Shillin

The Shillins (singular Shillin) were an amphibious, sentient race native to Bosys in the.

Biology and appearance
The Shillins were smaller than most humanoids, rarely standing taller than 1.65 meters. Their skin was red with silver spots and streaks.

Shillins had a number of relatively thick tentacles on the backs of their heads. Underwater, these tentacles served as sensory organs to detect changes in water pressure, temperature, and currents, all of which helped them locate prey and avoid danger. Out of water, these organs lost most of their functionality, although Shillins were often sensitive to changes in barometric pressure.

Shillins were fully amphibious. On land, they breathed through their mouths; underwater, they breathed through air holes located just above their large eyes, which drew in water, extracted oxygen, then spat the rest of the water back out. While underwater, Shillins could fill their lungs with air without drowning, as their bodies perceived the change and their lungs became inert; they had to expel the water before surfacing. Correspondingly, Shillins could plug their cranial air holes on land with no ill effects.

Shillin eyes were adapted to low light conditions, but could adapt to bright light over time. The Shillins had fairly wide throats, and often swallowed smaller prey and foods whole. They had a noticeable underbite and two prominent mandibular fangs, as well as several smaller teeth used for tearing and grinding food. Shillins had three fingers and a thumb on each hand, and five toes on each foot.

Shillin females carried their young for roughly eight standard months before giving birth. Shillins were born with poor eyesight, and relied on their tentacles for sensory perception for their first few months of life; as a result, most Shillin parents raised their children underwater for nearly a year. Shillins reached physical maturity in roughly sixteen standard years.

Society and culture
Many species considered Shillins atypically affectionate; they were generally curious, adaptable to many different environments, and very close with their families. Both Shillin parents took active roles in raising their children, and extended families often lived within swimming or walking distance of one another. Families often helped one another, and having a family member living in poverty was considered a disgrace for his entire family, who had clearly failed to help.

Shillin society spread over the land and through the seas of Bosys, and many structures actually existed in both environments, with flooded lower levels and waterproof computing systems. This was most common for public and corporate buildings, but more wealthy Shillins sometimes built houses with submerged and surface sections too.

Wurp was a Shillin language usable only underwater; it was produced with gargling sounds in a Shillin's mouth, and perceived primarily through the head tentacles. Even Shillins could not understand or reproduce Wurp on the surface, leading to the development of a second lingua franca (and eventually common tongue), Chezitch. Most Shillins were at least trilingual, speaking both of their native languages as well as the official language of the ruling government (Chen Yush for the Zarban Hegemony, Orhyo for the Golden Empire).

History
The Shillins evolved preying on fish; their distinctive coloring was an evolutionary adaptation, as a swimming Shillin (or especially a pack of them) could appear a school of silver fish from a distance. Biologists believed the evolution to amphibiousness had occurred relatively early among Shillin ancestor species, but since most such ancestors continued to live in littoral regions where food was plentiful, the species never completely evolved to land-based existence. Biological evidence showed that some subspecies had developed which had non-functional underwater breathing, but that ecological catastrophes on the surface had forced the Shillins back underwater for a time, and the subspecies, unable to survive there, had died out.

Shillin technology developed using water as a power source, although some solar technologies existed as well. Shillin warfare was complicated, as strategies and weapons needed to account for both land- and water-based attack. As a result, even at the height of their technological development, Shillin weapons tended to be.

Bosys was approached by the Zarban Hegemony some time after 14 ABY, and the Shillins accepted governance by the Hegemony, interested in exploring the galaxy. Despite their small stature, the Shillins were a mainstay of the Hegemony military during the Shield War. When the Hegemony dissolved and was absorbed into the Golden Empire, some Shillins protested the change, although many supported the even greater opportunities for exploration in the much larger Empire.

In the galaxy
Shillins could be found in all occupations; their easily adaptable nature allowed them to thrive in professions ranging from diplomacy to war to business to professional athletics. Shillins enjoyed visiting the oceans of other worlds, and were welcoming of aquatic visitors to their homeworld, including Laatls.