Archives of the Order, I felt that Jacky's idea for a separate info thread was a good ide Options

[Lord Revan]

The Naryyn- Once one of the brightest civilizations, the Naryyn were a race of humanoids believed to date back to the dawn of galactic history. The Naryyn are known greatly due to their natural talent with psionics. All Naryyn technology was a union between psionics and conventional technologies.

One of the original supercivilizations, some of which are believed to have aided, even created, many of the later races. However, the unity of the Naryyn would not last. Strife enveloped their society and tore them apart by conflict.
The aftermath gave birth to the sibling races that exist to this day: Kha'thur Naryyn and Iso Naryyn.......

The Kha'Thur Naryyn- After winning Great War, the Kha'Thur Naryyn remained in their home system, living a more comfortable lifestyle in familiar surroundings. Their proud superiority over other races, while not entirely undeserved, distances them from some of their loyalist races.

For a time they were content to rebuild their cities, but the "High" Naryyn, would soon begin a lengthy conquest of the nearby regions and their inhabitants.
Saintly, proud, and charismatic the High Naryyn overwhelmed all their neighboring sentients with superior technology and strategic force. Though they employed shrewd diplomacy often, their second choice was always to subjugate a new life form with military force.

Rarely did this action result in the extinction of the race in question, and in those few cases it was deliberate overkill. Each new species is added to their empire; with all of the other races' offspring answering to the council that controlled the Kha'Thur.
Since the Iso Naryyn's departure, the High Naryyn have continued to rule from their original homeworld. In the past eons they continued to churn out legions of soldiers, armadas of warships, and advanced technology to bolster their strength in the galactic battlefield.

Government-

The High Naryyn were lead by exalted leaders, Patriarchs. The council, which handles all other affairs, handle most administrative matures and any issues below interest the Patriarch. Patriarchs are generally older than four hundred years of age, whereas the council can have relatively young members in office.

The Patriarchs had the final say on any issue that had their interest. Only another Patriarch could challenge such a decision. There were normally three Patriarchs: one for issues concerning wartime and the armed forces, a second dealt in domestic affairs, and the third handled foreign relations with other species.

Below the Patriarchs was the council, elected officials who dealt with general issues with the exception of military affairs. The councilors could be male or female; the only government positions exclusively male were those of the three Patriarchs.

Culture: Imperial citizens had many freedoms typically available in a democracy. Families tended to be large, interconnected entities. From its founding following the Great War, the Kha'Thur Empire's population grew at a steady rate.
The Empire expanded at an appropriate pace to support its growing population. High Naryyn traditions were limited in the beginning, undefined. Many customs and mannerisms have been adapted from the loyalist races.

The Iso Naryyn- Strife eventually led to fall of the ancient Naryyn: leaving two main factions. When the war ended in their exile, the future Iso Naryyn were doomed to a grim and unknown future. They lived as nomads and wanderers for many generations before finally beginning to colonize worlds that suited their needs.

Nirn was one such world, but the planet would be abandoned centuries after land-fall. The Iso Naryyn came long before the prototypical races appeared on Tamriel, and they left just before man and mer were to clash with one another.

Not all managed to leave Nirn, but they have continued to survive. Their dark black-gray skin, red eyes, and general appearance have allowed them to melt into Dunmer society. These groups of stragglers have not advanced in their years of hiding; rather they have relied upon the arcane energies that dwell within them all.
The Iso Naryyn who escaped Nirn have colonized new worlds, used what was available, and forged a civilization for themselves that rivals the one created their former brethren.

Society Overview: The Iso Naryyn clanships are organized in a Matriarchy, while many prominent positions are held by males. All the clans are organized by natural traits or general role in the greater society: artisans, psionists, warriors, etc. Almost all Iso Naryyn, male or female, are capable fighters, but they find open combat between two armies distasteful.

Military Overview: Their military assets are limited compared to their Kha'Thur brethren. But they make much more from less, their fleets and armies are capable of forming a central group-mind with one another, allowing them to organize and adapt to virtually any tactical situation in a matter of seconds.

