Fan Races!!

[Roscoe Del'Tane]

"...."You mutter as you finish tying the tourniquet around the stump of what's left of your arm....

"Hmm." [Licks lips and smile, revealing teeth filed to points] "Tasty flesh. Must be eaten! Come to Papa meatbags, I hunger for your souls!"[Spreads arms wide, Ever-Full Turkey Baster of Barbeque Sauce in the left hand, and Greatest Rune Butcher Knife(aka Papa) in the Right]

[Aramanthus]

Here let me help you! :::Pulls a wand of barbeque sauce for his arch mages robe. Smiles back::: Good thing those ninja bunnies have had their rabies shots! They have, haven't they?


"Runaway!!!!"

[taalismn]

:: millions of Ninja Bunnies stare at Aramanthus :: Somethings like to get the stuff with the light

NOw that they know where he is....

"Remember....a single candle may throw back the darkness...but the darkness now knows where you are quite nicely..."

OR...


"'Tis better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness...'tis even better to don nightvision goggles and wait with a flamethrower for opportunity to come within range..."

[taalismn]

*covers the mouth and smerts with giggles that refuse to come out

now THAT one was a humorous response

...sex one who speaks from experience with this sort of thing?

[Aramanthus]

I agree about the flame throwers! And the BBQ wand helps discourage most people.

[shiiv-a]

*pouts* ... just realized i lost my foxes when my other comp died of old age and bit loss ... *sigh* .. oh well ... will have to rethink the whole idea i guess ... they were a bit out there anyways

*looks at the drawing board and wonders why there are squiggles .. then recalls the boss' kid was doodling creatively on the walls at work .. and I got heck for it .... *sigh*

[taalismn]

*pouts* ... just realized i lost my foxes when my other comp died of old age and bit loss ... *sigh* .. oh well ... will have to rethink the whole idea i guess ... they were a bit out there anyways

*looks at the drawing board and wonders why there are squiggles .. then recalls the boss' kid was doodling creatively on the walls at work .. and I got heck for it .... *sigh*

Once lost the same twenty species file twice....had to constantly redo it...scared myself that I dedicated so much of my (personal) memory to the material when it could have been allocated to other more important stuff...
Hey, the Megaverse is a bastard

AS for the boss's kid? Use it as an excuse to suck up...Praise your boss's brat's artistic potential in your boss's presence..>If he(or she) doesn't believe it or at least grin embarassedly at the attention, they're rotten sods who you probably shoudn't be working for anyway because they evidentally hate their own offspring(and thus will think nothing of hosing you in their own self-interest...). Worst case scenario? You get saddled with minding the tyke (or is it a juvie delinq?)to help bring out his or her potential...the perfect opportunity to brainwash an impressionable mind into your accomplice....

[Aramanthus]

Shiiv-a were the foxes your pets? I'm sorry about your loss! That is a reason to back up your data on some media that will survive a crash. I'd get a CD or DVD burner with your next computer. It'd help preserve those digital memories.

[taalismn]

I suggest five-ton titanium alloy slabs carved with a laser, and refinished with gold-leaf...expensive, yes, but no chance of accidentally wiping them...

[Aramanthus]

That is an extreme form of memorial, not ba. Just expensive!

[shiiv-a]

*covers mouth and chortles at the new direction

anyways .. i'm not too worried about it.

they were a passing fancy, that obviously weren't meant to survive

i'm not gonna sweat it. just means i'll have to think up something else that would be 'technically' feasible ... and yet have that tiny bit of uniqueness that will mark it as MINE

[Aramanthus]

I've still got to hammer one out for the boards.

[taalismn]

they were a passing fancy, that obviously weren't meant to survive

i'm not gonna sweat it. just means i'll have to think up something else that would be 'technically' feasible ... and yet have that tiny bit of uniqueness that will mark it as MINE

"They were not meant to survive, obviously...too weak to pass the ultimate test of their worthiness to be my minions! Their failure will be an abject lesson to those who dare feel they are 'good enough' to serve me; I accept no weaklings, nothing less than PERFECTION! Think it an accident? A random misfortune? They fell by unfortunate circumstance? Nay, those flawed ones were erased by the very megaverse as confirmation of its loyalty to Me, its GOD!!!! And now, guided by the subtlties of my will, it creates anew, it shapes a new people to be MY loyal, MY perfect, MY true minions, mine, mine, MINE!!!!!"

[Aramanthus]

::::Slap::: "Taalismn" ::::Slap:::: "Come on man! Your having one of your episodes man!" ::::Slap:::: "Take your medicine!" ::::Slap::::

[taalismn]

Nope, I was channeling Shiiv-a's inner, little-expressed, megalomaniac...
Sort of an avatar sort of deal, except I don't get any nifty gifts of power in the bargain....

[shiiv-a]

....

*checks about the room .. then under chair .... and discovers ... mutant dust bunnies with glowing red eyes ... *

hmmm .. i think ninjabunny was over here the other day ... i haven't seen this breed in a long time ...

[Aramanthus]

Someone get the vaccumm cleaner! That is the only cure for Ninja Dust Bunnies!

[taalismn]

....

*checks about the room .. then under chair .... and discovers ... mutant dust bunnies with glowing red eyes ... *

hmmm .. i think ninjabunny was over here the other day ... i haven't seen this breed in a long time ...

Now you know why I clean my bachelor pad with a pulse laser with underslung grenade launcher...

[Aramanthus]

I don't worry about such trivial things. I employ a full diplomatic team to settle disputes by treaty in my place.

[taalismn]

I don't worry about such trivial things. I employ a full diplomatic team to settle disputes by treaty in my place.

"Anything that falls on the floor is OURS. Your feet have diplomatic immunity only as long as you stay within the specified right-of-passage zones.""

[Aramanthus]

You rascally foot funguses had better watch out I'm armed with Dr. Schlotz foot powder. One shot kills foot funguses. Remember the treaty of the carpet! We have a deal!

[Roscoe Del'Tane]

Alright, this might not be what you asked for with the ‘best galactic drill seargant’ or whatever, but I gave it my best shot. I would have posted it earlier, it’s just that the darn thing just kept getting bigger and bigger on me! Enjoy. (I would have had this up last thrusday but my ISP crapped out on me, jus tnow came back up)

Forleshka (These are not designed as a player race, more along the lines of uber-strong NPC’s or acquaintances of the players. Beware of rather munchkin level abilities, and powerful beings ahead.)

These despicable beings are among the best instructors and drill sergeants in the Megaverse, but are so vile and twisted, that only the most depraved commanders would consider using them. Fortunately there only seems to be a few dozen of them in existence, unfortunately they also seem to be un-killable and effectively immortal. They feed on emotions as some races do, but they require pain and suffering, and go out of their way to get it. Nature has provided them with a unique and incredibly nasty way of garnering nourishment.

The Forleshka look vaguely humanoid, but only at first glance. They only stand about five foot tall, and they always look as if they are standing in deep, deep shadow, even if its noon out (or if their standing in front of a spot light), and never cast a shadow of their own. Their eyes glow a dark, bleak red, and noxious smoke trickles out of their mouth, bringing with it the stench of burning flesh. They have the smell of ozone surrounding them thickly at all times, except for when they’ve just feed (within 1d4x10 +5 minutes) whereupon it switches to clinging sulfur and brimstone.

They seem to have two wrist thick horns sweeping straight back from their skulls, rather like an antelopes horns, only with razor sharp twisted ridges spiraling along the length (does 4d6 damage + P.S. bonuses). Their voices echo hollowly, as if they were speaking from the bottom of a well full of water, except when they laugh or shout, then it booms like a crack of thunder (can be heard up to 2d4 miles away). Their touch causes a full body shiver, only supernatural beings and creatures of magic are immune; it feels rather like being plunged head first into a tank of ice water and then having your skin beaten with bags full of frozen peas.

Forleshka are insanely strong and impossibly tough. One very famous account (accidentally caught on video for posterity’s sake) depicts a Forleshka walking into a bar, and being accosted by trio of Royal Kreeghor. He calmly asked them to leave him in peace so he could enjoy a quiet drink alone; one of them slapped his drink out of his hands and crushed the glass with a foot. The Forleshka simply calmly reached out, ripped off the offending hand, and then proceeded to beat them to death with it. Another infamous video has one being shot repeatedly in the head by a Glitter Boy’s Boom Gun with no obvious effect; the pilot fired continuously, right up until the point that the Forleshka ripped his head off, helmet and all. Obviously they are some kind of Greater Demons or creatures of magic, but no Forleshka has come forward with the information; and all those who ask have been found later, requiring extensive genetic testing (and strong stomachs) to identify even their species. Simply put, the Forleshka guard their secrets very well, and brook no one inquiring into their business.

Stats:
Alignment: Pure evil, they never have good thoughts about others, will casually set fire to an orphanage to harvest the emotions if they get the slightest bit peck-ish. Evil, nasty, bad men are what they are. Rar, fear them. They are diabolic through and through, and will never change alignments (immune to spells or psychic abilities that would change it).

Lifespan: Close enough to infinite to make no difference, testing proved that one was over thirty million years old, and he looked like a man in his early twenties, and spoke of ‘those who make me look a child’. How they reproduce, if they can, is not known, and after what they did to the last person to ask (an Emperor), nobody wants to know.

Attacks per melee: As per their Hand To Hand skill, plus two. They are special in that they can learn more than one HTH skill, but can only use the first one they choose; the others they can teach to their ‘patients’ with the Group Mind-Trap.

I.Q.: 3d6+4
M.E.: 20+1d8
M.A.: 2+1d6 (they look creepy as all sin, nobody would trust them.)
P.S.: 30+2d8 (considered Supernatural)
P.E.: 5d6 (also considered Supernatural, can go up to a week without rest while doing heavy labor)
P.P.: 4d6
P.B.: 3d4 (not ugly, but usually not pretty either)
Speed: 40+3d6 (very fast, able to run most people down in seconds.)
H.P.: Not applicable, definitively a M.D.C. critter.
S.D.C.: Not applicable, definitively a M.D.C. critter
M.D.C.: 3d4x100 for a base, gains 2d4x10 per level. They are perhaps unique in that damage does not become apparent until they are within 100 M.D.C. of death; until then they appear as untouched and pristine as a new-fallen snow. (when in S.D.C. settings, cut M.D.C. into thirds, one third for H.P. the other two for S.D.C.)
I.S.P.: 4d6 (makes saves vs psionics as if they were master psychics).
P.P.E.: 3d4x10 (in addition to what they might learn as mages, can be kept to themselves if they wish, cannot be stolen by mages.).

Natural Abilities: Group Mind-Trap without cost, regenerates 1d6x10 M.D.C. per melee round (limbs within two hours), able to leap up or across 40 feet from a dead stop (triple that with a short run of five feet), Horror factor of 13, doesn’t need to breath, merge with shadows (enemies are -15% to detect them if the Forleshka is in deep shadow), and Résistance to Energy (no damage from the first 20 points in the melee, half after that). They can also cast a level six Armor of Ithan on themselves for no cost, up to five times a day.

Every Forleshka has the ability to use the psychic Mind-Trap power at no cost, but with a sick twist. The mental duration is equal in years to their M.E. (so a M.E. of 23 means that they could trap somebody for the equivalent of 23 years), and they can suck in as many people as they can make physical contact with (could be more than a dozen at once if they position themselves properly). These Group Mind-Traps are often used as ‘training exercises’, putting the unfortunate soldiers through dozens of situations that would make the Coalition State’s Siege on Tolkieen seem like a nice, peaceful, walk in the park. If the subject ‘dies’ in the GMT, they are placed in another body, so one person could live out hundreds, if not thousands of different lives during their ‘training’ at the Forleshka’s hands.

Subjects who do undergo this inhumane treatment and manage to survive (each ‘training class’ has an average mortality rate of roughly 15%, their minds simply aren’t able to cope with the strain and shut down completely), are definitely superior soldiers, due to the horrific scenarios they have had to survive (often times repeatedly, going through battles as soldiers on each side dozens of times before moving on to the next). This is addressed in the fact that at level one, their military skills and HTH are all considered three levels higher (at level one, treat as if level four), they are +5 to save vs. Horror Factor, they are +3 to initiative, and they have an extra attack per melee round.

The down side to this treatment is that they tend to have quite the bundle of neurosis and insanities. Each soldier has a modified version of the God syndrome, they believe that they cannot be killed, as they have already ‘died’ thousands of times already; they tend to take risks that only juicers would, and have no appreciation for life (human, their own, or otherwise). They also have an irrational hatred of psychics; they seek to kill any that they can get their hands on, often times torturing and disfiguring them for hours, or even days before finally deciding to kill them. They also have the disturbing habit of talking to themselves, often carrying on entire conversations at the top of their voice, supplying both sides of the argument, but never when stealth is an issue. They also have the habit of fingering and fondling their weapons when they are stressed, often looking tight at the person causing said stress while commenting on the noises their weapons make when cutting an opponent down. Finally, they have a pair of random phobias(nothing directly related to death/dying), two where they curl up in the fetal position weeping if the phobia trigger comes near them (closer than 20ft triggers the attack).

The Forleshka feed on the pain and suffering their ‘patients’ feel, each 20 points of damage that they suffer is enough to satisfy one days worth of nutrients. Each true death that a ‘patient’ suffers, grants them roughly a week and a half’s worth of nutrition. There is no limit to the number of days that they can store in advance, so most of them take the time to train entire armies for despots, dictators, and fanatics before leaving to traveling for years among the stars.

They can also feel suffering, pain, and agony in the air, like Dog-Boys can feel psychics. Use those tables at ten times the distance for being able to track said emotions to the source. A Forleshka only has to be within 20 feet per level to feed on the persons emotions, but only feels satisfied if they are involved in causing it in some way, otherwise it’s just ‘junk food filler’ to them (empty calories).

Vulnerabilities: They must feed on Humanoid or Intelligent beings, not animals. Their distinctive smell means that anybody capable of scent tracking can follow/scent them at quadruple the normal range, and with a +25% bonus. They take triple damage from silver weaponry, double from magic weapons (i.e. rune blades, enchanted daggers, not spells), and TEN times the normal damage from Millennium Tree items, damage form these three types heal at only one half speed. Animals instinctively react as if they are being attacked by the Forleshka; treat such animals as berserk enemies while they can find the Forleshka within five minutes.

In addition, while they can consume food and drink if the wish, salt will strip them of their natural abilities and HALF their M.D.C. for one hour after consumption (little known fact, as most never eat anything anyways), must be more than an ounce of salt in one meal though. Caffeine is even worse, it completely blinds them, and causes intense cramping (reduce speed to only 2d4), and drops M.D.C. to one tenth normal (eliminate S.D.C. in non-Mega Damage environments), and it lasts one day for each mouthful they drank (takes effect no less than ten minutes after drinking, but no later than half an hour afterwards).

