Voyages in Andromeda (FT Char RP|OOC, Signup, Open)

[Dyelli Beybi]

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IC Thread | Discord

Welcome to Voyages in Andromeda, a character RP set in a galaxy close to our own. In this RP you will have the option of playing as a lost human explorer or an alien prisoner on the former prison ship 'Defiance'. Either way you are stuck on the ship, running from the law and struggling to survive. Maybe, in time, you'll get home or maybe, just maybe, make the Andromeda galaxy a better place.

Of course, no alien galaxy would be complete without lots of aliens! We have a few pre-made races below, but there is plenty of room in the galaxy for others. Feel free to be as creative as you like!

This is not going to be a spaceship RP in the sense of big space battles, this is an RP about the people on the ship and will mostly be set on a variety of strange alien planets... although there is scope for missions on the ship.

Finally, this RP is open to latecomers. Part of the story of the Defiance is that there is a hold full of stasis pods. The IC is up and running but if you'd like to join in, we'll just write another pod activating and bring you aboard!

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SETTING

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The Vanishing of the Destiny
In 2026, a multi-national mission to mars was launched from Earth on the spaceship, 'Destiny'. The voyage was expected to last 300 days, though on day 104, abruptly and without any prior warning, the ship disappeared. As far as the Governments of Earth were concerned, the Destiny and all her crew were lost. Eventually, it was decided it must have been some kind of mechanical failure, though no sign of the vessel was recovered.

However, those on-board were not killed. While exactly what had happened was unclear, some would remember a collision, boarders in black armour... and then waking up behind bars on a ship full of strange life forms, some of which looked a lot like humans, but many of which were creatures straight out of fevered dreams or nightmares. Somehow, and without any immediate explanation, the crew of the Destiny had been transported to an entirely different galaxy, the Andromeda galaxy, where they had been taken prisoner by an Alien faction known as 'Kiellar Command'.

Prisoners on the unarmed Prison Ship 'Defiance' (the English translation of the Kiellar name), the crew of the Destiny (along with the other aliens on-board) were set to go to a Kiellar mining colony where they would work out the rest of their, probably rather short, lives. All of that, however, was about to change...


Mutiny on the Defiance
The addition of alien prisoners of unknown origin had left the Defiance in a precarious position. Prisoners were supposed to all be held in stasis pods until they arrive at their destination, but there were too few pods to hold them all. Some had to be housed in unused crew quarters. The Captain tried to split them up so there weren't too many of any given group to collude with one another and plan anything, but there were other problems as well.

There should have been twenty marines on the Defiance. There were four. The crew was a skeleton crew as well, with only ten on-board (including the Captain), many of whom were from conquered species whose loyalty to Kiellar Command was wavering at best. Even some of the Kiellar were of dubious loyalty, including the Chief Engineer whom the Captain suspected of harbouring Federalist sympathies.

His suspicions were proven correct. A number of the crew, assisted by the prisoners, whom they released, revolted, killing or capturing the rest of the crew. After the fighting was over, the prisoners and rebels elected the 'human', Nathan Carter and the ship's former pilot, a Dhasath named Thanica Vari to lead them. The ship, however, was heavily damaged in the scuffle and in dire need of repairs which the new crew of the Defiance, initially, had no way of financing.


Visit to 'Pleasure Haven' Station
The crew came up with a scheme to win ship parts from a local from casino/brothel operator known as 'Azar Konkara' by gambling Thanica's freedom in a game of cards while Yp discretely read them and telepathically informed the crew on what to do. The scheme was a success, though before they could collect their winnings , Kralmon-Lokar, a rival crime lord with a desire to kill Konkara, take over his casino and devour Thanica burst in on them with his robotic forces, injuring several crew members before eventually being defeated by Carter.

Following the battle, the crew left on good terms with Konkara and with all the parts and equipment they needed to repair and upgrade the Defiance, though before they were able to complete all the upgrades, word reached the crew that a Keillar Battlecruiser known as the Zerataca was coming for them, specifically hunting for the humans Carter and Krystyn.


Crash landing on Gadawei IV
After moving on from Pleasure Haven, the Defiance managed to stay one step ahead of the Zerataca until they encountered a hostile vessel in the Gadawei system. With the newly acquired weapon systems still not working properly, the crew attempted to evade the vessel only for the Defiance to take a hit from a missile fired from the primitive surface dwelling civilisation.

While not critically damaged, it was discovered it would take some time to make the Defiance ready to make orbit again. While this was going on, the crew took up defensive positions, coming under attack a short while later. In the chaos Thanica was captured and taken back to a holding facility which turned out to have been already infiltrated by members of Kiellar Command (surgically altered to appear like the local Gadaweians).

The crew launched a rescue mission, killing a large number of local guards and scientists before Thanica was eventually handed back over. Little did anyone know but, prior to being handed over, Command agents had installed a 'saboteur chip' in her. To make matters worse, the slaughter of so many of their people caused the Gadaweians to quickly agree to an alliance with the 'friendly' aliens who showed up shortly later - the Kiellar crew of the Zerataca...

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The Defiance
The Defiance is an unarmed prison ship of around 100 metres in length, although only the front 50 metres or so is inhabitable, the remaining area at the rear is used for fuel storage, inaccessible parts of the engine etc. The main, inhabitable section is divided into four floors.

The Top Deck (Main Deck): contains the bridge at the front, a secondary armoury and sleeping quarters along two corridors leading to the rear of the ship.

The Second Deck (Engineering Deck): Contains controls for the artificial gravity and provides access to most essential ship components. At the rear of the deck there is a secondary control module which allows the ship to be piloted in the event that the bridge is destroyed.

The Third Deck (Utility Deck): Contains a gymnasium, recreational facilities, medical bay, galley and the main armoury.

The Lower Deck (Stasis Chamber): Contains stasis pods full of criminals and malcontents, and a shuttle bay with a single shuttle.

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LORE

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Politics in the Andromeda Galaxy

The known Andromeda Galaxy is dominated by two huge Empires, Kiellar Command and the Ragon Empire. The two Empires have been at peace for fifty years, though everyone knows it is a peace that cannot last. Both Empires are searching for something to give them a decisive edge over the other. If either empire feels it has gained the upper hand it will strike at the other, drowning the Andromeda galaxy in blood.

The space controlled by Kiellar Command is not a very nice place to live. While Kiellar cities are beautiful and orderly, they are built on the labour of billions of slaves who live short, wretched lives in the mines, farms and construction sites of the Kiellar worlds. Most slaves are prisoners, criminals or conquered people. Others are born into it, though the poor life expectancy means that Kiellar Command is in constant need of more slaves. Above the slaves are the conquered species live within Kiellar space whose lives are governed by the arbitrary whim of the local Military Governor. There is one route to citizenship, which is to serve a period of 20 years in the Kiellar military as an 'auxiliary', though auxiliaries tend to be used as cannon fodder and completing 20 years of service is rare. While citizens enjoy a variety of rights protecting them from arbitrary punishments, they still enjoy no political freedoms - Kiellar Command is ruled by the military, with Grand Admiral Reinnarr being the final authority.

Perhaps predictably, Kiellar Command has a problem with unrest. Revolts are not uncommon and tend to be put down brutally, acting as the pretext to enslave more members of the rebellious race. Additionally, there is a growing Federalist movement within the Empire which calls for a Civilian Government and self-government for the planets. Thinkers in the Federalist movement often refer back to the long dead 'Dhasath League' as an example of how a just society could function. Promoting Federalism is regarded as an act of Treason and those who do so can expect harsh treatment.

If Kiellar Command is a bad place to live, the Ragon empire is even worse. Huge, reptilian creatures, the Ragon do not view other creatures as their equal and have a tend to view them as a plentiful source of food. Within the Empire itself there are calls from some parties for better treatment of prey species, though the idea of not eating them at all is seen as a strange and radical concept.

The Ragon Empire is noticeably more technologically advanced than Kiellar Command and on ground an individual Ragon is much more of a threat than a Kiel or any of their auxiliaries, the Kiellar enjoy an advantage in numbers that have made previous conflicts end in a bloody stalemate and which has kept the two Empires from focusing on the 'Neutral Zone'.

The Neutral Zone
Outside of the two big empires is a broad fringe of semi-explored space full of small independent worlds and pirate havens. While in previous eras, the Ragons or Kiellar might have moved to take control of sections of the zone, neither empire can spare the ships or soldiers to mount an expedition into the Zone - to do so would be to invite the other empire to attack.

Recently, a third potential power has appeared in the Neutral Zone, the Gollar Confederacy. Little is known about the Confederacy at this point except for the fact that they have restored a powerful facility belonging to a long-extinct precursor race. The facility, known as 'the Forge' has allowed the Confederacy's military to expand at unprecedented speed though they are still many years from being a credible threat to either Kiellar Command or the Ragon Empire.

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Technology in the Andromeda Galaxy
As this is sci-fi, there are a number of pieces of technology that will be mentioned in the RP. Here is some info on them:

Skrim Drive: The Skrim Drive is the basic FTL drive used by all species in the Andromeda galaxy, allowing them to phase across to hyperspace where an object can travel faster than light. Opening a hyperspace window requires a lot of energy and several minutes to 'spin the drive up'. Skrim Drives are prone to overheating and longer hyperspace journeys will need to be made in hops. That, along with the speed limitation means that most journeys between stars will take days or weeks and movement between galaxies is believed to be impossible.

Most ships can detect a hyperspace window opening or closing a few minutes before the ship utilising their Skrim drive moves through it.

Translator Microbes: Translator microbes, injected into children at birth and which inhabit an individual's brain, allow people to understand most, though not all, alien languages. Some species are known to have a poor reaction to the microbes and cannot safely use them meaning they need to resort to more traditional means of translating an alien language.

Energy weapons (Blasters): Most weapons used in warfare are energy weapons. Units that are not connected to a generator (such as handheld weapons) will require a battery pack that usually allows for around 100 shots to be fired before needing to be swapped over. A person struck by an energy weapon can expect serious, deep burns with a high chance of death if the discharge travels through a major organ.

Shields: Large ships are always fitted with energy shields to prevent damage from space debris as well as weapons from other ships.

Body Armour: Body armour is in use in Kiellar Command, though it mostly minimises injury from handheld weapons rather than completely absorbing the energy from a shot.

Saboteur Implants: It has recently been revealed that Kiellar Command have the technology to implant a chip in a victim's brain which will lie dormant until a preordained time. Once the chip is active, and the victim has gone to sleep, the chip will take over their body, perform a preordained function, then cause a cardiac arrest, killing the saboteur.


