Abelain Narv'uk
The Bloodseeker
Name: Arue'tii [A-rew-ah-tea]
Designation: Sentient
Homeworld: Ghul [Will Sub it after this.]
Language: Basic, Arutiise
Average height of adults: 2.1336 Meters
Skin color: Light Blue
Hair color: Black
Breathes: Type One
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Distinctions:
Average Lifespan: 700 Years
Races: N/A
Estimated Population: 1,000,000
Diet: Omnivores, Require Blood once a month.
Communication: Speaking.
Culture:
Religion:
The Arue'tii are very firm believers in the faith of Escalation. They believe that all life was at one point united but that it has since become seperated in an event known simply as Seperation. Life has thus become varied and exotic, however it is the goal of all sentient life to become re-united with one another in a form known as the One Escalation. However, the only way that sentient beings can go to this place is through death which discards their previous imperfect forms.
Other species on the scale must be raised, and since this requires death it is thought among the Arue'tii that they are one of the foremost tools of Escalation. One aspect of Escalation is the destruction of the old form of the being, which is one reason the Arue'tii support the eating of their foes in religious view as well as simple physical requirement.
The other ideal which is not shared by all is the thought of Escalation through Consumption which states that the chances of the being Escalating is helped by the usage of their old form by other forms of life.
The belief that a death will not allow for Escalation unless with glory or hard struggle is known as Mortum Endurum and roughly translates into Enduring to Death. This is a staple of Arue'tii religion and helps explain their seeming cruelty to inferior species.
Feeding:
The Arue'tii are omnivores, and are capable of eating both plants and animals.The Arue'tii also require blood once a month. As blood is only found in organic beings this means that it can be difficult for them to find adequate and consistent sources of their meals. They raise herds of animals and are known for holding large amounts of such beings in their custody.
The other type of beings which are eaten are sentients, which are eaten both because of their physical traits and the Arue'tii appetite, and because of the idea of Escalation which permeates the society and says that the killing and eating of the sentient is actually for their benefit.
Heating:
The Arue'tii are cold blooded which means they require outside heating to stay alive and mobile. Their exoskeletons however, are highly heat resistant which means that simply standing outside in the sunlight will do nothing. The Arue'tii tend to set up settlements nearby swamps which contain geysers. They will then use these geysers for heating, as they are hot enough to warm them through the exoskeleton, but not hot enough to burn them. Other Arue'tii will stand near volcanic matter for periods of time, allowing the heat coming off of it to warm them. Actually stepping into the magma would be fatal however.
Government:
The Arue'tii hold a democratic government. The Arue'tii will elect twelve beings to sit as a council. These beings will then pass laws and statutes to the various settlements and peoples of the Arue'tii.
The election of these individuals is not based on location or policy so much as on merit and accomplishments. This means that a smooth-talking Arue'tii is less likely to win their election as one who has conquered an enemy.
Technology level: Below Galactic Standard
General behavior:
Arue'tii behavior varies by individual, however many view other species as being inferior and treat them as food or pests. Exceptionally accomplished beings are given respect by the species however.
Arue'tii absolutely refuse to hold any alien being in higher regard than themselves as a race, a stubborn trait that permeates the species.
History:
The Arue'tii were once a very different species than they are now. Millenia ago, they lived in peace upon their planet of Ghul. Ghul was a world filled with life, and although much of it was fierce, the Arue'tii quickly became the dominant species on the planet, as well as the only sentient beings. As time went on, they began to construct settlements hidden about in the dense swamps of Ghul, and they began to raise herds of animals for their consumption.
All was peaceful. As more and more Arue'tii were born and raised, government was created in the form of a monarchy. The aristocratic bloodline of the Arue'tii had a strange defect which made their exoskeletons red instead of blue, and through much wit, they convinced the others that they were chosen from above.
The Arue'tii were divided on this issue. Many saw their red brethren and noticed the similarities, they wondered why they were chosen and the rest were not. Other Arue'tii quickly saw the difference and began to accept their place.
The belief system of the Arue'tii was started very soon after this event, and to deal with the phenomenon of death. The system of Escalation was created, and soon, in answer to where the deceased were going, the One Escalation was established.
The red Arue'tii were quick to title themselves as Ascendants, claiming that because of their gifts they were in fact higher on the scale of Escalation than their brothers. Again, many were split on this ideal.
The two sides feuded for many centuries. The hostility finally culminated in The Ascendant War. It was a brutal conflict lasting nearly seventy years. The war was fought between the Ascendants and their loyalists and the Council, which held that all Arue'tii were equal and that their achievement and merit should choose leadership, not natural differences.
