The Vettir
The Vettir are a rather slender species of hominids that branched genetically from humans in another world and another age. They were once spacefarers, labeled Pathfinders, sporting pale skin, a wide mouth, and large, dark eyes well suited to life in deep space. Their nostrils and ears had recessed, and they had been altered genetically for better muscle gains in low-gravity environments. Their genes were edited for improved resilience against radiation, resulting in pale, opaque skin. All of this lends to an otherworldly, alien appearance. Their bodies were tuned to have high tolerance to extreme temperatures, and their minds were altered to allow for rapid cognizance and understanding of various technologies. Upon arrival in Dunia, they quickly set to work to establish a safe haven for themselves. Using their scientific understanding of materials and workmanship, they developed powerful weapons that would safeguard them against threats from this new, alien world. It is believed that the Vettir came from the same plane of existence as the Drakaan. Most of the Vettir were mid-transit to another star system in a generation ship before an abrupt intersection of the planes occurred and took them to Dunia. Stranded, and with no way to return to the stars because of the damage dealt to their ship, the Vettir sought to colonize where they had landed.
Ethnicities
Vettir have slight regional differences amongst themselves. One, from the Reykol glacial region, are well suited to the extreme cold conditions and tend to be more isolated. The other, from the Verkoj coastal expanse, are more suited to social life.
Reykol-born Vettir (Reykovian)
The Reykol-born Vettir have adopted sort of an isolationist ascetic society in which they have taken a vow of silence (they still speak amongst themselves) and do not speak to outsiders with the exception of their diplomats. Their temples are guarded by some of the most highly trained monastic orders, where precious knowledge is recorded and stored for safekeeping.
Verkoj-born Vettir (Verkovian)
The Verkoj-born Vettir, in contrast to the Reykol-born Vettir, are much more sociable and interact with numerous outside peoples at their hub city. The Verkovians are often more inclined towards collaborating as a result of their outward sociability.
Adaptations
Since arriving on Dunia after the Cataclysm, the Vettir have made their clades in the cold polar regions of the planet, in Barid, and Kutib. As Pathfinders, they were originally well-suited to the environments in which they chose to settle and have remained largely physically unchanged. Culturally, however, they couldn't have changed more.
Culture
When they first arrived on Dunia, the generation ship was pulled into this plane of existence because of the Cataclysm and spiraled out of orbit into the polar region, and because of the unexpected change in trajectory, the ship crashed, killing roughly 40% of the inhabitants of the Ymir. It was the worst possible morning for many as the sun rose over the horizon to shine upon a burning hulk midst the rubble of a boreal forest. They were almost immediately met with hostility from the local wildlife and people. Security forces were scrambling to get the defensive systems online and prepare for combat. Medics were looking for any survivors from the crash. Engineers were trying to prevent a catastrophic meltdown. The situation was pure chaos. On the first night, feral creatures known as the Daedon attacked and claimed a few lives, dragging people off with them.
By the second night, the fires were put out and a defensive perimeter had been formed. Makeshift walls were set up from scavenged panels to blockade the interior.
Over time, the Vettir have developed a sort of techno-theocratic scholar society in which knowledge and the preservation of knowledge itself has become a sort of religion to the Vettir, without it having the traditions and dressings of any traditional organized religion. It is more of a philosophical foundation on which their morals and culture are based. This came to be as a result of the need to use knowledge for their very survival in such an inhospitable and alien landscape. This dogmatic approach to preservation of knowledge came to be over the course of roughly one century.
Their cooking primarily revolves around hearty, readily available foods such as meats, grains, root vegetables, berries, and mushrooms. To preserve their food, outside of refrigeration, they often use evaporated sea salt to season it, as there aren't many options as far as more exotic spices and ingredients except at their major settlements which act as food producers for the surrounding Vettir homesteads.
Architecture
A lot of the Vettir reside in cold regions where geothermal energy is the primary heat source, and as a result, their architecture is based on utilizing this natural resource. Most of the time, a central spire in a settlement will be the core heat storage system and power station. The geothermal energy operates a steam-powered turbine where the evaporated water condenses on its return cycle to be turned back into steam in a closed loop system. This powers most of the Vettir structures. Excess heat is stored in a giant 'Sand Battery' to be distributed to the dwellings via heat exchange systems. The settlement is arranged with hydroponic domes close to the center to reduce the amount of work the plumbing systems have to do to cycle water.
Most of the Vettir homes are fairly compact and well-insulated against the hostile, unforgiving climate. Typically, to ensure that heat is distributed efficiently and uniformly, a central stack inside the home is where the heat radiates from. Given that the heat pipes and electric wiring are typically underneath the settlement, it is practical to build on top of a connecting node. The outermost materials are typically ceramic, then an insulating layer is filled in with recycled fiberglass. To maximize efficiency and comfort, there are very few windows to the outside, where temperatures can drop well below -70 degrees Centigrade at night during the winter. Further in the interior continent the weather is even more extreme. In settlements where running water isn't feasible, they resort to boiling the water for drinking after cutting the ice from a nearby lake and rarely use it to bathe given the effort to obtain said water. The homes are typically shaped in such a way that air can efficiently circulate throughout the house.
For their defenses they primarily rely on automated weaponry for personnel and auditory/sensory deterrents. Large predatory mammals roam the boreal forests of Barid and can be quite dangerous to any settlement, so the defenses must be comprehensive in their ability to ward off threats.
