Race: Tajara

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Tajaran are a furred bipedal race with feline-esque traits from Ahdomai based in the S'rand'marr system.

Overview

The Tajara (Ta-jaw-rah, plural Ta-jaw-run) are a species of furred mammalian bipeds hailing from the chilly planet of Ahdomai, in the S’rand’marr system. They are a naturally superstitious species, with the new generations growing up with tales of the struggles of surviving a great ice age. This spirit has led them forward to the reconstruction and advancement of their society to what they are today. Their pride for the struggles they went through is heavily tied to their spiritual beliefs. Recent discoveries have jump started the progression of highly advanced cybernetic technology, causing a culture shock within Tajaran society.

Biology

Physicality: To the average human, the Tajara share many similarities with Earth's felines; however, when looked at from a purely scientific perspective, this description is largely superficial. Unlike terrestrial felines, the Tajara are both omnivorous and bipedal. Their bodies are almost entirely covered in a thick coat of fur that is extremely good at insulating them from the extreme cold of Adhomai. The layer of body fat and fur is designed to trap body heat in an efficient manner. There are only a handful of areas where fur is not present, those being on the palm of their hands, the soles of their feet, and a number of various orifices as well as a small area around their eyes.

Occasionally, the fur around a Tajara's neck is known to grow into a shaggy 'mane' of sorts, giving them a distinct look not unlike a terran lion. This hair tends to be much stronger and a great deal wirier than the rest of the fur on a Tajara's body. Some Tajara tend towards monochromatic bodies while others have multicolor or even calico fur patterns. These designs depend heavily on the genetics of the individual's parents, much like hair and eye color. Because of this, some parents are utterly incapable of producing multicolor children. Designs including flat colors, stripes, spots, and most conceivable combinations have been recorded by scientists both Tajaran and human. A male Tajara is somewhere between 145 cm and 185 cm in height, while the mean body mass is between 55 kg and 90 kg. Females tend to range between 135 cm and 185 cm in height, with their own weight somewhere around 35 kg to 75 kg. As such, both their body weight and height is roughly comparable to the average human. A Tajaran fetus only takes six months to mature, and Tajaran children likewise mature rapidly, reaching the full extent of their growth by 15 or 16. This rapid maturation has a profound effect on the lifespan of Tajara, as only with modern medicine have Tajara reached ages above 70, with the oldest living Tajara being 84 years old. Most Tajara retire at age 60 when they are too old to work in any capacity.

Ethnicities

There are four races of Tajara: the Hharar, the Zhan-Khazan, the Njarir’Akhran, and the M'sai. Each race has a common role which they play in a society which their biological inclinations make them more suited for, as well as their own cultures which have formed from long histories of performing these roles in society. Tajara heavily stereotype each other based on race which is often a cause for conflict. As a result of these differences, there is a lot of racial tension between these various types of Tajara which was further exacerbated by differences in socioeconomic classes.

Hharar: the first Tajaran ethnicity who Humanity came in contact with is generally viewed as the 'typical Tajara', which is reinforced by their numerical superiority over the other groups. Additionally, given their large numbers and capabilities, they most often serve in governmental positions and as ambassadors to other races; this leads to them being taken as the 'face' of the Tajaran race, as it were. Hharar trend towards being the most intellectual of all Tajaran groups, and as such their physical prowess is significantly reduced. The Hharar are the stereotypical 'worker' Tajara, commonly described as loyal employees who are passionate and not afraid to voice their opinions.

Zhan-Khazan: The second most populous of Tajaran ethnicities, and are considered to be the backbone of the Tajaran workforce. Because of their history of hard work and the way they adapted to harsh mountain life, Zhan-Khazan are more physically intimidating than other Tajara. Featuring more toned, muscular bodies, thicker fur coats, and heavier bodyweight, they are well-suited to tasks requiring brute strength and heavy lifting. Due to their status as laborer they suffer discrimination and are usually regarded as less intelligent. Prior to the Great Frost, a great number of Zhan-Khazan died in order to produce the Hearth Engines for a number of elites, however as the storm grew closer instead of leaving their worksite, many Zhan-Khazan occupied it after rebelling against the nobility who initially hired them to create it.

