Unaligned Aliens

Beings not from Shem who have unaligned powers.

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Brannish

Four-armed beings from a lost world.

• Lifespan : 150 years
• Diet: Common mortal fare
• Habitat: Temperate mountain valleys
• Socioeconomic Status: Privileged opppressed

Brannish folk stand about 7' tall on average, though they can be as tall as 9' without suffering consequences to their health. They have four arms. Otherwise, they appear to be human and have the same range of appearance as humans.

Brannish folk have supernatural toughness and higher perception than average. Brannish folk learn skills slightly faster than average, and their skills deteriorate much, much slower, to the point that it is a stereotype that brannishes never forget. For every new skill a brannish learns, they can transfer some of it to another brannish via touch, enough to cover basics and get someone started. This is how they teach children and each other. However, as they transfer, they lose some of their own knowledge. As such, they do this cautiously.

The Brannish are privileged but still oppressed in the colonies. They are seen as inferior versions of the validuses, but they are in fact unrelated. Regardless, they are still valued as workers and slaves due to their magical ability to learn new skills. The culture of their homeland - the lost worlds of Bran or their homeland on Shem - is focused on learning and honing new skills, celebrating learning, and on their schools. In the colonies, they assimilate into the local culture, but they often retain their reverence for certain kinds of learned skills, such as warcraft, juggling, history, engineering, drawing, oratory, organization, sciences, and esoteric skills.

PRO 11 ATH 11 STR 14 AWA 11 WIL 9 PRS 8 STH 9

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Eridanean

Aliens from the river of stars.

• Lifespan: 1,000 years
• Diet: Radiation
• Habitat: Cosmic streams
• Socioeconomic Status: Privileged opppressed

Eridaneans appear to be beings of fire, water, and starlight. They are anthropomorphic, standing 6' tall, but their bodies are made of energy surrounding a heart of black gemstone, with a thin membrane of water over the surface where others have skin. They have dark black eyes.

Eridaneans are immune to all Divine powers. They can control temperature around them, and they can turn into a watery form if they are in water. They consume radiation and are unaffected by pressure changes.

Eridaneans live in a chain of stars kown as the "river of stars", a "cosmic stream" where radiation flows in a vast rush. In their own histories and legends, they claim to have once been enslaved by Divine powers, but eventually they found the secret to resisting them and cast them down, forming the radiation stream that sustains them. Thus they have a cultural dislike of the Divine and those who worship them, though when they visit places of faith, they often try to hide this. Those who visit Shem are often there as traders, explorers, or seekers of magic.

PRO 8 ATH 10 STR 8 AWA 10 WIL 11 PRS 8 STH 6

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The Ha'ull

The animalistic aliens of the moons of Mytoth.

• Lifespan: 120 years
• Diet: Omnivorous
• Habitat: The moons of Mytoth
• Socioeconomic Status: Privileged opppressed

The ha'ull appear to be mixed anthropomorphic animalis of incredible variety even in one individual.

Players would choose seven different animals from different categories (amphibian, athropod, avian, fish, mammal, novotheria, mollusk, pluribi, reptile, or worm) to resemble and match their features to a human body with some variations (i.e., wings are acceptable).

The ha'ull have various senses and features of the animals they resemble. They also have one of several powers: armored flesh, open doors with a touch, temporary invisibility, absorb specific neutral energies, predict minor events, esoteric energy reserves, extreme speed, extreme strength, immovable stance, natural hunting skill, or quick learning.

The ha'ull are beings of many nations amongst the moons of Mytoth, where they adapt to their surroundings quickly. They have many different subcultures and governing styles, but they tend toward isolationism. Their nations tend to be low-tech except for their buildings and structures, their defenses, and their transportation. They are skilled in space travel. While they are isolationist, there are some who travel to other worlds, mostly to visit and understand.

PRO 9 ATH 9 STR 9 AWA 9 WIL 8 PRS 7 STH 8

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Karangannu

NPC only

Living wheels floating in outer space.

• Lifespan: 1,000 years

• Diet: Belief

• Habitat: Outer space

• Socioeconomic Status: Oppressed

Karangunnu appear to be spinning wheels made of stone and fire. They are covered in markings that are unlike any known language. They are usually about four fathoms in diameter (24’). Their outer rim is a stone cylinder about 3’ tall; the outer rim is connected to an inner rim about 6’ in, which is half the height of the outer rim. The rims are connected via tubular spokes about 6” in diameter. There are 18 spokes; they all meet in the center in a circular hub that is about 1’ in diameter. Where each spoke touches the outer rim there is a blazing sphere of multicolored flame.

Karangunnu can fly through outer space at faster-than-light speeds; within even a light atmosphere, they slow down vastly, moving only about the speed of sound. They can sense intelligent life over vast distances. Their flames can grant powers to those who have faith in them.

They are sustained by belief. They require vast amounts of belief in order to survive, and therefore, they travel across the universe, appearing in the sky above various civilizations briefly in order to inspire belief in them as mysterious and powerful beings. Essentially, they appear as UFOs and convince people to worship them by hurling their flames down and giving special powers and visions to mortals.

The karangunnu themselves do not speak; they communicate entirely through the people who worship them if they wish to speak to mortals. Communication amongst themselves is done through movement - they speak via spinning patterns. Their communities are small “pods” that travel through space together, buzzing planets and pausing only to interact with their believers, feeding off the worship quickly, then moving on. If they find that worshipers have declined on a specific world, they will spend a little more time there to foster a renewal of faith.

PRO 19 ATH 300 In Space Infinite STR 100 AWA 75 WIL 75 PRS 75 STH 1

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Saiphan

NPC only

Huge aliens from a distant "blue" star.

