SS13 Species

No description.

1. #1LizardFolk

   Keys: Lizardfolk, Species, Lizardperson

   The lizardpeople hail from Tizira, in the Rizkalon system, though their centuries in the stars have seen them spread across a wide territory. Their society is deeply militaristic, with mandatory service for all when they come of age, and the military being deeply intwined into all government institutions. A poor availability of plasma stalled their technological progress, particularly in terms of FTL travel, which has left them behind humanity in technological terms, despite having been building a space empire while humanity was discovering the steam engine.

   Tizira (Life-Mother in Draconic), the homeworld of the Lizard species, is a rugged, arid planet, with shallow seas and limited arable land. The surface is covered with vast savannahs and deserts, and dotted with mountain ranges. The more humid regions near the oceans are greener, with rainforests and jungles in the tropical regions and steppes and temperate forests further north and south. The far north and south become bitterly cold approaching the poles, with taigas and tundras giving way to ice wastes. The planet's population of 10 billion is mostly congregated around the natural water bodies, with many of the largest cities being coastal or on major rivers. Further inland, settlements are smaller as water becomes rarer.

   The planet has an abundance of natural resources. Major deposits of high-quality iron, silver, coal, salt and fuel-grade hydrocarbons give the planet a rich material economy. This, alongside its status as the capital of the Tiziran Empire, has made the planet home to many major lizard corporations, and the wealth generated has made the capital a major tourist destination- though visitors are often turned off by the generally stuffy and oppressive atmosphere.

   Tizira's three moons (Atrakor, Pelara and Iskil) are sparsely populated for resource harvesting purposes. The largest of the three, Atrakor (Night Sky Lord in Draconic), was famously bombarded by the TerraGov Navy during one of mankind's wars with lizardkind, giving the Lord his distinctive scar. Additionally, Tizira has a number of major orbital habitats, which have earned a reputation as flying slums due to the poor conditions aboard.

   Life In the Imperial Tiziran Armed Forces: All Tizirans are expected to serve a five year tour of duty in the Tiziran Armed Forces, from coming of age at 16 until age 21. Due to how intwined the military is with governmental function, this tour can involve a wide range of duties- in fact, active service within an armed branch of service is the minority. A conscript may find themselves building roads in the Engineering Corps, patrolling the streets as part of the Peace and Justice Corps, serving as an aide in the Diplomatic Corps, or any other of a number of jobs that are only tangentially militarily related. Of course, in the event of an outbreak of war any active serviceperson, regardless of their daily duties, may be expected to serve on the front lines, but lizardkind has found themselves in a period of unprecedented peace for the past 150 years following the end of the last Human-Lizard war. Draft-dodging is illegal, but not entirely uncommon within the Empire, particularly as the distance from Tizira itself increases and governmental oversight drops. Quite frequently those in the furthest regions aren't even contacted by a recruiter, let alone conscripted.

   Generally Lizardpeople tend to form close knit communities with other Lizardpeople, and they tend to be wary around Humans, due to a combination of the limited amount of Lizardpeople on stations or ships but also due to the harsh treatment their species suffered over the years by Humans. While many Humans are somewhat racist towards Lizardpeople many Lizards tend to hold little ill will towards Humans, however some Lizardpeople can be just as racist towards Humans if not more so and are usually singled out as such. Syndicate and fringe criminal organizations are surprisingly welcoming toward Lizardpeople, whether this is due to them being genuinely progressive or them simply needing anyone of the right skill sets to work for them, the attitude is appreciated among the Lizardpeople that work with them and usually ensures a near unbreakable loyalty. Often appealing to their sense of being oppressed or controlled by a greater evil to win them over. Amusingly Lizardpeople who work with Nanotrasen Security forces also universally show a near unbreakable show of loyalty to their team. However this can be more attributed to how NT Security heavily emphasizes friendship and cooperation between security personnel which thus encourages high loyalty, that and a big paycheck.

