User:NikoTheGuyDude/Cindarite

The Cindarites (named after their home planet) are a fractured and scattered species of anthropomorphic reptilians, ravaged by eons of harsh stellar radiation and centuries (or more) of far more recent - but also far more deadly - nuclear fallout. It's commonly believed that their homeworld, Cindar, was once a veritable eden; Flora covering the entire surface with a thick, green canopy, innumerable amounts of Fauna hiding beneath said canopy, grass as tall as a typical human, oceans of freshwater covering much of the planet, and deep, dark blue skies. A true miracle world, as described in certain religious texts.

But that was in the past. Today, Cindar is little more than a planet-sized crater, the only planet to receive the designation of "tomb world", a monument to the self-destructive nature of sapience, so uninhabitable and destroyed no life will ever naturally sprout again. It's once rich, black, fertile soils have been scorched into a dull grey, with orange glowing seas of radioactive sludge replacing the oceans, and the lower atmosphere is perpetually plagued by dull yellow storms, scorching the surface with ionic heat for eons to come.

While to the layman the Cindarites may appear to be little more than somewhat reclusive, primitive, and "dumb" creatures that nuked themselves to near-extinction, anyone who has spent any time with a Cindarite will tell you that there is far, far more to be seen.

THE GOLDEN RULE: Lore is not meant to be a strict guideline in which you can play your character. If something isn't explicitly clarified to be impossible, and doesn't go against common sense, you can probably get away with it! Just make sure to have an explanation.

Quickstart Guide

ROLEPLAY

• Cindarites are an extremely fractured race; there is no solid culture between most of them.
• If you originate from a bunker, you are likely to be isolationist and paranoid to SOME degree, as you have spent (however long you've been in a bunker for) in a nuclear hellhole, constantly living under fear that other bunkers learning of your location would spell doom.
• You are relatively primitive, and quite new to the galactic stage, so it is a good idea to act like it, depending on your character.
• Most first-wave Cindarites (the first wave of Cindarites to be introduced into galactic society) haven't been officially acclimated to modern life. You may be socially awkward, you may not fully understand some concepts, however you are still a fragment of a respectable civilization. You are NOT a caveman, and you know this.
• The other species KNOW you're relatively primitive, and also know you haven't been acclimated fully. Even if you don't act this way, there is a noticeable chance that you will be subject to prejudice for your species.
• While you are immune to radiation, you are still susceptible to long-term damage from it, at least in a roleplaying sense. Act like it, unless you can come up with a reason as to why you shouldn't.
• There are no naming schemes for Cindarians. Go wild.

MECHANICS

• Cindarites are widely skilled and reasonably tough due to their hard upbringing. They receive +2 to biology, mechanical, cognition, and toughness. An extra +3 can be gained if their homeworld is chosen in character setup.
• Cindarites become cold much easier than humans but can withstand heat significantly better.
• Cindarites are adapted to highly toxic and dangerous biomes and are entirely immune to (short-term) radiation while taking only half the toxin damage a human would. Mechanically, they are completely immune to radiation, but you may want to consider the idea that your character might experience negative effects after the shift ends.
• Cindarite scales are quite tough and resilient even to intense heat and take 15% less burn damage than others.
• Perk: Cindarite gain the perk "Purge Toxins" which allows them to purge their bloodstream of toxins and remove addictions, though the effect makes them extremely tired and may make them fall asleep as a result. This can be used every fifteen minutes.

Home system and planet

Cin - the home system of the Cindarites - is a system with a single K-class star, "Cin", named after the system it resides within. It is located within the Jordas nebula, a new frontier for the SolFed, with Cin being the closest jump-point to SolFed space by quite a large margin. Within Cin lies only four planets - Kyle, a barren world in the outer reaches of the system with only dust and rock, Gaiyhen, a ammonia-helium green-tinted gas giant about 50 AU out, Yorsh, a tidally-locked volcanic world with literal rivers of molten metal on it's surface, so close to Cin it practically hugs it, and finally, Cindar, the home of the Cindarians. While it lies in the habitable zone of Cin, it is sporadically barraged by stellar radiation from Cin's hyperactive solar activity, leading astrologists to assume it was just another lifeless world barraged by radiation. And they could not be more right.

Some long time ago, Cindar fell victim to devastating nuclear warfare, destroying much of the landscape and rendering it uninhabitable for eons. As for why and what happened, historians are still unsure, but the important part is the results of this devastating nuclear incident: The atmosphere is now entirely antithetical to life, with a average surface pressure of 392.2 kPA, and a composition of 60% ammonia, 30% nitrogen, and 10% misc. gases. Violent, scorching ionized storms scorch the surface 24/7 with both extreme heat and radiation, and the previously fertile soil of Cindar has been bastardized into a hardened rock-like substance, constantly emitting trace amounts of radiation. Although you probably wouldn't be able to tell, as above this "rock", meters of hard-packed radioactive soot cake the surface, hiding the earth below, and giving the planet it's grey appearance from orbit (when not obscured by the ominous yellow clouds). The grand oceans have been replaced with seas of glowing orange sludge, emitting enough radiation to kill a man in only a minute of exposure. Cindar is generally considered a "tomb world": The final resting place of a civilization, rendered so hostile to all forms of life, no natural life will ever sprout again.

