Chirper

Chirper
Base Information
Classification	Omnivore/gatherer
Status	Minor Race
Locomotion	Flyer
Terrain	Forest
Body Form
Confluence	Non-humanoid
Bio-Identenoid	Alien
Size	1.0 meters
Weight	25 kg
Culture
Languages	Native Language
Social Structure
Technological Epoch	TL:0-3
Psionic potential	Standard
Origin World
Homeworld location	Eskayloyt
UWP	Starport Error in Starport Decode Size Error in Size Decode Atmosphere Error in Atmosphere Decode Hydrographics Error in Hydrographics Decode Population Error in Population Decode Government Error in Government Decode Law Error in Law Decode Tech Level Error in Tech Decode
Primary Star	F6 V
Atmosphere	Dense
Off-world presence	Yes
Zoetic individuals	Yes
Source
Reference	Library Data (A-M) 20.
Canon	Yes
Also see

The Chirpers are a Minor Non-Human Race with a semi-humanoid appearance and apparently native to a number of worlds across charted space.

Physiology and ecology

Chirpers are omnivore/gatherers in the 25 kilogram class. Living in small groups with limited social organization, they follow age-old patterns of gathering fruits and berries in the wild, supplementing their diets with occasional small animals, which they catch and kill with crude tools.

Chirpers are named for the sharp bird-like chirp which characterizes their speech.

Finally, chirpers are extremely swift, much more so than their size or build would indicate. They can dash and dart about unseen, if they care to. It is nearly impossible to catch a chirper.

Archaeological and cultural sophontology

The species was originally native to Droynia and was spread to many worlds by the Ancients. They belong to the same genus as Droyne. Previously found on many worlds in and outside the Imperium, they have been systematically reduced to a few scattered groups in marginal territories.

Chirpers are recognized by Imperial authorities as intelligent, and as such, they enjoy the protections and responsibilities of intelligent species within the Imperium. Most Chirpers live in established reservations with only limited interchange with humans.

Chirpers are intelligent to a point (at the low end of the scale and ranges from a few points above animal levels to a few points below the average for humans), and have been known to speak.

Their intelligence is more of a rudimentary cunning, devoted to stealing shiny objects or intriguing gadgets. This is usually sets of keys, shiny coins, or other small valuable items.

Variants

As with the Droyne in general, Chirpers are subject to great physical and genetic variety, especially as populations have spent many millennia isolated on diverse planets with different environments.

Chirpers of Alriyhkauwa

Chirpers live in three distinct zones on this world; the northern and southern green lands and the equatorial jungle. There are three subspecies of Chirper as a result. The northern tribe is agricultural and pastoral; the southern tribe practices some agriculture but focuses on coastal and marine resources; the equatorial tribe are hunter-gatherers.

When the Aslan arrived on Alriyhkauwa (and named it), they claimed the best lands north and south from the stone-age Chirpers, eventually driving them far into the dry lands. The jungles proved a greater challenge for the Aslan. By 1105, the planet's estimated Chirper population is 100 million, but this is really a guess.

Chirpers of Evaduts Brem

There is nothing unusual about the Chirpers of Evaduts Brem, but for historical reasons the Zhodani were fascinated by them regardless. No Ancient site has ever been discovered on this planet, so the origin of this population remains unknown.

Chirpers of Finzi's Niche

Possibly the largest population of Chirpers known. The ‘niche’ in Finzi’s Niche is the twilight zone; the Chirpers of this world live in two separate communities -- bands stretching around the world in two rings, one on the daylight side of the twilight zone, another on the nightside. These Chirpers build giant hive-like settlements.

The Humans of Finzi's Niche have hired respected sophontologists from the Corellan League and the Zhodani Consulate, allowing them to establish peaceful relations with the Chirpers.

The Cerosee-Selweeda of the Geonee Cultural Region

The Chirpers on the Geonee worlds belong to a distinct subspecies, with unusually low intelligence, arguably more bright animals than sophonts. They are also stronger than other Chirpers, and have larger wings, adaptations to the high gravity of Shiwonee.

Chirpers of Mal'Gnar El

The subspecies found here is a specialised flyer, with larger wings than usual. Chirpers are incorporated in the Human Mal'Gnar caste system as flying scouts for hunting parties and gatherers of fruits growing on isolated ledges.

The Tktks of Tktk

The natives of Tktk are considered a subspecies of Chirper, though the lack of an Ancients site on Tktk has made the research community reluctant to confirm this. Tktks have adaptations to the thin tainted atmosphere of their world, as well as enhanced linguistic capabilities. Tktk culture is known for its storytelling tradition, while physiologically they have larger lungs than other Chirpers, a broader chest cavity, and more extensive blood vessels. The Tktks' wings have deteriorated.

