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"We were conquerors, once. Peaceful ones, of a galaxy untouched, unused. We spread our own amongst it and found peace with what sprang up after. Our territory was delineated between us and the barriers of frost and vapor and starlight. We were magi, once. I fear what we will have become now, should you read my message in this forbidden place."
—Evkoba Entonír, lost journal fragments on Rylehkastra

The Ski'pec [ska͡ɪ.ˈpɛk] are an ethane/methane-nitrogen based species from the planet Smohera in the galaxy Azurullya. Their unfortunately limited chemistry eliminates most worlds, especially in smaller systems, from their potential reach, but they managed to claim footholds in most of Azurullya's systems before any other species regardless. To this day they hold a sizeable population within the galaxy, present around every major star with the aid of environmentally-controlled orbital habitats and other climate-control technology.

Ski'pec have a reputation throughout the Theocracy of Silverstar as silent savants and excellent magi, forming much of the basis for the thaumic branch of the nation's military and intelligence sectors. This reputation often precedes them, as their solvent is unique amongst Azurullya's residing species. Their presence within mixed company is rare and usually temporary; the most common example of actual cohabitation is specialized sections of space stations that host different climate control locally.

Irregardless of this thermal and chemical barrier, Ski'pec have played key roles in Azurullya's history both before and after the arrival of the Theocracy, and may still be crucial in the balance of political and cultural power of the galaxy today. As the center of a nascent plot to break off the Duchy of Ghesr-Ís from Silverian culture and rule, the next few centuries of Azurulleyan history hinge on Ski'pec pride and their legacies.

Physiology

Ski'pec have a delicate chemistry at work. While water-based species have a medium that lasts as liquid under a great variety of temperatures and pressures, and with ethane falling in line with this, the critical role that methane plays in all Smoheran life requires all its species, including the Ski'pec, to remain in the liquid range of -182°C to roughly -150°C at Smoheran pressures.

From this delicately balanced chemistry comes a well-refined civilization-building species. Influences from their world's transits through both the Auramest and the Dreamhaze gave the Ski'pec an accelerated (and inspired) route through their biosphere's evolution, outpacing the other four abiogenetic happenings in Azurullya. They sport the same bipedal stance as many other sapient species, something not orchestrated by an entity such as Ma'eau but not quite natural enough to call coincidence.

Appearance

Ski'pec are covered a soft coat of fur, typically short in most areas besides their chest and tail. Their fur serves as insulation for the cold winters in the shadows of the rings and in the polar regions of their home planet. Their fur is especially delicate and smooth around the underarms and inner thighs, where friction from running would otherwise slow them down. The fur around their neck in particular is socially and fashionably significant, with longer and puffier neck fur being seen as a feminine quality.

Their fur can be tinted a variety of colors, a result of the three pigments that the species produces. Their primary pigmentations, which do mix in ratio from generation to generation, are an aqua-cyan hue, a vivid gold, and magenta. Subtractive combinations of these pigments are common, though usually they will favor the primary hue of one of their parents, the secondary coloration coming through as a tinted darkening of their fur around their feet, hands, and tail. Evenly-mixed pigments result in a dark grey or black coloration, while albinism creates a stunning white coat. Uneven coloration of the fur is somewhat uncommon, resulting in an effect like iridescence where regions of fur will fade between hues and brightnesses in such a manner that one might be able to mentally separate the "maps" of each pigment across their body. In cases where all three pigments are present and this splotchiness occurs, an almost opalescent sheen can be observed, similar to Enveil's own chosen appearance.

Their eyes normally appear blank, a result of the protective third eyelid that keeps solar radiation from harming their sensitive corneas. While their irises underneath are generally a similar hue, the dull sheen of the third eyelid is incomparable to the glossy reflectivity beneath. Their pupils resemble the infamous double-slit experiment, a line surrounded by alternating and fading bands of light and darkness.

Subspecies

Tightly-comorbid genetics deriving from very ancient mutations give the Ski'pec two wildly different phenotypes that seem unable to blend nicely with one another. This division has existed since before the species had formed language or complex societies, and now remains at the forefront of their diversity.

The origin of this drastic phenotypic split is unknown, though archaeological evidence seems to show other species with similar traits dying off in masses after the Dreamhaze Transit. The best theories posit that the evolution of a similar mechanism as a "next stage" to sexual reproduction, which would overcome speciation itself, but which almost entirely died off due to flaws with its mechanics only outdone by the Ski'pec's favorable situation.

What could be considered the "dominant" variety of Ski'pec are the Khuzye [χʊ.ˈʒjɛː](Earthen), comprising roughly seventy percent of the species population. Standing at an average of 215 cm (~7'1"), their builds are larger and bulkier than their sister variety across the genome. Khuzye Ski'pec have denser skeletons with a greater variety of minerals incorporated into them, as well as a metabolism best suited to overpowering prey or environmental obstacles with strength.