Even without the very remarkable (and depressing) Cindar, however, Cin is of interest for many reasons: Unlike most systems, a thin layer of stellar dust is omnipresent throughout the system, giving it a "cloudy" look, especially when coupled with the foggy nebula it inhabits. It harbors numerous clusters of asteroids, rich in minerals and easy to mine, spawning numerous mining stations and operations within the system. The most notable phenomenon, however, is the disproportionately large amount of valuable hydrogen and helium isotopes present within Cin's local nebulaic volume, prompting a very large gas skimming operation from various parties. In modern times, one could easily be put into a state of awe by simply the skimmers alone: Fleets of exotic-looking vessels with massive, glowing bluespace attraction nets often twice as tall as the complete length of the ship, with the glow complementing the blue appearance of the nebula quite well. It's said they emit a truly other-worldly rumbling and crackling noise as they deploy, stretch, and activate. These lumbering behemoths are a popular tourist attraction of the system, trailing behind Cindar, of course.

In modern times, Cindar is entirely devoid of life, aside from the small, concentrated terraforming effort focused on the southern continents. While still overwhelmingly hostile to life, many Cindarites reside within the habitation domes that scatter the zone. Aside from this, there are also a plentitude of stations in orbit around Cindar, where the local SolFed Military Governship resides. There is a quite popular controversial theory, stating that the terraformation project is merely a smokescreen for a large-scale excavation effort, which, when put into context of the innovations discovered in previous excavations, and the overwhelmingly challenging environment for terraforming, does begin to make a startling amount of sense.

Cindarite history

Cindar

Despite it's modern dystopian appearance, Cindar was once a paradise for life. What little of Cindarian history that has been recovered (much of it has been lost to the sands of time and improper upkeep of records)includes certain scientific reports that paint a truly biblical picture: the planet was painted in only the most vivid shades of green and blue, with plantlife spanning the entirety of it's surface in unbelievable density, and hiding underneath, millions of animals that created a ecosystem that could teach a man the circle of life in only a day. The vast, vast oceans of freshwater protected those below the surface from the deadly radiation of Cin, and the atmosphere was a terran-compatable 113.56 kPA with a 15% oxygen and 79% nitrogen composition. Despite all this, mass extinctions were quite common for any species that didn't shelter below the oceans, as Cin would, every few thousand years or so, barrage the surface with solar radiation in a massive CME or solar storm. But even then, certain species of flora and fauna would always survive, and return with 'slightly' more resistance to radiation through evolution. And one day, it happened: A certain semi-aquatic species of bipedal lizards emerged from the blue depths, to dominate the planet. Modern scientists estimate that Cindar had been inhabited for far, far longer than any known planets, as there is simply no way a relatively recent planet could have given birth to a sapient species in such a hostile environment. Sadly, the report ends there, not bothering to go into detail on the history of the species; which is a shame, considering no known reports on their history have been found yet, and all personal accounts are extremely vague and differ from Cindarite to Cindarite. What we do know, however, is what happened to Cindar.

The destruction of Cindar

From personal account of Cindarites, what we can gather from the fragmented records of history, and the obvious nuclear fallout on Cindar, we can easily determine that Cindar was victim to a nuclear war of massive proportions. To be specific, it is believed approximately 5.684-5.920 gigatons worth of nuclear weaponry had been detonated within the span of three hours, five times the destructive force of the global nuclear arsenal of 2021 earth. Despite the world-ending amount of nuclear fallout released by the detonations, a large amount of Cindarites were able to survive by hiding in the numerous pre-existing bunkers that dotted the surface of the planet. These bunkers were invariably rad-shielded by numerous lead plates, reinforced to withstand the force of an atomic blast (thankfully), contained years worth of essential materials (as well as an extremely robust hydroponics and water recycling system), and were (by intent or coincidence) fully capable of supporting a community 'indefinitely', assuming the occupants preformed adequate maintenance and could operate the machinery. Left with no other options in the face of calamity, the now horrified, jaded, and paranoid Cindarites piled into these bunkers before they could be swept away by the concussive blasts of the nuclear holocaust all around them.

Having just witnessed the destruction of their planet before their very eyes, many Cindarites didn't know what to do. The few intact old logs from bunkers show the first generation of bunker-bound Cindarites expressing extremely depressive attitudes, which is understandable, given the circumstances, however they also express a willingness to move on and survive, as was (supposedly) a core aspect of Cindarian culture prior to the exchange. For lack of better reason, it is assumed this cultural idea of perseverance is what allowed Cindarites to continue existing within these hyper-efficient bunkers in the face of perpetually mounting damages to the bunker, leaking atmospheric seals, food and water shortages, and severe inter-personnel discord, to say nothing of the extremely depressiveness of the situation. While, after this point, recovered logs are quite sparse on details, it can be determined that most bunkers' inhabitants were slowly forced to tolerate each other due to the the harshness of the situation. Any disputes were resolved by the groaning of a cracking bulkhead and the shuffle and shouting to repair it, or a scaled hand calmly resting on your shoulder to remind you that you're all in it together. Life within these bunkers was oftentimes very communal as a result of this; you simply did not have the time to disagree with your fellows, and the problems you faced on a daily basis were far more pressing than a disagreement you had with a friend. Many would compare it to modern military culture today, where soldiers find solace in their common challenge of survival. This communal attitude was only amplified with the addition of the oppressively paranoid and isolationist attitude taken by nearly every single Cindarite: In fear of a potentially hostile nation finishing the job (and as later generations would fear, raiding from the other bunkers), any and all radio communication was often limited to a very short range and encoded broadcasts only to keep in touch with the most inner security patrols (which were already extremely limited), and even then it was often reduced for fear of other shelters picking up the signals during cloudy weather. This has led to many past and modern Cindarites adopting very tribe-like behavior, not able to easily trust anyone outside their immediate bubble, although the very public society of modern times has pushed this attribute to be less extreme.

