User:NikoTheGuyDude/Cindarite

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I WILL EVENTUALLY SUBMIT MOST OF THIS FOR OFFICAL REVIEW AND WHEN I DO I WILL TRIM A LOT OF THE FLUFF. ALSO I REALIZED I MADE A MISTAKE AND EMPHASIZED HISTORY OVER THE SPECIES IN SOME POINTS OF THIS SO ILL BE FIXING THAT (SEE: OFFICIAL CONTACT FOR WHAT I MEAN)

TODO: Emphasize that cindarites had a rough time integrating, elaborate on why, open avenues to cindarites that had an easy time, explain why they learnt english so quickly, elaborate on bunker culture, describe how some cindarites act to give people a better base to make characters with, trim as much fluff as i can and put most emphasis on cindarites, much more that i cant say right now

Cindarites are a reptilian race highly valued for their ability to work in hazardous environments after adapting to their irradiated home-world of Cindar. Cindarites are alien in nature and were first discovered by smugglers before later being incorporated into the Sol Federation for various tasks befitting their adaptions.

Quickstart Guide

• Cindarite 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.

Homeworld and home system

The Cindarian homeworld is a tomb world known as Cindar, an irradiated planet with orange glowing seas of irradiated sludge and dominated by powerful storms that scorch the surface. While the majority of the planet's surface is untouched by the glowing seas, the ground itself is cracked and infused with radioactive isotopes, making life under meters of thick lead a necessity for survival, even for the rad-hardened Cindarians. From orbit, it appears to be a brown-grey planet with dull yellow storms constantly dominating the atmosphere in all places except the southern hemisphere, where the localized weather controllers keep the storms at bay and the terraforming drones make the ground more appealing every day.

Cindar is located within the Cin system, a single-starred system with a K-class star (aptly named Cin) perfectly positioned to place it, and only it, within it's habitable zone. Unfortunately, Cin is host to quite hyperactive solar activity, causing Cindar to be sporadically consumed by massive CMEs and solar flares, to disasterous effect. Modern solar shielding is able to withstand such radiation, but life on Cindar must have taken a truely monumental time to adapt to such a hostile environment.

Cin is host to a meager four planets, and a fantastic number of orbital stations and installations. Kyle, a barren world, orbits Cin from the same distance as pluto to Sol, and has no redeeming features aside from ammonia ice on it's southern pole. Gaiyhen, an ammonia-helium gas giant located about 50 AU away from Cin, is yet again mostly unremarkable (aside from a quite popular casino in orbit), and Yorsh, the volcanic world tidally locked with Cin, only about 3/4ths of the distance of mercury to Sol, is rarely skimmed for it's valuable molten metal deposits within it's deep crevices. Cin itself is located within the Jordas nebula, a quite important nebula which has been reported to have a high concentration of hydrogen and helium isotopes, and Cin is one of those areas with high concentration. It is not uncommon to see vast skimmers flying in formation, gas collectors glowing with bluespace attraction feedback. Aside from this, it is used as a valuable waypoint and refueling depot for ships exploring the vast nebula and the stars within, and is caked with a thin layer of dust and asteroids, the latter of which is known to contain rare and precious metals within their cores.

Prior to SolFed intervention, Cindar was a paradise for illicit activity; ships that descended below the radiation belt were undetectable by most sensors, and ships that could pursue were often lacking any sort of radiation shielding. On the surface, criminals would often trade, plot, store goods, fight, betray, and backstab eachother, as well as attempt interaction (with numerous intents) with the local Cindarites. To some, it was known as the homeworld of the Delirium syndicate, which was a low-level smuggling and burglary crime ring which quickly rose to power in the system when "Slipspace Jones" revealed the concept of Cindarian bunkers to the syndicate. Nowadays, Cindar is home to little more than a few Cindarite bunkers still undergoing integration, a plethora of waystations in orbit (which Cindarites are known to use as a jumping point for employment), orbital stations which seat the SolFed Military Governship, and a small, concentrated terraforming effort in the southern hemisphere within the smaller continents, which is mostly a thinly veiled excavation effort masquerading as an effort to "Give the cindarites back their home! (SolFed system governor of Cin, October 20th, 2605)". While a number of Cidarites reside within the terraformation zone, often in habitation spheres to protect from residual radiation from the nuclear fallout, many Cindarites simply opt to seek a life aboard space stations, to escape Cindar by going as far as they can away from it.