M'sai: The third most populous Tajaran ethnic group, the M'sai were at one point the hunters for ancient Tajara and evolved to have lithe, slender forms, and light fur that hid them in the blizzards on Adhomai. As Tajaran society advanced, M'sai could be found in many roles related to combat, including law enforcement and military service. They are very loyal to their friends and family but aren't as overt about it as the Zhan-Khazan. With wide eyes and acute senses, they make great soldiers, with vision adapted to compensation for the heavy blizzards that plague their home planet. They are also great survivalists and are capable of scrounging food for themselves via hunting. With the Great Frost, M’sai were the luckiest of all Tajara. Some M’sai returned to an almost tribal way of life if not near Hearths but struggled to survive, however those who were lucky enough to have a Hearth Engine thrived in the new world.

Njarir’Akhran: The ethnic group that made up the majority of the plutocracy prior to the Great Frost. Their lineage can be traced from careful breeding between Hharar and M'sai, leading to where they currently are today. Following the series of events on Adhomai, Njarir make up less than ten percent of the population. Easily identifiable by their large ears, fluffy tails, luxurious fur, and slender, elegant features. Njarir suffer persecution and rejection from certain proponents of Tajaran society because of their bloodline. As the most learned of all Tajaran ethnic groups, they boast high intelligence and have a propensity towards the arts and sciences. When the Great Frost began they did not fare well at all, most of them however did either end up continuing their research, or rule in holds they made up an extreme minority of the population, which has led to inbreeding in order to keep the blood “pure”.

Mentality

With the struggle for survival over the last 2 generations,Tajara have a tendency towards cooperation with orders, & a strong sense of loyalty towards those who earn it. They are capable of a full set of emotions, but human standards, & the younger generations are more expressive & forward in their dealings ,this is due to travel and education becoming more accessible. Tajara that are older than fifty years old tend to be less educated. This means that there is a massive educational gap and other such things are also fairly large.

History

The Beginning of the Great Frost

The event known as the Great Frost is and was the most tragic event in the history of Adhomai. Two generations ago a sudden winter fell across the world, throughout the planet temperatures dropped to such lows that life began to halt. Only the sturdiest of fauna, used to the year round winters of the poles, survived the sudden drop in global temperature. Among all other life across the world few survived, tajarans from all walks of life were humbled as the population was decimated. Total global extinction of all tajaran would have been inevitable if not for the workings of one man, Akari Tal’Wrack, a wealthy scientist and the only man to predict the Great Frost. History tells it that Akari warned many of the planets inevitable doom but few listened to his prophecies of death. Undeterred the wealthy Akari began to plan for the future and constructed great generators capable of producing immense amounts of heat, capable of surviving in the frigid cold and running off many varieties of fuel. These complex marvels of engineering later became known as the Hearth Engines to those who remained as the Great Frost began to claim lives and refugees flooded to the equator of Adhomai and the heat of the generators.

For the next century the struggling survivors huddled deep within their semi-buried hovels and at times underground caverns sharing the warmth of their hearth engines. Life became a utilitarian struggle in those early decades as the rituals and practices long held by the deeply religious tajarans were abandoned or cast aside as survival became the priority. Each day brought a new struggle as food, water, fuel, and supplies were dealt out in dwindling numbers and scavenging parties were sent out into the frozen and dangerous wastelands. Many of the hearth engines were incomplete or under supplied as the great frost came and these small factions began to see their heat source sputter before failing entirely. As the populations of these failing camps froze to death other tajarans would appear from the wastes to take what supplies, parts, or fuel they could. The bodies were simply left behind, preserved in the perma-frost.

Those willing to brave the frozen wastes armed with only furs, portable heaters, and makeshift weapons were the scavengers of each hold. Hunters, technicians, carpenters, mechanics, police officers, these men and women of the first scavengers came from all walks of life. In the beginning these resolved warriors walked into almost certain death, ill-equipped and unprepared for the dangers of the frozen wastes. Yet as their numbers dwindled some of them thrived, few among them became experts and as the years past veterans of surviving and flourishing in the dead of frost. Though their names varied from hold to hold these groups of scavengers became commonly known as the Sun Wardens, for the survival of S’randarr’s people weighed heavily on their dauntless shoulders and many prayed S’randarr would guide them with his light.

