Nimidian Empyre

*The Nimidians, also called the Dragon's Kin, are a proud Star Spawn race of large, horned humanoid bipeds native to the isolated planet of Nimhs, a world known for its harsh environments, abundant resources, and overabundance of vicious predators. The Nimidians managed to not only survive on their unforgiving homeworld, but actually thrived in the extreme conditions. Unfortunately, as Nimidian society became more technologically advanced, so did their weaponry. The end result is that they destroyed their civilization in a nuclear war that reduced their race to savage warring tribes of techno-barbarians. A state which only changed due to the coming of the first Overlord of the Nimidian race and founder of their empire, Covu the Conqueror. The Nimidians are believed to be kin to dragons and considered a "draconic" race due to their unique physiology. Sharing many similarities with such beasts despite their close resemblance to humans. They are strong and aggressive and have the reputation of being impeccable fighters. Respected as warriors, they can live to be a thousands of years old if their lives are not cut short by a fall in battle. Their attitude towards other races is somewhat condescending, believing that they are the superior beings, particularly when it comes to strength and fighting.*

*Once the unwilling slave soldiers of the ancient Sephirons, the Nimidians were unleashed upon the Apocalyspa galaxy as bloodthirsty beasts. These pitiless techno-barbarian warriors were responsible for countless deaths and labeled demonic murderers by those they conquered in the Sephirons name. Beneath the rage and fury, however, lurked captured souls, wielded like weapons against their will. Now free of the chains of slavery, they seek to regain their lost honor and glory. The Nimidian race was forged in the merciless crucible of war. It is all they know. War defines them, and their quest for dominion drives them ever onward. The weakling and the fool have no place among the Nimidians. Victory is all that matters, and it must be achieved by any means and at any cost. They are a peoples made up of strong, proud, and intelligent warriors, as well as skilled combat tacticians. A warrior race, they value honorable conflict over peaceful cooperation.*

*The Nimidians have perfected the bloody art of war. Centuries of endless war have molded Nimidian society into one of the most advanced, militaristic and industrial races in the galaxy. While they are ruthless, relentless terrors to their enemies, Nimidians are also brave allies who can form unbreakable bonds of loyalty. Their culture is dominated by a tribal and clan based structure, which are in turn composed of smaller warbands of Nimidians who live and fight together. Although the Nimidians control a vast interstellar empire encompassing thousands of worlds, their grip is not as tight as they would like. The Nimidians are surrounded by innumerable enemies. Constantly battling against the near endless hordes of Orogs and Gorgers who for thousands of years have waged brutal wars of attrition against Nimidian expansion. Meanwhile, the Nephalem, a faction of sorcerous Sephiron outcasts, wage an unrelenting war of vengeance against the Nimidians and other mortal races, seeking to regain their former dominance.*

*Yet the greatest and most immediate danger has been brought by a mysterious Archdemon. Once freed to roam the mortal planes, the demon flew toward the galactic south of Phyrr Space, its mere presence scouring and transforming the worlds it visited. Eventually the monster made its way to the worlds of the Nimidian Empire where it has waged a savage war against the Dragon's Kin for centuries. The blasted landscaped of the many worlds it has devastated serving as battlegrounds for the legions of demons the Archdemon has brought forth for its continual war with the Nimidians. Never ones to flee from a fight, the Nimidians have continued to meet the demonic tide, able to match their ferocity and return it in kind. As when others would break and run, the Nimidians fight ever more against growing odds. Even in the face of death, the Nimidians continue reap a terrible toll from the demons, piling their bodies high until overwhelmed by sheer numbers.*

*The Nimidians are one of the older races in the galaxy, with an internal history rich with conquest and bloodshed, dominating the lesser species of their empire. Cruel, but inventive, many of their victims have discovered that the Nimidians are not mindlessly stupid, and can even be quite creative when it comes to the application of war. There are few ways to devour an Orog that the Nimidians haven't thought up, though most acknowledge that simple beatings are usually the more economically prudent option. Nimidian soldiers are savagely effective at ground-based combat, and their naval vessels are famously tough. Much of their famous inventiveness is put into stopping Orog slave revolt. The Nimidians aim to conquer other civilizations, particularly through ground invasions, enslaving populations to fuel further conquests and the spread of the Nimidian ideology.*

*Their entire culture revolves around violence and physical strength: one's prestige being directly connected with how many kills one had or how many opponents they had beaten in combat, as well as their size and the size of their horns. The Nimidians are an industrious and merciless warrior race of techsmiths, slavers and brutal killers that dominate all in their path. Unfortunately, their maliciousness does not interfere with their cleverness. They are cold and calculating in their cruelty. They have advanced technologies in areas that are, frankly, unspeakable. The Nimidians failure to have already conquered and enslaved the entire galaxy is amazing given their ruthlessness, ambition, and brutal efficiency. There can be no doubt that a Nimidian would indeed do whatever it takes to violently dominate all those around it into submission, as long as it didn't cause any inconvenience to itself.*

*At the center of the Nimidian Empire lies a region filled with innumerable blackened factories, of hellish forges and massive armories, an industrial empire the likes of which few others in the Apocalypsa galaxy can match. They build the greatest and most infernal warmachines the galaxy will ever know, hulking cannons the size of houses given mobility through massive spider-like legs, or shrieking rockets that could obliterate entire fortresses into ruins. They have invented soul-furnaces to incinerate slaves for energy. Their strength does not lie only in war machines or the strength of their warriors, as the Nimidians can field an entire army of bioengineered war-beasts. The Nimidians specialize in the mastery of breeding, mutating, and surgically creating some of the most horrific and fearsome war-beasts to have ever existed.*

*The many exotic creatures that roam their homeworld provide the raw material used in the Nimidians gene-forges and flesh laboratories. The Forgelords meld flesh and bone like clay, breeding or building beasts that can be used to bolster their armies. This combination of flesh and metal has allowed the Nimidian Empire to wage war on a scale few can fathom, their battles being the source of countless legends among the other races. From their massive mile-spanning factories deep within Phyrr Space, set amid the desolation of industrial waste and the haunts of monstrous beasts, the empire of the Nimidians has faded into legend to many across Apocalypsa but those forced to confront their implacable spellplate clad armies, savage warbeasts and macabre war engines know the truth. The day may yet come when the armies of the dread Nimidian Empire march forth once more, bringing their infernal warmachines, and bioengineered monstrosities to sow misery and mayhem to all corners of the galaxy.*

*The only thing that has kept the Nimidians from the humans' doorstep is their lack of navigation when it comes to traversing the unforgiving tides of the Aethyrium-Sea. The Aethyr tides of Phyrr Space are uncommonly perilous to navigate, maddening Aethyrium-Storms and colossal Leviathans make simply traveling from one planet to another within the same system a truly harrowing experience. Ships becoming lost, never to be seen again is the norm. It is only sheer force of will and an unwillingness to accept defeat which has allowed the Nimidians to spread as far as they have. At the time, the Coalition of Mankind thought that the Nimidians had moved beyond violence and war like any advanced civilization. A delegation of peace activists was sent to Nimhs to negotiate a goodwill treaty. The humans haven't heard back from them, but it is safe to assume the Nimidians thought they were delicious.*

## ***History & Origins***

*The evolution of the Nimidians is not entirely clear. The Nimidians themselves hold that they were created due to the influence of otherworldly gods upon their mortal flesh. For much of their history, the Nimidians lived as tribal warriors and hunters. Their constant warfare slowing their technological progress and path to civilization, but eventually, they, like many other races across the galaxy, united and reached for the heavens. Despite their savagery and brutality, the Nimidians have proved intelligent enough to achieve spaceflight and space-faring status. Ancient Nimidian society was rich with cultural, architectural, and artistic accomplishments. Though their warlike nature meant they quickly collapsed into civil war and afterward, fell back to their former pre-space status and learned nothing from the experience.*

*Even so, the technology of the Nimidians remained fairly advanced, utilizing a blend of cybernetics, bio-engineering, and esoteric arcane energies. Although no longer a space faring civilization as they had been in their distant past, having just nearly completed their first spaceship in more than a thousand years. During this time period of internecine warfare and technological rediscovery, the Nimidian birth rate exploded despite the natural limits of their predatory homeworld. Once they achieved industrialization of their society, resources slowly became more and more scarce. Technology made life "too easy" for the Nimidians, so when they looked for new challenges they found those in each other. For thousands of years, wars were fought over dwindling resources as the Nimidians continued to expand across their war-torn homeworld and rapidly grow in number. Almost incapable of empathy, horrific war engines were used without consequence.*

*Devastating battles to claim the small pockets of territory capable of sustaining life escalated into full scale global war. A state that continued for thousands of years. The Nimidians had recently concluded a mechanized war of attrition in which the many tribes fought and pummeled each other relentlessly when the Sephirons discovered them. The Sephirons saw great potential in these hulking giants of unstoppable muscle, and sent ambassadors to facilitate their assimilation into their ever growing stellar empire. The ambassadors offered the Nimidians trinkets and knowledge, asking only that they kneel and swear eternal loyalty to the Sephirons in return. The Nimidians answered by smashing the spellpowered metal bodies of the Sephirons delegation into smoking piles of scrap and using them as trophies.*

*The Sephirons were infuriated by the news of their ambassadors' demise. They declared war on the Nimidian race, and the mighty Sephiron Legions were deployed to bring these barbarians to heel. They arrived on Nimhs in overwhelming force, assuming they would quickly eradicate or subdue the natives. However, armed with their comparatively primitive weaponry, vast armies of the fearless Nimidian warriors marched against this new enemy, but not as a unified force. Being far too independent and aggressive to ever consider allying with one another, various warlords and their armies met the Sephiron Legions in combat, unleashing all their ferocity and anger upon them in massive, continent spanning battles that killed countless millions on both sides. The Nimidians sustained massive casualties, but their incredible birth rate kept their population steadily increasing. While the same was not true of the Sephirons.*

*At the start of the war, the Nimidians had a numerical advantage in terms of soldiers, and their strength and military tactics overwhelmed their enemy by a considerable factor. Time and again the Nimidians managed to humiliate the Sephirons in battle after battle. Although not very advanced by comparison, the Nimidians practiced the art of war with extraordinary talent. Nimidian physiology as well gave them a tremendous and unexpected advantage in ground combat, halting the Sephirons advance and killing tens of thousands of them in titanic clashes. The Nimidians would tear into the enemy with ferocious savagery and brilliant strategy, while the Sephirons forces were completely overwhelmed by the sheer size and ferocity of their foes. Consequently, the Nimidians won most, if not all, ground engagements.*

*However, the knowledge gleamed from millennial of travel and the capabilities of their dreadnoughts gave the Sephirons the advantage in orbital combat, against which the Nimidians had little defense. Thus allowing the Sephirons to bombard the surface of Nimhs from safety. Eventually the Nimidians came to fear a very real threat: annihilation. The Nimidians feared extermination through the Sephirons use of their dreadnoughts. The long and brutal war caused the Nimidians to steal, study and incorporate Sephiron technology into their own in order to avoid defeat, their incorporation of Sephiron technology eventually caused a stalemate in the war, although the feared dreadnoughts proved far too effective and forced the Nimidians to suffer the shame of surrender. After the war's end, the Sephirons recognized the Nimidians as a valuable asset and began using them as slave armies, sending them off to conquer whole star systems in their name.*

*The Nimidians learned much from these invaders and in preparation for a new rebellion, incorporated much of this new found knowledge into their own technology. Bidding their time until they were once again ready to wage war on their hated foe and take back their homeworld by means of brute force and ferocity. The only acceptable methods in the minds of the Nimidians. For the Nimidians do not forget and they very rarely forgive. Although still inferior to the technology of the Sephirons, the technological advancements of the Nimidians began a second war which was more in the favor of the Nimidians and lead to many overwhelming victories. Allowing the Nimidians to break away from their oppressor and slaughter thousands of them in the process. The Sephirons were taken completely off guard by these rebellions, having believed they had uplifted the Nimidians from a state of primitive barbarism and that the race was truly loyal to them.*

*The Sephirons responded with crippling strategic strikes. Nimidian planets went dark as anatomica engines were flooded with majic wrought curses, which drove the organic computers insane and sabotaged dragonist refineries disappeared in blue-white annihilation. Attacking from hidden basis, the Sephirons were able to defeat many Nimidian warbands, though at great cost to themselves. The Nimidians responded with characteristically horrific attacks on Sephirons worlds, using asteroids as weapons and rendering dozens of planets totally uninhabitable. Sephiron space stations shattered into orbit-clogging debris, rammed by suicidal Nimidian freighters. Unlike the Sephirons, however, the Nimidians could replenish their numbers relatively easily. After several centuries of brutal attrition warfare, a Nimidian victory seemed inevitable as they continued fighting the Sephirons with suicidal determination. All attempts to negotiate peace ended in violence.*

*However, in their desperation the Sephirons utilized their vast wealth of arcane knowledge and an ancient device simply called the "Relic" to rip open a portal in reality itself. Unable to control the hordes of malformed hellspawn that poured forth, this events would cause the Second Demonic War. The Ancient Enemy had returned to devour the galaxy once more and neither the Nimidians nor the Sephirons were strong enough to defeat them on their own. Outnumbered and surrounded, an uneasy alliance between the warring races would be forged. So together they faced the endless tides of demons which came pouring out of the Astral Realm and into the Mortal Realm. Centuries of the most brutal fighting either faction had ever experienced soon followed. Continents would be reduced to ash and whole planets would be lost. Until finally the alliance of Nimidians and Sephirons were able to drive the foul demonic monsters back into the Astral Realm that had birthed them, ending the second demonic invasion of the Mortal Realm.*

*After the wars end the few remaining Sephirons, their empire now in ruins and their numbers devastated, went into isolation. As a consequence of their swift withdrawal from all of their subjugated worlds, the Sephirons had left behind many powerful, arcane, technological relics to be discovered and utilized by the younger races of the galaxy. Nimidian worlds were plentiful in this regard and with the aid of these relics, the Nimidians were able to rebuild much of what they had lost during the long centuries of ceaseless and reverse engineer some Sephiron technology to a limited extent. The Nimidians were able to create many powerful weapons and starships with which to traverse the galaxy once more. Cities were rebuilt and their rich cultural heritage was rediscovered. Yet despite all they had endured, the unity experienced by the Nimidians was fragile best and old divisions would soon begin to reemerge. As without an outside enemy to face, the many hundreds of Nimidian warbands again found themselves at odds with one another.*

*Several millennia have passed since the wars with first the Sephirons and later the demonic hordes, these events having become half remembered as myths and legends to be passed down from one generation to the next. The Nimidians had reverted back to their old ways, becoming a fractured people, filled with primal rage and an inborn drive to dominate and control. This constant warfare would consequently slow their technological progress during the centuries to come. They fought everything that threatened them, especially one another, only surviving this brutal period by evolving into a strict hierarchical society based on a military structure. Hundreds of desperate, ferocious, and independent warbands were unified under a powerful leader, the Exquisitely Blooded Great Overlord, Covu the Conqueror, for the good of the race, and a golden age of Nimidian dominance and exploration into the wider galaxy would begin.*

*No longer clamoring and warring with one another over the same territories, the newly more organized Nimidian armies would spread throughout the worlds of their own star system, before setting out into the systems nearest to Nimhs as an unstoppable tide. Heading off into the unknown reaches of the wider galaxy, the Nimidians subjugated or destroyed any and all who would dare to defy them within their new territories and beyond; they were the masters of all they surveyed. When they inevitably encountered other races, be they human, demihuman or Star Spawn, their first response was to seek conquest. Desiring honorable battle and to make trophies of worthy foes above anything else. Convinced of their innate superiority, the Nimidians decided it was their destiny to dominate the entire galaxy and to destroy all those who challenged them. Very few of the races they encountered could hope to stand against them.*

### *The Age of Unification*

*"Nimidians need laws, I will make them obey, even if I have to kill half of them."*

*- Covu before beginning his great campaign to unify the Nimidian peoples.*

*After having defeated their ancient enemy and finally gaining their freedom, an age of anarchy and lawlessness befell the Nimidian people lasting thousands of years. However, a time of change was coming. Nearing the end of the apocalyptic and chaotic Damned Age that plagued much of the known galaxy, the Nimidian peoples were united as a singular empire by their very first and greatest Exquisitely Blooded Great Overlord, Covu The Conqueror. After several long millennium of technological stagnation, unending warfare and violent anarchy, it was Covu who would first set out to unify the countless disparate tribes and clans which battled each other endless across the surface of Nimhs. Savagely waging war on one another for reasons ranging from a desire for scarce resources to the petty feuding hatreds which plagued all of Nimidian society. Covu would recognize the utter futility of the existing status quo and how it had hobbled the advancement of his people. This unique understanding and insight, as well as being a rare and extremely powerful Demigod of son of Uzkul, naturally equipped Covu to be the great unifier that his people needed. Knowing this, he wold then set out with a vast army of followers, uniting his divided people over the course of several conflicts and as many centuries.*

*So the Nimidians loyal to Covu endured the first of many wars with hundreds of factitious Nimidian warlords across their battle scarred homeworld. In the early days of his campaign, the forces of Covu were forced to battle a very loosely allied tribal federation made up of surrounding tribes which had formed to oppose his conquest. This federation was lead by a particularly vicious and cunning warlord. Covu would eventually defeat this warlord and absorb the tribal alliance. The Nimidians under Covu plundered and burned the capital cities of these defeated Nimidians after forcing the peoples to submit. With the warlords of the lands surrounding his immediate vicinity no longer a constant concern, Covu gathered his forces and marched on the other Nimidian warlords across the planet. With his heavily armored and trained warriors and powerful weapons, the Nimidians lead by Covu quickly and decisively conquered those among his people who would resist his rule. In order to avoid mass death when it cold be avoided, Covu fought and killed many opposing warlords in single combat, claiming their heads as he did so. Looking into their newly dead eyes, Covu was overheard to whisper, "you keep what you kill." Covu emerged as a legend throughout the course of these conflicts, and is credited with taking the heads of over a hundred warlords in various honor duels. This further aided in cementing his leadership of the tribes.*

*Though wishing to avoid unnecessary death when he could, Covu was more than willing to engage in open warfare when diplomacy failed. Such military actions were unavoidable when dealing with the majority of the ferociously independent Nimidian tribes who came to meet him on the field. For they are a war-driven people and to bow down to someone who hasn't earned their respect in honorable battle is a prospect no true Nimidian is willing to allow. It was during a battle with a particularly savage tribe of Nimidians lead by a monstrously large warlord called Cull The Butcher, that Covu would meet his match. The Butcher was a giant even among the Nimidians, with piercings and scars adorning his granite-like ebony skinned body and a crown of massive horns jutting from his temple. Believed to have been blessed by their gods in a similar manner to Covu, he was the closest to a true equal in Nimidian combat prowess that the young Covu had encountered. Yet Cull was no fool and he knew he would never be able to hold his title should he bow to the young Covu, no matter how noble his cause may be. As such he lead his tribe into battle against the combined armies of a dozen other Nimidian tribes, all for the sake of saking their honor. The Butcher's tribe fought a battle they knew they would lose, where Covu and Cull locked themselves into a titanic struggle that would feed many legends to come.*

*This would become the greatest battle to scar Nimhs since the wars against the Sephirons and demons. The two armies collided in battle, Nimidians on both sides died in their tens of thousands. Countless warriors fought for their respective lords like warriors possessed. Completely indifferent to their losses, both armies would be overcome with the joy of battle and killing. With many slipping into the dreaded "Blood Rage" during the course of the battle. Even a remarkably skilled warrior such as Covu could not overcome the sheer physical might and bestial ferocity that The Butcher brought to bare. Cull fought Covu for hours and almost won the battle, however, with countless thousands killed on both sides it was the armies of Cull that were defeated. Surrounded and outnumbered, Covu gave The Butcher two ultimatums; join him in his empire or face total annihilation. Seeing in young Covu a Nimidian he could respect and follow in battle, Cull finally relented and his tribes knelt, swearing loyalty to Covu. In victory, Covu assumed the new mantle of "Great Overlord" the one rank that cannot be superseded. After defeating and forcing all those tribes who had previously resisted him to bow before him, Covu began the long task of reorganizing his divided people into a more regimented society.*

*As a powerful testament to his newly completed conquest, Covu tracked down the location of sacred Zahran, their most venerable city though lost to the ages, and restored it upon the ash laden continent of Noctyr where it had previously lay in ruins. After thousands of years of anarchy and self destructive warfare, the Nimidians were finally unified under Covu, who initiated many military, social, cultural and political reforms, forming a more organized Nimidian state, yet his work was not finished. Much work still needed to be done in order to ensure the stability of his new empire. Many unknown threats still awaited his people. As a powerful quasi, Covu had seen the dangers that dwell within the Astral Realm, an unstable magical universe containing the Demonic realms. So compelling was the sight that he taught all Nimidians to both fear and fight against demonic corruption, ruthlessly hunting down and eradicating any hints of demonic worship within his new empire. He taught that every Nimidian had a "Natural State" and that Nimidian society should reflect this. Some years later, Covu would choose a warlord to travel with him to a desolate region of the galaxy. It was Ahriman the Changer, the warlord he had tasked in laying the first and last stone in rebuilding Zahran and his oldest friend. Ahriman set out with Covu upon the first of many newly built Nimidian starships to seek out the Relic. An ancient artifact of terrible arcane power. It was an arduous journey, months long. Some in their company wondered aloud if Covu had ever seen anything at all and started to doubt him. But then it was found. Housed in a massive ruined starship of unknown origin.*

*On the flagship of his exploratory fleet, the two Nimidians stood, the once and future Great Overlord, both now gazing into the beautiful strangeness of the tidal energies which surrounded the ruined starship. What words passed between them was never recorded. But while Ahriman held his place, Covu set out alone to retrieve the Relic and forced his way into the tomb-like starship. Soon after the strange ship, along with the legendary Nimidian Overlord, would pass into a rift in reality, never to be seen again. In the coming millennia after the disappearance of Covu, Nimidian society would deify their lost Overlord and become so influenced by the teachings of Covu that it would remain unchanged for nearly twenty thousand years, adhering to his set of beliefs to a fanatical degree. What is surprising is the cyclical stability this feudal society has been able to offer the Nimidians. Many technological and medical advancements would soon follow. In the millennia to come the Nimidian Empire would face many other obstacles to their survival. Their people gained galactic fame during and after the Nimidian V Sanguinarian War, not least of all for defeating the Sanguine Emperium. Earning a reputation for their courage and skill as warriors even among the battle loving techno-barbarian Rushar kingdoms, who tended to look down on the other races as inferior, only worthy of being raided for slaves and plunder.*

*The Battle of the Norcen Star Systems was the largest naval engagement the war between both empires, resulting in a stalemate, the destruction of many Nimidian and Sanguinarian ships, and leaving both sides exhausted. In the wake of this destructive battle, the Sanguinarians quietly withdrew from Nimidian territory, thus ending the war. While many other civilizations have arisen and fallen, it is the Nimidians who have truly endured throughout all the ages, having withstood the countless, unspeakable terrors that lurk throughout the endless fathoms of the void-sea and defeating them all with unfeeling savagery and barbarous cruelty. These struggles helping in defining a war-like culture that is both surprisingly sophisticated and ancient beyond reckoning. Although the Nimidians are now one of the dominant powers of the Phyrr Space, controlling their ancestral star system and its colonies with an iron will, their grip isn't as tight as they would like. The greatest and most immediate danger has been brought by the awakening of an Arch Demon. An ancient god-like monster capable of weilding untold destructive power and wiping out civilizations over night. Once freed from its deep tomb, the demon began waging war on all sentient beings it encountered, its mere presence scouring and transforming the worlds it assaulted. Turning them into nightmarish demon infested wastelands where mortal life cannot easily exist.*

*These blasted landscapes would evermore serve as a battleground for the demon minions continual genocidal wars with the myriad descendants of the Old Ones whose destruction they so desperately crave and will stop at nothing to obtain. Sweeping across whole worlds like a plague and obliterating all life in an orgy of slaughter. It was during this turbulent time that Ahriman The Changer, architect of much of the Nimidian Empires technological progress, would meet his end. Dueling the Arch Demon to the death. Ahriman would fall against the beast after a great confrontation lasting several days, however, he would be avenged by Cull who came to his aid and killed the Arch Demon. Cull would succeed Ahriman as the new Great Overlord, leading his people to victory over the demonic hordes before he, too, would fall in battle centuries after. Thousands of years have past since and very little has changed. The Nimidians are engaged on a thousand fronts across their empire with dozens of Orog empires and Gorger war-herds. The unthinking blood lust and unstoppable brutality of these relentless beasts having reduced countless worlds across the galaxy into never-ending cauldrons of bloody battle. Yet the Nimidians fight on, even in the face of impossible odds. Never contemplating defeat. They cannot stop. Will not stop. They will fight and fight and fight. Until they win. Or they die. And they are not dead yet. The Nimidians are adamant in the knowledge that they will be victorious, they will stand on the corpses of their enemies to make it so. The galaxy belongs to them. Of this they are certain. It's only a matter of time.*

## *Culture*

*The Nimidians are a race forged in the merciless crucible of war. It is all they know. Every Nimidian sees themselves as a warrior. Over many centuries their culture and society evolved into one that revolves around martial arts, honor, and war. A race of highly competitive tribal warriors, their history is one of bloodshed, conquest, and vengeance. While this has created a very hardy, aggressive, and dangerous people, it has also slowed their technological advancement. When they did reach the stars to find other peoples waiting for them, their initial reaction was to conquer and dominate. Traditional Nimidian culture is extremely warlike and when they're not at war the race is usually planning for it. The bulk of Nimidian society is structured much like a massive army under the control of various powerful warlords and virtually their entire population can be called to war in times of extreme necessity, such a wide spread demonic incursions. They are pitiless, macabre and cold-hearted creatures, devoid of mercy and consumed by a need to enslave and dominate everyone and everything they come into contact with, and from this need grew their empire.*

*The Nimidians are regal, proud, and powerful beyond compare. However, they are also arrogant, domineering, and malicious, even under the best of circumstances.The Nimidians aren't villains; they are magnificent lords, slayers of demons. They believe things are simply out of order. When the balance is restored, when the lesser races know their place, and when the cities of their enemies become graveyards, the Nimidians will be proven right. In the minds of the Nimidians , the demonic plague can be traced to the laxity of the weakling breeds. And they intend to put things in the right order: if that requires bloodshed, so be it. Warfare is the sport of kings. The Nimidians firmly believe that they were created to rule their brethren, something the other Star Spawn and humans almost universally revile. The central organization of the Nimidians is the clan. Each clan has one Clanmaster or dominant male, who enforces his will through brute strength and his army of warriors. Small clans defer to larger ones, and may owe allegiance to a tribal Warlord. Every clan contains more females than males, who enter into polygamous marriages to ensure a healthy progeny. Children are raised within the clan and must constantly prove themselves to survive. Strong clans rule over weaker ones and despite having almost no formal organization within a clan, everyone adheres to a pecking order that is born out of respect and dominance.*

*The harsh Nimidian homeworld conditioned them psychologically for toughness just as it did the body. Nimidians tend to share common personality traits, even at young ages. Being aggressively militant, they share an innate enjoyment for conflict and fighting, choosing violence over peace with other races. Nimidians have always had a tendency to be unsympathetic, arrogant, and blunt. Most Nimidians approach life with the belief that to survive, one must subjugate potential enemies and control as much resources as possible, which puts them naturally at odds with other races. Centuries of war have molded Nimidian society into one of the most militaristic races in the galaxy. Their culture is dominated by a strict honor code and a focus on lineage. A highly discipline and fierce warrior people, the code of honor is followed by all in day-to-day life and while in battle in particular. Their honor dictates that they always strive to be the first ones into a battle, and to never allow themselves to be captured alive. The more honorable captured Nimidians commit suicide to retain some measure of honor; oftentimes when they are freed those who have not are executed anyway. However, escaping or staging an uprising are both deemed as acceptable.*

*They fear very little, and even when mortally wounded they still charge towards the enemy in a doomed last minute attack. The highest honor for a Nimidian is to serve in their clans warbond and to be disallowed soldiering is the most dishonorable fate for a Nimidian. To the Nimidians, honor is more than a word and is often considered more important than life itself. Cowardice is not simply undesirable among Nimidians, it is considered outright repulsive. Victory is all that matters in the minds of the Nimidian people and it must be achieved by any means necessary and at any cost. The code also dictates that those warriors of other peoples who have managed to defeat a Nimidian in a fair duel, or who are the victors in more dangerous confrontations(such as a battle with a Gorger War Chieftain or Greater Demon), and show the Nimidian mercy are to be considered their equals. They must either kill them in an honor duel or bestow onto the non-Nimidian warrior a reward, honoring them for their victory. But only if the foreigner fought with honor.*