• Lifespan: 80 years
• Diet: Omnivorous
• Habitat: Canyons and caverns
• Socioeconomic Status: Privileged opppressed

Saiphans stand about 22' tall. They have blue and green skin, six eyes, and elongated mouths that look like a trumpet. They are hairless.

Saiphans have superstrength even for their size. Their mouths emit a series of trills and whistles that others cannot easily replicate without a device; their language is musical. Their six eyes allow them to see through solid stone or metal.

They dwell on a distant world orbiting a distant blue supergiant. Their world is a rocky megaplanet. They carve out canyons and caves to dwell in there, hiding from the heat of their massive sun. They have huge cities carved into the ground, made of stone and metal. They are skilled crafters of both materials. Their culture is one of honoring artisans and builders, seeking new ways to carve into their world, and surviving in the harsh conditions there.

Those who visit Shem are usually there seeking to trade crafts and products they have made.

PRO 10 ATH 7 STR 42 AWA 9 WIL 10 PRS 9 STH 3

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Scythax

"Monstrous" warriors of Behial.

• Lifespan: 400 years
• Diet: Carnivorous
• Habitat: Magma pools of Behial
• Socioeconomic Status: Privileged opppressed

Scythaxes appear to be 10' tall hominids with several sets of arms (often a few missing) with red-burnt flesh, eyes of flame, and claws of hardest vulcanium.

Scythaxes are immune to heat, can breathe toxic gas, and are resistant to crushing. They are susceptible to sharp edges, however. They can will metals to solidity even in the greatest heat, and they can shape them with their touch. They are weak to slashing damage.

Scythaxes live in the magma of Behial and in great caverns below it. They create weaponry and fight each other in pursuit of a perfect moment of combat. Once there were many species on Behial, but the scythaxes slew them all. Now they live in eight great clans, each claiming to be the original children of their ancient war god, born from drops of the deity's blood, spilled by the Forgotten Warrior, a folk hero. They view combat as a sport more than a dangerous activity, and death in combat is honored and cherished.

PRO 17 ATH 14 STR 17 AWA 9 WIL 9 PRS 7 STH 10

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Wathite

Hominid aliens empowered by feats of strength.

• Lifespan : 250-300 years

• Diet: Mortal fare, but more of it

• Habitat: Temperate to boreal montane forests

• Socioeconomic Status: varies

Wathites have the same range of appearance as human beings, but they are about 8' tall on average, and many have supernatural physcial forms based on the feats they have done.

Wathites have a commanding, intimidating presence. They have supernatural strength, speed, and prowess.

If a wathite attempts and succeeds at something that is at the highest level of difficulty for them (a feat--a 1 or 2 vs. a 10 or 11, for instance), they gain power and strength from it. A truly profound feat can alter their bodies as well as their powers. Often these are cumulative feats or results of cunning as well as strength. Most wathites achieve about five greater feats in their lives that give them a whole new power and/or alter their bodies, and dozens of lesser feats, which merely make them stronger, faster, more aware, etc.

A wathite can sense when someone they view as an enemy is near to them, even if they can't see them.

Failure at something that should be simple for them can reduce the power of a wathite.

Wathites are originally from a world called Wath, which was destroyed eons ago. They came to Shem and settled into a small country in the east.

Wathites have a complex view of strength and honor. Instead of a simple test of muscle or mind, they take a more holistic approach. A person who has no legs is not considered weak if they have other kinds of strength or skill. A person with developmental disabilities can still have great strength. What others might consider disabilities, wathites just consider different. They do not seek to accommodate those with different kinds of bodies or minds, but they do find ways to support them in adapting. Those who cannot adapt in any way to some important part of wathite life are instead asked to bring something new to the culture. For instance, a legend tells of a wathite known as Glass-cutter who had terrible eyesight and invented spectacles to improve their vision, or of a wathite named Longstep who was missing her left foot. She introduced into the culture a new way of movement that allowed her to compete with others and best them in her own way. This became a popular sport called longstep.

Wathites have a very different concept of honor, which is very important to them culturally. Honor is a major part of combat. Those who are stronger are considered honorable if they rely on their strength to win. Those who are clever are considered honorable even if they use trickery. Those who bully the weak are considered dishonorable, but those who command the weak are considered honorable. The differences can be nuanced and subjective, depending on the community. It is dishonorable to let someone suffer, starve, or go without if you have enough to share while still being able to care for those for whom you are responsible, but it is also dishonorable to insult someone by offering them food, drink, or shelter if they have no need of it. Knowing the right time to offer is a critical part of honor.

A wathite will take their last name from their greatest feat. Before they achieve a feat, they have no last name. As they grow, they gain new names as their feats grow. Some achieve a feat so great it is unlikely to ever be topped, or perhaps they simply find a name they like, and they stick to it. A name-giving feat will be one that alters the wathite physically, so all can see proof of it.

Wathites eat large amounts of normal mortal fare, but they tend to favor the meat of large and dangerous beasts (aurochses, bears, etc.), intense spices (very hot peppers or strong-flavored things like ginger), and potent alcohol (wathite ale is much higher proof than normal ale). To be able to handle one's drink is considered very important. Those who choose not to drink are also considered strong. Those who become addicted are considered sick. But those who drink to excess and misbehave are considered dishonorable, and if they blame the drink and do not take accountability, they are punished by law.

Sports are extremely popular among wathites, especially track and field. Athletic competitions are part of their upbringing, but also a chance to court and socialize.

In the colonies, Wathites can be of any social class or role except native.

PRO 11 ATH 11 STR 11 AWA 11 WIL 11 PRS 11 STH 11

One of these will be 14+, depending on the backstory of the Wathite.