Species of the Andromeda Galaxy

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Name
Singular: A Kiel
Plural: Some Kiellar
Adjective: A Kiellar Ship
Naming: Kiellar are usually referred to by their first name, but on official documents will be known as <Name> of <Father's name>. Click here for a generator that will spit out some thematic names.

Homeworld: Relenar

Appearance:

Kiellar are a moderately tall race, with males averaging about and females about 5’8’’ and males about 6’2’’ with generally slim builds. Their skin tones are similar to those of humans, as are the colours of their (almond shaped) eyes. Kiellar hair is similar in shade to human hair, though it is noticeable finer and body hair is sparse.

While most organisms with a strong sense of smell will be able to easily differentiate a Kiel from similar species, to those creatures that rely smell.

NB: If you want to make a Kiellar character and want to use a picture, Shadowrun Elves make good models.

Biology: Kiellar have an average lifespan of about 200 years. While an individual Kiel will reproduce slowly (gestation period is one year), Kiellar remain fertile for most of their lives and that, coupled with their natural resistance to disease, means that the Kiellar population as a whole can multiply quite rapidly – it is not unusual for a Kiellar couple to produce over 20 offspring in a lifetime, with over a century between the youngest and the eldest.

Kiellar, additionally, have strong night vision.

History: 900 years ago, the first Kiellar ships left their homeworld of Relenar to begin exploration of their solar system. Initially a group of waring Nation States, the Kiellar became eager terraformers, turning inhospitable moons into habitable planets before over the course of the next century.

Strife, however, quickly broke out between the colonies, with some seeking independence from their home nations, which in turn ignited a wave of brutal wars across Relenar. Out of the ashes of this rose the ‘All Kiellar Republic’ which sought to unite the waring Kiellar nations into one system-wide Republic. At first it seemed like a fantasy, however, the Republic continued to win until, by the time the Kiellar discovered hyperdrive technology 700 years ago, the whole system was united.

The discovery of alien life came as a shock to the Kiellar who, to that point, had assumed they were the only intelligent life-form in the universe. The Kiellar Republic began to trade with some of their interstellar neighbours, however, the Kiellar were always an expansionistic race and, bit-by-bit, the Kiellar began to absorb their neighbours.

The first major setback occurred when the Kiellar encountered the Dhasath League who destroyed the Kiellar Fleet, forcing the Republic to pay war reparations. This, in turn, paved the way for the military to seize control of the Republic, claiming the defeat was the result of corrupt politicians. The Kiellar fleet was rebuilt and the second Dhasath war was a minor (and very unexpected) Kiellar victory, with the League handing over several mining stations and border outposts, but retaining all their inhabited worlds.

From that day, until the conflicts with the Ragon that ended in stalemate fifty years ago, the Kiellar have remained unchallenged as the premier military force in the Andromeda galaxy.

Name
Singular: A Ragon
Plural: Some Ragons
Adjective: A Ragon Ship
Naming: Ragon names tend to have a 'ah' 'Ss' 'rowl' or 'hs' sound. 'ah' is considered a peaceful or confused sound with 'hs' being a 'solid' sound. 'rowl' being noted as aggressive. Females tend to have names that are suggestive of command, power, fertility, motherhood, and dinning while Males tend to have names that are suggestive of obedience, strength, speed, war, giving, and beauty. Rowl, Grawl, Hssis, Ssowl, and Ahharon are examples of male names. Ssal, Sshoal, Sowl, and Sarah are examples of female names.

Homeworld: Ysier

Appearance:

Ragons are huge, heavily muscled Reptilian humanoids. The average height of a male is around 4 metres, though females are, averaging 4.5 to 4.8 meters. Ragon skin varies from grey to green. Heads are large and flat with a relatively short muzzle.

The most interesting feature of a Ragon though, is the large prehensile tail which acts as a third arm and is capable of supporting the weight of the Ragon... provided the object they are holding onto can also take the creature's weight.

Biology: The Ragon have an exceedingly long lifespan, even longer than that of the Kiellar (although Kiellar scientists are not sure exactly how long they live), though they are slow breeders, partially due to the long gestation period of Ragon young and the fact that only 20% of births produce female offspring. Ragon Females are polyandrous and will each have multiple 'dearling' males serving them.

As a result of being cold blooded, a Ragon tends to focus on a single task. Practically, this means that the Ragon are often seen as silent and brooding (they are not garrulous diplomats) and too many stimuli hitting them at once can lead to sensory overload and poor decision making or reverting to animal instinct during battle. While Ragons are often considered gluttonous, depicted as one minded eating machines but this is not the case. Again, as a result of being cold blooded, a Ragon only needs to eat one large meal per standard week. Live prey is preferred (as it is the freshest), and while they can't 'chew' they have been known to tear large chunks out of living prey to swallow instead of the whole creature.

Ragons have a ‘heat sense’ (similar to that of a pit viper) which allows them to sense minute changes in temperature as infrared rays. This aids in temperature regulation and also in locating warm-blooded prey. Furthermore, their forked tongues are capable of 'stereo taste' where upon it can be flicked to 'taste' the air pick up 'sound'. Which helps in locating prey in the dark.

The thick Scales on a Ragon’s hide have been known to absorb blasts from energy weapons, particularly at longer range – Kiellar scientists suspect up to one in three hits have no effect. Even when a shot does penetrate, the huge muscle mass and dense bones make a Ragon much less likely to take a critical injury. While a Ragon may seem ponderous and slow moving compared to most smaller species, they are also phenomenally strong.

History: The Ragon originated on the jungle planet of Ysier where they where they congregated as pre-sapients in 'congresses' of around three families. The earliest signs of tool use were small, stone hammers. Stone-age Ragons mostly lived away from the polar regions and fire and clothing developed very slowly. Some scientists have suggested that a mini-ice-age may have prompted the Ragon tribes to develop these technologies though there is corroborating evidence of such an event in the fossile record.

The first Ragon states were oligarchic city states governed by prominent 'Mothers' and to this day Ragon culture emphasises the sacredness of Ragon females who continue to rule over the males who labour, fight and die for their matriarchs. Legend states that a goddess instructed the first builder of cities and took him as her 'dearling' from which a line of legendary queens and warrior princes were born.

As power began to be consolidated, the first nation states were formed as the dominant cities conquered their smaller neighbours. With the growth of the nation-state, Ragon society began to see the growth of a philosophy of materialism, the rejection of spiritual and the notion that value is defined by utility. This age led to slavery, betrayals, and inter-state rivalries that eventually led to several planet-spanning World Wars.

In response to the perceived failures in Ragon society, a fresh philosophy stressing Collective Nesting system and the death of the individual began to appear and take root in some of Ysier’s prominent states. A planetary cold-war between the followers of Materialism and the Collectivists lasted seventy years and, in many respects, is analogous to the current cold-war with Kiellar Command.

The Cold War period saw the rise in science fiction literature, often revolving around first encounters with hypothetical alien life. Early examples had largely Ragon-like aliens with plots inspired by the cold war but eventually the genre turned its attention to notions expansion, discovery, and the thrill of a new hunt during an era of 'radical media' which had a huge impact on the generations of Ragons who would go on to take the species to galactic prominence. Science-fiction again changed as the Cold War ended; Globalisation was happening and the genre began to increasingly depict a futuristic star spanning state where Ragons worked in relative equality seeking out new life forms with which to dominate and consume. With global solidarity between Ragons came the notion that other species that may, or may not be encountered, could not be anything more than livestock.

With the discovery of the Skrim Drive, the Ragons finally realised their dream of building a stellar empire. They conquered worlds and found the inhabitants to be as little more than livestock, as they had suspected. Slowly the Ragon Empire grew into a massive commercial empire as corporations took to managing the lesser populations under Ragon control, for careful processing into food stuff. Though the Ragon have a reputation as cruel, there are those who take offense to the ill treatment of prey - while a minority (largely from former collectivist/spiritualist holdings) they still speak out (though not for total discontinuation of predation – that would be too radical).

As the Ragon Empire expanded they became aware of the Dhasath League and observed from a distance. After decades of careful planning, the Ragon struck at a moment of vulnerability after the Second Dhasath War. While the Kiellar might have also been vulnerable they were quick to reinforce their borders and reorientation their fleets to counter a move by the Ragon (the speed of their organisation is a peculiar mammalian trait, from a Ragon perspective). While the Kiellar and soldiers are undeniably inferior, when battle was joined between the two empires, Kiellar Command proved able to throw far more ships at the Ragon fleets than they had expected and their ranks of auxiliaries halted the tide. A peace was reached which has held for 50 years… though how much longer it can hold is anyone’s guess.

Name
Singular: A Dhasath
Plural: Some Dhasath
Adjective: A Dhasath Ship
Naming: Click here for a generator that will spit out some thematic names.

Homeworld: Doona'tay

Appearance: Of the aliens of the Andromeda Galaxy, the Dhasath are the closest to humans, so close in fact that they might easily be mistaken for one another. The most common appearance for a Dhasath is like that of a human from the Eastern Mediterranean, though there are, like humans, a great range in phenotypes.

Dhasath, however, do not smell like humans to any creature with a particularly acute sense of smell (they smell slightly sweet). They can also be told apart by a simple blood test for nitrogen compounds.

Biology: The Dhasath evolved on a desert planet in what is now a part of the Ragon Empire and are supremely adapted to survival in hot, waterless environments, and are also resistant to the cold.

Dhasath are extremely rapid breeders, reaching maturity faster than most other species and producing more offspring. A Dhasath pregnancy lasts for around six months and the average ‘litter’ is 2.5 children. A Dhasath is fully grown by age 14.

As a byproduct of their adaption to harsh environments, Dhasath tissue is flooded with nitrogen compounds which, if ingested by an individual of another species, gives a potent feeling of euphoria.

History: In the early days of Kiellar expansion, the ‘Dhasath League’ was the major competing power in the Andromeda Galaxy. The League, however, was ill equipped to deal with the Ragons who, after their discovery of the Skrim Drive, swept the League fleet aside (somewhat aided by the fact that they had recently been defeated by the Kiellar), capturing every Dhasath planet within five years of first contact.

The Euphoria that results from ingesting Dhasath tissue made the species a delicacy to the Ragons, and within ten years, the species was all but exterminated in Ragon space. A few refugees successfully fled into Kiellar territory and the neutral belt, though, three centuries on, the species remains critically endangered.

