With a quirk of his head, Cical watched the elder hold up the gem, before suddenly snapping to attention as it was hurled his direction. Only reactions and good hand-eye coordination saved that poor stone from meeting the ground. The first reaction, was the fact that this egg was significantly heavier than it appeared. The gem was incredibly dense. Surrounding it with both hands, Cical's head made takes between the egg and the old one-armed man. If such a thing was really so powerful, was it that wise to trust a random stranger with it? Still, he wouldn't complain. This egg - in his hands - was probably safer than it had ever been in its life so far. At the comment of destroying it himself, Cical narrowed his eyes before squeezing both hands against its surface as if to test his words.
"No.." He paused, opening his hands slightly to gaze at the egg within. "No I believe you. I don't know why I do, but I do." He mumbled the last bit, face scrunching like he couldn't quite comprehend something. The spearman was briefly tempted to use the gems on his hip. A dying old fellow who had given them to him had mumbled something about gauging magical strength and further incoherent ramblings. Cical didn't believe it, but you couldn't deny a dying man's gift. He tested them out on his spears... But they never did anything, so if that proved the validity of the dying man's claim or not he couldn't be sure. From what Cical knew, magic sucked - so trying anything on it here now, without experience, was a bad idea. His head lifted slightly, enough for him to glower apprehensively towards the old coot. Even without a great big Roshad education he could see a test to embarrass him. He wasn't lying, but he still seemed to be withholding information. The sight of a one armed man challenging him was both amusing and slightly aggravating. Regardless of who he was or who he thought he was, two was always better than one. But… Something deep in his mind went against that train of thought. Be it the crowd of capable people who’d most likely be mad at him or the one-armed geezer himself.
His attention and train of thought was broken by another man, one similar to him, albeit with more clothes, fewer tattoos and wilder hair. Dull brown met cold blue and an invisible clash occurred briefly. Both men were stoic and hard-willed, both determined and stubborn. Besides these simple traits of battle-hardened men Cical noticed something else... Something deeper than was almost a sense of familiarity. If he were honest with himself, it was mildly disconcerting. Not many could harbor as much as the spear man did, which made this similarity quite upsetting. The lancer was first to break their war of eyes, flickering across his ‘opponents’ frame and getting a rough estimate of his body language and discernible features. He was certainly a fighter, which was ideal for what Farrin requested. Years of experience and countless battles plagued even his sitting formation. He was no rookie who quivered in fear or tensed in anticipation. Nor was he an old man like the one-armed elder, who challenged everyone who dare speak against him. Inadvertently, Cical had tightened his grasp and held the egg tight to his midriff while he performed these mental gymnastics. Only a second had passed, but it was unlikely the other Baccumese was ignorant to it. Someone behind him asked a question, it was a female but his ears couldn't comprehend precisely what was asked. With face stuck in a rigid state of curiosity, the Prince of War’s features suddenly softened.
His knuckles were white, but ceased in an instant. The pressure off the gleaming stone was gone and his arms pressed forwards to hand it to the similar Bac-
It was gone, but not by who he intended to take it. The jewel was plucked from his hand like an egg from a coop by a pack of coyotes. Anger, bewilderment spread through him. Who dared take such a precious object from another's hand with such carelessness? What sort of twisted, idioti- He paused, body having already tensed and muscles coiled to strike. Unconsciously both hands were clenched into fists as his eyes snapped and examined their soon-to-be target. The pause derived from her clothing. He actually had to take a second affirming glance to verify she had any on at all. There holding the egg he once held aloft, was a… She was a freak of nature.
Nothing else could describe exactly what that thing was. It was inhuman, so much so that it appeared human. Every feature, every curve, every aspect was perfect, so much so that it was just wrong. Nothing born from a woman and man could ever be so flawless. The fact that she was so sublime actually did nothing but sicken Cical. With only the cursory glance he gave her while locating what was his, he had rooted within his mind that this woman was unnatural and her following actions should be gauged heavily. His body had, while his mind worked, moved of its own volition. His body was tall, his muscles were considerable, but he was in no way slow. Cical planned his exercises. He traded strength and bulk in muscle weight, for pure development and toning. He would never be as strong as someone who simply performed manual labor their whole life. yet he would be significantly faster and more mobile. While he'd be unable to overpower the aforementioned individual, by the time one of their strikes was about to connect - Cical would have performed two.
All that, and this girl was unprotected in the slightest. One hand - the left, snapped up to wrap around the egg with his fingers locked between her own and pried the object downwards. His right hand, to certify the point of her releasing his egg, jammed two rigid fingers into her soft skin along the side of her abdomen - halfway between the hip and lowest rib. This was a common soft pressure point abused by school children and by men who wished to affectionately tease their significant other. Although he was being much much rougher. Two fingers jammed themselves in and upwards, forcefully trying to jar her as best he could. With the sharpest of yanks, the egg was freed and back in- actually no it wasn't. His grip couldn't quite wrap around the whole thing, and instead it sort of shot directly from her hand into the ground. In mid bounce, the hand which jabbed her abdomen had bent down with his body to snatch it into his possession once more. It was quite a display of dexterity, so fast in his strike into a much slower and controlled spin to deal with the momentum of reaching for the grounded egg.
All this happened by the time a larger, hooded man finished his sentence. With a spin on calloused bare feet, Cical distanced himself and then took large steps towards and behind Farrin. This spot was between the one armed man, and this new hooded man and it left Cical with his back to the Tavern. As if he didn't just jab a woman with his bare hands, he leaned back against the wall and glowered at everyone there with the egg clutched like a baseball all in a casual fashion. Nobody was getting the gem now, and nobody would be able to force it out unless they cut off his fingers. The egg, rested in his left hand. His right was nowhere to be seen. A quick glance would reveal it to be behind his back.