Khuzye Ski'pec are blessed with a reduplicated set of arms and relevant skeletal and muscular anatomy to support it. While the density of their muscles makes them somewhat less flexible than Thakhezú Ski'pec, they are able to more than make up this dexterity through usage of their extra available limbs.

The less common variety of Ski'pec, though their lack of representation is in part from an aversion to space travel, are the Thakhezú [θæ.χɛ.ˈʒuː](Heavenbound), making up the remaining thirty percent of the population. They are significantly shorter than the Khuzye, averaging only 195 cm (~6'4") in height, with a much more slender build on average. They have much less dense muscles and bones, supported only as much as necessary to allow them to walk on land and not be torn apart in the air. Their metabolism is slightly dynamic, meant for long endurance-type exercise.

Thakhezú Ski'pec are primarily defined by their membranous patagium, which extends from their wrists down to their waists. On most common worlds, these are good enough to glide short distances of a couple hundred meters with. Combined with low gravity and thaumaturgy―or a clever application of magnetism in the right atmosphere—they can break the convention of gliding and simply fly.

Thakhezú Ski'pec are much more used to open spaces, being able to fly long distances on Smohera, its moon Urrauwhí, and the prime colony worlds Vaevus and Yurara. Claustrophobia is much more common for the Thakhezú, and they have a reputation for having horrendous reactions to even a few days of space travel.

Senses

Ski'pec have somewhat specialized senses, holdovers from the behaviors and biologies of their ancestral species. Originally meant to help them track and hunt prey and coordinate with other pack members, their sensory processing now poses unique challenges beyond their own biospheres.

Scent is the strongest sense the Ski'pec have, closely followed by and related to taste. Olfactory receptors in their gill membranes can pick up thousands of unique molecules and combine them into trillions of different scents. Ski'pec are able to discern direction, distance, and condition of animals far away or out of sight by scent alone. In intraspecies interactions, weak pheromones can give them an emotional indicator as well, complementing physical expression and vocal modulation.

Taste is similarly sensitive. The roof of a Ski'pec's mouth is lined with more olfactory receptors, which allow further detection of scent if held out to open air but are primarily to ascertain the quality and edibility of food. It is believed that the proto-Ski'pec utilized this sense heavily when first inventing cooking and when searching for their next hunt. Currently, Ski'pec have deeply sensitive and multi-faceted palates, evident by how strictly their civilization regulates food production.

The other senses deviate from this sensitivity greatly. Sight, arguably one of the most important senses for a civilization-building species, is among their weaker senses. While their color vision can extend from the near-infrared into the ultraviolet range, this is often blocked by their third eyelid. Ski'pec are crepuscular by nature, and have light-sensitive eyes to see in the dim moonlight and ringlight of Smohera's nights. Even noontime sun nearly thirty AU away from their star can be damaging or blinding without this eyelid. Its purpose is to block ultraviolet and high-frequency light to protect the delicate Ski'pec eye, but its firmness also blocks much of the infrared and red spectrum. During the day, most Ski'pec see the world in an orange to cyan range. This eyelid also causes their vision to become mildly blurred, heightening the need for more distinct physical expressions to convey meaning.

Ski'pec color vision relies on pentachromacy, with cone wavelengths peaking in the near-infrared (800 nm), amber (594 nm), mint (505 nm), indigo (436 nm), and ultraviolet (350 nm) respectively. When unrestricted by bright light and their third eyelid, this allows them a vast and deep arrangement of colors. The infrared sensors are particularly useful in spatially understanding their surroundings, as reflected light or thermal emissions that may be dim or nonexistent in other spectra are often bright in infrared.

Touch and pain are the dullest of the species' senses, suited more for picking up external vibrations and force of resistance than to texture. It is unknown exactly why their sense of texture is so faint, but some in mixed company opt for neurological therapy to try and increase their tactile sensitivity to the levels of other species. Their pain receptors dull after a short time without fresh injury in a manner similar to cone cells getting ecxhausted staring at bright monotonous colors.

With scent and sight (at least by moonlight) allowing for decent enough tracking, hearing is specialized for intraspecies information. Ski'pec are incredibly sensitive to the voices of their own kind, able to discern an individual out of a crowd with ease and maintain processing of their words. Their ability to discern between ambient sounds is greatly reduced, however, and a Ski'pec would not be able to differentiate between running water or a crackling fire by sound alone. Because of their particular auditory sensitivities, Ski'pec music tends to have very few instrumental backings at all, putting nearly the entire focus on the vocals.

Respiration

Ski'pec retain some semblance of marine bioaesthetics with their respiration system. Their lungs, adapted for breathing air, are connected to a pair of diaphragms and gill openings on their necks. By contracting their diaphragms, they create a vacuum effect and inhale air by the same mechanism most other air-breathing species do. With enough practice, these diaphragms can be operated independent of one another, allowing one to breathe at independent rates on either side of their body or only through one lung.