Flowers, crazy as it seems, are deadly as well. If anybody can force a flowers blossom into their mouth, they loose all of their days of stored ‘nutrition’ they may have had, and it deals 3d4x10 M.D.C. to them, that heals at the rate of normal mortals.

Finally, like the legends of some vampires, they cannot enter a private, permanent, dwelling without permission, or they take 2d6x10 damage per melee action they remain in it. To attempt to do so on their own requires two saves vs. insanity in a row, AND a save vs. Horror factor at -3.

Experience Tables: Use the Dragon Hatchling set.

Can pick any O.C.C. set, but tends to choose Men-At-Arms professions, or others that will allow them access to large amounts of misery and agony, a few have even become doctors in order to have a constant stream of patient sat their (non-existent)mercy.

Augmentation: Not possible, their physiology rejects all attempts made (not that anybody has been able to pin one down long enough to try such a stupid idea in the first place).

Technology: The Forleshka are light-years beyond even that of Naruni Enterprises, Triax, or even the Splugorth. Very high tech stuff, but they share it with no one. An example of their tech are personal teleportation systems, capable of sending them across galactic distances in heartbeats, and hide-out guns capable of shooting Naruni Combat Drones down out of the sky with only one blast.

Military might: Little and lots at the same time. While there are only 42 known Forleshka in the Megaverse(there could easily be hundreds more of them, it’s a big existence out there), they themselves are very strong and nasty, and they all have the numbers of many people who owe them very big favors; mostly those who had the Forleshka train their crack troops during a revolution, or had training done “as a favor”.

Allies: None. Nobody, not even the Splugorth, deal with the Forleshka more than once if they can help it.

Enemies: Everybody. They look down on everybody not Forleshka with undisguised contempt and hatred.

[Roscoe Del'Tane]

Almost forgot, got a few special bugs for the P.E.S.T.'s to use.
Special Insect Breeds: Carrion Bees, only for the most utterly depraved and psychotic P.E.S.T.’s will consider using them. They are bees who live off of rotting meat, and even scarier, living flesh. Their stings contain a potent (incredibly so) neuro-toxin that paralyzes their victim, while leaving them in full possession of their faculties. To avoid this, the victim must make two saves vs. lethal poison, and even if they succeed whatever limb or bodily area that was stung goes completely numb. Effects of a few stings from one insect can last for up to two hours before wearing off completely; repeated stings can put a person into a sort of waking coma, where they are aware of everything done to them, but unable to even twitch for the rest of their life. They are each roughly the size of a Pink Pearl eraser (one of those long, trapezoidal ones), with wings capable of lifting more than five pounds above their bodyweight into the air.

The worst part is that many of the queens will often lay eggs in the victim, using them as incubators for the next generation of their brood. Eggs born form that victim are much stronger and more aggressive, possessing double the normal amount of S.D.C. and 50% extra speed and strength, they are roughly ¾ bigger than non-incubated carrion bees. They are also much more aggressive, prone to attacking anything that moves and dragging them back to the hive.

They gather in huge swarms, some of them more then 4-5,000 individuals in the largest (not able to be contained inside the P.E.S.T., must expand into the branches if that large), and can strip the entire countryside bare if they are left unchecked. They do make honey, of a kind, but it is much to revolting and foul tasting to be eaten by most humanoid beings (that is if they can even get to it without getting killed), though the Splugorth seem to like it. They will sometimes infest graveyards, feasting on the corpses buried within the graves, (they have no problem digesting the embalmed flesh) and will ‘collect’ the custodial staff and mourners if they are not controlled in some manner.

A few swarms of them have managed to escape onto other worlds, and have since spread like a plague. In a matter of a few months they can sweep across an entire continent, and within a few years can cover the entire planet if there are no large water barriers (Oceans) to stand in their way. Most primitive civilizations are unable to even find the hive, let alone destroy the damnable things, they are well hidden (usually underground or other wise inaccessible to unpowered beings) and are crawling with multiple layers of defenders and warriors. Their stings are string enough to punch through leather easily, and if given enough time they can even bore through metal plating!

One of them by itself is dangerous, two are deadly, and more than that are nearly impossible for a lone person to defeat. Flamethrowers and grenades work best to destroy them, as well as aerosol-based insecticides; but even then the Carrion Bees fight to the bitter end, to the last bug, and often times where there’s one hive, there are dozens of larval queens. Each queen will have a retinue of a few dozen incubated warriors, and will not go to the defense of the main hive, but will instead splinter off into the wilds to form their own colonies, often times hitting those who destroyed the main hive in the idst of their celebrations.

Stats are otherwise roughly equal to those of wasps and yellow-jackets, flying speed is doubled, and they are not above giving their controller a ride (not applicable to P.E.S.T.’s, too darned big). Only in Mega-Damage environments, they have half their S.D.C. as the equivalent to M.D.C., and can chew through M.D.C. structures with relative ease.

Giant Wood Beatles: Almost the length of a mans forearm, they live on rotted wood and vegetable matter. They live in burrows underground, not hive-minded, but communal nonetheless. They are quite friendly, and can even be tamed and turned into guard beasts (trainable like dogs, but not as smart) who hiss and chirp at intruders. Bite only does 1-2 points of damage when normal sized, but use the predator madibles when giant sized. Use the stats for the normal Greater Stag Beatles, but increase their S.D.C. when giant to 500, with a natural A.R. of 18, supernatural strength and endurance, and double their speed.

Itchy bugs: basically ants that fire off blasts of organic itching powder instead of formic acid. Does no appreciable damage, but until washed off, the victim looses one attack per melee, is -2 to all combat rolls, and are -2 to initiative as well (only if more than 50 individuals blast the victim, otherwise it’s negligible). Treat as red ants otherwise.

Boing Bugs: Essentially grasshoppers, only they spit concentrated stimulants and hallucinogens instead of ‘tobacco juice’. This stuff causes the victims to hyperventilate and go into spasms, -2 actions per melee, -5 to all combat rolls, and last on initiative for 2d6 minutes, but only if more than 30 squirt one target. When giant sized, one shot will cause the victim to trip out for up to 1d4x10+5 minutes. The juice is absorbed through the skin or any orifice, they only thing that will help, is wearing waterproof clothing, face masks, or dodging.


I based the carrion bees off of a nightmare I had when younger, I had written up an entire backstory for them, and even wrote up a 20 page short story, but never did anything with it until now.

[taalismn]

The Forleska are breathtakingly nasty....
Thank you

[Roscoe Del'Tane]

Thanks! I tried to balance out the good they did by making the soldiers they 'trained' slap-ass-nuts, but wasn't sure if I did a good job. Now I know better!

I am rather proud of that little bit about there being only 42 of them. Great for keeping them pesky players on their toes, and ready for anything. (Cackles madly to myself for a few minutes.)

[taalismn]

As for the Carrion Bees...nasty stinkers...but then they are the offspring of junior nightmares(those are the ones that stick with us)..>I may have to start evolving some predators to combat them...upgrade my Orkin power armor...or contract some Mineral-based aliens as exterminators(stone skin, hot fusion interior, hot sulphur breath....).

[taalismn]

Blame Shiiv-a and NinjaBunny for these...

Feral DustBunnies
“We got things that go bump in the night again...”
“Great...the dust bunnies are back....Garn, you still got that cyclovac attachment for your cyberarm? We’re going to have to go hunting before they decide to unionize again and try running us out again.”

Feral Dustbunnies are a pest species, believed to originate from one of the alternate Elemental Planes(some people believe them to be distantly related to Tectonic Entities), that has spread throughout the Three Galaxies(and beyond), being able to conceal themselves and propogate quite effectively in the environmental filth generated by most species. FDBs breed like Tribbles, but aren’t anywhere as cute and cuddly; they resemble Susuwatari, but aren’t anywhere near as useful. They are generally regarded as vermin, and a sure sign of neglect and decay.
Despite their fearsome appearance, FDBs are actually quite harmless, but once their numbers get out of control, their presence can lend an unhealthly stale reek to the air in closed quarters, and the dust and lint they produce can clog up air-vents, water drains, and sensitive electronics equipment. They also produce weak static electrical fields that can damage computer equipment. FDBs are also able to form, in congregations of 40 or more, massive collective intelligences with pooled capabilities, that spontaneously acquire elemental magical abilities, among other things. ‘Dust Golems’ are very dangerous because they will defend a territory from intruders, seeking to drive janitors and interlopers from the FDBs’ favorite ‘nest’, such as an abandoned building or uncleaned room.
Feral Dust Bunnies are the bane of mechanics, which is ample reason for Techno-Gremlins to cultivate the things as pets, introducing them into factory clean-rooms. Federation of Magic apprentices are also known to keep FDBs as pets, unless their sorceress masters are big on cleanliness...and a favorite prank of senior magic academy students is to send underclassmen to clean up rooms(deliberately kept uncleaned for the purpose) in which Dust Golem collective-colonies are kept, as part of hazings to scare the bejeezus out of the newbies.

For the most part, Feral Dust Bunnies are fairly harmless, skittery, little creatures who only wish to be left alone to breed in peace and wallow in dust and grime. About 20% of FDBs. however, are Rabid, and carry a magical malaise they spread by their weak bite, that makes victims perpetuate the conditions that Dust Bunnies favor for their habitation.

Alignments: Anarchist
Lifespan: 10 years
Size:4-10 inches wide and weigh less than a pound
Gender: Hermaphrodites who breed litters of 4-6 offspring 2-4 times a month.
Physical Description/Appearance:
A flattened spheroid of dark hair and dust, with two glowing red or yellow eyes.
A gestaltic Dust Golem is a smokey-gray-black humanoid roughly eight feet tall with two large glowing red eyes, looking like an animated smog-doll.
Disposition/Attitudes:
Physical Attributes:
IQ: 1d4(low animal)
ME:Not Applicable
MA: Not Applicable
PS: 1
PP: 1
PB:1d4
PE: 2d6
SPD: 4d6
(ISP): Not applicable
(PPE): 1d6
Hit Points: 1d6
SDC: 1d6
MDC:-----
Horror Factor: Individual FDBs have NO H.F....Groups of 10 or more have H.F. 8, and Dust Golems have an H.F. of 13
Natural Abilities:
Immune to Mind Control(magic and psionic) and most Psionic abilities
Nightvision---Can see perfectly fine in total darkness
Bite---Feral Dust Bunnies bite for 1 SDC
RABID Dust Bunnies on the other hand have a dirty bite that can infect a victim; a person bitten must roll versus non-lethal poison AND insanity or become infected with a general malaise of the spirit that causes them to lose interest in residental hygiene(they don’t pick up after themselves, fail to vaccuum regularly, and pretty much let their place of residence go to seed) that becomes a matter of personal hygiene(don’t shave, shower, or change clothes regularly), and ultimately becomes a mental illness(character becomes depressed and susceptible to fatigue; -1 to initiative, parry, and dodge, fatigues twice as fast. -10% to all skills, and is -1 to save versus psionic attack and mind control. May or may not take up alcoholism(50% chance)or substance abuse(30% chance) unless intervention is taken. The malaise can be cured magically, or by the simple expedient of wiping out the FDB nest in the vicinity of the victim(will recover in 1d4 days).

*Dust Golem----When FDBs form a Dust Golem, their pooled life-energy forms a gestalt creature with greatly enhanced supernatural properties. They can maintain this collective form for as many minutes as the collective golem has members(4d4x10...never less than 40 members) before they have to pull apart again(but can reform again in 1d6 melees....Golem collectives frequently pull apart to squeeze through openning and air vents to reform on the other side).
-7-8 feet tall
-Supernatural P.S. of 20(can perform megadamage melee attacks; 3d6 SDC on a restrained punch, 1d6 MD on a punch, 2d6 MD on a 2 APM power punch)
-1d6x10 MDC
-Regenerates 2d6 MD per minute(TRIPLE that in extremely dusty/filthy environments)
-Physical attacks(punches, kicks, concussion blasts, bullets, and other projectiles) do HALF damage
-Speed of 5d6
-Has 6 actions/attacks per melee, +2 to strike, +5 Dodge
-Can cast the following spells up to 6 times per 24 hour period, each at 6th level profficiency/duration;
-Dust Storm
-Smothering Cloud(similar to the spell Miasma, except that it also clogs air filters)
-Cloud of Smoke
-Darkness
Vulnerabilities:
*Bright Light---Feral Dust Bunnies shun bright lights

*Fire-Fire-based attacks do DOUBLE damage

*Wind--Because of their light weight, wind-based attacks do no extra damage, but will knock FDBs around twice as far/long, and they can easily be sucked up by vaccums. Dust Golems are also susceptible to wind and vaccums; using a vaccum cleaner on them(must be in phsyical contact with them) does 1d4 MD per action/attack of contact as the Golem’s cohersion is threatened by the suction. The individual dust bunnies aren’t destroyed; just pulled apart and contained.

*Static Repulsion Fields---Feral Dust Bunnies can be controlled quite handily by dust repulsor fields

Psionics: None
Magic:
*Shadowmeld(no cost)

Skills:
Prowl 98%
Climbing 98%
Actions/Attacks Per Melee:
Individual FDBs have 1 action per melee, +4 to dodge

Variant Species:
There have been rumors of other species of Dust Bunnies circulating about the Three Galaxies----Hopefully they are simply urban myths:
*Zombie Dust Bunnies---Zombie Dust Bunnies are rumored to be gray-white creatures with a bite that conveys a necrotizing poison---Victims’ skins become dried out, gray, and peeling, SDC and Hit Points are reduced to HALF, the victim loses all appetite and initiative, -2 to strike, parry, and dodge, -4 to save versus Mind Control, and is infected with the magic curse Aura of Doom...Though not technically an Undead, victims will appear to be undead, and their dessicating skin will attract more dust bunnies and worse yet, vampires. It is also entirely possible for a ZDB victim to starve to death, and their moldering corpse fed upon by the ZDBs. The bite’s effects can be cured by a Remove Curse or Cure Illness spell, or by massive doses of antibiotics accompanied by IV fluids and wrapping the victim’s skin in moisturizing bandages or coverings.

*Radioactive Dust Bunnies---said to haunt the seldom-cleaned interior hallways and crawlspaces of old-fashioned reactors, atomic power stations, and radioactive waste storage facilities, RDBs glow in the dark, and their bite conveys a dangerous dose of radiation, doing 2d6 directly to Hit Points...or 1d6 MD to supernatural beings susceptible to radiation, making them feared by dragons and other supernatural creatures.

*Cosmic Dust Golems---Cosmic Dust Golems are said to be free-floating conglomerations of dust bunnies that were simply flushed out into the dark depths of space, that have continued to breed and form massive planet-sized mini-nebula of semi-sentient dust. Horror stories tell of lost starships blundering into clouds of dark cosmic dust that have manifested giant glowing eyes and begin pursuing the ships, engulfing them in dust, fouling their thrusters and sensors, and thoroughly griming up the ships before letting them go...Supposedly, other ships aren’t so lucky....

