Hhrot

How low the self-anointed protectors of the Pyxis Globula have fallen. Broken, scattered, defeated, those who defended the Ark from its attackers were rewarded with a lifetime of guilt and loss of purpose. Still the warforged Hhrot press on, determined to build a fortress out of the world - for if war does not come from within, it is sure to come from without.

Statblock

Size	Medium
Lifespan	150
Magic Ability	Up to 10% of the population show an ability to perform Spellweaving, however most hide it due to cultural pressures.
Homeland	Planetfall
Major Faction	Hhrot Dominion
Language	Hhrot Cuneiform
Average height	6′10″‒8′0″ (2.08‒2.4 m)
Average weight	200‒264 lb (90‒120 kg)
Skin colour	Scaly and usually monochrome, with elaborate patterns across the body
Hair colour	Usually hairless
Eye colour	Red/Purple/Orange, glows variably

Physical Description

The Hhrot are a stout and reptilian-like species with large falling ears. They are perhaps best known for its redundant organs and extremely high bone density. Tendrils grow a few inches from beneath their chiselled chin. Their skin is scaly and hard, with elaborate birth marks that help to determine lineage. Part of Hhrot resilience comes from pre-developed redundant organs that "kick in" should primary organs become damaged. Their backs seem to "arch in" and slomp forward under the weight of extra bones.
The Hhrot are warm-blooded and ovoviviparous. Eggs remain in a female's womb until they are ready to hatch.
Hhrot wear hard leather clothes or battle gear - the higher honour a Hhrot has accrued, the more decorated the clothes. Wearing fabrics or patterns not yet earned is a critical offense to a Hhrot. Their clothes often weave armour as part of the design.

Sentinel

There are many schools of thought even in the rigid hierarchy of the Hhrot. The Sentinels are a notable sub-faction of genetically-engineered Hhrot. Bulkier, stronger, and routinely vat-grown, they were initially designed to be cheap, mass-produced and ultimately short-lived shock troops against the Old Empires. These days are long gone but the Sentinels remain as a fringe sect - sometimes shunned as "artificial" or "markless" Hhrot (vat-grown Hhrot do not have birth marks), but also often relied upon in times of need, such as against Yadi and their Arks or to fend off the Boshaari Crusades.

Helot

Most Hhrot have long forsaken any semblance of religion - believing instead in the Law of Cycles - a twisted and convenient take on natural selection. However, the Helots of Gragara are an exception. They praise the Mother of All and thrive on religious sacrifice and bloodsports in order to bring Her glory and ensure that She bestows victory upon the Hhrot. Whilst a minority, their Clergy is very organized and typically a minor force in every Legion - truly everywhere Hhrot can be found. Sometimes dismissed for their eccentric belief system, their unique way to gain glory and honour often earns them the respect (or the fear?) of other Hhrot.

Wayfarer

The Hhrot landed in an area poor in natural resources; as such, building a space fleet to expand and exploit further riches became an area of prime interest to the Dominion leadership. The Wayfarers are miners, scavvers, traders and pirates - they are lifers on the ships of the Dominion. As Hhrot ships seldom generate an antigrav field, Wayfarers have adapted to near 0g conditions. Their lifespan is lesser and so is their birth rate, but they are especially nimble, even though they are much more frail than their planetside counterpart. Most mining outposts and forge stations are run by Wayfarers.

Racial Bonus

Normal Hhrot : +2 STR, +2 CON
Sentinels : +2 DEX, +2 CON,
Helots : +2 STR, +2 WIS
Wayfarers : +3 DEX

Racial Foci

Fearless

The Hhrot fear no one and bow to nobody. They receive a permanent +2 bonus to Physical saving throws and +1 bonus to Mental saving throws.

Natural Armour

Hhrot use armor in a way that complements their uniquely sturdy physiology. When wearing armor, they gain a +1 bonus to their Armor Class and they ignore their worn armour's encumbrance.

