a Vorox by Sam Inabiner and Bill Bridges5 agll Credits Weiting: Sam Inabinet iE PRR Pe Additional writing: Bill Bridges Development and layout: Bill Bridg Editing and proofreading: Bart H. Rochet Art direction: John Bridges Cover art: Ron Spence Interior art: John Bridges, Mitch Byrd, Sam Inabinet, Ron Spencer Map: Christopher Howard Bsanned by Soon Krsnyoa, rahe of A Yonkowk the wid guy Gxclusive releare for RPG Books'n’Scans, the one and only RPG place in da sorld. Enjoy tis acan and share it!!! Pilgrims: thing that walks as Graa Kal, for Father Gar watches ov all oth can hunt in the Dark ht us by Graa Kal. They are weak and soft, fluttering like chidwits when xd and luck and wit. Ways that do not forgive. Ways that reward thos 2001 by Holistic Design Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without written p the purpose of reviews. Fading Suns, Alien Expeditions and Vorox are trademarks and copyrights Te mention of or reference to any companies or products in these pages is nota challenge to the trademarks or copyrights concerned, rinted in the US of Aconrenrs Alustro’s Journal: All for One Introduction Where We Came From (History) Who We Live With (Ungavorox) Fauna Flora Who We Are (Culture) What We Do (Traits) 1Z zo 27 48 5D 78Ajustro’s Journals: All For One And as the stars shine in their multitudes and yet are aspects of the One Flame, so are you now a multitude who are one — angerak mates! Friends until death claims you. Loyal to one another beyond all other ties. Only three oaths ate more binding. hose to the Pancreator, to the Emperor and to your liege lords. So it is ordained in the Empyrean as well as the Gray Realms of our bodied existence ‘Where hefore you had but six limbs to devote, now you have 26, Never turn one against the other, but ins d clasp them together. Combined, you are mighty. Use your ghts from your own i n, for your souls are one even though strength of brotherhood to lift great w souls and those of others who are weak and alone. You sh your spirits be many. ‘Clasp hands and walk together into the Light! did. Ong And so we ggarak led us ircle, backs to one another, holdi a group from the shadows of the cathedral into the shaft of light descending from the apex. I blinked as its intensity hit my eyes, and also to hide my tears of pride Ong howled in joy and tugged Erian and 1 toward him ripping us in a gentle but encompassing hug. Julia, cling. ing to my left hand, stumbled as I was drawn in, tugging her forward. Sanjuk, clasped to her, also stepped up, as did Cardanzo, holding to her left hand as his left held Erian’s an completed the circle with her left hand clasped toOng The burly Vorox released us and leapt amidst us, hug: ging the others now as they released their holds on one an other. I clapped and the others followed my lead Howls and bellows erupted all around us as Count Galagadang’s Vorox angerak cheered the union, The count himself laughed heartily from the dais, standing beside Philosophus Wing San-chi, who smiled as he closed the book from which he had read the Angerakaai, the ceremony of adult bonding for civilized Vorox, as devised by Archbishop Man-shao centuries ago. garak had asked us to be his angerak, his bond mates in the most sacred Tt was a profound honor that Ongai oath a Vorox can make. We had traveled before with a simi lar privilege, as his angrwwa, or closest friends. But now he formalized that bond and made it greater and permanent An adult Vorox’s angoval, or adult bond, is his most impor tant, the one which will last the rest of his life. His asking us to be part of this bond is a sign of his complete trust and loyalty to us — incredibly rare among humans. How could Hooked at Erian and knew that this meant a great deal 0 her. She had traveled far with Ong and had come to trust him greatly; many times had he saved each of our lives. What's more, she had no vassals but us. For Ong to request this of her was the best of compliments and confirmation of her leadership abilities. Not all Li Halan — or Known Worlders for that matter see it as such, To them, this union would surely be con: sidered a joke, a barbaric custom that should have been go. The; a power the angerak holds for a Vorox. Although it is but a ended long understand litle of the gth a ‘ours. I must strive to respect that with all my being. I owe him no less. As | write this account in the evening, full of food and wine after the feast Ong provided us, I think back on when wwe met this unique friend Was it really five years ago? We had come to Ungavorox seeking Captain Maria Sao-Lui Li Halan, an officer who had once loyally served Erian’s father. She had heard of Erian’s disenfranchis other nent and h s enmity, and sent word£2 that she was safeguarding an heirloom that had belonged to Erian’s mother. She had instructions to carry it until the day Erian would need it. That day, she told Erian in her mes sage, had come. Erian, Cardanzo, Julia and I came to Ungavorox in the Hardball, an explorer lent us by Charioteer Director Hendrix on Midian, Actually, he had contracted its use to Julia for certain specified mercantile operations. Ungavorox was not cone of the specified destinations. However, we assumed our trip would be short enough that our scheduled trip to fiticorum would not be long delayed. Additionally, Julia's planned purchase of rare Ungavoroxian spices might even prove profitable We did not intend to get shot from the sky. As we ap- proached the planet, a pirate vessel assailed us, damagi usin fora landing. Unfortunately it was in the wild ju far from our destination of Ne Kowloon Everyone is raised with horror stories about the dan: gers that Unj les contain, Indeed, even breath: ove hazardous, as spores and insects lodge themselves in your breathing passages uninvited. Or so we'd heard. That last was exaggerated, but the dangers of predatory plants and animals were quite real As we disembarked to examine the damage to our small ach wore breathers and full suits, too paranoid to couch anything. That was slowly sinking into some primordial mud from which 1 ild not even dislodge the stick 1 had used to prod it. Julia and Erian began arguing. Erian lost our ship and would have to walk through who knew how many kilometers of jungle to reach even an outpost of ilization That's when the sharprats attacked Or they would have had it not been for Onganggarak hhe Vorox's timely arrival to inves gate the downed ship he beasts’ assault. He had crept through the spiky grass and surprised their leader before we even real: ized we weren't alone. The other beasts squealed in sur prise and ran back to their den, while Ong casually wiped his bloody glankesh sword on the blades of grass and intro himself most eloquently to my lady: “What brings a Fine lady like you to a swamp like this? The well-chosen words and humor were so incongru- ous I think we all sta sd in shock and surprise for a moment while Ong's smile (showing no teeth) grew the wider. He knew he had scored one on us, After introductions, he offered to help us prevent ‘mud at all, buta lifeform intent on slowly digestin He disappeared for a time into the jungle and came back with massive loops thick vine that resembled hopelessly tangled spider webs wound into a single line. He tied the vines to our ship’s cone and then, with Cardanzo's help, ted the other ends to a nearby tree. This, he assured us, would keep the ship from sinking further while we repaired the As we waited for Julia to fix the damage (only she knew how to tinker with the arcane materials), we spoke at length With our unusual guest. By strange happenstance, he knew of Captain Maria Sao-Lui and could lead us to her in New Kowloon. He was himself a householder for Baron Emilio Cesarus Li Halan, a local lord serving as a liaison betwe certain Vorox lords and the court of Prince Flavius on Kish, Onganggarak, or Ongas we came to know him, had recently as a go-between for his lord and a gr up of nomadic ferals who had moved into the wilds adjacent to the lord's fie What we did not learn until later was that he was not an adult, and had thus not chosen his angwal, or adult other him, i angerak, While he pretended that this did not was clear that he was lonely. Otherwise, it is uubtful he would have been so friendly to strangers such as us. It did not take Julia long to patch systems well enow toaunch us to New Kowloon, where more extensive repairs could take place. Ong agreed to acco was visiting the city and he could mak feport on his re cent time among the ferals in person, First, however, he in troduced us to Captain Maria Sao-Lui, who commanded the garrison of Li Halan troops protecting the city She spent the next few days reminiscing with Erian about her family, and her mother especially. The details o do not concern my account here. I spent the time with Ong, for he proved an excellent guide of the city. | ac companied him as he reported to his liege, and in doing sc raised the curiosity of Baron Cesarus. He had heard of my lady and her troubles, and after a long tea ceremony, confided in me that the pirates who at tacked our vessel were not mete ofa certain Baron Comado Li Halan, an ally to Erian's brother Baron Cesarus knew for a fact that Cornado sought to cap- ture and deliver Erian back to her brother, where he could keep her in sight At the mention of Cornado, Ong inggarak growled lov ‘and menacing — the first such sign of his bestial instincts 1 had yet encountered. It unnerved me greatly, and he was. immediately apologetic and ashamed. Baron Cesarus asked Ong to leave us, and then explained to me that Cornado was Ong’s original lord. He captured Ong.as.a cub in the deep wilds,” the baron explained. “He treated him brutally in a crude attempt to Civilize the young feral. 