The Ascendants had among their side, an individual known as Sarith who developed Force Sensitivity. The Ascendants made her their figurehead, attempting to show off how they were indeed higher on the scale of Escalation.
Upon seeing the strange things that Sarith could perform, a chunk of the Council defected over to the Ascendant side, thus throwing the balance of the war in their favor. The Council was crushed, their leaders executed although the remaining warriors amongst the group were allowed their freedom. To execute them would have been too high a blow to the species as a whole, especially after such heavy losses from the wars' previous battles.
Peace descended once more upon the world of Ghul, and the numbers of the Arue'tii rose once more. The Ascendant Sarith, the first Force Sensitive of the Arue'tii, gradually set her genes down in the Ascendant ranks. All Arue'tii Force Sensitives are thought to be descended from Sarith, though whether this is true or not is unknown.
The Ascendants ruled over the Arue'tii for four centuries in a time known as The Great Peace. All was well as the Arue'tii rebuilt from the horrors of the Ascendant War, and political rivals to the Ascendants became few and far between.
Then; In 428 ABY, the Arue'tii were met with their first intergalactic visitors. A band of refugees and smugglers, banded together in a desperate attempt at finding sanctuary from the Gulag Plague. They landed on the previously unknown planet of Ghul, unwittingly carrying the Gulag Plague to a new world.
The Arue'tii were curious and very interested in these strangers. They spied on the small band of aliens for nearly a week, noticing how gradually they were becoming weaker as a group. The Arue'tii recognized that they had been tainted with sickness, and that it was unlikely any of them would pose a harm to them.
An Ascendant was dispatched to meet the alien refugees along with a band of guards. This Ascendant was named Balek. The aliens; mostly humans, spread out the few sets of weaponry they had and fearfully met with the Arue'tii.
The two groups attempted to communicate, but it was found that neither understood their language. A lone protocol droid was brought in from among the few goods that the refugees had brought, and began to learn the language of the Arue'tii.
Due to their lack of understanding Basic; which at first confused the refugees, one among them stated that they were dealing with true 'Aruetiise.' The Arue'tii accepted this name, adding a slight corruption to it's pronunciation and it soon traveled abundantly that they were known as this by the aliens. It was both a new identity, one befitting interaction with beings from the stars and also a recognizing of their new rebirth as a species which could even communicate with these aliens.
Within a day, conversation was beginning to start off more fully albeit with a few errors. The refugees explained their position and that they were running from a sickness, though none among them seemed to admit to being infected by the disease itself. Balek; in return for this information, shared some of the Arue'tii culture with the group, and spoke of the recent news of the race.
It was at a mention that the Arue'tii required blood to survive that one of the refugees, a younger man fumbled with his weapon and inadvertently pointed it towards Balek, the already nervous refugee discharged his weapon upon the Arue'tii Ascendant.
The blaster did very little to Balek, though he recognized it as an attack upon an Ascendant. The Arue'tii near him assailed against the young man, viciously eliminating him. This caused the remaining refugees to open fire with their own weapons which led to the full assault of the Arue'tii upon them.
The refugee band was slain in it's entirety and the protocol droid was taken as a prize, and also as an educational tool to teach them about the greater universe. The infected corpses were taken to the Ascendants, who consumed their blood out of curiosity, and for religious purposes.
The Gulag Plague had infected the several Ascendants, and it traveled throughout their closely-knit circles until it came into contact with their closest advisors, servants, and friends. These spread it to their families and friends. In a manner of a couple months, a majority of the Arue'tii population was infected with the Plague.
Balek and the Ascendants were accused of harboring the Plague in an attempt at killing the lesser Arue'tii. Were it not for the lethal efficiency of the disease, another civil war might have erupted. The Ascendants; being the first to be infected, were also the first to die. Those who did not die of Plague were killed by hostile mobs in the streets; betrayed by those who once served them.
The Arue'tii in the larger cities died out to the cruel illness, leaving husks of their former civilization scattered about the swamps of Ghul. The only thing that saved the species was that many were spread out away from the cities. These Arue'tii, unaffected by the illness hid away in the swamps and survived there.
Many of these minor outlying settlements died out as vital supplies were lost due to the lack of industry or direction, others were destroyed by wandering bands of infected Arue'tii, killed for their compassion towards their brethren.
In a year, the Arue'tii on Ghul dropped from 10,000,000 to 500,000. The Gulag Plague died out soon after the cities did, leaving Ghul with a much quicker, if not equally lethal fate. The Arue'tii outlier settlements gradually rebuilt themselves to become more self-sufficient and less reliant on a central government. Many elected minor councils to govern over themselves and to provide order and direction in the wake of the loss of the Ascendants.
