Contents
General Information
Race Name: Idaran
Important Note: This race was created by Narai for the new player universe which will open soon. This will be a playable race. While the information below is final, Narai will add more detailed information regarding history, culture, etc... as time goes on. If there is an area you wish to see more information on, @mail Carebear in game and he will add more detail.
Physical Characteristics/Description
A humanoid race, similar in overall shape of a Terran Human however with noticeable differences. They average in height around six and a half feet tall. They have scaled skin, in a variety of colors and densities. The most common scale colors are red, yellow and green. Uncommon colors are blue and white. Very few posses black, silver or gold scales - thought to be a mutation in the genes of the person. The only hair on their body is on their heads, typically blonde or reddish hair. Their eyes are a single solid color, usually red. There are some that have blue or green eyes. While the scales can be thick, they cannot withstand a hit from a weapon or blade. The scales evolved over time to withstand the harsh environments of their home world. The average lifespan is in the range of 180 years.
Planets
Idar Prime
Once a lush world covered in vast farmland, oceans and wilderness - Idar Prime suffered some sort of cataclysmic event several thousand years ago which changed the face of the world. Over the course of several decades, the forests died, rivers and lakes dried up and death moved across the land. The central continent, which was home to the majority of the Idaran race, become a barren desert wasteland. The continent to the north became a massive wall of ice and froze plain. Settlements, known as Borrows, were built along the coast of the desert continent. Several smaller and medium sized communities flourished in the deep desert. To the north, several cities were built within the ice. In the south, mountain ranges protected a very small pocket of forest - while a number of cities and borrows are located within the mountains, no one has touched the small wilderness that survived.
Capital: Dal Sempora (Sempora Burrow)
The largest city on the planet, located on the central desolate continent next to the ocean. Dal Sempora has expanded for many miles, and is protected by a large stone wall to prevent the impact from sand storms from the deep desert. The spaceport is nestled near the ocean, along with the port of Sempora, which is used to bring in resources from other cities on other continents. The city, as such, has a strong fishing industry. The centre city has many large buildings overlooking the city, with various business setup. In the, what was once dead centre of the city, is a large stone structure with a dome on it - the government building that houses the Quorum of Governors, the leading body for the Eidaran Hegemony. The city is home to primarily middle and upper class citizens. A small section of the city, near the outskirts with the desert along the wall, known as Dal Xelen, is home to a lower class of citizens and is heavily patrolled. On the other side of the wall, poorer classes have setup homes, making Dal Xelen extend beyond the wall.
Idar Minor
The only mood to Idar Prime. For thousands of years it was thought to be uninhabitable until the Idarans were able to send a probe there. It was discovered that it contained fertile land for cultivation, and mountain ranges full of various metals and ores. After space travel became a reality, the Idarans setup a primary colony called Dal Toro. The colony became a hub for economic activity, including the buying and selling of millions of tons of metals and food annually, and also is home to the Toro Merchantile Exchange - a merchant organization that has become very powerful, and has threatened the stability of the Quorum. They control the majority of trading in the region. The Toro Merchantile Authority, the parent organization of the Exchange (where trading occurs), has developed a small merchant militia to defend its assets. With the discovery of faster than light technology, they plans to expan off of Idar Minor.
Government Structure
The governing body, known as the Quorum of Governors, is made up of the head (Governor) of each Clan on the planet. Each Governor has one vote on matters brought to the Council and can push their own agenda should they choose. The head of the Quorum is the Chancellor. The Chancellor is selected by the Council (through Majority Vote), and may or may not be a Governor. If a Governor is selected to rule as Chancellor, they must pass the leadership of their Clan to another (either temporarily or permanently). The Chancellor term is ten years long, and there are no set number of terms one can serve. In the past, religious leaders and business leaders had served as Chancellor, selected from candidates outside of the Quorum itself.
The Chancellor is responsible for trade, foreign affairs and control of the military. The Chancellor receives one vote on the Council and in the event of a tie, can cast a second vote. The Chancellor is responsible for setting policy and directing the Council in a certain direction. This, however, is subject to shifty governorship coalitions.
No new Clanss can be formed without majority approval of the Quorum.
Clans are typically regional alliances of families, businesses and groups. The larger ones consist of millions of citizens and control significant portions of territory, however all work together for the greater good. At one point, there were dozens of small Clanss that fought one another over territory and resource.
