Opifex

The Opifex are an enigmatic, nomadic species; plying space-lanes in their skipjacks and shuttles, most looking to trade, others to plunder. The Opifex are stereotyped by their heavy reliance on robots, their apathy towards most sentient life beyond their own, their ungainly avian forms, and their intolerance to oxygen. Opifex society is one of authoritarian structured hierarchy where all commands flow from the top to the bottom.

Quick-start Guide

• Opifex are naturals with machines and quick learners, they gain +5 to Cognition and Mechanical. An extra +5 can be gained if their homeworld is chosen in character setup.
• Opifex breath nitrogen and naturally find oxygen highly toxic to breathe, as such all opifexi wear a unique gas mask (Accessed through the load out option, be sure to select this, else you'll slowly die of poisoning)
• Opifex are naturally resistant to electrical shocks and require half as much food as other colonists to survive.
• Perk: Opifex gain the following perks smuggled circuit, smuggled path kit, and a toolbelt specific to their caste type. Smuggled circuit allows you to build an opifex scrap turret, a single shot .35 auto turret used to kill hostile fauna. Smuggled patch kit spawns an IFAIK medicine kit to quickly perform first aid. Your toolbelt is a special webbing belt that holds many items and comes loaded with a wide variety of useful tools and items specific to the caste you are, they come in medical, engineering, and combat varieties.

Biology

Often referred to as birds by other species, Opifex bear more resemblance to feathered reptiles than what most would consider birds. Though at one time it is speculated that Opifex were able to fly or glide, changes to their biology over thousands of years have rendered their wings and tails useless except for the purposes of maintaining balance or courting mates. Excessive genetic and cybernetic augmentation have left the Opifex in a state where finding common traits amongst specimens is nigh impossible. One Opifex may be stocky and stout with almost no plumage, while another may be tall and lean and be covered primarily in feathers. The wing structure of Opifex also varies, with some possessing clawed wings in place of arms, and others possessing an entirely different set of limbs. Despite the inconsistencies, all Opifex have overarching similarities that make them easily identifiable, such as:

• Beaks of various sizes and colors, with or without teeth
• Strong thigh muscles, with sturdy, avian-like legs and feet
• Leathery scales located around the eyes, hands, and feet
• Larger than average eyes
• Two-channel redundant nervous systems that, in combination with their leathery scaled hides, provide natural resistance to electric shocks
• Strong upper arms and upper body muscles, causing a more broad, humanoid appearance
• Nitrogen breathing lungs, resulting in yellowish blood and a requirement to wear specially-designed gas masks or synthesizers to be able to breathe in oxygen-rich environments.

Peculiarly, this dissonance in anatomy extends to Opifex reproductive systems; while most Opifex are oviparous, some are known to be viviparous; likewise, while most Opifex possess cloaca, there are some who have been modified to have entirely different genital structures. These Opifex can still reproduce with those who have cloaca, though the effort required for doing so is often considered to be too great to be practical. Growing offspring using vats and genetic modification is also common among more wealthy (read: successful at raiding) Opifex fleets.

Another peculiarity among the Opifex is that they are divided into two castes, the Populi (singular: Populus) and Domini (singular: Dominus). These castes are effectively opposites of each other, with Populi standing between four and five feet tall, and Domini reaching as tall as 7 feet on average; Domini are also more outwardly aggressive and controlling, and, as such, are often characterized by haughty, aloof natures and a reluctance to perform menial labor. If a Populi is present, they will almost always delegate tasks to them. Despite being characterized by their aggressive nature, Domini rarely if ever fight with each other; instead, Domini tend to bond over simple similarities, such as preferred plumage colors or agreements in how they perceive others (e.g. distaste for populi who work with machines). It is theorized that this is a means of allowing multiple Dominus-headed groups of Opifex to operate simultaneously. Domini are easily identifiable by their towering stature and dull, subdued plumage. Conversely, Populi, while also aggressive, tend to fight amongst themselves and sabotage each other to rise in the pecking order. They tend to have more vibrant plumage and often behave more flamboyantly. Populi are naturally driven to be more cooperative with Domini, and will often attempt to court them in an effort to climb the pecking order. Domini are more likely to be female than male, and Populi are more likely to be male than female. There are examples of male Domini and female Populi, and their behaviors and physiologies tend to match their peers, suggesting that they possess little to no sexual dimorphism; instead, dimorphism in the species stems from caste.

Opifex of either caste, by human standards, are considered psychopaths and will very rarely act altruistically unless they believe there will be benefit for them. The most alien part of Opifex physiology is the Nanogate, a small device slotted between the skull and spine that is present in nearly all Opifex. Nanogates are multi-purpose implants connected to the brain that allow Opifex to control swarms of nanites. While their uses on Nadezhda are far less numerous than their uses in Opifex fleets, these devices are still useful to improve the quality of life of both Populi and Domini. They, like all other native Opifex technology, are of exquisite make. Reproductions of the Nanogate have been created, with the Artificers’ Guild’s being more high quality than those produced by other companies, and the native Opifex design being superior to both.

Opifex in general, regardless of caste, do not live very long, with a maximum life expectancy of eighty years, though few live past the age of forty. A combination of raiding, piracy, combat, and controlled sterile ship environments often leave opifex with physically weak bodies put in constant danger while scavenging, defending against void wolves, or avoiding patrols from empires and factions who treat them with open hostility. That being said, Opifex have been known to utilize nanogates or significant augmentation in order to prolong their lifespan.

