Fan Races!!

[taalismn]

Also reference Don McLean's song 'Vincent', with its openning line 'Starry, starry night...'

[taalismn]

I suppose I'll feel obliged to create something like the Goghnite RCC, a race of beings whose poor eyesight sees colors vividly but lacks acute definition of detail...They tend towards manic depression, and a culture that engages in ritual self-mutilation(fortunately they have advanced regeneration as a trait). Known as artisans in the Three Galaxies, with a perchance for decorating their homes and vehicles with naturalistic scenes done in the swirling impressionistic style they favor...

[Blue Eyes]

heya

how goes the effort of making a RCC base darkmax?

BE

[taalismn]

And after the Goghites, we have the Picassans, who are permanently phased in a 2-d state...their eyes are all on one side of their body...

And the Pollackans, who appear as a cloud of multi-colored strands and smears, like a floating disembodied cicrulatory system, or ink suspended in water....nobody's been able to make heads or tails of them....

[taalismn]

LOL!

And we have the Ruebenites, Mychelangeloids, and the Hopperins, to name but a few of the many artistically-inclined, but otherwise unremarkable, races out there....

[Roscoe Del'Tane]

I've had an idea for an entire race of critters with Super Consumption and low inteligence, so here they are.

Grusk

These beings (they either have high animal intelligence, or low sentience; they really only have room for thoughts about how to get at their next meal) only have one desire, EAT WHAT YOU CAN, and anything and anybody will do. They have no qualms about eating an entire village of people, or their crops, or their huts, or the dirt beneath the huts… They are quite large, average size is roughly six-thousand pounds. They look like an spider elongated to twenty feet long and eight feet tall, with a wolf’s muzzle at each end, two dozen eyes scattered all over their body, and eight long leathery tentacles sprouting out of their backs.

They originated on a metal dessert planet, with fierce winds capable or stripping layers off of even Mega Damage structures. They evolved thick, crustacean-like armor on their bodies, and a ravening, insatiable appetite. They hunted ‘small’ humanoid critters living in caves and ravines, and were generally content with their life. Then a fresh brood managed to sneak on board a space ship that had set down for emergency repairs. The Grusk younglings had managed to keep their hunger under control long enough for the unwitting saps to fly them to their base in another system, and then struck.

They swarmed out of the ship, and devoured everything and everybody in their path, right in the middle of a Splugorth controlled city. Needless to say, they were swiftly subdued with spells and psionics, and eagerly trained up as gladiator slave stock. The have been given the opportunity to eat all they want, and usually only suffer minor danger, so they are as happy as a pig in a compost heap. Since then, they have been shipped to all manner of worlds, both as an amusement, and a weapon against the natives.

They have a most unusual method of reproduction. They must first gorge themselves, consuming no less then four times their body weight in living tissue, whereupon, they go into a near hibernation trance. After an hour or so, they spit into up to 3 dozen younglings, which immediately began eating the corpse of their former parent (who dies while giving birth), before ravaging the surrounding the countryside, and beginning the whole process again (Takes 1d4 years before younglings are old enough to become parents themselves).

Alignment: HUNGRY! FEED ME!
Lifespan: in the wild, up to 20 years as an individual, in the gladiator pits or as a pet, only 1d6 + 4 on average.
Size: adults: 20 feet long and 8 feet tall, up to 3 tons. Young are usually only about three feet long, and one foot tall and two to three hundred pounds apiece.
Gender: Asexual reproduction
ISP: 2d6
PPE: 2d6
Horror Factor: 14 when first attacking, and only if you’ve heard of them.
Natural Abilities: Track Game + 10%, Prowl +20%, Climb +5%, Land Navigation +10%.
Available OCC’s: EAT! Work good as attack beasts and such, not good for PC’s (as they would eat their partners at the first chance)
Tentacle Damage: 2d4 MDC + PS bonus
Bite Damage: 6d6 (maybe + 6) MDC
Kick Damage: 2d6 MDC
Attacks per Melee: SPECIAL! Each tentacle gets one attack, and the rest of the body gets 3 attacks.

Attributes:
P.S.: 30 + 3d6 (Supernatural)
I.Q.: 2d4 + 1
M.E.: 3d4
M.A.: 1d4 + 2
P.P.: 3d6
P.E.: 20 + 2d6
P.B.: 1d4 +2 (ugly as sin, only a sploogie could love these things)
SPD: Max normal running speed is roughly 30 miles an hour, not counting the bursts you can get with Super Consumption.

H.P.: 2d4 x 5
S.D.C.: 4d6 x 10

Culture: EAT WHAT YOU CAN!!! NUM-NUM-NUM!!
Technology level: OOH! CRUNCHY!!

In M.D.C. environments, they are definitively Mega Damage, possessing Supernatural Strength, massive amounts of H.P. and S.D.C., a long reach, and an insatiable appetite.

Super-Powers: Super Consumption (Even works on AR’s up to 18 and Mega Damage materials), Super Regeneration, Lightning Reflexes, and Increased Durability. (Note: Grusk cannot swim, and will sink like a stone and drown in deep water, but will brave water up to it’s ‘knees’ to get at food)

Grusk have been put to good use on some space stations and planets, functioning essentially as garbage disposals and incinerators.

[Roscoe Del'Tane]

Dang it's outer space Pac-men Cool race perfect for a random encounter. Great job.

Yeah, I kinda had this mental vision of a giant mouth swallowing a guy in power armor, and the whole Grusk race built itself from that.

...I kinda took the name from my nephew, he's like 6 or 7, and loves combining words, so Grusk is a combo of GRuff and brUSK. Simply 'cause I figured that would be their attitude to meeting new people.

Got a couple ideas for the 'small' beings mentioned in the Grusk write up, but they are still in the fledgling stages of thought.

[taalismn]

Hmmm...these guys are more like a monster than a sentient race...but I suppose the intelligence factor means that some bleeding heart love-thy-neighbors types out there will defend them from any effort to put them on a permanent diet of death..."They're just following their natural instincts! They can't help it!"...you know the types...The first to eat sucked down by the rampaging monster....

Accordingly I find myself thinking of a race whose very anatomy makes them a Grusk's worst nightmare...the Ipecacians from planet Upchyuk...Their major distinction is that NO race or monster finds them nourishing or appetizing in any way...their flesh is completely indigestible...in a way they have a form of immortality....even bacteria normally associated with decay won't touch a dead Ipeccacian, so they have to cremate their dead and recycle the ashes into plastics and concrete...Their bas taste is matched only by their bad taste...they are one of the largest buyers of kitsch in the Three Galaxies, and they're completely color-blind to boot....

[Roscoe Del'Tane]

Hmmm...these guys are more like a monster than a sentient race...

Ok, maybe I didn't explain it correctly. They are smart, their instincts are simply so powerful that they usually only have about an hour or two of lucid thought on their homeworld (cause food was scarce, so they had to spend all their time hunting). Once they were shipped out by the Sploogies, and were given adequate sustenace, they were revealed to by much smarter than origonaly thought. They simply choose to follow whoever gives them the best deals (I.E. edible foodstuffs), which is why they make such good guard beast. Sorry for the confusion about that [BAD Roscoe! BAD!].

They are about as intelligent as dolphins and chimps, only able to actualy speak to people, and smart emough to remember dozens of different passwords and command phrases. Most of those who function as guard beasts and watchdogs don't care about the legality of what they do, as long as they are fed on time (and come on, who in their right mind would try to starve one of these guys!) .

[taalismn]

But like most of us, their stomachs rule their minds....

Thanks for the clarification!

[Aramanthus]

nice RCC Thanks for sharing it!

[taalismn]

CCOOOKKIIIEEEE!!!!! Ummm... Chummm...chumm.....

Roscoe, I rest my case..the Original Cookie Monster has spoken on the subject, and you can''t argue with Sesame Street(well, you could, but you'd have to be an idiot to seriously pursue it...).

[Roscoe Del'Tane]

somehow I think it is ....cute....

...remind me to never visit your petting zoo!

Darkmax "And over here we have the rabid wolf run! Please be sure that you have applied your barbeque sauce liberally before entering the cage. Remember, running will only make them hungrier, enjoy!"

[Aramanthus]

I think you stepped in something other than mud DM.

[taalismn]

somehow I think it is ....cute....

...remind me to never visit your petting zoo!

Darkmax "And over here we have the rabid wolf run! Please be sure that you have applied your barbeque sauce liberally before entering the cage. Remember, running will only make them hungrier, enjoy!"

Saves on overhead for feeding and upkeep....

That's how some Splugorth zoos are run, anyway....

[taalismn]

seems to be coming from your side....

NinjaB....DON'T turn around...run...quickly...towards us...
Don't worry, Darkmax will take care of.... it....

[taalismn]

like a nature reserve... the only thing allowed to be hunted are the visitors....

Wondered why the admission price was so low....
Or that there was a little sign in fine print that read 'exit fee'....

[taalismn]

Everything you got left...and maybe if we're feeling nice, we'll open the door for you to slip out...
But the beasts haven't fed for a while, and you look..well..PLUMP comes to mind...

[Roscoe Del'Tane]

Wondered why the admission price was so low....
Or that there was a little sign in fine print that read 'exit fee'....

I think that's a misprint. It's supposed to read 'exit FREE", as in there is no exit!

[taalismn]

Oh, but there is a fee....all we ask is YOUR MORTAL EXISTANCE!!!

[Roscoe Del'Tane]

Sandmen (Skribkon-quop)

These odd beings evolved on the same metallic desserts as the Grusk, and were the latter’s main source of nourishment for millennia before the Sploogies shipped most of them off-world. Since they live in a desert made out of grains of metal, they ingeniously evolved to ability hide in plane sight. Every member of these people have a modified version of APS: Sand, in which they turn into a living pile of metallic shavings.

The warriors (actually, more along the ling of those who guard the home-caves against the Grusk), have also evolved the power of Multiple Beings/Selves and Heavyweight, in order to better allow them to protect their people. These ones tend to be very straight-laced, with a dour or incredibly nasty sense of humor, and do not react well to practical jokes and the like. If given the command, they would die without hesitation, or kill even their own families without the slightest pang of regret. Everything they do is for the betterment of their people, and they will pay any price to allow them to survive. Warriors make up between 10-15% of the total population of a tribe/clan, and never rise above 20%.

The Thinkers (mages and psychics) have the APS: Metal Shavings and Gravitational Plane, and the other basic abilities, and are mostly concerned with the mental and spiritual health of their people, and in some ways, are even more devoted to them than the warriors. They do have a very dry, and course sense of humor, and can often be found causing each other to crack up with jokes and pranks just before some serious bit of business or spell-casting. These ‘enlightened’ souls generally make up around 20-25% of the total population, and are considered the cream of the crop; everybody else may be disposable, but they must be protected at all cost!

The average worker only has APS: Metal Shavings, and generally works quickly and quietly, doing their best to keep things running smoothly, and staying out of the way of those higher up on the food chain than they. They are the stereotypical serf, peasant, and peon in the medieval tales, and quite happy with their lot; they work under almost 5,000 years of cultural brainwashing, telling them that they are less that nothing, and everything will be provided for them if they only behave and do what they are told. Surprisingly enough, this actually seems to work; they get up, do their chores, and go to bed aching and tired, but secure in knowing that they have done their part to ensure the survival of their species. They generally make up 60-70% of the population, and are proud that they do the most work; work that would cripple or kill lesser beings only leaves them tired and aching.

5-10% of the population is the Engineers (a subset of Workers), these unfortunate souls are those who try to meet the incredible demands and timetables of the Thinkers. Over worked, underfed, and incredibly bitter, these wretches work sweatshop hours for little to no recognition, and are regularly beaten and humiliated to keep them in line. For all of that, they wield considerable power, being the ones who actually make the weapons and armor the mages and warriors use, design and make the tools the workers use, and plan the expansion of the clan.

The Skribkon-quop appear (when not Shavinged) as small centaur-ish spiders; mostly humanoid people to the waist, with a spiders body lower than that. They are covered in thick, calloused plates, with boney protrusions around the joints and eyes. Speaking of which, their eyes are hardened, like polished obsidian, to better protect them against the abrasive winds of their world, and are fixed in place. This is offset by them having six eyes scattered across their head, and the fact that they can do that owl thing (spin their head around almost 270 degrees), so it is not that much of a problem.

Their hands are generally small and delicate, capable of surprising dexterity, especially with their razor sharp claws tipping each finger. They only have six legs, but each one is quick and nimble, able to propel their bearer swiftly into and out any situation they might need to go. Their skin is typically the color of well tempered steel, mildly reflective, but not enough to see anything in great detail. This actually allows them to sort of blend in with the shaving dunes on their home world (+5% to concealment or prowl skills), but a detriment every where else (-10% on other worlds or places). They have little to no body hair, and even then the Thinkers are usually the only ones allowed to have hair, all other must shave it off or pluck it out. The Thinkers are fond of short, spiky crew cut type styles, but painted or dyed a myriad of colors.

Their language is a mish mashed conglomeration of whistles, hoots, pops, clicks, chirps, warbles, and body language. Most other life forms are at a major disadvantage (-20%) when attempting to speak this language, but it flows both ways. The Skribkon-quop are also at a -20% penalty to speak other languages, their mouths are simply aren’t formed properly to make the sounds, and their brains have a hard time making sense of the sentence structures other beings use. So they usually just use telepathy to communicate, and to heck with the other species if they are offended by that.

And now, the numbers.

Alignments: Any and all. Thinkers tend towards the more evil alignments, but the others could be anything.
Lifespan: 120-150 years.
Size: When standing ‘normally’ their heads are about four and half to five feet tall. They can raise themselves up to another two feet in height by standing on their tip-toes, but this cannot be maintained for long, and it reduces speed to one-third normal.
Gender: Male and Female.
Appearance: See above
Attitudes: Warriors: Cold. Aloof. Alert for dangers to their people. If you’ve read the Wheel of Time series, think of a Warder. That would fit them perfectly.

Thinkers: Wisecracking trouble makers, Snobs, bullies. They are also caring towards their people as a whole, but determined to keep themselves in control of the power, and will do almost anything to ensure that. A perfect example of how power corrupts, they take the least amount of risk that they can get away with, take all the credit for the successes and none of the blame for the failures.

Workers: “I am unworthy. I am a cog in a machine. I am expendable. Let me sacrifice myself so you may live, Thinker.” That would summarize their thoughts pretty well, they think of nothing except service, and work; and if that means that they must die, so be it. If assembly lines were ever to take hold on their world, they would be swiftly stamped out, and the ones who inflicted such an abomination would be brutally assaulted, and thrown out of the hold in a sandstorm.

Engineers: “Kill me. Please. No, seriously; I have no hope of meeting my quota, and can’t afford to lose another leg. Put me out of my misery.” That sums them up nicely. Utterly miserable, and loathing life in general; if anybody offered them a way out, they would take it in a heartbeat if the conditions were even slightly better. On the whole, a pathetic bunch of people, so downtrodden and used to being beaten, that they automatically expect it, but see no hope of a better life. Truly a most miserable people.

Attributes:
P.S.: 3d6 (extraordinary in flesh, Super-human when in Shavings Form)
P.E.: 3d6
P.P.: 4d6
I.Q.: 3d6
M.A.: 3d6
M.E.: 3d6
P.B.: 3d4
SPD: 20 miles per hour cruising speed, can run in sprints double that for short periods (P.E./2 minutes)
I.S.P. and P.P.E.: Determine as normal, but Thinkers only use HALF the normal cost; they have some way of using less power with no sacrifice in power or range.
H.P.: P.E. +2d6.
S.D.C.: 3d6x10+20
Natural A.R.: 12 in S.D.C. settings
M.D.C.: Combine H.P. and S.D.C.

Available O.C.C.’s: Just about anything can be chosen, from scholar to Cyber-Knight, to Man-At-Arms. The Juicer, Crazy, and Bionic conversions will not work on a Skribkon-quop due to their utterly inhuman physiology.

Culture: Based around the mages and psychics, but otherwise a normal tribal people. Most of the time decisions are made by a Council of Elders (ALWAYS Thinkers, no others are trusted enough), but occasionally a Warrior or Worker is allowed to address the Council to make a suggestion or ask a question of them. Engineers are never allowed to do so, and any that dare are horrifically mutilated as incentive for the rest to keep their minds on their jobs. They think that they are the epitome of elegance and excellence, and the severe beatings that they have been taking in space have not hindered that in the least.

Technology: They first made metal work in the caves they live in, after finding geo-thermal vents, and quickly figuring out smelting and blacksmithing. They stayed in a type of Dark Age for millennia, until they finally figured out advanced computing technology. They are just starting to explore the stars, but are way behind in terms of tech. If the rest of the average tech level is the U.S.A. today, they would be America at the beginning of WW1. Not really any threat to anybody at all, and too proud to ask for a hand, or to scavenge tech to reverse engineer it. It will take them several hundred years more (at least 4-500) before they are even close to the others, and that’s if they aren’t snapped up by the TGE or SPloogorth first.