While hunting of sentient species is illegal in most places outside of the Ragon Empire, Dhasath and their body parts are worth a considerable amount of money either as food or to be processed into illegal narcotics.
Mostly because of this, Dhasath, when they are encountered, are usually described by others as naturally suspicious, highly alert and quick to violence.

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THE RULES

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And because it seems important to write these out, here are a few rules for making a better society:

• Decisions
  My word and the word of anyone I appoint as a Co-OP (want to be a Co-OP?) is binding. If you don’t like a decision, you can, of course, ask for us to reconsider it. Once. If we made a decision you don’t like, complaining for pages and pages is not going to endear you to anyone. Not me, not the Co-OPs and not your fellow writers.
  On that note, I intend to run this thread as an anarcho-communist cooperative. This is an unnecessarily complicated way of saying that my word DOES NOT overrule theirs. If there is an appeal and a dispute amongst the Co-OPs we will take a vote on the matter.
• Post Quality
  I don’t have a problem with short posts but please use proper spelling (I don’t care what regional variant), grammar etc.
  Ideally also try to include a 'hook' when you write a post, which is to say something that gives other people something to respond to. If your post is something along the lines of 'Bilbo Baggins stayed in his room and read a book while the world was ending', don't be surprised if nobody responds to you.
• Posting Commitment: Nothing is worse than making an RP only for it to die. Please try to make at least one post every 48 hours or so. If you find yourself unable to post, please let me know in the OOC thread. If it looks like you've abandoned a character in the middle of a fight scene I might decide to kill them off if I'm feeling particularly malicious.
• Posting Speed On the flip side, blitz posting can also be infuriating. So, especially during the important scenes, I recommend giving your fellow players a reasonable time to make a reply. We all have real lives. That being said, if someone leaves everyone waiting for over 48 hours, feel free to carry on the scene without them.
• OOC thread Manners
  Nothing annoys me more than bad manners on an OOC thread (apart from that 'Look at my horse, my horse is amazing' song). Swearing, passive-aggressive sniping or any other rude behaviour are not welcome on the OOC. I will warn you once. If you can’t control yourself I will ask you to remove yourself from the thread.
• IC thread Manners
  Remember, we are writing a story together, not playing to win.
• Character Death
  Player death is possible in this RP, though will be quite rare and easily avoidable. Please don’t write that you have killed another character unless you have OOC permission from the character's owner to do it. Beat them into a pulp or take them prisoner, but don’t kill them. Having said that, if someone does something really stupid, I reserve the right to announce your character has got themselves killed. Likewise, if someone goes inactive in the middle of a fight scene without explanation and cannot be raised, I may decide to kill their character off.
• Keep it PG13
  Shouldn’t need to be telling you this really but keep the erotica and gorn off the thread. Hopefully you all know how to write forum-safe stuff. I will be extremely disappointed if the mods have to pay us a visit.
• Banning Players
  I really don’t want to be doing that but reserve the right to do so if you cannot follow the (hopefully, rather simple) rules above.

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APPLICATION FORMS

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When filling in an application form, please delete everything in parentheses.

Character App

Code: Select all

[box]
[size=150][b]Character Description[/b][/size]
[list][b]Name:[/b]
[b]Species:[/b]
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Appearance:[/b] [spoiler](Feel free to describe with text or put pictures in here.  If you are using a picture, personally, I find it easier to picture a character who is shown in photo/realistic drawing though I'm not going to get funny about anything else.  Unless it is your personal stick-man art.  I might draw the line at that.)[/spoiler]
[/list]

[hr][/hr][size=150][b]Strengths and Weaknesses[/b][/size]
[list]
[b]Skills[/b]: (Is there anything you are significantly better at than most other people?)
[b]Weaknesses[/b]: (Is there anything your character is really rubbish at?  Not essential you put anything in, but can be fun) 
[/list]

[hr][/hr][size=150][b]Background:[/b][/size]
[list][b]Role on Ship[/b]: At this stage that is (former) prisoner
[b]Crimes Committed[/b]:(what did you do?  If you are running a human explorer, put down 'Entering Military No-Go Zone')
[b]Personality:[/b]
[b]Backstory[/b]:(How did you come to be here?)
 [/list][/box]

Species App
I am going to assume that anyone making a species app would prefer the species be reserved for their use. If they would like their creation to go on the list of pre-designed races, let me know. Additionally, there are a few rules for new species:

• You cannot create a psychic race. There are a sufficient number in the RP already.
• Your race cannot be inedible to Ragons. This is to maximise the threat the Ragons pose to your character/s.
• Your race cannot be allied to the Ragon Empire. The Ragons regard all other species as animals and do not form alliances.
• Your race cannot be another great power. The two great powers (and the Gollar) are important plot elements. Extra players makes it too chaotic.

Code: Select all

[box]
[size=150][b]Species Description[/b][/size]
[list][b]Name:[/b]
[b]Singular:[/b] (what do you call one of your species on their own)
[b]Plural:[/b] (what do you call a whole lot of your species)
[b]Adjective:[/b]
[b]Appearance:[/b] (If you are using a picture, please include a bit of info on how much variation in appearances there is among the species) [spoiler](Feel free to use a picture here)[/spoiler]
[b]Biology:[/b] (what is special about your species that you can't tell by looking at them?  Night vision?  Super-strength?)
[/list]


[hr][/hr][size=150][b]Background:[/b][/size]
[list][b]Homeworld[/b]:
[b]History[/b]:(Tell us a bit about your species)
 [/list][/box]

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An Andromedaverse RP

[Dyelli Beybi]

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CHARACTERS ON THE DEFIANCE

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Amlai - Kolmoik Female - Ship's Doctor (Khasinkonia)

Anja - Tza'th Female - civilian from the 'Pleasure Haven' station (Kylantha)

Cridrac of Garbrann - Kiellar Male - Guard (New Udonia)

Hae'Myn'Gan'Qfr'Fni'Ade'Qnf'Pgl'Yai - Ha'se'ka'lu Male - under sentence for entering a military no-go zone and resisting arrest (Endem)

Ilyak 69 - Gnosara Male(?) - under sentence for murder (Korhal IVV)

Kaleso Stralbane - Jokari Male - under sentence for illegal experimentation, assassination, freeing slaves, war crimes and planetary genocide (Korhal IVV)

Krystyn Warecki - Human Male - under sentence for entering a military no-go zone (Endem)

Mihal of Obe - Kiellar Male - under sentence for embezzlement, money laundering, evading arrest, theft of Kiellar Command property (Bingellia)

Mothlua of Vubhe - Kiellar Female - Marine (New Udonia)

Nathan Taylor Carter - Human Male - under sentence for entering a military no-go zone (Arengin Union)

Nidheon the Connected - Odeiri Male - under sentence for entering a military no-go zone (Rykil) Remained behind on the 'Pleasure Haven' station to start a new life.

Mothlua of Vubhe - Kiellar Female - Marine (New Udonia)

Novo Vohru Andai - Kay-Si Male - under sentence for smuggling escaped slaves , freeing slaves and resisting arrest (Theyra)

Olorisa - AI Female(?) - stowaway (Foxfound)

Rabaech of Goirva - Kiellar Male - Junior Engineer (Dyelli Beybi)

Raoul - Ragon Male - under sentence for murder and robbery (Lessoni)

Sho'chavuk - Tza'th Male - under sentence for murder, attempted murder, sexual assault, aggravated assault, robbery, arson, indecent exposure, vandalism, disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace (Kylantha)

Sshalah Krilin Ruul - Ragon Female - under sentence for attempting to purchase illicit goods, resisting arrest and assaulting an office (Harbertia)

Thanica Vari - Dhasath Female - Pilot Officer (Dyelli Beybi)

Tyreh the Warrior - Cestrenti Male - under sentence for multiple murders and resisting arrest (Endem)

Vrondich of Ralar - Kiellar Male - Chief Engineer (Dyelli Beybi)

Yare-Lokem - Sarufi Female - under sentence for murder, multiple counts of attacks against the Kiellar Command Fleet and destroying a Kiellar space station (Korhal IVV)

Y'Trh'dçy - H'rë'sho'eñ Male - Under sentence for entering a military no-go zone and distributing illicit goods (Endem)

Yp'Trak Nird'Hoe - Kel'Resh Male - Under sentence for multiple murders, piracy, resisting arrest and assault an officer (Endem)

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OTHER ALIEN RACES

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These alien races have been accepted into the story. Please don't write a character from one of them without permission from the original author:


The Archelians (Korhal IVV)

The Cestrenti (Endem)

The Gnosara (Korhal IVV)

The Ha'se'ka'lu (Endem)

The H'rë'sho'eñ (Endem)

The Jokarun (Korhal IVV)

The Kalisi (Korhal IVV)

The Kay-Si (Theyra)

The Kel'Resh (Endem)

The Khuutain (Arengin Union)

The Kolmoik/Maklomoik (Khasinkonia)

The Odeiri (Rykil)

The Qaz'in (Arengin Union)

The Sarufi (Korhal IVV)

The Senn Tesht (made up of the Ar-Teshtaran, Bokesharan and Vevaaran) (Utceforp)

The Ti Angu (Utceforp)

The Thrivvuix (Arengin Union)

The Tza'th (Kylantha)

[Utceforp]

Species Description

Name: Ar-Teshtaran
Singular: An Ar-Teshtaran walked into the bar
Plural: Some Ar-Teshtaran live in the city
Adjective: Ar-Teshtaran culture is very warlike
Naming: Ar-Teshtaran names consist of two parts, a clan name and a personal name. When using an Ar-Teshtaran's full name, the clan name comes first. (e.g. Krath Kuril is a member of Clan Krath, named Kuril.) Both clan name and personal name are usually short and simple, and are almost never more than three syllables each. Vowels cannot be adjacent to each other if they are different vowels. (e.g. "eu" would not be allowed, but "uu" would.) In contrast, double vowels and consecutive consonants are very common. Some clan names contain the prefix "sun-", the singular form of "Senn", meaning "child/descendant of", followed by the name of the founder of the Clan. (e.g. Sundjuuma Nazok means "Nazok, Descendant of Djuuma".)