1 was ashamed to witness it, for feel that the manner in which the Li Halan treat the Vorox eflects on our soul mirrors. If our own compassion is tar §j ° K D2 IBTRY oI (0) > A xe) OF a nished, then so will be the Pancreator's compassion towards ‘Tmade my disdain clear to Baron Cornado and he chal lenged me to a duel. Irwas an uneven match, for he was a renowned fencer and | was but a diplomat with only the barest of formal sword training, Nonetheless, the Pancreator intervened and won me the day when Cornado's foot slipped on a patch of zrux slime and he fell right onto my blade awarding me first blood. ‘Our terms, howe x, were not simply for honor, | de manded aforehand that, should I win, he would transfer rily allowed the transfer of m and stormed away. | am sure the man stills bears a grudge Onganggarak to me. Comnado an loyalties before the gathered group of nobles and p but one directed more against Ong than me He sighed and sipped his tea before speaking again. “I have become quite fond of Onganggarak. He is a model ex ample of what his race can achieve in their climb From sav- ery. I shall now reveal my reason for relaying this tale to you: I would ask your lady if sl ill allow Ong to accom pany her off-world, to remove him from Baron Cornado’s ire, He can offer in return his loyalty and protection, should Cornado pursue her further. Ong would be a great aid in anticipating Cornado’s tactics, for he knows him well. ‘Onganggarak’s angwai, his adulthood ceremony, is still a year away. In return for transferring his fealty to your lady, l request that she become angriava to him, a compan: Jon and sister, teaching him of the human worlds while he protects her from her brother's assassins. | thought the idea most interesting, for I had come to like idea to my lady. She, of course, readily agreed. She had also eatly. | told the baron that I would propose his come to enjoy Ong's company, and felt that any ally she ‘ould gain against her brother was a good one Captain Maria Sao-Lui admitted that she knew Baron Cesarus to be an honorable man, but knew little of Cornado, ‘One would at first suspect Cesarus’s reasons for surten- dering a valuable vassal, but he surely cannot intend Ong to bea spy: the angruwa bond would provide too great a con: flict of interest. Vorox take such oaths most seriously. Per hhaps itis truly the case that he cares for Ong and wishes to remove him from Cornado’s vengeance Only now do | realize other reasons Baron Cesarus had. T knew to0 litle of Vorox then, but I now understand the tragedy of 0 to learn from him, as he has been ready to tel it, his true g's carly life. Over the years I have been able stor He was not taken from the jungle as a raw cub but as youth who had already undergone his kabaljal and angerakaal. His angerak mates, who had grown up with him from infancy, were killed in a battle between Li Halan and Decados forces for control of a patch of land. This wa: it during the later years of the Emperor Wars, when the ing was at its fiercest and most me ‘opposing one another less for tactical reasons than as te taliation for past losse Only Ong survived the conflagration tha pt the jungle, but he was caught and caged by Baron Cornado, who decided to make Ong a model example for his own ideas on how his house should conduct the Vorox civilizing process, He was only with Cornado for a few months, but they were enough to scar him deeply. Only Baron Cesarus's kind and disciplined rule calmed him, and this only after he es caped and attempted to rejoin his feral tribe. They would not have him, howev suspecting that he was a civilized spy, and they threw him out. Dejected, with no tribe or angerak, he returned to the only place he even remotely sociated with home. The baron forgave his leaving an him well, eaching him letters and good speech. Over tim earned to control his wild manners even better than of his kind, And so he came to join our company. 1 think back on othe! the happenstance that delivered him to us at our time of need in the jungle and marvel at where it has bro today. The odds that such a boon friend could be met in such a manner are staggering, enough to throw doubt on the existence of coincidence in favor of a more ordered ma trix to our meeting 1am told that a Vorox who loses his angerak rible creature, alone forever. And yet, Ong has ov any instinctual depression and built his life anew along hu rman principles. Perhaps he is less than a true Vorox be cause of it, but he is fully a part of our group. Indeed, afte this evening, we are also a part of him. He is no longer alonevom the journals of Provost Guissepe Alustro My temper got the best of me and I curset and kicket ground in unruly piles, the hours spent organizing th« the stacks of books. They tumbled to the coming one more wasted effort in a string of frustrations I had encountered of late. I stared at the scattered books and groaned. | would have to start all over again. My anger might have had its moment, but it chan ged nothing, The library's secrets would never be revealed if we didn’t have some means of searchin; ‘Ong padded on all sixes into the stone-floored catacomb, kicking up old dust I had managed to miss on my own trip into the old archives. He was too tall to stand with his full height in the low vilinged chamber. He looked around at the messy piles and the Few neat stacks I had not managed t0 destroy in my momentary loss of control. H shook his head, giving me a scolding glance Angerak brother,” he said. “You still do not think like a Vorox.” looked at him with obvious confusion, “I don't understand what that has to do with this task. He moved to a pile and crouched on two legs as his four limbs began picking up books. He cursorily examined their spines and began stacking them nearby. “Old Vorox adage: Many limbs are better than one ‘Well, that’s fine for you,” I said, bending down to pick up books again. “But I've only got two hands, thank you. ed at me with a certain sorrow. “I do not mean the amount of limbs you have on your body, but those you can call on for aid. We are angerak. All our limbs are one. You can always request aid from an angerak mate, no matter the task Iwas ashamed, Ong had joined his soul to mine and my companions and I still didn’t fully and what that meant. We still thought of ourselves as separate people with distinct skill. fa task required mechanical expertise, it was Julia or Sanjuk's job. If it was diplomacy, it fell to Erian. Research and reading were my task And yet, it didn’t have to be this way. There was no reason | had to spend days alone in this crypt stacking books by myself. Ong was happy to help. He clearly did not enjoy the task, but he knew 1 needed him Ironic,” | said, smiling, “It akes a Vorox to remind me of the Prophet's own word: “You stand alone only in your own arrogance. Open your heart and you commune with the stars, Now you begin to understand,” Ong said. He grinned and threw a book at me. 1 caught it and ide the Decados Sanc read the spine: Zobrovnik’ im. Looked curiously at Ong, He said; “I have the ‘As” here, you start backward with the “Zs I sighed and went back to work.Expeditions Series This series examines the lives of different alien races, both on their homeworlds and in new environments. Each book in the series will be a mix of third-person objective essays and first-person reports from a variety of sources, providing a comprehensive view of each race from multiple perspectives, ‘Some reports are provided by humans trying to catch a shimpse into these alien cultures, to understand them or gain a degree of control over their mysteries, The colonialist attitude and its attendant arto herent in humanity's historical relationships with these races is unavoidable. Such perspectives are revealed honestly in these books, and do not cons tute an approval of imperial ism. Depicting such historical realities — albeit in a fictional, far-future setting — can perhaps expose them to greater scru tiny. Judgments are left to the readers These races are wholly fictional. While certain aspects oftheir histories and cultures might resemble elements from actual human events or cultures, no specific reference to any real person or culture is intended. The authors may draw inspiration from the varied web of human history to add versimilitude and authenticity to their creations, but they intend no disrespect or cultural pilfer Th tions for consideration, evoking wonder and mystery as well e books aim to open up new worlds and as danger and sorrow What's In This Book The first book in this series e umines the Vorox. No consideration of these six-limbed sentients can be complete without a detailed look at the environment that The chaotic wilds of Ungavorox, one of the most diverse and dangerous — ecosystems in the Known Worlds. Hence this book also serves as a su -y of Ungavorox's geogr Phy, flora and fauna, for each of these elements is reflected in the Vorox psyche and society + Alustro's Journal: All for One. Vost Guissepe Alustro’s journals A chapter from Pro- iniscing on the time Lady Erian’s entourage met Onganggarak, their Vorox compan. + Introduction — What you're reading now: + Where We Came From (History) — From the dis: covery of Ungavorox by Second Republic explorers to its inhabitants’ present-day dilemmas in self-sovereignty + Who We Live With (U planet and its neighboring stellar bodies, along with its popu gavorox) — A survey of the lation centers — both ci ized and feral. The bulk of this chapter details the varied lfeforms of the planet, beings the Vorox have interacted with for ages and with whom any explorer must contend, + Who We Are (Culture) — Essays explaini ‘of Vorox culture, from their coming-of-age rites, to the im portance of the ang spects ak, to their language and cuisine. In cludes two short stor shedding light on hunting and folk: lore + What We Do (Traits) — New combat actions avail able to Vorox characters, from Graa martial arts maneuvers to glankesh sword fencing and bolorang tossing. Also in cludes new character roles for both civilized and feral Vorox. Roleplaying Vorox Many players seem to stereotype Vorox as mere muscle aracter types. They don't have to be that way. Vorox are intelligent sentients, many of whom can speak Urthish as well as any native speaker, and some can ead and write just as well. Why not play a Vorox scholar? One who seeks knowledge among the Known Worlds and pethaps even has a culture-building agenda for his people back home? Or perhaps a diplomat, sent to Byzantium Secundus to epresent Ungavorox’s interests in weighty decisions. Is she loyal to her own kind or greedy for the sort of kickbacks rer factions are willing to give her in return for her influ How about a Vorox Engineer? There's no reason a se lect few can’t earn admittance to this guild somehow, as suming they've got the technical know-how. They have to ¢ their Tech scores to at least the human average, but after that, the sky's the limit A Vorox priest, anyone? It's rare, but possible, e ally out in the jungles where few human missionaries dare on What pri re are may be all too will recruit any native who shows aptitude and interest, and there's nothing preventing that ordained Vorox from spread. ing his gospel to the stars thereafter (although the more bigoted representatives of th called faith may object and attempt to stand in the way). Even the more martial-oriented Vorox, whether they be ex-commandos or Muster mercs, are more than just card board grunts. They have hopes and dreams beyond the battlefield, W Th or th hat are they? are just a few of the possibilities. Want a psychi gic Vorox? Talk to your gamemaster about the pos sibilities. While Vorox cannot begin play with these powers, or awaken them naturally, a few have managed to gain suchabilities (such as Zartch, ofthe Invisible ous exposure toa Philosophers Stone or other us Ur artifact, but itis a possibility for those very few who not only venture among the stars but involve themselves in the mysteries and dangers awaiting there the few, the proud, the player characters. Vorox Angerak Dramas While Vorox may be somewhat common fixtures in any p, there probably aren't a lot of epics com: y of Vorox characters. Below are some sketches for gamemasters and players interested in trying such a A King’s Ransom Someone is plotting to kill King Kummanga, perhaps to replace him with someone more docile and sympathetic to Halan or Merchant League. Clues, however, ae v ot to look into this and stop the assa fer successfully prevents the plot will surely car and goodwill of the king ut the ire and resentment of Wild at Heart he player character angerak has been chosen with the feral leader, Kagot igKagong, This is an unprec cedented opportunity to get close to the mysterious rebel and either forge a new alliance beneficial to both ferals and civi lized Vorox — or nate him and thus end his tyranny. Mixed Human/Vorox Dramas Ungavorox pro ayer character cadre or those groups with only one or two Vorox representatives Old Family Secrets Secretive patrons are seeking a group of explorers to to the