Psychological Overview: Many Iso Naryyn choose to be scholars or explorers, using their longevity to gain knowledge and experience that is passed on to younger generations.
Iso Naryyn tend to be conservative, while they are not oriented by strict laws and doctrines, individuals are expected to live responsively and work dutifully at whatever their profession is.

Language- Though being separated by light-years and eons of time, the two races have continued to use the same language that their forefathers spoke. *Note: Only words or phrases are not translated to English.*

Iso-/ a prefix translated to "dark" or "profane"
Sevro/ brother, in Naryyn society, every man and woman are kin, regardless o status or occupation.
Sevra/ sister; see sevro.
Ahtre'Mehrah/ life companion, loose equivalent to a spouse
Kuvos/ a casual greeting amongst those of equal standing or familiarity; the "v" is pronounced as a "b."
Kha'Thur- translates loosely to "superior" or "righteous."
Yhu'Waé- wards, the Naryyn name for the insectoids of Gemantai.



This post has been edited by Lord Revan: Jun 26 2008, 02:10 AM

[Lord Revan]

Other Races- Non-Tamrielic

Virtarak- a species of avian bipeds who originated from a hostile jungle world. Their bones are hollow, making them light and well-balanced. These descendants of raptors (birds of prey) are flightless but agile on the ground.
Their feet are digitigrade meaning they walk on their digits. This contributes their great agility and sprinting speeds.

Brief history- Five-hundred years ago, the Virtarak and Iso Naryyn made contact for the first time. The Iso Naryyn having been cast out by their brethren, and the Virtarak beginning to expand from their homeworld.
The meeting lead to conflict in which both sides losing millions for they had strengths and weaknesses that neither side completely understood. The Naryyn could kill hundreds of warriors without being detected, and their foes had evolved to survive and adapt.

The war ended with the near-extinction of the Virtarak, they simply couldn't fight when their enemy could disappear into the void in a matter of moments. Only hundreds were left before the violence lulled, the Iso Naryyn Matriarchs simply wished for a swift end to the blood-shed, and the Lords had come to respect their enemy.
Diplomats were sent to the last surviving leadership of the battle-weary Virtarak. Even the proudest saw the foolishness in extinction.

The two races have co-existed ever since, both as equal partners in trade and political alliances. The Virtarak became the great wartime allies, while the Naryyn aided them in return with resources and a place beside them as the most trusted of all races.

Psychology- The Leadership caste (which oversee all Virtarak) are renowned for their straight-forward thinking, and passionate sense of justice. All Virtarak (with the exception of the workers) have a genetic instinct to protect their matrons from harm or discovery by another species.
While Talon agents do not retain their group-mentality, they feel protective of their less independent brethren, and go out of their way to punish those who have spilled Virtarak blood.
Virtarak (warrior and worker castes) are extremely social, having been born and raised in large broods. It is uncommon to find less than a dozen individuals away from the main group.

Some other races take the large social grouping for a lack of independence; this is not entirely false. Virtarak become extremely uncomfortable and paranoid when solitary; long-term separation can lead to withdrawal and eventually irreversible insanity.

Biology- Virtarak are mono-gendered males but cannot and do not reproduce. On colony worlds the Virtarak have introduce "matrons," enigmatic creatures that lay broods of approximately 2,000 eggs every year and a half.
The off-spring incubate in their eggs for another three months; after hatching the young live in the hatchery caverns for a year as they develop further. When they leave, the juveniles are led to nearby settlements by the fully grown workers.

The young are split based on subspecies (warrior, worker, etc.) and learn their life skills from the older generation. After they have been brought up, these Virtarak do as the overseers command them.
All Virtarak, with the exception of Talons, consume only a resin produced by the various flora of their homeworld. Talons are able to consume a wider variety of resins and can go longer periods without sustinance.

Hierarchy- The Leadership caste handles both political and military management. The Archduke holds sway over all individuals, regardless of caste or standing, Virtarak Overlords lead the battle groups and broods in times of war and command workers during expansion.

Longevity-
Leadership caste: 248
Warrior: 53
Warrior (Talon): 80+
Worker: 48

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Shai'Phayl- The oldest of the Kha?Thur loyalist races, the Shai'Phayl are the only species in existence that had contact with the ancient Naryyn. The two races forged strong ties, and it was fortunate that the fledgling High Naryyn Empire rediscovered them during their infant stage of power.

