Savage Space

*Savage Space is a demon-haunted region of the galaxy located at the very edge of known space. This is also where the Gods Eye Gate can be found, resting at the heart of numerous Chaos Star dominated planetary systems. Countless worlds are constantly bathed in the mutagenic glow of the Gods Eye Gate  and as a result have become saturated with its corrupting essence. While stars languish within its otherworldly radiance, becoming ominous crimson orbs, shedding a carmine luminescence mimicking that of the Gods Eye itself. As a result of this, Savage Space has become an "off the edge of the map" region of space, where no one can know for sure what is on the other side.*

*Be it mundane mortal dangers or more sinister forces. Over countless millennia, Savage Space has festered into a notorious haven of monsters, mutants and techno-barbarians. While the precise number of habitable worlds and sapient peoples that can be found within is a mystery, it is generally accepted to contain hundreds of livable worlds and billions of people. Although a mostly isolated region, Savage Space is no exception to the unending dangers which plague the galaxy, and many wars have been fought among its native inhabitants for a myriad of reasons. Indeed, such strife is the norm and being so close to the Gods Eye, the peoples of Savage Space have had to contend with apocalyptic demonic onslaughts on scale rarely seen outside of Phyrr Space.*

*Savage Space has remained largely untouched by the expansion of the major galactic powers and so it is a mysterious realm of fearsome alien creatures, treasures beyond imagining, barbarian worlds of Man, and the echoes of ancient doom. The realm of Savage Space during the current age is a scattered, partially explored region on the frontier of the galaxy containing vast natural wealth still barely exploited. Fearless explorers hungry for recognition and treasure seekers vie with one another for unclaimed resources, heedless of the lives lost in the pursuit of riches, while a tentative attempt at colonization follows in their wake. Drawn by the flow of wealth, slavers and raiders have also slipped into Savage Space, living by what they can wrestle from dead hands.*

*While Savage Space hides many alien threats, its human inhabitants are no less dangerous. For centuries, the civilized factions have braved diabolical evils to venture into Savage Space, but their efforts have barely begun to uncover its secrets. Footholds have been constructed close to the few semi-stable Gates & Ways into the area. Here, resource-rich worlds are exploited, ruins excavated, trade envoys meet with techno-barbarian lords, and colonies are attempted upon more sheltered worlds. This effort has been enough to shower wealth and fame upon the fortunate -- and make corpses of the rest. The gateway to Savage Space is littered with broken vessels and tales of the vanished.*

*Beyond these human conflicts lie truly dark and dangerous voids, rife with rumored terrors, undiscovered civilizations, and barbarian worlds of Mankind who have come under the worship of Gods hungry for sacrifice. The worlds orbiting the abundance of Chaos Stars are primarily wild, untamed and uncharted. Their climates are harsh and bitter, especially those located perilously close to the God's Eye itself. Incursions by marauding Demihumans tech-barbarians into the wider galaxy are common, and clashes between these fierce warrior bands and the military forces of far flung baseline human colonies are equally frequent. The Aethyrium storms that disturb the Threshold are so intense that there is little point in even trying to steer a ship in a particular direction.*

*The tech-barbarians simply launch their ships into the swirling energies of the Aethyrium, trusting fortune to carry them to their enemies. This makes their attacks random, sudden and unpredictable, often occurring on worlds far from Savage Space. Savage Space offers a sanctuary to the worst forms of butchers and mutants forced to flee from the civilized regions of the galaxy. For many notorious pirate fleets, Savage Space has been their exile, sanctuary, and safe haven for thousand of years, from which they strike out at opportune, seemingly random moments. Savage Space is also sanctuary for numerous alien monstrosities and unknown horrors yet to be seen by Human eyes.*

*Mortals* *within Savage Space are constantly exposed to the effects of the Chaos Stars, physically warped so their bodies come to reflect their otherworldly natures; the Ohorians, for example, worship Uzkuul, a fearsome God of war and honor, so that their bodies changed to be much taller, faster, stronger and more agile than a baseline Human. And this is true of nearly all other inhabitants of Savage Space. Savage Space is a region of the Apocalypsa Galaxy encompassing thousands of star systems that have been consumed by conflict between diametrically opposed demihuman factions. The bulk of Savage Space is “off the map” in unexplored regions of the galaxy.*

