'Ello Poppet.
Ostros
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: Watched Carni played Jurassic World Evolution, and then there was a whole chat in VC.
- Image Credit: ChatGPT | Jurassic World Evolution Game
- Music: Angus McSix’s Laser-Shooting Dinosaur
- Canon: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Links: Utahraptor
- Scientific Name: Ostromaysi valrarus
- Common Name: Ostros
- Designation: Semi-Sentient
- Origins: Valrar
- Classification: Predatory reptavian
- Average Lifespan: 20 to 25 Galactic Standard Years
- Estimated Population: Planetary
- Description: The Ostros are predatory reptavians bred by Lucette Fortan Raaf through a combination of selective breeding and Sith alchemy. Designed as living war mounts an ‘advanced’ test for Lucy to prove to her grandmother that she has been taking her biomancing lessons seriously. These Ostros are highly intelligent and display remarkable aggression and loyalty. Their vibrant feathers—ranging from watermelon-inspired greens to mango oranges and coconut whites—serve as both camouflage and an expression of the Sith’s dominance over nature. Fearsome in appearance and combat, they stand nearly 2.5 meters tall at the shoulder and boast formidable talons, capable of tearing through armor and dismembering enemies with ease.
- Breathes: Type I
- Average Height of Adults: 2.5 meters at the shoulder for males, 3 meters at the shoulder for females.
- Average Length of Adults: 6–7 meters from snout to tail
- Skin color: Dark gray to black base skin beneath feathers; sometimes mottled with reddish or dark greenish undertones from alchemical processes.
- Hair color: N/A (covered in feathers)
- Distinctions:
- Feathers: Highly iridescent and regionally variable, with watermelon-inspired greens, mango oranges, and coconut whites.
- Head and Crest: Elongated snout with serrated teeth; crested feathers that flare in intimidation displays.
- Eyes: Yellow with slitted pupils; can glow faint red under stress or aggression (especially with alchemical enhancements).
- Talons: Oversized, curved claws on each foot, adapted for eviscerating prey and slashing through armor.
- Barding Ports: Special harnesses on their backs and flanks, designed to mount Sith alchemized barding and modular weapon systems (e.g., blasters, plasma cannons).
- Adaptive Enhancements: When wounded, these creatures undergo a transformation—cybernetics and alchemical grafts replace or reinforce damaged limbs, sometimes granting additional weaponry or armor plating.
- Behavior: Highly intelligent, able to understand commands from their Sith riders and coordinate attacks. Prone to aggression but deeply bonded with their handlers.
- Sexual Dimorphism: Females are typically slightly larger and more aggressive than males, with more pronounced crests; males have more vibrant feather patterns but slightly less endurance.
- Regional Variants: This is not an exhaustive list.
- Watermelmon: Bright green-striped feathers; highly agile and stealthy.
- Mango: Orange and yellow feathers; fast and aggressive.
- Coconutoraptor: White and brown feathers; resilient and steady, adapted for harsh environments.
- Races:
- Jungle Ostros: Typically the most colorful variants, with feathers in vivid greens, oranges, and whites. Adapted for dense foliage, highly agile and aggressive.
- Highland Ostros: Slightly larger with muted feather colors (grays and browns), built for rugged mountain terrain. More resilient, but somewhat slower.
- Swamp Ostros: Slightly smaller and leaner, with darker feathers for swamp camouflage. Known for their exceptional stealth and patience.
- Force Sensitivity: Rare, A small number of Ostros exhibit sensitivity to the Force, typically manifesting as heightened aggression, enhanced coordination with their riders, or an uncanny ability to anticipate attacks. These rare Force-sensitive specimens are prized by the Order of Arcane Syn for their potential as living extensions of the Dark Side, often receiving additional alchemical augmentation to enhance their lethality.
- Ferocious Combat Prowess: The Ostros’ combination of powerful talons, serrated teeth, and adaptive enhancements make them devastating predators and frontline shock mounts.
- Adaptive Evolution: Thanks to Lucette Fortan Raaf’s alchemy, the Ostros’ bodies respond to injury by developing new offensive or defensive augmentations, making them increasingly formidable the longer they survive.
- Temperamental and Aggressive: Even with skilled handlers, Ostros are notoriously aggressive and can turn on their riders or allies if angered or frightened.
- Vulnerable to Precision Attacks: Despite their strength and barding, the Ostros’ vital organs and cybernetic components remain vulnerable to well-placed strikes—especially from Force users with lightsabers.
- Diet: Carnivore, Ostros are apex predators on Valrar, feeding primarily on large herbivorous reptavians, small mammals, and even other predatory creatures. In captivity, they are fed a steady diet of raw meat (often from local fauna) to maintain their aggressive instincts. Poisonous plants and some off-world fungi are known to cause severe gastrointestinal distress and, in some cases, madness in unmodified individuals. Sith alchemy has increased their resistance to local toxins, but they remain sensitive to certain off-world poisons unless conditioned against them.
