The World of Synk

[Digitalfruitz]

Hello folks. I've been working on a science fiction setting for me and my buddies to play in. I wanted it to be less of a Good VS. Evil and a bit more Chaos VS. Law. Here's what I ended up with. Please let me know what y'all think


Mercane LN CR5: The tall, blue-skinned humanoid is clad in loose, flowing robes. Its alien face has too many eyes and it's hands have too few fingers. The Mercane are from a very small planet with few resources, hence, their love of social Darwinism. They were the first beings to use proto-interplanetary travel through magical gates. They currently sell ships, magical gates, and they dabble in illicit items. Many races find that the Mercane are usually either backstabbing businessmen, or conniving mob families. The Mercane created the fuel that many ships use, something known as a Mercane S-gem, which somehow gives ships unlimited energy.

Formian LN CR ½: This small, centaur-like ant creature bears a huge, bulging sack on its armored back. The Formians are best described as a race of bureaucratic enforcers. The Formians live in a matriarchal society, led by a hive queen for every tribe. The Formians are known for their extreme loyalty and amazing tactical sense. The Formians fly in huge spherical ships with innards littered with twisting tunnels and pathways, generally the ship's captain is located in the dead center of the ship for safety reasons. Certain ships known as the “Queen’s colonizers” are shaped like a large needle/drill. These ships are sent to warm/rocky planets (uninhabited by sentient life) to drill deep into the planet's crust, and act as a nursery for the elites many children. The majority of Formians one will meet (outside of a hive) are either rogue males tired of oppression, or females who have decided to leave the hive.


Gillman LN CR0: This humanoid seems normal, until you notice the large gills on his neck and his black fish-like eyes. The Gillmen were created by the Aboleths as a way to be on ships with and without water. The Gillmen are mainly an atheistic race, viewing that since they were created by the Aboleths they have no deity that is worth worship. There are however small cults of Gillmen who worship the Aboleths creators, a being known only as “the true beings”. All Gillmen ships usually look very similar to their Aboleth overlord’s ships (huge submersibles with strange weaponry that functions in space or underwater). Some Gillmen however fly smaller ships without water pools for Aboleths, they do this to show that they act as intermediaries. If one meets a Gilman he will either love Aboleths in the same manner a child loves his parents, or they will despise all Aboleths in the way a slave hates his old master. The majority hate the Azer from the last Boiling war, which is why many Gillmen use weapons known as “Dowsers” which act as high powered pressure washers which extinguish flame and rip through flesh.




Dire Corby CE CR1: The strange black and blue ship lands, emerging from it comes a flock of these strange flightless bird-men who hunger for battle. The Dire Corbies are a dangerous race, known throughout the many solar systems as pillaging raiders at best and blood thirsty savages at worst. These bird-men have sharp talons on their hands instead of wings like many other birds. There Sharp pointed beak is able to cut through flesh at an astonishing rate, leading these beings to be able to quickly dominate any close ranged opponent. These beings usually steal the ships from another race and heavily modify it to fit their war hungry needs, an example being a formian “Queen’s colonizer” being modified with to only burrow partway into the ground so it can still land and Dire Corbies will be able to leap out and attack unsuspecting prey.


Azer LN CR2: Heat ripples the air near this squat, brass-skinned humanoid. Its head and shoulders blaze with a mane of fire. The Azer planet has no plants whatsoever due to extreme pollution and over-logging. The Azers run huge factory based guilds that refine many minerals used in the creation of Star ships. The reason that Azers rarely ever go to war is that other beings are terrified of being turned into slaves. The last war the Azer had to fight in was against the Aboleths, an event known as the great boiling war. They fought over the planet Kasath, due to its absurdly high concentrations of star metals. Currently however they are embroiled with the Mercane in a trade war, The Azer try and use their slave labor to undercut the Mercane and many people are worried it may work. Azer ships run off of solar energy that they directly pull from neighboring stars. Their main vulnerability is the cold, Which is most likely the reason most Mercanes have started importing anti-heat devices.


Kasatha CG CR0: this strange 4 armed man runs with extreme grace, quickly pulling out three throwing knives to cut down his opponent. The Kasatha are a race that have lost their home world “Kabhad” during the great boiling war. Currently the Kasatha have a single army, known as the starry road. They act as abolitionists who oppose both the Aboleths and the Azer, this leads them to being targeted by the two warring beings. The Kasatha usually find work as mercenaries for the Mercane or humans. The Kasatha shared their world with the Shobhad, who primarily the caves and deserts.


Shobhad CN CR2: this twelve foot tall being stand before you, with a weapon in three of its four hands and your associates head in the other. The Shobhad were a race of barbarians, turned slaves, turned mercenaries. They lived on and in the planet Kabhad until the Aboleths and Azers destroyed it for minerals and slaves. Currently around half of the Shobhads are enslaved by the Azer and Aboleths to be used as beasts of burden, the other half work with their sister race, the Kasatha, as abolitionists and bodyguards for the Mercane. Many ports will try and hire any Shobhad they see as a town guard, due to the races ferocity and size.