*It encompasses a region that lies directly in the path of a massive Gorger invasion, a region also plagued by the slaving Sanguinarians and demonic incursions. The battlefields of Savage Space are many and varied, and offer as many opportunities for glory as they do ways to die. Only the strongest will rise to take command of the vast techno-barbarian armies that inhabit such a place, the weak falling prey to Orogs, alien monsters, mutants, or even the dread forces of the demonic hordes. Confronted with the combined crisis of alien invasion, constant intercine warfare, slave raids, demonic assaults, and religious-inspired anarchy, the entire area is designated as hellscape where few not born to it would dare go willingly.*

*All told, there exist millions of monstrous species throughout the known galaxy and this reality is much more apparent within Savage Space. This makes travel and daily life very dangerous for humans especially since most of them feed off of and are bred to be hostile to them. But while the day to day is dangerous it is the night time that these creatures rule making it suicide for most to even attempt going without shelter at this time. It is never silent during these times as what was once enjoyed. Voices beyond numbering sing from the dense greenery of a thicket of sweet berry bushes. The forest at night is home to hunger and evil. Spraying poison to seal their opponents' eyes, man-eating beetles are known to set upon their prey. A swarm of them could take out other dangerous creatures or humans in less than two minutes, stripping them to the bone, gorging on the meat while the prey was still alive with teeth no bigger than grains of sand.*

*Some times black earth swelled up, and a mass of worms burst out, crawling in all directions. Ranging from over a foot and a half long to the size of a bus, the massive worms broke down the soil with powerful molecular vibrations and absorbed it through the millions of mouths that graced the nucleus of each of their cells. Usually they latched on to an unsuspecting traveler, attempting to swallow the unfortunate soul whole. While everyone who went out at night might not know it, those who actually lived there realized the forests weren't a wise place to sleep, the plaintive bird songs echoing on the wind were actually the voice of a predatory mutant bird that muddled the senses, and that the gentle fog was in fact a mist-demon trying to sneak into their victims body.*

*The song of an orchestra of sounds shot out from the coming and going of tiny insects powerful enough to devour fences and posts which were immediately followed by the scent of the petal of a flower that also killed the fiends off even in the wastelands of the desert. Even in towns and cities fortified it isn't uncommon for whole areas to completely vanish with out a trace. While people become complacent and used to these happenings all knew if they were wise, to avoid the night completely and find the best shelter available to them.*

## *Major Factions of Savage Space*

* ***Qhorian Worlds:***

* ***Homeworld - Qhor***

* ***Classification - Demihuman***

*Qhor is a remote planet covered in lush jungles, forested mountain ranges, and immense deserts, and is one of the most dangerous worlds known to Humanity. It is also a volcanically active planet, due to its eccentric orbit around a burgeoning Chaos Star, which makes tidal and geological forces fluctuate, creating an extremely harsh environment. Over many generations, its inhabitants, the native Qhorians, have become some of the hardiest, fiercest, and most dangerous humans in the known galaxy. As born survivors, these courageous peoples have endured growing up on a world overrun with vicious mutant predators. They are easily distinguishable from the other humans inhabiting Wild Space due to their unique appearance. Usually they are characterized by their ebony to bronze complexioned skin, white, silver and black hair, and gold, violet, or red eyes. The Qhorians are widely renowned for being both taller and more powerful than normal baseline humans. Their natural abilities, including near superhuman strength, speed, agility, reflexes, endurance/stamina, senses, healing, adaptation and durability are far superior to normal Humans, even at infancy. Qhorians can perform otherwise practically impossible physical feats that unaugmented humans would be hard-pressed to duplicate. The Ohorians maintain strong tribal traditions and structures, including selecting their leaders by honor duel. They are a very strict hierarchical society and due to their cultures focus on martial prowess and warfare, have gained a reputation for their fearsome and uncompromising nature. Disdainful of retreat or surrender, and fighting without fear of death, Qhorians seem to have no regard for their own lives or the lives of others. They view death as honorable and revel in the chaotic brutality of war. The Qhorians highly excel at fast-moving, close-quarter firefights, infiltration and melee combat. In battle, their warriors have a reputation for reckless bravery that borders on the insane, willingly throwing themselves into great danger. They are heavily trained in hand to hand combat and are physically comparable to roughly ten standard baseline human soldiers. Their necessary skill with an assortment of weapons, and the monsters they face protecting their homes, means the Qhorians are well-prepared for the dangers of the battlefield.*

