User:BlackholeWI/List of Homestuck species

This is a description of the various races and species of creatures that appear in the Homestuck/Hiveswap canon. Species are organized by the universe (or lack thereof) that they originate from.

From Universe B
Universe B is the universe that encompasses both the pre- and post-Scratch instances of Earth.

Humans
Humans are a race of sentient humanoids that originate on the planet Earth. They are very much like the humans that you would be familiar with, and most likely are yourself. However, the specific depictions of the regular humans in Homestuck have some particular attributes that are a consequence of their world and the medium of the story.

Humans are able, like many sentient races in Homestuck, to interact with various mechanical "game-like" constructs of the narrative. Unlike the game constructs of Sburb, which originate in-universe, these mechanics are natural parts of the continuum of their reality, and include the Sylladex inventory system, Strife Deck, Echeladder and Abilitechs. Many of these constructs facilitate various functions of Sburb, but are separate from it.

Additionally, humans in Homestuck are depicted with blank white skin. Andrew Hussie has stated that this should be regarded as an abstracted, aracial depiction of people, and should not be seen as the accurate truth of their appearance, as various images and dialogues imply that race exists in Homestuck as it does in our world. The aracial depiction of humans in Homestuck is HS 5723 (lampshaded) by Trickster Mode depictions. In a similar manner, human kids/player characters are depicted with stylized, shortened figures with full facial features, whereas adults are depicted with more realistic proportions but with some facial features missing.

Humans include the Homestuck Kids and the Guardians.

Animals
Various animals exist on Earth, and are generally identical to those found in the real world. Notable animals include dogs such as Halley, cats such as Jaspers, and birds such as The Lone Gunbirds.

From Universe A
Universe A is the universe that encompasses both the pre- and post-Scratch instances of Alternia (the former being known as Beforus). Universe A was the source of the Sgrub session that created Universe B and therefore Earth.

Trolls
Trolls are a race of grey-skinned, humanoid aliens with orange and yellow horns. In their incarnation on Alternia, troll society is generally hostile and violent. The troll empire is ruled by an authoritarian ruling Empress, and social placement is governed by a multi-tiered caste system based on varying natural blood-colour known as the Hemospectrum. The warlike disposition of Alternian troll society is partially due to the influence of during their development, and pre-Scratch trolls on Beforus seem to have had a less violent culture, but many societal elements are equivalent between the two instances of the planet.

Trolls are born as eggs laid by a giant Mother Grub underground on Alternia, and hatch as insectoid grubs prior to spinning cocoons and emerging as more humanoid beings. Troll physiology varies depending on their blood colour across the spectrum of the Hemospectrum. "Lowblood" trolls seem more likely to have powerful psychic abilities, and are more numerous, but have short lifespans and are vulnerable to external psychic attacks. Higher-blooded trolls are fewer, but have increasingly long lifespans, and are often exceptionally physically powerful. The two highest, ruling blood tiers are known as "Seadwellers", and can breath under water.

Young trolls are depicted with grey skin, and in a similar manner to human player-characters. Older trolls are depicted as black silhouettes.

Trolls include the post-Scratch Sgrub players, the Beforan trolls, the Hiveswap and Friendsim trolls, and the Ancestors.

Rainbow Drinkers
Rainbow drinkers are a subcategory of Trolls who are similar to the human concept of vampires, except as trolls are nocturnal, rainbow drinkers are active during the day. They drink blood and have the ability to glow white in the dark. Kanaya Maryam and Porrim Maryam are rainbow drinkers.

Lusus Naturae
Lusus Naturae (Latin; literally "Freak of Nature"), more commonly known simply as "lususes" (sometimes stylized as "lusii"), comprise a large and varied group of monstrous creatures that are native to Alternia. Depicted as blank white beings bearing various mashups of animal-like forms and features, their common characteristic is the role they serve as caretakers for young trolls. Upon hatching from their cocoon in the Brooding Caverns, a young troll is chosen by a lusus to be cared for. Lususes fulfilling this role are known as the troll's custodian. "Trolls and their custodians have a peculiar arrangement of codependence. The lusus behaves as a lifelong bodyguard, caretaker, and visceral sort of mentor, while the young troll must learn to function as a sort of zookeeper" HS 2070. A young troll whose lusus dies is culled HS 3474.

Some lususes were brought to post-Scratch Earth by the Condesce, and are seen on Jake English's island.

Mother Grub
The troll Mother Grub can apparently be considered to be a type of Lusus, as Kanaya's lusus is notably a virgin Mother Grub. The biological relationship between trolls and the Mother Grub is unclear, and it is largely unknown whether she is genetically part of the troll species, or whether she is a separate organism that has a symbiotic relationship with the troll race.

Drones
Imperial drones are large, extremely dangerous beings that serve as servants and enforces for the troll race and the Alternian empire. Their main role is to collect genetic material from troll mating pairs to contribute to the incestuous slurry that is fed to the Mother Grub to birth the next generation.

Some drones have been shown to be robots, as is the case for the varieties of drones that appearHS 4390 in the A2 universe and in Hiveswap. It is unknown if all drones are robots, however, or if there is a biological equivalent that existed before trolls developed technology.

His Honorable Tyranny
His Honorably Tyranny is a large, dangerous creature with black blood that serves as the head of the court in the troll justice system on Alternia. He HS 3753 (resembles) a large imperial drone, although it his true nature is largely unclear.