Society & Alignment

Main Article : Hhrot Dominion
The brutality of the ancestral systems of the Hhrot lingers in their military-like organization. The vast majority of Hhrot, barring exiles and disgraced, belong to the Dominion, a hierarchical government that commands sixteen Legions each responsible for a different area of the Hhrot sphere of influence. The Third Legion is responsible for waterworks. The Seventh serves as its corps of engineers, and so on. Hhrot are noted for their sense of duty and loyalty. Very few Hhrot, even amongst the exiled, put their own needs ahead of those of the group. All able-bodied Hhrot serve the Dominion in some capacity.
Within each Legion, there are several ranks for Hhrot to access, which unlock "citizenship tiers" and increasing amounts of rights. Those ranks readily predict interactions between Hhrot, with superiors often ordering those below them uncompromisingly. Many of these ranks have a "warrior" equivalent; for instance, Rank 3, which is achieved after boot camp at age 21, has a "military" variant for those who continue to serve in the armed forces. Military variants of ranks does confer certain extra bonuses, but generally does not indicate superiority amongst co-rankers, unless there is the threat of a genuine war. Hhrot seeking to access ranks beyond 15 must join the Dominion itself - effectively becoming officers of the vast state apparatus. There are elaborate rituals and typically a farewell ceremony for successful applicants, as one cannot rejoin their Legion once they have been promoted.
Hhrot society is highly regimented, though not necessarily always on a war path. Nonetheless, the less than optimal conditions on Planetfall, and later the two moons Gorass and Harvest, have required nothing short of a warrior's pride to overcome. Hhrot are highly industrious, and can be ambitious, though the needs of their groups will often come before their personal advancement.

Communities

Hhrot live in cities that more readily resemble military camps of steel, rust and concrete. Functional, barren save for large screens and banners, the streets of Hhrot settlements are wide and spartan. Hhrot who do not ascend to the Dominion will spend their entire lives as part of the Legion they were born in. Unlike Mewei, individual communities do not take on the shared burden of educating a Hhrot child and family ties are strong; however, loyalty to the Legion is stronger yet.

Alignment

In terms of alignment, Hhrot sport a wide variety, but the trends usually weighs towards Evil or Lawful (with a significant portion of Lawful/Neutral) - their civilization is far too orderly to tolerate wanton and gratuitous chaos, though they never quite have the welfare of their own, let alone other races, at the forefront of their minds.

Playing a Hhrot

Hhrot likely…

• ...see other races as weaker, especially the craven Hiderid and the warlike but disorderly Zaalans
• ...seek chances to prove themselves in combat, or exceptional duty if unable to fight
• ...have a great sense of honour, pride, and propriety,
• ...have an even greater sense of duty and self-sacrifice
• ...dislike social change and different ways of life, especially non-warlike or cowardly ways.
• ...have deep emotional bonds with their platoon as well as with close friends, especially their former foes, the Boshaari

Other species likely…

• ...find your history, culture and even shape intimidating,
• ...assume you see them as weak and worthless, and react accordingly,
• ...assume you know nothing beyond war and are interested in taking their land,
• ...find your deep friendships surprising, especially when children barely know their actual parents,
• ...respect your strength, not just for what it is but especially compared to other Ark species.

Relations

Hhrot relations have historically been rather poor due to their gruff attitude towards other races. They do not seek to build many bridges with other species and factions. They see the Boshaari and the Mewei as misguided and the Hiderid as squandering time better spent preparing for an inevitable encounter with a foreign agent. This stance may cost them dearly, and several times they have had to reach out, particularly because Planetfall is relatively scarce in Thaumium, requiring the Hhrot to trade or develop their own colonies on the world Zindra.

Naming Conventions

Hhrot names are typically a combination of a guttural first name and a Clan last name, which includes the Legion's name as a part within :

Male Names

Rath Bloodaxe
Rhoni Stonefang
Lontt Keenstone
Wytgat Brokenreave
Gadduk Ragewield

Female Names

Latia Headripper
Rhonda Stronghorn
Wukola Scrapblood
Eaku Drakenwake

Adventuring

There are a few reasons for Hhrot to wander :

• They are looking to secure precious commodities for their Warband back on Hitoka Prime
• They are wanderers, mercenaries, and misfits that do not mesh well with the rigid, orderly structure of Hhrot society and instead strike their own luck elsewhere
• They are glory-seekers, on the hunt for a noble Quest to undertake - the more blood the better
• They are non-warriors doomed to a life of squalor and who despise the endless Hhrot obsession with war, and finally have a chance to escape
• They are bounty hunters, catering to the nascent bounty market of the Stream as well as to the much larger economy of the Pinwheel Galaxy and other areas of interest. The typical set up for a bounty hunting party is an Operative, two Vanguards and a Biohacker.

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Sentient Species of the Elpis System
Boshaari - Hiderid - Mewei - Hhrot - Zaalan - Ton'keena - Ophonni