Codex Entry: Xabeldi

Biology
Xabeldi are a long-lived race of humanoid, bipedal beings. They are mono-gendered, tall with slender
builds, three-fingered hands, and possess visible auras that make them appear luminous to non-Xabeldi.
Skin tone tends to be greenish white, with some variants due to age, or sickness.
While Xabeldi communicate through verbal speech and telepathy, touch remains one of their primary
methods of expression. It is employed in every situation, from family, close friends, and bond mates.
Touch is a sacred tradition among the Xabeldi: establishing it indicates trust, or a willingness for the
minds to be joined. It would be considered informal to invite physical contact with a Xabeldi upon first
meeting. Xabeldi can also use telekinesis, though the skill level varies from individual to individual.
Though primarily sustained by the light of the B-class star, XaLux, which is consciously absorbed and
converted into basic nutrients similar to photosynthesis, the Xabeldi live off a diet consisting of mostly
plants, nuts, fruits and vegetables. They have relatively slow metabolisms, resulting in little need to eat
as often as a human might over the course of one day. What they cannot live without, however, is
sunlight and water. In an environment with weaker sunlight, such as Earth, Xabeldi would need to
consume raw sugar to make up for what little they absorb from Sol.
The Xabeldi home world, Xa'Beld, has an atmosphere rich in carbon dioxide, which is necessary for
the Xabeldi to live. Plants have been engineered to use cellular respiration rather than photosynthesis to
sustain themselves, and the atmosphere. The Xabeldi create the necessary oxygen the plants need
through exhalation. To this end, breathing pure oxygen would be poisonous to Xabeldi, though O2 in
small quantities is not fatal. It may cause dizziness, weakness and pain. Xabeldi would need
environmental suits to move about a world like Earth.

Culture
Xabeldi are a curious race, forever seeking ways to improve upon their lives either by revamping
existing technology, or creating new tech. Because of this, they are known throughout their sector as
pioneers, inventors, and scholars. The average citizen employs this most basic function in every aspect
of their life, whether they are a scientist or stay-at-home caregiver. All Xabeldi instinctively work
toward bettering their people no matter their calling.
Xabeldi are very sociable. Gatherings, parties, conventions, and reunions are very common in Xabeldi
society. Young Xabeldi are especially sociable. As they seek new experiences, or close friends, these
Xabeldi are subject to getting into trouble at times. Most of the incidents are seen as non-threatening.
Very few antics require disciplinary action. However, gravely injuring or killing another is forbidden.
Attempting to better oneself at the expense of others- extortion, genetic engineering (such as with the
Nureni), for example- are also forbidden. Both carry the high penalty of exile to the offender. Should a
Xabeldi be imprisoned, time spent incarcerated is used to promote mental health, and most criminals
are successfully rehabilitated.
While the Xabeldi are seen as a passive, peace-loving people, their past is fraught with conflict. To this
end, they have created one of the finest militaries in their galaxy. The Xabeldi Special Forces, or XSF,

are primarily peacekeepers, though they also have a branch that serves as the personal protectors of the
Xabeldi High Council. The XSF trains only the best, brightest, and strongest of the Xabeldi for this
crucial role. Its various units specialize in hand-to-hand combat, mental strengthening, infiltration, and,
to some extent, espionage and spying.
The most respected citizens in Xabeldi society are the enigmatic Xa'En. History holds the Xa'En
responsible for enabling the Xabeldi interstellar travel, advanced technology, and overall improvement
of life on Xa'Beld. The average citizen will go a lifetime without ever seeing a Xa'En, though that
lifetime will benefit from a Xa'En's influence.
Long have Xabeldi believed their star, XaLux, to be their creator. That they are bound to the expected
life cycle of XaLux is the mantra all Xabeldi live by, and all life is considered sacred. Worshippers of
XaLux hold that upon their deaths, they return to their star as energy to feed new life. Some also
believe the Xa'En to be as gods, and often invoke their name in prayers or expressions of gratitude as
well as Xa'Luxs.
The one dark spot on the Xabeldi as a whole are the Nureni. With origins in the XaEn, the Nureni
transformed themselves via the illegal use of genetic engineering, creating a new, synthetic life form
freed from mortality. This was seen as an affront to the very core of Xabeldi society, and sparked a
centuries' long war between the two until the Nureni were forced off-planet. Though silent since their
exile, the Nureni remain the most dangerous foe to Xa'Beld.

