Fabula Caromed
Belle of the Brawl
Image (c): Shinga
Name: Vanr, "Kaas devils"
Designation: Sentient
Homeworld: Dromund Kaas (originally Skye, currently Panatha)
Language: Basic. All knowledge of S'kytric has been lost to Vanr.
Average height of adults: 1.8 - 2.0 meters, females slightly shorter
Skin color: Naturally blue and green, but much more variation than standard S'kytri.
Hair color: Myriad colors. Bright S'kytri colors are possible, but just as frequently dull human colors.
Breathes: Standard oxygen
Strengths:
+ Flight. Exactly like their ancestors, Vanr are a flying species. Vanr have stronger wings in order to offset the higher gravity on Dromund Kaas, though the amount of energy they burn combined with the frequency of places to land can give them less stamina than a normal S'kytri.
+ Natural weapons. Intentionally engineered by Sith Alchemy for life on Dromund Kaas, Vanr have sharp claws on both their hands and powerful legs, as well as a muscular tail for both balance and defense. Several other sharp projections, varied almost randomly, often show up regardless of ancestry. Horns, elbow and knee spikes, or tail spades are all possible, though not every member exibits all of these traits due to the chaotic effect of Alchemy on genetics.
+ Force sensitivity. While not universal, being tainted by Sith sorcery gives Vanr much greater Force sensitive numbers than normal S'kytri. In fact, a measurably large percentage of their very small population is Force sensitive, though almost always mired in the Dark Side.
Weaknesses:
- Hollow bones. An average Vanr weighs noticeably less than a human of similar height, due to hollow bones. This makes them much less durable than their size and appearance would indicate, though the frequency of Force training in the species offsets this somewhat.
- Dangerously low fertility rate. Vanr lead violent lives to begin with, and this combined with the destructive effect that Alchemy had on their bodies has left the altered migrants with a phenomenally low birth rate. Barely one in every four eggs laid actually hatches a functional child that manages to grow to adulthood. Their population has never been high, and can't compensate for how quickly they die off at the violent claws of Dromund Kaas' predators or the hands of its Sith.
- Dark Side attunement. Since the entire subspecies was created by Sith Alchemy, Vanr are naturally tainted by the Dark Side. Their emotions are dark and quite overwhelming, given to intense bouts of rage, jealousy, fear, and despair. It would take a phenomenally willful Vanr to overcome this taint and follow a Lighter path, and even in Force blind Vanr it makes them quite difficult to associate with.
Distinctions: Wings, tails, horns, clawed hands and feet
Average lifespan: Standard human lifespan, average 75 years.
Races: Vanr are in effect a "race" of standard S'kytri. They don't ethnically or physiologically differentiate from each other in a noticable way.
Diet: Omnivorous, largely human diet. Prefers "lighter" foods, or foods very high in calcium due to hollow bones.
Communication: Standard vocal/audio.
Culture: Originally a peaceful and artistic species, the S'kytri were not at all suited to the violent and brutal surface of Kaas. Over years of subjugation, evental liberation, and assimilation into Sith society, Vanr have developed a cultural identity very reminiscent of the Sith they live alongside.
To Vanr, Force sensitivity equates to a shot at being a legitimate Sith, and while there are fewer than fifty actual Vanr Sith, this doesn't stop every single one of them from attempting it. A Force sensitive child born to a Force barren family is brought up in a brutal Sith-like atmosphere to harden them against the challenges of their training, which often makes Force blind children feel quite lucky in comparison.
The fact that the species as a whole is descendant from slaves makes most Vanr much more humble about humans and other "walkers" than normal S'kytri, but they retain much of their racial pride and sense of superiority, even if they hide it quite well. Those accepted as Sith rarely have any compunctions against showing themselves as superior to others.
Vanr retain their connection to the arts, though warped from years of being Sith slaves and, eventually, full Sith. Warriors are often seen as artists in their own right, painting pictures with the blood of their enemies, and Vanr art often incorporates images and sounds that many less-violent species would find disturbing. Vanr artists often incorporate blood and screams into their work, and while this is quite popular with other Vanr and some more dilletante Sith, there isn't enough of an interest pool for Vanr art to become even a niche market.
Technology level: Vanr share the same technology level as most of the rest of the galaxy. They have no unique technology of their own.
General behavior: --
History: In the days of the old Empire, the S'kytri species was enslaved, as with just about every other alien species. And, as slaves, they had no say in which worlds they were shuffled off to. Those that eventually wound up on Dromund Kaas were found useful as messengers and scouts, due to their flight, but their relatively fragile bodies and bright coloration ensured that the natural predators of the planet killed them in droves.
In order to combat this, the Sith used Alchemy to mutate every enslaved S'kytri on Dromund Kaas. The end result were shorter, stouter, and much more deadly flying monsters that bore little resemblance to their ancestors. Claws, fangs, horns, and powerful tails made them better able to defend themselves from the planet's predators, and a greater variation in their coloration provided some limited camouflage in Dromund Kaas' jungles.
Years passed, and eventually the mutations stuck to the altered slaves in a generation or two. The new subspecies, dubbed Vanr by their masters, was tainted with the Dark Side and raised in violence and hatred. Years of slavery broke many of their spirits, and those who resisted became enraged by the lives they were forced into. When they were eventually liberated with the fall of the Empire, they found the galaxy had no place for them outside of their violent immigrated world.
Over centuries, Vanr were integrated into the ecology of Dromund Kaas. While some remembered the slave stigma attached to the flying "Kaas devils," most simply think of them as rare manifestations of the planet's hellish environment and the Sith's influence over every species. Since the species has both a low birth rate and a penchant for violence, their numbers have never been high enough to colonize other planets or even sport a respectable population on Kaas itself. As a result, most are stuck planetside, hoping for the honor of giving birth to a proper Sith child and scraping out what life they can amongst the brutal humans and aliens around them.
- Addendum: With the destruction of Dromund Kaas, most of the Vanr who remained on the planet's surface were slaughtered. However, the race is not extinct. No small fraction of Vanr have immigrated off of Dromund Kaas over the centuries, and in particular a sizable portion followed Kaine Zambrano to Panatha.
Notable Player-Characters: [member="Sierra Momoa"], [member="Riuku Morvol]
Intent: To create a species that will finally allow us to use the sixteen billion gargoyle pictures on the internet.