APS: Metal Shavings (Major) By Roscoe Del’Tane [this is an alteration to APS: Sand from P.U.1, not a power wholly of my own creation. Credit also goes to Jason Lukowski who made the original power.]

1 ) Limited Invulnerability: A.R. 15, S.D.C. of +400 in Shavings Form. Any attack that is below the A.R., does no damage to the Shavings being, but will do 1d4 damage to the attacker (if it was a punch, kick, or other bodily attack). Explosions do half damage, and scatter the character across double the blast radius, and it takes them 2 melee rounds per five feet they were scattered across to regroup. Energy attacks do full damage if they are above the A.R., so do magic attacks and psionics.

2 ) Increased Mass and Strength: Weight is increased two and a half times, and an additional 2d6 to strength (roll ONCE, the first time this power is used, it will be the same from then on). Character fatigues at roughly one quarter rate while transformed, and strength is considered Super-human while in the Shavings State (warriors strength is doubled and superhuman).

3 ) Alter shape: Character can squeeze into just about any small hole in an object. He can pour himself down a drain, squeeze under a door, push himself through a keyhole, etc. Doing so will leave tell-tale scratches and grooves in the surface though, so care will be needed. Roughly 100 pounds of material can be moved every thirty seconds (2 melee rounds).

4 ) Shaving Storm: Character blasts apart into a whirlwind of shaving particles that fill a 10 foot area per 2 levels, which lasts for thirty seconds per two levels. Victims are -6 to strike, parry, and dodge while in the storm, and for an additional 1d4 melees after storm ends. Since the character makes the storm out of his body, no other action can be made while this is going on.

5 ) Shavings Blast: Character can pound others with a blast of condensed metal shavings, with the feel of being whacked by a metal bat.
Range: 40 feet, +5 per additional level.
Damage: 2d6, +1 per additional level
Attacks per Melee: one per shot.
Bonuses: P.P. or combat bonuses only

6 ) Shavings Blind: Fires a blast of super fine shavings at the eyes or sensory organs of the target.
Range: 20 feet, + 5 per additional level
Damage: 1d4, and blinds opponent for 2d4 melee rounds (only one, if that entire melee round is spent washing eyes out), not effective against those with goggles or armored eyes.
Attacks Per Melee: one per shot.
Bonuses: P.P. or combat bonuses only

7 ) Shavings Behemoth: This power is only usable if there are large amounts of metal shavings or grains/powder available (3-400 pounds). They can takes that additional mass and incorporate it into their body, either doubling or tripling their size.
Range: Self
Duration: Two minutes per Level
Attacks Per Melee: Once per melee, the character can increase his size, doing so costs two attacks.
Bonuses: +1 to strike, 2d4x10+30 to S.D.C. per increase in size, and +2d6 to damage from punches/kicks.
Penalties: -4 to dodge, speed is cut in half.

8 ) Burying attack: Pour lots of shavings on top of your enemy, and try to suffocate them. This attack does 3d6 damage, and covers them from head to toe in metal shavings. They have three minutes to free themselves before they begin to suffocate. Victims have half hteir normal attacks, and can barely move their arms. Unless they have SNPS, extraordinary speed, digging powers or similar, they are at they mercy of the attacker.

9 ) Merge with Metallic shavings: Character can dive into a pile of metal shavings and merge seamlessly with it, the naked eye will not be able to detect them inside the pile. Speed is reduced to one third while merged.
Once merged, the character can try to make a whirlpool attack. The whirlpool is roughly 15 feet wide, by 10 feet deep. Every even level, the pool gains +1 to width and depth. Can be cast up to 30 feet away. Everything else is the same as APS: Sand.

10 ) Odds and Ends: The S.D.C. of the Shavings form recovers at four times the normal speed. They don’t radiate heat or scent while transformed, and speed in half. They still need to breath, but only half as much. Optional H.F. of 10, +2 when Behemothed.

[taalismn]

Definitely an exit fee.... It's for the entertainment given to you by the animals preying on the other less fortunate visitors.

Who's Claresse?

He's channeling Hannibal Lector....


Oh...and Roscoe! From out of nowhere in the Frozen North!
Great and strong showing!

[Roscoe Del'Tane]

Oh...and Roscoe! From out of nowhere in the Frozen North!
Great and strong showing!

that's extravagent praise coming from the Great and Powerful Taalismn! Keep a lookout for my new race coming soon. [kicks reverb machine] "It's now time for Paladins....IN....SPAAAAaace!"

[Roscoe Del'Tane]

No idea what you are talking about.......

Hannible Lector is from 'Silence of the Lambs' a psycological thriller/horror-type movie. My Palladins in Space line I took from an old Muppets Show skit, Pigs in Space.

[taalismn]

Gonzo...Futur Indian cinema filmstar...provided he didn't kiss any chickens...
Anybody remember the 'Mad Bomber' before political correctness and fears of terrorism got him scrubbed from the show?

[Roscoe Del'Tane]

Bwahahahaha! That's pretty funny Ninjabunny!

Yeah, they had Swine Trek and in one episode they had Mark Hammil do a Luke Skywalker parody. In another episode they had Gonzo try and catch a cannonball, but streatch his arm way out...Good times.

Anyways, here's my Paladin-esque Race

“Hammer and Sword for Justice, Thaelin Lord!”

When the Megaverse was young, just after the Ancient Ones had been bound away in their prisons, the Vampire Intelligences roamed all of existence, and ravaged countless worlds. They preyed on multitudes of races that were too primitive to fight back, wiping some out, and enslaving others. Few were deemed worthy of keeping even as food, those that were, were brutally enslaved. This is the story of one of those races.

Their real name has been lost to the passing of time, not even they remember who they once were, they simply call themselves Thaelinites now; but what they do know is the horrible treatment they suffered at the hands of the Vampire Intelligences. After seeing their friends and family being drained and turned into horrible perversions of life, the population of a large town fled, hiding on an island far out of sight of land. There they wept bitter tears for themselves and their family, who were doomed to fates worse than death. That night, at the vernal equinox and a lunar eclipse, they offered up prayers and pleas to all of the Gods, begging for aid in their plight.

One and all, they received a glorious vision; a new God of Light, Thaelin Thunderstrike, who had heard their calls and offered his aid. But his aid came at a price, as he warned them, “All of those I would help must swear to me, body and soul, for all eternity, as well as all of your children who prove worthy. I will own you, and shall do with you as I wish; if any of you think this is too much, say ‘nay’, and I shall spare you.” One and all, they pledged themselves to their new God, and were transformed in a glorious burst of light. Some grew massive crystal wings that glowed with radiant light, others had their mental abilities magnified; and the last group was changed too, wielding that which their enemies feared above all else. With their newfound abilities, and the teachings of their God, they stormed back to their former homeland, and destroyed the Vampire Intelligences, and their foul servants, one and all, once and for all.

Their celebration was short lived, however. In changing his new people, Thaelin had made a minor mistake; he had granted them amazing powers, but at the cost of their appearance, they were as hideous and grotesque as they could be, turned as monstrous appearing as the vampires were in mind and soul. The Swords skin grew baggy, hanging limply off their bones, almost as if it were rotting while they lived, their eyes and mouths took began to brightly glow red, as if containing the diseased fires of Hell in them. The Hammers flesh split open, disgusting lesions weeping foul-smelling puss covered their body, and their hair took on the consistency of course-spun hemp. The Shields bodies grew warped, twisting in odd ways at the joints, revolting lumps of hard fat covering their heads, teeth-like bone protrusions sprouting out of their arms and legs, and worm like tentacle-growths covering their chests.

Their celebrations turned to weeping and sadness, no longer where they attractive, looking like the essence of nightmares, surely they would be welcomed by no other peoples. Thaelin grew angry at this, and screamed at them. He had given them what they had wanted, the chance to attack their oppressors and win, and they were acting like spoiled children denied a candy-fruit. They were his to command, and they were not going to disgrace him like this. He needed them to free other peoples, other races who were under the threat of vampires and evil. He finally convinced them that they were not corrupted, despite the foulness of their forms, and were still goodly people. Drying their eyes they set their shoulders, they took up their arms once again, and strode off after their God, going onward forever into battle eternal, helping others as they had been, smiting evil wherever they found it, and bringing peace and order to countless peoples.

They have since put up settlements on several other uninhabited planets, but with heavy anti-vampire defenses firmly in place. Whole fields of garlic planted around their cities and plantations, moats filled with water constantly moving, etc. Most of the labor that goes on outside the cities is done by robots and androids, so there is no chance of the vamps hypnotizing the workers. Everybody (even the bots) wear clothing with crosses emblazoned on them, as well as on all of the buildings, streetlamps, manhole covers, and windows. Even with the anti-vamp paranoia, they don’t ignore the possibility of attack by other dangerous critters, and every soldier on the planet is given full access to weaponry that can fell other types of monsters as well.

All this paranoia about vampires and evil forces has led to some unfortunate encounters over the years. Like the time a squad of soldiers staked and killed a trio of Goth teens dressed up as a vampires, or the time a group of alien ambassadors got water-ballooned because of their glowing red eyes and prominent fangs; the list is rather long, but the Thaelinites would rather ere on the side of caution and have to pay fines and be reprimanded than be under siege from vamps again. It is every soldiers duty to carry at least one anti-vamp weapon; even when on vacation, most are never seen without at least two or three (not counting crosses and garlic necklaces). Even those off duty and on leave almost always wear concealed body-armor, and carry crosses (which light up in order to drive the vamps back at a distance); and it has become something of a fashion to carry silver tipped wooden walking sticks when off duty or on leave, all the better to hurt vamps (and it looks really cool, but that has nothing to do with it).

Their paranoia about being attacked by vamps has gotten so bad, that they eat garlic with every meal, even when they are infants. They frequently have garlic smoothies, eat deep-fried garlic like popcorn, and use garlic toothpaste. By the time they are 20, the garlic chemicals have built themselves up in their system so strongly that it is actually painful for a vamp to try and feed off them (no appreciable damage to H.P., but it stings like the dickens). Another affect is that many of them (45%) so reek of garlic that even normal people can smell them five to ten feet away easily. Their mere presence (without their environmental armor) is usually so strongly garlicky to alert the vamps.



The Swords of Light, (a.k.a. the Ruined Angels)
These men (all are men, no women morph into Swords), have grown into the airborne warriors/scout wing of Thaelins Army. They are the most beautiful when they are younger, but warp the fastest. They are only fertile after their powers manifest themselves, but before they Warp. Their powers manifest at around age 16-17, and it takes 3-4 months for their wings to grow in fully. Once they hit 20 years in age, every month they have to make a roll vs. Lethal Poison at -5; if they fail more than 2 in the space five months, they begin to warp. Note that all Swords will Warp by age 22, no exceptions. Warping takes place over three or four days, and reduces all stats by half until it is over, also all P.P.E. and I.S.P. are burned up during the transformation.

Attributes:
P.S.: 4d6
P.P.: 3d6
P.E.: 3d6
I.Q.: 3d6
M.E.: 3d6
M.A.: 3d4
P.B.: 20+ 2d4 before Warp, 3d4/2 after Warp
SPD: 3d6
I.S.P.: Equivalent to half M.E.
P.P.E.: Equivalent to half P.E.

Natural Powers: Night vision at half normal range, See in Infrared and Ultraviolet 90 feet, resistance to Psionics +3 to all saves.

Super Powers: Super Energy Expulsion: Light, Mega Wings: Crystal, and Divine Healing

The Hammers of Justice (a.k.a. the Pus Hags)
These women (all chicks, no men become Hammers), they tend to warp last, but are only fertile after they Warp; which makes it a bit uncomfortable for reproduction. Their powers manifest at around 20-21 but don’t warp until they hit 28-30. Once they hit 28 years old, they must roll once a week against Lethal Poison to resist the Warp. If they fail more than twice in the course of three months they begin the Warp, but never stay un-Warped beyond 30 years old.

Attributes:
P.S.: 3d6
P.P.: 3d6
P.E.: 3d6
I.Q.: 3d6
M.E.: 3d6
M.A.: 3d4
P.B.: 3d6 before Warp, Halve that after Warp
SPD: 3d6
I.S.P.: Equivalent to half M.E.
P.P.E.: Equivalent to half P.E.

Natural Powers: Night vision at half normal range, See in Infrared and Ultraviolet 90 feet, resistance to Psionics +3 to all saves.

Super Powers: APS and CEF: Water, plus Vibration.

The Shields of Virtue (a.k.a. the Melted Ones)
The Shields are the Psychics in Thaelins Army, mostly serving in heavy weapons support, as well as providing some supernatural firepower in close quarters combat. They are the middle of the ground in terms of Power attainment and Warping. They gain their powers around 18-19 years old, and Warp at around 23-25, 5-6 years to the day their powers manifest. They are the only ones fertile from when their powers manifest onwards add-infinitum, but they are the fugliest of the bunch.

Attributes:
P.S.: 3d6
P.P.: 3d6 (after Warping, this is cut down to 2d4 + 3)
P.E.: 3d6
I.Q.: 3d6
M.E.: 3d6
M.A.: 3d4
P.B.: 3d6 before Warp, 2d4 + 3/2 after Warp
SPD: 3d6 before the Warp, 2d6 + 3 after the Warp
I.S.P.: Equivalent to M.E. x4 + 3d4x10
P.P.E.: Equivalent to half P.E.

Natural Powers: Night vision at half normal range, See in Infrared and Ultraviolet 90 feet, resistance to Psionics +3 to all saves.

Super Powers: Comparable to Master Psychics, but one out of 20 is considered a Mind Melter Class.

Alignment: Any, but typically Scrupulous and Aberrant
Lifespan: 150 years after Warping
Size: 5 ½ to 6 feet tall.
Gender: Heterosexual beings. Only one child in ten is a viable member of the Thaelinites, as the others are either stillborn, or miscarried due to the massive amounts of magical energies flowing through their bodies. Only Hammers, Swords, and Shields are capable of reproducing, but their children have none of their parents abilities for most of their childhood.

H.P.: P.E. +1d6
S.D.C.: 40
M.D.C.: Half combined H.P. and S.D.C. in Mega Damage settings (does not do M.D.C. without the proper weaponry, but they can take it).
P.P.E.: Increases at a rate of 2d6 per level (they might not be natural mages, but they all receive training in the use of TW items).

Disposition and Attitudes: Friendly and cheerful, even as they rush into battle against evil. Despite their looks, they are actually quite friendly, and will not usually attack good beings unless attacked first. While they have no wish to harm good beings, they have no qualms about vampires and other evil critters, and will gladly kill them without pause; a few even go so far as to torture them for information (or fun).

Horror Factor: For those not used to Thaelinites, they have a Horror Factor of 11 for Swords, 12 for Hammers, and 13 for Shields (after the Warp obviously). Unlike most Horror Factors, this can be countered by spending several months around them, every month after 3 drops the H.F. by 2, once the H.F. hits 6 it is considered dispelled for that person.

Technology Level: Slightly above Triax, but well below that of Naruni Enterprises. They have equivalent to most of the items in the Rifts Books (just use what’s cannon unless it’s really rare or unbalancing), but do differ in some areas.

Cybernetics and Bionics: Equal to any found on Rifts Earth, with a twist towards vamp hunting (some have even had armor and weapons made of wood and enchanted with the Ironwood spell bolted onto them for extra effectiveness), with plenty of crosses, silver, and water sprayers.

Augmentations: Thaelinites are close enough to baseline humanity that the unaltered stock can become Juicers, Crazies, and ‘Borgs. However, there are enough differences to ensure that only the Regular Juicer, Hyperion, and Phaeton Juicers have any real chance of success. Those who do become Juicers almost always undergo Detox and convert into full Conversion Borgs. Those who are undergoing the Crazy conversion always get the micro-rod implants, no sense in letting the enemy know exactly what their up against (that and it makes wearing a closefitting helmet kind of difficult).

Magic Level: Roughly equal to that of the United Worlds of Warlock. They have collected a large number of mages from amongst other races, who spend most of their time maintaining spells and making weapons and potions and such.

Population: roughly 20-30 million at any given time. They dwell mostly in space, upon Thaelin’s Forge (a massive 20 cubed mile space ship, and other assorted dreadnoughts and other heavy-duty @$$-kickery type of ships), where they blast through the Megaverse, fighting evil and spreading Order and Law to the unenlightened masses. They also garner recruits upon these worlds, to bolster their numbers, and gain those to maintain their machines and spells. Often times they will trade weaponry and training in their use in exchange for recruits and or food stuffs. Thaelin’s Forge has highly advanced manufacturing capabilities; they usually stop at mineral-rich asteroid belts or deserted moons and planets to restock their supplies of ships, armor, and weaponry.

Superpower Distribution: 10% Swords, 10% Hammers, 10% Shields, roughly 5% mages. 2 to 3% at a time have “Rogue Powers”, those not normally seen in Thaelinites, usually only 2 Minors, or one Major, but can be anything from the lists. The other 62-3% is relatively powerless, but is possession of potent technology and TW weapons.

