Tags Arabic/Ottoman inspired, High tech, wealthy, tradition-obsessed peoples struggling with class and religious divides, within a hostile environment. Appearance “Weak were we. Not for a place such as this. And yet the One Below leveled mountains in his search for us, and churned deep chasms into existence. And I felt great pride at this honor, for not all should be noticed in such a way-“ -Journal of Asya Nu, Imperial Cartographer Spoiler: Appearance Tarridans are a mix between crustacean and fungoid creatures, being based around a centralized neural core, with the majority of their body being made up of a soft, mud-like substance, covered by a thin transparent shell. Portions of this shell are harder, turning a lighter cover and becoming more rigid and solid, especially around the chest, forearms, hips, back, and head area. Those on the head in particular are the most varied and flamboyant, and will take different forms depending on the Tarridans place of birth, class, or upbringing. Their general shape is tall and humanoid, with long, thin limbs, a long neck and a vaguely squarish head sporting two expressive “eyes”. They have a second set of smaller, vestigial arms below their main set, and hooves instead of feet. They have two fingers and one thumb at the end of each arm. Culture “Blessed be they, the never ending emperor! Blessed be they, consumer of the blood of the old ones! Blessed be they, and may their fist grasp Tarridus forever! As it was! As it should be!” -Common Prayers of the Empire, A compilation, by Lahti Suun The Tarridans have a culture steeped in tradition. Basic Tarridans are divided among two basic classes and ways of life, the Imperials and the DustMen. Imperials settle in large cities upon the stable highlands of the planet, and are organized into a number of noble houses, united under a single Emperor. They have grown rich upon the mining and selling of the Guideoil (sometimes called Navigator, or Almalah) of the planet to the galaxy at large. They follow a mostly feudal class system, with lower nobles answering to the Emperor, who have lesser nobles below them, and so on. They have widely accepted the cultures of the rest of the Galaxy and are comfortable dealing with them as long as they follow the strict rules required for access to Tarridus. The DustMen on the other hand, are a nomadic people who follow the old ways. They are a hardy and resourceful people, adapted to living in the desert on less-than-scant resources. They make up the guides of Tarridus, one cannot navigate the desert on foot without them, as well as making up the Imperial workforce to a certain extent. They are very religious, following ancient mysticism and holding incredible, deific respect for the world around them, and the massive god-creatures that live within it. DustMen fighters are skilled warriors and sought-after mercenaries, though they are distrustful of all offworlders. Synths, glitch, and other artificial beings especially are met with extreme distrust. History "And our ancestors, in their rage, called out to the Other. And the Other answered and its voice was death, both terrible and painful to behold.." -And We Are But Dust, Collected Oral Histories of Tarridus, Vol 14, Spectator Ibn Battuta. Long, long ago Tarridus was a green world, its surface containing high mountains, dense forests, and wet, rainy lowlands. This is where the Tarridans lived and thrived, achieving a far advanced understanding of technology, including hyperspace, but also of weaponry. As with all advanced civilizations, disaster befell them. A Great War, which decimated the Tarridans, and rendered their planet nought but a great Desert. The Natives- who had been blasted back to nearly the pre-industrial age- made an ancient pact to ensure this did not happen again, placing incredibly stern restrictions on technology, weaponry in particular, but also upon artificial intelligence. This destruction did not however, leave the Tarridans with nothing. New life appeared on Tarridus, great god-beasts, the Ones Below, crabs the size of capital ships, who’s ancient bones could be rendered down to Guideoil, and who’s blood contained the cureall Salvation. With these resources, the Tarridans rebuilt, and gathered wealth, selling both to nearly all comers. In doing so, they guaranteed their independence, despite the restrictions placed on their military, for while one force may conquer the Tarridans, the other customers would not so easily allow their sole source of the rare materials to be compromised, and would surely rush to their aid. At least, that is the plan. Intentions for Story & Setting Interactions Tarridans offer the setting a mystic, religious group to play with, as well as new technologies to acquire and use, new monsters to hunt….and massive crabs the size of capital ships. I pulled a lot on Dune for inspiration, as well as the aesthetics and traditions of the Ottoman Empire and Arabic cultures, creating what I hope is a unique addition to the setting as a whole.
