Quorlu

Quorlus are quadrupedal, silicon-based creatures that have three tentacular arms and three eyestalks. They hail from Quorlosh, a strange world in the Vast that is highly geologically active but has only a thin atmosphere. Quorlus live in warrens in the planet’s exposed stony crust, where they delve for minerals that they consume for sustenance. Their warrens are like the settlements of many humanoids, and their inhabitants conduct crystal farming in which they “grow” gypsum, quartzes, and salts for food. The average quorlu is 4-1/2 feet tall and weighs 350 pounds.

Their planet’s violent tectonic activity has instilled quorlus with a cultural acceptance of impermanence and resilience to loss. Quorlus value experiences more than material possessions, though by the standards of other worlds, they have abundant raw wealth. When a lava flow or quake damages a quorlu settlement, the quorlus dig out and repair, though they are too practical to rebuild where destruction is likely to occur again.

Quorlus have a crystalline lithic shell that is vulnerable to certain sonic frequencies. Under this exterior, quorlus’ crystal-fiber organ structures float in plasma. At the center is the quorlu’s grinding heart, which serves as both a circulatory and a digestive organ and which generates the quorlu’s high internal heat. Extreme cold can slow a quorlu’s endothermic reactions, momentarily hindering the creature.

Although quorlus can be tough combatants, few truly enjoy battle. Their extant military traditions stem from their engineering customs and emphasize the use of explosives, but they usually prefer peace and positive new experiences. This societal tendency makes them more inclined to be diplomats and explorers than warriors.

Supplementing quorlus’ peaceful inclinations is the fact that most other sapient species find their voices soothing, especially when those voices are harmonized in song—and quorlus love to sing. Their language is melodic, tonal, and trilling, and it also includes subtle vibrations that shirrens in particular find especially pleasing thanks to their sensitivity to delicate vibrational shifts. The range of quorlu tones makes their language difficult for non-quorlus to master.

Quorlus can be found throughout the Pact Worlds. They have an enclave and diplomatic corps on Absalom Station, and numerous quorlus join exploration outfits, including the Starfinder Society. Others serve as prospectors in the Diaspora and on inhospitable worlds. Quorlus are quick to volunteer for jobs inherently more hazardous for species that need to breathe or that are more susceptible to poison or disease.