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They managed to disable two of the five Gene-Splicer ships (the others escaped) and recovered three thousand of their people. They were horrified to find that only 10% were untainted by the Gene-Splicers twisted science. This only strengthened their resolve and the syraxians hunted the other three ships for the next five years, capturing a third ship. This third ship was a Trojan horse, booby-trapped with a self-destruct device of unimaginable magnitude that obliterated one of the solar systems under the syraxian's protection. This was not the end of the Gene-Splicers revenge - only the beginning. They became angry and set to work on an everlasting revenge, using the syraxians they still held captive and tailoring a disease that would affect only syraxian physiology. This disease eroded the mental faculties of syraxians and turned them into savage sub-sentient barbarians.
Allowing a planetary base to be captured, the Gene-Splicers had infected the one thousand syraxians there with an incomplete airborne disease. Final revenge would come later in one soft blow. The syraxians found the base and one thousand syraxians who were for some reason perfectly fine. The Gene-Splicers had not altered them in any way. Taking these people home, the syraxian rapidly became infected with the disease over a two year period. Then, in one of their few overt moves, the Gene-Splicers sent a message to all civilized worlds notifying them of the syraxians' demise as a sentient race. The syraxians scoffed at this, laughing as they could plainly see they were alive and well and unaware of a small probe penetrating the atmosphere of Syrax Prime and plowing into the ocean. This probe carried a hydro chemical that would activate the airborne disease.
Within a matter of weeks the Syraxian Protectorate crumbled, as their leaders fell victim to an animalistic nature. They became unable to think sentiently, and the disease was accurately dubbed "The Degeneration." The worlds under their protection began being plundered and ravaged as hostile empires made a scramble for the vulnerable worlds. Revenge complete, the Gene-Splicers became even more feared than ever and reveled in the magnitude of the destruction they had wrought. They even kept a few hundred of their victims captive, as their guard dogs, private soldiers, and pets.
Syraxian Savages are brutal, warlike, and aggressive. They congregate in groups of 20-30 on whatever world they live on. The social structure is very similar to those of the apes of Earth. They will attack anyone, animals and people alike, who trespass on their territory (except Gene-Splicers and their minions). If their attack party is beaten or killed, the rest of the group will give the winners a wide berth and take passive-aggressive actions. This includes attempts to frighten, theft of equipment, annoying acts of unintelligent sabotage, and similar methods. There are several research groups in the Three Galaxies who have taken to studying the savages as one would animals. They can be found on several remote worlds on the outskirts of the Transgalactic Empire in the forests, mountains, and ruins of cities as well as under the control of Gene-Splicers.
Syraxians are a tall race with sky blue skins and four arms. One pair of arms is at shoulder level, just below the head, while the second pair (strong as the first) are just above waist level. Their hands have three fingers and one thumb. Covering their back, sides of their arms and legs, and top of the head down the neck are millions of freckle sized spots that range in color from a wood brown to an inky black. They stand seven to eight feet tall, but most hunch over in a hunting crouch. Syraxians weigh in around 210+3d4x10 lbs. Their faces were similar in structure to those of the Uteni (see Phase World) but they had small toothless mouths and eyes either silver, yellow, or white in color.
Stats:
Before the disease -
F: GD (7) - RM (27) roll 3D6 +3; + Level 1D4 +2
A: GD (9) - EX (24) roll 3D6 +3; plus combat bonus (bonus = +1 per 2 pts. above 15 as rolled)
S: TY (7) - RM (30) roll 4D6 +2; plus 1D4 damage bonus
E: GD (13) - RM (28) roll 3D6 +8; plus 2 for resistance to magic & psionics
R: EX (14) - EX (24) roll 2D6 +12
I: GD (15) - RM (31) roll 2D6 +13; plus 1 per 2 pts. above 15 as rolled; +1 at Level 3 and 5
P: GD (13) - RM (28) roll 3D6 +8; plus 3D6 +8; divide by 2; bonus = +2 for resistance to psionics
Resources: N/A
Popularity: GD (9) - EX (24) roll 3D6 +8; plus 3D6 +4; divide by 2
After the disease -
F: PR (4) - EX (22) roll 3D6; + Level 1D4
A: PR (3) - EX (19) roll 3D6; add 1 per 2 pts. above 15 as rolled
S: EX (18) - IN (38) roll 4D6 +10; plus 4 for damage bonus
E: GD (11) - RM (26) roll 3D6 +6; plus 2 for resistance to magic and psionics
R: FB (1) - PR (3) roll 2D4; subtract 5 due to wild nature, minimum of FB
I: PR (4) - GD (10) roll 2D4 +1; +1 at Level 3
P: TY (5) - GD (15) roll 2D6 +2; plus 2D6; divide by 2; bonus = +2 for resistance to psionics
Resources: N/A
Popularity: PR (3) - GD (13) roll 2D6; plus 2D6 +2; divide by 2
Powers: Regeneration GD
Thermal Vision
Resistance to Fire/Cold GD
Armor Skin- Leather GD (10)
Magic Knowledge: None.