Allies: Nobody and Everybody. They really only form short term alliances; they stay long enough to teach the natives of a world how to defend themselves, before moving on to other planets or dimensions.

Enemies: All forms of evil. They don’t really differentiate between Evil Alien Intelligences and Evil Governments; one is as bad as the other, and both are to be resisted and overthrown when and where possible.

[Aramanthus]

Nice! Thanks for the new RCCs! They look cool!

[Roscoe Del'Tane]

Nice! Thanks for the new RCCs! They look cool!

Thanks Aramanthus!
[looks at what he posted] Aw crud. I posted the wrong file! This is the OLD write up! I had another one, detailing the standard type of equipment they have, some of their TW items, that sort of thing...

ARRRRGH! Guess I'll have to go did that file up, see you guys in a bit with the rest of the Thealinits info.

[Aramanthus]

Don't worry just edit it. It'll be cool!

[Roscoe Del'Tane]

TW/Special Items: Note: Most of these costs I just made up, ‘cause I can’t find my books with the rules for creating TW Item’s, so please ignore any inconsistencies, or point them out to me so I can fix them, thanks.

Flash Bang “Blinder” UV grenade: One shot only, obviously. When this grenade is used, it casts a “Globe of Daylight’ in the immediate vicinity (15 foot radius) that lasts for 3 melee rounds. These are typically used to break up vampire formations, and to drive them into designated kill-zones. Cost: 3,500 credits per grenade.

UV “Vamp-Crisper” Spotlight: Usually mounted on a weapon or shoulder armor. Modified version of ‘Globe of Daylight’, fired from a flashlight, used to drive vamp’s back, keep them at bay, and illumine the path ahead. Costs about 1,000 credits, it costs 25 P.P.E for a one-hour charge. Can have a charge system added as well, allowing for up to three charges to be contained in precious stones on the outside of the unit, costs another 3,000 credits. A cross can be added for about 100 credits, can be welded to the lip of the spotlight, or clipped on, or put on as a flip down, person’s choice.

Standard “Choir-Boy Armor”: Equivalent to the Old-Style “Dead Boy” armor, only visually different; silvery-white, with silver spikes along the gauntlets and boots, with golden sunbursts across the shoulders. Helmet looks like a blank steel face-mask, with a golden cross across the eyes and mouth. Comes with a level 5 “Armor if Ithan” spell on it. Two charges, lasts for five minutes apiece, re-filling it yourself costs 15 P.P.E. While the “Armor if Ithan” is active, the character has a halo over their head, and glows with holy light.

Illuminated “Cross-Boy Armor”: The Standard Armor can get this upgrade for assaults on Vampire Headquarters. Large crosses are enameled onto the armor (front, back, arms, legs, head (front and back), and neck[all sides]), and enchanted to glow when Vampires approach. Not only does this warn the wearer of approaching danger, but also serves to drive the vamps backwards. Costs roughly 20,000 in credits, costs 30 P.P.E. to activate; lasts for two hours if not lit up, but only twenty minutes if lighted (use with caution).

“Battle-Priest” Juicer Heavy Assault Armor: Essentially the same as the Man-Killer EBA, but with extreme stylistic changes. Silvery-white paint job, glowing halo mounted on the helmet, silver spikes along the arms and legs, silver-plated boots and gauntlets, and concealed silver-plated vibro blades hidden the gauntlets, along with dual Vamp-Crisper spotlights (one on each shoulder). It comes standard for Juicers, with a cost of roughly 70,000 credits.

Flight Package “Seraphim-Boots”: These heavily armored boots carry a spell upon them (usually only available to officers or upon special dispensation for certain missions) that allows the user to fly, ala the spell “Fly as the Eagle” at eighth level. When this spell is active, it makes it appear as if large, feathery glowing wings have sprouted from the users backs. It costs roughly 10,000 credits, and 30 P.P.E. to activate, lasts for 160 minutes.

Light Blade “Power-Glove” Gauntlet: An armor plated leather glove with the “Light Blade” at level nine cast on it. This gives the user close range, anti-vamp capabilities, only one available per soldier. Damage: 1d4x10. Costs 30,000 credits, and 25 P.P.E. to activate it, lasts for nine minutes per activation. When in use, gives off the sound of an angelic chorus, and the entire arm is covered in a large blade of pure white light.

Vamp Repulsion “Fang-Pusher” Field: Belt with ‘Globe of Daylight’ spell put on it. Used mostly for pushing vamps back, or creating “safe” zones for things like field hospitals, emergency landing zones, etc. Costs about 4,500 credits, and about 30 P.P.E. to activate, field encompasses about 30 feet diameter, and each charge lasts for one hour.
Charging field (like in the Vamp Crisper) can be installed, for about 4,500 credits, and has five charges in it. Note: This is never made available to the general rank and file, only on the most important missions is this distributed, and only to experienced soldiers (level 8 and up).

Super “Ash-Maker” Laser Rifle: Basically, a Wilks 447 laser rifle modified to fire bolts of concentrated sunlight to fry vamps and other critters. Looks: white with gold trimming around the barrel. Costs roughly 30,000 credits (including cost of the gun, manufactured at cost), and 20 P.P.E. per clip. This is standard issue to all troops, with three spare clips. Mega-Damage: 3d6. Range: 2000 feet. Payload: 20 shots per standard clip.

Anti-Vampire “Liquidator” Pistol: This is essentially a rebuild of the 1878 Colt .45 Caliber Revolver. (See Rifts: New West Page 211). This weapon fires silver hollow-points filled with water, as an anti-vamp double-whammy. Range: 150 feet. Damage: 4d6 per round. Payload: Six Shots. Each soldier is issued 3 speed loaders. It costs roughly 1,500 credits for the gun and ammo. This is standard issue sidearm with the “Ash-Maker” and “Choir-Boy” armor and two Blinder grenades. There are other versions, but this is the most common and reliable.

Counter Vamp “Water-Zooka”: Essentially as mini-missile launcher that fires a modified, silver tipped rocket that blasts the target with water and wooden shrapnel. Range: Around one mile. Damage: 3d4x10 to targets vulnerable to water or wood (only 4d6 due to impact to others). Blast radius of 10 feet (half damage). Payload: One at a time. Rate of Fire: Once per melee for a single operator, three with a two man team. The cost is roughly 18,000 credits, and 1,500 credits for each specially designed round.

TW “Scorcher” Laser Cannon: 5,000 foot range. Damage: 5d6 M.D.C. Payload: 50 shots. P.P.E. Cost: 40. This is a heavy duty, heavy support weapon, can only be used on a tripod (unless your strength is over 25). Used to clear the way for charging infantry, or to lay down heavy support so they can retreat, useful in all situations, and mounted on several vehicles as well. The cost would be roughly around 50,000 credits, rarely made available outside the T.A.

CCWS “Bat-Blender” MCS: “Groovy!” Essentially, this weapon is a knockoff of the WI-C8, but with the blades replaced with silver and wooden teeth (wood teeth hardened with the Ironwood spell). Great for close quarters fighting with vamps, clearing trees, or simply just for the odd spot of intimidation. Damage: 1d6x10 with wooden or silver teeth. All other stats are identical to the WI-C8. This may be used as a forearm weapon with a full-conversion Borg in lieu of a hand, half range and damage (“Asher” Williams is infamous for this, carrying a TW Endless-Water Shotgun). Cost: 35-40,000 credits per unit. “Hail to the King, Baby!”

FIWS: Same as in the Juicer Uprising, only with silver-plated vibro blades, and the P-Beam replaced with a Vamp-Crisper. Some versions (for other planets or anti-armor) still retain the P-Beam, but not many, and are always a different color, to prompt visual recognition.

“Rainmaker” Liquid Munitions Mortar: A mortar that has been altered to fire ‘hardened’ water balloons. These balloons are made out of a rigid, high grade plastic, that will allow the balloon to survive being shot, but will shatter when it contacts a vampire or other mega damage matter. Damage: 6d6 to H.P. (or one M.D.C. for others, it is a hard balloon, meant to be fired over hundreds of yards). Range: 600 feet. Rate of fire: 2 a melee round. Cost: 20,000 credits for the mortar, 100 credits per balloon.

TW-800 “Stakenator” Gatling Gun: A Gatling gun that fires magically created wooden stakes, used both for close combat and suppression fire. Due to the high number of stakes being fired, only a Natural 15 is needed to get a heart shot at range on a vamp. 1d4x10 burst damage to vampires. Range: 800 feet. Fires only burst: 50 Bursts per charge. P.P.E. Cost: 30. Note that some gatling guns have been made and modified to fire silver rounds, these do the same damage and have the same range.

S.A.W. Caltrops: Like normal caltrops, only made out of Silver And Wood. These are generally scattered across any battlefield, used to funnel the vamps into proper ‘kill zones’, or at least get them into the air (where other nasty goodies will await them). Damage: 2 H.P. per caltrop on vampires (1-2 damage on S.D.C. beings, non on M.D.C. critters). Credits: 100 credits for a satchel of roughly 200 (evenly mixed Silver and Wood).

Everything available in Rifts: Vampire Kingdoms is available as well, but the items presented here are most often used.

Vehicles:

TA-V110 “Corpse-Wagon”: This is the TA’s equivalent of a hover APC. Covered in silver plating, bristling with spikes, and painted with crosses all over the front and sides, this is a vehicle to be feared by the creatures of the night. Frequently, it simply smashes into vampire ranks, weapons blazing before unloading its contents and hauling @$$ out of the fire fight. Typically possess a three man crew, One pilot, Main gunner, secondary gunner/navigator. Speed: 200 miles an hour. Max Height: 300 feet in the air. M.D.C.: main body 500. Available Cargo Space: 30 men in full armor, 40 in light. Weaponry: TW Hydro Cannon: Damage: 3d6x10 to vamps and critters vulnerable to water. Range: 300 feet, to a 10 foot area. Payload: 20 blasts. TW Sunbeam Cannon: range 450 feet. Damage: 5d6 M.D.C. damage. Not available to those outside the TA.

TA-V050 “Angel-Wings”: This is a one-man rocket cycle painted to look like a flying angel, with the wings providing cover for the pilot while in flight. Used as long range scouts, and ariel buzz bombers, strafing enemy emplacements, and harassing them enough to keep them off balance. Usually fights side-by-side with the Swords, and consider them to be kin (usually eat and hang out together when off duty), and a pilot would die to protect one.
M.D.C.: 300. Maximum speed: Mach 1.5. Maximum Altitude: 4,000 feet. TW Scorcher Laser Cannon: 5,000 foot range. Damage: 5d6 M.D.C. Payload: 50 shots. P.P.E. Cost: 40. Double Water-Zooka: On each side of the TA-V050, there is specially designed Water-Zooka with six shots. Can fire once every melee round, double shots are possible, but only on targets that are more than 500 feet away. Double Barreled Concussion Grenade Launcher: Range: 1500 feet. Damage: 2d4x10 (obviously not applicable to vamps, used to knock them down). Not available to those outside the TA.

TA-V222 “Blood-Rain”: This is essentially a contra-gravity tanker-ship that has been retro-fitted with water nozzles and belly dumpers. Mainly used to hose large numbers of vamps, or to super-saturate the ground and provide the Hammers extra water to go Behemoth with. The normal team consists of 5 people, one pilot, one navigator/main gunner, and three secondary gunners. The ‘Rain looks more like a flying bathtub than anything else, but its engines are more than strong enough to carry the weight, and will occasionally have external tanks strapped to them as well, for maximum dumping power. Usually accompanied by 4-5 Angel-Wings, for safety reasons, and because flying in one of these things in combat is usually considered a death sentence.
M.D.C: 400. Speed: 300 mph full, 450 (mostly) empty. Maximum Altitude: 2,000 feet. Cargo Capacity: 20,000 gallons of water, 18 in the belly dumpers, 2 for the water cannons (the cannon’s supply can be dumped as well, but would leave the Blood-Rain mostly helpless, only does this if they absolutely have to). On each side of the ‘Rain, there is a pair of Vehicle Mounted Water cannons. Damage: 1d4x10 to vamps. Range: 800 feet (amplified by the CG drive). Blasts: 1600 total, 400 apiece. Finally, a quartet of the huge aircraft signal lights, one on each bottom corner. Damage: 1d4x10 apiece. Range: 2,000 feet. A few variants have added a few rail guns for more diverse firepower, but haven’t proved very effective, mainly because they aren’t meant for stand up firefights. Not available outside the TA.

TA-V897 “Corpsemaker” Battle Tank: Front-Line Vamp-butt kicking machine, heavily armored, and specifically armed to deal with vampires. It is a hover vehicle, but can only hover a max of 5 feet. The crew consists of one pilot/main gunner, 2 secondary gunners, and one navigator.
M.D.C.: 600. Maximum Speed: 90 miles per hour. One Dozen Vamp-Crisper Spotlights, spread out evenly over the hull of the Corpsemaker, each controlled by a basic A.I., but can be suborned by one of the gunners. Dual SAMAS C-40 Rail guns. Range: 2000 feet. Damage: 3d6x10 (fires wooden rounds only). These are the ‘main guns’ of the Corpsemaker, and is fired by the pilot. Payload: 4,000 rounds, 50 bursts from both guns. Silver Vibro Ram-Prow: Mounted on the front of the tank, used when plowing through vampire ranks and fortifications. Damage: 3d4x10 M.D.C. or 4d6 H.P. to vamps. Range is point blank obviously. Triple Water Cannons: Two mounted in the back, one just above and behind the ‘main guns’. Payload: Each cannon has a 5 gallon tank, 52 blasts. Range: 100 feet. Damage: 6d6 to Vamps. Not really a weapon, but each Corpsemaker is equipped with a state-of-the-art, surround sound stereo system, used to blast out church hymns when going into battle (nothing like a little psychological warfare before you begin to fire). Needless to say, this is never given out either.

[taalismn]

Excellent stuff, Roscoe...and glad to see other contributions flowing in...

Okay, this is less a Race and more a geopolitical info packet for a nascent new (minor) power, thus some of their equipment....

Zyganian Empire

“HyYite Zygania!!!”
(“Zygania Rises!”)

The Zyganians are a humanoid race who have, until recently(about 60 years ago), been part of the Golgan Republik, who annexed the system some two hundred years ago. Unfortunately, the Zyganian experience with extraterrestrial occupation has been similar to that of the Golgans’ and the Kreeghors’....The Golgan occupation was unexpectedly harsh(by Zyganian standards, though it was rather peaceful by others), with the traditional Zyganian culture and social order being rigorously outlawed and indoctrined out as the Golgans attempted to consolidate the strategically-located world.
When the Zyganians finally overthrew the Golgans, with no small amount of bloodshed, they fell to establishing themselves as a local power with a vengeance. The Zyganians immediately commenced a buildup of military power, starting with the factories and shipyards they’d built for the Golgans. They’ve build up a powerful military, and sent it out to police the local systems, drive out the Golgans, and carve out an empire of their own.
Part of the Zyganians’ aggression has been an attempt(or so it is claimed) to find and restore to power the scattered elements of their beloved aristocracy, who either fled or were forcibly exiled by the Golgan occupational government. The tenants of the Zyganian national religion maintain that their world-circle cannot be complete until the Fifty-Two Zyganian Princesses of Legend have been restored to their rightful place. Of course, the actual bloodlines of said Princesses have been muddled and never clearly defined, so finding and confirming the existance of the Princesses’ decendants, even if they exist, is an iffy thing(there’s even some difference of opinion as to exactly how many Princesses there really are...there could be as few as twenty, and as many as two hundred, depending on which legends one consults). But religious fanaticism and some backhanded politics have plugged the gaps of logic. In their effort to find lost Princesses, the Zyganians have invaded over a dozen smaller worlds along their borders, and inducted at least one obvious non-Zyganian Princess into the Imperial World-Circle to cement a valuable alliance. Currently, the role of Princess is considered something of a figurehead position with religious overtones....being a Princess of Zyganian gives the Zyganians an excuse to dress up fancy, establish over-armed honor guards in the Princesses’ name, make all sorts of declarations about fealty and the grand history of Zygania and its illustrious traditions, hand out some gifts/bribes to various border state governments, and gives the military the occasional opportunity to smite some pirates or lesser militaries in the name of the Princesses’ honor. The Princesses in return are expected to behave themselves, wave to the people, bolster the national morale, and try not to embarass the Empire...Frankly, most outsiders don’t really get what it is that the Fifty-Two are supposed to DO, and many suspect that the Zyganians don’t either, and are making it all up as they go along....Also, given that a found Princess is lavished with gifts and given the royal treatment, a lot of young girls in neighboring star systems hope that they’ll be ‘discovered’, and many parents share similar feelings, as long as the duties of a Zyganian Princess don’t involve forced marriages or some sort of ultimate human sacrifice. The governments of those neighboring systems have other ideas, though, and they don’t like the Zyganians sniffing around their systems and census records, especially since the Zyganian Princess-hunting parties come with waves of infiltration agents and full-array battleship squadrons.
The actual process of finding and verifying the existance of one of the ‘52’ is a process, by turns comical and arcane, wrought with mysticism and no small amount of dramatics....depending on the circumstances, the process involves consultation of various recovered and restored ancient historical texts, multi-perspective star charts, use of sundry artifacts pulled from dusty temples and warehouses, closeted debate by a secret council of nine members of the Reunified Zyganian Holy Imperial Temple, and submission of truckloads of data to a complex psuedo-Artificial Intelligence/augery that spits out its own verdict. Of course, many outsiders suspect the whole deal is politically-motivated; an excuse for the Zyganians to cozy up to some of their neighbors and get them onboard with the Empire.
Sadly, the Zyganians have shown an aggression and a ruthlessness in their ambitions that puts their historic Golgan oppressors to shame. When one of the Zyganian colony worlds(Zoestes V) established under the Golgan occupation attempted to break away from the Empire and declare independence/rejoin the Republik, the Zyganian Imperial Armed Forces used the rebellion as an excuse to field test some of their new weapons, including the massive new Zortax-class Heavy Carriers. The Zyganian military brushed aside the feeble rebel resistance and razed the planet’s capital city. When public outcry in other systems caused the Zyganians no small amount of headaches over the suppression, the Empire canned a wing of senior officers and the then-Emperor took early retirement in favor of a more charismatic moderate, in hopes of doing some public relations fence-medning with Zyganian’s allies. However, there is much sentiment, both among the public and in the ranks of the military, that the Zoestes Surpression was totally justified, given the planet’s loyal affiliation with the Republik.


