Omdua
Bibo digicapitus
Introduction
Omdua resemble jellyfish on two legs. They mimic the shape and speech of other creatures they encounter in an effort to fit in.
Playing as an omdua will suit players who want to be weird, but nice. Their fluid body and mind are outré compared to singular and solid species, giving them a unique perspective: plus, you get to be a big jellyfish!
In-Game Description
Omdua are modular organisms, capable of flight in the vapour seas of their homeworld and landlocked elsewhere. Their bodies are made up of zooids which act seamlessly as organs and limbs, with one nervous system and one mind between them. Omdua unconsciously mimic the shapes of other creatures that they live with, which means they take on a bipedal form among species with similar proportions.
The only zooids that cannot be analogised to the bodily systems of other lifeforms are the flexile crests that consistently appear on the heads of omdua. These vary in length from short sculptural grooves to elongated tendrils. While these growths assist in buoyancy in lighter atmospheres, they are strictly ornamental on land.
First contact with the omdua was conducted via robotic proxy; their homeworld is especially inhospitable to other species due to endemic neurotoxic aeroplankton, and it was not initially clear if omdua could survive in high pressures. While they proved hardier than expected, omdua – like many other species – rely on Alliance immersion suit technology to maintain bodily integrity in unfamiliar contexts.
Aside from their physiological requirements, omdua have adjusted well to spacefaring. Their pre-contact astronomical science was notably sophisticated, and for many Omdua the galaxy is a bigger and brighter sea that few have managed to sail: a challenge, in other words.
Roleplay Notes
Omdua tend to conceive of groups to which they belong in terms of their own multitudinous anatomy, which is to say that the group is a living thing made up of individuals. Consider how your omdua deals with in-group conflicts; would they try to find an answer to make everyone happy, or override arguments for the good of the whole?
Costume Brief
Requirements
Omdua have thick brightly coloured “crests” on their heads instead of hair, which can vary in appearance from short curves to long tentacles – these may be prosthetics or attached to a wig, headdress, clips or close-fitting hat. Omdua are colourful – feel free to match or contrast the colours of your alien elements!
Avoid
Try not to have your hair on show – crests should entirely cover the back of your head, and any wigs should be styled to have hair fibres look like thin tentacles under the crest.
Additions
• Darker stripes towards limbs and extremities.
• Gills
• Fins
• Frills and organic ruffs similar to those under the bells of jellyfish.
• Fully non-human skin tone.
Variant: Masked Omdua
All omdua mimic the shape of other creatures (in this case, humanoids) in an effort to fit in, but cannot change the appearance of their crest. For a select few omdua this includes their full face, with their full-head crest giving them an unnervingly non-human appearance.