An Introduction to Lore Drops . . . Before we get to the main event, it feels prudent to explain what exactly it is we're doing here. Over the course of the following weeks, the major species of Galaxy Citizen will be receiving new codices to better fit with the community's current standards. The end goal is to create a fresher and more interconnected baseline for roleplay on the server. As such, I highly recommend you read what is posted whenever you can spare the time. . . . The largest change from the codex format you might be used to is the introduction of Player Details and Gamemaster Details. Both categories are meant to help the player base feel more involved with the writing of GC, with the former aiming to align players to the intentions of the species, and the latter assisting gamemasters in writing events. As a general rule, you should assume you have explicit permission to utilize anything mentioned in Gamemaster Details while writing and running an event or event chain. . . . To introduce the concept, we're starting with all three species related to the Xinoddus Empire, the former government of the Grey which ruled over the Milky Way shortly prior to Civilized Space. Those being the Grey, the Fenerox, and the Penguins. If you read this, please tell us what you think. We're very interested in player feedback! Without further ado... Spoiler: The Grey Overview A once proud species of thriving intellectuals, the Grey have fallen to the lowest ranks of galactic society following the apocalyptic war which doomed their entire species. They live now as a bitter phantom of their former greatness, casting their spite toward the universe that destroyed everything they had worked for, while struggling just to make it to the next day. As the most recent of the many fallen empires in the Milky Way, the impact of the Grey is felt more closely by the galaxy than any of its other ancient ancestors. Biology The Grey are a species of small, lanky humanoids with desaturated coloration and oversized craniums. They range in size from 4'11'' to 5'6'', though post-collapse malnutrition has been lowering the average. Their long, thin limbs end in three bulb-tipped digits, and their large, dark eyes are specialized for low-light environments. Their hide is thick, and has a tough, reptilian quality that makes it hard to pierce. They are naturally herbivorous, with flat teeth ideal for a diet of hardy vegetables and tough roots. Their large brains and eyes make their heads very easy targets for attack, which they have little natural defense against. Most Grey range in hue from white to dark grey, with black eyes. Despite this, recent children are sometimes born with deep purple skin and dark, crimson eyes. This mutation is believed to be caused by the influence of precursor technology on the species, brought about during their final war. All Xinod bleed blue. Xinod are an egg-laying species, with very little sexual dimorphism. Females are only evident by their slightly wider hips. Xinoddus eggs typically contain only one embryo, but rare cases have two or three reside in one egg, mirroring Human twins. The gestational period lasts six months, and eggs are traditionally incubated in a communal chamber. However, the number of Greys capable of observing this tradition has dropped exponentially following their collapse, as has their population growth. Culture Two hundred years ago, the Milky Way was host to only one major power; the Xinoddus Empire. It was a prosperous and utopian society, united around the common belief that "To know is to be free," coined by their first Xinod Prima, or High Emperor. Given this, they placed a heavy emphasis on intellectual pursuits like science, philosophy, and the arts. At the time, the Grey, known then as the Xinod, were united as a single people. They had not known warfare within their species for almost five hundred years, and had not known a competent rival to their might for longer still. The Xinoddus Empire was made up of two large contiguous territories, one in the northern half of the Milky Way, and one in the southern half. The only connection point between the two was a singular pair of immense warp gates, built to expand the stable size of a naturally-occurring wormhole. These gates were large enough for entire fleets to be transported through, and their creation proved to the Xinod that they could achieve anything. Despite their advanced intellect, the Xinoddus Empire never created the hyperdrive. Instead, they traversed the stars through the use of warp drives, warp gates, and teleportation. Most interstellar ships created by the Xinoddus were equipped with cryostasis or hydrostasis pods, allowing the crew to skip the time it took to transport them from planet to planet. Almost bored in their splendor and eager to leave a mark on the galaxy, the Xinoddus Empire often engaged in immense architectural projects, the likes of which not even Civilized Space can produce. The ruins of Xinoddus territory are littered with Dyson spheres, O'Neill cylinders, and space elevators; many of which are still at least partially functional. Many of these artifacts served to greatly boost the technological advancement of Civilized Space after the collapse. In battle, the Xinod preferred radiological, electrical, and directed gravitational weaponry over the modern trifecta of laser, plasma, and ballistics. The 'default' weapon of a Xinoddus soldier was a ray gun, which were often defended against with lightweight suits made of a reflective Cerulium alloy. These suits were naturally conductive, which brought a rise to electrical weaponry, and electrically neutral armor like Ferozium and rubber. Gravitational weaponry, which fired a beam of primed gravitons to deliver an explosive effect, were a mainstay since their early days as masters of ZPEM technology, and were only really protected against with bulky, padded materials. Most Xinoddus armor incorporated a large, fish-bowl styled helmet that would allow them an unobstructed view of the world while being protected. Sometimes, these helmets were filled with a gaseous or liquid solution to counteract directed gravity or electrical weaponry. This trait carries on to the modern day. Despite