Biology

Cindarites, while largely uniform in terms of their reptilian nature, lack a large amount of genetic conformity due to generations of insular bunker life and radioactive mutations. This results in the common height of Cindarites ranging from as short as 4'9" to as tall at 7'3", many Cindarites either lacking a number of organs (with disability) or having an excess amount, and many, many more types of mutations. Efforts are being made to correct many of the more unhealthy mutations, these efforts have been met with mixed results. However this is not to say they are so mutated that there aren't some common physiological differences between males and females, male Cindarites often are more brawny, broad-shouldered, and often have more angular snouts while females of the species are more lithe with slender figures and rounded snouts. Both genders are often observed with horns, feathers, or a combination of both. These usually correlate with age and gender, with larger horns usually being seen on mature males while female Cindarites will often have smaller horns at the same age. It has been recorded, however, that certain individuals defy these common differences, likely as a result of mutation, or many, many other circumstances.

As expected for most reptiles however, Cindarites are cold blooded in nature and most of their body is covered in scales or a leathery feeling skin. Popular depictions of Cindarites show them with green scales, however collected data studies show there is a near equal distribution of tropical greens, reddish golds, and muted woodland brown colored Cindarites, with many many other miscellaneous colors making up a small minority of the universal population. Despite this, however, a neon-colored Cindarite has yet to be discovered, likely for the better. It is still unknown whether these variations are inherited, random mutations, or as one popular theory suggests, a generational adaptation to environment.

One surprising facet of their biology (or simply skillset) is that they are not as agile as they are often believed to be and yet they don't seem to lose much agility when they wear various 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. This is likely because of the generations spent wearing such suits in harsh environments, however some experts criticize this theory as "blatantly incorrect", and instead point a finger to generations of experience with said hardsuits being passed down to offspring, not a supposed biological evolution that has granted them an inherit skill with them.

The most startling aspect of their biology, however, is the ruthless efficiency at which they can suppress the symptoms of radiation poisoning, and all other traditionally toxic threats. This does not make them immune, however, as it only delays the damaging effects for quite a while, far beyond immediate danger. Experts are polarized over this topic; some say the Cindarites' radiation resistance is due to their home planet being constantly bombarded by solar storms and solar radiation, others say the grand nuclear conflict occured much farther back in the past, and the Cindarites simply "adapted" over time. There is also another theory, far less popular than the previous two, that has been gaining traction as of late: A controversial human historian claims the Cindarites likely began experimenting with gene therapy just prior to the collapse of their civilization, likely with the intent of reversing eons of genetic damage done by ravaging solar radiation, and fortifying themselves against any more. While baseless on it's own, a recent expedition into a derelict Cindar bunker revealed a quite advanced gene lab tucked away in the back, thrusting this theory into the spotlight. As to which is correct (and if it even is any of these), it's anyone's guess.

Discovery

In 2582, 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 would ensure Cin would be exploited quite heavily by mining and siphon stations. It's unique location would also secure it's place as a important waypoint for fleets navigating the Jordas nebula.

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. The results they received were fascinating: It was giving off readings indicating it's atmosphere was covered in nuclear storms perpetually ravaging the surface with radiation at a rate of 500 Roentgen/hour, which is extremely remarkable, as no non-gas giant has ever been recorded with such extreme "natural" radiation emissions. Despite this, the fleet left the system, and the corporation they belonged too saw much more use in exploiting the system's resources, not investigating this likely inconsequential anomaly.

Nav buoys were constructed, sensor arrays established, waystations created and mining operations underway. The Cin system was now extremely valuable for many parties: Commercial, Industrial, Navigational, and even criminal. The mass amount of goods travelling in-system, massive 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 that 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. This was true, and yet their every move were watched by a particular people holed up in their bunkers, fear and paranoia in their eyes. And yet, despite this, some watched them with a glimmer of hope. Critically low on supplies, some saw them as their only chance of survival after so long in the bunkers.

First Contact

At an unknown place and time, a Cindarite had left their bunker, and approached a 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 unknown design, and clearly wasn't made by any known organization. Soon after they realized it wasn't a pirate, but a trader, offering the rifle for the water (or so they thought). 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 and goods, and simply well-crafted objects.

Overall, few Cindrian 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 instead to communicate. 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 stripped out, with it 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 (this is just to expand the horizons of roleplay).

Official contact

The extremely high criminal activity in and around this planet 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 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 almost certain to come.

Integration

To say this process was "bumpy" is an understatement. The Cindarians 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. Despite this, there was very little open conflict between ambassadors and Cindarians, and any that did occur was often diffused by simply asking a Cindarian to broadcast a message over broadwave radio for the other communities to hear, advertising promises of escape from the tomb world they have been trapped on for all of their lives. It turns out, even when extremely isolationist and paranoid, living on a tomb world for generations on end builds a cultural want to leave for better pastures. And so, they did. Despite their hesitance to join an unfamiliar and utterly terrifying galactic civilization, they joined, just to escape the hellish nightmare that is Cindar.