The spear man had wanted to draw his weapon. To scare everyone off, and force them to keep their distance with the threat. In the time it took to move where he was now however he quashed that plan. Showing hostility in that way would only escalate the situation beyond what was necessary. The hand behind his back meant he would be ready, but wouldn't initiate anything.
"The old man didn't say it was only for killing the sorcerer, only that they powered a device and the sorcerer wanted them. We're supposed to get more eggs, destroy them and then we destroy the sorcerer. All the blood must have been diverted to your giant water balloons there rather than your ears. Before you snatched it from my hand like a harpy would a child… Or if you paid a scant moment of attention, you’d notice I never intended to try breaking it." He nodded, motioning to the old man in question. After what just happened, he could actually understand where the senior was coming from. This is why he just killed the bad guys and left the innocents without talking. "You've got a bit of my respect for not lying, old-timer. And I'll side with the hooded bandit over there." He closed his eyes for a moment, huffing in slight agitation. “Now kindly explain what you mean by 'tasks' and hopefully we won’t be interrupted again.” He paused, blinking and stumbling on his words. “M-me included.” He coughed, placing his left hand underneath the bicep of his right. With the right holding onto his spear, this was the best he could get to having his arms crossed.
Made a nice Discord for anyone interested in role-playing to have an OOC or for anyone to interact/comment with those involved! Come have a peek and chat, hopefully we'll build a decent sized group.
Slightly edited the post because it was brought to my attention that I didn't say humans were a playable race and people might think they aren't usable ^-^
Ascension is finally making a move. Twelve years after reports of their formation, the illusive group of super-terrorists have created… Something. Beyond the premise of them developing something, intelligence is sketchy at best. What we can recover is that this project - upon completion - will swiftly deliver the end of all life as we know it via some sort of pathogen. This is no exaggeration, before our double agent was found out, they were able to extract nothing more than the purpose. At this point, the matter has been extended beyond the scope of humanity. For now, this operation is moving under the radar of major leaders and has expanded its resources to both terrestrials and extra-terrestrials. We've gathered the best equipment and personnel to work towards dismantling Project Symphonis. A secret council has been established utilizing military leaders, putting disagreements aside. At this moment, the Council is devising plans and operations to learn more about Project Symphonis, intelligence shall be shared upon gathering with all members of this operation. Hold firm and be at the ready.
Welcome to Symphonis, a massive undertaking on my part to develop a three part story. Yes, three parts! All (mostly) separate in characters and story with brief tie-ins to an over arching plot. The list of parts is as follows:
Symphonis: The Art of Deception
Symphonis: The Art of War
Symphonis: The Art of the Finale
The parts rapidly scale in intensity as one would expect, with their name displaying what type of events should transpire within them. In Deception: Recon, conversing, intel gathering, assassination and as the intro suggests, kidnapping. War shall be tying up loose ends brought up by Deception, real combat (Loud explosions and stuff) as well as dealing with some of the more prominent threats (Also discovered in Deceptions)
Finale is, as it says, the Finale. Everything comes together, the choices made before come to realize their weight and downsides, the final battles and interactions before the ultimate revelation as to whether or not all the choices made in everyone's journeys was enough to stop Project Symphonis.
People and characters will die. Like said before, your choices matter. Mistakes can and will result in the death of your or another's character. You won't be out of the roleplay entirely though. In 'Left for Dead' style, you'll be able to make another character and rejoin the party and its exploits with someone new.
You do not have to continue on and roleplay in every one of the chapters. If you so desire, you may leave after the first part and simply watching the next parts from the sidelines. That's more than fine!
This is Deception, so be prepared to get your hands dirty by quite literally playing dirty. Assassinations, kidnappings, eavesdropping and general spy work will be the meat of this meal.
Phew.
Now that all the serious stuff is over, welcome again! I hope you're interested so far. I'm very flexible when it comes to.. Well, mostly everything. If you have a character that doesn't quite fit what I've spoken about, or what you've read: So long as you can convince me that it will fit, or could fit, I'll most likely allow it. I'm still desiring this to be serious however, so comedic/satire characters won't be cared for. If you have ANY questions on the lore, or desire for clarification in something I'm more than happy to answer!
DUE TO RECENT DISCOVERIES OF A PLAYER META-GAMING, THE ROLEPLAY HAS BEEN FORCED TO REVERT BACK TO A FORMER STATE. AS SUCH IT CAN NOW BE RECONSIDERED AT STARTING AND WE ARE IN NEED OF NEW PLAYERS!
18+ due to mature themes Below are races usable besides humans. Humans are not included as I believe everyone understands and knows how humans work. (But they are playable!)
artstation.com/xandersmith A race of sentient plant beings. Discovered in self-imposed isolation, the colonies they occupied were found often overwhelmed with vegetation to the point of being non-life supporting. The level of oxygen in the atmosphere was so great, colonies rapidly became susceptible to planet-wide fires that raged without end. To counter the exorbitant manufacturing of oxygen, the Entyn use carbon based fuels with reckless abandon. Coal and its derivatives are often burned freely to introduce carbon dioxide to the environment. Not many are seen away from their home world or colonies, but the occasional one can be found. They are extremely reserved, quiet and if rumors are to be believed - racist. Isolation left the Entyn with a superiority complex which they exhibit through whispered comments and inaction. While physically weak, they are able to briefly stay or move through gas-based hazardous areas other living organisms cannot. The downside is their inability to experience freezing temperatures for extended periods of time. Average height and weight is 5'6" and 135lbs respectively. Unable to use any cybernetics.