General history

While we can't be completely certain, it is commonly accepted that these bunkers and shelters had been constructed in order to withstand the wrath of Cin's solar storms. This would explain the extreme radiation shielding, long-term stockpiles, thermally resistant engineering, and general focus on long-term and/or indefinite habitability, as Cin's storms could theoretically last as long as seven whole months. It was only by chance that their engineering was so robust, that they were able to survive the blast waves of the nuclear detonations, however this is only applicable to bunkers not within ground zero of said detonations; only ash remains there. While the absolute number of these shelters is unknown, about 3455 have been discovered so far, with an estimated 1001 remaining, harboring either a small community of Cindarites... or nothing but derelict dust. As one could assume, not every bunker had been able to survive the test of time. About 231 of all discovered bunkers had been discovered devoid of all life, with varying causes. While it is extremely difficult to determine why many of these bunkers may have been compromised, signs of a violent struggle can be discovered within many of them: A knife plunged into a reptillian skeleton, desparate claw marks on the interior of a bolted airlock, a casing lying on the ground next to a bloody impact on a wall. Of the few recoverable logs within these bunkers, the final entry invariably states a slow and mounting tension between members of the community. Even in the face of such danger, resentment and sapient nature finds a way to destroy all we hold dear.

What little history of the Cindarite civilization we know comes almost exclusively from excavation efforts within the southern hemispehre of Cindar, which is the only place that could even remotely allow "safe" exploration of the ruined civilization below. While most of the Cindarian infrastructure was destroyed by the massive nuclear exchange, much evidence implies that the Cindarites were a heavily industrious society: Countless mining wells dot the surface, and there appears to be a disproportionate amount of metallurgy, refinery, and manufacturing equipment within the rubble of buildings. This makes sense, especially when considering how often Cindar was ravaged by a CME shot off by it's parent star, Cin. Massive amounts of materials and innovation were likely needed for a construction program as large-scale as Cindar's bunkers, which is also evidenced by the startling amount of low-tech innovation displayed within much of this equipment, some of which have not even been considered by many of SolFed's top engineers. Despite this, however, most scientists are convinced Cindarian society had only just exited their equivalent of the human industrial revolution, judging by how primitive all other (recovered) pieces of equipment are in comparison, aside from their medical technology, which is quite impressive for such a young civilization.

The true name of the Cindarite species is unknown, and the subject of much debate. The memory of it is so heavily fragmented within their people, that it is simply impossible to declare one as the "most likely". Instead, we must name the most popular and most agreed-apon names within Cindarian society: The "Haris-Thox" (5% of population agrees), the "Heth-hen" (4% of population agrees), the "Mah'hn" (4% of population agrees), the "Meh-z'hen" (4% of population agrees), and many, many more, that are futile to list. Experts theorize that the true name, over time, became fragmented as it was passed down generation to generation, and it is unlikely that any of the most popular names are the truth. The only similarity between theorized names is that they tend to have one to three contractions within the name. The name, and the meaning behind it, is often debated between Cindarites, or simply curious historians with nothing better to do. These discussions are known to occasionally grow particularly aggressive depending on the Cindarite, due to how much sentimental value it can hold. In current time, most Cindarites begrudgingly accept the term "Cindarite" to describe their species, however some may prefer another term, such as their personal idea for the name of their species.

However, the mystery of the Cindarian species' name pales in comparison to the mysterious origins of the so-called "bunkerspeak", the term used for the obscure language traditionally spoken by bunker-bound Cindarites. Each bunker has their own dialect, speech patterns, language rules, words, and more, thus making it mostly unrecognizable by those from other bunkers, and even to those from the same bunker, due to how aggressively SolFed has been trying to scrub out bunkerspeak from the common Cindarite dialect. Despite their efforts, however, certain Cindarites will speak in their own bunkerspeak, most often when under durress as an expression of strong emotion. The only consistency between all versions of bunkerspeak is 1. The lettering used, and 2. MOST variations of "bunkerspeak" feature liberal use of apostrophes/contractions to conjoin words and phrases. Ex. If "Phret" meant "Ham", and "Therzyn" meant "Bread", it would be contracted into "Phret'erzyn", meaning "Ham sandwich". However this is by no means universal, and many variations of bunkerspeak lack this rule entirely, push it to an extreme, or a mix of the two. Linguists are completely baffled by this, as most fractured societies at least maintain some level of common ground between variations of the original language, but Cindarites completely defy this.

(Bunkerspeak is not a mechanically supported language. As long as you don't turn it into a language actually viable for communication between people, though, it's probably fine to say some gibberish now and then.)

Cindarite biology

Despite the robust shielding their bunkers provided them from the deadly nuclear radiation present on Cindar, some always continued leaking in, whether through microfractures in the lead plating, breaches in the atmospheric seals, contaminated items brought inside, or any of the countless other reasons. For this reason, Cindarites - along with eons of harsh stellar radiation and generations of genetically stagnate "bunker life" - have very little in the way of genetic conformity from widespread genetic mutation. One Cindarite may have twelve fingers, four rows of teeth, digitigrade legs and the wrong genitalia for their gender, and another may have no teeth, multi-colored scales, plantigrade legs, and a lack of knees, to say nothing of the countless other types of mutation. Despite this, there are numerous commonalities between all Cindarites, no matter how mutated.

