Topic: Einman Federation

[Clarke]

The Einman Federation

A standard Sulija, the species that founded the federation. This individual is in a greeting stance; his right-primary hand splayed outward, his left faced downward and clutched, and his front legs raised to increase the height of the ""head"".

Index:

[Clarke]

Introduction: Ein

The Einman Federation, the organization of the diverse states that make up the planet of Ein and, more recently, its off world colonies, is the focal point of a thriving species, the suldija. Ein, is not the first(or, for that matter, the last) place that a non-suldija would search for life. For Ein orbits around a brown dwarf, deep in interstellar space, not a star. No light besides a dull glow eminates from the dwarf, or Sterkar as the suldija call it, but it has two other gifts that it presents Ein, and allow life to thrive on it; gravitational energy and a strong electromagnetic field. While neither gift seems very beneficial, both are crucial to the formation and continuation of life in this remote corner of space.

Before we talk about the native organisms which call Ein their home, we must first understand the nature of the planet(or as some prefer, sub-brown dwarf). Roughly one and a quarter the size of Earth, it maintains most of its original Hydrogen-Helium atmosphere, with no solar wind to blast it away, with a mainly Carbon-Dioxide, Nitgrogen, Methane, and Oxygen atmosphere at the surface level. This thick atmosphere perpetuates an extreme version of the greenhouse effect, allowing it to trap most of the heat produced via geothermal energy, itself greatly increased by Sterkar. This allows surface temperatures to be at the higher end of the methane Triple-point, so that frozen methane is rarely found, but so that the methane cycle still resembles that of water on so-called "habitable" planets. While not tidally locked to Sterkar, its "day" is much longer than that of most terrestrial planets, at roughly eight days. The majority of the surface is covered in a shallow methane "sea" formed through biological origins. This follows Sterkar, forming a high tide-low tide cycle that occilates from high to low every two days, and from high-high to low-high every four days. At its average highest point it reaches roughly three meters deep, and at low the water-ice bedrock is exposed. This creates a "ring" of bare water-ice that migrates constantly across the planet, and the tidal motion quickly erodes all tectonic "land" that may have formed. This is not to say that the environments are similar, however. In some areas high tectonic activity, which would have created mountains otherwise, forms vast plains that only flood during high-high tide(with pieces of land being exposed for short periods of time geologically), and areas that are miles deep and never dry up. There is, however, a varience to the methane sea, in which life gained its first foothold.

The first gift that Sterak gives Ein, gravitational energy, forms the other type of general biome. So-called "hot-spots" focus around or more hydrothermal vents that spew heat and minerals into the surrounding area, melting large zones of bedrock ice-water and evaporating the methane seas for areas around. The stereotypical plan of a hot-spot is a center hydrothermal vent, a mineral-rich water sea that gradually gets shallower as it aproaches the edge, and a large ridge of exposed bedrock ice-water that extends until it gets cold enough for methane to condense once again. In reality, though, these are usually giant collections of hydrothermal vents, causing the hot-spots to extend, in some cases, over a hundred miles. All together, hot-spots account for approximately 3% of the surface area of the planet, and the exposed ice-ridge 2%.

[Lush City]

Very nice!

[Clarke]

Very nice!

Thanks.

Origin of Early Life and That Which Followed It
Many billions of years ago, roughly 7.8 by prominent suldija paleobiologist's reckoning, the first cells came to inhabit Ein. While there is no argument about where life first started, in the center of the hotspots, or as to what they were, early autochemotrophic bacteria that metabolized the rich sulfides in the black smokers, their origin remains a fiercely debated subject. But no matter their origin, life soon exploded across the liquid regions of the globe. At first only a few sulfide-reducing bacteria existed, but soon their biodiversity exploded, with not only new varieties of lithotrophs, but also heterotrophs that fed on them. The most important in the long run, however, were the methanogens. Thriving on the surface of the water, they pumped out literal tons of methane from the abundant hydrogen and carbon dioxide that filled the air. As the amount of hydrogen at the surface shrunk, and clouds and oceans of methane began to cover the surface of the globe, the single cells began splitting apart water to access the hydrogen trapped inside. This was a massive setback energy-wise, but gave those methanogens an advantage over its relatives in areas where hydrogen was scarce, areas that were becoming more and more widespread.

