The Arcoszard

I want to preface this by saying I'm sorry I didn't keep it brief in the appearance/biology section. They've got a lot of subracing and the fact that they have so many societal and biological classes is a huge part of them. I couldn't leave any of it out because it was all... already there, and important. I've got a lot of passion for this idea, it's been brewing in the back of my mind for years with no outlet.

Tags:
Biotechnology, Reptilian, Castes

Appearance and biology
The Arcoszard are a race divided; a blanket term used to cover several subspecies of a greater societal whole. Their appearance can vary greatly within that blanket term, from deep green scales that can color-shift, to almost transparent scales with their greenish blood showing through. However – they can be described in broad terms as a race. The Arcoszard as a whole are reptilian creatures – tall, covered in finely-textured scales from head to toe, their face consists of a tapered muzzle of varying length, they possess a scaled, serpentine tail and they are equipped with sharpened claws and teeth, through which the venom of a symbiotic fungus flows. However – their appearance varies too dramatically within their race to truly be described as a whole beyond this.

The Arcoszard society is divided into four groupings: they are named the Arcos, the Szard, the Shal’halai and the Shal’rei. The Arcos (“Mind” in their language) are the smallest of the four – however, they still regularly outpace galactic averages, their usual height being somewhere between 6’ and 7’. They keep an upright stance, and their scales are pale and often transparent. The Arcos are blind – their eyes simply do not function. Instead… they echolocate. As an Arcos moves through their environment, they will emit a number of clicking noises, and evade obstacles with ease. It is in their instincts to do this, after all – just as most organics would see, so too does an Arcos echolocate.

The Szard (“Warrior” in the Arcoszard tongue), meanwhile, are massive brutes – ordinarily musclebound, poor of temper and exceptionally resilient. Their scales are much thicker than their cave-dwelling brethren, usually capable of deflecting mundane, archaic bladed attacks, or simply weathering the blows. In addition, the Szard are possessed of a unique ability – while their scales remain at a standard greenish tinge by default, they have the ability to shift their color at will. This is a far cry from any optical camouflage technology – more similar to Earth chameleons. They can change color, cause themselves to be vibrant and bright – but they cannot turn invisible by any means. Szard have been seen in the size range of 6’ at the very smallest up into 9’ at standing height – however, they generally keep a hunched posture, preventing them from truly showing their height so often.

The Shal’halai (“High Gods”) and Shal’rei (“Flawed Gods”) are examples of what occurs when the Arcos and Szard breed. Hybrids, both of them, with great variance. The Shal’halai are the leader class to the Arcoszard – perfect hybrids, incorporating the best of both races. The immense strength of the Szard – the high intelligence of the Arcos. The color-shifting of the Szard, the echolocation of the Arcos. However – the Shal’halai hold a dark secret, unknown to outsiders, and to most Arcoszard. All Shal’halai are laboratory-born, created as figureheads to a royal family, to maintain a stranglehold on Arcoszard society.
The Shal’rei, in contrast, are genuine biological hybrids, with all the variance that may entail. They may vary between functionally being a small, blind Szard, to nearly approximating a Shal’halai in nature – nearly. The volatility of the creation of a Shal’halai results in it being next to impossible for one to be created by random chance, and also limits the lifespan of any “true” Shal’halai to be born. In practice, Shal’rei are the lower class – treated as failures, people who failed to become Shal’halai. People who failed to serve their society properly, by circumstances of birth. Shal’rei are extremely prone to birth defects; blindness is extremely common, even in Szard-leaning Shal’rei.