History
Idarans, by galactic standars, are a younger race that developed quickly out of the need for survival. Several thousand years ago, their planet underwent some sort of change or was the victim a catastrophic event that changed their world. Once a vibrant, lush planet filled with forests, farmland and tropic areas, the atmosphere thinned and the lakes and rivers in the central regions dried up, and over the course of a hundred years the main continent become a barren desert wasteland. The northern continent became a frozen land of ice. The southern continent, although small, was primarily regions of mountain ranged, and was much like the northern continent. Some pockets of vegetation could be found in the region, however.
After the change in their world occurred, the Idarans formed Clans, dozens of them, consisting of various families and citizens. For years, they would fight one another over water, food, metals. The harsh environment brought out the worst in them. Additionally, the Idaran's developed thin scale-like skin of various colours over the course of thousand years. This protected them from the harsh deserts.
As the years went on, territory was drawn up, the remaining Clans came to a sort of uneasy peace for the next several hundred years. During this time, science flourished and new technologies were brought to the forefront. The planet itself was rich in metals, and large cities begun to form. Their capital, Dal Sempora, built along the coast of the central continent, would act as a neutral ground for the remaining Clans. Over time, a central government would take shape here, controlling the Clans in an almost state-like fashion
The real change came when an object of unknown origin crashed into the planet. It turned out to be a ship. While none of the crew survived, the Idaran took the ship and attempted to reverse engineer the ship. Over the course of the next hundred years, new technology would slowly emerge. Beam weapons, advanced communications, faster ground based travel, and so forth. It took some time for them to crack the secret of space travel.
At first, the Idarans could only perform low orbit flights. As time progressed, they went out further and further. Eventually, they settled a colony on Idar Minor, a fair sized habitable moon that would act as their primary source for food as well as new materials to build with.
This entire time, however, it was known that there were other beings in the galaxy, an the Quorum of Governors (the leading governmental body) had ordered the construction of space armada using the new technologies they had discovered. Over the next several decades, the Idarans rallied to build a defensive fleet, not yet capable of leaving their home system.
Recently, the Idarans have been experimenting with faster than light technology - abit of a mix between the ship they reverse engineered and their own scientific discovery. The Quorum of Governors has pronounced the new age of Idarans to be an age of expansion into the galaxy.
Industry and Exports
Idar Prime's primary industry includes the production and export of metals, ores and minerals. Hundreds of mines are setup throughout the deep deserts of Yidar.
In recent years, Idaran's have produced a high number of talents and exception scientific minds though the well funded Sempora University of Science and Technology. It was this institution that cracked the secrets of FTL travel.
Additionally, the Quorum has recently funded and formed a secret intelligence agency, which has been producing a large number of spies, saboteurs and intelligence officers. Some have been sought after by other governments off world since they have become a space faring race. The Idarans have an extensive intelligence network in place. The organization is known as the Ministry of Intelligence and Information.
Military
Approximately one hundred years ago, the various Clans dissolved their individual military forces and combined them into a single military. As of recently, the military consisted of:
Hegemonic Imperial Guard
The oldest of the various branches of the military. The Imperial Guard was the main defenders of the Idaran Hegemony. Consisting of hundreds of thousands of troops and officers, the military was well trained and would become marines aboard the ships in the Naval Authority. There had been rumours that the Guard had various secret divisions that would execute politics dissidents and enemies of the state.
No more then fifty years old, the Imperial Navy was formed out of the technology developed to travel in space. Consisting of dozens of ships of various sizes, the Imperial Navy is young and eager to prove itself. Many of its experienced officers come from the Guard, and the Hegemony has, on occasion, hired outsiders to help command ships in order to bring 'fresh blood' and experience into the fledging force. They, of late, have been used primarily to combat raider activity and to keep the Toro Mercantile Authority in line.
Naming Convention
Idaran names typically start with X, V, Q, I or U. They favor the use of I, O and U in names, along with L. Names are three parts in length.
The first is the 'given name' of the Idaran. The first and second name are separated by an apostrophe, with the second name being the family name. The third name, while not so much a name, is used as an identifier of which clan the Idaran belongs to.
Example: Vil'Orun Garush
See the Clan section for a list of Clans.
Exiled/Outcast Idaran
A part of the social structure in Idaran society is that some Idarans are considered outcast as a result of the colour of their scales. That being said, some of these Outcasts have been adopted into various Clans, typically under extraordinary circumstances. Outcasts have been known to create hidden burrows of their own in the deep desert and other areas of Idar Prime.
Exiled members of the Idaran society are exiled as a result of some sort of severe violation of Idaran law. Once exiled, they are left to the desert, never allowed to return to their Clan. Some exiled Idaran have, in the past and under rare circumstances, been allowed to join rival clans. Exiled Idaran are forbidden from serving in the military in anything other then a front line soldier role, and this occurs only during war.