[Aramanthus]

Thanks Roscoe! It looks great!

Taalismn, I almost fell off my chair you rat fink, in a fit of hysterical laughter after reading your new one! Its another great one Taalismn! Great job!

[shiiv-a]

....

*blinks*

ROFL

[Roscoe Del'Tane]

Feral DustBunnies
“We got things that go bump in the night again...”
“Great...the dust bunnies are back....Garn, you still got that cyclovac attachment for your cyberarm? We’re going to have to go hunting before they decide to unionize again and try running us out again.”

Oh the comments I could post off of this.

[Puts on a large hunting hat, and mimes shh!] Be vewey, vewey qwiet! I'm hunting dust wabbits!

Wabbit Season! Golem Season! Wabbit Season! Golem Season! Wabbit Season, Fire! Boom!Your Disthpicable

[removes hat, puts on a cheap suit and suspenders] Looking to go huntin' fer some dust bunnies? I gots the perfect weapon right here sonny! Combination of febreeze and aerosal cleaners wrapped around a concussion grenade. Only sixty credits a pop, a bargain! And the latest in anti-Dust Golem weaponry, a spear mounted vaccum! Joist point, poke, and the auto-vac Super-Sucker 9000 will do the rest! At 1,000 creds a pop, I'm stealin' the food out of me own mouth!

[removes suit, puts on grimy tee-shirt with a hemp leaf on the front, and a dreadlock wig] Whoa dude, those fuzzy things under your bed just ate our bowl of snacks man, and I've got the munchies. I think I'm on a bad trip man, cause they just turned into a big, fuzzy, muppet... thing. You sure this weed don't got no acid in it?

[shiiv-a]

heh

can actually see that happening. sadly those red eyed little hairy critters aren't even mine. they are the creation of another site i visited about 4 years ago and its the ONLY thing i remember. i think it was ...

... jeez .. its been too long. i can't remember at all now ...

*shrugs*

[Aramanthus]

It was one of the funniest RCCs in quite awhile!!!

[taalismn]

heh

can actually see that happening. sadly those red eyed little hairy critters aren't even mine. they are the creation of another site i visited about 4 years ago and its the ONLY thing i remember. i think it was ...

... jeez .. its been too long. i can't remember at all now ...

*shrugs*

(Covers eyes and shakes head..) Just take the credit!
Or do I have to sic the Prozacanoids on you....

[taalismn]

It was one of the funniest RCCs in quite awhile!!!

Thank you...after weeks of agonizing about finishing up some fresh material and spinning my wheels, this one just flowed out of me in one day...

There's a lesson in there, somewhere, but I'm too dumb to realize it...

[Aramanthus]

It was a brillant stroke of the keys! Still great job!

[taalismn]

Which puts the pressure on for the next creation!

[shiiv-a]

*takes the hint like a sledge hammer to the temple*

oh .... right .... yer welcome for ... uhh ...

*curtseys and waves the hand before sitting down*

[Aramanthus]

I tell you this a great group we have reading these RCCs! They are all so polite!

[taalismn]

Yes...a curtsey with a concussion...that's at least a ME save of 15 or better...most people just fall down and whine and complain about the pain, but it takes style to go down with grace...

[taalismn]

Okay...these folks were an early munchkin race I created long ago but never really defined until I got ahold of the Eugenic Beings tables in Powers Unlimited 2, at which point I began churning out superbeings.,..at some point I may redefine them, but for now, here they are...

Elan

“Taken in broad daylight....he had four five-hundred pound augments for bodyguards, and they went down in two seconds...couldn’t even pull their pieces....Biggest charc-dealer in the sector with the longest streak of staying ahead of the law, and somebody snatched him walking down a street in his own hometown...Nobody’s ever gotten NEAR him in eight years and now he’s sitting in an icebox with enough connecting evidence to make an extradition retroactive!”
“I trust then, Police Commisoner, you are satisfied with my daughters’ work?”


Elan are the result of an advanced Saharratech research project gone awry. Saharratech was already a well-known genetics and agricultural giant for several centuries, having started out creating terraforming organisms and steadily moving up the ladder of sophistication into biological computer systems, security forms, medical nanotech, and adaptive biogenetics. They also had a reputation for being one of the few companies to be able to traffic in sentient artificial lifeforms, having established an enlightened policy of fighting for their creations’ legal recognition as entitled sentients, while starting them under a contract indentureship that would allow the lifeforms to eventually pay back their own contracts, under unambigious terms, and become free sapients. The bioforms known as the Elan would be the corporation’s most ambitious humanoid lifeform to date. Originally known as Project NOMAD357, they were intended as a new line of advanced nanotech-augmented bioroids designed for planetary exploration(sort of super Wilderness Scouts), the Elan design template made extensive use of bio-analogue nanotech systemry, multi-layered nueral command software, and replicant-reproductive capabilities, with random mutation parameter allowances(as well as, it is rumored, supernatural DNA templates from such species as the Brodkil and Dragons). The design was for a super fast, agile, tough, and intelligent bio-android that could survive the extreme, danger-fraught environs of the Megaverse, clone itself, and adapt itself and its offspring to new environments, but which would have the proper biological and intellectual restrictions to keep from simply overrunning a planet with its own offspring. Given this aspect of the design, Saharratech intended to be very careful when producing and programming these bioroids, to prevent them from going rogue and coming into competition with other sapients. The program under consideration was to produce the bioroids with the understanding that they would serve under contract to the company for eighty years, during which they would be educated and recieve company support, and when upon completion, they could either buy out their contracts and go independant, or renew their contract to Saharratech. Just as had happened previously with many of Saharratech’s sentient ‘products’.
However the Saharratech project was intended to be carried out, it took a fateful turn when, in a rare incidence of careless planning on Saharratech’s part, the security of a continua-branch office was breached and a set of design templates for the new bioroid, along with sub-assembly system samples and a production-matrixed zygote(being transferred to another, more secure facility), was stolen in an act of industrial espionage. The accompanying attendant research technicians were killed in this raid, which left no survivors. The super corporation MORO (a chemical processing giant that was also dealing in biochemcial warefare development) was the culprit, and pirated the design as their own, in their relentless drive to acquire new technologies and destroy their potential rivals. It is suspected that the MORO-paid extraction team wasn’t aware of the presence of the NOMAD357 shipment, but were after other biological hardware, and were probably tipped off by a paid-off shipping clerk of biotech at the facility. The acquisition of the packaged NOMAD357 was an incredible windfall for MORO, who now had the cutting edge of Saharratech’s advanced biotech practically drop into their possession.
MORO used the design templates and sub-assembly samples to gestate the NOMAD357 as their own bioroid, as a super-assassin similar to several already under development by MORO. In fact, in the cut-throat corporate environment that was MORO office politics, there was internal competition to field a superior product before other departments could; a policy encouraged by the administration since it meant that if any one line of development failed, there would be backups already in the works(even if they were pirated versions of other peoples’ technology). Unfortunately, owing to their lack of familiarity with the exotic technologies involved, and their haste to produce a working unit, MORO failed to install the many safeguard devices and loyalty blocks they(and Saharratech) had intended to before the unit became fully operational.
The unit did become operational, sooner than expected, with a completely different persona ingram overlay than was originally intended for installation. One that was sentient and ill-disposed towards MORO and its executive board. Alan Nourse.
Alan Nourse had previously been a minor executive in MORO’s ranks, a rare innocent who truly toed the company line, but who felt that in doing so, he was part of a positive economic influence---MORO. An accomplished planner and recruiter, Nourse was a useful patsy, unaware that many of his economic plans were used to mask other darker plans, or were implemented by less than legal means, or that many of the people he head-hunted, including his own niece, were often drafted to work for gray and black projects. Unknowingly, Nourse was a Boy Scout in a den of vipers, and bets were taken in some high circles of MORO as to how long it would be before Nourse proved inconvemient, was scapegoated, or went insane. They didn’t have long to wait...
It was when Nourse was assigned to work under a particularly nasty executive, Oro Tagauishi, and accidentally discovered that Tagauishi’s involvement in several black ops programs, including several that ‘disappeared’ impoverished and homeless people as test subjects for various biological experiments, that Nourse threatened to defy his superiors, Rather than raise a stink, when he had bigger fish to fry(namely the development of super-soldiers) Tagauishi simply had Nourse eliminated. But before he did, Tagauishi decided to test some experimental mind-tranferral software(also part of his black projects folder) out, to see if there was any pattern deterioration in a human mind. Nourse made an ideal guinea pig, since no one was going to see him again, and Tagauishi had him copied(more like ripped) onto a MORO mainframe before having him stuffed into a garbage incinerator. Tagauishi also contemplating using the stored persona to see if it wasn’t possible to alter a stored mind, to docilate it, or alter its attitudes(something akin to what MORO suspected their chief rival, Naruni Enterprises, was doing with its Repo-Bots). In either case, Tagausihi considered the entire incident over and done with; Nourse had been iced, his memories locked away in electronic amber, a little profit made on the whole deal, and no further thought given to the whole business.
However, Nourse was NOT a closed case, as Tagauishi thought......when the compressed, digitized persona analogue was mistakenly down loaded into the NOMAD357 body during a test and took control, the Alan Nourse who awoke was not the hard-working, naive, ideallistic, company man who saw MORO as the saviour of mankind, but an embittered, enlightened, thoroughly angry pragmatist who hated the way (s)he had been used, decieved, and discarded. Alan Nourse emerged from the bowels of electronic limbo a changed, and warped, dark shadow of his former self. Finding herself female and inhuman didn’t help things either. Suffering what could only be called a directed cyberpsychotic fugue, Nourse tore out of her confinement, surprised several security robots and guards, slaughtered all of them, pretty much wrecked the lab she was being held in, and escaped into the night, her baptism one of fire and blood.

Taking refuge in the bowels of the local city subway system, moving about the streets only at night, Nourse/NOMAD357 eked out a life as a scavenger, stealing food and clothing(and occasionally confiscating them from would-be muggers and rapists), supported in part by some small local accounts she had stashed away in local banks and was able to access electronically, avoiding police patrols and MORO search parties, and wondering how she was going to get back at the bastards she had once looked up to.
One of the interesting bits of information that MORO had succeeded in also downloading into her was a “blackops” listing of potential target people...marked for contingency assassination or “accidental” death in contrived incidents....Reasoning that the enemy of her enemy was a potential friend, Alan began to scope out her “targets” to see who was the most likely/best qualified to help a rogue bioconstruct with a score to settle. After making contact with several of them. all diehard enemies of MORO, and Tagauishi in parrticular, Alan Nourse began a campaign of vengeance against his ex-employer.
A few tips to authorities she was reasonably sure WEREN’T in MORO’s pockets, and a little pre-police action ‘softening up’ of the facilities, and Alan blew the lid off the biogen reearch facility that he had discovered prior to his getting killed.
But that wasn’t enough...Tagauishi had escaped, to continue his work at other facilities. Nourse was quick to follow, marking other secret MORO labs for exposure and destruction. For a former man who had done all his best to expand MORO’s influence over an eight year career, Alan Nourse was becoming remarkably adept at destroying MORO assets. Nourse began tracking down Tagauishi, leaving a trail of destroyed facilities, gutted executives, and evidence incriminating MORO in a variety of dirty deeds behind her.

Inevitably, while on the run, the biology of the NOMAD357 body, and the awareness that s/he WASN’T a re-awakened Alan Nourse in the flesh, but a copy of his persona downloaded into a new body, led to more profound changes in the rogue bioroid. A spontaneously-induced parthenogenic pregnancy slammed home to Alan just how different she really was...and what she could become...She changed his/her first name to “Elan”, and shortened her last name to ‘Norse’ to reflect the change from normal human male to parthenogenic female cyberoid.
Elan Norse had made a complete change in attitude, comfortably accepting her gender change and role as matriarch to a growing cyberoid race. If she couldn’t be the man she once was, she’d become the mother of a corporation’s worst nightmare...


Of course, at the same time, Saharratech was desperately racing its own agents to the Three Galaxies to try to find the NOMAD357, and do what they could to strike back at the culprits before all hell broke loose.....

Saharratech quickly realized that the incomplete NOMAD357 had completed ITSELF, and that the original specs for a planetary scout were no longer applicable; the bioroid’s adaptive physiology had quickly and dramatically outstripped the most optimistic predictions of the line’s capabilities. More so, the NOMAD357 had proven itself quite adept at survival...and shown a marked capacity for advanced planning and rather vengeful justice...After seeing what the bioroid was doing against its ‘creators’, Sharratech executives had to worry about what Nourse might do if ‘she’ decided that Sharratech was in some way responsible for her condition. Even the deployment of Saharratech’s usual ‘ratcatchers’, which included genetically engineered sentient war-forms, might not insure capture and neutralization...in any case, the result would be far more negative publicityb than Saharratech was willing to handle.
So they took a chance...

Saharratech approached Elan Norse and openly revealed to her what they knew about her origins, voiced their concerns, and made Elan an offer. Saharratech, unwilling or unable to re-program their ex-creations, did the next best thing; they hired them. After helping Elan and her three daughters hunt down Tagauishi(ultimately cornering him in a MORO office complex and then, rather than off him themselves, letting MORO turn on him themselves in an orgy of self-destruction), Saharratech wanted to sign Elan Norse on as a corporate advisor and troubleshooter, figuring it was cheaper in the long run to buy off the irrate bioroid than feud with her.

Elan Norse went back to work in the corporate sector, but this time as a consultant to Saharratech. In return, Saharratech would do what additional research it could on the orginal NOMAD357 biology, in the event Elan Nourse and her descendants should ever fall ill or require medical assistance. However, Saharratech would NOT produce any more NOMAD357s as part of its commerical lines. In fact, with Elan working as an adjutant to the company, she was given a portion of the company stock that could be parlayed, with time, into a say in how the company proceeded. After all, Saharratech already counted among its controlling board members several of its own sentient products(or descendants thereof). Elan’s previous life experience as a corporate executive has thus far served her well running what is effectively her own branch within Saharratech. directing the efforts of her growing family as troubleshooters, scouts, gene-hunters, investigators, and private security. In due time, Elan’s clan was even able to afford their own stakehold on a new colony world, giving them their own private enclave and homeworld(designated ‘Lukusa’) on which to grow.

The bioroids have, in essence, become a new species in their own right, and take their name from the first of them, Elan Norse. Since then, she and her descendants have become known to outsiders simply as “Elans”.
Few people really know all that much about the Elan, save that they are a dynamic race of all-female felinoids. Many believe that they are naturally evolved cat-aliens with extensive cybernetic augmentation. Those people most familiar with Saharratech and who notice the affiliation between the gene-corporation and the Elan have guessed correctly that the Elan are an ‘emancipated’ genengineered species of Saharratech origin. Of course, certain members of the now under-fire MORO corporation also suspect the truth, if not the whole story, but are unlikely to say much, given their hunted status.

