Intro

Mmnungdu (singular, Mmnungdu) are bipedal, furry insectoid beings hailing from an unnamed moon of an unnamed planet, which is known to the Mmnungdu as "the eternal eye of the living mountain". Mmnungdu is a simplified version of what the Mmnungdu actually call themselves, which is nearly impossible to pronounce unless you are either a Mmnungdu or have insectoid mouthparts. It translates to "people of the living mountain". The moon the Mmnungdu live on is large for a moon, and potato-shaped. It is extremely icy and mountainous, with high winds, cold temperatures, and a high amount of volcanic activity. There is very little plant-life, most of which is cold-resistant algae that live under the ice and lichens.

Physical

Height (At Head):  12 to 15 ft/366 to 457 cm
Weight: 2,000 to 2,500 lbs/ 907 to 1,134 kg
Lifespan: 150-250 years
Omnivorous (Since their planet lacks significant plant-life, the "herbivorous" section of their diet actually consists of rocks.)

Basic

Mmnungdu are first and foremost big. Second, they are furry. In fact, their fur is one of the warmest substances in the universe. Despite what the presence of fur might suggest, they actually do have an exoskeleton. However, their exoskeleton is covered by a layer of blubber connected to the shell by strands of cartilage, a layer of skin that is only there to anchor the hair follicles, and finally a layer of thick, course hair.

The only place a Mmnungdu's shell is not covered by skin and blubber are the palms and two fingers. The palms are covered in small denticles, which can be raised or lowered by flexing tendons in the hands. These increase an Mmnungdu's grip.

Mmnungdu do not breath through their mouths, but rather through two "blowholes" located slightly above each shoulder. The hole on the right takes in air, while the hole on the left exhales, allowing an Mmnungdu to inhale and exhale at the same time and maintaining a steady flow of oxygen to the body, granting the Mmnungdu stamina.

Mmnungdu are not the fastest creatures, due to short hind legs, though they can reach up to 13 mph (21 kmph) on all fours, though this is hardly ever done. An Mmnungdu's real strength is just that; it's strength. Mmnungdu, similar to insects, can lift several times its own body weight. A full-grown male Mmnungdu can lift almost six tons! (That's enough to lift your average Tyrannosaurus rex!)


Senses

(Sight, Smell, Hearing, Touch, Taste)
The Mmnungdus' sense of hearing is fine-tuned to hear lower sounds, since an Mmnungdu's voice is generally very deep. They have trouble hearing higher pitches (anything around 40 hertz or so), but can hear frequencies as low as 15 hertz. In fact, like elephants, Mmnungdu can use these low frequencies to communicate over long distances. The highest frequency they can hear is roughly 1,000 hertz. Anything higher is either a mildly painful deterrent (think dog whistle) or simply unheard.

Mmnungdu are completely colorblind. However, they are very adept at picking out movement, depth, and form from the surrounding snow. Each of the Mmnungdu's pairs of eyes handles different parts of sight. The top pair sees movement, while the bottom pair sees depth and form. There are three layers of eyelids. The lowest is the thinnest and is mainly used to keep the eyes moist, while the second is thicker and used to see in heavy snow and biting winds. The last is opaque, and used when sleeping to block out the light, similar to a human eyelid.

Mmnungdu have a very poor sense of smell. Very poor. Extremely poor. This is in fact a good thing, since Mmnungdu tend to crowd for warmth, and don't smell that great to begin with. The stench of many Mmnungdu packed together like sardines is sickening.

The only places were an Mmnungdu is particularly sensitive to touch are the palms.

For some reason, Mmnungdu are very fond of sweet foods. Highly concentrated sugar-water is considered a delicacy, as are anything containing High Fructose Corn Syrup.

Societal

For the most part, Mmnungdu societies can be sorted into two categories: nomadic and sedentary. Both types of society rely heavily on Hrmchku. Hrmchku are large, "herbivorous" beasts that are used as beasts of burden. They can easily carry several Mmnungdu, and it takes at least one Mmnungdu just to control them, due to their immense strength. They are also used for food and a source of leather and clothing, although killing a Hrmchku isn't commonly done.

Nomadic Societies

Nomadic societies tend to be organized into clan systems, with a head chieftain and their mate. Chieftains may be either male or female. It doesn't really matter. From there the clan is further divided into families, with more successful or useful families considered to be a sort of "higher class". These families have more Hrmchku.

