Gurungan

Gurungan
Base Information
Classification	Carnivore
Status	Minor Race
Locomotion	Swimmer
Terrain	Ocean
Body Form
Confluence	Non-humanoid
Bio-Identenoid	Alien
Size	2.0 meters
Weight	100 kg
Culture
Languages	Native Language
Social Structure
Technological Epoch	TL:10-12
Psionic potential	Standard
Origin World
Homeworld location	Ugarup (Solomani Rim 0502)
UWP	B89A8BE-C Starport B Good: Spacecraft Construction, Overhaul, Refined fuel Size 8 Large (12,800 km, 0.80g - 1.08g) Atmosphere 9 Dense (tainted) Hydrographics A Water World 100% Population 8 Moderate (100 million) Government B Non-Charismatic Dictator Law E Extreme Law (police state) Tech Level C Average Stellar (robots)
Primary Star	M1 V
Atmosphere	Dense (tainted)
Off-world presence	No
Zoetic individuals	Yes
Source
Reference	Rim of Fire 34-35.
Canon	Yes
Also see

The Gurungan of Ugarup (Solomani Rim 0502) are an aquatic and technologically sophisticated Minor Non-Human Race.

They have become increasingly influential within the Ultima Subsector.

Biology (Physical Sophontology)

Gurungan resemble octopus or Githiaskio, with a bulbous central body and six tentacles. They grow up to two meters and 100kg. They have no internal structure, instead using internal pressure to maintain their shape. This makes them vulnerable out of the water. A lack of moisture can kill them within an hour.

Gurungan have two sexes, but the males live their existence as parasites on the body of the female. Modern Gurungan have no eyes or other visual sensors, having evolved in the deep oceans on a world with a dim star. Instead they have a sophisticated sonar, which doubles as a speech system.

Climate & Ecotope (Environment)

This species holds the following environmental preferences:

• Terrestrial planet (water world)
• Temperate climate
• Oceanic ecotopes (aquatic adaptation)
• Standard gravity
• Standard atmosphere

Anatomy & Physiology (Phenotype)

Sophontologists studying this species have discovered the following data.

Body Plan (Morphology)

Cephalopodoid

• Non-humanoid
• Radial symmetry (r-ial)
• Hexapod (6-ped)
  • 6 limbs used for locomotion-manipulation "arm-legs"
• Body consist of one segment: central body (craniopod)
  • This segment houses all of the species' viscera and important organs

Biochemistry (Function)

This species has a conventional carbon-water based biochemistry.

Respiration (Reaction)

This species employs a conventional respiration cycle consisting of:

• Oxygen-nitrogen inhalant
• Carbon dioxide exhalant

Diet & Trophics (Consumption)

This species survives using the following methods of consumption:

• Omnivore/generalist
• This species favors a variety of foodstuffs.

Gender & Sexuality (Reproduction)

This species has the following reproductive characteristics:

• Two genders (male & female)
  • Strong sexual dimorphism; only females are sophonts.
• (sexual reproduction)
  • Conjugal intercourse
  • Monogamous mating system (1m:1f average); males are symbiotically attached to the females.
• Ovviparous birth
  • (Semelparous): Uses r-selection and have many offspring that require little time to raise to maturity.

Society

The overall leader of the submarine civilization of the Gurungan is a queen known as the All-Mother.

Relations

In their view, the universe revolves around the Gurungan; aliens might be useful or dangerous, much like other natural phenomena, but that is all. Gurungan have a habit of refusing to directly address aliens, instead talking to one another and leaving it to alien listeners to parse the meaning.

Gurungan and Dolphins are noted for their mutual dislike. In part, the Gurungan antipathy is because Dolphin sonar irritates them.

History (Archaeological Sophontology)

When first contacted by the Vilani during the First Imperium, the Gurungan were only beginning their use of tools. The Vilani exploited both the Gurungan and their world. The Solomani treated the Gurungan better, but the Gurungan natural xenophobia and distrust of Humaniti keeps them enigmatic and little seen.

Military & Intelligence (Force Projection)

Their ships tend to have extremely sensitive sensors and active EMS scanners. Their targeting and fire control systems are very accurate. They prefer a multi-environmental gun ship design for security. These vessels are equally comfortable at the bottom of an ocean or hiding in a gas giant. The weapon systems are adapted to a variety of environmental conditions as well. They contract with non human firms to transport these vessels between stars as battle riders. They vary in size but most are smaller than a few thousand tons in displacement. They are described by human observers as visually non-descript/plain.

Astrography

This race is primarily located in the following areas:

• Solomani Rim Sector
  • Ultima Subsector

Homeworld

The homeworld of this race is:

• Ugarup (Solomani Rim 0502)

World Listing: 1105

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

2 of 2 World articles in Gurungan

Morgana  •  Ugarup  •  

startbacknext(2 listed)

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.

• Jon F. Zeigler. Rim of Fire (Steve Jackson Games, 2000), 34-35.
• Martin Dougherty. Solomani Front (Mongoose Publishing, 2021), 11.