Important Note: The bulk of this has either been written into continuity with the publication of Book I, back in 2017, or it can be found in the subsequent (unreleased) books. Either way, I’ve since had the information sent off and looked at with a couple of changes made here and there for the sake of realism. While I might write Science Fantasy, I love the idea of adding realism into my story, and if that realism can be double-checked for the sake of consistency, then I’m all the more satisfied.
Also note: Obviously, some stuff (like the reality warping ability) can be relegated to storyteller fiat, but the rest of it, though odd, is relatively sound.
Ardan Physiology
Introduction:
Overview: The Ardans are a humanoid race from the planet Ardis in the Dorastis System. Outwardly, they resemble humans with comparable genotypes and phenotypes. However, internally, several differences separate them from humans.
Overview: The Ardans are a humanoid race from the planet Ardis in the Dorastis System. Outwardly, they resemble humans with comparable genotypes and phenotypes. However, internally, several differences separate them from humans.
Gestation: Ten Months
Lifespan: 225 years. Due to a genetic differential found within 10% of the population, this number increases from 250 to over 975+ years of age.
External Differences:
Hair & Fingernails: Ardan body hair is highly similar to vellum hair, closer to the skin, and notably finer in appearance, with terminal hair concentrated on the face, scalp, underarms, and groin. Ardan's hair grows at half the rate of human hair, with fingernails growing at a similar pace.
Hair & Fingernails: Ardan body hair is highly similar to vellum hair, closer to the skin, and notably finer in appearance, with terminal hair concentrated on the face, scalp, underarms, and groin. Ardan's hair grows at half the rate of human hair, with fingernails growing at a similar pace.
Eye, Skin, and Hair Color: While these traits share similarities with those found in humans, there are subtle differences regarding gene expression. Blue, Green, and Gray tend to be more common, with greater expression in the variety of shades and hues. Though brown and dark brown eyes are present, they tend to be concentrated near the equatorial regions of the planet. In other geographical regions, there are varieties of amber, hazel, and honey.
Hair Color: Hair colors and varieties tend to be comparable to those of humans, with some differences. Auburn, blonde, and red tend to be more common, with a greater variety of shades. Brown and Black are present, with brown tending toward lighter shades, and black hair localized to various geographic locations where solar energy is most abundant or direct.
Skin Color: Though their skin color is comparable to that of humans, its range is slightly narrower, from exceptionally light to a medium brown, and every possible shade in between. This is due primarily to Ardis’s distance from its parent star. Being a little further away, it has 8% dimmer midday light than Earth.
Internal:
Overview:
The Ardans are a species native to the planet Ardis, a world comparable to Earth. Their species arose upon their homeworld 1.15 million years ago from the present, interbreeding out and outcompeting their archaic contemporaries to become the dominant species on the planet. Possessing substantially higher tolerances to lower temperatures and radiation than humans, their internal physiology is comparable, though it varies somewhat.
Overview:
The Ardans are a species native to the planet Ardis, a world comparable to Earth. Their species arose upon their homeworld 1.15 million years ago from the present, interbreeding out and outcompeting their archaic contemporaries to become the dominant species on the planet. Possessing substantially higher tolerances to lower temperatures and radiation than humans, their internal physiology is comparable, though it varies somewhat.
The Ardans are a species native to Ardis, a world comparable to Earth. The first Anatomically Modern Ardans appeared on the scene 1.15 million years ago, interbreeding or outcompeting with their archaic contemporaries, to become the dominant race on the planet. Possessing a higher tolerance to lower temperatures than humans, their internal physiology is significantly more refined than that found in humans. This aside, there are notable key differences.
Genetics:
Ardan DNA is a tightly coiled quadruplex (quadruple-helix) with a right-winding zigzag pattern, repeating every other base pair with little difference in width. The karyotype consists of seventy-six chromosomes arranged into nineteen homologous tetrads. With harmful mutations and other degraded genetic material edited out and deleted, the final tetrad fuses into pairs, giving rise to two genders. On average, the Ardan X Chromosome has over 1800 genes, while the Ardan Y Chromosome has 1790.
All Ardans have antifreeze and radioprotective proteins, making them extremely tolerant and heavily resistant to the deleterious effects of low temperatures and radiation.
Ardan DNA is a tightly coiled quadruplex (quadruple-helix) with a right-winding zigzag pattern, repeating every other base pair with little difference in width. The karyotype consists of seventy-six chromosomes arranged into nineteen homologous tetrads. With harmful mutations and other degraded genetic material edited out and deleted, the final tetrad fuses into pairs, giving rise to two genders. On average, the Ardan X Chromosome has over 1800 genes, while the Ardan Y Chromosome has 1790.
