Lonthyn

The Lonthyn are an unusual race, in that they are actually two distinct races. Although sharing a common ancestry- one that diverged very recently, given normal evolutionary time scales – they are separate yet interconnected. Outsiders label Lonthyn as “inner world” or “outer world” members of their species, referring to whether the Lonthyn’s ancestry hails from the homeworld closer or farther from the sun. However, true Lonthyn never make such distinctions. Regardless, as a whole they have a ruthless outlook on life, and they steep themselves as a race in the pursuit of military conquest.

Example Inner-world Lonthyn

Dr. Werlowan is a renowned xenobiologist, especially when it comes to analyzing alien species for weaknesses and flaws (genetic, cultural, or otherwise). He is a skilled military planner and draws upon a wide area of knowledge to provide a martial edge in situations that seem hopeless.

Agility 4D+2: dodge 5D+2; firearms 5D+2; running 5D

Mechanical 2D

Strength 1D+2

Knowledge 3D: aliens: weaknesses and flaws 5D, astrography 4D+1, bureaucracy 4D, scholar: military history SD, scholar: art 4D, tactics 4D, willpower 4D+1

Perception 3D+2: command 4D+2, con 4D+1, persuasion 4D

Technical 2D

Strength Damage: 1D

Move: 12

Fate Points: 1

Character Points: 3

Body Points: 15

Wound levels: 3

Disadvantages: Hindrance: Frail (RS), -5 to damage resistance totals; Quirk (R1), untrusting -1 to all social interaction totals in situations involving trusting another

Advantages: none

Special Abilities: Hypermovement (R1),+2 to base Move; Longevity (R1); Iron Will (R1), +1D to all willpower totals and +2 to opponents’ difficulties for interaction attempts or mental attacks

Equipment: Leg and arm braces (Armor Value +2)

Inner-World Lonthyn Package

Total creation point cost: 0

Total defined limit cost: 0

Disadvantages: Hindrance: Frail (R5), -5 to damage resistance totals; Quirk (R1), untrusting -1 to all social interaction totals in situations involving trusting another

Advantages: none

Special Abilities: Hypermovement (R1), +2 to base Move; Longevity (R1); Iron Will (R1), +1D to all willpower totals and +2 to opponents’ difficulties for interaction attempts or mental attacks

Example Outer-World Lonthyn

Rewala (“nocturnal” in Lonthyn) is a skilled assassin who specializes in nighttime missions. She’s quiet even by Lonthyn standards, and she has built a mystique about being deathly silent but tough as nails. In reality, she’s slightly shy and prefers to remain quiet because she has a slight fear of saying the “wrong” thing. This doesn’t get in the way of her duties, but she vastly prefers assignments where she is confined to the shadows than those where she may need to talk or bluff her way inro a situation.

Agility 5D: brawling 6D, dodge 6D, melee combat 6D, running 5D+1

Mechanical 2D

Strength 2D

Knowledge 2D+l: intimidation 3D+l, streetwise 2D+2, survival 2D+2, tactics 3D

Perception 3D+2: search 4D, sneak 5D+ 2

Technical 2D

Strength Damage: 1D

Move: 14

Fate Points: 1

Character Points: 3

Body Points: 16

Wound levels: 3

Disadvantages: Nutritional Requirement (R3), chemical and nanotechnical “cocktail” with failure to take daily resulting in -5 to damage resistance totals plus 1 D damage total cumulaive daily; Quirk (R2), paranoid -2 to all social interaction totals in situations involving not distrusting another; Quirk (R1), shy -1 to all social interaction totals when dealing with strangers

Advantages: none

Special Abilities: Fast Reactions (R1), +1D to initiative rolls and one extra action per round thrice per adventure; Hypermovement (R2), +4 to base Move; Natural Hand-to- Hand Weapon: Nanotech-Enhanced Skeleton (R2), damage +2D when using fists, with Additional Effect (R1) also use with any weapons able to support great strength, and Flaw (R1), all brawling and melee combat difficulties are increased by + 2 when using this Special Ability