Mating and Sexuality

A Xabeldi's longevity does not call for continued mating. It occurs in fifteen year cycles. Pairs typically
mate for life.
Because touch is of such vital importance to their culture, a Xabeldi may experience multiple partners
before settling on a bond mate. Sexual exploration occurs around the time of adolescence, much the
same as humans. This includes self-pleasure. Sex for pleasure is common in both adolescents and
unmated adults. It does not involve intercourse, for the Xabeldi do not possess sexual organs. Theirs is
a sensory experience that uses touch and telepathy on erogenous zones for enhanced effect. Because a
Xabeldi consciously chooses the time to bear children, the risk of pregnancy is nil during these times.
When a Xabeldi is ready to mate, he will present himself to his potential partner, usually someone he
has known for a long time, or a friend of the family. Courtship rituals involve gentle signals exchanged
between minds and touch, though it is a vastly different experience when used during sex. In
pleasurable situations, the Xabeldi do not meld their minds to form the basis of a telepathic bond.
Once their minds are joined, it is as binding as a marriage contract. The Xabeldi are now mated, and no
other, non-mated Xabeldi can invite touch. Mates are officially recognized by Xabeldi society without
the means of ceremony, though the families often celebrate the union with a large social gathering.
Bonded pairs share everything via their mental link: joy, sorrow, pain, pleasure. A bond lasts as long as
the mated pair is alive. Only death can sever the bond. Many will not seek another mate should his
perish, though it not forbidden from doing so.
Newly bonded pairs spend as much time together as possible, for to be apart results in an

uncomfortable experience known as the pain of separation. The sensation is described as the intense
need for touch (a feeling similar to a human's heightened sense of desire) and is usually accompanied
by gripping pain. Relief can come in one of two forms: the mated pair being in close proximity to one
another, or mental calming exercises designed to reduce or block the sensations. Although the pain of
separation weakens over time, those who are continually separated from their mates (such as going on
and off-planet) never feel true reprieve from this. It is also experienced if a bond mate dies, is killed, or
they are forced apart.

Birth
Xabeldi are conceived via internal fertilization and genetic imprint. Unlike other times when they join,
conception is a more involved process that requires great amounts of energy. Both parents must ingest
sugar-rich foods, as well as absorb nutrients through prolonged exposure to sunlight. This results in the
carrier parents body to prepare for pregnancy. While both are capable of being carriers, the strongest of
the pair usually bears the child.
Once pregnant, the carrier parent will go to a specially-prepared private chamber to continue taking in
extra food and sunlight. This is added to what was taken from the other parent during the conception
phase. Pregnancy lasts for ten months. During this time, the carrier parent establishes a telepathic
connection to his unborn child.
The birth requires both parents in order to fully awaken the childs consciousness. After the carrier has
given birth, the other parent touches the childs mind. Impressing on the child at this stage in life is
imperative. It allows for the natural development of telepathic skills, and solidifies the link he shares
with his parents. For some weeks after the birth, the child feeds from the birth parents stored energy.
When this is depleted, he will start absorbing sunlight on his own, and is introduced to a diet of soft
paste. The carrier parent typically spends this time at rest. Recovery periods range from weeks to
months, depending on the difficulty of the birth, and the carrier parent's health.
Because it requires so much energy to birth a child, most parents will bear children once every decade
or so. Some may even choose to only have one.