All Ardans have antifreeze and radioprotective proteins, making them extremely tolerant and heavily resistant to the deleterious effects of low temperatures and radiation.
After the loss of their psychic abilities, a significant change within their genetic structure occurred half a million years ago, resulting in a combination of psychological and physiological changes. It’s believed this process was sparked through the nascent Ardan Metaconsciousness, which connected the species on an instinctual level. When physically mapped, this shielding appears as an extremely intricate series of complexly dynamic interlocking fields that interactively alter and adapt in strength and patterning in response to the environment around them in literal moments. Their incredibly resilient nature makes them a considerably daunting challenge for all but the most powerful reality alterers who can pierce them effortlessly.
Their intrinsic presence makes them heavily resistant or outright immune to mental domination, possession, conditioning, empathic, telepathic, and telempathic intrusion, although surface thoughts and emotions may be sensed by those with the capabilities to do so. With the proper training and discipline, it’s possible to prevent even this from being discerned. Physiologically, they are similarly resistant to Hallucinogens, Barbiturates, most Depressants and Stimulants, and other psychoactive drugs that can negatively affect their perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, or behavior.
Roughly five percent of the population still bear a remnant of that past, reduced to extrasensory perception. Limited in scope, these abilities are as follows: Clairvoyance, Precognition, Psychometry, Retrocognition, and a specialized form of Bio-Energy Perception remarkably similar to Aura Perception.
Circulatory System:
Ardan red blood cells contain a higher hemoglobin concentration—370 million hemoglobin biomolecules—than what is found in human red blood cells: 270 million. Notably darker and thicker, it is three times more efficient at absorbing, transporting, and reverse binding oxygen than human red blood cells. With slightly less oxygen in their homeworld—19.7% as opposed to 20.95% on Earth—they respire without issue.
Ardan red blood cells contain a higher hemoglobin concentration—370 million hemoglobin biomolecules—than what is found in human red blood cells: 270 million. Notably darker and thicker, it is three times more efficient at absorbing, transporting, and reverse binding oxygen than human red blood cells. With slightly less oxygen in their homeworld—19.7% as opposed to 20.95% on Earth—they respire without issue.
The pulmonary system evolved into a pair of four-chambered hearts working in tandem to channel blood thoroughly throughout the body. They are somewhat more muscular, flexible, and considerably more resilient than the human heart. Though the right is primary in most Ardans, it is not uncommon to find the left primary, and in exceedingly rare circumstances, neither one is primary, both beating in perfect tandem. None of these variations leads to complications. Regardless, the primary heart tends to be followed anywhere from one to three seconds afterward, with both working to remove carbon dioxide and other waste products, meanwhile oxygenating the tissues at a substantially high rate.
Respiratory System:
Due to the presence of a duo-cardiovascular system, Ardan lungs are slightly smaller, but tetra-lobed, giving them a volumetric area 1.75 times greater than what’s found in human lungs. Highly developed and considerably refined, their alveoli are two and a half times more efficient at taking in, absorbing, and processing oxygen. The only other difference lies in the regenerative ability of the pulmonary alveolus; their lungs completely regenerate at five times the rate of human lungs.
Due to the presence of a duo-cardiovascular system, Ardan lungs are slightly smaller, but tetra-lobed, giving them a volumetric area 1.75 times greater than what’s found in human lungs. Highly developed and considerably refined, their alveoli are two and a half times more efficient at taking in, absorbing, and processing oxygen. The only other difference lies in the regenerative ability of the pulmonary alveolus; their lungs completely regenerate at five times the rate of human lungs.
Immune System:
The Ardan immune system is considerably more aggressive, refined, resilient, and adaptable in comparison to the human immune system. Whereas Humans have an innate, general defense and adaptive immunity, Ardan biology adds to this by including what has been labeled as reactive and mutable. If the innate and general defense systems are unable to deal with the foreign antigen, reactive immunity is triggered. Known as J, P, and Q-Cells, these cytotoxic antibodies are equipped with a varied array of defenses designed to aggressively attack any harmful pathogens present in the body. Once a response has been made, mutable immunity is triggered, which is an advanced combination of the first four, learning almost instantly from any encounter, shaping, and altering responses to any foreign antigen, and is impossible to deceive. The only difference between the Human and Ardan adaptive immunity is that Ardan B and T cells are more aggressive and seemingly quasi-intelligent, learning from any encounter and genetically encoding all experiences for lifelong use as a biological multi-referential database.