Now, here is where the story of methanogens stops on virtually all "habitable" planets. With the rapid oxygen pollution and competition for surface space spread by cyanobacteria on other climates, methanogens generally never develop into anything interesting. Here, however, the skies were dark. That did not mean they were empty, however. A curious adaption found in a single cell quickly allowed it to outcompete its relatives, by conducting the radiation raining in from the planet's companion and using it to split the bonds between hydrogen and oxygen without energy input from the cell. These cells began to grow in string-shaped colonies, which allowed them to better absorb and conduct the radiation. A deformed heterotrophic cell, upon attempting to consume one of these colonies, instead assimilated it into an endosymbiotic relationship with the predator. This lineage of cells soon gained, through similar events as the first, two nuclei(one to control reproduction, and one for cellular functions), and became the dominant cell of the water-ice seas.

But, while the water seas were widespread, they covered a mere 3 percent of the planet's surface. The original colonizers of the ice-rid biomes were decedents of these cells, albeit in a modified form. Large sheets of methanogens began to straddle the area where the ice-ridge met the water-seas, half in and half out. Being out of the water allowed greater access to radiation, and the part of the cell inside the water-sea supplied nutrients and, you guessed it, water. From then on out colonization of the methane seas was relatively straightforward and quick. That which was in the water became horizontal-running roots, and the exterior part adapted for gas exchange and the absorption of radiation. The evolution of muscles allowed pumping, whose form and beneficial nature can be seen in the next chapter. Fauna and floaters were quick to follow their colonization, as we will see in updates five and six.

[Clarke]

Flora I

-Kingdom: Tonarecapere

Tonarecapere includes all flora on Ein. Multicellular methanogens capture electromagnetic radiation generated by Serak to split apart hydrogen and helium, they provide the base of the ecosystem. Found anywhere from hotspots, ice ridges, the methane sea, and even the organically created icebergs that float on it, without them life would have run out of materials to metabolize long ago. Four major divisions of Tonarecapere exist, which will be detailed in the following three posts.

        - Division: Anuludolucea



Generic member of Anuludolucea

Division Anuludolucea is the most widespread division of flora on Ein. Characteristic of the division are three large "rings" that encompass the upper part at equal intervals. These rings serve two purposes. The first, and most important, is the collection of electromagnetic energy. In the center of each ring is a hardened tube that doubles as a skeletal structure. The interior is filled with thousands of cytocoils, cells lined up in single-celled strings, coiled in shape, and possessing high concentrations of conductive materials. If one were to examine the individual cells closely, they would see that most of the organelles, including the nuclei, are located near the exterior of the organism. The so-called tonaplasts, the original endosymbiotic methanogens, are connected together in tight coils in the center, whose ends lead out and and connect to the tonaplasts in the next cell up the chain. Once the tonaplasts feel an electric current running through them, they then bring in water from the interior of their host, and apply it so that the hydrogen and oxygen is released through the exterior membrane. The oxygen and hydrogen diffuse first through the cell, then through the exterior coating of the tube.

The arteries of members of the division Anduludolus follow long, winding tracks throughout the body. Starting at the base(which we will get to in a bit), the primary artery comes up the center of the base and up to the top of the organism. There it splits into three parts, wrapping around the exterior of the tubes(primarily the undersides, where the "gills" are found), before meeting up at the base of the upper bulge. The oxygen carrier in Tonarecapere resembles that of haemerythrin, giving it a bright purple hue when oxygenated. Carrying oxygen and hydrogen from the tubes, it releases the oxygen through its gills, exchanging it for carbon dioxide which joins the bloodstream as carbonic acid.

We next find ourselves at the base of the organism. In the picture above, all one can see is the top of the organism. This is only half of the organism, however. Underneath the organism, a massive bulb centers the flora and keeps it in place. Near the top of the organism, but just underground, a literal web of roots radiate horizontally at even intervals from the base, joining up to form a spiderweb patter that extends outward for roughly the height of the organism. At each intersection of four roots, a tap root drills downward to gather water. This way the structural integrity of the bedrock below the organism is not degraded.

The bulb itself is primarily composed of a giant storage chamber for whatever oxygen is left in the bloodstream. Oxygen and methane are sent out to the end of the roots to produce heat, which melts the water-ice bedrock. A thick layer of muscle surrounds the chamber, compressing it to form a solid base from which the organisms's muscles can move around. The entire inner wall of the base contracts and expands, acting as a heart to coordinate blood movement from both the roots and the tubes.