The Entyn are a limited hive-mind consciousness. While not controlled by a single being, their choices are influenced by a higher being known as "Reveba" which loosely translates to "Great Root". This consciousness is more like an inner voice suggestion a course of action. The Reveba cannot make a choice ultimately. A side effect of this link, is the ability for Entyn to telepathically communicate with other Entyn so long as they are within view. The plant beings have no gods, but do revere the sun as a 'life-granter' of sorts. Having no bones or veins, pressure and blunt impact pose little risk to the Entyn. However cutting and burning is very effective. The exterior layer of an Entyn's body is fibrous and slightly hard to cut, like a terran mushroom. The interior is soft and moist. Water seems to act like blood of a human. It's not uncommon for Entyn to die by "drying out". With no 'eyes' to see, the Entyn use both natural and evolved features to navigate. The natural 'sight', allows Entyn to see water and most liquids. From artist depictions, we understand the Entyn can see a human based entirely on their veins alone. The second evolved 'sight' is a form of echolocation detected by the various protrusions across their body. "Blind" Entyn often lack or have had these rudimentary antennae removed. There are no 'male' or 'female' Entyn. Specific breeding stock known simply as Proto-Entyn are harbored in laboratories. Their pollinating spores invade a normal Entyn's body and break it down. After some time (Dependent on the resilience of each Entyn) the pollinated Entyn will render down into nothing more than a pile of plant matter. After precisely fifty eight hours afterwards, shoots will appear from the matter and form into miniaturized Entyn. Over a period of a month they rapidly grow into full sized plantoids. Proto-Entyn are millennia old and as such have amassed incredible wisdom. The age however renders them all immobile due to deterioration and the natural spread of their plant bodies. The Reveba is not a Proto-Entyn. Where or what the Reveba is and how precisely it communicates with all Entyn is unknown. The coloration of an Entyn is something rather revered. The more striking the color, the more prominent an Entyn is in the eyes - or lack thereof - of other Entyn. Yellow is the rarest, followed by bright pink, then blue. The lifespan of an Entyn is frightfully short, only about thirty years. Due to their plant heritage however, a pseudo immortality can be achieved. Families of Entyn transfer their memories to the next of kin, yet parts are lost frequently. This loss is mostly around life history and events, skills are retained more easily. The transfer of these skills has made the Entyn who choose to master a craft unrivaled. They are often leagues above their peers due to having thirty years experience on day one. Naming is simple. The Entyn have a "formal" business name, and a "casual" friendly name. These blend together yo form a first and last name. Depending on the situation, the names change places. Ex. An Entyn is named First Last. In casual interactions with friends, they introduce themselves as First Last. In business or when writing down their name, they are introduced as Last First. This is essentially to clear up miscommunication and properly convey to others how the Entyn believes the interaction should proceed.
artstation.com/xandersmith The Xic'Si is an insectoid race of overwhelming intelligence, physical prowess and co-operation. Being an 'enlightened' species (That is, brought up under watch/guidance of a more powerful species), the Xic'Si has found themselves to be a nigh undefeatable force... If only their inability to engage in conflict didn't hold them down. After multiple generations of inbreeding and impure insemination, the Xic'Si has dramatically lost their more formidable physical stature, resulting in a more sleek design that - ironically - conforms to other species perfectly. What was once thick, heavy chitin has devolved into thinning natural armor. Weak patches in joints, specifically the neck, rib-cage and thighs are commonly found to reveal soft black flesh. This thinning of chitin plating is similar to terran balding and is often of primary concern for the average Xic'Si. Little is recounted of the Xic'Si's former appearance, it would seem their history has been manipulated or hidden for unknown reasons. Average height and weight is 6'1" and 200lbs respectively. Unable to use optical, neurological or leg-based cybernetics.
