"We are all thoughts in the mind of The One."
Philgar has the appearance of a stalagmite with tentacles. Its surface consists of hard, irregular crusty plates that show an interior similar to magma in the gaps. This is not a liquid but a flexible skin. The plates are smaller on the more motile body parts. It does not have legs, moving rather in the manner of a gastropod. Its base is flexible enough for it to be able to climb stairs.
Its three tentacles are very flexible, and can be extended for a reach of about two metres, or contracted to their resting state where all the tiny plates fit neatly against each other. They are spaced equidistantly around its circumference, about halfway up, and each splits into three 15cm "fingers" at the end. Above each tentacle is a tiny trio of shiny black lidless eyes arranged on a single plate in an equilateral triangle. Its voice is produced by vibrating internal membranes. It does not have an organ corresponding to a mouth. Its uppermost surface is rounded, and crowned with dendritic crystals that can pick up subtle vibrations of air molecules, giving it an auditory and pressure sense. These crystals are fragile, but Philgar does not experience pain when they break, and they grow back quickly.
Ingestion of nutrients occurs at its base, and is more or less an unconscious process. It must feed by standing on an inorganic surface - rock, dirt or sand, but it can choose whether or not to absorb nutrients from that surface. It does not expend any effort to do so, and can absorb nutrients while performing other tasks. Its workspace in the ship will be surfaced with an appropriate material, and must be replenished from time to time. It prefers dirt or sand as these are easiest to harvest and transport.
Silicates reproduce asexually, by budding. This usually occurs several times in the organism's lifespan, though Philgar itself has not yet budded.
Possessions are kept on a bandana of sorts that is draped across its midsection, though it is not fatigued by simply carrying things in its tentacles.
A combination of doctor and chaplain, Philgar frequently refers to "The One", the all-encompassing entity it believes to be in control of the entire universe. All events in time are set in immutable stone in the mind of The One - sentient beings can only follow helplessly along with its thoughts. In contrast to its appearance, Philgar is kind and compassionate, and tries to be optimistic despite its deterministic philosophy. It speaks slowly and calmly, and the sound of its voice is soothing. However, it is also prone to occasional panic attacks, believing that the mind of The One has a terrible fate in store. These attacks usually only last for a few minutes, though on occasion it has fallen into a deep depression, and has been unable to move or speak for days.
Philgar has always been excited by the idea of seeing the universe and interacting with other species, an activity it describes as "learning the thoughts of The One".
Philgar doesn't understand why an entity would contract its name, and does not respond to "Phil".
Pronouns: it/its.
Philgar was educated in what would be most accurately described to a human as a monastery. It was a facility for learning and spiritual development which taught astrophysics alongside metaphysics, giving equal weight to both. As a result it has a unique blend of knowledge and mysticism. Philgar chose to train as a xenobiologist, specialising in xenomedicine. It is currently at the beginning of its quest to learn the thoughts of The One.
The planet Eclite is a harsh, volcanic world which orbits very close to a red dwarf star. It is of interest to few other races and the silicates that inhabit it have been largely left alone. They had little technology of their own before they were encountered by the Orlot, who gifted them the stars in return for certain rare mineral resources that other species had little use for. Silicates who wish to see the stars occasionally take positions as crew members on other species' ships, but they rarely own their own ships.