The outer layer of the bulb is a thick, hard material of the same kind as the tubes, and surrounds the pumping region. Roughly seven centimeters thick, the side facing the heart is what is interesting. There the layer is embedded with millions of microscopic chambers connecting to the main chamber via a single pore per chamber, and whose interiors are coated with a cell layer two cells thick. The outer layer is composed of muscle cells, pushing blood in and out of the chamber. The inner layer is composed of "digestive" cells, whom combine CO2 and Hydrogen from the bloodstream in their organelles into methane, producing ATP for the entire organism.

Like all organisms, however, these complex flora would be useless if they had no way to create a near-exact copy of themselves. For this their gills are made to serve a secondary use. Through a process comparable to meiosis, cells split into cells with only one nuclei. The ones without the reproductive nuclei die off, while the ones that do are released onto the gills. From here, three things can happen. Either the cells can travel to another organism through the wind, but this is less common. The most common method in many species is to simply fall onto the methane sea, which because of it being made of methane allow the cells to float, and not dissolve. The intense cold kills many cells, but enough survive to be captured in the bottom area of the gills, which during high-high tide are usually just barely submerged. Another common method is pollination by fauna, but that will be elaborated on later. One the gills have received genetic material, it will be put to use, so that the lower ends of the gills constantly manufacture bud-seeds to release at high tide. These are generally just elongated bulbs, filled with oxygen and methane in different chambers to use as fuel until they can harvest electromagnetic radiation themselves. Once low tide is reached, and the base touches bare water-ice, it will establish roots which will hold it in place when the tide rises.

While Anuldolusites can live in many areas in the methane sea, they thrive best in the shallow or normal areas, and can range anywhere from ten centimeters to a massive five meters.

[Clarke]

Flora II

        - Division: Navifunicea



Members of the division navifunicea are near as widespread as anuludolcites, but instead of living in shallow waters, they live in deeper waters, twenty meters to three meters deep. While their bottom half is a near-exact copy of members of anuludocea, their upper half is widely different, and is what allows it to survive in those regions.

One of these differences is the stalk of the organism. While anuludocites have a basic endoskeleton which supports the organism when the tide retreats, because of the wide variance in tide, and the depth of the areas where they live. Navifunicite stems are thin and flexible, made almost completely of insulation with two arteries strung through the center. When the tide lowers, the upper part continues to float at the same level, but the stem bends slightly to accommodate the drop in methane level.

The major difference between the two divisions, however, is the area responsible for absorbing electromagnetic radiation. Instead of three rings radiating symmetrically from the sides, three rings in navifunicites overlap in a bullseye-like pattern, connected by three main connecting strips of flesh. The interior structure is almost exactly the same of that of anuludocites, with the rings being connected by arteries that run through the connecting strips. The flotation area does not have to be that large to support even the tallest of navifunicites, because of the extreme buoyancy that methane gives it. Reproduction is carried out in a similar way to that of anuludocea.

        - Division: Terrahabicea



While uncommon in the methane sea, only living in extremely shallow areas that are exposed the majority of the time, they are the only group that can be said to fully live on the ice ridges, as well as the organically-created iceburgs that float the on top of the methane sea. At most only a few centimeters wide, individuals(such as the one pictured above) cluster in massive colonies that can number in the millions. While the other two divisions that we have seen so far are anatomially similar, wide differences between them and terrahabicites have led many leading suldija taxonomists to classify them, and the other simpler flora that will be covered in Flora III, in a sub-kingdom separate from that of anuludocea and navifunicea.

For starters, their upper half is not disconnected from the base by a stalk, but simply consists of one great arc of the tube-like collector found in other divisions, accompanied by many other, smaller extensions. Bilaterally symmetrical, however, blood flows from one end and the extensions on it, exiting through the opposite side and its extensions. Instead of the large gills found in other divisions, cilia that coat the top half of the organism, moistened by a water-based fluid thick with organic antifreeze(like almost all blood and fluids in the multicellular organisms on Ein), are more than sufficient for gas exchange.

The base is relatively similar to that of the other divisions, except it lies entirely on the surface. Because of their biome and colonial lifestyle, it does not matter if they sink into the surface. A base pump and oxygen-methane reserve are both still found, however.

Reproduction is different from that of the other divisions. Instead of budding, members of terrahabicea produce oxygen-methane and spore filled balls, then release them. These will either find their way into the figurative hands of fauna or floaters, dispersing them in their excretions, or will settle. Like other divisions, the oxygen/methane reserve will be used by the spores to fuel growth until they can begin harnessing electromagnetic power themselves.