their high-minded ideals, the Xinoddus Empire was capable of immense cruelty. They were not averse to warring with other species for their own benefit, though the act of war was seen as a waste of time. To the Xinod, any action which made war shorter was seen not only as morally good, but a step toward peace. Those that faced the might of this highly-efficient war machine were either swiftly conquered, or entirely destroyed. Survivors were permitted to exist as servant classes within the Empire, provided they could be of use. Of the many species that the Xinod impacted, they delivered the cruelest fate to the Fenerox. The Xinod were fearful of sapient artificial intelligence, and strictly controlled how intelligent an automated being could be, but they still needed a labor force to do the undesirable, uncerebral jobs. To remedy this, they invaded and abducted several members of a then-primitive society. These captives were then sampled for their DNA, and used to create a work force of cloned laborers. Some Fenerox were allowed to keep their minds, and received enough education to fulfill managerial roles in Xinoddus society, but most who came out of the great cloning vats were not so lucky. Through a process referred to as "shackling," most Fenerox were reduced to unthinking husks, which would perform any duty given to them by their superiors. Many of the cloning facilities used to create Fenerox are still operational today, and still producing mindless husks. The location of the Fenerox home world has been lost to time. Modern theorists worry that it may have been one of the many planets eradicated by the Galactic War. In the modern day, everything the Xinod once held dear has crumbled. Their prosperous and cruel empire has crumbled under the weight of its own pursuits, and they have been forced into dire straits. The benefit of their technology has gone almost entirely to the Penguins, who used it singularly toward the betterment of their war machine. Most Xinod in the Fringe live a life of misery and spite, having been cast to the dregs of galactic society and stereotyped as common criminals with inflated egos. Their culture, now, is one of embitterment and power grabs, attempting to scrape back to any semblance of the glory they once had in a galaxy that has almost entirely forgotten them. History While much of their early history was lost following the collapse of the Xinoddus Empire, it's currently theorized that the Xinod originally evolved in a wet and subterranean environment, likely possessing lower gravity. This hypothetical home world, coined Xinos Prime by one researcher, explains several features of Grey morphology: Their large, dark eyes evolved for lightless environments, while their bulb-tipped digits were once specialized for adhering to slippery surfaces within their cavern homes. While the location of "Xinos Prime" is currently unknown, it is commonly believed to be within Civilized Space. Some suggest that it is near to Kaiimaigoki, due to native deposits of hadium, making it a Floran world. The MiniKnog have publicly disputed this, and claimed ownership of the planet several times, citing their ownership of the southern half of the Xinod's cross-galactic warp gate as evidence. They are notoriously unreliable narrators, however, and have yet to verify whether or not the planet even exists. No reliable timeline exists for the periods prior to their supposed five-hundred years of peace, but it is known that the Fenerox were enslaved prior to that, as freedom from labor was vital to achieving that state in the first place. The Fenerox were not the only species enslaved by the Xinod, as many modern archeologists have found otherwise undiscovered aliens present within their writing, photography, and workforce. At least ten such examples have been found, but the number is expected to be higher in actuality. Still prior to the five-hundred years of peace, it is known that the Xinod attempted to make a catalogue of all life within the galaxy. To do this, they visited many planets to abduct specimens of each lifeform for study, probing, and DNA collection in order to make a great genetic vault. From this, most species have recorded flying saucers early in their history. Many of these operations used tractor beams, which were a staple technology within Xinoddus culture. Along with these abductions, there were common sightings of Xinoddus glyphs carved into nearby structures or trampled vegetation. The purpose of these glyphs remains unclear, as most are too old to be translated into the surviving Xinoddus language. Modern theories range from simple callsigns meant to note that the site had already been harvested from, to potential warnings to other species that the planet was under enforced scientific observation. The fall of the Xinoddus Empire is well documented, as most Grey consider it a great and unjust tragedy. Twenty years prior to their collapse, signs of civilization were found on a moon along the northern edge of the galactic core. The technology present in these ruins was fascinating and advanced, even to them. As further exploration on the planetoid revealed only more examples, the Grey were quick to start studying their discovery, unaware of what they found. Whatever they had found, it was best left forgotten. Researchers on the project reported bizarre dreams and hallucinations at all hours of the day. Irrational, even violent behavior spread among them like a virus. The head researcher, Vazkedar, was so influenced by this technology that he would not stop his study even after multiple attempts by the Xinoddus government to shut down the project. Following commands given to them by the devices, he and a group of loyalists hid themselves away to continue their work. What few defectors rejoined the Xinoddus reported strange things. Vazkedar, at the behest of something he called his "Observers," captured and experimented on other life, even going as far as to abduct other Xinod to use as subjects. In very few years, he had amassed an army of mutants and machines and become a shell of his former self, barely resembling a Xinod at all. While few in number, the mutant creatures created by Vazkedar were bizarre, and seemingly