Size:
The Zyganian Empire currently comprises a sphere of 8 habitable worlds, twenty ‘desert’ systems staked as resource/border systems(with either industrial outposts or military stations on them), and lays claim to two more habitable planets on the borders of their space, and three more desert systems known to hold important resources. Four more systems are provisionally part of the Empire(Alebia, Mazzerhine, Temus, and Oargaiga).

Racial Disposition:
60% Ethnic Zyganian
15% Outsystem Human
25% Other

Zyganian Species:
The Zyganians can be considered a variant sept of ubiquitous Humanity(in fact, most non-humans simply regard the Zyganians as just another group of Humans); they are physically similar to baseline humans, suggesting a common ancestor somewhere in the distant past(certainly, there’s enough evidence to suggest that the Zyganians did NOT evolve on their current homeworld, but settled there from someplace else), but divergent evolution has led to two differing skin colors and a number of different hair colors among the two largest ethnic groups of Zyganians; pale white skin among one group, and light purple-gray and often blue or dark green hair among the other. Zyganians of all groups have distinctive ellipsiod eyes and slightly more elongated ears than normal humans. Physically, Zyganians also enjoy a +1 to their P.P./physical dexterity stat, and enjoy a +2 tp save versus poisons/toxins/disease as a result of having a fully functional appendix and more resilient immune system . The recent trend in Zyganian fashion is mohawks on men, and long plaited ponytails on women, while both genders seem to have a doty affection for uniforms.

Racial Tolerance:
The Zyganians are actually fairly tolerant of outsiders and non-human(oid)s, and ‘aliens’ (with the exception of Golgans)born and raised in Zyganian space are recognized as citizens. In fact, several high-ranking Imperial positions are held by naturalized non-humans, including Toedee Primo(a dwarf-statured Xenopus psychic---See Aliens Unlimited for details on this race), the most active of the ‘Princess-Finders’ of the Reunified Zyganian Imperial Temple.

Society:
For a people who have thrown off the shackles of centuries of alien bureaucrats, the Zyganians have re-established an aristocracy awfully fast----The Zyganians currently have a constitutional aristocracy(with a strong behind the scenes promotion of talent and money into the ruling class) with an almost absurd accompanying culture of social ritual. Emperors are selected and deposed by seemingly the same formula as Zyganian Princesses are verified; an unpopular Emperor might be deposed/retired by unfavorable omens(as was the case with Emperor Doid the First, curiously by coincidence with the news of the Zoestes Suppression) and a new one found, amazingly with evidence of a long-established blue-blood line that wasn’t apparently there before(as was the case with Doid 1st’s replacement, former Minister of the Exchanger and now Emperor Bulvidor II).
As such, the Zyganians love titles and uniforms(though not as much as some other races, such as the Pinarii or the Grand High New Columbards of the Shamidar Ascendency Star Cluster), and advancement to a new title is cause for celebration and elaborate ceremony(though Zygnanian tradition allows for abridged ceremony if, for instance, raging hordes of killer androids attack the armistice celebration and everyone has to get to duty stations). Visitors to Zygania often have problems distinguishing between the Royal Palace Guard and the Civil Sanitation Implementors, owing to the variety of uniforms; though the upper echelon dress regalia is actually pretty subdued, while brasswork and metallic fabrics seem to be the norm for the lower echelons of public service(and it’s joked the strippers in the red light districts wear more gold braid than the high aristocracy...).
Service in the military is considered to be one fast-track into the aristocracy, which means that a lot of Zyganians are joining up to serve. The awarding of shares and stakeholds on new worlds annexed by the Empire is another incentive for military officers.

Attitudes Towards Psionics:
Psionics have been widely regarded as a sign of divine touch in Zyganian society, and traditionally the main schools of training(and later careers) for psychics were run by the churches and religious orders. Under the Golgans, the national religions of Zygania had to downplay this aspect of their operations and take it underground. With the establishment of the Empire and the formation of the pan-religion Reunified Zyganian Holy Imperial Temple, the schools have again become open and public, and the secretly trained psychics now operate openly. Most psyhics still work with the Temple, as priests, advisors, and public servents, but an increasing number have joined the military as Templars Militant.

Attitudes Towards Magic:
Zyganian attitudes towards magic have been stunted by their centuries of occupation under the Golgans; open practice of magic was officially discouraged, and any substantive material on magery was shipped to the Republik. Now that they’re free, the Zyganians would like to regain some of their ‘tradition’ of magery back, but it’s often fraught with misunderstanding and dangerous bungling. The Zyganian military’s efforts to instate a Magic Corps has proceeded in fits and starts and a couple of near disasters(such as when a fleetwide-issued printed advisory book on magic phenomenon was shown to be 80% incorrect in its facts, and almost cost a Zyganian warship squadron dearly in an encounter with a Golgan taskforce supported by Ultrovian mages).

Technology:
High-tech; only slightly behind the Golgans(themselves a century behind the CCW and TGE) but are in some fields ahead of the Republik average. The Zyganian re-organization of their government, especially the disbanding of the dozens of bureaucratic offices and committees, and expulsion of thousands of bureaucratic bean-counters and oversight officials, imposed by the Zyganian colonial regime, has greatly streamlined and facilitated technolgical research and development initiatives. Without the work of local talents being dictated by Republik agendas and siphoned off-world to serve the Republik, the Zyganian scientific and industrial complexes have bloomed.

Military:
Burgeoning----The rapid growth of the Zyganian Imperial Military has many in the sector concerned about what they intend to do with it. The Zyganians assert that they need a strong military to protect their precarious new-found independence. Their more nervous neighbors see gunboat diplomacy amassing. The Zyganian military itself has a strong espirit de corps, high morale, and a sense of mission asserting Zyganian sovereignty that can range from boyscout-happy in helping others out to humorless zealot enthusiasm in putting the boot to some suspected enemy of the state. That means that anyone wandering into their space is just as likely to run into some extremely helpful and friendly patriotic crew perfectly willing to extoll the virtues of Zygania while helping the lost wayfarers out, as they are a cold and impersonal strike team that sees surveillance gear in every communications rig, and a Golgan plot written in every shipping label.
Zyganian naval doctrine is based on carrier groups supported by heavy escorts of faster, more agile auxiliaries. Rather than having dedicated fighter carriers or troop transports, the Zyganians have elected to build combination battleship-carrier craft and lighter cruiser-carriers that serve as both heavy assault craft and carrier platforms. This is considered reckless, putting their eggs in a handful of baskets, by other nations, but the Zyganians contend that mounting heavier armor and armaments on their carriers gives them a better chance of surviving the attacks that carriers habitually draw in combat. Since their most intense combat experience is been against the odd Golgan battlegroup, it’s been observed that the volume of fire put out by a Zyganian BattleCarrier has given even the Golgans’ elite Zebuloid fighter pilots pause in attacking Zyganian fleets.
While the Zyganian Navy may be rebuilding and refitting at a harrowing rate, the Zyganian ground forces are considered topnotch even by the Empire’s enemies. One of the rude surprises the Golgan occupational government forces had when the Zyganians revolted was the quantity and quality of new combat vehicles the rebels were fielding, and that early start has carried on to the modern day. The Zyganian Marines and Army are well-equipped with armor, weapons, and contra-gravity vehicles, and are well-trained. Moral is high, and while the insistance on ceremony is tedious at times, no one disputes that the groundpounders know how to fight, and fight dirty if necessary.


Zyganian Worlds of Note:
*Zylan---Zyganian homeworld; Earth-like, heavily developed, with three moons(all developed into either industrial complexes or military forts), and a large number of space stations and orbital complexes. The Zyganians have been enthusiastically stripping out all signs of the old Golgan government, inluding tearing down the estates of the Golgan colonial administrators and reclaiming the land for open preserves( restoring Zylan’s ‘natural glory’). However, while visitors and tourists are welcome, the near-constant bombardment of pro-Zyganian agitprop and tributes to the revolution and resurrected traditional culture(or what the Zyganians recall as traditional) can get a little wearying.
The Zyos homesystem is centered around an orange-dwarf star, with three worlds; Zylan (terrestrial-type world, roughly 14,000 km in diameter, with a slighty greater gravity than Earth-standard), Aberzyone (gas giant), and Hiberzyeon(gas giant).
Zylan is Earth-temperate, with larger ice caps and a slightly lower overall global temperature(offset somewhat by industrial pollutant-induced global warming), an atmosphere within terrestrial parameters for density and breathability, a moist hydrosphere with 65% water coverage, several large oceans, and a number of shallow seas/broad-plain wetlands that frequently flood. Planetary population is some eleven billion, mainly concentrated in vast arcologies on the single main content and numerous island chains...the population was slightly higher under Golgan occupation, but the numbers have been dropping steadily as more people emigrate offworld to the Imperial colonies and outposts; the Zyganians hope to level off the planetary population at 9 billion and dismantle some of the arcologies in favor of ecology restoration programs.
Zylan’s native ecology is sparse....life on Zylan didn’t evolve far beyond the fern and aquatic veterbrate stage, and few of the native species survived being crowded out by alien species brought in by the Zyganians’ distant ancestors. Xenobiologists are currently trying to determine where the Zyganians’ ancestors came from by charting genetic drift of familiar animal and plant species that have taken residence on the planet.
Most Zyganian activity is focused on the mega-continent of Garzos. Garzos is separated by the Bragmag and Omerzoz Seas from the smaller continent of Emzemos, known as the “Sacred Land”...Even at the height of overpopulation on Garzos, Emzemos was left virtually untouched aside from a few communities along the coastline; the lesser continent is considered a place of ancient history and legend, and has been traditionally held as off-limits to development. However, at one time, Emzemos was the site of several large cities and temple complexes...Sadly, most of the ancient sites were damaged or destroyed either by the Golgans or Zyganian vandals during the Occupation. Zyganian archaeologists are currently working to restore many of the ancient sites as part of a revival of interest in national cultural heritage, as well as in hopes of uncovering any clues to the ancient Zyganian past(and any secrets, such as magical lore) that it may involve. Access to Emzemos is still limited to archaeologists, park rangers, supervised tourists, and the coastal dwellers(who are considered to be part of the ‘cultural reserve’).

*Hoobnoy---Pre-Golgan Zyganian colony world that was established as an agrarian planet. Temperate Hoobnoy continues to be a major source of foodstuffs for Zygania. It was also the site of several major tank battles during the Liberation, owing to a major Golgan military depot being established there, leading to a popular patriotic dittie, ‘Glory Fields of Hoobnoy’. Lush and warm, Hoobnoy is also a popular vacation-spot for Zygania’s nouveau-riche, making for an interesting contrast between the wealthy industrialist and mercantile Zylanians and the local generational farmers who have turned Hoobnoy’s soil for over three hundred years.

*Anthrall----Actually the first , and nearest, extra-solar (borderline)habitable planet that the pre-FTL Zyganians were able to reach using ‘slowboats’, Anthrall was in the process of a long and complex terraforming when the Golgans annexed Zylan and the Zyganian worlds. Under the casual Golgan colonial administration, Anthrall suffered from progessive funding cuts and official neglect...safety standards declined, necessary development programs were cancelled, and equipment shipments failed to arrive. Many of the workers on the terraforming project up and left in disgust, until only a quarter of the original Anthrallan population, the diehard third- and fourth-generation terraformers, remained.
Now that the Golgans are out, the Anthrallan terraforming authority has sounded the alarm to Zygania that without immediate action(within the next 10-30 years), the terraforming of Anthrall may be unsalvageable...already, many of the terraforming organisms are showing signs of mutation, and climatic changes are spiralling out of control.

*Ranthac---Ranthac is a pleasant, savannah-covered world that has recentlly been colonized by Zyganian settlers. However, evidence has been found that the planet has been colonized previously by at least four other races in the distant past. While Zyganian colonists are developing several of the highland plateaus, government archaeologists are studying the old ruins to see if they can identify who settled them and why they abandoned their colonies. Other studies are focusing on the planet’s resident population of primitive hominids, to see if they are indigenous or the devolved descendents of one of the previous colonial periods.

*Vestegas----Under the Golgan regime, this barely habitable world was a penal colony for Zyganian dissidents. However, the initial Golgan geo-scans failed to detect the massive deposits of various valuable minerals locked under the planet’s crust. Only when prison miners, working in make-work details to expand the prison tunnels and extract nearby veins of less-valuable metals, stumbled across the real riches, was Vestegas’s true value known. However, the prisoners managed to keep their discovery secret, until after the penal colony was liberated. Today, Vestegas is a booming industrial and mining colony world, much changed from its Golgan gulag days, many of the former prison inmates wealthy beyond their dreams from the metals and minerals being extracted from the deep shafts.

*Telomar----A Mars-like world that is undergoing mild terraforming to render it more habitable, Telomar and its three moons are home to Regmo Industries, Zygania’s premiere armaments producer. Telomar and the Regmo Family were originally set up as industrial giants in part by the Golgans, who expected the grateful Zyganians to produce inexpensive weaponry for them...instead, the Regmos, who were closet Royalists, smuggled the best stuff to the growing Zyganian Rebellion. Today, ‘Regmo’ is synonymous with ‘revolution’ in the minds of the Zyganian people, and a grateful government has kept the Regmos in lucrative contracts rebuilding the military. Telomar today is a sprawl of terraforming zones and weapons development reservations, while the two innermost moons are covered by shipyards and factories. The outermost moon, nicknamed ‘Powderkeg’, is used as a test range for nucleonics; a popular sport on Telomar is betting when Powderkeg will be blown out of orbit or blown to pieces by a test.

*Zoestes V----Scene of the now infamous Zoestes Suppression. Zoestes V was a second-generation colony world established under Golgan supervision, so it had a large Golgan population and was run by Golgan administration from the get-go. When the Zyganians seceded from the Republik, the Great Revolution failed to catch fire on Zoestes V as it had on the other Zyganian worlds. Despite initial takeover of the government by the new Imperial governor, the Zoestians, who regarded themselves more a part of the Republik than the new (and uncertain) Empire, voted no confidence and overthrew the new governor.
Imperial Zyganian response was swift and brutal. After failed whirlwind negotiations and a short blockade, the new Zyganian Imperial Navy sent its newest Zortax-class Battle Carrier and combat group to lay seige to the upstart world. The resulting bloody suppression by orbital bombardment and air attack ended in the Zoestian capital city being razed to the ground, and tens of thousands of civilian casualties.
Officially, the Zyganian Empire stands by their actions, citing, among other things, pre-Revolution plans by the Golgans to build a large military spaceport on Zoestes V, a base that would be an ideal staging area for any future Republik offensive against the Empire. Unofficially, the Zyganians have canned a few hundred officers, retired an Emperor, and re-named a few ships and shuffled them about to different sectors. Zyganian reconstruction and resettlement of Zoestes V has also accelerated, with an emphasis on paving over the scars and signs of the Suppression, and constructing several new cities highlighting the new prosperity under the Empire. However, there is still a good deal of smoldering resentment among the local Zoestians, and several rebel guerilla cells operate(with covert Golgan support) on the planet, making Zoestes V’s place as a ‘stabilized Zyganian world’ less certain, especially if Zyganian galactic economic prosperity is not maintained.
Surprisingly, the Golgan populace on Zoestes suffered few casualties(most ot them had left before the seige), but the Republik has been using their accounts of the Suppression in a negative-publicity campaign showing the Zyganians as bloodthirsty maniacs. Zoestes V may be the rare case of a world that would REJOIN the Republik if it had the chance, though skeptics believe that their ‘Republikanism’ is less out of heartfelt enlightened loyalty to an increasingly ineffectual Golgan state, and more out of hatred for the new Zygianian Imperial government.