* ***Duskhaari Priestlords:***
* ***Homeworld - Agalloch***
* ***Classification - Homunculus/Demihuman***

*The Dushkaari are a race of extremely vicious, hedonistic, superhuman homunculus. In appearance, they are tall and muscular humanoids, usually averaging between 7'4 ft and 8'0 ft tall, with typically light blue or silver skin, though some have pale blue and chalky white skin or dark grey to obsidian black colored skin. While their eyes favor shades of red, gold, amber and orange. Despite any superficial similarities, they are barely human at all, having been made superior in all respects to a normal human by a harsh regime of genetic modification and rigorous training. Dushkaari are untouched by plague or any natural disease and can suffer wounds that would kill a lesser being several times over, and live to fight again. They are able to control every muscle and nerve in their body. These abilities include being able to enter a state of hyper-alertness in times of potential danger or shut down parts of their nervous system so as to not feel pain. They also possess superior hand-to-hand combat abilities and are trained to be unrivaled in their fighting skills. Dushkaari tend to look very attractive due to selective breeding over several generations. They live in fortified city-states governed by an aristocracy within an oligarchical society. Dushkaari cities are ruled by a caste of hereditary princes and princesses. They each control their own private armies and trade fleets, as well as corsair cartels. Beneath them exist a caste of "nobles" who enforce by violence others into compliance. They also fulfill the function of judges and other judicial roles. One independent Dushkaari state will most likely be governed by a single prince and many different noble families. Many Dushkaari choose to live within massive, mobile space stations ruled by cabals. They are a constant threat to the merchant shipping of many races. Alliances between these self-serving pirate stations usually only occurs when a leader of great influence is able to both satisfy the greed of his brethren, while at the same time can prove his raw physical might and skill as a warrior to the more aggressive pirates. The Dushkaari believe themselves to be apex creatures. Their treatment towards members of other races run the entire gamut from pets and slaves, to grudgingly respected partners when they prove themselves a worthy military match, though never equals in their minds.*

* ***Asurian Nomad Cities:***
* ***Homeworld - Asura***
* ***Classification - Demihuman***
* ***12,000 Worldships***

*An ancient and very isolationist faction, their history is unconfirmed, as are their origin. All that is known about them is speculative at best. Stories passed down from generation to generation tell of how their homeworld was consumed by hordes of monstrous creatures simply referred to as the Angry Night. They now live a nomadic existence upon huge, city-sized space stations called Worldships which are protected by fleets of lesser vessels. The Worldships populations compose the vast majority of the surviving Asurians, although it is impossible to say just how many individuals this is. The Worldships are certainly the seat of their remaining industry, technology, and culture, as they contain the only vestiges of their original civilization. The population of each Worldship is made up of loosely-federated clans held together by their shared heritage. They are a tight knit society of resourceful and distrustful survivors. Although each Worldship is essentially independent in its actions and governance, they will generally offer and accept aid and advice from one another. Because these massive vessels contain the last remnants of their long lost origins, the Asurians will defend their Worldships with a fury and tenacity unrivaled by other factions. They have a strong honor code and believe that the best way to die is in battle. This, coupled with their immense pride, has led to conflict between different Worldships. While this generally takes the form of a duel between representatives of each Worldship in which first blood is usually sufficient to end the matter, the high number of deaths from these conflicts has lent to their fierce reputation. The Asurians have an old tradition of appointing their most experienced elders as leaders, and their trust in this tradition has been confirmed by the faction's uncanny ability to survive and live to fight another day. A unique race in a galaxy riven with superstition and prejudice, Asurians are the results of interracial human-elfen relationships but have developed into a true-breeding race since then. Asurians stand taller than humans, yet shorter than Elfen. They retain the lean build and comely appearance of the Elfen, though their ears are less pronounced. Their skin, while fair, takes its color from their human lineage. Due to the fact that both races see too much of the other in the Asurians, they are rarely welcome in either society. The Cult of Nine is a subfaction within the Asurians.*

