Cinrusskin are spindly, insectoid empaths. They are extremely fragile; their six legs are long, bony and pencil-thin with many joints, and their four arms end in tiny manipulatory "hands". They have four large iridescent wings, not quite atrophied, and prefer to hover when eating (spaghetti is a favourite, and disappears fast).
Their conversation consists of trills, clicks and buzzes; their mouths are beak-like, and their eyes large and triple-lidded. Although their exoskeletal bodies look awkward they move quickly, and are adept at getting out of the way of beings heavier than themselves (almost everyone). They can cling to walls and ceilings, or fly if necessary, but they have very little stamina. Because they are so fragile they are very cautious around others.
Their main defensive weapon is a powerful empathic ability, which lets them know what those around them are feeling. This has a down-side, in that unpleasant emotions such as anger or pain affect Cinrusskin severely, causing them to tremble and feel faint. However, they are experts at making those around them feel good; they are kind, considerate and friendly, always polite and non-controversial, lying if necessary to make people happy. This makes them very popular, and those who know them are extremely protective.
[The following incorporates my own speculation (see design notes).] Even in the dense atmosphere and 1/8G gravity of Cinruss they can barely fly, so when travelling they use two gravbelts to reduce this to 1/12G. This allows them to fly in comfort and provides enough leeway that the failure of one belt will not completely immobilise them. Due to the nature of their circulatory system, their blood cannot flow in gravity heavier than 0.8G and they will collapse and quickly die in these conditions.
ST -6 [-50 points]. Cinrusskin weigh 60lb in 1G.
Behaviour-based disadvantages producing a negative reaction (such as Delusions, Shyness or Stubbornness) will be self-defeating and therefore rare. An exception is Cowardice; many Cinrusskin will be even more cautious than Prilicla, but they will avoid situations where others might react negatively. Violent traits such as Bloodlust or Sadism are not appropriate, and Pacifism is common. However, Combat Reflexes are also common. Truthfulness is rare, because lying can be a useful tool to make a person feel better!
Well, this was a tricky one! To start with, the gravity of Cinruss is variously described as 1/12G and 1/8G in the stories. Prilicla's wings are early described as nearly atrophied, yet later he is shown hovering. It is stated that he would be mashed flat by 1G, yet he is extremely nimble; I couldn't come up with any combination of strength and weight that would do this. My 'solution' was described above; game mechanically, this is why I have ST 4, mass 60lb (giving Negative Encumbrance-3 in 1/12G) along with Enhanced Move/Jump for speed and Environmental Intolerance for the problems in 1G (although I considered a Dependency on grav belts). Fragile and Skinny seemed appropriate; physically, they have a lot of problems.
I gave the legs No Kick for structural reasons. I think the arms probably can punch, even though a Cinrusskin is unlikely to do so (and would do very little damage to most other creatures if it did).
This page originally found at http://www.elvwood.org/GURPS/SectorGeneral/Cinrusskin.html
Last updated: 27 May 2003