2. #2Mothic People

   Keys: Mothic, Mothic people, Moths

   The Mothic people have made the most of life in the galaxy, despite losing their homeworld several centuries ago. The Moths come from a planet that has long since been lost, called "Lümla" in the Mothic tongue. The centuries since the exile have seen them coalesce aboard the Grand Nomad Fleet, a massive ragtag collective of ships of all makes and models. Life aboard the fleet has made the moths excellent engineers. The current state of Lümla is unknown. Some theorise that the planet is still inhabited by moths in a self-imposed isolation, and that those aboard the fleet are pathfinders, or exiles. Some theorise that the planet truly is lost to some disaster. Whatever the case, the moths aboard the fleet seem unwilling (or unable) to tell.

   The history of the moths on the galactic stage has been a rough one. After losing their planet (editor's note: we do mean they lost it- they have no idea where it is. The question of how the moths collectively lost their homeworld has puzzled historians for decades) they were forced into an exile aboard the Nomad Fleet, and the earliest years of these exiles were particularly tough for the species as a whole. The moths were driven to piracy to establish the fleet's strength, with mothic pirates becoming a scourge on the galaxy for the better part of a few centuries. These pirates were known for stealing parts from vessels they boarded, while attempting to minimize casualties amongst the boarded ship's crew.

   As the fleet established strength, and the moths' position became more secure, the piracy gradually stopped, and the moths began to pursue closer relations with the other species of the galaxy. The fleet now makes a tidy and comfortable earning via selling mothic engineering prowess and salvage, which they in turn use to provide for the populace.

   The Fleet is a patchwork entity, made up of thousands of smaller vessels. Some of the smallest have crews of 4 or 5, essentially being inhabited by a single family. The largest are ex-capital ships, or old colony vessels, with crews of thousands. Aboard the fleet everyone of a suitable age is expected to pitch in to assist with keeping it in tip-top condition. In practice, this means moths are assigned simple duties after turning 8. From age 13 they are sufficiently grown to assist with the harder labour, and at age 16 they graduate to their final position within the workplace, alongside being assigned to a new vessel.

   Rationing is in full effect aboard the fleet, with each individual crewmember being issued with a book of ration tickets each week, alongside a box of essential supplies. These tickets are divided into two categories- meal tickets for purchasing food at the ship messes, and luxuries tickets for buying non-essential items like cigarettes or snacks. The supply of tickets is relatively generous when supplies are good, which they are most of the time. However, when rations become less abundant, the fleet must collectively tighten their belts to compensate.

   Housing aboard the fleet is similarly austere. The lucky crew are the ones aboard ships with dedicated crew quarters, where they may get a personal room, or have to share with less people. The moderately lucky might get a personal rack, or their own segregated space in a converted area. The truly unlucky will find themselves in converted cargo bays with little to no privacy.

   Moth wings are near useless outside of low gravity environments- this does not stop them from priding themselves on their wings and flaunting them around. This is because their wings are particularly precious to them, and most Moths will defend them with their lives.

   Moths are a humanoid species, with 2 arms, and 4 wings, they are covered in fluff, and have 2 antennas which serve as a receptor for their keen sense of smell. Moths have a very keen sense of smell. It is their primary sense for perceiving the world, and they are often big fans of perfumes which they can coat themselves in. Their antennae serve as their main olfactory receptor, as they have no noses. (How do they smell? Like whatever they doused themselves in.) Moth wings are near useless outside of low gravity environments- this does not stop them from priding themselves on their wings and flaunting them around. This is because their wings are particularly precious to them, and most Moths will defend them with their lives.

3. #3Ethereals

   Keys: , Ethereals

   The history of the Ethereals on the galactic stage begins with the discovery of their homeworld, Sprout, by human explorers in the 2400s. At the time, the Ethereals were in an epoch roughly comparable to our own early middle ages, as the institution of feudalism was hitting its apex and the very beginnings of nationhood were starting to bud. Scientists were thrilled by the opportunity to observe a society developing, and as such initiated a program of observation of the Ethereal world, via an observation post high above Sprout. The scientists were strictly forbidden from interacting with non-spacefaring races under the TerraGov Statute of First Contact at the time, and so the observation consisted exclusively of passive monitoring. That was, at least, until the day a disaster struck the station.

