Order for Space Goblins!!! Help!

[GoldenAge]

I need a good name for the geneolology that spawns the different types of goblinoids...

For example (right or wrong)- all bird species (Aarakocra, Kenku, Chozo) in my TGU campaign will be lumped into the Avis pile - Cats (Kzinti, Leonid, Catian) will all be lumped into the Filidae pile and all canines (what are some dog-based sci-fi races??) will be categorized as Lupine. Of course, there are many species and races of each, only limited by imagination. But I need an easily understandable order (especially on my computer) and blanket labels for the myriad aliens one might find in the universe, since the options are infinite.

I'd like to do the same for Goblin, Hoggoblin, Orc (not 40K Oaks - They're plants), and any other goblinesque speceies.

Any ideas???

 

Edited April 26 by GoldenAge

[Lord Liaden]

I would suggest going back to the origin of such creatures in myth and folklore, the trolls of Scandinavia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll

 

One of the early alternative root words for "troll" listed on that page might be suitable. Given your examples, IMO the Proto-German noun Trullan  sounds like a good choice.

[Steve]

Maybe they are all a type of primate?

[unclevlad]

To riff on LL...svartalfar.  "Dark elves."  And if you have brownies and leprechauns and sprites and the like?  The flip side is lyjosalfar...which is much more of a pain as a word, but hey....  Norse myth, the terms encompass broad collections of critters.  

 

For those that more specifically have some form of exotic power, there's also seelie and unseelie...which are much less about "light" and "dark" cuz *neither* group is what one would call 'nice.'  

[DShomshak]

So, this is apparently transplanting D&D races into a space setting. OK, why not. But do goblinoids have some distinct common origin that distinguishes them from other "bumphead" aliens? (I suppose that's implicit in the original "goblinoid" descriptor, but it doesn't hurt to check.) *Are* there other bumphead humanoids who aren't obvious animal-people or D&D expies?

 

Dean Shomshak

[GoldenAge]

TGU Alien Biology Framework

In our TGU game, we embrace a wide array of creatures from numerous sci-fi universes, including influences from Starfinder, Star Wars, Star Trek, Warhammer 40K, Mechwarrior, and many more. My goal is to develop a comprehensive taxonomy that can accommodate any species introduced into our game. This raises the question: Could species such as the Gorn from Star Trek, the Trandoshans from Star Wars, the Sleestaks, the Sathar, the Vesk, or even Grig from The Last Starfighter share a common evolutionary tree?

Indeed, all these species fit within a broad classification framework based on the standard biological taxonomy: Kingdom > Phylum > Class > Order > Family > Genus > Species. For simplicity, we'll skip the Dominion level and begin with the five primary Kingdoms currently utilized in our TGU setup:

1.  Monera - Originating from basic bacteria, this kingdom expands into various alien races like those evolved from E. coli.

2.  Protista - This includes species derived from organisms such as slime molds and algae, such as the Gelatins (e.g., Yaphit from The Orville and Spellik from Alien Legion).

3.  Plantae - Encompassing plant-based beings like Delvians from Farscape and even the plant-like Orcs from Warhammer 40K.

4.  Fungi - This kingdom includes species such as the Myconids from Dungeons & Dragons.

5.  Animalia - Encompassing more familiar animal-like beings, including humans.

The classification within the Animalia Kingdom, particularly the Phylum level, is where we focus significant attention:

Ecdysozoa - This group includes arthropod-like species such as the Cephalopods (e.g., Edgar the Bug from Men In Black) and the Crustacea (e.g., Mon Calamari from Star Wars).

Lophotrochozoa - Comprising primarily mollusk-derived species like the Quarren from Star Wars.

Deuterostomia - This phylum leads to bilaterally symmetrical animals, encompassing virtually all humanoid aliens in sci-fi, including those with creatively styled foreheads in Star Trek and even the Wookiees.

The focus then narrows to the Deuterostomia phyla, specifically to the Chordata phylum, the origin of all anthropomorphic aliens. Following this lineage, we arrive at the well-known Vertebrata subphylum. Preceding categories serve as mere precursors to these more complex forms.
 

The significance of this taxonomy is underscored by the presence of a "Precursors" narrative in our TGU universe, an ancient alien race purported to have seeded life across three galaxies. Similar concepts are found in various sci-fi stories, such as the Progenitors in Star Trek, the Engineers in Alien, or the First Ones from Babylon 5. This foundational mythology adds a layer of connectivity and mystery, enriching our game's universe.

[Lord Liaden]

You might also borrow the "Uplift" concept from David Brin's series of novels, in which sapient aliens perform genetic engineering on animal species to make them sapient as well. The newly-augmented races become "clients" of their "patron" uplifters, until the patrons become defunct in some way and their clients achieve independence. This process has apparently gone on since time immemorial. Many races believe there must have been an original "un-uplifted" race who started the whole thing, and for some their devotion to that concept verges on religious fervor.

Edited April 29 by Lord Liaden

[DShomshak]

4 hours ago, GoldenAge said:

Ecdysozoa - This group includes arthropod-like species such as the Cephalopods (e.g., Edgar the Bug from Men In Black) and the Crustacea (e.g., Mon Calamari from Star Wars).

Nitpick: RL cephalopods are mollusks. The inner anatomy of an octopus is more like that of a snail or a clam than it is like a lobster, bee, or any other arthropod.

 

But thank you for the background information. And some of the "alternate" phylum names are rather clever.

 

Dean Shomshak

[GDShore]

Your Deuterostomia does not cover a tri-lateral being or a quadrapedal. Although I suppose it could be shoehorn them into it.

[DShomshak]

Translated from the Greek roots, I would guess "Deuterostomia" means "Two Mouths." Stoma being often used for any opening in a body, such as the pores on plant leaves. Everything in the RL Chgordata phylum is basically a tube with a mouth at one end and an anus at the other, with the surrounding tissues variously elaborated.

 

So are arthropods, annelids, and unsegmented worms, for that matter, but I don't suppose the players really want a taxonomy lesson.

 

Dean Shomshak

[Chris Goodwin]

Part of me wants to see the name of the planet to which they're native appended.  So a Wookiee might be homo woquiius kashykkii while an Earth human would be homo sapiens terrae.  I'm not sure where a planet name would fit by actual taxonomic rules, though.

[Lord Liaden]

It always bugs me when sci-fi uses the name "humans" to designate homo sapiens, whereas aliens always seem to have either a distinctive species name, or the name of their home planet. SF author Ted White made the point that every sapient race calls itself a name that would translate to English as "human."

 

When I do sci-fi with multiple ET sapient species I always refer to us as "Terrans," and our planet as "Terra" rather than "Earth." It doesn't make sense to prioritize the English words when the majority of the planet uses other names. Terra is a root word in multiple prominent languages and has widespread international recognition and scientific applicability.

Edited Monday at 08:07 PM by Lord Liaden