Culture
Arcoszard culture is based around a clear, well-defined system of hierarchy, wherein every member thereof is graded by their lineage. At the top are the Shal’halai – the godlike figures propagandized as the greatest creatures ever to walk among their kind. They are hybrids, as stated – secretly created in laboratories, and unveiled as figureheads for the Arcos to puppet. The Arcos are next on the social ladder – considered to be most like the Shal’halai. The Arcos are responsible for biotechnological development within their culture, and as a result, have a great deal of control over their society. Following the Arcos are the Szard – the warrior class, the soldier class. The Szard are numerous – kept in check by a modification, deeply seeded within their race over generations. Almost every Szard has an inherent neurological bias to submit to the orders and directives of an Arcos or Shal’halai. Occasionally, one will be born with a defect – without this inherent bias. These are known as Szard’rei, or “Flawed Warriors”. Szard’rei are not uncommon – but they keep themselves hidden and secret if they happen to be reasonably intelligent for a Szard. Szard’rei who are public in their distaste for their situation are generally made to disappear late at night. Finally, at the very bottom, are the Shal’rei. Shal’rei are considered failures, useless for anything but food or manual labor. Defective, hated. They are generally killed by their Szard superiors for underperformance, or simply starve to death because nobody will give them a chance to prove themselves and they cannot afford food. Conceiving a Shal’rei is considered to be a great shame on society as a whole, a failed attempt to create a living deity. As a result – it is rare that an Arcos and Szard will have a child on their homeworld, due to the sheer hate Shal’rei receive for their existence.

History
Thousands of years ago, the Arcos and Szard were a single species. They shared a habitat, an ecological niche and common behaviors. However… at one point, a cave within the proto-racial effective range simply… collapsed, trapping a rather large population of the prototypical Arcos inside. This event is referred to in the Arcoszard historical documents as the “Great Divide”. From within this cave, the Arcos discovered new things as their physiology changed – their minds warped, they became more cunning, more studious. They became versed in first fire, then simple machines… then they learned to shape the organisms around them to match their needs. They became a culture of first necessity, then enlightenment and knowledge… and they began to look outward, outside of the dark, damp caves they called home. There, they discovered their aggressive brethren… and a plan was hatched among the highest minds of the Arcos. A brutish servile race would be created from these prototypical warriors, to advance Arcos society while allowing for a degree of autonomy in these living machines. They would be given a modicum of respect only insofar as it would be required to keep them in line, and modified over time to match Arcos needs and become truly docile and servile under the “all-knowing” cave dwellers. From there, they created the first Shal’halai – a way to control the unknowing of both subspecies and work under a narrative of unification. The Arcoszard are now a unified, if clearly divided race, with strength and intelligence alike to back their actions.

Story Intentions
The purpose of the Arcoszard as a race is to bring to GC a variety of different kinds of character in a single race, as well as a number of biotechnological items that would be plausible for such a race to design. They will provide eccentric, blind bio-technological masterminds, brutish warriors and defective abominations alike. They will also provide a new faction to deal with - the Shal'halai and their Arcos puppeteers.
On the individual scale, it will vary by race. Shal'halai are intended to be event-only, due to their unique circumstances of creation; however, a Szard or Szard'rei can be utilized as anything from a good-natured brute to a large, strong murderer. When building an Arcos, note that while all the puppeteers behind the Shal'halai conspiracy are Arcos, not all Arcos are puppeteers, or even manipulative politicians. Most of them are simply normal people, living a normal life.

 

fat fucking cosign baby

 

Co-sign yo

 

Funnily enough, I actually have answers to these questions - they just weren't present in the initial doc because of the "keep it brief" clause. I'll be elaborating on this, as well as other major details not mentioned here (the nature of their homeworld, more details of their technology and culture, for example) in the second stage app.

 

Big ol' Cosign here, boss

 

First edit's been made! I've added:
-Extra culture bits, including recreation, diet, death, societal structure, all kinds of important and unimportant bits
-Answered Pink's questions below
-Attached sprite assets! We're doing the Remmie thing. Credit to @MaskedHero for the original head sprite, I did some tweaks and added the tails.
-Changed Teld from a thanks to co-signer.

Another edit, small this time.
-Reduced Szard height cap. Still Big Lads, but less Big.

Updated doc to match the Google doc. There's little bits of lore about miscellaneous things that didn't make it into the initial doc, or that I came up with more recently.

Tags:
Biotechnology, Reptilian, Castes

Homeworld
The Arcoszard homeworld is a colorful, humid place; most of its single large continent is taken up by a sprawling forest of what appear to be giant mushrooms of various bright colors, the bright canopy of the surface giving way to a surface of dark, humid, swamp surfaces and standing water. Arcoszard as a planet does not have an axial tilt; it has no seasons, and is a constant humid heat uncomfortable for species born on temperate or colder worlds, upwards of 80-90 °F. Rains are common on Arcoszard as well; the sheer amount of water always in the air results in rain clouds being almost painfully common.