*The Honor Code is the highest and most consistent law amongst the Nimidian peoples, a set of rules and requirements that approach something of a religious doctrine. The code is taken with the utmost seriousness and even talk of breaking it, no matter how light-hearted in nature, is severely frowned upon. The Nimidian code of honor is based on the writings of Great Overlord Covu The Gloried and is the founding religio-philosophical principle of modern Nimidian society. It breaks down their society, defining the role of everyone and everything in the society of the Nimidians, regardless of whether it is spiritual or mundane. To break the code is to stop being a "true" Nimidian, and such digressions typically result in the individual responsible being killed, although in some cases transgressors will merely be excommunicated and summarily banished from Nimidian society. Though after banishment, they are to be destroyed when encountered. Falsely accusing an individual of breaking the honor code is viewed as being almost more serious than breaking the code itself, and can result in the accuser being torn limb from limb when the fallacy is discovered.*

*Nimidian society is extremely complex and despite this deep rooted and strictly followed honor code, concepts such as good and evil are fairly uncommon among Nimidians. Whereas the idea of enslaving an entire race is seen as abhorrent to the Nimidians, they are still more than willing to massacre millions of people for slights against their honor. Whether the people being assaulted were directly responsible for the offense or not is completely irrelevant. It is a common belief among Nimidians that showing mercy to an enemy is more humiliating than simply killing them. They are as fallible and morally grey as any other race. The aggressive and warlike nature of Nimidians can make the race brutal or vengeful and given to hasty choices that are morally compromising. The Nimidians sense of worth could likewise also lead to greed and egotistic selfishness in certain individuals. However, while Nimidians could turn to evil just as any other mortal race, even these Nimidians retain the scruples and values that define the race, including respect and honor to worthy enemies. The Nimidian concept of honor which they are raised to venerate practically from birth having such an immense impact upon the culture of the entire race as to become second nature for them no matter their allegiances.*

*Although Nimidians are naturally intelligent, their culture's dependence on a military schema has led to an emphasis on might makes right. All adults must prove themselves to have at least some level of fighting skill in order to be accepted into society. Although only men serve as warriors, all Nimidians are raised as warriors, with strong emphasis on physical development. Nimidians are immensely protective of their war-bond or clans reputation and military status, so much so that meetings between different groups can turn violent if proper protocol isn't followed. For example, when a delegation of Coalition ambassadors made first contact with the Nimidian worlds and attempted to establish diplomatic relations, the Nimidians perceived the ambassadors' attitudes and behavior as equal individuals instead of subordinates as a sign of contempt, and attacked and massacred the entire delegation. However, while ruthless, relentless terrors to their enemies, Nimidians are also brave allies who can form unbreakable bonds of loyalty with those whom they consider friends.*

*Charismatic and authoritative commanders, Nimidians rarely fail to elicit a strong bond of loyalty with their troops. Able to inspire discipline and tenacity through the ranks. Their leaders are even more massive than regular Nimidians. Nimidian warlords are terrifying warriors, skilled in both melee and projectile attacks. They lead their troops from the front line where the fighting is thickest. To their enemies, they are fearsome and savage adversaries, without parallel in their cunning and ferocity. To their allies, they are a fearless and honorable people, renowned for their strength and persistence. Protocol, ritual, and personal honor are closely intertwined aspects of Nimidian culture, with a failure in one translating in failure to the others. Sacrifice is an integral part of the social fabric, with a cultural emphasis on blood. Most often while in the presence of outsiders, Nimidians are, in a word, stoic, embodying the strong and silent type with their quiet contemplation. This introspective air combined with their immense size are why many view the Nimidians as a fierce and dangerous race of savage tech-barbarians to be feared and avoided whenever possible.*

*Most* *Nimidians choose to rarely speak in the presence of foreigners unless there is a particularly good reason to do so, preferring to act instead of talk. When a Nimidian does desire to speak it is always proudly; they do not whisper or keep their distance. Standing far away or whispering while in the company of others are considered insults in Nimidian society. When speaking among themselves, most Nimidians will frequently pride themselves on their number of wives, daughters, sons, accomplishments, as well as their scars and trophies gained during many battles. After an honor duel, a group of Nimidians may also take part in a roaring ritual after the death of a strong or otherwise worthy adversary as a means of honoring both the victor and the defeated(so long as the fallen warrior had fought bravely and without sacrificing his honor). Nimidians place great value on the skill of an individual, including themselves. Failing at a task is anathema to them and as a result they could sometimes push themselves to unhealthy extremes of effort.*

*This aspect of the Nimidian mind means few of the race take a laid-back approach to any skill or ability, striving always to become the masters of a particular skill, and Nimidians respect those among the other races who approached life in the same manner. As a result, most Nimidians come to their way of life through a desire to prove themselves and win respect from their brethren. Other races see the Nimidians as proud or even arrogant because of this dedication to excellence and high standards. It is true that Nimidians are typically proud of their race's accomplishments. However, Nimidians are willing to recognize with respect the accomplishments of other races in turn, whether or not the race in question was an ally or enemy. Perhaps paradoxically, given the often rigid conditions of their society, Nimidians have a strong sense of independence and self-worth. Most Nimidians, however, do not view this as a need to break away from society as other individuals might, but rather to shape it for the better through their own unique strengths and weaknesses.*

*Nimidians see themselves as responsible for those around them, with the group ultimately reflecting on the individual. In this regard, the successes and failures of each Nimidian are the successes and failures of the clan or warbond they are associated with, giving Nimidians a notable collectivist sense of identity while retaining their individuality. Ultimately, the Nimidians hold themselves accountable for their choice in allies and poor judgment is considered no excuse for failing to uphold the standards which all Nimidians are expected to uphold at all times. As a general rule, Nimidians will rarely ever associate or willingly communicate with the other races of the galaxy and are dismissive, contemptuous, and arrogant towards them. Nimidians also have no qualms about committing friendly fire against "allied" races they consider "lesser". However, races who have earned the Nimidians respect for their adeptness in combat are an exception. Also, the Nimidians are very considerate of titles for other non-Nimidians, referring to them as their title.*

*Most Nimidians display a sincere respect and admiration for honorable fighters, whether they are allies of the Nimidians or not. Their history is rife with victorious combatants welcoming the defeated enemies remaining forces into their own army, provided of course that they had fought with honor. In more ways than not, the Nimidians are not unlike their many distant cousins. They communicate, are loyal to their superiors and comrades, become protective of their warbonded and become angry and vengeful if other Nimidians are killed. Even though their violent nature may seem utterly senseless at first glance, Nimidians enforce their code of honor in regards to the reasons behind these killing, even when it the ones being killed were not Nimidians. If an outsider were to kill an Nimidian out of self-defense or because the Nimidian killed people close to him, they would accept it. However, if a non-Nimidian were to kill a Nimidian without a reason for doing so, this would cause a great uproar among them. The concept of leisure, with its connotations of aimless use of time, doesn't fit with the Nimidian mindset. Nimidians only rest when they are tired. When they take time for leisure, their actions are seen as zealotry. They use their time to train or make battle plans, or to understand allies and enemies.*

*While other races often placed artistic pursuits at the pinnacle of achievement, for Nimidians those pursuits are always of secondary importance. If they want to express their devotion through painting, song, or some other craft, these creations often celebrate Nimidian identity and lifestyle, while equally praising their gods a and ancestors. These works represent extraordinary deeds done by a Nimidian, or the hideousness of the demons. Those who are great sculptors or performers in their lives master these skills as well as any other people, but usually produce fewer works than many of their fellow craftsmen or performers of other races due to their commitment to their empire. It is through war that the Nimidians find their reason for being. They achieve their greatest satisfactions on the battlefields, knowing that they are fulfilling their destinies when they oppose the innumerable forces that would threaten the empire. Their warlike culture makes them highly formidable opponents and valuable allies. Tempered from birth to be the greatest warriors in the galaxy, other societal roles are treated as secondary endeavors or even hobbies, and are not honored at all by the Nimidian people.*

*A noticeable characteristic among the Nimidian people is their fierce sense of competitiveness. They keep track of their accomplishments and see everything as a challenge. Aggression seems to be an innate trait within Nimidians, especially young males. A Nimidian's most fierce competitor is themselves. Overcoming challenges they have set for themselves is the most satisfying victory for a Nimidian. They are also competitive with peoples of other races whom they believe to be a worthy opponent. Nimidians especially enjoy engaging in sports with a training component to them. These sports often lack teams, with the most popular games ending in victory for a single clear winner. Many of these sports are also violent, particularly by the standards of many other peoples, and wrestling is extremely popular with Nimidians. Not all Nimidian sports are so physical, and they are also fond of strategic board games, riddle contests, or improvised storytelling events. In all cases, the Nimidian emphasis focuses on the triumph of the individual and the improvement of practical skills.*

*Like other races, the Nimidians celebrate a number of important, often religious holidays. The Day of Transcendence is the anniversary of the day that Covu The Conquer, the founder of the Nimidian Empire, crossed into the Gods Eye to do battle with the evil within it, and so is considered a day for celebration. Nimidians all throughout their empire will usually seek to celebrate it in a temple dedicated to the veneration of Covu. Another important holiday for Nimidians is the Night of Remembrance, traditionally the celebration will begin at sunset during the longest night of the year, the Nimidians will reunite with their friends and comrades and remember with them the events of the preceding year, retold as if they were stories. Nimidians exalt the deeds of their allies and honor those who died helping them. Nimidians also offer gifts and accolades to thank their allies for their aid. These gifts are practical in their design, intended as both a serviceable item and a memento of a past challenge, as befitting Nimidian culture. As they are usually practical about the arts, very few items are created by a Nimidian hand for purely artistic reasons, instead most having a functional purpose behind them.*

*Almost the entirety of Nimidian culture revolves around violence, war and physical strength: one's prestige being directly connected with how many kills one has or how many opponents they have defeated in combat, as well as their size and the size of their horns. Nimidians horns are a source of immense pride, if a Nimidian were to lose his horns, it would be equivalent to being stripped of his warrior honor and manhood. Horns are the most distinctive feature of the Nimidian peoples and it is customary, and in most cases mandatory, for all male Nimidians to never remove them. Most Nimidian youths begin to grow horns at a relatively early age and they will continue to grow for the rest of their lives. Their horns are an integral part of Nimidian patriarchal society, for it often dictates a Nimidians personal age, wealth, or experience. The longer the horns, the more respect he gains from his peers and those of society. The horns of the typical Nimidian is of utmost importance to its owner, socially, spiritually and physically. The leaders of Nimidians are blessed with the most superb horns of all. A Nimidian without horns is no Nimidian at all, the lowest of the low, without honor or pride.*

*No Nimidian would consent to being ruled by a Nimidian male who lacks horns, no matter how skilled or powerful the "lesser" Nimidian might be. Women, who naturally possess smaller horns, are rarely, if ever, considered for leadership positions throughout Nimidian society. However, the very rare exception to the rule does occur if the woman is cunning enough or has been blessed by the Nimidians Gods. Most often, only the horned males ever take up leadership within the Nimidian tribes. To completely remove ones own horns or to have them removed by the will of another is one of the greatest disgraces a Nimidian can suffer. Any Nimidian who allows such a transgression to pass will be considered as without honor by the rest of his race, regardless of if he grows them back or not and will be held in utter contempt by his people. The only way for the disgraced Nimidian to regain his honor is to either succeed at some great task in honor of his clan, or, in the case of his horns being removed by force, to hunt down and slay the one responsible for his dishonor. Afterwards he is to claim the skull of his enemy, presenting it to his clan as proof of his accomplishment, and offer it up to the Gods as sacrifice, adding it to a pile of such skulls. Only then will his honor be considered restored by his clan.*

### *Attire & Armor*

*When not in battle, the attire of the Nimidians can be as variable as the physical appearance of Nimidians themselves and appears to be based largely on the personal preference of the individual. The males normally dress in traditional heavy suits of spellforged plate armor and mail, lacquered black or treated with dark oil. Each suit of armor is crafted specifically for them by hand. Thus, each suit is an individual work of exceptional craftsmanship with its own unique flourishes and decorations. Yet all Nimidians maintain certain standardized elements to their armor that help them to quickly identify one another's place both on and off the battlefield. The numerous design changes can include tribal ornamentation, different arrangements of armor plates and different colors or unique/rare metals used for individual armor pieces for their warplate. High ranking Nimidians will frequently wear ornate suits of semi-powered armor, this armor is usually crafted to their personal specifications and can be decorated in many ways. Such suits are usually heirlooms that have been passed down through the clan for centuries and so are treated with great respect. As with power armor, Nimidians will decorate their more mundane suits of armor with trophies, as a badge of honor to indicate his skill as a warrior. The armor is an ancient design, being inferior to actual power armor, however a minority of fanatical warriors believe it to be more honorable to fight in this armor than to depend so heavily on technology. Although most often it is used for ceremonial purposes. Males also prefer clothing that showed off their massive muscled bodies so as to attract females whom desire the strongest among them for procreation.*

*The women of Nimhs prefer to dress themselves in bright colors, such as red and yellow, for their traditional armored robes. Although darker colors, such as black and darker blues, can also be observed. These are consecrated mesh shield-robes designed for both devotional study and martial training. Often these robes are stylized and detailed with images of one of their Gods or with spiritual iconography meaningful to a single clan. Nimidian women are known to dye and braid their hair, many growing it long in order to do so. Depending on the color, a dye can denote a woman's status within her own social sphere, such as red designating her as a Warrior Priestess or Blood-Wife, while gold means one is in a position of authority or great prestige in their society. Softer colors such as blues and velvet can signify a woman being a teacher or a medical professional among her people. Although it should be noted that not all Nimidian women will dye their hair or even do so for these reasons if they choose to do so. Female Nimidians typically wore tighter, more revealing clothing to maintain their elegant figures and enhance their value to males. Nimidian female dance costumes were typically made up of silky veils that clung to their bodies, although other kinds were used, such as a revealing net costume. It is common to see females wearing shockingly bright shades of colors in wildly designed bikinis, or nearly skin tight clothing of other sorts with bizarre color designs, patterns, and symbols.*

*They often braid portions of their manes or otherwise decorate them with skulls and weapons, and prefer to wear half-plate armor. Facial tattoos are common and carry much the same meaning as they do for women. However, with all males traditionally being warriors to some degree, they also have their own specialized tattoos earned in battle among their warbonded brothers. These tattoos are inked in the blood of a defeated foe and applied wherever the Nimidian wants, most often the arms, face, and chest. The more of these blood-tattoos a Nimidian possesses the more honorable he is believed to be, having slain many formidable enemies in service to his clan. Damaging a Nimidian warriors tattoos is a killing offense or at the very least warrants an honor duel carrying the condition of first blood as means of resolving the matter. As maintaining ones personal honor is a high priority for every true Nimidian.*

### *Political Relationships*

*The Nimidians are an extremely aggressive people, both against rivals of their own race and against any outsiders who stand in their way. However, though the Nimidian tribes are territorial and egotistical in nature they will often unite for a common purpose, such as waging war against non-Nimidians. Their innate nature is reflected in their empire's diplomatic relations(or lack thereof) with other factions. They see other peoples as inferior and are almost eager for war with them. When they encounter other peoples, their reaction is to conquer and dominate. A warrior race to their very core, they value honorable conflict over peaceful cooperation. Nimidians are also obsessed with conquest and expanding their empire, earning them many enemies along the way. Nimidians have poor temperaments and are given to anger more easily than some races. Easily offended and impatient, Nimidians generally prefer violent solutions and rarely consider multiple ways of approaching a problem. However, in spite of this many Nimidians are excellent at getting results, since they are creatures of action, not thought. The majority of "civilized" factions throughout the galaxy maintain a belief that their aggression and obsession with control makes Nimidians poorly suited for integration with the galactic community.*

*While in turn, the Nimidians have no love for the other races inhabiting the Apocalypsa galaxy, whom they view as weak, cowardly and without honor. The Nimidians typically decide to conquer any habitable worlds they come across and have fought vicious wars with the other factions on multiple occasions who seek to contain their expansion. Just as Orogs despise Nimidians, Nimidians despise these vile creatures intensely. Nimidian legends portray the Orog and Gorger races as being without honor and corrupt. The two races have battled each other without end for mellinia and although greatly outnumbered, the mighty Nimidians have managed to push back the legions of Orogs, driving them farther and farther away from their territories. As the tide turned, the Nimidians soon began venturing deep into territory controlled by the Orogs and slaughtering them for sport. Eventually, the Orogs retaliated with vengeance and hatred, ravaging human and Nimidian lands in a bloody struggle that lasted nearly a century. This conflict became known as the Orog Wars. Ultimately, the other Star Spawn and humanity drove the Orogs away... for now.*

*As penance for their hubris, the Nimidians have established massive forts on the primeter of Orog dominated space and remain vigilant against any future return of the Orogs. Any re-emergence of the Orogs was quickly stamped out, and over time they appeared to be defeated. The Nimidians even began enslaving vast hordes of the beasts for various purposes from maniel labor to serving as sacrifices. But sometime during the modern age, the Orogs suddenly reappeared, and are swarming the worlds of Nimidians and nonNimidians, threatening all in their path. The whole of the Nimidian Empire has more or less declared war on both, often eradicating them wherever they find them, and are engaged in various conflicts throughout the galaxy. This is largely due to the Nimidian Empire being surrounded on all sides by these monstrously savage creatures and thus are constantly forced to do battle with them. Nimidians have signed peace treaties with other races, but they rarely last, as the entirety of Nimidian culture is based almost solely upon war. In fact, the young warriors must win a mate by proving themselves in combat and they often attack those with whom they have treaties.*

*However, the Nimidians are not completely hostile to outsiders. In campaigns such as the Orog Wars the Nimidians aided the Qhorian Princedoms and the Seheron Union, both of whom share ancient genealogical ties with one another. Being seen working together with these two factions against their common foe, and have continued to foster somewhat positive relations. Though Nimidians will make alliances with other factions, they feel no need to keep them, abandoning such obligations when it no longer benefits them. The Nimidians live for the thrill and glory of bloody, up close and personal battle and the lengths they will go to experience it is well known among the other races. Due to their peoples focus on war and particular joy in violent activity, they are known among other races chiefly for being subject to terrifying battle-frenzies that render them nearly immune to pain and transforms them into unstoppable juggernauts on the field of battle.*

## *Society*

*The Nimidians generally consider most other species to be vastly inferior to themselves, both culturally and in fighting skill. They are an extremely aggressive and highly martial race, creating a civilization founded on the concept of permanent war between themselves and the various other races of the galaxy. Nimidians direct their immense physical prowess towards attaining the absolute pinnacle of martial achievement, striving to become the ultimate, perfect warrior. They are taught from a young age that single combat and honor in battle are the only true measures of greatness, and that only the impure prey upon the weak. The strongest Nimidians, such as their Warlords and other champions, will refuse outright to engage those they deem weak in combat, and contend themselves only with the blood of other great fighters, travelling far and wide in pursuit of this goal. Nimidians interpret direct eye contact as a challenge and are known to brutally beat to death other humanoids who have boldly dared to stare at them. They are willing to enslave any creatures that they can overpower; Nimidians accept other species to a very limited degree and only for practical purposes or in accordance with their idea of honor.*

*However, while usually hostile and aggressive to outsiders, they will often be peaceful to those who help them in achieving or regaining honor. Nimidians also hold strong ties to revenge and grudges against their enemies and are noted for their long memories. They never forget and rarely forgive. This often leading them to work alongside others they would normally fight to the death against in order to achieve that revenge. Nimidians do not forgive past wrongs easily. For a Nimidian, personal reputation is nearly as important as his or her clan, and most will fight to the death in defense of either. While the Nimidians might seem quick to anger, they are tempered by the wisdom of their leaders and their elders. In many ways, the Nimidians are much like humans. They communicate, are loyal to their superiors and comrades, become protective of their troops and become angry and vengeful if other Nimidians are killed. While many of the other races perceive them to be brutish and savage, the Nimidians have forged a very complex society that embraces many occupations and are even open to accepting different races.*

*This leading to the acceptance of the Nagyri, Qhorians, Shokai and Seheron peoples who have had interactions with the Nimidians for thousands of years and have adapted to interacting with the powerful warrior race. Nimidian society has always been characterized by a fierce warrior spirit and self sacrifice. As a result they are staunch pragmatists, and never shy from killing. All Nimidians in a tribe, regardless of gender or station, are expected to pull their own weight and weakness is considered a grave liability. The weakness of the individual contaminates the strength of the whole, and it is punishable by exile from his clan. Strength(physical and mental), courage, initiative and aggression are prized traits in all Nimidians, and they take great pride in their ancient, honor-laden code.*

### *Gender Roles*

*There is discrimination between genders in Nimidian society. Men and women are not viewed as equals, differentiating themselves through gender specific ways of dress and specializing in gender specific tasks. Male Nimidians dominate most of their society and the females are usually treated as being prized possessions. All females are expected to embody the Nimidian feminine ideal, subordinate to male Nimidians but still protecting the cohesion of Nimidian society. Nimidians strongly believe that men and women are intuitively and physically better suited for certain societal roles. The males are the leaders and warriors, protecting and expanding the borders of the Nimidian Empire, while the females aggressively defend civilians and administer the day to day operation of Fortress-Cities. A patriarchal society, Nimidians recognize males as being naturally more dominant than females. This gives males practically all power in their society. Knowing this, it would be easy to imagine that Nimidian males, by comparison, have it much easier, but this is an illusion. In fact, their aggressive nature and drive to gain more power over others makes competition between male Nimidians violently competitive in a way that females do not have to cope with.*

*Nimidian males have a long, proud tradition of combat superiority; their lives are often dedicated to their culture's ancient warrior codes. Male Nimidians tend to have very short tempers, and have been known to fly into fits of rage when a perceived wrong occurred. However, the females tend to be strong and independent minded through years of being the sole mistresses of their domain. The typical Nimidian woman lets no one boss her around. Despite their warlike culture, Nimidians cultivate families and are not without emotions, similar to their human counterparts, and tend to do a better job of sticking together. Because of the aggressive and territorial nature of Nimidian males, Nimidian women are usually considered the property of their husband, being treated as prized possessions. Often times female Nimidians are treated as prizes of war to be seized or fought over. In contrast to the more aggressive Nimidian men, their women are considered to be more reasonable and patient in comparison. Appearing much more level-headed than their males; 'the brains to their brawn,' so to speak. However, when threatened Nimidian women exhibit the same fearsome physical prowess and lust for blood as their men.*

*There exist dramatic sexual dimorphism within Nimidian physiology. Indeed, male and female Nimidians can be differentiated from one another quite easily, aside from the obvious differences in height. The biological dimorphism of the species carries over into their culture, wherein females tend to be more settled and serious minded, while males long for battle and conquest. Nimidian males are extremely dedicated to their families despite their bloodlust, and will return to their families to support them in matters of honor or defending their home. In keeping with the spirit of the Nimidian warrior culture, women are welcome to take up arms and fight alongside men in times of dire necessity. Such women are called blood-wives. Though female Nimidians are generally not expected to become a fighter, due to their harsh environment, the Nimidians tribes have long since realized that learning how to defend oneself is a necessity for ones own survival. Most often blood-wives seen on the battlefield are the wives of warriors who have been chosen to accompany their high ranking husbands into battle as a sort of bodyguard, scoring numerous kills on would-be assassins. All women are required to spend time in the scouting regiments, acting as skirmishers and carrying out reconnaissance. However, many of these women choose a warrior lifestyle for themselves as a means of catching the attention of a suitable husband or for the sheer enjoyment of battle.*

*Nimidian women are generally prone to arrogance and are very strong willed, being every bit as ferocious as their male counterparts. However, rarely do they overstep their boundaries or challenge the dominance of their mates. They very much admire physical and mental fitness and will act as loyal spouses to a male whom can bend their will or make them submit. Nimidian women believe strongly that only worthy males, those that are stronger than themselves, can become their husband. Proving himself a worthy mate is quite simple for a Nimidian man. When his potential wife tries to take his head, he doesn't let her. It is believed among the Nimidians that a true man will steal a woman from afar to strengthen the clan. If the man succeeds, it shows that he is strong, brave and cunning, and this is what Nimidian women seek in men. Nimidians believe that a woman should listen unfailingly to her husband and always take command of those weaker than herself. Within Nimidian society, women are considered a protected and treasured resource, so Nimidian people culturally condemn violence inside marriage. No male Nimidian will kill his wife, or allow another to do the same.*

*Despite their legendary fierceness as warriors, Nimidian men are surprisingly tender with their wives, the act of lovemaking being considered an important and even sacred skill among Nimidians. Also, male Nimidians are subconsciously and instinctively predisposed to being attracted to the fierce stubbornness and prideful arrogance that characterizes Nimidian women. In turn, Nimidian women have a strong romantic relationship with their husbands and find their violent nature appealing. Their savagery and dominant nature being what attracts Nimidian women in the first place. Also, their warrior culture and dominant nature means that both the males and females tend to be ferocious sexual partners. Nimidians tend to be very aggressive and violence during intercourse is seen as desirable. Due to their upbringing in a society including extensive warrior training for both males and females, Nimidian females are very sexually uninhibited and sensual. Nudity is also not a problem for them, as they rather enjoy being naked. The females are highly sexual creatures and will mate often with their husbands to produce offspring or for simple recreational purposes.*

*Nimidians believe that between a man and a woman there is always one who is stronger than the other one. That doesn’t mean the weaker one doesn’t love the stronger or vice versa. Nimidians have powerful territorial instincts which serve them well in combat, but can create problems; for example, another male may not so much as speak to the wife of another Nimidian lest it be taken as a challenge. If she is in the same room as her husband, the other male must not acknowledge her presence in any way. Female Nimidians are rarely ever allowed to leave their homeworlds unless given special permission to do so, usually only being sent as emissaries to other Nimidian keeps. Even so, female Nimidians typically have little respect for the foreign peoples, and the only men they ever truly revere are the males born into their tribes. Though female Nimidians are somewhat less confrontational than the males, when forced to fight they will defend themselves fiercely. One should thus not be fooled by their exotic beauty, under their velvety skin lie muscles of iron and a blow delivered with their powerful arms or well muscled legs can easily crush the bones of any attacker.*

### *Courtship & Wedding Ceremonies*

*Nimidian women outnumber men by a ratio of five to one and so multiple women wedding the same husband is quite common, often being seen as preferable. In fact, most Nimidian women would see it as bizarre of their husband to only take one wife. Nimidians look upon monogamy as an impractical practice. A powerful warrior usually has one primary-wife known as the "First Prime" and between four and ten "honor-wives". In marriage, the men are expected to be quite forceful with women, going so far as stealing them from their clan or tribe and risking severe injury or even death by her relatives. The women, in turn, are expected to put up a fight every step of the way. Even if she wants the male, the female will put up a token resistance at the very least.*

*A typical Nimidian wedding ceremony includes a marriage celebration lasting four-days, and the wedding ceremony itself will take place on the first day. The bride would be dressed in fine colorful robes covered in hieroglyphs and the groom in finely made armor, also decorated in ancient hieroglyphs. A fire would be lit, and incense would be burned as an offering to the ancestors. The groom's family would give presents (robes, trophies, and mantles) to the bride. The ritual for finalizing the marriage involves the tying of the groom's cape to the bride's robe, and then the groom's mother would give the bride and groom each four mouthfuls of a special herbalist drink. Afterwards, the groom and his bride perform a ritualized dance together. When the ceremony has been completed, the new couple will mate before the clan. Both are ritualistically undressed and ushered into a clearing for all to see.*

*The bride will then lay in waiting for the groom. Upon his arrival the groom begins by touching the bride gently, often performing foreplay, and does not have intercourse with her until the bride expresses her consent. If, for whatever reason, the female did not wish to go through with the marriage, then a "marriage challenge" had to be invoked. The male will then fight for the right to keep his mate against any challenger of her choosing. The female became the property of the male who won the contest, unless he chose to release her. These challenges were always a fight to the death. It is notable that no class distinctions exist within Nimidian society exist and a high ranking male is simply a symbol of political success rather than of desirability and 'lower' males will possess a near equal opportunity to acquire females outside of any higher males manipulation strategies. Nimidians mate for life and have no concept of divorce.'*

*A woman marrying into a new clan must change her name and adopt the identity of the clan into which she has married. Assaulting another Nimidian male's wife is a serious offense and could result in the rapist being made a eunuch, as a purely practical consideration, seeing as the accused could not control his passions. Bearing and raising children is considered the most important role for women in Nimidian society, equal to a male warrior in the Nimidian army. Nimidian women are encouraged to produce many children, preferably male, to increase Nimh's military population. They take pride in having borne and raised brave warriors. Having sons who were cowards, however, is a cause for sorrow, and women whose sons died as cowards lament this. By contrast, the female relatives of the Nimidians who died heroically in battle will display great pride. Nimidian females understand their value in Nimidian society is based primarily in breeding, which gives them agency, in a fashion, when seeking the sexual attentions of notable males in order to advance themselves and their clan's status.*