History and Culture

Fleets

Opifex are not known to have any terrestrial colonies; instead, the vast majority of Opifex are born and die aboard vessels grouped together in fleets that dwarf the Wanderers’ Armada. Composed of anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand ships, Opifex fleets were slow-moving before the Bluespace Crash, only ever entering Bluespace to abandon areas devoid of resources. While a majority of the resources in fleets are produced domestically through asteroid mining or synthesis techniques known to only a select few opifex (typically those who inhabit Flagships), strike teams, led by cruisers carrying strike craft and composed of anywhere from three to five corvettes, are often dispatched from the fleet proper to scavenge and plunder other space-faring vessels, sometimes including vessels from other Opifex fleets. It is not uncommon for these strike teams to be destroyed in combat or suffer heavy losses, as the Domini in charge of these operations are often more focused on their own survival and profit than the survival of those under their command. Most Opifex are loyal to their fleet, regardless of caste, but some Domini are known to prioritize the survival of their ship and those aboard it (referred to sometimes as a ship-family). There is no recorded evidence that Opifex utilize any significant portion of their fleet for combat outside of strike teams.

Some strike teams are orchestrated by particularly eminent Populi.

Flagships

What little is known about Opifex history is scavenged from nearly ancient records aboard the flagships of Opifex fleets. These vessels are often massive and complex, spanning multiple miles and having docking locations that change shape and size to accommodate vessels of foreign make and model. Most flagships can accommodate around thirty corvettes, thousands of small strike craft, and, on rare occasions, have been known to dock with other flagships for diplomatic purposes. These ships house anywhere from a few hundred thousand to millions of Opifex, and are lorded over by extremely wealthy Domini. The number of non-opifex who have ever seen a flagship ranges in the dozens, and the number of non-opifex who have ever been inside a flagship and left with their life can be counted on one hand. Flagships serve as the seat of command for an Opifex fleet. There are some recorded instances of flagships being used as mobile shipyards, explaining the prevalence of Opifex-built vessels in spite of the heavy losses often suffered by fleets.

Nauarchi

Instead of being run by AI, the systems aboard flagships are often controlled by one or more vatgrown Opifex grown specifically for the purposes of running the systems of Flagships. These purpose-grown specimens are known as Nauarchi (singular: Nauarchus) and are easily identifiable by their gaunt, pale, featherless bodies, which have been mutilated and augmented beyond recognizability and are permanently attached to the Flagship by biomechanical tubing connected directly to their nanogates, which are far larger than those of other Opifex. It is not known whether or not Nauarchi are sentient, but it is assumed that if they are, their perception of reality is heavily altered. Nauarchi are responsible for the operation of entire flagships, carrying out commands communicated via the shipmaster’s nanogate at speeds only dreamt of by other species.

Culture

Opifex culture is extremely tribalistic, but, like other aspects of the Opifex, varies wildly from case to case. Some fleets are devoutly religious, with their flagships being great moving churches dedicated to technology and ritualized augmentation, while others are extremely utilitarian and choose to avoid decorating their surroundings. What decorations there are on Opifex vessels are very rarely produced domestically; rather, bits and pieces of scavenged or pilfered decor are used to accentuate vessels, much like crows building their nests with shiny objects. AI is generally frowned upon as a result of the manually-controlled nature of nanogates; why have a machine doing the thinking when your own thoughts are perfectly suitable?

Opifex music is extremely unusual. Whereas other species primarily utilize instruments or sounds derived from instruments to create music, Opifex have a taste for processed industrial sounds, electronic noises, and extensive use of synth notes arranged in peculiar ways that most other species would register as industrial ambiance, but Opifex find as pleasing as a symphony performance. While artists are very rarely credited or referred to, there is one recorded instance of a group of Opifex, known as synthsingers, being popular. These synthsingers are opifex that have modified their throats and beaks to produce low, processed growling noises similar to human throat-singers, but with a much more practiced ability to manipulate the sounds they make.

Relations with Other Species

Another belief that is consistent among nearly all Opifex is that other species, including synthetics created or controlled by those species, are wholly and utterly inferior, for any number of reasons. For some, this manifests as a disgust or distaste towards non-opifex; for others, they view non-opifex as similar to animals, able to be trained and manipulated into servitude; there are rumored to be some that take the latter viewpoint to the extreme, and slaughter other sapient species to be consumed. Certain utilitarian Opifex will neither confirm nor deny these accusations.

Non-opifex are often referred to as “meat,” regardless of how much of their body is actually composed of meat.

Common Opifex Terminology: Quick Guide

Flagship: City-ships spanning multiple miles, considered the capital of an Opifex fleet. Lorded over by wealthy Domini and operated by Nauarchi, flagships are the shining example of Opifex engineering at its finest.

Nauarchi (plural, singular is Nauarchus): Vatgrown, heavily modified Opifex characterized by being pale, featherless, and more machine than organic, Nauarchi serve as the Opifex equivalent of AI, controlling the systems of flagships through commands communicated by their Dominus shipmasters.

Domini (plural, singular is Dominus): The primarily-female, 7-foot-tall upper caste of Opifex society. Aggressive and controlling towards those under their command, Domini very rarely fight amongst themselves and have arrogant, haughty attitudes.

Populi (plural, singular is Populus): The primarily-male lower caste of Opifex society. They stand between 4 and 6 feet tall, and tend to fight amongst themselves more often. Populi often have vibrant plumage intended to attract mates.

Meat: A slur common among Opifex, meant to refer to non-Opifex. Not exclusive to organics.

Wrecker: Junk ships held together by epoxy and shitty welding, often staffed by unfavored opifex who are usually used as cannon fodder by either physically shielding more important ships or launching themselves into enemy vessels with an overclocked reactor.

Skimmers/sweepers: Small fast vessels often used for scouting, usually staffed by a single Populus or a robot whose primary purpose is to traffic deliveries of materials, opifex in transit, or packages needing to be moved elsewhere fast.

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 - Minor Factions