“Elan Norse is one of the Three Galaxies’ great success stories...started out in an untested body, with somebody else’s memories crammed in her head, in the middle of enemy territory, with only a set of lab coveralls on her back...traded up to mother of an entire SPECIES running their own planet and one of the best private security firms ever...She wears Dessini-tailored suits these days, and her employees all call her ‘Mom’. ”

Physiology:

“What do you mean we weren’t supposed to be able to do THAT? Did you, or didn’t you keep notes while you were laying out our gene maps? Or did you just play ‘Wheel of Fortune’ with the test tube centrifuges?”
---Diaries of Elan Norse

The original designers of the Elan outdid themselves with what seems to be a ‘and the kitchen sink...’ approach...In order to survive on alien worlds and be able to report back, the Elan are tough, adaptive, highly intelligent, fast, and perceptive. Lightning reflexes combined with acute senses meant the Elan can dodge darn near anything, while their bodies, densely fleshed with skin that can turn a vibro-knife, can handle some serious punishment if it turns out they can’t dodge whatever’s coming. Incredibly fast healing allows the Elan to shake off injuries all the faster. Stealth abilities allow the bioroid to hide from danger, or observe undetected. A highly tolerant metabolism and advanced immune system make sure that the planetary scout can live off the land, while recycling nodes within the body allow the being to go farther on less if immediately available water and foodstuffs are incompatible or unavailable. Topping it all off, the Elan were given a built-in energy weapon for exotic conditions where normal technology might prove unworkable....or unreliable.
And that’s just what they STARTED out with....

Appearance:

“NEVER call them ’catgirls’. You might get away with calling them ‘dragoncats’, but never ‘catgirls’ ...Catgirls are cute and cuddly, or cool and sensuous....Elan are titanite wrapped in whipcord, edged in razor-steel.”

Elan resemble felinoid humanoids, with slender, wiry builds, long legs, thick thighs, and long feet(typically walk on the forward soles of their feet)ending in metallic claw-toes. Facial features tend to be sharp and angled, with large pointed ears, snub-nose, cat-like hairlip, and fanged jaws. The neck and back are thick and muscular, with cord-like muscles prominent on the neck, spine, and throat. Arms have a robotic-skeletal look from just above the elbow, ending in claw-like skeletal hands that seem composed of some metallic substance. Subcutaneous wiring/circuitry-like veining can often be made out at various parts of the body, and frequently permanent surface patterns of wire-like organic circuitry appear on the skin, particularly the face, varying from individual to individual. Ears are large and pointed, and can move slightly under the conscious control of the Elan. Hair is short and light over the entire body, while Elan have thick manes of hair/fur on the head, running down the upper part of the spine. ALL Elan are female.
An Elan could pass herself off as a normal human being with a LOT of clothing, makeup, and practice in moving normally, but most Elan don’t bother...they prefer to flaunt their nature, at least once their existance became public knowledge, and their numbers sufficiently large. Many people see the Elan as hideous, twisted caricatures of human females, while others find them to be handsome, exotic, even beautiful, creatures.

Reproduction:

“One moment you’re hugging them and pinning their diapers, the next you’re sending them off to college and their first job...Heavens, but kids grow up fast these days!”
---Diaries of Elan Norse

Elan can reproduce primarily by self-initiated parthenogenesis, though they were also designed to be able to mate successfully with other humanoid races(another reason why some speculate that certain alien DNA was used in their creation), incorporating their new DNA into the existing Elan gene structure, thus refreshing the gene pool and allowing for mutations(Such as psionics, and superpowers). However, ALL successful unions of Elans and others will result in female, Elan children.
Elan gestate fast, are less encumbered by pregnancy, and give birth relatively easily. However, as delivery approaches(12-48 hours), expectant Elan become increasingly erratic and aggressive in their behaviour, running on instinct, often closeting themselves away in anticipation of birth, and lashing out at anyone who gets to close to them. The only exceptions are close kin, and even they may become targets if the expectant mother feels threatened.
Once born, young Elan grow at an astonishing rate, reaching near adult height and sexual maturity at a one and half years(though for purely cultural and ethical reason, Elan impress on their children NOT to do so until they’re in their late teens chronologically). Elan may continue to grow, albeit slowly, for another 1-6 years afterwards, but most peak out in 2 years. It is during this 1.5 year period that young Elan eat like firestorms, and act like otters on speed, with an avaracious appetite for knowledge and an intense curiousity. It should be noted that while young Elan may have the intellectual capacity of much older humans, their lack of practical life experience means that they tend to be naive and a little smug in their natural abilities. Another reason why Elan are very careful about who tutors their kids (“Bets on where we’re going to find the babysitter THIS time? Duct-taped to the plumbing or rivetted to the garage door?”) . Young Elan are thus grouped with ‘sororities’ of older, more experienced, Elan to shield them from being taken advantage of, and to give them advanced field training in the family business, such as an office apprenticeship or bountyhunt mission.



Society:

“Strange....Alan Nourse thought of the MORO corporation as his family, until they screwed him over...Now I have a family that works as a corporation....Geusss it’s a matter of what order the two come in...”
---Diaries of Elan Norse

Elan society is essentially one happy family business....with Elan Norse(“Mother” to all her brood) the beloved and esteemed matriarch. Not always respected, or obeyed, but never dissed. Elan are devout to one another, seeing each other as either mothers, daughters, or sisters, and will spring to action to assist a family member in need. While Elan may fare off on their own to do their own thing, they all tend to return at one time or other to work for the greater family.
While accepting the racial title of ‘Elan’, and referring to themsleves as Elan, the Elan all take the last name Norse as their last as well, but more commonly use a version of a second- or third generation(or other distinguished) ancestor to distinguish what bloodline branch they are of (so Alsa Katrine Norse is likely of descent from Katrina Norse, one of Elan Norse’s first set of twins; she will abbreviate her name to Alsa Katrine). Hybrids, and descendants of, may add their father’s name, hyphenated, to their middle ‘branch’ name..example: Ayran Lazlo-Katrine Norse.
Among other peoples, Elan have a reputaion for being aloof and apart, though Elan are as fully capable of friendship and love as any other people. However, with their long lifespans and tough constitutions, Elan know that they will likely outlive most of their friends and lovers; Elan marriages to outsiders are rare, and most love affairs tend to be brief and torrid...though not all are conducted expressly for the purpose of adding fresh genes to the Elan genepool. Elan extended families take care of the children in communal creches, with honored and trusted outsiders allowed(and encouraged) to take part.
Elan value honesty and dedication. They don’t appreciate racial intolerance and have inherited their ancestress’s hatred of corporate god-playing. “Trust a corporation to act in the peoples’ interest only when you have your claws on their jugular” is a common Elan saying.

Technology:
Elan are avid scientists and technicians, having produced their fair share of both over the years, but they have yet to produce their own distinctive technology. Elan are typically content to buy, acquire, and modify others’ technology.

[taalismn]

Elan
Alignments: Good and Selfish only(though all will listen and obey “Mom’)
Height: 5-7 ft
Weight: 150-275 lbs
Gender: Female(Parthenogenic)
Lifespan: Unknown, potentially very long-lived( no Elan has died of old age yet, and Elan Norse is still going strong some 300 years later)
Physical Attributes/Superlatives:
I.Q.: 3d6 +4
M.E.: 3d6 +6
M.A.: 4d6
P.S.: 4d6(Considered Superhuman)
P.P.: 3d6+6
P.E.: 3d6 +10
P.B.: 3d6
SPD: 6d6 + 44
(I.S.P.): As per psionic potential/O.C.C,
(P.P.E.): 1d6 x 10
Horror/Awe Factor: 10
Hit Points:----
S.D.C.:---
M.D.C.: 1d4 x 100+2d6 MD per level of experience, Bonuses from physical skills and training will be in MDC, but HALF their listed SDC values.

Natural Abilities:
*Acute Vision
-can make out individual faces/signs at 2 miles.
*Nightvision: 2000 ft
*Themo-Imaging: 2000 ft
*Infrared/ultraviolet Vision: 2000 ft
*Targeting System-
More of an instinctive, organic-analogue than a technological system,
the Elan can accurately plot distances and weapon lay, giving a bonus
of +1 to strike in melee combat or +2 to strike with ranged weapons.
*Polarized Vision(with nictating membrane)(effectively flash-baffled)
*Amplified Hearing
w/ Ultra-ear
Baffled Hearing
Sound editing
*Acute sense of smell
-Identify substances/particular odors 54% +2% per level of experience
-Identify individuals 54% +2% per level of experience
-Track 40% +4% per level of experience
-Range: 15 meters(80%)
*Ambidextrous(+1 Action/attack per melee)
*Anti-plague/Enhanced immune system
-effectively immune to disease(though magic maladies still affect tehm)
*Superior Digestion System
+4 to save vs consumed poisons, toxins, and drugs. Elan diet often
includes many things considered indigestible/toxic by normal
humans(typically high concentrations of metals, salts, and minerals),
but perfectly acceptable/palatable/utilizable by the Elan’s unique
metabolism and constitution(however, Elan prefer not to make a
steady diet of garbage and vitamin supplements: they aren’t lousy
cooks for having a less discriminating palate. Still, know what’s
on the menu when dining with Elan....that might not be salt in
the shaker......).

*Recycling nodes
-can go without food or water for up to two weeks

*Gas Filtration
-superior/selective absorption/gas exchange membranes in the Elans’
sinus cavities and lungs act as biological filtration mechanisms.
-Effective against all types of tear gas, smoke, and purely
chemical fumes.
-94% effectiveness against nerve gases and poison gases
*Rebreather Lungs
-stored oxygen:2/4 hours
-recycled oxygen: 12/24 hours
*Double-jointed
Automatically has Escape Artist at 70% + 2% per level of experience.
Can also squeeze into areas half her size and through openings 1/3
her size.
*Leap 40 ft up/50 ft across, plus survive drops of 100 ft+ 5 ft per point of P.E.
*Righting Reflex
+4 to Roll with Fall or Impact
*Superhuman Strength
*Bio-regenerate 3d6 MDC per minute; can regrow a limb in 4d6 days
*Prehensile tail 4d4 ft long, P.S. 1/3 normal P.S. (+1 Action/attack per melee). The tail ‘hand’ cannot accurately fire a gun, but can wield a melee weapon or tool (like a wrench) easily enough.
*Retractable claws on hands and feet
+1d6 SDC/MD to attacks
*Enlarged canines.
Bite does 1d4 SDC/MD
*Chameleon(“Chesire Mode”)
Cannot be effectively employed when wearing anything heavier or
more covering than light clothing. Armor CANNOT be worn in *Chameleon Mode.
-20% to enemy efforts to detect ambush and detect concealment
+5% to prowl
Cloak
Reduces the effectiveness of electonic detection devices, including IR and Thermo-Imaging. Invisible to IR and thermal-optic detection!
Radar/radiation systems have only a 21% chance of picking up/
detecting the character. Same penalties and restrictions as for Chameleon.

Internal Electrical Attack
Can generate and project a powerful megadamage electrical charge
from internal capacitors, conducted through nanite power
conduits in the arms.
3d6 MD per blast, 1000 ft range, once per melee.

Parthenogenic Reproduction
Can be initiated at will: gestation takes 4-6 months. Offspring can
either be physical clones of their parent or differential mutations
(roll new stats for the offspring). Offspring mature quickly, attaining
maturity/breeding age in 18 months/1.5 years, owing to their inheriting of much of their parent’s knowledge, and their phenomenal
mental/physical growth. Pregnancy is far less encumbering for Elan
than for normal humans: only during the last 3 weeks does the
pregnancy hamper the parent(-1 APM, hand-to-hand bonuses are
reduced by 1/3, speed by 1/4. During gestation, the diet of the Elan
will become even more varied, with particular attention given to
building up/consuming minerals(for nanite conversion for the
offspring). Also note that offspring numbers are determined as per
human norm-----so multiple births are not unknown.

Multi-Species Reproduction
In order to avoid replicant error, and to allow the Elan to adapt to new
environments, Elan are able to successfully reproduce with most members of the extended humanoid line(the line that includes Humans,
True Atlanteans, Ogres, Zentraedi, most HU humanoids, etc.) and
produce children as normal....These children will ALWAYS be female Elan,
but may have longer development and maturation rates (50-200% longer, though such a delayed development does not appear in the hybrids’ offspring, unless they too are the result of first generation hybridizations), but will also have the chance of inheriting at least the potential for any superhuman or psionic abilities in the father’s bloodline. Hybrid Elan conceived in this manner may NOT inherit any of their father’s learned skills, but will have the added genetic variety necesary to keep the species bloodline strong. Such offspring are cherished as expanding the capabilities of the Elan and insuring their continuation.

Feral Glands
A modified adrenaline system that supercharges the Elan cyber-
metabolism to incredible levels of performance. An Elan on this self-
administered “Cyber-Speed” goes into a berserker rage, typically wasting no time with finesse, and raging into melee combat, or just blasting away with available weapons. Don’t bother trying to talk to an Elan when they’re in battle-fugue; they won’t listen.
+4 Initiative, +2APM, Autododge, can be engaged PE/2 times
per day, effects last 2d4 melees per use.
The ONLY ways for an Elan to break fugue are 1) destroy the
enemy, and 2) make a save versus insanity(14 or better, +ME bonuses)
to force themselves back into a more rational frame of mind.
Penalties: Ranged weaponry is -2 to strike with, and impose a -20% to
any skills that require concentration or fine control; the character is
too wired to settle down.

Bonuses: +6 to Initiative, +10 save vs Mind Control and Horror Factor, + 4 save vs Magic, +2 actions/attacks per melee, in addition to skill and attribute
bonuses.
Hair/Fur
(Though Elan can assume just about any color via chameleon mode, all Elan have a “natural” hair/skin tint/color that they assume at rest. roll on the following table for the normal coloration. Roll again for eye color)
01-15 Grey
16-20 Red
21-30 Black
31-40 Blonde/yellow
41-45 White
46-55 Brown/Brunette
56-60 Blue
61-65 Orange
66-75 Green
76-79 Purple
80-85 Metallic silver
85-89 Metallic gold
90-97 Tiger striped(Black stripes + roll for primary color)(Prismatic for eyes)
98-00 Striped(Role twice)(Color-shifting for eyes)

Notes: Elan cannot be transformed by any means(including magical) owing to their nanite-biomechanical physiology. Vampires and other bloodsuckers who have attempted to train Elan have found their blood to be unnourishing and mildly toxic(high concentrations of metals and a phenomenal clotting factor---drinking it will result in nausea lasting for 1d4 minutes, during which the ‘drinker is -1 to strike, dodge, and parry, and is generally feeling lousy). Parasites find infestation of Elan impossible, even deadly.
Unfortunately, Elan are also fairly immune to beneficial drugs and chemicals, and most medical proccedures just don’t apply. Cybernetics and bionics will be rejected by the Elan physiology. Sick Elan in general had to tough it out, at least until enough Elan and Humans could be trained in Elan medicine, a highly specialized skill combining traditional medicine and bio-cybernetics, (counts as two skill selections for highly skilled professionals: 40/45% + 3% level/exp.).
Elan, can, in a fashion, interbreed with other humanoid species, via normal intercourse/sexual reproduction, incorporating new DNA into the Elan genepool. (This proccess has been compared to the way the Aliens-Eckh!-stole host-DNA to breed better monsters----except the Elan method is far more enjoyable for both participants). The Elan use this method to diversify their genepool, insuring that they will not fall victim to “template error” cloning-syndrome. Note that the offspring of a mixed species mating will be Elan-as the Elan “genes” pre-dominate. Such offspring tend to be distinguished by varients in coloration, and increased potential for psionics/metapsychic faculties, if one or both parents possessed them.