*In part to attract mates, females engage in athletic competitions, including wrestling, and also sing and dance competitively. The Nimidians believe that copulation without regard for the bloodline is uncultured and do not mate with other races as they naturally consider themselves superior, so such mingling is usually looked down upon. The biggest and most ferocious males are more likely to be sought out by females for mating purposes, as their women prefer attracting the attention of strong males so as to pass these traits onto their children. Nimidians do not associate mating with love, and recreational sex is treated as a simple biological need. Nimidians show open distaste for the more egalitarian societies of the galaxy, as in their eyes not having gender roles between men and women is blasphemous. The females traditionally dominate the household and the management of their clans personal affairs and military defense in the case of an attack when the men are away.*

### *Societal Female Roles*

*From the time they are young Nimidian women are educated to fulfill many roles in society, and undertake extensive training in elocution, singing, poetry, and musical instruments. Nimidian society is based upon learning as well as military might and Nimidian women being very well learned comprise the vast majority of the few Nimidians who can speak other languages, making them excellent interpreters. This extensive education allows for them to be physically and mentally agile, they are capable of executing various complex tasks and filling many roles that requires a quick mind, such as translators, scribes, artisans and administrators of their own communities. Women also represent the embodiment of the agricultural and mercantile aspects of the Nimidians society, being responsible for the fair distribution of food and materials amongst the citadels. Highly organized and sociable, Nimidian women are perfectly adapted to ensure the smooth day-to-day running of the Fortress-Cities.*

*Along with attributes proper for a Nimidian woman like dancing and etiquette, Nimidian women show a knowledge of weaponry and battle situations superior to what would have been expected from them at first glance, with many having experience in the use of high grade military weaponry, boasting a considerable level of skill with various projectile weapons and melee weapons, and being capable of accompanying their husbands onto the battlefield. Women are trained from a young age to fight alongside the males but are kept home to tend to their respective keeps. They are very proficient with combat in all its varied forms, whether it be unarmed, armed melee or armed at-range. This training allows the Nimidians to have an extremely potent home guard should an attacking force ever make it past the men fighting on the front lines. A Nimidian woman will find herself at ease in traditional female garb or in power armor, and despite their warrior culture, they remain elegant in dress and dance.*

*A Nimidian females position inside of society is both maternal and administrative—but in the case of the all female scout regiments, females also play an important roll in the Nimidian war effort. Due to the warlike and isolationist culture of their people, Nimidian females very rarely ever come into contact with foreigners unless it is to defend their homeworlds and strongholds from an invading army. However, on the few occasions wherein contact between their peoples and others was more peaceful, non-Nimidians find interactions with the "comparatively" less aggressive Nimidian women to be not as volatile as when dealing with the more aggressive Nimidian males. However, women are expected to exhibit the same dedication to honor and loyalty as the men.*

*Their exotic looks means that Nimidian females are often considered to be among the most aesthetically pleasing beings in the galaxy. In addition to their strikingly beautiful appearance, Nimidian females exude pheromones which make them all but irresistible to both sexes. Because of their appearance as stunningly beautiful women of statuesque builds and perfect figures, there have been some unpleasant instances of Nimidian women being the targets of Human raiders. Slavers often seeking to abduct them and ship them back to Near Space as curiosities. None of these raids, however, have been successful. The only thing these raids have accomplished in doing is further souring relations between the Nimidians and their baseline Human cousins, whom the Nimidians generally view as weak and cowardly. As Nimidians consider most other humanoids to be little more than food, they also have the ability to sense lust in prey. The more hidden/strong the desire, the greater the lure to female; like a moth to a flame. Indeed, female Nimidians are known to crave human flesh more often than the males and can be quite vicious, verging on sadistically cruel. Their supernatural beauty being little more than a visage behind which hides a predatory nature''*

### *Commons and Children*

*Nimidian children are raised in "Commons" to ensure that all start on an equal footing and progress in rank by merit of their abilities. Before going to the Commons and while still living within a Nimidian community, the parents maintain the position of authority, but other adults are allowed to act as surrogate parents and teachers, giving a young child multiple examples to learn from. Nimidians believe this in-depth mentorship is necessary not only for the child's education but also for their morality. It is thought that without this imposed discipline, a Nimidian's fierce passions might give way to a feral savagery. However, for the most part, Nimidian males take little interest in the rearing of children, largely leaving such responsibilities to their wives. Although Humans and other races think of them merely as bloodthirsty beasts, Nimidian mothers care well for their young. As a rule Nimidians believe strongly in a concept of "tough love" when it comes to their style of parenting. Nimidian mothers raise their children to be strong, ruthless, and aggressive long before sending them away to a Commons for a proper education. They tolerate no weakness and severely punish failure.*

*Childhood for Nimidians is extremely brutal and merciless with the weak being culled without hesitation. As a result of this it has become a common saying among the Nimidians that the men of their race are only so strong because the women kill and eat the weak ones. As Nimidian males can possess many wives and father dozens of offspring, children of most Nimidian clans rarely know their fathers, and are usually raised by their mother and her sister-wives instead. Nimidian children are raised by their parents only during a short period of time. Thereafter, they are taken to "school", there they are overseen in large groups. Male children are taught to unify, encouraged to define their own social structure, and are thus forced to form a warbond. This warbond serves as the primary social group, and also act as a surrogate family for a young Nimidian boy. Although children are aware of their lineage and their parents, adults have neither an interest nor a hand in the education, rearing, or growth of a young child once delivered to these "Commons".*

*Young Nimidian girls experience much the same but also different in many ways. When girls are old enough, they are sent to school just like their brothers. They spend most of their time sleeping, training and living within the Commons of their sisterhood. Children are expected to earn their place in society, rather than having it handed to them, and life is viewed as a series of challenges to face, overcome and defeat. The Nimidians enact methods which prevent status from being inherited in order to force children to make their own way in the world so that they actively work for and earn advancement in society based on experience. Hunting is a popular pastime for Nimidian children and is encouraged by the adults as it helps to hone skills these children will one day utilize in battle. When Nimidian males are on the cusp of adulthood, they must go through a coming of age ritual, wherein the flesh of these Nimidians is carved with intricate symbols of honor and hieroglyphs of strength. These markings signifying the young Nimidian warrior as a fully grown adult of their tribe and now able to be sent into battle along side their warbond.*

### *Nimidian Tribes & Clans*

*Most Nimidians are part of a confederation of tribes, loosely held together by a despotic chieftain. Bands within these alliances might wander far from their homelands in search of glory, but they will continue to greet those Nimidians belonging to the same tribal network as kin. The Nimidians are a clan based people who prefer living with others of their race to living alone or in the company of foreign races. Nimidian society is based around habitations known as keeps. These citadel-like city-states are self-contained, autonomous communities, ruled by a clanmaster. Both clan and family bloodlines are preserved among Nimidians and are highly important to Nimidian culture as a whole. Both are different, though the distinction is subtle to non-Nimidians. Family refers specifically to actual blood relatives, as far as could be traced, whereas clan, in the Nimidian context, refers to a confederation of families united by mutual purpose in ages past, organized along military lines. Of the two, clan is usually considered more important and it is to the clan that Nimidians owe the most loyalty. Nimidians whom are born into the same clan occasionally refer to themselves as "brothers and sisters". A clan is a close knit affair that ties each member to another, and forces them into varying states of rage and desperate mourning for their fallen brothers and sisters should one die in the midst of battle.*

*All clans have their own "warbonds", private small armies that protect their clans, under the command of the clanmaster who may also serves as battlemaster for his loyal warbonds. When a clan's population grows too large, younger members will depart to start a new clan elsewhere. During the time leading up to the establishing of a new clan, it is common for many of the young males to begin stealing unwed women from the surrounding areas before departing, as it is considered a propitious time for a man to steal a wife. Nimidians do not forget the past, and ties to clan and family determine much about how one Nimidian is viewed by others. All clans have reputations, for good and ill, that often last for generations. A Nimidian's actions are expected to bring favor and good will to his or her clan, improving this reputation. For this reason, Nimidians typically go by their clan names rather than their family names, hoping to bring honor and glory to their clan.*

*Tradition is an integral part of their lives and breaking from observances is considered a grievous insult to society, an insult not forgotten easily. An offense usually brought shame to the offender's name for several generations. Nimidians who worship foreign gods are usually expelled from their clans because traditionalist Nimidians believe worshiping such beings is equal to selling themselves to slavery. Overall, compared with clan ties, family is secondary and considered private to Nimidians, as reflected by the fact that most Nimidians family names are kept secret, shared with only very close friends and other family members. However, being extremely aggressive, some clans have broken out into full-scale-total-war, often over conflicts of ideology or infringes upon honor. Clans do take members from other races, typically this happens only if they were impressed by the warriors martial prowess. Within Nimidian culture, people outside of one's bloodline can be considered family and consider them to be "Nimidians". As a result Nimidians have a history of becoming sworn brothers with foreign races.*

*Each Nimidian clan has its own codes, rites and rituals and tend to be very strict with the following of them. Although far from being common, there are various recorded cases in which two or more clans have attempted to merge together. However, most of these have ended in disaster. Due to the strong willed nature of the members of each clan, these merges are anything but smooth, showing how stubborn minded the Nimidians are in their ways. Most merges are only attempted in order to save multiple clans from destruction but their inability to reconcile each other's ways can lead to their own mutual destruction. In the end the strongest warrior among them will most likely forcibly take leadership of all the clans. Nimidian planets are relatively sparsely populated and very autonomous. The majority of a planets populace can be found living within massive walled citadels dotting the surface of the planet. A Nimidian "citadel" is an enormous and heavily fortified fortress-city that is more than able to sustain itself and raise an army when needed.*

*Each of these citadels is governed by a powerful clanmaster who has gained this position by killing his predecessor in an honor duel. A citadel is where a clan will safeguard its heritage and keep its trophies of war. Due to most of the men spending years away campaigning across the galaxy, women and children are heavily protected within their citadels in order to ensure their clans continue on. Life in a Nimidian citadel tends to follow ancient traditions and faithful routines of prayer and devotion that have gone unchanged for many thousands of years. A citadel is the ancestral home of a Nimidian clan. Though each tribe has one, citadels differ greatly based on their role and the position of their inhabitants. A typical Nimidian state may contain multiple smaller client citadels where the clans inhabiting the state reside, governed by a single major citadel headed by a warlord. The warlord's citadel serves as an assembly house where the elders and clanmasters from the client citadels convene to decide on matters concerning their state.*

*The Citadels main function as a residence for Nimidians to live in and to mate and raise/train their young, the citadel has many common rooms for the average inhabitants, but the elder members of the clan reside in considerably larger living quarters for their higher status. Each citadel has a "saga wall" where the family saga of the clan is written. Although their architecture may vary greatly, citadels are often constructed of with a stone-like material called obsinite. They usually have large courtyards to spar and train. More powerful citadels are set to rule over a certain state on their planet and reap the benefits of the governed area, which may house a number of client citadels with less power than the warlord's citadel; a council of elders from the warlord's own citadel and the client citadels oversee the warlord's actions and help him make decisions. While each citadel is named after the clan inhabiting it, the lesser clans will adopt the name of the state's ruling citadel.*

*If in doubt of the current warlord's leading abilities, the clan elders may attempt to assassinate the warlord. This can be achieved through assassins or doing the job themselves, but should they fail the plotter will be killed instantly and his family expelled or killed depending on the nature of the attack. Rival clans may besiege and take over another's citadel, most likely if the rival clan had a citadel of their own they would gain dominance over the state and either destroy the enemy citadel or have it as a trophy, most notably they may choose to imprison the previous occupants. The citadel will usually be heavily populated by the members of the clan that owns the powerful fortress. Other Nimidians would be chosen for their abilities to train the young, general maintenance, horticulture, and their skill at meal preparation. The most favored wife of a citadel clanmaster or warlord, known as the First Prime, typically holds significant power within the citadel concerning family and bloodline matters. Wearing armor around the citadel is not customary as most of the inhabitants wear non-combat Nimidian tunics or robes.*

*All Nimidians are given extensive combat training and have weapons available in the event they need to take up arms and defend their citadel. A warlord's citadel may have hundreds of guards for the warlord's safety, although the warlord usually removes threats himself to show his battle prowess and that he is a capable leader, for it is believed that a warlord should be chosen for his skill in battle. The warlord himself carries his traditional vanquisher sword and plasma pistol sidearm with him at all times. Citadels make use of powerful shield generators for protection from raiders and anyone else foolish enough to attack them. They are also quipped with gun turrets, anti-air platforms and a number of other defensive weapons in case of a true invasion force. Being built with withstanding a prolonged siege in mind as much as for shelter. Under extreme circumstances, all of the smaller citadels will be abandoned and destroyed so as to deny the enemy any spoils and the population will be brought within the safety the largest citadels.*

*If the main army is defeated in battle, the women and children will be more easily defended from harm within their massive fortress walls until reinforcements can arrive. Much of the surrounding land around these citadels have been converted to vast fields for herding livestock and the growing of winter feed for the animals, or farming planted crops for their own consumption, so as to feed their continuously growing populations. The largest concentration of Nimidians inhabit the  Fortress-Cities. A single fortress-city contains millions of Nimidians and hundreds of clans within its walls, and usually is ruled over by a Nimidian warlord of great renown or a council of elders. The citadels outside of the walls of a fortress-city still fall under the overall authority of the reigning warlord.*

*Clans can be further grouped together to form large "tribes", which are the largest social communities of Nimidians that can be found. A tribe often varies in size considerably; the smallest tribes, for instance, can consist of 4 citadels, while the largest and most powerful powerful tribes can be comprised of over 3,000 citadels scattered across several worlds. These tribes are made up of dozens to possibly hundreds of clans and are ruled over by the strongest among them, the warlord. Warlords are amongst the strongest and most brutal of the Nimidian race, a behemoth that towers over behemoths. They are the most tyrannical leaders of the Nimidian tribes, all of whom are large, musclebound brutes possessed of a raw and savage might that far outshadows that of the rest of their brutish kin. Due to the way Nimidian hierarchies are formed, it is important for a warlord to have absolute control over his tribe, or else it would come into infighting. As such, powerful warlords are often the targets of many honor duels, challenging his right to rule, by many opponents. Killing a warlord does not necessarily mean the dissolution of his tribes and clans, but it does cause the warlord's lieutenants to fight amongst themselves to decide who would be the next warlord.*

*Should a powerful warrior step up to take the position as the new warlord, life within the larger tribe would continue as normal, but these situations are often rare and most usually ends in internal fighting. Without a strong warlord to lead them, the Nimidian tribes of a particular region will then splinter off. Violence simmers beneath the surface of every exchange, each Nimidian seeking every opportunity to enforce his superiority to all others. This domination is enforced with bloody violence, and every Nimidian quickly learns his place under the heel of the tribes warlord. Should any one of their numbers show weakness, the victim will suffer for it, and his position within the tribe will be diminished. It is the warlord's absolute right to rule as he pleases provided that he has the strength of might to back it up. To maintain his position, he has to continually fight off challenges from his many jealous and power-hungry subordinates. He makes a totem pole from the skulls of those he has defeated to prove his right to rule, making his personal banner a morbid record of his deeds and conquests.*

*One day, though, a challenger will come who is stronger, younger and far more vigorous than the current incumbent, and then the warlord's own skull will hang bleeding in the wind from the challenger's totem. From here, this vicious cycle is repeated again and again until time immemorial. The defeated warlord will not be mourned by his tribe or subordinate clans, the way Nimidians see it, such a battle is unrivaled entertainment and the old warlord has received an honorable death, so no hard feelings will exist among them. Fighting between tribes is common and usually concludes with the weaker tribe being absorbed by the victor. Tribes do not always battle and there are occasions when it is advantageous to work together. For example, when the barbaric, fur-clad, shape-changing Rushar last swept through Nimidian territory from their own savage worlds in great numbers, they were repelled by multiple Nimidian tribes who came out to annihilate the marauding invaders, taking their bestial pelts and skulls as trophies.*

*Such great victories are annually celebrated by all the tribes whom took part in the battle, any animosity between them forgotten. At least temporarily. The Nimidians raise and breed many domesticated beasts within their empire for various purposes, ranging from beasts of war and burden to livestock animals meant as a source of sustenance. Quite a few of these beasts of burden are the product of an ancient process of bio-engineering known as "fabrication". An area of scientific advancement which the Nimidians noticeably excel at. However, the beasts most prized by the Nimidians are those which occur naturally upon their extremely dangerous homeworld of Nimhs.*

## *Government & Social Hierarchy*

*The Nimidian Empire is primarily a feudal meritocracy, they do not recognize a class of hereditary nobility, and is built around a mentality of dominance. There is no passing of the torch from generation to generations. Leadership must be taken by force. To gain power, a Nimidian must seize control, proving himself a top fighter and a cunning adversary. Such a coup either ends in failure and certain death at the hands of the existing ruler, or the new leader supplants the current one, often taking his head as a trophy in the process. A group of Nimidians will not cooperate until a single leader has attained dominance through either social maneuvering or brute force. All leaders must be able to best their rivals indisputably by being a better fighter, or more skilled at the task at hand. Anyone who comes out second-best does not hold grudges, and serves their new superior loyally. Nimidian politics is a constant struggle for status, with innumerable variables and competitors that must be tracked and assessed, constantly. They respect strength and self-reliance and are neither surprised nor offended by treachery. Sometimes, when Nimidians disagree, one of them will head-butt the other to show dominance. Nimidians instinctively obey those stronger than themselves, provided they have a healthy set of horns - Nimidians would rather die than bow to a non-Nimidian's will. A Nimidian only needs to be tough, cunning, and ambitious enough to seize power for himself so as to rise through the ranks. The weakling and the fool have no place among them.*

*Nimidians believe heavily in a philosophy that says "you keep what you kill", believing that ending another's life entitles you to their property and position. A Nimidian can thus attain a higher social rank by simply fighting and defeating members of a higher rank. Nimidians have no concept of pity; to them the weak are simply weak, and beneath them. Nothing is simply given in Nimidian society, respect must be earned by testing ones capabilities or earnest struggle in accomplishing a goal. Due to this mentality, the concept of equality is offensive to them. Nimidian society is centered around strength and combat, every Nimidian has a right only to keep what they are strong enough to take and control only those too weak to resist them. Their society is a brutal hierarchy that is only able to function due to a few ingrained traditions. The first is family loyalty, as it helps all members of the clan to survive. Secondly, respect for hierarchy allows weaker members of society to survive since, while they will abuse those weaker than themselves, Nimidians rarely kill those below them unless they are directly challenged.*

*These dominance challenges are an integral part of Nimidian society, each Nimidian faces constant danger from challengers below them and constant reminders of their comparative weakness from those above them. As the consequence for a lost battle is normally death, challengers carefully bide their time waiting for a moment of weakness. This hierarchical structure is so fundamental to Nimidian culture that the very idea of equality seems like madness and Nimidians cannot imagine life in a society where they do not know whom they serve and whom they can abuse. Their warrior culture is extremely patriarchal, with rank measured by success on and off the battlefield. Success is often measured in kills, and a Warlord usually has personally slaughtered thousands of individuals to reach that status. Patricide is an common side effect of the patriarchy due to the ambition seeded within many Nimidians to rise to the top of a hierarchy. Because of their culture being based on the structure of a military hierarchy, changes and advances accepted by the leadership are quickly adopted by the rest of Nimidian society with minimal resistance from the general population. The Nimidians are, first and foremost, a militarily oriented culture and their society, technology and relationships are very much focused on supporting war. This has lead the Nimidians to expand through conquest.*

### *Exquisitely Blooded Great Overlord*

*The Exquisitely Blooded Great Overlord(or simply Overlord) is the highest position attainable by any Nimidian Warlord. Both as a governing figure and a spiritual leader. Among the Nimidian people it is believed that every few centuries there is a mortal champion who is destined for the greatest blessings of their Gods. A living avatar of everything the Nimidians hold dear. Treated as an immortal Godking by his people, the Overlord is the undisputed ruler of the Nimidian race and it is believed by the Nimidians to be blessed by their Gods and ancestors, having been bestowed all of their gifts upon him. As the Overlord is the supreme overall commander of all Nimidians, when he goes to war he brings with him the full might of the Nimidian war machine. Each Great Overlord has traveled a long and perilous road to pre-eminence, a road paved with the broken corpses of less successful aspirants. Regardless of their individual abilities, they are without exception powerful warriors, combining immense physical strength with frightening speed. The Overlord's abilities are enhanced further by gifts from his patron Gods. Seeking ever more glory in the eyes of his deities, a Great Overlord will test his mettle against the most accomplished of warriors, his forbidding challenge echoing across the field. Those brave enough to meet his summons are briefly saluted before being hacked to pieces where they stand, for to stand against a Great Overlord is to invite a sudden and brutal death.*

*Some Great Overlords have lead through brute strength, others through cunning and some were maniacs bent solely on self-aggrandizement. Others are true-believing servants of the Nimidian Empire and possessed a zealous dedication to serving the Nimidian people. A Great Overlord is ultimately always a tyrannical warrior-king. This rank is necessary as inter-and intra-service strife and rivalries between the Nimidian peoples can often make assembling the materials required and cooperating in the field difficult, leaving vast areas of the Nimidian Empire open to attack. This being of supreme authority is not allowed to hold clan loyalties and must work solely for the benefit of all Nimidians. Taking no part in petty squabbles or local conflicts among his people unless they threaten the stability of Nimhs. The rank is not available unless granted by the Conclave of Nimhs, who serve as his advisers and generals, representing his power elsewhere when needed. A non-hereditary role, only a Nimidian deemed worthy can claim the title of Great Overlord, exemplifying the Nimidian meritocracy ideal. When the previous Overlord fell in battle or otherwise stepped down, a Nimidian with both vision and strength could make a claim for the title, but if the Conclave of Nimhs doesn't accept the individual as the new Overlord and recognize his authority, their sole duty is to remove the unsuitable claimant and institute a more favorable leader.*

### *Elder Conclave of Nimhs*

*An empire encompassing 10,000 worlds, the Nimidians are primarily governed by a council of elders located on the Throneworld of Nimhs. Each elder is a living legend of carnage and devastation, and is among the strongest and most powerful of their race. Before becoming elders, they were exceptionally powerful Nimidian Warlords who were recognized as particularly powerful and successful on the field of battle. Possessing inhuman strength and stature, they smash the enemy apart in terrifying displays of raw might, hurling grown men through the air or barging them to the ground before stomping them to death with gore-caked boots. More than once, an Elder warrior has claimed the heads of several worthy foes with a single blow. These elders collectively form the Conclave of Nimhs. The Conclave is a governing body comprised of the twenty highest ranked elders of the most powerful clans within the Nimidian Empire. This body carries out the day-to-day decisions required to govern the Nimidian race. The task of the Conclave is to interpret and enact the laws of the empire and keep the Nimidian people unified under a single governing body. Though the Nimidian Empire is far too vast to be centrally governed, the Conclave ultimately make decisions affecting the lives of billions of people across the galaxy.*

*Above even the Conclave exist the Lord Overlord, the One Rank that cannot be superseded. This ruler is elected by the of council of elders that reside on the Throne World of Nimhs and after a candidate has proven their merit and comes forth claiming the title. If a council elder believes that his vote was "ill advised" or if he "had second thoughts," it was considered a tradition for council elders to initiate some form of attack, such as sending assassins, against the Overlord in order to "test the true merit of the ruler's martial abilities." The belief was that "a Overlord who could not defend himself was not a true leader." Should the attack fail, the responsible elder will be executed immediately, and his family will be killed. However, punishment for this form of heresy is usually flexible. As such, if the elder did something honorable, such as attack the Overlord himself or attempted to make a final stand, then he would have managed to save his family from certain death, although they might still be banished. Within the Nimidian Empire, if a keep was to attack another keep and fail the attacker would have its keep destroyed and its inhabitants slaughtered. However, if successful, a new candidate will be sought. If one could not be found, then the Conclave of Nimhs would rule in his place, acting as regents in the absence of an Exquisitely Blooded Great Overlord.*

### *Warlord*

*The rulers of tribal Nimidian society who claim entire continents and form smaller feudal interstellar empires within the greater Nimidian Empire are the most powerful Nimidians of all. Known among their own kind as simply Warlords, these monstrous killing machines can reach up to 14'0 ft and 15'0 ft in height, their sheer muscular bulk makes them a truly formidable sight on any battlefield. Warlords see safety in war, seeing a nation at peace as a nation breeding cowards to be enslaved. Warlords rule by the Law of the Sword, establishing leadership based upon annual bloody tournaments of battle. Many warlords are clever tacticians, while others are legendary warriors unto themselves. Though they tend to trust the power of their well-trained arms over supernatural powers, Warlords will sacrifice everything to protect their homelands. They train in strong armor, with an assortment of weapons, and view scars as badges of honor. Though many Warlords rise to prominence through cunning, most seize power through the application of brute force.*

*This is done usually by challenging the current Warlord to a duel; the victor claims the title after executing the other. Thus, the title of "Warlord" changes frequently, and loyalty between the Warlord and his subordinates, while valued within the tenets of their honor code, is conditional at best. However, for as long as he is strong enough to enforce his will, the Warlord rules his domain and all within it like his own little empire. A Warlord will hold dominion over all he surveys, and beat the life out of anyone who says different. His decisions are enforced by a ruling caste of Nimidians known as Honored, who are larger, and more aggressive than normal Nimidians, and never miss an opportunity to remind them of it. These powerful individuals are relatively cunning and exceedingly powerful warriors, having fought and pummeled his way through his tribe's hierarchy by winning battles and killing every challenger that would dare to defy his brutal rule. Equipped with powerful weapons and armor, these brutish warriors are near unstoppable upon the battlefield.*

*A Warlord is most often the biggest and strongest individual in a hulking race that prides itself on these very same physical features. They carry themselves with swaggering confidence, reveling in their own superiority. Their thick skulls are crowned with magnificent sets of horns as sharp and hard as any blade, and their robust and heavily-muscled bodies are covered with scar tissue and tribal tattoos. The threat of violence is implicit in their every gesture. A Warlord commands such an impressive aura that he can call upon hundreds of thousands of warriors from numerous clans. When battle is joined, the Warlord leads his armies from the front, usually accompanied by a retinue of his most vicious Honored. Experts in single combat, they seek out the leaders of the enemy armies, taking brutal satisfaction in smashing the warriors of lesser races into the dirt and taking their heads as grisly trophies. By slaying the leaders and strongest warriors of the foe the Warlord not only proves his supremacy over lesser races but also is believed to have gained the notice of their gods and ancestors. Warlords use boastful titles in addition to their given names, indicating particular accomplishments during their ascent to the throne. Few would dare to cross a Warlord. The price for such insolence is a swift, bloody and very public death.*

### *Honored*

*Second in authority to the Warlord are the fearsome Honored warriors. These Nimidians are larger and more ferocious than the average Nimidian warrior but smaller than and subservient to a Nimidian Warlord. The average Nimidian Honored stands a good head taller and two shoulders wider than the average Nimidian Warrior. They weigh almost twice as much, and all of that extra weight is granite hard muscle. Since much of Nimidian culture is based on the idea that it is the right and indeed duty of the strong to oppressively rule the weak, stronger Nimidians such as the Honored are accorded higher status within society. Serving as enforcers, the Honored are never above reminding those around them of who's in charge by making a few bloody examples. This could involve hacking up some suitably impressive foes, or knocking a few fractious Nimidians senseless. The Honored aren't too fussy, just so long as it gets the message across. Whether forming a menacing bodyguard around their Warlord, or lording it over their peers, Honored are a force to be reckoned with. Their armor is usually festooned with trophies, their flesh crisscrossed with impressive scars, earned while killing their way through strings of brutal wars.*

*Many Honored also outfit themselves with a very visible token of their position, be it a large pair of horns, taken from a defeated rival, or ornately decorated armor, covered in hieroglyphs. Like the Warlord, Honored rise to their station through martial prowess and killing challengers. An Honored that fights and wins quickly gains the respect, and often fear, of his clan, which allows the Honored to gain power and status. An Honored is usually the Clanmaster of a very powerful and prestigious clan. Because of their status and fighting prowess, Honored tend to rule large strongholds. In battle, much like more powerful Warlords, Honored lead from the front, inspiring their warriors in combat by example of their ruthlessness and brutality. Their avarice and savagery is nearly unmatched, and wherever they go, battle is sure to follow. Wearing powerful suits of power armor, Honored are extremely dangerous opponents. A direct hit from a tank round is unlikely to do more than knock a fully armored Honored over, worsening his foul temper. For many, the only chance of surviving an encounter with such a powerful adversary is to outrun him. Should a Warlord fall or be otherwise slain outside of an honor duel, his Honored quickly fall upon one another in bloody melee until one stands victorious and takes the mantle of Warlord for himself.*

