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Vassal Species

Each of the four Factions encompass many worlds, some of which are peopled by vassal species – less powerful or numerous species that are under the protection of one of the main groups. Vassal species can have access to strange powers and abilities based on their alien physiology, but cannot participate in the society of their parent Faction to the same extent, and draw fewer advantages as a result – although exceptional individuals may be able to work hard to attain equivalent status. Vassal species may have racial abilities assigned by the game team, usually determined by the coolness and size or unwieldiness of their physreps. If you would like to play a member of a vassal species, please contact us with your ideas – a brief synopsis of the kind of species you have planned would be great, as well as your intended physrep plans.

The key points regarding Vassal Species –

  • Vassal Species are part of a single Faction. Your vassal species must be linked with one of the existing four factions, which their main government will have pledged allegiance to.
  • Vassal Species are distinctive. Your vassal species must be distinguishable from the three main faction species – Humans, Tulaki and Elysians. Therefore all vassal species must include at least some elements of physrep that unambiguously distinguishes themselves from other species. So, very human-seeming aliens like the Betazoids in Star Trek (whose only distinguishing feature is their lack of an ocular iris) will be refused. Same goes for reptilians who might be confused for Tulaki (unless you incorporate significant other elements like feathers or similar), or pointy-eared humanoids who resemble Elysians. Vassal races are a good excuse for you to use cool and elaborate costume, which we would encourage.
  • Vassal Species are at a social disadvantage within their host faction. In most Factions, Vassal species will be discriminated against to a greater or lesser degree. The Empire regards their vassals as lower-caste, the Tulaki consider them to be lower status until they prove themselves as individuals, and the Elysians tend to be condescending (and Vassals are unable to use certain Elysian psi-tech). Vassals are probably most well-received in the Free Union, but even there they are playing catch-up to the humans. In addition to the in-character disadvantage of this, buying Reputation Skill levels for your own Faction costs 3 points per rank for Vassal species instead of 2.
  • Vassal Species, or elements of them, can be vetoed or altered by the Game Team. Please contact us if you want to create a vassal species to play – we would like to integrate your characterisation into the game, but there may be some elements or themes that don’t fit into the game world or that we would rather not see explored. We are unlikely to say no to a concept, but may have some alterations to allow it to fit into the setting.

Known Vassal Species

Ascendancy Vassals

Urgs

Urgs are an aggressive race from the Urgholme system in the Hyades Sector, deep within Ascendancy space. They are one of the earlier races encountered by the Terrans as they expanded outwards after discovering warp drive technology.
Character: Urgs are quarrelsome and enjoy combat, but they are quick to submit to the orders of those that they consider to be an authority figure. They enjoy participating in military activities with a bit of pomp and ceremony, particularly when being observed by superiors. Within their species, they value honours and medals very highly as symbols of status, and have a hightened (if fragile) sense of pride.
Appearance: Urgs are physrepped by a full-face balaclava “orc” style mask. The colour of the mask can vary, usually between black and olive-green or beige.
Abilities: Urgs are naturally tough, and start with 3 locational body hits and a Death Count of 250 seconds.

Sollen

Sollen fit in well within the Ascendancy’s order, being naturally inclined towards finding a position in society, and a low impulse to question authority. They are originally from the Sollest system in the Crux Sector, where their dying star promoted a rigidly ordered system to conserve resources. Since being integrated into the Ascendancy, they have spread far and wide, exported in numbers to make use of their facility with machines.

Character: Sollen have a tendency towards being humble and self-effacing, and prefer to blend in with the crowd or lurk in the background rather than occupy the spotlight. They take a quiet pleasure in facilitating the success of others, and ensuring that both machines and society run smoothly.
Appearance: Sollen appear very similar to humans, but possess three thin bands of horn-like growths on their foreheads, radiating outward from their eyeline. These horns are ringed with scaly plates that vary in colour from blue to green and red.
Abilities: Sollen are physically quite frail, and start with only 1 locational body hit and a death count of 200 seconds. They make up for this with their aptitude with machines and devices – Sollen start with 1 rank of both the Engineer and Extra Mods Professional Skills for free.

Free Union Vassals

Yelk

The Yelk are a race of sentient fungi, occupying the caves of Fornax XII in the Veil Sector. The surface of Fornax XII is periodically bathed in lethal radiation from its star, but life thrives in tunnels carved by rivers into the calcium-rich rock that is abundant on the planet. The Yelk evolved as an extremely cooperative society to exploit resources and protect themselves from predators, and were making the first steps towards interplanetary spaceflight when their radio signals were discovered by the Ascendancy in 3294PT. Due to the First Tulaki Invasion occurring at the time, the majority of contact between Terrans and Yelk was visits by independent traders and scientists, most with separatist leanings. The Yelk were among the initial signatories of the Sovereign Worlds Charter in 3370PT.

Character: Yelk are a highly cooperative species, and enjoy being close to others. They have a tendency towards empathy and being tactile with their friends and allies. They form strong communities and firm friendships in those they trust.

Appearance: Yelk are entirely white-fleshed, as befits their fungal nature, although some exposed parts may have become beige or brown due to UV light exposure triggering a protective melanin coating – but their irises will always be white (you can use contact lenses to achieve this effect). Yelk have an array of long, thick hyphae extending down from their “head” structures (this vaguely resembles smooth dreadlocks), rather than anything resembling hair.