Psionics: Very rare, but not unknown, among Elan.

Magic: Have the potential, but to date few, if any, Elan have expressed any interest in magic(via O.C.C.)

Cybernetics/Bionics:None---Elan physiology rejects artificial implants

R.C.C./O.C.C. Skills:

"Mayhem runs in our family...it's in our genes..."

Elan are special with regard to Skills because they acquire skills and education in two ways: via formal training like other beings(the Elan have set aside much time and money to give their offspring quality educational opportunities), and via engram imprinting--i.e. , knowledge inherited or “downloaded” from their parent via direct transfer. This gives the Elan a basic skill base, and an O.C.C. in which to hone and focus their skills and abilities.

R.C.C.”Inherited” Skills:
Wilderness Survival(+20%)
Land Navigation(+10%)
Climbing(+15%)
Swimming(+10%)
Gymnastics(+15)
Prowl(+20)
Math:Basic(+10%)

Hand to Hand: Expert
(may be upgraded to Martial Arts for the cost of one “other”/
O.C.C. skill, or to assassin/specific martial arts type for the
cost of two skills. Elan are VERY careful when choosing
babysitters)
(Choose 1d4 of the parent’s skills, _must have requisite
skills for technical/mechanical/medical skills, begin at
HALF the parent’s level of profficiency and NO bonuses apply)
-NO junior brain surgeons Please!
-These skills do NOT advance with experience, unless the Elan selects the skill as one of their ‘other’ skills or as part of their OCC, in which case they advance as normally, but begin at one skill level LOWER than their inherited skill started at, as they ‘catch up’ in changes in the skill since the ‘inherited’ level of profficiency(example: Baria Elan inherited a 6th level knowledge of Italian literacy from her 12th level mom. Living in Italy, she decides to ‘go native’ and learn the language for herself in order to properly appreciate Italian opera, so she begins studying it afresh...She spends her next elective skill choice on Literacy: Italian and begins it anew at 5th level...but within two levels of experience advancement, she will surpass her inherited profficiency and being able to understand nuisances of the language previous unavailable to her ‘instinctual’ knowledge).

O.C.C. Learned Skills:
These are the skills the Elan recieved professional training and experience in, acquiring them the hard way.

Available OCCs:
"And what do you want to be when you grow up, little lady?"
"I wanna be a TVIA inspector so I can catch tech smugglers and treaty violators, and gene-slavers, and kick'em upside the head!"

Elan tend towards Men-at-Arms and Adventurer classes that allow them both intellectual and physical challenges. Most go into paramilitary service as Planetary Scouts, Special Forces, Commandos, Bounty-Hunting, Bodyguards, and Law Enforcement professionals, but a large number also serve ably as medical professionals, journalists, TVIA Inspectors, auditors, skip-tracers, and scientists(particularly ecological and biological sciences). Few Elan have ever taken up criminal professions(except, perhaps, as covers)or have lapsed into vagrant roles such as StreetRats(owing to the supportive Elan family structure).

[Aramanthus]

Very nice RCC! The story itself has many HLS in it. Taalismn, those two corporations could be added to that list of mega corps of Phase World. I think we need to haave a system for creating Mega Corps for phase world. Maybe we should start a new thread for that sort of topic?

[taalismn]

MORO Corp was of course from a Newsflash, but there's a bit of timewarp mayhem there...since the events of Elan's revenge are unfolding as if in present time, when the RCC profile states that she's over 300 years old(and in all likelihood MORO Corporation has by then vanished to a well-deserved ignonimous end...)
Saharratech is one that's been kicking around inside my head for some time...It's an almost Splicer-level gene-firm that's benign in its intentions and capabilities...the company is actuallY OWNED by its own creations, so questions of genetic slavery are far from truth.....Making Saharratech arguably one of the most ethical megacorps in the THree Galaxies and maybe the Megaverse...

As for a corporate chart? Try adapting the Organization Tables from Ninjas and SuperSpies...

[Aramanthus]

I thought I'd seen the Moro corp somewhere recently. (Events in my life sometimes distract me.) We have to dig up that thread for corporations in Phase World and put both of them on the list.

[taalismn]

I hope to do some more around Saharratech...MORO Corp? Maybe...

[taalismn]

An old foray of mine into blatant munchkinism...(sort of a guilty pleasure of mine)...

Sumi(aka The Sumi)
Children of the Goddess, Hunters of the Darkness, People of the Just One
(Inspired by Takahashi Rumiko)
(WARNING!!!!THESE GUYS ARE MUNCHKIN!!! Evolving in a magic-rich, war-torn environment has left its mark, making these folks incredibly tough and resilient)

“The Sumi? I find them to be a handsome, polite, most spiritual people, extraordinarily content with themselves.....but for the ever-obvious presence of weapons about their persons, one cannot picture these exotic, exciting, country folk as having once been at each others’ throats, hell-bent on mutual extermination...”
-Paul Maris ‘Wander’ Atchison, Megaversal Traveler, in his “Walking Notes”

“Calling the Sumi ‘polite’, ‘gentle’, and ‘peaceful’ is like painting a plasma grenade in Mutual Gift-Giving Day colors......I once saw a single Sumi charge into a nest of Leechmen, slice the damn bloodsuckers into unregenerating mulch with some sort of ur-metal blade,.and never once in that one-sided battle could I imagine I was looking at a sentient being of culture and cultivation!”
---Captain Royolds Price, CCW

“The Goddess Loves Us, We Love the Goddess....what faith can be simpler, more basic, more righteous than that? All the rest is mere detail......”
----Golstar KonatsuSun StarEye, Sumi Warrior

“Good God, they sound like they’re Barney-ists!”
“Can’t be...they slaughtered the Cult of B’Harnee in the Night Wars, fifteen Cycles ago....the wording may sound the same, but the Goddess...well...she ain’t no ugly purple dinosaur., that’s for sure....”
-’Wayhn and Dugge’, WMEGA’s hyperband program ‘Those Crazy Aliens’.


Origin: Katarn, Kumandra System
Environment: Earth-like, with ley-line-like storm activity/high ambient magic energy levels...interestingly enough, Katarn possesses few active leylines and nexuses, but a much higher level of ambient magical energy and bizarre weather activity. There are a few regions of intense leyline activity, especially the Southern ‘wild’ continent(aka ‘Stormlands’).
Katarn is a temperate world, though seasons tend to be more extreme in temperature and weather activity than Earth. Gravity is slightly higher than Earth’s, at 1.2 g.
Katarn is pocked by ancient impact craters, and smaller, glass-lined, still-slightly radioactive craters from the Kahari Apocalypse. Extensive replanting and terraforming has turned many of the former wastelands that once dominated much of the planet into rolling grasslands and light forest.
Alignment(s): Good and Selfish...evil Sumi are virtually unheard of, and are either medically treated or quietly killed off by their concerned family and neighbors.
Size: (Human-average) 5-7 ft tall
Weight:(Human-average) 130-300 lbs
Gender(s): Mammalian, heterosexual(males and females)
Lifespan: 120 years (pre-Goddess Kahari had a lifespan of 30 years).
Appearance:
Appear as well-built human(oid)s with normal human sexual characteristics, angular facial features, and small round white, yellow, or gold eyes with pinpoint pupils set in dark triangular orbits in the face. Abundant body hair, especially on head, neck, legs, and forearms(less pronounced in the females). Hair is typically dark, though variants such as blonde, red, auburn, and white are also relatively common, as are white/lighter forelocks/streaks in the head hair. Skin colors range from wine red to light gray and deep brown. Could conceivably pass for human with makeup and shades...
Metamorphosed into Kyrll-Form, appear as squat, hunched-over wolf-like(some say mandril-like) humanoids with extremely muscular physiques, muscular retro-digigrade legs bent under the body, long arms, and large, triangular, snouted, vulpine heads with canine dentation(big jaws full of sharp teeth), and triangular, flexible ears. All four limbs end in splayed claw-hands/paws, with heavy ridges of leathery callus covering and protecting the paw and forearm/calf. Body is covered in short wiry/bristle fur matching the human-form hair. Males and females can still be distinguished by sexual characteristics, though these are often hidden by the musculature and fur.
Internally, Sumi are very similar to the average human in that they have the requisite heart, lungs, stomach, reproductive organs, glands, and other basic internal organs, albeit somewhat differently shaped and in different positions. The liver is notably larger(to neutralize ingested toxins), the lungs hold more aeovoli, and the heart walls thicker; a result of the Sumi’s evolution in a environment that promoted toxin-resistance, breathing contaminated air, and demanded greater physical endurance....
Sumi prefer to dress in loose, flexible, stretch-fabric, and expanding-fit, design outfits that allow them to change form without changing/damaging their clothes. They prefer to wear sandals or go barefoot, but will wear normal humanoid clothing of a more restrictive nature(including environmental body armor) if circumstances require(they just have to remember not to change form). Sumi are also fond of facial and body tattoos, often denoting family, group affiliation, or religious motifs. These tattoos carry over and are visible through the fur of the Kyrll form, but may be obscured.

Attributes:(*Considered Supernatural)(**Bonuses/Penalties from Kyrll form)
IQ: 3d6
ME: 20+2d4
MA: 3d6
PS:3d6*(+1d6+6**)
PP: 4d6+1(** Reduced to 3d6)
PE 4d6:(+1d6+6**)
PB: 3d6 (** Reduced to 2d6)
SPD: 4d6( +12**)
Horror/Awe Factor: None in Human form, 13 in Kyrll form
Hit Points:(in non-MDC universes) 2d4x10
SDC:(in non-MDC universes) 2d4x100+1d4x10 per level of experience
MDC: 2d6x100 MDC +1d4x10 MDC per level of experience(These people are TOUGH!)

Special Abilities/Racial Characteristics:
*Sense Psychic and Magic Energy---Evolution in a magic-rich environment has made the Sumi acutely sensitive to paranormal energy, similar to a DogBoy, only not as acutely--- Passive PPE sources, range: 50 ft, Active PPE sources, 400 ft, and can track PPE with 20% proficiency +5% per level of experience.

** Extraordinary Mental Endurance--All Sumi have remarkably stubborn wills; +4 save versus horror factor

*****Superpowers---The high level of mutagenic activity from the high ambient magical energy levels and post-war chemical and radiological residues have instilled a high level of mutation among the Sumi and a subsequent rise in the occurrence of paranormal and super abilities. ALL Sumi may select TWO MINOR superpowers of choice, or ONE MAJOR superpower.
However, these abilities are only applicable to Human form, CANNOT be used in Kyrll form, and are lost/atrophy if a Magic or Psychic OCC is selected.

*********Transformation into Kyrll-Beast Form, at will(takes 2 melee actions to perform). Unlimited duration(many Sumi spend all their lives in one form or the other, without ever once assuming the other form)
Bonuses:(Kyrll Form)
Leap 10 ft up/20 ft across
Fully Articulated hands with opposable thumbs
Advanced Smell--Similar to a DogBoy’s. Sense/Identify common scents---100 ft range per level of experience, at 60% +3% per level of experience. Identify specific creatures/individuals at 20 ft per level of experience, at 40% +3% per level of experience. Track by smell at 25%+4% per level of experience
Advanced Hearing--Similar to a DogBoy’s. +1 to initiative, +2 to dodge/parry in darkness
Night Vision---800 ft
Retractable Claws---Inflict 1d4 MD on a slash
Biting Jaws---Inflict 1d6 MD on a bite

Disadvantages:(Kyrll Form)
Crouched Posture---Sumi are NOT quite as agile in Kyrll Beast form as they are in full humanoid form(-1d6 to PP)
Oversized Hands--While still fully articulated in Kyrll form, Sumi hand-paws may have trouble fitting into regular humanoid gloves, telephone dials, trigger guards, and other small spaces. Likewise, off-the-hangar clothing, particularly pants, shoes, and shirts, may not be able to stand the stress o transformation.This isn’t a problem on Katarn, where expanding seams, jointed trigger-guards, velcro-tabs, and open-toed/fingered gloves and boots have been around for millennia, but it may pose a problem offworld/in other cultures.
Partial Speech: Speech is low and growling. Perfectly understandable to other Sumi, but may be difficult to understand by non-Sumi (20-60% chance of misunderstanding--GM’s discretion)

Technological Levels:
Highly advanced, particularly in weaponry and techno-wizardry. During the Kahari Apocalypse, the Kahari excelled in nucleonic weapons of mass destruction, and megadamage melee weapons(particularly metallurgical sciences), owing to their having to overcome the innate toughness of their own people. Limited heavy starship/robotics capabilities(currently buy and modify heavy equipment from other sources)

Cybernetics/Bionics:
None; their transforming nature precludes the use of conventional cybernetics and bionics. The only known Sumi ‘borgs are the ancient Strumdagon, which are more akin to rune-weapons(The Strumdagon will be detailed in later posts; but they are MUNCHKIN; imagine a TW-augmented cyborg Dragon Dreadnought).
The Sumi are looking at alternate technologies, such as magic prosthetics, and related biotechnologies(will NEVER consider Biowizardry, though) to assist members who have sustained major injury and cannot be restored through conventional regeneration or mystic restoration.

Magic:
Magic-using culture: Warlocks. Techno-Wizards, Mystics, Ley-Line Walkers, and Smoker/Combat Mages are the most common, followed by Priests/Priestesses(of the Goddess), and a sect very similar to the Scathah Druidic practice. Other Magic OCCs are less common, but growing, as Sumi scholars and offworlders introduce and teach new magic forms, particularly Temporal Magic, Shifter , and Atlantean Stone-Magic.
Necromancy and Witch magic are forbidden on Katarn, as association with Dark Forces is anathema to the Sumi. Biomancy, though heard of, is not practiced by the Sumi. Certain rare forms of tribal magic, such as Shamanic and Totem Warrior magic are practiced in older, backwoods regions of Katarn, such as the Storm Lands, and by some small, ancient, Sumi clans.