Their home world and colonies are typically arid or quite tropical. The Xic'Si seem to enjoy extreme planets rather than moderate ones. The atmosphere of such planets however are ideal for most oxygen breathing life forms. The Xic'Si are absolutely devout to the race which enlightened them. Every and any Xic'Si will light up upon mention of "The Wise Ones" (Hith-Nala in their native tongue). Xic'Si can be considered xenophiles. They frequently offer assistance and provide all they can to other species, with or without commands. The overwhelming majority of Xic'Si are incredibly friendly and co-operative, however hold an air of militaristic integrity and respect. One might liken this to a large man holding a giant club with a soft face and inviting smile. Their military might is unrivaled in pure troop strength, however their space navy is lacking compared to other species. Every member is resistant to electricity and thermal changes to some degree. Medium strength sharp attacks are mostly ineffective unless striking undefended parts. Blunt attacks seem to deliver devastating internal damage and chitin damage which takes extensive time to repair. The Xic'Si has eyes which act similar to a fly, able to see in multiple directions in a wide field of view simultaneously. Xic'Si can see around themselves at about two-seventy degrees, as well as see in darkness, light and color. The Xic'Si also have an internal skeletal structure beneath their thinning exoskeleton. Due to their evolution deteriorating their exoskeleton, bones and rigid membranes needed to take place and absorb impacts. Within the limbs especially - where actual bones have began forming. These bones have thin membranes connecting them to the chitin plating. All this has left the Xic'Si incredibly dense and able to transfer energy from blows quite well. The chest has been left 'boneless', as chitin still coats most of the area. This makes medical action rather easy on internal organs - After getting past the tough chitin that is. The only downside is their inability to take in fine details. Most objects unless brought incredibly close or focused on for some time appear only as outlines of shapes. This has left Xic'Si art and machinery lacking and un-intricate, respectively. Most machines and technology is gaudy, large and easy to work on. Xic'Si in charge of delicate technical creations or fine work often wear extremely complex eye-wear that renders their compound eyes inert. Concealed nasal slits and slight angled holes for hearing leave few jutting features. Couple that with a jaw that conceals itself with an overhand of chitin from above and near everything is hidden. Within a Xic'Si's mouth are rows of thin, flexible and transparent teeth than grind up whatever happens to enter. Recessed, lizan tongues are able to exit their mouth an average distance of three feet. Four digits to each hand and large, splayed claw-like feet for rigidity. The only notable feature that strays from a general humanoid shape is a set of backwards facing knees. They sleep sitting on their own legs and are cold blooded. The latter fact doesn't seem to matter all that much however, as the chitin on their bodies, as well as the flesh beneath, retain heat at extraordinary levels. It doesn't prevent Xic'Si from basking in sun for warmth however. Differences in gender is as one would expect. Females are of slightly smaller size and softer of voice. Reproduction is done via sexual intercourse where the male inseminates egg sacs within the female. After around six months, a batch of near one dozen eggs is released and crack open some short time after. The female is able to store and preserve semen for layer use for up to one whole year. The naming of Xic'Si is obscure. The first name can or can go without blending. As in the case of notable Xic'Si such as Tyryn, Hamval and Freevix. The second is always blended. This is because the last name represents the house a Xic'Si belongs to. Xic'Si are able to enter and leave these houses at will so long as house leaders permit such. To be without a last name is to be considered "Nameless" which informs every Xic'Si, and those aware of their customs, that the Nameless is not to be trusted or given any sort of responsibility. Some of the more notable houses use traits as their foreground. They believe it transfers onto the Xic'Si and betters the trait in question. A few of the more notorious houses are as follows:
i'Veralt - Honour, Loyalty (Of the current Order leader.) si'Seval - Strength, Fortitude, Resiliance (Of most military/combat Xic'Si) yi'Ipali - Intelligence, Wisdom, Quick Thinking (Of most scientists/engineers) lo'Rest - Deceit, Deception, Manipulation (Most notably of the renown theif and assassin, Tyryn lo'Rest.) nu'Chala - Charisma, Spokesmanship, Persuasion (Of most politicians and actors.)
deviantart.com/gcrev The Kul can easily be considered the most dangerous and most aggressive species in the entire galaxy. Their quick temper, stubborn ways and xenophobic nature towards humans has displayed them to be warmongering beings. They are not without their own uses however. By mere appearance, it is clear they can easily tear a human being limb from limb without breaking a sweat. Four powerful limbs, a broad chest and thin figure. A rigid, crystalline laced exoskeleton that can stop low caliber pistol rounds. The Kul was built for war, and their effectiveness in that craft was readily showcased during the Human-Kul war. Rifle rounds would penetrate their natural exoskeleton. However when the Kul adorn an additional, non-natural exoskeleton - they become nigh invincible. Only high caliber rounds are capable of punching through both layers at once. Rather than being enlightened, they were merely gifted engines for space travel and left to figure out what to do with said parts while still in an early age of evolution. As such, unlike the Xic'Si, the Kul retained their natural armor plating and physical dominance. Their homeworld was a ravenous place full of brutal carnivores. During early times, a Kul would often hold the jaws of predators open to prevent being bitten, while the secondary set of arms punched out at weak points. Gravity on their planet was near one and a half that of Earth's. As such, they developed extreme muscle density and rigidity, as well as the clearly evident platform like feet with talons to dig into the ground below. Further information on their home-world reveals it to be desert like, which explains the Kul's ability to forgo water for considerable time, as well as the lack of facial features besides eyes. Capable of speech using vibrations in slight recesses of the jaw. The eyes are beady, with thin elongated white pupils in black scleras. Although reptilian in appearance, the Kul are warm blooded and give live birth. Kul males and females are on average around 7'10", 350lbs and 7'0", 200lbs respectively. Due to peculiar muscle and bone structure, the Kul are only able to accept neurological and hand based cybernetics.
The large, sometimes gaudy trailing bits off the primary set of arms are said to reflect a Kul's virility. The larger a thorn, the more prominent a male was to females. On the subject of mating, the Kul continue the standard tradition of sexual reproduction. Sexual organs make themselves apparent during arousal. This is done so the sensitive organs can be held within the body to protect it until mating occurs. The tail is commonly thought of as a Kul's most valuable limb. Rather than use energy of the arms to perform actions, most rudimentary motions are carried out through the tail. A greeting in Kul is performed by tapping the taloned tips of one another's tails together. The tail is also used to perform acts of affection, most commonly by wrapping itself around one's waist and pulling them close. Common Kul colors are cold and faded. Pale greens, turquoise and teal, light pink and purple. On occasion, some Kul are bright and vibrant in deep blue's and somber reds. These are rare however, and offer a sort of status symbol among other Kul. Every Kul always has a gradiant from head to feet, running light to dark respectively. Only abnormalities have the reverse. These Kul are quite often shunned but live normal lives. Female Kul have three sets of breasts, one functioning and two vestigial. A point of attraction for Kul is large, equal looking breasts. This 'perfect' image is hardly ever achieved without modifying surgeries however. Small holes near the top of the head just underneath the harder patch of patterned skin offer hearing, however no nasal passage render the Kul anosmiatic (Unable to smell). Their night vision is excellent, yet color detection less so. The Kul consume sustenance via a separating slit in the front tip of their head. A prehensile tongue delivers mashed food to the throat. Most Kul wear flowing robes which don't constrict movement over their bodies. It's preferred to leave the large pattern sections of a male's head uncovered, as it provides cooling for the larger bodied being. Males have been noted to lift more than twice their own body weight over their heads with both arms with little exertion. In hand to hand combat the Kul is unrivaled as two sets of arms make the fight trivial.