[Clarke]

Floaters

-Kingdom: Quiexurae

Kingdom Quiexurae encompasses all "floaters" that live on Ein. Neither flora nor fauna, they are (barely)specialized methanotrophs that float on the methane sea, combining oxygen with methane to form formaldehyde, then combine the formaldehyde and more oxygen with the help of the temperatures created by the burning of methane, releasing water and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Barely specialized, the floater consists of two layers. The lower layer is composed of inflated sacs of methane and oxygen, the oxygen in the interior, which it absorbs from its exterior environment. While it does not need the gas sacs to float on the methane sea, they are the seat of metabolism, the areas where gathered methane and oxygen is stored, and play a vital role in insulating the upper layer from the extreme cold of the methane sea.

The upper layer is simpler, consisting of a layer of cells covered in mats of hair-like extensions, rising in a thin cone in the center. These are moistened with antifreeze-laced water, and strain oxygen out of the air. While each floater roughly sizes around a centimeter long, consisting of a single set of each sack and a single gill-column, they grow in colonies that number in the millions and coat the methane sea.

It is important to note that oxygen, unlike on many sun-orbiting worlds, has little oxygen. The unlimited energy source of the methane sea ultimately led to oxygen decline, so that the unicellular decedents of the floaters had to invent complex methods of obtaining oxygen, and checking both the number of floaters and the level of the methane sea.

The transfer of gases between organisms on Ein is more complex than the simple Co2/O2 cycle on earth. The cycle is shown in the diagram below, in which floaters play a vital role.



Purple= Flora
Green= Floaters
Blue= Fauna
Star-shapes represent the formation of ATP.

[Clarke]

Fauna I

-Kingdom: Agitobestia

Kingdom Agitobestia includes all fauna on Ein. Ranging from mobile to immobile, and found almost everywhere on Ein's surface, they include the sentient suldija.

        -Phylum: Telacruocombizoa

Phylum telacruocombib contains members that resemble the first multicellular heterotrophs on Ein. Original multicellular heterotrophs clustered around members of division duodomucea, those flora that live half in and half out of the water, because of the high oxygen concentrations relative to the low oxygen concentrations found in most other areas in the world. Unicellular heterotrophs learned to stick to the surface of the flora, and sheets of the organisms eventually began to actually feed on the organism itself. Members eventually began to specialize, sending microscopic tendrils deep into the flora to access the bloodstream, providing nutrients and oxygen.

Reproduction is asexual, with ciliated, and in a few cases, muscled larva similar to the next phylum mentioned next being split off from the upper skin of the organism. The larva will follow oxygen and nutrient gradients using primitive chemoreceptors, then latch onto the host.

        -Phylum: Solvovermizoa



Phylum Solvovermicea is the most common group of organisms found in the hot-spots, which they are exclusive to. Originating from members of Telacruocombicea that had undergone neoteny, they swim by moving their bodies in a wave-like motion, aided by a flat, water-filled cavity in the center of their bodies. The "probes" that members of Telacruocombicea used to gather nutrients and oxygen from the blood stream have evolved into digestive organs(#2.) that number around fifty per organism, and coat the bottom. These will draw water in and out, filtering nutrients and gases. In many species, they are also flexible and are used to rip parts from the mats of largely unspecialized methanogens that are a common sight floating on the surface of the water, swimming upside-down as they do so. They take many forms from the basic one shown in the picture, although it resembles the majority of the organisms. These will wrap around larger organisms, puncturing them with their probes, settling down to a sessile lifestyle until the host passes on. Others live near hydrothermal vents, wrapping around themselves to form tube-shapes that are home to lithotrophic bacteria. Still others are free-swimming herbivores(like the ones mentioned a few sentences above), while others are carnivores, which rip apart their prey and then curl into a ball to finish digestion. A primitive neural net has formed in some of the more specialized organisms, allowing them to better hunt prey, whether it be flora or fauna.

        -Phylum: Gradioamphibizoa



Members of Gradioamphibicea are generally detrivores, scrounging the floors of hot-spots(especially shallow areas) for decaying matter. Others are filter-feeders, and the ones first discovered by suldija scientists(and indeed, closely related to the distant ancestors of those scientists), from which Gradioamphibicea got their name, can remove themselves from the water for short periods of time. Much like Solvovermicea, they differ in two important ways that allow them to be classified separately from their cousins.

First off, gradioamphibicea possess two "rings" of appendages that alternate, allowing small particles to pass between but blocking off larger organisms which could harm the organism. These both allow the gradioamphibicea to elevate their feeding tubes from their food source(whether it be standing over a carcass, or allowing water to filter in), and to walk in a way very reminiscent of an inchworm, but in a more wave-like motion.