impervious to damage. In comparison, their weaponry had strange effects on its targets, and their mere presence was said to be corruptive. Grey born to survivors of these attacks have mutated, some possessing violet skin and dark red eyes. Corpses along the warpath have been found with seemingly inexplicable causes for death, some even having their heads explode. Like his peers, Vazkedar was efficient in war. By the time he seized the capital, he had already occupied the warpgates and begun to eradicate every colony his army could touch. As they moved, they amassed more of their accursed technology from unknown caches across Xinod territory. When the war was eventually taken to the northern half of the Milky Way, the Xinod had no choice. They reached out to another, minor force for aid. Where the Xinod were too few in number to fill their fleets anymore, the Penguins were eager to fight. Still, their empire crumbled. The last few colonies across the galaxy were spared not by mercy, but by seeming fate. Undefeated still, Vazkedar and his army seemed to vanish from the galaxy without a trace. Their ultimate fate is still a mystery, though one the Grey caution against researching. With all they had worked on crumbling to dust, the Grey were forced to emigrate from their home colonies and into the less-advanced settlements of what would become the Fringe. Many stayed with their newfound allies, the Penguins, and helped to better their armada. This would prove very useful during the First Galactic War, but would set them down the path to become what they are now; Scum of the galaxy, scraping by wherever they can fit. Player Details The Grey are a species of angry little intellectuals who think they're supposed to be on top of the universe, and resent the fact they aren't. A lot of their culture and personality are based off of standard scifi ideas for 'Grey Alien' and you're encouraged to include other stuff if you want. It's been noted that during the fall of their empire, capes and high collars were in vogue, for example. Their language is a high-pitched, buzzing thing that makes heavy use of z, y, and x. Zleep zlorp glingus. You get it. Their names- the ones that still try to sound traditionally Xinoddus- follow suit. Examples of Xinoddus culture names include Jeliix, Zliix, Xodac, Zlorgon, Xekitel, and Nomos. Those few Grey that still have a Xinoddus accent tend to be high pitched, even for their species, and have difficulty pronouncing s, instead making a z sound. This makes them even more unbearable to be around. Most Grey have a love-hate relationship with the Penguins, who they gave much of their technological advancement to. They represent both the fall of the Xinoddus Empire, and as such extreme humiliation, and the only chance of continued survival they had, and as such a lot of gratitude. Many Grey are too bitter to show their gratitude often. Fenerox, however, they often see as ungrateful and misunderstanding of the gifts bestowed upon their backward species by incorporating them into the Xinoddus Empire. They don't tend to get along. They do enjoy the presence of most Xadari, though, as they find a fleeting ghost of their former culture in them. Gamemaster Details Despite their empire having fallen, ruins of the Xinoddus are all over the galaxy, and most of them are decently well preserved because they're only like, two hundred years abandoned. If a setting or event idea you have in mind requires an over-the-top science fiction megastructure which is still functional, or a dead society that was investigating some mystery of the universe, you're encouraged to have the Xinod be the explanation. On top of this, their empire may have fallen but much of their codebase is still well preserved. Xinoddus coding is the best anti-AI software on the market. If you want or need something that is nearly unhackable by advanced AI, but can be probed through by more standard, hands-on coders, this is where you look. Their society made use of a lot of Hadium, due to its native presence on their home planet and its interesting properties. It's a valuable loot item that can be incorporated into larger objects or treasure hoards. They also invented high-explosion generation technology, most commonly utilized in gloves, and are known to have created blue light in some quantities. They utilized interesting weaponry and armor that you can easily hand out. Who doesn't want a microwave gun? The most sought-after type of Xinoddus loot is the vanocyclic power cell, which can produce a seemingly infinite amount of energy, albeit in a small trickle. Hand those out very sparingly. Most of the other species that were servants to the Xinoddus Empire were eradicated during their collapse, or died shortly after due to their dependency on Xinoddus supply lines, leaving the Fenerox as the only real survivor. If you want to have a weird group of dead and minor precursors, consider tying them to this galactic generation. They'd probably have access to much of the same stuff. Despite their advancement, the Xinoddus never properly grasped psionics. They could explain anomalous flow to you, and were aware it was a phenomenon that existed but it wasn't easy enough for them to test in laboratory settings to get much further than that. Some individual groups may have made greater progress, but it's not something their whole empire was privy to. If for any reason you need or want to utilize a retro-scifi aesthetic, the Xinod are all about that. They've got ray guns and shiny reflective suits with big bubble helmets, not to mention flying saucers with tractor beams. It's possible for the aesthetic to be invented divergently, but consider tying in the idea that your retro-scifi stuff was influenced by Xinoddus architecture. In their modern formation, the Grey make up the intellectual backbone of most criminal organizations. They're engineers, ship technicians, advanced weapon operators, hackers, coders, and more. They do IT work for the bad guys, basically. Most of the time they're very easily paired with the Penguins, who they helped raise to prominence across the galaxy. When given enough money and resources, the Grey are still capable of amazing scientific progress. Spoiler: The