*Temus---Temus is one of the neighboring star systems that joined the Zyganian Empire by polite invitation, after a Princess-hunting expedition determined that the 31st Princess resided on the Temian homeworld. The fact that the Temians resemble walking fronds of sweet-grass and have nothing in common, biologically, with the mammalian human Zyganians didn’t faze the Princess-seekers in the least, who claimed a ‘soul reincarnation’. The gentle, pastoral, and polite Temians are all very amused by the antics of the Zyganians, and the manison and honor guard the Zyganians have established on Temus to protect, house, and revere the 31st Princess, but they like the increased flow of trade with their neighbors, and the protection extended by the Zyganian fleet even more. Enough that they’ve granted, in passing, the Zyganians rights to mine the Temus system’s massive asteroid belts and rich corbinium and zannibarium deposits.

*Mazzerhine---Another border world that the Zyganians wanted to control, or at least influence, because of its position on the Empire’s outward frontier borders, Mazzerhine fell into the Zyganian fold after another self-styled star-empire, the Chukta, attacked the system. The Zygnanian Imperial Fleet, and several neighboring star systems, responded to Mazzerhine’s calls for help and smashed the Chukta conquest fleet attacking the system. The Mazzerhine were afterwards far more amenable to hearing Zyganian offers to make them part of the Empire, in return for protection from other lunatic species like the Chukta.

*Alebia----Alebia poses something of a problem for the Zyganian Empire, since they got it unexpectedly after defeating the Chukta Empire incursion over Mazzerhine. Alebia, a human-inhabited world, was one of the Chuktas’ prize slave-worlds, a pre-FTL civilization that lost two-thirds of its global population in the conquest, and was turned into a Chukta plantation world, with the surviving Alebians turned into slaves. The Zyganian Fleet annexed Alebia when it followed the Mazzerhine invasion fleet’s logistical trail back to its supply bases, only to discover that a passing Cosmo-Knight had already annihilated the Alebia space garrison and left Alebia wide open. Aside from mopping up a few Chuktan overseers, the Zyganian landings on Alebia were virtually unopposed.
That’s when the trouble began. Instead of grateful crowds of freed Alebian natives cheering their liberators and clamoring to join the Zyganian Empire, the Zyganians found a people so thoroughly enslaved, traumatized, intimidated, and brainwashed that they were virtually incapable of independent thought without the instructions of their Chukta masters. Once well-educated, self-confident citizens were starving in the fields, unable to even feed themselves without permission from their alien overlords. Other liberation troopers watched in horror when one of their vehicles accidentally hit a day-laborer in a crowded intersection---and none of the dozens of fellow Alebians milling about the same intersection moved to help the badly injured man...or even seemed to take notice...nor did the injured man scream for help or attempt to tend to his own wounds. The Zyganians had acquired a planetary basketcase.
The Zyganians have been faced with some difficult choices....Do they abandon the Alebians as they are and let nature take its course, hoping that the Alebians, once they get hungry enough, will ‘awaken’ and start rebuilding? Do the Zyganians try to slowly and painstakingly restore Alebian spirits and their shattered culture, or fo they just re-brainwash the slaves into being happy Zyganians? Zyganian finance ministers want to take the cheapest course, seeing Alebia as a potential hole that will drain away relief credits for decades to come, while political ministers see opportunity for the Empire to show the rest of the Three Galaxies the redeeming and compassionate hand within the iron glove of Zygania. Others want to foist the ‘zombie plantation’ on some other nation of bleeding hearts who can take care of the Alebians, who evidently are too brainless to take care of themselves.
Currently, the Zyganian military maintains a large base on the Alebian moon Lumina, and a sizable force in the system against any future Chuktan attempt to take back the system, or some other species(like the Golgans or Splugorth) taking it over. Zyganian military officers consider a tour of duty on the ‘planet of the damned’ a disquieting and frustrating experience....miles and miles of ruins, immaculate plantation buildings(the Chuktah took buildings they liked and adapted them to their use, then razed everything else around their new habitations), adhoc slave barracks, and a population of quietly shuffling, subservient, downcast natives carrying out menial duties under the supervision of Zyganian garrison troops and social workers.

[taalismn]

Relations with Others:
Golgan Republik:
The Zyganians regard the Golgans as their enemy and have expelled all Golgans from ther space. Any Golgan ship caught in Zyganian space is either a hostile scout or an insidious spy, and treated accordingly. While not going out of their way to confront the Republik except where their interests come into conflict, the Zyganians figure it’s only a matter of time before the Empire and Republik come into open warfare again.
Despite the Zyganians’ newfound martial prowess and aggressive stance, the Golgans are less worried about them than they might otherwise be. Many Golgans feel that in the Zyganians’ dotty obsession with their fifty-two princesses, are the seeds of the Zyganian Empire’s demise, as an inevitable flood of claimants and pretenders will tear the Empire apart in civil war, leaving the squabbling remanent factions more favorably inclined to re-annexation. The new Zyganian military and its expensive shiny new toys will only make the breakup go that much faster.

The Altess Dynasty
The Altess have categorically denied the Zyganians permission to go sniffing for Princesses in Altess space, producing volumes of documentation that NO Zyganian royalty ever sought refuge in the Altess worlds, and showing the big guns if the Zyganians didn’t immediately turn about and leave.
The Zyganians have taken the hint and no longer bother the Altess.

The Central Alliance
The Zyganians’ relationship with the Mechanism is cool; there’s some trade between the two, but the Mechanism really doesn’t want to mess around with Golgan splinter groups. The Zyganians, on the other hand, have been thinking about reconstituting the old Imperial Guard with a cyborg supersoldier element in it, and have been looking to recruit advisors from the ranks of the Alliance’s gladiator legions. General Noldek has no objections about his people signing on as mercenaries for the Zyganians, and even welcomes the small amount of money it brings in, but he will not committ his government to any sort of formal (and entrapping) agreement/alliance with the Zyganian Empire.

Naruni Enterprises and Hartigal Combine
Both these arms dealers have stepped forward, ready to make the Zyganians a sweet deal on a massive new re-armaments program. The Zyganians know the Naruni as being the main guns supplier for the Golgans and thus identify them with their old overlords, and aren’t disposed to buy from them. They know even less about Hartigal’s trustworthiness. However, wanting to keep their options open, they’ve bought small amounts of hardware from both companies...which has had the effect of both corporations stepping up their regional sales campaigns. Rumors that one of the eight Zyganian worlds is approaching making a deal with Hartigal, allowing them to take over and lease a Zyganian shipyard in return for a percentage of the production there, may provoke a regional shooting war between the two rival arms firms.

The CCW:
The CCW really doesn’t pay much heed to the various kingdoms and nations that break free of the Republik(most of which claim to want to join the CCW as loyal members in return for protection and immediate large reconstruction grants), and have been less inclined to want anything to do with the Zyganians after the bloody Zoestes V Suppression. Official stance on the Zyganians is that as long as they don’t shoot up CCW interests, they’re the Golgans’ problem.

The TGE:
Zyganian space is too far from TGE interests to get the attention of the Kreeghor, but reports of the Zoestes V massacre have arched a few eyebrows in the TGE Navy, with thoughts that maybe there’s some talent out in those backwater systems after all. That casual interest for details has resulted in a few TGE agents wandering out there to see if maybe there’s an easily manipulated tyranny in the budding...THAT could be of considerable interest to the TGE.

Free Worlds Council:
The FWC and the Zyganians have little contact and no official relations, even though it’s claimed that Zyganian armaments have found their way into FWC hands. Frankly, the little the FWC have heard about the Zoestes V Suppression has the FWC little inclined to want anything to do with another ‘Empire’.

United Worlds of Warlock
The Zyganians know little about the UWW, aside from what a few Princess-hunting expeditions have learned sniffing around the borders of UWW space. If one of the ‘52’ were to be found hailing from a UWW-affiliate, the Zyganians would want to study up in a hurry.

Periphery/Independent Worlds:
The Zyganians have a number of trade agreements and diplomatic treaties with other independent systems/worlds, especially former Golgan possessions who share their attitude that the Republik still constitutes a threat. This includes military alliances, technology exchanges, and weapons trades.

CosmoKnights:
The Zyganians like and respect CosmoKnights, but in the aftermath of Zoestes V, some Zyganians have worried what to do if the guardians of the Cosmic Forge were to take interest in the situation, what should the Empire do? Defend the actions of its officers in putting down a bloody rebellion, or deliver the officers responsible for the razing to the CosmoKnights’ justice? The presence of a Cosmo-Knight over Alebia just before the Imperial Fleet annexed the system suggests that the Cosmo-Knights are in the area, and probably watching, so the Zyganians have been trying to be on their best behavior whenever they suspect the cosmic champions are around.

The Chukta Empire:
The Chuktas are a race of humanoid amphibians and TGE-wannabees who inhabited a planet just outside the limits of Golgan expansion and were thus below the notice of the Republik. Sadly, the Chukta began space exploration soon after the Golgans hastily pulled out of that particular sector of their frontier, leaving a mothballed fleet base that the Chukta discovered. The Chukta acquired advanced Galactic technology practically overnight, but haven’t acquired more advanced moral behavior, and the Chukta soon began a campaign of invading nearby non-spacefaring worlds(worlds the Golgans had left alone as not being threats) and enslaving them. Emboldened, the Chukta have cut a swath through the less-advanced peoples of the local systems, and have swaggeringly set themselves up as lords of creation in their own minds, bullying and abusing anyone who doesn’t have their strength of arms. With no one to offer them any resistance(the Chukta believe that the Golgans left their area of space far longer ago than they really did) the Chukta Empire feels now is their time to reach for greatness and galactic supremacy. With their three slave worlds whipped to produce war material for their small(but powerful) space fleet, the Chukta were gearing up to take on the next nearest inhabitable system....which unfortunately for them was also claimed by the larger and equally expansionist Zyganian Empire.
The Chukta may have had three systems under their thrall, but three pre-FTL slave worlds(especially with the sort of heavy-handed mismanagement the Chukta practice) does not a galactic power make. This time, the Zyganians got to play hero. The Zyganians, assisted by several other contingents from other independent systems, trounced the Chukta and rolled their empire back to their homesystems, taking away two of their slave worlds.
Currently, the Zyganians regard the Chukta as a distant threat(compared to the Golgans)...Having beaten them back and taken away one of their worlds(Alebia), the Zyganians are keeping an eye on the Chukta, but with three other independent systems pursuing more aggressive containment against the Chukta Empire, the Zyganians feel comfortable for now turning their attention to other matters, and send what logistical and financial support they can to their allies to handle the problem.

[taalismn]

Zyganian Equipment:
Most Zyganian military equipment is a decade or two technologically behind Republik/Three Galaxies’ average. The Zyganians have placed a lot of emphasis on developing their own independent designs and production, but their military still uses much equipment bought second-hand from Naruni Enterprises customers, CCW worlds, and other independents, or else manufactured locally, but copied from foreign designs(such as the HI-Lasers that are standard issue to their military). The Zyganians are learning fast, however, and both the upswing of their economy and streamlining of their program administration has led to their R&D efforts yielding results far faster than anyone had previously anticipated. However, in the interim, it is not unusual to see Zyganian Frontier and National Guard units using older Naruni equipment, Galactic Armory, Wolfpack Weapons, and WZTechYard equipment(the Zyganians have bought quantities of aerospace defense fighters, Death Moth gunships, and Starcross interceptors from the latter).


Morgash Grav-Tank
“Let’s shell some Golgan hardcases today, hell-puppies!”

The standard heavy armored fighting vehicle of the Zyganian military is the Morgash Grav-Tank, a contra-gravity propelled high tech fighting machine.
The Morgash has a roughly T-shaped body, with the top crossbar of the T being at the front. The main armament is mounted in a large turret at the rear of the trailing stem-bar, looming up over the rest of the tank like a scorpion’s tail. Completing the image of a striking scorpion are the two auxiliary ball-mount weapons turrets at the ends of the T-crossbar. The front of the tank is a sloped glacis plate with a central located light gun blister. The whole is armored heavily, with sloping applied to all sides to increase deflection. The Morgash is sometimes called the ‘Scorpion Tank’ by Human observers. for its menacing gun-armatures and upraised rear gun turret.
Compared side by side with the CCW’s main battle tank, the Phalanx, the Morgash is somewhat lighter, slightly faster, and mounts less, but individually more powerful, armament, and more armor. It is slightly more expensive to produce, but given the more aggressive stance of the Zyganian Empire, this doesn’t pose a problem for their defense budget, which only has to produce fewer units for a smaller military. Against the TGE’s Dark Slayer, the Morgash is superior on a per-unit basis, but would likely be forced to flee the battlefield to avoid being overwhelmed by the TGE’s ‘pack’ tank tactics. Against the Naruni designs, and native Golgan designs, in service with their enemies the Golgan Republik, the Morgash is a serious threat.

Type: Z-CGMBT-03
Class: Contra-Gravity Main Battle Tank
Crew: Four
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 800
Reinforced Crew Compartment 150
Primary Weapon Turret 300
Auxiliary Weapons Turrets(2) 180 each
Height: 24 ft
Width: 30 ft
Length: 32 ft
Weight: 150 tons
Cargo: Minimal space in cockpit for personal effects and emergency gear
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 20 year energy life
Speed:
(Contra-Grav) Hover to 220 MPH, 1-10 ft off the ground; can also make ‘drops’ of up to 1,000 ft from landing ships or cliffs without taking damage.
Market Cost: 40 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Robot Systems, plus:

*Optical Periscopes----The vision blocks or the drivers/gunners can be elevated up to 10 feet to allow the crew to look over walls and hedges without having to leave their vehicle, or leave cover.

Weapons Systems:
1) Main Turret---The main turret at the rear of the tank carries a 155mm heavy dual-mode grav-cannon, that can operate either as a direct-fire weapon, or in ballistic artillery mode.
Range:(Direct Fire) 45,000 ft(9 miles)
(Indirect Fire) 110,000 ft (22 miles)
Damage:High Explosive(HE)---- 3d6x10 MD to 50 ft radius
High Explosive Anti-Tank(HEAT)---- 4d6x10+20 MD to 10 ft radius
Fragmentation---2d6x10 MD to 60 ft radius
Plasma----- 1d6x 40+10 MD to 50 ft radius
(APFSDSDU)(Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot Depleted Uranium) 6d6x10 MD out to 20,000 ft, 4d4x10 MD out to maximum range
Rate of Fire: Twice per melee
Payload: 50 rounds

2)Auxiliary Weapons Turrets(2)---In the front side ball turrets, carried in what are almost robot armatures, are grouped a rapid-fire gatling rail gun, a plasma cannon, and a mini-missile launcher. These ball turrets are so flexible that they can rotate a full 180 degrees up and back, so that they are effectively firing into the reverse arc of the tank(although this is rarely done, except in the most dire circumstances, due to increased fatigue on the rotation actuators), and 90 degrees to the sides
Range:(Rail Gun) 4,000 ft
(Plasma Cannon) 3,000 ft
(Mini-Missile Launcher)Varies by Missile Type; typically one mile
Damage:(Rail Gun) 1d4x10 MD per 20 rd burst
(Plasma Cannon) 1d6x10 MD per blast
(Mini-Missile Launcher) Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire:(Rail Gun)EGCHH
(Plasma Cannon) EGCHH
(Mini-Missile Launcher) Volleys of 1-4
Payload:(Rail Gun) 2,000 rd drum per cannon
(Plasma Cannon) Effectively Unlimited
(Mini-Missile Launcher) 8 mini-missiles pas armature(16 total)

3) Bow-Mount Light Laser(1)----Mounted between the two weapons armatures, in the center of the glacis plate, is a small ball-mount laser cannon operated by the driver. The laser has a 45-degree arc of fire.
Range: 2,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD per shot
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload:Effectively Unlimited

Variants:
The Zyganian military has been quick to experiment with different weapons configurations for the Morgash, typically fitting the rear weapons turret with an alternate heavy weapon(such as an 8-shot LRM launcher, a twin heavy pulse laser, particle beam cannon, or ion projector). Some work on replacing the auxiliary turrets with other configurations has also taken place, but these mods are less common and less likely to be encountered in the field.


