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The Raegar are a bipedal mammalian species originally from the Rae’targah System, thought to be in the middle of the Gateway Sector, although their enclaves are now spread across Ascendancy space in the Trailing Coreward and Rimward Quadrants. Early Raegaran society was very collaborative, with each individual expected to contribute towards their family, clan and society at large. The social order was brutally maintained by police and heavy-handed societal expectations. Although war itself was rare, Raegaran society was highly militarized.
Regardless of their societal origins, Reagaran society has always been primarily shaped by a single biological factor - the genetic illness known variously as “Rae Diar”, “the black frost” and “RG-T42”. This illness is something all Raegar are born with; a single cluster of contaminated cells that eventually spreads to rot their bodies from the inside. It is always fatal and overcomes most Raegar in their early thirties, with none surviving forty years. The disease manifests as grotesque black boils growing from beneath the patient’s skin. Internally, it spreads slowly throughout the body causing growing discomfort, until eventually it fatally disrupts the patient’s internal organs resulting in a slow, painful death over a few days. The disease is genetic and cannot be spread to other races, and cannot be surgically removed without killing its host. Despite hundreds of years of research no cure has been found, though advancements in medication can remove some of the pain and symptoms and stave off death for a few additional years.
Their first encounter with wider galactic society was with Terrans - mostly rogue trader captains but also a few Ascendancy survey vessels. Using traded technology, they colonised their system and developed some warp-capable starships. Further development was cut short by the approach of the Dominion during the early stages of the First Tulaki Invasion. Opting to fight rather than submit, the Raegar clans banded together to present a united front. Many clans were lost in the initial skirmishes, but with considerable sacrifice the Raegar managed to capture some Dominion lander vessels and use their Gateways to board a few capital ships. Along with their own warp-capable ships, the Raegar abandoned their home system and split into a handful of flotillas which took the war to the Dominion. They assaulted Tulaki colonies, stripping them of resources and ships and then moved on, leaving scorched earth in their wake. With little attachment to territory, the Raegar used the Dominion’s logistical pathways against them and were a major thorn in the side of the First Invasion.
When the Invasion ended in a stalemate the Raegar flotillas, severely depleted after years of conflict without a home, were quickly absorbed by the Ascendancy. Having aided the Raegar during their efforts to harass the Tulaki, the Ascendancy granted enclaves on their worlds for Raegar noncombatants, provided the Raegar bend the knee and serve under the Noble Houses. Although the similar culture of the Ascendancy made the transition tolerable, many Terrans remain suspicious of Raegar insular behaviour. Raegarans were good soldiers and obeyed their new overlords, though they remained distant and self-absorbed from most of Terran society. While other species such as the Urgs consider them cowardly and dishonorable for their preferred battle tactics, their practical (if unforgiving) approach has led to victory in many theatres of war.
Physically, Raegar are more flexible and agile than Terrans due to a greater number of individual muscles. Their joints move far more liberally, allowing them to fit through gaps and confine themselves to spaces humans of the same size are unable to. Their internal organs function at a slower pace, allowing them to conserve energy excellently as they would during the harsh winter of their home world. So long as they restrain from physical activity or overexertion, they can remain still and sit for an indefinite period of time without needing to move for sustenance or to relieve themselves. Raegar have only one gender, though they reproduce sexually. They have genitalia akin to both the human male and female, allowing them to both conceive and father children. They are free to use whatever pronouns or description fits best when interacting with other races or the English language.
Due to the clan structure, their living primarily in enclaves and their insular nature, the Raegar have preserved some aspects of their historic culture. The clans are similar to feudal Ancient Terran cultures, each being led by a single individual and their blood relatives, guided by a group of trusted advisors. Below this level, each clan will house, raise and train a larger number of followers. There is an expectation to respect those who have served a clan longer, but officially all members of the clan at this level are equal. Clan members mix but classes do not, and respect is always shown to those above you. Since becoming part of the Ascendancy, the ruling class of Raegar clans are puppets of one or more of the Terran Noble Houses, and many clan members wear the colours of their overlords rather than that of their own clan. Raegaran fashion runs towards the uniform, and is characterised by stiff-collared, thigh-length jackets or tunics with a belt, and a pair of trousers with puttees or spats. Higher rank is usually denoted by better material and more embellishment. The militaristic dress style can result in other species confusing civilian Raegar for members of the military.
The Black Frost shapes the Raegar psyche - all Raegarans bear a physical memento mori on their bodies, an ever-present and painful reminder of their short lives. This has resulted in the majority of Raegar being stoic pragmatists. They know that their lives are short, and they do not have the time to indulge in fripperies or sentimentality. An individual’s life means little, and it is the larger institutions that must have priority - the clan, the family, the species as a whole, and the Ascendancy. Raegar build their houses from wood - quicker to build and repair, with stone reserved for official buildings that needed to last. Raegar do not value personal possessions - everything they need is provided by their clan, and when they eventually die it will be passed on to another.