Tags Arabic/Ottoman inspired, High tech, wealthy, tradition-obsessed peoples struggling with class and religious divides, within a hostile environment. Homeworld/Environment “-That is why the nobles stay in their shielded cities and their enclosed ballrooms. Little gives one context on their place in the universe like the deserts of Tarridus. Little kills one’s ego like the distant passage of a Qadim.” - Aln Sadda, Imperial pathfinder. ‘A Locals Guide to Tarridus.’ Tarridans call it the Last War. The name is both an accurate description and a promise. Why it began is unknown, but by the end of it the once temperate climate of Tarridus had been rendered to what it is today. A massive desert, trawled by leviathans from another world. During the day the temperature reaches scorching levels in the open desert, where one cannot survive without specialized equipment. The night is not much better, temperatures dropping sharply. The rolling dunes of the open desert are pockmarked by the occasional rock formation which are pockmarked in turn by caves inhabited by desert creatures, or the nomadic DustMen. The open desert must be traversed on foot. Blistering sandstorms and atmospheric dust ground most aircraft without regular maintenance, and the vibrations of ground vehicles will draw the ire of the world crabs, the capital ship sized hyperspace creatures who have made the world their home. The Worldcrabs themselves are both a constant danger, and an incredible wonder of the world. Smaller specimens have been known to wear downed spacecraft on their back. Most grow to the size of capital ships. The great beasts are called “Qadim” by the locals, and first appeared on the world during the Last War, where it is theorized they crossed the manifold from their native home in hyperspace, where the barrier was destroyed by the dimensional weapons employed by the Tarridans ancestors. Being natives of hyperspace, the Worldcrabs are in many ways unknown, and are also an important factor of the worlds economy. An unprepared traveler seeking to journey into the open desert unprepared will find themselves rapidly incapacitated by the harsh conditions. However, on the higher, rocky ground, the Tarridan Empire have built great, soaring cities where one can live comfortably. The temperature is- while not perfectly- decently regulated by great shields over the cities, and rich imperial families import offworld water, or mine the reserves from the ground, so that- at least for the rich- one can live comfortably, despite the harsh conditions. Biology “With these two hands I hold you above my head where you may see the sun and the world that is yours. With these two hands I hold you close to my chest so you may know safety and grow. As it was, as it will be.” -Traditional Imperial Nursery Rhyme -Anatomy: Appearance Tarridans are a mix between crustacean and fungoid creatures, being based around a centralized neural core, with the majority of their body being made up of a soft, mud-like substance, covered by a thin transparent shell. Portions of this shell are harder, turning a lighter color and becoming more rigid and solid, especially around the chest, forearms, hips, back, and head area. Those on the head in particular are the most varied and flamboyant, and will take different forms depending on the Tarridans place of birth, class, or upbringing. Tarridans born to imperial and city society tend to form ridges or crests running from the front of their head to the back. Often these crests are filed down or chopped- the sign of a soldier, who does this so that they may wear their helmets. Noble families will occasionally run rings or piercings through their crests to denote station, while lowborn or slaves will be worn down, not quite to the shortness of a soldiers, but keeping their crests from being large enough to denote themselves as a noble. Tarridans born to the deserts as DustMen have crests that tend to cover their forehead and upper cranium, spreading up and to the sides in starburst or flower-like patterns. DustMen derive meaning from the crest that develops on adolescents, their more spiritualist members marking individuals for greatness or judging temperament based on the crests shape. Tarridans born offworld mysteriously develop no crest on their upper head, smaller bony growths instead developing underneath their ocular organs and on their cheeks. These growths can be seen on Tarridans of other origins in conjunction with their other crests, however it is a unique trait of offworld Tarridans to manifest these growths and no crest. The exact reason why this is is unknown. It has been theorized that pre-disaster Tarridans did not grow crests, and their growth has something to do with proximity to the odd other fields Tarridus’ WorldCrabs emit. Their general shape is tall and humanoid, with long, thin limbs, a long neck and a vaguely squarish head sporting two expressive “eyes”. They have a second set of smaller, vestigial arms below their main set, and hooves instead of feet. They have two fingers and one thumb at the end of each arm. -Anatomy: Unique Structures & Evolution It is theorized that Tarridus was once a lush planet of varying climes, where the Tarridans primitive ancestors flourished in the lower wetlands and seaside areas, explaining their thin skins, water-based anatomy and reliance of liquid forms of sustenance. In such an environment the blowing sands and heat of modern Tarridus would not have been so harmful to their bodies, and resources to sustain them would have been more plentiful. It is theorized that prehistoric Tarridan ancestors crawled from