It was a grim time for the tajaran people as they held on to what little hope they could find. In times of relative plenty when their scavengers would return with the meat, furs, or supplies people prayed to S’randarr to lift them from this frozen hell. Yet as the years went by and these desperate prayers were left unanswered a new group began to form. This splinter faction was not dedicated to S’randarr but to Messa, the desperate and scared people began to fall sway to the promises of a true afterlife with the dark god. These cults secretly preached that the Great Frost was the working of Messa’s power so that others may join her in the afterlife. The people need only look around them and see her power, how she had triumphed over S’randarr and that salvation could only be found with her. Death was the only answer, the cult taught, and soon as numbers swelled the grim situations became hopeless. These cultists began to do whatever they could to sabotage the hearth engines, seeking to cut the life source of each hold so that all would freeze and become consumed by Messa.

When these cults became known the witch hunts began, a slow revival of faith now became a crashing wave as life had only just begun to improve and the old traditions were being revived to combat these mad men. The cult of Messa became known as the Shards of Messa, the common belief among them that life on Adhomai was shattered by her power as easily as one punches through glass and that those who remained were left to carry out her will. Many interpreted this as literal, often using glass shards to carry out their murderous intention as a show of their devotion. Those suspected of being aligned with Messa were publicly tried and oftentimes executed on the flimsiest of pretense. Religion had once again become a part of tajaran life, for better or worse, as those who remained devoted to S’randarr became fanatical and with it new and old traditions alike were once more the norm.

Salvation, or at least the closest as the tajaran were to get, did not come until nearly a century had passed. Empires of other worlds, governments, corporations, special interest groups, had finally discovered Adhomai and what they thought was a dead planet contained struggling sentient life. Relief and aid was organized at once and specially outfitted teams of corporate agents, government bureaucrats, and sometimes mercenaries were sent down to each hold to make first contact. Their reception was mixed, however, many tajara were wary and terrified that these outsiders were agents of Messa simply pretending to aid them. Yet the supply of food, fuel, materials, and technology was more than enough to let these fears fade. Yet when offered a choice to leave the planet many tajaran choose to stay. The passing generations had hardened them to the cold and danger. To them this was their life and the plans of S’randarr and they would endure. Those that left did so to garner more aid for the people of Adhomai, the belief that this was their chance at a pilgrimage to provide for the faithful.

In time, with outside aid and the improvement of life things began to normalize within Adhomai. Life became better, safer, people endured and lived on. The Shards of Messa became only a distant memory of the mad, falling into ever deeper secrecy and hiding. The church of S’randarr flourished, the people ever more devoted as they looked at their trials with simple resolve.

The Early Years of the Great Frost

In early years the people who lived within the hearth engines spent much of their time simply surviving as scavengers. Yet as the first years came to a close plans and actions were being taken. In those early times the tajara began to organize greater works for survival. Progress was slow and rife with failures and hazards but they began to build technology powered by the hearth engines. The first early creations were the arboretums, the frost breakers, and the deadly weapon known as the Glare of S’randarr.

Food was a rare resource in the frozen wastelands and with its scarcity the first problem to be solved was created. The light and heat of the hearth engines provided the necessity to form functioning hydroponics chambers, or Arboretums. The problem was not the environment or even the technology, that they possessed, it was the lack of seeds from which to cultivate. Some holds contained seed vaults with which to grow from, yet others did not obtain them before the Great Frost happened and many were left unable to fix their food problem. This is where the Sun Wardens began to shift into true legend, as time went on scavenging became less and less important to the slowly thriving holds. These rough necks and frost-land veterans took it upon themselves to travel to holds who had seed vaults. They braved miles upon miles of snow and danger to gather seeds for their people. Few survived, but those that did brought salvation with them. With the food crisis in each hold fading away their attention turned to other problems.

The next crisis to tackle became the lack of raw materials that were always in demand, lumber and iron were of great importance but no amount of scavenging could ever meet what was needed. As a means to an end they began to develop primitive yet sturdy machines in some holds. Robots of pure programming and no mind capable of operating longer than any Taj and in places they themselves could not go. These early machines were clunky but effective, they were collectively called the frost breakers as their number and use swelled.

