Ethcroi
The Ethcroi are the most powerful of the races making up the
Chakh Empire, an alliance of former Imperial races that Rulduk
has released from his control for reasons known only to him. The
Ethcroi have always been enemies of the Yaeger, and now that
their powerful imperial allies (and many of their most powerful
warships) are gone, they fear destruction by the resurgent Yaeger
nation. Standing around 1.6 meters tall, the Ethcroi are
somewhat reptilian in form, with a pebbly brown hide, a
rectangular, earless head, and a long and non-prehensile tail.
They are quadrupedal, with their torso rising from the middle of
a table like lower body that is very powerful and efficient.
They have two arms, tipped with large, non-retractable, curved
claws that are used primarily for combat. They also have a large
number of long, thin horns on their head and upper back, but
these are used mainly for display, and break off quite easily.
The Ethcroi are ruled by an aristocratic caste. It is
possible for a lower caste Ethcroi to win an appointment to the
noble caste through military prowess, but only to the lowest
ranks of that nobility. They produce hundreds of children in
each birth, but only one child is allowed to survive each litter,
with the children fighting over a decreasing supply of food,
until only one survives, who is then allowed out of the birth
creche. This system assures that only the strongest survive, and
as a pair of Ethcroi tends to produce up to three litters a year,
that still leaves large numbers of surviving children within each
family. These children also fight somewhat of a war amongst
themselves, because as soon as one of their parents dies, the
other parent, and all but the child designated heir are put out
without any possessions, leaving all to the heir. There are
several way to avoid this fate. The first is to secrete
possessions around the home, and hope to reach them before the
sun of Chakh (their homeworld) destroys them. The second is to
make sure that you are the child designated as heir, through
whatever means necessary. Finaly, the other method commonly
employed is to gain a name and a territory of their own, through
military service.
This constant battle for position and survival made the
Ethcroi naturals for advancement in the Imperial Military, where
many still remain, despite the falling out of their government
from Moff Rulduk's favor. It has also made them a rather grim
and humorless people, who view death as the only thing that can
sustain life. It has also given them an acute sense of paranoia,
and they will always assume that there are many plotting to kill
them. The acid laced brine of the oceans of Chakh is quite
poisonous, as are all beverages made from those waters. However,
the Ethcroi produce Gh'jukuk'raal'kri, a beverage of that type,
and consume it regularly. It is poisonous, dehydrating, and foul
tasting, tending to steam at room temperatures or below. It is
also phenomenaly intoxicating, with an inebriation factor 11X
greater than pure alcohol. The long term effects of the drink
are just as deadly as the short term effects of too much, but
they drink it anyway, Gh'jukuk'raal'kri meaning "the death that
makes life sweet".
Stats
Attribute Dice: 12D
Attribute Min/Max
DEX: 2D+1/4D+2
KNO: 2D/3D+1
MECH: 1D/4D+1
PER: 2D/4D
STR: 3D/5D
TECH: 1D/3D+2
Move: 15/20
Special Abilities:
* Heat Adaptation: Chakh is a very, very hot world, with
surface temperatures regularly reaching 70ø C. Because of this,
the Ethcroi are very well adapted to high temperatures, while not
being so well adapted to cold. Their normal range is from 50ø-
90ø, and they view cold and hot based on those standards. In
addition, they need to drink no liquid water, as they are capable
of surviving off of the water naturally provided by the foods
they eat.
* Natural Weapons and Armor: The hide of the Ethcroi gives
them a +1 bonus vs. energy attacks, and a +2 bonus vs. physical
attacks. Their claws inflict STR+2D damage, and can be used in
conjunction with melee combat skills.
Story Factors:
* Reputation: The Ethcroi are known for their treachery and
tenacity in combat, and few are those that would cross and
Ethcroi. However, there are also few that would trust an
Ethcroi, and their race's warlike history has banned them from
many of the worlds of the Yaeger Sector
* Resistance to Disease: Due to the culling process that
young Ethcroi go through, those that survive are usually
remarkably healthy specimens, and Ethcroi are therefor far less
likely to contract diseases than just about any other known race.
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