Andalite
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The Andalites are a fictional alien race of grazers in the Animorphs book series and Animorphs television series. They are centaur-like creatures, with the lower body similar to a deer and a torso similar to a human. The males' entire body is covered in blue fur and the females' in bluish-purple fur, which becomes tan-coloured as either sex get older. Their arms, slightly weak in comparison to humans, end in seven-fingered hands. While they are weaker, they are nimbler as well. The head of an andalite has a set of almond-shaped eyes, as well as a pair of stalk-eyes that give them possible 360-degree vision. They have a nose-like feature which is three vertical slits. Their sense of sight is similar to ours, though the stalk eyes can see a small ways more into the ultraviolet spectrum and the infrared spectrum. The other most notable feature of the face is the lack of a mouth. They eat by crushing grass under their hooves and absorbing the nutrients. They communicate by way of telepathic communication, called thoughtspeak. They evolved as prey animals, but they do have a very formidable defense: their single, scythe-like blade at the end of the tail. The tail blade is smaller and weaker in the females. This bladed tail is long enough to reach well in front of the Andalite to strike deep blows in an opponent. Another common technique Andalite utilize in battle is to turn the blade flat at the last second, knocking their opponent unconscious but leaving them otherwise unharmed. The tail is also an important symbol in Andalite culture, and is frequently referenced to in sayings and rituals. For example, the word shorm comes from the Andalite word for tail-blade and describes an Andalite who could place his tail-blade at the throat of another Andalite who, trusting the first completely, would not feel threatened; essentially a best friend.
Andalites are grazers (although Ax has referenced eating worms), originally herd animals, and are accustomed to open plains. Claustrophobia is a deeply ingrained trait in Andalites, and they loathe enclosed spaces. At one point in their development, they began their transition into herd animals, and formed small groups, similar to a family. Soon, families joined together, forming small communities. Then, as their society advanced, they grew closer and closer together, forming dense cities. Eventually, they decided that this wasn't a good idea, and nobody liked the proximity, so they broke the cities down and moved apart into small, family-based 'scoops' once again. As a result their society is mostly rural, despite their advanced technology. The three space ports on their planet, though, are urban.
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[edit] Homeworld
The Andalite homeworld is simply called the Andalite homeworld, and it is vaguely described in several books of the series. The number of suns is not specified, but it seems to be more than one as whenever an Andalite sun is mentioned, it's in plural. It has been specified that the planet has four moons, with at least two always visible at any one time. The planet's sky is coloured red and gold.
While the Andalite home world does not boast the sheer number and variety of organisms that Earth does, they have many interesting plant and animal species. The Kafit bird, for example, is one of the only three bird species on the entire Andalite home world. It is a predatory bird, with six pairs of wings and a long, sharp beak. It uses its spear-like beak and maneuverability to spear its prey. Though technically not allowed, Andalite arisths often morph into Kafit birds for amusement.
Their plant life is remarkable as well, with grass in shades of green, blue, and even a bit of red. Some species of old growth tree on the planet appear to have a vague intelligence and can use very limited telepathy, though this is usually limited to acknowledgement of another's presence and a return and recognition of basic emotions; it is extremely rare and difficult for a tree on the Andalite Homeworld to form even a single word, as it purportedly can take days in the few who can. Andalites seem to make special connections with certain trees, which become their Guide Trees, or Garibahs.
[edit] Technology
Andalites are very technologically advanced, and boast of a vast knowledge of science. They have several notable developments, primarily Z-space technology. Z-space engines allow a ship to travel through Z-space, an entirely blank, void, white space, and exit again some distance away, shortening travel time immensely, and working around the limitations on faster-than-light travel. Z-space transponders work similarly, allowing one to communicate through Z-space, similar to radio transmissions. Next, the ships themselves deserve note. First, there is the standard fighter ship, with short stubby wings, and a shredder (a type of particle beam) gun slung over the top, fashioned to mimic the raised Andalite tail. Next, there are the vast Dome Ships. These ships are the main transport ships for fighters and crew. The 'Dome' portion is an entire ecosphere, complete with atmosphere, grass and water, to sustain the Andalites on-board. These ships can host many fighters, and generally only one Dome Ship is called out for an entire battle, with the occasional need for two, and the rare necessity for three. All Andalite ships are equipped with Z-space flight capacity, and shredder guns. The shredders on a Dome Ship are rumored to be capable of punching a hole clear through a moon.
One of the more recently developed and most important Andalite technologies is their morphing technology.
[edit] Interspecies Relations
The Andalites have many relations to many different species outside their planet. They are usually well-known for being 'good-guys', spreading enlightenment and aid wherever possible. However, an example that severely mars the reputation of the Andalites, and simultaneously jades many Andalite minds to their own culture as well as outside species, is Seerow's Kindness. Seerow was one of the first Andalites stationed on the world of a newly discovered species, the Yeerk homeworld. In their natural state, Yeerks are blind, defenseless slugs. They were capable, by some odd fluke of evolution, to enter into the brains of other species, interface, and control them. They had done so already with the pitifully weak species on their own world known as the Gedds. Even so, they were never really aware of anything beyond their small, homeworld, natural pools. Seerow felt sorry for them, and aided them. He taught them technology and showed them the stars. He even built them portable Kandronas, enabling them to leave their world's Kandrona sun.