Sugash Munitions Carrier
“Credit for our victory---and every tank crew in my brigade agrees on this---belongs to the supply drivers. If not for their bravery in cutting through a free-fire kill zone to resupply us, the enemy would have overrun us, let alone allowed us to advance and take their positions. And to lose four of their own vehicles in the effort....Zygania has been served well by these heroes, and they should be honored accordingly.”
-----Rausch-Colonel Opar Mang, 79th(‘The 18th Princess’s Own’) Royal Zyganian Fusiliers, after the Battle of Gormagghi

The Sugash is a logistical support vehicle, based on the same chassis as the Morgash MBT, and is meant to re-supply the battle tanks in the field. The overall shape is the same as the Morgash, but the rear ‘tail’ of the ‘T-shape’ is wider and roomier, in order to accommodate six, three on each side, armored stores bins. These bins are separately armored(to reduce the chance of an ammunition chain fire...furthermore, the bins can be jettisoned from the tank if so required), and feed through an internal double-hatch system to a convey belt in the center of the carrier, leading to the back. In place of a main gun turret, the Sugash mounts a rotating turret and extendable armored conveyor chute that attaches to a feed hatch on the back of an MBT’s lower turret ring. Ammunition and other supplies can also be moved through two lateral hatches on either side of the carrier’s tail-end. The Sugash backs up to the rear of a Morgash, extends the chute, and reloads the tank. Two other tanks can also be simultaneously re-supplied from the side hatches, but this is rarely done in combat to reduce the chance of enemy fire taking out four vehicles at once.
The Sugash is heavily armored, but only lightly armed; the forward weapons armatures have been replaced with mini-missile and decoy launchers, the forward central glacis-plate pulse laser has been retained, and a single small anti-missile pulse laser system is mounted on the center of the tank’s roof.
Typically, there’s one Sugash deployed for every 20 Morgash tanks in the field.
Type:Z-CGLSV-04
Class: Contra-Gravity Logistics/Munitions Supply Vehicle
Crew: Five(Driver, Co-Pilot, Communications/Scanner Operator, and two gunners/cargo masters)
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 450
Reinforced Crew Compartment 150
Auxiliary Weapons Turrets(2) 180 each
Ammunition Bins(6) 120 each
Automated Loading Chutes(3, retractable) 60 each

Height: 16 ft
Width: 28 ft
Length: 32 ft
Weight:90 tons
Cargo: Can carry up to 50 tons of munitions
Powerplant:Nuclear Fusion w/ 20 year energy life
Speed:
(Contra-Grav) Hover to 250 MPH, 1-10 ft off the ground; can also make ‘drops’ of up to 1,000 ft from landing ships or cliffs without taking damage.
Market Cost: 12 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Robot Systems, plus:
*Ejectable Ammunition Bins(6)---Internal security sensors in each ammunition bin will trigger if they detect combustion----An internal fire suppression system is immediately triggered, and if that doesn’t show immediate results, the entire ammunition bin is blown up, out, and free( up to 75 ft away) of the carrier, to prevent catastrophic internal ammunition explosions.

*Automated Loading Chutes(3, one turret-mounted, and two side-mounted)---These are extendable NBC-sealed gantry-arms that are extended out from the Sugash to match and lock up to the standardized ammunition-loading hatches on most Zyganian AFVs. Inside is a conveyor belt that carries shells or belts of ammunition to the magazines of combat vehicles to be re-armed.

Weapons Systems:
1)Lateral Mini-Missile Launchers(2)---The two side ‘armatures’ are fitted with multi-barrel mini-missile launchers
Range: Varies by Missile Type
Damage:Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Vollesy of 1-6 mini-missiles
Payload: 18 per launcher(32 total)

2) Anti-Missile Pulse Laser(1)----A ball-mount high-speed pulse laser system with independent targetting, used to engage incoming missiles, aircraft, and flying power armors.
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: 6d6 MD per pulse burst
Rate of Fire: ECHH, or six shots per melee under automated air defense mode control
Payload:Effectively Unlimited
Bonuses: Independent targetting systems give a +3 to strike airborne targets.

3) Bow-Mount Light Laser(1)----Mounted between the two weapons armatures, in the center of the glacis plate, is a small ball-mount laser cannon operated by the driver. The laser has a 45-degree arc of fire.
Range: 2,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD per shot
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload:Effectively Unlimited



Argash Personnel Carrier
“Let’s go to town, boys, and do some property damage!”
The Argash is the primary contra-grav personnel carrier of the Zyganian military. The Argash has a lozenge shape, with sloped hull sides, lighter forward and aft weapons turrets, and both a rear ramp and side hatches. Again, to save on logistics, the Argash uses the same powerplant, chassis, and propulsion system as the Morgash MBT; though the larger, bulkier, engine takes up more space that could be used for additional passenger and cargo storage, the greater amount of available power makes the lighter Argash one fast mover, with extra power for accessory systems. This makes the Argash extremely popular with Zyganian troops, down to the militia level, though production continues to lag behind demand.
Type:Z-CGAPC-02
Class:Contra-Gravity Armored Personnel Carrier
Crew: Four, +20 troops
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 500
Reinforced Crew Compartment 150
Auxiliary Weapons Turrets(2) 180 each
Height:16 ft
Width:25 ft
Length:33 ft
Weight: 95 tons
Cargo: Internal cargo racking for up to 2.8 tons of gear, tools, and survival packs, in addition to troops
Powerplant:Nuclear Fusion w/ 20 year energy life
Speed:
(Contra-Grav) Hover to 220 MPH, 1-10 ft off the ground; can also make ‘drops’ of up to 1,500 ft from landing ships or cliffs without taking damage.
Market Cost: 16 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Robot Systems, plus:

*Optical Periscopes----The vision blocks or the drivers/gunners can be elevated up to 10 feet to allow the crew to look over walls and hedges without having to leave their vehicle, or leave cover.

Weapons Systems:
1) Light Weapons Turrets(2, fore and aft)....Mounted atop the Argash are two small weapons turrets, each holding a rapid-fire pulse laser, rail gun, and light SRM launcher.
Range:(Laser) 4,000 ft
(Rail Gun) 5,000 ft
(Short Range Missile Launcher) Varies by Missile Type
Damage:(Laser) 3d6 MD single shot, 1d6x10+10 MD per burst
(Rail Gun) 1d4x10 MD per 20 rd burst
(Short Range Missile Launcher)Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire:(Laser) EGCHH
(Rail Gun) EGCHH
(Short Range Missile Launcher) Volleys of 1-2
Payload:(Laser) Effectively Unlimited
(Rail Gun) 1,000 bursts per turret
(Short Range Missile Launcher) 4 missiles per turret

2)Troop Compartment Gun Ports(8, 4 each side)----Troops inside the APC can raise armored shutters on the outside of the vehicle and fire their weapons(long-barreled rifles) through special airlocked ports in the troop compartment, though they are -2 to strike because of the awkward positioning and limited arc of fire.

3) Bow-Mount Light Laser(1)----Mounted in the center of the forward glacis plate, is a small ball-mount laser cannon operated by the driver. The laser has a 45-degree arc of fire.
Range: 2,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD per shot
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload:Effectively Unlimited

Variants:
Most variants of the Argash involve replacing some or all of the weapons turrets’ weaponry with different types, such as swapping out the SRM launcher for a 10-shot mini-missile launcher, replacing the rail gun or laser with a plasma cannon or particle beam cannon, or replacing a weapons turret with a heavy flamethrower. Other modifications under consideration include forcefield generators, EW/ECM stations, and mobile command post communications gear.

Slanderskan(Skate) Light Grav-Tank
“Hmmmm...Golgan political party headquarters right in the middle of that town over there....Kinda close to the border zone and rather big for a ‘political conference hall’, don’t you think? Communications traffic’s rather heavy for issuing political statements to the party faithful, eh? More in line with what you’d expect to see for a forward military command post, no? What do you say we take our scout company and pay them a visit just to be sure they’re just printing election bills and making party buttons...and not planning a MILITARY campaign....Just over the border, in and out, for a look-see?”
------Baron-Colonel Laradean Espowser, 75th Zyganian Civil Protection Battalion, just before one of many ‘incidents’ on the contested border-world of Achprex VIII.

Named for a poison-spined bottom-dwelling fish native to the Zyganian homeworld, and to which it bears a superficial resemblance, the Slanderskan LGT is a small, compact, light high-speed combat vehicle in service with the Zyganian military.
The Slanderskan resembles a large discus or armored pieplate, with only two small trim vanes on the sides to give some hint of sides, and aide in maneuverability. two short hatch/sensor cupolas, two mini-turrets, and the forward main gun mount break the curvature of the tank’s upper armor, while the bottom is flat, with several small bulges of the armored grav generators, and an upward curvature at the edges.
The Slanderskan is remarkably well-armored for its size, with armor protection equal to the larger Naruni Predator light tank that used to serve as the mainstay of the Golgan-run army of occupation. However, it is the tank’s high speed and maneuverability that are its surprise. The Slanderskan uses many of the same engine components as the PacSlash light atmofighter, another staple of the Zyganian military. The compact size, high performance, and ready availability of the PacSlash’s powerplant makes it ideal for equipping the lightweight scout tank.
In order to save weight and lower the vehicle’s profile, the Slanderskan lacks a main turret, instead mounting the main gun in a fixed position in the forward bow-plates of the tank, like a tank destroyer or SP gun. This positioning and mounting gives the gun only limited lateral traverse and elevation when the tank isn’t moving, but instead of rotating a turret to bring its main weaponry to bear, the entire tank spins on its axis. Fortunately, the Slanderskan is compact enough to be able to do this without fouling itself, especially in the close quarters of built-up environments, such as urban areas. Both the commander/gunner and the pilot have identical targeting recticles, allowing both to assist in bringing the main gun to bear.
Backiing the main gun, are two smaller remote control laser turrets on the sides of the vehicle. These pulse weapons are used for anti-personnel work, and can be operated separately, or fire-linked to fire in synch. Two small smoke/countermeasure launchers provide cover; these launch tubes can also be fitted to accommodate anti-personnel chemical or explosive grenades. A rear hardpoint can be used to fit another launchers, or a mini-missile rack.
The Slanderskan has only recently begun to appear in the ranks of the Zyganian military, as they seek to divest themselves of Golgan-bought equipment in favor of locally-developed vehicle types. The Slanderskan is typically used as a scout element for the larger Morgash MBTs, as an infantry support vehicle, and as an urban security vehicle, but it has also successfully been used in commando operations and in anti-armor ambushes. Its small size, low profile, substantial protection, and high maneuverability have already made it a favorite with crews who favor stealth over firepower, while its low cost endears it to the Zyganian finance ministries.
Type:Z-CGLBT-07
Class: Light Grav-Tank
Crew: 2, with room for an additional crewmember/passenger...and additional passenger can squeeze in, but conditions will be cramped.
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 400
Reinforced Crew Compartment 200
Main Ion Cannon 90
Auxiliary Laser Turrets(2) 35 each
Grenade Launchers(2, retractable) 25 each
Height: 6.5 ft
Width: 18 ft
Length: 15 ft
Weight: 16 tons
Cargo: Small space in crew cabin for survival packs, tool kits, and personal gear. Additional gear can be carried lashed to the outside of the tank.
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 15 year energy life
Speed:
(Contra-Grav) Hover to 280 MPH, 1-20 ft off the ground; can also make ‘drops’ of up to 2,000 ft from landing ships or cliffs without taking damage.

Market Cost: 30 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Robot Systems, plus:

*Pericope Optics---The tank can raise a slender optics mast that telescopes up to 10 ft, allowing the tank to remain under/behind cover while still monitoring its surroundings.

*Laser Designator---The Slanderskan carries a target designator laser for ‘painting’ targets for attack with laser-guided weaponry. Range: 3 miles. Bonuses vary by the type and sophistication of the weapons system slaved to the laser---typically +2 to +5 to strike stationary targets, or use the designator laser’s strike roll(to stay fixed on target) for moving targets.

Weapons Systems:
1) Ion Cannon(1, bow)---The main armament of the Slanderskan is a powerful short-barreled ion cannon. The mount has a 45-degree elevation(plus the tank can tilt on its jets another 15-20 degrees).
Range: 5,000 ft
Damage: 2d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire:EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2)Lateral Pulse Laser Turrets(2)---Two small remote-control laser turrets adorn the flanks of the Slanderskan, each one mounting a double-barreled light laser. They have a 360-degree arc of fire, and 45-degree elevation, allowing them to cover the rear arcs of the tank, a necessity for urban combat.
Range: 2,000 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD single shot, 1d4x10 MD pulse burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload:ffectively Unlimited

3) Smoke Grenade Launchers(2)---These projectors take the form of drums that are normally hidden inside the armor of the LBT’s carapace; when readied fro action, they rise from their concealment, then rotate to bring fresh rounds to bear as they are fired. They have a 360-degree arc of fire when extended. Occasionally, illumination rounds, chemical grenades(typically tear gas and other irritant agents), or light fragmentation shells are fitted in place of smoke canisters.
Range: 2,000 ft
Damage: Varies by grenade type; smoke rounds typically cover a 30 ft radius in thick, obscuring smoke(depending on wind conditions, this usually dissipates in 1d4 melees).
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-5
Payload: 10 grenades per cluster

4) Hardpoint(1, rear)---This rear mounting hardpoint is typically used to carry an additional smoke mortar, cargo cage, or EW ariel, but it can also be used to carry an 18-shot mini-missile launcher box.

Variants:
A number of variants of the Slanderskan have been tried out, mainly swapping out the side laser turrets for missile launchers, or the main cannon for a different weapon, such as a light massdriver or heavy missile launcher; some of these armament experiments have made it to the battlefield.

[taalismn]

PacSlash Light Fighter
“I’m not worried about the Zyganians’ fighters---they’re little better than aircars!”
“Begging your pardon, but have you ever been in an aerial traffic jam on the motherwomb-world? Now imagine if every one of those drivers was a bloodthirsty maniac with a sidearm and some serious transit-rage!”
-----Anonymous Golgan Officers, before a border ‘incident’ along the Zyganian/Golgan Republik frontier.

The PacSlash was the Zyganian’s main aerospace fighter before the Golgan takeover two centuries ago. The Golgans kept the design in production as a local space security vehicle and garrison patrol craft, and even upgraded the design a little, so when the Zyganians seceded from the Republik, they had thousands of the light fighters on hand to work with.
The PacSlash resembles a stub-winged lifting body speedboat with a large hyperglass canopy on the dorsal side, and two bulging eye-like sensor blisters crowding the forward canopy. A small contrav-grav generator and three nuclear turbines at the rear provide lift and a high turn of speed in an atmosphere, but only a mediocre acceleration in space. Armor is light, and forceshielding nearly non-existant, forcing the pilot to become very adept at evasive maneuvers. Armament consists of three nose-mounted short-range missile launchers and a pair of light lasers mounted in the roots of the wings. The PacSlash also has a large passenger capacity; up to four additional crew members can be carried, allowing the fighter to act as a light troop transport and liaison craft. By CCW/TGE standards, however, the PacSlash is little better than a transatmospheric combat car with space combat capabilities; too lightly armored, with pop-gun armaments, and short range, for serious combat, but in the design’s defense, it is low-cost, reliable, easy to operate, and very agile in atmosphere.
Though the modern version of the PacSlash has been upgraded considerably, the Zyganian military has realized that the old warhorse is woefully inadequate for the Empire’s current needs, and they have begun looking at newer, heavier, designs to take the PacSlash’s place. However, the PacSlash remains in steady production, with new machines being increasingly assigned to planetary defense forces.

Type: Z-SF-05
Class: Light Aerospace Fighter
Crew: One, plus1-4 additional crew/passengers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 280
Crew Compartment 100
Wings(2) each 60
Forcefield 150
Height: 8 ft
Width: 18 ft
Length: 22 ft
Weight: 1.5 tons
Cargo: Small space behind the seats for survival gear; stripped of accessory avionics modules, a 3ftx4ftx4 ft space can be openned up behind the seats for additional cargo.
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 15 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 5; considered to be transatmospheric
(Space) Mach 7
(Kitsune Values: 22% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.7% of light speed per melee)
(Water) The PacSlash can land and take off from the surface of water(it floats), but CANNOT operate underwater
Bonuses: +2 to Dodge in an atmosphere
Market Cost:
Before the Zyganians revolted, the Golgans were selling surplus/retired PacSlash fighters at 15 million credits each. Since the Zyganian Revolution, the price for newer models has climbed to 19-20 million credits as the supply tightens.
Systems of Note:
Standard Robot/Fighter Systems.
Weapons Systems:
1) Short Range Missile Launcher----The main armament of the PacSlash is a nose-mounted three-tube short-range missile launcher, used in both ground attack and air/space combat.
Range: Varies by Missile Type
(Kitsune Values: 10 miles in atmosphere, 500 miles in space)
Damage:Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-6
Payload: 24 short range missiles

2) Light Laser Cannon(2)---Buried in the wing roots are a pair of light laser wapons
Range:(Kitsune) 3.5 miles in atmosphere, 350 miles in space
(Palladium)5,500 ft in atmosphere, 16,000 ft in space
Damage: 6d6 MD per single shot, 1d6x10+10 MD per simultaneous blast(counts as one attack)
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

3) Flare/Chaff Launchers(2)---Flare and chaff launchers are fairly standard as an affordable and easy to implement anti-missile defense.
Range: Close Defense
Damage: None; similar to Triax-style chaff
01-50 Enemy Missile or volley detonates in chaff and threat is neutralized
51-75 Missile/Volley diverts and may pursue/lock on to other targets
76-00 No Effect! Missile(s) still on target!
Will also temporarily blind and impede flying monsters who fly into it.
Reduce APMs/combat bonuses/ speed by half for 1d4 melees
Payload: 6 per launcher, 12 total

4) (Optional) External Weapons Hardpoints(4)---The PacSlash can carry additional weaponry on external hardpoints mounted under and on top of the stub-wings, but reduce maneuvering bonuses in atmosphere by HALF, until the external stores are expended/jettisoned. Each hardpoint can accommodate a 10-shot mini-missile pod, a four-shot short-range missile pod, or a single medium-range missile.

