Albategna The Albategna is a sentient, moderately advanced space-faring species known widely for three things: their unique evolutionary past that left them with six nearly boneless limbs that are more semi-rigid tentacle than any sort of joint, the uncommon characteristic of species-wide synchronous hermaphroditism, and their penchant for elaborate body decoration. The bone plate that covers the eyes and the front of the head once served both as a means of combating rivals in mating, and also as a defense against the packs of small, sharp-toothed aquatic creatures that lurked in fresh water. In modern Albategnian society these functions have long been useless- instead, the ridge of bone that grows above the head is commonly carved into or ground down into a more aesthetically pleasing shape. The Albategna has two means of procuring food and water. Liquids can be consumed through a hollow tongue that sits in a dead-end skin pouch just under the chin, but the second method is more curious indeed; the Albategna possesses a sequence of three "sails"- a thin, retractable membrane with a construct of thinly jointed cartilage as moorings along the width of the back. When retracted the seam in the skin is nearly invisible, but when unfurled the sails are striking indeed. A symbiotic relationship between the Albategna and a form of algae allows the Albategna not only to break down contaminants in the air for nutritional components, but also to convert radiant light into a secondary energy source. This ability left their species in trouble for a time when, at first contact with (and subsequent conquering by) another species, many Albategna were sold into slavery and were highly prized for their ability to filter the air. Thus they were most often placed very polluted areas, leading to a whole new range of interesting and debilitating diseases among them. These sails, naturally a light grey, are often brightly painted and dyed. It is common practice in Albategnian society to use the pouches they retract into as easy storage for small objects- built-in pockets, you might say. Most Albategna are named after stars due to a long tradition of myth and religious star-worship, though much of it has fallen by the wayside with the advent of accessible space travel.