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Name: Shadur
Designation: Sentient
Homeworld: Kintooine
Language: Sharik, Galactic Basic
Average height of adults: Between 1.8 and 2.2 meters.
Skin color: All human colorations, ashen, dark purple
Hair color: Black, Brown, and Red
Breathes: Type 1
Strengths:
Mutts: Shadur are the result of two species coming together, alongside natural selection. They carry the strengths of the Sephi and humanity, along with their weaknesses. A capable Shadur may be able to hide their Sephi heritage from humans, if it is not entirely prominent, and blend in with human society.
Warlords: The Shadur have a strict moral code. This code requires all to listen to the word of the High King and his Inquisitors, for they are the purest of heart. Those who refuse their word must not be allowed to live. The Shadur have waged war on the Firrereo colonies across Kintooine for some time, and have effectively wiped out all human resistance to their rule. Those Shadur keeps that speak out against the High King will find his Inquisitors and their armies on their doorstep. War is an integral part of the Shadur society, and their entire race will rise up to meet any threat they may come across, or create.
Genetic Diversity: One Shadur is rarely like another. Some are a quarter human. Others are simply humans with pointed ears. Even then, some have spouted third eyes, and bear skin that seems to be painted with ash. They are bound by the High King and the Great Code, and together, their unique strengths make them a powerful force.
Weaknesses:
Intolerance: Humanity is a bane on the galaxy. The humans are responsible for the Shadur's greatest tragedies. While eradication is not the answer, they and species like them must learn to follow the word of the High King, for he has the wisdom and compassion that they as a whole do not. Worship of any gods or religious symbols is banned in Shadur lands, and will often be met punished with the taking of a limb.
Mutts: The Shadur, as stated, are the product of continued hybridization. This has weakened their immune system considerably. What might give a human nothing more than a runny nose and a headache might stop a Shadur's heart. They must be careful to adjust to new environments, and take supplements to avoid contamination on new worlds.
Stillborn: Pure Shadur children die in childbirth around half as much as they survive To supplement this, human women are often taken for the purpose of expanding the race's number. It is not uncommon for single males to have a harem of two to six females of various humans and sub-humans species for the purpose of expanding his house.
Distinctions: The Shadur are the result of hybridization between Sephi and humans though many generations, along with early interbreeding by some Sephi colonists. They are generally taller than your average human, though females do fall short at times. Those Sephi that did not interbreed with humans have evolved to Kintooine's climate over the years, and bear ashen skin.
Average Lifespan: Around two hundred years.
Races: Prime Shadur, Kri'loks, and Sa'tul. The Primes are those of primarily Sephi blood, Sa'tul are their broader cousins and bear more human traits. Those born of purely Sephi blood are known as Kri'loks, and often bear ashen skin and bright green eyes.
Estimated Population: Around 2 Billion on Kintooine. At this point, Shadur do not venture offworld.
Diet: Shadur generally share your average human's diet, though their metabolisms tend to run much faster. A Shadur must eat and drink substantially more than a human to function.
Communication: Shadur communicate verbally, most often speaking their native language of Sharik. When communicating over long distances, they make use of an archaic holocomm system.
Culture: The Great Code is a Shadur's life. One must not steal from his fellow Shadur, lest they be heretics. One must not harm his fellow Shadur, lest they be heretics. One must follow the word of the High King and his advisers, save for times when the High King is under scrutiny. One must be generous to those less fortunate, lest they be heretics. One must not take advantage of those less fortunate, lest they be heretics. One most show compassion to all, lest they be heretics. Heretics must be brought to the light, or dragged into the darkness.
This is the Great Code, and any Shadur not abiding by its laws will meet a dreadful fate. The Shadur are loyal to their King, his Inquisitors, and his advisers. Below them are the Priests of the Code, followed by the Lords. All others must do the jobs required for society to function. No Shadur will ever go hungry. The rich give their coin to the poor, for if they do not, they stand in the way of the code, and become heretics. The poor who become wealthy must not be greedy, lest they become heretics. To become a heretic is the greatest of crimes. Your name will be stricken from the history books, and your family will live in shame.
The Great Code has brought order to the Shadur society. Those living under it are legitimately happy. There is little crime, and if it does pop up, those responsible are swiftly executed. One may marry who they wish, though they make only take one husband or wife. Children receive an advanced education heavily influenced by the Great Code, and enjoy the amenities of a technologically capable society. Lords keep the peace in lands given to them by the High King. Each rules a Keep under his or her name, and must never take advantage of those under his protection. The Priest of the Code travel across Shadur lands, enforcing the Code and laws passed down by the High King and the Inquisition.