The disease has created a shared sense of unity across all of Raegar society that has always trumped any rivalry or dispute between clans. However, it has also created a sense of insularity; Raegaran individuals will trust the word an acquaintance of their own race over that of a close friend who is not Raegaran. This is not from any sense of superiority, but from the bond of suffering that all Raegar share.
The stoic, class-based culture of the Raegar, combined with the cultural influence of the Ascendancy has resulted in a hierarchical “face-saving” set of behaviours. Politeness and subdued emotions are the norm, with outbursts and anger kept behind closed doors in the presence of close family or clan members. Raegar are expected to show discipline and loyalty, and present themselves with proper decorum in public. They are expected to show respect to those who have earned it by virtue of their status and deeds. However, this reserve is dropped in private when surrounded by their peers, and more friendly or rowdy behaviour comes to the fore.
Raegar are known for their excellent communication skills, both naturally and technologically. Travel and lengthy messaging are considered a waste of one’s short lifespan, so they quickly embraced radio and digital communication. The finest and most compact comms in the Ascendancy are Raegar made. This extends socially, also, as Raegar can be seen to regularly send messages to each other in small gestures or body language, allowing them to communicate without the need for words. Aside from communication, their society values most skills equally, from martial prowess to the fine arts. To waste time, be lazy, rest for long periods, or go without dedicating yourself to someone or something – these are considered vices. Ironically, this attitude appeared due to the disease’s increased progression when the host is awake, active, or mentally engaged. Those who choose to sleep and do nothing can live a decade longer than those who get up early everyday and work. The idea of a short life is ingrained into Raegar culture, and every second must be used to further your agenda, whatever it may be. Large families are encouraged under the same idea. There is no marriage equivalent in Raegar culture as having multiple partners over the course of a lifetime maximises reproduction. Monogamous relationships akin to a married couple are accepted but not popular.
Raegar names reflect their emphasis on Clan loyalty, as individual names are short, never longer than two syllables, and are always given after the clan name. For example, a Tyyn clan member named Staiger would introduce themselves as Tyyn Staiger, or simply as Tyyn to non-Raegar.
Raegar are humanoid in structure, with furred tails, large ears and distinctive striped skin patterning that emanates from their spinal area. Fur covers the Raegaran’s heads, ears, spine, and tails, usually in a consistent colour. Thicker areas of hair can appear on the face and forearms, making shaving and grooming facial fur a mark of status and fashion. Discoloured skin, in muted tones of varying colours, forms stripes emanating out from each Raegaran’s spine. These curve in geometric lines around to the individuals font, but do not meet. They are symmetrical and become darker and more distinct over the course of childhood. These marks are unique to each Raegaran individual, but there may be some similarity shared between family or clan members.
Most Raegaran will show external signs of the “black frost”, beginning as early as birth and as late as childhood. These appear as grotesque black boils on irritated skin, clusters of which will slowly grow to consume large areas over time. They are known to release pus, blood, and other unwanted fluids in more severe cases.
All Raegar characters are afflicted with the Black Frost, a progressive disease that will slowly kill them, for which no cure currently exists. Finding a cure for the Black Frost in-game may technically be possible, but will be no easy task and will likely have large-scale repercussions for the entire species, both player and NPC. The Black Frost is a staged Condition with gradually worsening symptoms, reflecting the progression of the disease and growth of the aberrant tissue. The Black Frost Condition has 10 stages - new Raegar characters may choose which stage of the Condition they wish to start at, and how the Condition will advance in play. The disease will only get worse, and as it does so the areas of visible infected tissue should become larger or more common. After the tenth stage, further advancement results in a painful death from the disease.
Certain triggers may cause the disease to advance to the next stage. These triggers may vary from character to character and at different stages of the disease, but common ones include surgeries in which red or black cards are drawn, receiving a severe injury, exposure to certain toxins or environmental factors, significant emotional trauma or prolonged periods of heightened emotions. A Referee may determine that a certain event or trigger will advance the disease to the next stage, although the disease can only progress a single stage at most for each event.
Living with the Black Frost grants Raegar characters a certain fatalistic resolve that they can use to overcome outside influences and push through injury and hardship. For every full stage of the disease, Raegar characters gain 1 Will Point, which they can use in the following ways;
Raegar characters can regain spent Will Points by participating in meditative work activity alongside at least one other member of their Raegar clan (so lone Raegar with no other Clan members present cannot do this). For every 10 minutes spent on these activities, each participating Raegar can regain 1 spent Will Point. The intervention of non-clan members invalidates the session - the close-knit and non-participatory aspects of Raegaran culture, combined with their fatalistic attitudes, are regarded with suspicion by many Terrans working alongside Raegar.
As the Black Frost causes them constant pain, most Raegar are somewhat inured to pain and discomfort. They suffer reduced pain from Conditions and roleplay effects, and may continue to act relatively normally even while suffering from burns, broken limbs and anything short of extreme agony. Raegar characters are not completely immune to these symptoms, and must respond in some way (fighting with a broken arm is still impossible), although their reaction to the painful Condition or effect can be significantly reduced.