Fenerox Overview Once, the Xinoddus Empire ruled the Milky Way. It was an empire of intellectuals, strong only through its scientific prowess. As such, the Xinod didn't sully their hands with labor. Instead, they reached across the galaxy, and plucked a nascent species from their home. Most were to be but living machines for the toil, but a select few were allowed to keep their minds. When the Xinoddus Empire finally buckled under its own weight, the Fenerox survived. Now, they seek to find their place in the galaxy. Biology The Fenerox are a mammalian species, recognized by their large ears, thick hide, and natural armor. Dermal bone plates run down their back, while also covering the scalp, forehead, and base of their tail. Some individuals have plating that runs down their arms, down to the back of their hands. In combination with their hide, these make the Fenerox very resistant to slashing or piercing weapons. Their large ears are useful for regulating heat, while also giving them a very pronounced sense of hearing. Fenerox typically hover around 5'4'', with males being closer to 5'8''. Their fur naturally colors in various brown and beige hues, with a white belly, but some groups carry the scars of Grey tampering; these groups are typically black, grey, blue, or violet in coloration instead. Fenerox possess vestigial tails, which some communities dock in youth to prevent injury. Rather than giving live birth, Fenerox lay between one and three eggs per clutch. During the Xinoddus Empire's reign, most Fenerox were instead cloned, with many of them being genetically modified during this process. As a result of this, roughly one in four fertilized eggs are stillborn. Fenerox seen in the broader galaxy are descendant from a caste of laborer meant to perform duties within Xinoddus dwellings or institutions, rather than purely physical labor. Those meant for purely physical labor are instead referred to as Shackled Fenerox. Shackled Fenerox are generally larger, and are always the infertile product of a cloning facility. Shackled Fenerox have been modified in such a way that they are incapable of higher thought, and instead listen to orders broadcast to them by a local network. Most remaining local networks have been left broadcasting a singular directive; the defense of Xinoddus territory. Culture The Fenerox believe that for all their strife, they alone shall inherit the Xinoddus Empire, not as heirs to a vast nation, but as stewards of a terrible burden. It is their duty to remember the legacy of the Xinod, and to make right all of the harm they caused. This is a role they bear with no reverence to their former masters; in all of space, no one hates the Grey more than those who lived beneath them. The still-living Grey match this ire, and believe the Fenerox to be ungrateful usurpers squandering their advancement into the space age. This sentiment is undercut by the vast number of Fenerox trapped within the now-ruined northern Xinoddus territory, as so little of it overlaps with known hyperlanes. Only a few lucky colonies have managed to integrate into the galactic community, typically through the chance discovery of a still-functioning spacecraft, teleporter, or portal network. The rest are entombed on what remains of the Grey's pride, suffering for the misdeeds of their captors, and constructing a new society. Just over a hundred and fifty years ago, the Xinoddus Empire fell as a result of Vazkedar's War; a strange conflict fought by invulnerable mutants against fragile men, lead by the voices in their leader's head. When the empire collapsed, the mutants, and Vazkedar, vanished. Since its collapse, the newly-free Fenerox have rebuilt from the ashes of what once was. Modern Fenerox society is largely matriarchal, owing to how the shorter females of the species were less intimidating to Grey, and thus preferred for more civil tasks befitting the unshackled. Positions of leadership and power are still considered something of a woman's job, even as their sexual distribution has steadily drifted toward equality. Beyond that, their modern life is heavily restricted by their lack of industry- The only mines or factories still standing are due to their heavily guarded nature. Without the ability to create new tools or technology, the Fenerox are dependent on scavenging scraps from their worlds. They have become increasingly proficient with Xinoddus technology, many of them understanding the workings therein better than the modern Grey do, something the Grey are loathed to recall. Inheriting the Grey's weapons, the majority of Fenerox utilize radiological, electrical, or directed gravitational weaponry. These unorthodox weapons can make the Fenerox incredibly dangerous to the unprepared Fringe-goer, who is much more used to the Fringe's preference for plasma, lasers, and ballistics. Many of these burgeoning communities are victim to marauding groups of Shackled, which jeopardize both their safety and their ability to hunt local prey by attacking anything that moves. The common belief is that the existence of the Shackled is unacceptable, and the remaining cloning facilities that create them are often targeted with raids- either to put the Shackled out of their misery, and break the last vestiges of the Xinod's control, or to get at the technology that might be hiding inside. This is easier said than done. While most Fenerox believe band together as a result of their hardship, using it as a breeding ground for mutual cooperation, not all are so altruistic. Some instead hoard their findings, and use it to enforce their control over others, becoming raiders and thieves in the process. These bandit clans typically form out of a central utility that allows them to be much more daring with their lives, such as a Xinoddus autodoc, cybernetic station, or genetic modification booth. Through these technologies, a single man can become more than ordinary. And they often do; pushed to the periphery as they are, raiders make their homes in less desirable areas of a planet, where the wreckage is less likely to be picked clean. Chief among these areas is the strange war path carved by Vazkedar's Army. It's well understood that they were more than mundane, but their