This is an alien from the same
universe as the Dawn Marine [link]
Done at roughly the same time.

The Laveks are silicon-based lifeforms.
Anatomy:
Laveks are comprised of millions of small crytal
structures analagous to cells. These crystals
are suspended in a viscous layer of liquid rock.
Their only organs are the brain,
and heart. The brain is composed of
conductive crystal "cells" that fire with electrical impulses,
not unlike the human nueron. The heart is really
an internal heat-scource. It reaches a temperature of upwards
of 1000°F. It circulated the lava "blood"
and keeps it warm and flowing. If the heart fails,
the body slowly cools and becomes hard stone.
The "eyes" are actually electroreception [link] nodes,
similar to those of a shark. These, however are
far more advanced, they can, in fact,
forma complete picture of the world around them,
utilizing the conductivity properties of the environment.
Also, in certain areas there are special resonant crystals that recieve sound.
They emit low vibrating hums, that verge on subsonic.


Diet:
Laveks eat, or rather absorb, minerals and ores.
Food is first melted into liquid, and then
absorbed through a long thin proboscis at the front
of the head.
Ores provide raw carbon, which the heart
catylizes to provide it's prodigious heat.
Metals, such as iron, provide needed strength,
to prevent the lavek's hide from becoming too brittle.
Silicon, such as sand, provides more raw material
to replace the crystal lost to molting each year.
Gemstones are a delicacy to the laveks,
usually eaten only on holidays or other special times.

Social Habits:
Laveks are quadrupedal, but have
two, smaller, additional arms for grasping
and manipulation. These graspers are incredibly dexterous,
and yet, surprisingly gentile.
Laveks live in large colonies built into the
wind-carved cliff-lands of their home-world.
Each colony has 1-200 family groups,
comprised of 1 or 2 mated pairs, 3-4 little ones (per mated pair) and 1 or 2 older single laveks.
Laveks are highly matriarcal, usualy the oldest female in the group makes all the decisions.
These females, one from each family group form the ruling councill for the colony.

Reproduction:
Laveks mate for life.
Males have wattles below their chin (shown above)
but females do not. The courtship process is a long one,
lasting many long years. Males often shower females with gifts,
mostly hand-made. (see technology)
The mating process itself is simple.
Laveks reproduce by budding.
The male implants a seed crytal on the female's back.
the crystal expands and becomes more complicated,
and finnaly becomes an entire creature.
At this point the baby Lavek is still atached to
the female by a significant ammount of shell.
Eventually this link becomes brittle, and finnaly breaks,
at which point the baby becomes autonomous.
Laveks mature in 50 standard years.
A lavek can live up to 200 years.

Technology:
Laveks are limited tool users.
In fact, nature gave them their very own natural tools.
Most laveks excell at metal-working.
A lavek will slurp up a piece of, say, iron,
and can "spit" it back through the proboscis
to create fantastic shapes.
A normal lavek's home will contain many pieces
of sculpture made over his/her lifetime.
Laveks posess simple tools, which are
usualy things of economy and beauty.
Their technological level is about on par with
our renaissance.
Laveks emphasize art above all things.

I'm hoping to enter the Laveks into this contest.
[link]