User:Dante the Ghost/Sandbox

Makes sense.

Overview
The chemoautotrophic are an ethereal, almost angelic species. Standing approximately two meters high, they are primarily confined to the watery depths of the subglacial oceans of Titania, and are said to resemble glowing angelic creatures of the night.

Anatomy and physiology
Physically resembling the anthropoi—apart from being thinner—their primary characteristics are three pairs of membranous wings, the foremost one being six meters long, the rest being directional wings, which allow them to glide through the watery depths. When not in use these pectoral fins are kept furled close to their lithe bodies. Smaller secondary and tertiary pelvic fins aid in maneuvering. They possess a long tail stretching about two meters ending in either vertically or horizontally forked fins; running from the base of their skull down the length of the tail is a single dorsal fin that elongate.

Their arms are humanoid, end in four, webbed fingers, and are folded next to the body when in motion. Their digitigrade hind limbs have webbed, clawed feet of four toes. They lack anal fins, their legs instead serving to stabilize them. Instead of hair they have a long cartilage "wing" dividing into forked fins; this connects to their dorsal fin heterocercally.

Crystalian blood is in color, and they "breathe" hydrogen. This process is inefficient compared to oxygen-breathers.

Their bioluminescent skin is studded in mottled light bluish-green patterns and can change colors. In addition to camouflage or luring in prey, this bioluminescence is used for communication. It is soft to the touch, almost like statin, with small electrical impulses jumping at contact. Their humanoid faces, while smooth and nearly featureless, possess two pairs of eyes, a mouth, and a protuberance which resembles a nose. Gills are located about the neck. The eyes are colored either cyan, magenta, yellow, green, purple, or related shades thereof.

Crystaliens possess little sexual dimorphism and generally resemble anthropoi females with minor differences; "sex" is instead recognized as a social function, with three different "female" genders recorded and one "male". Monogamy is unknown, likely because of the disparate ratio between the different types. However there is a definitely sexual aspect to their reproductive cycle—any of the three female types can be fertilized by the male, and once this is accomplished, she goes and lays nearly microscopic eggs near or within a crevice, and then abandons them once done. This kind of fertilization may account for the disparate eye color and sizes. Crystaliens live for typically four hundred years because of their slow metabolisms.

Uniquely, the Crystaliens communicate not only through color-coded patterns but telepathically. They possess a organ in their frontal temporal lobes which allows them to somehow communicate via the mind. This is poorly understood. Touching one's skin would establish contact yet they can communicate effortlessly with individuals they have never seen before.

Culture
Despite living underwater and having no access to fire—and thus, technology—the Crystaliens possess a marvelous culture. In addition to communicating via the colors of their skin, Crystaliens have a musical language of haunting beauty. Each song is filled with complex, melodious symphonies which communicate every emotion possible to one another. Due to their telepathy, they have a richly preserved culture, allowing for an individual's achievements to live on enshrined in racial memory.

Courtship is a very involved process for the Crystalien species. The male would approach a certain "female" with a mixture of singing and fluidic dancing. The female could either respond favorably or not. If the latter, the male moves on to another. If the former, she answers in likewise manner, dancing in intricate patterns while singing in harmony, unison, or dissonance. These courtship rituals can last for many months of the Titanian year, as time is reckoned, and are largely dependent on the participants' skill in wooing the other.

While lacking fire, this did not prevent them from building an elaborate network of Hives and nests around strategic hydrothermal vents. Similar to insects, the Crystaliens meld together rock and a waxlike substance they secrete to form bubble-like buildings with multiple chambers branching outward. Entire reefs which form around vents often become part of these interconnected buildings, blurring the difference between artificial and natural. Entrances are usually located in the top, windows are unknown, with certain "plants" and animals cultivated as light sources.