The Iridis

Name: The plural- Iridis, Singular- Iridi

Appearance: The Iridi are mostly humanoid, with practically the same body structure and type with a few notable differences. First, is their pointed ears, rather like the Earth myth of the elf. Second are their wildly different eye colors, ranging from neon magenta to vivid crimson to gold. And third, their skin tones tend to be as pale as parchment, with swirling, bright birthmarks. No two Iridi looks the same in this matter. Finally, their tendency to take on the shape of many animals, giving the classification of "Shape-shifters".

At birth, the first animal they see- Humanoids discluded- becomes their primary form. Meaning, it takes no energy whatsoever to become that animal, which completely depends on the planet they currently inhabit. Afterwards, if they find another form they desire, they can become that animal through an extreme amount of energy- The bigger it is, the more of their energy it takes, and that energy is halved when they use it. Thus, not many take a second or third form because the more they have, the more energy it takes to develop them- With time, the form won't take their energy, but it takes many years and a lot of practice.

Attitude: They are a bright, peaceful people, with a Matriarchal- run by women- society that is also a Democracy. Men and women have equal right to vote for their leaders, and they enjoy interacting with other species, believing "all are welcome to the universe and it must always be diverse." Within their society, there is much dancing and singing, in such vividly expressive ways many species are in awe of them. Iridis usually do not take part in War-like affairs, and enjoy trade and exploration of other worlds.

Technology: Iridi are a more naturalistic race, developing means of communicating and understanding others. They devote themselves to learning the histories of other people and themselves, so as to improve their current conditions and that the past does not repeat itself. They have two main inventions- Their unique ships and their "Cordis". The latter is a bracelet-like device composed of two spheres and bands of metal. When affixed to the wrist, it has the capability of recording information, accessing information, and translates other languages. It also can be a temporary means of transporting to an affixed location- Their ship, for example, and thus we move on to the former. Iridi ships are triangular in shape, fast, and rely on solar waves from stars for fuel. Many would say they are the fastest in the universe, but are low on weaponry and space- At most, they seat ten Iridis and have a sort of output wave that disables most technologies. They're not cowards, but are a brave people attempting peace and exploration.

Backstory: When the race was just beginning to bud, to truly understand the universe around them and explore it, they were like children to war and other calamities. Their planet was a peaceful one, as mentioned numerous times, and saw no reason to create weapons of mass destruction, or weapons at all. Instead, they sought to make their peoples happy and content, and then when they believed they were ready, branched out to the nearest planet not a light-year away.... How unfortunate it was that it was a planet of disease and ailment and disaster. The name of the planet was lost to history, but the first Iridi to explore there, Sigma, said:

It was a "place of horror, with suffering and desolate hills- Salted fields where nothing could grow and were fed by the blood of its people... I [fear] there is nothing left for this society, and yet I am saddened, nay, it hurts my heart to know that this single word called 'war' has done so much and hurt so many. I discourage my people from it, and plead with them to never ever take part of the forbidden, poisonous fruit that it is..."

Sigma, after sending this knowledge home, was reported dead. She never got to see her homeland again, and her body was never found. Her people, however, became ever cautious and prayed that they could keep up their peaceful ideals.

It was not to be. For their small planet was destroyed by a single word....

"Exterminate!"

As with many other species, they were nearly wiped out by the robot menace, the Daleks... Though they never tried to keep a grudge.

Present: With their planet ravaged by another race, with their capital gone and their dead lying grave-less in the streets, survivors took what they could of their culture and sought other planets to resettle, and perhaps hide from their mechanical adversaries- And so they wander, homeless and alone, and with their species living for more than a thousand years at a time, it is a lonely existence. A few settlers took refuge on the strange, budding planet called "Earth."

For now, their only hope is to survive, and someday return home.

Great, detailed race with an interesting backstory!

However, you mentioned that they are shape-shifters, and this makes me a bit worried because many people tend to make shapeshifters OP; can you elaborate a bit on the ability? Such as: how many animals can one shapeshift into, how much energy does it take (if any), can they shapeshift into any animal they see or is it predetermined which ones they can turn into from birth, are they changed at all mentally when shifted, and what do you intend to use with this ability in the context of roleplay?

Also, you mentioned their home was destroyed by another race; which race was this?

Other than those two points, I really love the Iridi. Welcome to the site, by the way!

-Theta Sigma

There, I've edited it, and I do hope its much more acceptable.

Sounds good! Approved Just make sure the Iridis character(s) you make can't turn into something too large (ex. dragon, all-powerful bear with three heads), yeah?

Gotcha! :