Some examples of Ar-Teshtaran-style names:


• Tvar Athi
  
• Krath Kuril
• Krath Saamik
• Sundjuuma Nazok
• Sunsinzu Aranesh
• Paalik Doman
Appearance: Ar-Teshtaran are humanoid insects with pale white skin, with armour-like carapaces covering their bodies. They lack eyes entirely, instead relying on two heat-sensitive pits embedded in their face that resemble empty eye sockets to sense the world around them. Ar-Teshtaran have four arms with six fingers each, and have digitigrade legs that end in circular feet. Ar-Teshtaran stand approximately seven feet tall on average, and can range from 6'5 to 8'0 feet tall.
Biology:
All Ar-Teshtaran are blind, and indeed lack eyes entirely. However, they have heat-sensing pits on their head similar to a snake's, which allows them both to crudely replicate sight, and even "see" certain objects through walls. Ar-Teshtaran give birth to clutches of up to six soft-shelled eggs at a time. Unaltered Ar-Teshtaran usually live to be about 60, but genetic engineering during the days of the Naakhan empire has lengthened their lifespan to 80 years.

Using meditation, Ar-Teshtaran can trigger a state called a "Swarm Rage", which requires them both to have a low body temperature and to be seething with anger. When Swarm Raging, Ar-Teshtaran gain massively increased strength and reflexes, feel no pain, and have their skin turn bright red. At the conclusion of a Swarm Rage, triggered by cortisol flooding their veins at the end of combat, the Ar-Teshtaran will fall unconscious, and wake up several hours later with a severe headache and extreme hunger.

In the days of the Naakhan Empire, many of the Great Clans genetically engineered their offspring to be tougher and stronger, and thus even in their normal state an Ar-Teshtaran of sufficiently noble birth is capable of deadlifting 1000 pounds. This strength is increased exponentially by Swarm Rage.

---

Background:

Homeworld: Naakh
History:The species that would become the Ar-Teshtaran, a species of humanoid insects, evolved on the scorching-hot desert world of Naakh in the Neutral Zone. These insects evolved as persistence hunters, using their long stride and powerful sense of smell to relentlessly pursue prey across the flat savannahs of the north until they collapsed of exhaustion and the insects could feast.

The semi-arid polar region that the insects called home was unbearably hot when the sun beat down unceasingly in the summer, but tolerably warm in the permanent darkness of winter. Thus, they evolved to aggressively swarm and hunt during the winter, but calm themselves and build in the shadows in the summer.

Eventually, the insects coalesced into a small set of powerful empires, which advanced to the point of colonizing and terraforming several planets in their home system, and developing weapons of mass destruction. The exact reason for war is lost, but what is known is that bioweapons and nuclear weapons devastated Naakh and its colonies, destroying all nations and causing society to descend into warlordism for several centuries. One of these warlords was Krath Kuril, who had an ambition greater than any of his contemporaries, and the tactical knowledge to achieve it. Kuril conquered most of the northern hemisphere of Naakh, and secured control over the space colonies.

Traditional Ar-Teshtaran historiography holds that all of their traditions were invented by Krath Kuril. Some may have been developed by earlier warlords or by Kuril's successors, however. Kuril divided his followers into two castes, those being the Senn Tesht ("Warrior Children") and Senn Nikari. ("Planetbound Children") The Senn Tesht were the soldiers of Kuril's empire, those who lived in space and fought in battle. The Senn Nikari were the other 90% of the population, who consisted of the labourers and intellectuals of Kuril's empire, and were not permitted to leave their planet of origin. Kuril also created the first Great Clans, out of the families of his closest followers and those of defeated warlords who had sworn fealty to him. Finally, Kuril created the warrior code of the Senn Tesht, emphasizing the virtues of honourable combat and self-sufficiency.

Kuril's heirs would go on to unify Naakh and its colonies, and develop an FTL drive that would allow the burgeoning Naakhan Empire to expand into interstellar space. The Senn Tesht forcibly settled Senn Nikari across these new interstellar colonies, to provide support and infrastructure for their fleets and armies.

The Naakhans later encountered other, less-advanced species. This included a species of reptiles from the swampy, humid moon of "Bokesh" which was surprisingly close to Naakh, and another species of insectoids from the world of !x'˧x' near the edge of Naakhan territory. Neither species had undergone an industrial revolution, so they were easily conquered by the Senn Tesht. Both of these newly subjugated species were integrated into the Senn Nikari, and their cultures were violently suppressed by the Naakhans. The reptiles were forced to speak Naakhan languages, and go by the name "Bokesharan", while the insects (who became known as the "Vevaaran") did not have the mouthparts to speak Naakhan languages, and thus developed a sort of creole that approximated Naakhan speech using the phonemes the Vevaaran could articulate. Despite their inferior caste, those among the Bokesharan and Vevaaran who were wealthy and powerful maintained and even expanded their power, becoming a sort of minor nobility beneath the Senn Tesht but above other members of their species.

Eventually, the Naakhan Empire encountered a demographic crisis, as the Senn Nikari grew in numbers much more quickly than the Senn Tesht, and people began to fear a massive revolt. The current emperor, Paalik Doman, instituted a solution in the form of the "Thresher Wars". At regular intervals determined by religious authorities, two Great Clans would declare war on each other, and would engage in highly ritualized battles with each other. However, rather than being fought by the Senn Tesht, these battles would be fought by Senn Nikari, conscripted from the planets the Clans controlled. At the conclusion of the war, the Senn Nikari who distinguished themselves in battle would be adopted into the Senn Tesht. The stated purpose of these wars was to honour the gods with combat, and to find and recruit the great warriors hidden within the Senn Nikari, the "sharp blades buried in the dirt". In actuality, the Thresher Wars were designed to keep the Senn Nikari population in check, and to ensure they remembered who their masters were.

The wealthy and influential Bokesharan and Vevaaran greatly objected to this new institution - they had grown accustomed to their high position in spite of their theoretical status as serfs, and were outraged at the idea that they could be randomly selected to fight in a random and pointless war. They used their influence to effectively shut down the infrastructure of the Naakhan Empire, and threatened revolution. The Emperor decided that, to avoid war, he would offer the two species some concessions. Eligibility for the Senn Tesht would be opened to all species in the empire, and the most influential Bokesharan and Vevaaran would be adopted into the Great Clans, sparing them from participation in the Thresher Wars. This event would become known as "The Reconciliation". As they could no longer define themselves solely as "Senn Tesht", the insectoid species that founded the Naakhan Empire began to refer to themselves as the Ar-Teshtaran, or "First Warrior Children". A century later, the first Bokesharan emperor would ascend to the throne, succeeding their adopted Ar-Teshtaran mother.

The Naakhan Empire soon came into contact with the Kiellar Republic, which was still young. The Senn Tesht viewed the Kiellar as just another target for conquest, and attempted an invasion. Five wars between the Senn Tesht and the Kiellar followed, three against the Republic and two against the Command, and each time the Kiellar won. The Kiellar maintained their advantage by covertly arming and radicalizing the Senn Nikari, keeping the Naakhan Empire in a perpetual state of rebellion and instability. In the final war, Kiellar Command obliterated all Naakhan industry and wiped out every major Naakhan world, including Naakh, Bokesh, and !x'˧x'. Most of the Senn Nikari were incorporated into the Command's slave economy, and the Senn Tesht fled into isolated space on their fleets, forced to perform "coward work" to support themselves due to the loss of most of their serfs. The Emperor and all his heirs were killed during the bombardment of Naakh.

The warrior culture the Ar-Teshtaran created continued to flourish even after the end of the Empire, welcoming those who were dissatisfied with their own culture or who simply found a place to live in Senn Tesht territory. Currently, most of the Great Clans are client states of Kiellar Command, providing their overlords with yearly quotas of slaves in exchange for some degree of autonomy, though many live in the Neutral Zone and still proudly answer to nobody but themselves.

Species Description

Name: Bokesharan
Singular: A Bokesharan
Plural: Some Bokesharan
Adjective: Bokesharan artwork
Naming: Bokesharan use Ar-Teshtaran naming styles, due to the former's cultural assimilation by the latter.
Appearance: Bokesharan are humanoid reptiles with long snouts, prominent frills, and "beards" made of sensitive prehensile feelers. They tend to have mottled brown or green scales, yellow eyes with horizontal pupils, and have four-fingered hands and feet. As obligate herbivores, Bokesharan have no sharp teeth, instead having flat grinding teeth similar to a horse's. Bokesharan are short and stout, standing on average 5 feet tall but usually weighing around 300 lbs. Bokesharan have cheek sacs that become bright red when inflated, which are used in both intimidation displays and when attracting mates. They cover their faces, hands, and feet in white chalk when appearing in public.
Biology: Bokesharan are obligate herbivores, with a preference for tree leaves. They are also natural climbers and acrobats, able to grip objects with both their hands and feet, and comfortable spending lengthy amounts of time upside down. Pregnant Bokesharan women produce hundreds of inch-long offspring, which grow to maturity in stagnant water. Only two or three offspring usually survive to adolescence, most dying to predation or starvation in infancy.

Due to centuries of genetic engineering, Bokesharan of sufficiently noble ancestry have had significant genetic enhancements made to their strength and stamina, and many are even comparable to their Ar-Teshtaran brethren. Additionally, some of the more fanatically loyalist of the Bokesharan have artificially grown Ar-Teshtaran hormone glands implanted in them, giving them access to a lesser version of the Swarm Rage state. In their natural state, Bokesharan usually live to about 200, but genetic engineering has extended the lifespans of some to about 250.

---

Background:

Homeworld: Bokesh
History: (See Ar-Teshtaran history.)

Species Description

Name: Vevaaran
Singular: A Vevaaran
Plural: Some Vevaaran
Adjective: Vevaaran feelers
Appearance: Vevaaran are centipede-like insects that average about ten feet long and a foot wide. All of their numerous legs have four stubby fingers, and their mouths consists of long, thin, vertical mandibles. Vevaaran have reddish brown carapaces, and usually paint a single white stripe on their forehead.
Naming: Vevaaran use Ar-Teshtaran naming styles, due to the former's cultural assimilation by the latter. However, some Vevaaran have a third "Vevaaran" name, which is easier for their mouthparts to pronounce. These names consist solely of click consonants, "whistles" of varying pitch, and glottal stops. They are thus are written using the letters X, Q, and !, (Representing various click consonants) the tone letters ˦, ˧, and ˨, and (Representing a high tone, a middle tone, and a low tone, respectively) and apostrophes. (Representing a glottal stop.)
Biology: Vevaaran are desert-dwellers like the Ar-Teshtaran, but unlike them they actually live in the desert. As such, they have an incredibly high heat tolerance, and can go for months without food or water. Additionally, they can climb walls like Terran insects, and their centipede-like bodies are highly flexible, capable of coiling like a snake's. Vevaaran are methane-breathers who are poisoned by oxygen, so they wear elaborate breathing apparatuses when interacting with members of other species. Vevaaran "males" and "females" are biologically identical, but two males cannot mate with each other, and two females cannot mate with each other.