### *Clanmaster*

*Although the Warlord is the dominant commander of his own small empire, he is not the only authority within that region. Nimidians are usually split into countless clans which vary greatly in size and that in turn are led by factional leaders called Clanmasters. Each of these Clanmasters is the head of a familial lineage of Nimidians and rules over his kin with an iron fist. In exchange for their oaths of fealty and friendship, the Warlord grants these loyal clans lands. Clanmasters are the absolute masters of their lands, but are expected to be subservient to their Warlord, who tend to punish disobedience with swift and terrible retribution. Should a Warlord die outside of the parameters of a proper honor duel and thus leaves no one to succeed him, the Clanmasters will invariably fight a savage contest to determine who shall succeed him. Whilst it is expected that Clanmasters are utterly loyal to the Warlord, it is also expected that in times of weak leaders that a strong Clanmaster will slay his lord and take the mantle of the Warlord for himself. Many Clanmasters tend to be great champions among their people, though they are generally not as individually deadly as Warlords. They are nonetheless terrifying forces to behold on the battlefield. A Nimidian Clanmaster is not only an exceptional fighter but also a merciless conqueror. A great leader and strategist, his sheer force of will binds legions of warriors and beasts alike to his service.*

*Each Clanmaster's name is spoken in hushed whispers across the worlds of Humankind, his violent deeds written in the blood of his enemies. There also exist among Clanmasters highly powerful and exceptional individuals who rule over large and powerful fortress cities of the Nimidian Empire. They command massive armies, able to bring to bear countless warriors when the need arises. Celebrated champions of the Nimidian race, the Clanmasters of the Nimidian Empire are amongst the most deadly warriors in the entire galaxy, and prove the legends of their might in war time and time again. All Clanmasters are invariably victors of trials-by-combat where all claimants to the title battle each other in order to determine who among them is the greatest warrior and thus the most worthy to rule. Some of the oldest and longest serving Clanmasters are known to sit upon thrones decorated with the bones of those foolish enough to challenge their rule. As the dominant male of the clan, a Clanmaster will frequently sire a host of strong offspring -- the children of the largest Nimidians usually grow to maximum size as well. Thus it is not uncommon for a successful Clanmaster to have killed several of his own sons in honor duels over the centuries.*

### *First Prime*

*An exceptionally fierce and powerful Nimidian warrior, such as the mighty Warlords, will often possess dozens of loyal wives and concubines who attend to his personal affairs and the maintaining of his stronghold. This polygamous system has lead to the creation of a complex social, ritualistic hierarchy in and of itself. Among the many wives and concubines of a very prominent Nimidian Warlord exist the rank of First Prime. A First Prime is the title of a high ranking Nimidian males foremost and most favored wife. The amount of power a First Prime may exercise can vary greatly: some First Primes merely act on the orders of their husband, whereas others take a much more nuanced and active role in the affairs of their mate. A First Prime can command armies and effectively run her husband's domain in his absence. The final task and mission of a First Prime to her lord-husband is the avenging of his death if he were to be dishonorably killed, such as poisoning which Nimidians view as a cowards weapon. Being lured into a trap is acceptable so long as the assailant kills him in honorable melee combat. She is also the overall spiritual leader of a Nimidian keep. Young girls are trained in the household, and are taught how to keep the domestic religious shrines.*

*Women being associated with the ritual practice of religion, primarily the Crimson Mother, as well as the beliefs themselves, they spend much of their adolescence involved in religious rituals and ceremonies. In military matters a First Prime will hold the status of overall senior commander in the absence of her husband or the Elders who advise him. Because of this she will most often be a veteran warrior of many hundreds of battles who has risen to her position through a combination of strong leadership, and shrewd tactical genius. Also, in order to obtain such a favored position, an aspiring First Prime must not only dominate all of her potential rivals into submission, but has to spend much of her time perfecting the skills of sexual intercourse so as to please her dominant mate and Warlord. Many First Prime are groomed from a young age to pursue and seduce the highly sought after Nimidian Warlords. Though she is ostensibly answerable to the Warlord she has married and her clan Elders, a First Prime's considerable knowledge of battle inevitably holds sway concerning military matters and grants her much respect. The other wives, concubines, and women in general act more as subordinates to the First Prime's will, aiding her with the day-to-day running of the stronghold and overseeing all who live within. They will act as her trusted administrative liaisons and she may even lead a warbond into combat if the situation demands it.*

### *Enforcers*

*Enforcers are Nimidians that hold a special ranking within Nimidian culture. Unlike other Nimidians, that seek battle for worthy enemies and glory of combat, Enforcers hold the position of hunting down rogue Nimidians that have disgraced their honor code and putting an end to their existence. Enforcers can essentially be seen as a police force of sorts, ensuring that those who break the honor code are swiftly put to justice. A collection of the most experienced and seasoned Nimidian troops from the previous war, they compromise the Nimidian elite warrior class. Utilizing powerfully reinforced powered combat armor and typically armed with the devastating Fuel Rod Cannons, Enforcers are some of the most intimidating and formidable Nimidian warriors that can be encountered. Unparalleled among their brethren for their skill at arms, Enforcers will stop at nothing, not even the eradication of billions of lives, in order to achieve their goals. To an Enforcer, killing is a science. Even unarmed they are extremely skilled and dangerous fighters, focusing on developing clean, brute-force economy of motion that exploits their brutal strength to incapacitate enemies with a swift single blow of overwhelming power. However, above even them are the Adjudicators, whom act as judge, jury and often executioner to those who violate the decrees passed by the Conclave of Nimhs or the Exquisitely Blooded Overlord.*

### *Adjudicators*

*Cruel and without mercy, the Lord Adjudicators have always been the highest favored within the Nimidian Military, all within their ranks being warriors of legend. As the most fervent adherents to the Nimidian honor code, Lord Adjudicators are often viewed as ruthless warmongers, even within the context of the Nimidian culture. In combat, they employ lethal special-operations weapons, equipment and experience in the field. Being such fearsome warriors, they often operate on the front lines and possess considerable battlefield experience, having killed countless enemies of the Nimidian Empire before attaining their post. They command entire armies of Enforcers, warbond strength or greater. Unlike Human generals, Adjudicators take a much more active role in combat, as in charging into the battle with their troops rather than giving orders from an area away from the ongoing conflict. They are in charge of all warriors within that army, as well as all armor, battle automata, air support, and war-materials utilized for the duration of the conflict and their authority is never questioned. They sweet across worlds in pursuit of their query, leaving destruction in their wake.*

### *Order of The Divine Brides*

*Within the Nimidian empire there is the revered Order of The Divine Brides and they are one of the few instances of a matriarchal system being practiced by Nimidians. A very powerful and ancient religious order of women, they are a subdivision of the Nimidian empire that deals with telepathic communication through women born with special mental abilities, primarily in military communications. As a result of their telepathic skills the Nimidians have a fast and safe communication in deep space. These women are chosen as young girls to devote their lives to the service of their empire and all of them are potent psychics, better known as Quasi. The Divine Brides are gifted with tremendous psychic powers and as a result, many young, untrained Quasi suffer nightmares and are attuned to the negative emotions of the people around them. They can cause people to have vivid nightmares, sudden mood changes, and delusions as a means of psychically attacking them. Stronger, or just more experienced Quasi are capable of linking their mind with others during a Synchronicity Event, in which they are able to use that person as a "vessel" to take action. A Quasi can read and probe the mind of any human being and can hemorrhage the brain of anyone whose mind they are reading. Their temples are considered sacred and males are not permitted within them unless invited by the Divine Brides or given permission by a high ranking member of the Nimidian leadership.*

*However, being mostly an autonomous organization, this permission can be revoked by a Divine Bride of sufficient rank if they so chooses. Only an order from the Conclave of Nimhs or the Great Overlord is exempt from this. Although being highly spiritual, the priestesses take decrees from the homeworld, and especially a Great Overlord, as nearly divine and persecute them with fanatical zeal. The Divine Brides also play a role in the choosing of a Overlord by divining whether he is the chosen of the Gods for the Conclave of Nimhs, giving them a great deal of political influence and power within Nimidian society. Male Quasi, more rare, are also taken in by the Divine Brides upon their discovery for specialized training. Males raised within the Order are formed into warbonds of specialized warriors, wherein their abilities will be very closely monitored. These Orders are lead by High Priestesses of immense psychic power and arcane wisdom, having obtained expert mastery over the use of magic. Even Nimidian Warlords pay the High Priestesses a measure of respect. On occasions of particular peril, often heralded by terrible prophetic dreams of the future, the High Priestess of an Order will rouse the Warlords and Venerable Elders of the tribes, or even the Exquisitely Blooded Overlord himself, readying them for war.*

*The High Priestesses will accompany these armies, defended by a retinue of Warrior Priestesses called Furies, lending her unearthly powers toward the protection of those fighting in the name of the Nimidian Empire. Their legendary fury is greatly feared, and their piercing eyes crackle with power, inspiring terror and awe in friend and foe alike. They have been known to draw lightning from the sky to strike at enemies, and slay with but a wrathful glance. It is also common for High Priestesses to seek out powerful Warlords as both their protectors and husbands. The Divine Brides are entirely composed of women, with men having no roles in the Divine Brides' lives other than that of husband. They are trained to be fanatical, disciplined, and extremely effective with their abilities. In marriage, Divine Brides often seek out the strongest and most established warriors with whom to breed, especially those with a history of Quasi abilities. And although subordinate to their husband, usually a high ranking Warlord of renowned prowess, their duties as a Divine Bride still take precedent. An important role maintained by the Divine Brides is that it is their sisterhood who allows the Nimidian Empire to traverse the galaxy safely.*

*Divine Brides are responsible for guiding space-faring ships through the mine-field of gravitational obstacles and arcane energies that lay between a ship and a planetary destination. They accomplished this feat by using their specially honed psychic abilities to see across vast distances of space. The existence of Chaos Stars have made the galaxy a perilous place to navigate at the best of times and one in ten ships who attempt the crossing without a Quasi never reach their desired destination. However, through their senses, a Divine Brides is able to plot safe courses for ships across vast distances of space by peering across time, and determining unsafe routes before a journey actually takes place. Each Nimidian fleet is given at least twenty Divine Brides, which has become a permanent rule for the Order of The Divine Brides. The Divine Brides are highly valued and large numbers of them are never put at risk. Divine Brides are outfitted with cybernetics to aid them and enhance their already formidable powers. Utilizing a cerebral plug located at the base of the skull, the Divine Brides are able to link their minds into a ship, transforming their brains into living computers and using their vast psychic powers to guide whole fleets. Were it not for the power of the Divine Brides, the Nimidian Empire would crumble into warring, fractious tribes once more. They also serve as oracles to their local warlords, divining future events for him when called upon. This is an exceptionally rare occurrence due to the Nimidians belief in a philosophy that says "what will be will be". The many covens of the Divine Brides are also responsible for the mummification of the dead, completing this process before placing them inside of a sarcophagus made of a black stone-like material. '*

### *Ranking System*

*Nimidian society operates a class or ranking system, nominally based on an individual's combat experience and prowess. About 25% of male Nimidians are Tributes. This means that the individual has made no distinguishable kills. Once a Nimidian kills their first worthy target, usually a formidable warrior from another clan or enemy faction, and collects its head as a trophy, they become true Blooded-Warriors. Tributes are typically adolescent or teenage Nimidians sent on their rite of passage to kill a worthy foe or survive on their own in an extremely hostile environment for a predetermined amount of time. About 45% of male Nimidians are Blooded-Warriors. These are warriors who have successfully engaged in combat and thereby passed into adulthood. Blooded-Warriors are granted access to more advanced weaponry denied to Tributes. About 10% of male Nimidians are Venerable Elders, Nimidians who have fought their time and now are too old and honored for war. Since very few males ever live long enough to become Venerable, females commonly come under this section due to their roles as mothers and the administrative driving force behind their homeworlds.*

*Because few male Nimidians live long enough to become Venerable, those that do are highly respected. Clan Elders are only selected from among the most experienced and venerable warriors of a Nimidian Clan and are chosen by the decision of the Clanmaster. The only way to become eligible for selection as a Clan Elder is to wipe out an entire Orog tribe larger than three hundred members with a maximum of two other Nimidians. When this has been proven, the surviving Nimidians all become Clan Elders. In order to be eligible for the trials of an Orog Cleansing, each member of the trio must have at least six Gorger War-Chieftain skull trophies. Clan Elders comprise 5% of the Nimidians society. Badbloods are criminal Nimidians who have been sentenced to death and escaped. The Nimidian justice system shows that crime is very low. About 2% of Nimidians are badbloods. However, this can mostly be attributed to their belief that if a leader cannot enforce his "laws" then there is no crime. Apprentices are honorable non-Nimidians taken by Nimidians to learn their ways. Often these individuals are made full members of a Clan at the end of this apprenticeship. Although all Nimidians are raised as warriors, not all of them dedicate their lives solely to combat. Some attend to matters of the mind instead of the glory of the war. Also, few of them have ever been seen, indicating they are uncommon or even rare. Still, when called upon even these Nimidian "philosophers" will answer.*

*Other exclusively military ranks include that of Fieldmaster, who are given command of ground side forces in the direct occupation of or assault upon enemy territory. Each is charged with leading hundreds or even thousands of troops into battle, and multiple Fieldmasters will coordinate with each other during large-scale campaigns. While their primary specialization is field command, they are also extremely lethal in combat and will personally lead their troops on the front lines. Battlemasters are the leaders of warbonds and take the position of field commander. Centuries of combat gained from time spent throughout the various ranks of the warbond have taught him valuable lessons in the art of war, trained him in the various facets of military strategy and honed his martial instincts to the level of near pre-cognizance. Being such ferocious combatants, tempers among Nimidian warriors often seethed, slights perceived or real are met with anger and more often than not violence would result should a Nimidian's sense of honor be impugned.*

*Any Battlemaster of a Nimidian warbond knows they are expected to back up their authority by force if needed, and the punishment of infractors by the Battlemaster's own hands is the Nimidians way. To disobey a Battlemasters order in battle is a death sentence to be carried out without delay. Trial by combat is the Nimidians preferred route for settling disagreements within its ranks. Here also could one of higher rank be challenged for the right of command within a warbond, and although rare such contests are always to the death. For there is no place within a Nimidian warbond for two commanders. Fleetmaster is a very high and prestigious rank within the Nimidian Navy. Fleetmasters command task forces and small fleets. Whenever a small fleet is needed for any mission away from the entirety of the Covenant Navy, a Fleet master will be assigned and given command of several warships for the mission. Since Fleetmasters are of such a high rank, they may also command an entire fleet. Shipmaster is both a term the Nimidian use to describe anyone or anything in charge of a single ship as well as an actual office in the Nimidian navy. As described by their title, Nimidian Shipmasters often command a single Nimidian Starship. Mutinies for the title of shipmaster could take place on Nimidian ships. In typical Nimidian fashion, after killing the previous Shipmaster the victor is presented with the title.*

## *Military Capabilities & Organizations*

*Since the days of their creation, the Nimidians have been at the forefront of the battle for the Mortal Realms survival. Their armies are anchored by savage warriors spawned for the sole purpose of war and augmented with titanic reptilian beasts whose tread shakes the earth. From deep within the terrifying depths of Phyrr Space, the Nimidians sound the drums of war while gargantuan creatures from a primordial past bellow their bloodlust. From fortress cities and overgrown ruins, they issue forth to defend their ancient civilization or to unleash their cold-blooded savagery upon the galaxy. Merciless and relentless, the Nimidians will not stop until all their foes are dead and the entirety of Phyrry Space re-ordered according to their ancient plan. A Nimidian warbond deployed for battle is a formidable sight. A screen of nimble skirmishers spreads out first, followed by rank after rank of merciless warriors. They are guided by the mightiest of their warlords, whom are battle-scarred veterans who will fight to the bitter end. In the air above, winged beasts screech, while out of the jungles stomp hulking reptilian monsters; pitiless, savage creatures of an elder age.*

*These warriors are supported by elite formations of close combat specialists and professional century old veterans known as The Honored. The infantry is supported by numerous vehicle formations of well drilled crewmen, and small units of bombers support them from the clouds above. Like a sledgehammer, the Nimidian military is almost unstoppable in conventional warfare. The Nimidian way of war is direct and brutal, where the infantry is expected to enter into honorable close combat during the battle, after brief and savage fire-fights, where blade and Nimidian muscle could do its work. They are also supported by small detachments of female warriors called Bloodwives, who operate inside the scout regiments and have access to active camouflage. Vast infantry charges into enemy gun lines and kill zones are entirely reasonable course of action for the Nimidian war machine as killing a single one of their number requires considerable effort. Nimidian infantry is almost entirely immune to small arms fire, requiring the strongest of such weapons to do them any lasting harm. Their millennia old tactic and warrior traditions, to this day, still holds an impressive success rate.*

*Nimidians are monstrous superhuman warriors encased in spellforged power armored suits etched with potent glyphs of arcane power and carrying ancient but extremely powerful weaponry. They are masters of sword and gun, their skills honed by decades of training and centuries of never ending warfare. Their race has been formed from the chaos and destruction of the battlefield. They care only for war. Nimidians are natural killers and are capable slaughtering small armies almost single-handedly. A Nimidian struck down in battle will only rise and continue to fight while ignoring mortal wounds through pure rage and force of will until not even indomitable willpower can keep their hearts beating. Nimidians only understand a concept of "total war." They do not believe in skirmishes or small-scale battles; they use massive numbers and overwhelming force to defeat an adversary so completely that they remove any threat of having to fight the same opponent more than once. In battle the powerful armies of the Nimidian Empire prefer to operate as a whole, or at least in as few divisions of their forces as possible in any given theater of war, concentrating and thereby maximizing their destructive power.*

*This strategy has allowed the Nimidians to excel at siegecraft and in combat against technologically superior opponents, which they can overwhelm by sheer weight of numbers if need be. All-out infantry assaults supported by fast moving armor, with the aim of immediately closing into bloody melee with the foe has always been a hallmark of the Nimidians. This does not mean that the Nimidians lack ability and competency in ranged engagements, but for the Nimidians such things are a tactical means to an end. That end being successfully delivering the killing force of Nimidian warriors where they could inflict the most harm and come to grapple with their foe at close quarters. On the battlefield Nimidians often times eschewed any form of combat that does not allow them to rapidly get to grips with their enemies as fast as possible. The Nimidians charge their enemies with reckless aggression, regardless of any damage they sustain; only very seldom do they admit temporary defeat. They would hurl themselves at the enemy without heed of loss or cost.*

*Nimidians are savage fighters who revel in the bloodiest hand-to-hand fighting they can find. While the Nimidians do wield guns, it is considered more honorable to use melee weapons. The Nimidians are known to take pleasure in testing their skills against worthy foes, decapitating these enemies in honorable combat, covering their heads in gold and keeping them as trophies. Nimidian warriors will adorn the gold plated heads of defeated foes as decorations for their armor and weapons, present them as gifts to his wives and concubines or a woman the warrior wishes to court, and keep them as a remembrance of their past glories. The Nimidians are very prideful and confident warriors with hundreds of years of training and fighting under their belts, powerful armor, and devastating weaponry at their disposal. They are conspicuous on the battlefield, inspiring fear in the hearts of their countless enemies. They do not take cover, they do not hide behind things to take pot-shots at their enemies. Nimidian warriors will seek to engage their foes out in the open. However, despite the Nimidians tendency to blindly charge into battle, they are far from mindless in warfare, employing cunning and resourcefulness to win just as much as sheer brutality and mercilessness.*

*Veterans of countless battles, Nimidian commanders are expert tacticians and generals, laying down tactics and controlling the battle with but a few words. They are masters of every tactic that leads to the spilling of blood, violently engaging enemies with unhinged ferocity and brilliant strategy. The assumption that the Nimidians are little more than mindless brutes is a mistake that very few of their enemies live long enough to make twice. Their battlemasters and warlords are fully capable of strategic thought and comprehension, demonstrating this in battle.*

*The Nimidians will deploy a vanguard to pin their enemies in combat, then use fast armor units to encircle them to ensure there can be no escape before bringing in the full weight of their potent firepower, formidable warbeasts and devastatingly powerful war engines to crush their foes without mercy. The Nimidian commanders will also combine all arms in flexible balanced battle groups, each of which can present an opponent with a diversity of threats, then press their attack so swiftly that the foe is overwhelmed before they can react. The Nimidians are competent tacticians, known for their ferocity and decisive thinking. Most often utilizing strategies that emphasizes heavy weapons and heavy armor, soldier to soldier, no other organized army in the galaxy can match the Nimidians in terms of raw brute force. However, the Nimidians will employ complex strategy only if it either improves success on the field of battle, or it allows them to inflict considerably more casualties on their enemies.*

*The Nimidian warriors are specialists in short-range firefights and melee combat. They also prefer to utilize ancient Nova and Devastator weapons. Individual warbonds often ingeniously modify standard-issue equipment to suit their own needs during battle, resulting in war engines bristling with bolted-on weaponry the original designer never dreamed of including. In ship-to-ship combat, even when having the advantage of long range weaponry, the Nimidians prefer to maneuver in close in an attempt to board their opponent's vessel. Again emphasizing their fanatical reverence for close quarters combat above all else, even while engaged in naval warfare. Disciplined, professional and utterly ruthless, those inducted into the Nimidian school of warfare are without mercy on the battlefield. Known and feared as the very best warriors of Phyrr Space, their bouts are spectacles of terrifying skill and absolute precision. Trained to wield innumerable weapons and clad in intricately designed spellplate power armor, a Nimidian warrior is a consummate killer of men.*

*Those who are able to survive centuries of endless war become the most feared champions, great leaders and merciless generals the galaxy has ever seen. Though the Nimidians have a well deserved reputation for their ferocity in battle, they are also known to fight honorably and pride themselves on their savage fury and boundless courage above all else. To the Nimidian peoples, life itself is seen as a war, a conflict that will never cease from cradle to grave and the Nimidian military is this concept in its purest form. Failure in battle is not tolerated, surrender is never countenanced and mercy is a quick death delivered to a foe that has fought with bravery. Cowards themselves deserve no more than savage butchery in reward for their fear. This simple but resolutely brutal code of war is an important aspect of the Nimidian article of faith and they extend it to both their own number and that of their enemy.*

*Such honors that the Nimidian war machine believes in are warrior-marks of brotherhood and the scars of battle, for these things transcend rank and speak to the worth of the Nimidian warrior beneath the armor. The sundered chains of one who had fought against overwhelming odds and survived, an allusion that speaks to the entirety of the Nimidian peoples own troubled history, and the bloody hand print over the face or heart bestowed by a Battlemaster for a warrior whose fury has transcended that of his brothers, to the Nimidians these meant more than any mere bauble, title or trinket. The Nimidians know their enemies are many and powerful, and their struggles are difficult, and as such every Nimidian warrior is prepared to die. They don't fear death and have confidence that, after having served their ancestors and the empire so faithfully, their entrance into the afterlife will be granted. If a Nimidian avoided death, it wasn't out of fear for his life, but because he knows his death would give the enemy an advantage in battle. Due to centuries of near constant warfare with countless enemies, the Nimidian people have perfected the bloody art of war. Nimidians are very territorial, and in their opinion there is no such thing as an insignificant corner of Nimidian territory.*

### *Warbonds*

*Every Nimidian warrior is part of a Warbond, a gathering of warriors many thousands strong. They are raised together in Commons from boyhood to adulthood. Most often numbering between five and ten thousand warriors, although this is not always the case, every Warbond is a mighty army in its own right. As the largest, most numerous and the most tactically flexible military formation, they form the main battle line, the heart and soul of the Nimidian warhost. So long as the Warbonds prevail, victory is assured. As war ever beckons across all of the Mortal Realms, Nimidian warriors are often required to be deployed in many different places simultaneously. The composition of these forces is dependent upon the scale of the task at hand, an entire Warbond or several might be required to lay low a vast enemy stronghold. More frequently, however, these individual Warbonds are hurled into combat, sent to welcome the many enemies of the Nimidian Empire alone. Although these too can be divided into smaller fighting formations to carry out specific actions. A Warbond is sub divided into dozens of "Spears". These Spears are the smallest tactical formation employed by the heavily brute force oriented Nimidian warmachine, small enough to maintain flexibility and maneuverability, but powerful enough to confront most threats.*

*An important fighting component of a Nimidian army, Spears are semi-autonomous formations equally able to fight independently or in combination with other forces. At full strength, a Spear may have as many as five hundred Nimidian warriors, certainly a force to be reckoned with and more than capable of delivering a telling blow to any they oppose. The Spears are able to perform many different battlefield roles, and this is reflected in their composition. They can act as the Warbonds eyes and ears, fast and maneuverable, often the first to confront the enemy. They use their superior mobility to harass the enemy and thin their ranks in preparation for an assault by their Warbond. When battle is properly joined, they can be swiftly deployed to strike wherever they are most needed. They thin the enemy’s ranks and strike at enemy commanders. The Honored Spears of a Clan's Warbond are the best of the best, an elite reserve consisting of the most veteran retinues, the mightiest of all of the Nimidians warriors. Wherever the fighting is thickest, there are found the Honored Spears, the strongest of their Warbond. Unflinching and relentless, these are the Nimidian Empire's hardiest fighters. Bane of their foes, each the worth of a dozen lesser warriors, there is no enemy they cannot face. All Warbonds have a command structure consisting of the Battemaster and his lieutenants. Though some Nimidians leave, change, or lose their Warbonds, these strong bonds usually leave an extremely deep impact on them; a Nimidian changing Warbonds must prove themselves in war and fit in quickly if they are to survive.*

*Over time, as Nimidian Warbonds take casualties and gain experience, they pass through the ranks, and eventually the last few survivors make it into the vaunted ranks of the Honored. However, sometimes a warbond will suffer particularly harsh casualties, leaving a lone survivor who has not yet earned a place among the elite Honored warriors. These last standing veterans will take on an air of vengeance and doom, determined to regain the honor of their fallen Warbond in combat or die trying. Those who succeed in their quests to seek out and slay dangerous or potent enemies and survive are accepted among the Honored, while the rest have at least earned an honorable death in combat like their brothers. Honored Warbonds form a cadre of veteran warriors within a Clan. venerable, proud and wise, they are endowed with two pairs of horns - one big and one small one. After centuries of ceaseless wars, their esteem stands as a mountain, commanding awe and respect from those of lesser years. There are relatively few Honored Warbonds within a Clan, for many warriors die in battle so only a minority survive to reach a venerable age. These veteran warriors are disciplined and steady even in the heat of battle, and hence entrusted with their Warbonds heaviest weapons. Having fought and survived so many wars the Honored Warbonds are rarely unsettled even by the most serious set-back.*

*There are many accounts within a Clan's history that recount the many deeds of the stalwart Honored Warbonds who have held the field against overwhelming odds, even after all others have been slain, fearlessly fighting to the bitter end. They have access to the best suits of spellplate Power Armor and the most advanced wargear available to the Clan. Adorned in ornately crafted Power Armor and weilding devastating weaponry, Honored Warbonds wade through the battlefield in search of the thickest fighting, their war cries ringing loud through the clangor. They find endless satisfaction in dispatching the enemies of the Nimidian Empire, with the largest hordes and most terrifying monstrosities giving them the greatest joy. Yet they are not impetuous or hot-headed like the younger warriors who fight to prove themselves, and their crushing advances are not made merely for the purpose of personal glory. The hammer blow of an Honored Warbond's charge is carefully aimed to smash enemy formations, thus creating openings for other Nimidian warriors to pick off the fractured remnants. Only when their brothers are sharing in the violence do the Honored allow themselves to truly revel in the fighting by unleashing endless storms of fire upon the foe. Some Honored completely eschew the use of 'long-ranged' guns and instead march to battle armed solely with Vanquisher melee weapons so as to engage the enemy up close.*

### *Warchieftains*

*Nimidian Warchieftains are proven veteran warriors who’ve seen countless battles and are entrusted by their Warlords and Clanlords to lead detachments of other warriors against their enemies. Typically, Warchieftains bear many strange tattoos, ritual scars, and most, if not all, are towering mountains of muscle and possessing equally magnificent horns, showing they have the favor of the Horned God. To lead those sworn to Uzkul is never easy; to lead Nimidians sworn to the god of war takes a brutal ferocity and savage charisma that is almost impossible to describe. A warcheiftain must take a band of savage, bloodthirsty barbarians and point them all in the same direction. A warchieftain begins his day with rites rededicating himself to the gods, ancestors and spirits, before surveying his warbond. He will make sure that everything is ready for the day’s activities, which will generally be a) marching to a place of slaughter, and/or b) slaughtering. He will also have to deal with any challengers to his position. While some will try (and fail) to kill him in his sleep, most would-be warchieftains prefer to fight in the open, to show all of their soon-to-be followers their prowess.*

