 September 7, 2010 - 8:54pm | Looking over the races of Star Frontiers I found one of the most important (to me anyway) was also one of the least covered. I am speaking of the only know allies of the Sathar, the Zuraqqor. Since they are in the shortest module with one of the shortest race write ups I felt some expansion was due to them. To do this, I took the basic write up and then applied what it said and comparisons to the other races to come up with the following. Of course I ran into a problem immediately as even this short commentary on them was filled with contradictions. So I will go through my process and how I arrived at my conclusions. PLEASE comment on them and let's see if we can improve this forgotten race of the Frontier. We are given stats and skills for the eight Zuraqqor involved in the attack on Starship Omicron. Great, somewhere to start. Looking at these we quickly notice that for a group of warriors they are very weak and very technically skilled. Also worrying is the statements that Zuraqqor are born into orders which determine their stats and warriors have the second highest STR/STA only after workers. If this is true then we are dealing with the weakest race ever if there warriors only have 30s in STR/STA. But wait it also states warriors fight while technicians provide support. Another statement of the write up is that only the warriors can carry weapons except in defense. But all the attacking Zuraqqor have the same stats and are all armed, so these must all be warriors. Then revelation hit me. The write up went on to say how the technicians have slowly taken control of Zuraqqor society and rival groups of technicians will try to put up figurehead kings and queens. Any faction so divided and Machiavellian would of course ignore any rules or restrictions they felt stood in the way of their goals. Politicians to the rescue! The attackers here are a group of technicians who have convinced their ally, the Sathar, to assist them in secretly attacking the Starship Omicron. In all likelihood to secure the deadly spores which kill Zuraqqor the fastest. Probably intending to use it against some of their rival technician groups and also giving it to the Sathar to use for their own diabolical purposes. Using the base stats for technicians I worked up the Zuraqqor race write up. Hope you like it. Physical Appearance and Structure The Zuraqqor are a race of bipedal (two arms and two legs) insects. They have large bug-like eyes, two antennae and small wings. They appear smaller then they are because their knees bend the opposite way of most races and their necks extend horizontally from broad hunched over shoulders. Zuraqqor have skin but it is more of a flexible and porous chitin. Coloring is also determined by the order they belong to. Also because of the shift in the light spectrum they can see (covered under Senses) the Zuraqqor appear a different color to themselves (and Vrusk) then to those races whose sight is similar to humans. Worker Red Grey (solid) Warrior Black Black with striations of dark blue Technician Blue Blue with splotches of violet King Black Glowing purple with bands of violet Queen Black Glowing violet with bands of purple Zuraqqor senses of are very similar to Vrusk with one exception. The Zuraqqor have very large eyes which allow them to see in a 270 degree arc. This means they can see all around them except for what is directly behind them. Zuraqqor have mandibles for eating but speak with a larynx similar to Humans and Yazirians. This allows them to learn those languages easily and have an ability to speak Vrusk languages with a little training. Zuraqqor live in vast communal buildings called Hives. Each Hive houses 100,000 or more. Their planets are divided into Hive Districts each containing several Hives. Kings and Queens who are not Hive leaders take on other leadership roles as preparation to becoming Hive leaders. Kings serve as military officers in both their army and navy. Queens work as supervisors and managers on many different levels both in labor and political fields. Zuraqqor in the same order act the same. Workers only wish to serve their Hive and Queens. Warriors only wish to protect their Hive and serve their Kings. Kings and Queens only wish to lead and provide for their people and Hives. Specialization-Zuraqqor may only choose skills from their order’s PSA until they reach skill level 4 in one skill. They can only take a total of 2 skills outside their order’s PSA and those can only be raised to skill level 2. Thanks to their specialization they start with one skill at level 2 and one at level 1. Zuraqqor are unwelcome in the Frontier. They cannot be player characters unless the Referee is running a Bizarro campaign. Zuraqqor are cunning and dangerous. Any encounter with them should be reported immediately. If escape is impossible, citizens should attack immediately, attempting to capture a live Zuraqqor for study, if possible. When Zuraqqor are encountered with Sather, citizens should either attempt to escape or attack to kill, as the Zuraqqor are known to be allies of the Sathar. Worker Warrior Technician King Queen Average Mass 100 kg 90 kg 50 kg 50 kg 50 kg Average Lifespan 60 yr 60 yr 100 yr 120 yr 120 yr Reproduction Sterile Sterile heterosexual heterosexual/Sterile/ovoviviparous Body Temp 38 C 38 C 38 C 38 C 38 C Initial PSA BioSocial Military Technological Military BioSocial MOVEMENT Walking 10 m 10 m 10 m 10 m 10 m Running 15 m 15 m 30 m 30 m 30 m Hourly 6 km 5 km 3 km 3 km 3 km AVERAGE STATS STR/STA 70/70 60/60 30/30 30/30 30/30 DEX/RS 50/50 70/70 60/60 60/60 60/60 INT/LOG 25/25 30/30 35/35 35/35 35/35 PER/LDR 20/20 25/25 30/30 45/45 45/45 IM 6 7 6 6 6 PS 4 3 2 2 2 RW 25 35 30 30 30 MW 35 35 30 30 30 Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
