The Quen are a rather short, slightly built, reptilian race. They
seldom reach 1.7 meters in height, and weigh much less than humans
of equal height. The Quen are not true reptiles, having more in
common with saurian races. However, they are not true saurians
either, bearing many reptilian traits. Quen are warm blooded, and
covered with a layer of very fine overlapping scales, usually black
in color, with a yellow and orange striping. Quen of bloodlines
that have spent generations in the forest have a more uniform green
color with yellow speckling.
Quen have large pale yellow eyes with vertical pupils. Three
separate eyelids protect these eyes, and they are quite sensitive,
giving the Quen superior eyesight. Their sense of smell is also
quite acute, and is supplemented by their sense of taste, as their
tongues constantly flick in and out, to detect minute particles
that might give them information about their prey.
Quen are roughly humanoid in shape, with large and powerful
four fingered hands, arranged in point symmetry and equipped with
powerful horn claws. Their feet are arranged in a similar fashion,
and are incapable of delicate manipulation. The Quen's tail is
relatively short, not reaching that far past their ankles, but is
powerful and flexible, and can knock a full sized human off his
feet. Generally, the tail is carried in the air behind the Quen,
though it will droop when the Quen is exhausted or under the
effects of intoxicants.
Leaders:
The Quen are ruled by a hereditary aristocracy. Before the Empire
came, several independent nations fought for control of Rethqua,
the Quen homeworld. However, a single leader has emerged on Quen
to throw off the Imperial yoke, and he has retained control of the
race, without removing the traditional aristocracy from control.
World View:
The Quen are a military race, believing in the superiority of the
warrior spirit. Quen warriors train
incessantly, relying on serenity of spirit and mental focus to
defeat their opponents.
Temperament:
Quen are ferocious when aroused, moving past their anger to ice
cold determination which is not likely to sway under any
circumstances. When not pushed to that extreme, they can still be
seen as being a proud and aggressive race, though with greater
reserves of patience and calm than most races of the galaxy.
History and Culture:
The Quen were a partially nomadic race that eventually developed a
medium steel age civilization. Constant war insured the importance
of the warrior caste in Quen life. Caste had always been a matter
of choice among Quen, with representatives of the various castes
choosing members from the youth as they came of age, and that
method was only broken for a brief period, during the Imperial
occupation.
When the Empire expanded to the Quen homeworld of Rethqua,
it's dominance in the sector had not been seriously challenged, so
it took control of the world as a matter of course. The Quen
proved dangerous opponents, winning several important ground
battles, against Imperial foes with weapons literally thousands of
years ahead of those of the Quen. However, the Quen did not have
any spaceflight whatsoever. Orbital bombardment eventually forced
the various Quen kingdoms to surrender, and the Imperial occupation
began.
Personal ownership of weapons was strictly prohibited, and the
system of castes was abolished, with Quen being transferred to
Imperial mining and industrial facilities, built on Rethqua. The
Armored Tigers, the traditional mount of
Quen warriors, were subjected to an intense extermination campaign.
However, the Quen were not as defeated as they appeared. While
training in the martial arts was prohibited, it continued in secret,
and Quen guerrillas preserved caches of weapons in some of the more
isolated regions of Rethqua.
When some Quen that had escaped their homeworld made contact
with the Confederation of Unaligned Worlds, the Quen Revolt began.
Lead by Shalquan Ralqui, a descendant of the one dynasty to rule
all of Rethqua, the Quen struck against their Imperial overlords
when Shuumar actions drew the Imperial fleet away. Shalquan's rule
of the planet did not go unchallenged by the Empire, for while they
could not maintain a fleet around Rethqua, the could drop some
ORBSATs, to lay waste to the planet.
The bombardment continued for some time, until a Yaeger Stell
Kommando wing destroyed the satellites, and allowed the Quen to be
truly free. The Quen are aware of the debt that they owe the
Yaeger, but the debt that they owe the Confederation was incurred
first, and that debt will be paid first, resulting in the Quen's
membership in the Confederation.
Tech Level:
Steel age, though some space level technology has been incorporated
into Quen society, and greater improvements are anticipated.
Durgur in the Sector:
Those few that know of the Quen respect them as remarkable warriors
of equally remarkable integrity, though with a pride and comfort
with violence that makes them dangerous.
A Quote:
"The Warrior is not his sword, nor is he his armor. The Warrior is
the warrior spirit, eternal and unresting."
Spaceships:
None yet, though Quen are being educated in several Confederation
universities, and may begin design of craft for construction at
Quen held Imperial manucafturing facilities.
Stats:
Attribute Dice: 12D+1
Attribute Min/Max
Dexterity: 2D+2/5D
Knowledge: 2D/4D
Mechanical: 1D+2/3D+2
Perception: 2D/4D+2
Strength: 2D/4D
Technical: 1D+2/3D+2
Move: 12/15
Special Abilities:
Camouflage
:
Quen's bodily patterns blur their outlines when they are moving.
If a Quen moves 10 or more meters in a round, they get a +2 bonus
to the difficulty of ranged attacks against them, a bonus that
increases for every 10 meters they move a round.
Story Factors:
Quen Martial Arts
:
The Quen have practiced martial arts for years, and the martial
arts of the Quen are quite advanced, making use of their natural
abilities and bodily structures.