The most major benefit of the Ski'pec respiratory system is the fact that it never intersects the digestive tract. The gill membranes act as efficient filters for all manner of particulates and liquids, sneezed away from them regularly to prevent clogs. A somewhat uncommon mechanism, this separation prevents esophagus blockages from cutting off airflow and constituting immediate emergency. While the two remain separate, the "back" end of each respiratory diaphragm is capable of restricting the digestive tract, allowing some ability to clear such blockages by "coughing" through the stomach.

Like most vocal animals, Ski'pec utilize their respiratory organs to create sound. Flexible chambers at the "top" of their gill orifices, just behind the membranes, constitute their control mechanism for noise. Deeper towards the lungs, a pair of reed-like constrictors create frequencies when flexed. As the sound travels towards their gills, the Ski'pec flex certain small muscles behind the gills to alter the quality of their vocalization, similar to the tongue's communicative role in many species. Having a louder and deeper voice, indicative of strong lungs and wider gill openings, is considered a feminine trait.

Sustenance

Ski’pec are descended closely from an apex predator of ancient Smohera, and as such are mainly carnivores. Their diet consists of around 70% meat from various types of Smoheran animals, though they adapted a more omnivorous diet a few million years prior to the creation of their first settlements. Their cuisine as of the modern day is heavily based around livestock animals, meat being the centerpiece of most meals and garnished with plant-based ingredients and sides.

The roof of the Ski’pec mouth is lined with a dense set of olfactory receptors, which increases their sensitivity to taste by many times. This can work in tandem with the olfactory sensors in the gills to give a greatly detailed scentmap of their surroundings. The oral olfactory system is also capable of sensing a few specific toxins that are only harmful if ingested in food, giving a basic sense of unsafe food that they may not be able to tell by smell alone.

Ski’pec jaws are capable of unhinging to an angle of about a hundred and ten degrees, though historical records depicting such show a trend of this trait becoming less prominent as the millennia pass. The average maximum bite radius of a modern Ski’pec is around ten centimeters. This is complemented by their sharp teeth, which form two rows on the top jaw and one on the bottom jaw. The design of the Ski’pec jaws and teeth is meant primarily for ripping flesh apart, though the back few sets of teeth are more flattened out and are suitable for crushing some plant matter.

Reproduction

Despite their broader mating structure and their highly libidinous tendencies, Ski'pec reproduce at rates similar to other species. They have a notoriously difficult time conceiving, and what pregnancies do occur are prone to miscarriages or defects so early that the already harrowing statistics are an understatement simply from how many go undetected. Gestation usually occurs over the course of eighteen months.

Ski'pec are viviparous and tend to give birth to multiple offspring at a time. While one child is not uncommon, two or three are typically expected per pregnancy. This prevalence of multiple births is one factor that balances out the otherwise phenomenal infertility of the species, which itself is a byproduct of the phenotypic chasm between Khuzye and Thakhezú.

The genetic differentials of interbreeding between Thakhezú and Khuzye Ski'pec would theoretically code for dozens of variant Ski'pec clades, but other than the typical clusters, all inevitably fail to implant as zygotes or differentiate cells properly. The instabilities of these "hybrid" Ski'pec embryos are a deep flaw within the species, making the vast majority of fertilizations non-viable. Both biological and behavioral counter-effects are the only reason the species has stayed afloat. Genetic stability is less cruel when members of the same variety reproduce, but as the gene expressions for both are contained and produced through meiosis, the difference amounts to only a few percent.

Ski'pec young (khíípe, sing. khíop) are generally altricial at birth, with their digestive system and nervous system being the primary sites of development while gestating. While they are able to eat solid food from birth, khíípe are unable to move around on their own for several months, with some taking multiple years to begin attempting ambulation.

Electricity

Ski´pec, being based on ethane, methane, and mostly-nonpolar hydrocarbons, are almost entirely electrically inert. What little metals and minerals they use to facilitate charge transfer is primarily stored in the skeleton, for structural integrity, and the brain, for cognition. This facilitates mental activity without turning them into living lightning rods, but such high resistances can hardly be called useful for interacting with Smohera's electric dynamo.

Like many species after Smohera's transit through the Dreamhaze, the Ski'pec retain a neuroelectric resonance that allows them limited magnetic influence. Several key proteins in the bodies of a Ski'pec can be bent to an extreme polarity via weak enzyme bonds. Through this effect and resonance with the quartzite-fused skeleton, Ski'pec can temporarily overcome their otherwise impressive electrical resistance and magnetize themselves along the axis of their spine.

Smohera's thick atmosphere conducts weak lightning often, producing barely-detectable thunderstorms more easily than most carbonaceous terrae. While not always visible, electric currents are very useful to many species on the planet. The Khuzye Ski'pec do not have much need for magnetism besides the depth that electroreception provides, but Thakhezú Ski'pec can take advantage of their low weight and this magnetism to propel themselves through air. Combined with their natural gliding ability from their patagium, this allows them some limited flight.