The Inquisition's purpose is to be the High King's army. Those Shadur that show a talent for war may join the Inquisition, starting as a Vir'ak, a warrior, eventually ascending to the rank of Mak'thal, Warlord. The greatest of these warriors earns the title of Inquisitor, a position coveted by all. The Inquisitors speak with the High King on military matters, and some domestic. They are the heroes of the holovids, the face of the Shadur war machine, the first to speak to those not of the Shadur.
Then, even greater than the Inquisitors, are the A'faren. The A'faren are the rare few Shadur that control the force. They are trained directly by the High King, and serve as his personal enforcers. To become A'faren is the greatest honor any Shadur can receive. The A'faren are the living embodiment of the code. They are unwavering servants to the High King. They possess great martial skill, and wield cortosis warblades into battle. The force does not exist to the Shadur. It is the power of the Code, the united strength of the entire Shadur race that allows the A'faren to use their powers. Those not of the Shadur that claim dominion over the force are the greatest of heretics; they steal the Shadur's power for their own ends. An A'faren's mission when dealing with these types it to either convert them and make them Shadur, or end their lives. There can be no other way.
More than anything else, the Code must be spread across the stars. The galaxy is morally bankrupt, a result of the lesser races' lack of enlightenment. They must be brought into line, or destroyed. Those that accept the Code become honorary Shadur, and may attain any rank within the Shadur society. Those that do not are taken as slaves, or killed on the spot. To allow them to survive and spread their vile teachings to others is heresy.
Technology level: Early space travel.
General behavior: Among others of their kind, the Shadur are kind and respectful. Those that follow the Code are living the life that they should. There are quarrels, as there always will be between neighbors, but the general attitude is compassionate. When dealing with those who are not apart of the Shadur, the attitude is different. Humans are greatly disliked, unless they convert. They will seek to assimilate other species, and if that is refused, to eradicate. The Shadur are proud of their heritage, and proud of the Code. They will defend it to their dying breath; every Shadur is a zealot in his or her own way. If there are any doubts, Shadur keep them to themselves, lest they be branded heretics and reeducated, or killed.
They value equality and their future legacy within the Shadur society. The education of children is paramount, and their progeny must learn to understand the Code and what it means for the galaxy as a whole. The Shadur host their own holovision shows, make their own music, and enjoy their own form of comedy. A Shadur can interact with one not of their race if needed, but most of the time, they will not enjoy it. It is not unheard of for Shadur agents to seed themselves in greater civilizations to spread their teachings.
History: The Sephi settled on Kintooine shortly after the Firrereo. It was a small colony, some two thousand individuals seeking a new land to colonize. Kintooine was greatly uninhabited, and they found peace living alongside their neighbors. Over the years the Sephi began to change with the land, developing more skin tones and greater height differentations. Shortly thereafter, the Gulag Plague hit. Thousands of humans fled to Kintooine seeking shelter from the deadly plague. They would not find it.
Hundreds died in each of the colonies. The Sephi were overpowered by the humans greater numbers, and during the breakdown of galactic communication, were taken as slaves by their new neighbors. It was not uncommon for young Sephi women to be taken off into the night by their human captors, only to be found in a delusional state later. During this period, many half Sephi-half Human bastards were born to the Sephi colonists. Overtime, the human numbers began to wane, while the Sephi's grew. They had developed a resistance to the Gulag Plague that the humans had not.
Under the cover of night, the Sephi launched attacks on the humans. Eventually, the slaves became the masters. Sephi males took human women as their personal servants. Human males became miners, farmers, and other subservient positions. During this period, interbreeding between the Sephi and humans was quite common. A new race began to emerge: Shadur, the children of the Twilight.
Different warlords took control of various plots of land. These Keeps were fought over daily by rival lords hoping to gain control of Kintooine. The destruction was sheered the planet's surface. When the war's reached their greatest climax, a sect of warriors emerged not seen before; the A'faren. Led by their self-proclaimed king, Acratorik, the A'faren rallied an army of their own, and crushed the various keeps. The warlords swore fealty to this new king, and promised to uphold the tenants of the Great Code which had come to him in a dream. The humans that remained swore fealty as well, and the united races: The Sephi, Humans, and Shadur, came together as one single entity; what one recognizes as the Shadur of today. Galactic Basic was cast aside as a secondary language in favor of the holy word; the Sharik.
Since then, the Shadur have grown in size and power. Their numbers increases each day, and the High King eagerly awaits an opportunity to announce himself to the galaxy.
Notable Player-Characters: Ein Sha'kal, more coming!
Intent: To create a race that can make a name for itself in the galaxy without relying on humanity, or previously established canon information. The Shadur will serve as a hostile force to the greater galaxy not alike what it faces today. Rather than a force of evil, or good for that matter, the Shadur are a morally gray power that wish only to bring peace to the galaxy, via their rather twisted means.
