The Elgoo are a widespread species that have two powerful legs.
They evolved to run at high speed to avoid predators, capture prey and cover long distances
in the search for resources in a reasonably harsh world.
Humans visiting Elgoo habitats should be prepared for temperatures around 104 degrees Fahrenheit
or 40 degrees centigrade with very low humidity; this is a pleasantly brisk temperature for
the Elgoo, who can tolerate heat sufficient to cook an egg on their thick, leathery skin.
Skin and eye protection will also be required if the Elgoo are using ultraviolet light for
heating these areas, as that is what their home system's star produces, making for a
dark, hot and quite dangerous environment for a human.
Like humans, the Elgoo keep small predatory animals from their homeworld with them in
their habitats.
However, these are not pets; they are the Elgoo's prey, three main types of animal in
an array of different species which all prey on each other while at the same time subsisting
on tough, nutrient-poor moss, lichen and algae which grows mainly on the sides of rocks,
rounded from the frequent dust storms that rage across their planet.
The Elgoo evolved to hunt in packs, keeping on the move and tucking their bodies into
a ball, like an armadillo, as violent sand storms are pretty frequent, and they can't
always find shelter, dig protective burrows or outrun the storms.
Their legs are powerful and more flexible than humans; they have two toes with large
claws they use for digging into the burrows of smaller creatures and have four tentacles
that can retract or extend from a pouch just above their mouth, with the sensory organs
on one pair and two fingers on the other pair they use for snaking into burrows, under rocks,
and eating, plus have developed into good tool manipulating limbs.
They sense sound mainly through their feet as vibrations in the ground.
While they are well known for the beautiful, singing language they create from the breathing
orifices located on the sides of their torso, they also communicate with each other through
taps, shuffles, scrapes and clicks on the ground with their feet, performing complex
dances and also tapping on rocks and eggshells when they are at rest.
The Elgoo are hermaphrodites and lay eggs.
Their eggs are coated in a substance that impregnates the other Elgoo, and they all
share communal nests.
They all raise their hatchlings together, and aside from touching their limbs together,
they don't generally engage in any other sort of physical contact; they did understand sexes
and genders before they met other alien beings, thanks to a diverse array of reproductive
methods that had evolved in other creatures on their homeworld, but don't consider reproduction
to be a crucial aspect of their lives, they produce and lay a single, large egg regularly,
this starts when they are about ten years old, they lay the eggs infrequently at first,
always at the centre of the communal resting place they dig from an area of sandy ground,
the older individuals always rest and lay their eggs further from the centre of the
resting dug out.
The location where an Elgoo rests, where it stands or runs in relation to the rest of
the pack and how high or low it holds its posture around others are all very important
to their behaviour and culture.
Position is everything in Elgoo society.
It's also important to understand that Elgoo prefer to keep moving at all times that they
are not resting, and their resting period is not a matter of choice; when it is time
to rest, they all rest together; they all rest in the correct position in the correct,
comfortable conditions, their communication switches to the business concerning the politics
and gossip of the pack and they are very territorial, even if there are no eggs present in the Elgoo
resting pit, they will be quite hostile to anyone who comes close to the area, even those
they consider friends and allies... who would know better anyway, as Elgoo do actively warn
strangers about their taboos and such.
Elgoo will all pick up and carry their unhatched eggs within the same pouch their sensory and
arm tentacles retract into, a bit like a marsupial, except this is also where they absorb the
genetic material on the shell coating of the egg, which fertilises their eggs.
Patterns and position are fundamental to the Elgoo; their artwork and architecture feature
a lot of symmetry and spirals; they also love naturally eroded rock formations and creating
intricate decorations in the sand, much like they do in Japanese culture.
Their display systems and control interfaces also conform to these aesthetics, and Elgoo's
design, layout and artwork is trendy, as is their music and their obsession with a form
of dramatic performing arts that they share with humans... the soap opera.
Suppose you thought human soap opera was complicated and confusing for other species.
In that case, the Elgoo shows are on a whole other level.
The shows are divided into action-packed, tooth-and-claw survival dramas punctuated
by Machiavellian plots centred around the resting scenes, usually at the start and end
of each episode.