Biology
The Arcoszard are divided into four groupings: they are named the Arcos, the Szard, the Shal’halai and the Shal’rei. Their appearance can vary greatly within their overall blanket term, from deep green scales that can color-shift, to almost transparent scales with their greenish blood showing through. However – they can be described in broad terms as a race. The Arcoszard as a whole are carnivorous, reptilian creatures – tall, covered in finely-textured scales from head to toe, their face consists of a tapered muzzle of varying length, they possess a scaled, serpentine tail and they are equipped with sharpened claws and teeth, through which the venom of a symbiotic fungus flows. However – their appearance varies too dramatically within their race to truly be described as a whole beyond this.

A Kalat'shal Arcos and Szard, with regional variations on the sides. Art by @MaskedHero.​

The Arcos (“Mind” in their language) are the tallest of the four – their usual height outpaces galactic averages, standing at somewhere between 6’ and 7’. They keep an upright stance, and their scales are pale and often transparent. The Arcos are blind – their eyes simply do not function. Instead… they echolocate. As an Arcos moves through their environment, they will emit a number of high-frequency clicking noises from an opening on their forehead, and evade obstacles with ease. This opening is essentially both a sound emitter and an ear; it presents a third reference point for three-dimensional positioning (not unlike binocular vision) as well as being the point the sound originates. In addition, this echolocation organ allows them to make use of a second language among their species. This second language consists of a series of hypersonic clicks, and is used not only by the Arcos, but by a number of their smarter pieces of technology.

The Szard (“Warrior” in the Arcoszard tongue), meanwhile, are massive brutes – ordinarily musclebound, poor of temper and exceptionally resilient. Their scales are much thicker than their cave-dwelling brethren, usually capable of deflecting mundane, archaic slashing attacks, or simply weathering the blows - Szard melee weapons are usually pointed and intended for stabbing as a result of this natural armor, as slashing attacks are relatively ineffective. Bludgeoning melee weapons are also relatively ineffective if mundane; as a result, such things are considered a “less-lethal” option to the Szard. In addition, the Szard are possessed of a unique ability – while their scales remain at a standard greenish tinge by default, they have the ability to shift their color at will. This is a far cry from any optical camouflage technology – more similar to Earth chameleons. They can change color, cause themselves to be different hues dependent on their environment to make them harder to spot at range – but they cannot turn invisible by any means. Szard have been seen in the same size range as their pallid brethren, of 6’ at the very smallest up to 7’ at standing height – however, they generally keep a hunched posture, preventing them from truly showing their height so often.

The Shal’halai (“High Gods”) and Shal’rei (“Flawed Gods”) are examples of what occurs when the Arcos and Szard breed. Hybrids, both of them, with great variance. The Shal’halai are the leader class to the Arcoszard – perfect hybrids, incorporating the best of both races. The immense strength of the Szard – the high intelligence of the Arcos. The color-shifting of the Szard, the echolocation organ of the Arcos. However – the Shal’halai hold a dark secret, unknown to outsiders, and to almost all Arcoszard. All Shal’halai are laboratory-born, created as figureheads to a royal family, to maintain a stranglehold on Arcoszard society.

The Shal’rei, in contrast, are genuine biological hybrids, with all the variance that may entail. They may vary between functionally being a small, blind Szard, to nearly approximating a Shal’halai in nature – nearly. The volatility of the creation of a Shal’halai results in it being next to impossible for one to be created by random chance, and also limits the lifespan of any “true” Shal’halai to be born. In practice, Shal’rei are the lower class – treated as failures, people who failed to become Shal’halai. People who failed to serve their society properly, by circumstances of birth. Shal’rei are extremely prone to birth defects; blindness is extremely common, even in Szard-leaning Shal’rei.