*If a week goes by without a serious challenge, the warchieftain might begin to fear something is wrong; if his followers are too complacent and willing to obey, they are not truly infused with the power of their gods. If it is a good day, there will be battle – a settlement to overrun, or a wilderness fortress to seize and burn. Blood will flow – that of the foe, that of his own band, it's all good – and if the warchieftain is victorious, he has brought glory to his tribe and clan. Warchieftains take great pride in their scars, tattoos and, especially, horns. When two warchieftains meet, unless it is in direct battle, they will spend some time comparing these things, bragging about how they acquired them, and so on. To have identical or similar patterns to another warchieftain is a great insult, and violence will inevitably erupt. As Nimidians often make war on one another, atrocities are common. In the course of their pillaging, warchietains leave behind tragic reminders of their passing in the form of children born to the women they ravished, who come into the world tainted with the blood of an enemy tribe. Many of these are killed by their parents, but a few manage to grow to adulthood.*

### *Beastlords*

*All of the varied ferocious creatures and fabricated warbeast utilized by the Nimidian warmachine are raised and tamed by a caste of specially trained Nimidians known as the Beastlords. Since the distant days of the Nimidians history, the feared warrior race have been experts at bending beasts and animals to their will. However, some show exceptional aptitude in this, and can command even the unruliest beasts with a single word. They are the famed Beastlords. When a child shows the Quasi of taming animals he is sent to a Commons specially geared toward honing this skill, to study under the masters who dwell there and eventually undergo the painful process of becoming Soulbonded to a powerful Warbeast. Beastlords will gladly accompany Nimidian war parties into the realms of their enemies, driving their beasts into a bloodlust using whips and lures. Acting as line breakers and super heavy shock units, also called the Arvaarad, they ride atop Saurians and command them during an assault.*

*As formidable as a Nimidian Warrior is, when mounted upon an armored venom spitting Hydra or fire breathing Tyrant Saurian, he becomes nigh unstoppable. As these blood-crazed warriors bellow their battle cries, their even more fearsome mounts snort steam and paw out divots the size of shallow graves before stampeding towards the ranks of their enemy and flattening anything in their way. The warriors themselves are no less brutal, hacking their opponents apart with axes and cleavers, or else running them through with jagged lances. Often, a Beastlord will ride into battle upon a heavily armored mount festooned with icons and pennants fashioned from the broken remains of those they have ground beneath their wake, grisly trophies proclaiming his many victories and allegiance to their gods, primarily Bajnoc. These Nimidians are notorious for the ferocity of their attacks. The spellforged armor on the fronts of their steeds allow them to trample hundreds of enemies without fear.*

*Their sole purpose is to deliver an unstoppable force to a weak point in the enemy battle line, smashing apart those before them and scattering the rest in panic and disarray. Few foes can muster the courage required to stand before the rumbling charge of one of these murderous war beast, and those foolish enough to do so are torn apart by monstrous horns, cut to pieces by keen-edged blades, or crushed into the earth beneath them. Dunk on their own blood lust, these merciless brutes strike their prey with such shocking force that those not impaled upon jutting armor spikes are savagely torn to pieces by the impact. The Arvaarad attacks with such ferocity that when they have gathered pace nothing short of a fortress wall can halt their charge. Even the lowliest of foes recognize the bulky shape of a Nimidian Beastlord atop an armored Warbeast or weilding the chains of all manner of unnatural monstrosities as synonymous with a brutal death.*

### *Doomlords*

*Nimidians are capable of utilizing cybernetic technology to save lives, and bolster their warriors' combat prowess. This has given rise to the Doomlords. As a Nimdian advances in age and their body begins the slow process of petrification, there are many elders who do not look fondly upon this fate and so choose to become a Doomlord. Usually, this procedure takes place near the end of their extremely long lives, when most of their body has become petrified, they will then have their brain and spinal column extracted and placed within a glyph inscribed, spellforged container before being entombed with a cybernetic war engine. The body of these venerable elders are entombed within a s*arcophagus *and treated as the Nimidians would any other deceased clan brother. Being created from the brain and spinal column of a venerable elder Nimidian who chose this fate over turning to stone, each Doomlord is treated with the upmost respect. These ancient warriors seek death in battle above all else and will charge heedlessly toward any enemy so as to achieve this goal. A Doomlord is literally the strongest force on the battlefield, a single one of these cybernetic monstrosities is capable of downing an entire army and laying waste to all in his path. Doomlords are equipped with Sarcophagus Power Armor, the single strongest suit of Nimidian power armor in existence; covered head to two with spellforged plates and transforming themselves into what is essentially a walking super-heavy tank, capable of delivering and receiving enormous amounts of firepower. The armor makes its wearer effectively immune to all but the most powerful of weapons. A multitude of wires and chemical injectors are implanted into the pilots' spines, allowing them to control the massive warmachine as though it were their very own bodies. Doomlords are war incarnate, towering monstrosities standing 36'0-40'0 ft tall that advance forwards with thunderous strides, fiery death roaring from the myriad of terrifying heavy weapons mounted on their thick armored hulls. They are undoubtedly terrifying foes, fighting with all the skill and ferocity of a Nimidian warrior, but combined with the durability and firepower of a main battle tank.*

*Nimidian Doomlords are armed with am impressive assortment of massive weapons that are capable of demolishing any foe in a single attack. The Doomlords body is twisted and monstrous, a face-plate like slab of armor plating makes up its face, hinges, pistons and claw-like extensions adorn his body. One of the extensions is a plasma torch used for cutting through the thickest of armor plating. The Doomlord has a minigun on its left arm with a retractable battling ram, and an assault cannon on his right shoulder. The cyborge' posses arm-mounted plasma canons so as to blaze a trail of fiery destruction as they thunder towards their foes, and their gigantic, razor-edged buzz saws carve through armor, flesh and bone with every frenzied swipe. A built in laser guided mortar system allows them to decimate huge swaths of enemies with frightening ease. Fanatical warriors, the Doomlords will ram down any enemy in vision, going for anything that moves. When a monstrous war-beast is unleashed, the Doomlord acts. Multiple spears of Quasi warrior priestesses will often surround a Doomlord, singing his constant praises, sending out prayers and healing the colossus, thus keeping these unstoppable engines of war in the fight long after they should have already succumb to devastating injuries. It is extremely rare for a warbond to be able to field more than two of these behemoths at one time. The Sarcophagus armor they have been encased within is one of the most powerful suits of power armor in the galaxy and takes many years to fully construct. It is created using a combination of the lost technology of the Sephirons and their own technological advancements. Sarcophagus armor is very effective against infantry and armored vehicles alike. It is extremely, deceptively fast for its size along with being able to survive hits from heavy tank and anti armor weapons. Being so formidable, there exist no record of an opposing infantry unit ever taking one down and those that have fallen in battle were only defeated at great cost to the enemy.*

### *Bloodsworn*

*All Nimidians, without exception, suffer from the affliction of the Blood Rage, which can drive them into insane berserker rages and increasing all of their already formidable natural physical abilities tenfold. The many legends of other races describe them as nigh unstoppable, and those who have borne witness to the fury of a blood raging Nimidian will carry the sight unto their graves. If properly harnessed the blood rage can be called upon willingly, allowing the Nimidian to go into a state of insanity during battle. These bands of warriors known are known as the Bloodsworn by their own kind for their exceptional ferocity and utter dedication to war. Though treated with respect and honor among their own people, to the rest of the galaxy they are little more than blood crazed slaughterers, living only to engage in war. Many of their number having become addicted to the thrill of unleashing the fury of their kill glands and almost never employ strategy or utilize ranged weapons in combat. Unsubtle warriors who revel in battle and live only for the shedding of blood. Such is their need to kill that they will charge the moment a foe is sighted. In battle, they work themselves into frenzies of insane fury and bloodlust, before charging straight into the heart of their enemy’s ranks where they can quickly bring their melee weapons to bear. The danger of such suicidal tactics is of no consequence to these insane Nimidian warriors, and they willingly brave all manner of enemy fire and hazards to come to grips with their foes. However mindless they may appear, they are still warriors at heart, and most can draw on the experiences of millennia of battle to remain alive and overwhelm their foes. The veterans of these devotees of the blood rage are in nominal control of their rage and their warriors, and can display a feral cunning that one would never expect.*

*Though they generally rely on little other than overwhelming strength to defeat their opponents, basic strategy is not beyond them. However, even so blood, death, and mutilation is all that matters to one trained in the arts of harnessing the Blood Rage. Driven to heights of frenzy beyond comprehension, they know no fear and can withstand wounds that would slay a lesser Nimidian warrior thrice over. Such fanatical warriors care nothing for their own survival and live only to destroy their opponents in the bloodiest manner possible. Bedecked with the gold plated skulls of their victims and bearing monstrous weapons stained with the blood of a thousand foes, they are the most terrifying opponents of all. An army led by a warrior trained in this manner will sweep all before it in a tide of bloodshed. Bloodsworn will only ever allow a Warpriest to lead them, that or a truly ferocious Warlord who has earned their respect. They have also been known to follow Doomlords into battle, as these venerable elder warriors seek death and so always head toward where the most savage fighting is taking place. Bloodsworn always lead by example, fighting not as commanders but as elite warriors. They advance unflinchingly through firestorms of punishing artillery, their purposeful tread never falters as they march ever closer to their prey. Whole armies have buckled and broken at the mere prospect of a warbond of Bloodsword closing in upon them, blades raised so that the merciless butchery of their foes can begin. Few enemies can hope to stand against the full onslaught of a Nimidian warband, and even fewer can stand against the savagery of a single Bloodsworn in combat.*

### *Warpriests*

*The Warpriests are formidable and often fanatical Nimidian champions who have chosen to dedicate their entire lives to fighting in the name of their cruel gods. They glory in destruction for its own sake and dismiss building and creating as a pastime for those too weak to destroy. Unparalleled warriors, Warpriests specialize in dealing high amounts of damage to enemies in brutal melee combat. Their legendary skills in arms and warfare has earned them a fearsome reputation. Living legends of carnage and devastation, they are considered to have been blessed by the gods from the time they were born, displaying superior physical abilities to that of their kin even from infancy. As the extremely rare male Quasi, every Warpriests was taken as a child and trained to wield their abilities with extraordinary skill. Because of this, each Warpriests is skilled in the uses of Battle Aura, granting them protection against other Quasi. Such is their skill in this area that enemy Quasi will find their power nullified when attempting to target a particularly "blessed" Warpriest. Their abilities are further developed and enhanced by their years of training, allowing them to channel psychic energies into protective glyphs and an array of Quasi-sorcery. The strongest among them have mastered the ability of "soul-flaying", allowing a Quasi to violently rip the soul from someone's body, killing them instantly. These abilities, along with being such ferocious and powerful fighters, means it is very difficult to get close enough to wound a Warpriest, so although their numbers are few they're able to inflict heavy losses upon enemies before finally being killed. Renowned far and wide for their skill in battle, whole armies submit themselves to their command and march behind them in unstoppable assaults against innumerable enemies.*

*These fanatical warriors are often more aggressive, even by the standards of the war-like Nimidians, their blood rages being much more frequent and destructive. Through the use of their enormous quasi potential, the Warpriests emits a profane aura of wrath and hate that fuels the beast within all mortals, emboldening them to more daring acts of slaughter, but even the feelings of bloodlust do not stiffen the spines enough of those who see this creature in the flesh. Those who have witnessed first hand the might of a Warpriest blessed by their uncaring Gods go mad from the experience, their minds destroyed by the sheer magnitude of its power and the implications of its purpose. When the Warpriest appears, it unleashes its awful roar, splitting the air with the sound of a thousand screeching souls wailing at once. Those unfortunate to hear the call of the Warpriest find their souls shrivelled, consumed by the fires of fear. The reverberating noise drives all who hear it mad, forcing them into an orgy of slaughter, whereby mortals set upon each other with frightening abandon, slaughtering friend and foe alike. Though the carnage created by Human hands is horrid, nothing compares to when the Warpriests and their Bloodsworn warbonds wade into the midst of their armies. Their massive forms blot out the sun; the stench of gore and death form choking clouds of decay that paralyze their enemies with nausea. The sweeping blows of their massive weapons and over-muscled limbs cry out with each stroke, causing their victims to explode as if they were swollen sacks of blood. As the Warpriest kills, a cloud of crimson mist hangs in the air about it. They can run for days without rest and can reach speeds of up to 120 mph.*

*Being particularly blessed by the Gods, Warpriests are not only greater in size and muscle mass but also possess a pair of massive bat-like wings from birth. These wings can be deployed and retracted into the Nimidian's back at will and possess extremely sharp talons at the tips allowing them to be used as weapons to impale, hook onto, or slash opponents. Such Warpriests are arrogant and cruel creatures, even by Nimidian standards. Although they are few in number they are more powerful than their flightless kin and much swifter in battle. Nimidian Warpriests are creatures of vast psychic and physical power, when they are roused to battle their deeds and actions are the stuff of legends. To witness such warriors in battle is a terrible sight, as they are capable of laying waste to whole armies and destroying fortresses. The carnage left in the wake of their attacks is more akin to a natural disaster. Once provoked to battle, there are few creatures or heroes capable of defeating one in any semblance of fair combat. Indeed, the only recorded occasions on which these nightmarish warriors have seen defeat have been when many thousands of foes have been arrayed against them. As they age, their flesh hardens and distorts almost to the consistency of a living metal, making them nearly impossible to wound. Warpriests are as without fear as they are without mercy, and they have never been seen to retreat. Such a warrior striding into battle encased within spellforged armor is a sight that strikes fear in the hearts of all. Averaging between 17'0 ft and 19'6 ft tall, the Warpriests can often tower over most other Nimidians.*

## *Sisters of The Furi*

*Among the Nimidian Empire there exist what could be considered a military order consisting entirely of female warriors known as the Sisterhood of The Furi or simply Furies. They are an elite sisterhood of warriors and religious enforcers raised from infancy to adore the teachings of Kana and Uzkul to a fanatical degree. Their fanatical devotion is a bulwark against enemy influence and outside attack, and once battle has been joined they will stop at nothing until their enemies are utterly crushed. These warrior priestesses will stride through hell if need be, their Nova pistols spitting bursts of destruction every step of the way. Not even death can stay the wrath of these blood thirsty banshees of war. Indeed, the blood of their sisters only strengthens the resolve of warrior priestesses, spurring them to greater acts of heroism in the name of the honored fallen. Sublimely talented, these warriors combine incredible skill with a keen eye to slaying their opponent in a manner that pleases their cruel Gods insatiable appetite for inventive death. To maim, mutilate and slowly dismember an opponent for the amusement of their divine masters- these are the skills learned by the warrior priestesses. Armed with powerful weapons and clad in armor of spectacular appearance, the sight of such a warrior entering the battlefield is greeted with deafening cheers and howls.*

*Their main duty is to protect the many Quasi-Temples with their lives, as adult males are forbidden from ever entering these sites without permission from the Order or a higher ranking Nimidian warlord. Furies have been deployed along side their male counterparts during times of war and most specifically when Nimidian warriors are stretched thin. They are highly trained, disciplined and ruthless, being just as brutal in combat as their feared male counterparts. Furies specialize in defensive warfare, defending fortress-cities and holding the line if the enemy manages to somehow make it past the male warriors fighting on the front lines. Arrogant and heartless, the Furies have a reputation for cruelty, and viciousness. Their order may be all female, but they are as tough and heavily armed as any all male warbonds. They are fast and deadly, and tend to have a strong bias towards hand-to-hand combat and highly excel at fast-moving, close-quarter firefights. When choosing guns they prefer Nova weapons for their high level of destructive firepower. These women are most often desired as wives by powerful male warriors, however, because of their legendary ferocity, kidnapping is the only means by which a Nimidian man can claim a warrior priestess as a wife, and he must be a ferocious warrior if he is to have any chance of being successful. For these fanatical warrior priestesses fight just as fiercely against a potential suitor as they would an attacking enemy.*

*The Sisters of The Furi prefer to live in the secure seclusion of a stone fortress that is most often located within a larger fortress city but also can be in more remote locations. A matriarchal order, the coven of sisters live apart from the men of their race. Their only interaction with males is when one proves himself strong in their eyes by way of breaching the fortress and kidnapping one of their sisters for purposes of marriage and breeding. Otherwise, any male who attempts to enter their fortresses without permission from the Furies will be relentlessly attacked. Young Nimidian women not selected at birth but still aspiring to join the ranks of the Sisters of the Furi first have to undertake a challenging test set forth by the Furies leadership to subdue a powerful, strong-willed, savage creature, most often some mutant monstrosity, and bring back a part of its body as proof of her accomplishment. The harvested remains would then be converted into a hallucinogenic drink called the Elixir of Nirja, a major component of Nimidian majics and religious ceremonies. Any initiate who partakes of the drink will experience hallucinations of their worst fears, those who give into their fear would be dragged down into the darkness and killed. While those who survive emerge from this trial completely changed, being stronger physically, psychologically and spiritually. It is the Furies who attend to the Doomlords, rousing them from slumber using ceremonial rituals and following them into battle so as to continue healing their mechanical bodies with the use of majical chanting, keeping the elder warrior in the fight for as long as is possible.*

*These warriors are a subdivision of the Divine Brides, where the most militant of their order are sent as children. And so Furies are all skilled Quasi to some greater or lesser extent. Many among the Furies are experts at casting illusions through "illusion spells," as a means of confusing their enemies on the battlefield. There is no "uniform" or standard of dress for the various covens of Furies, and each coven wears the clothing that suits them personally, although most tend towards black robes and cloaks, adorned with tribal jewelry and accessories. Furies are known to be able to empower swords and other simple weapons with majic, making them nearly unbreakable. The Sisters of The Furi are separated into hundreds, possibly even thousands, of different covens scattered all across the Nimidian Empire and many have varying traditional beliefs. However, all of these covens are loyal to the Conclave of Nimhs, and the Exquisitely Blooded Great Overlord to a fanatical degree. All the covens of the Sisters of The Furi are matriarchal societies. Each coven is a "sisterhood" composed of Sisters under the guidance of the High Priestess. Their numbers are relatively limited, there being fewer than 1200 sisters per coven, and so they are a rare sight outside of the Nimidian Empire, only being ordered out of their temples under the most dire of circumstances and are often tasked with leading the female populations of a city gathered to defend their homes at times when the males are away.*

## *The Medeca Sisterhood*

*The Medeca Sisterhood of Nimhs or Medeca Orders can trace their origins back some 12,000 years to the first female Exquisitely Blooded Great Overlord, Ceres The Pure Hearted, who founded the Order of priestesses. Though this was by no means and easy accomplishment on her part and took many decades of her life in order to complete this goal. Due to the warrior oriented society of the Nimidians and the sheer survivability of the Nimidians, being nearly immune to disease and being able to recover quickly from even the most severe of injuries, medical research was not considered a priority for the Nimidian people. As a result, in Nimidian culture, doctors are seen by many as unnecessary. However, as their wars with the never ending hordes of Orogs, Gorgers and many more foes only intensified, the number of deaths on the field of battle only grew. Their armies being stretched ever thinner across an increasingly vast frontline. Even in the face of such overwhelming odds, many Nimidians still remained stubborn in the belief of their own invincibility. Furthermore, a Nimidian who was unable to fight, and hence unable to live as a warrior anymore, had the traditional obligation of committing ritual suicide. This mentality was not universal, however, as some Nimidians viewed this as wasteful, especially as the wars only grew in scale and manpower was being depleted.*

*It would fall onto a Divine Bride known as Ceres"The Pure Hearted", to force needed changes onto her people and their culture. Believing that if they continued as they had, her people would simply march on to their own extinction. It took many centuries and tireless effort, Ceres partitioned the Conclave of Nimhs multiple times, refusing to give into any adversity she faced. And eventually, over time, this priestess would succeed in establishing the "Medeca Sisterhood of the Nimidian Empire". It remains the so far only medical oriented Nimidian organization. The efforts and stubborn devotion of Ceres and her sister priestesses would bare fruit almost immediately when her new practices were enacted by the Conclave of Nimhs. Having spent centuries studying medicine and healing, she and her sisters were able to save many millions of lives on and off the fields of battle. For her efforts, Ceres would be voted on by the Elders as the new Overlord, an unprecedented act, and she would rule her people quite fairly, ushering in a period of scientific progress in the area of medical research. Without the wisdom and compassion of Ceres The Pure Hearted during this time of tribulations, the Nimidian Empire may have fallen long ago. Although medical professions are now seen among the Nimidians as a largely female gender role controlled by the many orders of priestesses, with very few, if any, males taking even a small interest in such endeavors.*

*The Medeca Sisterhood is a specialist Order of Priestesses who possesses biomedical and scientific training and who serves as medics and physicians throughout the Nimidian Empire. A Medeca's role in Nimidian society is to recover the bodies of slain Nimidians and to tend to the wounded and maimed. Their other responsibilities include monitoring the population of a Fortress-City, recording medical information and maintaining detailed records of their activities, carrying out the implantation process of fabricated organs and providing her aid when asked during theattachment of bionic replacements. The Medeca are well-versed in the arts of battlefield first aid as well as advanced surgical techniques, cybernetics and bio-engineering. Being the only Nimidian females permitted to regularly accompany a Nimidian warbond onto the field of battle, the Medeca must be as courageous as the warriors of her tribe, for she must perform life-saving surgeries in the midst of the battlefield. Even a severely injured Nimidian warrior can fight again with the aid of the supremely refined skills of a Medeca. For these reasons, amongst the most honored Nimidian females of a tribe are its Medeca. Indeed, the well being and good health of every tribe rests upon the shoulders of these relative few individuals. Whereas Divine Bides and Furies are charged with maintaining the spiritual health and protection of the tribe, it is the Medeca' role to mind the physical well being of their brothers and sisters.*

*This is seen most obviously on the battlefield, where upon a Medeca serves as an emergency medic. The body of a Nimidian can absorb a great deal of punishment but they are not immortal, and there are many weapons and creatures in the galaxy capable of penetrating their Spellforged Power Armor and causing grievous wounds. Several of a Nimidian's organs can self-heal wounds that would kill a lesser man outright, but such functions take time, and will not happen during a melee or fire-fight. It is the Medeca's duty to stabilize the worst of wounds, patching up a superhuman warrior's seemingly mortal injuries so that he may return to battle within moments. This is often done on the battlefield with an advanced device that can dispense needed medical aid and perform complex surgery -- cauterizing, stitching, removing shrapnel, and more. The various tools of a Medeca's trade includes implements specially designed for the Nimidians physiology and for performing first aid without having to remove the patient's Power Armor. They also carry various antiseptics, transfusions and other compounds engineered for the Nimidian’ physiology. A Medeca crafts these tools herself according to her own needs and expertise. These tools are often personalized to a Medica's own preferences. As a result, one Medeca may be unable to utilize the tools of another unless having previously consulted that Medeca.*

*Not all injured Nimidian warriors can be saved, however. Even when a wound is beyond healing, the Medeca's duties are not done. She can calm the dying and speed them on their way by granting them the only mercy a true Nimidian deserves or expects, a swift shot from her specially designed Argent Pistol that ends their suffering. Medeca are armed and armored like the warriors they serve, and have undergone extensive combat training. They are primarily armed with a specially-crafted syringe-like weapon, called the Argent Pistol, created so that the Medeca can quickly inject powerful serums into patients even in battlefield conditions. It fires a thin capillary tube imbued with a multitude of arcane potions and serums. It's primary function maybe that of a medical tool, but as mentioned, it can also double as a close ranged projectile weapon. It is designed to punch through the armor-like skin of a Nimidian quickly and cleanly; and can do much the same to the skull of a rampaging Gorger if he gets close enough to the Medeca. Traditionally, the Medeca Sisters dress in light armor and healer's robes that allow for easy movement, but also have access to heavier suits of Power Armor for when they are needed to attend to the wounded during severe combat situations. Their priorities may be healing or extracting, but they too are fully exposed to all the horrors of a battlefield, and every warbond of every clan or tribe tells tales of the extreme lengths their dutiful Medeca will go to ensure their charges are kept alive, one way or another.*

*It is standard for each warbond in a clan to have at least 300 attached Medeca, and it is common practice to have 50 more that work in the established safe zones where their brothers can better protect them from harm. Spread all across the vast expanse of the Nimidian Empire, the Medeca trains initiates into their quasi-religious orders, drafting young women into their ranks from the many Commons. This ensures that the many scattered Fortress Cities are never without their aid, ever vigilant in their duties to the Nimidian Empire. The Medeca Orders provides surgeons, physicians and nurses to the many Fortress-Cities. At the same time, they expend much of their efforts studying the anatomy of their enemies as well, be they Human, Demihuman, Star Spawn, Alien or Demon. Their vast knowledge of anatomy often leads them to accompany an Enforcer into the torture chamber. It is a true measure of their dedication to their people that these supremely skilled and compassionate individuals are able to put aside all selfish thoughts of their personal morality and turn their hands to inflicting pain when duty calls them to do so. The talented Priestesses of the Medeca Orders display incredible healing skills and compassion towards the wounded and fallen, yet remain implacable foes.*

### *Nimidian Navy & Doctrine*

*While Nimidian forces are usually primarily land-based, Nimidian space vessels are not unheard of, being much more common than people realize, and simply not seen. These battlefleets are truly immense in scale and consist of many massive space-borne ships, supported by many hundreds of drop-ships, gunships and medium-sized warships of an unknown class, and are lead by a flagship. The Nimidian Warfleet is responsible solely for naval operations; its roles include ship-to-ship combat, orbital bombardment, the deployment of bombers, war engines and warbeasts, as well as the method of delivery for the powerful Nimidian warbonds. At the best of times, the venerable Nimidian Warfleet can deploy many thousands of warships, most being able to carry contingents of fighters, dropships, ground troops and vehicles. The Nimidian Warfleet is heavily armed and is equipped to carry a large invasion force, supported by heavy vehicles. All Warfleets are led by a Fleetmaster ranked Nimidian, though the title of the Nimidian varies depending on the size and extension of the fleet itself. The dominant commander of a single ship is known as the Shipmaster (the equivalent to a human naval Captain). The Nimidian Empire does not maintain a single standing armada. Instead, its warfleets are divided among the numerous warlords that govern considerable swaths of Nimidian territory but are still subservient to the Ancient Conclave of Nimhs and the Great Overlord.*

*Individual clans and tribes are also capable of maintaining much smaller battlegroups of warships for their own use, mostly for purposes of combating their rivals and enemies or as a means of transportation between their various conquered territories. Nimidian battlegroups tend to act largely independently of any external chain of command except where it serves their purposes, but are able to call upon the resources of other fleets, and even directly from the colonies, due to ancient rites dating back many thousands of years to the formation of the Nimidian Empire. To the Nimidians, these vessels are their highly honored steeds, chariots even, to take them to new fields of slaughter. The Nimidians lust for blood eschews as cowardly and unworthy the long-ranged weapons of many vessels. Even a perfectly well-armed and equipped warship of the Nimidians may forgo all weapons fire as its crew thunders furiously forwards, impatient to fall upon their enemy in hand-to-hand combat. So insanely devoured by the lust for blood are some that they forsake any form of ranged warfare entirely. The Nimidians are not blind to the need for firepower, though they give no favor to it, and their battlefleets remain rigidly utilitarian in this regard, willing only to utilize those weapons and those tactics which will ultimately bring them closer to their target, closer to glorious slaughter. Nimidians charge forth upon beasts of steel, the bloodthirsty warriors slaying all they see.*

## *Nimidian Technology*

*Due to their prolonged isolationist existence within the deepest depths of Phyrr Space, the feared Nimidian Empire has developed technology that is vastly different to baseline human technology. Most notably, they will often make use of various living creatures in the place of machines. Having mastered the use of genetic manipulation, numerous creatures have been genetically engineered and designed to become weapons, vehicles, and machines for the Nimidian Empire. They also have a distinctive form of architecture, which is carved out of a mysterious, extremely durable stone-like material known as Obsinite that they use to construct all of their cities, fortresses and temples, and unique weapon designs. Nimidian weaponry is fairly conventional. Their firearms function in much the same way as a human-made weapon of similar design would. Certain weapons possess a more unique design however. The Nimidian Empire has various forms of specialized armor for combat roles. These range from strip down armor for the Grenadiers (so they can maneuver better in close quarters combat), to heavier variants designed with withstanding massive amounts of firepower in mind. Also armored cybernetic suits that require an Uplink into the users nervous system in order to be properly utilized. The continents of their homeworld, Nimhs, are populated with an abundance of large animal life, and the Nimidians have domesticated many species for use as vehicles and warbeasts.*