The Shai'Phayl are quiet and impassive, due to their tolerant and unbiased natures. They are known for their unquestionable loyalty to their allies and their kin; as well as their solid strive to work at a task until it is finished.
The castes of Shai'Phayl are genetically diverse: The Khal'Shai are towering quadrupeds with forelegs as dexterous as their arms, who work as support troops: saboteurs, medics, hvy. weapons, and especially snipers.

Hraah'Tai, relatively humanoid creatures, lack the sophistication and intelligence of the Khal'Shai. Instead, they are nimble and instinctive hunters, with a great sense of smell and hearing. A unique trait for them that separated them from the other castes is their conventional jaws.

The Hraah'Tai are adept at hunting and tracking down hidden traps or prey. While unable to utilize most advanced technology, there have been instances in which one has used a firearm or improvised weapon to fight rather than fangs or claws.

Biology: Generally, the Shai'Phayl are characterized by a prominent skull plate, lacking eyes, mouths, and obvious nostrils. Their bony skull plate takes up the front half of their head. Because of their lacking eyes, the Shai'Phayl navigate primarily via air vibrations similar to echolocation.
Their advanced vocalization chamber, stretching from their throat to the base of their head crest, is capable of producing long reverberating tones that can be detected from up to eight miles by another Shai?Phayl. However, communicating is not the main purpose of these calls; the ultrasonic tones are powerful enough to affect the environment.

Khal'Shai have four hearts in their broad chests, each distributing the burden of such a large body. Like a human kidney, one heart can be removed or compromised while the others pick up the slack.
However, a healthy Khal?Shai has incredible endurance should their hearts be intact, capable of extended physical activity for hours and hours that would break any sapient.

Psychology- Trust is not a commodity among the tribal Shai'Phayl. Any who win their faith is marked as an ally to all. Prospective chieftains and leaders must earn the loyalty of those concerned before they can claim a position of power.
The Shai'Phayl share a pack-mentality of sorts, if anything is to be done, then they must do so as a united whole. Individual struggle is a rare occurrence, they have no currency among themselves, and their residential sectors are made of large covens.

Shai?Phayl are proud beings; their pride comes from their strength and prosperity. As mentioned earlier, they are quiet in interspecies politics, and only speak they feel others are not decisive enough.

Hierarchy- The various clanships are lead by chieftains. The communities (military and domestic) choose leaders amongst themselves.

Longevity-
Hraa'Tai: unknown/ 400+
Khal'Shai: unknown
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Plys'Iea/The Honor Guards- hailing from a swampy world of large, twisting trees; these creatures are remarkable for many things: their size, strength, and reflexes. It is this race that became the Honor Guards of the Patriarchs and High Naryyn councilmen.

Standing 7.5 on average, the largest of this race can be 8.10. These creatures, while sentient are one of the most savage and brutal of the known species. For reasons unknown to other races, the Plys'Iea have a deeply-rooted xenophobia coupled with a drive to dominate other species through force.

Physiology- Plys'Iea have extra-sensory nerve appendages sprouting from their backs in the form of spines. With these, they are more aware of the environment around them than most species. Their scales are thick, as is their skeletal structure. As a tree-climbing species, they can survive heavy impacts and are difficult to incapacitate.

Plys'Iea have thousands of fine hairs on their hands and feet that allow them to scale the large trees of their homeworld and keep a firm grip on captured prey.
Most high ranking individuals are superior in physical attributes to Naryyn; however, the lower classes only have brief moments of tactical success. Plys'Iea genetics are such that genetic diversity is not an issue, theoretically a single Plys'Iea couple could resurrect their race given enough time, unlike other humanoid races.

Psychology- The Plys'Ieas? primary war strategy favors attacks that result in the highest number of enemy casualties rather than strategic importance.
This is an adaptation of their hunting method, severely wound prey enough that is simply expires on its own, or perishes due to their poisonous bite.