Psionics:
Standard. Since the Liberation of Katarn, psionics and psychics have become more common, as the ancient enemies no longer cull the Sumi genepool. The most common Sumi psychic OCCs include Bursters, Nega-Psychics, Shockers, and the occasional MIndMelter.

Cultural Attitudes:
Warrior Race, with highly organized codes of ethics/honor, motivated by psuedo-religious zeal, and the desire to rid the Megaverse of supernatural evil. Will gladly join with other powerful warrior races of similar mindset and honorable demeanor to achieve this goal. Other races are either treated with protective condescension(they must be protected!) or derisive contempt(they must be corrected!). Supernatural beings are treated with caution, until they can prove that their motivations are true, and their nature benign.

Allies: The League of Sapients, The Imperial Vadishah, and most champions of Good.
Early on, the Sumi made contact with, and established close connections with, the beings known as the Azverkan(see Rifts: Mindwerks, for details)
Enemies: Evil beings in general
Available OCCs:
Any OCC may be taken, including magic(available/restricted as noted above) and psionic OCCs, except for Coalition OCCs and those limited by racial constraints. Crazies and Juicers, as well as ‘borgs and other augmented classes are unavailable and may NOT be selected(see Cybernetics and Bionics above, and the upcoming Strumdagon Sumi ‘Borg for more details).
Military and scholar OCCS are most common, though some highly specialized OCCs such as the Glitterboy may be virtually unknown, owing to the scarcity of such hardware on Katarn.


Biological Notes:
* Sumi may breed/conceive in either form, but ONLY with a partner in the same form. Gestation takes 6 months, and female Sumi CANNOT transform while pregnant.
The infants are born in whatever form the parents were in when conceiving , and remain in that form until one year old, when they begin transforming/metamorphosing.

*Sumi born off the homeworld will possess only HALF the SDC/MDC of those born on the homeworld, owing to the world’s high gravity and ambient PPE levels. For this reason, Sumi females who become pregnant offworld typically seek to return to the homeworld for the last three months of their pregnancies, or else seek out similar high-gee, high-magic environs. So far this doesn’t pose a major problem for the Sumi, as they possess few offworld outposts or large colonies, with most of the population still living on the homeworld, or within easy access to it. The Sumi are currently looking into home-environment simulation treatments or technologies to allow them to more effectively colonize other worlds.

[taalismn]

Cultural Notes and History
The ancient Sumi were originally known as the Kahari. What little archaeological evidence that survives, depicts the Kahari as tribal hunter-gatherers, with limited magical abilities, and a crude, stone-working technology. Their world at the time had a high ambient level of magic, but no real leyline activity or nexuses.
It is unknown what sort of environmental conditions promoted the Kahari’s unique lycanthropy..while most lycanthropic races favor a humanoid form and a pure bestial form, the Kahari seem unique in that their Kyrll form is equally capable as a tool-user as the taller, more agile ‘human’ form......there is some postulation that the Kahari at one time(proto-Kahari) were true beast-lycanthropes, but that evolution caught up with both forms. Another, disputed, theory is that at some time in their distant past, a true humanoid race magically merged with a race of semi-sentient animals, to become the modern form.

There is evidence to suggest that Katarn’s neighboring planet, which shared a close orbit, came apart from massive magical turbulence and geological stress, fragmenting catastrophically and sending leyline activity in the Kumandra system into a frenzy. Though most of the planetary debris was drawn into the sun, or formed a dense asteroid belt, enough material was strewn into the orbit of Katarn to wreak major havoc on its environment. Accompanied by heavy ley-line storm eruptions and associated activity, the meteor bombardment was a traumatic event to early Kaharis, whose legends describe it as the “Day of the Shattered Eye”.

The loss of the inner planet as an outlet for the already high ambient PPE in the Kamundra system would have disastrous effects for Katarn’s native people, as the gravitational alignments and leylines realigned. Vast continent sweeping leyline storms were unleashed, some lasting for months. Forests burned, rivers boiled, tectonic action shook the planet at its seams...but life hung on, on islands in flood swollen rivers, on high mountains, or in deep caverns.
And just as the Kahari were reemerging from their battle against the elements, they came under attack again, in a far more insidious and subtle manner, from a most unexpected foe....
For the disaster that had wracked Katarn, had attracted the attention of certain alien Others...alien intelligences who saw the magical energies rippling around Katarn, and the still-impressive variety of life that sought to survive, and these malign intelligences fairly salivated in anticipation. It is unknown where these creatures were originally from; common myth hold that they came from outside the Kumandra system, but some arcanists believe that the entities may have been native to Katarn’s neighbor planet, perhaps dormant and imprisoned until the planet’s destruction set them free, or perhaps they were responsible for the planet’s destruction themselves.
The unseen invisible monsters spread insidiously across the damaged world, insinuating their tendrils of loathsome will into the confused minds of the shattered and desperate natives who struggled to make sense of their shattered world and salvage what they could for their tribes’ survival. But where once the tribesmen might have cooperating in sharing what they could with the few neighbors they encountered, under the nearly imperceptible proddings of the aliens, the Kahari saw only competition and rivalry. Illusions and deceit on the part of the aliens led to misunderstandings between the tribes....misunderstandings that quickly escalated to violence and bloodshed. And as chipped diamond spear sought beating heart, Kahari jaw closed on Kahari throat, and Katarn’s soil ran red with Kahari blood, a sigh of unheard ecstasy shuddered through the invisible soul-vampires as they fed on Kahari soul-energy. The pattern was set.
For over eight thousand years, the alien intelligences were the invisible masters of Katarn, overseeing a vast and hideous game with its inhabitants, grooming and growing their prize cattle, and themselves growing fat with the death mana they supped from the wars they instigated,
The overlords were careful in their cultivation of the Kahari....giving them the chance to develop magic and psychic abilities, for instance, but only allowing those of the more destructive variety, while carefully weeding out any manifestations of abilities that might be able to detect them and their game.
Three times civilization arose on Katarn, twice growing so prosperous, or advanced at least, that the nations of the Kahari reached for the stars and planting their foot on Katarn’s nearest satellites. And three times, those great civilizations were destroyed, one of them on the eve of that moon flight, as rival nations attacked their space-reaching neighbor. Missiles flew, cities burned, poisons spread on the wind. Weapons more vicious than any Humanity had used, more powerful by virtue of their targets’ own natural toughness, were used on the battlefield. Where resources were ample, then it was ethnic and political strife that triggered conflict...but for most of Katarn, war was survival, for what few resources remained...yet there was always enough for the material-hungry war effort...the alien intelligences made certain of that.
But even eight thousand years of strife can bore a god...and the alien overlords of Katarn grew tired and jaded with their games....they began to ramp up the intensity of the conflicts, feed the desperation and anger, slowly building up to an apocalyptic finish...a last blast of violence that would exterminate ALL life on Katarn, and give the hungry malevolences one last genocidal high of death mana...a buzz to last them centuries before they left the burned out husk of Katarn for other pastures.
And so it was, that the last dregs of Kahari civilization pulled themselves together, and primed themselves for Armageddon...the last, jealously horded nucleonics were brought out and armed, hideous poisons taken from their bunkers, soul-destroying magics readied for the end...goaded by the mind-tendrils of their unseen masters, the Kahari began the last weary marches to their extinction, carried by their false convictions, misplaced anger, and resigned fatalism. A sense of suicidal fanaticism slipped over the battered globe, as each side knew that death would come for them, but they were determined that their enemies would precede them in death.

But on the eve of their final act, the Kahari were visited by a miracle...
The vampiric entities were not the only ones to come across Katarn...Despite their best jealous efforts to hide their dinner table from other entities, a single, not particularly strong, actually quite young and inexperienced, god-entity came across the troubled globe and its besieged peoples. She came, tired from her trip from the Abyss Between Universes...and while the battered world she first came across hardly seemed particularly inviting, with its dying oceans, smoke-choked atmosphere, and pockmarked continents, it bore life, and the scent of living things...
She came, she looked, and she saw...she was a gentle soul, a peaceful and sensitive creature of Light, and she was at first understandably taken aback by what she saw when she encountered her first Kahari....hateful, aggressive, distrustful, embittered beings, desperate to survive, but increasingly eager to die. Then she looked beyond the hate, and saw, with her inner eye, the desperation, and the despair...and somewhere, deep, deep, inside the multiple shells of hate and rage and pain...she perceived the faintest glimmer of the creatures the Kahari had once been...and she Understood....
She knew little of the ways of gods and god-beings...she had been but a mortal, raised through the vagaries of her death to the status of a god, or a particularly strong spirit...and she still bore the wounds of all that she had been forced to leave behind...
But what she lacked in power, she made up for in compassion...and a desire to set things right.
She appeared to them on the eve of the Final Battle, appeared to them and struck, not with thunder and lightning, but with a single momentous Sending that spoke of Truth...and Love...and Compassion...things not seen on Katarn in centuries of unremitting strife. Though many of the Kahari suspected her of being an enemy trick or ploy, they were paranoid enough, or worried enough, to pause in their actions, to at least try to figure the purpose out, before proceeding further. And a pause became a moment, and a moment became a minute, and a minute would turn the course of the world. ....
Her actions were as unexpected as her appearance, and the alien intelligences were caught offguard. They rallied, and struck back at the interloper, who had already fled the battlefield for the relative obscurity of the wilds, but in their haste they only further revealed themselves.
The armies of the Kahari began to fall apart as curious and bewildered soldiers deserted to follow the path of the strange new entity that had entered their world, preaching a cause and especially a way of life that seemed strange and wondrous, that rekindled ancient legends and fireside myths of a life that had once supposedly been their own. And as the entities strove to whip up the flames of conflict again, to get extinction back on schedule again, more and more Kahari turned their heads to the rumors and tales of momentous things taking place in the Sahdar Mountains.
And even as the first missionaries of the Goddess preached of peace and love, their efforts were paralleled by another movement; as Kahari took up their weapons and raised their anger, and turned to another target for their hatred.....Ancient enemies united to fight a common opponent...not other Kahari...but their now-revealed alien overlords.
Once again war swept Katarn...but this time, it was a unified Kahari people who swept their world, hunting down their ancient oppressors. This war was even more vicious than the previous conflicts, by virtue of the Kahari feeling virtually no scruples about using all the tricks and techniques taught by centuries of warfare. Nearly extinct tribes crossed irradiated cities, poisoned forests, dead seas, and blazing deserts to seek out other distant tribes, not to kill, but to share news of what was happening in their world, to spread the word, and to forge a new balance of power in a world gone suddenly mad in an entirely different direction. Former enemies now shared secrets, pooled their resources, exchanged ideas, forged bonds of comradeship even as they hunted their former alien puppetmasters through the wastes of their world.
The entities fought back with magic, with weather, they even opened up the dimensional rifts to summon monsters and demons to their bidding...in the end they only weakened themselves and enraged the Kahari even more...the entities had taught the Kahari too well, and now they faced a firestorm of their own creation....

And when it was done, they turned to the one who had started it all, stopped it all from ending, and stood by them to see them through. She stepped out into the light for all to see, no secrets to hide, no agendas to conceal, with full knowledge that they could destroy her or reject her...in stark contrast to the furtive alien intelligences. Though they should have felt no need for gods, nothing but contempt for creatures who held themselves above the Kahari, the Kahari felt and recognized that this being was different, and with their world turned upside down, they needed something to give them order, they needed a Goddess....They asked her name , she gave it...they entitled her, and called her Karasumi...”The Goddess Kasumi”....and the Sumi came to be....the Children of the Goddess....

[taalismn]

Under the Goddess’s loving hand, the people of Katarn set about rediscovering themselves. It was no easy task at first..centuries of warfare had depleted much of the land, and surviving resources were difficult to exploit, but the Kahari were a tough people, and the uniting of the factions allowed them to pool their considerable ingenuity. The Sumi still sing of the many exploits and endeavors launched in those difficult days...of the contaminated soils laboriously scrapped and carted away, replaced with fresh soil from compost (and often old graves), to make new fields for growing crops...of the vast canals and aqueducts driven great distances to reach untainted water, of former tribal enemies working together on their best lands, opening their homes to each other, of the seed stores zealously watched and nurtured, and of desperate efforts to preserve Katarn’s last wildlife. Where once the Kahari had sung of the body counts of their tribal warriors and the might of their weapons, , the Sumi now sang of civil engineers, architects, healers, and farmers who brought life back to the land.
In time, the Sumi rediscovered spaceflight, and magical dimensional travel...their first trips were to find and acquire new resources, and bring them back to the mending homeworld. New plant and animal forms were brought to rebuild the ecology; many of the species transplanted died in the harsh environment, but the hardier breeds took root, survived, and spread. The moons of Katarn were discovered to be rich in metallic ores, and mines were established to feed the growing planetside industries.
When the Katarnese made contact with other races, they discovered another resource...themselves. Evolution in a magic-rich and increasingly hostile environment, made the Sumi an incredibly tough people by the standards of much of the rest of the Megaverse, and the Sumi soon found themselves very much in demand as scouts, bodyguards, and mercenaries. Careful not to entrap themselves into anything unsavory(like assassination or genocide), Sumi swords-for-hire were soon sending much-needed cash back home, and gaining invaluable intelligence about offworld.
In time patient bioremediation work , recovered technologies, and infusions of offworld resources rehabilitated Katarn. Some parts of the planet remain uninhabitable, but with time, the Sumi trust, they will be able to reclaim even those blighted corners of their world. In the meantime, they have lives to lead, and other worlds to explore....
And evil to destroy.....
It was well-nigh impossible to wipe over eight thousand years of ingrained paranoia and violence out of a people, but the Sumi were able to redirect that hard won and unpleasant aspect of themselves outwards. There was a very large portion of the population who weren’t content with burying the hatred and the anger of the Kahari in the good works and gentle nurturing of the Sumi.....for with the realization of what they were doing to themselves came also the revelation that they weren’t entirely to blame...that something else had driven them to it....and the sense of vengeance that had partially driven the thousand-year Kahari holocaust now demanded that something should pay for what had been done to the Sumi and their world. As both the demonic masters and the angelic Goddess had come from beyond, these people reasoned, then other similar monstrosities must exist out in the unknowable depths of the universe...monsters that could, conceivably, come once again to Katarn and ravage what had been so hard won. And so the cry rang out that a truly courageous, altruistic, and properly motivated people, and one that was interested in self-preservation, would strike out and strike first at such evil, in the name of love and homeland. These were the Crusaders.