Equipment: dagger forge (damage +1D; requires half-liter of Lonthyn Cocktail-infused blood to create; 2 rounds to fully congeal; remains solid for 12 hours)

Outer-World Lonthyn Package

Total creation point cost: 4

Total defined limit cost: 4 skill dice, or 1 attribute die

Disadvantages: Nutritional Requirement (R3), chemical and nanotechnical “cocktail” with failure to take daily resulting in -5 to damage resistance totals plus 1D damage total cumulative daily; Quirk (R2), paranoid -2 to all social interaction totals in situations involving not distrusting another

Advantages: none

Special Abilities: Fast Reactions (R1, cost 3), +1D to initiative rolls and one extra action per round thrice per adventure; Hypermovement (R2, cost2), +4 to base Move; Natural Hand-to-Hand Weapon: Nanotech- Enhanced Skeleton (R2, total cost 4), +2D to Strength Damage when using fists, with Additional Effect (R1) can also use with any weapons able to support great strength, and Flaw {R1), all brawling and melee combat difficulties are increased by +2 when using this Special Ability

Lonthyn Scale

Despite being three meters call, Lonthyn are so frail that they have a scale of zero for most purposes.

Physical Appearance

The Lonthyn homeworlds are very low in gravity, so chat over the millennia, their bodies have adapted and changed to be best suited for chis condition. All Lonthyn have humanoid bodies, but their features are elongated and slender; their long, sleek fingers quiver when they gesture with quarterstaff-like arms. At about 90 kilograms, a Lonthyn’s mass is similar to most humanoids, but at three meters tall, they rower above many species. Females tend to be slightly taller, while males weigh a bit more on average. Their skin takes on a wide range of tones, although light cobalt, ash, and brown are the most common. Most shave off their delicate, thin hair.

Probably the most telling aspect of which homeworld a Lonthyn hearkens from is whether or 11ot she wears leg and arm braces. Any world with higher gravity than the Lonthyn homeworlds requires great effort to set foot upon, let alone maneuver, for inner-world Lonthyn; the braces provide their delicate bodies with support and protection necessary for them to act. Outer-world Lonthyn, however, have been bred and engineered to survive normal gravitational conditions, so their skinny frames do not require the metal framework that their inner-world brethren possess.

Homeworld

The Lonthyn homeworlds orbit a yellow star they call Lonrellae – literally, “the Conqueror of All” The inner-most homeworld was first called Ela (“Here”), and it’s from this orb that life originated within this system. Ela was, in many ways, an idyllic water world, with islands and small land masses dotting the 10% of the aquatic surface. Ela is close enough to Lontellae that the climate was mostly temperate or warm for eons. However, about a millennium ago, the Lonthyn learned to conquer the land. With this industrialization came heavy pollution and mass extinctions. After a lengthy war among themselves – mostly utilizing horrific weapons – the Lonthyn realized the error of their ways and set about radical reconstruction efforts under a unified government to heal their world (to the best of their abilities, at any rate). Shortly after this effort began, the Lonthyn discovered interplanetary travel and colonized their nearest neighbor. This world, Aela (“There”), was quickly settled, serving as a backup plan if efforts to restore Ela met with failure.

Al though possessing a similar gravity to Ela, Aela is a much harsher environment; cold and bleak, with roughly equal quantities of dry land and water (which spends most of the year as ice). The colonists quickly adapted, however, and within a few generations, they had tamed their new planet almost as well as they had changed themselves. The two subspecies tend to keep to their respective homeworlds, out of comfort rather than any legal pressures. Besides their two homeworlds, Lonthyn have an extensive galactic empire, with many worlds across various systems; on these worlds, the rwo subspecies mingle and work together as one while subjugating any race already there. The Lonthyn enjoy being in space, either aboard ships or aboard stations, because they can adjust the gravity to be more akin to their own world. Their cities tend to be towering megalopolises, glittering with the promise of construction and conquest. Their residential areas are much more personal, with large sections dedicated to art, personal enlightenment, and recreation.

