Miewako

The Miewako (//) were a race of s from Santeras in the.

Biology and appearance
Though bipedal in configuration, the Miewako were generally classified as a type of sentient plant. They were capable of directly eating nutrient-rich foods, but could also absorb nutrients by digging their root-like toes into soil. Their skin had various color patterns, and their hair looked like roots or fronds. They had a pair of glossy eyes which saw in the infrared spectrum.

The majority of Miewako were fully diurnal and could not function at night or in low-light conditions. Roughly fifteen percent of the species were the opposite, awake at night and lethargic during the day. An even smaller fraction of the entire species was able to function in day or night.

Society and culture
Solitary and nomadic by nature, the Miewako formed small groups of a half dozen or so and walked the planet. Most Miewako were peaceful so long as no one threatened their homes. Drawing most of their energy from the sun, the Miewako slept thoroughly at night and were sluggish if woken. Given their tendency to exist in small groups, they formed no government before the Golden Empire arrived at Santeras, and even then had only token participation in the Empire's affairs.

Almost uniformly, the Miewako believed in a religion based around Mother Sun and Father Moon. Each gave different gifts to followers. Energy, strength, and growth were believed to be the most common "gifts" received from the celestial spirits. The few Miewako who could function in day or night were considered most blessed.

History
The Miewako were a docile race from the beginning of their history, rarely cultivating societies and expressing little interest in technology. Anything that produced pollution was shunned, and no one ever gathered in sufficient numbers for serious scientific research. The Miewako were among the few sentient species with no record of wars whatsoever; they felt fighting was a waste of their precious and limited energy.

The arrival of the Golden Empire was the first event to arouse real planetary anger, due to the pollution put off by landing craft. Agents of the Ministry of Diplomacy eventually negotiated Santeras's entry into the Golden Empire; while the planet became an important producer of foodstuffs, only non-polluting and other natural agricultural techniques were allowed.