Nomadic societies are just that: nomadic. They migrate from place to place, usually following a traditional seasonal pattern. They are also known for raiding settlements and other clans. Most clans are distrusted and avoided by other clans or driven off from settlements.

Sedentary Societies
Sedentary societies are organized into walled settlements. Most settlements are located near large sources of rock, such as mountains or volcanoes. Settlements are normally led by a chieftain (similar to the nomadic clans), although there are settlements in which a council is also present. Larger settlements are made up of several clans. For the most part, these are formed when a larger clan settles down and smaller clans retreat to the settlement for protection. There are still internal divisions between the clans, with the largest and strongest clan dominating the rest.

In smaller settlements, only one or two clans are present, and such division is greatly reduced or even absent.

Every settlement is protected by a large, stone wall. The outside of this wall is usually intricately carved with the images of powerful guardian ancestors or ferocious beasts in order to ward off evil and protect against attack.

Pastimes

There are a few, crude games among the Mmnungdu, although the most significant pastime is stone carving. With their steel-hard claws and denticles, Mmnungdu can make extremely intricate carvings. Mmnungdu master sculptors are experts at using their palms to polish stone.

A bored Mmnungdu is almost always found whittling.

Family

Family is a strong theme in Mmnungdu society. Parents, Aunts, Uncles, and Grandparents may all live together, depending on who is capable of taking care of themselves. Mmnungdu believe in safety in numbers.

"Marriage"

Mmnungdu mate for life. Period, the end. Upon entering young adulthood, a young male will carve as intricate a sculpture as he is capable of making and present it to his chosen female as a proposal. However, there is usually a long courtship process that occurs beforehand, in which the male attempts to convince the female that he will be able to provide for her and any future offspring. He must also get her parent's approval.

Even if a mate dies or is killed in an accident, Mmnungdu rarely, rarely, rarely remmate.

Language and Names

The Mmnungdu language is made up of 53 separate "hums", 27 different "chrrs" or "wrrrs", 15 clicks, and 9 hoots for a total of 104 individual sounds, making Mmnungdu a very hard language to understand. Also, 53% of the words have to do with ice, snow, or rocks.

Mmnungdu names are usually very long and describe the circumstance of the individuals' birth or any unusual traits. For convenience, they are translated into common and are normally shortened by other species.

Examples:

-"He who was born on the path along the jagged white mountains" (Might be shortened to Jaggedpath or Whitemountain)
-"She who was born on the back of a Hrmchku who walked on ice" (Might be shortened to Icewalker or Backborn)
-"Son of the chieftain of the clan of the stone giant" (Might be shortened to Giantson or Stonechild)

Interactions with Other Species

Mmnungdu aren't very smart. Let's just say it. They have trouble comprehending math, science, and pretty much every other subject. They are also unable to learn to speak other languages. Their mouthparts just aren't meant for it. For the most part, they stick to their planet, although the few that live off-planet tend to work in physical labor or as guides to particularly cold planets.

Lifecycle

Newborn

Mmnungdu are born live. At birth, they are about two feet tall/long. At this point they are helpless and extremely susceptible to the elements. They spend the first four to six years of their life in a stone cradle, which is packed with hides and furs and covered with Hrmchku leather. This cradle can be either carried or left in place. Mothers feed their newborns with a milky substance secreted from their mouth. It has a banana-y flavor.

Toddler

Once an Mmnungdu leaves the cradle, they are considered a toddler. They are capable of walking and are about four feet tall. They spend their days playing and carving crude sculptures under the watchful eye of an elder. This stage tends to last for twenty or so earth years.

Child

Once an Mmnungdu is old enough to help with the chores, they are considered a child. Children are viewed as assistants, and learn through helping their parents with the chores. At this point, they are six feet tall and can lift two or three tons. This stage usually lasts until the Mmnungdu is forty or so earth years old.

Adult

As soon as a child passes initiation, they are considered an adult. Initiation is different for each clan. In nomadic clans, it tends to involve killing something in a successful raid, or capturing loot. A Mmnungdu might be considered an adult in society long before they've reached their full-grown size.

Elder

Mmnungdu generally die of disease, injury, or exposure to the elements before they reach old age. Those that do, however, are venerated by their clans and generally experience a boost in mental faculties.