Vevaaran mate only one time in their life, as after they and their partner mutually impregnate each other, their offspring tear their way out of their parent's bodies and consume their flesh to fuel their early development. Advanced surgery techniques developed by the Senn Tesht allow a Vevaaran's offspring to be extracted without killing the parent, but the parents and children have no instinctive bond with each other, and a Vevaaran's reproductive organs will stop functioning after being pregnant once. Vevaaran who don't have children generally live to about 60 years old, but those that survive the traumatic childbirth process tend to make it to about 40.

Like the Bokesharan, Vevaaran of sufficiently noble ancestry have had significant genetic enhancements made to their strength and stamina, and many are even comparable to their Ar-Teshtaran brethren. Additionally, some of the more fanatically loyalist of the Vevaaran have artificially grown Ar-Teshtaran hormone glands implanted in them, giving them access to a lesser version of the Swarm Rage state.

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Background:

Homeworld: !x'˧x'
History:(See Ar-Teshtaran history.)

[Harbertia]

***UNTIL APPROVED SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS IN THE RP***

If I must change ANYTHING let me know. I attempted to figure out how to make her someone who would work with others but I'm unsure if she's written in a way that makes her 'agreeable to be around'. It's been awhile since we discussed the character and we didn't really discuss how to get her involved. She's certainly not a typical Ragon which could be an issue. Overall I want to make sure this is done right- in a way that doens't upset the setting as this is a Ragon the player characters would mostly associate with.

Character Description

Name: Sshalah Krilin Ruul
Species: Ragon
Gender: Female
Age: 80 by the Human Standard but young for her kind.
Appearance:


Sshalah is a bluish Ragon standing 4.3 meters tall (making her short for a female). Her eyes are yellow and claws are black. The top of her head, her back, and lower legs are ridged but the rest of her body is rather smooth. She's wearing a grey tight suit of civilian design with a yellow company logo over her heart. Her chest as one would expect is flat.

this size chart will help visualize;

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Strengths and Weaknesses

Skills: She has an understanding of genetics due to her work at the company.
Weaknesses: Combat- she was trained more for management and administration- city life.

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Background:

Role on Ship: Prisoner
Crimes Committed:

• Attempting to purchase Illicit Goods
  
• Resisting Arrest
• Assaulting an Officer (nearly biting his head off)
Personality: Sshalah wasn't one to initiate conversation with non-Ragon and has a soft heart- she doesn't like to see suffering, and has about as much concern for other life forms as a beef farmer who really loves her cattle. She does however have an aggressive cold side to her when she's not very energized. He mood tends to vary depending on if she's fed recently, had a lot of sun, and is not around a great deal of noise. She can't stand the sounds of torment- she hates it and thus she gets dumber around it wanting it to end. She loves to eat Fish. She is very literal minded. She considers her self a kind and gentile being even if her actions may not be interpreted as such.
Backstory:Sshalah was only 4 when the peace between the Ragon Empire and Kiellar Command came to be. She never got to have the taste of a Dhasath but in her youth was certainly thrilled by stories about it. As she got older she found herself working in the food industry, monitoring the population of an aquatic species and finding herself discussing preservation of prey with co-workers as she lamented never having gotten and likely never going to taste a Dhasath. She began voicing how she'd like to preserve tastes for future generations putting her in the conservationist position. An uncle of hers, Admiral Rawl Ruul, who had no children of his own and hoped to have her accept the son of one of his fallen comrades as a 'Dearling' tempted her on a journey into the neutral zone to experience 'tastes' from other realms. Sshalah had a job, but was told that her uncle's reputation was enough to make it right; her absence would be forgiven. She accepted and only then found out that it was a 'smoke screen' to get her in the company of Grawl, the son of her uncle's lost comrade.

Together the three made their way into the neutral zone where her uncle procured an insectoid which became her first 'exotic' meal though it had to be shared with Grawl and seeing how it complained most vigorously the experience was not pleasant. She found out what her slow mind had not processed, that being that not all prey is as docile as those from the company grounds. She was pretty sure that Grawl was put off by her reaction but she wasn't able to quite get that image out of her mind. She didn't like seeing something suffer. Her Uncle managed to speak with her about it, and assure her that Grawl wasn't 'put off' by it - that as military men he and her uncle had become accustomed to true struggle- nature's way. After a few words on how it's natural and that she's become weak living in the cities, when Ragon are to be a force of nature- she nodded accepting her uncle words but stating her preference of not having to share another meal.

Eventually she and Grawl did begin to grow fond of one another and she informed her uncle of her decision to accept Grawl as her darling. Her uncle, wanting to do something special for this occasion steered the ship in secret towards the edge of Kiellar space to procure a Dhasath for the two (despite his nieces preference) but that's when things went horribly wrong. Turned out that the offer he was making his way to was a sting operation by Kiellar Command Authorities meant to snare a particular band of misfits- instead the sting operation snagged them. Though as far as she knows only Sshalah was captured and being a Ragon no one doubted it was she who was involved. She's was not sure what fate the Kiellar had planned for her.

-updating-

Edit: Also, I'm a huge fan of permadeath

Edit: Actually, I suspect she seems too mammal from the warmth.

[Korhal IVV]

While I am finishing my four race apps and the character app, I will summarize them for you lot.

Jokarun - Highly advanced and hyperintelligent avians driven to near total destruction by the Ragon due to being totally inexperienced for warfare for 800,000. They are now, however, skilled in it after what they experienced. Currently hiding in a cloaked moonship somewhere.

Gnosara - AI machines that were created as weapons in ancient times. They happen to be protecting a small Dasath enclave as they found it logical to do so.

Archelians - Shipbuilders of the Neutral Belt that supply advanced battleships and cruisers to independent states and entities. They use biometrics to ensure that no one is able to reverde engineer their ships.

Kalisi - Some of best mercs to grace the Neutral Belt.

Kaleso Stralbane - A Jokarun captain that sacrificed himself to prevent the Kiellar from capturing his pirate crew and their battleship.

[Dyelli Beybi]

Species Description

Name: Ar-Teshtaran
Singular: An Ar-Teshtaran walked into the bar
Plural: Some Ar-Teshtaran live in the city
Adjective: Ar-Teshtaran culture is very warlike
Naming: Ar-Teshtaran names consist of two parts, a clan name and a personal name. When using an Ar-Teshtaran's full name, the clan name comes first. (e.g. Krath Kuril is a member of Clan Krath, named Kuril.) Both clan name and personal name are usually short and simple, and are almost never more than three syllables each. Vowels cannot be adjacent to each other if they are different vowels. (e.g. "eu" would not be allowed, but "uu" would.) In contrast, double vowels and consecutive consonants are very common. Some clan names contain the prefix "sun-", the singular form of "Senn", meaning "child/descendant of", followed by the name of the founder of the Clan. (e.g. Sundjuuma Nazok means "Nazok, Descendant of Djuuma".)

Some examples of Ar-Teshtaran-style names:


• Tvar Athi
  
• Krath Kuril
• Krath Saamik
• Sundjuuma Nazok
• Sunsinzu Aranesh
• Paalik Doman
Appearance: Ar-Teshtaran are humanoid insects with pale white skin, with armour-like carapaces covering their bodies. They lack eyes entirely, instead relying on two heat-sensitive pits embedded in their face that resemble empty eye sockets to sense the world around them. Ar-Teshtaran have four arms with six fingers each, and have digitigrade legs that end in circular feet. Ar-Teshtaran stand approximately seven feet tall on average, and can range from 6'5 to 8'0 feet tall.
Biology:
All Ar-Teshtaran are blind, and indeed lack eyes entirely. However, they have heat-sensing pits on their head similar to a snake's, which allows them both to crudely replicate sight, and even "see" certain objects through walls. Ar-Teshtaran give birth to clutches of up to six soft-shelled eggs at a time. Unaltered Ar-Teshtaran usually live to be about 60, but genetic engineering during the days of the Naakhan empire has lengthened their lifespan to 80 years.

Using meditation, Ar-Teshtaran can trigger a state called a "Swarm Rage", which requires them both to have a low body temperature and to be seething with anger. When Swarm Raging, Ar-Teshtaran gain massively increased strength and reflexes, feel no pain, and have their skin turn bright red. At the conclusion of a Swarm Rage, triggered by cortisol flooding their veins at the end of combat, the Ar-Teshtaran will fall unconscious, and wake up several hours later with a severe headache and extreme hunger.

In the days of the Naakhan Empire, many of the Great Clans genetically engineered their offspring to be tougher and stronger, and thus even in their normal state an Ar-Teshtaran of sufficiently noble birth is capable of deadlifting 1000 pounds. This strength is increased exponentially by Swarm Rage.

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Background:

Homeworld: Naakh
History:The species that would become the Ar-Teshtaran, a species of humanoid insects, evolved on the scorching-hot desert world of Naakh in the Neutral Zone. These insects evolved as persistence hunters, using their long stride and powerful sense of smell to relentlessly pursue prey across the flat savannahs of the north until they collapsed of exhaustion and the insects could feast.

The semi-arid polar region that the insects called home was unbearably hot when the sun beat down unceasingly in the summer, but tolerably warm in the permanent darkness of winter. Thus, they evolved to aggressively swarm and hunt during the winter, but calm themselves and build in the shadows in the summer.

Eventually, the insects coalesced into a small set of powerful empires, which advanced to the point of colonizing and terraforming several planets in their home system, and developing weapons of mass destruction. The exact reason for war is lost, but what is known is that bioweapons and nuclear weapons devastated Naakh and its colonies, destroying all nations and causing society to descend into warlordism for several centuries. One of these warlords was Krath Kuril, who had an ambition greater than any of his contemporaries, and the tactical knowledge to achieve it. Kuril conquered most of the northern hemisphere of Naakh, and secured control over the space colonies.

Traditional Ar-Teshtaran historiography holds that all of their traditions were invented by Krath Kuril. Some may have been developed by earlier warlords or by Kuril's successors, however. Kuril divided his followers into two castes, those being the Senn Tesht ("Warrior Children") and Senn Nikari. ("Planetbound Children") The Senn Tesht were the soldiers of Kuril's empire, those who lived in space and fought in battle. The Senn Nikari were the other 90% of the population, who consisted of the labourers and intellectuals of Kuril's empire, and were not permitted to leave their planet of origin. Kuril also created the first Great Clans, out of the families of his closest followers and those of defeated warlords who had sworn fealty to him. Finally, Kuril created the warrior code of the Senn Tesht, emphasizing the virtues of honourable combat and self-sufficiency.

