Ijad's religious doctrines with it's taboo of rule from afar. The Ijad started to resist the human's presence by sabotaging their equipment and riding the their livestock back into the wilds.

Human Colony Impoverished

In SC 0212 the establishment of a new colony with better productivity caused prices to fall and colony became impoverished. This caused some of the human settlers to start listening to Ijad, with a few embracing the Ijad's way of life, joining their tribes and moving to their towns. Some of these humans met and bonded with Ijad, others never connected deeply enough with an Ijad to bond. The Ijad consider both to be people, judging that they acted according to their own will and in harmony with their community, and thus acted according to the instructions of Ahu.

Marketplace Massacre

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Biology

Physiology

Ijad are genderless invertebrate parasites with brightly patterned bodies averaging 10 centimeters in length. The body patterning of each Ijad is unique. A pair of antennae extend from their backs containing organs at the ends they use to touch, smell, communicate and eat. These antennae can extend many times their original length.

Evolution

The parasitic non-sentient ancestors of the Ijad (Ijadteh) have existed for over ten million years. They parasitized the many species on Shebehu, controlling the animals behavior to their benefit using hormones. When hosts were plentiful they would use one up and move to a new host. However when hosts were scarce they would carefully maintain the host's metabolism, staying with that host for months or years.

As they evolved one species of Ijadteh developed significant intelligence, and transitioned from a parasitic to symbiotic relationship with their hosts. These Ijadih gave host species the advantages of foresight, communication an tool use, while the Ijad gained the benefits of speed, strength, endurance, and other natural advantages.

Reproduction

Ijad do not have sexual gender, but reproduce sexually. One or both of the Ijad may carry the eggs.

Religion

Mythology

Ijad believe that their home planet of Shebehu (Celiel) was created by it's sun Ahu, referred to as Ahih to indicate it is a person when it takes action. It is believed that after Ahih have formed the world from a roll of clay he became concerned about the it's ugliness.

Doctrines

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Technology

The decentralized nature of Ijad culture did not present many opportunities for the type of large scale scientific efforts that spawn technological leaps. Prior to human contact their only knowledge of outer space was what they observed from telescopes and radios.

After the arrival of humans on Shebehu the Ijad quickly started to assimilate their technology. Working knowledge of spacecraft, transit gates, labor and mobile frames was absorbed and distributed laterally throughout their societies.

The labor frame was the first human technology adapted by the Ijad. These early frames used in the defense of Celiel Station were humanoid; both modified human originals and Ijad copies. Ijad engineers began to design frame adapted to the many different animals they ride, including the Ghanateh.

Language

Ijad spoken language is different based upon the limited sounds an Ijad itself can make or the sounds its current mount is capable of making. All spellings in this section are based on transliteration of sounds humans bonded with Ijad learn to make.

Gender Identifiers

Since Ijad are asexual they do not use sexual gender identifiers found in human languages. Instead they use four identifiers used after a noun to show its type:

• Person (ih)

• Place (u)

• Animal (teh)

• Thing (undeclined)

For example: an individual Ijad is referred to as an Ijadih, the “ih” identifying it as a person. An individual Ghanat is referred to as a Ghanateh, the “teh” identifying it as an animal. However when an Ijadih mounts a Ghanat it is considered a person, and is identified as a Ghanatih. The brown dwarf Ahu literally means “God-Place”, with the “u” identifying it as a place, the same goes for Shebehu.

Possession or other preposition is indicated with the suffix “e”. For example: Hemet’s Scrambler is “Ghanat Hemetihe”.

Number System

Ijad language has four numerical indicators, which are used before a noun to indicate its number:

• 1 (undeclined)

• 2 (he)

• 3 (bhu)

• 4 (ge)

• Many (au)

For example: two Ghanat would be” He-Ghanateh”, and five or more Ghanat would be “Au-Ghanateh”.

Sources

Main Source: Mobile Frame Zero: Rapid Attack Rulebook