Pre-Degeneration, about 8% of the syraxian population practiced magic. These syraxians had only minor psionic abilities, never major/master abilities or super abilities. Syraxian mages get a +2CS to Psyche.
Psionic Powers: Abilities are limited to four from one minor category, saves as a minor psionic. Before the transformation all syraxians were minor psionics, 20% of the population posessed major psionic abilities, and 8% more were master psychics. Master psychics could be Phase Mystics, Mind Melters, or Mind Bleeders with a bonus of +2CS to Psyche.
Super Abilities: Pre-transformation syraxians had a 15% chance of possessing some degree of super abilities. After the disease, an amazing 45% have them. Any syraxian possessing super abilities does not have psionic powers. Super powered Syraxians can choose two additional minor super abilities, except energy expulsion powers.
Cybernetics/Bionics: Before the degeneration only 4% of syraxians submitted themselves to bionic reconstruction, and Juicer conversion. They were never big on artificial augmentation, even though their technology caused few side effects.
Average Level of Experience (NPC): 1d4 if a savage, 1d4+2 if a normal syraxian.
Combat Skills & Attacks Per Melee: Before the Degeneration all syraxians had one extra attack per melee and a +2CS bonus to parry. After the disease syraxians became warlike and aggressive and possess the following bonuses & abilities:
Martial Arts C, E, two additional attacks per melee.
The extremely rare uninfected syraxian could be just about anything: magic, Phase World, CAF equivalent, Men at Arms, or Scholars and Adventurers. There were a lot of dimension hopping Syraxian cyber knights, temporal wizards, metamages, and Phase Mystics while the Syraxian Protectorate was active. Non-infected characters would probably be dimensional travelers coming home to find their people's empire destroyed over 1000 years ago.
Skills for the Syraxian Savage:
Language: Choose one
Prowl
Climb
Swim
Identify Plants & Fruits
Tracking
Hunting
Wilderness Survival
Secondary Skills: None whatsoever. Guns are fired wild and if a savage is piloting a vehicle it will surely end in a wrecked heap. The concept of technology is beyond savages.
Average Life Span: 100 years for savages. Non-infected syraxians live for three to five hundred years.
Natural Habitat: Temperate forests, tropical jungles, plains, and mountain regions.
Allies: Only the Gene-Splicers, their masters.
Enemies: Anything that moves.
Standard Equipment: Few have re-learned the ability to use tools.
Money: None. Savages don't use or need it.
The disease had an exposure limitation of 2d4 months and has since died off on the syraxian home world. It now lives only in the bodies of the syraxians. A normal syraxian would not be infected by a syraxian Savage unless he drank water recycled from the savage's waste. A cure for the disease cannot be made, only a vaccine as it is genetic in nature. Gene therapy could restore up to 50% of a syraxian's normalcy but no race has undertaken the task. A child conceived by two Syraxian Savages is not infected with the disease until the third month of the pregnancy and if removed from the mother before this time the child would grow up without a trace of the disease. It will still be vulnerable to it. The disease was such that syraxian doctors and geneticists could not find a cure in the few weeks' time they had to work with before they underwent the degeneration. Given at least a decade scientists could create a viable vaccine.
There are several unfounded rumors that a large group of syraxians escaped the Degeneration. One such rumor is that a warship got lost to a rift during a battle with the Gene-Splicers. Another is that a secret group of scientists began work on a cure on an off-world colony. Still another, is that a group of syraxians from another dimension heard of the fate that befell their brethren and have avoided all contact with the races of the Three Galaxies. The last common rumor is probably the most likely - several vessels of syraxian colonists are still in cryosleep awaiting their arrival to several uncharted star systems in the outer reaches of the Three Galaxies.
By Brett Hegr.