Outward appearance

• All Cindarites are of a reptilian nature, and thus, are cold-blooded. There is (thankfully) no variance in this.

• As their bodies cannot regulate their body temperature, they must seek out heat on their own. This has the effect of causing Cindarites throughout the galaxy to complain about the low temperature. The colony is no exception to this.

• A typical Cindarite is covered in scales from head to toe, protecting the soft, leathery skin underneath. More sensitive areas are not covered in scales, however, such as the throat, belly, groin, or any point of the body that must be able to flex, such as areas around joints. Some Cindarites have excess scales over these parts, and in the case where it becomes uncomfortable/restricts movement, it can be designated as SED-C, or "Scale excess disorder-Cindarite". The opposite is true as well, with the extreme variant being classified as SDD-C (Scale deficit disorder-Cindarite). While scaleless Cindarites can certainly occur, they are quite rare, and these individuals universally possess startlingly thermally resistant skin, protecting them in the same manner as scales.

• These scales are notably strong and rigid, and while failing to protect against most physical threats outside of most scratches, are quite effective in stopping a small amount of excess heat from reaching the vulnerable skin underneath, granting Cindarites minor resistance to damaging levels of heat.

• Cindarites' scales/skin are of various colors and often depicted as green in popular media, thus creating a common misconception that they are universally colored green. This is plainly wrong, as while plenty of Cindarites have a green coloring, the actual scale/skin coloring is quite diverse. Of all SolFed registered Cindarites, 23.2% are colored in tropical greens, 22.6% in red hues, 21.8% muted woodland browns, and the rest are far more miscellaneous and hard to measure individually. Note that all demographics seem to have a slight chance per individual for non-consistent (ala birthmarks) coloring on the entire body, albinos are existant within the species (albiet quite rare), and not a single neon Cindarite has ever been recorded.

• It is still hotly debated on whether these vivid scale/skin colorings are a result of generations of mutation, random chance, or as a new theory suggests, adaptation to environment.

• Most Cindarites can be spotted with horns, feathers, and/or frills atop their heads, although some can be completely absent of such features. While it is most common for Cindarites to only possess one pair of horns, it is certainly possible for Cindarites to possess multiple pairs, with no apparent limit. Note that horns grow with age, and female Cindarites often possess smaller horns.
• Most Cindarites possess classic reptilian eyes, with a vertical slit making up the pupil instead of the more common beady pupil we see in most species, however some Cindarites have been recorded to have different types of eye(s). The color of the iris can vary wildly, although the most common colors are yellow, green, red and brown, with the more uncommon colors trailing not very far behind in commonality.
• All Cindarite faces sport a reptilian snout of some type, although size and length can vary wildly. Inside this snout, 1-3 lines of mixed, omnivorous teeth reside, depending on their age. Cindarite teeth are quite thin, so having three rows doesn't quite interfere with their ability to eat or speak.

• Cindarite children normally hatch teethless. As they age, their teeth rows start coming in, with the back row appearing first. Consequently, it is the back row that is the first to fall out as Cindarites begin to age even further. Teeth typically begin coming in around the age of 3, and will continue coming in every 4-7 years. After all rows are finally present, Cindarites will typically age 40-80 years until they begin losing teeth again, in which case rows will fall out at a rate of 1-13 years apart.

• In the case that a Cindarite is genetically pre-disposed to having one more/less row of teeth (Cindarite Dental Excess/Deficit respectfully), the biologic process may proceed normally (with the process stopping when all rows are present/gone), skip a step, or overlap steps, and can lead to a gap in the tooth array or even multiple rows growing in the same place, painfully pushing eachother out.

• Cindarites average around 5'4" and 6'4" tall, however, due to mutation, it is not a terribly rare sight to see a Cindarite as short as 4'9" and as tall as 7'3". It is important to note that there appears to be no height difference between genders of the species.
• While it is impossible to declare any type of tail (or lack therof) "typical" for Cindarite, we can say with certainty that all Cindarites will either lack a tail, or possess a thin, lizard-like tail (with varying length), a large and bulky snake-like tail, or a strange, segmented and boney "render" tail (as described by Cindarites with said tail), all protruding from the base of their spine where a human's tailbone would be.
• While most Cindarites possess a pair of plantigrade legs (70% of all known Cindarites), a smaller population possesses digitigrade legs, purpose-built for fast traversal. Something interesting about these legs is the fact the plantigrade legs are an obvious evolution of the digitigrade legs: the knees are not as developed as they should be, the structure is still ever-so-slightly bent backwards, and the feet are very slightly raised.
• A strange anomaly within Cindarites is the variation of blood color; Cindarites can have the exact same blood content as a human, and yet bleed green, yellow, orange, blue, anything. Despite the iron in the blood, it is not always colored red, although it certainly is the average. Scientists are absolutely perplexed over the topic, and have nothing in the way of a possible explanation.

Gender-specific/sexual features

• While most Cindarites fall into the binary figure of "male/female", hermaphodites (those possessing both male and female specific features), sexless, or intersex individuals have been reported to occur naturally, as a result of mutation.
• Male Cindarites are typically more brawny and broad-shouldered, with more angular snouts and larger/more curved horns in comparison to the females of the species, although mutation can cause this to vary quite a bit.
• Most males possess a genital slit in their groin, wherein a strong average of one simple penis resides, with extra penises likely a result of mutation. Length and girth can vary wildly (and is often more biased towards the "large" spectrum of things), although the average is slightly larger and noticeably longer than the human standard. And as with more reptiles, the testicles often reside inside the body, although certain Cindarites may instead have an external version, likely caused by generations of slow mutation.