In gratitude for his aid, the Yeerks attacked the Andalite outpost, slaughtered the minimal guards, who had been specifically instructed by Prince Seerow not to fire on Gedds, stole the Andalite fighters on the ground, and escaped to space, but not before returning to the far side of the planet to stock up on their brother Yeerks. Then, with numerous pools full of Yeerks, they left to conquer the galaxy. Since then, the Andalites have been battling against the Yeerks, trying to prevent them from taking over more innocent worlds. They have already taken over numerous species, including the cannibalistic Taxxons, and their ironically herbivorous shock-troops, the Hork-Bajir. The problem was that there are simply not enough of these troops. So, the Yeerks are now after the humans, hoping to gain the sheer numbers to burst out in every direction and subdue numerous races, and eventually take the Andalite homeworld itself.
The Andalites are also enemies of the Kelbrid. Both species are forbidden to enter the other's space.
[edit] Culture
Andalite government, headed by the Electorate, functions on honor and respect, pride in culture as well as self. However, these noble characteristics are accompanied by others that may be surprisingly backwards to the eyes of supposedly inferior species: arrogance, inflexibility, sexism, and an atrocious attitude towards the disabled, whom they label vecols and treat as outcasts. Although males and females, for instance, have a great deal more social equality than men and women had in Earth's past, nonetheless gender roles are fairly strictly defined, and males are strongly encouraged to enter the military while females remain in civilian roles in the arts and sciences. As the chain of command works down, one eventually reaches the basic, personal leadership role: Prince. Every warrior is supposed to have a Prince. Princes can have more than one aristh, or cadet, under them, often many more, but every warrior is expected to report to one, and only one, Prince.
It should also be noted that during the Yeerk war, the Electorate became increasingly deaf and blind to the war, and independent Princes began to take direct control of the entire war effort. Prince Alloran-Semitur-Corass attempted to wipe out the entire Hork-Bajir race through a quantum virus and the Andalite military had prepared to obliterate Earth through a "Quarantine" that would have wiped out almost all of the Human population in order to gut the Yeerk empire.
For recreation Andalite youths seem to enjoy a sport called drift ball.
[edit] Naming
Andalite names are three words long and hyphenated; for example Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul. These long names seem to be of no problem for the aliens, as they use thought-speak instead of having to "say" them. The first name is the given name. When Ax in The Alien gives his parents' names, it is revealed that his father has "Sirinial" (Elfangor's) as a second name, and his mother has "Esgarrouth" (Ax's own second name); this imples the second name is a family name. The purpose of the third name is unknown; however, one book features a minor character with the third name "Esgarrouth" which suggests that the third name is yet another family name.
"Ax" is a shortened form of the name Aximili; however it is not Andalite in origin, but was devised by the human Animorphs who found "Aximili" too hard to pronounce. Ax's father apparently calls him "Aximili-kala" as a nickname, though the exact meaning is unknown.
[edit] Origins
In The Ellimist Chronicles, one of the last books in the Animorphs series, the link between the Andalite species and the mysterious figure of the Ellimist was clarified. Long existing as an "all-powerful" Trickster figure in Andalite mythology, the Ellimist played a direct role in the beginnings of the Andalites as a sentient species; having discovered them in a primitive state, approximately sixty five million years before the Yeerk war, he chose to live among them in mortal form for some time. It is implied that this had a major effect on the development of the Andalites afterwards; not only did the Ellimist take a mate and father children during this time, possibly affecting the Andalite gene pool, he also began teaching the Andalites the rudiments of technology and culture. It is during this time that he gave the species its name, "Andalite"; moreover, it seems that it is from him the Andalites develop their thoughtspeak abilities. The original Andalites are shown to be incapable of complex communication, lacking mouths or vocal apparatus, and the Ellimist communicates to them using the psychic apparatus he uses for internal communication aboard his ship; the Andalites' exposure to this form of telepathy seems to have a strong effect on their minds. (This is the first time, chronologically speaking, we see the unique <angle-bracketed> thoughtspeak dialogue in the series.)
[edit] Time
Andalites use a different calendar to humans, although it still is in years (The Hork-Bajir Chronicles gives the Andalite date). Andalite years are in ten 'periods' or months, and are given like this: 7544.2. One Andalite year is equal to 84 Earth months, or about 8 1/2 Yeerk cycles; as a result Applegate has stated that Ax is only three or four Andalite years old, though this is equivalent to the ages of the other Animorphs. Andalite year 8567 started in July 2006. August 2006 is equal to 8567.0 in Andalite time.