   On July the 12th, 2465, a routine resupply at the observation post would go horribly wrong, as the resupply vessel's engines became stuck at full throttle on approach. Unable to halt the ship's advance, the crew made for life boats, as did the crew of the station. Uncontrolled, the resupply vessel crashed into the station, and pushed the wreckage into the planet's orbit. The resultant crash on the surface started a colossal wildfire throughout Sprout's extensive jungles, which would eventually burn 20,000 square kilometres of jungle before a monsoon halted its advance. Around 40 human crew were now stranded on Sprout, a planet which had, until a few moments beforehand, been entirely unaware of the existence of alien life. This (understandably) caused a huge panic on Earth, as the TerraGov senate argued over the correct way to proceed.

   Following a fierce debate, the way forward was chosen- the crew must be rescued, and an incident of this scale was impossible to cover up. Therefore, it was decided that an unprecedented uplifting of the populace of Sprout was the only reasonable course of action, such that humanity could assist with rebuilding the destruction on the world. This decision was met with widespread disapproval from the rest of the galactic community, viewing the move as an assertion of human dominance over a helpless nation, giving them no chance for self-determination. But, it was too late to reverse now, and the uplifting would begin only a few weeks following the disaster. 24 of the stranded crew would be recovered, with the remaining 16 either dying of injuries related to the evacuation, or having been captured and executed by the Ethereals.

   The process was far from clean, and was met with an understandable amount of pushback by the Ethereal populace at the start. As time went on, however, the Ethereals accepted their fate, and began their rapid ascension through the ages. After all was told, they received around 1500 years of technological advancement in 50 years.

   Sprout is, to the casual observer, a typical jungle world, with an extensive hydrosphere and an incredibly rich biosphere. This, however, does not account for the true uniqueness of Sprout's ecosystem, as nearly the entire planet subsists on electrical energy. This process has baffled biologists, who have wound up describing the planet's biosphere as being closer to a colossal machine, with flora producing electrical energy and fauna consuming it. Each of the planet's fauna is also closer to a machine than a true biological construct, with the Ethereals being arguably the best example. The planet's capital is located close to the impact site of the observation post, which was itself turned into the planet's first, and largest, spaceport. The new concrete jungle bears little resemblance to traditional Ethereal construction, instead having been brought by the humans- making the entire city a perfect microcosm of Sprout as a whole. The Ethereals are now essentially in vassalage to the human state, with their traditional cultures being eroded in favour of what the humans import. This process has led to efforts to maintain the Ethereals' traditions, some peaceful, such as those trying to keep religious holidays and traditional music alive, and some less peaceful, such as the reactionary militias made up of the traditional warrior and priest classes who seek to halt human expansion and drive the invaders from Sprout.

   Ethereals themselves are a biological oddity, with an internal organ structure and life cycle that puzzles even the most decorated xenobiologists. Their skin is translucent, revealing both their blood- a complex, bioluminescent solution similar to battery compositions known colloquially as Liquid Electricity- and their internal organs, which are crystalline in structure. How exactly these crystals function is unknown. Analysis of the chemical makeup of Ethereals reveal that they are not carbon-based, but silicon-based, which has lead some to theorise that the internal working of an Ethereal is much like a humanoid flesh-and-blood machine.

4. #4Plasmamen

   Keys: , Plasmamen

   Easily the most outlandish crewmembers aboard Nanotrasen's stations, the enigmatic Plasmamen confuse mycologists and anthropologists alike- not that the Plasmamen care, of course.

   Humanity first came into contact with Plasmamen on the moon of Indecipheres, Freyja, though not in the form we know today. Instead, they were first discovered in the pools of liquid plasma across the moon's surface. Researchers noticed that the plasma responded to electrical stimuli, and this prompted further study, which revealed the existence of small fungal lifeforms in the plasma, which were named Colonids. Already this was a major discovery of alien life, and so samples were taken to be delivered back to the Sol System for better analysis. Along the way, however, the true nature of Plasmamen would be revealed.