• Note that genitalia size/count does not often (it can) correlate with genital slit size, and many Cindarites with excessive penis size/number (anything 9 inches long and above, or anything above 1 penis) as well as a slit may report it to be uncomfortable, as their penis(es) constantly press(es) up against the edges of said slit.

• As for the females of the species, they possess typical female genitalia where you would expect it. While length and width varies wildly, they are (on average) typically slightly larger than a human vagina, likely to compensate for the large genitalia of the males. Being reptiles, however, females possess reptilian ovaries, meaning they do not give birth to living children, and instead lay eggs. These eggs often take between 1-3 years to hatch, and follow many commonalities of reptillian eggs.

• As with standard reptilian biology, almost every female Cindarite has a complete lack of mamillary glands, and therfor, breasts. As with all things Cindarite, however, there is bound to be someone that defies this commonality.

Internal and misc. biology

• Cindarite organs are surprisingly static. It is quite rare to find a Cindarite with multiple hearts, livers, stomachs, eyes, or any organ that is typically considered a vitable/extractable organ. As for what organs a Cindarite /has/, it is the same as a human. (OOC: Basically, if the organ can be extracted from you by any means, it must be normal. Imagine if a doctor could take two hearts out of you. Although, if your character absolutely NEEDS organ mutations to be intact, go ahead. It won't bother many people.)
• Cindarites possess a startling ability that was long since considered mostly impossible by world-renowned (on earth at least) biologists: a near immunity to radiation sickness and cancer. While the cancer resistance is not much of a shock (anti-tumor antigens exist within nearly all life), Cindarites are seemingly unaffected by radiation exposure /regardless/ of the dose received, at least in the short-term. In the long-term, Cindarites still suffer from DNA degradation and disabilities stemming from high levels of radiation, making them sadly vulnerable to the aging process.

• Due to the only recent discovery of Cindarites (and the enigma that is Cindarite genetics), very little progress has been made in understanding this faucet of their biology. Some theorize there exists a DNA archive that all DNA is checked against periodically, others suggest the DNA is simply built differently. There is very little evidence to support either (and any) of these theories, so the true reason is, for now, unknown.

• Cindarites are unusually resilient to traditionally toxic materials. Things like spider venom have a reduced effect on them, and the reason for this is unknown, due to lack of study on the topic.
• Cindarites are occasionally forced to shed their scales in the exact same way a snake would. This occurs about every 5 years, and has the same effects on them it would a snake.
• Members of this species are unusually proficient in managing heavy equipment such as hardsuits. One SolFed observer has famously coined the term of calling it their "Second Skin" as they seem to be able to wear and shed the armor with ease just like their own coat of scales. Many biologists presume this was an evolution caused by generations spent wearing these suits in harsh environments, therfor necessitating affinity in using them, however these same biologists often face harsh criticism for attributing what is likely just skills passed down generation to generation to biology.

Most physical attributes not listed are either entirely unremarkable, or far too inconsistent to measure (e.g. it's up for interpretation). It is important to note that even the listed attributes may be subverted by mutation if not explicitly stated that it is universal (Reptiles, cold-blooded, no neon skin).

Discovery

In 2586, a corporate survey fleet entered the "Cin" system, within the Jordas nebula. The system was known to have four planets, however they were mostly overlooked as the survey fleet was short on time. The preliminary survey of the system revealed high concentrations of valuable Hydrogen and Helium isotypes, as well as metal-rich asteroids ripe for mining. This, when coupled with it's position as the closest system within the Jordas nebula to SolFed space, secured it's place as a valuable system for decades/centuries to come.

Aside from this, however, nothing of major interest was revealed. The only thing of immediate interest was Cin's (the primary star) hyperactive solar storms, but this was hardly worth investigation. However, before the fleet left the system, a sensor ship fired off a sensor burst at the single planet within the goldilocks zone, Cindar, despite it being presumed to be nothing more than an irradiated husk (and it's orbital appearance supporting this theory). The results they received were fascinating: It was giving off readings indicating that it's atmosphere was covered in nuclear storms perpetually ravaging the surface with radiation at a rate of 500 Roentgen/hour. No recorded non-gas giant has ever even gotten close to such extreme "natural" radiation emissions, and there was absolutely no way a solar storm could cause such volatile storms to inhabit the atmosphere. Despite this, the fleet begrudgingly left the system (as they were short on time), and the corporation they belonged too saw much use in exploiting the system's resources, and not in investigating this likely inconsequential anomaly.