Blind Arcoszard who want to be able to see generally need to go through a long, grueling procedure which can take anywhere from several days to several months involving reshaping skeletal tissue to accommodate the new replacement eyes, as well as adding in extra muscular tissue to rotate and control them. The size and shape of Arcoszard eye sockets varies greatly - since the only (relevant) criteria to be classified Arcos is to have nonfunctional eyes, Arcos are occasionally born with fully-sized eye sockets, even if blind. As a result, the amount of work that needs done on a given individual varies greatly. This procedure also does not always work; some individuals are born with an atrophied, ineffectual visual cortex of Arcos origin, and some have a more functional, if unused, visual cortex of Szard ancestry. As a result, some blind Arcos or Shal’rei can never become sighted.

Venom-symbiosis
All Arcoszard, of all breeds, are equipped with a venomous bite, after an implantation procedure given in adolescence. This bite is channeled from a sac in the base of their tail - inside this sac, a symbiotic, mold-like fungus resides. This fungus is selected from one of four variants, each with their own effects. Every non-Shal’halai individual can select from one of the first three - Zy’leth, the excruciant; Ka’leth, the paralytic; and Shu’leth, the hallucinogen. Each breed of Arcoszard has a bias toward a specific type of venom - this does not affect the quality of venom produced, nor the quantity, only the societal preference, and chance of rejection. Rejection can occur in any Arcoszard individual immediately after implantation; chance of rejection is increased when choosing a venom type not attached to that individual’s genetic bias.

Rejection is generally fatal and seen as a sign of weakness. Arcoszard newly playing host to their symbiote mass experience the effects of their venom of choice for approximately three days, give or take a day’s time, with the exception of Shal’halai, who are brought into existence with their symbiote already in place. Zy’leth carriers will be left in excruciating pain for several days; Ka’leth carriers will be rendered immobile and must be kept on life support and cared for by family; Shu’leth carriers enter a hallucinogenic dream-state. After the conclusion of this three-day period, the individual is rendered permanently immune to their venom type of choice; in cases of rejection, the individual perishes during that three-day adjustment period. This adjustment period is considered a rite of passage, marking the beginning of adulthood for the individual.

Shal’rei ordinarily have a reduced chance of rejection by default, as they often carry the genetic bias of both their parent subspecies. This is also what allows them to accept Shu’leth more safely; there is no common hard-coded Shu’leth bias. Szard carry a bias toward Zy’leth; Arcos have a genetic bias toward Ka’leth by default; and Shu’leth is more commonly carried by the universal-bias Shal’rei. Arcos and Szard populations do carry bias to symbiote variants uncommon to that subspecies; they are uncommon, and more often than not, result in a rejection as they attempt to take their subspecies’ standard bias symbiote. The genetic bias is also not a widely-known property of the Arcoszard - it is, as far as the population at large is concerned, societal standards and pressure that causes the subspecies to tend toward a specific symbiote type, not a genetic bias.

The effects of the venom vary in length, depending on the exact strain and where it was harvested from, as well as dosage, but there are general rules. Zy’leth generally lasts no more than a few minutes; Ka’leth can last several hours; and Shu’leth hits its peak around an hour in, but can have echoing mental effects and minor hallucinations that last for days after the fact.

Shal’halai carry a unique fourth variety - Shal’leth. Shal’leth is a producer of a potent, deadly neurotoxin; if untreated, someone afflicted by Shal’leth will perish in a matter of hours. Symptoms include chills, aching, stiffness of movement, vomiting, and death in approximately three hours depending on the individual’s condition, blood pressure and size.

Adult Arcoszard of any breed without a fungal implant are called “Leth’rei” in addition to their breed term - this literally translates to “flawed venom”, but, in essence, Leth’rei are considered outcasts, universally. Neutered, rendered inert, impotent. To be without venom is to be without what makes one a member of their species. Leth’rei are exceptionally rare as a result - while it is technically legal and permitted to choose the path of Leth’rei rather than take on your venom, it is considered a rejection of the species. This, combined with simple inaccessibility of the fungal implants when born offworld, causes the scattered few Arcoszard born off of the homeworld to have a much higher Leth’rei population than the homeworld itself.

Arcoszard venom is easily treated when on the homeworld, if from one of the three common strains - most medical facilities on the homeworld carry an antivenom for each of these, created from the blood plasma of the very staff who process it - generally, this may cause Arcos going into a medical field to choose Shu’leth or Zy’leth, explicitly to produce antibodies for that venom, as there is much higher demand for those venom types relatively; ordinarily, Arcos carry Ka’leth, after all. Only the Shal’halai, their immediate bodyguards and the Arcos responsible for their existence carry vials of their own antivenom.

