Questrans are a diminutive race, averaging around a meter in
height. They are descended from an avian race, and while Questrans
cannot fly, they bear numerous marks of avian heritage, including
a beaked mouth, short wings, and brilliant plumage. Questrans are
usually mostly gold in color, with glossy blue and crimson facial
coloration. However, there are numerous exceptions to that rule,
and some common variations actually outnumber the standard
coloration in isolated areas.
Questrans have a pair of powerful, six toed feet which they
use for manipulation, in conjunction with their short and powerful
beak. Their long and ornate tails are used exclusively for
display, and serve no useful function. Questrans have a pair of
nostrils, located on the sides of their beak, which are quite
powerful, and are used by the Questrans to locate their favorite
meals, snakes and other small creatures, beneath the layer of
decaying vegetation of the forest floors of their homeworld.
Questrans are an egg laying race, with only one or two eggs
laid in a clutch. They are fiercely defensive of their eggs, and
the somewhat less gaudily colored female Questrans spend most of
their lives caring for the eggs and fledglings.
Leaders:
The Questrans are lead by a tricameral system of representative
democracy, with a single executive, who is somewhat weaker than the
other, rather refractory bodies of government. This system was
superseded by Imperial governance, but was reinstituted by the
Questrans as soon as they were given their independence.
World View:
Questrans see themselves as being the center of the universe, and
tend to see the actions of others in relationship to themselves
only.
Temperament:
The Questrans are an excitable race, prone to flights of rage,
love, or other passions. They are a very proud race, and are
easily insulted or flattered.
History and Culture:
As a race, the Questrans developed civilization relatively quickly,
as their somewhat better than average mechanical skill enabled them
to progress from stone to atomic fairly rapidly. Their somewhat
overinflated egos nearly proved disastrous, as a nuclear exchange
between the two major Questran powers seemed inevitable at times.
In the end, the Questrans developed hyperspace travel before the
situation reached a critical state, and unity was seen to be
paramount in the larger and much more hostile universe.
The Questrans founded a pair of colonies in the lush Lahutan
system, on Otazal and Morabin, and began sending trading ships to
the other worlds of the sector. These traders soon enabled the
Questrans to reach a level of technology nearly equal to the sector
standard, though they never had enough to offer to acquire truly
top of the line materials. Diplomatic relationships with the other
races of the sector proved somewhat fractious, as Questran
ambassadors were far more easily offended than most career
diplomats, and while actual war was repeatedly averted, the
Questrans earned no real allies.
When the Empire expanded into the sector, the Questrans
refused to even see their ambassadors. That arrogance proved to
have exceedingly negative results, as Questra was one of the first
worlds openly attacked by the Empire. Despite their respectable
system defense fleet, Questra fell to the Empire after a mere two
days of combat. Experiments with Questran slaves proved futile, as
they put their pride before their lives, so the Questrans were
never officially enslaved as a people. Instead, nearly the whole
of the industrial production of Questran worlds was delivered into
Imperial hands as taxes and war debt.
Questran space lies almost directly between that of the Shuumar and the Aldru, and when those two races threw off the
Imperial yoke, they decided to free the Questran worlds, in order
to give them clear communication and supply lines between their two
territories. A coordinated Shuumar and Aldru offensive pushed the
Imperials back, and gave those two races an opportunity to slip
agents onto Questran worlds, where they were able to incite and
coordinate revolts and riots among the Questrans. The Questran
revolution was far from an overpowering success, as millions of
Questrans died before Imperium arms, but the losses that the
Imperials took on the ground made it impossible to maintain control
of the Questran worlds, so they withdrew.
Finally free, the Questrans reinstituted their traditional
governmental structure. Shortly afterwards the Shuumar proposed
the creation of the Confederation of Unaligned worlds, and the
Questrans were an enthusiastic supporter of the plan. They are
committed to the ideals of the confederation, and will not leave it
unless both the Shuumar and the Aldru withdraw, and even then it is
unlikely that they will join the New Republic or any other formal
alliance, as their independence was won to dearly for them to give
it up to anyone.
Tech Level:
Space.
Questrans in the Sector:
Questrans are seen as being irritating and not overly intelligent
individuals, with a better than average grasp of the concepts of
high technology. However, they are seen as being too excitable and
egotistical to be the sort of asset that the Ulfgar are.
A Quote:
"Why, I've never been so insulted in my life!"
Spaceships:
The Sharpclaw fighter was the Questran standard before the Empire
came. Now, building on Shuumar and Aldru concepts, their current
ship of the line is the Rakkak corvette.
Stats:
Attribute Dice: 12D
Attribute Min/Max
Dexterity: 2D/3D+2
Knowledge: 2D/4D+1
Mechanical: 3D/4D+2
Perception: 1D/2D+2
Strength: 1D/3D+1
Technical: 2D+2/5D+1
Move: 4/7
Special Abilities:
Sense of Scent
:
The Questran's sense of scent is around four times better than that
of humans, both in the areas of detection and discrimination, and
they gain a +2 bonus to Search rolls where their sense of smell can
help.
Story Factors:
Reputation
:
The Questran's temperamental factors make them easy targets for con
men, and this is a fact known throughout the underworld of the
sector. In addition, their temperament makes them less than ideal
as crewmembers, making it quite difficult for them to sign on
aboard non-Questran ships.