User:NikoTheGuyDude/Cindarite

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.
• 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.

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, headed by the Dromedary-class survey ship "Illilyalis", explored the already promising "Jordus" nebula, arriving in the "Cin" system as their first stop post-bluespace jump. The Cin system was already known to have 4 planets in orbit of the primary K-class star, and one in the goldilocks zone, however the common theory at the time of the survey was that the nebula's extreme heat would have made habitation within the system grueling at best, and impossible at worst. However, modern heat-shielding on spaceships rated for atmospheric flight rendered them nearly immune to the heat, allowing for travel within the system. Immediately apon exiting the bluespace tunnel, however, this theory changed; the nebula within the system was actually a bearable temperature. At the time, the scientists crewing the fleet did not recognize what this meant, but they had just found a system with a potentially inhabited planet. Sadly (or thankfully depending on who you ask), they did not investigate the planet within the goldilocks zone. Instead, they continued with their normal survey.

The preliminary survey of the local nebulaic volume around Cin returned with reports of high concentration of valuable Hydrogen and Helium isotopes, useful for corporations with the resources to extract and process such gases, likely securing it's position as an important system for decades to come. Further surveying and scanning revealed an extensive blanket of stellar dust coating much of the system, with an abundance of metal-rich asteroid fields scattered about to boot.

Aside from these very promising finds, however, nothing of major interest was revealed. The star was typical, although it was noted that it has a significantly higher rate of solar storms/solar flares/CMEs. There were no extra-planetary bodies. No anomalies or hidden bases were detected. Each planet was entirely unremarkable (A barren world devoid of resources in the outskirts of the system, a gas giant with tame weather, a barren world orbiting said giant) except for one. This single world was written off in the haste to not be late for the fleet's scheduled return, but before any possible sensor readings were smothered by the bluespace feedback generated by the FTL drives of the ships, a small sensor ship fired a concentrated sensor burst directly at it. The sensor officer, and bridge crew, were shocked by what they saw; it appeared as if this cloudy planet was completely enveloped by a radioactive storm, churning and broiling. They were so puzzled, they sent the report to the captain of the Illilyalis, who was equally as shocked. To put into perspective what they saw, the highest natural-occurring level of radiation that had ever been recorded on a significant celestial body was 500 Roentgen/hour, on a gas giant, fueled by a perpetual tritium fire in the lower atmosphere. And this one unassuming planet was giving off readings that would suggest the planet is constantly experiencing a barrage of 470 roentgen/hour, and it's atmospheric density barely touches the previous record's.

Despite the extremely intriguing sensor data they had just received, there was nothing they could do. They were scheduled to return to station in one day, and if they were late, the command crew could face fines, arrest, or even imprisonment for breach of contract. Sighing, the captain begrudgingly gave the order to initiate jump, and the planet left alone, once again, it's mystery unresolved. And with the extremely exploration-oriented doctrine employed by nearly all governments and corporations at the time, it was always unlikely that this planet would ever receive an official survey again.

As was expected, despite the captain's protests, the corporation they belonged too showed no interest in investigating the anomaly. Instead, they sought out to exploit the resources discovered by the survey. Construction ships were dispatched to create nav buoys, patrol HQs, sensor arrays, mining and siphon stations, everything typical for such an exploitation effort. All that was done about the odd planet was the deployment of an array of radiation alert beacons in high orbit. However, Cin's status as the closest system to the nearest inhabited sector quickly made it into a valuable waystation for the upcoming exploitation efforts, quickly boosting it's status and popularity among all individuals. These individuals included prospectors, survey fleets, construction fleets... and the more criminal type. Given how many waystations and small orbital stations that would be present in such an important system, along with the mass amount of valuable isotopes and minerals being transported both in and out of system, the system was already ripe for underground activity, if it wasn't for the security detail. The dense cloud of dust and asteroid fields, while mitigating a security response, did not outright guarantee safety; until the criminals started welding lead plates onto their ships, and descending below the Cindar radiation belt, where sensors could not hope to penetrate the ionic storm. It was here that criminals hid after a heist, or when on the run, or to trade, or for many, many other illicit reasons. This did not go unnoticed by in-system security patrols, however they simply did not have the resources nor the time to focus on it, so they simply focused on intercepting ships on a course to Cindar. Unbeknownst to the criminals using Cindar as a sensor shield, however, there were some people who did /not/ need sensors to track them; the Cindarians. They watched the strange space ships descend from the irradiated storm perpetually churning above them with deep apprehension and anxiety, all from the safety of their bunkers. Some Cidarians, however, viewed these people with not purely fear, but with also a drop of hope; they had lived in these bunkers for hundreds, maybe thousands of years, and these strange people seemed to be unloading what appeared to be water, metals, lead, machinery... all things the Cindarians needed dearly.