Thaumaturgy

Ski'pec, like most sapient species, have minds and pylons connected to them. The Auramest's final kick towards their sapience directly weighed in on their connection to the Noosphere, enhancing their propensity for pylons and pushing the limits of possibility for their kinds. An average individual of any given sapient species will have somewhere around a dozen pylons, on average. The mean number of pylons for the Ski'pec is about two and a half times that, around thirty on average. This has remained the case across generations since the Second Auramest Transit just before Ski'pec started forming complex societies.

The tempo of these pylons uncovers some as of yet unknown altered properties of the species on the noospheric level. While every other one seems to be in line with the logarithmic rarity of tempos, there is an outlier for the amount of electrino, or Lightning, pylons that the Ski'pec have. Normally one in a thousand individuals may have a pylon that produces electrinos. Ski'pec have an average of one in every a hundred and seventy-five individuals, roughly 0.57%, able to create electrinos via Classical Thaumaturgy.

Most Ski'pec magi do not train in Classical Thaumaturgy as of the modern era. Esoteric Thaumaturgy, the hallmark of the Theocracy's flagship settlers and the reason for their immigration to Azurullya in the first place, is the most widely practiced clade of thaumaturgy by the Ski'pec. Their homeworld is the site of the Grand Institute of Thaumic Dogma, the most concentrated and diverse site of study for Esoteric concepts and their thaumic applications in the entire universe.

Thaumaturgy has been crucial to the civilization of Smohera since before the Ski'pec could even properly form language. The invention of fire, a relatively trivial task in worlds with oxidized atmospheres, was facilitated only by clever use of thaumaturgy and volcanically deposited water ice. Using the much more common electrino pylons they had, some Ski'pec discovered that fire could be created by charging and heating up the ice with their thaumaturgy. The resultant hydrogen entered the atmosphere as benign gas, but the oxygen released rapidly reacted with the atmosphere, creating essentially a mirror to conventional fire by way of ice. Instead of fuel being the limiting component, oxygen gas itself was. This form of thaumic fire remained dominant until other ways of generating electricity and storing oxygen were invented.

Sociality

Descended from a millions of years long evolutionary branch of pack hunters, Ski'pec are about as social as a species can get, short of eusociality. Their behavioral patterns either contradict or complement this, depending on how well they were socialized as children. Impulses to wander off, explore, claim territory of land and companions as one's own all run rampant within every individual; whether this manifests as healthy colony-forming, antisocial isolationism, or domineering plots for personal gain is a combination of nurture and whatever plethora of excuses one has in their back pocket to absolve themself from social wrongdoing.

Territory

Ski'pec have something of an innate need to explore and claim a legacy. Whether it's land, an artistic work, or people, there is an inherent desire to "go forth and conquer", to leave something of an image of who they were as an individual. Like other aspects of their natural behavior, this has been abstracted with the diversification of societies into a territorial legacy, distinguished from their other pursuits by a deep sense of pride. Oftentimes this goes along with the people a Ski'pec chooses to form a colony with, taking a familial possessiveness into the realm of common personality traits.

The territoriality of the Ski'pec, combined with their very localist tendencies as a species, are what initially drove them to the reaches of space and motivated the wide-scale colonization of just about every rock they could fit a habitat on. Often described in old Xherari documents as "benign conquerors", they have no instinct to truly subjugate their territory, merely to place some representational flag and guard their standing as a steward of it. Industrial or scientific fields may, as the land-based nomenclature suggests, act as more abstract "territories" to guard. Ski'pec who find their calling in a metaphorical claim like a field of study often go on to be great innovators, defending their stake by way of research and contribution.

There is something of a social distinction between people of one's own territory, people who inhabit the same literal or figurative area, and hostile invaders to that territory. It is typically intuited by the Ski'pec themselves, and the nuances of which actions contribute to which archetype are difficult to parse for most other species. Further complicating this is the fact that the lines between these groups are somewhat personal, with some Ski'pec more lenient and others much more ready to see foes around them. They are fiercely competitive with those they perceive to be invasive and have little tolerance for incompetence.

Colonies

Ski'pec primarily live in groups of ten to twenty of their peers from the same generation, often with varying levels of romantic and sexual involvement between all presiding members. Nucleation, the shifting in power dynamics towards one central individual of the colony, is regarded as unhealthy and abusive even in the few situations where it remains stable. These colonies, natively called ikoros, are the primary family units that the species organizes themselves into. Without much regard for their offspring's exact genetic lineage, the colonies raise their children communally until they reach adulthood. Ski'pec are recognized as foreign and threatening inter-generationally once they are adults, and in almost all cases they leave whatever colony they grew up in to join one of their peers' or start their own. Legal contracts to clear up property rights within a colony have been in place since the dawn of Ski'pec civilization, though their syncretism with Alecisist "marriage" is a development more for flavor than any actual practice within a colony.