Centuries passed and the Arue'tii began to gather together once more, rebuilding their broken and destitute civilization. Soon, their numbers were on the rise once more. Still, most of the Arue'tii had decided that staying so close to one another could only be a cause for trouble, and so many of them remained in smaller settlements. Only a couple of small cities arose, and only a single large one.
Now that the Ascendants were out of place, Arue'tii who had supported the Council came out of the shadows, showing their brethren that theirs was a better way, a way of equality. They won the confidence of the people by default. Elections were held quite slowly, but eventually twelve leaders of the Arue'tii people were selected to rule over them.
These leaders removed the Ascendants from the One Escalation, showing that their taint had been overshadowing the religion and it's beliefs. Most Arue'tii were fine with this change of structure, especially since it had been them who had murdered many of the Ascendants in the first place.
Centuries passed once more, peace spread as the Arue'tii fought their way back to supremacy and civilization on the world of Ghul. All was well for a while, until the introduction of Vandel.
Vandel was a Sarithian [as the Force Sensitives are called due to their lineage to Sarith.] who caused much pain to the Arue'tii as a whole. He festered hate for the Council for not allowing him to rule with them, especially after he demonstrated his far advanced abilities. Still, the people saw that nothing had truly been accomplished by Vandel.
His hatred spread among denizens of the Arue'tii, especially gathering support from those few who would still have honored the Ascendants. His plan quickly become one of conquest, he intended to rule over Ghul and to crush all who would oppose him. Yet, these things remained secret except from his closest allies.
He began to court the youngest of the Council, her name was Mala. She had been responsible for saving a band of nearly one-hundred of her brethren when the Gulag Plague had struck by escorting them away from the others. She fell for Vandel, fascinated by his abilities and he quickly became a common sight around the Councillors. They grew to accept his presence, not knowing that their dismissal had still held to his heart.
Slowly and methodically, Vandel began to scatter plans in the hidden places of the Council, while at the same time his followers scattered destructive explosives, their designs and materials taken from the first starship to have visited Ghul.
Vandel stepped into the room where the Council decided upon business, they were not yet ready to meet and allowed his presence as they had in the past so that he could visit Mala. Instead of visiting her however, he instead stepped into the center of the room and stated that he had an announcement to make.
The Arue'tii would no longer be run by a Council. The Councillors eyed him warily and the call for guards came to escort Vandel outside. The guards did not come, intercepted by Vandel's rebels. He instead raised a hand, letting fierce lightning fly from his fingertips and strike the lead Councillor. The Councillor was dead in a few moments.
The others rushed towards the door, all except for Mala who remained frozen in her seat, unsure of the betrayal she had just seen her beloved commit. The Councillors were met on the other side of the doorway by Vandel's rebels. Half of them were slain, and the others were taken captive.
The bombs went off throughout the city, levelling homes and injuring Arue'tii. Most of the adults were unharmed by the detonations, however, as the young Arue'tii do not possess exoskeletons, these were killed.
Infuriated and frightened Arue'tii gathered at the Council Building to hear from the Council about what had happened and what should be done. Instead, they were met with Vandel who paraded the remaining Councillors out and accused them of treachery to their own people, of attempting to destroy the innocent for the purpose of solidifying their rule.
Many Arue'tii were wary of this, but Vandel encouraged them to investigate themselves and to find evidence of the disaster. They found the scattered plans detailing the explosions inside the Council Building, and emotions ran high as Vandel fanned the flames of their rage.
One by one, the Councillors were executed by Vandel's lightning, something previously unseen in a Sarithian. He deceitfully expressed his sadness at his 'love' Mala being a part of this treachery, but stated that the guilty ought to be punished, and executed her as well.
Many of the crowd were whipped into a frenzy by Vandel's accusations and his falsified evidence, and they heartily supported the downfall of the 'tyrants' and 'traitors.' Vandel's rebels, scattered throughout the group began to call for him to lead, and in the heat of the moment, many Arue'tii joined the call.
In a day, the government had been toppled and Vandel took rulership. He gave his supporters important roles in his newly created government. His rule, was one of cruelty however, and those who spoke out against him quickly found themselves in the same position was the late Council.
Vandel created an army filled with loyal Arue'tii or ones who were too frightened to deny his requests. These were sent out to the smaller settlements and informed them of their new leader, resistance was crushed and the death toll began to rise with each excursion.
Those who still supported the Council began to gather away from the cities and territories of Vandel. The individual Hazarin began to organize and lead these rebels. Hazarin had been the brother of Mala, and he had known from the start that the claims made by Vandel were false. He was a Sarithian, and trained his abilities regularly as the Rebels hid among small settlements and cavern systems.
