Loremaster: WowGain
Original Draft by GlitchTheFox and Polytechnique
The Hylotl are an industrious amphibian species, known by other species for their cooperation among one-other, other species, and their ambitious desires to colonize the galaxy. They originate from a planet around the center of the Orion Spur, known by the Hylotl as "Kaiimaigoki"; but their planet was later lost to the Floran species resulting in years of animosity.
Following the loss of their homeworld in 2943, the Hylotl migrated to a new planet, now a large primarily-oceanic world known officially as 'Axolotia' and as 'Kitaikyo' by the more tradition Hylotl, located in the far end of the Carina-Sagittarius Arm. The planet is dominated by massive saltwater expanses dotted with highly developed lagoons spanning its surface, perfect in nature for rebuilding the once-great Hylotl society.
The Hylotl are an amphibioid mesothermic species. Due to this their internal temperatures are more prone to shifting than would be seen in an endothermic species, but are still capable of some level of self-regulation, unlike exothermics. The Hylotl have a life cycle similar to that of a frog, starting out as eggs before metamorphosing into their toddler stage. Early in life they are coated with a slime-like residue and have a fish-like tail. The covering keeps the young Hylotl moisturized, and eventually is absorbed into the skin, requiring the Hylotl to re-hydrate. Their tail is also reabsorbed, becoming completely reabsorbed into the body by the time they reach sexual maturity. As of this, the tail is a good indicator of a Hylotl's maturity.
Hylotl society is very socially and culturally divided, with the primary source of this divide emerging from the differences found in older and newer generations of Hylotls and their ever-changing perceptions and social values. Recent generations (Specifically, ages 20-35) have become more rebellious, peace-loving, and more technology based. Older Hylotl are much more prejudiced against other species, believing more in the purity of the Hylotl species and being much more old-fashioned, war-like, and purist in nature. This massive divide in conflicting beliefs stemmed from the Galactic War in which Hylotl were conscripted, often against their will, once they reached 15, causing a tremor within modern society, fostering a generation of rebels.
Hylotl cities and towns also are heavily affected by this divide. Towns generally tend to be more traditional, generally more concerned with maintaining a peaceful and tranquil environment. Rural Hylotl settlements have a more traditional "pagoda-like" architecture, and emphasize a Feudal Japanese style of architecture. Meanwhile, Hylotl cities tend to be massive in size, with a very modern and utilitarian style. These cities tend to be heavy in a consumerist nature, primarily focusing on the entertainment market, with many films, cartoons, clubs, and games being created and savored. The cities are a hub for younger Hylotls, due to the entertainment-based and "high-energy" culture with deep roots in the oriental-esque arts of Hylotl society.
The newer generations of Hylotls are generally, according to social norms, peace-preaching and rebellious. Pro-peace protests are common, often consisting of members typically aged 14 - 20. These Hylotls are generally depicted as "rebellious teenagers" with this adolescent rebellious nature often considered a phase which might end when the Hylotl enters adulthood. The younger Hylotl like to mingle with other species (including Florans), often out of spite towards the older generations. Not all older Hylotls are war-like and traditional, though all of them harbor some form of prejudice against the other species, especially Florans. The more war-like Hylotls have an unofficial shogunate military, following a pseudo-Bushido code, valuing honor and pride above all else. They prefer to use swords over guns, but will resort to them if need be.
Hylotls have a large pop culture with many different types of subcultures. The largest of these groups is the almost cult-like following behind Hylotl cartoons and comics, which depict many different overused themes and controversially lewd scenarios, only perpetuating stereotypes about the younger generations of Hylotls. Hylotl films tend to be more colorful than that of other species, or at least interpreted as much by outsiders. This tends to be due to the already colorful nature of the Hylotl species itself, and despite sometimes being seen as more childish, it is commonly used to accentuate darker themes. Popular Hylotl films include; 'Fish Salad?!' (Romantic, comedy), 'The Day the Water Ran Dry' (Dark, Action), 'Florans Aren't as Bad as You Think, They're Worse' (Satirical Documentary), etc. Many Hylotl films present negative and stereotypical points of views that tend to cause controversy with other species and with the younger generations of Hylotl.
3140 - 3283
"Hylotl have a rich and carefully-maintained history, spanning a thousand years of time. For the vast majority of their history, their society has been dominated by a series of colonial expansions under the rule of an absolute monarch (High Shōgun, Emperor of the Hylotl homeworld) who commands colonial Shōguns that rule over colonized planets. There have been occasional pauses in the tradition, including four periods of interstellar feudalism. Only recently has the Hylotl society become a democratic and open nation with solid traditional roots in its imperial past. The High Shōgun maintains his position solely as a figurehead of the Hylotl government, with very little actual power - but he or she often delivers speeches and public declarations as the face of the new Chancellery." -The Great Hylotl Compendium
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In the tail end of the 31st century, the Hylotl were in a period of social decline marked by a dramatic increase in isolationist and fearful behaviors. Sparked by a rising fear of another aggressive species such as the Florans arising and attacking their homeworld again, policies that restricted additional colonial projects and instead focused on an increase in defensive bolstering, creating armadas of ships that could serve as a massive defense fleet around the systems that were under Hylotl control. This eventually culminated in a minor inter-factional conflict in the Hylotl government, with the reigning party of fearful isolationists being pushed out by a group that emphasized that the new military power that the Hylotl had made for itself be used to take back their homeworld and its closest colonies from Floran hands.
This push led to the second great war between the Hylotl and Florans, a bloody conflict that led to a massive portion of Floran land being taken, including several sectors that were never under Hylotl control, and estimated 40% of Floran land being under Hylotl colonial control by 3189. News of this wholesale slaughter of the Floran species eventually hit the other colonizing species and resulted in a condemnation of the actions of the Hylotl, with mass military retaliation being threatened if the Hylotl wouldn't give up their blood-sport. The treaty signed that ended this conflict caused a majority of the Hylotl's military fleet to be removed, and major war reparations to be levied onto the Hylotl government. The homeworld was never retaken during this war, and to this day remains a Floran colony 40LY from Florus.
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25 years ago (the year 3256 through to 3261 lasting 5 years) during the Galactic War, the Hylotl government took an initially offensive role, crossing through the disjointed human borders and into Floran-occupied space in the Fringe. Through a heavy-set plan of eugenics and ethnic cleansing, Hylotl paramilitary organizations attempted to breed out positive features in intelligent species in their occupied regions. They also attempted to homogenize the Hylotl population (which originally consisted of analogs of several types of sea creatures, including sharks and various fish in roughly equal proportions, and to some extent, aquatic reptiles) down into the amphibian-like species known today. The action was seen as an offense against galactic stability resulting in a multinational response, and eventually resulting in the loss of millions of Hylotl lives and countless more civilians.
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Due to heavy drafting of young men and women during the period, a new counterculture has formed among younger Hylotl of peaceful coexistence with other species and cultures, and throwing away the 'corrupted' pre-war traditions. As of this, multiple peaceful protests have been staged, with the younger Hylotl attempting to garner the attention of their governments. The most famous of these protests, the Axolotia protest of 3234, gained the attention of the High Shōgun, who gave a speech popular among the older generations, in attempts to calm the protesting youth. Due to the separation of these generations another culture has been making an appearance recently, (3279, 14 years ago) being at the opposite end of the spectrum, a more militaristic, destructive, and discriminatory youth. Although small, and lacking major social impact as of yet, this group has been known to gather to disrupt protests, with fights breaking out between these groups.