- Communication: Ostros communicate through a complex blend of body language, growls, hisses, and low-frequency rumbles. These vocalizations can express aggression, fear, dominance, or submission. During combat, they coordinate attacks with chirps, clicks, and subsonic growls that are often inaudible to most humanoids but highly effective within their own species. Trained Ostros also respond to specific Sith commands and gestures—some even understand basic verbal commands, thanks to Lucette’s selective breeding and alchemical conditioning.
- Technology level: N/A, Ostros do not possess any innate technological development. However, they are integrated into Sith technology through barding, cybernetics, and other augmentations designed by Lucette Fortan Raaf’s laboratories. They are dependent on Sith handlers and trainers for all technological interactions.
- Religion/Beliefs: None, As non-sapient (or semi-sapient) creatures, Ostros do not possess religions or belief systems of their own. However, within Sith culture, some handlers revere the beasts as living extensions of the Dark Side—symbols of Sith dominance over nature. Certain Sith alchemists believe that repeated exposure to the Dark Side during training leaves a lingering echo in the beasts' minds, but this is more of a superstition among handlers than an actual belief of the species.
- General behavior: Ostros are pack-oriented predators, forming loose hierarchies in the wild (where allowed to breed) but typically raised in controlled settings by Sith handlers. Young Ostros imprint on their handlers at an early age, fostering intense loyalty and dependence.
- Family Life: In controlled breeding programs, eggs are incubated in alchemical chambers to encourage certain traits. Parents are often removed or monitored closely to avoid unpredictable aggression.
- Hunting: In the wild, they hunt in coordinated packs, using their feathers for camouflage. In captivity, they are trained for hit-and-run tactics, ambushes, and direct charges.
- Mating: Breeding is strictly controlled by the Order of Arcane Syn. Ostros demonstrate elaborate courtship displays involving feather ruffling and deep-throated growls.
- Interaction with Other Species: Wild Ostros are highly territorial and will attack humanoids on sight. Tamed Ostros are fiercely loyal to their handlers but may react aggressively to unfamiliar species or beings—especially those exuding fear or aggression.
- Nocturnal/Diurnal: Primarily diurnal but highly adaptable, trained to operate effectively both day and night depending on their handlers’ needs.
- Curiosity: Ostros are highly curious predators, often testing defenses or investigating potential threats. This makes them excellent scouts but also prone to unpredictable aggression if startled.
The Ostromaysi valrarus, colloquially known as the Ostros, emerged from the dark alchemical laboratories of Lucette Fortan Raaf, granddaughter of the infamous Taeli Raaf. Driven by a desire to surpass her predecessors and cement her legacy within the Order of Arcane Syn, Lucette undertook a daring project on the lush but dangerous world of Valrar. She envisioned a living weapon: a cunning, adaptive predator capable of serving as both a war mount and a living symbol of Sith dominion over the natural order.
Drawing on ancient Sith alchemical techniques and the genetic blueprints of once extinct creatures, the ostrommaysi, Lucette forged the first Ostros, creatures that combined reptavian ferocity with genetic enhancements that made them ideal Sith warbeasts. From the outset, they were bred for intelligence, aggression, and adaptability, able to learn from experience and develop tactics to counter threats, including the feared lightsaber.
One of Lucette’s most groundbreaking advancements was the Ostros’ adaptive enhancement protocol. Every wound sustained in battle became an opportunity for augmentation: limbs replaced with alchemically-forged cybernetics, feathers regrown with armored plating, or even plasma weaponry integrated into their barding. Thus, an Ostros that survived multiple battles became not just a hardened veteran but an evolving engine of destruction, more than a beast, a terror that inspired dread in any who faced it.
In the early testing phases, Lucette subjected her creations to live saber drills using captured Jedi prisoners. Initially, the Ostros were startled by the glow and hum of the Jedi weapons, but their intelligence and Sith alchemical conditioning allowed them to adapt quickly. Over time, they learned to circle their prey, feint, and strike from unexpected angles, often targeting limbs and vulnerable spots to bring Jedi low with cunning, rather than brute force.
By 906 ABY, the Ostros would be fully integrated into Valrar into their war machine. These beasts served as shock cavalry, urban ambushers, and even siege beasts capable of tearing through fortified defenses. Variants like the Watermelmon, Mango, and Coconut emerged as Lucette’s experiments diversified, each tailored to different combat roles and environmental challenges.
The most feared of these, the Vanguard Ostros, combined biological evolution with advanced weapon systems, shoulder-mounted plasma cannons, integrated blaster arrays, and enhanced barding capable of deflecting glancing lightsaber strikes. These elite warbeasts led charges into the heart of enemy lines, decimating defenders before the main Sith forces even engaged.
The Ostros’ legacy is one of pain and dominance, a testament to Lucette Fortan Raaf’s ambition and the Sith’s unwavering belief that all of nature can, and should, be bent to their will. Even now, rumors persist that some of the most powerful Ostros are beginning to develop rudimentary connections to the Force, a chilling sign that Lucette’s experiments may yet yield even darker fruits.
