Standard

Standard is a term used to refer to wide spread commonalities across the Rani empire and surrounding unallied regions.

It allows for indiviuduals to have a frame of reference, though for those individuals living in a realm extremely outside Standard limitations may find them less than useful.

Standard Anatomy is defiend as being similar in basic physical appearance to the Ranhelian. It is usually defined by a silhouette including two upper limbs, two lower limbs, one set of wings (anchor point variable), one tail, large mobile ears roughly centered on the head, vertical symmetry, and dexterous hands or manipulative extensions from the upper limbs.

Standard Biology is a catch-all term related to Standard Conditions, which are atmospheric, radioactice and other conditions in which someone of 'standard biology' could be expected to live indefinitely. For example, most standard biological organisms use oxygen to fuel metabolism, and standard conditions would include a large enough density of oxygen in an atmosphere to allow unrestricted breathing. One particularly useful rule of standard biology relates lifespan to the local definition of a year one a species' homeworld: lifespan consistently averages at or very near to one local century.

Standard, when used in reference to language, refers to the Elleid language, which has become the major language of the Empire. Other languages are in common use in some regions, and are often called native, local or colloquial languages. Some non-standard anatomies may not be able to form the vocalizations of Standard Elleid.

Standard time is measured on the Mangalore scale, whose origin is not currently known. The scale has very complex mathematics which make it very nearly impossible for one to know the exact date without mechanical or electronic assistance, as the makes some accounts for the relativity of space travel over very large distances. The exception to this would be when one is travelling at precisely [TO BE DETERMINED] times the speed of light, wherein the time scale runs: one minute is made of one hundred seconds. One hour is made of one hundred minutes. One day is made of ten hours (considerably shorter even after conversion than most cycles of planets with standard conditions). One week consists of ten days. One month of ten weeks. One year of ten months. (Those interested in the maths, this makes a Mangalore year roughly equivalent to three human years).