forbidden keep of Jun Fan id family of Li H ancestry. Jus Kong on Gashkar where members of the n still reside in shame for their pre-Conv ing to the fief is hard enough; getting the hospitality of its residents once arrived is another hurdle. Rumors state that the entir Antinomy. The patrons are insistent, how that a certain heirloom be “rescued” from its entrapment there. What is this object and why i portant? How much are these patrons willing to pay to g it k? And who would be foolish enough to undertake such a devil's task Octopus’s Garden A wealthy Li Halan noble is outfitting an expedition to study Ungavoroy’slitle-seen oceans. He has manufactured astate-of art submarine and wishes to crew it with hu mans to accompany him, for few Vorox kni dangers are not ne they Holy War The Avestite deacon of Dibirdar, Sollum Krayne, is seek 's what wonders await beneath the waves? Surely, the ly so great as those on land... of ar ing fervent merc 1 Faithful to help him w inst an enclave of heretical Vorox who preach a, a degenerated teaching of Zebulon's ‘These worshipp gospels hide among the citizenry of Dirbirdar and rm ceremonies in the To counter this puritan’s zealous thrust, a local Vorox merchant sympathetic with the Badaswaba worshippers is, attempting to hire scouts to aid the faithful Vorox against any assault. He has also sent a messenger s the cing aid from she has been Orthodox bishop in New Kowloon, but fe intercepted or killed in the jun ss With little hope of side inte Already, al the Avest enntion, the worshippers might be wiped out soon, atin the streets between and accused Vorox Can anyone help keep the peace infitinside it. Whoeste aesLK ak Oe LT From (History) Discovery an pea ten ona angen ith some con medi ast with venomous cla han a day at delivered ta 2 d od the ability to rear up on its hind h Ww ss, then swiftly sui s and bone events or attack by planet be made a le ors seemed to argue against the po Republic, and the ed explora Js descende sntually taught toonly escalated, but became increasingly effective, More phisticated tactics were used, Key pk were targeted, and these apparer seemed to develop an amazing comprehension of the more abstract principles of guerilla warfare, as well as some work ing knowledge of human technology an¢ rate authorities tried to stifle news of the attacks, but gradu ally word leaked offworld and many R an to ramatic confirmation of these suspicions uthern latitu when a “domestication facility” in the s was assaulted and destroyed by a large, well-organized Force using captured weapons and equipment. All captives were ally slain; the blood of the victims was used to scrawl slo gans in barely legible Urthish on the walls ~ slogans like NO MORE TAMING" and “REE VOROX. including a hotoreal nev, lowed to return to ‘Once news of the incident broke, the became one of the most divisive issues in late Second Re rations. Others, primarily in the industrial sector, maintained that a declaration of war had been made, and urged the sen ate to authorize violent retribution. Still others noted the sudden ease with which these Vorox seemed to gain th ability not only to speak butalso to write Urthish, as well a the competent yet limited understanding they had of hu intelligent, this faction counseled, but undeniably primitive nonetheless; the ned so much about in so short a tin aid. It was un uma thinkabl without outsid that any human would turn traitor to help this Il likelihood these Vorox had captured hhumans and tortured them to learn how to fight their new Investigation Early in 3975, Senator G.T, Hausen of the Subcommit: tee of Alien Affairs arrived at Cameroon with a battery of visors, consultants, observers, liaisons, assistants ai assistant assistants. Hausen had himself lost a son to the wilds of RA: 3228/b some fifteen years previously pul young xenologist and professional athlete whose departur and subsequent disapp. fed much publicity Hausen had been maneuvered into taking this post by cer hhioned alien war. By this orld had en their latest tech in a good old time, field outpost commanders around the w costly skirmishing as defoliation companies advanced into the southern reaches of the rainforest. It was widely ex pected that Hausen would turn a blind eye to thes: tions, abetting the covert jungle war while distracting more liberal Republican authorities with plausible cover sto The senator, fi first duty wasto properly observe and assess the situation, and would not omment on policy either publicly or privately. What he did mill and outpost, inspect every vehicle, piece of equipment tallation, and interview employees a allle he while, an elite and accounted for. dre of the senator staff composed of alien operative 1 independent reconnaissance expeditions to assess the planetary environ deserts, and Hironem troope nd swamp flock of young Etyri pledged their loyalty to Senator Hausen for his part in facil tating the Habari Accord on Grail took wing from the walls ‘of Cameroon, Many were neve A month passe: executives aver the senator's lack took it as unspoken a: the natives within their own districts, while others refrained d as anxiety mounted among company p ‘and continued to wage war on the wind was blowing. Finally, two wounded and fatigued battered ovoid casing of a Etyri returned bearing th hovercam journal. After long private debriefing and ca into action, verbial Hook of Souls, Hausen fingered and arrested all the fandishing senatorial authority like the pro worst offenders in the war against the Vorox within the spac of an evening. Executive officers of remote outposts who did not respond to non-aggression directives were note estigation. Legal and diplomatic psychologists Brutal images of fit battered Vor Teake (Once Hausen was satisfied that he had all the prim: in maxicrete domestication camp cells were offending parties in custody, he had them ~ along with large handpicked armed escort, a full holovid crew, his own entourage and many key executives - airlifted to the coastal plains where the jungle meets the shores ofthe worl’ larg est inland sea. A day later their camp was approached by vast company of Vorox, weapons held ready but advancing hallenge nor war-howl. Wit out launching any attack or showing any overt ho: VIA 2 WW, Hae WALAgradually spread out to surround the senatorial en: campment. The E ts parleyed with the native chief tains and led several of them into the human camp, where ted them with a short direct speech in Urthish ayed a few selected scenes from the recovered jour: parted to allow into the human camp. Silently sw: the senator, th fur arted by the rigors of n environmental expedition suit, Without a word n embraced. Senator Hausen’s long-lost son had ied to him, There then followed a week-long summit where the senatorial staff negotiated with Vorox leaders to hal the inter fic respect by offering the corporate war criminals as captives to the Vorox. Despite great enthusiasm for this offer from the as sembled throng, the younger Hausen intervened to point cout the wisdom of lettin deal with its own erimi nals in its own way. This decided, the chiefs of the Vorox brought forth the perpetrators of stication facility massacre and, with a grand page itualistic fer vor, beheaded them all and placed their skulls atop tall stakes erected just ion. (Hay for the oc n later expressed a guarded regret for his diplomatic suggestion when he learned that the executives in charge of the domes were punished with litte more than fines, p dishonorable demotions.) H. Titus Hausen, the senator's son, became an in: ive world had changed him dr. ly buff and rosy-cheeked young ungle had carved him into fF lean compact musculature, skin bronze‘ ness and thickened with scar tissue. Tho: knew him as a professional athlete remembered his ¢ sonable joviality; they now found him to and intense for p his bluff humor replaced by a more savage bit it. He would spend the rest of his fe telling the story of his sev (een-year exploratory mis. sion, from the crash landing that fatally injured his team and destroyed his communication equipment, th hazed bouts with local toxins and diseases, the gradual pain nters with ~ and il lessons of survival, to his first eventual acceptance by ~ the Vorox. Despite some early at tempts to reintegrate himself into civilized society, he ultNew Citizens Through the combined efforts of the Hausen family, the pite a great deal of prejudice both open and secret. Titus knew the language and customs of the young race, and o! he forces that shaped life on Ungavorox. Be onvey ing his hard-won knowledge to academic authorities, he also aught the primitive aliens about life beyond their world aided in this anthropologists who sympathized wit 1 remarkable abil the physical realities of modern li transportation tech. In fact, it was their bas proof of the genocidal war directed against them. Cultus wer, appeared to exceed their mental grasp: although they clearly understood concepts like love, respec loyalty, wisdom and courage, their lives were guided by suck primal instincts that these hi psychic luxury, 100 flee mthe basis ofa social struc ture, Undaunted, Hausen and his colleagues managed but those individuals who had proven themselves capable of adapting to civilized customs and manners were allowed on carefully planned and warily supervised tours of the wonders of the putin some places they w 1 with enraged bis ots who broke through security cordons to accuse them of nassacte, After one such incident where a physically abu sive protestor fell to the poisonous clawis of the guest chief the tours were discontinued. When the elder Hausen di tatives inthe senate found themse guidance of their politically savvy patron, and the status of ther Vorox throughout the Second Republic waned accord ingly. Many who had made great sacrifices to assimilate into were deported back to their home planet. often for plainly spurious reasons. Dismissed as naive primi ives by the powers that be, the Vorox watched thei rig Republican law dwindle while increas amounts of their homeworld were given over to industri develope 10 had acclimated t ars once again erupted across Ungavorox The role played by Titus H but he was always careful not to condone retal latory attacks by his adopted race, Many in the senate at tempted to prove that the younger Hausen had turned agains developers. New evidence for this came to light until 399 when a Vorox taken captive during a raid on a mini before the Fal mans without a large retinue of well-armed Vorox at his back. The fate of Titus Haus determined for certain; the few stor en after the Fall has never bee Dark Ages Dark Ages saw a period of relative peace on Ungavorox, as the industrialists, deprived of t Republican economic infrastructure that supported them, f the land. Ma nthe few lan ian communities that kept an uneasy truce with their neigh bors. Vorox who had learned and taken on human custom created their own v jeled on human civilizati forming buffer regions between human and feral territories, House Li Halan, which controlled Icon, was more concern ith consolidating their power along strategically signif cant jumproutes, and paid litte attention to the backward world. At first Prince Tupal, a tyrant of House Li Halan in the day secrets of alien cultures, and took an interest in the fiero native race of Ungavorox. While the primitive Vorox afforded lite in the way of the occult