exact nature remains a mystery. Nonetheless, the carnage they inflicted has left a stain on the world. Fenerox which undergo modification by pre-war technology this way are more likely to awaken their psychic potential, for better or worse. More concerning, some articles found in the ruins bear marks of paranormal tampering; individual items that take on abilities unbefitting of their nature, or whole types of machine that have been made retroactively impossible, and cease to function once inspected closely. For these reasons, Fenerox raiders often take on an almost spiritual aspect, half-worshipping the machines and artifacts they covet. Sometimes going as far as to believe in the innate power of symbols, and brandish themselves with strange sigils found on the war path. Some suspect that these tokens of Vazkedar's power hold the same hypnotic quality that enthralled the man himself. Some awoken raiders claim to hear voices just beyond their range, but can never quite recall what they say. The largest, and most well connected Fenerox colony makes its home in the northern half of the Grey's largest warp gate, referred to fittingly as the Northern Gate. Once, it was an incredibly complex machine with an on-site population comparable to a space station. Now, it is a site of pilgrimage for all Fenerox that make it off their birthworld. As a colony, they Northern Gate concerns itself primarily with the affairs of the Fenerox, sending aid where it can and attempting to establish a foothold in the galactic community. History For all the Fenerox care, history began in the year 3130, when the slave empire above them collapsed, and they were free. This wasn't an act of kindness to them, but a show of cruelty between the Xinod. Were the Grey to have their way, they would remain on top of the world, stomping down on all beneath them. The Fenerox, as such, never developed any feelings of kindness toward their once-masters. In the hundred and fifty or so years since, their culture and society has only just begun. The Fenerox still bear the scars of what happened to them, and they will for an incredibly long time... but progress is progress, slow and steady. The Northern Gate was established even before the collapse, shortly after the Xinod aboard the station fled for their escape shuttles and left the Fenerox to fend for themselves. During the First Galactic War, the Fenerox were almost unharmed, thanks to how deeply into the Fringe the northern half of Xinoddus territory was. A scant few of their colonies were raided either by Penguins, at the behest of the Grey attempting to reclaim their homes, or by the always-inquisitive Ministry of Knowledge. These claims didn't last long, typically due to the Shackled Fenerox proving just too much of a threat to be tackled at the same time as the prolonged war. For a brief time, the MiniKnog claimed the Northern Gate, and attempted to repair it. They cared little for the individuals living on it, using them only as a supplemental workforce in exchange for performing some much-needed repairs to their hydroponics bays. Eventually, they were forced to let go of the system after signing the Treaty of Niveus Aquatica, but this small exchange left the Northern Gate with a lasting, powerful, and suspicious ally within the Ministry. The Northern Gate understands, of course, that the Ministry would not let them remain sovereign if it got what it wanted, and the Fenerox aren't interested in trading one master out for another, but it is a connection they sometimes lean on when attempting humanitarian efforts into the northern territory. Since the founding of the Fringe, not much has changed for the Fenerox. They steadily grow into a more established society, but it is expectedly slow going. The ultimate fate of the Fenerox homeworld is unknown. Its true location was lost in the Xinoddus Collapse, but some choose to believe there might still exist nascent Fenerox out there, in a happier and more natural state. Others speculate that they may have been among the many native species of the Fringe eradicated by the First Galactic War. Player Details GC oldheads will realize that this is basically a complete rewrite of the Fenerox, swapping out everything they once had and replacing it with something different while still trying to fit the thing they were to the Grey, which is their most important connection. This was done primarily because the idea of the Fenerox as a species that went, essentially, back to the neolithic era after their enslavers died off didn't sit right with any of the writers here anymore. With that out of the way, the Fenerox are now a species of high scifi, post-apocalyptic wastelanders striving to make ends meet. You can think of Fallout or Kenshi when I say this, that's entirely fair, but it's a little too low-tech for what we're really going for. You'll find the closest match in Caves of Qud, down to the becoming nooks and the strange fucked up genetic-and-cybernetic modifications. There's a dash- only a dash- of Time Raider in them too if you're familiar with Matt Colville's work. The Fenerox language is the Xinoddus language, but reshaped over time to better fit a species that doesn't sound like a pretentious wasp. A lot of the sharp Z sounds have sanded down to soft S or THs. Their names, however, are nothing like the Grey's, and having a name even remotely similar is liable to get you beat. Most Fenerox names are one syllable long, and end in an X- Tix, Dox, Zox- but it is becoming increasingly fashionable to have longer names due to growing community sizes and how hard it is to differentiate between the three girls named Lox. These names usually end with X still. Lovox, Androx, Haxox. Going back to that note about Grey-like names getting you beat, that's true. Almost all Fenerox possess an incredible amount of ill will for the Grey and to have that not be the case takes an incredible amount of backstory maneuvering. Ideally, your hatred of Grey will be backed up by Greys on screen being the most pretentious, contemptible assholes possible, but sometimes they might feign the victim card. Just remember you hate those guys. Fenerox have NO clue how to feel about penguins, because while they helped the Greys