The origin of the venom-molds is known only to the highest of the Arcos fleshweavers - the official narrative is that it is as it has always been, that the traditions surrounding and presence of the venomous fungus is as the species has always been. In reality, it is a product of Arcoszard engineering in its entirety, with genetics edited in their far ancestry to create the nutrient-feeding tail-hollow and venom channels that the Arcoszard carry in their bodies.

Society
Arcoszard culture is based around a clear, well-defined system of hierarchy, wherein every member thereof is graded by their lineage. At the top are the Shal’halai – the godlike figures propagandized as the greatest creatures ever to walk among their kind. They are hybrids, as stated – secretly created in laboratories, and unveiled as figureheads for the Arcos to puppet.

The Arcos are next on the social ladder – considered to be most like the Shal’halai. The Arcos are responsible for biotechnological development within their culture, and as a result, have a great deal of control over their society. Following the Arcos are the Szard – the warrior class, the soldier class. The Szard are numerous – kept in check by a modification, deeply seeded within their race over generations. Almost every Szard has an inherent neurological bias to submit to the orders and directives of an Arcos or Shal’halai. Occasionally, a Szard will be born with a defect – without this inherent bias. These are known as Szard’rei, or “Flawed Warriors”. Szard’rei are not uncommon – but they keep themselves hidden and secret if they happen to be reasonably intelligent. Szard’rei who are public in their distaste for their situation are generally made to disappear late at night, never to be seen again.

Finally, at the very bottom, are the Shal’rei. Shal’rei are considered failures, useless for anything but food or manual labor. Defective, hated. They are generally killed by their Szard superiors for underperformance, or simply starve to death because nobody will give them a chance to prove themselves and they cannot afford food. Conceiving a Shal’rei is considered to be a great shame on society as a whole, a failed attempt to create a living deity in their arrogance. As a result – it is rare that an Arcos and Szard will have a child on their homeworld, due to the sheer hate Shal’rei, as well as their parents, receive for their existence; as a result of this stigma, and the near-refugee nature of many offworld Arcoszard, Shal’rei are more common among the sparse offworld populations of Arcoszard than they are on their homeworld.

The Arcoszard are run by what they refer to in Common as the “Great Council” - this Council consists of five individuals. The reigning Shal’halai is at its head, attended by his two aides - also Shal’halai - and advised by a council of four individuals - two Szard representatives, and two Arcos. The Arcos have their own internal hierarchy, consisting of a grand institute of biotechnology - this institute is responsible for the development of almost all Arcoszard technologies, with some exceptions scattered throughout recent history. The head of this institute, as well as his second in command, are on the Council - they are also directly responsible for the Shal’halai being kept secret and continuing the Shal’halai puppet lineage. Mirroring this presence, the Szard are responsible for the military arm of the Arcoszard government; their greatest tactician and general is given a seat on the Council, as well as whoever the Arcos side of things considers to be his greatest rival - this is in place to prevent the Szard from forming a unified front on the Council, allowing the Arcos and their Shal’halai puppet to keep their control while maintaining a facsimile of equality.

The Great Council is the single government in charge of their species; they quickly and efficiently absorbed the remaining proto-Szard populations with their armies of augmented Szard warriors very soon after they took power. From then, the only wars fought have been internal, and centered around the Szard; the Szard regularly undergo civil wars, which keep them divided internally, to avoid them turning their gaze upward to their pallid masters. These wars are orchestrated by the professional puppet masters responsible for the Shal’halai, and are often internally treated as a great game; many suspicious and apparently unrelated promotions have occurred very soon after the conclusion of one of these wars.

The Arcoszard are, under the Council, divided into a number of independent city-states - every one of these has its own culture, to a degree, and its own customs, within reason. These city-states are responsible for the grand civil wars, and each one is led by a singular leader. Often, this is an Arcos who has manipulated their way into power - however, occasionally, a particularly brilliant Szard general can earn their place at the top.

