Popping this over to Contact!
Here's an idea I just flashed on - someone must have done this before that I can't recall or haven't read: A highly intelligent sophont developed from lamprey or leech-like forbears. It is virtually helpless on its own, lacking any but the most limited mobility. However, it is an extremely accomplished parasite.
The species calls itself Riders. Their ancestors simply latched onto larger animals for food. In time, Riders developed the ability to exercise considerable neural control over its hosts, allowing them to guide their "mounts" freely. Riders, when they find a good mount, will stay attached to the side of their host's head as long as possible and to that end will see that their mount stays well fed and as happy as can be arranged. On the Riders' homeworld, this has resulted in a symbiotic relationship with several different species in a variety of environments.
The introduction of a human population during the (MTU's) Old Empire period led to the development of symbioses between Riders and human hosts. While the transition to this state of affairs can not have been smooth, the resulting society has (apparently) long since come to embrace the arrangement - to the point that human riders expressed horror at learning that the scout surveyors that found them were "all alone."
The degree of host autonomy is not known, though there have been reports of polite arguments between Riders and their Mounts. Riders communicate with each other only by touch (their tails are long and supple.) They communicate with their hosts by something close to telepathy. They communicate with other sophonts through their hosts. "I am l'Edan's Gerain. l'Edan asks, are you hungry? Do you require drink? We can prepare it for you."
Riders effectively possess the physical attributes of their host. Their Int is +3; their Ed and Soc are -2 each.
You really, really don't want to know how Riders reproduce.
Here's an idea I just flashed on - someone must have done this before that I can't recall or haven't read: A highly intelligent sophont developed from lamprey or leech-like forbears. It is virtually helpless on its own, lacking any but the most limited mobility. However, it is an extremely accomplished parasite.
The species calls itself Riders. Their ancestors simply latched onto larger animals for food. In time, Riders developed the ability to exercise considerable neural control over its hosts, allowing them to guide their "mounts" freely. Riders, when they find a good mount, will stay attached to the side of their host's head as long as possible and to that end will see that their mount stays well fed and as happy as can be arranged. On the Riders' homeworld, this has resulted in a symbiotic relationship with several different species in a variety of environments.
The introduction of a human population during the (MTU's) Old Empire period led to the development of symbioses between Riders and human hosts. While the transition to this state of affairs can not have been smooth, the resulting society has (apparently) long since come to embrace the arrangement - to the point that human riders expressed horror at learning that the scout surveyors that found them were "all alone."
The degree of host autonomy is not known, though there have been reports of polite arguments between Riders and their Mounts. Riders communicate with each other only by touch (their tails are long and supple.) They communicate with their hosts by something close to telepathy. They communicate with other sophonts through their hosts. "I am l'Edan's Gerain. l'Edan asks, are you hungry? Do you require drink? We can prepare it for you."
Riders effectively possess the physical attributes of their host. Their Int is +3; their Ed and Soc are -2 each.
You really, really don't want to know how Riders reproduce.
S9, and the Gould from SG.