Society

The Lonthyn who colonized Aela originally remained within shelters, protected from the elements, wicked winds, and fierce predators. But after a few generations, they longed to interact more fully with their world; to that end, they underwent generic engineering, transforming themselves into stronger, more hearty people. At about this rime, the inner-world Lonthyn managed to reverse their ecological downward spiral.

About five centuries ago, the two worlds came to blows in what came to be known as the Lonthyn Wars. By this point, genetic drift had resulted in the two worlds’ residents being incompatible, and both believed they had the right to be the “one true” species known as the Lonthyn. The conflict was short bur bloody. The climactic moment came at a battle on Ela; the outer-world Lonthyn had managed to surround the capital city and were a day away from destroying it. It was then that the inner-world Lonthyn made their greatest revelation: Centuries ago they had inserted special sequences into the genetic code of their outer-world descendants that would come to fruition within a generation. Left unchecked, these codes would render the entire species sterile – in essence, dooming them.

The leaders for the two factions realized that they gained more by working together; the outer-world Lonthyn had the physical strength, cunning, and tenacity, while the inner-world Lonthyn had the long-term planning, strategic might, and focus. Thus, rhe two races ofLonthyn forged the Pact of One, which states char, in all ways, the two races are to be treated as utterly equitable and functionally equivalent.

This has resulted in some oddities in their dealings with others. For example, the outer-world Lonthyn inverted the names of the homeworlds to their people, so that the outer world was “Here” and the inner world was “There” As a result, asking an unknown Lonthyn what planet she’s from will not prove useful in determining what subspecies she is.

A couple of centuries after the Pact of One, the Lonthyn developed interstellar travel, and they truly came into their own. With the inner-world Lonthyn acting as coordinators, developers, and straregists,and the outer-world Lonthyn serving the role of soldiers and special forces, the Lonthyn quickly became a dominant force in their part of the galaxy. Sadly (for some), this outward expansion came at roughly the same time as the inner homeworld was likely to turn the corner coward its ecological salvation; however, those plans have been forestalled since, with so many other worlds now open, the need seems much less. As a result, the long-term health of the inner homeworld remains in question.

The Lonthyn do not start conflict with other races needlessly, but their definition of “need” is different from most. While more pacifistic species would see war as a last resort, to the Lonthyn it is much higher up the list … somewhere slightly below “demanding what you want.”

Family is important to the Lonthyn, but loyalty to the race as a whole is more important. There is an ancient Lonthyn saying that goes, “I would kill you to save my brother but I would kill my brother to save us all.” Euthanasia is permissible in circumstances where the greater good would be served, as is infanticide (in the case of weak or deformed offspring). The assumed form for Lonthyn families is “nuclear” – a married couple with children. However, this definition is flexible, as exemplified by another saying: “Family is how we define it.” Thus, if all parties are agreeable, extended or nontraditional marriages are considered perfectly valid.

The Lonthyn as a whole have been described as “insular” which is a polite way of saying they really don’t like cultures outside their own. There is some evidence that this is actually a genetic trait; the inner-world Lonthyn tendency to scorn or distrust other races seems to have been significantly amplified in their outer-world kin, who usually display downright paranoid tendencies. All these xenophobic tendencies are directed at non-Lonthyn … which is another reason that so many efforts have been made to ensure the two subspecies consider themselves to be one race.

A Deadly Question

The xenobiologist looked up from his notes. “I’ve attempted to learn all I can about your people. What I’m still trying to understand, however, is this: Which of your people is the real Lonthyn race?”

The impossibly thin man’s leg and arm braces clicked slightly as he cocked his aged head toward the slender young woman whose equally impossibly thin body exuded an air of quickness and skill.

The old man sighed. “That you have asked this question indicates you know nothing of us,” he said. But the xenobiologist did not hear, because the young woman had already sprung atop him; the previously-hidden dagger she brandished ended his doubts more effectively than any mere knowledge could.