The Arcoszard diet consists entirely of meat - engineered meat, largely. The Arcos are responsible for, in secret, creating a number of engineered prey animals; these prey animals are unleashed upon the wilds surrounding their cities, and hunted by the Szard to generate food for their society - this is one of a number of duties placed upon the Szard to ensure their complacency and pride in their subservience. The elite largely use laboratory-cultured flesh, allowing them to forgo Szard-hunted meat. Because Szard in particular have high calorie requirements, due to their active lifestyles and massive size, this often results in bouts of famine, during which the population can be quietly culled.

Arcoszard city-states are named either for how they function in the greater Arcoszard society or for how they were founded; the capitol, for example, is named “Kalat’shal”, or “City of the Gods”. Said capitol is run directly by the Council, and is built around the cave entrance responsible for the Great Divide - it is known as the ancestral home of the Arcoszard, the site upon which the species was created.

Arcoszard only has a population hovering around three to four million at any given time. Approximately half of these are concentrated into the city-states, and the remaining half are in small Imperial colonies and city-states-to-be. Offworld populations are very small and scattered, due to how recent first contact was, but second-generation offworld Arcoszard do exist. There is also a minor demographic of extant tribals, which were overlooked by the Empire in its infancy.

The Empire uses colonies as founding grounds for replacement city-states following wars. Surviving civilian populations from a destroyed city-state are migrated to another colony or colonies, a single colony's leader is appointed Regent by the Council or the Emperor, and that colony becomes a young city-state. New smaller colonies are also founded during the post-destruction migration wave.

Arcoszard naming conventions vary greatly; some are named for historical figures, others are combinations of existing words, and new names are created every now and then from sounds the parents thought sounded right. Traditionally Szard names ordinarily use harsher sounds and tend to be shorter, whereas traditionally Arcos names tend to be either pleasant to the ear or deliberately long and hard to pronounce. Arcoszard use their city-state of origin as their surname, and their breed as their middle name; for example, “Dryx’alath Arcos Kalat’shal” would be an Arcos, named Dryx’alath, from the capitol of Kalat’shal.

Entertainment among the Arcoszard is as varied as their morphology; the Szard participate in blood sports (which often descends into, stems from or is very similar to the usual infighting), whereas the Arcos enjoy their board games. Wargames are the most common; Arcos wargames are detailed and complex, and generally take anywhere from hours to days to play. Szard are capable of playing these games; it is rare, but it occurs.

On death, Arcoszard are placed into fungal gardens at the heart of their city; sorted by fungal strain and laid bare on the ground, for their symbiote to become a parasite. From there, the symbiote spreads - with the individual’s immune system destroyed with their life, the individual becomes covered in a layer of their own caustic mold. This mold is then harvested for the next generation’s use. On former battlefield sites and destroyed cities, Zy’leth can be found covering most organic surfaces; these are referred to as “Zy’kalar”, which translates directly to “pain garden”.

Splinter tribals are generally far less advanced than their city-bound brethren as far as tech level, and ordinarily do not even possess venom-sacs. The Arcoszard language does not have a name for these, but they are excellent examples of pre-tampering Szard. None of them have the neurological tampering common to Szard, but they are weaker physically, smaller (rarely breaking 6'), and more nonviolent in general behavior, usually content to hide and avoid conflict with other sapients. The Empire, upon discovering one of these tribes, slaughters them to a man to avoid their discovery by the general population, but there are whispers of their existence among the city-states.

Technology
Arcoszard technology largely consists of flesh, bone and sinew, arranged into complex constructs - all to make the world their own. Most Arcoszard technology is sound-controlled; the Arcos, being blind and capable of echolocation, made use of biotechnology that responds to their ultrasonic organ. As a result, for the most part, galactic species at large cannot make use of some Arcoszard technology if it relies on ultrasonic call/response. Arcoszard weapons technology generally does not rely on that call/response, with rare exceptions, as Szard ordinarily are their users - outsiders can make use of most Arcoszard weaponry as a result.