Variants:
The Zyganian military has experimented with a wide variety of variants of the basic PacSlash, to make best possible use of the reliable design. Most variants take advantage of the large crew space, removing seating to install additional generators for forcefield shielding, sensor pallets, electronic warfare modules, larger generators for more powerful lasers(increase damage to 1d4x10 MD per blast for single shots/2d4x10 MD for double blasts), a dorsal weapons turret(with two additional light lasers or rail guns), or an internal bomb bay(with room for 20 mini-missiles/8 short range missiles/4 medium-range missiles---or bombs---; either take the equivalent missile warhead and DOUBLE the blast radius, or can carry TWICE the number of warhead equivalents as missiles).
Experimental weapons configurations have replaced the forward SRM launchers with triple rotary rapid-fire rail guns(4,500 ft range/3 miles in space, 1d6x10 MD per 10 shot burst, 6,000 rds in three drums), triple ion cannon(5,000 ft range/ 3 miles in space, 2d4x10 MD per blast), or twin plasma projectors( 2,000 ft range/2 miles in space, 3d6x10 MD per blast).
Another popular variant is the Fighter-Missile-----Well knowing the limitations of the PacSlash, the Zyganian military has been looking to make use of the thousands of older air frames available to them. One bright technician suggested converting older PacSlashes into unmanned warhead-buses, a crude cruise-missile weapon with a simple AI, a fast-fatigue, high-acceleration throwaway drive system, and even a few simple weapons retained to keep up the illusion of a manned fighter. The idea has proven surprisingly effective, as few opponents expected the normally conservative Zyganians to engage in what appeared to be kamikaze attacks with short-range ‘bunt fighters’----Misidentifying the missiles in among other fighters, many enemies have neglected to pay attention to the light fighters(known to be armed with only short range weaponry) until the missiles put on a burst of unexpected speed and made terminal approaches with armed micro-nova bombs. At least eight Golgan cruisers have fallen to these tactics. As a bonus, the Fighter-Bomb allows Zyganian carriers to use their launch decks to deploy heavy missiles, in addition to fighters.
A fully submersible hydrofighter version of the PacSlash is also under development, armed with blue-green lasers and torpedo-racks, for oceanic patrol/attack duties.

SkyRivver Heavy Fighter
“Can we have it in black with red trim along the swept-back wings?”
-----Zyganian Fighter-pilot Cadet upon seeing the SkyRivver for the first time.

Aware of the limitations of the small PacSlash as a galactic-level combat craft, the Zyganians have begun development on a number of newer, more capable, designs.
The SkyRivver is a new Zyganian heavy fighter that was developed around the chassis of the Naruni Enterprises ‘FireEater’ Fighter-Bomber, a number of older machines of which had fallen into the Zyganians’ hands when the Golgans withdrew from Zyganian space. Not wanting to trade one slavemaster for another(except as a last resort), the Zyganians elected not to rush headlong into Naruni’s arms, but are instead reverse-engineering what the Golgans left behind. The Zyganians have fitted an upgraded PacSlash weapons configuration to the basic frame and powerplant of the Fire Eater, but due to their less advanced knowledge of forcefield generation technology, have been forced to install more armor and a less powerful forcefield system. The ammunition-dependent Naruni plasma machineguns have been stripped out and replaced with more conventional laser cannons, the bomb-bay enlarged, and the light laser removed altogether.
The SkyRivver was immediately accepted into the Zyganian military after trials, and begun to replace the smaller and less capable PacSlash in front line fighter units, though production is still well-short of the demand for the new fighters.

Type: Z-FB-08
Class: Fighter/Bomber
Crew: Two; pilot and weapons officer
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 700
Crew Compartment 150
Variable Forcefield--------100 per side(600 total)
Height: 12 ft
Width: 30 ft
Length: 40 ft
Weight: 17 tons
Cargo: Up to 3 tons can be carried in the bomb bay.
Powerplant:Nuclear Fusion w/ 20 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 6; considered to be transatmospheric
(Space) Mach 10
(Kitsune Values: 40 % of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 1.0% of light speed per melee))
(Water) Not Possible
Market Cost: 80 million credits, though none have been made available to the open market
Systems of Note:
Standard Robot/Fighter Systems.
Weapons Systems:
1) Long Range Laser Cannon(2)----In place of the rather limited plasma auto-cannons of the parent Fire-Eater design, the SkyRivver mounts a pair of conventional pulse laser cannon in the wings, operated by the pilot.
Range: (Palladium)2 miles in atmosphere, 5 miles in space
(Kitsune) 5 miles in atmosphere, 500 miles in space
Damage: 2d4x10 MD per single blast, 4d4x10 MD for both firng simultaneously(counts as one attack)
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2)Medium Range Missile Launcher----The SkyRivver features a three-tube forward-firing medium-range missile launcher
Range: Varies by Missile Type
(Kitsune Values: 160 miles in atmosphere, 80,000 miles in space)
Damage:Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-6
Payload: 30 medium range missiles

3) Missile/Bomb Bay----The ventral bomb bay is larger and roomier, for accommodating larger amounts of ordnance.
Range:Varies by Missile/Bomb Type
Damage:Varies by Missile/Bomb Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-6 missiles
Payload: 18 long range missiles or 36 bombs; take the equivalent missile warhead and DOUBLE the blast radius

Variants:
The Zyganian military is developing an FTL-drive-equipped version of the SkyRivver, for use as a long range scout and courier craft.
As with the PacSlash, the Zyganians have been experimenting with various alternate weapons configurations, including placing a triple-railgun battery where the Naruni design mounted its light laser, particle beams in place of the laser cannons, stealth hull configurations, and ECM/EW gear for recon and ‘wild weasel’ units.


Mactsyrac Combat Lander
“ Put us down just over this ridge of hills out of sight of the main base while the Fourteenth is strafing them. We’ll use our mortars to lay down a -cloud- of high explosive and incendiary that will keep them buttoned up, their heads down, and their point defenses too busy trying to jam missile sense-heads that aren’t there to see Second Company stampedingup the draw over here until the landers are kicking in their doors...and I mean KICKING!”
-----Var-Haup Colonel Vicis Townhawn, 5th Zyganian Fleet Marines, briefing before combat landing on the Molo Pirate-held world of Seques II.

Another weapon that made its debut during the Zoestes V Suppression was the monstrous-looking Mactsyrac Combat Lander, a massive assault lander that resembles the offspring of a giant crab and a wrecking ball. The Mactsyrac serves as a combination landing craft, armored personnel carrier, and main battle tank/robot.
In combat operations the Mactsyrac lands and waddles across the battlefield, trampling enemy defenses and razing the landing zone in support of the ships’ debarked troops. Of course, using the landing ship as a support tank is not without risk; a clever and determined enemy can destroy the ship, leaving the landing force without back-up or evacuation capabilities, but the Mactsyrac is overbuilt to take an enormous amount of punishment and still remain operational. Its compelment of weapons features heavy lasers, point defense chain guns, air defense and bombardment misisle launchers, and old-style artillery for hammering surface defenses.
Though expensive to produce, the Zyganian military swears by the Mactsyrac and has tried to get as many into service as possible with its Marine forces. This despite(or perhaps BECAUSE) the negative image of the vehicle being promoted by Golgan propagandists showing home video of beclawed Mactsyracs crashing through neighborhoods on Zoestes V, trampling rebel barricades underfoot, and picking up and crushing civilian vehicles in their robotic claws.

Type: ZE-LSC-01
Class: Tactical Assault Troop Transport(Space/Surface)---Landing Shuttle, Combat
Crew: Eight+10 gunners
Troop Capacity: Can carry up to 200 troops, 4 Morgash, or 6 Argash vehicles.
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 3,000
Reinforced Crew Compartment 250
Drop Ramps(2) 500 each
Legs(8 ) 250 each
Missile Launcher Blisters(2) 150 each
Mortar Mounts(4) 200 each
Weapons Armatures/Battleclaws(4) 500 each
Point Defense Pulse Lasers(4) 150 each
Point Defense Rail Guns(4) 150 each
Forcefield 3,000
Height: 200 ft
Width: 200 ft
Length: 200 ft
Weight: 2,500 tons
Cargo: Can hold up to 400 tons of gear in its internal holds
Powerplant:Nuclear Fusion w/ 20 year energy life
Speed:
(Ground) Can rampage along at about 40 MPH
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 6 in full boost mode; typically maneuvers in atmo at about 400 MPH.
(Space) Mach 7
(Kitsune Values: 35% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.7% of light speed per melee)
(Water) Fully Amphibious; Can trudge along the bottom at about 6 MPH, and can handle depths up to 3,000 ft
Market Cost: 350 million credits; none have yet made it to the black market, but several mercenary units known to have ties to the Zyganians alledgedly have recieved Mactsyracs.
Systems of Note:
Standard Robot Systems, plus;

*ECM Suite----- The Mactsyrac has a standard ECM suite for confusing sensor-guided weapons; -5 to strike

Weapons Systems:
1) Heavy Lasers(4)----The four battleclaws mount a powerful laser cannon, used for both anti-spacecraft defense and for clearing away surface obstacles(including enemy forces).
Range: (Palladium)2 miles in atmosphere, 5 miles in space
(Kitsune) 5 miles in atmosphere, 500 miles in space
Damage: 6d6x10 MD per heavy burst
Rate of Fire: Three times per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2) Missile Launchers(2)----Two medium range missile launchers for air defense and surface bombardment.
Range: Varies by Missile Type
(Kitsune Values: 160 miles in atmosphere, 80,000 miles in space)
Damage:Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-10
Payload: 80 missiles per launcher

3)Heavy Breechloader Mortars(4)---These old-fashioned, but still very effective, ballistic artillery weapons lob heavy (roughly 280mm) shells. These weapons are used to pound enemy strongpoints and concentrations of troops. The real selling point of these weapons, despite their uselessness in direct space-combat, is the versatility of the ordnance types that can be fired by the weapons; from high-explosive and incendiary to sensor-cluster dispensers and nuclear shells.
Range: 6 miles
Damage:(High Explosive(HE))---- 6d6x10 MD to 60 ft radius
(Fragmentation)--- 5d6x10 MD to 90 ft radius
(Plasma)-----1d6x 50+30 MD to 90 ft radius
Rate of Fire: Twice per melee
Payload: 100 rds per mortar

4)Point Defense Pulse Lasers(4)---Mounted around the ‘waist’ of the Mactsyrac are four blister-mounts for point defense lasers.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD single shot; 1d6x10 MD per pulse burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

5)Point Defense Rail Guns(4)---Mounted around the ‘waist’ of the Mactsyrac are four blister-mounts for point defense gatling rail guns.
Range: 3,000 ft
Damage: 2d4x10 MD per burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 1,000 bursts per gun

Hand to Hand Combat----As a robot vehicle, the Mactsyrac can engage in hand to hand combat.
Arm Punch 1d6x10 MD
Claw Slash 6d6 MD
Claw Crush 2d6x10 MD for a 2 APM squeeze
Body Block/Ram 6d6 MD
Trample/Stomp 3d6 MD


Variants:
Several alternate configurations of the Mactsyrac have been fielded, changing the weapons configuration; usually the mortars are stripped out in favor of additional missile systems and reloads, or additional energy weapons. Several command models exist, again adding extra communications gear and EW equipment, usually sacrificing one or more of the support weapons for the needed space.
The Zyganian military is testing an advanced amphibious combat version of the Mactsyrac that can survive much greater depths, and is equipped for supporting attacks on planetary hydrospheres. Given that the Golgans are an amphibious species who favor wet worlds, Republik Military Intelligence is paying close attention to any news of the Zyganians’ experimentation with such craft.

[taalismn]

Zyganian Capital Warships
The Zyganian Imperial StarForce(ZISF) has seen a surge in size and importance in the last few decades as the Zyganians have begun their almost explosive expansion through their sector of space. The Zyganians contend that it was the Golgan edge in space that allowed them to conquer the Zyganians in the first place, and so having a powerful and very visible Zyganian military presence in space seems seared onto the Zyganian psyche.
Actual capability to field its own native-built capital units lags behind the patriotic fervor, To bridge the vulnerable gap while their aerospace industries gear up, the Zyganians have bought extensively from other nations, but they are working to develop their own shipyard industry and produce their own capital warships. In the meantime, however, the slips of the ZISF are occupied by an odd collection of craft from various sources; re-modelled ex-CCW Hunter-class destroyers and Scimitar-class frigates are common, as are WZTechYard-produced Magus High-Speed Gunships, Blade-class missile-destroyers, and Mogami-class Fast Cruisers.

Zortax-class Fleet Carrier
“Your determination to serve Golgan masters does not impress me. Your ‘Republik Guard’ you resist the rightful Zyganian government with does not impress me. Allow me to demonstrate the power of Zygania that you foolishly scorn. All batteries open fire!”
-----Admiral Casheuz Marclay, ZISFSS Zortax, Zoetes V Suppression

The Zortax-class Heavy Carriers are part of the massive Zyganian military build-up following their secession from the Golgan Republik. Though the Zyganians ‘inherited’ a great deal of old Golgan military hardware when they broke away, the majority of the equipment is old(if not obsolete) and worn-out. Despite Naruni Enterprises swooping in offering to replace their hardware at a nice price, the Zyganians wish to assert their independence, especially when it comes to heavy military equipment. ESPECIALLY when it comes to signature equipment such as capital ships. Almost immediately upon gaining their independence, the Zyganians began work on redeveloping their heavy shipyards. The Zortax is meant to emphasize their success, with a massive, powerful, warship that promotes Zyganian strength and tenacity.
The Zortax-class resembles a large fat ovoid or pear, with a set of large engine nacelles or blisters towards the elongated tail. Two massive gun turrets mounted along the hull’s vertical axis mount the main Grand Batteries, while numerous smaller gun- and missile-blisters dot the surface of the main hull, with tractor beam projectors and launch bays in between. The Zortax carries a veritable horde of small craft and troop landers into combat, and can support them with long range missile and energy weapons fire.
By the standards of the CCW or TGE, the Zortax is clumsy and mediocre in performance and capabilities; a second-line capital vessel at best, but against the units of the Golgan Navy, the Zortax is a formidable foe. Against the militias of other breakaway ex-Golgan possessions, the Zortax is a real threat
Type: ZCV-08
Class: Fleet Heavy Carrier
Crew: 450
Berthing Capacity for 400 passengers(1,800 if being used as a troop transport)
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 150,000
Bridge 20,000
Main Engines(4) 10,000 each
Flight Deck Airlocks( 8 ) 8,000 each
Communications Antennae/Sensor Arrays( 8 ) 1,000 each
Grand Batteries(2) 3,000 each
Heavy Laser Batteries( 8 ) 500 each
Missile Launcher Batteries(10) 400 each
Point Defense Blisters(25) 400 each
Variable Forcefields* 8,000 per side(48,000 total)
*Shield Refresh Rate is 15% per melee
Height: 3,000 ft
Width/Beam: 3,000 ft
Length: 4,000 ft
Weight: 30 million tons
Cargo: 4 million tons
Powerplant: Advanced Nuclear Fusion w/ 55 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmospheric) Hover to Mach 4, transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 11
(Kitsune Values: 50% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 1.1% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 5 light years per hour
Market Cost: Exclusive to the Zyganian military. It costs several billion Zyganian guildars to construct each carrier.
Systems of Note:
Standard Starship Systems, plus:

*Tractor Beams(16)---The Zortaxs’ hangar bay hatches are each fitted with two tractor beams for recovering small craft and orbital equipment. Each tractor beam projector can handle 1,000 tons, and has a range of 25 miles.