insights that he sought, the fury in battle greatly impr him, and he found the thou such creatures pl CS,banking on the Titan's popula of fans he leaves behin: of his fina break dhe will be sore ne at the Astro | Ties t the e Titan’s Farewell FLANAGAN: “Born to a respected senatorial family on Cr Holy Ter al - award-winning scholar and groundbreak Republi rs running, and, ob hell, wh how hi ut down the Kurga Nationalist riots on Khayyam a few yea uite possibly the solidest defending flanker that any Circumstellar SpeedBall Le vad urown he Tita AUS (or that stirring introduction. You know, many peop Tean divide t nth torates and touring with Team Astro ke hen I had to uk nd SpeedBal k h i uurroughs In: application E mission to RAS: ill depart in just th F ove re just a mm the Megadome, and won't c But! e's something more imp at stake here! Just beyon ew new life and new possibilities, that we hardly know anything about. Now, if my tin peed ‘anything, t's the value of teamwork and of always having a clear an¢ y ue my place in a team w pansion of human Ian think of n antxtin her duchy by lead the rebels. The re trowho We Live With (Ungavorox) Ungavorox Traits cathedral: Urth Or Solar System Gara-Ya: The sun of the stem, though a dark interstellar nebula of dus Capito Jumps: Adjacent Worlds: Icon (dayside Solar System: Gara-Ya (Sun), Zumox ( 1 interferes with all type AU, Unjaabu,, Unweem Exports: F umber, crude oil, leather goods, black market livestock is protected by a highly ers thick, nents by turbulent s ng mountain rchipelagos. The vast storm-tossed stretches of the ox has two moons, Unjaabu and Unw njaabu is a small irregular lump of ferrous red wPlaces New Kowloon The capitol city of Uyp. ( Wao We Live Wits (Uncavorox) : ), Ee iZ Winuman Islands ict sonaltuoued Houses aatatapm Ge TO Ungavorox UNGAVA’ ‘ VrundurDM The Ustirian Fief oF }ou bes emerging An eerie howling seems to fil the air at all times, cat fe ination of perpetual atmospheric turbulence surroun asior ant ng bridge. This ra adually closes until fe sides touch el, several hundred ers t shar into jodically, ens ne k 0 d a f oT a he broad mud fla an ntinental shelf th k a nie platBP. Rilke B 2Weapons: Beak 4 id Vitalie 5/0/0BP. 7 called “sharprats 8 Urthish, the jugat a k i ns Behavior late the jugat hi adulthe will never initiate but will fight if su Then - ke the platypus jugat lay their eggs in heavily 0 0 7 Base Run: 4 meter 7 Weapons: lly : : Claw: nod Plowbill 8 11 3d warrens. Vitality 2PRR Woo We Live Were (Uncavorox) ee tchee use ke a piece of fruit : ~ Me paren oe gh: = oe timeters tall, with 2 Body: Strength 4, Dexterity 11, Endurance 3 Mind: Natural skills: Charm 6, Dodge 9, Fight 4, Observe 8, Sneak Learned skil Benefice:E Base Ruy Weapons: io 1 jh hull rat Nerve toxin stun F damage take sd on spillage and or arget must make a Calm 4 Vigor or Stole Mind roll or spend nex Quote: “oh! What an adorable litte rascal! Would you Vitality: -10/-5/-3/-1/0/0/0 31Quote: “Wait a minut s) from its prey. Unlike i fe Xn PlPP CL Jurzik AYCais rr, ShrekmaanimMFLISH Description: s that may here is for the largest of over a meter in diameter and te a radius of 3 meter Behavior: The uwulun wil tacles and attack any time pre ito retreat into its hil Quote: “Many believe to be an exotic flower, actuality, aUbiundu One type of shrekma ac hrekma and many small ts. In the wild where it has ublundu rarely grows larger than an adult Vorox's fist, but loon, keeping se-carriers there in check Ublundu frequently find their way into the sewer system, that they cause blockages Then the quiver ing blob must be carefully herded out of the city by torches and flamethrow since any puncture of its cell ast gouts of cy poisonous to Iders and a breeding id for harmful shrekma, Once driven to a scorched Kill eld, itis blasted and systematically burnt from a safe ave been rumored to keep jant ublundu in pits, feeding them undesirables, in s, rivals and insubordinate henchmen Quote: “This is P porting. I still don’t see 's Guild Worker Number Six re ption: The ublundu is the largest of the nativ ic amoeba usually found ir wer systems. Although bulk prevent bile or as dextero alts below are for an ublundu ound three meters in diam: by one meter thick. Behavior: Literall void of two brain cells to rub cogether, the ublundu is the most insensate of this planet's lower orders. Blind instinct drives it to engulf and absorb anything that might remotely qualify as a nutrient (i.e, any organic matter), and it will re. treat from extreme heat or any se, like electrical fire, Ublundu can ex fight nd crude pseudop with, but lack the sensory or notor apparatus f0 use them ffectively Body: Stren: 2, Endurance 24 5, Dexterity Mind: Wits 0, Perception 1 Natural skills: Fight 3, Vigor 10 Weapons: (STR bonus: +44 DMG) Pseudopod 3 5 3d Absorption 2 5 special* pling victory points equal tothe target’ total Vitaliy, the ta rance + Vigo Into his orifice, quickly suffocatin each turn to stay alive, cumulatv Armor: Slick oute Vitality: Punctured: /o/0/0/0/010/01Known Worlders marvel at the strength of the Vorox while deriding their brutish customs and simplistic modes of thought. They are shocked to learn that, by the tandards oftheir homeworld, the Vorox are relatively wea and puny, thelr survival depending as much upon quick wits mal cunning as upon physical prowess, Some of the giant beasts of Ungavorox can be seen in noble menag- Megafauna cries, guild 200s and carnivals, but tis i rare, because most are as difficult and expensive to keep in captivit are to capture in the first place. Spectators at such venues seldom realiz th that the huge and fearsome beasts before m are actually some of the planet's most gentle herbi comparatively speaking) Graa Kal he grackle fox — as this vicious predator is known to Urthish-speaking peoples — has become legendary as the most dangerous beast in existence, but few have eve cone up close with their own eyes and lived to tell the tale Until the Vorox learned to use tools and communicate com plex ideas, the Graa Kal was the undisputed apex of the athered by Second a Kal and the aghly parallel to each other, competing for food chain The cursory fossil evidence Republic scientists indicated that both the Gi the same food sources and spreading out from the plains into other habitats at approximately the same time. Some theorize that the Vorox followed the Graa Kal on the hu ing tail, obse we Graa Kal to prey upon its competitors to drive them away Vorox myth, however, is not so equivocal, in the earl ite similar in to the Hunt” from Gjartin lore. Althoug] somewhat likened to the beneficent culture Horned Lord of the G Gar may be ox heroes learned their lessons the hard way, with much bloodshed and loss of limi st mistake acking, ated upon them 0 remind them of p most perish at the climax of their adventures, nd Killing enough to bring down one of the giant armored fleet quick-witted Vorox, was Father Gar’s favored tool of Jestruction, part of an arsenal that included lightning, earth quake, tornado, flood, plague and meteoric impact. Origi cast as the judge and enforcer of the Law of the Wild ne Graa Kal came to the prehistoric veldt from the south ng the last ice age. Competing against the Vorox for the plentiful meat of the enormous, nigh-invincible vrongat (bi Jow), the Graa Kal heir unarmored bodies easier to prey upon {and apparently more app Graa Kal of early humanoid purely malefic nemesis more akin o the “devil monotheism, whose constant deadly p cence eternally tries the tribe for weakness and foolhardi The reign of terror imposed by the Graa Kal shaped the he dour vrongar, the Vorox died in great numbers. Only those wary enough to quickly learn the ne new environments into which t ey migrated, and cunning enough to adapt to ew modes of living, mov ing, tracking, hunting and killing vival. In the deserts and mountains, a: some took to living in keep the Graa Kal at bay however, the ial rainforest midst Zh forox race found a haven of its own, ne branches of to support full-grown Vorox ut could not bear the weig! more massive Graa Kal. A two-tiered system of living developed, whereby the most able members of nd (0 1 desc and to hunt while the very injured or the helpless could wait in the safe of the trees, ensnaring birds and insects. This division o or fostered the evolution of the species, putting great demand on its capacity to communicate and manipulate; kar guage, semipermanent dwellings and compound tool shaped wood and stone first appeared at this time and the first culture of the Vorox flourished amid the jungle tre tops. Far below, however, the Graa Kal still prowled, hunis concealed beneath th white fur, Only a few individu ces (a kind of tripeda th and a highly intel Quote: “I can only hop Description: The Gra sd to the ithish lion, with its sleek s head and shoulde din th 2a Kal mi al can best be comp weavily muscled body and thick but there the resem tall at the shou: four or five meters long tail, and weigh kil Body: Stre Mind: Wits Natural skills r fice Base Run: 24 meters Weapons: (STR bonus: +6d DMC Armor: Hide and mus Vitality: -10)P Ki) Wao We Live Wir (Uncavorox) a vrongarBs @iee- ingly sophisticated defensive and evasive tactics. Alt and weather overlong distances, with a language composed of rhythmic stomping, bellowing, trumpeting, pounding ranial cavities. Additionally, each herd uses a commu 5 by later; by smelling the accu ulated excrement, a vrongar can quickly learn about local ion, toxins and diseases, as wells the previous he sd by one of more spe Veongar are generally accompani cies of bird ork ¢insect that feed primarily upon the smalle insects and shrekma that accumulate and thrive in the crev of other species, and refuse to bre in captivity. Tales are sometimes told among the Vorox of feral shamans who manage to befriend Brother Vrongai riding the great beast as a battle-mount, but none can hon: estly claim to have witnessed such a spectacle. (Hundred year-o nedicine show posters depicting Gasparia Li Halan The Incredible jungle Git! idea bucking. only for Vorox feral and civilized, but for many Li Hal nand me into contact with native Vorox cul ure, Many civilized lords and eral chieftains alike sit or mm the almost solar array of horns, or head of Broth hrones fashioned f else have th Vrongar mounted over the entrances of their palaces and strongholds. Even offworlders e fascinated by the vrongat’s knobby, spike-man tenance, w ch overlooks many noble courts as well as the main hall of the Emperor's private hunting lodge on Tethys extinction during the middle Dark Ages, and preservation he herds proved to be the only issue upon which Li Halan tuthorities, civilized Vorox and feral Vorox all agreed. (This agreement is tenuous at best, as the nobility still hunt when ind where they please, provoking violent outrage from feral ibes.) This widespread fascination stems from the belief th vrongar horns and other cranial py trusions are a poten Into Vorox prehistory. In point of fact, the are a vital part of its mating process, both as a visual dis play to attract partners and as a useful tool for reaching around and beneath rigid armor plates to massage and ca ress certain nerve clusters through the thick hide. This stimu lates the mate into a degree of excitation necessary fori ne genitalia to emerge from its protec hion, luling the ever-vigilant vrongar into passive state where it exposes