Cylurian
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
The Cylurians are both a species and a group of people who follow the same ideals.
Contents |
The Species
The original Cylurians are humanoid reptiles. Their biological data is as follows:
-Average Lifespan: 200 years* (*Cylurians usually die in combat before their time. As such, they can only speculate as to their average life span.)
-Height: Male - 6'0" to 8'0", Female - 6'0" to 7'0" (The males tend to be larger and heavier than females, with more reptilian features. Females appear more human and are more lithe, while still being quite muscular.)
-Skin Color: Cylurians run the gambit of colors. If a reptile exists in a color, the Cylurians do too. The color of a Cylurian's skin usually points out their heritage, linking them to their ancestral clans of generations past. Other than that, it bears no significance in society.
-Special Attributes: All Cylurians boast incredible fortitude and regenerative powers, allowing them to regrow lost limbs. It's rumored that as long as they have a head, they can survive any damage.
-General Attitude and Social Status: While there vocal mannerisms make them appear gruff and uncaring, Cylurians are actually known for their extremes of emotions. All Cylurians are trained from birth to be warriors, maturing at the young age of 10 and quickly joining the "military". Their "government" is actually a loose organization of the different clans or "squadrons" with a figurehead known as the "Chieftain" ruling their home world. Despite the seeming dictatorial rule, the Chieftain's only real duties are to keep their home world safe and to set general policy for their people, while each squadron has its own set of codes (though they rarely differ greatly).
Early Civilization (Year 298 BPF [Before Planet Fall]- 0 BPF) (Earth year: 3054 BCE)
The Cylurians (species) started out as a primitive group of hunters, scouring the bare deserts of their world, Cyl, in search of prey. Being the dominant predator, they had little fear from other creatures. However, their higher than average birth rate lead to population problems. The wars over land that ensued ravaged the planet, leaving little food for the already starving population.
Their fate would change when a species known as the Korvol happened upon the primitives. The Korvol were notorious slavers, feared throughout the sector. Thinking the warring Cylurians to be easy prey, their ships landed and attempted to wrangle the brutes. Despite the bitter fighting previously, the Cylurians were not ones to submit to outsiders. Their brutal, efficient strikes on Korvol raiding parties landed them with impressive technology they'd never encountered before. Quick learners, they managed to drive off the slavers with their own weapons, seizing the Korvol vessels for their own use.
The Invasion (0 BPF - 20 APF [After Planetfall])
With their would be captors neutralized and the slavers' ships in hand, the Cylurians were set to take the fight back to their foes. Loading their bravest warriors into the vessels, they set course for the Korvol homeworld. Using the acquired access codes, they snuck in under the planetary defenses and began their invasion. The Cylurians' initial assault was devastating, having caught the Korvol completely by surprise. Initial losses were staggering for the slavers, the Cylurians' amazing fortitude and fighting spirit giving them the edge over them.
Lacking any real powerful weapons, the Cylurians' conquest was a long endeavor, their confiscated ships making several trips to bring more warriors to the front line. After twenty years, the last of the Korvol were wiped from existence, liberating the sector from centuries of oppression.
First Contact (20 APF - 134 AC [After Conquest]*)
*(When the Cylurians conquered the Korvol, they changed their dating system to match their over all optimism)
With memories of their first contact with another species fresh in mind, the welcome they received from their other neighbors came as an unexpected, but welcome, surprise. With the conquest of the Korvol, the Cylurians became the heroes of the sector. With assistance from their new allies, the Cylurians relocated their population to the newly conquered world.
With haste, the surrounding populations helped the Cylurians integrate into their new surroundings and technology. Survey crews were sent to their desolated planet, checking to see if anything could be salvaged from the broken world. What they found was a metal that, when processed, was both super hard and flexible, making it perfect for body and ship armor. Using the technology given them, Cylurians became munitions specialists, crafting their own unique armor, weapons, and ships that would become the pride of their sector.
Expansion and Assimilation (134 AC - 400 AC)
The Cylurians became the dominant economic and military power in their sector, offering both protection and support to all the denizens of their galaxy. As a result, the other races began to become more and more like them. Soon, the younger generations came flocking to join the Cylurian military. Because of the open nature of their society, after hundreds of years these individuals became known as Cylurians themselves, changing the word Cylurian to encompass any who take up the lifestyle.
As their population increased, the Cylurians began to expand, taking up habitation on the unclaimed worlds of their sector.
