Traveller's Guide to Auriga Cluster

This document as derived from the first survey details the races and species of the Auriga Cluster sector.

Humanity

Humans of Solomani and Vilani extraction made up the crews of the three ships that arrived in the Auriga Cluster. As the wreck of the starship Home was adrift in the Praxlis system the majority of humanity settled the rosette of worlds there and then branched off to explore other worlds.

The crews of the two other starships the Geneva and Welsh March decided to settle Illibria and found a new society based upon the myths and legends of the ancient homelands from which they were named.

Both groups exhibit typical racial and ethnic expressions from Old Terra the home of all mankind.

Minor Human Races

Within known and charted space it has been theorized and accepted that the Ancients took groups of between 1,000 and 10,000 individuals from ancient Terra (Earth) the Solomani Hypothesis and transplanted them to various worlds. At least 90 of them of which 46 survived to this day. The reason for Ancient interest in humaniti is unknown. Theories involving humans as slaves, assistants, workers and even as pets have all been advanced, but there is insufficient evidence now available to support any specific conjecture.

Some show signs of Ancient genetic modification and engineering while others evolved to fit into the new environments they were placed in.

Several lost groups of humans have been discovered within Auriga Cluster Sector. Termed minor human races as they did not develop the jump drive on their own, but instead reverse engineered examples which were provided to them by the crews of the Home, Geneva and Welsh March.

Kraati - The Kraati are a hard fierce group of humans that evolved to the harsh dry desert environment they dwell in. Having the ability to go for exceptional long periods of time without proper food and water. They tend to have skin of a burnished bronze hue, dark ruddy hair and dark colored eyes. Intensely militaristic they have had several wars with the neighboring alien race, the Mersean.

Illentir - The Illentir are a fair weaker artistic group of humanity that some colonials described as being ephemeral and fae. The Illentir have slightly upswept and pointed ears and are very fair in both skin complexion and hair color. Their eyes tend to be bright translucent hues that sparkle and reflect light in low light and darkness similar to those of a terrestrial domesticated cat.

Krysalian - The Krysalian demonstrate having undergone some genetic tampering which resulted in their skin being a vibrant bright blue with matching eyes of the same slightly darker color. Their hair is uniformly of darker colors mostly being of blacks. The darker the shade the better as viewed by Krysalian society as being more desirable being more rare. The Krysalians demonstrate an intense wanderlust and of all the minor human races have been the most often to volunteer to leave their home world and explore the sector with Praxlis Command.

Nordatin - The Nordatin appear to have been taken from European and Nordic stock to dwell in the mountains and fiords of the world upon which they were placed. They have largely retained all traces of their original Terran stock roots, though they have developed over time the ability to better breathe and survive in the high thin air of their mountainous world.

Albin - The Albin apparently were selected from ancient Terran humans with the condition of albinism. They received the most of any group Ancient genetic manipulation to allow them to better exist and thrive upon the dimly lit world they were given. The Albin prefer to remain on their world and do not appreciate other people and races visiting. Only highly trained ambassadors are sent out to deal with those from other worlds.

Alien non-Human species

Volge - Of the alien races found in the Auriga Cluster Sector the Volge are the closest to Humanity is structure and form. Having the same body structure, mass and weight and partial blood compatibility. The external differences found are their distinct blue green verdigris skin color, having solid black eyes, flanged ears and a pair of retractable round antennae.

Internally the Volge have a unique reproductive system. Females are born with and carry three large eggs that are approximately the size and shape of an avocado. An egg with "drop" as the Volge say one at a time, a female will know when a drop is approaching and will seek a suitable mate. Volge females are only fertile these three times. Volge females outnumber males eight to one.

Volge males only breed once. The male phallus while similar to that of a human male has a foreskin that detaches during intercourse much like some species of terrestrial spiders have a male that passes it's sperm through a detachable polyp. When the Volge male detaches his foreskin into the female he mates with it tears and rips out the majority of veins causing the male to bleed to death. Those few that do survive are left as eunuchs that become passive and physically weaker.

A small percentage of males have a defect which does not allow their foreskin to detach. Deemed to be infertile and being of a hyper aggressive nature due to psychological physical frustration they are sent to the Volge military where they serve as off world mercenaries.

Lithian - The Lithian are small bipedal race of primitive amphibian reptiles, that resemble Terran Axolotl. They communicate though hisses, clicks and sign language. Lithian are extremely friendly and cooperative. Readily engaging in trade and commerce with the explorer ships and merchants that visit their world. Their primary import is novelty food stuffs and exotic fruits and produce.

Styren - The Styren are a race of large squid like beings. Having twenty arms and a high intellect they communicate with flashes of bioluminescent colors of the spectrum and changes of skin color. The Styren developed an underwater technology using the thermal vents of their world. Upon first contact they utilized starship technology to move to the other habitable worlds in their system.

The Styren have also allowed clones from the stored genetic stocks taken from the starship home to be engineered to develop the land surfaces of their worlds and provide additional resources and materials that they could not otherwise provide for themselves.

Vigons - Vigons seemingly are uplifted Lemurs that were taken from Terra in the past. Standing at a meter and half in height and weighing what an early human teen might, the Vigons are multi-fingered with no set amount. Most often being eight which are all fully opposable. Being intelligent and quite adapt they have readily taken human technology for their own and have an advanced society.

Vigon society is based on community and having everyone following the same rules and regulations in order to maintain fairness and equality.

Regul - The Regul are a race of segmented beings that grow larger by layering rolls of fat underneath their tan skin which is composed of geometric plates of hard keratin. As the Regul age they develop more layers to the point that they cannot move with their own locomotion and are dependent upon the robotic machines that they have developed. Regul society is based on mercantile clans where the young serve the old as virtual slaves.