 September 8, 2010 - 4:51am | Nice write up. thanks for sharing it. I like the Zuraqqor and have wanted to expand on them. the closest I came was to make some "organic" weapon systems for them. The Dragon magazine article "The Zuraqqor Strike Back" had some information about their ships. I was thinking there was another article out there as well, but cant find it. Time flies when your having rum. Im a government employee, I dont goof-off. I constructively abuse my time. |
 September 8, 2010 - 8:18am | Great job! We'll need to whip you up a picture. I like the technician rivals, I can even see kings/queens of different factions/sects vying for power. For weapons I imagine they use more energy based, maybe they are experts in sonic technology. |
 September 8, 2010 - 10:06am | Fine work! This should help me with a Zuraqqor Special Agent/Assassin that I have stalking the PCs in the adventure I'm working on. Not sure if the Z would be best defined as a warrior or a technician though. My guess would be the latter. As to a pic of a Z to accompany your write-up, there's only two I know of; the green Z from the 'Zuraqqor Wiki' write-up, and the waspish looking Z's from the Dragon magazine article. Would be kool to have a definitive pic made by one of you talented SF'ers. I'd give it a whirl, but given my artistic abilities, yall better not be eating anything when you see it!  Blarg! AH! THAT'S IT! One of the Z's special racial abilities is just seeing one causes an immediate STA check vs. uncontrolable vomiting! Nice!  My SF website izz: http://ragnarr.webs.com |
 September 8, 2010 - 11:56am | This harkens back to our discussions in the core four forums. The vrusk would see the zuraqqor as an insect society that is at the cross roads of changing over from the hive society and failing. Of course the vrusk would study this intensely from the comments gained from the few captured zuraqqor. Many in vrusk society would compare themselves to the zuraqqor and count their blessings that their society made it over the hump into individual society. Of course humans, yazirians, and dralasites would tease back that the vrusk are still attached to their hive society through their corporations. I have to think that the sathar are taking advantage of the societal struggles the zuraqqor are caught in to manipulate them to their own ends. It's always better to get someone else to do your dirty work for you. And, do the dieing! I really like your write up and think I'll use it -iggy |
September 9, 2010 - 5:42am | Thanks for the feedback. The Vrusk/Zuraqqor connection is not something I thought of and would like to use. The for weapons I was thinking more projectile since despite they are (and I am not kidding) the stupidest race. Their genius technicians only average a 35 Int. I was thinking they are getting so big boosts from the Sathar. Speaking of which wondering only some of the technicians have sold out their race and allow the Sathar enslave them for their own advantage. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
September 9, 2010 - 7:35am | Thanks for the feedback. The Vrusk/Zuraqqor connection is not something I thought of and would like to use. The for weapons I was thinking more projectile since despite they are (and I am not kidding) the stupidest race. Their genius technicians only average a 35 Int. I was thinking they are getting so big boosts from the Sathar. If they are a dumb as you portray them perhaps the only ships they have access to is Sathar owned or taken from another race. These ships are heavily reliant on computer systems for operations and astrogation. Speaking of which wondering only some of the technicians have sold out their race and allow the Sathar enslave them for their own advantage. |
September 9, 2010 - 9:12am | If they are a dumb as you portray them perhaps the only ships they have access to is Sathar owned or taken from another race. These ships are heavily reliant on computer systems for operations and astrogation. I don't think that the sathar would give an inferior race their ships (to sathar all races are inferior). Rather I think they would help the subjugate race build ships that fit into the sathar's plans. The zuraqqor may be dumber but that does not prevent them from copying and just taking longer to achieve the same result. The sathar are patient enough to deal with the zuraqqor genius level. They are also cunning enough to get the zuraqqor to do things the way they want. -iggy |
September 9, 2010 - 12:18pm | On their space ships I am definitely with the big, clunky and not to advanced variety. Going with that article about their ships; they do say they are large and over staffed. They devote more space to crew quarters then all other races. A class D with a crew of 100 would break down lkie this: 75 workers-support and some maintenance 10 warriors-manning the weapons and marines 10 technicians-pilots, astrogators and engineers 4 queens-leading the workers 1 king-the Captain Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