An ikoros expands via collective courtship. This typically happens via one of two processes. The more likely scenario is an independent Ski'pec courting multiple members of a colony in order to be brought into theirs. Gifts of food, art, conversation and other social activities are presented as a way to advertise one's own personality and appeal to the existing colony members. If accepted, they will usually begin living in whatever abode their new colony calls home and be legally entered soon after. The less likely scenario is a colony scouting out and courting an independent Ski'pec. If the lucky individual reciprocates, they would be brought to meet the whole ikoros and go about a semi-formal, semi-courting interview process to see if they wish to join. But this method had great challenges. People don't generally go about their public lives announcing which collective of people they romantically, sexually, and/or legally belong to, and this makes it hard to discern which people are single or otherwise available. With smaller colonies of around five or six individuals this can be useful for finding another similar colony to merge with, but for most it is a waste of time. Scandals surrounding colonies courting taken members have existed since society became dense enough that two shared a township.

Young Ski'pec, since the cultural romantic movements of the Theocracy swept pre-Theocracy Ski'pec culture into its new hybridized form, often yearn for an ikoros to take collective interest in them and pull them away without effort. This is at best a childish fantasy and at worst an impoverishing hindrance to these Ski'pec. Outward effort and presentation has always been essential for single Ski'pec to join a colony, especially since the social cues of not reciprocating indicate unavailability or disinterest rather than inexperience.

While not common, there are colonies that exist without some of the normal conventions. While looked down upon as anarchist cabals, some choose to form an ikoros without a legal entity attached, freely allowing people to enter and leave without paperwork to track or restrain them, or even to allow them to congregate while still bound to another. Some colonies also exist without the typical variety of relationship, either as mutually platonic collectives or, oddly enough, business startups.

The colony structure remains from pre-sapient protocivilization, where female Ski'pec would gather harems of viable males to hunt and mate with, who would then be charged with raising any resultant offspring. As civilization began to get off the ground, egalitarian structures and more fluid ideas of sexuality took over, changing the still-sizeable social structure to the form it persists in. The persistence is half social and half biological. Structures with fewer partners mutually engaged in child-rearing tend to reproduce below the replacement rate, due to the innate difficulties with the species' fertility. The societies that chose monogamy died out simply by being out-bred. The other component is tradition, as the family units Ski'pec are raised in and around all share the ten to twenty person structure of mutual and mostly-interconnected interest. It's what they come to expect from life unless socialized in more mixed-species company.

Beyond Unistus and Sperxai, the traditional monogamous marriage of Alecisism seems to take precedence over the native ikoros structure. Birth rates for Ski'pec are incredibly low in these smaller family units. The ikoros as it is known does not extend nearly at all beyond the great Ski'pec worlds, but polygamous marriage is known to trend in the outer fringes of most of Azurullya's star systems. Polygamy was permitted and officially introduced into Alecisist practices as part of the merger treaties with Sperxai, as a way to get the religion to appeal to and accommodate the system's inhabitants.

Language

Ski'pec primarily communicate with other species through writing. Their hearing is much too specialized to the sounds their own species makes to differentiate between the minutiae of other vocalizations without decades of study per language. Even if they are capable of reading and understanding other languages, their own anatomy prevents them from fluid speech in the tongues of most other species.

Ski'pec speech, done tongueless and through the contraction of throat-muscles around the gills on either side of their necks, has been pared down and standardized through the millennia into a few closely-related dialects of a common language, Slitarú. This language, phonologically conservative as it is, managed to drift somewhat from the "standard" upheld galactically during the time Azurullya fell to Moonmoon's control.

Slitarú, as spoken by its native species, registers as speech mostly through cadence. To Aylathiyan species with more common methods of vocalization, particularly humans, the sound quality is similar to bagpipes and other woodwind instruments, contorted by the more typical rumbling of large lung-vocalizing species.

Unistus and Sperxai developed slightly altered variants of the phonology and enough regional slang and grammar shifts to constitute a semester-study program for those venturing from one system to the other. Further developments in other systems were either small scale or constituted too few mutually intelligible speakers, and were subsumed into the new standardized dialect once the Theocracy unified Azurullya.

Phonology

While their range of phonemes cannot be accurately represented by more common standards, the relative range can be somewhat transcribed based on place and manner of articulation within the frontal gill chambers.

Consonants
	"Labial"	"Coronal"	"Palatal"	"Velar"-"Uvular"	"Pharyngeal"-"Glottal"
Plosive	p	t, (d)		k, (g), (q)	ʔ
Nasal	m	n	(ɲ)
Trill		r
Fricative	ɸ, (β)	θ, (ð), s, z, (ʃ), (ʒ)		x~χ, ɣ-ʁ	ħ~h
Lateral		l, t͡ɬ
Approximant	ʍ, (w)	ɹ	(j)

Vowels
	Front	Central	Back
Close	i	y	u
Near-Close	ɪ	ʏ	ʊ
Mid	e	ə	o
Near-Open	ɛ		(ɔ)
Open	æ	a	ɑ

Orthography

Orthography tables available in other tabs.