Acts of rebellion scraped away at the domain of Vandel, who found himself losing ground to the Rebels led by Hazarin. His army gathered, and they clashed against the Rebels. The sides were evenly matched, though a rising pattern was seen that whenever one of the leaders joined a fight, that battle was won by them.
It became clear that the outcome of this rebellion would be determined by these two individuals. Hazarin, though reluctant, led a small band of rebels into the Capital of Lasep. The band sneaked into the old Council Building, now a home of Vandel's regime.
They were spotted inside by Vandel, who alerted his soldiers. The band was quickly surrounded. Stories of the two individuals, Hazarin and Vandel had spread throughout Ghul and the two finally standing in a room together set off a dramatic air which halted the soldiers.
Hazarin challenged Vandel to a duel for his Empire. Vandel ordered his soldiers to attack, though they held in place. Many soldiers only served out of fear, and the idea of Hazarin fighting Vandel meant they might be free from his tyranny.
The two drew weapons and fought. Vandel was powerful and held a foreboding presence, he fought with ferocity and lashed out with his powerful lightning often. Hazarin was more nimble, painted with emotions of hate for the traitor and of hope for his people. They danced around the room for a long while, fiercely striking at one another until both were wounded heavily, their exoskeletons cracked and missing chunks and their blood spilled upon the ground.
Vandel struck at his injured opponent once more with lightning. Hazarin dodged this, and; fueled by his emotions and his want to save his people, sent out a Force push which sent Vandel through the wall of the Council Building.
He survived, although it was clear that the fight was over. Soldiers throughout Vandel's Empire spread word that he had fallen and they turned as soon as they saw that he was far too weak to stop them any longer. They joined together with the rebels, seizing those officials that Vandel had put into place and imprisoning them with him.
Hazarin, in his final acts asked for the re-establishment of the Council. His request was granted, and new Councillors were put in place quickly. Through his death, he had re-birthed the government. The new Council decided that it was far too dangerous to allow Vandel to remain on Ghul, and yet they did not wish to release him into the One Escalation.
Designs were put into place for the first Arue'tii constructed starship, following the build of the small transported which had first landed on Ghul centuries ago. The first constructed ship was shoddy and barely held together.
The weakened Vandel and his closest supporters were put onto the ship, and were piloted to Ghul's moon. There, they were released to fend for themselves and the ship was returned to Ghul. The moon was named after the infamous and vile prisoner it held, Vandel.
The Council quickly went to work rebuilding as many predecessors had done, and also were pushed to begin to explore their galaxy as none had done previously. Ships were created, each one lacking in common equipment such as shields or weapons, but each one capable of flying and of even reaching hyperspeed.
The Council decided to set about among the stars, to discover and find things that would benefit the species. However, they still knew that there were other beings out in the galaxy, and so it was decided that only certain individuals would travel.
The Order of Hazarin was founded to act as both warrior and explorer, wise and powerful. Dedicated shipyards were set up and soon travel began out into the great unknown, returning with knowledge and machinery to help the society. The Council also set up the GDF; Ghul Defense Force, for the sake of defending the Arue'tii people should ever an alien force assail them.
The Netherworld event had a very brief, but important effect on the Arue'tii. As there were not very many of them, very few were taken; only a couple thousand. However, this act of disappearance did not confuse or cause the Arue'tii to grieve. Instead, they reacted with joy, as it meant their brethren had escalated into the One Escalation without the need for harsh struggle, a truly joyous undertaking.
The Netherworld event kickstarted an annual celebration dedicated to those few thousand who were taken into the One Escalation. The Celebration of Peace is a day of joyful feasting and peace, even to alien beings.
Notable Player-Characters: Abelain
Intent: To create an interesting race of foreign beings to allow for fun RP stories and to allow for a new culture to meet the Galaxy.
Designation: Sentient
Homeworld: Ghul [Will Sub it after this.]
Language: Basic, Arutiise
Average height of adults: 2.1336 Meters
Skin color: Light Blue
Hair color: Black
Breathes: Type One
Strengths:
- Arue'tii have a powerful exoskeleton which protects their weaker innards. Their exoskeletons hold together in a perfectly airtight fashion. These exoskeletons hold an extreme resistant to heat which allows for them to absorb most blasters without even the slightest flinching, however very heavy blaster weaponry will still damage them, albeit slowly.
- The chitin is also lightsaber resistant and has been shown to take up to three seconds of sustained contact to sever.
- The chitnous exoskeletons are hard enough to withstand most small and medium powered slugthrowers, though high powered slugthrowers will still punch through.