September 9, 2010 - 8:40pm | My guess is that the Sathar being Sathar would (ahem) "help" their Zuraqqor ally in building their ships, installing computer and weapon systems, etc. The "help" part meaning that the Sathar have already foreseen the day when the frontier is finally conquered, and their alliance with the Zuraqqor is no longer needed. The Sathar have designed a back door into the Z ship computers during the "help" phase. Prior to attacking the Z, they shut them down, sort of like what the Cylons did to the Humans in the newer BSG series. With regards to Z intelligence, the Z king and queens are the brains of their race, so it makes sense that the warriors, techs, and workers wouldn't need to be very bright, just follow orders. My SF website izz: http://ragnarr.webs.com |
September 11, 2010 - 6:15pm | Yes thinking the Sathar have installed suicide programs into the Zuraqqor ships so they can't be captured. Also the Sathar use their hypnotism to put suicide programs into any Zuraqqor who fight with them. The Kings and Queens are the leaders but not necessarily the brains. I went with the idea the Zuraqqor would have stayed with their assigned roles and primitive society if not for the push of the technicians. Still like the idea of the Sathar only looking out for themselves and planning very long range. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
September 11, 2010 - 9:59pm | Well the Sathar ARE Sathar afterall. Dat's why we's hates thems we do!  Going with the Z hive mentality though, shouldn't their ships reflect that attitude also? I mean like, I imagine these HUUUUUUGE Zuraqqor colony ships, sort of like the ship in Day of the Juggernaut (Dragmag). These ships contain an entire hive from King all the way down to...well down to whatever the absolute crappiest job on a Z ship would be. It sweeps through star systems like a plague of locusts, carrying off needed raw materials and any living creatures found (food fer the young'uns) to keep the hive going. When another Queen is born, a second hive ship is constructed and the colony splits up to carry on being complete space bastards. We's hates thems too we do! My SF website izz: http://ragnarr.webs.com |
 September 17, 2010 - 9:22am | Nicely done! My only problem is the color vision thing (could get complicated for RP purposes.) And, most importantly, the main problem: the whole "ally of the Sathar" angle. I never liked it, not from the first moment I read it over 25 years ago. I think what a lot of folks on here have said already is correct with the suicide and self-destruct programs that the Sathar have instilled and installed. I think subject race/slave race makes much more sense. But thanks for the flesh-out. Other than those things, great job. They deserved it: take a look at the "ALIEN" Alpha Dawn counter - it's a Zuraqqor! |
September 17, 2010 - 11:18am | Ah! But the sinister part of it is that a fully subjugated race does not know they are slaves because the Sathar have programmed them to be such willing servants. Read the Damned series by Alan Dean Foster. His Ampliture are the extreme case of what Sathar wish to be. I don't know if the Zuraqqor are fully subjugated yet, but the Sathar are working on it, and the Zuraqqor are promising subjects else the Sathar would have just destroyed them. -iggy |
September 17, 2010 - 9:27pm | Mmm...yes. Wondering which is the real slave race of which; Zuraqqor of Sathar or Sathar of Zuraqqor. Frontier minds want to know! It's like a chess game if you think about it; the player who is able to look further ahead into the game is the winner most times. Ultimately it's the campaign's referee that would decide how he wants it all to pan out in the end. @Imperial Lord: I see what you're saying regarding the Sather/Zuraqqor alliance, but would it not make sense that a sinister species would seek out other like minded species to help fight their foes? Sort of like the Axis in WWII I'm thinking. Then again, you could have two sinister species operating completely independent of each other, waging war against the frontier. The Klingons and the Romulans don't get along, but they both certainly hate (or at least each used to) the Federation. My SF website izz: http://ragnarr.webs.com |
September 21, 2010 - 12:39pm | The comparison of the Klingons/Romulans is a good one. We only have the one example of the Sathar/Zuraqqor alliance and no idea of what the bigger picture is. We will just need to fill it in. Wondering if like a certain winged alien from a certain movie the Sathar can't hypnotis the Zuraqqor. They cooperated from mutual benefit. I have an idea about this and will write it up when I can. Let's just say it involves food. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
September 25, 2010 - 1:54pm | No question that the Zurraqor are the bottoms of the Sathar relationship. They have inferior technology and no fleet. Maybe their entire leadership is hypnotized and drugged out on special solutions engineered by Sathar scientists. However, I just don't see any sentient race allying with the Sathar willingly. Any race with a civilization is going to observe the Sathar in action and be scared sh*tless, not say "Gee, let's join these guys and as soon as we wipe out the galaxy together, they'll just turn their guns on us!" I mean, it's just flagrantly obvious. Plus, why didn't the Sathar just kill/enslave the Zuraqqor? Why are they different from every other sentient race in terms of Sathar policy? And it's not because the Sathar "found them useful." That's what the Sathar DO - they kill/enslave very useful races! |
September 25, 2010 - 5:26pm | We have two races slated for Issue 16/17 (see below). If you wanted this race in 18, that would be great! (more time to work out the details)