The standard Azurulleyan dialect of Slitarú, known colloquially as just Slitarú by other species but called Rrazlitarú by the Ski'pec (particularly those native to Sperxaian or Unistii planets). It features a wider and more flexible phonology to allow for "accents" of the other two major dialects. Dictionary definitions are more heavily regulated and less subject to drift, and the resulting standard dialect ends up sounding very formal, if a bit stiff.

Vowels
Grapheme	Romanization	Sound (IPA)			Examples
Grapheme	Romanization	Isolate	Before front vowels (i, í, y, ý, a, e, é)	Before back vowels (á, u, ú, o)	Examples
a	a	[æ~a]			zate [ˈza.tə] "powder"
á	á	[ɑ]		[ɔ]	urrán [ʊr.ˈɑːn] "riverbed" láuthe [ˈlɔʊ.θə] "cyan"
e	e	[ə~ɛ]			kennin [ˈkənː.ɪn] "inexperience" zeghúíín [ʒɛ.ɣu.ˈiːn] "oldest"
é	é	[e]			tlérra [ˈtɬe.ra] "copper"
o	o	[o]			otoín [o.to.ˈin] "(a) sprint"
i	i	[ɪ]	[j]		hwilgha [ˈʍil.ɣa] "reeds" thianní [ˈθjanː.i] "urgent" khiún [χjuːn] "bright"
í	í	[i]			íhhtl [iːħt͡ɬ] "loud(ly)"
y	y	[ʏ]	[j]	[ʏ]	kynen [ˈkʏ.nən] "lost" thyélfe [ˈθjel.ɸə] "squall" lyotl [lʏot͡ɬ] "clumped (fur)"
ý	ý	[y]			tyys [tyːs] "membrane"
u	u	[ʊ]	[w]	[ʊ]	tlughin [ˈtɬʊ.ɣin] " to exaggerate" zuihhi [ˈʒwɪ.ħɪ] "to catch" suom [ˈʃʊ.om] "to heal"
ú	ú	[u]			rrún [run] "depth"
j	i'	[a͡ɪ]			ski'pec [ska͡ɪ.ˈpɛk] "Ski'pec"

Consonants
Grapheme	Romanization	Phonetic Realization (IPA)	Examples
r	r	[ɹ]	reltlým [ˈɹɛl.t͡ɬym] "canyon"
b	rr	[r]	marr [marː] "opening"
s	s	[s], [ʃ]	sotrre [ˈso.trə] "violet" ghesýn [ɣɛ.ˈʃyːn] "odor"
z	z	[z], [ʒ]	zakke [ˈzæ.kːɛ] "to fuse" zúrrén [ˈʒu.ren] "lamp"
l	l	[l]	lougha [ˈloʊ.ɣa] "mist"
p	p	[p]	éanpolz [eæn.polʒ] "arrogant"
m	m	[m]	mánna [ˈmɑnː.æ] "lock"
t	t	[t]	étkhym [ˈet.χʏm] "plateau" atakekh [a.ˈta.kɛx] "to stomp"
k	k, c	[k], [q]	kiathhe [ˈkjæt.ħə] "torn" ákááltl [ɑ.ˈqɑːlt͡ɬ] "temple archive"
c	kh	[x~χ]	i'khíín [ˈaɪ.xiːn] "fearsome" khraute [ˈχɹaʊ.tə] "raw"
g	gh	[ɣ~ʁ]	gha'úmma [ɣæʔ.ˈúmː.a] "burning" áághre [ˈɑː.ʁɹə] "canopy"
h	hh	[ħ~h]	hherra [ħɛː.ræ] "stone"
w	hw	[ʍ]	hwaráin [ʍa.ˈrɑ.ɪn] "to dance"
f	f	[ɸ]	filúíín [ɸɪl.u.ˈiːn] "citrine"
n	n	before ⟨í⟩, ⟨y⟩, ⟨ý⟩, ⟨u⟩, or ⟨ú⟩: [ɲ]	ahníírr [a.ˈɲiːr] "joy"
n	n	other contexts: [n]	nauthi [ˈnaʊ.θɪ] "(methane/ethane) ice" kán [qɑn] "strength"
v	'	[ʔ]	rrí'í [ˈriʔ.i] "far"
q	tl	[tɬ]	iotlotl [jo.ˈtɬotɬ] "downpour"
d	th	[θ], [ð]	thímmitl [ˈθimːɪtɬ] "upright" atheni'lkh [ˈæð.ɛn.a͡ɪlχ] "water (H2O)"
x	x	[k͡s~χ͡ʃ]	pléxen [ˈpleːks.ən] "lightning"

The Sperxaian dialect of Slitarú, known as Sperxlitarú to most people. It is primarily spoken by on-planet residents of the Sperxai system, and features a more granular set of pronunciations per word, based on proximity to nearby vowels. Sperxlitarú is technically the original dialect, featuring holdovers from many of the old parent languages it was built from.

