Barbarian Civilization: The Fallen of Taranos
Race: the Ranos
A race of humanoids with soft inner bodies and a tough exoskeleton. The air of the world is poisonous to them, and they are severely weakened by it. Unprotected exposure to that air is eventually fatal to them.
They have a pair of hardened claws that allow them to dig through very tough rock, and their sturdy exoskeleton has the complexion of molten lava. The cracks that run through their bodies glow blue, with the hue varying from individual to individual. They have 6 eyes in the front, and jaws strong enough to break down even rock.
They are extreme omnivorous, capable of consuming all sort of organic matter. They lack a sense of taste, so they care not much for what they eat, as long as it provides nutrients. They can also consume Taranite, which provide them with a lot of energy, and as such, their diet tend to mostly consist of the aforementioned mineral.
The strength of their exoskeleton is directly tied to their health: weakened Ranos will have a soft exoskeleton.
Taranite:
A bright blue crystalline mineral native from the meteor, its radiations allow the Ranos to overcome the poisonous air of the new world. Taranite is a semi-sentient mineral, acting like a plant. It absorbs all sort of elements in the soil it is planted in, converting them to Taranite and thus growing itself.
History:
They came from beyond, with a shard of their home Taranos. It happened a long time ago. So long ago they forgot all but the name of the place they came from, having laid dormant for many aeons.
When the meteor struck the world, adding just another disaster on top of the chaos that was happening, the Ranos were thrust out of their slumber with great violence. Lost in an unknown, inhospitable world, they gathered together under the guidance of the Ancient, the eldest Ranos, and sole individual to remember how their homeworld was.
They have explored all within the confines of the crater, and a few of the outer regions. At first they did not dare dwelling beyond the influence of the meteor, but now, they are ready to expand their territory.
Region: the Ranos Crater
A massive crater formed from the impact of their meteor on the world. It is devoid of life, all plants and animals having been eradicated by the searing heat of the explosion. The impact spread bits of Taranite all over the crater, causing them to grow on their own.
Now, the region looks like a rocky wasteland with bright blue crystalline formations growing here and there, making it bathed in the radiation necessary for the Ranos to survive.
City: Tarus, the Fallen Shard of Taranos
Set at the ground zero of the massive crater, the Ranos built their capital within the cooled down remnants of the shard that brought them here. Complex and surprisingly aesthetically pleasant caves and tunnels were carved within the meteor, following the directives of the Ancient.
The city is organized in layers.
There is the core of Tarus, where the Ancient and the eldest Ranos dwell, watching over the massive Taranite core of the comet.
Then their is the inner layer of Tarus, where most of the Ranos lives.
The outer layer of Tarus is reserved to resilient and battle ready Ranos, who are able to better withstand the air of the outside.
The outskirts of the comet are sparsely populated, a few groups and individuals have made their homes around clusters of Taranite.
Society:
The Ranos are organized in a meritocratic society. All individuals are deemed equal at birth, and their growth and achievements will determine their position in society.
They are ruled by the Elder Council, presided by the Ancient. Ranos are absolutely loyal, with a patriotism bordering fanatism. They see all that is related to the outside as dangerous and a potential enemy, and as such share very strong solidarity among their kin.
Culture:
The Ranos revere their lost homeworld, Taranos. They have a near religious faith in the mineral of Taranite, seeing it as the gift from their homeworld to its children. It is a grave crime to destroy Taranite without permission from the Elder Council, and susceptible to death sentence.
They also appreciate calm and silence. There are no songs or dances in their culture, instead, their litterature is prolific. They take great care in keeping records of everything, traumatized by the fact they completely forgot history of their race before the fall.
There is a belief that Taranos created them in their faith. Wether or not this is true is left unclear, and the Ancient has been silent on the matter.
Technology:
Their technology revolves around their relation with Taranite and minerals. They know how to strengthen their exoskeletons by reinforcing them with minerals, and their unique forge techniques allow them to create a wide array of weapons and armors.
Most of their technology comes from the Ancient's knowledge, and it seems he knows much more than he lets out.
Military:
Every Ranos soldier carries on them a small Taranite crystal, allowing them to survive in a hostile environment for extended periods of time. It is not powerful enough to counteract the weakening from the outside air, though.
Each Ranos regiment possesses a great Taranite crystal, powerful enough to negate the effects of the outside air on all Ranos soldiers of the regiment, as long as they stay within its influence radius.
Tarvos Vanguard: the vanguard of the Ranos forces. Extremely bulky and armored individuals, they always carry a shield and a halberd.
Zerus Strikers: the shock troopers of the Ranos forces. Lightly armoured, but wielding massive greatswords, greataxes or harlberds, they are able to move surprisingly fast thanks to a unique Taranite infusion, allowing them to blitzing through the battlefield to crush enemy formations.
Splineus Knights: the main troops of the Ranos forces. Armourd individuals trained to wield all manners of weapons. They mostly favor the sword and shield, though they can easily switch to another weapon if required.
Ractas Throwers: the only ranged unit of the Ranos forces, specialized in throwing javelins at incredible distances. Lightly armoured, they avoid direct combat if possible.
Taranite Champion: the elite units of the Ranos forces, they carry the sacred task of protecting the Taranite crystal that empowers a Ranos regiment. Heavily armoured, they wield a greatshield and a two-handed weapon with one hand. Some use a greatsword, others a greataxe, and others a halberd. They are very rarely seen leaving their post.
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Topic: The End Times: Turn 1 (Read 6462 times)