Outcasts and Exiled Idaran are identified by their name. As they are without Clan, where the Clan name in their name would normally be is replaced by the word 'Iruan'. Roughly translated, it means 'without honour' or 'without Clan'. Their family and given name remains the same.
Note: If you are wanting to create an Exiled or Outcast character, or some variation of it, please contact Narai before to discuss it.
Idaran Calendar
The Idaran calendar consists of 412 days, the length it takes for Idar Prime to circle its sun.
Idaran Clans
Below is a list of Clans found on Idar Prime. The vast majority of Idarans belong to one of the clans. While this list is not all inclusive, should someone wish to form a clan, contact Carebear in game for details.
Clan Tei'xel
Considered the most powerful clan on Idar Prime, Tei'xel is also one of the oldest. They have, however, evolved with the times to become a more progressive clan and have openly accepted new technology and methods - at least more so then other clan. Dal Sempora was once their capital, however when the clans united, Tei'xel graciously allowed it to be used as the central hub for commerce and government.
Over the last two hundred years, the Tei'xel (which translates roughly to Great Explorers) have had more Chancellor nominations in the Quorum of Governors than any other clan. Additionally, they are fierce opponents of the Toro Mercantile Authority.
Currently, Qiula'Ventari of Tei'xel is the current Chancellor of the Quorum.
The position of High Chief of Tei'xel is currently in a period of transition, as Qiula recently took lead of the Quorum and is looking for a suitable replacement.
Clan Ura'iel
The Ura'iel have, for generations, been a working class clan which have supplied many of the resources for the Idaran people. They, for the most part, inhabited the western part of the main desolate continent but expanded to several other areas of Idar Prime, and also are the primary clan inhabiting Idar Minor (aside of the Mercantile Authority).
They cling to the old ways, including harsh (and sometime severe) punishments for crime, training and education, and culture. While they play an integral role in Idaran society, they have typically have not had a huge role in the military or the use of new technologies. Some Ura'iel have found themselves in roles that their clan would not traditionally approve of.
The current leader, known as the Seer, is Reiq'Erra. She represents the clan on the Quorum.
Clan Qun'tilu
Qun'tilu is a clan that was formed from several smaller warring clans. With the formation of the Naval Authority, Qun'tilu found a calling and are almost entirely found within the ranks of the Idaran military. Their civilian ranks can be found throughout Idar Prime and Minor in various other roles, and in sub-burrows of many of the cities. Before the formation of an official military, the Qun'tilu acted as mercenaries for hire for various clans who needed protection or wanted to go to war against other clans.
There is some belief that the Qun'tilu are involved in some way with the Toro Mercantile Authority, but that has never been proven.
The leadership of the Qun'tilu is handled differently than many of the other clans. Because of their deep involvement with the military, the Qun'tilu give leadership to the highest ranking member in the military - this makes it difficult for members of the clan who are non-military to take a leadership role.
The current leader of the Qun'tilu is Vice Admiral Uqel'Xar. While he is not leader of the military, he is the highest ranking Qun'tilu in the military, and as such acts as representative to the Quorum of Governors.
Toro Mercantile Authority
The Mercantile Authority was originally formed on Idar Minor in the city of Dal Toro. It's initial purview, years ago, was to facilitate the collection, transportation and logistics of various commodities on Idar Minor to the homeworld. Over time, the Mercantile Authority grew, acquiring their own ships, then security and finally expanded beyond Idar Minor.
The Mercantile Authority expanded to a nearby asteroid field and other small planets within Idaran space, building their forces outside the control of the Quorum of Governors. On other worlds, they shed their use for clans and created a community on their own. As time progressed, these changes put them at odds with the Quorum and many of the Idaran clans.
However, with all that was going the Quorum was not prepared to put an end to the Mercantile Authority as they did not have the logistics in place to take over the movement of freight and resources that were needed, and it was thought that any disruption could be catastrophic to the Idaran people. This, however, allowed the Authority to build a military force under the nose of the Quorum. While they did not know the extent of the Mercantile Authority's military force, they knew one existed. The Authority would eventually provide armed escorts for convoys and one several occasions even got into a fire fight against the Naval Authority.
Recently, tensions have risen between the Quorum of Governors and the Toro Mercantile Authority. It is not yet known what either has planned. There are rumours that the Authority is more powerful then what is known, and that their influence extends deep into various organizations on Idar Prime, including the military.
The current leader of the Toro Mercantile Authority is Chief Operator Iqur'Vulir. His location is not known at this time.