Plys'Iea society is composed of tribal elements with a single being with ultimate power. Rulers rise and fall based on the concept of the strong controlling the weak. "Usurpations" are generally public affairs, one-on-one duels. It is at the victor's discretion as to if the loser lives or dies.

Chieftains have nearly unlimited power, and the government structure is largely flexible; a chieftain can leave certain individuals to deal with issues he or she deems beneath his or her notice.

Plys'Iea are often considered brutish and uncivilized, indeed, cannibalism of the dead is as widespread as burials and cremations are in other cultures.
Many customs that other races hold to are mundane or non-existent to the Plys'Iea. There is no such thing as marriage, family ties commonly weak, females raise young as a community, and fathers rarely take part in their children?s upbringing.

Longevity-
Males: 534
Females: 603
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Vargukei- A unique species of predators, believed to have evolved on a world in the same system as the Plys'Iea. The vargukei possess semi-sentient intelligent, and hardiness beyond that of any other humanoid.
The Plys'Iea seem to be able "tame" vargukei, training them to not attack them, a feat that none have been able to accomplish. Their giant forms are proportional to Legionnaire armor, and their glass-like carapace is immune to small-arms fire and some anti-armor weapons (rockets being largely ineffective while a High Naryyn railgun can possibly kill one).

On foot, the vargukei are lumbering behemoths, but they use beetle-like wings to travel great distances in Nirm's gravity.
When in flight, a vargukei will slam into opponents with bone-crushing force, or grab it opponent, maul it with its claws before dropping it from altitude.

Biology: 96% of the vargukei?s body is covered by a glassy exoskeleton; this natural armor is immune to most firearms and extreme temperature.
It?s been discovered that vargukei have an endoskeletal system as well as exoskeleton. This explains why they are able to take anti-armor rounds that would rip a hole in most large insectoid creatures.

Vargukei have four, small eyes on the front of their elongated head. It has been proposed that vargukei rely more on smell than sight, and do not see through the visible spectrum.
Their jaw mandibles are powerful enough to break bones, and their claws and talons are slightly serrated for increased grip. In addition, vargukei have reverse jointed legs, which allow them to launch themselves surprising distances in order to become airborne.

Longevity-
General: 42
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Yhu'Waé- The "wards" as the Naryyn call them. Yhu'Waé are humble, well-mannered, and pleasant sentients from a gas giant in the Gemantai system.
They are extremely light weight, capable of neutral bouyancy in the air. Yhu'Waé are not aggressive or ambitious beings, they enjoy working for and helping others.

It is common to see them doing public services such as barkeeping, nursing, or small "handiman" jobs. Their altruistic nature is widely appreciated by many species, and they have spread throughout known space without resistance.

Biology- While they are neutrally bouyant, the Yhu'Waé have small legs capable of pushing themselves higher and suspending themselves when they need to rest. Their floatation is achieved by their ability to control the mixture of gases withing their bodies.

Yhu'Waé can use a wide range of gases in respiration. They do not eat liquid or solid foods, the gases they inhale are the only sustenance necessary. Depending on the "diet" of gasses they have, a Yhu'Waé may have a sleep cycle, or be constantly awake and active.
Lacking vocal chords or a vocalization chamber, they communicate through writing or (less commonly) through devices that translate their thoughts into speech. Yhu'Waé have no trouble understanding most known languages.

The Yhu'Waé look like upright insects, possessing an exoskeleton. Their shoulders split in two one both sides, accommodating their four arms, with each arm having three fingers. Their heads are fused to their main body, their four lower eyes aimed in different directions so they see everything in front of them and to the left and right, their upper pair behave like human binocular vision.

Psychology- The Yhu'Waé have a helpful and altruistic nature in general; very few things will disgust or discourage them. While incredibly benevolent, they are not naive, and maintain a sense of fairness (for themselves and their counterpart) in business and their personal lives.

Yhu'Waé can learn certain concepts very well and are totally inept in others. Medicine is a common field, giving them greater ability to help others. Mercantile is also a skill they take on with enthusiasm.

Hierachy- Yhu'Waé have no governing body, they observe the laws of other species. Every is a subordinate.

Longevity-
General: 37

This post has been edited by Lord Revan: Jun 26 2008, 01:29 AM