Finally, as food and material scarcity no longer became the primary fear of the people, attention now turned to the dangers of the frost land. The internal threat of the Shards of Messa and the external threats of dangerous predators became the primary concern. After the Great Frost began the vicious and durable predators from the poles began to migrate, spared in the first few decades due to distance the tajaran began to see increased presence of the deadliest predators in the wastelands. The most common of which was the Savik, vicious and brutal predators with a temper and viciousness to match their strength. Rarer among them were the White Renders, sometimes referred to as Messa’s Claws, huge hulking beasts long of limb and able to outrun even the fastest tajaran. Battles between these apex predators and the Sun Wardens became the most common cause of death. Holds without well constructed defenses also fell prey to attacks from these beasts searching for an easy meal. To combat this problem a new weapon was created, one which origins are unknown, yet many attribute its design to Akari Tal’Wrack himself, the Glare of S’randarr.

Decades passed before each innovation saw its full potential but with it the normalization of life had come. The struggles with the Shards of Messa brought more strife but even that passed with time. If left to their own devices the problems of the tajarans would have slowly been resolved. Through luck outside intervention came and with it the easing of their strife.

Modern Day

With the aid of outside groups supplying the holds with rare materials they could not produce, the creation of more hearth engines, the success of the arboretums, the frost breakers, and the now well armed and hardened populace united under S’randarr life became worth living. Much of the focus on many tajarans has been brought under the preservation of old traditions and expanding into the world with the making of new hearth engines. Priests guided by Sun Wardens traveled to old temples, towns, and cities searching for ancient scrolls of S’randarr. Artwork, writings, and any artifact of significance was taken and brought back to the hearth engines to once again be preserved in the light of S’randar’s grace. The bodies found were given funeral rites and the dead properly dealt with out of respect. With all eyes turned towards these noble goals civil strife was rare, unity prevailed.

Current Racial Status/Government: The Planetary Coalition of Ahdomai, a representative front for the whole of Tajarans when diplomatically negotiating with other galactic powers. Each hold has 2 members chosen, elected, or appointed depending on the governing faction of the hold, which call for each of their needs.

Notable Racial Factions/Entities: The new major factions of the Confederate Commonwealth are the People’s Republic of Ahdomai (PRA), the Democratic People’s Republic of Ahdomai, and the New Kingdom of Ahdomai.

Technological Advancements as Understood by NanoTrasen: Extremely efficient steam/geothermal powered engines, Heated Slag Cannons, automation of jobs and reliable robotics, specialized cybernetic enhancement/advanced prosthetics for Tajara.

Culture

The Typical Experience as a Tajara: Today, Tajaran culture on Ahdomai is heavily influenced by the events that transpired during the Great Frost, as well as their spiritual beliefs which fueled their survival during it. The belief that fueled survival against a storm spurred on by Messa herself to kill a great number of Tajara is a foundational principle for the hunting of her followers. This shaped the practice of spiritualism to focus in part on the prevention of further corruption of themselves and Ahdomai but also to heal the damages that have occurred to both during the Great Frost. With the triumph over the Great Frost leading to the start of a golden age of freedom in their culture, canonizing the heroics of many groups and individuals who lead a united peoples to survive. Tajara younger than 50 will be used to the stability provided by alien aid, and often be more educated than their older counterparts who had been focused on survival.

Language: Siik’maas, Siik’Tajr, Ahkani are the main languages of the Tajaran people.

Naming Conventions: Tajaran names tend to use a lot of r, n, m and h, with the occasional j and g. Tajaran names also tend to have pauses, example: Mikam Ja'hmka.

