Alokroder

Originally posted December 12th, 2007
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An older sketch of one of these critters that time has not yet managed to make me hate Here is some info on these guys, copy-pasted from the old description. You don't have to read it of course, just for those who might be interested.

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<sub>Ju-Karo is a planet that, it some ways, foreshadows ours: greenhouse gases from the alkroders' more primitive era have greatly clouded the atmosphere, and this, coupled with the fact that their planet is slowly being swallowed by the sun, leads to an average temperature of 140 degrees F. Much of the oceans have evaporated, leaving a mere 35% of water covering the planet--and that 35% is probably the only part of Ju-Karo that the alkroders have not yet colonized.

Given the extreme heat, no alkroder ventures outside, at least not during the day. All 21 billion of them reside within the great pyramid-like structures that cover the planet; the pyramids are so enormous, their shapes can be seen from space. Each one a city in and of itself, with everything its residents could possibly need throughout the course of their lives.

Needless to say, to be able to provide the resources necessary to sustain such a population and its housing, alkroders are more than a little beyond the technology level of humans. However, they advance for more slowly than we do. A hive-like society means that from individual to individual, there are remarkably few differences in terms of personality and intelligence, and most are content to simply follow orders. The true innovators are far and few-between. It is likely that less than two more centuries will pass before we are at their level.</sub>