- Arue'tii can scent the blood of beings in a fifty meter radius of themselves, even if it is still inside of the body. This makes them excellent predators/trackers.
Weaknesses:
- The Arue'tii are cold blooded and require heating to keep them mobile and active. If they are not heated regularly or reach a temperature of -6.66667 Celsius, they will slip into a catatonic state until they are warmed.
- Arue'tii have a strange and lethal allergen to Abyssin blood, contact with it is like acid for the Arue'tii and can be deadly.
- Beskar projectiles and weaponry will slice through the exoskeleton with lesser difficulty than a lightsaber.
- Electricity and Force Lightning are highly effective and will travel through the exoskeleton.
- Shatterpoint will destroy the exoskeleton completely, mortally wounding the Arue'tii.
- Can not wear standard issue equipment due to exoskeleton. Any worn equipment must be specially made.
- Sufficient blunt force will damage the Arue'tii through the exoskeleton.
Distinctions:
- Light Blue, airtight, chitinous exoskeleton
- Sharp elbow plates
- Yellow or Green eyes
- Membranes over eyes.
- Become adolescents at thirty. Exoskeleton begins to grow at this point.
- Become adults at fifty.
- Exterior chitin over mouth forms an exterior mouth.
Average Lifespan: 700 Years
Races: N/A
Estimated Population: 1,000,000
Diet: Omnivores, Require Blood once a month.
Communication: Speaking.
Culture:
Religion:
The Arue'tii are very firm believers in the faith of Escalation. They believe that all life was at one point united but that it has since become seperated in an event known simply as Seperation. Life has thus become varied and exotic, however it is the goal of all sentient life to become re-united with one another in a form known as the One Escalation. However, the only way that sentient beings can go to this place is through death which discards their previous imperfect forms.
Other species on the scale must be raised, and since this requires death it is thought among the Arue'tii that they are one of the foremost tools of Escalation. One aspect of Escalation is the destruction of the old form of the being, which is one reason the Arue'tii support the eating of their foes in religious view as well as simple physical requirement.
The other ideal which is not shared by all is the thought of Escalation through Consumption which states that the chances of the being Escalating is helped by the usage of their old form by other forms of life.
The belief that a death will not allow for Escalation unless with glory or hard struggle is known as Mortum Endurum and roughly translates into Enduring to Death. This is a staple of Arue'tii religion and helps explain their seeming cruelty to inferior species.
Feeding:
The Arue'tii are omnivores, and are capable of eating both plants and animals.The Arue'tii also require blood once a month. As blood is only found in organic beings this means that it can be difficult for them to find adequate and consistent sources of their meals. They raise herds of animals and are known for holding large amounts of such beings in their custody.
The other type of beings which are eaten are sentients, which are eaten both because of their physical traits and the Arue'tii appetite, and because of the idea of Escalation which permeates the society and says that the killing and eating of the sentient is actually for their benefit.
Heating:
The Arue'tii are cold blooded which means they require outside heating to stay alive and mobile. Their exoskeletons however, are highly heat resistant which means that simply standing outside in the sunlight will do nothing. The Arue'tii tend to set up settlements nearby swamps which contain geysers. They will then use these geysers for heating, as they are hot enough to warm them through the exoskeleton, but not hot enough to burn them. Other Arue'tii will stand near volcanic matter for periods of time, allowing the heat coming off of it to warm them. Actually stepping into the magma would be fatal however.
Government:
The Arue'tii hold a democratic government. The Arue'tii will elect twelve beings to sit as a council. These beings will then pass laws and statutes to the various settlements and peoples of the Arue'tii.
The election of these individuals is not based on location or policy so much as on merit and accomplishments. This means that a smooth-talking Arue'tii is less likely to win their election as one who has conquered an enemy.
Technology level: Below Galactic Standard
General behavior:
Arue'tii behavior varies by individual, however many view other species as being inferior and treat them as food or pests. Exceptionally accomplished beings are given respect by the species however.
Arue'tii absolutely refuse to hold any alien being in higher regard than themselves as a race, a stubborn trait that permeates the species.
History:
The Arue'tii were once a very different species than they are now. Millenia ago, they lived in peace upon their planet of Ghul. Ghul was a world filled with life, and although much of it was fierce, the Arue'tii quickly became the dominant species on the planet, as well as the only sentient beings. As time went on, they began to construct settlements hidden about in the dense swamps of Ghul, and they began to raise herds of animals for their consumption.
All was peaceful. As more and more Arue'tii were born and raised, government was created in the form of a monarchy. The aristocratic bloodline of the Arue'tii had a strange defect which made their exoskeletons red instead of blue, and through much wit, they convinced the others that they were chosen from above.