Religion

Tajr-kii S'randarr

"By the Light of S'randarr, we are Ascended.". The oldest and most widespread religious sect on Ahdomai, the teachings of Tajr-kii S'randarr (roughly translated as "We who follow S'randarr") pervade almost every aspect of modern Tajaran culture, from sun motifs in paintings to turns of phrase referring to "the Light". The Tajr-kii hold that S'randarr and Messa are locked in eternal battle over the fate of the dead. When someone dies, the soul travels to Messa's realm, known as The Bounty (the stripmined section of Ahdomai know as Messa's Bounty is said to be a partial physical manifestation of Her realm). The Bounty is said to be a desolate wasteland, where souls are drained of energy to fuel Messa and reduced to dark, mindless husks, before eventually fading into nothingness. The hope is that S'randarr's ever-watchful Eye can locate the soul before it is drained, and can be lifted from the Bounty to be safely stored within S'randarr Himself (the process is known as Ascension). There, the soul melds with the network of other souls stored there, gaining vast knowledge stretching back to the very beginnings of the Tajaran species. Some souls are even said to act as mouthpieces for S'randarr, their whispers reaching the ears of the devout to lend guidance or consolation. S'randarr does not imprison them, however. If at any point a soul wishes to leave, they are taken to a place called That Which Comes After, which is said to be a large floating island of light with a door in the center. When the soul steps through the door, it is reincarnated within an unborn child to experience life once more. The child is said to retain certain traits from its soul's previous incarnations, and every incarnation allows the soul itself to grow in power. As such, souls that have been through many reincarnations - so-called "old souls" - are especially valuable to Messa, and therefore S'randarr must be doubly determined to locate these old souls so they cannot fuel Messa's powers. However, S'randarr's failing is that He is unchanging. While He is vastly stronger than Messa in direct confrontation, Her ability to change and grow allows Her to best Him with indirect methods, such as the aforementioned redirecting the dead to Her realm so She can siphon their power.

Taji-kiar Ajarr

Translation: Those who Ascend. This holiday is practiced at the dawn of the equivalent of spring time on Ahdomai. It has symbolic meaning of souls freed from Messa and The Bounty, symbolized by Winter, returning to life to begin their cycle again. For those who have lost parts of their family during this time, this is a time of public mourning and recognition of those souls, and prayers to S'randarr for their rescue from Messa. It is believed that these focused thoughts help S'randarr find those lost souls, the thoughts of the living guiding His way.

Origin Story

In the beginning, there was Al-Benj'rir. Al-Benj'rir lived in the sea of S'ri, or a sea of pure energy. From this sea He created S'randarr, followed by Messa. S'randarr created his island of S'ranjir, and his lantern to guide the S'ri. This made Messa greedy, and caused her to try to take more of the S'ri for herself, creating a throne of clouds. Al-Benj'rir caught wind of Messa's actions and scattered the rest of the S'ri throughout the universe. From this Ahdomai and the life on it was formed. S'randarr moved S'ranjir to protect Ahdomai' S'ri. Messa now looks to make her throne of clouds a true throne, while S'randarr wishes to let the balence of S'ri guide it's self, and for his sister to let the universe not be controlled, but live.

Tajr-kii Messa

Core Fundamentals of Living: There are two main principles of Tajr-kii Messa, everything is a cycle of death that should not be broken, and embrace change in any form it may come in. The end goal of life is to bring as much to Messa as one can when they die, also referred to as Assimilation. Another core behavior principle is to act in the moment and on impulse.

Core Fundamentals of Belief: Followers believe in many of the same things that those who practice Tajr-kii S'randarr do, but choose to worship Messa rather than S'randarr. Death is more freely accepted to be able to become one with Messa, and assist her in her fight with S'randarr. Anything that can lead to more of that, such as a larger population to be offering souls with, is focused, and will be desired by those who follow Messa. They will wish to grow in knowledge and enrich their soul with that knowledge, so that Messa may have that much more power over S'randarr.

Cycle of Death and Change: Those who follow Messa are highly against cloning, as it does not promote change, prevents the cycle of death, and it clings to old ways. This process may be means also to pull one's soul back from The Bounty, depriving Messa of more energy. Cyborgification would be preferable as it offers a change of shell the soul is in. Medical treatment is still allowed with this, but if it were to cause a major change physically, it should be embraced. As such, the use of prosthetic replacements to limbs and body parts would be rather frowned upon, but not restricted, due to some extent of change involved, but attempt to hold old form. The preferable option would be to leave a limb lost.

Messa Passing Borders: It is widely believed by followers that death is controlled by Messa. When she wishes to feast upon the souls of the living, she will influence the world to bring about death, so that their souls may come to the Bounty for her to feast on. This could come in the form of natural disasters, or influences to those living in the world, cut off from S'randarr's wisdom and assistance. Injuries caused from natural disasters are seen as ways for Messa to "taste" one's soul.