Conflicts between various clans are resolved with robotic armies and the occasional mercenary force that has earned the trust of a Regul clan.

Regul tend to be very xenophobic by nature and do not enjoy being in the presence of non-Regul species.

Velantians - Velantains are a race of large, some up to thirty meters, flying filter feeders. The Velantians are distinguished by having an internal biological form of jet power. The biological jet propulsion appears to be caused by the exhalation of waste bodily gases combining with other gases found in the atmosphere.

Velantians live in simple hangers constructed with stones and cob with wooden and thatched roofs. These are clustered around thermal geysers and volcanic vents that provide warm updrafts which provide lift. It is unknown as to how they communicate as all attempts to date have failed. Those researchers which have approached have been warned off by having stones and other debris dropped upon them.

Numen - The Numen are a race of purple bruised colored people with elongated giraffe like heads and faces and multiple double jointed limbs, having both two sets of knees and elbows. The Numen live in underground automated bunkers and have regressed to the point that they can no longer maintain them or construct new ones. The surface of their world is a ruined wreak of craters and blasted cities. Apparently having been a world war some thousand years in the past based on radioactive carbon dating.

The Numen spend their time exploring the surface of their world looking for still working artifacts and art which they trade to and with the exploratory corps as they are slowly being reeducated to an advanced state.

Bastetan - The Bastetan are a race of feline centaurs that evolved on a dry savanna world which orbits three stars. The Bastetan have a hump which stores water not unlike that of a camel. The Bastetan have reached a bronze age technological level. It is believed that the Bastetan would be more advanced if not for the close periodic orbit of their world which brings them close to the companion stars.

This time is referred to as the burning time, during which, famine and drought rule the day. There is a great die off of all species. It is thought that with advanced housing technologies that the Bastetan can move from being hunter gatherers to a settlement based society that is provided for by deep drilling and hydroponic farms.

Hoppers - Hoppers are the colorful name given to the race of amphibian frog like beings which are and have been unfortunately viewed with an air of distrust. Hoppers are a simple people given to eating anything that will fit into their mouths and breeding with any being at any time. Their numbers are kept in check due to the cannibalistic nature of the males who will consume their spawn as well as the spawn which fight for dominance often killing their siblings.

Hoppers do enjoy contact with those from off world and engage in trade and commerce. Hoppers are said to be the best tailors in the sector.

Arctodus - The Arctodus are a direct result of Ancients genetic engineering on the Terran Short faced bear which resulted in the creation of an anthropomorphic bear species which has been able to on it's own advance to an early steam technology. Due to the nature of bears the Arctodus prefer to live in small isolated familial communities that form larger clans where all members are related to one another.

Generally friendly to others until proven otherwise, the Arctodus have a strong sense of hospitality. Though this hospitality is not without it's limits and reciprocal hospitality is expected in return.

Small groups of Arctodus have made their way off world and live as wardens within protected parklands.

Dirdir - The Dirdir are the descendants of tree dwelling carnivores. The Dirdir in appearance are covered with a smooth, cool flexible skin that resembles polished bone, that ranges in color from off yellow white to pale mauve. Antennae extend from the sides of the head and are incandescent, glowing brighter when the Dirdir are in the grip of strong emotion.

The Dirdir upon contact with the exploratory group readily adopted the advanced technologies and began to go forth out into the stars. Dirdir by nature are a predatory race that has a compulsive need to hunt and kill by bare hand, claws and fangs. Dirdir worlds have huge game parks to facilitate hunting. Nothing tastes worse to a Dirdir than farmed game meat.

The Dirdir will and do use weapons. Their projectile weapons and energy based weapons are some of the most deadly and efficient in the sector.

Sulidor and Nildor - The Sulidor and Nildor are a species of giant ground sloth that was transplanted from ancient Terra and allowed to develop on their own. Both are subspecies of the original progenitor, one being more inclined to the temperate climes and the other of the tropics. Both groups do have contact with each other for trade and exchange of news and other information. Researchers believe that a third hybrid group exists within the fringe of Sulidor and Nildor society.

Skitters - Skitters are a small race of uplifted sugar gliders that have been engineered by the Ancients to survive on a nearly completely frozen world of shallow ice seas and high velocity winds. Standing slightly less than a meter in height the Skitters use their skin folds to carry them through the air from place to place.

Generally thought to have been created by the Ancients to harvest the special fruits of the plants which can only be found on the frozen world of the Skitters. The Skitters now trade these fruits and other materials with the sector as a whole.

Athshean - The Athshean are the descendants of Terran primates that have thrived on the world to which they were transplanted. Living in a lush paradise the Athshean desire nothing more than to be left alone with their traditional views and values. However they are experiencing a society upheaval as the younger members of their society give up on the traditions of the past and desire the advanced technologies that can be provided by those from off world.

Mersean - The Mersean are a race of anthropomorphic crocodilians that are militaristic, aggressive and highly territorial. Having taken advanced technology and reverse engineered it they ventured out into the stars and unfortunately came into contact with the Kraati who are equally as aggressive. Since then both have fought a series of five wars and it is felt that a sixth will soon commence.

The Mersean pride themselves on their sword culture. Brandishing ornate blades while wearing custom decorative and ornate armors is the preferred way for a Mersean warrior to go into battle. Merseans prefer to disable an enemy starship and take it with a boarding action. Often this means ramming the opposing ship and entering through the breach.

A Mersean will use ranged weapons but only as a last resort to engage a cowardly foe who is at distance or to shoot one in the back as he flees. This to not dishonor their blade by taking the blood of a coward.