Kuril's heirs would go on to unify Naakh and its colonies, and develop an FTL drive that would allow the burgeoning Naakhan Empire to expand into interstellar space. The Senn Tesht forcibly settled Senn Nikari across these new interstellar colonies, to provide support and infrastructure for their fleets and armies.

The Naakhans later encountered other, less-advanced species. This included a species of reptiles from the swampy, humid moon of "Bokesh" which was surprisingly close to Naakh, and another species of insectoids from the world of !x'˧x' near the edge of Naakhan territory. Neither species had undergone an industrial revolution, so they were easily conquered by the Senn Tesht. Both of these newly subjugated species were integrated into the Senn Nikari, and their cultures were violently suppressed by the Naakhans. The reptiles were forced to speak Naakhan languages, and go by the name "Bokesharan", while the insects (who became known as the "Vevaaran") did not have the mouthparts to speak Naakhan languages, and thus developed a sort of creole that approximated Naakhan speech using the phonemes the Vevaaran could articulate. Despite their inferior caste, those among the Bokesharan and Vevaaran who were wealthy and powerful maintained and even expanded their power, becoming a sort of minor nobility beneath the Senn Tesht but above other members of their species.

Eventually, the Naakhan Empire encountered a demographic crisis, as the Senn Nikari grew in numbers much more quickly than the Senn Tesht, and people began to fear a massive revolt. The current emperor, Paalik Doman, instituted a solution in the form of the "Thresher Wars". At regular intervals determined by religious authorities, two Great Clans would declare war on each other, and would engage in highly ritualized battles with each other. However, rather than being fought by the Senn Tesht, these battles would be fought by Senn Nikari, conscripted from the planets the Clans controlled. At the conclusion of the war, the Senn Nikari who distinguished themselves in battle would be adopted into the Senn Tesht. The stated purpose of these wars was to honour the gods with combat, and to find and recruit the great warriors hidden within the Senn Nikari, the "sharp blades buried in the dirt". In actuality, the Thresher Wars were designed to keep the Senn Nikari population in check, and to ensure they remembered who their masters were.

The wealthy and influential Bokesharan and Vevaaran greatly objected to this new institution - they had grown accustomed to their high position in spite of their theoretical status as serfs, and were outraged at the idea that they could be randomly selected to fight in a random and pointless war. They used their influence to effectively shut down the infrastructure of the Naakhan Empire, and threatened revolution. The Emperor decided that, to avoid war, he would offer the two species some concessions. Eligibility for the Senn Tesht would be opened to all species in the empire, and the most influential Bokesharan and Vevaaran would be adopted into the Great Clans, sparing them from participation in the Thresher Wars. This event would become known as "The Reconciliation". As they could no longer define themselves solely as "Senn Tesht", the insectoid species that founded the Naakhan Empire began to refer to themselves as the Ar-Teshtaran, or "First Warrior Children". A century later, the first Bokesharan emperor would ascend to the throne, succeeding their adopted Ar-Teshtaran mother.

The Naakhan Empire soon came into contact with the Kiellar Republic, which was still young. The Senn Tesht viewed the Kiellar as just another target for conquest, and attempted an invasion. Five wars between the Senn Tesht and the Kiellar followed, three against the Republic and two against the Command, and each time the Kiellar won. The Kiellar maintained their advantage by covertly arming and radicalizing the Senn Nikari, keeping the Naakhan Empire in a perpetual state of rebellion and instability. In the final war, Kiellar Command obliterated all Naakhan industry and wiped out every major Naakhan world, including Naakh, Bokesh, and !x'˧x'. Most of the Senn Nikari were incorporated into the Command's slave economy, and the Senn Tesht fled into isolated space on their fleets, forced to perform "coward work" to support themselves due to the loss of most of their serfs. The Emperor and all his heirs were killed during the bombardment of Naakh.

The warrior culture the Ar-Teshtaran created continued to flourish even after the end of the Empire, welcoming those who were dissatisfied with their own culture or who simply found a place to live in Senn Tesht territory. Currently, most of the Great Clans are client states of Kiellar Command, providing their overlords with yearly quotas of slaves in exchange for some degree of autonomy, though many live in the Neutral Zone and still proudly answer to nobody but themselves.

Species Description

Name: Bokesharan
Singular: A Bokesharan
Plural: Some Bokesharan
Adjective: Bokesharan artwork
Naming: Bokesharan use Ar-Teshtaran naming styles, due to the former's cultural assimilation by the latter.
Appearance: Bokesharan are humanoid reptiles with long snouts, prominent frills, and "beards" made of sensitive prehensile feelers. They tend to have mottled brown or green scales, yellow eyes with horizontal pupils, and have four-fingered hands and feet. As obligate herbivores, Bokesharan have no sharp teeth, instead having flat grinding teeth similar to a horse's. Bokesharan are short and stout, standing on average 5 feet tall but usually weighing around 300 lbs. Bokesharan have cheek sacs that become bright red when inflated, which are used in both intimidation displays and when attracting mates. They cover their faces, hands, and feet in white chalk when appearing in public.
Biology: Bokesharan are obligate herbivores, with a preference for tree leaves. They are also natural climbers and acrobats, able to grip objects with both their hands and feet, and comfortable spending lengthy amounts of time upside down. Pregnant Bokesharan women produce hundreds of inch-long offspring, which grow to maturity in stagnant water. Only two or three offspring usually survive to adolescence, most dying to predation or starvation in infancy.

Due to centuries of genetic engineering, Bokesharan of sufficiently noble ancestry have had significant genetic enhancements made to their strength and stamina, and many are even comparable to their Ar-Teshtaran brethren. Additionally, some of the more fanatically loyalist of the Bokesharan have artificially grown Ar-Teshtaran hormone glands implanted in them, giving them access to a lesser version of the Swarm Rage state.

---

Background:

Homeworld: Bokesh
History: (See Ar-Teshtaran history.)

Species Description

Name: Vevaaran
Singular: A Vevaaran
Plural: Some Vevaaran
Adjective: Vevaaran feelers
Appearance: Vevaaran are centipede-like insects that average about ten feet long and a foot wide. All of their numerous legs have four stubby fingers, and their mouths consists of long, thin, vertical mandibles. Vevaaran have reddish brown carapaces, and usually paint a single white stripe on their forehead.
Naming: Vevaaran use Ar-Teshtaran naming styles, due to the former's cultural assimilation by the latter. However, some Vevaaran have a third "Vevaaran" name, which is easier for their mouthparts to pronounce. These names consist solely of click consonants, "whistles" of varying pitch, and glottal stops. They are thus are written using the letters X, Q, and !, (Representing various click consonants) the tone letters ˦, ˧, and ˨, and (Representing a high tone, a middle tone, and a low tone, respectively) and apostrophes. (Representing a glottal stop.)
Biology: Vevaaran are desert-dwellers like the Ar-Teshtaran, but unlike them they actually live in the desert. As such, they have an incredibly high heat tolerance, and can go for months without food or water. Additionally, they can climb walls like Terran insects, and their centipede-like bodies are highly flexible, capable of coiling like a snake's. Vevaaran are methane-breathers who are poisoned by oxygen, so they wear elaborate breathing apparatuses when interacting with members of other species. Vevaaran "males" and "females" are biologically identical, but two males cannot mate with each other, and two females cannot mate with each other.

Vevaaran mate only one time in their life, as after they and their partner mutually impregnate each other, their offspring tear their way out of their parent's bodies and consume their flesh to fuel their early development. Advanced surgery techniques developed by the Senn Tesht allow a Vevaaran's offspring to be extracted without killing the parent, but the parents and children have no instinctive bond with each other, and a Vevaaran's reproductive organs will stop functioning after being pregnant once.

Like the Bokesharan, Vevaaran of sufficiently noble ancestry have had significant genetic enhancements made to their strength and stamina, and many are even comparable to their Ar-Teshtaran brethren. Additionally, some of the more fanatically loyalist of the Vevaaran have artificially grown Ar-Teshtaran hormone glands implanted in them, giving them access to a lesser version of the Swarm Rage state.

---

Background:

Homeworld: !x'˧x'
History:(See Ar-Teshtaran history.)

These three races are superbly detailed (and accepted)! Can't wait to see some characters appearing.

***UNTIL APPROVED SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS IN THE RP***

If I must change ANYTHING let me know. I attempted to figure out how to make her someone who would work with others but I'm unsure if she's written in a way that makes her 'agreeable to be around'. It's been awhile since we discussed the character and we didn't really discuss how to get her involved. She's certainly not a typical Ragon which could be an issue. Overall I want to make sure this is done right- in a way that doens't upset the setting as this is a Ragon the player characters would mostly associate with.

*snip*

Edit: Also, I'm a huge fan of permadeath

Edit: Actually, I suspect she seems too mammal from the warmth.

Looks good to me, accepted.

Getting involved will be pretty simple - the Chief Engineer is going to let any awake prisoner who agrees to help him take over the ship (and not to do anything violent to the people on their side), out of their cells... which, I'm guessing is an offer nobody in their right mind would refuse.

While I am finishing my four race apps and the character app, I will summarize them for you lot.

Jokarun - Highly advanced and hyperintelligent avians driven to near total destruction by the Ragon due to being totally inexperienced for warfare for 800,000. They are now, however, skilled in it after what they experienced. Currently hiding in a cloaked moonship somewhere.

Gnosara - AI machines that were created as weapons in ancient times. They happen to be protecting a small Dasath enclave as they found it logical to do so.

Archelians - Shipbuilders of the Neutral Belt that supply advanced battleships and cruisers to independent states and entities. They use biometrics to ensure that no one is able to reverde engineer their ships.

Kalisi - Some of best mercs to grace the Neutral Belt.

Kaleso Stralbane - A Jokarun captain that sacrificed himself to prevent the Kiellar from capturing his pirate crew and their battleship.

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with

[Endem]

You mind if I get in?