Weapons Systems:
1)Grand Cannon Particle Beam Batteries(2x2)----The Zortax mounts a pair of massive particle beam cannon turrets on its ventral and dorsal ‘poles’.
Range: (Palladium)14 miles in atmosphere, 80 miles in space
(Kitsune) 80 miles in atmosphere, 80,000 miles in space
Damage: 1d6x1000 MD per blast, 2d6x1000 MD per double-barreled blast
Rate of Fire: Qne shot per 30 seconds
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2) Heavy Laser Cannon( 8 )---These powerful double-barreled laser cannon are meant to dissuade enemy destroyers and frigates from engaging the Zortax too closely.
Range: (Palladium)8 miles in atmosphere, 16 miles in space
(Kitsune) 16 miles in atmosphere, 16,000 miles in space
Damage: 4d6x100 MD per single blast, 8d6x100 per double blast
Rate of Fire: Four times per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

3) Long Range Missile Launchers(10)----Cruise missiles are still a technology Zygania is developing(their current production goes to fighter and destroyer squadrons), so the massive Zortax-class carriers must make do with more conventional LRM batteries for long range anti-spacecraft defense.
Range:Varies by Missile Type
(Kitsune Values: 3,400 miles in atmosphere, 1,800,000 miles in space)
Damage:Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-32 each launcher(so all eight launchers firing simultaneously will put 320 LRMs in the air at once!)
Payload: 288 each launcher. Additional missiles may be stored in the cargo holds and reloaded within 30 minutes(1 ton of cargo per 12 missiles)

4)Point Defense Lasers(25)--Mounted in a point defense blister with a rapid-fire chain gun and a mini-missile launcher, these pulse lasers provide all-around close-in defensive fire against fighters, power armors, and missiles.
Range: 12,000 ft in atmosphere, 36,000 ft in space
(Kitsune Values: 8 miles in atmosphere, 8,000 miles in space)
Damage: 2d6x10 MD per single barrel burst, 4d6x10 MD for a double-barreled blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

5) Point Defense Rail Guns(25)
Range:1.5 miles in atmosphere, 3 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 3 miles in atmosphere, 300 miles in space)
Damage: 2d4x10 MD per burst
Rate of Fire:EGCHH
Payload: 1,000 bursts per gun; changing a drum takes 10 minutes

6) Point Defense Mini-Missile Launchers(25)
Range:Varies by Missile Type
(Kitsune Values: 2 miles in atmosphere, 100 miles in space)
Damage: Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-20
Payload: 400 mini-missiles per launcher. Additional missiles may be stored in the cargo holds and reloaded within 15 minutes(1 ton of cargo per 96 missiles)

Auxiliary Craft:
200 PacSlash Light Fighters
150 SkyRivver Heavy Fighter/Bombers
20 Three-man Scoutships
6 Mactsyrac Landers
10 Shuttles

Variants:
The Zortax hull design is already being considered for a number of variants, mainly altering the internal spaces for different complements of fighters and troops.
The 3/4 prototype of the class, commissioned as the Zyganex-Shea(‘Mercy of Zygania’), has been converted into a hospital ship, and has performed yeoman service at Mazzerhine, Alebia, and a number of border conflict theatres. On the strength of the Zyganex-Shea’s operational history thus far, fleet architects are considering a full-scale Zortax hull conversion to a similar hospital ship standard, but current funding and fiscal planning is focusing on warship construction(ZISF Command has already moved to acquire several starlners from other sources for conversion to hospital and support ships).

[Aramanthus]

Nice entries all! Good long one from you Taalismn! Great job!

[taalismn]

Thanks!
My desire to put out new material is matched only by my desire to SEE new material...so keep the stuff coming!
There's a whole megaverse out there we haven't even scratched the surface of when it comes to documenting it all!

[taalismn]

Cool...can hardly wait..brushing up on my Trade languages in anticipation...

[taalismn]

“Hammer and Sword for Justice, Thaelin Lord!”

When the Megaverse was young, just after the Ancient Ones had been bound away in their prisons, the Vampire Intelligences roamed all of existence, and ravaged countless worlds. They preyed on multitudes of races that were too primitive to fight back, wiping some out, and enslaving others. Few were deemed worthy of keeping even as food, those that were, were brutally enslaved. This is the story of one of those races.

Their real name has been lost to the passing of time, not even they remember who they once were, they simply call themselves Thaelinites now; but what they do know is the horrible treatment they suffered at the hands of the Vampire Intelligences. After seeing their friends and family being drained and turned into horrible perversions of life, the population of a large town fled, hiding on an island far out of sight of land. There they wept bitter tears for themselves and their family, who were doomed to fates worse than death. That night, at the vernal equinox and a lunar eclipse, they offered up prayers and pleas to all of the Gods, begging for aid in their plight.

One and all, they received a glorious vision; a new God of Light, Thaelin Thunderstrike, who had heard their calls and offered his aid. But his aid came at a price, as he warned them, “All of those I would help must swear to me, body and soul, for all eternity, as well as all of your children who prove worthy. I will own you, and shall do with you as I wish; if any of you think this is too much, say ‘nay’, and I shall spare you.” One and all, they pledged themselves to their new God, and were transformed in a glorious burst of light. Some grew massive crystal wings that glowed with radiant light, others had their mental abilities magnified; and the last group was changed too, wielding that which their enemies feared above all else. With their newfound abilities, and the teachings of their God, they stormed back to their former homeland, and destroyed the Vampire Intelligences, and their foul servants, one and all.

Their celebration was short lived, however. In changing his new people, the God had made a minor mistake; he had granted them amazing powers, but at the cost of their appearance, they were as hideous and grotesque as they could be, turned as monstrous appearing as the vampires were in mind and soul. The Swords skin grew baggy, hanging limply off their bones, almost as if it were rotting while they lived, their eyes and mouths took began to brightly glow red, as if containing the diseased fires of Hell in them. The Hammers flesh split open, disgusting lesions weeping foul-smelling puss covered their body, and their hair took on the consistency of course-spun hemp. The Shields bodies grew warped, twisting in odd ways at the joints, revolting lumps of hard fat covering their heads, teeth-like bone protrusions sprouting out of their arms and legs, and worm like tentacle-growths covering their chests.

Their celebrations turned to weeping and sadness, no longer where they attractive, looking like the essence of nightmares, surely they would be welcomed by no other peoples. Thaelin grew angry at this, and screamed at them. He had given them what they had wanted, the chance to attack their oppressors and win, and they were acting like spoiled children denied a candy-fruit. They were his to command, and they were not going to disgrace him like this. He needed them to free other peoples, other races who were under the threat of vampires and evil. He finally convinced them that they were not corrupted, despite the foulness of their forms, and were still goodly people. Drying their eyes they set their shoulders, they took up their arms once again, and strode off after their God, going onward forever into battle eternal, helping others as they had been, smiting evil wherever they found it, and bringing peace and order to countless peoples.

.

Given their hatred of Vampires, I'd say these folk have probably crossed paths with the ancient Sardye people, who appreciate their hatred(and are one of the few species who can tolerate them long-term... )

[Roscoe Del'Tane]

Given their hatred of Vampires, I'd say these folk have probably crossed paths with the ancient Sardye people, who appreciate their hatred(and are one of the few species who can tolerate them long-term... )

"Okay Thaelin, we brought the potato salad, what did you guys bring?"
Yeah, I had forgotten about the Sardye when I wrote the Thealinites up. They probably have a 'pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey" game, using stakes and vamps, stuff like that.

[taalismn]

Given their hatred of Vampires, I'd say these folk have probably crossed paths with the ancient Sardye people, who appreciate their hatred(and are one of the few species who can tolerate them long-term... )

"Okay Thaelin, we brought the potato salad, what did you guys bring?"
Yeah, I had forgotten about the Sardye when I wrote the Thealinites up. They probably have a 'pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey" game, using stakes and vamps, stuff like that.

I'm sure that there are LOTS of species out there who have similar stories and urges to kill vampires....
But, yes, a vampire-slaying party between the two would be a fun occasion to sit in on...

Secondary Vampire: "Er...look...guys...that neckbiting...I was just having a little prank...yeah...a little joke...I wasn't even going to break skin, honest! I wasn't expecting the ...is that a Blade of Elemental Water? Hey, that's a little much, don't you think? I mean I didn't even SEE the big reptilean guys there in the back,...I mean it's a dark night...anybody could make a mistake...that's all I did, make a little mistake...you can't fault a guy for that, can you? Oh, you're offering me a coin? Hey, heheeheh...I really don't need taxi fare, guys, you shouldn't have...It's not taxi fare? Oh...you want me to call heads or tails who gets to tear me apart and flush my ashes down the john...oh, that's sporting...."

[Roscoe Del'Tane]

Sardye: Oh BOY! It's Pinyata time!
Vamp: Ow. Ow. Ow. OW! Stop hitting me! I'me an evil, bloodsucking monster! I derserve your respect! [:thwak:] By teef! Doo bwoke by teef!

How about a dunk tank set up, with the vamp getting a bath every time the targert is hit? You'd have ot have a lot of vamps for that one to work.

Ooh! How about a tug of war, with the vamp beign the rope?

Or paintball wars, with the guns firing water pellets, and the vamps being unarmed and blood-starved.

[Aramanthus]

I'm looking forward to seeing some new races to add to the ones you guys have already put here!

[Roscoe Del'Tane]

After reviewing some of the old posts, I came across a conversation discussing a race of alcoholics, and what they would import/export. This is my stab at fleshing them out a bit more.

Derminus Terronicks: A.k.a. the Deets
”Whash up (URP!) wif yuu lady? Aintya efer shee shomewun wif a beer under der belt?” A random dragon after leaving a Deet bar.

The Deets (as they are commonly known) are a race of beings with a physiology so efficient, that they are effectively immune to drugs, alcohol, and disease. That doesn’t mean that they can’t get drunk, far from it, they just can’t get tipsy off of NORMAL booze. Their alcohol is so potent, that it actually doubles as rocket fuel, de-greaser, high explosive, and paint stripper. It is also so darn potent that it is banned/illegal substance in many places due to the fact that only supernatural creatures can drink the stuff and not DIE. Note that the Deets will never sell someone a drink without warning them, and having them sign a waiver in triplicate and having several witnesses.

Their booze (known as Dregk) is made from the standard things that go into beer (or other types of alcohol; there’s as much variation in Dregk as in other types of booze), barley, hops, wheat, all that kind of stuff. It’s the secret ingredient that gives it such a kick. No one but the Deets know what it is, and not even Mind Melters have been able to pry it out of them. They know the amount of power, influence, and plain ol’ money that it makes them, and they are determined to keep it to themselves.

Deets look like elongated monkeys, drawn out to the point that they are almost translucent, and in possession of a remarkable type of hair. Their hair is similar to chameleon hide; it is sensitive to the Deets mood, and will change color accordingly! This can be rather disconcerting at first, as their hair swirls through reds and greens while they laugh and joke with you, then switches to blue when they see someone trying to sneak off without paying, and then to black as they order them beaten. On top of that, their hair is mildly under their control, swaying back and forth, rising and lifting, even curling and uncurling as they want it to (not enough to be useful in combat, but useful enough to be distracting to others).

They evolved on a Vegetation planet, with massive amounts of hallucinogenic pollen and pheromones in the air, as well as animals that attempted to use potent venoms and toxins to subdue their prey. The Deets immune system evolved into a hyper-efficient and industrial strength cleaning unit, to do otherwise was to die. They have a paranoid fear of flowering plants, and will attempt to kill those who give them one, as it reminds them of the predatory vegetation of their home-world. Despite their uber-immune system they aren’t M.D.C. creatures without armor, and rely heavily on their bodyguards to protect them.


Gender: Hermaphroditic. Children are born in ‘pods’ (like eggs, only with a thick, flexible, leathery shell filled with protective goop). These pods are left in hidden hollows until they hatch, and are then taught by whomever finds them.
Lifespan: 250 years.
Alignment: Any and all, though most are scrupulous
Size: 9 feet tall, 450 pounds
Disposition: While your buying drinks or items, they are your best friend in the world, laugh at all your jokes, ask about the wife and kids, and are all round nice guys. When you stop buying, or run out of credits, they can turn nasty, or just have you thrown out.

Stats:
I.Q.: 3d6
P.S.: 3d6
P.P.: 3d6
P.E.: 3d6
P.B.: 3d6
M.A.: 3d6
M.E.: 3d6
SPD: 3d6
I.S.P.: 2d6
P.P.E.: 1d4
H.P.: P.E.+2d4
S.D.C.: 1d20+20

Natural Abilities: Brew Booze+10%/15%

Special Powers: They enjoy a racial bonus of +10 (roll vs non-lethal poison) to every time they take a non-Dregk drink, or partake of narcotics. This applies to magical items as well, even to the Dopaman creations and Fairy Foods! Even if they are effected by the item, it is only for one tenth the duration, and they are never addicted to the substance no matter how many time they use it.

Culture: They are merchants, pure and simple. The will sell just about anything they can get their hands on, except slaves or the secret ingredient to Dregk. The only ones that they are loyal to are their families (strongly) and the Deets as a whole (weakly).

Military: Non-existant, small squads of bodyguards, and enough guards to protect their wares.

Allies: Other merchants, their customers. They really have no strong ties to any one race, they simply want to sell their Dregk and make money.

Enemies: Family of those who have died from Dregk-poisoning. The law-officers in certain areas of space. That’s about it, most people have no reason to hate the Deets.

Technology Level: On par with that of most space fairing races.

[taalismn]

Gotta love those wacked-out races....everybody can spot the megadamage bricks and warrior races a mile off, but it's the loons that you gotta be on your guard against..
Good job!

[taalismn]

Sardye: Oh BOY! It's Pinyata time!
Vamp: Ow. Ow. Ow. OW! Stop hitting me! I'me an evil, bloodsucking monster! I derserve your respect! [:thwak:] By teef! Doo bwoke by teef!

How about a dunk tank set up, with the vamp getting a bath every time the targert is hit? You'd have ot have a lot of vamps for that one to work.

Ooh! How about a tug of war, with the vamp beign the rope?

Or paintball wars, with the guns firing water pellets, and the vamps being unarmed and blood-starved.

"Doctor' with the vampire spread out and staked down, while the players probe for his (withered) heart with silver ionstruments....

Bat-skeet, with an aviary full of bat-form vampires being blasted with water cannon and silver/wood projectiles...at the end of the game, the aviary is simply hoisted up into the dawn sunlight....

Vamp-Blowing...Vampires in vapor form are blown(by pump action or actual lung-blowing) down pipes towards a Mechanism of Death....a silver-lined washing machine with holy water additives....

Vamp-Tag....Aka Vamp-Baiting...whenever these guys go to town in disguise, they like to send a decoy illusioned and pheromoned-up to appear as an innocent to draw vampires....when the bloodsuckers show up and ry to take a bite, the trailing cloaked team rushes forward and 'tags' the vampire and forcing it to flee...hopefully leading the hunters back to its lair via the mystical tag slapped on it....


Vampire Bingo---Vampire is placed in a box fitted with pegged holes and the box placed in direct sunlight...participants call out the numbers of pegs to be removed, allowing sunlight into the box...the player who calls the fatal hole(that lets in enough sunlight to maim or kill the trapped vampire) wins...

Vampire Roulette---A vampire is given a choice of three coffins to escape the daylight...two of them are rigged to kill him should he enter them...the third, unbeknownst to him, is rigged to SLOWLY kill him(or else the vampire-hunters simply close up the coffin and take the vampire to the beach for some sun and surf fun)....

[Roscoe Del'Tane]

Gotta love those wacked-out races....everybody can spot the megadamage bricks and warrior races a mile off, but it's the loons that you gotta be on your guard against..
Good job!

Yeah, I had more I wanted to write up on them, but my muse [DAMN YOU BOB! ] ran off half way through the post, so I was kind of stuck. Now that I've had a good nights sleep, I remember what they were supposed to be.

Their fur actaully contains a sybiotic organism that filters their blood stream and other fluids for them. The fur fungus gains mobility and new beings to spread their colonies to, and the feelings that the Deets feel. The fungus is also the sectret ingredient, boiled out of their hair, and purified before being added to the Dregk.

For this reason, there are usually a dozen or so Deets for every merchant. These extra Deets are employed in usually shaving their fur in patches for the fungus, and are kept seperate from everbody else not involved in making the Dregk. They also do miscelanious odd jobs and labor, but make good money. After a few decades of this, they are judged to have enough experiance to start making their own (small) batches of Dregk. Once they are able to consistently make good booze, they are given a large bonus, the names of other young Deets, and the kilns and such that they will need to get started.

[taalismn]

Ah, the wonders of an alcohol-based social economy!

[Roscoe Del'Tane]

"Alrighty now, we got five barrels of Dregk Ale for Lord Splycrnth, to be delivered to the Gladitorial Arena, and two casks of Dregk Vodka to be delivered to the torture chamber. Is that correct?" Deet delivery man to Power Lord.

"That's right Little Man."

"Alrighty, sign here, intial here, birth date here. And remember, do NOT breath in the fumes! Oh, and keep these away from open flames and heat sources; we won't be resposible for what happens to life and property if you do. Have a nicve day, and enjoy your Dregk!"

Gotta love booze that can make an Alien Intelligence drunk.
Oh, and DT stands for Delerium Trennumns, the after effects of being drunk. Just wanted to see if anyone would get that.

[Aramanthus]

That's another very cool race. I like their reliance on Alcohol!