Muun
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| Muun | |
| Homeworld | Muunilinst |
| Language | Muun language [1] |
| Average Height | 1.9 meters [1] |
| Skin color | White/pale pink [1] |
| Distinctions | Three hearts, elongated skulls [1] |
| Known Members | List of known Muun |
Overview
An old and successful race, the Muun have spent a great deal of their history ranked amongst some of the most financially successful cultures in existence. Hailing from the world of Muunilinst, the richness of their world has been regarded by many as the impetus towards competition and greed which characterises the species.
Biology and appearance
Typically taller than the average human, the average Muun sticks out in a crowd of other species. Gaunt to the point of looking unhealthy to most humanoids, their long and spindly limbs, while matching the proportions of their elongated skulls, lend them an emaciated, severe appearance. Hairless and pale as much from genetics as from a racial aversion to the outdoors, the Muun focus their impressive intellects on matters of economics and mathematics, even the youngest being able to solve complex equations without the aid of computers.
Muuns also have tiny ears on the middle of the sides of their heads. In addition they have flat noses, and slim mouths. Muun voices often sound nasally, due to their small noses.[1]
Society and culture
Governed by a strict, caste based meritocracy, the upper crust of Muun society is made up of those directly concerned with economics; be they lawyers, financiers, or diplomats arranging large trade agreements. Lower caste Muuns typically work in more menial but related positions, and strive to improve their family's standing by ensuring that their children do well on the tests administered via the education system. Those shown to be worthy of such an elevation in caste by the tests soon find themselves spirited away into high society, their low-born families proud of their success and often benefiting financially from the new status of their child.
So much of Muun society is centred around the acquisition and exercise of wealth that even their language has come to embody the simple positive and negatives of ledgers and balances. Almost exclusively composed of "um" and "eh" sounds, uttered in varying combinations of pitch and tone, their predominately binary language is largely devoid of imprecision. A language of economics and absolutes, the Muun often find themselves resorting to foreign, and less precise tongues when needing to discuss a matter that fails to fall neatly into one category or another. While naturally nasal sounding, due to the smallness of the Muun mouth and nose, even when speaking another language the harsh voices of most Muun are strangely melodic.
Seemingly at odds with this absolute precision of language however, is the Muun tendency towards amorality in their business dealings. Originally founding the InterGalactic Banking Clan during the early days of the Galactic Republic, the Muun have worked as backers of standardised galactic currencies and have funded colonies, profitable enterprises, and even entire wars when it fit their plans. Willing to play both sides of a conflict off each other and lining their pockets all the time, the Muun have developed a reputation of being ruthless, yet almost honest in their ethical indifference. Those used to dealing with the race retain several teams of lawyers to assemble contracts, as the Muun tend to keep to the letter of the law rather than the original intent, and have no qualms against ruthlessly exploiting other races.
Muuns are extremely intelligent, and both greedy and cautious when it came to business ventures. They are lured to profitable and vulnerable economic situations or opportunities, yet took long thought before committing themselves to a business deal. Muuns' talent with money stemms from their extremely valuable mathematical and statistical skills. Muun children are known to calculate complex mathematical formulas as quickly as most adults of other species could.[1]
In addition to being greedy and cautious, Muuns also deem themselves to be a reserved, mature species, capable of controlling their emotions, and deemed other species as immature, and felt no remorse in exploiting them, if need required them to do so. Muuns possess a drive to compete with other races and even among themselves, which also contributes to higher rates of economic output anywhere Muuns were located. Muuns also have a fundamental respect for fairness and justice, however, and regarded a contract as almost a sacred trust. Muuns are known to always follow the letter of the law, though often not the spirit.[1]
History
Early in their history, the Muuns founded the InterGalactic Banking Clan, which came to span not only the galaxy, but smaller satellite galaxies as well. Due to its immense mineral wealth, Muunilinst was used to give weight to the Galactic Credit, making its importance in Galactic society almost incomparable to many, if not most Core Worlds.[1]
Muuns, all throughout the time of the Galactic Republic, had a knack for funding potentially profitable enterprises throughout its sector, regardless of ethics or loyalty. Muunilinst provided much of the funding for the nearby Human colony world of Sartinaynian. At some point in their history the Muuns also colonized the planet of Mygeeto, which, much like Muunilinst itself, would become wealthy and and an important financial center.[1]
Eventually, both Muunilinst and Sartinaynian came to be member worlds in the Galactic Republic, and Muunilinst became one of the greatest financial powers in the galaxy. The power and influence of the Banking Clan was largely unchecked as the Republic fell into decline and corruption.[1]
