Vourren

I have posted the Vourren starfighter and Deliverance class fighter carrier. I've mentioned the race in the biographies of many of many characters. Several of you have asked when they will finally be revealed, so here they are... The Vourren! Think of them as the Army Ants of the Star Wars galaxy. Let me know what you think! Vourren The Vourren of the planet Mantithea are one of several known, sentient, insect-like species advanced enough for interstellar travel. The name “Vourren”, a derivative of the word carnivore, was given to them by the survivors of their first encounter with another starbound species. Since the name they call themselves is unpronounceable in basic they are content with their given name. Because of their metabolism, they are ravenous creatures and will eat almost any warm-blooded beast. Many of their current dealings with other races involve the purchase of livestock, such as nerfs or banthas, for consumption. As they evolved as members of the galactic community, they were forced to refine their tastes, so that by the time they left the Covalta system they had stopped eating other sentients entirely… well, mostly. Vourren society, like many other insectoid species, is based on a hive hierarchy. As a species, they are governed by the five kings, one from each of Mantinthea’s five major hive groups. The affairs of the individual hives are voted on by that hive’s king, his group of three sub-kings, and one of the three hive mothers. When a king dies, one of the three sub-kings takes his place as head of the hive. This successor is decided by a battle to the death of the three sub-kings, which is supervised by the four remaining hive kings. Since the three sub-kings are genetically identical the battle is not biased. Once the victor is named the new king, he will join with his hive mothers for the last time to plant the seeds of the new sub-king triplets. The new sub-kings will mature in an unbelievable four weeks, at which time they will hatch and begin their day to day activities such as reproduction with the hive mothers and supervision of hive activities. All Vourren destinies are decided by the time the egg chamber is sealed. The basic Vourren citizen is genderless and will lead a life similar to millions of its hivemates. When a Vourren first hatches it fills a community support role, such as defense or commerce, until it reaches mental maturity. At that point it will move to one of fifteen hive stations in Mantithea’s orbit where it will become accustomed to life in space. At physical maturation a Vourren will either move into a position of station management and education, or it will transfer into the exploration starfleet. Despite the fact that lives are plotted for them at birth, they are not mindless drones. In fact most of them lead, what they consider, a fulfilling life of self-awareness and inventive thought. They do not have actual families but they do form very strong friendships through work and social activities. Most take a great deal of pride in whatever job they are assigned to and look forward to the day that they get to travel the stars. They will work incredibly hard to help advance their race with only verbal praise and pride in a job well done as their reward. The orbiting hive stations have only been an important part of Vourren life for about 150 standard years. When they were first built as a stepping stone into interstellar travel, such a significant portion of the Vourren population moved to them for training and acclamation, that the four hive kings decided to politically link the stations into a fifth hive kingdom. The stations are, by far, the most spread out of the Vourren kingdoms, but the fact that they are entirely peopled by mentally mature Vourren ensures law and order. When the stations were established, amazing steps forward in the Vourren social structure were taken by randomly mixing members from different hives into the melting pot. Customs and stories were shared and relayed back to the other hives, helping them solidify their political and cultural bonds. The idea of the hive moved from that of a blood clan to that of a political state in a great, united nation. The stations currently serve as the Vourren equivalent of a university. Most of the species’ research and technical advances now come out of the stations’ revered passageways. Vourren star travel had a rocky beginning. Nearly 300 years before the orbiting stations were installed the Vourren constructed their first capital starship. They were scientifically advanced enough to build the starships for in-system travel, but their cultural instincts, communication skills, and appetite made contact with another race very risky. The uncontrollable urge to expand and explore brought them recklessly close to war with the Old Republic when they slaughtered, in search of a meal, most of the passengers on the luxury liner Celestial Princess as it was skirting the edges of the Covalta System. Only through a mutual agreement and understanding with a passenger, the Jedi Knight Jordan Farseer, was the conflict resolved. Farseer volunteered to go to Mantithea as an ambassador of the Old Republic. His mission was to create relations with the people of the Covalta system. He taught the Vourren several common galactic languages, and the basic rules of civilized contact that must be followed for them to travel the galaxy. He helped them develop their method of communication and hyperdrive abilities. He spent five years working with the Vourren before he died tragically in an earthquake but his legacy and teachings have helped the Vourren safely make their mark known through a large swath of the galaxy. The current Vourren fleet consists of 1258 capital carriers and roughly 4900 transport carriers. The most common capital carrier is the Deliverance class. This ship is 960 meters long and supports a crew of 33,500, including 812 fighters and pilots. The fleet is divided into groups, which consist of eight capital ships and twenty transports. Most are trader groups with missions concerning exploration and commerce. Personality: Because Vourren communication cannot be understood by most species, and because of their ravenous reputation, they are viewed by most of the galaxy as cold, calculating and efficient. Their reputation for efficiency is well founded, in that their actual communication is so precise that, as a species, they pursue common goals to the point that they function as if with a hive mind. Few have come to know individual Vourren. Those that have said that they adhere to a very alien, yet well defined logic, and that they share a very dry sense of humor, often joking about their next meal. Physical Description: Vourren are insectoid and stand about 0.9 to 1.2 meters tall. They have large, bulbous eyes and mouths with three slicing mandibles. Their front two pairs of legs are used for walking. Their third pair of legs has a second elbow and ends in two fingered hands. They have a blade-claw which protrudes from the forearm. The blade-claws are up to a meter in length and can be razor sharp with a near chrome gleam for Vourren in good health. The blade claws are used for hunting, rendering prey, and hand combat. Very, very few walk away from a melee encounter with a Vourren. They are able to scale textured surfaces, a trait that is evident through the rough, tubular construction of all walkways within their hives, stations, and spacecraft. Though not telepathic, they communicate through pheromones and through sub-sonic and ultra-sonic frequencies, so to the observer, they operate in near silence. Homeworld: Mantithea Language: The Vourren language is spoken, for the most part, outside of the human hearing range and cannot be reproduced by non-insect species. A percentage of traveling Vourren carry an electronic interpreter, with which they can communicate in Basic and several other languages common throughout the galaxy. It is very rare to find Vourren on Mantithea with such a device. As a result, communication with Vourren on their homeworld is near impossible. Example Names: Vourren identify each other by smell. Any names they receive are nicknames given by outsiders, much like those given to Clone Troopers, and can be anything from a physical description to a character trait. Adventurers: All Vourren encountered away from Mantithea are mature adults, and are likely a part of the exploration fleet. Vourren Species Traits Vourren share the following species traits: Ability Modifiers: +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Strength, -2 Charisma Medium Size: As Medium creatures, Vourren have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. Speed: Vourren base speed is 6 squares. Darkvision: Vourren ignore concealment (including total concealment) from darkness. However, they cannot perceive colors in total darkness. Limb Regeneration: A Vourren regrows a lost limb in 1d10 days. At the end of that time, all persistent penalties associated with the loss of the limb are removed. Natural Armor: Vourren have chitinous skin that provide a +1 natural armor bonus to their Reflex Defense. A natural armor bonus stacks with an armor bonus. Automatic languages: Vorren speech, Basic (for Vourren away from Mantithea), Vourren travelers may purchase other language packages for their electronic interpreters.

Sithsherald

Thanks all! Believe ot not, this whole species and their ships started as the pilot's helmet design. :)