First Contact

At an unknown place and time, a Cindarian 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. After questioning the crewman extensively, 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 consistancy at which these "Cindarians" (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 man in a rad-suit stepped out, with the tell-tale backside protrusion (a tail) indicative of a Cindarian. 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 new, startling, and very 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 overall 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 prompted SolFed intervention, causing a special task force to be assembled, with rad-shielded sensors and high-powered engines, as well as an FTL interdiction device installed into the flagship, the "SGF Atlas' Hammer". 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, all-the-while waiting for a SolFed construction fleet to finish a orbital station to permanently dominate the orbit. Before they could reach Cindar, however, a fleet of ships rapidly broke orbit 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 (a survey fleet hadn't arrived yet for safe exploration, and lead plating on the task force would've slowed them down too much), he reportedly grinned, asked for a can of cola, and said he would "enlighten you fine gentlemen on my perfectly legal activities, as long as, say, a few of the more egregious charges were dropped?".

Apon receiving the can of cola and a (false) promise of the authorities reducing his charges to simple trespassing, he began to spin them a tail of hidden riches, foreign goods, and kindly "shy aliens" that tentatively engaged in trade with them. Obviously embroidered, clearly filled with half-truths, and obviously omitting many key details that could incriminate him, Jones' cool demeanor was quickly dismantled into a whimpering desperation as he was reminded of the weight of his crimes. He finally admitted what had really happened; the hidden riches, a half-truth, foreign goods, a full truth, and the shy aliens... surprisingly, also a truth. He admitted the syndicate had been trading with these "Cindarians", as they called them, exchanging essentials for unique weapons, medicines, and antiques. He explained the bunkers, the language barrier, and he also admitted not every interaction had been so rosy. Some of the time, the Cindarian(s) that came out to trade were robbed, assaulted, or even kidnapped and killed. Among the most egregious things they had done were sudden, coordinated raids, in which they would land near a bunker, mercenaries in power armor would spill out of the vessel, breach the bunker with explosive charges, and destroy any resistance as they ruthlessly pillaged the bunker for anything of worth. Sometimes the syndicate would kill all of them, sometimes only some, sometimes none at all, but the toxic atmosphere spelled doom for the inhabitants nonetheless. Jones personally had piloted 3 of these missions, but the total amount remains unknown to this day.

The syndicate was dissolved immediately, and Jones was found guilty of all charges (including the ones that would've been dropped). The SolFed local government remained skeptical of these claims, especially the claim of aliens inhabiting such an extreme planet, but all doubts were immediately dispelled by the reports received by the initial surveying crews. Jones was not lying, and there was in fact a small, fractured race of reptilians inhabiting the surface in small bunkers! The finding were immediately transmitted to SolFed high command, who, after reviewing the masterful craftsmanship of the various items the smugglers received, scrambled a team of explorers and ambassadors to integrate these people into Galactic society.

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.

Homeworld

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.

Cindar is located within Cin's (the primary star) habitable zone, although Cin's unfortunately hyperactive solar activity has had the effect of periodically bombarding Cindar with immense solar radiation. One such event has even occurred in recorded history at the very beginning of the Cin boom, where the very first construction ship witnessed Cindar in the middle of a large CME.

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.

Modern Cindar is devoid of the sprawling mega cities and urban jungles of most contemporary homeworlds. Most of its settlements and cities consist of habitation domes on the surface- particularly centered on the smaller southern continents where the terraforming efforts are centered, and orbital stations where the SolFed Military Governorship is seated. Furthermore, a societal split has occurred between the population that remains on the surface, waiting for the long process of environmental restoration, and the population that has fled to orbit to reside in SolFed and privately owned orbital habitats. This divide has proven somewhat useful, as orbital workers have succeeded in significantly bolstering the new Cindar economy as they work for and trade with the spacers passing through their system.

Culture and 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.

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.

What little of Cindarian history we know (Cindarian history was passed down generation by generation of Cindarians, likely fragmenting it in the process) paints a cloudy picture up to much interpretation: All Cindarians agree they never made it off the planet. Most Cindarians 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 there is evidence of a planet-spanning civilization that existed prior to the grand war.

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 eagerness to leave their homeworld and sign up for work aboard fuel tankers and transports that navigate the nebulae surrounding their home. 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 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.

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