Arcoszard technology tends toward the computational and data storage, uniquely for organic technologies - due to the advent of call-response technology, the Arcoszard have highly advanced biological computers, as well as the obvious medical benefits of constant shadowed eugenics practices and active genetic modification on a greater societal scale whenever a problem is sighted and needs corrected. While they pale in comparison to the precision offered by modern traditional technology, they are extremely fast, and can become “creative” at times - in essence, the Arcoszard utilize weak artificial intelligence specialized toward one function or another rather than standard computation. These intelligent neural clusters are used to control most of the Arcos’ technology, and are ordinarily linked to call-response devices, for easier manipulation. Generally, Szard cannot make use of these devices as a result.

The Arcoszard do have some semblance of traditional technology - the Szard had just reached mid-late Stone Age technology when the Arcos claimed the throne above them. As a result, the Arcoszard have access to simple machines and fire, as well as shaped stone and bone. They never developed any complex computers on their own, nor did they even reach their Bronze Age - they have remarkably primitive metallurgy and traditional technology, paired with remarkably advanced organic technology. At present, transport offworld is managed by stolen or bought starships - trade of Arcoszard biotechnology in exchange for offworlder traditional technology, to assist in the uplifting process.

Due to the nature of the Arcoszard, their tools of war are ordinarily based around puncturing the natural armor native to their species; their scales are reasonably effective at redirecting and weathering mundane slashing and bludgeoning attacks. As a result, Arcoszard melee weaponry focuses around puncturing armor; polearms are extremely common, with spears being an especially common option. Their ranged weaponry is just as puncture-focused, with a focus on venomous needle weapons and augmentations designed to pierce through the tough, leathery hides they are born with.

History
Thousands of years ago, the Arcos and Szard were a single species. They shared a habitat, an ecological niche and common behaviors. However… at one point, a cave within the proto-racial effective range simply… collapsed, trapping a rather large population of the prototypical Arcos inside. This event is referred to in the Arcoszard historical documents as the “Great Divide”, translated to Common. From within this cave, the Arcos discovered new things as their physiology changed – their minds warped, they became more cunning, more studious. They became versed in first fire, then simple machines… then they learned to shape the organisms around them to match their needs - first through selective breeding, and then through the careful application of virae. They became a culture of first necessity, then enlightenment and knowledge… and they began to look outward, outside of the dark, damp caves they called home.

There, on the surface, they discovered their aggressive brethren… and a plan was hatched among the highest minds of the Arcos. A brutish servile race would be created from these prototypical warriors, to advance Arcos society while allowing for a degree of autonomy in these living machines. They would be given a modicum of respect only insofar as it would be required to keep them in line, and modified over time to match Arcos needs and become truly docile and servile under the “all-knowing” cave dwellers. From there, they created the first Shal’halai – a way to control the unknowing of both subspecies and work under a narrative of unification. The Arcoszard are now a unified, if clearly divided race, with strength and intelligence alike to back their actions.

Arcoszard history is rarely recorded as it was - there is an agenda to push, a narrative to create, to prevent the Szard from realizing how much has changed with their species after the arrival of their pale-scaled “saviors”. The official historical records paint a narrative wherein the Szard, tribal and primitive, were uplifted by the Arcos - the Great Divide is painted as a moment of loss for the Szard race, as their “greatest minds” were cut off from the whole, leaving them to a period of bloody anarchy and mutual slaughter - as evident in their violent nature, even to this day. In reality - the truth is much darker.

In truth - the Szard were not, in fact, uplifted by their cave-dwelling counterparts. In fact - their violent nature is manufactured, another product of Arcos biological conditioning. Prior to Arcos involvement, the Szard were internally rather peaceful - they had minimal infighting, and were generally internally cooperative for the good of their species. When the Arcos arrived, part of their plan was, simply put, to force the Szard to fight among themselves, to ensure ease of control. If they would paint themselves as the glue keeping the species intact, or force themselves into that role of savior… then savior they would be, and savior they are.

Story Intentions
The purpose of the Arcoszard as a race is to bring to GC a variety of different kinds of character in a single race, as well as a number of biotechnological items that would be plausible for such a race to design. They will provide eccentric, blind bio-technological masterminds, brutish warriors and defective abominations alike. They will also provide a new faction to deal with - the Shal'halai and their Arcos puppeteers.

