I'd say it's reasonable to assume that kephera have an endoskeleton, and that the exoskeleton is simply the chitinous equivalent of thick skin, rather than being a structurally necessary part of their anatomy. Aside from the exoskeleton, luminous eyes, antennae, and (apparently only in females) large, bio-luminescent "abdomens" (keeping in mind that they also have humanoid abdomens, or so it appears), they're quite humanoid.

It's always a bad idea to drag science into Lusternia, but as we all know by now, a kephera whose body functions in the same way as true insects' bodies do wouldn't be able to survive in Earth's current atmosphere.

Male kephera have glowing abdomens as well, on occasion. I've always viewed it as a reflection of their psychic potential - all female are inherently psionic, however many males are not. Though those who become kings and warders are psionically skilled (though it's more of an 'internal' focus like psymet, and less external like telepathy/telekinetics)

Would someone post a description of a Moondancer-summoned dryad, please?

Edit: Including the PROBE description, the summoning description, and the QL and IH appearances?

It's always a bad idea to drag science into Lusternia, but as we all know by now, a kephera whose body functions in the same way as true insects' bodies do wouldn't be able to survive in Earth's current atmosphere.

Actually, I think if Hallifax and Gaudiguch teamed up, they could have used the cube-square law to cause Illith to simply cease to exist. Science for the win!

Okay. So. How exactly is alcohol rated in Lusty? I've seen something like the white whiskey kafe cocktail, which you expect to be light, knock people to drunk off their asses in one drink. But then something like the untimely demise, which you'd expect to be death in a bottle, seemed no better than wine.

A jagged line of sparkling motes ripples in the air, and out steps a dryad tree. Pirouetting in place, its skin hardens into tree bark and its outstretched arms sprout leaves.

That's the only difference, otherwise it's the same as an SD dryad.

This tree vaguely conforms to the shape of a woman, with a long slender trunk that rises up to sprout two long graceful branches and forms a hauntingly beautiful face. A cascade of vines fall down like hair, covered in small oval leaves. The bark is brown with swirls of tan, quite smooth and supple, and small yellow flowers give off an earthy perfume.
It weighs about 1000 pounds.

A graceful tree stands here, shaped vaguely like the form of a woman.

A dryad tree is dragged screaming out of the shadows, which bind around it. As
the shadows forcibly spin it around in a circle, its skin hardens into black
tree bark and its outstretched arms sprout diseased leaves.

I'd say it's reasonable to assume that kephera have an endoskeleton, and that the exoskeleton is simply the chitinous equivalent of thick skin, rather than being a structurally necessary part of their anatomy. Aside from the exoskeleton, luminous eyes, antennae, and (apparently only in females) large, bio-luminescent "abdomens" (keeping in mind that they also have humanoid abdomens, or so it appears), they're quite humanoid.

It's always a bad idea to drag science into Lusternia, but as we all know by now, a kephera whose body functions in the same way as true insects' bodies do wouldn't be able to survive in Earth's current atmosphere.

pssh, they should just say Centaurs have a racial perk: extra limbs. (target with rear|front left|right)

Or in the case of a Glom Keph: an EMOskeleton. Seriously.

Do centaurs actually have extra limbs? Do krokani only need to be hit with one crow peck or angkai to remove eyeball and blind? Is this implemented, or merely fantasy?

Do centaurs actually have extra limbs? Do krokani only need to be hit with one crow peck or angkai to remove eyeball and blind? Is this implemented, or merely fantasy?

For much the same reason as centaurs were shelved as a player race (too many legs to code), Estarra and Roark also decided to shelve the Protozoa (too few legs to code). It was a giant shame really, although Prota still exists within the mythos as an awakener of jellies and yeast, and part of the same creche as Crumkane.

The idea was that the family system would have different rules for ordinary humanoids and for Protazoans - humanoids would require two parents, but Protazoans could only have one, and the descriptions and stats of all subsequent progeny (and their progeny) would be auto-set according to that of their parent or ultimate grandsire. These were the 'RP' reasons Estarra stated, Shiri - and I hope that answers your question!

As I understand it, one of the main reasons (aside from coding difficulties) given for dropping the Protozoa was because they wouldn't appeal to the mudding mudsex community. So we got furrikin instead, and the whole story of Lusternia was changed, irreparably, for the worse.

What commodity would you use for 'velvet'?

Silk.

Cotton can also be used, but it results in a cheap, sub-par quality velvet.

Ah, thanks!

Edit: Do sequins exist in Lusternia? (have a funny feeling they don't but I thought I'd ask)

I can't imagine they would (they're plastic, plastic being an oil product, etc). Could always use chips of gemstone!