Holidays: There is no official holiday for those who practice Tajr-kii Messa, due to it's widespread discrimination and attempts at exterminating it's followers in local Ahdomai govenrments. There is however, some emphasis on the celebration of the change of seasons, and seasonal cycles. The best time for celebration is the time between the equivalent of fall and winter, to symbolize Messa taking life from Ahdomai, and furthering her power from that.

Relations

For the most part those who rendered aid to the Tajaran people are looked upon with acceptance, so Humans, Skrell, and other space faring species directly responsible would be thanked graciously for their salvation. However over time as corporations began using Ahdomai for her natural resources and began clashing with new governments a disdain for them grew.

Language

Tajaran are capable of expressing many tones and pitches, leading to usually very expressive languages. The myth that they incorporate body signs into them mainly comes from the fact that Tajaran sometimes indicate mood with their tails and ears. However, there are no such components present in any of the main languages. Tajaran speaking Galactic Common or human tongues often roll and extend R sounds, which is attributed to their accent. They can consciously avoid rolling their Rs. Siik’maas, Siik’Tajr, and Ahkani are the main languages of the Tajara.

Technology (As understood by Nanotrasen)

Hearth Engines

The original creation of the legendary Akari Tal’Wrack, these massive towers provided the heat and electricity required to survive for any source of time on Ahdomai during the Great Frost. The Engine itself is an enormous steam-powered furnace that can be fueled by just about anything that can burn. There are said to be mobile versions of these generators however the designs for them have been lost to time and the Frost. There are also alternate designs of Hearth Engines, ones which make use of geothermal heat mainly, and holds around such engines have become the centers of large space port cities.

The Glare of S’randarr

The Glare of S’randarr, the first proto-energy weapon developed by the tajaran people. Before its creation many tajarans relied on melee weapons and the lucky ones ballistic rifles and pistols. The Glare of S’randarr entirely changed the field of combat. The apex predators of the frost lands were armored and durable, able to take many blows and bullets before succumbing to their wounds. However, the pure heat and intensity of this newly created weapon proved not only effective but immensely lethal to these creatures. Among the Sun Wardens and hold guard forces these weapons were commonly referred to in slang as slag cannons for their curious design. “Slag cannons” came in both pistol and rifle designs, powered by special battery-like devices charged from the hearth engines. The weapons, when turned on, heated themselves like portable furnaces from a central core that super heated metal pits in a heavy magazine. When the trigger was pulled a primed hammer would slam into the core, the resulting miniature explosion sending the super heated pits out so fast they appeared as a beam of energy. A single well placed shot could down a rampaging savik, while two or three would bring down a white render.

The Glare of S’randarr is a curious and complex weapon developed, seemingly simultaneously, by several tajaran holds that became very widely used for their durability, easy maintenance, effectiveness, and utility. The early versions of the Glare of S’randarr were actually modified heat lamps originally built to keep Sun Wardens warm during expeditions. These heaters were modified, portable version of the hearth engines kept heated by battery-like cores charged with the hearth engines power. The idea to weaponize them came about naturally as early prototypes were altered to allow a crossbow mounting, with only a few modifications these devices could transfer exothermic energy to metal bars loaded into the crossbow mounting. Many were… clunky, slow, and took far to long to reload than was practical. However, the single shot and lethality of such ammunition did not go unnoticed and soon a push for further development began.

The process was refined to guns specifically built to house the battery cores and super-heat metal pits shaped and fed through a swap-able magazine. Over time and through careful refinement these weapons over took and eventually replaced kinetic weapons among most Sun Wardens and hold border guards. A secondary advantage outside its combat ability was the simple fact it also doubled as a powerful portable heater, a useful trait for Sun Wardens traveling long distances and needing to pack lightly. The name, regardless of the design, of these weapons is the Glare of S’randarr. However a common slang has come about among those that use them to differentiate from the various model types.

Sunshot

The most common type of weapon that uses a rifle design and is often outfitted with a scope or bayonet. Some wealthy or practical Sun Wardens rig their bayonets to be heated like their ammunition. Most Sun Wardens carry these.

Slag Cannon

A design modeled after scatter rifles, what it sacrifices in range it makes up for by shattering its super heated pits to cause a cone like explosion of melted metal. Highly lethal and favored among hold guards in particular.