Human N CR0: The humans are an odd race, they are members of almost every social group, from lowly farmers to powerful politicians. The humans have a very odd monopoly over the other races, that is they are so adaptable that they inhabit a wide variety of occupations. Also it seems that the Human race has an uncanny ability to be an intermediary between beings. The humans also act as a genetic baseline, being able to create half-breeds with the majority of races.These two things have placed Humans to be excellent politicians, acting as advisors to many races. The human race usually flies sleek metallic ships, prizing large “classy” ships over smaller ships. The humans are also the parent race of the Androids, they use Androids primarily as soldiers and bodyguards. Only recently has the Human Government made moves to place the Androids as being considered a “being”.


Ghoran CN CR1/2: The humanoid creatures taut green shell extends like a cowl from chin to brow, wreathing a face of brilliant flower petals. Many people would call the Ghoran hedonists due to their belief system allowing their people to do any moral or immoral act with very little repercussions. The Ghoran philosophy is easily summarized with four words, “To each their own”. The Ghoran are known for their ales and natural narcotics based crime families. The Ghoran have a very strong fondness to studying History because of their exceptionally long lives. All Ghoran are able to use a Ghorus seed to plant a duplicate of themselves into the ground which in 2D6 days will grow into the original Ghoran. The Ghoran’s ships are very large solar paneled ships that run off of sunlight in a method very similar to the photosynthesis that Ghorans are required to consume. Many Ghoran ships are equipped with high powered solar beams that can burn so hot they cut through the flesh of most men.


Android LN CR1/2: This strange woman moves with a calculated grace. Complex colored tattoos glow on her flesh. Neither wholly machine nor man, the Androids are a race of humanoid automatons. The Humans made the Androids around the time of the Boiling war, they created the metallic men to act as soldiers if the need be. They currently are trying to find a way to live as soldiers in a post war world. Even though the Androids have recently been considered a “Being” many individuals still treat them with the same rights as robots. The difference between robots and Androids is sentience, robots can think what they were designed to think and Androids are able to think past their basic designs. Many androids still harbor resentment towards their human forebearers for their enslavement. Most Androids work as guards at star ports or as explorers on a myriad of ships.




Pendaki LN CR0: This shaggy haired ape-man lumbers out before you, it yells out a war cry and chained apes rush out and tear their opponents limb from limb. The Pendaki come from a jungle planet where they have successfully enslaved the other unintelligent fauna and their sister race (the Phanaton). They have formed a shaky alliance with the Azer and Ghoran, they do this by trading slaves with the Azer and buying performance enhancing drugs from the Ghoran. Most Pendaki fly powerful warships that specialize in boarding enemy ships instead of direct ship to ship combat. The Pendaki utilize disabling weapons; whip, taser, stun gun, tranquilizers, nets, and bolas.


Phanaton CN CR0: This small hairy creature glides downwards with what sounds like a war cry, you would begin laughing at it but you soon notice the countless others behind it. The Phanaton are a race of small jungle dwelling rodents with large skin flaps that allow them to glide downwards, this makes them excellent at ambushing or fleeing from much larger predators. Many Phanaton’s are enslaved by the Pendaki for use as tinkers and low level factory work. This is due to their small dextrous bodies and their surprisingly good wits. Many Phanatons who are either freed or escape usually work for Mercane, Humans, or even occasionally the Ghoran.






Vercite CN CR0: This strange being mutters to itself in a lab, it quickly lifts an odd looking weapon and begins to open fire. The Vercites are a race of chaotic inventors whose constantly changing scientific methods seem to match their ever swaying personality. These creatures usually work as inventors, scientist, or engineers for other races. The weapons used by Vercites vary wildly, some choose to use strange grenades to deal large amounts of damage in an area. Others choose to use acid based weaponry to quickly damage their enemy's armor and morale. A Vercites ship usually has top of the line scientific equipment. This leads to many Vercites finding themselves at the wrong end of a pirate's weapons. The Vercites find themselves working with many races, this leads to them being liked by few, and hated by fewer.



Beast blooded N CR?: A man walks into the cantina, he has goat-like legs and small horns jutting out of his forehead, behind him is a greatly sized man covers in scales whom he calls his “brother”. In the boiling war (and the many military skirmishes that followed it) the humans needed exceptional soldiers who were willing to die for their country. Nearly all of the Beast blooded people one will meet in their life will be veterans of war and the G.F.W experiments: G.F.W meaning genetic flesh warping. While these people have fought valiantly in war they are generally disliked on the Homefront due to their monstrous appearance and their petty back stories (many people who signed up to join the G.F.W were prisoners who took this to help lessen their prison sentences). Now these people must try and survive as veterans in a post-war society.

[Digitalfruitz]

The PC's are; a kasatha drug dealer/smuggler who comes from a long line of abolitionists, he dual wields light crossbows. A human wrestler who just so happens to bear a striking resemblance to Macho Man Randy Savage (Oh Yeah). A Beast blooded (Satyr) assassin who is an ex-gangster who specializes in melee weapons and speed. And finally an android who's playing a re fluffed Magitech Templar to just be a "non-magical" ironman