To achieve sapience does not guarantee a species will continue to advance technologically. Rather, continuous technological advancement is a rare quirk bestowed upon the fortunate [or unfortunate depending on who you ask] few amidst the millions who have seen their civilizations emerge and disappear.
The Ceberyen, hailing from the high-gravity world of Ayala, is certainly not one of the fortunate ones. Though like any species, they are diverse in culture, all of their societies seem to have an aversion to technology and any form of organization more complex than a clan. They are true anarco-primitists, believing the use of tools to be a sign of weakness.
In Usaya, the predominant philosophy most of their kind adhere to, it is believed that if you are supposed to do something, then nature already would let you do it, and gave you adaptations necessary for it.
And thus, they are condemned to remain trapped on their planet.
Or are they?
Even since the warlike Kirtimukha laid claim to their star system, they were quick to note the martial prowess of the Ceberyens. Having evolved from megatherium-like herbivorous, the average Ceberyen stands an impressive 12 feet tall, possesses an absurd level of strength, and has a body covered in natural thick armor. However, that alone wasn’t what the Kirtimukha found most impressive – it was their speed.
Imagine an army of elephants suddenly emerging from the forest and charging you at 100 kph – this is how Kirtimukha scouts must have felt when they first encountered the ceberyens.
What followed was a military operation by the Kirtimukha to subdue the Ceberyen, with the former expecting it to be a quick conflict due to the superiority of their technology, organization, and military tactics. However, in reality, the war became a quagmire as the Ceberyen resorted to guerilla tactics, using the harsh jungle terrain to their advantage and creating an elaborate set of tunnels to move between places while shielded from detection and ariel bombardment. It also didn’t help that there was no centralized leadership that the Kirtimukha could defeat and enforce a peace treaty.
Eventually, with the war going nowhere, the Kirtimukha chose to withdraw from the planet, grudgingly impressed by their foes.
Though many years later, the two species would again encounter each other but this time as allies. Shifter spores had come to infect the planet and a contingency operation was launched by the Kirtimukha before the infection reached a critical mass and infect the greater space sector. Following its successful elimination, the Ceberyen expressed their gratitude to their newfound allies by agreeing to serve in their armies.
Today, they form a key component of the Kirtimukha armies, serving primarily in close combat roles. The less religious members of this species also tend to curve their path, finding employment as security guards and bouncers for human and tweedum establishments.
This entry was made by community member Lord Grunwalder. You can check out his other works here.