they didn't really do anything to them specifically. So long as a penguin doesn't go around talking up the Grey- something they're not really wont to do anyways- they can probably get along just fine. Additionally, they like the Apex. The community of the Northern Gate specifically has contributed a lot of good will to them, even if it doesn't necessarily go toward their government. Strangely, and for no particular reason, the Fenerox are really fond of the Ravir. This is a cultural bias that lasts all the way into their tenure as slaves under the Xinod, and the original reason has been entirely forgotten. Some believe that a wayward Ravir may have found it in their heart to stand up to the Grey and get martyred as such, while others believe the Ravir may just superficially resemble a different Xinoddus slave species that was once important to the Fenerox. They think the Rantori look cute, specifically because their faces look a little like baby Fenerox before the dermal plating has fully grown in. Uhhh, what else- Oh, right, raiders. Fenerox raiders are where you get your high concept scifi bullshit- still mostly drawing from Caves of Qud here. They carry around strange artifacts and have integrated changeling suits or four arms or whatever. They are weird and scary and to even be a raider you need to live most of your life in the Fenerox equivalent of the Chernobyl exclusion zone (but like, the Zone, from S.T.A.L.K.E.R.). Consider this really closely if you want to make one. Also remember that Xinod have a retro scifi thing going on, and while you don't need to stick to that specifically, you can sprinkle it in where you like. A lot of Fenerox are probably using armor that is derived from the same materials and such. Fenerox live like, 80 to 90 years if they're not in a dangerous wasteland. Gamemaster Details Shackled Fenerox are a mindless horde enemy that occur naturally within Xinoddus ruins to some extent, created by big cloning vats deeper within and told to kill anything that doesn't look like a Xinod- including modern Grey. Some of them end up fucked up either because of the specific role they were made for, or because the cloning vats have degraded over time. If you're interested in doing a like, zombie shooter event but don't need the threat of being bitten? This is a good choice. If you're trying to reference the bit about raider artifacts for loot items, you're mostly going to want minor items that have inexplicable properties rather than full on anime powers. I'm drawing personally from White Knuckle, where anomalous items look like spears that telekinetic retreat back to you, or radios whose audio hurt. These are weird, corrupt things and not D&D magic items. But also, do not overdo it with handing out anomalous loot. If a player is intended to keep the item, you will need to ask staff about it- Try me(zecon125) or Teldrassil for such. We might ask you to app it somewhere to make sure it's balanced. HOWEVER, if the item only exists within the confines of an event and is either depowered at the end or removed from the players hands? I don't really care what it does. Prioritize all players having fun in that scenario as a good GM should, don't hand just one guy the box of infinite cool scenes, but you know that already. If you need non-anomalous loot, check the Xinoddus page as well, they got a lot of good stuff and tend to occur in the same areas. The note about impossible machines that do not work when examined too closely implies that some technology the Xinods used to use has been changed somehow and is now metacreative in nature, no longer performing its functions on a scientific level. There are no real examples of this (yet) and the phrase mostly exists so we can app cool Xinod tech with a bit of handwaving while also noting that like "This thing can not be recreated because you can not study it, except for some very specific circumstances." Fenerox outside of the northern Xinoddus territory tend to form into small groups, with a majority of them being like, toughened mercenaries or mechanics looking for work. This is the way they're typically presented to larger communities. Spoiler: The Penguin Overview Once, the Xinoddus Empire ruled the Milky Way. Then, it got too big for its britches, and someone went snooping where they shouldn't've, and it broke their brain. Then they launched an army, and destroyed the whole thing. This proves one thing for certain: Might makes right, even in the smartest nation to ever exist. The Penguins are a violent and mischievous species that have benefited greatly from the Grey's misfortune. Biology Penguins get their common name from the Terran animal they almost perfectly resemble. As one can expect given this similarity, they range in size from 2'0" to 3'2", with some exceptional individuals reaching as tall as 4'0". They live up to thirty years naturally, and reach age of maturity at around five years old, but modern medicine has effectively doubled this lifespan. They are typically colored black, blue, brown, or grey, but some youth cultures enjoy dying their feathers wild colors like orange, green, or pink. Once the Penguin reaches the age of maturity, it experiences a mating season every five years until they are twenty five, at which age most Penguin become infertile due to age. Penguins lay one egg per pregnancy, and typically nurture their children as a community. Internally, Penguins are a very hardy species, possessing denser bones and stronger muscles than expected, thanks in part to the high gravity of their homeworld, and a thick layer of blubber that can absorb a shocking amount of trauma. Their liver is very large compared to their body mass, allowing them to imbibe an incredible amount of otherwise toxic substances and be okay, but most of them use it for alcohol consumption. Expectedly, they have a large brain capable of sapient thought, and a thumb on each of their flippers, allowing them to use weapons and tools (in that order). Despite the awkward waddle inherent to their body plan, Penguins possess the shocking- and often alarming- ability to break out into a full sprint. This made all the worse thanks to the thin layer of oil produced beneath the feathers of an exerted