Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Eloic Maltruskans

http://thetimemachinehg.weebly.com/
eloi-and-morlocks.html

The Maltruskans are a race divided. And nearly extinct. The story of their tragic first encounter with humanity has been told elsewhere, and we have already described in detail the rare-but-still-extant subterranean Maltruskans. Today we detail the terrestrial (Eloic) variety.

Small tribal populations of Eloic Maltruskans exist on the Imperial Throneworld of Altair III, as well as on several Maltruskan core worlds which were subject to protective Excommunication in the early days of the Empire.

Eloic Maltruskans are mildly empathic. Their starfaring society was peaceful and abundant. The Maltruskans were good traders, establishing long-term mutually beneficial trade arrangements with many worlds and species. While not shapeshifters per se, the Maltruskans also had the ability to make modest and intutive Lamarkian-level adjustments to their anatomy and physiology, enhancing their ability to adapt to alien environments and interact with other species. Tragically their biology, and in particular their pheremonal communication systems, also made them very vulnerable to human enslavement.

A few of their kind remain at large within the Empire, wandering the stars in small ships. Often their only companions on lonely journeys in the depths of space are one or two shipboard Trelebs. The can communicate with Trelebs without the need for the plasmid injections which humans require to do so.

http://www.robotspacebrain.com/space/
chinese-space-suit-wu-ershan/

When it is necessary to mix with humans, Eloic Maltruskans remain within hermetically sealed and psychically-shielded encounter suits.  These suits are designed to completely obscure the occupant, and intentionally distort the occupant's height, weight, and proportions. They are redundantly armored are always equipped with nasty deadman-switch surprises in case of breach. They also have the downside of making the Maltruskan suit-occupant a tad unempathetic, and even callous, when interacting with others.

OGL MECHANICS

Thoroughly-Suited Hominids (neutral)
ASPECTS
  • High Concept: Lonely starfarer
  • Trouble: Dead soul*
  • Aspect: Possibly the last of my kind
  • Aspect: Well-armored encounter suit
  • Aspect: Deadly failsafes
APPROACHES
  • Careful: +3
  • Clever: +2
  • Flashy: 0
  • Forceful: +1
  • Quick: +1
  • Sneaky: +2
STUNTS:
  • Psychic Shield: Take a +2 to Careful Approach for psychic defense when wearing encounter suit 
  • Armor: Take a +2 to Forceful Approach for any physical defense when wearing encounter suit
  • Deadman Defenses: Take a +2 to Sneaky Approach to release deadly nanospores or other environmental toxins. These are broad, multispectrum toxins and affect most species. On a Succeed with Style, a toxic Aspect is placed in the immediate environment outside the suit; this has no effect on Maltruskans, but effects most non-Maltruskan organisms in the scene.
  • Lamarkian Adaptation: Spend 1 FP to make minor, durable alterations in anatomy and physiology. These last until another FP is spent to undo or further modify them. The cannot alter the Maltruskan's empathic or pheremonal perceptual systems.
REFRESH: 2

*Vulnerable to psychic and pheremonal intrusion from humans (when unsuited)

No comments:

Post a Comment