[Arengin Union]

Character Description

Name: Creature claims to be named "Nathan Taylor Carter" designation "Captain"
Species: The creature claims to be "human"
Gender: Male
Age: Roughly 35 of age
Appearance:


• Approx weight - 200 lbs
  
• Height - 6'1 feet

---

Strengths and Weaknesses

Skills: The Prisoner claims to be captain of the captured ship, most likely a military man of career or something similar for this primitive species who shows natural leader capabilities. It should be noted that he was able to go fight one of the Marines who first boarded the ship, nearly knocking him before he was restrained, he also seems to be familiar with weapons as he immediately recognized our weapons as deathly and surrendered rather quick. For a primitive life form the prisoner appear more than healthy and able bodied, at the very least he should serve a few years in Mining District of sector Alpha, he also seems to be somewhat familiar with basic ship navigation, at the very least for his own ship. Still decoding the files we found.
Weaknesses: The Prisoner appears to be hot tempered, and a rather brutish specimen, he hesitated little to attack one of the marines boarding his ship and didn't give up until we tranquilized him. He continues to be belligerent and refuses to answer any questions related to his ship, his mission, crew, and his home planet. Though he may be able to fight a Kiel, he no doubt will be decimated when trying to do the same with a Ragon or any other species that is not of similar stature as he. I pity him.

---

Background:

Role on Ship: Prisoner
Crimes Committed: Entering Military No-Go Zone
Personality: Prisoner appears to be of a naturally dominant stature, aggressive and hot headed but seems to retain relative cool in tense situations as demonstrated by his ability to fight. No doubt is he one of the most physically capable of these "Humans" but not the smartest by a long shot.
Backstory: So far we have been able to decipher some of the files in the ship, the personal data of the crew is redacted on some parts but it is readable, although these species language leaves much to be desired.

Prisoner was born somewhere around what is claimed to be the 1990's in a place called "Indiana" and seems to be the offspring of a monogamous relation between a father and mother named Landon and Elizabeth respectively. The prisoner attended an institution named, "South Dearborn High School" located in a "Dearborn County" in the place he was apparently born at. Joined a sort of military force named the "United States Air Force" at age 24 after graduating at the "Indiana State University" where he served as a "Combat Pilot" for a period of 8 years serving in places such as "Iraq", "Africa", "Syria", and "Venezuela" as well as other redacted missions. He began work at the "National Aeronautics and Space Administration" where he trained for an unspecified mission in the year 2024. It was in the year 2026 that this mission supposedly took place, the nature of it still being redacted. Most of the remaining info is either personal information which seems irrelevant to the investigation of this prisoner's mission, we are still decoding the files and more shall be updated.

This reports concludes that the prisoner posses no immediate threat to the Command and has sent hin to be processed. For now he along with the rest of the crew shall be sent to the mining districts and be under temporary jurisdiction of the administrators of such.

[Dyelli Beybi]

You mind if I get in?

Feel free, the RP is open.

Character Description

Name: Creature claims to be named "Nathan Taylor Carter" designation "Captain"
*snip*

Looks good, accepted!

[Dragos Bee]

May I join? I promise I won't make trouble.

Edit: Also, what's the minimum age for Human characters?

[Dyelli Beybi]

Character Description

Name: Vrondich of Ralar
Species: Kiellar
Gender: Male
Age: 75 (middle aged for a Kiel)
Appearance: Dark skinned, with dark eyes, a short mohawk and well trimmed beard. Vrondich is tall by Keillar standards, at 6'5'' but has a typically light build.




---

Strengths and Weaknesses

Skills: As a member of the Kiellar Navy, Vrondich is adept in the use of most weapons and, most importantly, knows how to keep all the important ship systems running, ensuring that the rest of the crew have heat, lighting, oxygen and artificial gravity.
Weaknesses: Vrondich is somewhat prone to inappropriate behaviour which has earned him enemies in Kiellar Command and the neutral zone.




---

Background:

Role on Ship: Crew: Chief Engineer
Crimes Committed:N/A
Personality: Thoughtful, intelligent and charming (though nowhere near as charming or intelligent as he thinks he is), at first glance, Vrondich might seem like he would have made an excellent diplomat. Unfortunately he is also prone to drinking too much, making a spectacle of himself and attempting to seduce the offspring of senior military officials and other dignitaries.
Backstory: Vrondich is something of an anomaly on the Defiance - a Kiel who is highly skilled at his job.

While Vrondich's career in Kiellar Command started with promise, enlisting with the diplomatic corp at the end of the last conflict with the Ragon, he was unceremoniously fired from the corp after five years due to repeated inappropriate behaviour at diplomatic functions. Intelligent and gifted with machines, Vrondich reenlisted as an Engineer and would doubtless have risen to a position of importance (perhaps as the Chief Engineer on a Battleship) were he not, 20 years ago, caught having an affair with his Captain's daughter.

While not technically against regulations, Vrondich's behaviour ensured he was sidelined, moved from one unwanted assignment to another until he eventually wound up on the prison ship Defiance - a ship crewed by a collection of incompetent Kiellar and auxiliaries.

And intelligent individual, Vrondich has always been sympathetic towards the Federalist movement, seeing it as the best chance Kiellar Command has to survive the inevitable war with the Ragon. Vrondich rationalises this from an entirely utilitarian viewpoint, believing that the constant need for troops to put down revolts is a drain on resources that could be used more productively elsewhere. Sooner or later, the internal pressures from malcontents within Kiellar space, and the Ragon at the gates, will cause Kiellar Command to crumble.

While he first looked at the concept of a Federation as a purely academic exercise, having been given 20 years to stew and become embittered towards Kiellar Command, Vrondich is now genuinely rebellious. His discovery that Omad of Vudril, a famous Federalist leader was on his ship acted as the spur he needed to start plotting open revolt. When the 'humans' were brought onboard, meaning there were no longer enough stasis pods to go around, Vrondich realised that he would probably never have such a good opportunity to seize the ship...

[Dragos Bee]

By the way, will this RP get a Discord Server?

Also, did my earlier OOC post get missed?

[Dyelli Beybi]

May I join? I promise I won't make trouble.

Edit: Also, what's the minimum age for Human characters?

The youngest person, so far, to have ever made it into space was 25. To keep things realistic I'd say about 23 would be the lowest you could go.

It's an open RP, yes, you can absolutely join!

By the way, will this RP get a Discord Server?

Also, did my earlier OOC post get missed?

No I didn't miss it.

Depends on how many people we get interested. At the moment I'm anticipating I'll put one up in the next 24 hours or so but I have other things I need to do first (such as get key characters written up).

[Dragos Bee]

May I join? I promise I won't make trouble.

Edit: Also, what's the minimum age for Human characters?

The youngest person, so far, to have ever made it into space was 25. To keep things realistic I'd say about 23 would be the lowest you could go.

Hmm... Next question; is a Sci-Fi writer, Historian, or Journalist permitted, or are the only civilian personnel abroad the Destiny scientists and engineers?

[Dyelli Beybi]

The youngest person, so far, to have ever made it into space was 25. To keep things realistic I'd say about 23 would be the lowest you could go.

Hmm... Next question; is a Sci-Fi writer, Historian, or Journalist permitted, or are the only civilian personnel abroad the Destiny scientists and engineers?

I don't think its out of the question to imagine a mission to Mars including an embedded reporter.

[Korhal IVV]

[box]
Character Description

Name: Kaleso Stralbane
Species: Jokari
Gender: Male
Age: 250
Appearance:

---

Strengths and Weaknesses

Skills: Kaleso, as a Jokari, is extremely intelligent, and with the aid of his cybernetic prostheses, can make functional machines for both violent and peaceful negotiations. He also expertly wields the forbidden starblade, a Jokari artificier type weapon that has a plasma blade that is able to whip and trash against enemies, cutting off limbs and heads as the fiery edge of the blade is flinged around like a deadly snake.
Weaknesses: Nothing striking here.

---

Background:
[list]Role on Ship: Prisoner
Crimes Committed: Illegal Experimentation, Assassination, Freeing Slaves, Planetary Genocide (when he had his personal battleship slag a Kiellar colony), and War Crimes
Personality: Angsty and perhaps coming off as a snarky tsundere, Kaleso is strange, if nothing else. However, he is easily moved, and often lends a comforting hand if all conditions are met.
Backstory: Ever since the Kiellar approached the Jokari Moonship, the more disparate and free swilling members of Jokarun society decided it was time to show the lesser races the horrors they just unleashed by destroying the Jokarun Republic. One of these was Kaleso Stralbane, who, along with a large band of followers, were granted permission to raid other races for resources with the Stardeath Class Battlecruiser Resurgence. With the Resurgence under his command, Kaleso committed numerous raids against supply convoys of both the Ragon and the Kiellar, disappearing as if they were never there to begin with every time.

Eventually, Kaleso's killing spree would come to an end. Kaleso purged a Kiellar colony planet in the fringes of the galaxy, triggering a counterreaction that saw the Resurgence cornered. Kalesoz faced with risking the Resurgence being destroyed along with his followers. In the end, he boarded his personal starfighter and ordered the Resurgence to leave him behind.

Kaleso, in this moment of sacrifice, downed a Kiellar Frigate before several EMP bolts struck his fighter. He was taken prisoner with some of the worst crimes in the Kiellar Command. He would then be placed in the prison ship Defiance to later stand trial.

[New Udonia]

Character Description

Name: Cridrac of Garbrann
Species: Kiellar
Gender: Male
Age: 70
Appearance:

---

Strengths and Weaknesses

Skills: Cridrac is infamous for his use of electrical batons, which he utilizes in efficient fashion. Cridrac carries a standard Kiellar gun, however his chances of winning a melee fight is considerably higher than his chances at winning a gun fight.
Weaknesses: Cridrac relies on electrical biology upgrades in order to function properly, as he is a cyborg. As such, Cridrac is very susceptible to electrical shock. Ironically his primary weapons carry such a charge.

---

Background:

Role on Ship: Crew, Prison Guard
Crimes Committed: N/A
Personality: Cridrac is terrible at experiencing emotions, as his "education" successfully eliminated this facet of his personality. Cridrac believes that his "education" was for the best, never doubting its efficiency. However his negative emotions can be fueled by failure, something which he desperately attempts to keep in check. Cridrac fears failure. His primary goal is to enforce the mission of Kiellar Command, however he is likely to switch sides if forced. Cridrac fears failure, but he fears death even more.
Backstory:Cridrac is the son of a famous Kiellar who committed his son to a newly founded Kiellar education institution, one which lasts over two decades. Although the institution claims to scientifically engineer the best soldiers, it has the negative effects of eliminating most of their "humanity". Cridrac, age 70, decided to do one final tour aboard The Defiance before "retiring" to a civilian life. However, if the mission was to fail, Cridrac would be stripped of all honors and salary, wasting over four decades of service.