Penguin, which it can utilize to break out into a full body slide for even more speed. While Penguins are neither the smartest nor strongest species, they possess an incredible knack for improvisation, and think on the flippers quickly. In addition to their small size and violent tendencies, this can make them incredibly wily opponents. Culture The Penguins were flippers-down the greatest military in the galaxy at the start of the First Galactic War, and they were only barely surpassed by the Ministry of Knowledge following their invention of the Hyperdrive. This period of time was considered the golden age of Penguins, when they were backed not only by the greatness of the Dreadwing Dynasty, but the technological prowess of the Grey. Naturally, it served only to reinforce their might-makes-right mentality, and shape them into a proud and boisterous empire, much to the chagrin of the sniveling intellectuals they are often partnered with, the Grey. Originally a consortium of independent crews aligned under Dreadwing the First with attempts to lay land claims across space and create a great empire, the Penguin Fleet's plans changed under the captaincy of Dreadwing the Seventh, who leveraged their position of power toward the only goal that their men would stomach better; incredible amounts of wealth. With a charter formed, mostly to keep crews from attacking each other, the Penguins became a top-of-the-line privateering force, attacking whoever, wherever, for whatever reason, while picking no sides and playing no favorites. Despite the fracturing of their great fleet following the death of Dreadwing the Twelfth in 3240, the plunder of this era was so great that many penguins still benefit from generational wealth. For those that remain in the piratical business, this allows them to properly maintain their equipment, making them a very dangerous threat to rag-tag crews within the Fringe, with some even successfully making attacks on ships sworn to the Nova Trade Alliance. Penguins are an incredibly rowdy bunch, known for their alcoholism, criminality, and tendency to pick fights. Even affection within Penguish circles is often veiled through insults, and only ever shown through action. This makes Penguins very off-putting to people who aren't used to their company. A lot of Penguins work in criminal networks, thanks to their dual loves of risk and coin, but it isn't all piracy. Penguins can be found in almost every criminal enterprise in the galaxy, including the Axolotian yakuza, and are known to be a very versatile workforce. Penguins and the Grey share a fraught relationship; both believe they're in charge of the dynamic, and pulling the majority of the weight in their partnership. Despite this, they are almost universally seen together, hinting at just how symbiotic the pairing really is. While Penguins aren't bad with technology, they typically choose cheaper options that "work" rather than proper solutions, an impulse the Grey curb by not standing for it. While the Grey are physically weak and unused to fighting against equals, Penguins don't mind getting their flippers dirty to save their egghead. All Penguins look upon their golden age fondly, believing that if their species was to ever unify again, they would be the most powerful military in the Fringe, and an alarming amount of evidence agrees with this theory of theirs. History Originally from the frigid, high gravity planet of Arctos, the Penguins initially evolved as an opportunistic scavenger, picking from the refuse left after the hunts of more successful predators and building the instincts required for their current mastery of improvisation, the Penguins were not at the top of the food chain for the majority of their pre-history, and do not properly master their ecosystem until their remarkably early discovery of black powder, and their characteristic love of explosives. From there, the Penguins spend the majority of their existence squabbling over each other and perfecting the art of rum-making, and do not enter the galactic stage until the relatively late year 3000; wherein Gunther Dreadwing the First makes it his life's mission to unite Arctos under one flag. It is well known that he succeeds, though the exact method in which he manages to do so has been lost to fabulously exaggerated legend. When he hands down his legacy to his son, he expects only greatness from him. Dreadwing the Second lives up to these expectations, making first contact with the Novakid and successfully negotiating for the first Penguish warp drive, despite the Xinoddus Empire's desire that so-called primitive species be left uncontacted. In the same deal, the Penguins seize star maps detailing nearby habitable systems which they might be able to expand to. With this, the fleet is successfully launched into space. By the time of Dreadwing the Fifth, the Penguins are a well known threat within their region of space, having slowly conquered their entire solar system and beginning to spread out from there. In the year 3110, it is she who answers the Grey's plea for help, and invites them into her fleet. For a time, she attempts to save the Xinoddus Empire, in exchange for a hefty shipment of hadium, of course, but it is a doomed effort. The best the Penguins can offer is integration, with the Grey begrudgingly accept. When the First Galactic War breaks out in 3211, Dreadwing the Seventh is at the fleet's helm. Having inherited a well-built land claims from their mother, made all the better with the Grey's technology, they quickly convert this pre-existing infrastructure toward an offensive goal, and begin to offer their services as a privateering force willing to work for the highest bidder. For the first few years of the war, the Avians are consistently the highest bidder, cementing a cultural exchange between the two groups despite the Penguin's lack of loyalty. In February of 3240, the Penguish mothership disappears. Dreadwing the Twelfth, and his only legitimate heir, vanish with it. For the rest of the war, the fleet continues to fight as they would under their lost captain, but once the money runs dry, the Penguins splinter into many squabbling crews. The divide is so thorough that the planet Arctos, and all other Penguish claims, cease to function as one unified government, which is how they remain today. Player Details I love Penguins. I can not stress to you enough how much I love Penguins so much and I think of them as a kind of load-bearing staple for GC's tone. Moreso than anything else, I look at Penguins as the hard reason why GC can not be entirely scientific fiction. These guys need to exist, and they need to be good at what they do. And what they do is being pirates. And because they have UFOs they're pirates assisted by the Grey. Which means we end up with a species of flying saucer Penguin pirates that are canonically one of the strongest militaries in the entire setting. And I love it. It's hard to even figure where to begin.