The Arue'tii were divided on this issue. Many saw their red brethren and noticed the similarities, they wondered why they were chosen and the rest were not. Other Arue'tii quickly saw the difference and began to accept their place.
The belief system of the Arue'tii was started very soon after this event, and to deal with the phenomenon of death. The system of Escalation was created, and soon, in answer to where the deceased were going, the One Escalation was established.
The red Arue'tii were quick to title themselves as Ascendants, claiming that because of their gifts they were in fact higher on the scale of Escalation than their brothers. Again, many were split on this ideal.
The two sides feuded for many centuries. The hostility finally culminated in The Ascendant War. It was a brutal conflict lasting nearly seventy years. The war was fought between the Ascendants and their loyalists and the Council, which held that all Arue'tii were equal and that their achievement and merit should choose leadership, not natural differences.
The Ascendants had among their side, an individual known as Sarith who developed Force Sensitivity. The Ascendants made her their figurehead, attempting to show off how they were indeed higher on the scale of Escalation.
Upon seeing the strange things that Sarith could perform, a chunk of the Council defected over to the Ascendant side, thus throwing the balance of the war in their favor. The Council was crushed, their leaders executed although the remaining warriors amongst the group were allowed their freedom. To execute them would have been too high a blow to the species as a whole, especially after such heavy losses from the wars' previous battles.
Peace descended once more upon the world of Ghul, and the numbers of the Arue'tii rose once more. The Ascendant Sarith, the first Force Sensitive of the Arue'tii, gradually set her genes down in the Ascendant ranks. All Arue'tii Force Sensitives are thought to be descended from Sarith, though whether this is true or not is unknown.
The Ascendants ruled over the Arue'tii for four centuries in a time known as The Great Peace. All was well as the Arue'tii rebuilt from the horrors of the Ascendant War, and political rivals to the Ascendants became few and far between.
Then; In 428 ABY, the Arue'tii were met with their first intergalactic visitors. A band of refugees and smugglers, banded together in a desperate attempt at finding sanctuary from the Gulag Plague. They landed on the previously unknown planet of Ghul, unwittingly carrying the Gulag Plague to a new world.
The Arue'tii were curious and very interested in these strangers. They spied on the small band of aliens for nearly a week, noticing how gradually they were becoming weaker as a group. The Arue'tii recognized that they had been tainted with sickness, and that it was unlikely any of them would pose a harm to them.
An Ascendant was dispatched to meet the alien refugees along with a band of guards. This Ascendant was named Balek. The aliens; mostly humans, spread out the few sets of weaponry they had and fearfully met with the Arue'tii.
The two groups attempted to communicate, but it was found that neither understood their language. A lone protocol droid was brought in from among the few goods that the refugees had brought, and began to learn the language of the Arue'tii.
Due to their lack of understanding Basic; which at first confused the refugees, one among them stated that they were dealing with true 'Aruetiise.' The Arue'tii accepted this name, adding a slight corruption to it's pronunciation and it soon traveled abundantly that they were known as this by the aliens. It was both a new identity, one befitting interaction with beings from the stars and also a recognizing of their new rebirth as a species which could even communicate with these aliens.
Within a day, conversation was beginning to start off more fully albeit with a few errors. The refugees explained their position and that they were running from a sickness, though none among them seemed to admit to being infected by the disease itself. Balek; in return for this information, shared some of the Arue'tii culture with the group, and spoke of the recent news of the race.
It was at a mention that the Arue'tii required blood to survive that one of the refugees, a younger man fumbled with his weapon and inadvertently pointed it towards Balek, the already nervous refugee discharged his weapon upon the Arue'tii Ascendant.
The blaster did very little to Balek, though he recognized it as an attack upon an Ascendant. The Arue'tii near him assailed against the young man, viciously eliminating him. This caused the remaining refugees to open fire with their own weapons which led to the full assault of the Arue'tii upon them.
The refugee band was slain in it's entirety and the protocol droid was taken as a prize, and also as an educational tool to teach them about the greater universe. The infected corpses were taken to the Ascendants, who consumed their blood out of curiosity, and for religious purposes.
The Gulag Plague had infected the several Ascendants, and it traveled throughout their closely-knit circles until it came into contact with their closest advisors, servants, and friends. These spread it to their families and friends. In a manner of a couple months, a majority of the Arue'tii population was infected with the Plague.
Balek and the Ascendants were accused of harboring the Plague in an attempt at killing the lesser Arue'tii. Were it not for the lethal efficiency of the disease, another civil war might have erupted. The Ascendants; being the first to be infected, were also the first to die. Those who did not die of Plague were killed by hostile mobs in the streets; betrayed by those who once served them.