*Massive saurian creatures are used to carry powerful turrets and rocket launchers into battle. While other monstrous beasts are used as artillery pieces and stranger still are utilized as jamming devices through means known only to the Nimidians. Some of these immense creatures are used as airborne gunships and given infantry support roles. Huge tamed, multi-limb sea monsters are enslaved and used as gunboats. In the air, Nimidians use Beast Barges propelled by enormous floating creatures as transportation and fire support platforms. The Nimidians will also breed specific animals to perform a certain functions, mostly having to do with war. They will "fabricate" warbeasts that have proven effective, so as to have larger numbers of them to call upon should the situation demand. Unlike the domesticated fabricated beasts of other races, the Nimidians do not genetically engineer obedience into their warbeast and nor do they utilize cybernetic devices to control them. They will do nothing which they feel lessens the creatures aggresion and will tame the monster by conventional means. Some of these creatures are completely of Nimidian design and have been bred from smaller native animals over the course of countless generations into massive, savage warmachines of unimagined destructive power. It is unknown what kind of technology was used to do this, or how it was even done, but it shows that the Nimidian Empire has mastered artificial selection and the arts of fabrication for use in their war effort.*

*While robotics do exist within the Nimidian Empire, it is not considered to be as high a priority as among other races, with the only true Automata employed by the Nimidians being left to them by the Seraphim thousands of years prior to the founding of their empire. However, they have made noticeable advances of their own when it comes to cybernetics. They make extensive use of the fairly common prosthesis known as Nerve Gear. This is a much more primitive design of bionics and is more widely employed by less advanced worlds, most often those dubbed "Techno-Barbarians" by the self proclaimed "civilized" regions of Empyrean Space. Linked directly to the nervous system, a Nerve Gear prosthesis does not usually require an external energy source, and can be moved at will like a natural appendage, taking electrical pulses from the nerves to power and regulate the various electric motors and pneumatic actuators inside. Nerve Gear prosthesis are generally made with a full metal skeletal frame layered with strong armor-plating to protect the various wires and intricate machinery inside; however, contemporary technological advancements have allowed certain Nerve Gear prosthesis to be comprised of other materials so as to be less cumbersome and more durable than mundane steel in abnormal conditions.*

*Though Nerve Gear is most commonly used as an advanced medical tool to facilitate the lives of amputees, among the Nimidians(who have seen a significant rise in prosthesis usage in the recent centuries of near constant, successive wars), Nerve Gear limbs have developed into a venue for weapons development as well, resulting in "combat Nerve Gear". Using various techniques, these machines, previously used only for movement, have begun to incorporate armaments such as diamond-tipped claws, hidden blades and even plasma weapons, sometimes willingly at the expense of normal limb functionality. Much of Nimidian architecture is created with the use of a rare type of black dragonist stone and is considered extremely valuable to them. Black dragonist being among the few materials that the Nimidians will openly trade with other races for. It is known to be a powerful conduit for majic and enhances quasi abilities, enhanching its value among select factions greatly. Thus far, no other humanoid race has been seen to make use of black dragonist to the same extent as the Nimidians, whom also use it in the construction of holy sites and armor, and none have been able to truly master it to the same level. The secrets of harnessing black dragonist have thus far remained hidden from the jealous eyes of strangers, guarded carefully by Nimidian artisans. Weapons forged using black dragonist are more durable even than the highest quality steel and are capable of smashing any armor they strike.*

*The Nimidian Empire, while preferring to not rely overly much on technology, do have access to advanced machine technology. There are levers and switches all over their various cities and installations that open doors and activate orbital defenses. There are electric lifts and cable car systems that appear to be driven by mechanical means. The Nimidian Empire employs a type of "biological" automata robot. These machines, referred to as "Servitor", act as robotic servants to the Nimidian Empire. It is the loyal servitors who perform most of the sometimes very menial but nevertheless vital functions, freeing up the Nimidians time and allowing them to focus on training for battle and waging war. These Servitor are a race of supercomputers that were created by the Sephirons to maintain their technology in their absence and perform many other useful task. These remarkably helpful machines are exceedingly patient, rarely communicate with other species, and are almost single-mindedly devoted to their work. Over the millennia since the Sephirons disappeared, the Automata they left behind have become an essential aspect of Nimidian society, and are treated with more respect than most outsiders would expect, being allowed the privilege of having clan names. The Artificers, who are the scientific and engineering backbone of the Nimidian Empire, employs countless unique automata.*

*However, among the many different clans of the Nimidian Empire, individual treatment of servitors may vary: ranging from those who treat their servitors fairly, as important members of the clan, while many others tend to treat their servitors as if they were invisible and unimportant. When Nimidians go to war, their Automata aid in maintaining the fortress-cities and keeps, defending them from attack in the form of combat oriented Automata. Servitors are expected to assist in the defense of their clans assets such as fortresses and vessels if the need arises. Indeed, when the foes of the Nimidian Empire assault a Nimidian warship, it may very well be automatas manning the great vessel's gun turrets, freeing up the Nimidians for more important tasks. In some regards, these servitors have allowed the Nimidians to concentrate even more on military endeavors than before, fulfilling many roles the Nimidians take little interest in. Their concentration when repairing technology or completing an assigned task can be described as "a trance-like reverie" and they will not relent until given orders to do so. They usually communicate only with Nimidians and will ignore anything that is neither a Nimidian nor a machine. Automata "reproduce" by gathering the needed materials from their surroundings to "build" another servitor. The Nimidians are not aware of just how many of them there are tirelessly serving their vast empire, their estimated population exceeding that of their Nimidian masters by nearly ten to one.*

### *Ironmasters & forgelords*

*The Nimidians are highly industrious, their forging rivaling that of many other races, and are renowned and feared for their military technology; weapon development, war machines and mass production. Their devastator rifles and heavy pistols are particularly finely made. However, not all of their advancements involve weapons. Nimidian technology is built and maintained by a special caste of Nimidians simply referred to as the Artificers. They are generally responsible for maintaining all of the advanced technology utilized by the Nimidian Empire, enlarging the Nimidians stocks of technical knowledge and conducting what new scientific research occurs within the Nimidian Empire. Their role is deeply spiritual and ancient, the study of machines and magic combined to produce arcane engines of power and destruction, along with more mundane technologies for the benefit of the Nimidian people. These Nimidians are master craftsmen, and their armories produce an endless stream of armor and weapons, strange devices and works of arcane energy fueled engineering. The Artificers provide the rest of the Nimidian Empire with its technicians, scientists and engineers. Every Nimidian clan sends a number of its young males to the local Artificers temples where they are inducted into the Commons which are operated by these Artificers. Here they train for years, steeping themselves in arcane knowledge of innovation, maintenance and repair.*

*Upon returning to their clan, they are Nimidian warriors of dual loyalties, pledged by blood to their clan, but bound in mind to the Artificers. Despite this dichotomy, they are held in great esteem; a Nimidian warbond could not wage war without its technological tools(or at least not nearly as efficiently). In spite of their mysterious calling, these Nimidians remain fierce warriors, and they will fight for their brethren. No rank or role among the Nimidians is exempt from the expectation that they will fight as hard as the rest when the time comes. Most Nimidian weapons are produced by the secretive Artificers. These weapons tend to have an extremely high rate of fire and are very devastating. Nimidian firearms typically tend to fire explosive kinetic rounds capable of obliterating most lightly armored enemies at close range. The Artificers are also capable of producing plasma and laser based weaponry. Nimidian technology is distinctive in many respects, not least of which is its unusual combination of ornate, tribal appearance masking deadly, sophisticated weaponry. Despite their obvious technological prowess, traditional weapons, such as blades and spears, are still widely employed. Being considered as more "honorable" than ranged weapons. These traditional weapons are advanced pieces of technology.*

*A few Nimidian Fortress-Cities are dominated by the Artificers of the Nimidian Empire. These vast forge cities are wholly given over to arcane-machines and infernal industries. Countless millions work in a city-spanning network of labyrinthine forges, churning out an endless supply of weapons and armaments for the Nimidian Empires wars. They sell or barter their powerful inventions and arms to the highest bidders among Nimidian warlords without favor, and their coin of exchange is always the same -- new raw materials. These particular Fortress Cities are enclosed in a perpetual blanket of dark grey clouds. Below the clouds is the source: stack after stack of vertical pipes rising even to the lower cloud decks and billowing thick smoke into the acrid air. No sign of the actual surface can be seen, for all is covered with layered factories, which are burning, creating, and forging night and day (though there are few who can tell the two apart given the atmosphere). Glyphs of arcane meaning litter walls, declaring patronage to the Nimidian Gods. Many Artificers carry these marks upon their branded flesh. Though each Artificer is an expert in battlefield repair and siege craft, his true calling lies in the spellforges, especially those found upon Nimhs.*

*There, captured spirits of the Astral Realm are thrust into the cogs of giant factories that crank out red-hot engines of destruction from their cabled wombs. Presiding over this infernal industry are the Artificers themselves -- grim and silent as the grave save for the occasional barked order or spell of binding. When the time for conquest is finally at hand, entire armies of these monstrous growling battle engines stomp and soar -- the Artificers' ambition set loose upon the battlefields of the galaxy. Despite seeming primitive, the Nimidians have a considerable grasp of computer technology. There are numerous computer terminals dotted throughout the Inner Keeps and Strongholds. These computer terminals are used for a variety of functions, such as cataloging prisoners and as a broadcast system. The Nimidian Empire also seems to have a grasp of basic electronics, and have invented their own version of the microphone. The Nimidians also possess the ability to manufacture and field large fleets. Nimidian vehicles are powerful and outfitted with deadly weaponry. Most are shielded in armor that most human weapons cannot penetrate, and comes with powerful weapons, including anti-aircraft batteries. The Nimidian Heavy Assault Platforms can fire power shock mortars and missiles directly into hostile territory, and their enormous size also serves a major negative psychological role to their enemies on the battlefield.*

### *Nimidian Starships*

*The starships employed by the Nimidian Empire are heavily armored and shielded behemoths of unstoppable barbaric ferocity. Each a formidable war machine even when outnumbered. Layered in powerful spellforged metals of their own creation and further enhanced with hieroglyphic spells, their warships are more akin to colossal battering rams hurtling heedlessly through the ever changing waves of the Aethyrium-sea. In this regard, the most formidable and widely feared of all spacefaring Nimidian warships are the truly colossal Warshrines. They are the single largest vessels commanded by a Nimidian warlord, immense mobile fortresses capable of carrying thousands of warrior, warbeasts, and war engines. A Warshrine combines the properties of a transport craft, armored destroyer and icon of indomitable Nimidian power. The colossal Warshrine floats across the shifting Aethyr tides, utilizing its powerful anti-gravitic engines, whilst its dragonist core pulses with sickly red energy that can be manipulated into powerful nova beams which burst forth from its weapon mounts. When its massive silhouette looms over a battlefield, it will lay waste to entire armies with torrents of nova fire and reduce enemy vessels to molten slag. Few enemies can stand long before the immense firepower of a Warshrine in direct combat. When bombarding a targeted planet, its powerful weapons render miles of the surrounding terrain little more than a blasted, scorched wasteland. While in clear contrast, enemy ordnance has very little effect on the shell of a Warshrine as its spellforged slab-sided armor plating can easily withstand tremendous punishment and continue to fight onward.*

*Energy based weaponry are absorbed and dispersed, whilst most starship-busting missiles usually ricochet off the Warshrine's thick armored hide, leaving behind minor damage if any. Indeed, the only way to truly halt the advance of a Warshrine is to target it with a sustained period of focused assaults. Only by punching through the armored shell to the vital systems and crew within can there be any hope at all of ending its threat. Few enemies, however, possess the discipline needed to be so precise under fire, and even they must be swift in their targeting lest they be disintegrated by the Warshrine's formidable array of dragonist fueled weaponry. Even a single Warshrine can muster enough firepower to be considered a planetary threat in its own right. However, this formidable armor comes at the cost of speed. Due to a Warshrine's ponderous bulk, it cannot move at great speed through the Aethyr, unlike the smaller and more mobile starships utilized by the militaries of the other starfaring races. Nimidian Warshrines are treated as mighty battle-altars as well, being venerated by their warbonds. Warshrines are often relics, ancient beyond reckoning, their construction sometimes predating the Nimidians who now command it and are viewed as manifestations of divine power. For these reasons, many warbonds bring spiritual icons and holy relics to battle aboard these vessels, hoping to draw the gaze of their chosen deities. The most powerful go even further, carrying vast shrines and altars into battle so that the slaughter they wreak may be offered up to them directly. In either case, they drive fear into the hearts of all they would prey upon.*

### *Nimidian Power Armor*

*Nimidian Power Armor, also called Battle Plate, serves as extra protection to the Nimidians, who, before their first contact with the Seraphim, had generally poor armor systems, with a few exceptions. Unlike the power armor of other races, it is more of a deflection armor (e.g., bullets will "ping" off the armor even without the help of the shields). It provides protection from all ballistic and plasma weaponry, and even shrapnel/explosive protection. Its advanced composition allows the wearer to survive hits from firepower that could penetrate even the armor of a main battle tank. It also provides light protection from the environment and other elements. Their power armor is equipped with potent defensive field generators. This comes in the form of a rechargeable shielding system which creates a protective layer around the armor and shields the user from most forms of heavy weaponry, unless the enemy weapon is within shield piercing range. Any attacks not traveling at a high enough velocity, like melee strikes from a blade, may not trigger the shield systems at all. As with all energy shielding, it is very good at absorbing damage from projectile weaponry. Nimidian power armor is not designed to augment the wearer's strength or speed, though due to natural strength of Nimidians, this isn't much of an issue. However, being a product of spellforging, those clad in this arcane metal plate are granted superior strength as well, being able to carry objects up to 10 - 20 times heavier than what they normally could. Being made of Spellplate, it is highly resilient to damage, and capable of limited self-repair.*

*In addition, Spellplate protects the wearer from the elements, speeds the healing of wounds, and increases their durability. The metal bonds to and vastly augments the physical dexterity of the host wearer, even restoring lost physical attributes which recede over time. Users can physically interact with as well as disrupt the presence of ghostly, ethereal entities. It comes in many varieties, some with more strengths than others, and some with useful secondary applications (such as the built in cloaking). The armor displays the rank of the Nimidian wearing it, usually through the color or complexity of the armor. Some suits of power armor are equipped with a back mounted aerial bombardment weapons system. This allows the Nimidian warrior to release a volley of rockets which go up into the air and then descend toward the enemy after homing in on the target area. Nimidian power armor also can be equipped with a booster pack, this enables the wearer to charge in a defensive or offensive action, either moving away from fire or dashing towards the enemy in a surprising burst of speed when moving in for a melee kill. In addition, the suit is fully equipped with a range of auto-senses and targeters, allowing the tracking of targets with the utmost accuracy. Nimidian power armor contains its own independent power supply and fully enclosed life-support functions, as well. Nimidian power armor requires a cybernetic uplink to be utilized to its fullest extent and so at a young age all Nimidians receive this "enhancement".*

*Each suit of armor is crafted specifically for them by hand. Thus, each suit is an individual work of exceptional craftsmanship with its own unique flourishes and decorations. Yet all Nimidians maintain certain standardized elements to their armor that help them to quickly identify one another's place both on and off the battlefield. The many design changes can include tribal ornamentation, different arrangements of armor plates and different colors/metals used for the individual armor pieces. High ranking Nimidians will often wear ornate suits of power armor, this armor is usually crafted to their own personal specifications and can be decorated in a number of ways. Nimidians will decorate their power armor with trophies, as a badge of honor to indicate his skill as a warrior. Nimidian armor is greatly valued and is often passed down through generations. Nimidian warriors decorate their armor to reflect personal accomplishments, clan affiliation, or simply personal preference. They often repaint their armor to reflect rank, clan, and possibly the current terrain. They are also known to paint their armor in the traditional colors that represent specific causes the individual might currently be undertaking. The colors, however, do not always have a specific meaning. Sometimes they are just colors that the particular Nimidian likes. Some Nimidians wear pieces of armor to honor relatives, both dead and alive.*

*Design changes can include tribal ornamentation on the helmet, different arrangements of armor plates and different colors/metals used for the individual armor pieces. Standard Nimidian Power Armor features reinforced armor plating, limited boost capability and a targeting system interface. High ranking Nimidians will often wear ornate suits of power armor. Named for its creator, this armor is usually gifted to high ranking warriors and can be decorated in a number of ways. They are a much more powerful and ancient version of standard Nimidian Power Armor and are bonded to their wearers by a blood pact that requires a powerful beast be hunted and killed as a blood sacrifice. Nearly impenetrable and extremely rare, Draconys Power Armor is priceless and never for sale. Nimidians alone have the techniques and skill necessary to fashion complete suits, and so this armor, if found at all in other lands, is by component only and then likely taken from corpses on battlefields or stolen. So valuable is Draconys Power Armor, wars have been fought for the mere possession of a full suit. Draconys Power Armor is impervious to weapons wrought from lesser materials, and though heavy, is equipped with anti gravity thrusters for increased mobility. Draconys Power Armor is highly coveted for its protective value and is treated as a treasured heirloom, many of these suits dating back to the time of Covu The Transcended.*

*Draconys armor is capable of temporarily repairing debilitating injuries in the heat of battle: reinforcing broken bones and forcibly reallocating dislocated joints, reconstructing their injuries until their last drop of blood has been spent. Due to its arcane origins, this spellforged suit of power armor is also capable of healing itself when pierced by powerful attacks, making it nigh unstoppable on the battlefield. The armor grants its wearer extraordinary gains in strength and endurance coupled with an inhuman tenacity for battle. In this empowered state, its wearer is more than a match for typically-overwhelming supernatural creatures, being able to confront the worst denizens of Phyrr Space or the Astral Realm in single combat. Veterans will often bedeck their armor with the skulls of particularly difficult to slay enemies. Displaying the defeated foes as trophies. They don't believe in clean armor, believing that the more damage you show, the greater the warrior you are. This belief has lead to many Nimidian warriors engaging in suicidal charges toward their enemies.*

*When called to battle, female Nimidians use a lighter, less bulky version of Power Armor. This variant Power Armor is based upon the same archaic systems as that worn by their brethren, it provides excellent protection and increased strength with little to no reduction in movement speed or agility. It is equipped with a mesh of spellforged arcane-mail. This provides formidable protection from ballistic impacts and directed energy weapons, and is tailored and forged uniquely to its intended wearer to allow for their complete freedom of movement and to augment their reaction speed. Their armor lets the wearer survive extreme temperatures, as well as reduce the damage taken from enemy attacks. This armor is also equipped with a personal shield generator, which can generate a personal protective force field around an individual. The field can stop even the most powerful directed energy attacks, such as Laser cannon and Plasma Gun fire. Unique is the suit of power armor that survives a conflict unscathed. Through long centuries of combat, and hundreds of repairs, power armor can change radically in appearance over time. It is not uncommon to find suits encrusted with religious iconography, inscribed with holy hieroglyphs of warding, or inlaid with subtle defensive systems. Being far more spiritual than the males, female Power Armour is commonly inlaid with warding spells which provide the wearer with a greater ability to resist psychic powers or attacks.*

*Also like the males, most females will individualize their armor with crests, helms, skulls and chains. Two pointed struts protrude from the back of the armor which are meant to support the Gravity Boost system, allowing for increased mobility. Officers will always wear unique Helm used to designate rank into battle. This helm contains an integral breathing apparatuses, allowing the Nimidian to operate in total vacuum for limited periods. Like their male counterparts, the highest ranking and most experienced female warriors have access to modified suits of power armor known as Zsera Power Armor, which has been specially tailored for their use and having many of the same abilities as the male variant of Draconys Power Armor with a few deviations. Such as being generally lighter built and allowing for more freedom of movement. While it is not as durable, due to being somewhat lighter built, the armor makes up for this with powerful personal shields and grants the wearer vastly superior levels of strength, greatly enhancing their already formidable physical abilities and prowess while in the heat of battle. Zsera Power Armor is imbued with powerful magics and can be quite dangerous to the user. These suits of armor allows for the user to go into a state of desperate rage where the armor begins to "feed" upon the wearers blood. Allowing them to fight past their limits and perform extraordinary feats of superhuman strength and endurance.*

#### *Devastator Class Predator Assault Cannon*

*The standard issue workhorse assault rifle for the proud warriors of the Nimidian Empire is the their favored and also extremely dangerous Predator Assault Cannon or simply Predator Cannon. This is a powerful rapid-fire weapon which often utilizes a wide variety of ammunition, from deadly explosive shells to solid slugs. These shells are loaded into the Predator Cannon via an ammo-box magazine which carries between 30 and 60 rounds. The Predator Cannon usually can fire either a single heavy shell or a hail of shot in each burst, and possesses a hard-wired burst limiter to prevent the user from emptying his weapon the first time he pulls the trigger. Able to completely obliterate most targets with single shots, it has served the Nimidian army well for thousands of years with little variation in its design. Though effective at medium ranges, the Predator Cannon is less reliable at extremely long ranges. This is perhaps by design because of the Nimidians instinct to always favor close combat above all else. To that end, Predator Cannons are often used by Nimidians to soften up the enemy before the Nimidians charge into close combat.*

*Because of this, the most crucial, and perhaps the only truly necessary, attachment to the* Predator Cannon *is the blade-bayonet used for close quarters combat. Useful for when the often melee oriented Nimidian warriors decide to storm heavily fortified positions or charge enemy troops. The* Predator Cannon *is fundamentally a bulky, heavy length of metal, so it does a large amount of damage in melee. It's not only a powerful ranged weapon, but a lethal close-combat tool as well. A single shot from the Predator Cannon is capable of taking down multiple enemies at once. Even a near-miss can still kill or badly wound an enemy. It is most useful when engaging enemies whom have a preference for swarming tactics, such as the Orogs, and foes who require a lot of damage in order to be put down, such as Gorgers or other Nimidians. The* Predator Cannon *can fire armor-piercing 30mm slugs that are extremely efficient at cutting through shields, armor and flesh with ease. They can also fire large armor-piercing metal "spikes". It utilizes gauss-assisted technology to accelerate projectiles at hypersonic speed. The* Predator Cannon *is an ancient weapon, but has nevertheless remained a reliable piece of wargear throughout their history.*

#### *Devastator Class Baltok Pistol 1 & 2*

*Another weapon which is widely favored by the Nimidian Empire is the powerful Baltok Pistol, which continues the Nimidian weapon-design philosophy of creating weapons with a heavy emphasis towards brute force. It is a high-caliber pistol with a 15 to 25 round capacity. It is not a perfect weapon, however, being bulkier, heavier, slower to fire, and holds half as much ammunition as the smaller pistols of other races, but does unequivocally more damage per shot and has exceptional stopping power. The Baltok Pistol is used mostly by the Nimidians due to its sheer size and recoil and can cause a significant amount of damage. A single shot from the Baltok Pistols is capable of decapitating a target or even cutting them in half, a testament to its stopping power. A Baltok Pistol is commonly used in conjunction with a close combat weapon by Nimidian warriors.*

*The pistol is able to fire either a single shot or a short, three-round burst with each pull of the trigger. The* Baltok *Pistol is a highly effective medium range weapon. Due to its lack of a scope, it is inaccurate at longer ranges, but is excellent medium ranges and short ranges. Its slug rounds are effective against armor and against shields. The* Baltok *utilizes an older firing mechanism, wherein an explosive charge is responsible for the initial release of the bullet, while rail mechanisms incorporated in the barrel aid in the bullet's lethality by further accelerating it to the lethal velocities suitable for penetrating modern power armor and shielding, as well as inflicting horrendous damage to flesh.* Baltok *pistols can use rounds custom-made by the warrior himself, and are tipped with explosive shells. Some of these rounds will often contain a phosphorus-like liquid substance that will ignite within a wound they have opened on a target upon impact, causing even more damage to the already severe injury.*

#### *Devastator Class Predator Crossbow*

*One of the more archaic weapons currently being utilized by the fanatical warrior orders of the vast Nimidian Empire is the* Predator *Crossbow. It fires a specially made Dragonist-fueled, explosive-tipped, armor-piercing projectile that resembles a large arrow (or rather, a crossbow bolt). The projectile has a timed fuse which is designed to explode a half-second after penetrating a target, blasting it apart from the inside, almost invariably causing critical injury for the unfortunate target (if not instantaneous death). The weapon functions by utilizing a unique tandem launch system; in addition to the magnetic coils giving the projectile motive force, the* Predator *Crossbow also uses a small motor to apply rotational force to the projectile - ergo increasing kinetic energy transferred to the target. The limbs on the left and right of the barrel control the tension of the motor and are what actually launches the bolt through the coil mechanism. When the trigger on the* Predator *Crossbow is pulled, an electric motor inside begins revving up and providing power, while said motor also applies rotational force.*

*Onlookers will see a brightening glow from inside the weapon as the magnetic coils warm up. Whilst the* Predator *Crossbow can fire at any time, in order to achieve the desired "lethal" penetration level and long effective range, the user must charge the weapon as appropriate; too little power, and the* Predator *Crossbow may fail to achieve penetration against heavily armored enemies. Unlike most crossbows, it uses a 30 bolt magazine and has two bladed edges on either side for use in close quarters melee combat. Thus increasing its effectiveness far beyond that of a mere projectile weapon. The* Predator *Crossbow is designed to be select-fire as well as magazine fed. The ammunition is usually housed in a cylindrical drum. It features a small gas tank placed in a skeletal stock and features flip up sights. The crossbow on the weapon is easily collapsible for easier concealment and can be deployed at will. The trigger guard acts as the weapon's magazine release, making reloading easier and faster.*

#### *Devastator Class Rocket Gun*

*The most dangerous weapon of this class employed by the Nimidian Empire is the appropriately oversized, six-round Devastator Rocket Gun. It contains small rockets which causes a small explosion and it fires two of these projectiles at a time. Due to its size, the weapon must often be carried with both hands. But in the case of the Nimidians, due to their greater physical strength, they can hold and fire the weapon one handed if necessary, though far less accurately. It is most often brought to bear against monstrously large enemies, such as fabricated warbeasts and other foes who require a lot of damage in order to be truly brought down. As the name implies, the Devastator Rocket Gun can fire several types of self-propelled, usually guided missiles, including both the common frag and the far less common "mini-nuke". Frag (Fragmentation) projectiles are designed to spray a designated area with shrapnel, making these munitions highly useful against groups of lightly armored infantry.*

*The Mini-nuke projectiles cover less area with their blast, but their warheads have improved armor-penetration capabilities, making them useful for taking down either large groups of heavily armored infantry or heavily armored vehicles, such as tanks. Unlike fission or fission-fusion nuclear weapons, the nuclear weapon used in the mini-nuke is an ultra-low yield pure fusion weapon, and therefore it produces no fallout. This allows the Nimidians to utilize the warhead and then immediately rush into the area to kill anything left live. These missiles are self-propelled projectiles, usually incorporating an electronic guidance system, and tipped with a high explosive chemical, kinetic or plasma-based warhead. These relatively small missiles generally make use of a chemical rocket, jet engine or even anti-gravity drive to provide motive force, and often contain a sophisticated guidance package embedded within them. However, the more common "rockets" usually lack an electronic guidance package and instead is fired using line-of-sight, whilst its warhead detonates on impact. A fearsome weapon which has served them well for thousands of years, the Devastator Rocket Gun is highly prized among the warriors of Nimidian Empire for its killing power and reliability.*

#### *Nova Class Incinerator-Cannon*

*A product of arcane Nimidian techno-sorcery, the feared Incinerator-Cannon is a devastating shoulder-fired directed class of nova weapon which fires a powerful laser beam, capable of burning through thick armor plating and shields. Next to nothing is known about this type of ammunition except that when it strikes its intended target it does so with devastating results. When the unstable energies of the Incinerator-Cannon impacts an area or specific target, it is instantly subjected to temperatures greater than the surface of a star, either liquefying or utterly disintegrating anything it touches, depending on energy output, and sending the survivors fleeing insane with fear. It initially holds nine whole charges at a time with one shot per charge. Each charge is automatically "loaded" after firing and cool-down. However, before firing, the weapon must be charged up. The longer the cannon charges, the more damaging the shot. It is not as accurate at long ranges. The Incinerator-Cannon is an extremely devastating weapon in the hands of a skilled warrior. Its destructive power is so effective that enemy forces often focus all of their attention on infantry wielding the weapon.*

*One strike from a Incinerator-Cannon will instantly kill any lightly armored organic target, while infantry and light vehicles immediately outside of the kill radius are swatted away by the concussive force of the blast. It is an indirect-firing weapon intended to deal with troops in cover, keep foes pinned down, and deal with large clusters of enemies at once. The Incinerator-Cannon is highly effective against heavily armored vehicles as well, being able to destroy them with only a few hits. The Incinerator-Cannon is a devastating anti-shield weapon and it can be said to specialize in this purpose. The effect this weapon has on enemy morale is dramatic; enemies will flee for cover rather than be caught in the blast radius (and if they don't, they are likely to be killed outright if not seriously wounded). Unfortunately, the weapon is both tricky to aim and extremely loud: the firing of an Incinerator-Cannon is a dead give-away to all in the area, and the weapon's operator immediately becomes a priority target. The Incinerator-Cannon holds a maximum of twelve shots, has a limited tracking ability, and a slow rate of fire. The weapon is incredibly heavy, making it suitable only for Nimidians as few others could carry such a massive load, showing their immense strength.*

