 June 22, 2013 - 3:38am | Note: This a tongue and cheek effort on my part. With all of the truly 'alien' - as in, 'beyond human' - races Star Frontiers fans try for, I thought, why no add a classic for S&G? Zasoomians Average Size: 1.7 m tall Average Mass: 76 kg (male); 48 kg (female) Average Lifespan: 1,130+ years Reproduction: Heterosexual, ovoviviparous Body Temperature: 36 C Ability Score Adjustments Str/Sta: +0 Dex/Ref: +0 Int/Log: +0 Per/Led: +0 Movement Rates Walking: 10 m/turn Running: 13 m/turn Hourly: 5 km/h Racial Abilities: Telepathy Zasoomians are a race of strangely human-like aliens from a recently discovered world known by it's inhabitants as "Zasoom," of the "Zakari" system. They believe that they came from an other system closer to the middle of the galactic "habitable zone", but their records have been lost in time. Physical Appearance and Structure As noted they look remarkably human, but how they differ from the humans in the Frontier Sector, is that they live considerably longer (a millennium of their local years), they do not age much, and they are ovoviviparous. They have variations of skin color, but reddish copper is the most common. Other variations include near white, polished ebony, and bright yellow. Although they have black heir on their heads, body and facial hair are unheard of. Despite being egg-layers, they are still mammalian creatures, with females sporting mammaries. Zasoomian eggs need to incubate for about 5 years (6 GST) before hatching. It takes about 6 years (8 GST) for a Zasoomian child to reach maturity. Senses They have the same range of sense as humans. Speech They are capable of verbal speech, but prefer to communicate with mental projection. With contact with the Frontier Sector, Zasoomians are learning to speak Pan-Galactic. Society and Customs Zasoomians have a militant mindset, driven by honor and glory. Even before they reach adulthood, young Zasoomians are expected to know how to fight, and how know to assemble their own war gear. As adults, they would be expected to fight for their community and personal honor. Duals are a common means to deal with disputes. Even entire communities deal with disputes by holding large gladiatorial games, with combatants being made-up of volunteers. Despite their warlike nature, they have a strong love for beauty, fine craftsmanship, games, physical pleasures and hospitality. Save for a battle harness of leather straps, pounces and weapon-straps, Zesoomian are complete nudists. In fact, they feel naked and ashamed if stripped of their harnesses, and look on modesty with distaste. They see nudity with a sense of beauty, and they see clothing as a sign of a suspicious character. Even without clothing, they decorate themselves in finely crafted jewelery, which they use as tokens of friendship and barter. Most Zasoomians live in communes, where unclaimed eggs are raised by the community. Eggs are inspected by officials for defects, and defective eggs are destroyed before they are sent to the incubation chambers. Young women volunteer to raise newborn children as a sign of their maturity. Zesoomian women are motivated by a sense of honor that comes with raising a child that will one day become powerful, so most women would raise unclaimed eggs, or find a powerful man to have a child with. A mother may clam her own egg by branding it with a personal marking, and if willing, the farther may do so too. There is no stigma with being an unclaimed egg, but having a powerful lineage is a sign of greater potential. Beyond that, lineage matters little compared to personal honor and courage. Children are home-schooled by their mother or mentor. Much of the instruction (like language, history and science) is given by telepathy. They believe in the goddess Issus. By the dogma of Issus, anyone who reaches 1,000 local years (1,126 years GST) have to make pilgrimage to the holy world - namely Zersoom, a Venus-like plant that is deadly to Zesoomian life. A Zesoomian who grows tired of living can make this pilgrimage at any time. No one has ever returned alive from this pilgrimage, and everyone believes that the world is masking a garden paradise, free of fighting and suffering. Attitudes They hare hospitable with anyone they get along with. They get along most with Yazirians, and share the Vrusk's love of beauty and sense of dedication. They do not understand Dralasites, and they see Humans weak and prude people. They see the Vrusk's lack of honor with utmost contempt. Special Abilities Telepathy: They have the ability to send and receive surface thoughts, but this is optimized for Zesoomian minds. On Humans and Yazirians, they can send their own thoughts, but they cant read their minds. With same practice, they could develop basic emotional empathy, and with experience, they can start to read minds. The minds of Dralasites, Vrusk and Vrusk are too alien to understand. (Based on the races for A Princess of Mars, by Edgar Rice Burroughs.) |