Growth
Xabeldi children experience rapid growth in their first hundred years of life. Some of the more
powerful ones will undergo unpredictable bursts of telekinetic, or telepathic power. When this occurs,
the child is enrolled in a special school designed to help control his abilities. While most Xabeldi
children are born with telepathic/telekinetic abilities, there have been some instances where a child will
be born mentally 'blind'. When a child has this low level of telepathic skill, his parents have the option
of implanting a special receptor into the child's brain to allow communication, or they will acquire a
computer program to act as an interpreter. Many opt for the implant, despite its higher cost. Utilizing
the interpreter program has been going out of style for centuries, and upgrades are difficult to come by.
Xabeldi are considered children between the ages of one hundred and three hundred years old,
adolescents between three-hundred fifty and five hundred, and adults five hundred and above. While
some will go on to accept positions that take them off-world, many do not leave Xa'Beld. Those that do
maintain permanent residences. Despite their curious nature, it is rare for a Xabeldi to want to live and
work off Xa'Beld, or even out of Xabeldi-controlled space.

Government
Xa'Beld is ruled over by a high council made up of the brightest and most powerful members of the
species. Positions are not elected by the common people, or merited through recommendations made by
peers. The high council is selected by the Xa'En in a private gathering. Most will not know they have
been considered for selection until they already have been chosen. The council is selected in its
entirety, and dismissed in its entirety. Should even one member come under suspicion, everyone is
dismissed. This method of selection prevents a political takeover. The Xa'En do not show themselves
even to the high council. They communicate through the use of specialized message discs.
The High Council consists of six members. Five represent the following sections of Xabeldi life: law
enforcement (including the judiciary), education, finance, public works, and agriculture. The High
Council leader is the executive of all sections, especially the military. He answers to the Xa'En in
matters concerning the sciences, technology, tradition, and extraterrestrial exploration. He is also an
ambassador to allied species in their sector, and conducts trade and other business with them from the
comfort of his office.
Every council member is assisted by an aide. These aides form bonds similar to that of a mated pair's,
but without the necessary courtship prior to bonding. Aides are chosen from a select group of
candidates, typically those without family or other social connections. They will also legally change
their name to a variant of the council member they serve. It is a mark of respect.
An aide's duties include clerical tasks, escort missions, research, and, in some extreme cases, as
protectors. They are entrusted with secrets that can never be shared with another. Should this happen,
the council member, not the aide, will come under suspicion. This typically results in the full dismissal
of the council.

Xa'Beld: A Galactic Superpower

The Xabeldi are the most advanced, widespread species in their sector. Aside from Xa'Beld's colonies,
many worlds and species come under their jurisdiction. It is a beneficial partnership, where nonXabeldi rights and traditions are taken into account. While Xa'Beld itself is inhospitable to nonXabeldi, its colonies feature multiracial environments. Xabeldi who live on these colonies are outfitted
in environmental suits.
With Xa'Beld being the central power for so many, its economy affects those of its colonies as well.
The Xabeldi currency is the most accepted form of payment, though other forms are found in the outer
regions. The most common, and illegal, form is the de-centralized, digital currency used by criminals.
Xa'Beld monitors these outer regions through the use of space stations. Most of these stations are
worlds unto themselves, boasting multiracial living quarters, entertainment, and, depending on its
location, a dangerous underbelly. Xa'Benth Station is the most infamous of these. Its close proximity to
Nureni space makes it an unfavorable post to many Xabeldi, but offers refuge and opportunity for the
galaxy's notorious criminals.
The XaEn also have stations scattered throughout Xabeldi space. The primary purpose of these
stations is for research and exploration, as well as the maintenance of the vast network of spatial

gateways. These gateways connect to one another via automated constructs. They function as
wormholes, allowing instantaneous travel between two points in space. Most gateways operate on a
dual system; however, after the Nureni conflict ended, the XaEn disabled dozens of gateways to
prevent the Nureni from returning.

The Nureni
All relevant information pertaining to the conflict is restricted to archives kept by the XaEn.