* ***Haasti Khanates:***
* ***Homeworld - Haast***
* ***Classification - Demihuman***

*The Haasti are a techno-barbarian race of mighty, copper-skinned, emerald eyed warriors who dwell within the vast realm of Wyld Space, primarily inhabting the Outworlds region. They are a huge and muscular peoples who invade from their realm to raid and harvest slaves. The brutal environment of Haastur necessitated a survival of the fittest mentality among the warlike Haasti, allowing them to emerge as an efficient and hardy warrior race. The Haasti are a deeply spiritual people, seeing the works of their Gods in all things. They believe that the body is the physical expression of divine will, and place special emphasis on strength and mastery of the physical form. As a result, all Haasti begin studying combat as soon as they are able to walk. The Haasti people are made up of countless independent tribes with no fealty owed to any one chieftain or any concept of nation. They war with Haasti and non-Haasti alike, fighting each other in brutal battles, much as they do when raiding the other races. Though there are differences between each of the tribes who make up the Haasti people, they all value strength over any other virtue. Thus resulting in a society where "might makes right" is the only "law". The Haasti butcher anyone who thinks to stand against them and relentlessly pursue those who flee. Any survivors, those who don’t succumb to their injuries, face a life of slavery and misery. The Haasti are massive, generally averaging between 7'4 ft to 8'0 ft tall. They are easily faster and have greater endurance than all un-augmented humans. They possess great physical strength far surpassing that of any human, being able to tear a human body in half using only their bare hands. Their physiology also allows them to quickly heal wounds and regenerate lost limbs. Haasti can assume a monstrous form which consists of an increase in height and muscle mass. This form varies immensely from one Haasti to another, with some being much more bestial than others. When in their transformed state, Haasti tend to have widely varying skin tones and many have feathers, scales, and fur covering their monstrous bodies, along with other bestial traits. The Haasti have the terrifying ability to manipulate their own physiology at will and to deadly effect while in battle. They are capable of contorting and transforming various body parts, in order to fly, or have longer limbs.*

* ***Gothmir Warlords:***
* ***Homeworld - Gothmir***
* ***Classification - Demihuman***

*The planet of Barbaroi is inhabited by various tribes of primitive humans who have regressed technologically over the course of centuries. Savage and warlike, these tribes of techno-barbarians occupy a harsh and unforgiving frozen hellscape where very few are able to survive without preying on others. However, the centuries of harsh living within an even harsher landscape have since bred these hulking nomadic barbarians into incredibly proficient warriors. Though they are human, Barbarosi far surpass their cousins in the more civilized regions of the galaxy in terms of strength and resilience. Due to their time living in the shadow of an emerging Chaos Star, few of the peoples of Barbaroi escape mutation in some shape or form. Those tribes which have largely managed to avoid mutation mostly inhabit the vast forested and mountainous areas of the planet. Though how they have manage to keep the mutations at bay is a mystery to those outside their ranks. Unlike their more savage cousins, the forest dwelling Barbarosi are much closer in appearance to their ancestors. They are a strong, imposing folk with fine features that can seem exotic and strange to foreigners. Their skin is usually pale, although many have an olive complexion, and their often-straight hair ranges from blue-black to reds and blondes. Some blessed babies are born with white or silver hair, which is believed to be a sign their "Gods" and spirits have marked the child for great deeds. The women of these more reclusive tribes are renowned throughout Wild Space for their beauty and so are usually targeted by the more aggressive tribes and warbands for capture as unwilling concubines. The tribes of Barbaroi are ruled over by powerful witch cults who lead them in all things, mundane or spiritual. These "witches" are in fact powerful Quasi who act as oracles and priestesses for the techno-barbarian tribes and savage warbands. Male witches, though rare, are referred to as Warlocks by their sisters and are more battle oriented in their array of abilities. Choosing to lead warbands of their own rather than stay within the confines of a witch cult. They have towering egos, iron-like wills, and are always very hardy physically. Dangerous combatants, they can call upon lightening, enhance their physical abilities, and more to slaughter men by the scores.*