the worlds long-gone oceans in forms more resembling crustaceans, a form from which the species retains its hard dermal plates and second set of arms to this day. Prehistoric Tarridans would have lived migratory lives beneath the oceans surface, traveling on the seabed in small groups to ward off predators and feeding on drifting schools of microorganisms. The proto-tarridans made their first forays onto land by storing seawater in their bodies so that they could traverse inland and feed on the lush biodiversity within tidal pools and inland ponds. It is theorized that soon enough the Tarridan species evolved to live primarily on land, where they could avoid larger predators within the water. -Combat adaptations Tarridans themselves are somewhat fragile creatures. Beyond their harder carapace ridges, their body is vulnerable to abrasion from blowing sand. They do not “bleed” as many creatures do, their wounds congealing relatively fast but taking longer to heal, however a severed limb cannot be recovered as the entire limb will crumble to dust within seconds. Given time and proper nutrition however, a Tarridan can regrow a severed limb, and indeed any part of their body as long as their nueral core and at least 75% of their body mass remains intact. This of course is providing they survive the shock and subsequent trauma of being wounded in such a way. Culture(s) & Themes “There is no war on Tarridus for it is forbidden. There is always war onTarridus, you must simply be looking for it.” -Anonymous -Behaviors/Habits There are few resources to share on Tarridus, especially among the lower classes there is little to go around, including hospitality. City-dwelling tarridans will form small, tight nit communities of neighbors and friends, and take care of one another. An outsider Tarridan is welcomed warily. An offworlder of another species with outright suspicion. City dwelling Tarridans are content to cling to old spiritualisms and traditions, relying on their lords- sometimes resentfully- to ensure their cities have the required resources. While City dwelling tarridans might be suspicious of outsiders, the isolated DustMen are outright hostile. DustMen resources are strictly managed and distributed. There can be no mistakes in the great desert, and the welcoming of an outsider into their homes is an extraordinary risk. One taken incredibly rarely, if at all. Seen as little better than hermits and thugs by the city, the spiritualist practices and beliefs of the DustMen nevertheless bleed back into these bastions of civilization, and DustMen wisemen or mystics are often sought after in times of trouble. Tarridan nobles however, are the opposite. The upper classes besmirch much of the spirituality and mysticism of the other castes, seeing it as little more than “peasants scattering bones.” Nobles have the easiest and fastest connections with the fringe at large, and thus have been influenced by the culture of the galaxy at large. Most however still hold firmly to the formality and court traditions of their home, though some younger nobles besmirch such dusty practices, preferring the cultures and customs of distant planets and civilizations. Nobles tend to be much more open to interacting with outsiders- if with quite a bit of highborn arrogance- as such meetings are essential for the continued economic prosperity of Tarridus. -ideologies The last war shaped modern Tarridan society an incredible amount. After such a destructive event, every Tarridan knew that if their race were to continue to survive in the harsh world they had created, they would have to be guidelines and restrictions set in place. The species- even today- would not survive another war. Weapon technology and the rules of warfare were heavily restricted. Weapons could not be mounted on vehicles, ranged weaponry was hamstrung, standing army sizes fractioned. Outsider weaponry is not allowed into Tarridus’ atmosphere, and any who attempt to bypass this law will be met with no safe harbor or landing zone but the deadly deserts of the planet, where they will likely never be encountered again. -Technology and technological themes Due to the previously mentioned laws (dubbed the “grand disarmamanet”) Tarridan technology has taken a very unique form. While military technology has been restricted this has not carried over to civillian and industrial sectors. Guards dressed in what seems to be chainmail coats and armed with swords can be seen bumping shoulders with state of the art servant automata and young tarridans carrying the galaxies latest model of datapad while incredibly light and maneuverable orthocopters buzz overhead beneath city-sized environmental shields. Even this is deceptive however, as the armed guards chainmail coat is made from links of durasteel alloy, its sword powered by advanced technology to be able to cut through armored carapace like butter, their shouldered long rifle with its wooden furniture actually a powerful laser gun, capable of punching through armored vehicles. -Architecture & Fashion(optional) Tarridan architecture and style is inspired heavily by middle-eastern and ottoman motifs. -Social-Political-Economic Structures The Tarridan government is organized into noble “houses” which are further organized by stature or rank, the highest being the Emperors family