Drell

Biology and Appearance

Drell are reptilian humanoids, with an appearance similar to humans or Asari. They traditionally are omnivores and have an average lifespan of about 85 years. Drell have denser muscle tissue than humans, causing them to have surprising strength. They feature a unique part of the skeletal structure referred to as the hyoid bone, allowing them to inflate their throat and create high-pitched noises. This also causes their voice to have a strange reverb quality.

Drell are noted for having extremely powerful memories. Instead of merely remembering events, Drell are capable of nearly reliving moments with fully sensory clarity. This can be either a reflexive or voluntary event, though some memories can be especially painful to relive. Observers that watch a Drell experience these memories can sometimes be disturbed, especially if not expecting it. Some Drell risk falling into a debilitating form of sentimental solipsism, preferring to exist in past moments rather than the present.

Background

The Drell originally lived on Rakhana, an arid desert planet that would be barely habitable by most species but was perfect for the reptilian humanoids. Due to rapid industrial expansion, the planet began to become even hotter and drier. Eventually the conditions were too severe even for the Drell. With no interstellar travel available and a booming population of nearly 11 billion, the fate of the Drell was dire.

Thankfully, the Drell were rescued by the hanar. While they were unable to save the entire species, hundreds of thousands were evacuated from the doomed home world; the billions left behind did not survive long enough to be relocated, either by natural causes or war over limited necessary resources.

The remaining Drell created a comfortable life for themselves on the Hanar home world of Kahje, where they lived in domed city with an environment far less humid than the Hanar were used to. While they are occasionally viewed as second class citizens by some Hanar, many Drell have become productive members of Kahje society. They are known for being quiet and meditative, and often prone to travel-lust; several Drell are scattered throughout both Citadel space and beyond, often integrating themselves comfortably into the various societies they choose to enter.

When they still lived on Rakhana, Drell religion consisted of a polytheistic belief structure. As the race expanded further into the galaxy, younger Drell began to embrace other religious or philosophical thought. As a result, the traditional Drell beliefs have been slowly but steadily dying out, leaving on a few followers, including Thane Krios.