Kul government can most easily be described as a monarchy, with a large figurehead sitting atop and directing all other Kul beneath him. While retaining a council of lesser figures to make small decisions, the monarch has absolute rule over final decisions. Naming of the Kul is incredibly haphazard. Some have first names only, others can have up to six. The variety and sporadic nature indicate that no defined naming system was ever put in place. The Kul also have no defined religious system. The only semblance of something likened to a 'being above' is a war god from the Kul tribal era named "Yuuzik", who slaughtered an entire enemy tribe of three thousand alone before succumbing to an infection. He is quoted as saving millions, although how accurate the story is truthfully is unknown. On note of stories of combat, it is frequently noted that the Kul are unrivaled - even to the Xic'Si - in infantry combat. Without modern technology, they can easily kill a human one-on-one even if the human was fully geared. With modern technology, the Kul has reinforced their natural strength to ludicrous degrees with exo suits and exo skeletons. The former are personalized, form-fitted and highly expensive miniaturized mechs. They cover a soldier from head to toe in alloy and weaponry and are reserved for high ranking 'Vanguards'. Exo skeletons come standard to all other soldiers, and the hydraulic/pneumatic assistance can double a Kul's natural abilities.
The Trivinad are a very peculiar species. Their exact homeworld is unknown, since they have never told anyone. The number seen can be counted in the thousands. Strict protocols, rules and guards are assigned to every Trivinad. The reasoning for this, is because they are immortal. Reasons unknown have caused the Trivinad to never age. They have never died to old age, but have died due to physical and mental strain. Cuts and scratches almost never heal and cause the Trivinad to succumb to even light wounds without medical attention. The appearance of new Trivinad is an event in and of itself. They come in small single person crafts which almost crash land in the same coordinates every time. And every time, the Trivinad awakens just as if they had come from a deep slumber for centuries. It seems that whatever sends out Trivinads keeps tallies on the current number of them alive, as if one should die before a new one arrives - two will arrive. The arrival of a new Trivinad is usually once every month. How they reproduce is unknown, their home-world operations are all unknown. The most known of them, is that they have primary and secondary vital organs as well as a much more intricate network of nerves. Regardless of the mysteries surrounding the Trivinad, their intellect is absolutely unmatched. If the Entyn were masters in crafts, the Trivinad were the creators of those crafts. Able to comprehend even advanced concepts with relative ease, the Trivinad truly outclass any of the other races in research potential... So long as the field matches their profession. Indeed, they suffer from a similar problem like the Entyn. While incredibly smart, a Trivinad needs to be skilled in a field to outclass the rest. All Trivinad appear female, on average rising 7'1" and weighing 100lbs. They are capable of utilizing any and all cybernetics, however the failure rate of binding and risk of death is extremely high. It's unlikely more than one cybernetic could be installed without risk of killing the Trivinad.
Where the Trivinad actually originate from is known only by the Trivinad themselves. It is no cosmological force, in fact, it's all automated and mechanical. Before most of the "enlightening" species assisted the current races, the Trivinad were interested in cryogenic storage in massive hidden complexes, well defended by mechanical constructs and weaponry. A timer was set for a determined time which was believed to be a time of hardship - if the Trivinad seers were to be believed. A hundred thousand Trivinad crammed into a bunker, powered exclusively by self-cleaning solar panels. When the timer finally reached its end, the system began performing its intended purpose. Even back in the Trivinad's prime, the Xic'Si were known as the most promising species. As such, the coordinates for pod-landing was on their home world. On the fourteenth of every month, a Trivinad was sent from the facility in specially designed craft which would land at the aforementioned position. Upon arrival, the Trivinad who landed would use the landed pod to signal the facility that conditions were safe to support life, and that it could send another. This same signal would self-destruct the pod so it could no longer be traced back. The reason for their supposed immortality is also well known to the Trivinad as well. Due to the extensive cryo-sleep, their cells have effectively shut down. The part of every nucleas effectively has 'lost' a directive to divide naturally. While miraculous in itself to halt aging, now even small cuts would not repair themselves any longer. Unlike humans, the Trivinad's blood never contained platelets, so no scabs would ever form. Upon discovering their rarity, the Xic'Si took it upon themselves to guard the Trivinad to protect their rarity and utilize their intelligence in their own research. Whether it be from years of accumulated wisdom or a natural sixth sense, Trivinad can often "predict" if the outcome of a scenario will be good or bad. As such they make great strategists. The accuracy of their claims vary however, and whenever it does the Trivinad claim it was due to an "outside force" playing with the scales.
Naming is sporadic and random, similar to the Kul.