The Ardan immune system is considerably more aggressive, refined, resilient, and adaptable in comparison to the human immune system. Whereas Humans have an innate, general defense and adaptive immunity, Ardan biology adds to this by including what has been labeled as reactive and mutable. If the innate and general defense systems are unable to deal with the foreign antigen, reactive immunity is triggered. Known as J, P, and Q-Cells, these cytotoxic antibodies are equipped with a varied array of defenses designed to aggressively attack any harmful pathogens present in the body. Once a response has been made, mutable immunity is triggered, which is an advanced combination of the first four, learning almost instantly from any encounter, shaping, and altering responses to any foreign antigen, and is impossible to deceive. The only difference between the Human and Ardan adaptive immunity is that Ardan B and T cells are more aggressive and seemingly quasi-intelligent, learning from any encounter and genetically encoding all experiences for lifelong use as a biological multi-referential database.
Under exceptional circumstances, Ardans rarely fall under any serious illness. Those foreign antigens that they come into contact with and interact with can trigger an initial response in a matter of minutes. Their bodies can withstand decades or more of punishment and hard living, hardily resisting even the most tenacious disease, even up to their moment of death. Due to the invariably refined nature of their immune system, autoimmune diseases, while theorized, are non-existent among their species. As a secondary effect of this, they do have a reasonable tolerance to poisons as their bodies process them like any other pathogen. However, they are not immune, with potent enough concentrations overwhelming their systems, incapacitating, or possibly killing them.
Integumentary System:
The Ardan Integumentary System is relatively like that found in humans. The only true difference is an extra skin layer called the mesodermis found between the epidermis and dermis. This layer plays a role in heat regulation, as well as fat-to-energy conversion.
The Ardan Integumentary System is relatively like that found in humans. The only true difference is an extra skin layer called the mesodermis found between the epidermis and dermis. This layer plays a role in heat regulation, as well as fat-to-energy conversion.
Lymphoid System:
The Lymphoid System within Ardans is relatively comparable to the one found in the human body. The only major differences lie between the primary and secondary lymphoid organs, which are three times more refined than the Human lymphoid system. Secondly, the lymph nodes and lymphatics show greater development, with the lymphatic vessels carrying their fluid bidirectional toward the hearts. The only other differences lie in that the system is roughly streamlined to improve efficiency and produce near-instant responses when harmful things invade the body.
The Lymphoid System within Ardans is relatively comparable to the one found in the human body. The only major differences lie between the primary and secondary lymphoid organs, which are three times more refined than the Human lymphoid system. Secondly, the lymph nodes and lymphatics show greater development, with the lymphatic vessels carrying their fluid bidirectional toward the hearts. The only other differences lie in that the system is roughly streamlined to improve efficiency and produce near-instant responses when harmful things invade the body.
Musculoskeletal System:
Due to greater oxygenation from their circulatory system, Ardans developed stronger muscles, a higher level of endurance, and greater potential function with regard to flight and fight response. Their bodies show greater efficiency than humans at removing lactic acid during stress-related activities such as load-bearing and endurance-related activities. They are twice as resilient when it comes to withstanding physical injuries, such as pulled or torn muscles or ligaments, sprains, and broken bones. Ardan bone is ~1.6–1.8x denser than human bone in load-bearing regions (spine, femur, skull), with compact bone 2.0x denser in the cranial vault.”
Due to greater oxygenation from their circulatory system, Ardans developed stronger muscles, a higher level of endurance, and greater potential function with regard to flight and fight response. Their bodies show greater efficiency than humans at removing lactic acid during stress-related activities such as load-bearing and endurance-related activities. They are twice as resilient when it comes to withstanding physical injuries, such as pulled or torn muscles or ligaments, sprains, and broken bones. Ardan bone is ~1.6–1.8x denser than human bone in load-bearing regions (spine, femur, skull), with compact bone 2.0x denser in the cranial vault.”
Nervous System:
The Ardan nervous system is structured similarly to the human nervous system in that it has three major components: enteric, peripheral, and central. The enteric and peripheral systems are highly refined and structured, allowing for significantly greater sensory input, transmission, and interpretation by the central nervous system. The central nervous system shows the greatest differences. Their spinal cord is a tightly threaded bundle of interconnected tissues that receive, interpret, and transmit signals throughout the body, two and a half times faster than the human spinal cord.
The Ardan nervous system is structured similarly to the human nervous system in that it has three major components: enteric, peripheral, and central. The enteric and peripheral systems are highly refined and structured, allowing for significantly greater sensory input, transmission, and interpretation by the central nervous system. The central nervous system shows the greatest differences. Their spinal cord is a tightly threaded bundle of interconnected tissues that receive, interpret, and transmit signals throughout the body, two and a half times faster than the human spinal cord.
