VUXG

VUXG is the physiological classification for an unnamed species of sapient, non-humanoid beings. They are small, extremely long-lived (both individually and as a species) telepathic creatures known for being wise and humble. They have been described as being "so humble that they tend to look down at species that are not as humble as them".

A VUXG looks much like a withered prune floating in a spherical glob of syrup, but despite this fragile appearance they are able to withstand tough environmental conditions and feed on almost any kind of inanimate matter. They also have the ability to levitate, although this consumes a significant amount of energy, and they prefer not to do so when concentrated or focused on something. When in this focused state, they will consume inorganic matter unconsciously to get more energy. They communicate by pure telepathy among themselves, but have developed a spoken language to speak to off-worlders, as their moral codes forbid them from reading the minds of other beings against their will. They also possess psi faculties, including a precognitive ability (i.e. "seeing the future") but it only applies to species or large groups, rather than individuals, and even so it is such a vague and far-fetched future that it is of little practical value. As telepaths, they are unable to tell or even understand lies and also tend to get annoyed by figures of language.

Appearances

 * "Trouble with Emily", by James White (1958)