Lava Hammer

Contrary to its name the lava hammer is, technically, not a weapon used for melee. However, due to the speed and lethality of apex predators in Adhomai the lava hammer was designed as a pocket portable “hold-out” pistol that could be drawn and fired rapidly. Lava hammers don’t provide much heat and only carry a measly two pits for firing. However, they are built to be quite sturdy and are often times slammed into their intended target in melee before the trigger is pulled, hence the name “hammer.”

Arboretums

In order to support the numbers of Tajara early on, Tajara used the light and heat of the hearth engines they lived around to create small farms nearby, as time passed and conditions improved Taj began to improve upon the designs of Arboretums improved and the usage of steam pipes, lights, and hydroponics basins became the norm as demand for food increased.

Robotics, Cybernetics and Prosthetics. Oh my!

The Tajara have advanced remarkably far in the field of robotics. This, by itself, would be no surprise given their demand for resources yet the inability to labor long in the cold. Even industries such as food service are slowly now being mechanized, though some push-back against this does exist - citing that the drones are unthinking, as the Tajara have yet to invent or embrace any true AI, and the common belief foods made with someone with a soul tend to be of higher quality, created with a passion that a machine cannot match. The machines themselves are commonly limited to a local network, a practice that was put into place mostly due to the early division between holds, and later on when great governments were created, a planetary network of their machines would simply result in another catastrophe. This cultural embrace of robotics has fueled the rise of prosthetic augmentation being a part of the average Tajaran’s life, this is largely due in part to frostbitten limbs and the need to keep working no matter the cost. Implants, cybernetic limb replacements, and even full-body replacements are slowly but surely taking root across Ahdomai now. This is especially prevalent in the larger space-port cities, as they have the largest contact with the universe at large and the best access to greater technology.

Independent Factions among the Tajara

The Sun Wardens

What first began as a motley collection of willing scavengers grew over time into the skilled and veteran Sun Wardens. In the modern times the Sun Wardens are a large and organized group of rangers, pathfinders, and survivalist who travel into the ruins of old escorting priests, historians, and antiquarians in search of lost artifacts. Many are grizzled and practical, for the weak and frivolous do not survive long even as well equipped as they are today. Though the Sun Wardens come from all ethnicities and walks of life many are Selem and Siik and prefer the use of slag cannons and axes in the wild for their many varied applications.

The Shards of Messa

The growth in numbers the Shards of Messa once had has weakened with every year as people grew less and less desperate for answers. The early sabotage and violence they created began to ebb as the witch hunts began. Though some still remain, hidden and waiting, within the holds these maddened cultists no longer have the power and fear they once held. This external strife has made the remaining cultist experts of politics and subterfuge, their numbers dwindled to only the most ruthless and cunning. Still, with cult activity nearly gone many choose to believe the Shards of Messa are entirely eradicated. Yet the odd murder every few years where someone is found dead, their throat slit by a glass shard, makes those in power worry they still remain.

The Frost Breakers

As a means to an end they began to develop primitive yet sturdy machines in some holds. Robots of pure programming and no mind capable of operating longer than any Taj and in places they themselves could not go. These early machines were clunky but effective. Before the great frost the tajaran people were only just reaching the stage of true advancement in robotics. The ever praised Akari had equipped many holds with that they needed to continue this work, though few managed to create any more than two or three robots. Small in number or not, these machines were capable of working day and night performing simple tasks such as digging, mining, and the culling of trees. Over time with the revival of faith the position on what these tools meant varied among many, but some saw these machines as a gift from S’randarr and decorated them with religious symbols and carvings. In time, they were collectively called the frost breakers as their number and use swelled.

Fauna related to the Tajara

Saviks

The brutal and dangerous savik is the second most dangerous predator in the frozen world of Adhomai. These beasts, to the unlearned, would at first glance mistake them for some type of overlarge insect. However the savik is a mammal simply covered in layers of chitin like plating that provides both insulation and incredible armor against both blunt force and kinetic weaponry. Saviks reproduce rapidly and are obligate carnivores capable of tearing even completely frozen prey apart in their powerful jaws to consume them. They contain a highly developed sense of smell that allows them to track prey with which they pursue relentlessly and with immense speed over the snow and ice. Saviks also possess a small bit of low cunning that allows them to understand the use of ranged weaponry and will actively attempt to ambush tajarans to avoid being shot. In battle and when hunting saviks are singular minded and lone hunters. Saviks are rarely ever found in groups and usually only come together to mate, which is often enough for an unlucky tajaran to encounter two or more saviks at once occasionally. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, saviks possess a powerful and complex adrenaline gland which, when the savik is injured, begins pumping them with chemicals that cause them to fly into an unstoppable rage only calmed by death of either the savik itself or its prey.