THE FOLLOWING IS EXTREMELY CONFIDENTIAL
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Utilizing Skybreak Access Codes...Success
Before entering cryogenic stasis, the Trivinad were solely responsible for the creation of an unknown, robotic race in the galaxy. Besides the commonly known races, another hidden group exists. Residing on a single home-world shrouded in impenetrable defenses, the Cyberetiks reside. Before going into stasis, the Trivinad can account for three separate 'models' of machine. Each one was extremely dangerous, each one could take on squads of Kul alone and come out victorious. The Cyberetiks ran on a self-aware, autonomous artificial intelligence. They at one time had been tasked with maintaining the security of the Trivinad cryogenics lab, however after some debate it was decided to quarantine the machines to their own world. As the Trivinads know of its location, brief surveys have revealed nothing good. On the surface of the planet are what must be millions of machines. Some of then are based on the original three designs, the majority are not. The most notable, are "Titan" designated constructs. Colossal skyscraper sized machines of unfathomable complexity, design and capability. None of them dare to move, sitting stationary to conserve power while waiting for, what can only be guessed, orders from their commander. Their weaponry, defenses, tactics, capability, what they plan on doing, if they plan on doing anything and their hostility is entirely unknown. Various artist renditions have been constructed from the Trivinads. This is only a margin of the more common forces. While it is said the machines were created, research has shown that all Cyberetiks are male Trivinads. When confronted about this information, the full story revealed itself. The males of the Trivinad species became nightmarish creatures solely due to cloning and cybernetics. Near every male was addicted to cybernetics to near psychotics. Cloning only degraded these base instincts until all that remained of their former selves in that metal shell was the brain. They simply self replicated from there using cloned organs.ALL CYBERETIKS ARE TO BE DEMOLISHED ON SITE WITHOUT HESITATION
On the left and right, are males and females respectively. At first glance one might assume the Greer to be distant relatives of the Trivinad. Those individuals would be correct. Before entering their cryosleep, the Trivinad introduced strains of their own DNA into a species of a planet. Performed under the hypothesis that this would increase the cognitive function of the species and allow them to grow, the Trivinad were unable to see the result of their experiment until after their cryosleep emergence. If asked, they would say it was an excellent success.
The Greer body is composed of a rigid but pliable flesh. It is more resilient than human skin and can be compared to leather. The filaments used for swimming off each arm are soft with rigid splines for reinforcement. The tail is also used for swimming, and generates a significant amount of force when utilized. Similar to frogs and other amphibians, the Greer derive oxygen from the water through their skin. They also retain a pair of lungs which allows them to operate fully within or out of water.
Having had to evolve through their planet on their own, the Greer gained a distinct advantage over other predators with sheer dexterity. If the Kul could be considered the embodiment of "brute strength" then the Greer would be "overwhelming speed." In combat, the Greer use this to their advantage heavily. However speed has it's finite uses in combat, and the Greer prefer using stealthy approaches to their targets if at all possible. Sneaking up on, pinpointing weak points and staying silent are all fundamental parts of Greer strategies. Most assassins and contracted killers are Greer due to their sheer flexibility and natural skill.
On average, Greer are 5'2" and around 165lbs. They are also the only species of The Order That is not an omnivore, being a carnivore.
The Greer cannot stay below water forever. While they can breath through water perfectly fine, their body utilizes slightly more oxygen than they can draw in. A healthy Greer can still last days within fresh water however, so the effect can be called negligible. The Greer are incredibly sexually dimorphic, with the males having four eyes as opposed to two. The males also lack the webbing between their fingers and have heavier, shorter and more defensive frames. This year's males increased perception, greater control over their hands and digits as well as heightened combat potential, all respectively. The females are much smaller in build and have elongated necks like the Trivinad they take after. Their tails are not as thick as the males and their digits have webs laced between them. This makes the females much more skilled swimmers than the males, almost able to swim twice as fast when racing. Besides these small differences, their ability to perform tasks is identical. They are still able to operate firearms and engage in combat, only the males have easier times with physical feats. Greer eyes have a thin protective black film overtop which allows them to forgo blinking. An equally thin film of fluid sits between the eye and this cover, manipulating light so that the seemingly opaque material poses no defect in the clarity of vision. The mouth is filled with sharp, shark like replaceable teeth. Lizan-like war holes are positioned around the neck. Their digitigrade legs and soft feet allow the Greer to run at high speed while also bring silent. Some of the more skilled Greer have been seen using their feet as 'hands' to use knives and other tools. Reproduction is via waterborne egg clusters. Females release hundreds of eggs into pools of water and males inseminates the eggs so they may birth life. So many are laid due to an unsolvable high mortality rate natural to Greer. The names of Greer are often short. One or two syllables and sometimes just as few letters. Over time, it became apparent they needed a last name for clarification. So the last name is simply another, one of two syllable name. "Original" name holders have both the first and last name the same. Ex. Tu-Tu, Xa-Xa, Kio-Kio.