its most vulnerable hi rea, the thinner softer de of its throat and belly The term vrongar specifically refers to the grazing of species of large heavily armored herbivore, These include d a long-necke brontosaurian denizen of the deep swamp, and a stilt-legged crustacean of the islands and tropical coasts that combs shrekma off the leaves of the kao-palm with its branching fanlike antennae. Another type is a mountain-dwelling in nable it to climb sheer cliff url itself into an armored ball so ightly sealed that it can survive a tip through the wa-chala’s entire digestive tract. Quote: “By Saint Mantius, what a splendid beast! What better test for a true man can there be, but to match his mettle against such a magnific—" SPULCH! Description: Detailed be ' beasts grouped under the nan ngar. Standing any here from four to five meters or taller at the shou measuring eight to ten meters long, the vrongar weighs eral tons and its footprint, over a meter in nto the driest packed earth and even some softer types o stone. The vrongar's skull is a solid armor plate spreading s in diameter and ringed with a dozen more hors, some dulled and broken, some honed to fin. squally ar mored except for its prehensile lips and a small portion of its throat. The viongar's body is covered with a thick pebbly hide lined with rows of broad bony plates, some sharp, jagged ridges at ght angles to the body. Most breeds are equipped with a hard, heavy club-tail, usually spiked ofall eh by the na ives, only the distantly related brontosaurian swamp-dweller species collectively named vronga is more massive, and no than the ceratopsids, ratopsid breed roaming uipped with an unusual weapon — the abil ty to shoot a plug of dust and grt from its nostrils with Behavior: Vrongar of all types are reputed to be foul tempered, but this is based on the observations of intrusive xplorers and hunters who openly violated the grazing teimmobile, may be: r sd within an hour The wa Base Run: 20 me Weapons: (ST Homns/Tusks 7 14 Description: The heat snai as ts Urthish b Ft, but aver Armor: Hid: Vitality: -1 /0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0itive tentacles it can extend up to halfa meter from its lead ing edge. Itcan secrete a strong corrosive acid that itu 0 burrow through the planet's rocky m face-dwelling varieties have evolved into two distinct types apsible sail-fin on its back used as a solar collector, found mainly in th hat lives in the desert and secrete which itcan red a though not comple walur appears to think of nothin nean breed has few natural predators, and consequ aki ttle notice of intruders into its domain. The surface fe more wary and will atternpt to retreat from mos als; some have been known, when hungry, drain the heat from large plants and immobilized or recently killed ani Body: Strength 19, Dexterity 4, Endurance 16 Mind: Wis 1, Perception 1 (Surface breeds Natural skills: Base Crawk: 1 meter Weapons: (STR bonus: +5d DMG) 4, Observe 5, Vigor Grapple 1: 6 ed touch 4 urn the target stays in contact, 1d DMG on turn after tay Surface-dwelling breeds only Armor: Toug hhide (anat 3d), Shell (anst 7d, desert breeds Vitality: -12/-101-8/-6/-4/-4/-2/-2/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/010(0 Wa Chala This landfaring polyconstrictor, or mollusk might be compared to the because both species are remote and obscure in the extreme ro such studied comparison has ever a denizen of the Mbadar mountain ra ously unknown breeds have be eported alon; Zungash Straits), t Sp sheer cliff rnivore perches on rocky overhangs, unfurling its tentacle any prey that wanders within reach. Its hard ects it fromthe put il the Ki} Wio We Live Wits (Uncavorox) , ) BSS other, more agile and mobile predators, ¢ abling it to ive earthquakes and set unarmored animals. dred kilo than a few meters in length, but with tentacles that can stretch ike the trictor, hunts from an arboreal perch in the dee feighing anywhere from a hun ten meters or more, Other breeds exist: one polycon: jungle, while another burrows into the loose sand of the desert and grasps prey from beneath. Quote: mountains are still seismically active, remember, and the nghaARLK! ‘Watch your step on this ledge here. These footing can be quite Description: tain mollusk, with a body over three meters in diameter and five meters in length, weighing up to a ton. Its ten tentacles are quick and stron; rnough to encircle and crush all but the largest land an mals. Jungle and desert wa-chalas are smaller, with lower Strength and Endurance ratings; arboreal jungle mollusks shell, and the burrowing wa-chala of the deserts have no shell at all Behavior: Despite the relative immobility of its bulky body, the wa-chala is nonetheles considered a hight gressive predator. When young, before it reaches its ful ‘Weight, the wa-chala can drag itself across open ground with surprising speed; during this period it seeks out an optimal feeding-perch, a cliff or branch that overlooks an area with a regular traffic of preferred prey animals. Once a suitable location has been found, the mollusk settles in place and begins to secrete a heavy thick shell that often grows to fi so closely into the surrounding terrain that it becomes pai of the landscape. From this perch, the wa-chala can reach down to pluck up any animal that w. Body: Strength 16, Dexterity Mind: Wits 2, Perception 5 Natural skills: Fight 5, Observe 8, Vigor Benefice: Extra Limbs (10 total) 4, Endurance 13 Base Crawl: 0.5 meters Weapons: (STR bonus: +4d DMG Grapple 18 Armor: Shell (ax 9d; jungle breeds: aw 3d) Vitality: -12/-10/-8/-6/ 0/0/010/0/0/0/0/0/0/0 Burjang Dukaa ne, this terrify Inleng and exceed but its mass rarely exceeds that of a grown human, The purjang is believed to be the last ofthe truly enormous arach nids that once inhabited the primordial ump which even ually became Ungava's equatorial rainforest. Its name in Vorox translates roughly as “canopy stri a most apt description. Suspended on twelve impossibly thin legs that the treetops of the jungle, distributing its slight wei cevenly that even the skitish birds of the uppermost canop gh generally two to three meters in diameter; mostly hollow, it seldom note its presence. Its body is serves as both mouth and stomach, opening from the bot yw nward from each side of long-legs gathers ‘nce prey has been spotted, the burjang ether and plunges ight down through until it reaches its target, instantly engulfing it from above This strike isan all-or-nothing prospect for the burjang; once submerged in the jungle Foliage it can only move vertically. so if the pr must begin the process over (The burjang: ectly below it the jungle’s tree trunks, so a concentra pursuit is nearly impossible.) With prey secured, it begin the more arduous and time carcass-laden body back up to treetoy often its prey will prove too heavy to accomplish this right so the burjang must rest on a lower branch or may even try to finish feeding at ground level. This leaves it vulnerable to more terrestrial predators, especially the Vorox, who value its strong slender legs for making spears and arrows. Inold age, burjang tend to migrate to the outer rainforest and stake out a territory over e or more of the small clea ings that dot the jun e. There they stimulate the growth of certain savory roots and fungi by leaving their -xcrement in the middle of the clearing. (Having no alimeMind: Wit Natural skills: Benefice: Extra ight 10, Observe 5, Vigor 10 otal Base Run: 40 meters Weapons: (STR bonus: +74 DMG) 21-2/0/0/0/010/0/0/0/0/010 10/0/0/0/0/0Be Jaigur Graa Kal isto the land; the largest predator ever it makes the raw-headed armored sharks of the Ichen: ‘owenty-five meters long and some aged specimens have be ecorded at over twice that h. Its body consists mainly of heavily muscled spine lined with narrow scythe-shaped id rows of cilia s ions in the surround. sitive to vibr tet. Squat rudimentary ribs serve more to anchor the segpentine musculature than to protect the elongated inter gestive tract, when empty feedin mes the jal acts into a row of pleated ventral folds, etches o abdominal muscles to control its intestinal processes, it must dive into o mal ¢ of the many abys: niches far beneath the Ungavoroxian Ocean, usi the pressure of several kilometers of water to crush the con: tents of its meal, then undulating along the ridges of oce Besides mountains and trench S, perhaps even finding the intense sd, Native legend would support this; the jalgur is said to have been born of the deep earth, and carries a molten lump of its home in its gut to burn its food re not the result of intestinal volcanism as locally believed, but a series of sinus cavities venting to equalize pressure among the innards after travelling from the denser lower depths.) The face of the jalgur is pure nightmare. Its cranium is have two pairs of mandibles: a large outer pair bristling with irregularly spaced fangs for seizing its prey, and a smaller Inner pair lined with serrated incisors fo cass and stuffing the chunks down the throat. Older indiWinuman Islanders are especially wary of the jalgur. Sometime during the 47th century, a hoary specimen som sixty-two meters long attacked a fleet of fishing canoes and anes tha led modern t Quote: “Yep, mat ea plays trick ramsteel and maxicrete this is the kind of night when t on a man. Why, I recollect one night off the coast of Gashkat—" *FFWHUUUSHSHSH" Description: This marine predator has a sinuous ser from its widest point just behind the skull, three and a half meters across, lined with rigid nnd narrow spiky fins, Its one-eyed skull frames a maw three meters in diamete mandi nd a half meters long and outer tension Behavior: Like the burjang dukaa, th must hunt constantly; unlike the burjang, the jalgur is an effective basis to feed its great bulk. Jalgur have been known toa even leaping across the decks of stecI-hulled craft to Body: Strength 30, Dexterity 7, Enduranc Mind: Wits 1, Perception Natural skills: Dodge 2, Fight 10, Observe 5, Vigor 10 Base Swim: 50 meter Weapons: ponus: +9d DMG} Mandibles, large 10 12d Mandibles, small. 