Secondly, the feeding tubes have become more complex, forming exit pores which allow better filtering of food from the water. Three specialized feeding tubes stick out of the front of the organism, and act as specialized chemoreceptors that feed information on the source of nutrients to the increasingly complex neural net that the organism possesses. They also possess a basic open circulatory system with blood based on Coboglobin.

[Clarke]

The Suldija



Alien sheet: Suldija

(Section 1 -- Biology)
Type : Shallow methane sea, from lack of liquid to below head
Gravity preferences : .6 - 1.4 g
Temperature pref. : -190 to -170 °C
Atmosphere breathed : Oxygen/Co2/Nitrogen/Hydrogen/Helium
Body cover : Thick skin
Body color : Orange to yellow, primarily because of their amber-colored blood.
Eyes : Suldija have eight "eyes", really pit-like organis that pick up infared radiation
Diet : Omnivore, primarily flora but supplemented with small fauna that fill the niche of arthropods
Sexual reproduction : Two genders, Viviparous
Reproduction method : Live birth, budding
Limbs pair n° 1 : Arms(Manipulators)
Limbs pair n° 2 : Arms(Feeders, manipulators)
Limbs pair n° 3-8 : Legs
Mass : # kg (Average weight of your race. If values differ between Male/Female, list both)
Size : 3.5 meters long

(Section 2 -- Culture)
Attributes:
Militancy : 7
Determination : 9
Racial tolerance: 18
Progressivness : 16
Loyalty : 2
Social cohesion : 8
Art : 15
Individualism : 17
Body : 12
Mind : 14
Speed : 8
Lifespan : 600 years
Tech level : 8

(Section 3 -- Government and Religion)
Government type : Civil Disobedience
Religion : Philosophical Athiesm

[Clarke]

Government, Religion, and Basic Philosophy

Early Suldija social structure differed greatly from the common hunter-gatherer lifestyle of most races. Suldija were never nomadic, even before they were true Suldija, but were tight-nit communities numbering fifty or so that dispersed every day to find food, and stockpiled it, first underground, then as their intelligence grew in simple ice constructions. The reason for this is apparent; even if half of the group did not find food, the other half's foraging would provide a safety net, so that groups practicing this lifestyle would survive over other groups. No social structure was created, no chieftains or leaders, because everyone contributed to the welfare of the whole. Another side effect is that no one can boss another around, civil disobedience is the norm and the base of society.

As such, Suldija have a very different view of society than most races. They are literally incapable of seeing one Suldija(or other intelligent life, for that matter) over another. As their technology grew, and they became more intelligent over the millennial, no kingdoms or empires formed, because of their view on the exterior world. Religion also did not arise; they could not imagine a superior being creating or interacting with the world.

Their "odd" look at life did not hinder the creation of organized states for long, though. Inevitably Suldija would trade with one another, and as such individuals and locales emerged to facilitate trade. Organization led to the creation of a political system similar to their modern one, in a form comparable to a city-state. City-states are not controlled by an individual. "Guilds", collections of members of similar trades, form committees to vote on a representative. This representative meets with a committee of other gild representatives, deciding policy. The representative also collects small fees from each member of the guild, allowing the maintenance of public works, and later after the introduction of the concept of "war"(quite forcibly, in fact), armies to combat intelligent races that are demoted in their world view to "predators".

The Suldija are highly capitalistic, but instead of forming corporations they form co-ops, with committees in each branch resembling the guild structure of the city but possessing multiple layers. These can become quite large, and wield power larger than a modern, large city-state.

[Clarke]

Alright, so I guess I'm joining the second arc. Some of this info might be relevant to the story, I dunno.

External Anatomy



Eardrum: The eardrum is one of the primary sensing organs of the Suldija. A thin membrane of flesh stretches between two appendages distantly descended from two of the scent organs that ancient members of phylum Gradioamphibozoa possessed. The membrane picks up and amplifies sounds from its environment, sending it to the organism's brain. It can be flattened against the back of the organism, and it allows echolocation to be used, in conjunction with the Drumstick.

Drumstick: The drumstick is a small appendage located directly behind the eardrum. It can be moved rapidly against various parts of the eardrum, creating a wide variety of sounds that are used to communicate with others of its species.

Head: The head is a large bulb descended from the third member of Gradioamphibozoa's scenting organs that did not become a support for the eardrum. The sight of the organism's large brain, it is also the sight of two of the organism's senses.

