Marzoxians

The inhabitants of Marzox 2, a metal-rich jungle world on the Empire’s border with the Skein Reach, are a bipedal reptilian race with great size and strength, but a metabolic reliance on warm temperatures. Their planet was purged of life by an Imperial Bombardment Fleet when the planetary resistance refused to submit to the Imperial Crusade sent to pacify the planet.

Their Strength and Agility attributes are both +1 during character creation, and their Social attributes are -2 due to their status as refugees from a rebellious and heretical planet.

They stand an average of 2 meters tall, though they measure closer to 4 meters in length from snout to tail, and weigh an average of 80 kilograms. They are hermaphroditic when need be, but in their society on Marzox 2 they mainly reproduced sexually within complex cyclic social cultures which took macro-environmental factors into consideration.

Marzoxians are most comfortable in a humid environment of 30 degrees Celsius, but are comfortable (if slightly spastic) up to 45 degrees.

When in environments colder than 20 degrees Celsius without special clothing such as a vacc suit Marzoxians suffer a -1 DM to all rolls.

Below 10 degrees Celsius Marzoxians must make Endurance checks to take any actions, with an additional -2 DM to the Endurance check per 10 degrees colder.


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The Mantid

mantid warriorHighly adaptive, fast-evolving, scavenging insectiods, the Mantid are an alien species spread through the Skein Reach. Terrans describe them as looking like a cross between a praying mantis, a wasp, or a humanoid ant.

Individuals and colonies vary considerably as the Mantid’s genomes will adapt newly laid members to their environment within a few generations. Thus it is common so see a population of Mantid that are adapted to a tiny abandoned space station, or a world with an otherwise toxic atmosphere. Their carapace can be of any color based on available minerals and their place in Mantid society. For example, warriors will often have dark stripes or patterns contrasting with grays or earth tones. The statistics presented below represent typical examples of those who are adapted to living on starships or space habitats.

The Mantid are extremely social creatures and demonstrate high degrees of cooperation and devotion to their colony. Though their language is not well understood, xenobiologists postulate that they communicate both with a spoken symbolic language and through pheromones. These chemical communications seem to generate simultaneous emotional responses through a colony – if one is attacked the fight-or-flight response rapidly spreads to all Mantids in a group. Most other sentient creatures find the Mantid’s pheromones unpleasant and describe their habitats as “smelly” or “stinky”. (more…)


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The Mutane of Ruwa’duniya

Homeworld: Ruwa’duniyaMutaiOrigMed

Mass: 9/14,400 KM (1.25g)
Atmosphere: 11/Corrosive
Temperature: 11/Hot
Hydrology: 9/ 86-95% surface is water
Population: 7/ Tens of millions

Starport: 7/Class C
Government: Rating 10
Factions: 2
First faction: rating 8, Hereditary Oligarchy
Second faction: rating 8, Captive government (Imperial colony)
Law level: 10
TL: 13

Race: The Mutane

Ecological Stock: Carnivore/Chaser
Gender: 2 genders
Reproduction: Live-bearing
Size: Large
Locomotion: Swimmer/legs
Symmetry: Bilateral Symmetry, 3 pairs of limbs
Limbs: 1 pair locomotion (fin/feet combination,) 2 pair manipulators (1 pair humanoid arms/hands, 1 pair tentacles.)
Speed: Fast (12 m on land, 18m in water)
Ability scores: Str 3d6+1 Dex 1d6+1 End 3d6 Edu 2d6+1 Soc 2d6+1 Int 2d6
Starting age: 18
Base height: 245cm + 4d6x5
Base weight: 260kg + 4d6x5
Alien traits:
Atmospheric requirement
Heat endurance
Fire resistance
Cold vulnerability
Aquatic
Amphibious
Natural swimmer
Multiple limbs
Natural armor
Natural weapons: claw/bite
Darkvision
Low-light vision
Acute hearing
Scent

Backstory:

The Mutane evolved to be the dominant species on the planet Ruwa’duniya, a water world situated on the Imperial border with the Skein Reach, which has only a handful of scattered islands on its surface.  Imperial xenobiologists theorize that the Mutane were uplifted by the ancients and given self-awareness hundreds of millennia ago from aquatic mammals like Terran dolphins or orcas.  Unlike the Terran cetaceans, the Mutane had evolved with legs that allowed them to move about on the islands that dotted the planet, and two sets of limbs that allowed fine manipulation of tools.
Already being the apex predators worldwide, the uplift led to the Mutane dominating all aspects of the environment on Ruwa’duniya.  Over time, tribes formed and the Mutane developed an oligarchic government. Several hundred years ago, Imperial scouts discovered Ruwa’duniya and the mineral deposits hidden beneath the ocean, leading to an attempt at conquering the world.
While the Empire managed to subjugate and win over part of the Mutane population, the others maintained their traditional government and began a long, quiet war against the Empire and their fellows who had accepted imperial rule. The rebel oligarchic Mutane often will venture off-planet, particularly if they are from a family near the bottom of the society, these sojourns usually last a few years at a time, although some Mutane have left their home for good.  The rebels also send envoys to the Federation and the more powerful operators in the Skein Reach, looking for help with removing the empire from their world.
Those who swear allegiance to the Emperor are valued as shock troops, both in zero-g and in operations on other worlds with large amounts of water. The Mutane tendency to have psi-talent also led to recruitment into the Emporor’s cult of psions (called the S’ith in guarded whispers).

