Ophidia
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To create a new, serpentine Sithspawn species for use by the Sith Empire, and other interested parties.
- Image Credit: Viper Concept Art, XCOM 2, Firaxis Games
- Canon: N/A
- Permissions:
- Links: Moraband Serpent | Sithspawn
- Name: Ophidia
- Designation: Sentient
- Origins: Spaarti Creations Lab, Cartao
- Average Lifespan: 90 Standard Years
- Estimated Population: Scattered
- Description: A race of all-female serpent-humanoid hybrids, Ophidia are remarkably agile, surprisingly fast, and gifted with sharp, venomous fangs and elastic jaws able to consume larger prey; they are as able to slither close to the ground as they are to rise to towering heights.
- Breathes: Type 1 Atmosphere
- Average Height of Adults: 2.5 to 3 metres (Full Height)
- Average Length of Adults: 4 to 5 metres
- Skin Colour: Scale colour varies by individual and can be affected by lingering bits of DNA from their original species.
- Hair Colour: N/A; Ophidia are entirely hairless.
- Distinctions: Whatever they were pre-transformation, Ophidia are universally female. Their serpentine forms diverge greatly from the bipedal norm and gives them a distinct edge in ground-based combat, albeit with a disadvantage when operating vessels or vehicles designed for humanoids.
- Races: N/A
- Force Sensitivity: Standard
- Venomous - Ophidia are able to generate a potent neurotoxin within specialised glands, a toxin which is then injected through their fangs or projected via spitting; in most organics, anything but a minuscule dose would result in a temporary paralysis useful for capturing foes… or consuming them.
- Agility - Gifted with exceptional agility and greatly heightened reflexes, the Ophidia are excellent combatants only further aided by the fact that their serpentine physiology affords them more flexibility than a comparable humanoid.
- Stealthy - Too cold-blooded for most thermal sensors to detect and almost entirely scentless due to a lack of conventional sweat glands, Ophidia are naturally adapted to stealth and ambush tactics, an aptitude only further aided by the tendency of their scales to produce only minimal sound when rubbing against most surfaces.
- Equipment - Due to their unique physiology, Ophidia have some limitations in terms of what armour they can make use of; though they can easily wear the upper half of most suits of armour with only minor modifications, their lack of legs means the lower half is not so easily protected without hindering their movement.
- Cold Blooded - Being reptilian in nature, Ophidia are cold-blooded and as such do not cope well with cold climates, to the point where anything but short-term exposure to subzero temperatures causes them to shut down and go into a hibernative state, leaving them vulnerable; as a result, they are predictably vulnerable to CryoBan and the like.
- Diet: Carnivore; due to the changes to their dietary requirements caused by the transformation, their bodies no longer gain any benefits from consuming vegetables and other flora.
- Communication: Galactic Basic, whatever languages they knew pre-transformation, hissing.
- Technology Level: Whatever their original species was capable of using.
- Religion/Beliefs: Nearly all of the candidates who’ve volunteered to undergo the transformation into an Ophidia are zealously loyal to the Sith Empire, for obvious reasons. That being said, a very small percentage were decidedly unwilling subjects selected to test the serum in the early stages to ensure it works before wheeling it out to actual volunteers.
- General Behavior: Ophidia still retain their memories and much of their original personalities post-transformation, though one noticeable quirk is that they tend to adopt a noticeable snake-like mannerism, a tendency to occasionally hiss, though this can be controlled with sufficient practice.
Initially envisioned as a surprise gift for the Sith Emperor by his consort, Sylara Vaal, Project Ophidia, named in tribute to the Rattataki Sith Lord known as Darth Ophidia, had the goal to create a new form of supersoldier for usage by elements of the Sith-Imperial military, especially elite units such as the Emperor’s own Blackblades, delving into gene splicing and genetic manipulation to achieve this objective.
Some of the finest geneticists and Sith alchemists were brought in to develop the project, including Darth Prospero and Taeli Raaf. Genetic samples gathered from the Moraband Serpents of Korriban were used as the basis for the serum, due to their natural connection to the dark side allowing for more efficient manipulation of their genetic material with Sith Alchemy. Inspiration was taken from the Rakghoul plague to ensure that the serum’s transformational process upon the intended subject would be swift and efficient, albeit likely painful.
Captives, both force sensitive and non-force sensitive, were used as test subjects to ensure the serum would work properly and would not strip potential Sith volunteers of their force sensitivity. Though the early versions of the serum took the lives of numerous test subjects, the formula was, through trial and error, eventually perfected. Batches of the serum are gradually being shipped out to the Emperor’s Blackblades and other interested parties within the Sith Empire, and it is rumoured some vials have also found themselves on the black market...
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