On the individual scale, it will vary by race. Shal'halai characters outside of the requisite “Emperor'' of Arcoszard and his aides are intended to be event-only, due to their unique circumstances of creation; however, a Szard or Szard'rei can be utilized as anything from a good-natured brute to a large, strong murderer. When building an Arcos, note that while all the puppeteers behind the Shal'halai conspiracy are Arcos, not all Arcos are puppeteers, or even manipulative politicians. Most of them are simply normal people, living a normal life, gifted with high intelligence and altered senses. Shal’rei are inherently varied, allowing for great freedom in what you would like to do with them - the only restriction is they cannot be horribly high up on the Arcoszard social ladder, due to their nature as a “corruption” of all that the Arcoszard are.


Glossary

Arcos; mind, scientist

Arcoszard; offworlder term adopted by the species itself due to their prior lack of a general species term, portmanteau, used to refer to their planet as well as their species as a whole

Halai; high, lofty, leader

Ka; freeze, ice, paralysis

Kal; good

Kalar: garden

Kalat: city, kingdom

Ka'leth; paralytic

Keth’al; biologist, geneticist, fleshweaver

Leth; venom

Leth’kalar; venom garden

‘rei; flawed, damaged

Ryth: “before midday”, translates roughly to “morning”

Shal; god, deity

Shal'halai; High God

Shal'leth; god's venom

Shal'rei; Flawed God

Shu; dream, hallucination

Shu'leth; hallucinogen

‘Syl; yes

Szard; warrior, soldier, brute

Szard'rei; Flawed Warrior

Zy; pain, agony, suffering

Zy’kalar: pain garden, battlefield

Zy'leth; excruciant



Co-signers:
@zecon125
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@crumchy
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@Teldrassil

Sprite Work
To take these ingame, just download them, edit to your heart's content, then put them through Hatter. Easy!


Please note that the Arcoszard are a closed species. I don't have particularly high standards, but you do still have to go through me.

The full, up-to-date doc is here - the current forum doc is slightly outdated a lot of the time.

 

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Arcoszard technology tends toward the computational and data storage, uniquely for organic technologies - due to the advent of call-response technology, the Arcoszard have highly advanced biological computers, as well as the obvious medical benefits of constant shadowed eugenics practices and active genetic modification on a greater societal scale whenever a problem is sighted and needs corrected. While they pale in comparison to the precision offered by modern traditional technology, they are extremely fast, and can become “creative” at times - in essence, the Arcoszard utilize weak artificial intelligence specialized toward one function or another rather than standard computation. These intelligent neural clusters are used to control most of the Arcos’ technology, and are ordinarily linked to call-response devices, for easier manipulation. Generally, Szard cannot make use of these devices as a result.

Adult Arcoszard of any breed without a fungal implant are called “Leth’rei” in addition to their breed term - this literally translates to “flawed venom”, but, in essence, Leth’rei are considered outcasts, universally. Neutered, rendered inert, impotent. To be without venom is to be without what makes one a member of their species. Leth’rei are exceptionally rare as a result - while it is technically legal and permitted to choose the path of Leth’rei rather than take on your venom, it is considered a rejection of the species. This, combined with simple inaccessibility of the fungal implants when born offworld, causes the scattered few Arcoszard born off of the homeworld to have a much higher Leth’rei population than the homeworld itself.

Arcoszard venom is easily treated when on the homeworld, if from one of the three common strains - most medical facilities on the homeworld carry an antivenom for each of these, created from the blood plasma of the very staff who process it - generally, this may cause Arcos going into a medical field to choose Shu’leth or Zy’leth, explicitly to produce antibodies for that venom, as there is much higher demand for those venom types. Only the Shal’halai, their immediate bodyguards and the Arcos responsible for their existence carry vials of their own antivenom.

The origin of the venom-molds is known only to the highest of the Arcos fleshweavers - the official narrative is that it is as it has always been, that the traditions surrounding and presence of the venomous fungus is as the species has always been. In reality, it is a product of Arcoszard engineering in its entirety, with genetics edited in their far ancestry to create the nutrient-feeding tail-hollow and venom channels that the Arcoszard carry in their bodies.

Because Szard in particular have high calorie requirements, due to their active lifestyles and massive size, this often results in bouts of famine, during which the population can be quietly culled.

Done!

 

Excellent!