   Marcel Delacroix, a researcher aboard the vessel carrying the plasma samples, was performing a routine analysis of Colonid content within several of the tanks. While leaning over one of the tanks, he lost his footing due to a wet floor and fell in. Marcel perished due to plasma exposure within seconds. As his crewmates prepared to recover his body from the tank, however, they were startled by the sound of banging on the tank wall- coming from the inside. Turning around to view the tank, they were met with a gruesome sight. There stood Marcel, skin and tissue sloughed to the bone, with a strange purple fuzz across the entire skeletal structure. The creature hissed and screeched as it hammered against the wall.

   The tank was drained, save for a small quantity of plasma at the base, and an inert gas pumped in to prevent any risk of fire. This left the researchers with a dilemma- Marcel was obviously dead, and yet his skeleton had been reanimated, as if by some dark magic. The fuzz on his bones was of particular interest, and a sample was taken for analysis. Upon inspection, it was revealed to be a coalescence of Colonids, strung together into a membrane not dissimilar to muscle. Each individual organism seemed to retain some capacity for independent thought (however much independent thought a single mushroom micelle can possess, anyway), but were banded together in a way that seemed beneficial to all involved.

   Next came testing the creature's intelligence, which yielded another remarkable discovery: that it possessed human-level intelligence, with the capacity for complex thought, and even some ability to mimic language with only the minor contact it was receiving each day. This led the researchers to the conclusion that the Colonids acted as a hive-mind of sorts, and that as more came together they increased their mental aptitude. Sadly, however, the "birth" of the first plasmaman would claim Marcel entirely- no traces of his previous personality remained. The fungal colony was a new being- or many beings, as the case may be- inhabiting his body. With the creature displaying no hostile intent, it was allowed to leave its holding cell, having been given an EVA suit filled with a mixture of plasma and argon to allow the Colonids to breathe, and to prevent any risk of fire. He happily assisted with work aboard the vessel until its arrival in Sol, seemingly being curious about the new world of opportunities it had been given.

   Initially, corporations were interested in the possibility for using Plasmamen as a weapon of war, given they could be used to quickly raise a force of expendable soldiers for deployment. However, this fell down as the corporations were introduced to initial test subjects, who showed little signs of aggression. In fact, more Plasmamen were interested in cooking, or cleaning, or even taking up law, than they were fighting on the front lines. Corporate interest waned, except for that of Nanotrasen, who instead saw an opportunity to fill out their workforce with Plasmamen- particularly given they had taken control of a large stake on Freyja itself. Plasmamen began showing up on spinward stations in the late 2550s, and are now an uncommon, but not unheard of, sight in the workforce, equipped with newly designed envirosuits to meet the rigourous requirements of the Colonids for survival.

5. #5Felinids

   Keys: chimera, Felenids, Cat person

   Created by genetic alteration, the Felinids have long suffered mistreatment and oppression due to being viewed as genetic chimeras and abominations. The mastery of the human genome was a key step in giving humans complete control over their bodies. The alterations possible via gene therapy are extensive, such as the treatment of genetic disorders, right through to cosmetic changes to things like eye colour. No treatment, however, was as controversial as going beyond the human genome, into the realms of splicing. One such treatment was animalisation- the splicing of the human genome with selected traits from various animals. Despite their widespread availability and range of possible treatments, animalisation was viewed by many as a step too far, beyond simple alteration into outright adulteration. Mutants of these types were viewed as no longer human, but some lesser species, tainted by animal DNA, and this mistreatment forced them away from Earth. The frontier regions and further human space are therefore inhabited by a significant diaspora of animalids, including felinids. Here, they live in relative peace compared to what they would experience in the core, with many present animalids being descended from those who initially received treatment centuries beforehand. Felinids are a particular subbranch of animalids, created (perhaps obviously) via the introduction of selected genes from cats into humans. This treatment led to the development of vestigial ears, a tail, and light facial alterations. The side effects include the development of excessive body hair and mental changes, as well as a potential risk for additional side effects due to tampering with the genetic code. The effects take several weeks to be noticeable post-treatment, with the process being described as "agonising" as the body is forced to unnaturally shift and change. In recent years, however, there has been a major uptick in the number of felinids specifically in the galaxy, linked back to a major incident involving cloning. A large batch of Cloning Factor A, a critical chemical utilised in cloning, was deliberately contaminated by the chief chemical engineer, Eleanor Normandy on duty at the Trasen-Pauling Chemical Plant on Prosperity on the 14th of January, 2560, with a large quantity of Interdyne Pharmaceutic's KitX serum. The effects of this sabotage were unnoticed for around 2 weeks, when many cloning subjects at Nanotrasen gene clinics began to display the signs of animalisation. The scandal would create waves across human space, quickly becoming too large for Nanotrasen to cover up. This led to the decision to close many cloning facilities due to lost consumer trust, with Nanotrasen reserving the technology only for internal use- and making Interdyne the primary company for selling the technology to the public, having managed to take over their competitor's market share with promises of "strict quality control". Eleanor Normandy would die during interrogation, having had a microchip implant within her brain remotely detonated during questioning. Her true employer was never found.