8 5d Armor: Scales (nw 10d vi 5/-10/-10, 6 4 Flor ‘axe-fern and grenade-fruit are common. (However, it mus Kraelbourne, exobotanist, quoted in “Thi Most Dangerous Plants in the Universe,” Holoreal Documen- Not present an exterior composed of scaly armored bark razor-edged leaves or sharp thorns is undoubtedly poison us. Herbivores are equipped with thick leathery lips sub and the most caustic stomach acids and aggressive intest softer diet tend to die swiftly of wth before malnutrition ha jungle’s treetops rival many mountain ranges in sheer alt tude, while its roots reach as deeply into the planet's as the ocean's floor. After several decades of exhausti exploration and well-funded research, the Second Republic declared, “We have only begun to scratch the surface, ba passed within this extended polybiome. I could spend ew of what he called the *hyperdevelop pical stra orest." Delineating a many-tiered world of varying size an scale, he went of unique dangers, risks and rewards, H. T. Hausen pu noted that the professo ‘orldview presented through Vorox mythology. Hausen even collaborated with Kraelbourne on a proposed holoreal abo aAP. the Ungavan deep jungle, but the only part of this project ro survive the Fall is Seymour Kraelbourne’s impassioned yet droning narration-track Ground and Koot Complex ‘Solid ground, well-packed earth and stone, ne terra firma so familiar and beloved to all humanoid races, exists only where the outermost reac gle give way to clea and rutboar roam through spiked shrubs and saw-toothed ings and plains. Here large gr grasses in search of meaty toadstools, hardy tubers, spicy ferns and exposed mineral licks. As one moves deeper into the interior, however, dry ground gradually disappears be neath a carpet of decaying leaves until travel becomes a matter of navigating mazes of giant roots through a deep smelling comp shrekma and thrive. Fluorescent gases periodically bubble up from the marsh to mingle in long slow swirls with the oily multi hued atmosphere. Hidden from the sun in perpetual mid right, the foliage of this realm is well fertilized but must compete flercely against its neighbors; carnivorous, para- sitic and cannibalistic modes of life predominate. Biolumi nescent moss dangles like glowing stalactites from the con stantly dripping undersides of enormous branches, where ilksap ants hang in sloth-like rumination, Heat sensitive fern fronds strain to reach and caress any passing warm body, desperate for at ste of secondhand sunlight Land anemones gracefully harvest the constant traffic of microbes, macrobes, invertebrates and insects, unless threat- ened by snapping flowers or strangulating vines. Prowling schools of carrion moths swarm over everythit shifting carpet of fluttering pastes, In some inland regions, where conditions of altitude rainfall and drainage permit, the from drier terrain to reveal cave ompost-marsh recedes ‘out from under the root-trunks of the largest trees. Some elter a whole angerak or more, these caves and tunnels are habitat and haven to sharprats. hummingbats, piranha bee hives, hibernating constrictors and gigantic earthworms that blindly en their path. Toward the Mbadar isthmus, ulf everything in vaulted rapids rivers course thre oot-ends, sometimes emptying into the lake-bed floors of vast subter ranean caverns. A seldom-credited legend among feral tribes tells of a colony of blind albino Vorox living in one such Lower Canopy The first tier ofthe rainforest occupies a layer from 10 to 20 meters above terwoven tree limbs averaging three and four meters in di ameter. In some regions, broad thick webs of branch and leaf become so crusted over with organic detritus that ses, undergrowth, shrubs and even small trees can taki meters overhead, pellucid with a deep green twilight ~ ex arrows have strippe he upper canopies of th allowing blinding shafts of raw sunlight to spill into the lower jungle ‘Offworlders like yselfcan easily mistake thiscanopy :3 layer forthe ground itself, and tend to step blindly into drop- 2 thermore, this is the realm of the jung 3 predators the sleek and lth eal grackle fox, undisputed king o the jungle predators; the rainbow-scaled dart lizard with its enomous tongue barb that can extend three meters at seven times the speed of sound; the pouncing bark spider with its spine-shriveling ultrasonic screech; fat interminable constric tots that languidly drape themselves from tree to tree fo what seems to be kilometers without end. Middle Canopies meters over the ground extend the intermediate canopy layers, where the Vorox make the homes along with most of the rainforest's mid-sized den zens. Many-limbed simians, loud elaborately plumed bird gliding rodents, lightning-fast green snakes and branch ee upon the rich bounty of the upper jungle: succulent fruit orchids nestled in brilliant neon petals, hardy seed clusters budding on twig-ends, tall hanging columns of vine-gourds, hewy sponge-leaves, meaty sides of tree-trunk fungus and "uncounted varieties of juicy pop-berry. Here the trunks of nt trees narrow to only a few me diameter, bark literally pulsing with veins of rich oily s: sting textures of delicate mosses and draped with creeper vine shoots winding thro there with brightly painted flowers. Although hardly idyllic, life in the middle c not so overtly violent as on the low x levels of the rainforest Conflicts tend to be brief decisive flurries, almost elegant duels berween poisoned fang, talon or stinger, ended in the blink of an eye. Gaunt thrumming horse-wasps and velvet backed jelly-bees the size of pigs engage in spectacular aerial wars over dense flower clusters, caches of over-ripe fruit and quivering deposits of rainwater mold. The territorial uurgings of birds is a source of constant activity; feathered aristocrats flash their wing displays and shrilly proclaim their right of domain over all within earshot. Squat creste needlebeaks fight to the death for perches at exposed sap patterned plumes that may reach up to six meters in lengtand provide shelter for insects, reptiles and even smaller birds. This em ‘onment is where we see the true inst genius of the Vorox. Amid these stately swaying branches ry have built nests, homes and even villages supported grackle to y limbs climb out upon. Emergent Treetops (00 meters above gt too slender for large predators like thi From 80 to und level, the av forming a near-solid ceiling of lime green overgrowth bro- nn only where the fall of a larger tree ha torn open the anopy, outer branches have been stripped bare by swarm. ing insects, birds or other aerial vermin, or some other natural ster has struck. Everything in this world sways with a ace — except when wracked by storm or jarred mammals like ourselves may this far up only by cli ng precariousty tothe trunks the very tallest trees, here less than a meter in diameter. sibility is severely restricted in all directions - this leafy precipitation ch its own breeze currents, greenhouse ratios and ockets — but the experienced climber knows where stunning views of the surrounding countryside may be found. The largest predators of this realm are the ribbon-like gliding eel and the whip-tailed dragonfly, who prey upon all manner of delicate bird, sticklizard, stilt ant, leaping spider and caterpillar colony. Whole regions of lightly woven branch with labyrinthine complexity. Where the sky can be seen at all, it complex are veiled behind billowing spiderwebs hung burns with red and orange meteoric dust-stripes drift along th equatorial magnetic tides. Sometimes one can Jimpse the silvery passage of soaring sun-butterflies, whose paper-thin photosynthetic sail-wings may span up to 10 “The largest animal of any type indigenous to this layer would be the spindly 10-legged vaulting sloth, an herbivo- rous spider-shaped mammal that uses its own weight and strength against the elasticity of its surroundings for loc motion. By swing ng in wide arcs astride long supple branches, plopping unharmed into dense leafy thickets, and even bending the emergent tip ofa tree over double to use as.a personal catapult, this nomadic arboreal grazer can travel several kilometers in an instant. Some Vorox have © have attempted transporting themselves in this fashion, but succeeded only in legend.” A Note on the Vine naveniently placed strand of creeper, an image dating td almost any jungle of the Known Work aked bark and swarms of angry insects The arboreal Vorox have been able to simulate thi extinct species of gigantic ar their elaborate will know which vines and branches conceal an over ‘ons intact and still support the weight of a lar spiderweb circuit encompassing their canopy Ferals of the equatorial zo coast of Zureng without ever setting foot on the and networks of ti he original 50 nflicts between the tribes Unfortunately, the classic stereotype of the nimble ape-man, ne antiquity of old Urth, has never been feasible in reality. In putting even a fraction of one’s weight on any given vine is less likely to result in a swift breathtaking journey across the canopy than a quick plummet to the ground amid a shower of dry leave: ther romanticized mode of travel hnid that inhabited Ungava’s equatorial jung to ensnare the enormous insects of the primordial swamp ological era, interlaced throughout the rainforest canopy fown remnant of ancient spider mammal or two. Natives travel almost nests, hunting grounds, watering holes and lookout vantage points, ever mindful of the nearest twist of reinforced creeper to be used as escape route should predators or other enemies appear es boast that they could watch the sun rise on the east coast of Faza and set off to the west round in between. Until the advent of humans, webvine was left wherever it had hung for millions of years, since no tool yet known planet could sever the organic polymer core of the web strand. Wi 1 {0 see use on the world before the Fall, there emerged a renaissance of trechouse and canopy 0 bind together dizzying cities that lined the branches of the rainforests oldes ants, cities complete with nigh-unbreakable guidelines, hanging ladders, swing tropes, loose swing-lines, trapeze loops, slides and spring-webbed trampolines. Tribes who can in access to powered blade technology have taken to harvesting webvine from the territories of tribal enemies, rather ebbing of their own homes. In the p of the heavily harvested outer rainforest and the ferals of the more intact deep jungle i defily From treetop to treetop by means of a however, thanks to an in its carly stage of formation. Much of hhas survived to the Any Vorox intimately familiar with a jungle region nthe first laser cutter, wireblade and ed elevators , pul n the cause of violent esent day, this practice has bed Dag-mush jote: “Do you mean to mush can be ‘ell me, soldier, that these hard: scrubbed off using dry leaves ened and blooded troops — vet or gravelly sand, but the only rans of the Emperor Wars all sure ways to remove all mi- id to get their boots before some find a little Eeuww fire, flaying oramputation. (L Description: Subterranean deposits of Halan troops immediately te mush are move and burn all footwear ly impossible to detect, but and leggings that come into are usually found beneath contact with dag-mush.) If spots that appe ddag-mush enters the body, the and well fert victim must succeed in rolling rounding ground. V 1s from a distance ish mud; a closer is constantly in motion, a dies for dag-mush infection swimming macrobial soup are rumored to exist, but are Behavior: Any animal said to employ local toxin: more massive than an insect ot Se dangerous as the infectio small bird will sink into the 4 self. surface of dag-mush unless it Base Ooze: 2 cent can run faster than eight meters per turn, Any appendage submersed in dag-mush is held with Strength 5, as it clings and slowly spreads across anything that touches it. DagThis migratory parasiti y intertwining, systems 0 leech ‘component organisms mounting e their new environment until forcibly remCLL Bau-Fao ‘nce an animal wanders which at this stage have be: Aesh of an animal to complete \, come sensitiv dden slight its life cycle. Mostly found on the fallen vegetation of jungles ture — sense when the animal's face is nearby, then lesser form of the bau-fao trigger a contraction in the fi- spreads slowly, dropping spores bers of the spore fiom its cap to the surroundin, spores the unfort tall. On rare occasions, spores nate animal may find theit way to the car mucu: cass of a recently de mal, in which case they ter drawn turning inside spread inte ‘nding on the animal's with a puc ed opening dult human may take at the top, and the upper swells into a sac full of spores. ls then like! mal — usually edible fruit or fresh meat, although the carcass's