In the year 2030, Earth finally decided: It was time to establish a world leader. Space travel was becoming incredibly simple with an orbiting station between Earth and the Moon. NASA chose to colonize the Moon rather than mars, figuring 2032 was much too early for a mars mission of such caliber. Even being closer however, the moon colony was struggling constantly to make ends meet. So in 2030, after a seven year long World War 3 a new representative for humanity in space was chosen. Unifying an incredibly diverse range of people and ethnicities was one of the greatest challenges posed to any ruler, however a charismatic man - named Isaac Fink - and his council of skilled, equally charismatic members miraculously pulled it off without crumbling or starting another nuclear war. The previous leaders of their countries would remain so, acting as retainers and governing as they saw fit. However at his beck and call, countries would supply whatever was asked without a second thought to Isaac and the United Front of Humanity (UHF). This alone took six years. Soon afterwards, first contact with an alien race was made. Luckily happening to be the Xic'Si rather than the Kul. Unlike old movies or stories however, there was no war and there was no peaceful communication and information trading - at least, not right away. In fact, for the better part of three whole hours, the human world leader and his council sat across from the Xic'Si captain and his crew in dead awkward silence. Translators from both species worked in the background to try and understand one another. The humans couldn't even offer water or food, since that might be poison or offensive and when dealing with another unknown species, nobody was sure which was worse. Eventually the translators succeeded and communication began. Shortly after, trading of all kinds began. From technology to goods to simple information. The Xic'Si were readily available to do all this, and quickly became something humans could call an ally. This confrontation elevated humanity by generations. Ships were outfitted, maps were charted, species were learned of, languages were translated. In one brisk year afterwards, humanity had almost quadrupled it's space fleet and the Moon colony was no longer constantly in danger. Xic'Si tech was easy to learn and even easier to work on, but that came at an incredibly increased size and weight which humans struggled to manage. In 2041, Humans planted their first colony in a system that was not their own. Overrun with lush jungles and large bounties of oil, coal and other cheap carbon based fuels. Within a hundred years most of the jungle would be reduced to parks and preserves but in the beginning of was beautiful. Humanity learned of a galaxy commanding "Order", composed of representatives of each species to debate and agree upon issues. Humanity was not one of these species. The reason? Humans were still in their infancy... At least in space based technology. In actuality, humanity had long since surpassed other species in terms of living convenience, rapid expansion and more commonly used technology. Although none of the other species would admit such. The reason for this was actually a point of sadness for Earth. Earth had never been found by any other species, while all of the other prominent races had. They typically had "enlighteners" or "divine guidance" that focused primarily on space-readiness. Humanity while it was far from being able to develop war ships, had things like the Internet, significantly more developed and diverse science fields, a vast understanding of politics and economy. Most important of all, they had diversity and resilience. No human from different parts of Earth were the same. All Xic'Si were identical. No matter where you plucked them, they were all similar. Some had different coloration or dialects, but nothing outrageously different. Over time, the luxuries humans experienced was transmitted to every species. This gained humans favor in alien eyes. Small wars and proxies were fought over but no major wars between any alien races occurred from 2032 to 2108, the latter of which was six years after humans were given a spot within The Order. Upon said admittance, the Kul renounced The Order and went into isolation, claiming "inferior beings have no right to sit alongside us" among other insults. Up until 2108, humans were free to expand and they took every chance at doing so. Human colonies and systems, stations and crafts cropped up across the entire galaxy. Even in places no human should have any right to colonize. Colossal ice world's without proper environments, desert balls of sand, lush Entyn-like jungles with man eating plants. Whenever there was ground to cultivate, humans seemed to be there. Other species marveled at their sheer resilience and adaptability. While lacking still in military capability, something had to be said about the flesh bags and their determination. Then in 2108, the first galactic war started. The Kul invaded and razed an entire human colony they deemed "too close to [their] borders". Not a survivor remained as the entire surface of the colony burned like a star. The Kul had always been ruthless, but this was on another level entirely. Never before had they napalmed an entire planet. Something else was in their attack, a burning hatred for humanity. Humanity was forced to stop the wild expansion, and revert into a war-like state with spearhead typed moves and attacks which proved quite effective. The war ended in a stalemate on 2122, both sides had glorious battles, heroic victories and crushing defeats. Casualties amounted to the tens of millions for one side of the combatants alone. Many colonies, stations and systems were lost. Those planets attacked by the Kul would be unable to support life ever again. Through it all, The Order maintained the situation as a mediator. Ceasefire were held regularly to evacuate survivors after unexpected attacks. Resources were given but no other species dared get between the humans and the Kul. It was there battle, only the victor would reign. Occasionally extremist groups did attempt to side with whatever force they believed more prominent. However The Order swiftly dealt with each and every one using their own squad of professionals. After the war ended, the Kul remained in isolation but sent trained military personnel to assist The Order. Their borders were declared No-Go zones, however rumors of that only being against humans have popped up recently. Between 2122 and 2185, little of major significance occurred. That's not to say no advancement was made, on the contrary. Technology made great leaps in progress during the peaceful times. Ships grew larger, faster with weapons to match. Faster than light travel became a reality. Electrically powered defensive shields were developed, but required extensive nuclear reactors and maintenance to operate effectively. Railguns were finally perfected to a point where they have stopped tearing a ship apart with the magnetic fields. Mechs have been created, every species has been linked via the 'galaxy wide web' and cybernetics have become a viable addition for the upper middle class. Alien-made habitats dozens of kilometers in size were created to support additional life or act as refuges. Some stations of this size have also been created, acting as stay-away homes or trade hubs. However with these benefits, came problems. Humanity seemed to be an incredibly greedy race. Pirates comprised