Tirrils
Tirrils are an Avian race native to Tirrokoelaegz (Gvurrdon 1821). They were first contacted in about year 600 (Imperial) When the system was first settled the Tirrils got hunted for their fine colored feathers. However aome scientist could prove that the Tirrils actually was sentient. Huntings got disbanded overnight. However Tirrils are still hunted illegally for their feathers.
Physical description
As and avian race the Tirrils have a light bodyframe. The skeleton is hollowed to further decrease the body weight. They are about 150 centimetre high and weight about 40Kg. They got a 15cm long seagull like beak. Their feathers are colored from bright red to deep navy blue. The chest and abdomen is generally white or silver grey. Some may have a brown taint on the chest color. Upper back and head and the front edge of the wings are usually black with a shiny blue taint. Females usually lacks this taint. And they have also lighter colored beak, which is yellow. The eyes are mounted on the sides of the head, giving near 360 degrees full vision. Mid-way between the shoulder and the wingtip there are a set of claws, not unlike a bat, but these claws gives somewhat better grip, but not much.
Diet
The Tirrils mainly eat vegetables, fruits or roots, but they may supplement with small rodents and insects. A few is also eating fish when they can catch some. Their main diet is the Lummi root. This root comes from a pest plant that kill other plants for living. The plant in its self is poisonous, but the root is not. Humans and Vargr find this root too sweet for taste, but it is edible. The root is protected by law, so that the Tirrils can get their necessary nutrition supply. Farmers has tried to fight this law, but in 875 an agreement was met. The Tirrils would eat off any root they found in farmlands to aid the farmers, so that their harvest would not be destroyed. Lummi root has with some luck been exported to other systems. Those systems that has Lummi roots, grows them in greenhouses that has been carefully sealed off.
Language.
The Tirril language is built up by a complex form of whistling and chirping sing song. This was the most difficult barrier the vargr scientist had to break to make contact with the Tirrils. Vargr proves unable to whistle in the same fashion as humans, when they do not have the same lip control. However the Tirrils have been quite adept at learning to speak like Vargr quite well. There is a few sounds that the Tirrils can't make. Most human languages has proven better. Body stance is also quite important in the language, but it is more like the body language of humans when it comes to gestures that underlines some meaning in a sentence. The body language in itself is performed differently. This has not made any major problems in cross species communication.
Vargr communicate with Tirrils either with computer or flute. Tirrils themselves prefer that a flute is used when it produces more pleasing sound than a computer. Humans may whistle, but again a flute is preferred. Along with the standard linguistics skill the translator should also be familiar with the artisan skill that handles flutes.
Technology
Prior to contact with Vargr Tirrils had an effective TL of 0, which in most cases would classify them as barely sentient. However their integrated clan structure and the limited ability to use tools was one of the things that made Vargr scientist suspicious to their "un-intelligent" behaviour. It was later found out that the Tirrils had extremely good understanding of mathematical problems. The most skilled of the Tirrils are actually able to calculate jump coordinates precisely for distances up to 1 parsec within 25 minutes. And that without any help from abacuses or other mathematical tools.
After the contact with Vargr, Tirrils have enjoyed increase in technology. However the Tirrils do not manufacture anything themselves. The clans get paid in hardware for different services they do for the Vargr. The equipment they get varies with the job and the value of both the job and the equipment. Tools like special made knifes and night vision equipment are among the most popular items. Waldos are also available, but the Tirrils usually doesn't use them when they inhibit them from flying. The most popular item is small long range portable radios. This makes clans able to communicate with each other over long distances. Through relays they might also communicate by satellite to clans on the other side of the planet.
Homeworld
Their homeworld is Tirrokoelaegz, which is in Gvurrdon (1821). The planet is a size 4 body orbiting a F4 V star. The star got a M4 D companion in orbit 2 which gives the planet somewhat distorted season temperatures at times. The gravity is at 0.47G which makes these rather large avians able to fly. The Tirrils have proven able to fly in dense atmospheres on planets with gravity up to 0.76G. The temperatures is fairly high. Averaging 59°C in the summer (at equator) to 45°C at winter at the same place.
Government
The Tirrils do not have any ruling on the planet, but they are protected by law against hunting and other acts of destruction. The vargr population on the planet is rather small (510,000) compared to the Tirrils (2,890,000). However the more influential clans of the Tirrils have the opportunity to voice their opinion on different things. The ruling body on Tirrokoelaegz is rather small. The interstellar government that encompass this world is ruled by a tight elite. The Vargr population is divided between Equals and Non-Equals. Only the Vargr that has been rated Equal may take ruling position in the government. This has made some problems with the Tirrils. So the planet government had to come up with a simple solution. After much bickering an agreement was met. Only the elders in a clan would be rated equal, and thus have the opportunity to voice their opinion.
Clans
The Tirrils are organized in family clans. A clan ranges from 20 to a few hundred individuals. The head of the clan is the elders. That is those who are at least 22 years old. There is no distinct clan head, but the elders form some sort of council. The different clans can be distinguished from each other by the clan marking that is on the throat and upper part of the chest. When two clans is merging into one, or a group of Tirrils break out from a clan the markings change to the new clan that has been formed.
There is little fighting between the clans. Some confrontation do exist when the clans needs new territory. However any outright war is extremely rare. However after the Vargr arrived some clans have not forgiven the Vargr for the hunting of fellow Tirrils. Thus these clans are mostly outright hostile to Vargr. This has also lead to a few messy confrontations between pro- and con-vargr.
The clans usually moves from place to place depending on season and how well the land around can feed them. Their "homes" are everything from a dug out hole in the ground to a copse of trees that gives good protection. In the cities there is built special clan houses that varies is size. These clan houses are free for use by any clan that is on visit.
Clan Economy
As a lot of Tirrils are in employ of various Vargr and a few human patrons, the clan gets payment in form of credit or equipment for these services. The credits are put into an account that the elders administer for the welfare of the clan. Equipment are usually personal to the recipient until that one dies. Then the equipment is handed over to the elders for reassignment to a new user. The account with credits are usually used for covering repair of broken equipment or new computer programs. The money is also spent on other things that will help the clan. A few clans have specialized on trading with other worlds in Society of Equals and beyond. To these worlds there is sent emissaries. The emissary group is usually built up by a few elders and claners to provide for them. Sometimes Vargr do accompany these groups for support.