The Arue'tii in the larger cities died out to the cruel illness, leaving husks of their former civilization scattered about the swamps of Ghul. The only thing that saved the species was that many were spread out away from the cities. These Arue'tii, unaffected by the illness hid away in the swamps and survived there.
Many of these minor outlying settlements died out as vital supplies were lost due to the lack of industry or direction, others were destroyed by wandering bands of infected Arue'tii, killed for their compassion towards their brethren.
In a year, the Arue'tii on Ghul dropped from 10,000,000 to 500,000. The Gulag Plague died out soon after the cities did, leaving Ghul with a much quicker, if not equally lethal fate. The Arue'tii outlier settlements gradually rebuilt themselves to become more self-sufficient and less reliant on a central government. Many elected minor councils to govern over themselves and to provide order and direction in the wake of the loss of the Ascendants.
Centuries passed and the Arue'tii began to gather together once more, rebuilding their broken and destitute civilization. Soon, their numbers were on the rise once more. Still, most of the Arue'tii had decided that staying so close to one another could only be a cause for trouble, and so many of them remained in smaller settlements. Only a couple of small cities arose, and only a single large one.
Now that the Ascendants were out of place, Arue'tii who had supported the Council came out of the shadows, showing their brethren that theirs was a better way, a way of equality. They won the confidence of the people by default. Elections were held quite slowly, but eventually twelve leaders of the Arue'tii people were selected to rule over them.
These leaders removed the Ascendants from the One Escalation, showing that their taint had been overshadowing the religion and it's beliefs. Most Arue'tii were fine with this change of structure, especially since it had been them who had murdered many of the Ascendants in the first place.
Centuries passed once more, peace spread as the Arue'tii fought their way back to supremacy and civilization on the world of Ghul. All was well for a while, until the introduction of Vandel.
Vandel was a Sarithian [as the Force Sensitives are called due to their lineage to Sarith.] who caused much pain to the Arue'tii as a whole. He festered hate for the Council for not allowing him to rule with them, especially after he demonstrated his far advanced abilities. Still, the people saw that nothing had truly been accomplished by Vandel.
His hatred spread among denizens of the Arue'tii, especially gathering support from those few who would still have honored the Ascendants. His plan quickly become one of conquest, he intended to rule over Ghul and to crush all who would oppose him. Yet, these things remained secret except from his closest allies.
He began to court the youngest of the Council, her name was Mala. She had been responsible for saving a band of nearly one-hundred of her brethren when the Gulag Plague had struck by escorting them away from the others. She fell for Vandel, fascinated by his abilities and he quickly became a common sight around the Councillors. They grew to accept his presence, not knowing that their dismissal had still held to his heart.
Slowly and methodically, Vandel began to scatter plans in the hidden places of the Council, while at the same time his followers scattered destructive explosives, their designs and materials taken from the first starship to have visited Ghul.
Vandel stepped into the room where the Council decided upon business, they were not yet ready to meet and allowed his presence as they had in the past so that he could visit Mala. Instead of visiting her however, he instead stepped into the center of the room and stated that he had an announcement to make.
The Arue'tii would no longer be run by a Council. The Councillors eyed him warily and the call for guards came to escort Vandel outside. The guards did not come, intercepted by Vandel's rebels. He instead raised a hand, letting fierce lightning fly from his fingertips and strike the lead Councillor. The Councillor was dead in a few moments.
The others rushed towards the door, all except for Mala who remained frozen in her seat, unsure of the betrayal she had just seen her beloved commit. The Councillors were met on the other side of the doorway by Vandel's rebels. Half of them were slain, and the others were taken captive.
The bombs went off throughout the city, levelling homes and injuring Arue'tii. Most of the adults were unharmed by the detonations, however, as the young Arue'tii do not possess exoskeletons, these were killed.
Infuriated and frightened Arue'tii gathered at the Council Building to hear from the Council about what had happened and what should be done. Instead, they were met with Vandel who paraded the remaining Councillors out and accused them of treachery to their own people, of attempting to destroy the innocent for the purpose of solidifying their rule.
Many Arue'tii were wary of this, but Vandel encouraged them to investigate themselves and to find evidence of the disaster. They found the scattered plans detailing the explosions inside the Council Building, and emotions ran high as Vandel fanned the flames of their rage.
One by one, the Councillors were executed by Vandel's lightning, something previously unseen in a Sarithian. He deceitfully expressed his sadness at his 'love' Mala being a part of this treachery, but stated that the guilty ought to be punished, and executed her as well.