of mainly human forces spread throughout various parts of the galaxy, littering trade routes and establishing their own stations and colonies. Racial tensions grew between both the aliens and humans. Most were actually directed towards humans, due to it being their species that brought in pirates. To top it all off, attacks had been striking high ranking political figures in secret against every species. It wasn't until the end of 2185 where the group responsible announced themselves. They were called "Ascension", as they would purify the galaxy and leave only the most righteous, pious and strong individuals to rule. How exactly they left unsaid. What was clearly communicated, was that the assassinations and attacks were not going to stop. If anything they would become more frequent. However attacks could be stopped and with the doubling of security measures, the attacks became rather negligent in numbers. After discussion, all members of The Order agreed it was an ignorant idea to announce the presence of Ascension. In 2190, Ascension became a distant memory and life seemingly returned to trading, research and decadence, albeit slightly more strained than before. The Order began to see itself as a sort of judgemental force. Rather than acting as mediators, they began taking sides. Democracy rather than benign consensus became the standard for decision making. Tariffs were implemented, military disbanded and minimalized to reduce risk, laws and regulations were imposed to keep people in line. The Xic'Si leader, Ju'Val i'Veralt, remained silent in every decision from thay point. They put it no input and seemed to isolate themselves from their fellow Order members. Ju'Val is important in that he has held his spot on The Order away from his son, Ji'Rek, who is a warmongering psychopath thay would be more at home with the Kul. If he were in power (Which he will be when Ju'Val passes) all out war would spread through the galaxy. Now, in 2197 it appears all hell has broken loose. The Kul are restless, The Order has become overconfident and over-directing, Ju'Val's health has began to deteriorate, Ascension has come back with a vengeance and claims of a world ending device or operation, people have began revolting against the Order and several home-worlds of the various species have begun experiencing pop ups of plagues and strange diseases. Some are minor, like an advanced cold. Others are much more severe such as the Terran named "Zombie Virus" which decays flesh across the whole body and introduces an insatiable hunger. However the patients are not dead and they still retain their hunger-addled minds. Counts of cases this severe are far and few, quarantine and good health discipline can be thanked. However the rapid expansion of diseases is concerning to say the least. As of the amount of unrest was already unreasonable, rumors of sentient machines have resurfaced, which haven't been around since early 2077. History is written by the victors, things have been missed, pieces may have been hyperbolized. What you've been told is a brief recounting of the galaxy from very early twenty-first century to current times, you are implored to go and ask your own questions to discover more precise knowledge.
Please create your CS's objectively. That is, from the viewpoint of a medical professional making clear, blunt points to each feature!
TITLE: Dr./Mr./Ms./[Abbreviated Military Rank] FULL NAME:Last - Middle(s) - First KNOWN ALIAS':Every and all other names known by D.O.B:Month/Day/Year P.O.B:Planet/Country/Town (Sometimes not applicable to aliens, at least provide a planet) ETHNICITY:(Self-explanatory. For alien races, either include a specific regional variant or don't include at all.) SPECIES:Self explanitory
AGE:The date at the top referring to the Dossier submission is the start date of Deception SEX:Male/Female or Otherwise BLOOD TYPE:Simply for military application, omit if required.
HEIGHT:In whichever measurement you please WEIGHT: Look above HAIR COLOUR:Omit if required EYE COLOUR:Omit if required
PHYSICAL FEATS:Describe general physical ability and anything outstanding. Strictly keep good things here, including possible immunities/resistances to natural species based defects
PHYSICAL MALADIES:Describe general physical DEFECTS. Everything bad about a characters body, including natural defects from a character's species.
PHYSICAL FEATURES:Brief description of your characters body/face. This includes build type, any scars, tattoos or cybernetic enhancements. (Yes Cybernetics will be allowed, however only on a case by case basis)
PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION:Brief description of what a doctor could derive from a subject under normal circumstances simply asking questions. Describe traits anyone could pick up on from brief contact. EX. "Quick to anger, jealous, rational, etc." PSYCHOLOGICAL DEFECTS:Any mental illnesses or effects on a characters psyche that could be considered anything besides 'normal'. Includes mild things like OCD, ADD/ADHD as well as addictions to drugs. (Either hard drugs or things like caffeine, cigarettes, etc.)
ITEMS:Please provide a list of various equipment your character may need to complete and succeed in their task.
SQUAD POSITIONS
The squad is hopefully going to be around seven people, if I can get that many that is, some things may have to move around to accommodate a lack or influx of people. For now, the basic roster is up in the air. (Any slot [including squad lead] is open for taking.) I've provided a simple list of suggestions. The Squad Leader is the only REQUIREMENT. All of the roles are not needed (Besides the Squad Lead), but more to say they'd be very very useful. You can have your own position, simply inform me as to how the position will work in RP.
Squad Leader - Who everyone will be listening to, and who will be doing the planning. All responsibility for the other characters and the missions success lies on their head.
Technician - Deals with everything electronically/mechanically based. Could be used to defuse tech and bypass security.
Doctor/Medical Type - Someone to heal the squad after or during fights/contact. Either mentally or physically, or both.
Interrogator - Someone with a quick tongue to persuade or gather information from others.
I pushed out the last of the alien races. I'll be moving everything from interest check to the proper roleplay tab in a moment, you can continue to post there!
Added the history section due to somewhat popular demand. Polishing up 2/6 aliens and beginning to work on the remaining ones. If I don't get distracted anymore today I should be able to close up another 2, then finish the last of the six tomorrow. Or if I'm really inspired and work hard I might get it done around the end of today: We'll see.
I actually really hate bios, so if you'd like to gather the scope of my skills as a writer, or see my interests: Simply talk to me.
I don't bite.
Much.
(Profile picture is from a wonderful artist named Circuithead: http://circuithead.deviantart.com/gallery/)
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;">I actually really hate bios, so if you'd like to gather the scope of my skills as a writer, or see my interests: Simply talk to me.<br><br>I don't bite.<br><br>Much.<br><br>(Profile picture is from a wonderful artist named Circuithead: <a href="http://circuithead.deviantart.com/gallery/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">circuithead.deviantart.com/gallery</a>)</div>