Avulco

The Avulco are one of the Historic Alien Races in The Long Journey Home.

Description
The Avulco are a race of comparable anatomy to a slug from Earth, if a slug would have arms and a neck. They have a soft and long body and their eyes sit on the two stalks that are parietal to their head with two big orbs for eyes. Due to their commonly upwards bend tails on the Holo Pictures from their ruins it can be discerned that they indeed have one long tail and no legs. This type of upwards bend movement is more reminiscent of worms though, which puts them as an odd hybrid of anthropomorphic slugworms.

A 'Great Plague' consumed their worlds over three galactic cycles ago and forced them into a protective cryogenic sleep to halt its spread and effects. Since the Xaquindi war was between the last two cycles, they never encountered the hive or the Cueddhaest during their prime. To this day no other race attempted to help them, not even out of scientific curiosity like for the K'schar. Due to a lack of outside interactions and documentation, it is unclear how long ago the Avulco joined the galactic community. However, despite their age not even the Tchansu have statues of them.

Indeed, the tale of the Avulco is one of isolation, long before their eternal dream. The Entrope know them as barely a minor race and no empire. They had little but carefully chosen homeworlds and lived their lives far from other races. Instead of intermingling with others, they put a huge emphasis on their own culture and families. Some of their Holotypes even contain entire family trees of their cities and planets. Consequently, they didn't dream of the stars above, but turned to the worlds within themselves. Craftsmanship and art was always part of their life and is conserved in their digital archives and beautiful technology. Their ideal of perfectionism can be seen in all of their technology, and even the reserved Reeve can not but marvel at their cryotech that can freeze over even molten worlds.

It is very likely that the Avulco invested into holotech and virtual reality long before the plague ravaged their civilization. This allowed them to continue their isolated existence during their cryogenic sleep inside the worlds they created. These new lives, however, now truly left them alone. Some of these 'Second Lives' can be seen as VR Holograms by a pilot landing in one of them. Damaging the machinery not only dooms the trapped Avulco to death, it also ends their life in anguish.

The 'Great Plague' can be encountered in failed cryogenic facilities as the Avulco have "awoken" to suffer its final effect. The plague turns its host into a kind of zombie, fueled by eternal hunger. Their eyes turn black and they develop a horde mentality with no regards to missing limbs. They even eat each other. A player can easily get infested with the plague, despite the completely different physiology of the two races.

Hunger and its mind-numbing near puppeteering effect is a common theme throughout the journey and is manifested in Substance 1994, the Sleaze, in Tchansu temples. Unless an athletic character swims through the Sleaze, other players are too slow and forcefully get infecting by the sentient parasite, resulting in the same hunger and infestation. While there is no final proof, the great plague might indeed be the Tchansu plague that not only freed the Dragons of Entropy (The Army of Famine), but also made them become hunger incarnate after they merged with the Sleaze in the ruins of the Tchansu empire. Do not mistake the parasite for a symbiont!

The Glukkt do not admire the Avulco themselves, but their art and beauty. Avulco Gems go around for 800 galactic credits and are one of the most precious commodities in their systems. It is the best way to swindle a Glukkt from their fortune.

As the Wolphax only see honor in a proud death, the Avulco's cowardly attempt to hide in the dark of a new second life is detestable. In their eyes the Avulco are even less than the Glukkt, who are just dishonorable unworthy pests.

Quote
"The cold ones? They thought they could cheat death. (No point. All bills are payable in time.) But they leave such pretty gems." - Glukkt

"The Avulco. Yes. We have a tale, of a Wolphax who tried to cheat Death. He hid from it. He did nothing to draw its attention. His life was one of void. No honour. No purpose. They say Death indeed passed him by, and he still lives today, forever cowering in the shadows of a sunless sector. A fitting punishment. I hope the Avulco enjoy the same." - Wolphax

"Ah. The 'Immortal Ones'. We had hoped to find answers on the art of Ascension within their ruins, but found only ice. That is not immortality. It is only avoiding death." - Cueddhaest

"A sad story. Most say the Avulco thought to defeat Death. They were more desperate. A great plague swept their worlds, with their only hope of salvation being to become prisoners of ice. One day, perhaps they will emerge as intended. Until then, it is best to leave them to their slumbers." - Logos

"To have not encountered in time. To offer branch if restored." - Vine Consensus

"They art beneath our notice. They came. They went. They left little mark upon the universe." - Meorcl

"You have been to Avulco worlds? Kindly cover your face in our presence. The Great Plague may still live on through you. Even if not, it is a definite aesthetic improvement." - Ilitza

"Them's the ones that froze themselves to escape a plague, right? Don't rightly know how well that worked, but we've found other good uses for their coolant fluids. Keeping food, making the hottest planets livable. It's powerful stuff. Don't suppose you're carrying any on you by chance?" - Reeve

"Cryogenics. Pointless. Whole culture frozen. No way to thaw. Figured another species would do that. Cure freezer burn. Cure effect of poison. Cure death. Pffft. ... Thinking again, maybe. As challenge for young K'Schar to prove worthiness to perform real science. Anyway, no rush. Avulco not going anywhere." - K'schar

Assessment of the Entrope
(only accessible with Admin-Device on Entrope Stations)

Small civilisation of three Cycles ago. Forced into cryogenic suspension due to plague outbreak. Awaiting revitalisation once galaxy develops cure for frost damage, plague and death.