Chirpers of Zeeland

This unusual subspecies is semi-aquatic, with webbed digits and other adaptations for the water.

The Chirpers of Six Gun have begun to show similar adaptations in a growing minority of their populace.

The Qiknavrats of Zhdant

The extinct Chirpers of Zhdant, whom the Zhodani named Qiknavrats, ‘people of Qiknavra’, were (like Tktks) unusually advanced linguistically, and there is quiet speculation in the Qlomdlabr that they might have been Droyne-Human chimeras of a sort. The ability of targeted Ancient bioweapons to cross between Qiknavrats and Zhodani human might support this.

The early good relations and subsequent extinction of Zhdant's Chirpers led to the Zhodani treating Chirper and Droyne populations with some awe and respect, even when that reaction isn't returned.

Astrography

This race is primarily located in the following areas:

• Chirpers can be found on worlds throughout Charted Space

Homeworld

The homeworld of this race is:

• Unknown world usually identified as Droynia; the location and any information about this planet is generally a complete mystery to modern sophonts of the Golden Age, but is described by Droyne historians as "Eskayloyt".

World Listing: 1105

Significant communities of this race are known to exist within the following systems and worlds:

90 of 90 World articles in Chirper

0836  •  Aazuni  •  Acorn (Di 2835)  •  Adz  •  Alriyhkauwa  •  Atssis  •  Bari  •  Bersha  •  Brirvoy  •  Bruyere  •  Burke  •  Calit  •  Chiauk  •  Chuño  •  Clarke (OE 2333)  •  Cymbeline  •  Daaliisa  •  Eauioiwai  •  Elphintrax  •  Eurasa  •  Evaduts Brem  •  Fenl's Gren  •  Fhoztsoagvong  •  Finzi's Niche  •  Frey (Da 3029)  •  Harvest  •  Helene  •  Henoz  •  Huddell  •  Imaniik  •  Imga  •  Imporis  •  Inkhang  •  Inku  •  Itsuya  •  Jedda  •  Kemnagii  •  Keniir  •  Kosice  •  Ku Pryuld  •  Laraa  •  Leenitakot  •  Line's End  •  Madingik  •  Maelstrom (De 2522)  •  Mal'Gnar El  •  Mindahm  •  Murda  •  Negril  •  Ngollogzou  •  Nimluin (Da 0736)  •  Nox  •  Oeghull  •  Omoysheb  •  Oracle  •  Ornlop  •  Oukuerz  •  Ouva  •  Pediica  •  Ran Farak  •  Raziira  •  Redi (De 0509)  •  Ritchie  •  Roda  •  Shaida  •  Shidka  •  Shiwonee  •  Shuulikh  •  Six Gun  •  Skyfish  •  Surgian  •  Teeque  •  Tetwumsid  •  Tiniyd  •  Tktk  •  Tulane  •  Twohoy  •  Ucella  •  Ulesinik  •  Ultwar  •  Undrelyn  •  Urdanis  •  Uxors  •  Vanejen  •  Yurisay  •  Yurm  •  Zakadar  •  Zhdant  •  Zhiphar  •  Zushu  •  

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References

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Far Future Enterprises or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• Marc Miller. Research Station Gamma (Game Designers Workshop, 1980), 5.
• Marc Miller. Twilight's Peak (Game Designers Workshop, 1980), 58-64.
• John Harshman, Marc Miller, Loren Wiseman. Library Data (A-M) (Game Designers Workshop, 1981), 20.
• J. Andrew Keith, Marc Miller, John Harshman. Droyne (Game Designers Workshop, 1985), 2,11,IFC.
• Marc Miller. Imperial Encyclopedia (Game Designers Workshop, 1987), 20.
• Marc Miller. Referee's Companion (Game Designers Workshop, 1988), 50-58.
• Gary L. Thomas, Joe Fugate. "Aliens in MegaTraveller." The Travellers' Digest 17 (1989): 27.
• David Burden, Andy Lilly. Long Way Home (Imperium Games, 1997), 57.
• Martin Dougherty, Neil Frier. Behind the Claw (Steve Jackson Games, 1998), 30.
• Dave Nilsen, David L. Pulver, Andy Slack, David Thomas. Alien Races 3 (Steve Jackson Games, 2000), 63,65,97.
• Martin Dougherty, Hunter Gordon. Gateway to Destiny (QuikLink Interactive, 2004), 25-26.
• Jae Campbell. Encyclopaedia Dagudashaag (Signal-GK, 2017), 65.
• Illustration: GURPS: Behind The Claw