Economy

The Lonthyn believe in free trade, although to many this definition of “free” evolves out of “take what you want.” Lonthyn pirates are some of the most feared in the galaxy because of their ruthless efficiency and long-term tenacity; getting rid of a small band of such desperados may merely infuriate them to go after their target doubly – once for profit, and once for revenge. Still, they recognize the need to maintain some order, and as the Lonthyn government will generally honor treaties and trade agreements it signs. “Of course,” they explain, “the government cannot be held responsible for the actions of some rouge elements that act against these agreements …” but few outsiders have confidence in the treaties.

Laws and Customs

In the Lontellae system, the Lonthyn government is a two- house electoral affair, with each house representing a homeworld. A president is chosen ro preside over each house’s activities; these two presidents alternate leadership over the Lonthyn as a whole every eight years, with the leading president called the Grand President and other called the President Reserve. If anything happens to the Grand President, the President Reserve serves out the end of the Grand President’s term, but then control reverts back to the former Grand President’s house. Indeed, Lonthyn constitutional scholars often postulate the “One-Day President” where the Grand President is killed on his last day in office; the President Reserve would become Grand President for one day, and then control would revert back to the other house for eight more years – resulting in almost 16 years of continuous rule by one homeworld.

Under normal circumstances, all legislation must pass by a majority of both houses before going to the Grand President for approval. However, in the event that a bill can’t pass one house, it is possible to bypass it if the other house approves the pending legislation with a unanimous vote. This is known as a “full half” law, and is rare. In the past century, there have only been two “full half” laws: One was the standardization of time within the system to use the inner planet’s years and dates, and the other was a formal rejection of extraditing any suspected privateers to other races’ courts. While it’s possible that a suitably motivated homeworld and Grand President could force significant legislation on the populace – to the detriment of the other homeworld – this possibility is rare.

First, there is seldom unilateral agreement within a house; and second, the Lonthyn as a whole understand that it would be disharmonious to do so. Still, it remains a distinct possibility, and political scholars are always nervous that if a swathe of sweeping laws passed in such a way, it could sow the seeds of the collapse of the subspecies’ cooperation.

Custom is very important to the Lonthyn, to the point where it can often supersede the law. In general, there is a legal principle they call “Ilyaye’il” – literally, “You and I decide together.” It means that if two people agree to resolve their differences in adherence to custom, then the law will uphold the result as well as relinquish all parties from other responsibilities. Thus, combat in the streets is normally illegal; however, if two Lonthyn feel that there is a dispute between them that can only be resolved by combat in a formal duel within a city, then ritually declaring their intentions aloud will free them from legal responsibility (and alert passersby to get out of the way). In fact, so pervasive is the notion of Ilyaye’il that those who don’t agree to its terms – but instead prefer to have the legal system resolve the dispute – are called “Syal-lala” (literally,”mewling infants of the law”).

Lonthyn law revolves around an accusatory model they call “Yar’il” (meaning “I will show”). Most charges are not brought by the government, but rather by individuals. By invoking Yar’il, these accusers are declaring that they themselves will have enough evidence to sway a judge. Three possible outcomes can stem from such trials: guilty, in which case the judge imposes punishment on the accused; inconclusive, in which case nothing further happens; and erroneous, in which case the accused has the option of having the judge impose the punishment intended for the accused on the accuser instead. The existence of this last outcome means the number of frivolous charges filed in Lonthyn society is remarkably small.

Outside of the Lontellae system, Lonthyn are free to establish and support any type of governmental structure (or lack thereof) as they like on other worlds, provided that taxes are collected in an amount expected by the homeworlds. Aboard ships, Lonthyn believe that the ship’s captain is the “ruler” and is beholden to no government. (Of course, these other governments may have their own thoughts on the matter …)

Religion

All formal religions the Lonthyn observed fell into disfavor around the same time as the outer homeworld was founded. Many of the holidays, customs, and superstitions from the old religions are still observed, but not out of much belief. The typical argument from philosophers is that, if their deities had permitted them to defy creation by modifying their own people into a new race, then there wasn’t much that separated the Lonthyn from the deities themselves, and thus they were not worthy of worship or consideration, if they ever existed.

