Dark Race: Sartian Nomads

The Sartian Nomads are a race of human-like intelligent beings from a proto-dimension that was long ago over-run by Dark Minions. There are two types of Sartian nomads; Lesser Nomads and Dark Nomads. Each is explained below.

Lesser Nomads, or true Sartian Nomads are fugitives from their own home; hunted “animals” for the Dark Nomads to feed on. Due to the endeavors of exceptional sorcerers in their own world, they were able to escape into ours through a portal, but unfortunately, after several centuries of peaceful living on Earth, the Dark Nomads were able to create the same portal and begin their hunt again.

It started centuries ago, when Dark minions invaded their world of Sartia, and began to feed on the dread and death of their world. The invading minions ruled the planet for centuries to follow, manipulating the Sartian-humans like puppets or cattle. For the pure joy of the hunt and in an attempt to completely wipe out all resistance, a particularly predatory Minion race genetically created the Dark Nomads, a creature indistinguishable from normal Sartian humans in almost every way, except internal physiology. One trait of the Lesser or Sartian Nomads is trace elements of unique organic materials found only in their side of reality, which relates to that particular difference; the Dark Nomads do not have these trace elements, which have been genetically integrated into the Dark Nomads system as dependent elements to their existence. The Sartian Nomads became food for the Dark Nomads tables; cattle for the reapers.

After the Sartian Nomads escape from their world, they lived among us, secretly, primarily only mating with their own race. Through some strange intuition, the Sartian Nomads as well as Dark Nomads, know there own. Not only can they sense them, but can tell the difference between the true Sartian and Dark Nomads, except in special cases. These special cases are well trained Psionics experts that can manipulate that special intuition. These types are rare, and are called Maskers.

The Dark Nomads only came recently, through contact with other Dark Minions here on Earth. With their help, many were able to travel through a portal, but before long, a team of Sartian Nomads discovered the portal, and with some human allies, destroyed the portal. Now only a few thousand Dark Nomads roam the earth.

The Dark Nomads have no mercy and most have no control; they sight their food, they immediately kick into a hunger fit, called the Pull. Their features change to a more animalistic outlook, their actions more abrupt and almost savage. They must immediately or as soon as possible, feed on their destined prey. Masker Dark Nomads are the only ones known to control the Pull, and this in itself is a difficult feet.

One note that should be made about the Dark Nomads is that they normally live in packs; where there is one, there should be a few more near by, maybe not in the same apartment or house, but could be a neighbor or “relative”.

Dark Nomads do not reproduce normally, like humans. They have nests of plant-like egg sacks, usually kept somewhere warm. The nests are grown above several killed Sartians buried below, to feed the nesting young properly. The Sartian Nomads are able to discover some nests, if for instance, they know several of their kind have been killed in the same area, but others still exist. Dark Nomads have no children; they are born full grown adult male or female, appearing to be between the ages of 25 and 30. They don’t appear to age, either, lasting about 100 years, according to Sartian reports, before dying. They will die, if they do not feed. They can feed on human flesh, but the more they do that, and the less Sartian flesh they have, the weaker they get. After a full year with out Sartian flesh, the Dark Nomad will die. However, the Dark Nomads aren’t worried about starving; the Sartian have had centuries to breed.

The Dark Nomads can also feed off of Half Sartian; those offspring of a Sartian and a human from Earth. These are rare, but can satisfy a small hunger. However, because of the mixture of traits, they are not always as easily discovered using the racial intuition that is normally used to spot Sartians.

PCs as Nomads:

PCs can be Lesser Nomads, Half Sartian Human, or Renegade Dark Nomads.

Despite all the genetic engineering and sorcery put into the creation of the Dark Nomads, there are a few that have separated from the pack. Renegade Dark Nomads are those that separate from the pack; not so perfectly grown Dark Nomads that some how retained some of their original Sartian emotions and attachments to the Sartian race. The drawback is the Pull. They must feed. Those who are fortunate enough to find a Sartian willing to ally with them, are able to feed on synthetic substitutes that the Sartian Underground make. However, few Sartians will trust a Dark Nomad, and many Renegades die in the streets.

Also, despite strictness with in their race to mate within Sartian kind, some sway away from the norm, and fall in love with a human of Earth, which brings out a Half-Sartian. The Sartian gene is an extremely dominant one, and with it, it brings a few of the trace elements that the Dark Nomads need to survive. So, as for Sartian, Half Sartians are prey for the Dark Nomads as well. The question remains whether the Half Nomad was told of this prior to an encounter or was never told and would have to discover it on his own.

Sartian Nomads and Half Nomads are rolled up as per normal humans except for a few special abilities:

Empathy +1

Nomad Sense Level 1

Renegade Dark Nomads are rolled as normal humans except with the same special abilities and one disadvantage: the Pull. Any time the Dark Nomad is in the presence of a Sartian Nomad, they must make a Willpower check or act at a difficulty level higher at anything until the hunger is satisfied

Nomad Sense:

The ability to sense their own kind is encompassed under the Empathy skill Nomad Sense. The skill is rolled by the GM, when there is a chance another of their kind is near. It should be rolled in relative secrecy, if the Nomad PC is not expecting to sense one. The GM can ask the player to roll if he wishes, if it does not ruin any surprises.

For a normal Sartian Nomad to sense another or a normal Dark Nomad, it is an Average attempt. The PC is a Half Nomad, it is a difficulty level higher to sense any one of the Nomad types (Dark, Sartian, or Half Sartian). It is also a difficulty higher for any of them to sense him ( This is cumulative for Half Sartian sensing another – two difficulty levels higher). Maskers increase the difficulty a level higher if they succeed at a Masker Skill attempt; they have to be consciously attempting to Mask their essence.

Maskers:

A Dark or Sartian Nomad can become a Masker by becoming Psionisist, and then spending the necessary skill points to buy the Masker Skill (Empathy Skill). This skill is only available to Nomad Psionisist.

How they fit in the scheme of things:

The Dark Nomads are often used by Dark Ones as agents in the human masses. They are easily swayed if their is promise of Sartian flesh as reward. However, Dark Nomads are also clever, and some can manipulate Dark Minions to do their bidding. Sartian Nomads are a delicacy amongst those Earth Dark Minions that feed on human flesh.