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September 25, 2010 - 5:49pm | @Imperial Lord: Hmm...you have a point there. Knowing the Sathar like we do, they would probably just wipe the Z's out. But yet, they certainly have not done so, hence we must assume that there is a reason for this. We just don't know what that reason is yet. Perhaps the Z's have such a tremendous population (being bugs and all) that the Sathar just can't kill them faster than the Z's are able to replace the loses.  @wOOt: We likes new game races we do! We wants to sees the precious we does!  My SF website izz: http://ragnarr.webs.com |
September 25, 2010 - 6:41pm | Here's my proposal. The Z are not allies of the Sathar but slaves. Like the Enora helped the Volturnus races the Sathar have "helped" the Z come to the level they are at now. I do not believe the Z are aware they are slaves. Does this work for the write-up? |
September 25, 2010 - 7:42pm | Here's my proposal. The Z are not allies of the Sathar but slaves. Like the Enora helped the Volturnus races the Sathar have "helped" the Z come to the level they are at now. I do not believe the Z are aware they are slaves. Thats how I use them in my SFU. The Z are a servitor race uplifted technically and genetically by the Sathar. The Zuraqqor follow the Sathar because it has been genetically encoded and socially trained into them. Time flies when your having rum. Im a government employee, I dont goof-off. I constructively abuse my time. |
September 26, 2010 - 10:50am | @wOOt: That works for me. It's the most likely scenario that would explain the apparent cooperative relationship these vile races have. Deductive reasoning is a hoot! My SF website izz: http://ragnarr.webs.com |
September 26, 2010 - 11:40am | I think Woot has it right here. |
October 5, 2010 - 6:17pm | Three things (if anyone is still reading this) 1) I'd love to fill them out a little more for issue 18. Will get that done. 2) I forgot to mention their eating habits. I am thinking nectar drinkers. The workers spend alot of time collecting it and growing the plants which produce it. 3) The Sathar and Zuraqqor are allies. I have a sick and twisted explanation for it. That will be another topic coming soon. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
October 5, 2010 - 7:28pm | Hydro-nectar labs. :-) Allies eh? Be interested in what your rat mind is thinking. Would be very difficult to fit with the sathar, imo. |
October 6, 2010 - 11:05pm | Agreed - with Woot. After all, why would the Zuraquor be the one exception to the Sathar policy of murdering/enslaving every race in the galaxy? |
October 7, 2010 - 11:25am | Yes! The Zuraquor are only allies in their own minds. They are slaves to the Sathar. Probably genetically modified for many generations to be yet another attack beast for them. The Sathar raised them up and manipulated them through the generations to be cannon fodder for their wars. The Zuraquor are probably blissfully unaware of this. -iggy |
 October 7, 2010 - 5:18pm | Actually I addressed the issue of why the sathar would not enslave/destroy the Zuraquor in my Sathar Briefing Report from issue 12 HOWEVER THE ZURAQUORR ARE NOT THE ONLY RACE USED THIS WAY! The mhemne recieve similar treatment in the Beyond the Frontier series As I surmised in the sathar briefing report there must be a level of tech or space capability at which the sathar will or wont destroy a race or civilization. I decided that this was very limited space capabilities since the mhemnie had that. I also believe that too primitive of a tech would lead to a race being enslaved and used like stock for similar uses like the quickdeath and the cybo-dragon but a race with rudimentary space capability would be groomed for client species status. Also since the beyond the Frontier series tells us that their are two clans of sathar designated X & Y and X was the dominate while Y was number 2 and since Y was newly in the process of grooming the mhemne as a client species I decided that the Zuraquorr were long time clients of clan X In light of the classic sathar response to the Frontier races and to the eorna (they had had the capability to build planetary defenses an launch an egg ship so I figured that they had crossed that magical boundary that brings out the total nastiness in the sathar) plus the sathar obilisk that had called up a battle fleet in response to the Star Devil's increased action in the Zebulon's system I believe that they have a pathological compulsion to attack anyone who could pose a threat to them. just a few thoughts I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
October 7, 2010 - 5:21pm | Incidently, if my suppositions about the sathar are correct and if they arrived at Earth today then it would be a toss up whether they'd groom us for client species status or just use us as genetic stock- most likely both. Hhhmm... there's an idea for a campaign I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
October 9, 2010 - 12:05pm | Maybe clan X just wants to destroy and clan Y wants to enslave. Time flies when your having rum. Im a government employee, I dont goof-off. I constructively abuse my time. |
October 10, 2010 - 10:27pm | jedion357 wrote: [In light of the classic sathar response to the Frontier races and to the eorna (they had had the capability to build planetary defenses an launch an egg ship so I figured that they had crossed that magical boundary that brings out the total nastiness in the sathar)] My SF website izz: http://ragnarr.webs.com |