* ***Asurian Collective:***
* ***Homeworld - Asura***
* ***Classification - Demihuman***

*The Elfen are the third most populous humanoid race in the galaxy numbering 90 trillion, only surpassed by Humanity and the savage Orogs. Because of this they are the most common of the "civilized" humanoid peoples encountered by baseline humanity. Technically speaking, the Elfen have no unifying government and are instead divided into 1000 oligarchical states known as the Collective. Culturally, the Elfen place an extremely high value on social caste and appearance, and overstepping one's place is frowned upon. The emphasis placed on status and wealth means that those who have an abundance of these effectively make up the ruling class of Elfen society. These individuals are known as an Archon. The rest of the Elfen population is divided and ruled under a social hierarchical system of complex, interrelated, and rigid castes. Slavery is an integral part of the Elfen caste system, and by law, any Elfen subject - even non-Elfen - may own an Elfen as a slave. However, they must abide by the Collective's laws governing slavery. For example, an owner is considered responsible for the actions of their slave and is held accountable for any crime their slave might commit. As a humanoid race, the Elfen are physically similar to humans, although not entirely identical. An Elfen is taller than a human and usually slender of frame. They have long ears, which point backwards, angling upwards slightly to end usually parallel to the crown of the head. There isn’t as much sexual dimorphism in Elfen as in other humanoids. Although one of the physically weakest of the Star Spawn, Elfen tend to be roughly 5 times stronger than humans. Since female Elfen are regarded as graceful and beautiful beings, many of them are forced into a life of slavery at the hands of the galaxy's wealthy and powerful. Most other factions view the Elfen as a civilized race, and trade between them and other factions is common. Their large numbers means that it is not unheard of to find large communities of Elfen living outside of the Collective as citizens of other factions, either by conquest or of their own will. As a result, half-Elfen are a relatively common sight on many inhabited worlds across the galaxy, being the product of relationships between non-Elfen and Elfen. Halfbreeds combine the traits of many other races with those of their own and as a consequence tend to be considered outsiders.*

* ***Lodoss Dominion:***
* ***Homeworld - Lodoss***
* ***Classification - Various***

*The Lodoss Dominion is one of the largest and the most powerful nations within Savaje Space. It was founded by a race of people originating from within Empyrean Space who were forced to flee after losing some ancient conflict with an unknown enemy millennia ago. The remaining refugees found safe harbor on a moon orbiting a gas giant located within Savajj Space. This moon would later become their new homeworld. In modern times, the Lodossi are ruled by a collection of hereditary lords known as The Council of Agonistes. Each lord is the product of a familial dynasty dating back to the founding of the Lodoss Dominion. Each position within the Council is open to new potential candidates or replacements at any given time so long as they come from one of the established dynasties. A known method for gaining a Council seat while not hailing from a recognized dynasty is to destroy an existing dynasty that possesses one. By right of conquest, the seat of a vanquished dynasty belongs to the victor as a spoil of war. Although being more closely related to humans on a biological level, their time in the light of a Chaos Star and interactions with the Star Spawn has lead to them adopting many cultural attitudes found throughout that region of space. Including a distrust for the rest of humanity. This has spawned a general consensus among the people of Lodoss that they themselves are no longer merely "human". A belief that is not entirely false, as their close proximity to a Chaos Star has lead to some very obvious physiological changes which differentiate Lodossi from baseline humanity. A recent addition to the turbulent environment of Savaje Space, the Lodossi have to deal with many mutations among their populace, the light of their star constantly warping them in a multitude of ways. To limit the blessings of their holy star, the Lodossi live in vast domed, complexes stretching for hundreds of miles. The Lodossi are notorious slavers, more so than all other Savaje Space races. Aside from using them as a source of labor, they also subject millions of slaves to inhumane experiments, creating abominations forged of flesh and metal. These unfortunate souls are forced to fight to the death in gladiatorial arenas against the most dangerous opponents that can be found or deployed on battle fields across the galaxy.*