As conflict with ocher races grows more common, some Lonthyn have found themselves at disagreement with this philosophical argument. They believe that the deities do still exist but have seen fit to give the Lonthyn enough rope to hang themselves by allowing them to descend into violence. At present, this proto-movement (called the “Ayla’wil” – the “Returning”) is small and nor fully realized, and it doesn’t have a firm plan as to how to stop this descent; however, it could grow into something much bigger and disruptive over the next few decades.

Entertainment

The Lonthyn enjoy engaging in activities that highlight their own subspecies’ best traits. For the outer-world Lonthyn this includes martial arts competitions, foot races, and “Nyl’il’a” – literally, “I hunt you”: a game that combines tag and stealth as Lonthyn skulk around a city, trying not to be seen while tagging sensor-vests worn by other players with shots by a light-based gun. Nyl’il’a is particularly exciting because it skirts the edges of legality; while a declared game of Nyl’il’a falls within the purview of Ilyaye’il, good games of Nyl’il’a can last for several days or longer, and it’s a legal gray area if outsiders become hurt on the fifth day of an event if it was only declared publicly on the first day.

The inner-world Lonrhyn prefer more cerebral events, especially those chat show cunning or intellect: debate, puzzle contests, and impromptu invention competitions called “Loll’il” (“I make”) where participants must come up with a solution to a problem using a stock set of seemingly unrelated pares. Both subspecies have a solid eye for art chat many outsiders find surprising; children are taught history and appreciation for all types of artistic endeavors, and artist is a perfectly valid career path (provided the Lonthyn is any good, of course). Lonthyn artistic styles tend to evolve much more rapidly tl1an in other cultures, with full-Hedged movements erupting every decade or two and sub-movements evolving every other year or so. Some xenobiologists posit that the Lonthyn’s artistic appreciation comes from an understanding of their own frailty within the cosmos; however, these scientists keep their musings to themselves, lest the proud Lonthyn take offense.

Technology

The greatest technological advancement of the Lonthyn in the past millennium has been, without a doubt, the creation and advancement of the outer-world Lonthyn. Wittingly or otherwise, me inner-world Lonthyn gave birth to a race that perfectly complemented their own, in regards to martial pursuits. Of course, some scholars note that their combative personality – at least, since they became part of the interstellar community – may have evolved from having such a complement.

Lonthyn Cocktail (Lewa’aln): The outer-world Lonthyn have had their skeletons reinforced genetically and artificially to provide them with heightened speed and durability; their blood is infused with an advanced nanotechnology that provides them with quickness and increased strength. This improved skeletal structure dampers their natural eye-hand coordination somewhat, making it more difficult for them to utilize their martial abilities, bur most agree it’s worth the trade-offs. Probably the biggest side effect of the genetic manipulation for the Lonthyn is the need for Lewa’aln – the “Water of Life.”

This is a chemical and nanotechnical elixir that needs to be taken daily by outer-world Lonthyn, or else they start to die and their enhanced skeletons devolve to nothing more special than their inner-world counterparts. This cocktail relies in part on a rare chemical that, so far, has only been fabricated on the inner homeworld, resulting in the need for constant and continued trade between the two worlds; the inner-world Lonthyn don’t hold this fact over the heads of their kin, because they know that, in an outright war, they’d probably lose their homeworld to the outer-worlders. However, this tie to their kin’s world is a constant source of friction in private outer- world chambers.

The Lonthyn Cocktail has a cost of Very Easy (five cred- its) for outer-world Lonthyn, primarily because its expense is heavily subsidized. The Lewa’aln normally is not sold by Lonthyn to non-Lonthyn (for one thing, it has no effect on most humanoids), and as such could only be obtained on the black market at a Very Difficult cost (9,400 credits).

Lonthyn Braces: Another common technological item of the Lonthyn is me braces worn by the inner-world Lonthyn when off their homeworld. Although better technology is available, their pride keeps chem from crafting anything more than the minimum framework necessary to protect their frail skeletons. The notion of an inner-world Lonthyn in a powerful exoskeleton is abhorrent to Lonthyn; me inner-worlders would see it as denying their genetic destiny and the outer-worlders would view it as a poor substitute for their in-born technology. Besides, the Lonthyn braces have been designed not to interfere with the natural agility and quickness chat most inner-world Lonthyn possess. Lonthyn braces provide an Armor Value of +2. Cost: Moderate (860 credits).