In order to achieve citizienship within SolFed, many first-wave Cindarites were required to work at least six months on a SolFed sanctioned installation, ship, or planet. Cindarites found their skills in medicine and engineering very welcome in these areas, especially when doubled with their unique radiation resistance. Their skill was so great, in fact, that many of the eager Cindarites were only given the briefest of english training (using state-of-the-art VR language training systems as to not take too long) for their positions, and only the faintest nod of cultural acclimation. This caused the paranoid and isolationist Cindarites to often seek eachother out and create small, mini-communities in their place of work, generating a reputation for them that can be described as "those weird reptiles that don't speak much english common, are always in some obscure place, but come out to do their jobs and do them well when they need to".

Culture and History

History

Early historical accounts of Cindarite civilization are difficult to find, as much of the planet was destroyed and rendered uninhabitable during a brief nuclear exchange, and those that would remember have long since passed away. However, significant numbers of Cindarites were able to survive in a myriad of bunkers and shelters that had been built prior to the nuclear apocalypse. It is unknown as to why these bunkers were made, and why they were so heavily radiation-shielded, but the common theory is that Cindarites would shelter within them during particularly violent solar storms. This would also explain the stockpiles present within said bunkers, as Cin's solar storms could theoretically last for days, or even weeks at a time, given how intense its solar activity is.

The true name of the Cindarite species is unknown, and the subject of much debate. The memory of it 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, it 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, considering 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.)

What little of Cindarian history we do know (Cindarian history was passed down generation by generation of Cindarites, likely fragmenting it in the process) paints a cloudy picture up to much interpretation: All Cindarites agree they never made it off the planet. Most Cindarites agree the civilization had only recently weaponized nuclear materials prior to the grand war. Everything else, though, is extremely vague and scattered. What little we can gleam from the remnants of the past society is that a truely tremendous amount of nuclear weaponry had been detonated, and (based off what remains of the planetary ruins discovered through excavation through meters of radioactive soot) the fact that Cindarian society had once been an advanced, heavily industrious society, what with the high amount of excavated metallurgy plants, refineries, mining wells, each possessing startling innovations within their equipment (some of which had only recently been developed by the galactic community). Despite this, it is commonly theorized that Cindarian society had only just exited their equivalent of the human industrial revolution prior to the grand war, as all other industries and equipment (aside from medical equipment) are primitive in comparison to said plants and factories. Many experts draw connections between these advanced industries and the robust materials the many radiation-shielded bunkers required. In order for the Cindarian species to survive, they had to innovate and improve their own technology to the point where mass-production of reliable, rad-shielded materials was possible without undue cost and time to manufacture.

Culture

Prior to SolFed intervention, Cindarites lived an extremely fractured, isolated, and lonely life, with only their bunker buddies to keep them company (who were oftentimes what they considered their families). These bunkers were often extremely insular, and due to an oppressive amount of paranoia from the nuclear exchange, were often times very secretive. Radio communication was often limited to a very short range and encoded broadcasts only to keep in touch with the most inner security patrols, and even then it was often reduced for fear of other shelters picking up the signals during cloudy weather. Integrated Cindarians

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Today, while much of galactic civilization thinks of them as primitive for failing to pass the great filter of nuclear weaponry, the Sol Federation values Cindarites quite highly for their (usual) eagerness to leave their homeworld and sign up for work aboard practically anything, but most notably the many fuel tankers, cargo transports, and various stations that populate the Jordas nebula and their home system: Cin. This reputation among SolFed officials has largely been cultivated by Rear Admiral Almir Paiva of the Sol Federation Merchant Marines, who began a practice of recruiting (integrated) Cindarites to reinforce manpower losses aboard military supply ships during the last of the pre crash wars. Today nearly every SolFed naval Depot and waystation has a dedicated cadre of Cindarites who maintain the facilities with their dedication going so far as to bring their families with them, despite the still ongoing integration efforts.

Modern Cindarite culture is defined by three major pillars:

-Willingness to work in harsh conditions where others have refused. Generations of hazardous surface patrols and dangerous living conditions have resulted in a large sense of pride and tradition for bravely accepting tasks deemed uncomfortable. While this is often imagined as being a lone Cindarite to reset a dangerous reactor, it usually translates into more mundane tasks such as asteroid mining, large amounts of paperwork, or even just cleaning up a lunch room after a disastrously messy party.

-Desire to demonstrate their products, services, or knowledge. Oftentimes during their early contact with spacers they would engage in a number of trades and it became quite common for the various parties to demonstrate that the items worked before they would agree to trade. Thus Cindarite gunsmiths often employ a number of mercenaries who use their weapons, mechanics would sponsor racers, and tailors would often keep a number of dancers in their employment to show off the quality of their stitching.

-And lastly is their desire for communal living. While humans might complain about bumping elbows on shuttle rides, or request private quarters, Cindarites will find great enjoyment and even comfort in residing inside barracks. Oftentimes this communal mindset is key to helping Cindarite communities and ship crews survive and strive.

Present Day

-"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.

-"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.

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