The Crusaders are the most militant of the Sumi, espousing massive campaigns of horror-hunting across the cosmos. Their cause holds to aggressive policies of resistance to supernatural threats, guerrilla- or open-warfare against monsters and their empires. Crusader rituals revolve around strengthening the warrior creed and recognizing that violence will always be a part of the Sumi psyche, but channeled into beneficial causes, against creatures on whom mercy would be wasted.
The Nurturers, on the other hand, take a subtler approach, offering their support and the love of the Goddess to downtrodden peoples across the Megaverse. The Nurturers maintain the common warrior creeds, and practice in weapons and warfare as all good Sumi do, but Nurturers concentrate more on spiritual and psychological strength. Nurturers tend to find inspiration in simple, mundane tasks and pastimes, seek their strength in meditation, and study medicine as it applies to other peoples, the better to convey the healing touch of the Goddess across the cosmos.
Each group, the Crusaders and the Nurturers, recognizes the strengths and weaknesses of each others’ attitudes and stances, and most members of either philosophy accept that the two groups actually compliment each other. Violent disagreements are virtually unknown among the two, since the Crusaders can’t fault some of the best cooks in the Sumi nation, and the Nurturers can’t ignore the fact that Crusader imperatives have saved many millions of innocent lives through their swift and aggressive action...and NO ONE wants to be caught squabbling by the Goddess(A Sumi would rather be flogged with a plasma arc and dragged naked for several miles behind a stampeding direbeast than be on the receiving end of one of the Goddess’s frowns of disapproval!)!!!

It is this incredible dichotomy, between the gentle nurturing nature of the Sumi and their seemingly insane berserker behavior in battle against the supernatural that has proven so intriguing to xenoanthropologists. The same Sumi mother who can diaper her child, tend the orphan of another race altogether, and recite the poetry of the Goddess, can also in the same breath recite the weaknesses of common galactic monsters, field-strip a plasma rifle, and sort silver-plated daggers for throwing. The same warrior who has torched a xenomorph hive and destroyed all in it, can enjoy the inferno while cooking a fine repast of Devian okra, and relate anecdotes from the Holy Memories verbatim, from memory. The gentle sage who plays Katarnian Shogi, and drinks sweetened galayaht tea, would be almost unrecognizable as the blazing eyed fanatic who, a day earlier, was running through the Dragonways, blasting Necrophim with the feared Arm of Azlar. The Sumi lovingly cover their very functional and effective armor and weapons with flowing and elaborate calligraphy. Their clothing and even bodies are often inscribed with arabesques that are both decoration and prayer, flowing invocations of the Goddess’s love and wisdom. And it is a rare Sumi who doesn’t carry at least a knife or other weapon, as reminder of their duty to protect their world, their Goddess, and their people. The Sumi seem a people of extremes; gentility and rage, art and mayhem, compassion and vengeance, spirituality and slaughter. The Sumi are, in the end, a people with purpose.

Technology
Sumi technology is roughly equivalent to the Coalition’s , or Triax’s, with their own advanced technowizardry bringing the overall standard of technology to that of a moderately prosperous Three Galaxies culture. The Sumi’s greatest fields of advancement are in weapons and armor, particularly with an anti-supernatural use, as well as environmental bio-remediation technologies. They produce few power armors or heavy robot vehicles of their own, preferring to acquire such machines from other races and modify them to their own needs accordingly. They have contra-gravity technology and produce their own spacecraft, but tend to focus their shipbuilding on small, light, agile, and fast attack craft and transports.
Standard of living is high on Katarn, but traditional and handmade crafts tend to predominate the market; a continuing reminder that the bulk of Sumi resources continue to go towards communal and environmental improvement. Public utilities such as running water, sewage systems, recycling bins, power, Internet and telecommunications grids, and public transportation are readily evident to visitors, as well as the prominence of environmentally-friendly technologies such as hydrogen fuel, solar and wind power, fusion powerplants, and geothermal power generation. Most architecture is of stone and metal, timber being at a premium, despite the success of the reforestation programs.
Katarn is a fortress-world; the Sumi have invested heavily in planetary defense hardware, and the homeworld is at least as well protected as the Kreeghor homeworld, for all that Katarn is a small galactic ‘power’. Even their architecture continues to reflect their defensive-mindedness; thick walls and crenelations are a common feature on their buildings, and even the most open of structures will have a shelter of some sort in it, or under it.... The planet has not come under attack from other races, by virtue of its position on the galactic periphery, but anyone who does, will find themselves facing asteroid forts, planetary shields, batellite nets, and surface-to-space weapons batteries of surprising number and strength.

Sumi Culture
Modern Sumi culture seems a strange mixture of both surviving native features and foreign elements, most particularly Japanese(taught by the Goddess), stirred well and shaken to produce an eccentric, vibrant, energetic, and aggressive culture. Sumi culture is very much family- and community-oriented, with a political structure beholding to democratic ideals; a hierarchy of regionally elected councils, modeled after the ancient Tribal Councils that unified Katarn after the Awakening, oversees matters in each planetary region/district. Ultimately, planetary power is overseen by the fifty-person Council of Mediation that meets twice a Katarnese year to discuss matters of global importance, before breaking into smaller groups to deal with specific issues. The location of the Great Council is rotated from region to region every ten Katarnese years, so no one region becomes habituated to being the ‘capital’, and that all portions of the planet may feel equally honored in their time. The fifty-first Seat of the Council is traditionally empty; and is the Goddess’s, ritually flanked by her priest-observers, though on five occasions in the four hundred years since the establishment of the Council, she has authorized the physical presence of an appointed representative or avatar in the Seat to directly address the Council.
Currently, one of the issues before the Council is the addition of two more Seats to represent off-world outposts and colonies. Approval(and the blessings of the Goddess) is anticipated shortly on this matter.

Languages
The Sumi have given up the ancient factional Kahari tongues in favor of Satern, an ‘international’ language or esperanto that combines the common traits of those languages and mixes them with the languages that the Goddess was familiar with; in order of familiarity; Japanese, English, and Chinese. As traveling Sumi returned from planets and alternate dimensions where these languages were known, more words were added to Satern, as well as knowledge of the ‘pure’ languages.
Native Japanese speakers will find that they can understand Satern with 30% proficiency; English and Chinese speakers only have a 15% proficiency, without practice, of understanding Satern.
Other languages common to the Sumi include Dragonese, Gobbley, Trade Two,

Religion:
The most striking and obvious aspect of Sumi culture is, of course, their religion and their relationship with their Goddess, Karasumi. One cannot escape her presence on Katarn or even on their off-world facilities; depictions of the Goddess gaze benignly back wherever one looks; her words of advice glow on fabrics, doorways, and even the sidewalks. Her shrines and prayer alcoves are even more common than phone kiosks. The Sumi love their Goddess, and She loves them back...The Sumi are proud that they know where they stand in their relationship with their deity...something not every race of religious zealots can say with certainty....
Though the Goddess herself denies setting down religious tenants as such, but only common sense guidelines for better living, the Sumi embrace those ideals with a passion. The Sumi religion as such is based around family values, love, devotion, charity to one’s fellows, and kicking the **** out of demonic entities and anyone who’d threaten the Goddess and Her people.
The ‘Bible’ of the Sumi faith is the __Memories__, which is an account of the Goddess’s early, pre-divinity existence as a mortal, and her thoughts on her Ascension to godhood, as related to her first biographer, the ex-Kaharus nuclear suicide bomber Ves’Alo. The Memories is less a holy book than a fascinating insight into the life and creation of a New God(dess) from mortal origins, sprinkled with anecdotes of a life, as well as home advice, humor, tragedy, lessons, and warnings. The Goddess has never made any claim that the Memories are any sort of religious manifesto, nevertheless, devout Sumi can repeat whole sections from memory, and the sight of the small, leather-bound, often lavishly inscribed, illuminated, and illustrated book is a common one among the Sumi.
While it is understood that the Goddess is limited by and large to Katarn, it is customary for offworld outposts to receive a blessing visit by a retinue of Sumi priests bearing one of the great Relics or the Triptych Mirrors, to sanctify the outpost’s official sanctuary, via which the Goddess may then be reached through prayer, and who may then extend some small portion of her power to assist her Children...
Sumi are a very tolerant people, but they do tend to treat other races with either protective condescension(‘they must be protected’), or annoyed contempt(‘they must be taught the error of their ways’). Sumi like children and small animals(though not vermin...the only exceptions are stoneball bugs and the ratch’etcha---Katarnerese armored rat-louse...both of which make nifty blunt instruments). Travelers to Katarn comment on the great courtesy and generosity shown to them by the natives...the Sumi are a friendly people, keen to invite travelers into their homes and share their good fortune with those less well-off. Travelers to less cosmopolitan rural areas of Katarn have sometimes practically had to beat off curious locals eager to see the newcomer and offer their assistance in their travels...
Of course, should anyone abuse their hosts’ hospitality, they will quickly find themselves targeted by a population well-versed in warfare, and equally eager to prove it.

The Lodges
The Lodges are the last social vestige of the ancient pre-Sumi factions. However, rather than represent geographical or cultural divisions, the 400+ Lodges of modern-day Katarn are actually warrior-training centers and military orders. Some of the orders are generalists, teaching their members in a variety of skills, not primarily military, while others may become extremely specialized, teaching specific magic disciplines or the use of certain technologies(space combat, mechanized warfare, guerrilla warfare, etc...).
Lodges are maintained primarily by the militant Crusader faction for the training of the Sumi as warriors. Sumi choosing the path of the warrior will typically choose a Lodge to belong to in their early teens, begin training under a local chapter master or tutor while still in their hometown, then later on actually live in a Lodge, training as an apprentice. As their training advances, Lodge Apprentices are given more and more responsibility, until they graduate to ‘Journeyman’-status(called ‘Kolla’ in Sumi), when they start to accompany more experienced Lodge members on off-world missions, postings, and expeditions. The first kill of a supernatural threat that a Kolla makes, be it solo or as part of the group(and it has been demonstrated that the Kolla in question contributed to the success of the kill), earns the individual the right to wear the red band of the ‘Draima’( ‘Hunter’). Many Lodge members and holders to the Crusader belief consider this to be proof of the individual’s entry into adulthood, a rite of passage reaffirming their dedication to the cause and to the Goddess. Other, less-combat-oriented, Lodges may require other tests, mirroring the medieval apprenticeship system’s requirement for a ‘masterwork’, requiring the creation of some complex tool, artwortk, or weapon, or the accomplishment of a great task or project.
Lodges also serve as the ‘corporations’ of the Sumi, owning and operating the many weapons and munitions factories that supply the Sumi horror hunters in the field.

The Priesthood
Sumi society has a very large priestly class, charged with preserving the teachings of the Goddess, promoting Her word, and practicing spiritual, domestic, and healing arts. Unlike many offworld religions, the priest class of the Sumi are not exlcusively religious figures...the active presence of the Goddess removes the need for ‘interpreters’ in that sense....instead the Sumi priesthood are active multi-discipline social workers and lorekeepers, with a variety of useful skills to their credit. And, being Sumi, they are ready a moment’s notice, to take up arms in defense of their world.
Like the Lodges, the priesthood has its own wide range of sects and cooperative divisions, devoted to pursuing a specific set of philosophies or program of training and devotion....Priests range in nature and disposition from the humble backwoods pastor-cum-healer, to the urban confessor-philosopher, to the warrior-guidance counselor, all of whom serve the Goddess in their own special way. Many Nurturers, in particular, have a Priesthood background.

Some Common Katarnese Objects and Terms

Afgak---A muddy, thoroughly disgusting native hot drink brewed from the roots of a common scrubby weed-grass. Afgak is the Katarnese equivalent of coffee, and sustained the Kahari for years in the absence of more substantial fare. Afgak is barely potable by human beings, and travelers report that no amount of sweetener can cover the brick-dust-and-algae taste of the stuff. Even the Sumi regard the stuff with distaste. However, despite the availability of more flavorful beverages, Afgak consumption continues unabated...it’s cheap, filling, easy to prepare, and offers a (vile) kick in the morning. Some Sumi, however, insist that Afgak consumption is really a form of Sumi ritual masochistic remembrance of the bad old days of Kahari privation....the dietary equivalent of a hair-shirt.

Agrite---Katarnese ‘Bloodsteel’, a superhard metal with a marbled red color. During the Kahari Long Night, with stocks of megadamage alloys scarce(and of strategic importance), the Kahari developed a means to forge megadamage metals from more mundane iron and titanium, via a magical practice that involved magic and the soaking of the hot metal in quantities of Kahari blood, transforming them into megadamage metal. While most Kahari tribes used volunteers to provide the blood, the more aggressive, bloodthirsty, or desperate tribes sacrificed prisoners to make their weapons and armor.
Agrite is still manufactured in some locations on Katarn by village ‘Bloodsmiths’, and some families and Lodges(and even some seminaries) use it to create ritual weapons, with apprentices giving their own blood in their graduation ritual, which is then used to forge a ceremonial blade, which is presented to them at ceremony’s end as proof of their ascension to full adulthood and their commitment to the cause. Many ancient Agrite weapons are regarded as relics, owing to their bloody history.

Badra---The Sumi “Fourth Name’, coming after the Torum. The Badra is considered a ‘nickname’ or ‘warname’(perhaps a throwback to ancient Kahari encrypted battlespeak), and , depending on what region and emphasis given the Badra by the individual’s upbringing, may draw inspiration from a distinguishing physical characteristic(“Black Tooth”, ‘White Eye”), a feat or accomplishment (“BrodkilStrangler”, ‘StarThrower”), personal idiosyncrasy(‘Pious Swimmer”, ‘Slowgazer”), profession or special ability(“ Warmaker”, “Far Eye”, “Metal Eater”). Some badra are downright silly (‘Shortleg”), while others are more serious (“ThreeVengeances”). Badra are generally established by the time of a Sumi’s Ascension, and may be chosen/changed by the individual at that time; many elect to keep their childhood badra to carry for the rest of their lives. Other, more formal clans and tribes will assign a badra as a reward for some great service, and take its usage much more seriously.

Kang--Kang(known as ‘scorpion crabs’ by humans) are Katarnese crustaceans that have adapted to both land and water, to escape dangers in both. Unfortunately, as soon as the fearsomely armed little critters adapted to the new environment, the Sumi discovered them to be delicious, and no amount of chitinous armor, stinging whip-tail, or sharp pincers, could dissuade Sumi appetites. Commercial ranching of the Kang began almost immediately.
A living Kang would be a real threat to a human being(2 feet long, 2 ft wide, 100 SDC, armed with razor-sharp claws and slash-tail) but Sumi can quickly grab, crack, and munch these creatures down with relish...and once someone else catches and cooks them, human travelers describe fresh-steamed Kang as tasting ‘better than lobster’.