* ***Orlochs:***
* ***Homeworld -***
* ***Classification - Demihuman***

*Orlochs are the result of experiments done on human slaves by the Sanguinarians. Often referred to as "thralls", their kind exist simply to be slaves to their superiors, serving as everything from household servants and laborers to cannon fodder in the vast armies of the Sanguinarian Emperium. They are viewed as little more than the property of whichever Sanguinary lord has control over them and are treated terribly by their masters. Unlike their vampiric masters, the Orlochs do not require blood or any other type of "feeding" to survive. They are not as strong, tough, intelligent or robust of frame as the Sanguinarians, but they more than make up for it in sheer numbers. Orlochs are equal in size to humans, and typically feature pale to grey colored skin, human shaped faces, and yellow eyes. They are physically smaller than Sanguinarians and lack any other their masters special abilities. Within the violent aristocratic hierarchy of the Sanguinarian Emperium, the Orlochs are a pathetic and lowly breed that stands among the lowest classes of Sanguinarian society, only surpassed by the unlucky Humans taken as slaves in raids. They serve as workers, foot soldiers, and resentful victims to the cruel whims and bullying of their arrogant and uncaring superiors. Due to this, they can never truly occupy the higher echelons of their society, and are forever forced to live a life of poverty and suffering. As a consequence of their lowly status, Orlochs are extremely cruel and spiteful creatures, taking out their bitterness on foes or captives that fall into their clutches. They are possessed of a tireless drive to take their vengeance upon the world that spawned them, and though not as powerful as the Sanguinarians, they have a wiry strength that means they are still more than a match for the humans for whom they have such a vitriolic hatred. Having absolutely no value placed upon their lives, the missions that Orlochs soldiers take part in are nothing less than sheer suicidal madness. They are tasked with missions so clandestine, so dangerous, and so cold blooded that they would give any commander pause. Orlochs slaves have their heads shaved and explosive slave-collars are put around their necks. The collars are controlled by a Sanguinarian overseer accompanying them, and only detonated when discipline needs to be enforced.*

* ***The Forsaken:***
* ***Homeworld - Outworlds***
* ***Classification - Mutants***

*The Damned is the name collectively given to the multitude of lost souls that have been mutated beyond all semblance of civilized baseline humanity over the millennia. They are not a single coherent force, but rather a diverse and infinite collection of warbands and hosts under the leadership of warlords. In order to fulfill their own agendas, they form personal armies that can vary tremendously in size and strength. Often their leaders are a powerful amalgamation of flesh and bone warped to such an extent as to not even be recognizable as ever having been human to begin with. The most successful of these warlords command vast armies of devoted warriors. These warbands compete with each other as much as they fight against outside threats, for resources are precious and hard-won in the Outworlds which they inhabit. On the Outworlds which orbit the Gods Eye, hundreds of warbands struggle in battle to best each other for possession of demonic artifacts, ancient knowledge, weapons and war machines left over from the days of the Old Empire or defeated alien invasions. When not battling one another, these warbands are a roving threat, for they are wandering bands of nomadic warriors intent only on slaughter and loot. From bases hidden in asteroid fields and upon the surfaces of deserted moons, aboard painstakingly maintained starships that date back thousands of years, they watch and wait for their prey to appear, gathering strength wherever a new blow can be struck against the despised and hated races of Humankind. Occasionally rival warbands of the Forsaken will put aside their petty wars and rivalries for the common cause of attacking a truly magnificent prize, such as a newly established colony. At these times, the Forsaken form a nigh unstoppable tide that attacks with seemingly inexhaustible numbers. Though all among their number suffer from mutations to some extent, it is not uncommon for an unfortunate few to become so mutated that they lose all control of themselves and degenerate into a hideous creature. Driven insane, they are reduced to nothing more than mindless, howling monsters of tortured flesh. Of those who do not die, some are abandoned by their warbands to wander the Outworlds until they are slain, while others are kept as warbeasts by their former comrades.*