Dagger Forge: This device, one of the Lonthyn’s better-kept secrets, frequently is carried by outer-world Lonthyn on covert missions. It’s a cube made of ceramics and advanced plastics, about 0.75 meters long by 10 centimeters in diameter. It is often packed with putty and disguised when not in use. The wonder of this contraction is that, when emptied of its putty and filled with a half-liter of an outer-world Lonthyn’s blood, the forge reacts with the chemicals and nanotech within that liquid, turning it into a dagger almost as hard as steel (+1D damage). The dagger remains solid for 12 hours, after which time the chemicals holding it together breakdown and it reverts to a puddle of blood. The biggest advantage of chis device is that it is virtually undetectable with normal sensory methods (Legendary search roll to detect with any sensory equipment), so a Lonthyn agent will have access to a reasonable blade even in environments when a no-weapons policy is in force. Using this device costs five Body Points or one Wound level, and it takes two rounds for such a blade to fully congeal. Cost: Difficult (4.461 credits).

Lonthyn Long-Range Scouting Ship

The Lonthyn usually disguise their scouting ships as basic and well-used freighters. Like the Lonthyn themselves, the exterior hides its deadly and calculating true purpose.

Crew:6

Passengers: 2

Life-Supporting Modules: group airlock (2 tons, 0.4 eu, 300 cr); bridge (4 stations, 8 tons, 1.6 eu, 400 cr) with +1D comm, gunnery, navigation, piloting, sensors, and shields upgrades (6 eu, 5,400 cr) and pilot autofunction program (15 eu, 8,000 cr, 30 each in piloting and gunnery); combined leisure room and lounge (24 cons, 4.8 eu, 2,800 cr); medical bed {1.5 tons, 0.3 eu, 400 cr) with +1D medicine upgrade (1 eu, 900 cr); 8 one-persons room (40 tons, 4,000 cr); wide hallways to connect rooms (44 tons, 8.8 eu, 2,200 cr)

Cargo Modules: bulk (equipment and weapons lockers plus cargo area; 100 tons, 10 eu, 2,500 cr); 8 escape pod bays {16 tons, 3.2 eu, 8,800 cr)

Life-Support Supplies: food storage (8 tons, 8 eu, 160 cr); standard food (8 people/10 months, 8 tons, 8,000 cr); atmosphere (51 person-areas/10 months, 51,000 cr)

Weapons: 1 laser cannon (4 tons, 11 eu, 9,800 cr, five arcs, range 3/12/25, damage 4D); 1 sensor probe launcher (3 tons, 2 eu, 10,000 cr, 1 forward arc, ammo 1, range 2/ 6/ 14) with 10 replacement sensor probes (50,000 cr) in 10 ammo bays (40 tons, 4 eu, 2,000 cr)

In-System Drive (12 areas, 12 tons, 30eu, 10,500 cr)

Move: 10 (space), 500 (atmosphere, 1,450 kph)

Maneuverability: +2D (12 eu, 3,600 cr)

Interstellar Drive: 2.0 ( 60 tons, 200 eu, 101,000 cr}; backup: 0.1 (9 tons, 10 eu, 6,000 cr)

Total Energy Requirements: 327

Power Plant: 385 energy units generated (27 tons, 36,500 cr); battery backup (30 energy units generated, 3 areas, 3 tons, 2,100 cr)

Hull Toughness: 3D (222 tons, 111,000 cr)

Atmosphere Capability: srreamlining (56 tons, 22,200 cr), landing gear (45 tons, 16,650 cr)

Armor: +1D (45 tons, 45,000 cr)

Shields: +2D+2 (18 tons, 8 eu, 180,000 cr)

Total Tonnage: 756

Scale: 20

Total Area Units: 380

Length: 95 meters (wedge)

Total Cost (new): 638,110 credits/Price Difficulty: 84

D6 Space Aliens, Volume I (WEG 51022), © 2005 Purgatory Publishing Inc.
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