In 2597, nav buoys were constructed, sensor arrays established, waystations created and mining operations underway. Ten flotilla's worth of mining, exploration, cargo, and fuel ships would pass through the fleet in only a week. The grand skimmers of the Cin system has only begun their debut, and it was in all ways just beginning it's long and arduous process of inhabitation. The Cin system was now extremely valuable for many parties: Commercial, Industrial, Navigational, and even criminal. The mass amount of goods travelling in-system, impressive amount of traffic now moving through, and minimal system patrols (due to the fairly new status of the system) made it a valuable target for pirates. However, even a skeleton patrol is effective at tracking down and intercepting pirate vessels... that is, at least, if they can track them. Criminals quickly realized that if they welded lead plates onto their ships, they could survive the journey below the Cindar radiation belt, where all but the most powerful sensors could not hope to penetrate the ionic storms. On the rocky surface, rad-suited crew would unload valuables into craters and caverns, and conduct business with eachother, all while under the impression that no sensors could detect them. While this was true, and their business was safe from the prying eyes of system authorities, it turns out that their every move was being watched by a particular people holed up in bunkers built into thick mountains, fear and paranoia in their eyes. But some of these people - some of these Cindarites - were critically low on supplies, and would not last even a year without more, in the face of their crumbling bunker infrastructure. As these strange people unloaded what appeared to be essential supplies for life, some began looking at them not with fear... but with hope for survival. And soon, desperation would take hold, and overwhelm their nearly instinctual attitude of paranoia.

First Contact

The year is now 2599. A Cindarite has left their bunker, and approached a smuggler crew member unloading ammonia water (which appeared to be normal water) from their cargo hold into a crater, cindarian rifle in hand...

and offered the rifle, which had no magazine, was unchambered, and had it's "safety" on, as they pointed to the water, and spoke in an unfamiliar, forlorn and fearful tone, all in an unknown language. The inexperienced crewman panicked, grabbed the rifle from their hands, tried to fire it, undid the safety, tried again, screamed in terror, and then sprinted back to the ship, screaming and flailing about a pirate. The captain laughed him off and disciplined him for the loss of ammonia water, but was intrigued by the rifle, which was of exotic design, clearly not made by any known manufacturer, and of extreme quality. After a extended interrogation of the crew member, they came to the hesitant (and optimistic) conclusion that it wasn't a pirate, but a trader, offering the rifle for the water. Word of this mystery arms dealer spread quickly, prompting numerous smugglers to repeat the same tactic; stand outside their ships with water. This tactic worked surprisingly well, although the rate and consistency at which these "Cindarites" (which the smugglers had aptly named them, based on the planet's name) arrived was far less than desirable. At least, it was, until a sensor officer noticed a sudden flash of light across the terrain, as a door opened and a strange man in a rad-suit stepped out. Said sensor officer frantically grabbed the sensor-data from the for-deletion backlog and sent it to the ship's captain, the infamous 'Slipspace Jones' of the Delirium syndicate. This is how the Delirium syndicate came to almost industrialize the Cindar underworld in the brief period it had this data, and how Slipspace Jones became one of the most powerful men in the system from the finder's fees he gained from distributing the enticing data. Following this, smugglers would regularly park near any oddly-shaped outcroppings reminiscent of the sensor data passed along within the syndicate, finally turning this into a worthwhile endeavor, as the materials gained from such an activity had the capacity to flood the system's small black market with unlicensed weaponry, exotic foods, goods, and simply well-crafted objects.

Overall, few Cindarite communities chose to interact with the smugglers. It was simply not worth the risk to potentially give away their position to rivals. Those that were critically short on essential goods were more willing to approach the strange men, however, and those that were interviewed (and could speak english) often reported the trading experience as "surprisingly pleasant", with the smugglers noting their lack of fluency in english and using basic, universal hand gestures to communicate, instead. Some, however, reported less pleasant experiences, ranging from armed guards watching their every move, to being straight-up robbed, going as far as having their bunkers raided and their families killed; and this is only from those that survived. There are numerous accounts from surveyors hailing from official SolFed expeditions that paint a dark picture: Old, rotting reptilian bodies strewn across the barren earth, with trails of bullet casings leading into a breached bunker. Inside, varying levels of damage, and varying levels of death. Without fail, all valuables are found to be stripped out, with it sometimes going so far as to have the lead plating removed as well. Occasionally, one of these destroyed bunkers had a number of living Cindarites who were too weak to even talk, let alone walk. Most of these individuals expired before even making it to a hospital. It has been confirmed that a few Cindarites have survived such an ordeal, however current records are very vague and fragmented, meaning that, sadly, no information can be garnered about these individuals, who they were, how they are doing, and where they are now (OOC: this is just to expand the horizons of roleplay).

Official contact

It is now 2600. The extremely high criminal activity around this system eventually prompted SolFed intervention, causing a special task force to be assembled, with rad-shielded sensors and high-powered engines on all of the ships. This task force was tasked with cracking down on system-wide piracy, as well as instituting a blockade onto the planet to choke out anyone still on the surface, forcing them to break orbit (and be intercepted immediately) or starve to death. Before they could reach Cindar, however, a fleet of ships rapidly breached the upper atmosphere and scattered, aiming for the densest patches of dust and asteroids in the system. Needless to say, they were intercepted almost immediately by the heightened system patrols and the extremely fast picket ships of the fleet.

Of those arrested in the operation, the infamous "Slipspace Jones" was one of the most high-profile. In the past few years, they had ascended from the rank of lowly frigate pilot to valuable information broker and operation manager within the Delirium Syndicate, all because of the simple discovery their Sensor Officer had made with the Cindarian bunkers. While most other individuals arrested stayed silent, likely due to loyalty to the syndicate (or threat of death by the syndicate), in an ironic twist of fate, it was the very man who brought the information they fought so hard to protect that gave it up. When interrogated on what was so important about Cindar, he began spinning them a tale of hidden riches, foreign goods, and "shy aliens" that tentatively engaged in trade with them, all for the chance for a reduced sentence and a chance to retain his piloting liscense. While this was initially dismissed as an embroidered tale, it was quickly confirmed by a SolFed survey ship that was beginning to explore the surface of Cindar, after spotting a "bunker" reminiscent of what Jones had described.

