Hynerian

Hynerians are a bipedal species, though quite small compared to the standards of other bipedals studied thus far. Indeed, they appear to be in the region of two feet high.

The main characteristics of a Hynerian is their skin, which is an oily green hue. They have no thinning of the neck from the shoulders to the head, instead it seems their head is merely an extension of the body. The cranium is also quite small, however the species possesses large ears and eyeballs, and indeed a large mouth. However, they have no nasal protrusion, so instead of having a nose they have two slits where the nostrils would be on the face. Hynerians also boast a life span of several hundred cycles, possibly even spanning up to a thousand.

Hynerians thus far studied seem to have small feet, which could be seen as paws. Their hands, while composed of only a few digits, are capable of wielding tools and weapons with the best of them.

It is widely believed that the Hynerians are an amphibious species, which would help denote their thick, leathery green skin in regards to possibly a toad or a frog. They do, however, have a bizarre digestion system, boasting three stomachs and the ability to fart helium gas when nervous or frightened. Their urine is also known to become explosive when a Hynerian ingests tannot root. ("Thank God It's Friday... Again")

The Hynerian reproductive process is also rather unexplored (many may take that as a blessing however). It is known that Hynerians engage in sexual intercourse, but it is also believed they lay eggs to be fertilized externally. This leaves the question of why they have sexual intercourse, unless it is merely used for pleasure.

It is not known how well the Hynerian species is at carrying their own bodies. The task of walking, from all excerpts shown so far, is generally left to other means (Rygel almost always uses his sled, and Orrhn was generally carried by others). It is known Hynerians can ambulate by themselves, but given how slow they are compared to other species, they may use the sleds simply to keep pace with others.

The Hynerian social structure seems dedicated to monarchy. Their ruling class is a family of Hynerians that have, apparently, ruled for generations. The former ruler was Dominar Rygel XVI, the sixteenth Rygel. However, his cousin Bishan stole his throne and had Rygel incarcerated by the Peacekeepers. It is now known that four of the Hynerian planets are angered by Bishan's rule and call for his abdication. ("Into the Lion's Den - Lambs to the Slaughter")

As with most societies, the Hynerian society is split into the upper and lower class, with the lower class being treated poorly by the upper. Women are generally seen as objects, and it is known for wealthy Hynerians to take several wives, or indeed concubines. However, Hynerian women are frequently used as soldiers or spies.

At the moment, the Hynerian Empire spans at least four planets, all ruled by the ruling family and its representative at the time. The populace for the entire Empire is counted at roughly six hundred billion, though several factions have broken away and formed their own colonies away from the Hynerian Empire, including the Acquarans. ("Jeremiah Crichton") Indeed, in some cases the Hynerians are regarded as legendary Gods by the colonies who broke away.

The Hynerian Empire does have a history as a warlike state, mainly towards the Charrids. It is not certain who was the aggressor in the conflict, but more than 1,000 cycles ago the Charrids invaded the Hynerian Empire, leaving more than one billion dead. Both species still despise each other, and at the moment the Charrids have allied themselves with the Scarran Empire, though in menial positions.

The technological advancements of the Hynerian Empire cannot be overlooked. One of the most innovative is the ThroneSled, a chair that hovers through the air, and is guided by the person controlling it from the seat. It has a simple interface, and thus far Rygel's has not required refueling, though it does use electricity and as such was susceptible to the power drain on Acquara. ("Jeremiah Crichton") It is also thought the Hynerians must have had a technological advantage over the Charrids, as from their characteristics the Hynerians would not have made good fighters.