#### *Nova Weapons*

*The Nimidians employ a classification of devastatingly powerful laser weapons known as "Nova Weapons". These are powerful, short-ranged to medium range anti-armor laser weapons that produces an intense, energetic beam of heat in the tens of thousands of degrees, which can melt through almost any material. Most types of Nova Weapons function by inducing highly pressurized gases from an ammunition canister into an unstable sub-molecular state which produces nuclear fusion and directing the resulting energies down the barrel. Nova Weapon usage is always accompanied by a distinctive hissing sound as the Nova beam boils away the water in the air, then a roaring blast as the beam reduces the target to charred scraps or molten slag. Nova guns are the premier anti-armor weapons, which is a true testament to their power, and few if any vehicles can withstand a direct hit. Functionally, the Nova weapons are used to attack point targets, destroying heavily armored vehicles at short range by literally heating the vehicle's armor into slag and melting through to vulnerable internal components.*

*Nova guns work by firing a blast of pure fusion-based heat energy that can vaporize most organic troops and even melt armor. In fact, they are capable of cutting through almost any known type of armor. And although they have extremely limited ammunition, a single shot at close range can stop a  warrior encased within Powered Assault Armor in his tracks or burn through the hull armor of a tank. Nova Weapons are often carried by the Nimidians in place of the much more common Plasma weapons, as Nova Weapons are less prone to failure than Plasma Weapons and work best at shorter ranges. Nova Pistols are the smallest variant of the Nova weapon family, being designed to work as a pair and can be used while in hand to hand combat. These powerful weapons have a much higher penetration and damage output than Plasma pistols at the expense of higher energy consumption. Nova weapons are powered by a red dragonist crystal array housed within a spellplate casing, which can withstand long years of exposure to the elements. Allowing the weapon to be utilized for considerable periods of time.*

### *Void Weapons*

*Another class of weapon employed by the Nimidian Empire of the chaotic future are the Gravity Hammer. These are large close quarters weapons that serves as an excellent and powerful melee weapon in the field of battle. Utilized primarily by the warriors of the Nimidian Empire, the Gravity Hammer is a highly symbolic weapon for their people. It is often seen as analogous to some of the runic swords and axes used by the fierce warrior tribes of the Rushar. This powerful weapon can be used to manipulate gravity, allowing it to push opponents away or pull them towards the wielder, as well as deflecting incoming projectiles. It is even capable of destroying armored vehicles and whole groups of enemy soldiers with a single attack. An ornate weapon, a Gravity Hammer consists of a shaft, head, and often, but not always, a blade. The weapon gets its power from a field generator, which is located in the head, that emits a kinetic pulse. A Gravity Mace is a club surrounded in a gravity field, often used by Nimidian warriors who have not earned the prestigious right of wielding a Gravity Hammer.*

*They may include additional features such as power setting controls to vary the force of the impact. The Nimidian peoples of the chaotic future also employ a vast array of melee weapons in addition to their already fearsome arsenal. These weapons, known as Vanquisher Weapons, are made of nigh-indestructible, spellforged material and can deal exceptional damage, being made to pass through shields and rip straight into armor, thus making these weapons unmatched in close-quarter melee combat. There is a glowing field around the edges of every Vanquisher weapon. This is a type of powerful energy field that grants extra piercing power to close quarter weapons of varying size and capabilities, allowing them to easily dismember even the most heavily armored of opponents. Arcane spells are often utilized to further enhance the killing potency of these weapons. Blazing with deadly ferocity as they cleave through hordes of enemies, they are used to devastating effect in combat.*

## *Etymology & Language*

*Two concept are foremost in the mind of a Nimidian: strength and honor. Nimidian names are also part of these concepts. They are exceedingly long, containing history and respectful details of lineage. However, when interacting with lesser creatures, they will normally take on a simpler name. The surname of each individual comes from their lineage. The most prominent Nimidian lineages(clans) have their own state on a Nimidian planet, and each Nimidian from that state adopts the name of the lineage. Nimidian names are constructed from a series of parts, each of them with a specific or special meaning: a personal name, the maternal and paternal parents names, a bond name, a line name and a clan name. The personal name is given at their birth and is the name most commonly used. After this the name of the mother is added as a means of honoring her and secondly the father's name is given. The line name is the personal name of the most successful Nimidian in their ancestry and is usually kept private, only being used among family. A Clan name is the name shared by all members of a clan and its origins can be traced back thousands of years. The bond name is taken by a woman who is now bonded to a husband in marriage. This is also the males line name. The names of Nimidians are very important to them as they are used for recording of their bloodlines within an enclave and due to their tendency for ancestor worship, a Nimidians bloodline holds significant meaning to them.*

*One of the Nimidians honorific beliefs is that only those with honor should deserve something as prestigious as a name. The Nimidians generally consider non-Nimidians to be nameless, referring to them as "thing". Clan history and lineage are greatly valued, with each family having their own "Battle Poem" detailing the deeds and actions of its members during times of war. This Battle Poem is often tattooed onto the backs of favored daughters. Someone damaging these marking, purposely or otherwise, is among the highest insults anyone could deliver onto a Nimidian. Such an affront against a clans honor would be repaid with the offenders blood and possibly their life. Nimidians are more than willing to take life or give their own in defense of their personal and familial honor. Nimidians possess their own language, both in spoken and written form. This language varies between planets but is close enough to be understandable by Nimidians from other planets. Even on a planet where Nimidians and other humanoids coexist(an extremely rare occurrence indeed), the Nimidians have not been observed to speak any language other than their own. Do to the vastness of their empire, there are many dozens of officially recognized dialects of the wider spoken Nimidian language and many of these share slight similarities with the languages of their closest neighbors.*

*However, to counteract this dilemma, there does exist a "pure" form of the Nimidian language that is taught to all of them during their time in the Commons as children. This is so that no matter where a Nimidian is from, they can communicate with one another. The Nimidians language is a complex verbal and written language used by the general population, though a simplified form used for communicating with foreigners does exist. The written language is expressed in a pattern of dashes not dissimilar in form and function to many other languages. These written symbols appear on their armor, helmets, and architecture. Many Nimidians wear elaborate tattoos marking their world of origin, these markings vary in color and design. These markings are usually black, silver, red, and gold. Nimidians have little use for communication beyond its necessities, and few among their people speak the tongues of foreigners and fewer speak them well. So Nimidians often keep quiet among foreigners, and have a reputation for never volunteering for conversation with strangers. Few foreigners will ever hear them speaking among themselves. However, Nimidian women are noted by the few foreigners to have had the privilege of speaking with them as being "slightly" more talkative and even friendly. Many are able to speak foreign languages and will act as interpreters when need be.*

## *Religious Beliefs*

*As with much of their origins, just how and when the Nimidians came to seal their ancient pact with the terrifying beings they now worship remains shrouded in the dark times of the Age of Apocalypse. In truth the Nimidians themselves may have only a vague and warped understanding of how they first became bound in worship to such grim and malignant beings. The ancient hieroglyphs that adorn their fire-temples do however speak of the arrival of the people whom would become the Nimidians upon the chaotic surface of Nimhs within Phyrr Space, their finding of salvation and succor with their new chosen deities, and the thirst of these gods for sacrifice and subjugation in return for their patronage. Through this bloody devotion, the Nimidians would be warped into a stronger peoples. While the warlike entity known as Uzkul is well known to be the primary male deity of the Nimidian Empire, there exist one other such being whose name is also venerated. The malignant Goddess Kana, the twin sister of Uzkul, she is worshiped as the primary female deity of the Nimidian peoples. Together these two primordial entities are believed to be the true progenitors of the Nimidian people, representing different aspects of their society and innate nature. With the males being more of a representation of Uzkul and the females most resembling the qualities of Kana.*

*There is also a very prominent element of ancestral worship to the Nimidian religion that cannot be overlooked. Indeed, the veneration of the ancestors is a tradition as ancient as the worship of the Gods themselves, and one from which they too derive their strength. They take their legends of the past almost to a zealous level and look up to their ancestors, calling upon their aid and attempting to emulate them through their actions. Nimidians are raised hearing the stories of their ancestors since birth and so they hold their histories as sacred truths. The Nimidians show the remains of their dead great reverence, mummifying the remains of the fallen and entombing them in clan crypts. Nimidians believe that there is no afterlife for cowards and that only by dying gloriously in battle can your soul be saved from oblivion. As a result, the Nimidians revere the concept of death and dying while engaged in battle. Similarly, the Nimidians hold a high reverence for their ancestral homelands and, as such, are very territorial when other races pass through their territory. They will without a moments hesitation relentlessly hunt down and viciously slaughter all of those bold enough or foolish enough to do so.*

*Those unfortunate enough to be captured alive will be mercilessly butchered as sacrifices. However, although a warlike peoples, the Nimidians can be peaceful when the occasion calls for it. A common Nimidian belief is that a weapon is only drawn if it is to be used, as a drawn weapon demands blood. And while bringing prized "ceremonial" weapons to peaceful gatherings, such as weddings ceremonies, is very much permitted, drawing these weapons outside of specific rituals, even if confrontation is not the intent, it is considered an extreme taboo and can quickly escalate to violence. In attempts to acquire glory, honor and prestige, many eager Nimidian warbands make journeys into the accursed star systems that have been overrun by the hordes of mutated monstrosities. Those who return do so with the skulls and hides of these abominations as trophies. Over the countless millennia, in return for sacrifice, veneration and devotion, these gods have gifted the Nimidians with ancient secrets and powerful sorcery that fused with their own established mastery of industry and forgecraft to create numerous deadly magic-fused machineries and monstrous engines of destruction. The pact between the Nimidians and their ferocious gods has only deepened over time, with more and more sacrifices being commanded of them.*

*With every sacrifice and word of praise, the Nimidians become less and less like the Humans they once were and more the devoted children of Uzkul and Kana. The Nimidians believe the world as they perceive it, the realm of flesh and blood and material, is little less than a prison; an illusion created by their four primary Gods in order to test them, and that the true world is the Realm of Souls; an ever-changing domain. The Nimidians believe that it is only through the worship of their dark Gods that they shall be able to penetrate this veil of the senses and peer into the true divine reality. When a Nimidian finally meets his or her end in one form or another, they believe that it is the hand of the Gods stripping away the illusion about them and thus revealing to them their true self, in simpler terms, they are gaining a glimpse of reality. When a Quasi priestess conjures forth a vision, it is again seen as a fleeting glimpse of the true spiritual world which is awaiting all of them in due time. There is one ideal fate for a warrior in Nimidian society; gaining the favor of their Gods and death. Because of this belief, Nimidian women are forbidden to mourn their sons and husbands. Instead, they are to celebrate their passing with feasting and praise for the departed. It is common practice for a Nimidian woman to offer sacrifice to their twin Gods in hopes that the deceased will be taken to the Realm of Souls.*

*In the Nimidian culture there is nothing after death save the Realm of Souls, and Nimidians shall only enter those domains to sit at the right hand of their Gods if they were strong and true warriors in life. For cowards are cursed by the Gods and Ancestors, and so are reviled for all eternity. Thus, every Nimidian warrior fights with an insane fervor driven by this belief. In the minds of the Nimidians a dishonorable and shameful death is to die peacefully. An old, crippled, or sick Nimidian will often seek to accompany his clan's warbond into battle so as to die whilst fighting and retain his honor. Among some Nimidian tribes there is a tradition of leaving a young child on the cusps of manhood at the edge of hostile territory with only the bare necessities and a single weapon. If he is able to survive on his own for a week, he is returned and made a man of his clan. If he manages to bring back the head of some formidable beast, he is made a warrior then and there. Nimidians consider the battlefield to be a sacred place and see war as an act of worship, massacring their enemies and offering sacrifices to their tyrannical Gods. Thousands of slaves and prisoners of war are captured upon countless battlefields across the galaxy by the Nimidians in order to be sacrificed by fire and furnace. Nimidians usually consider all life other than their own kind to have value only as unwilling sacrifices to their twin dark gods. In fact only powerful warriors, be they enemies or allies, among the numerous lesser races stand a chance of gaining any amount of respect from them.*

*The Nimidian tribes practice a very loosely organized system of religion, with many different sects worshiping their twin deities in various ways that are often unique to a specific tribe, clan or region. Nimidians choose to revere in gatherings large and small throughout Phyrr Space, mostly in places they consider to be of notable spiritual significance. Worship and ceremonies are most concentrated in their Fire Temples, the fortified Keeps, gathered around secluded Monoliths, and upon battlefields or in arenas, as places of battle and war are considered the most sacred. The Nimidian gods are certainly respected for their destructive power on many scattered worlds; the great bombard known as the Great Maw of Uzkul and the various ornately decorated Temples of Revenge dedicated to honoring Kana throughout the Nimidian Empire are evidence of this. The worshipers of the Nimidian gods are quite diverse, ranging from fearsome Star Spawn and Near Human barbarians to baseline humans living within the more civilized regions of the galaxy. On hundreds of worlds where the worship of the Twin Gods is most prominent above all others, the worshipers of the Horned God and the Crimson Queen are driven in a mad quest to bring unending battle and ceaseless war upon all other races but also against each other.*

*Many of the various techno Barbarian tribes of the Outworlds region of Wyld Space revere the Twin Gods. They will often view the appearances of certain astrological events in their skies as a manifestation of the Great Beast and the Bitch Queen, such rare events sparks off a religious pogrom which leads to the slaughter of rival tribes, with countless inter-cine conflicts and massive invasions of nearby worlds erupting without warning. Priests of the Twin Gods wear fur cloaks dyed in strange colors and hideous masks representing monstrosity and dissolution. A priest of Uzkul makes no contribution to normal society; at best, they may be (uncontrollable) mercenaries. They typically spend their day hunting beings and things to kill and destroy, saving only that which can be utilized in creating more war. The hierarchy is based solely on raw destructive might, and to rise in the hierarchy, another must be thrown down. Religious services are brutal and primitive, featuring sapient sacrifices, stomping, shouting, and breaking valuables. Cannibalism is not at all uncommon and the consumption of captives in tribute to the Twin Gods is brazenly accepted amongst their most barbaric and fanatical followers.*

*Temples and Shrines to the Twin Gods are present in nearly every Nimidian city, and their worship is a constant presence for those who seek to venture within them. Shrines and sacrificial sites in more secluded areas are recognized by the presence of the totems and monoliths, or simple symbols representing the deities carved into rock or trees. Temples to Kana are notably more common than to Uzkul due to the unique temperaments of both gods. With Kana basking in the revere of her followers and demanding grand monuments built in her likeness. The rare, true temples of Uzkul are built in locations with a deep stake lined pit in the center, representing an arena, and are where most honor duels take place within Nimidian society. These heavily fortified temples also feature a questionably "tamed" warbeast, barely controlled by the priestesses, which serves as a ferocious guardian for the sacred structure. The Temple of the Horned Beast is a nigh legendary temple of Uzkul, said to have been built by a spirit birthed from the very heart of a volcano, and was the center of a truly barbaric cult that gained strange and terrible powers in return for countless sacrifices to the Horned God. Located upon Nimhs, this ancient temple is treated with great respect because of its great spiritual significance.*

*The Twin Gods have and need no official holy text. They makes their desires known to the faithful by pressing primordial and awesome thoughts directly upon the minds of devoted followers. These thoughts primarily concerning the waging of ceaseless war upon all that exists when concerning Uzkul, and extravagant displays of bloodthirsty sacrifice when brought about by Kana. Although a codified holy text is rare, some unofficial writings do exist. The Divine priestesses who often commune with the gods due to their psychic gifts have penned the Cycle of the Beast and The Red Mark of Kana, a bloody scroll imprinted with curses in the name of the Crimson Mother. There are very few shared holidays common to all congregations. However, some Nimidians celebrate the Waking of Uzkul. Also, in circumstances of celestial conjunctions in the night sky, the ancient celebration of Lastday may occur. Gods are often associated with certain animals, either because they possess a quality favored by the god, or because the god's faithful feel a special kinship to them. The Twin Gods favored animals include terrifying warbeasts and exotic creatures native to Phyrr Space. Followers of the Twin Gods are feared and not welcome among "civilized" peoples. They generally form warbands who travel between star systems seeking challenges against which to test themselves.*

*Because the faith of the Twin Gods is only loosely organized at best, with only the Divine Brides and other similar organizations maintaining their few recognized traditions, it does not put much emphasis on structure and/or rigidly defined dogma. This makes it popular among those who wish to do good without the restrictions of elaborate ritual or hierarchy. Due to being the god of strength and perseverance against the odds, the worship of Uzkul is also quite popular among many baseline Human athletes, strongmen, martial artists, mercenaries, marksmen, and other non warriors who still strive to overcome great odds. Among the most fanatically devout of these worshipers are elite athletes who are adept at channeling adrenaline to overcome physical trials and adversities. These champions of Uzkul will often use their numerous successes to dare themselves into performing ever-greater feats of prowess. While as the goddess of not only beauty but also pride and anger, Kana is held in especially high regard by women, who often identify with her moods and changeable nature. The followers of the Crimson Queen fulfill varied roles wherever they are encountered, anything from spy to courtesan and beyond, but always in support of their goddess's mercurial nature. Naturally charismatic, champions of Kana excel in these roles. Many also become powerful spellsingers, sometimes making their homes in places of power or other sites of renown, becoming potent, if quite dangerous, sources of knowledge. Although, as befitting a devotee of Kana, they are susceptible to flattery, such powerful spellsingers can be tricked into sharing knowledge and providing assistance.*

### *Monoliths*

*Monoliths are immense monuments to individual champions, and are also sometimes used as places of worship to the Divine Powers. They are usually erected by the members of that champion's warbond, or by the members of his tribe after the champion's ascending to the Realm of Souls. These Monoliths can be found anywhere where the Nimidians have visited for significant lengths of time, even within the vast realm of Faar Space, though this is quite rare. Most are concentrated in Wyld Space and Phyrr Space. Monoliths are often constructed from stone, hence the name. However, they may also be constructed from ancient timber, metal and other even more exotic substances - such as bone, gems and even flesh. The greatly feared Nimidian devotees of the Gods are believed to cast monoliths from solid spellforged metals and obsinite, polishing them to a mirror finish. A sheen such as this can reflect the savage countenance of the Champion the monolith commemorates, rather than the onlooker. Such as it is, these Monoliths may also be erected in remembrance of a particularly heroic champion who has fallen in battle. This is particularly likely if it was in a battle that was a great victory for his people, where many warriors may join together to build great monoliths for the fallen heroes. These types of monoliths have always incorporated cairns where the fallen chieftain is laid to rest, sometimes with his arms and armor enshrined with him. The Monoliths are capable of defending themselves by sending out subconscious signals.*

*Those nearby and unable to resist the powerful arcane spells uttered by the mysterious voices emanating from inscribed glyphs will begin to experience hallucinations and slowly descend into madness, sending those around it into a paranoid state causing homicidal and suicidal actions. This is the most common fate of those who foolishly disturb the Monolith, whether by choosing to reside within its protected territory or when attempting to exploit these ancient artifacts for their own selfish gain. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this often leading to these sacred sites of such venerable holy relics being littered with the scattered bones and decaying remains of countless unwitting trespassers or passersby. Attempts at studying these Monoliths up close for any prolonged periods of time have ended similarly disastrously. However, the peoples who had originally erected the Monolith and their descendants remain largely immune to these effects, as they are recognized by the spirits dwelling within the construct as devotees and worshipers who have come to honor it. The presence of a Monolith can often empower the warriors that fight before it, the blessings of their Gods manifesting in the faithful devotees who often reside nearby. Urging them to fight with inhuman fervor, using their prodigious strength and speed to strike down any who dare approach. A Monolith’s outward appearance often reflects the persona of the deity to which it is dedicated, meaning that no two Monoliths are ever entirely alike. Some sporting gruesome decorations of skulls, mummified corpses and flayed skin, while others are ornately decorated with various precious heirlooms, gems, and weapons. Such objects are the reasons treasure seekers hunt for them, even knowing the great perils lying in wait.*

## *Primary Gods of The Nimidian Empire*

### *Uzkul: God of Strength, War, Conquest, Honor & Glory*

*Uzkul, also called the Horned God and the Father of Glory, is the God of warriors and the primary God of the Nimidian Empire. His dogma is primarily concerned with honorable battle, forbidding cowardice and encouraging the use of force of arms to settle disputes. A truly fierce and ferocious creature, most often represented as a great blazing horned behemoth wreathed in shadowy smoke and roaring flames, Uzkul is a monstrous being of dreadful power and predatory cunning. Uzkul takes no time to build shrines and temples or gather worshippers. He favors only those for whom war is life; for that is where Uzkul thrives - not on the steps of hallowed temples or in whispered prayers, but in the blood-soaked mud, among the breathless armored troops, in the roar of victory. Uzkul is venerated by the Nimidian peoples, who revere the God for his masculinity, merciless warrior spirit, and tenacity against all odds. He is also the God of martial pride and honor, of those who set themselves against the most dangerous foes and earn victory against the odds. The Nimidian people do not pray to Uzkul for he would only send them death and destruction instead. Only the weak beg for aid and Uzkul has always hated weaklings.*

*However, at birth it is Uzkul who instills into each Nimidian man and woman the power to strive and to fight his or her enemies. To seek vengeance and bringing about the doom of those who have so wronged them. And that is all that should ever be expected from any god so far as the Nimidians are concerned. So for these reasons, worshipers of Uzkul aren't permitted to pray to him at all. To pray to him implies that he failed to give his followers the strength and will needed to master the world around them, which in the eyes of Uzkul is an unaccountable insult.﻿ Uzkul can only be worshiped in ones actions and deeds, not words. Uzkul does not reward or punish his followers after their deaths. That persons' legacy, how they lived and what they left behind, is their own reward or failure.﻿ Uzkul is pleased by boldness and performance in battle, most of all being impressed by a warrior's death. Uzkul does not look down on mortals as children as some other gods would, he does not care how or what you are, all he cares for is strength and the arrogance to take what you want in life. Only a fierce warrior peoples could ever worship such a cruel and arrogant being. And this has proven true elsewhere. There are many peoples dedicated to Uzkul, being worshiped by not only Nimidians but also the Qhorians and Shokai, whom share many of the same gods as the Nimidians.*

*Uzkul chooses his Apostles based solely on an aspirant champion's own merit and skill. Rewarding them for their successes or punishing them harshly but fairly for their failures. Uzkul will only intervene in the lives of his most devout and loyal followers once and he will do so unasked. It is believed among his devotees that Uzkul will only once save his most loyal followers in battle from a shameful demise. This is presumably for a more honorable death involving overwhelming odds, heaps of mangled corpses, and endless rivers of blood. This is the glorious warrior's death that all true devotees of Uzkul desire. The Apocalypsa Galaxy has always been a violent place, and thus from sheer number of worshipers Uzkul is one of the mightiest deities in the Astral Realm. Nearly everyone who draws a sword or fires a gun has fought alongside a warpriest of the Horned God, and just as many has fought against one. Temples to the Lord of War look more like military fortresses than the archetypal temple. They featured barracks, mess halls, armories, and training grounds. Due to its tendency to have followers and warpriests on both sides of any engagement, the followers of Uzkul have no central authority that might support one side or the other exclusively. Within a given temple or order, however, there exist a strict hierarchy and chain of command, more akin to a military structure than a religious one.*

### *Kana: Goddess of Beauty, Ego, Pride, Jealousy & Revenge*

*Kana, also known as the Crimson Mother and Red Queen, she is the primary Goddess of the Nimidian peoples. Best described as a cold-hearted bully, calculating and despotic; she is well known to be a particularly malicious, petty and vain Goddess, acting on her own turbulent whims whenever making deals with mortals. Kana is proud and ruthless when slighted or dishonored, especially against those that claimed to be more beautiful than she. She is quite greedy for power and hungry for the flattery of others. Kana represents all that is arrogant and callous in the Nimidian psyche. Regal and sophisticated, Kana has an extremely high superiority complex, viewing all those around her as ants and lesser beings compared to herself. It is believed among the Nimidians that her influence is the reason they desire to not simply wage war but to also reaffirm their sense of pride and superiority over the lesser races. Kana is emotionless and uncaring, as well as ruthless to those who would stand in her way. When the Nimidian warriors return from war, hundreds of prisoners captured in battle are slaughtered by the Nimidian priestesses in the name of Kana as sacrifices in order to feed the insatiable hunger of their Goddess. Only the most inventive blood letting can sate her apatite for any amount of time. Once every century the most fanatical of her followers will perform a savage sacrificial ceremony called the Nights of Feasting, wherein many captured sacrifices are ritualistically butchered and eaten alive.*

*No weapons are permitted during this ritual, they must devour their victims using only bare hands and teeth, tearing them limb from limb. This ceremony is known to few outside their Empire. Another ritual practiced by the Nimidians is one reserved for pregnant Nimidian women in which they will attempt to consume the poisonous heart of the extremely venomous Hydra under the supervision of priestesses dedicated to Kana. The mother must tear into the creature's vile heart with her bare teeth and nails. If she eats the entire heart, she will bear a noble son who is strong, cunning, and fearless; if she succumbs to the venom, the omens are less favorable. The child might be stillborn, weak or deformed. Among the males, there is a tradition where the father must feast upon the flesh of the afterbirth. This is primarily done as a sacred offering of tribute to Kana for her divine mercy in allowing the Nimidian warrior's wives and his newborn children to survive the arduous ordeal. The afterbirth is believed among the Nimidians to hold the sacred essence of the Goddess, Kana and so must be ritualistically consumed. Sacrifices to the Crimson Mother are common, especially among Nimidian women as they believe themselves to be made in her image. Many of her fanatical Apostles accumulate impressive personal prestige and wealth in their service to her, much of which they sacrifice as offerings to Kana. Her Apostles are identified by an insane lust for slaughter, proclaiming of the wrath of Kana soon to come. They take joy from the ending of life on the battlefield, a truly perverse pleasure for which their desire is constantly increasing.*

### *Nadir - Goddess of Healing, Growth, Life, Cycles & Medicine*

###

## *Anatomy & Physiology*

*The Nimidians are a distinct classification of humanoids as adapted to the volatile planet of Nimhs, and are one of the most feared races in the galaxy. Nimidians are inherently magical beings, and although classified as a draconic race, in no case should they be considered solely reptilian, despite some obvious similarities. In fact, they are more akin to hybridization of both mammalian and reptile creatures. They are particularly mammalian in regards to their social behavior and movements, as well as being inherently warm-blooded and possessing eyes which function similar to felines, although far more complex. The people of Nimhs inhabited a much harsher and unstable environment than their distant cousins, and so have developed very unique characteristics absent in other renditions of humanity.*

*That is to say, Nimidians are much hardier, having been forced to adapt to the unforgiving climate and dangerous landscape of their extremely hostile homeworld. Due to the brutality of their surroundings, natural selection has played a much more significant and active role in the evolution of the Nimidians. Naturally growing stronger as they mature, they gain a very muscular and well-defined build. The Nimidians themselves are physically very impressive; they are stronger, faster, tougher, more resistant to pain and damage, possess acute senses, immense stamina, and recover quicker and with more finality, having superior healing when compared to most races. Nimidians are capable of quickly recovering from multiple high caliber gun shot wounds with minimal or even no medical attention and they are also highly resilient to most bacteria and viruses that would be fatal to other humanoids.*

*In fact, Nimidians are untouched by most plagues or natural disease and can suffer wounds that would kill a lesser being several times over, and live to fight again. When injured Nimidians have an inner strength that could push them to accomplish even more than when they were at their best. The Nimidian body possesses enhanced regenerative tissue and a subverted nervous system, enabling them to heal rapidly and not have pain detract from combat prowess. The Nimidians have a very broad range of skin tones, being everything from very ebony-skinned to quite fair-skinned in complexion. Skin tones include olive, beige, amber, tan, pale red, burgundy red, maroon red, pale yellow, yellowish tan, bronze, copper, brass, golden tan, umber brown, dark brown, ash grey, silver grey, obsidian grey, coal black, blue black, pale blue and chalky white. Nimidians have darker hair colors, however, colors such as red, blonde, and platinum are not rare. Nimidian eyes are more beastlike in appearance, possessing vertically slit pupils and are startling in coloration with violet, sapphire, orange, amber, red, sea green, cyan, turquoise, silver, honey-gold and green-gold all being quite common.*