themself. Then below that, high noble houses may control entire cities or ports throughout settlements. Those below them may only control small settlements or mining operations, and so on. Those imperials without houses are also divided into social classes, being soldiers, merchants, and peasants in that order. History “One must treat the past as one would treat a tethered beast. Treat it gently, it may give up its secrets slowly, only what it wants. Kill it, disembowel it, study its parts, see how it moves and works, you will learn much, or you will die trying.” -Atch Nu’um, Imperial Historian, personal notes Much of the modern Tarridans history begins with the Last War. Very little history from before the event has survived, as the deserts have erased much of what remained, and archeological digs are terrifically risky at best. What is known is that the pre-war Tarridans were a people of culture and class, with several nations across the surface of the planet. They had very little interest in space, being content to remain on their own planet. They were also incredibly advanced, having- in their final moments- deployed weapons against each other capable of tearing the fabric of space itself. These weapons, dubbed “dimensional bombs” have never been recovered or found, and for this many are grateful. In the wake of the destruction wrought by the last war came a very brief dark age. One does not see any recorded history of this period outside of a few very vague DustMan teachings. It is only a few generations later that historians encounter the first signs of Tarridans building permanent settlements atop the rocky highlands of the planet, most seem to be fairly crude, though there are signs of scavenged technology being set up and used, showing that at least some forms of knowledge survived the Last War in the early days. This is likely what helped the Tarridans recover as they did, as it was not long before the scattered settlements began contacting one another, establishing relations, trading resources and exchanging information. Early records from this time show signs of a sort of “proto-DustMen”, elusive bandits who kept to the deserts and did not fear the WorldCrabs. These fledgeling settlements continued to expand for several centuries, reclaiming technology, and growing. Early mining operations discovered Guideoil in a buried WorldCrab corpse, however the true use for this odd material would not be realized until after several decades of study. Simultaneously however an equally important discovery was made by the DustMans ancestors. Imperial records first note Salvation Elixir as a “oddly colored, viscous fluid carried by nomad mystics.” It is not clear entirely how the elixir became widespread but soon enough its life-extending properties were well known. It was not until this advancement that the Imperial houses took the form they are most recognized for today, as Barons ruled over their houses for many generations at a time. It was not until the re-advent of space travel that the true value of guideoil was discovered, along with an ensuing mining boom, and a rapid increase in trade, and income. The Tarridan cities rapidly became the advanced bastions of culture and technology one sees them as today as money poured in at a steady pace. Intentions for Story & Setting Interactions Tarridans offer the setting a mystic, religious group to play with, as well as new technologies to acquire and use, new monsters to hunt….and massive crabs the size of capital ships. I pulled a lot on Dune for inspiration, as well as the aesthetics and traditions of the Ottoman Empire and Arabic cultures, creating what I hope is a unique addition to the setting as a whole. Misc/Trivia (optional) -Tarridans biologically resemble an organic novakid. Their interior body can break down and distribute nutrients it receives as well as send and recieve nueral signals and move limbs. Their exoskeleton allows them to keep their shape. -The Tarridans nueral core is in the chest and resembles a chalky stone about the size of a soccer ball. (I am unsure if they can clone as I am still unsure of the upper limits of GC cloning technology. I’m gonna put down a tentative “no” and then we can discuss it later if need be.) -Male Tarridans release spores passively at set intervals throughout their lives. When a female is biologically and mentally ready they may make the choice for their body to begin receiving these spores. Spores distribute rapidly in open space, leading there to be a much higher birth rate among settled individuals than nomadic ones. When a female accepts a spore, their core begins to bud. Once it has grown large enough, the core will exit their torso along with a small amount of ‘flesh’ held within a thin membrane. As time goes on this core will develop its own ocular organs as well as limbs. The child is considered belonging to the mothers family. -They can eat the same foods and are affected by drugs similarly, as well as being affected by Nuero invasion. The only difference is that they must consume foods in liquid or viscous form so it may pass through their exoskeleton. A list of trivia and factoids can be found in the relevant channel in the discord server Visual aids (optional) Cosigners @zecon125 @Teldrassil @zirconzz @Cheffy @Slither @Roren @Quazwerty456
