Perundi

The perundi are a species of sentient humanoids who are notable for being earless and inherently deaf. Though they are unable to perceive sound as most sentients do, they have a very strong understanding of the power of soundwaves and have applied that knowledge to create powerful sonic-based weaponry.

Due to the destructive capabilities of their weapons, they are highly protective of their technology and have long sought to keep other species from obtaining it. In 2187 CE, one of their operatives, Hunter-26, attacked the offices of NairidaCorp after discovering that the company's Vibraton melee weapon had been reverse-engineered from a perundi weapon.

Biology
Perundi are tall, pale, hairless humanoids with gaunt faces. Their eyes are large and sunken, with gold irises. Their most notable feature is their lack of ears; instead, the sides of their faces and necks are lined with gill-like projections that enable them to feel vibrations in the air.

History
Hailing from an as-yet uncharted world, the perundi's history is largely unknown to outsiders, but according to one of the few who left the homeworld, they were once capable of hearing like any other species. Their ancestors were peaceful and contemplative, and in the distant past, their society placed great value upon philosophy.

However, these ancestors lived in increasingly endogamous groupings, particularly in the more affluent corners of the society, and at some point, inbreeding became a widespread problem, resulting in congenital hearing loss becoming common.

Culture
Traditionally, the perundi preferred to live in small, close-knit villages. However, with advancing technology, they began to embrace the concept of cities in the 18th century CE. Due to their lack of hearing, the perundi rely heavily on non-verbal forms of communication, including sign and body language.

Because names must be communicated through sign language, very few perundi have unique names. Every perundi is named for their function in society, their ordinal number in that function, and the year of their birth. For instance, a government assassin might be called "26th Hunter Born In The Year Of The Blue Flowers". However, a perundi who performs a great service for the people may be favored with a unique name with a unique gesture for expressing it. For many perundi, the chance to be remembered with a unique name and gesture is a powerful incentive.

Government
The perundi have an extremely xenophobic authoritarian government.

Behind the scenes

 * "Perundi" is a portmanteau of Perun and Perendi. The former is the thunder god of Slavic mythology, while the latter is the ancient Illyrian equivalent thereof.