Many of the crowd were whipped into a frenzy by Vandel's accusations and his falsified evidence, and they heartily supported the downfall of the 'tyrants' and 'traitors.' Vandel's rebels, scattered throughout the group began to call for him to lead, and in the heat of the moment, many Arue'tii joined the call.
In a day, the government had been toppled and Vandel took rulership. He gave his supporters important roles in his newly created government. His rule, was one of cruelty however, and those who spoke out against him quickly found themselves in the same position was the late Council.
Vandel created an army filled with loyal Arue'tii or ones who were too frightened to deny his requests. These were sent out to the smaller settlements and informed them of their new leader, resistance was crushed and the death toll began to rise with each excursion.
Those who still supported the Council began to gather away from the cities and territories of Vandel. The individual Hazarin began to organize and lead these rebels. Hazarin had been the brother of Mala, and he had known from the start that the claims made by Vandel were false. He was a Sarithian, and trained his abilities regularly as the Rebels hid among small settlements and cavern systems.
Acts of rebellion scraped away at the domain of Vandel, who found himself losing ground to the Rebels led by Hazarin. His army gathered, and they clashed against the Rebels. The sides were evenly matched, though a rising pattern was seen that whenever one of the leaders joined a fight, that battle was won by them.
It became clear that the outcome of this rebellion would be determined by these two individuals. Hazarin, though reluctant, led a small band of rebels into the Capital of Lasep. The band sneaked into the old Council Building, now a home of Vandel's regime.
They were spotted inside by Vandel, who alerted his soldiers. The band was quickly surrounded. Stories of the two individuals, Hazarin and Vandel had spread throughout Ghul and the two finally standing in a room together set off a dramatic air which halted the soldiers.
Hazarin challenged Vandel to a duel for his Empire. Vandel ordered his soldiers to attack, though they held in place. Many soldiers only served out of fear, and the idea of Hazarin fighting Vandel meant they might be free from his tyranny.
The two drew weapons and fought. Vandel was powerful and held a foreboding presence, he fought with ferocity and lashed out with his powerful lightning often. Hazarin was more nimble, painted with emotions of hate for the traitor and of hope for his people. They danced around the room for a long while, fiercely striking at one another until both were wounded heavily, their exoskeletons cracked and missing chunks and their blood spilled upon the ground.
Vandel struck at his injured opponent once more with lightning. Hazarin dodged this, and; fueled by his emotions and his want to save his people, sent out a Force push which sent Vandel through the wall of the Council Building.
He survived, although it was clear that the fight was over. Soldiers throughout Vandel's Empire spread word that he had fallen and they turned as soon as they saw that he was far too weak to stop them any longer. They joined together with the rebels, seizing those officials that Vandel had put into place and imprisoning them with him.
Hazarin, in his final acts asked for the re-establishment of the Council. His request was granted, and new Councillors were put in place quickly. Through his death, he had re-birthed the government. The new Council decided that it was far too dangerous to allow Vandel to remain on Ghul, and yet they did not wish to release him into the One Escalation.
Designs were put into place for the first Arue'tii constructed starship, following the build of the small transported which had first landed on Ghul centuries ago. The first constructed ship was shoddy and barely held together.
The weakened Vandel and his closest supporters were put onto the ship, and were piloted to Ghul's moon. There, they were released to fend for themselves and the ship was returned to Ghul. The moon was named after the infamous and vile prisoner it held, Vandel.
The Council quickly went to work rebuilding as many predecessors had done, and also were pushed to begin to explore their galaxy as none had done previously. Ships were created, each one lacking in common equipment such as shields or weapons, but each one capable of flying and of even reaching hyperspeed.
The Council decided to set about among the stars, to discover and find things that would benefit the species. However, they still knew that there were other beings out in the galaxy, and so it was decided that only certain individuals would travel.
The Order of Hazarin was founded to act as both warrior and explorer, wise and powerful. Dedicated shipyards were set up and soon travel began out into the great unknown, returning with knowledge and machinery to help the society. The Council also set up the GDF; Ghul Defense Force, for the sake of defending the Arue'tii people should ever an alien force assail them.
The Netherworld event had a very brief, but important effect on the Arue'tii. As there were not very many of them, very few were taken; only a couple thousand. However, this act of disappearance did not confuse or cause the Arue'tii to grieve. Instead, they reacted with joy, as it meant their brethren had escalated into the One Escalation without the need for harsh struggle, a truly joyous undertaking.
The Netherworld event kickstarted an annual celebration dedicated to those few thousand who were taken into the One Escalation. The Celebration of Peace is a day of joyful feasting and peace, even to alien beings.
Notable Player-Characters: Abelain
Intent: To create an interesting race of foreign beings to allow for fun RP stories and to allow for a new culture to meet the Galaxy.