Vowels
Grapheme	Romanization	Sound (IPA)			Examples
Grapheme	Romanization	Isolate	Before front vowels (i, í, y, ý, a, e, é)	Before back vowels (á, u, ú, o)	Examples
a	a	[æ~a]	[æ]	[a]	zate [ˈza.tə] "powder"
á	á	[ɑ]		[ɔ]	urrán [ʊr.ˈɑːn] "riverbed" láuthe [ˈlɔʊ.θə] "cyan"
e	e	[ə~ɛ]			kennin [ˈkənː.ɪn] "inexperience" zeghúíín [ʒɛ.ɣu.ˈiːn] "oldest"
é	é	[e]			tlérra [ˈtɬe.ra] "copper"
o	o	[o]			otoín [o.to.ˈin] "(a) sprint"
i	i	[ɪ]	[j]		hwilgha [ˈχ͡wil.ɣa] "reeds" thianní [ˈθjanː.i] "urgent" khiún [χjuːn] "bright"
í	í	[i]			íhhtl [iːħt͡ɬ] "loud(ly)"
y	y	[ʏ]	[j]	[ʏ]	kynen [ˈkʏ.nən] "lost" thyélfe [ˈθjel.ɸə] "squall" lyotl [lʏot͡ɬ] "clumped (fur)"
ý	ý	[y]			tyys [tyːs] "membrane"
u	u	[ʊ]	[w]	[ʊ]	tlughin [ˈtɬʊ.ɣin] " to exaggerate" zuihhi [ˈʒwɪ.ħɪ] "to catch" suom [ˈʃʊ.om] "to heal"
ú	ú	[u]			rrún [run] "depth"
j	i'	[a͡ɪ]			ski'pec [ska͡ɪ.ˈpɛk] "Ski'pec"

Consonants
Grapheme	Romanization	Phonetic Realization (IPA)	Examples
r	r	[ɹ]	reltlým [ˈɹɛl.t͡ɬym] "canyon"
b	rr	[r]	marr [marː] "opening"
s	s	before high vowels (i, í, y, ý, u, ú): [ʃ]	ghesýn [ɣɛ.ˈʃyːn] "odor"
s	s	other contexts: [s]	sotrre [ˈso.trə] "violet"
z	z	before high vowels (i, í, y, ý, u, ú): [ʒ]	zúrrén [ˈʒu.ren] "lamp"
z	z	other contexts: [z]	zakke [ˈzæ.kːɛ] "to fuse"
l	l	[l]	lougha [ˈloʊ.ɣa] "mist"
p	p	[p]	éanpolz [eæn.polʒ] "arrogant"
m	m	[m]	mánna [ˈmɑnː.æ] "lock"
t	t	[t]	étkhym [ˈet.χʏm] "plateau" atakekh [a.ˈta.kɛχ] "to stomp"
k	k, c	before front vowels (i, í, y, ý, a, e, é): [k]	kiathhe [ˈkjæt.ħə] "torn"
k	k, c	before back vowels (á, u, ú, o): [q]	ákááltl [ɑ.ˈqɑːlt͡ɬ] "temple archive"
c	kh	[χ]	i'khíín [ˈaɪ.χiːn] "fearsome" khraute [ˈχɹaʊ.tə] "raw"
g	gh	before back vowels (á, u, ú, o) or ⟨r⟩: [ʁ]	áághre [ˈɑː.ʁɹə] "canopy"
g	gh	other contexts: [ɣ]	gha'úmma [ɣæʔ.ˈúmː.a] "burning"
h	hh	before front vowels (i, í, y, ý, a, e, é): [ħ]	hherra [ħɛː.ræ] "stone"
h	hh	before back vowels (á, u, ú, o): [h]	hotlos [ˈho.tɬos]"fumes"
w	hw	[χ͡w]	hwaráin [χ͡wa.ˈrɑ.ɪn] "to dance"
f	f	[ɸ]	filúíín [ɸɪl.u.ˈiːn] "citrine"
n	n	before ⟨í⟩, ⟨y⟩, ⟨ý⟩, ⟨e⟩, ⟨é⟩, ⟨u⟩,or ⟨ú⟩: [ɲ]	ahníírr [a.ˈɲiːr] "joy"
n	n	other contexts: [n]	nauthi [ˈnaʊ.ðɪ] "(methane/ethane) ice" kán [qɑn] "strength"
v	'	[ʔ]	rrí'í [ˈriʔ.i] "far"
q	tl	[tɬ]	iotlotl [jo.ˈtɬotɬ] "downpour"
d	th	[θ]	thímmitl [ˈθimːɪtɬ] "upright"
d	th	between voiced segments: [ð]	atheni'lkh [ˈæð.ɛn.a͡ɪlχ] "water (H2O)"
x	x	[χ͡ʃ]	pléxen [ˈpleːχ͡ʃ.ən] "lightning"

The Unistii dialect of Slitarú, known as Vaauntlitarú to most people. It features a somewhat more fluid phonology, introducing voicing to common consonants for quicker speech. Not shown here is the sheer amount of contractions, idiomatic language, and slang that has appeared in the dialect. Of the dialects, Vaauntlitarú is the most difficult to become conversationally fluent in.