Abilities: Yelk do not have internal organs – their specialised tissues are distributed fairly evenly across their entire body. As a result, they do not have locational hits – instead, they have 6 global hits, and become unconscious when this total is brought to 0. Each +1LH they would gain normally instead becomes +3 Global Hits. Armour worn by a Yelk functions as normal (i.e., it is locational). Yelk have a Death Count of 200 seconds.

Commonality Vassals

Reskan

Reskan are hive minds of tiny insects that adopt humanoid forms.
Character: Reskan hives always refer to themselves as “we”. They are highly cooperative with allies and tend to form strong friendships.
Appearance: Reskan are made up of millions of tiny, chitinous insects that resemble Terran beetles or flies. These insects tend to be shades of black and browny-red, but some can be partly iridescent. This can be physrepped with a mask or other head-covering decorated by tiny insects – the exact type of insect used can vary – Reskan hives contain a number of different specialised insects that perform different functions. Some form of thin mesh to obscure the eyes would be ideal to incorporate into the mask or suit. The rest of the body should be covered with clothing, or incorporate the insects on any exposed areas.
Abilities: Reskan hives are extremely difficult to eradicate – when they take damage, a few individual creatures die, but the majority merely disperse into the local area. As a result, they do not have locational hits – instead, they have 10 total body hits, and become incapacitated when this total is brought to 0. Each +1LH they would gain normally instead becomes +3 Body Hits. Reskan cannot wear armour – their bodies are unable to support its weight. When they do take damage, Reskan hives can rapidly reintegrate separated individuals as long as they remain in the area – they regain 1 of their total body hits for every minute they remain in the area where they took damage, as long as they are not in combat or performing other intensive activities. Reskan hives are also immune to the LETHAL call, and call RESIST any time they are hit by it.
Reskan hives are also vulnerable to certain specific attacks – the DISRUPT call causes a massive loss of hive cohesion for a short time – if a Reskan is hit with DISRUPT on their body hits, they suffer a KNOCKOUT effect for 30 seconds (which can be reduced by the Steel Head skill as normal). If a Reskan Hive is incapacitated (on 0 body hits), a DISRUPT call will begin their Death Count (rather than LETHAL). Environmental toxins can rapidly poison a Reskan hive – their many-bodied forms respire from everywhere, so the hive can quickly take on a lethal load of toxin. Reskan are unable to use respirators (but can still take advantage of full-body forms of environmental protection), and environmental toxins progress in a quarter of the time it takes in most species. Reskan are also unable to use most injectors without some kind of specialist delivery mechanism like an environmental suit.

Boreans

Respected by the Commonality for their plant-like nature, the Boreans are a race of humanoids with photosynthetic microbes embedded in their cells. (They are NOT sexy tree nymphs).
Appearance: All boreans have completely green skin, coloured by the chloroplast-like bodies in their cells. Their blood is thick and dark, and is often visible as veins beneath their skin, particularly around their neck and temples.
Abilities: Although they are no tougher than a human, their physiology allows them to recover rapidly from injury. Boreans regenerate lost locational hits at a rate of 1 every ten minutes. Their thick, sap-like blood also increases their Death Count to 300 seconds.

Dominion Vassals

Xak’noth

The Xak’noth are a race of human-size insectoids, covered in chitinous carapaces. They are strong devotees of the Path of Tulak.
Appearance: Xak’noth are giant insects, looking like beetles of cockroaches. They have hard plates of black chitin all over their bodies (this can be physrepped by worbla plates or similar rigid materials sewn into a costume). Their faces also have chitinous plates and mandibles.
Abilities: Their hard carapaces serve as a form of natural armour for the Xak’noth. Xak’noth cannot wear armour, but have the equivalent of heavy armour on all of their body locations (3 locational armour hits). This carapace cannot be repaired as armour, however, and must be healed as if it were body hits by a physician who must also either possess at least one rank in the xenobiology skill or be a Xak’noth.
Xak’noth are also resistant to radiation. Radiation Conditions take twice as long to affect or progress with them.

Kelki

The Kelki are more reluctant subjects of the Dominion. While they have embraced the quest for individualistic success that is the heart of the Path of Tulak, they have more problems with the aspects of encouraging others to succeed. The Kelki are a highly individualistic and competitive species.
Appearance: Kelki are humanoid in general shape, but possess pointed ears and heavyset, gnarled brows (both achievable with prosthetics). Their skin is mostly human-like in colour, although their faces above the cheekbones are covered with a light coating of brown fur shot through with silver patches. Psionic Kelki have patchy fur that glows in psionically active areas (physrepped by UV-reactive make-up), and some have irises that do the same.
Abilities: Some Kelki are psionically telekinetic, able to use their mental powers to affect the physical world in a far more direct way than Elysian psions. They can spend character points on basic psionics, and also improve their psionic abilities. The extent of their powers is not well-known among the other races of the galaxy, but it is known that they can generate effects similar to the REPEL and KNOCKDOWN calls.

vassal_species.1519732938.txt.gz · Last modified: 2019/08/13 16:54 (external edit)