"Eye-Pits": These dents in the organism's head are packed with sensors, and in conjunction allow the organism to "see" in infared. While there appears to be five on each side, in reality that number is four; the center one on each side is actually  the equivalent of the creature's nose.

Forehands The forehands are the primary manipulators of the organisms. Tentacles that branch into six "fingers" at each end, they are actually reinforced by the organism's water-skeleton, allowing them a lift capacity not that lesser than a water-world organism with a calcite skeleton.

Backhands: Similar to the forehands, but with fingers designed to form scoop-like organisms. While the forehands are designed to break the "bones" of the flora, the backhands are used to scoop out the water-splitting "marrow" and deposit it into the marrow intake

Marrow Intake The marrow intake is a crucial component of the respiratory system. The limiting factor on the suldija world is oxygen, not necessarily food. While floaters erect massive gill structures to attempt to dredge oxygen from the atmosphere, most fauna take a different approach. A large cavity on the back, descended from one of the two parallel notochords of their distant ancestors, is a receptacle for the sludge of water-splitting cells contained within the skeleton of the flora. This is deposited into the cavity, where they will continue to produce oxygen and hydrogen for quite some time. As a bonus, this also absorbs radiation which might be harmful to the organism's innards.

"Gullet" A hollow structure formed by the fusing and elongating of the first pair of Gradioamphibozoa's inner appendages, it functions to separate food from gases and liquid methane.

"Stomach(s)" A hollow structure formed by the interlocking of Gradioamphibozoa's's inner appendages, it is filled with digestive juices, water, and many of the "stomachs" similar to those in Gradioamphibozoa. Once enough food has been digested, the water and digestive agents are re-absorbed into its body, and the appendages separate, releasing the waste.

Legs Descended from Gradioamphibozoa's outer appendages, these legs are unique in that they don't have joints besides the one attatching the leg to the body. Composed of two parts, outer and inner sections, these slide up and down using hydraulic tissue that expands when pumped with water borrowed from the organism's skeletal system. Its whole body is involved in movement, running in a gait where the front legs are brought down, swung backwards as they extend, and the back legs repeat the motion, lending the organism a wave-like movement.

[Clarke]

Technology I: Nanosuits

Even though a climate that would be normally thought of as habitable is pleasing to organisms from water worlds, it is just as toxic to Suldija as their world would be to an inhabitant of a water world. The temperature is hot enough to melt water, full of toxic gases, and the ground doesn't provide any support. The nanosuit is a simple solution to this problem, and indeed all Suldija that wish to mix with most races must wear one. Its appearance is transparent, and it conforms to the skin perfectly. Composed of thousands of microscopic machines, it not only molds quickly and efficiently to the organism, but its interlaced components help it perform other functions as well. Besides drawing oxygen into its marrow cavity, keeping the individual cool, and providing support for the Suldija's legs, it also performs a host of functions that make interacting with other species easier; not the least of these being to provide a translation for the Suldija's staccato tapping.

[Yuu]

Sweet! 

[Clarke]

Basic Arithmetic



The math practiced by the Suldija is quite different from that of our own. Having four manipulators, each with six digits, the Suldija picked up on a system which utilizes a combination of base six and base four. Like a normal base six system, the digits proceed upward until the number five is reached, at which point a new numeral is added to the left and a zero is placed besides it, so that the number six would be represented as "10". However, when this new counter grows to twenty four, the entire number is set back to zero and a one is placed to the left of it, separated from the zero by a figure which, in the Suldija's language, represents a division of words. While twenty five in our system would be represented as 25, in the Suldija's arithmetic system it equates to "1 1" (note the space between the digits).

The Suldija also perform simple arithmetic functions differently. The Suldija's language lacks the linking verb "to be", and so an equivalent to the equal sign did not come about until later on, when algebraic functions came into play. Instead, two different numbers are separated by the Suldija character which attaches prefixes to words. This is then placed next to the Suldija equivalent of an arrow, an outward-facing half-hexagon, and the function performed is dependent on its position. 4/2 = 2 in English would be represented as 4(combined w/ 2) ==> 2 (For the equation on the right in the diagram, opposite of multiplication, I accidentally put a subtraction sign instead of a division sign.) 4*2=8 would be represented as 12(eight in binary) <== 4(combined w/ 2).

[Yuu]

*head explodes*

Wow.

Kudos to you, bro.

Never seen something like that here in quite a while.