And, of course, being in the Elgoo language, every show is a musical with intricate tap
dancing routines.
It is as bewildering as it is entertaining, and this entertainment heavily influences
Elgoo culture.
The Elgoo are highly social; they hate to be alone, but also find the lack of formality
and custom among many other species to be highly frustrating, often quite offensive.
They simply will not speak with humans regarding the sleeping and mating habits they indulge
in or the fact that humans' diet is very offensive to them; they do not eat carrion, they only
eat live prey, and so, meal times for them are just a quick leap onto some small creature
near them, constricting and killing it before popping it into a mouth much more extensive
and full of small, shredding teeth than you might have thought were necessary.
The Elgoo don't eat where they rest; they eat as they move and move around quite quickly.
If confronted by a pack of seven-foot-tall Elgoo running at you in a spaceport, just
stay still and don't make any sudden, alarmed dashes for safety, as this is Prey behaviour
and the Elgoo find it a bit offensive for non-prey to do such things.
It's like pretending you are food and makes them think about hunting, which is quite distracting.
It is best to stand as straight and tall as possible, keep your arms up like a boxer,
and get their attention by stomping your foot down quite hard.
They will respect this posture of authority almost despite themselves, leaving quite a
good impression.
Do not extend your hand in the Human handshake custom, as that is an aggressive act to an
Elgoo, and you could get a nasty kick that will slice your throat open in a split second.
Don't worry though, you are far too large for an Elgoo to consider eating you, and you
are quite toxic to their body chemistry.
Elgoo treat arsenic like we treat salt, dusting it over prey just killed before eating it,
so do not go near them when they are eating without respiration protection.
Also, Elgoo pay attention to arm position, not facial expressions, they don't have any
idea what a smile or frown or anything like that means unless they have taken a very keen
interest in human communication, which is unlikely as Humans are not that widespread
and our soap operas are pretty dull, so they tend to think all humans must be quite boring.
Thanks to their native environment, the Elgoo buildings and spacecraft tend to look like
sea shells, with thick, durable outer shells which are rounded and contoured like wind-scoured
rocks, so their ships are quite attractive to human sensibilities and function quite
well both in atmosphere and underwater, though the Elgoo find large bodies of water to be
quite weird, as their planet is arid and they never drink water or learn how to swim.
They also have a very limited sense of smell and taste, so they find things like wine and
carbonated beverages need clarification; they might assume they are something like cleaning
solutions or a type of machine fuel.
They only developed fire for a short time and only recently discovered the pleasure
of smoking, so Elgoo will be keen to trade artwork and music for a nice supply of very
rare Human plants that can be burnt and smoked.
The Chinese Brake Fern is highly popular with the Elgoo as it has an intoxicating, relaxing
effect on them when smoked.
Historically, the Elgoo have met and interacted peacefully with most species they have encountered
in the galaxy, but they have also fought at least a few interstellar wars on a limited
scale, so while they come in peace, you can rest assured that they have the means to not
just defend themselves, but do catastrophic damage if provoked.
Their natural focus on tactical social positioning translates very well into strategic warfare,
where they strike with rapid and deadly force from the most advantageous locations with
great talent and absolutely no hesitation.
Elgoo don't second guess a situation where speed is critical to success and survival,
that is just the way they are built.
When interacting with the Elgoo, it is essential to approach them with respect and caution
and to be patient and open-minded in communication.
They are a peaceful and diplomatic species and are generally open to making contact with
other intelligent life forms in the galaxy.
Take care when outside of galactic territory frequented by lots of humans as the public
spaces in quite a wide area of this side of the galaxy are designed for the Elgoo, so,
surfaces may be hot to the touch, and the heating may cause you fairly severe sunburn,
the powder in the dispenser in an eating area will contain arsenic salt, there are no tables
and the seats will be shaped like eggs or may be easily mistaken for rocky art installations.
Do not wave your hands around or gesture too much with them while talking and be careful
not to eat dead meat, cheese or raw fruit in open view of the public.
Bring a water bottle and most certainly pack a dependable towel; you should be just fine.
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