Appearance:

The Mutane are clearly aquatic, with heavy bullet-like torsos and thick legs and arms ending in webbed hands and feet that sport short, sharp claws.  They tend to have very short, thick necks and wedge-shaped heads.
Mutane have large eyes that have very little white and no pupil, and a vast variety of iris colors that change for many different reasons. Close medical examination of Mutane eyes has revealed that the irises actually contain many different pupils that adjust in size to control light reception, they also have multiple lenses that allow very acute sight both above and under water.
The eyes are located on either side of a stout bony ridge that supports a head fin, as well as what Imperial xenobiologists refer to as a “snorkel” that allows the Mutane to breathe without completely surfacing.
Circling the neck and coming up over the back of the skull are a series of vents that serve as combined auditory and olfactory receptors, providing them with exceptional senses of smell and hearing.
All the openings on the head are protected by extraordinarily tough nictitating membranes that resist the corrosive atmosphere of the planet.
As striking as the other features of the head are, the mouth tends to draw the most attention.  Nearly invisible when closed, when a Mutane opens its mouth it appears to replace the rest of the face with a toothy abyss.  The shape of the mouth makes it difficult for Mutane to vocalize at all, and actual language is out of the question.
Mutane communicate amongst themselves with a complex sign language, for communication with other species they often use a “speech box” that is tied to their nervous system and language centers.  Mutane also often develop basic telepathy which allows communication without issue underwater as well as with other species.
The entire body of the Mutane is covered in tough hide that is ridged and furrowed all over, lending a great deal of hydrodynamic advantage.  The skin ranges in color from green and blue to black.  Some Mutane have iridescent patches of skin, a feature that is prized among members of the rebel oligarchs.

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Character Race: Treant

Wise and long lived, these fey creatures are guardians of the forests and the wild places of the world. Sometimes, when they are very young, these tree-people will venture out into the world to explore it, or to defeat an evil that threatens their homes.

RACIAL TRAITS
Average Height: 4´ 2˝– 7´ 2˝
Average Weight: 150–520 lb.
Ability Scores: +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom
Size: Medium
Speed: 5 squares
Vision: Normal

Languages: Common, Elven
Skill Bonuses: +2 Nature, +2 Insight
Nature’s Health: You have one additional healing surge per day.

Firmly Rooted: You can use Firmly Rooted as an encounter power.

Firmly Rooted ✦ Treant Racial Power
Digging your root-toes in, you hunker down and stand your ground.Encounter ✦ Immediate Reaction when effected by a push, pull or slide
Target: Personal
Effect: You are not moved by the push, pull or slide that triggered the power.

Nature’s Stilness ✦ Treant Racial Power
Composing yourself and standing still, you become indistingushable from a normal tree to the untrained eye.
Encounter – Standard Action
Target: Personal
Effect: As long as you stay still, you are indistingushable from a normal tree. An opposed Nature Skill Check is required for a observer to notice your true nature.

Play a Treant if you want . . .
✦ to play a tough character who is connected to the natural world
✦ to play a wise champion of nature
✦ to be a member of a race that favors the cleric, fighter, shaman, and warden classes.

Physical Qualities
Treant resemble humanoid trees, with two thick legs ending in many root-like toes, two arm-like branches with twiggy fingers, and generally with leaves and foliage sprinkling their bodies and as hair and beards. Young treants can be anywhere from 4 feet to 7 feet tall, and quite heavy due to their woody bodies.

Playing a Treant
To a Treant the natural state of the wilderness is home. Not hunted by predators, they are not combatative in the way most other humanoids are. Generally the only threat to their lives comes from those other humanoids, either by the destruction of their natural habitats or directly. Not requiring food or shelter the way most races do, they are generally uninterested in wealth and posessions beyond the simple things they need to live. Ocassionally, a young treant will have a curiosity about the world and will go wandering, generally unnoticed by those they pass among.

Treant Characteristics: Most treants are slow, thoughtful, sedentary, in tune with nature and the wilderness, solitary, and traditional.

Male Names:  Treebeard, Quickbeam, Fangorn, Leaflock, Finglas, Skinbark, Fladrif, Beachbone, Bregalad,

Female Names: Fembrithil, Wandlimb

Treant Adventurers
Three sample Treant adventurers will appear in upcomming posts.


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