Karidians

Physical Description

It’s always hard to describe a Karidian. They are nothing like any other species in known space. They are a merging of something of arthropodic/crustacean origin and insectoid. They almost seem like the not should exist. They are quadruped creatures with tentacular arms, and a unusually shaped head. It has four spidery legs, all whcih slip into two lower legs ending in a total of 8 clawed “feet”. The legs attach to a thorax which supports the head and two arms with an assortment of tentacles and claws attached. (See picture)

One thing is known about the Karidians, and that is that they are quite adaptable. Karidians are constantly modifying the next generation with new bio-tech and genetic engineering. They regularly reproduce every 40 years, entering their mating season that lasts about 5 years. This way they have an enitre generation all at once. At this time, the geneticists and bio-engineers integrate any new “options” into the Karidian make up.

Average Size: 2.2 m
Average Mass: 78 kg
Average Life-span: 310 yr.
Reproduction: hermaphroditic, egg-laying
Body Temp: 32 C

Historical Detail.

Karidians are a race that baffle most xeno-scholars. Karidian history before the Dominion of Sovereignties War is a msytery. No one knows, and no records survived the war. All that anyone can remember was that the Karidians were once part of a hive-minded society called the Collection. They had advanced technology, most of which was based on bio-technology. Throughout the war, not even the Torani could reproduce or reverse engineer their technology. Some theorized that the Karidians were as old as the J’Vaarian and were the J’Vaarians arche rival in space.

However, all that is in the past for the Karidians. They are a lost race now, their hive mind destroyed, the remaining survivors searching for a new purpose, a new existence. Most of their past is forgetten by them, and with a new strange sense of individualsim, the Karidians are floundering about in small groups of raiding parties and pirates, searching for an identity. Some of the technology survived, and those that remebered how to work it try to pass on that knowledge. However, not all the knowledge was passed, and whole caches of technology sit in remote worlds of what once was Karidians space, waiting to be reclaimed by the Collection.

There is no specific space that is considered Karidians space any longer, and there are so few of them left, the Dominion of Sovereignties and the Frontier hardly recognize their existence. However, despite that, the Karidians continue to thrive and in fact, have grown in large number recently.

Senses

Karidians have extraordinary sense of smell and air pressure sense (motion sense). Their auditiory senses are less than humans, however.

Speech and Languages

Karidians have never had to speak. They communicate through a combination of pheromones and low-frequency vibrations through special senders in their arms and legs (like a cricket’s legs). They have only recently had to worry about speech, when encountering the races of the Frontier and the Dominion of Sovereignties. Since then, they have integrated biotechnology translators and “voice boxes” into their physiology. They can speak any laguage they are taught as well as a native.

Attitudes

Karidians are a species searching for a purpose, lost from their hive-minded society. They are slowly adapting to their new sense of indvidualism, but not in the way people wouldlike. In their throws of their search for identity, they have become raiders and marauders of space. What they can’t produce, the steal and integrae into their technology. They see all other species as just extra parts to their new “Collective”. Like humans see a forest as a new oppotunity to make lumber to build houses, they see whole populatiuons of humans as a new harvestiong place to support their biotechnology. However, they don’t have the forces now to support that kind of doctrine, so they aduct transients and homeless, raid independent out posts, and pirate lone ships.

Some Karidians have become somewhat enlightened and see other species as relatively equal, but very few iof tham have. These individuals workd hard to understand the other species, walk amongst them, and learn their ways. Not all are successful. Most are quite awkward.

Karidians are seen as bizarre and sometimes grotesque by others, even the Vrusks. Some cultures even use them in bedtime stories to scare their children. “The Karidians Raiders are coming to get you…”

Social Structure and Standards

The Karidian Society is at a phase of flux, at this point. Several different cells of Karidians are forming, all developing their own based in their surroundings. The are heavily influenced by what cultures are around them, and they absorb what fits their needs. Most of these societies still use the biotechnology of the Collection, but now each cell is developing it so differently that they are incompatible.

The predominant society of the Karidians are the raiders. They use ships left over from the collection, and other ships they have captured to raid outlying colonies of the Dominion of Sovereignties and the Frontier. They have been a particular problem within the Rim Coalition.

Racial Abilities

Motion Sense: A Karidian can sense movement within a normal-pressured area. THis is amplified in water, but ineffective in vacuum. +1 to IM.

Biomodifications: Most Karidians have some sort of biomodifications. This is left to the player, at the consulatation of the GM. It should be derived from the character concept.

Climbing: Vertical Surfaces: Karidians can climb smooth vertical surfaces like a spider, due to special properties in their feet and body. They gain normal Climbing (non-vertical surfaces) at +X, and Climbing: Vertical Surfaces specialization at Level [1d6].