Their brain is also structured differently. Facilitating interhemispheric communication, the corpus callosum consists of 315-330 million contralateral axonal projections compared to 200-250 million in humans. Volumetrically, the Ardan brain averages 1400 cm3 while the human brain averages 1250 cm3. Furthermore, the concentration of neurons in the Ardan brain lies between 150-175 billion, while in Humans, that number lies around 80-120 billion. Though their neocortex is considerably developed—the Ardan brain being twice as dense and more convoluted than the human brain—the highest development is found in all areas responsible for cognition and memory.
This has resulted in a highly prodigious and ordered intellect with high potential for either eidetic or photographic memory, or even both. This has also led to the development of ancestral memory, accessible only through deep meditation or those capable of peering into another’s thoughts and seeing them. It has also led to the development of a significantly higher degree of spatial coordination than what is found in humans and much more refined senses. Lastly, while all of their senses except for sight are on par with Humans, they tend to be somewhat more vivid; sounds are clearer, tastes more defined, smells sharper, and touch better felt.
Visual System: Evolving into a world a little further away than Earth, their daytime is 9.5% dimmer. Ardan physiology, therefore, developed to compensate in four ways. The first compensation was a considerable refinement to the occipital lobe. It can take, process, and interpret external stimuli two and a half times faster than the human brain at any given moment. The second refinement lies within the retina, which contains one-third more rods and cones than the human eye, is more densely compact, and has a blind spot half the size of the one found in the human eye.
The third refinement lies in their ability to see in four wavelengths. With Dorastis being slightly bluer than Sol, Ardans have a UV-A Cone, allowing them to see in four wavelengths, their vision extending into the near-ultraviolet, with the potential to discern over a hundred million colors. The final refinement lies in their visual acuity, with even the average Ardan possessing 20/10 vision.
All of this gave rise indirectly to a few other things. Although they do not have a tapetum lucidum, as found in cats and dogs, Ardans have remarkably sharp night vision, able to distinguish silhouettes, general appearances, and patterns, and discreet movements at twice the distance as humans in a quarter of less light. Their visuospatial ability is near precise, able to recall even the most minute details with frighteningly vivid detail, even after a century or more of having seen the image.
Magnetoception: Ardans possess the ability to sense magnetic fields, ranging from local and regional proximity and orientation to the global field surrounding the planet. Depending on their sensitivity, Ardans can discern altitude, direction, strength, proximity, and orientation with near-perfect accuracy. If lost, whether in a city, desert, or wilderness, they can orient themselves using the global magnetic field to find their way back to their destination. With enough time, they can internalize their surroundings by generating a mental map of the magnetic variances around them and can retain that memory, even altering it as needed throughout their lifetime.
Psychic Shields, ESP, and the Iadalen:
As a tradeoff to this development, Ardans mostly lost whatever psychic abilities they would have had had their race not been altered. However, they did retain some of it in other ways. Due greatly to a higher-ordered brain, a large part of this involved temporal awareness and knowledge of spatial-temporal direction and flow. The other lay in the form of sporadic developments of extrasensory perception. Though the traits are purely recessive and may not even show up for up to several generations, limited to geographic location, they have been documented. Limited in scope, these abilities are as follows: Clairvoyance, Precognition, Psychometry, Retrocognition, and a specialized form of Bio-Energy Perception remarkably similar to Aura Perception.
As a tradeoff to this development, Ardans mostly lost whatever psychic abilities they would have had had their race not been altered. However, they did retain some of it in other ways. Due greatly to a higher-ordered brain, a large part of this involved temporal awareness and knowledge of spatial-temporal direction and flow. The other lay in the form of sporadic developments of extrasensory perception. Though the traits are purely recessive and may not even show up for up to several generations, limited to geographic location, they have been documented. Limited in scope, these abilities are as follows: Clairvoyance, Precognition, Psychometry, Retrocognition, and a specialized form of Bio-Energy Perception remarkably similar to Aura Perception.
Out of all of this, it is the Iadalen, the ability to alter reality through will, that has changed the course of Ardan development. Its very nature is seemingly what altered the race as a whole from becoming a purely psionic one. Encompassing even psychically related abilities, the Iadalen endows the subject with the power to alter reality around them, though the extent of this is limited by the potency of the individual in question. While the least among them could alter the equivalent of a large humanoid, the most powerful among them, veritable ‘world-destroyers’, are exceptionally rare, regarded as near-legendary, and are seemingly as far above their own people as their own people are above insects.