Katarite---The Sumi version of Kisenite; a dark blue or gray metal with megadamage hardness, and the ability to take a monomolecular edge. Most Sumi armor and melee weapons are made of Katarite. Katarite was first found in meteoric deposits, suggesting that it may have come to Katarn from the destroyed inner planet, or been chipped off the moons by subsequent asteroid bombardment. Katarite was a strategic metal during the Kahari Apocalypse, with vicious wars found over the deposits. Subsequent exploration of Katarn’s two moons during the Sumi Peace, however, discovered massive amounts of the metal, and greatly aided Katarn’s rearmament and reconstruction.

ratch’etcha---Katarnerese armored rat-louse. A common critter on Katarn, one of the few higher animals native to Katarn that survived extinction at the hands of the Kahari. The ratch’etcha resembles a cross between a pill-bug and a weasel, with a cylindrical body carried on short stub-legs, plated in overlapping armor scales, with a small mouth, beady eyes, and twitching whiskers at one end, and a flat fish-tail on the other. Ratch’etcha have a squeaky, ratchetting burble that can be quite annoying(one traveler described it as ‘glass on a chalkboard’), escalating to a pipping squall when agitated. These critters are quite common around community middens and garbage pits, though their armored shells keep them from squeezing inside dwellers(and so far, Sumi stonework resists their small rabbit-like teeth). Sumi adults find the ratch-etcha to be annoying, if harmless, vermin, but Sumi children like making pets of them and annoying the poor dumb beasts, finding their outbursts quite amusing. Grabbed by their tails and swung screaming, they also make impressive blackjacks....

Storm Lands---Refers to areas of particularly high magic activity, leyline storms, and occasional Rift activity...the Far South Eastern sub-continent of Callos is particularly noted for its large Storm Lands. Storm Lands are considered marginal habitation, though a number of the more primitive or reclusive Sumi tribes live on the Storm Lands, practicing ancient magics and living quiet and simple lives. Nevertheless, the people of the Storm Lands are also regarded as hardy frontiersmen, with their finger on the pulse of some of the wildest places on the planet.
The Sumi government maintains a watch on the Storm Lands for signs of trouble, sending in Lodge-training parties and seek-and-destroy missions to look for any new monsters, recover d-bees and stranded alien technologies, touch bases with the tribesmen, and cap or close the more violent regions of magic/Rift activity.

Torum---The ‘Third name’ of a Sumi, added after the personal name, and the family/clan name. The Torum is meant to pay homage, to the wearer’s Lodge, religious school, or region(much like ‘Samuel of.....’), or to honor the heroes and martyrs of the Memories...(example, Cherin Vares Einchji), sometimes combined with a first name taken from the Memories to doubly emphasize the Sumi’s empathy with the Goddess.

[taalismn]

“Oh my, can’t we discuss this peacefully...?”
“NO!!! Now, little ‘Goddess’....I have you now!!! I have a few things to teach you about interfering in MY realms with your odious little minions...not that you’ll have time to memorize those lessons before I eat your delectable soul!!!”
(SLAM!!!)
“YOU DARE ATTACK THE SACRED MOTHER OF THE SUMI PEOPLE!!!!!??????BY ALL THAT IS SACRED TO US, YOU SHALL PERISH, HELLSPAWN!!!!SUFFER THE TRUE LOYALTY OF THESE ‘MINIONS’, MALIGNANCY!!!!””***RRRROOOWWWWRRRRRRR****”SHA’VAZRRR!!!!!”****GRAAAAWWWLLLL!!!!******
“Uh oh....”

Karathil
("The House of the Goddess")


"If you want to see frenetic energy and earthshaking faith, go to Mecca on Earth...if you want to feel the full force of over a thousand years of devotion in the face of religious persecution, go to the Mountain of the Martyrs on Jesephus....If you want to see religion made art, visit the Light Forest of Anaca Seven...But if you want to feel truly loved and at peace, take the walk to the House of the Goddess at Karathil on Katarn."
-Paul Maris "Wander" Atchison, "Walking Notes"

Though the Goddess Karasumi may be reached and petitioned through any of her shrines and temples, large and small, and though she frequents all of them, from grandest chapel to humblest outpost prayer niche, so none may be far from her love, it is understood by all Sumi that the place known as Karathil is the seat of the Goddess. It is towards Karathil that Sumi eyes and thoughts turn when one speaks of the "place of the Goddess". Karathil, "The House of the Goddess", "Golden Karathil", "The Mountain of Mist", "The Place of Light', and "The High Shadowless". It is at Karathil that the most prestigious of the religious academies and schools of magic are located, where the Goddess holds court for special guests and dignitaries, and where the vast archives of the Va'Ni Resh Sumi are collected. It is a place of both worship and learning, a holy place to which all Sumi will make pilgrimage at least once in their lives, and a place of scholarship that encourages learning of all things. Karathil is part residence, fortress, temple, school, museum, social center, and intelligence-gathering office.
Karathil is located on the opposite side of the lesser continent Velespa from the planetary council capitol at Toric-Oran, across the Great Tyraphane mountain range, on the River Dorhame. Located in the Doran Valley, Karathil overlooks the immense and scenic Shershale Cut, where the Dorhame plunges through a series of steep cataracts and waterfalls into the Doran. Karathil itself occupies an entire mountain, being cut into the terraced flanks of, and burrowing deep into the interior of, Mount Patra.
At first glance Karathil would appear to be a gentrified fortress, like the many dotting Katarn, with the massive, squat, heavy stone construction, decorated with carved arabesques, grillwork, and crenelations so typical of Sumi architecture. The surface structures, domes, and entrances seem cut from the living rock, opening out from the cool depths of the mountain onto planted terraces, gently sloping footpaths, and the graceful winding stair path of the Karatheti, "The Way to the Goddess", leading from the valley below.
The Karatheti itself is worthy of mention: though only fifty miles long(minuscule in comparison to other more modern transport arteries on Katarn, the Karatheti is one of the most heavily traversed roads on the planet. It is the preferred access way of pilgrims making the trek, on foot, to see their Goddess, and on any given day, regardless of weather conditions, the Karatheti is teeming with Sumi pilgrims and other devotees making their way up the slope of Patra towards Karathil. Though faster, more convenient public access is provided by grav-carrier virtually to Karathil's door, and the Goddess has made provision for shrines along its curbs for worshipers, most visitors prefer to travel some, if not all, of the length of the Karatheti to Karathil. More fanatical or extremely devout pilgrims will travel even greater distances on foot, going the full distance of the larger Agathatheti("literally "Long Path") the full five hundred miles across the continent from the Plain of Emmness .....
By the Goddess's decree, Karathil, unlike many other Sumi locations, mounts no weapons. There are none of the heavy surface-to-space missile batteries, bunker-mounted X-ray laser cannon, and air-defense turrets seen so often in Sumi metropolitan areas, and even the seemingly ever-present security bunkers, mecha patrols, and heavily-armed horror-hunters appear conspicuously absent from the House of the Goddess. Karathil is a peaceful place, open to all, a haven and reminder of the peace that is at the heart of Sumi unity and prosperity. However, Karathil is ringed by a multi-tiered network of powerful military bases and fortresses, some of which are just barely visible from Patra's peak. The major military citadels of Kolest, Epikarnac, and Ves-Ungi in particular guard Karathil's airspace, with their overlapping planetary defense shields, surface-to-space weapons batteries, and rapid-deployment seige-trooper contingents. In addition, the Doran is home to over twenty separate Lodges, with hidden fortified bunkers within easy deployment range of Karathil. Within a matter of minutes, Karathil can be quickly reinforced with troops and mecha, ready to deal with any threat, internal or external.
Within Karathil itself, virtually all of the Lodges maintain rotating contingents of varying size, ostensibly as honor-guards, but who would become seige-warriors at a moment's notice. There are also the many supernatural beings(such as the Godling Ranrei , the Strumdagon Guard, and the Enoa) who have residence in Karathil, and who could be expected to rush to defend it in event of crisis. Finally, there are the infrequently discussed magical defenses of Karathil.....
Just as the Goddess watches over her people, her people protect their Goddess.
Karathil itself is a place of pleasant surprises. Once within its imposing thick walls and deep-rock caverns, one finds a surprisingly open and airy place, with soaring vaulted halls, open corridors, subterranean gardens, meditation areas, sand gardens, great open spaces, and pools. Clever design channels natural sunlight deep into Karathil's depths, or else diffuses artificial lighting into a soft warm glow about the corridors. Karathil is warm, comfortable, and welcoming, thanks to good design, advanced Sumi technology, and the presence of the Goddess.
Most of Karathil is open to the public, though some areas may be visited only by arrangement or with a supervising escort. The Kaharulee-i, or Museum of the Long Night, dedicated to displaying the horrors of the Kaharus Apocalypse and pre-Goddess times, is open to all, and is considered a necessary stop for visiting pilgrims. The Hamma-Mitai is a collection of alien artifacts collected by Sumi travelers in their explorations across the megaverse, and is frequented by Sumi scholars studying other races. The Tavatti-i is a vast library of both Sumi and alien literature, fiction and non-fiction alike, and is open to all. It is rumored that the Tavatti-i holds copies of the Vadishah Codex Imperial, the Constitution of the United States of America, the Sul'esh'mulagi Galan'r Chronicles, an autographed copy of The Satanic Verses, and Gambetti's Meditations on the Clavius Monolith(attributed to Gale Baldwin, a visiting human sociologist). The smaller Suran-Mitai, is a collection of Sumi and alien artwork, open to viewing by all.
The Gemi-Atta Archives are a more carefully regulated area, since this is where the original Ves'Alo manuscripts for the Memories are collected. Other areas requiring special permission or arrangements to see include Karathil's various magic libraries, and the various special conferences rooms and quarters for special guests and dignitaries. Entrance to the Krylasoreum, requires military clearance, as this is where Sumi horror-hunters, military personnel, and Crusader-priests meet to share and compile information on various monsters and evil beings encountered across the megaverse, before collating and releasing such information for public distribution.
Among areas off-limits is the 'Reithil, where the Godling Ranrei lives, when not abroad on a mission for the Goddess. Described as a small quiet complex of rooms and outbuildings reminiscent of a dojo, the 'Reithil is also supposedly a barracks for an elite warrior force pledged to the service and defense of the Goddess, at her beck and command. Similarly, the secluded Fesha-Cosetai, where supposedly Sumi high-priests and techno-wizards make and build magical scrolls, devices, and weapons(of greater sophistication and power than other mage-facs on Katarn) for Sumi holy warriors, is off-limits to all but special-clearance personnel.
The chapel and temple of the Goddess themselves take up very little of the total area of the Karathil complex. They are conspicuous only by their small, unpretentious size and appearance. It is often joked by residents of Karathil that one accidentally wanders into the temple of the Goddess, and into her close presence , which is how the Goddess likes it. When the Goddess wishes to make a great declaration or appearance to the masses, she usually does so outside, in an open public space, or simulcast through her many temples and shrines. In her own "home" she wishes to be a less intimidating, more personal presence to those who visit her there, and the comfortable demure decorum of her chapel rooms does tend to lay one at ease(one circulating story illustrating this supposedly has a visiting Vrusk diplomat being ushered to a small room and told to await the Goddess there. A few minutes later he is jointed by a young human woman who sits quietly beside him, and who the diplomat assumes is another visitor, or a diplomatic observer. As the wait goes on, the anxious diplomat and the young woman begin talking to pass the time, and soon the two become engaged in a serious, captivating discussion, which, incidentally, covers the issues the diplomat is there to discuss with the Goddess. Though the conversation is extremely pleasant and engaging, after many hours there is still no sign of the Goddess. As the young woman gets up to leave, though, she turns and remarks to the diplomat that there will have no problems with the treaty approval, as a priest shows up to lead the diplomat back to its delegation. Only then does the diplomat realize who the young woman is.....).
The innermost sanctum of the Goddess is known to the Sumi as the Lysan-Akai-Atta, " The Place of Love and Tears", or the Place of the Heart, a large, simply furnished, and dimly-lit room decorated in light, amber-colored panels and simple wall-hangings, over light-hued stone. A triptyrch arrangement of paper-wall screens open onto a low stepped dais overlooking the simple, benched room proper. A simple wood and fabric chair is sited on the dais; other similar chairs and benches are sometimes placed there as well.
Weapons are not permitted in the Lysan-Akai-Atta: they cannot be drawn or used, thanks to a permanent sanctuary spell(which is only the second such self-perpetuating spell-of-legend sphere of peace cast by the Goddess____the first is at Hiro-Kai Temple, on the Plain of Emmness, where the Goddess first appeared to the Sumi centuries ago). The court is open to all, public domain, and anyone may, by law, enter here to petition the Goddess, but in practice only the most distinguished callers, emissaries, honored visitors, and those personally invited by the Goddess attend the Lysan-Akai-Atta. Most others are screened and administered to by the Goddess's priests and servitors, or else the Goddess will see to them outside the Place of Love and Tears). "Here" the Goddess spends most of her time in physicallity, when not visiting her other temples and seeing to her many followers and adherents. Those few blessed and fortunate enough to be admitted to the Goddess's company during her meditations in the Lysan-Akai-Atta have described her as a cloud of golden mist glowing through the wall screens, or as a very elegant, slightly-sad, light-skinned young human woman gazing into space from her chair atop the dais, radiating an aura of peace and serenity.
(To those curious, the chair has no special properties, aside from being rather simple and comfortable.....it’s just a chair).

Ves'Alo
Ves'Alo is credited with having transcripted the Memories at the behest of the Goddess. A Sankra-p'h(Death Carrier, a soldier pledged to carry nuclear suicide charges into the midst of the enemy) of the Kaharus Men'shu Clan, Ves'Alo was present on the Plain of Emmness for the Battle of the End, and was witness to the events of the Goddess's coming to Katarn.
When the Goddess swept from the field to the west, Ves'Alo was among those who followed. Dumping her weapons, and making her way through the as-yet-undeactivated and still dangerous minefields and traps of the battlefield, the elderly (at the tender age of 30----pre-Goddess Kahari had short lifespans) Kahari out-distanced her companions in her perilous journey to the Western Range.
Ves'Alo would be among the first Kahari to reach the Goddess, and became one of the first of the Goddess's followers. From the humble encampments that arose around the Goddess's modest shrine in the foothills would arise the massive reconstruction efforts that would reshape a world. The former Sankra-p'h would exchange the "Glorious Death" of the nuclear-suicide for the humbler, and more rewarding, life of a ditch digger and water carrier.
As her life grew into twilight, Ves'Alo began to slowly transcribe all that she had heard, piecing together what she could of the Goddess's history, her teachings, and the new history of what was becoming of the Kaharus. Unofficially at first, then, as she had greater access to the Goddess, with Karasumi's consent, the self-appointed scribe of the new age compiled what would become the Memories, what would later be acknowledged as the 'holy book" of the Sumi people. Her original sketches and illuminations for the Memories continue to be among the most republished works of art in Sumi literature and religion.
Ves'Alo died at the (then) incredible age of 102 years old, leaving behind her a vast body of work, and a family and staff of dedicated priest-scholars sworn to preserve the memories of the old, the lessons of the new, and the quest for knowledge of all.

[Aramanthus]

Very nice Taalismn! How long did that take to write? That is an incredible length!