Jones was found guilty on all charges, and the syndicate was dissolved. All that was left to do was transmit the findings to high command and support the integration fleet that was certain to come.

Integration

Integration began in 2601. To say this process was "bumpy" is an understatement. The Cindarites had lived in isolation and paranoia for hundreds, maybe thousands, maybe TENS of thousands of years, and while some communities were more receptive to the sudden presence of aliens knocking on their external airlocks (likely due to either ideological difference or positive interaction with smugglers), there was not a single community that did not act with alarm at first. For many, they simply cowered behind reinforced, bolted airlocks while the most combat able members of their community shakily held a rifle toward the door, shouting warnings at the top of their lungs in bunkerspeak. It was only when their entire ammunition stockpile failed to penetrate the anti-kinetic shields surrounding the peacekeepers that they decided to surrender. For others, the experience may vary wildly; a few were far more receptive and surrendered voluntarily, some refused to surrender until subdued or killed, and others reacted in such a diversity you could only expect from a heavily fragmented and ideologically unanchored people. When (or if) subdued, a powerful auto-translation AI would quickly communicate (in very rough terms) the situation they were in. SolFed was willing to extend them an invitation to the galactic plane; an invitation to leave Cindar behind and leave for greener pastures. While many Cindarites had become disillusioned with the concept of something outside of Cindar from generations of being confined into a single place for their entire lives, many simply wanted to bring their communities somewhere safer, and so the prospect of leaving the oppressive environment of Cindar behind was like a miracle to them. Those that accepted were placed into holding cells on transport ships and taken to one of the many orbital integration camps, where they were placed into jail-like cells while orientation was readied. Those that did not accept, however, were given a sigh, and left alone. In mere months, half of the population of Cindar had been found and confronted.

Inside these orbital camps, the now extraordinarily paranoid and scared Cindarites were quickly ushered into classrooms under the watchful eye of soldiers with battle rifles, and forced to wear unfamiliar technology over their heads. When reminded of their circumstance (it's this or Cindar), however, they quickly complied and initated training. This training often consisted of high-tech neurologically-tuned VR language training lessons, and a brief lesson on the current state of the galaxy (with incredibly and obviously embellished SolFed bias). As soon as the lessons were over (regardless of their level of understanding) they were shouted to their feet and marched to second holding cell. It was here they resided for days, or even weeks, as they awaited their turn in the bureaucracy of integration, all under the watchful eye of soldiers and turrets. And as for those still residing on the surface, they found life even harder than before. In an effort to get as many Cindarites as possible off the surface of Cindar, SolFed had began instituting innumerable regulations apon the remaining bunkers: A monthly tax, electricity rations, curfew, rituals they must follow, water rations, food rations, punishments for using bunkerspeak, etc. all with the promise that it will all stop if they just choose to leave.

A transition to modern times and conditions

In order for Cindarites to gain citizenship, and thus, the right to travel as they pleased, they were (and still are) required to either prove their worth to a special council, or work for 6 months on a SolFed sanctioned station, ship, or installation. Many Cindarites were able to prove themselves as tradesmen, craftsmen, engineers, doctors, and many other professions. Apon becoming "trade-proven" (the official term for Cindarites that succeed in proving their worth the council), the successful Cindarite was typically assigned a government-owned apartment within a SolFed colony of the council's choosing, as well a job within their profession, along with Cindarite-grade certificates, diplomas, and licenses for their respective profession (although there have been a few recorded instances of, due to special circumstances, a Cindarite being able to choose where they live along with what job). Oftentimes, these Cindarites are typically separated from their communities and given a lengthy (one month of mandatory attendance with many Cindarites choosing to attend for a year or more) and rigorous schedule of education, and most importantly, cultural acclimation. For this reason, trade-proven Cindarites are often better educated, far less isolationist, and generally more "normal" than tradeless Cindarites. Trade-proven Cindarites often live a somewhat successful life, despite prejudice they face from both the galactic community at large/tradeless Cindarites and less-than-stellar pay. They can be found anywhere any skilled worker can: A cook, a therapist, a doctor, an engineer, a soldier, a mercenary, although they are often treated worse than others, despite their skills.

