Ketran

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The Ketrans are a fictional race from the Animorphs book series; they lived on giant crystals hovering above a lava-covered surface. The Ellimist was once a member of this race. The Ketrans were later wiped out by the Capasins.

The Ketrans kept the floating crystals afloat by having a lot of people flapping their wings while attached to the crystal.

A large amount of the Ketran society was based around a game, akin somewhat to God sims of our video games. In this game, the player would choose a species and make small changes to the planet and to genetic structure, etc. of the species, then see what the outcome was.

It was this game (broadcast throughout space, much in the same way that humans broadcast messages about their society via radio waves) that caused the Capasins to come and wipe them out. The Capasins believed that the Ketrans played with the lives of real species, they didn't realise it was a game (indeed, they couldn't grasp the concept of games.)

The last of the species escaped with an experimental spacecraft made from crystal, onboard was the one who would become the Ellimist.

Ketrans are winged creatures who have 'quills' rather than hair. They have 4 arms, 4 eyes, docking talons, 'pods' of some sorts (possibly the Ketran equivalent of feet), and are highly intelligent. The description provided by the author indicated they may appear as angels, which would fit in with their God-like powers over their games.

Due to their lives of flight, Ketrans are instinctively claustrophobic, to the point where they are absolutely terrified of closed space, even when windows and such allow the illusion of open air. This is a fear that they must conquer after they become a nomadic, space-faring race.

[edit] Ketran Terminology

The Crate: The name the Ketrans gave the Capasin ship they captured.
Dam: The Ketran word for "mother".
Dance By: An event which occurs whenever two crystals on Ket float near each other. Ketrans from each crystal fly out and meet Ketrans from the other crystal.
EmCee: A Ketran space exploration ship.
Memm: To "memm" someone is to send them a message via the planetary uninet; comparable to sending someone an e-mail or a private message, though the uninet is accessed through the minds of the Ketrans and not technologically. Essentially a slower form of thought-speak.
Deep worms: A general curse-like invocation; comparable to the human phrase "By God". "Deep worms, shut up!"
Sire: The Ketran word for "father".