face isk of may be found growing some species are rumored to give off the ma certain animals.This vine feeds on calcium slowly drawn from the skel Te eions and odd bones that fre- 9 quently litter the ground in the tropical jungle. The zilu is in distinguishable from most mainly around the favored hunting grounds of larger looped about the limbs of the OZ jud-joob tree (below). Al which grows in the direction of its food source at a rate com parable to most vines, the 2ilu, when hungry, is capable of slightly greater mobility, drop- rom branches to ensnare birds, rodents and other small game. A starving zilu may make more aggressive attempts at larger prey, however, and can fully entangle any human-size creature that remains motion. le than one span. Burning the within its reach for mor bark of certain trees produces noxious fumes — only mildly toxic to humans — that drive the zilu away Quote: “Looks like a good enough place to make camp Description: The zilu vine exists in uncounted variet ies that mimic the most common types of vine in the vicin strand of an ind ity. The main cent dual vine may mea sure anywhere from 10 to 30 m inlength, with a diam eter of three or four centimeters at its thickest point near the Behavior: A glance at the traits below will show that an individual strand of zilu has little going for it; this vine’ strength lies in numbers. Multiple strands working together add their physical traits into what is effectively a single or ganism. (Thus, when strug. ling against multiple strands, every four levels of damage inflicted on the vine reduce its collective physical traits by one cach.) Certain high-traffic sites like watering holes and salt lic ilu loops, snares and nets may be surrounded with composed of as many strands as the gamemaster feels like putting there. Elsewhere, how. er, the zilu must “gather its forces" to go after large prey in light outer jun strand may join the effort for every hout the t motionless, while in the deep jungle zilu can gather ata rate of one strand every 10 min utes. For example, a character sleeping unguarded in the deep jungle for one hour may awake to find himself bound in with a Strength, Dexterity and Endurance of 6 each. Targets who are awake and alert may roll Wits + Observe against the zilu's Wits + Sneak to notice the vines cret ng closer. Zilu may also roll Wits + Observe en moving into position; success means the vine has stra tegically entangled arms, legs or even equipment (lke, say swords and knives). Critical success on this roll indicates the target’s windpipe has been constricted. Body: Strength 1, Dexterity 1, Endurance 1 Mind: Wits 1, Perception 7 Natural skills: Fight 1, Observe 3, Sneak 10, Vigor 2 Base Creep: 1 meter Vitality: -2/-1/0 ‘This cactus grows at the desert’s outer boundaries and looks no different from most mous upright variety other species of cacti, but is an stands some tw active predator nonetheless, and has from one to f Sensitive to ground vibrations, the raxa notes when an animal is nearby, then flexes its rudi foroctimorphic) quality. A mentary musculature, causing smaller ground-coverit part ofits outer surface to crack ety, found over a wider ra it and thus expose a has only half the physical traits small portion of its sweet moist but twice as much Chart inner pulp. As the animal ap. Behavior: The Charm trait hes, drawn by the appe refers to the raxa's ability to he raxa may add liminary Perception + Obser tr ger animals may oll to its Wits + Charm rol themselves clear. The pro- Body: Strength 9, Dexterity 6 fuse but relatively superficial Endu bleeding that results from a raxa attack may be stopped by Mind: Wits 1, Perception Natural skills: Charm 7, Fight a thorough rollin fine sand, but Observe 2, Vigor 10 not before attracting every scav Weapons: (STR bonus: +2d enger in the AMON INT GOAL Quote: “Water! Oh, thank the Pancreator! Water at last! Grappl 1 4dr2a What the — OWWII IT'S GOT ME! SOMEBODY HELP era su a's hypdomeric thorns inl pled, the raxa drains one Vitality level in internal fuids Armor: Tough outer fibers (sw 3d) Vitality: -8/-5/-5/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0NtCE Pranata Another botanical carni Quote: “I daresay your vore is the pranata flower, of seenhouse contains the most which two major varieties ex exquisite and delicate orchids ist — one adapted to the tropi have ever seen, Count cal jungle (characterized by MumNFLGH Description: Coloration ies wildly from othe smelling secretions that atract ning flat prey. Most pranata flowers spite its ble flowerlike pl my, the pranata has evolved n diameter across the petals, very different functions for its though some have beer parts, en it to feed on known to achieve up to twice animal flesh and survive ever this size. The tra sunlight, The seven lower, capable 0 that radiate outward from the der, are strong and supple and f moving with light 1. Each is tipped with appendage used to Behavior: mobilize and lace pranata is immobi wait for prey to blun tacles have secured the prey reach, but the j itself to that height in the a hile cueing its dangerous- ick out of sight k to support and must cass has been broken down ble bones, claws and teeth have been ejected, calyx leaves (when open: ara 34; when Vitality /010/0/010 way of compensating for the likelihood of unwit tingly stepping into a pranata,Jud-joob ‘The jud-joob tree is perhaps the single most universally hated and feared member of the Ungavoroxian vegetable sm. Like many other examples of native flora, the jud- joob is a carnivore, distinguished by its prodigious appetite and adh the deep sensory-motor capacities. Found mainly in reported in most of the ptations of shape, texture s characteristic of each enging fauna, toler symbiotic partners for the role they play in cleaning up after a kill, allowing the jud-joob to hide its true nature from intended prey The leaves of the jud-joob act as its sensory organs being both sensitive to heat and capable of catching scent particles from the surrounding air, arrayed over a broad area, able the jud-joob to detect, identify the position of almost any animal that pe these dual functions e1 and ti within its reach, While its rooted base remains stationa and its trunk can bend only in broad arcs, its thick limbs possess great flexibility and st h and its thin outermost ed and dexterity. Some subspecies have expose’ ots that can sense thi weight of an animal treading upon them, and may be ca pable of writhing and undulating in such a w; the prey to lose its balance, or even to trap its Once ensnared, the prey is usually lift and carefully dismembered so that its blood and other fluids low down the trunk, there to be absorbed through deep grooves or pores in the bark. me types of jud-joob simply hug their prey directly against the trunk, constrict the body until it bursts. Others hi ‘and then rubbing the skin. less carcass over all parts of the trunk Quote: “It’s only the wind in the leaves. Now forget about it and get some shutey aAPB Kt Wao We Live Wira (Uncavorox) 2V] Description: The example gi sized tree standing some 15 to 20 meters tall, as is found in he | tall has the same Trait ratings as are n below is for a medium outer jungle. A plains breed growing only half as y lure prey by spreading its branches to form a welcoming. ¢ island of shade anywhere from 10 to 20 meters across. The inhabit the coniferous forests of the south; itis as . the example below but only half as dexterous. : Behavior: The Sneak sh ; tion its limbs around unsuspecting prey without being ob : viously threatening. The jud-joob tree intially atacks with . its outermost branches and twigs, which can reach up to > five meters away from the trunk; these smaller branches are weak but quick and nimble, with Strength 5 and Dexterity 1 t are sever ing three to five points of damage each before the Because of its radial symmetry and broad dis tribution of branches, the jud-joob’s penaities for multiple actions begin at -2 for two actions, -4 for three actions, -6 for four, etc. Once the outer branches have successfully grappled the target, itis passed inward to the thick strong main limbs, which, though clumsier, are immensely strong, easily crushing, tw nd dismembering the target. For the dual traits given below, the first number refers to the mad refers to the main limbs, . which may take eight to ten points of damage before they can be immobilized. The only way to kill the jud-joob is to ‘ll it, separating the trunk between the roots and branches, then burning all the branches before it can drag itself to a 1 safe place to take root, as well as killing the stump with fire 1 poisons or even dag-mush before it can send up new shoots. ) Body: Strength 5 / 25, Dexterity 11 / 3, Endurance 4 / 34 : Mind: Wits 2, Pe : Natural skills: Fight 7, Observe 4, Sneak 3, Vigor 10 Weapons: (STR bonus: +74 DMG) t Leaves) 7 18 10d Armor: Bark (anu 5d) Vitality 0/-10/0/0/010/010/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/01fe eeele Aw) (Culture) nite, combining the kabajal with the angerakaai, the bond. Coming OF Age vscouirw: erak, where all the new jalba be Compared to humans, Vorox have relatively short in Among civilized Vorox, the rte is a more formal affa fancies and long puberties. The harsh demands of survival and is usually performed for a single youth, who only late on Ungavorox re that only those who grow up quickly chooses (or is chosen by) his own angerak in a separate and still retain youthful vigor can long survive. Generally, a ceremony. The rte is most often a recitation by the youth an quickly crawl or limb on all six limbs with some displaying his learning, or a quiz administered by a teach: dexterity within two months after birth, and can walk on The youth doesn’t have to get the answer two limbs one month thereafter. Balance is learned quickly; his comin; to complete of age, but he'll ose much respect if he doesn’ year-old Vorox can leap through the canopy with as much do well, Altern acuity as young apes. of prowess, but these do not impress humans so much as Most Vorox enter puberty at nt seven years of age the former rites, and so are usta only within and mature into adulthood at 18. The average lifespan fora those communities with few human residents feral in the wild is 30-40 years. Civilized Vorox — generally The rite ends with the ritual declawing of the youth. Used to better sanitation, medical care and less-dangerous _Yorox claw poison only gains the potency to take down hu daily lives — live to 50-60 years (sometimes longer). King mani-sized beings once a Vorox reaches puberty It is impor manga, 45 years old, is considered a doddering ancient tant to remove the claw before the youth gets used to using by feral standards, while his rival, Kagongkagong, at 28 it Ths te isrife with metaphors for crcumeston (althou ears, is a young adult by civilized standards. both males and females are declawed) and the shedding of One of the oldest Vorox cultural traditions is the com- animal savagery in return for the attainment of a higher e rite, the Azdgjal, “coming to growth.” Infants, more cultured sentience. Nonetheless, it is hard to suppress dba, are transformed into jalba, ot youths. The the instinctual sense of emasculation or wounding, Months rE rite is still practiced by ferals today just as it was ages ago of intense culturation amounting to (often brutal) brainwash- before first contact with other