Iadena

The Iadena are a nation and ethnic group native to the planet Iaden, who serve as minor antagonists in Magi Soldat.

Physiology

Iadena are a humanoid race largely similar in appearance to Earth's human beings. Distinguishing features include a slightly sallow skin tone and a "sharper" framing of the eyes. In terms of stature, the average Iadena will reach a height of 4-5 feet tall (approx. 120-150 cm).

Iadena typically live to upwards of 170 Earth years.

Internal Anatomy

Iadena anatomy also shares much in common with human anatomy. Notable deviations include fewer, thicker ribs, a third kidney, and a second liver.

Generally, all bones of the Iadena skeleton are a couple millimeters thicker than their human counterparts. However, the ribs are exceptionally larger, being 3-5 millimeters thicker than human ribs. As a side-effect, Iadena have fewer ribs, though the amount of overall protection for the organs underneath remains the same. Typically, males have 10 pairs of ribs, whereas females have 11 pairs. This extra pair of ribs is situated far lower on the spinal column and is considered to be a vestigial remnant of a structure known as the uterine pseudo-sheath, a secondary rib cage that encased the uterus and developing fetus.

The third kidney is of no special purpose. Ancient Iadena originally had an asymmetric pair of kidneys, the larger of which ultimately split into two smaller kidneys. Similar to humans, Iadena can survive on a single kidney.

The Iadena second liver is a specialized organ for handling toxins found in various tubers. It is significantly smaller than the primary liver.

Blood and Typing

Iadena blood is functionally identical to human blood. It is richly red and iron-based, and makes use of hemoglobin for oxygen transport. Iadena possess their own set of antigens, which differentiate their blood types into 6 common groups.

Reproduction and Sexual Organs

Iadena are sexually dimorphic, and possess sexual organs comparable to those of humans and other Earth mammals. Iadena also reproduce through sexual intercourse.

An Iadena woman experience fertility seasons for the bulk of her young adult life. As she matures, these seasons begin to shorten until reduced to a duration comparable to human menstrual cycles. Fertility ultimately ceases after approximately 47 seasons/cycles, when the woman is about 80 years old.

Diet

Iadena are biologically omnivorous, and are capable of consuming most edible matter. However, despite this metabolic versatility, the average Iadena is largely vegetarian, with the bulk of a typical Iadena diet coming from starches and fruits. This diet is supplemented with lesser vegetables to promote variety in flavor profiles and synthesized proteins to achieve nutritional completeness.

This particular dietary strictness is a side-effect of the Iadena being a largely space-faring people. The necessity of rationing and considering storage constraints led to the Iadena people disfavoring foods with larger overhead. This, in turn, led to the Iadena shying away from meat, nuts, legumes, certain grains, and dairy. These types of foods are often relegated to special occasions, such as the Festival of our Heritage, or niche independent restaurants.

Iadena avoid spicy foods entirely, as their digestive tracts are heavily irritated by capsaicinoids. Despite this susceptibility, Iadena taste receptors are apparently unresponsive to their presence.

Language

See also: Iali

Historically, Iadena primarily spoke Iadenol and a few other derivative dialects. Iadenol is considered a language isolate and the first known language of the Iadena.

In contemporary times, Iadena primarily speak Iali. Iali is a constructed derivation of Iadenol created by the Iadena government to promote linguistic elegance, and facilitate a higher information bandwidth in documentation and communication. Since its enforcement as a primary language, the Iadena government has put forth immense efforts to convert and translate media from Iadenol to Iali. Some works have been completely replaced with new Iali versions, while others have dual Iadenol and Iali formats. Only certain historic literary works remain untouched.

Though it still remains possible to learn Iadenol as an educational elective, government subsidy of the pursuit has slowly diminished. A number of anthropologists and rural Iadena have criticized this decision vis-a-vis the ongoing conversion efforts as a form of censorship.

Religion

See also: Iadena Manifest Destiny

Iadena are largely atheistic as a people. Rather than believing in deities or spirits, Iadena life and culture is largely influenced by the Original Species.

Due to the presence of the only known cache of Original Species knowledge on Iaden, the Iadena believe that their home world was also the home world of the Original Species, and that they themselves were "chosen" by the Original Species as successors to their dynasty. This belief has lead to a common element of pride, wherein Iadena are compelled to be productive and contributing members of society in the name of their Manifest Destiny.

Culture and Society

Coming of Age and Adulthood

Iadena do not consider any specific age to signal adulthood. Rather, Iadena are encouraged to apply for adulthood status when they feel ready. This process involves a number of physical and mental examinations intended to gauge the maturity of the individual. For most Iadena, this process occurs after all educational endeavors are complete, which tends to occur in the early 20s.

Occasionally, a particularly young Iadena will attain legally recognized adulthood. While adulthood is typically not a celebrated event, Iadena will often celebrate young adults for their faster maturation.

Sexuality

Iadena are openly sexual and embrace all forms of sexuality. Sex is not considered a taboo subject, nor is prostitution and other sex work forbidden. However, it is still considered culturally inappropriate to mention the subject or proposition a person in professional environments.

There is no specific Iadena age of consent. The age of consent for any given individual occurs when they are granted legal adulthood status. For those not considered adults, an affidavit of sexual health may be acquired that permits the individual to seek sexual service. However, most social circles consider it more appropriate to simply provide the individual with masturbatory aides.

Gender Identity

Iadena recognize binary transgender identities and there is very little discriminatory behavior towards binary transgender individuals. Nonbinary transgender identities, however, are often met with small amounts of resistance due to the less statically defined nature of non-binary identities.

Economic System

The Iadena economy is a partial "merit" system that provides only the bare necessities and offers additional material goods and rewards as an incentive for merited behaviors.

Basal Equity

At the core of this system, all Iadena are unconditionally guaranteed the right to a roof, a bed, an appropriate amount of meals per day, and access to education and educational information. This is the basal equity --the right to an equivalent start. No matter what an Iadena chooses to do with their life, they will always have these amenities.

The quality of basal amenities is suitable, but often as minimal as possible. Housing is often considerably small, consisting of just enough room for a bed, a bathroom, a small kitchenette, and a table with a computer terminal. Food is nutritious and portioned, but often limited to only a few types of meals.

Acquisition Privilege

Though Iadena do receive wages for their work, merely having the money can be insufficient to purchase certain material goods or services. Depending on the "merit status" of their employment, some Iadena are restricted from certain transactions. Typically, these restrictions only apply to frivolous goods. It would be somewhat correct to consider the philosophy to be "the more useful you are, the more materialistic you may be".