Vowels
Grapheme	Romanization	Sound (IPA)			Examples
Grapheme	Romanization	Isolate	Before front vowels (i, í, y, ý, a, e, é):	Before back vowels (á, u, ú, o)	Examples
a	a	[æ]			zate [ˈzæ.də] "powder"
á	á	[a~ɑ]		[ɔ]	urrán [ʊr.ˈɑːn] "riverbed" láuthe [ˈlɔw.ðə] "cyan"
e	e	[ə~ɛ]			kennin [ˈgənː.ɪn] "inexperience" zeghúíín [zɛ.ɣu.ˈiːn] "oldest"
é	é	[e]			tlérra [ˈtɬe.ræ] "copper"
o	o	[o]			otoín [o.do.ˈin] "(a) sprint"
i	i	[ɪ]	[j]		hwilgha [ˈʍil.ɣæ] "reeds" thianní [ˈðjænː.i] "urgent" khiún [xjuːn] "bright"
í	í	[i]			íhhtl [iːht͡ɬ] "loud(ly)"
y	y	[ʏ]	[j]	[ʏ]	gynen [ˈgʏ.nən] "lost" thyélfe [ˈðjel.βə] "squall" lyotl [lʏot͡ɬ] "clumped (fur)"
ý	ý	[y]			tyys [tyːs] "membrane"
u	u	[ʊ]	[w]		tlughin [ˈtɬʊ.ɣin] " to exaggerate" zuihhi [ˈzwɪ.hɪ] "to catch" suom [ˈʃʊ.om] "to heal"
ú	ú	[u]			rrún [run] "depth"
j	i'	[a͡ɪ]			ski'pec [ska͡ɪ.ˈpɛk] "Ski'pec"

Consonants
Grapheme	Romanization	Phonetic Realization (IPA)	Examples
r	r	[ɹ]	reltlým [ˈɹɛl.t͡ɬym] "canyon"
b	rr	[r]	marr [mærː] "opening"
s	s	[s], [ʃ]	sotrre [ˈso.trə] "violet" ghesýn [ɣɛ.ˈʃyːn] "odor"
z	z	before [j]: [ʒ]	ziathe [ˈʒjæ.ðə] "refusal"
z	z	all other contexts: [z]	zakke [ˈzæ.kːɛ] "to fuse" zúrrén [ˈzu.ren] "lamp"
l	l	[l]	lougha [ˈlow.ɣa] "mist"
p	p	[p]	éanpolz [eæn.polz] "arrogant"
m	m	[m]	mánna [ˈmɑnː.æ] "lock"
t	t, d	word initially or clustered: [t]	étkhym [ˈet.xʏm] "plateau" tymurr [ˈtʏ.mʊr] "hearth"
t	t, d	other contexts: [d]	adagekh [æ.ˈdæ.gɛx] "to stomp"
k	k, c	[k]	ákááltl [a.ˈkaːlt͡ɬ] "temple archive"
k	g	before ⟨i⟩, ⟨í⟩, ⟨y⟩, ⟨ý⟩, ⟨e⟩, or ⟨é⟩: [g]	giathhe [ˈgjæt.hə] "torn"
c	kh	[x]	i'khíín [ˈaɪ.xiːn] "fearsome" khraude [ˈxɹæw.də] "raw"
g	gh	[ɣ]	gha'úmma [ɣæʔ.ˈúmː.æ] "burning" áághre [ˈɑː.ɣɹə] "canopy"
h	hh	[h]	hherra [hɛː.ræ] "stone"
w	hw	[ʍ]	hwaráin [ʍæ.ˈrɑ.ɪn] "to dance"
f	f, v	[β]	filúíín [βɪl.u.ˈiːn] "citrine"
n	n	before ⟨í⟩, ⟨y⟩, or ⟨ý⟩: [ɲ]	ahníírr [æ.ˈɲiːr] "joy"
n	n	other contexts: [n]	nauthi [ˈnæw.ðɪ] "(methane/ethane) ice" kán [kan] "strength"
v	'	[ʔ]	rrí'í [ˈriʔ.i] "far"
q	tl	[tɬ]	iotlotl [jo.ˈtɬotɬ] "downpour"
d	th	[θ], [ð]	thímmitl [ˈθimːɪtɬ] "upright" atheni'lkh [ˈæð.ɛn.a͡ɪlx] "water (H2O)"
x	x	[k͡s~χ͡ʃ]	pléxen [ˈpleːks.ən] "lightning"