Grumm
Heavy-set scaly species of reptilian aliens.
Physiology
The Grumm are a large, heavyset, reptilian species that resemble a cross between a crocodile and turtle, though with heavy armored plates instead of a shell. While their general physiology is superficially that of a bipedal--roughly humanoid body--they possess several atypical traits that set them apart. Complex musculature within their necks, hips, and shoulders allows them to alternate between a bipedal and quadrupedal stance, and locomotion, as necessary. Thick, tough scales cover their bodies, typically a mix of green, grey, and brown shades. These scales form durable plates of armor along their backs and bellies. These plates, along with their thick, resilient bones and heavy, dense musculature, make the Grumm incredibly durable. Healthy individuals sport a layer of fat that gives them a rounded look.
Their powerful jaws are filled with thick teeth, and end in a beak capable of crushing nearly anything it can close around. When standing, the Grumm use their long, thick tails to lean on, and tend to stand on average almost 3 meters tall. The Grumm exhibit negligible senescence and continue to grow slowly throughout their lives, regularly living for two to three centuries before their bodies become too large to bear the strain. The oldest Grumm on record lived to be 338 years old, and stood 3.4 meters tall.
Grumm have green-ish coloured blood.
General Behavior
The Grumm are capable of speaking most languages, but their thick vocal cords give them deep, gravelly voices, unable to produce higher-pitched sounds. Since their faces are thick and largely immobile, they rely on expressive body language to convey emotions when speaking to other races. The Grumm have a reputation as a stolid, reliable race that places a strong emphasis on community, though to the Grumm the word implies an intricate code of behavior inherent within their society that they preserved when they joined the greater Tahora Whai community as a whole. To them, community means the strong protect those weaker than themselves, the wise offer advice to those less wise, the healthy provide for the ill, and those who have will share with those who have not.
Perhaps the strongest trait inherent within Grumm society is their tendency to play Devil’s Advocate. Every proposition is vehemently opposed until every facet of the subject has been debated at length, and its value established. The vigor with which the usually rather placid Grumm engage in such debates often catches outsiders by surprise, as does the way they return to their usual stolid demeanor when the debates are concluded.
History
TBD
Organisation
TBD
Culture
TBD