6. #6Vigox

   Keys: , Vigox

   The Vigox are a mercantilist species of Avianoids, well known to the Tizirans but rarely seen in human space. Described as tall, stocky and viciously intelligent carrion birds, the Vigox are imposing, and their nature as obligate carnivores who like their meat raw does little to make them more welcoming. Their home system is located on the opposite side of Tiziran space to Earth, and their home planet of Amadea is harsh, with scrubby foliage and black sands under a baking hot sun, from which the Vigox built a small but powerful galactic empire. A number of valuable goods are produced in their domain, under the control of dozens of corporate entities- who all compete for influence and power. Despite everything, the one thing the Vigox corporations hate more than each other is the idea of being invaded, so in the face of increasing risk from surrounding nations, particularly the Tizirans, they banded together into a loose-knit confederation. Their planetary leadership is the Central Vigox Directorate, an oligarchic council headed by a president they refer to as the Chief Executive, who is "elected" to their position for a period of 10 years in a bidding war between companies that frequently turns violent. Even when there is "peace" between the various corporations, political violence and assassination is common. Goods from the Vigox are sold on to nearby states, and then again onwards to proliferate outwards. Humanity gets most of their Vigox-made goods via a particular space-shipping corridor known as the Amadea Run, running through Tiziran space. As a result, anything Vigox-made carries a heavy premium in human space due to the dues paid to the lizards to get it through- except those that can be smuggled through, which results in an odd situation where the black market for Vigox goods in human space is both cheaper and more well-stocked than legal channels.

7. #7Terintans [Ancient- Disabled]disabled

   Keys: Terintans, Precursors

   The galaxy is an old place, and as such, there are species that have had their time in the sun- taken to space, grown to an empire, and then unceremoniously and inexplicably ceased to exist. The Terintans are one such race of "precursors". An insectoid species, the Terintans were somewhat similar to terrestial beetles. Their wings, hard carapaces, four arms, and compound eyes would have made them an imposing sight on their own, but the Terintans also had another defining physical characteristic- their remarkable height. Estimates place the average height of a Terintan male at around 9ft, and some armour measuring to 13ft has been uncovered. Female drones were somewhat smaller at around 8ft, but the true titans of Terintan society were the Queens, whose chambers in ancient ruins would suggest they grew to around 30ft long. Evidence points to the Terintans having been a warrior culture, and a particularly bloody one at that. Trials by combat appear to have been common, as well as duels of honour. Much of their society seems to have been dedicated to servicing the military machine, with limited cultural advancement outside of that provided by their dominating religion. Their hive worlds place a lot of emphasis on grand temples and military buildings, with little set aside for living. The Terintan Empire is believed to have been quite large, even in comparison to contemporary states, with evidence of their existance found from locations as close as the Spinward Sector to some as far flung as the Core Tiziran Empire. It is unknown exactly why the Terintans ceased to exist, but some evidence seems to point towards a series of disasters hitting the empire at the same time. While weakened, one of their many troubles finished them off, but historians are unsure whether this was a disease, an invasion, or some sort of major ecological disaster on their homeworld killing off an irreplaceable number of Queens, leaving their society to atrophy- certainly, all of these occurred, but which was the final nail is a point of debate. One thing is for certain, however- while they may be gone, they've left their mark on the galaxy. Many ancient hive-worlds still exist, although the ruins are covered over by millenia of erosion. The most well known to humanity is Ancienne in the Spinward Sector, which is remarkably well preserved.

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