Lotorian (Race)

Overview

Known as Lotorian "roamers" it is believed that these furred bipedal aliens once had a homeworld, but they lost it to some catastrophe ages ago. Although tales of the catastrophe vary from Lotorian to Lotorian, most agree the disaster was caused by the Kamir. Now, they have proliferated throughout Hiverspace, aboard family-owned starships, in service to the Hekayti, or in solitary pursuit of financial gain. On average, Lotorians are about five feet tall. They're covered in coarse fur, which is usually some variation of brown or gray. They've got elongated snouts and eyes that are banded by black fur. The design of the band varies from family to family. They've got two arms and two legs, and each appendage has six digits. They have prehensile tails.

Naming Conventions

Lotorian names are generally two syllables, heavy on consonants. Examples: Genkhun, Feznak.

Roleplaying Hooks

• Generally distrustful of psionic beings, especially Kamiroids.
• Often pronounce their "s" sounds like "z."
• Prehensile tails make for handy acrobatic devices.
• Snout whiskers and ears can be used to convey interest, surprise, and other emotions/moods.

Lotorian Culture

While Lotorians are a disparate race with several variations, common cultural archetypes can be examined.

The fundamental unit of Lotorian society is the clan. These groups are large enough to live on ships that can hold a couple thousand beings. Internally, many Lotorian societies have a quasi-caste structure, where young Lotorians serve in roles similar to what their immediate parents did.

Lotorians often have a general collective mentality, that is to say, their decisions emphasize the whole rather than the individual. That and in many fields Lotorians lead a moderately dangerous life. These circumstances make death of old age something of a celebratory event.

Wealth is commonly kept within a clan, to a notable extent. Wealthy clans are the ones that operate major institutions used by a variety of Hiverspace denizens, such as starship supply, energy production, and shopping centers. Lotorians can be plenty greedy, but there's a sense of fundamental responsibility to the clan itself.

Clans can make alliances, relationships, and agreements with each other, making certain clans 'clankin' with each other. Many of these clankin relationships are due to common origin, such as two clans that share a common ancestral clan.

Lotorian education focuses more on the essentials and what is required to survive and maintain current technology, rather than develop their own internally.

Lotorian Culture Roles

• Elders - Old Lotorians who've managed to live long enough to be old age, and are useful to keep around for obscure lore and experienced decision making.
• Teachers/Caretakers - Another task the old are tasked with, providing basic knowledge for the Lotorian young and watching over the very young as the rest of the family serves vital functions aboard the ship.
• Masters - Most experienced in the clan in their chosen field. These are the ones teach advanced techniques and such to their promising students and work on those problems the normal workers can't.
• Workers - The ones that do the 'normal' tasks of operating the station or doing the work that needs done (trading, producing food, and whatnot).
• Apprentices - The ones that are old enough to start learning a task, given the basic work.

Possible Careers

• Salvager
• Merchant
• Pirate
• Pilot
• Engineer
• Explorer