- The Penguin language is a quacking thing. You can't look like that and expect anything else out of me. It is utterly nonsensical except to Avians and Purgatorian Worms, who can also speak it. Anyone else without a beak or shocking mimicry skills requires an electronic translator, which are notably clunky at capturing the nuance of the language. Penguin names are typically taken from Scandinavian countries and I don't intend to stop that. You get like, Sven, Ivar, Ragnar, Juni, but don't think of it as a hard limit. These guys are intensely multicultural because they're greedy bastards that follow the money, and they have incredibly short lifespans. They can reasonably fit into anywhere decently well. Penguins are incredibly durable. It's not mentioned in the biology bit because I couldn't fit it in, but their large liver also helps them clot bleeding very quickly, and the point of the blubber and the dense bones is that you're supposed to be able to kick them like a football with no real consequences to their physical health. On top of that they drink like sailors and it takes an absurd amount of poison to take them down in comparison to their mass. When you are playing a Penguin or fighting against one, it's best to think a little more slapstick. But also the idea of a Penguin being shot to death is incredibly funny. The reason why there's so many skipped Dreadwings is to allow Penguin characters to tell tall tales about these incredible figures from their past and not have the lore contradict it. Whether or not it's true is another story entirely, and I won't be around to fact check it. Go nuts. These guys love making shit up. Penguins as a group don't really hate anyone. They've got that drive for adventure and swashbuckling that lets them form a rag-tag crew of any nationality, and as a result basically no one hates them either. That being said, they think Avians are ugly. They're weird and lanky and their eyes are too big and their beak is too small. It's an objective affront to their beauty standards- whatever those are. I'm not detailing it. They like Avians because Avians are often pirates as well, though, and they can get behind the strange god of greed they sometimes worship. Despite all the bitching the Penguins do care for the Grey, kind of a lot. They've more or less recognized them as an extension of the Penguin species and their role in the culture is deeply important to each other. They won't say it, though. And Grey probably feel the same way. Penguins like to call Greys "Eggheads" as an affectionate insult, mostly because their heads are literally that big and bulbous. If there's ever a reason why a Grey and a Fenerox are in the same room and not killing each other, it's a Penguin. They make up a sort of peacekeeping force that neutralizes the intense animosity of both species, not in a way that implies the two are morally equal or anything, just that the Grey will have backup if they start attacking. Despite this, Fenerox don't really have ill-will toward the Penguins. They think the Grey having to play second fiddle to someone else is deeply funny. Penguins LOVE Deadbeats. Deadbeats LOVE Penguins. The two get along like beer and fireworks. Penguins don't really get religious but the Murdercube is too objectively cool for them to care. Also because Penguins and Grey are the backbone of most galactic criminality, they get along well with the other low-life species like Nas'Beru, Froggs, and Remnants. Gamemaster Details I've often compared Penguins to Waddle Dees from the Kirby series. They're tiny little guys whose entire personality is dependent on what item they're wearing or holding. You give a penguin a tie and a hat and it becomes a mobster. You give them a different hat and a sword, they're a pirate. In this way, they're one of the most versatile tools for GMing if you need a bunch of random semi-coordinated mooks. This is especially true if the event has a criminal element. And of course, if you need pirates- Big frock coat wearing, tricorne hat, sword, pirates? You get Penguins, or someone who is immersed in Penguin culture. Penguins and Avians make up the bulk of the characters who would do this, but Avians lean a little more toward the reasonable and Penguins a little more toward the dramatic. If you want swashbuckling and swordfighting, you know where to go. If you want to hand out big stupid piles of gold, hadium, precious metals and rubies? Penguins. Cursed swords or dread captains? Penguins. Do what you want with with the Dreadwings for event writing purposes. Oh yeah, this is Dreadwing the Eighth's first ship, presumed lost in a wormhole but found adrift in an asteroid belt haunted by Erchius Ghosts. Slink through the halls to reclaim his lost bounty and the charred bones of his mother. Do whatever. The only Dreadwing with lore that is not otherwise stated is that Dreadwing the Third usurps the throne via killing her father with his own sword, Forsteri. That's a loot item I gave out a while back and now it's floating around in the loot pool. It matters a lot to Penguins if you have something like that. If one guy got enough relics like that they could even try to make a legitimate claim to the Dreadwing Dynasty, which would shake the politics of the Fringe to its core. . . . Please note, some details contained within will conflict with the current Galactic Timeline. We're aware of this and will be adjusting the timeline accordingly once all of the species are properly updated.