[Dragos Bee]

Hmm... Next question; is a Sci-Fi writer, Historian, or Journalist permitted, or are the only civilian personnel abroad the Destiny scientists and engineers?

I don't think its out of the question to imagine a mission to Mars including an embedded reporter.

I see. To be honest, my main character is intended to be a teenager (14 - 16), a kid whose main trait is that he lies his ass off, tells half-truths that omit important information, and is generally deceitful and cunning in general. He is also meant to be Human because I like playing humans more than I do aliens, plus the central event that makes the plot possible is the appearance of a human ship in Andromeda and the spanner in the works that humans' very existence puts in galactic politics. So I can't just play a Kiellar or a Dhasath, especially with the latter's faster aging.

And as for just playing a deceitful, cunning, and manipulative Human adult, that would not be viable as well, because the character I want to play has generally good intentions and tries to have a good heart. More to the point, a teenager can get away with more manipulative stuff than adults do.

[Dyelli Beybi]

Character Description

Name: Kaleso Stralbane
*snip*

He's accepted.

Character Description

Name: Cridrac of Garbrann
*snip*

Looking good. I have a couple of questions though which I hope you could work into the background section:

• Does Cridrac have an opinion of the experimentation, his family etc?
  
• What will motivate Cridrac to join the mutiny. It is pretty much set that the mutineers will take control of the ship with the aid of their released convicts. There is the potential to surrender and end up working with them anyway, but it's a harder introduction than one where you are on the winning team

I don't think its out of the question to imagine a mission to Mars including an embedded reporter.

I see. To be honest, my main character is intended to be a teenager (14 - 16), a kid whose main trait is that he lies his ass off, tells half-truths that omit important information, and is generally deceitful and cunning in general. He is also meant to be Human because I like playing humans more than I do aliens, plus the central event that makes the plot possible is the appearance of a human ship in Andromeda and the spanner in the works that humans' very existence puts in galactic politics. So I can't just play a Kiellar or a Dhasath, especially with the latter's faster aging.

And as for just playing a deceitful, cunning, and manipulative Human adult, that would not be viable as well, because the character I want to play has generally good intentions and tries to have a good heart. More to the point, a teenager can get away with more manipulative stuff than adults do.

Sorry, I can't think of a logical reason why the first mission to mars would be carrying an unqualified minor. Why don't you run a Dhasath between age 10 and 12 (which is roughly equivalent in physical/mental development to a human of age 14-16)? They still go through the same stages of development that a human does, they just do it about 1/3 faster.

I'm sure Machievelli would be shocked at the idea that teenagers could outwit him!

[Dragos Bee]

Sorry, I can't think of a logical reason why the first mission to mars would be carrying an unqualified minor. Why don't you run a Dhasath between age 10 and 12 (which is roughly equivalent in physical/mental development to a human of age 14-16)? They still go through the same stages of development that a human does, they just do it about 1/3 faster.

I'm sure Machievelli would be shocked at the idea that teenagers could outwit him!

1.) I was thinking a Dhasath, yes, but I find the accelerated aging to be gross.

2.) Machiavelli didn't exactly get away with writing 'The Prince'; he still failed to get the job he was angling for when he wrote the book. And he's widely perceived as villainous or at least amoral, while my prospective character was intended to be a good guy whose manipulation comes across as good-natured guile instead of evil bastardy.

Hmm... I'll think about it.

[Dyelli Beybi]

Character Description

Name: Thanica Vari
Species: Dhasath
Gender: Female
Age: 28
Appearance: Thanica is 5'5'' tall with a slender build. While this isn't small for a Dhasath, it is by Kiellar standards and she is noticeably shorter than most of the rest of the crew.

Overall, she is a fairly typical looking Dhasath with a coppery skin tone and dark hair. The one, somewhat unusual feature she has are blue eyes which are unusual, if not unheard of amongst Dhasath.

---

Strengths and Weaknesses

Skills: Thanica is an Kiellar Auxiliary and can use Kiellar weapons and armour with a high degree of proficiency. She also knows how to fly the ship and, as such, is a rather important person to have in the team. Also, disturbingly proficient with knives.
Weaknesses: She's a Dhasath.

---

Background:

Role on Ship: Pilot Officer
Crimes Committed: N/A
Personality: Usually outgoing with an irreverent sense of humour is also capable of sudden acts of shocking violence if she feels it is appropriate. Thanica rarely lets her guard down apart from on the rare occasion when she is around other Dhasath.
Backstory: Thanica Vari was born to a Dhasath family that fled the Ragon attack on the league generations earlier and who settled on the Kiellar border planet of Karthoc. Despite the security offered by Kiellar Command, the Vari clan never attained citizenship eking out a meagre existence in a barren mountainous region, well out of the eye of anyone who might have attempted to victimise them. The clan remained proud, holding fast to the belief that the League would rise again from the ashes. As the years went past though, that seemed less and less likely and the younger generation began to look to building a real place for themselves under Kielar command.

Thanica dreamed of more and at age eighteen, much to the disapproval of her parents, signed on as an auxiliary for the Kiellar Fleet. Rapid reflexes and a natural gift for star-ship operations saw Thanica brought in as a pilot, though her non-citizen status meant that the odds of getting assigned to a ship that was a desirable posting, and wasn't likely to be destroyed, was extremely low. After serving on a Hyperspace Picket Ship for three years, Thanica was transferred to the Defiance, shipping prisoners out to slave mining colonies. Overall she considered this a major step up. Picket ships had a horrible tendency to get blown up. A prison transport was boring, but with the prisoners all held in stasis is was no more dangerous than a merchant run.

While Thanica has never had any particular loyalty to Kiellar Command, she has also never been tempted to compromise her route to citizenship. Until now. Someone has brought prisoners onto the ship who appear to be Dhasath and who claim to be from some planet called 'Earth'. Had the League actually been reborn?

Sensing her mood, and also realising that getting Thanica onboard would be just about essential if they want to escape afterwards Vrondich, the Chief Engineer, has recruited Thanica to his plot. Of course, he knows damned well that the aliens they've picked up aren't actually Dhasath... just so long as Thanica doesn't find out until after the mutiny has kicked off, everything should be fine.

[Harbertia]

Sorry, I can't think of a logical reason why the first mission to mars would be carrying an unqualified minor. Why don't you run a Dhasath between age 10 and 12 (which is roughly equivalent in physical/mental development to a human of age 14-16)? They still go through the same stages of development that a human does, they just do it about 1/3 faster.

I'm sure Machievelli would be shocked at the idea that teenagers could outwit him!

1.) I was thinking a Dhasath, yes, but I find the accelerated aging to be gross.

2.) Machiavelli didn't exactly get away with writing 'The Prince'; he still failed to get the job he was angling for when he wrote the book. And he's widely perceived as villainous or at least amoral, while my prospective character was intended to be a good guy whose manipulation comes across as good-natured guile instead of evil bastardy.

Hmm... I'll think about it.

It'd likely be the best solution. Unlike 'Lost in Space' whose crew was a family being sent to settle a new world the 'Destiny' is an exploration vessel (or was). I understand how gross the whole accelerated aging thing seems- but think of it in this light and it might be better. Chronologically the character is 10 to 12 but biologically they are 14-16 Meaning they look 14 to 16 years of age and among their kind are. They have the same experiences as a Human teenager but more quickly. It's not the same thing as the whole 'she looks 12 but she's actually 80' thing that I'm sure you too find disturbing in certain anime genres. It's very different from that - the character in this case has only been around for a few years and in that time is rapidly developing physically meaning they will be not as wise as Humans of the same comparable age (Teenagers). Only because they haven't experienced life as long as a Human and have been thrusted into maturity sooner. If a Human and a Dhasath where to go to a school the Dhasath would end up growing taller then their friends, getting facial hair first, and having sensual interests sooner. They'd be like those kids in school- who seem to mature more quickly but are still on the same level as their fellow students (even if they are mistaken as being older. I'm 25 now but I keep getting mistaken for someone who is 32 due to my appearance. I have sunken eye, a full beard, have to wear glasses, and have a receding hairline. Back in school it wasn't a big deal, teachers just called me an old soul, but now I keep attracting older woman - which I like- but they get a little put off by my actual age as they too assume I'm older then I am).

[Endem]

I'll be making a race if that's okay first

[Dyelli Beybi]

1.) I was thinking a Dhasath, yes, but I find the accelerated aging to be gross.

2.) Machiavelli didn't exactly get away with writing 'The Prince'; he still failed to get the job he was angling for when he wrote the book. And he's widely perceived as villainous or at least amoral, while my prospective character was intended to be a good guy whose manipulation comes across as good-natured guile instead of evil bastardy.

Hmm... I'll think about it.

It'd likely be the best solution. Unlike 'Lost in Space' whose crew was a family being sent to settle a new world the 'Destiny' is an exploration vessel (or was). I understand how gross the whole accelerated aging thing seems- but think of it in this light and it might be better. Chronologically the character is 10 to 12 but biologically they are 14-16 Meaning they look 14 to 16 years of age and among their kind are. They have the same experiences as a Human teenager but more quickly. It's not the same thing as the whole 'she looks 12 but she's actually 80' thing that I'm sure you too find disturbing in certain anime genres. It's very different from that - the character in this case has only been around for a few years and in that time is rapidly developing physically meaning they will be not as wise as Humans of the same comparable age (Teenagers). Only because they haven't experienced life as long as a Human and have been thrusted into maturity sooner. If a Human and a Dhasath where to go to a school the Dhasath would end up growing taller then their friends, getting facial hair first, and having sensual interests sooner. They'd be like those kids in school- who seem to mature more quickly but are still on the same level as their fellow students (even if they are mistaken as being older. I'm 25 now but I keep getting mistaken for someone who is 32 due to my appearance. I have sunken eye, a full beard, have to wear glasses, and have a receding hairline. Back in school it wasn't a big deal, teachers just called me an old soul, but now I keep attracting older woman - which I like- but they get a little put off by my actual age as they too assume I'm older then I am).

Thanks Harb, that is an excellent explanation...

The reason I wrote them that way was because they are supposed to have been exposed to strong evolutionary pressure (from the harsh environment of their homeworld) to grow up faster... it's also why they produce litters of offspring rather than single children - before they were able to manipulate their environment they would have experience extremely high levels of infant mortality.

[Dyelli Beybi]

I'll be making a race if that's okay first

Absolutely... though feel free to do both at the same time if you like.