White Renders

The white render was for a time an anomaly of the poles that was rarely seen even by tajaran biologist. The white render is an immense shaggy beast of snow white fur that stands nearly ten feet tall on its hind legs. White renders are capable of both standing and walking but generally sprint and move about hunched on all fours. They possess thick slender limbs that are wired with muscle and coated in multiple layers of insulating fur. At the end of both their hind legs and hands they have, on average, six to nine inch claws sturdy enough to allow them to pierce steel armor or Kevlar plates. Their heads are hunched, with not much of a neck leading up to sturdy massive jaws with which they use to bite the heads off of prey. White renders are immensely powerful and able to knock over vehicles and in some reported cases, burst through metal walls. The validity of such claims aside, white renders are feared by most Sun Wardens and hold guards not for their immense strength or speed but by the unnatural quiet they posses. White renders are ambush predators that will maintain silence at all times, even when charging or injured, with the most common tactics of burying themselves in the snow or hiding behind hills only to rush out with the wind to attack prey it feels will not see it. The intense physical power and unlikelihood to spot a white render before it has spotted you is why they are feared, in the early days they were far more dangerous and claimed many lives. Yet with the creation of the Glare of S’randarr most Sun Warden and hold guards are equipped to deal with such a threat.

Rumors and Speculation

The Legend of Akari Tal'Wrack

Akari Tal’Wrack has become a mild enigma among the tajaran people. What is known of his past life for sure was he was once a brilliant and wealthy scientist and that he created the first hearth engines. Hailing from the Hadii Nobility his life was largely unknown until the great frost event. Many say that Akari survived the great frost and moved from hold to hold in disguise to aid them by fixing their hearth engines in secret. Wild speculation and rumor became so inherent when discussing the life of Akari that no one is able to say for certain what he had done or if he had survived at all. Some groups believe he was behind the creation of the first frost breakers, other say the glare of S’randarr was his creation gifted unto the holds. Even wilder speculation say that he was the prophet of S’randarr himself sent to save the tajaran people from Messa. A few even claim that Akri was S’randarr. Whatever is true he has since fallen into legend and many expeditions to search ruins for religious artifacts check each body found to see if they bear the tell tale sign of Akari’s supposedly strange facial birthmark, a gray mark in the shape of a perfect ring.

In any case the tremors of his actions echo through tajaran society today. In most holds money commonly bears either the depiction of his face or the symbol of his birthmark above or on the face of rulers. Many temples have small shrines devoted towards the savior of the tajara and it is not uncommon for prayers to thank Akari for his actions. The greatest shrines devoted towards him are within the hearth engines and frost breakers themselves, nearly all are decorated with his symbol and treated as holy objects by some.

OOC Notes

Etiquette Guide for Tajara

Tajara have a tendency towards cooperation with orders, & a strong sense of loyalty towards others. The younger generations are more expressive & forward in their dealings due to their greater accessibility to better education. Those who leave Ahdomai or any other Tajaran worlds are usually outcasts or younger generations searching the stars for a new home. What does Nanotrasen see in hiring Tajara: With the specialization of races between Tajara, some Tajaran specialists are significantly more effective than humans with similar qualifications.

Tajaran relations with Nanotrasen

Mixed, as a company that supported the Tajara in surviving during their Ice Age, they are looked upon gratefully. However the exploitation of the natural resources on Ahdomai by corporations is frowned upon to some extent.

Tajaran Adaptation to Life in Space

Due to a majority of Tajarans in space being outsiders, a significant number of them take to piracy or other dubious forms of money making. Families of Taj that leave the home world together usually settle small settlements on welcoming words, which turn quickly into sprawling slums.

Important Racial Terminology

Clans: Usually refers to large families or villages where everyone knows each other

The Bounty: The afterlife / purgatory

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Author: Plume of Smoke