However, a smaller demographic of Cindarites, while skilled in engineering and medicine, did not quite reach the qualifications for such a profession by SolFed standards, and thus were ordered to work at one of the aforementioned sites instead. These "tradeless" Cindarites, as they are officially called, were often given absolutely no education, unlike the more prestigious "trade-proven" Cindarites. As Cindarites were nearly universally skilled in engineering/medicine, resistant to many hazards faced during maintenance, and willing to work in harsh environments, they were the ideal candidate for what many would call "refugee employment": High risk, high skill requirement, low pay and low fulfillment work traditionally given to undesirables. It just so happens that during the time Cindarites were discovered, SolFed was facing a crisis: Many grunt working demographics were slowly crawling their way up the social chain, with civil rights movements backing them up every step of the way. Demanded pay was increasing, as were the rate at which strikes were occurring within this specific layer of society. While aggressive use (and abuse) of law enforcement somewhat suppressed the population, the galactic population was starting to grow furious with SolFed for it's oppressive behavior. And so it comes to no surprise that discovering an easily ridiculed and primitive species skilled in grunt work would be an immense boon to SolFed's work sector. Thus, many Cindarites were (fairly, as well as unfairly) marked as "tradeless" and whisked away to whichever SolFed installation needed disposable grunt workers the most. They were given almost no pay, only the barest nod of housing, and only the most basic of cultural acclimation (how to do their job, money = food and work = money). This caused a severe culture clash between the more well-adjusted, normal crew of workspaces and the isolated, more subdued maintenance crew almost exclusively composed of Cindarites. Oftentimes, these Cindarites would replicate their communal and isolationist behavior of bunker life, refusing to interact with anyone outside of their personal bubble. Those outside returned the favor, with the most interaction often being a annoyed manager barking orders at them, or reprimanding them for a mistake they made. This cultural split certainly wasn't helped by the somewhat limited understanding of english these Cindarites possessed, nor the immense prejudice that came to grow within many pockets of SolFed space. Tradeless Cindarites were often seen as foreign, isolated, stupid, and primitive creatures, and would be better off sent back to Cindar. It had gotten so bad, that by 2603, Cindarites were rated as the single most hated species within SolFed space. And even after graduating from whatever backwater position they were in initially, they found themselves short on options: few trade-less cindarites had skills that would be suitable for any position other than a grunt worker, and those that did were typically shunned for the common sterotype of them being unskilled workers that are reclusive, stupid, and overall undesirable, although there have been some exceptions to this rule.

However, not all is so terrible: Civil rights movements have been strongly pushing for equal pay and workplace environment for tradeless Cindarites. While not very successful, it has succeeded in at least bringing the issue to the eyes of the more sympathetic of the federation, although SolFed continues in it's rampant oppression of the tradeless population.

There have also been quite a few Cindarites who do not fall into the "trace-proven" or "tradeless" labels that have been integrated a different way, but these are far and few between.

Current events and fluff

-"I have two hearts and the man next to me has one, what does it matter if it's a room full of xenos and a room full of Cindarites?"

Today the military governor of Cindar is attempting to pursue a policy of 'Genetic Standardization' among Cindarites by increasing the amount of genetic tailoring available to the population. The stated goal of this is to make it easier for medical professionals to treat illnesses without needing to worry about the various mutations each individual Cindarite might have. This has however drawn a large amount of ire from Cindarites currently working aboard various SolFed ships in poor conditions and often times for very little pay compared to their xeno crewmates.

-"Hear me, friends: We will survive, we will persevere, as we always have, for as long as we can remember."

Despite making up a significant portion of the overall SolFed population, Cindarites hold very little in the way of political power. There is almost no Cindarian representation in the SolFed federal government, and that does exist is little more than a collection of puppets, spouting the same opinions as the SolFed leadership. While many Cindarites are simply too uneducated and busy with their own problems to care, the more educated and prestegious Cindarites take major issue with this, although they can do quite little, as many are still considered as "primitive" by many, and thus, are almost always locked out of politically significant roles within SolFed society, although certain Cindarites may bypass this. One such Cindarite is "Khert Thy'll", a trade-proven 52 year old male Cindarite, who has succeeded in achieving representative status within the SolFed government, and actually represents the Cindarite people. He is often heralded as a hero, an idol that (most) Cindarites look up to.

-"We are not a species of brutes, of dunces, of fools; we are one of architects, engineers, and doctors."

Civil Rights activists work day and night to undo the cultural/institutionalized prejudice against Cindarites, both trade-proven and tradeless, as well as those that don't fit into either of these labels, including second-wave Cindarites. While some progress has been made, particularly in the field of education, other fields have been slower than others. Cindarites still work for lower pay on average, are still occasionally ridiculed for their somewhat odd behavior, and face reduced job opportunities.

-"Oh yeah, the Buyan will get you wherever you need to go. It's Cindar rated too."

Cindar is located on one of the primary SolFed trade routes, nestled among a large swath of difficult to navigate nebulae. It is for this reason that it has a well earned reputation for being a hotspot for pilots trying to prove their worth and while being 'Cindar Rated' isn't an officially recognized qualification for pilots or ships, it's a rare occasion when a spacer- military, civilian, or criminal, would overlook a pilot that had such a trip in their logbooks.

-"A military shipyard? Here? No, we have had too much war already and refuse to see Cindar destroyed again."

One current issue dividing Cindar currently are SolFed plans to construct a shipyard in the system to be paired with the major supply base. While this has a myriad of logistical benefits for the SolFed Navy and economic benefits for the system, it is meeting a large amount of pushback from the Cindarites who are concerned that such military installations will put their homeworld at risk of being destroyed again. While most Cindarite communities enjoy the benefits of buying and selling mercenaries, they are largely apprehensive about the idea of participating in a large scale war, and more importantly, being a target in a large scale war.

-"Fuck those "Qurll'het" (sic) - up there in their fancy apartments while we sit down here in these rusty tunnels. They have the nerve to tell us that it's our fault we're down here, when we are told to kill ourselves every day."

A noticeable rivalry has developed between many trade-proven and tradeless Cindarites, with tradeless Cindarites envying trade-proven Cindarites, and seeing them as "soft". The sentiment has not yet been reflected by many trade-proven Cindarites, however it is only a matter of time before the relentless resentment grows on them, too.

Canon Species in the Sojourn Universe
Core Species Akula - Kriosans - Humans - Mar'qua - Sablekyne - Naramad - Abhuman
Non-Core Species Opifex - Cht’mant - Cindarite - Mycus - Folken - Aulvae - Minor Factions