Technology
The Vettir make use of electromagnetic forces to accelerate their weapon projectiles up to hypersonic speeds, where the sound of the weapon firing will reach its target after the projectile does. Because of the power needed for such weapons to be effective, they have adapted their dual-medium CNT capacitor banks from the crashed vessel from which they came. CNT capacitors are built from carbon nanotubes, grown in specialized laboratories. They have developed manufacturing processes for making it but it has to be done in a clean environment.
A good chunk of the technological prowess they have stems from the generationally shared knowledge and salvage of their vessel, a Titan Colony Ship which has become sort of a technological mecca to which they make their pilgrimage and exchange information for tools, weapons, or tech from their council, seated in the old Titan, Ymir. It is one of the few places where one can reliably seek out the Vettir and their knowledge. The ship has been converted into the core of a large Vettir settlement on the Verkovian coastline, with some of its original manufacturing facilities rebuilt or saved from ruin. This settlement was established after the Cataclysm, and as such, most of its facilities are still operational.
The Vettir make use of geothermal vents situated throughout Barid and Kutib to provide power and warmth to their settlements. With a constant supply of power and heating, they are fairly self-sustained.
Unique Vehicles
Snowrunner
A single or two-seater treaded vehicle with skis that curve upward to keep the vehicle above the snow. Often equipped with mounted weaponry that the driver can fire. The passenger typically can use handheld weapons. In areas where snow is not present, the skis can be swapped out for wheels, carried in a special cargo compartment under the seat.
Icecrawler
A multi-sectional, multiple-motor mobile base that rides on treads over the ice. The modules allow for extreme customization and adaptability of various situations, however the vehicle does not move quickly. Can carry snowrunners in one of its modules.
Unique Weaponry
Mag-Driver Rifle
The Mag-Driver Rifle uses Lorentz forces to electromagnetically accelerate a ferromagnetic projectile up to hypersonic speeds in a linear induction barrel. This weapon is capable of firing through cover, and fires at such a speed that it also ignores armor. It's a fearsome weapon but because of the shape of the projectile, it also doesn't inflict particularly large wounds, instead piercing a target. This weapon is capable of piercing full cover and up to 2 medium-sized targets, dealing reduced damage to the second target. The weapon uses compact CNT capacitors to reduce weight, but most of the mass is distributed along the barrel.
Mag-Driver Sniper
The Mag-Driver Sniper is a highly specialized perforator that, like the MD (Mag-Driver) Rifle, uses Lorentz forces to electromagnetically accelerate a ferromagnetic projectile. Like other MD weapons, the Mag-Driver Sniper ignores armor, cover, and is capable of piercing up to 3 medium-sized targets, dealing reduced damage to the second and 3rd target. This weapon receives +6 bonus damage against vehicles and vehicle components.
Coilgun Repeater
The Coilgun Repeater is more of a weapons platform than an individual weapon. There are various designs that have specific designations but they're all based on the same principle as the mag-driver weapons, albeit at lower velocities with a higher volume of fire. This weapon ignores armor and cover, and sacrifices overall damage as a result.
Auric Disruptor Gun
A directed energy weapon that deals force damage, the Auric Disruptor gun is capable of disintegrating body parts or materials. Effectively, it disrupts molecular bonds through application of electromagnetic force packets. The amount of energy required to disrupt large amounts of matter, say, the size of a human in a single volley, is more than can be put out by a man-portable weapon. The Auric Disruptor Gun is classified as an exotic and is extremely difficult to manufacture without prior knowledge. The weapon itself must have a stabilizing coherency field while it is active. On critical hits, roll to disintegrate a body part using a 1d6.
Species Features
Age
Like their human ancestors, the Vettir do not live incredibly long lives, but can live close to 200 years thanks to their genetic tuning and modifications. A Vettir child will likely begin walking around the age of 1, utter their first words around the age of 2, start reading around the age of 5, and reach adulthood around the age of 20. They stop being able to bear offspring much later than humans though, at around 70-80 years. All of this is assuming they live in good health and with relative safety.
Size
Similar to humans, Vettir range from 5' to 6.5'
Speed
Vettir movespeed is 30 feet per turn
Languages
Vettir speak, read and write in common but can learn two additional languages
Darkvision
Vettir are well-adjusted to dim lighting conditions thanks to genetic engineering. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.
Resilient Physiology
Vettir are resistant to cold damage and take no exhaustion effects from extreme cold temperatures.
Lightfooted Hunters
Vettir are adept hunters and obscure their steps. They do not leave easily-traced signs. Raise ability checks to track you to DC = 8 + Proficiency Bonus + Dexterity modifier.
Ability Score Increase
In PF2E, Verkovian Vettir get a boost to intelligence and two free boosts
In D&D 5e, Verkovian Vettir get +1 to three different stats of the player's choosing, or +2 to one stat and +1 to another stat
In PF2E, Reykovian Vettir get a boost to dexterity and two free boosts
In D&D 5e, Reykovian Vettir get a +1 to three different stats of the player's choosing, or +2 to one stat and +1 to another stat
Ethnic-specific features
Verkovian Survival Training
Verkovians are proficient at Survival and are able to track their quarry for days.
At 3rd level, Verkovian Vettir can cast the Guidance cantrip.
At 5th level, Verkovian Vettir can cast Pass Without Trace once per long rest.
Reykovian Monastic Order of Knowledge
The Reykovian Vettir get a choice of proficiency in either Religion or History checks.
At 3rd level, Reykovian Vettir can cast the Mending Cantrip.
At 5th level, they can cast Enhance Ability once per long rest.
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