sentients. The rite has changed ing follow the kabajal, enforcing the youth's identification among the civilized Vorox, and is now heavily colored by with the lost claws as a necessary and noble sacrifice human traditions, especially those of the Li Halar ite usually ends with the awarding of a utilitarian craft- garment to show the youth's entry into civilized society. This Among the fera s, the rite involves the cheedb: his first knife or properly working bow, followed by is commonly a belt or bandolier, but it could also be a loin its use. For those in villages whose livelihoods depend more cloth (for those communities with prudish human overlords). a ‘on gathering than hunting, the rite involves a test of jungle Although this does little to take the place of lost claws, the : lore, such as the identification of a toxic species. For those item is often invested with almost sacred significance as a few Vorox who display the gifts of shamanic promise, the symbol of attainment rite involves the successful creation of fire Upon reaching adulthood, the young Vorox receives of luck.” This is a Often, multiple cheedba are initiated during the same another rite, the Aumawa, “the victormore serene ceremony, whereby the new adult is made aware of just how lucky he is to live into adulthood. Among the erals, this is a time to thank all the Vorox’s relations, in cluding other sp ies, for Ungavorox's other beings had just as much to do with the Vorox’s long life as did his angerak (by either providing him with food or by not kill The kumawa almost always involves a shaman, who leads the adult (and his angerak, if its members are also adulthood) into an alte sd state of consciousness with the aid of special concoctions. In this trance, the adults variously thank or taunt the swaba d (see “Re below), depending on their perceived role in helping the Vorox reach adulthood. They emerge from their trances as walba, adults, those who have cunning nonies are rarely more than celebratory meals, involving the new adult giving gifts to those who nelped raise him or support him (his angerak). The commu: nity provides the meal but the gifts are the new adult's re sponsibility. Those communities that take this ceremony playing his civilized eloquence. The Angerak Few things are more important in a Vorox's life than his angerak, his “pack.” The life of the angerak is more impor- tant than the individual, and Vorox will sacrifice themselves with litle hesitation if it means sav This certainly doesn’t mean that all angerak members always get along — strife is common, and some members may even come to hate each othe instinctual bond. However, all have an er how dysfunctional — and will band to sibl ether against outside enemies. Just as hate is pos .9 is love. It is not uncommon for angerak members Observers of Vorox culture and life believe that the erak developed as a necessary tool to aid the Vorox in xe 100 small to take down ‘game individually, but could do so when working to geth stress of surviving against myriad predatory creatures, strengthened in pairs or groups. This, coupled with the constant ne group bond as the Vorox achieved sen: ence. Most of with his ar ‘ond Republic xenologists believed that Vorox had a scant sense of indi rox's emotional life is inextricably linked ‘ak, so much so that Ia duality and self-agency. Even in the later Dark Ages, Furver Zos of the Oubliette opined that “the Vorox see themselves not so much as separate egos inhabiting distinct bodies but e self extended bodies, as facets of a sin through space through the agency 0 but whose core identity transcends While civilized Vorox have successfully managed to take he idea of the angerak and abstract it into the idea of a civilized nation (all citizens of which are fellow angerak members), they have not managed to transcend the instinas associated with such a bonding. Civilized Vorox thus tend tobe highly nationalistic, boasting oftheir status and dent- grating ferals who are not members ofthe privileged union who insult theie Their pride often leads them to attack a status — even humans. This “primitive tribalism” is often ed by Known Worlders, but is recogni: disparag by some as a necessary step in the overall process of “civilizing the Civilized Vorox have successfully bonded with non: Vorox, forming angeraks outside oftheir traditional societal groups. (Few ferals allows such bondings, although Titu Hausen and Gasparia Li Halan are examples to the contrary The Li Halan cannily ensure hat the human commanders 0 the Vorox Commando units are each initiated into their unit's ven high status within i angerak and Thus, their orders asure loyalty, although they are often required to partic pate in their unit’ rites and celebrations at times to enforce this bond. The average angerak consists of six to twelve mem 0 have been known, bers, although groups of up to An angerak is formed through a process of emotional bonding, usually between those who mutually experience a ly forged bond is formal trial of stress or danger. The ne are oathed to one another. Among ferals, angeraks are usually formed during the kabajal puberty rite, with ev youth undergoing the rite being bound into the same angerak. The end of the kabajal ends with the youths banding together for a hunt (either to hunt game or collect dangerous substances), each using his self-crafted weapon or hard-learned lore. Completion ofthis trial is followed by a victory dance that seals the angerak. bodily fu Members hangs by either rubbing open wounds against each other or catching another's spit Civilized Vorox have developed the custom of two dif ferent angeraks: the angcheed, or child bond, and the angwal or adult bond. A youth's childhood playmates form an in formal angerak, providing all the necessary emotional sup: port and stability a growing Vorox requires. Upon reaching adulthood, however, the Vorox chooses his formal angera — or has them chosen for him by an agreement between influential parents or even humans. The Li Halan sometimes interfere in such choosings, especially when it concerns prc ommando units. spective candidates for The adult bond supersedes the child bond but does not completely destroy it; one's childhood mates are friends for life, even if one's professional and adult career does not actively involve theP 4 ML ie er tt) Dy, A civilized adult each membe s. At the e s, often playfully e another while on- the physical re onformity faraway temporary angeraks do the same intensity but rather th ide the mini- sonality h angerak has itsfrom the e i's the all, an overwhelming curios nnot help them omCuisine aLanguage Behold: The Proto- Tongue!p 4 ME ee eae ta) n Aal th {Ne KY Waar We Do (Traits) p ), SKE of only the most primitive only humans currently k her Sky from the clutch pee Fatbunga — Voroxian Long BowGraa Martial Arts Actions | Action LVL Roll Init Goal DMG Effect F| Phrox 2 Dx+Dodge Must use at least four legs, If successful, add three successes ja Dy le, but with + us he Vorox’ + Vigor roll. Teheex’” 4)" ) Wits +Knaver Must use all limbs. Subtract one plus one per victory point Hunga 5 DxtFight’ 2 3 successful, rol Dx If successful target ist DMG/S m thrown. Pe distance and total distance un 5 DxeFig 43 to resist being knocked ov hala xeFight ar Hug. Can rol Fi targe’s attack rll If attacker per Fight rating, plus one per extra limb used (mus useat least wo legs, however. IHunga (above) isso known, foes canbe thrown farth Garza 10 Devfight. «12 Attack with two limbs in same action (rll both rately). A defender may block or dodge one attack with no penalty, but the other attack le penalty toa Giankesh Fencing Actions Action LVL Roll Init Goal DMG Effect Deedee Roll victory dice + weapon no | skaz 5 DxiMelee 2 3 + victory pts) vs. target's ops weapon, which can be thrown 1nv/victory pt. Each victory pt allows an addition | Glankesh to catch the opponent's weapon; subtract one from the tan 2 per extra Glankesh. | langarza 10° -DxeMelee 2 6 Attack with two Glankesh in same action (cll hoth attacks ° separately). A defender may block or dod s | no penalty, but the other attack levies aMI ue CL, Se Firearm Actions Action LVL Roll Init Goal DMG Effec Zamla None Can reload one gun hands whil held in a third han nultiple Dx+Shoot 1 Leap 1 meter i 10D: o handgun Glanklar tv ord* Dx+Melee +1 8 x 3 Voros Kanged Weapons Roll Goal DMG STR RNG x¢ThION 1 DxtB Weapon Rate SIZ Cost 3 for Vorox rang os 113, 15 ctArchery 0-4 LS 30(tw lirection, +1 meter per extra limbed used \done rifle,Civilized Vorox % ise the Character Histories the Fading Suns s ing voluntary modificatio Early Career Crafter: Use the Warriors ti san 3, Tech Redemp Rem a mar Merchant: Use the following, Vorox Commando (Civilized Only) The Lit ven few f military life. Finally, the Li Hi the equipmen f. At one of feral Vo these Character Koles worn ng pp. 88-89 ofthe Fading Sune Apprenticeship Survival 1, Tracki Early Career Urthish LM Fight + re (people a Trackin Family Tes Tour of Dury Per p. 89 of the Fading Suns Second Vorox Comman¢ ight +1, Imp Tracking 1; Blethe test of the spar tra 4 ps; ma i it (+6 pts; Cannot awaken Psi or Theurg Apprentice Ferals do not suffer the civilizing process and cannot join guilds. ngth +1, Dexterity +1, E 1, Perc : Dodge +1, in 1 of Throw Bolarang 1, Observe + Sneak urvival 1, Tracking Early Career Characteristics — Strength +2, Dex - 42, Wits +1, Percep e+, M Thro Jungle Lore: survival 5, Track 1 Thro Toolcrafter: Substitut sdemption Tours of Dury al 1 take only ONE additional tour of dut Imperial Cohorts or take ybert Oklog (Shaman — Feral Only) 1 dirty work ne essary for the gather in medicin nce potions. While the oklog leads ons in search of poor hunting may result in the next hunting pai kill. The oklog og is also the one who traditionally makes a ato ie. While mest feral these days also know how i a fire and Keep it from burning the jungle down, in ceremonial situations, this jab belongs to the oklog, whe first brought fire to the Vorox as a gift from Grandfathe Upbringing ral Upbringing, abo Apprenticeship Characteristics —Dewterty +1, Endurance +1, Wits +1 rath 42 Charm or Impress +1, Lore (Ungavoroxian jora and fauna) 1, Remedy 1, Survival 1, Tra Early Career hharacteristics Dexterity +2, Endurani ception overt or Introv Faith 42 parm or Impress +2, Dodge +1, Fight+1, Observe +1, Sneak +1, Lore (Pharma Lore (Ungavoroxian flora and auna) 1, Remedy Tracking 1; Benefice — Fam ly Tes (3 pt Tour oF Dury s the Feral Tours of Duty, abovecay Petey our binoculars the wild Graa Kal, the mightiest predator in the Known Worlds. Merciful Pancreator — its seen us! RUN!” BOSC U UCR ce eNom CUE R UT MOba tule (cleric ly aecgee Ra CRC oe st ee esol pe Tl STR a eR et hungrier it gets. Noble Vorox (and thei cousins in the wild) even bear poison claws capable of paral DT mM eC RCS CNC B TIM too And they're still not the premier predators on their homeworld rime oeeen tan toot) rte o pm URN secre usitton a POM UT eee RU aCe ) i) rota sentience and a tight-knit society. wee DR e ecco se dere isso) ean elit URE MMe SOU Die jill 1c) Tuy een Aor nesd Euan ictitr nar in all their fatal glory. t is impossible to understand the Vorox mind without first knowing the beings that helped to forge it. Also includes; Vorox history, Sree ce UNAS eou resort eieiaesacs (eon ETO See a record csi eout roscoe siete y COCR CMC CMe ecu mLL cedar Mico tats perspectives. C OD) Ganingeeine aL