*Dentition is somewhat similar to that of humans with the exception of their teeth being longer and sharper. Their canines are more pronounced as they possess two pairs of fangs on the lower and upper jaw, adding to their bloodthirsty appearance. The teeth of Nimidians are impressively tough, being strong enough to easily bite through steel and crush rock. Nimidians are able to dislocate their lower jaw, thus allowing them to open their mouths to an enormous size, enough so as to swallow a human sized opponent whole. They also possess long serpentine-like tongues which taper to a sharp point like a dagger. Nimidians tend to have voices which are deep, echoing, and frightening to those races who haven't ever heard them speak before. Nimidians also have swept-back ears that come to noticeable points.*

### *Supernatural Strength*

*The Nimidians are incredibly powerful, all of their kind easily possessing the combined strength of a thousand men. They are able to land blows that can pulverize solid granite or smash through a fortified gate. Nimidians are strong enough to easily tear multi-ton boulders out of the ground, and hurl them dozens if not hundreds of feet through the air toward their enemies. This formidable strength also allows Nimidians to create small but extremely potent shockwaves by stomping the ground, that are capable of doing damage even to superhumanly durable opponents. On the battlefield, Nimidians have been seen to lift armored vehicles such as tanks and hurl them dozens of meters through the air. This impressive physical strength also extends to their lower bodies as well, as the Nimidians have been seen to jump up to three times their own height, and are capable of falling up to ten times their height and landing safely on their feet without sustaining any noticeable injuries. A Nimidian's strength is not only superior to baseline humans, but is also far greater than that of most other mortal creatures. As they can easily subdue and tear apart many large and powerful beasts using only bare hands. Even whilst in a weakened condition their physical might surpasses the maximum strength possessed by other races. Nimidians are able to lift and throw items as large as bulldozers and tear apart metal with seemingly little effort.*

*Nimidians are able to defeat multiple low level soldier demons with ease. The average Nimidian warrior is considered the physical equal of the fearsome Demon Knights, whom are powerful upper level greater demons and are the strongest of the soldier class demoniods. While Nimidian Warlords are able to match Demon Lords in combat, making them among the strongest of all mortal champions. A Nimidian can parry large weapons with his horns and claws, absorb volleys of bullets with his thick muscles and skin, and break through solid concrete and rock with sheer force. They can even use their claws to easily tear through solid rock, and rip apart most demons. This strength is such that they can send a fully power-armored Lassarborn flying across the battlefield with a single strike. Furthermore, the Nimidians are capable of tearing fully armored soldiers to pieces with terrifying ferocity. The maximum limit of their strength is unknown as some Nimidians are considerably stronger than others. Infact, a Nimidian's physical strength will dramatically increase over time due to many factors. Being super-humanly strong and naturally brutal warriors, the Nimidians can rely on close quarters combat to defeat their enemies, even if that enemy is heavily armored or armed with advanced weapons.*

### *Superhuman Speed*

*Despite their large size, Nimidians are capable of achieving impressive speeds, being able to run up to between 90 - 115 mph and much faster than this while under the influence of their blood rages. Although once they are running at top speed, it becomes a little difficult for them to change direction. Because of this speed combined with their prodigious size, Nimidians are well known for resorting to flat out ramming enemy vehicles and running down those too slow to escape. Adding to the threat presented by a charging Nimidian is its extremely tough horns, being capable of penetrating the armor plating of power armor and tanks on the charge. Nimidians also possess faster reflexes and reaction times, being capable of catching projectiles, such as an anti personnel rocket shell, out of midair.*

### *Superior Senses*

*Like any predator, Nimidians possess exceptionally acute senses, which only improve with age. Nimidians have excellent depth perception and comparably good peripheral vision, able to see five times as well as a human in daylight; they have even better night vision, and are able to see even when conditions have no light to offer, though not in color. In addition, a keen sensitivity to movement and light allows the Nimidians to easily read the body language of other species, making it almost impossible to lie to a Nimidian. They also exhibit a unique secondary visual prowess that grants them the ability to see through objects, discern the make up of individuals, see energy sources, seek abnormalities in structures, etc. Using their secondary vision, Nimidians are able to easily discern the location of traps and other hidden threats. A Nimidian's agility, balance, and bodily coordination are all enhanced to levels that are beyond the natural physical limits of the finest un-augmented human athlete. They also possess an impressive sense of smell verging on the supernatural.*

*Through simply breathing in the scent of an individual, the Nimidians can very easily discern whether that person is guilty of having committed a crime or has otherwise been dishonest. Nimidians can pick up scents very well, utilizing both their sensitive nose and dagger like tongue, much like a snake. They can track an enemy by scent from many kilometers away at least. Their hearing is superhuman, and their minds can filter what noises they hear, making it much easier for them to track a specific target on sound alone. Nimidian taste is also quite refined, the females respond particularly well to sweet flavors, although both genders are able to eat almost anything. Of all their senses, a Nimidian's sense of touch is the only one to decrease with age, due to them beginning a slow process of petrification as they grow older and neared "death". Possessing a near supernatural sense of spatial awareness, Nimidians are able to use their enhanced senses to detect invisible persons or objects. This also enables Nimidians to sense enemies in close proximity to themselves.*

### *Supernatural Durability*

*Due to millennia of exposure to the cosmic rays of their Chaos Star, the Nimidians possess extraordinarily tough bodies. The mutagenic process caused their musculature, bone structure, internal organ composition, soft tissue structure, and skin to greatly increase in toughness and density. The tissues of a Nimidian's body are considerably harder than those of a human's, and even those of most superhumans and supernatural creatures. Nimidians can withstand great impact forces, temperature extremes, high caliber bullets, falls from great heights, light anti-tank weaponry, powerful explosions and energy blasts without sustaining physical injury. Their thick skin is extremely tough, and is virtually impervious to cuts, scrapes or contusions. They are highly resistant to environmental hazards, including toxins, radiation, as well as extreme heat and cold. Nimidians are capable of withstanding wounds that would be fatal to most other races without being incapacitated, as well as recovering from injury at an incredible rate.*

*Thanks to their unique Star Spawn physiology, the Nimidians are physically very resistant against heat to the point of being immune to all forms of fire and burns, including electrocution. This resistance to heat and burns is so impressive that not even magma can burn their skin when making direct contact. The average Nimidian warrior is capable of surviving wounds which would kill another similarly sized organism. Nimidians use pain as a stimulant, responding to it by becoming more aggressive and stronger.*

*Their skeleton is reinforced with naturally occurring carbon fiber. Nimidian bones are denser than most other humanoids, granting them extra toughness but also slowing them down a little. The Nimidian skeleton is stronger and more robust than any human, and less likely to fracture due to its heavier frame and build. Although it is made predominantly calcium just as found in humans, due to their sulphur-oxygen rich bloodstreams Nimidians do not appear to suffer from the health risks of calcification, which slowly weakens the bone over time (as natural in humans). This is essential as the Nimidian homeworld possesses a significantly higher gravity than that of human inhabited worlds. This calcification-immunity allows the bones of the skeleton to naturally reinforce, rather than weaken - and due to high levels of carbon inside of the bone composition, this makes the bone around 6-8 times stronger than a humans, whilst preventing the bone from growing any more brittle. However, this chemical feature also renders the bone 5-6 times heavier.*

*Nimidians feel surprisingly little pain, even from the most grievous of wounds, enabling them to fight on whilst horrifically injured and even for a short while after being technically dead. There is also a great deal more multiple redundancy in their organs. This allows Nimidians to survive severe injuries in battle. They possess a rib cage which has been fused into overlapping flexible bone plates, a natural breastplate of powerful iron-hard bone in their chest, two livers, three eight-chambered hearts, one of which is encased within thick layers of bone while the others are protected by their reinforced rib cage and breastplate.*

*Nimidians also have four powerful lungs, a secondary respiratory system and even a secondary nervous system, meaning they are almost impossible to paralyze, as well as multiple stomachs.*

*These secondary systems are capable of serving as back-ups in the event of damage to the primary biological structures. Nimidian internal organs also share the same superhuman toughness as their skin, meaning they are highly resistant to internal injury. Their hardened vital organs can survive the huge kinetic forces of being struck by other beings of similar levels of superhuman strength to their own, being crushed under the weight of collapsing buildings, and the high speed impact of multi ton vehicles without suffering serious damage.* *Because their blood is processed through two livers, Nimidians are constantly cleansed of toxins and carcinogens which allows them to be highly resistant to poison and consume foods toxic to other species. Possessing a natural propensity for toughness, Nimidian physiology is extremely resilient and able to keep functioning even after suffering substantial blood loss, multiple amputations, or other injuries that would easily kill a lesser being thrice over. Overall, the Nimidian anatomy is especially rugged, and is resistant to high levels of damage.*

### *Superhuman Endurance*

*The Nimidian' musculature gives off very faint traces of fatigue toxins during physical activity than the body of a normal human being, giving the Nimidians superhuman endurance and stamina. As a result of that; the Nimidians can fight, run, and perform other physical activities at peak capacity for several days to several weeks on end before the build up of fatigue toxins in the bloodstream begins to impair them and affect their overall capabilities. They can run for days without rest. Nimidians are fully capable of going without sleep for up to three weeks. The Nimidian respiratory system possesses more than triple the lung volume capacity of a humans - also probably due to their far larger muscle and metabolism requirements. Due to the adverse and hostile climate of their homeworld, the Nimidians have evolved a unique cardiovascular organ capable of retaining and storing enough oxygen to sustain the Nimidian for 24 hours without breathing any oxygen whatsoever. This allows the species to survive on many different worlds without having to develop a sophisticated breathing apparatus. The combination of this specialist organ and their superior lung capacity means a Nimidian can 'hold its breath' for several hours before blacking out when in an enviroment that is devoid of both oxygen and sulphur. Whereas a human would go unconscious in only a couple of minutes (although some can hold for far longer).*

### *Horns*

*All Nimidian males without exception possess two large, ridged, granite tough, curving horns rising from their iron thick skulls. While Nimidian females possess a pair of comparatively smaller and more delicate(though still extremely tough), curving horns. All of the female Nimidians have one pair of horns, whereas all male Nimidians have two pairs of horns - one big and one small one; the smaller pair growing later after the males reach a specific age in their maturation. These horns vary in size from Nimidian to Nimidian, the youngest possessing mere nubs while the oldest sport horns the size of a stag's. Also, these horns are often used by the females as a method for determining a male's attractiveness, and vice verse for males when pursuing a female, emphasizing their importance within Nimidian culture even further. The horns don't have nerve endings and can be painlessly removed much like human nails or hair. And in much the same ilk as both nails and hair, if the horns are cut off they will slowly regrow. Nimidians use horns for social interactions, establishing dominance via headbutting to force competitors into submission, to display sexual virility, good health, and as a sign of experience as horns continue to grow with age. Long or shapely horns are considered great status symbols, and often go hand-in-hand with respect, influence, and wealth.*

*A Nimidian's horns carry great significance within their warrior culture, and impressively decorated horns can often be a symbol of a respected general, and an ancient honorable warrior. A Nimidian's Horns could be likened to phallic symbols, and for males in particular, larger horns brought with them some indistinct positive connotations. Their horns are a source of great pride to Nimidians, especially when confronted by other species. It is common for Nimidians to ornately decorate their horns, adorning them with prizes won in battle, jewel encrusted gold plating and more exact displays. Many proud and arrogant males still wear their unmodified horns with pride. They take great pride in their horns, and groom them quite regularly. Due to these attributes, many other races feel uncomfortable in their presence, for they resemble the demons of a thousand different myths.*

*A Nimidians' horns grow gradually over time, and are considered a symbol of a males' fertility and societal status. The Nimidian homeworld is an extremely dangerous environment, even to such a formidable warrior race as themselves. In their prehistory, survival would have been difficult. Their homeworld is dangerous and inhospitable, and most individuals would die before ever reaching adolescence. Therefore any male who successfully lived long enough to grow an impressive horn length was desirable, a sure sign of a strong survivor in a dangerous world. Yet, it appears that a physical responsiveness is existent and visible of females (hormone wise) when confronted with a male who possess an impressive set of horns to display. For the Nimidians the symbolism of the horn will always be a symbol of fertility and survivability/stoicism in the face of adversity. Nimidians whom have committed an act which can be deemed as highly dishonorable can choose to file down their horns in lieu of being executed or banished, so that all who look upon them will know their shame.*

### *Shapshifting*

*Thanks to their Chaos Star enhanced physiology, the Nimidians possess a limited degree of shapeshifting abilities due to their special skeletons and ability to passively absorb natural energies. They can alter their form at the musculoskeletal level and make specific changes to their physical appearance. For example, Nimidians are able to alter their height, sprout retractable wings, long prehensile tales and harden their skin. This ability also grants a general increase in their physical capabilities, such as in strength, speed, stamina, reflexes, perception and durability. They can change almost instantly and isolate the transformation to specific parts of their body. When properly enraged, the Nimidians can turn into a great and monstrous creature. In times of desperation, they can transform into what is believed to be their true form, being that of a towering demon-like being with armored skin and spikes on the body. In this form their strength and resistance are higher than normal and vary according to the degree of transformation they choose to achieve. However, while the Nimidians gain a massive boost in overall ability upon transforming fully, they also lose their minds. This form can only be accessed while under the influence of the Blood Rage and maintained for variable time periods, ranging from several hours to multiple days, even for a shot amount of time after death.*

### *Retractable Wings*

*Both male and female Nimidians possess a pair of massive retractable bat-like skin wings that can vary in appearance, containing a variety of different digit-combinations. Nimidian males have an average wingspan of 30 - 35 ft and females possess a wingspan of 24 - 26 ft. Despite their size, these wings can fairly quickly deploy and retract into an Nimidian's back at will and without causing much discomfort. Both wings are tipped with extremely sharp talons at the tips allowing them to be used as weapons to impale, hook onto, or slash apart enemies. Their wings are capable of propelling them through the air with astounding force. They are incredibly strong, being able to very easily carry the weight of a Nimidian in full war-plate. Their lifting capacity while in flight is sufficient that Nimidians can carry five times their own body weight without a discernible loss of speed/momentum. It is nearly impossible to escape a pursuing Nimidian when they are in flight, as their wings can easily keep up with most vehicles, being able to fly at supersonic speeds and rip apart the flesh of weaker humanoids and other foes upon impact.*

### *Males*

*Nimidian males tend to possess much more prominently draconic physical characteristics when compared to their female counterparts. In appearance, the average Nimidian male is a hulking brute of iron-tough muscle and savage aggression, their bones being considerably stronger and showing signs of extensive thickening not seen in the females. Such as the presence of suborbital crests beginning above their eyes and continuing over the forehead, as well as thick spinal ridges that protrudes through their back. They possess small granite tough, bone-like spikes that protrude from their shoulders and biceps. Also possessing retractable talons on their elbows, ankles, feet, knuckles, and finger tips. These talons act as natural melee weapons when the Nimidians are in battle. Physically, Nimidian males tend to be not only larger than their females, standing much taller and having broader shoulders, they're a great deal stronger and more durable, as well. Nimidian males possess an incredible capacity for toughness and are capable of surviving a great amounts of punishment. They can survive disembowelment, impalment through the chest, and powerful close range explosion without sustaining any permanent damage to themselves, allowing them to continue fighting while severely injured.*

*They possess an effective, powerful musculature, a dense mass, and skin only penetrable by a molecular blade. Despite their large size, Nimidian males are surprisingly quick and agile. They are capable of leaping fairly impressive distances, and high enough to jump over a 5-story building. Nimidian males have tougher skin than the females, appearing leathery and possess rougher faces. This contributing to their considerably ferocious appearance. Male Nimidians are generally considered to be strangely handsome, possessing strong masculine facial features and are incredibly muscular beings. As despite their more savage and otherworldly appearance, they share many physical similarities with the other human descended races. Nimidian males love the thrill and glory of bloody melee combat and go to great lengths to experience this. Thanks to their heavily muscled bodies, natural brutality and great strength, they are capable of easily tearing any foe limb from limb. Their urge to fight stronger opponents and relish in battle has caused terrible destruction. They are ferocious and merciless, even when enemies are clearly outmatched. However, they desire a challenge above all else.*

*Nimidian males are extremely large and robust, standing between 16'0 ft - 18'0 ft tall and weighing between 4000 - 7000 pounds. They are not only taller, but their proportions are much broader and more heavily muscled than that of a human. Some males are known to grow to be well over twenty feet in height, becoming giants even among their own kind, though these are very rare occurrences. The skin, muscles and bones of Nimdian males are several times denser than the same tissues found within the bodie of female Nimidians, greatly contributing to their superhuman physique, significant weight, and making them extremely hard to wound. Their skin is much harder to pierce than human skin, only beings possessing superhuman strength can harm them. This difference in height and muscle mass means that Nimidian males tend to be much stronger and considerably more durable than their females, who they are known to physically dominate as part of their mating rituals. Nimidian males typically lack facial hair and do not grow hair on their heads, being naturally entirely bald. They have no body hair, with the only exception being eyelashes to aid in keeping out the sand and heat of Nimhs.*

### *Hypnotic Gaze*

*At some point in their maturation, all Nimidian males will develop the innate ability to utilize a Hypnotic Gaze that requires direct eye contact to be activated. This powerful latent psychic ability is a dominating assertion of willpower by a Nimidian over those whom possess weaker willpower than his own. Their hypnotic gaze is a naturally occurring glamour in the eye that attracts another creature's gaze and enchanting it into looking. Their gaze causes temporary paralysis, rendering its target immobile, as well as granting the hypnotic power to induce terrifying delusions that allies have become monsters. The most terrifing skill offered by their hypnotic gaze allows an extremely powerful and experienced Nimidian to manipulate his opponents, forcing them to kill themselves or each other simply by looking into his eyes. A strong enough Nimidian can naturally exert their willpower unto others; attracting those of weaker will to perceive him as their natural leader. This ability is often used by the Nimidian males for subduing and taming wild beasts. However, those of particularly strong mind and will can resist this ability. Nimidians are indeed naturally highly resistant to the effects of this glamour, due to them all possessing exceptionally powerful wills and a strong sense of individuality. The Hypnotic Gaze is very useful to the Nimidians for controlling their hordes of Orog slaves and extremely monstrous warbeasts.*

### *Females*

*Nimidian women, not being so heavily built or as burly as their male counterparts, tend to be considerably lighter on their feet, nimble and more agile. Similarly to the larger males, Nimidian females possess retractable talons upon their elbows, ankles, feet and finger tips. Likely as a means of protecting themselves from enemies and overly aggressive suitors. As Nimidian courtship entails the often violent kidnapping of the unwilling and even willing bride to be. While not as durable as the larger males, Nimidian females can withstand blows that would easily kill a lesser creature. Nimidian females also possess small spinal ridges. Perhaps because of similar physical characteristics, Nimidian women are considered to be quite beautiful and are perceived as attractive by many different peoples. They possess the body of a voluptuous female, with a predatory and feral beauty. All possessing breasts that continue to grow with age, a well defined musculature, and womanly curvy figures. Without exception, all females typically appear as stunningly beautiful women of statuesque build and hourglass bodies. Nimidian women also tend to possess more feminine and delicate facial features than the males.*

*Nimidian females tend to grow full manes of thick lustrous hair, with many choosing to keep their hair in intricate braids, wear it loose or shave themselves bald. Nimidian females will braid portions of their manes or otherwise decorate them with skulls and weapons. Like the males, Nimidian females have little to no body hair, with the only notable exception being eyelashes. Females typically have painted eyebrows or have their eyebrows tattooed, in order to appear more palatable. The females are quite tall and robust as well, standing between 12'0 ft - 14'0 tall and weighing 1500 - 2400 pounds. However, Nimidian women typically possess a noticeably leaner and more curvaceous build than the males, displaying an athletic build with muscular arms and legs. Unlike their males, much of a female Nimidian's muscle and bone mass is condensed and several times as dense as that of a baseline human. Although they're noticeably much larger than a human female, Nimidian females appear to be visibly lighter than they actually are. They all tend to be physically attractive and seductive. Females keep this beauty throughout their lives, remaining beautiful into old age.*

*Due to this legendary beauty, Nimidian women are the main targets of the few slavers stupid enough to raid them and as a result of this, the male Nimidians are aggressively protective of their women. They are seldom ever allowed to be seen by outsiders and so are considered to be exceptionally exotic. Nimidian women are very much aware that they tend to be attractive and are comfortable expressing their sexuality. Emanating a natural sensuality, Nimidian females will wield this exotic beauty to their advantage, manipulating their own males and the males of other races for enjoyment. They shower their affections on women as well as men, most often seeing seduction as some sort of game. Their only preference for having intercourse with someone is whether or not the female finds that Nimidian attractive. Despite their supernatural beauty, female Nimidians are known for their formidable brute strength and when forced to fight will defend themselves ferociously. They are good listeners and very observant, adding to them being very persuasive and deceptive. Nimidian women are arrogant and possess a cruel cunning, using their bodies to lure unwitting prey so as to devour them alive.*

### *Pheromone Secretion*

*Along with their enhanced beauty, Nimidian females possess an ability of near-supernatural seduction which makes them irresistible to both genders. Possibly developing as a natural defense mechanism on a world rife with dangers, the female Nimidian metabolism generates powerful types of pheromones which enhances their attractiveness and likability. These pheromones allow them to seduce men and women alike. This ability is useful for the females when trying to seduce or gain the attention of a desired mate and also when "hunting", as the creatures they prey upon are much less likely to flee from them. Nimidian females are also able to use their pheromones to induce fear and dread in other beings, as well as feelings of serenity or bliss. In rare cases, the most experienced females are able to cause others to commit suicide by influeincing them with their pheromones. However, inexperienced females who have not learned to control their pheromones can cause everyone within range to match their moods. While Nimidian males tend to be naturally nearly immune to these pheromones, they can still fall prey to the spell-like charms of their females. Around times when the females are ovulating, their pheromones can become especially potent and harder for them to control. This can cause an uncontrollable obsessive desire to develop within the males, resulting in violent attempts to gain sexual access to the females.*

### *Armored Skin*

*Aside from their bodies already formidable natural durability, Nimidians are capable manipulating their own skin tissue to an impressive extent, giving themselves a supernaturally tough reinforced exterior which dramatically increases their already considerable natural toughness. Their armored skin grants them an extremely durable exo-skeleton which can deflect gunfire at close range and shatters blades that make forceful contact with their body. They are able to transform into this armor-like state at will, a process taking only minutes to complete, and can remain in this armored form for an unknown length of time.* *Nimidians usually use this ability to partially strengthen the density of selected parts of the body during battle, but can extend the effect to its entirety. Once in this armored form, the Nimidian will remain so until they consciously will themselves back to normal or are incapacitated. While in their powerful armored state, the Nimidians possess the exact same degree of mobility and range of motion that they do while still in their standard form.*

*This ability is also partially instinctual, as different parts of their skin will harden in response to physical trauma if attacked while off guard. The Nimidians reinforced skin grants them an even greater degree of resistance to physical injury. They are nearly impervious to damage, able to resist explosions equivalent to 1 ton of high explosives, the impact of large anti-tank weaponry, including 110 millimetre artillery shells, localized nuclear warheads and extremes in temperature without cracking or melting. This armored skin is also very resistant to acids and durable enough for Nimidians to walk unharmed through rivers of highly corrosive pollutant. The Nimidians have even been known to survive crashing into the surface of a planet from low orbit while in this state. However, this enhanced durability doesn't extend beyond the skin layer, as a Nimidian's internal body parts, while still being naturally extremely tough, are not as well protected. So, as they may be all but invulnerable externally, their interiors can still be damaged if the Nimidian is attacked with enough force.*

*While still an extremely formidable and effective defensive measure, the Nimidians armored skin ability still possesses a few exploitable weaknesses. For example, while they're very powerful and capable of reacting instinctively, the ability of a Nimidian's armored skin to react quickly to incoming attacks can be outpaced by sudden or rapid forms of damage. If an attack is executed quickly enough, the Nimidian's armored skin ability can be rendered unable to harden quickly enough in order to keep the Nimidian from taking any damage. This shows that their armored skin seems to work best when an attack is slower or when the Nimidians are prepared for and aware of the attack. When engaging a Nimidian it is best to utilize rapid fire, high damage output weapons in order to outpace their armored skin ability, thus wounding or killing the creature before it can fully encase itself within this protective armor. Though this is easier said than done.*

### *Regeneration*

*Although the Nimidians natural toughness is already formidable in the extreme, the Dragon's-kin also possess greatly enhanced healing abilities. Nimidians are capable of shrugging off wounds that would be fatal to ordinary humans, most Lassar-born, Demihumans and most other Star Spawn without being incapacitated, as well as recovering from injuries at an incredible rate. They has been shown to withstand great impact forces, high caliber bullets, exposure to extremes of both temperatures and falls from great heights. Nimidians have been savagely beaten by large monsters on several occasions and survived, often with relatively minor injuries. If injured the Nimidian metabolism enables them to rapidly regenerate and heal with significantly greater speed and efficiency than that of what normal humans are capable of.*

*The Nimidians are fully capable of recovering from multiple life-threatening injuries within mere days. This allows them to regenerate from numerous broken bones, internal injuries and even destroyed bodily tissue that would be fatal to normal baseline humans, regardless of the cause. Depending on how severe their injuries are, some can heal within a matter of hours while others take longer. A Nimidian that has been impaled by a massive spearhead through the chest will simply charge the attacker in a blind rage. Nimidians can continue to fight on whilst disemboweled and not only survive such injuries but make a full recovery within a few weeks. The Nimidians can heal quickly from almost any injury, such as regenerating their eyes after having them gorged out of their heads. Given enough time, they can regrow bones, including lost vertebrae, regenerate missing limbs and eventually even destroyed internal organs.*

*However, depending on the severity or cause of the injury, regrowing a limb might not always be possible. This healing factor extends to their immune system as well, rendering them immune to the effects of all known natural diseases and infections including from the effects of radiation as well as most other types of poisons or toxic substances. Nimidians are also immune to all known mortal diseases. It also significantly extends their natural life span, Nimidians being able to live for as long as 15-17,000 years. Although not immortal, Nimidians, like all Star Spawn, age at a pace that is much slower than that of humans. Despite being thousands of years old, a Nimidian will still be in their physical prime at the time of their death. The internal bodily tissues of a Nimidian are also much stronger than most other races, their hearts are rock hard and thus it is exceedingly difficult to cause them serious injury without the use of heavy weapons.*

### *Reactive Adaptation*

*Nimidians possess the terrifying ability to adapt to any bodily harm as they regenerate, becoming stronger and harder to kill as a result. Following a near death experience, a Nimidian's muscularity increases along with its durability and strength. In essence, Nimidians gradually become more resilient if not injured beyond their ability to recover. The entire body of a Nimidian is built as a defensive structure which continues to arm itself the more it is damaged. Because of this, the Nimidian will grow larger and stronger with each successful adaptation process. The most powerful warlords as well as all other prominent Nimidians tend to be those whom have endured the most damage in battle, adapted to be even more powerful, and so can overpower all opposition to their ambitions. Nimidians will also gain an increase to their healing and recovery time after surviving a near death experience. This reactive adaptation also extends to their minds, as given enough exposure Nimidians will develop a high level of resistance against telepathic assaults, eventually reaching the point where most forms of mind control and psychic attacks simply don't work on them anymore.*

### *Arcane Fire Projection*

*Nimidians are feared near and far as being "Kin to Dragons" and are able to fire blasts of arcane fire out of their mouths. They can fire a constant stream like a flamethrower or a more concentrated single burst of fire. The Nimidian ability to breathe flames is enabled through the utilization of a unique organ and various other complex bodily functions found only within Nimidian internal anatomy. Nimidian blood is rich in powerful primordial energies which are circulated throughout their bloodstream with the assistance of a strange organ called the fundamentum. Once thought to be the sole source of the Nimidians breath weapon, the fundamentum is an enormous blood vessel, similar to an extremely large, complex artery. The fundamentum channels the energy-rich blood from the twin hearts directly into the upper stomach of a Nimidian's gizzard.*

*When properly examined outside a Nimidian's body, the fundamentum appears something like a rubbery hose, with a muscular outer layer capable of pumping blood similar to how the heart manages to. This outer layer allows the fundamentum to constrict and expand quite rapidly from one end to the other, propelling a wash of primordially enriched elemental blood into the Nimidian's primary upper stomach. The gizzard of the Nimidians contains two distinct hollows: the smaller “upper stomach” and the larger gizzard chamber. These potent elemental energies, transferred from inside the heart through the fundamentum, remains within the upper stomach until needed. This energy either assists in digestion, in which case the energy flows into the gizzard whenever sustenance arrives from the esophagus or it comprises the Nimidian's breath weapon.*

*However, in all actuality, “breath weapon” is a misnomer, since the flames discharge not from inside their lungs but from within the upper stomach. This stream of energy is more accurately vomited than it is exhaled. When considerably enraged, traces of this energy might leak from within a Nimidian's upper stomach into the esophagus, mouth, and nostrils, from which they might emerge as puffs of smoke. After food reaches the gizzard, the hard plates inside the organ, similar in composition to their horns and teeth, grind it up. The upper stomach bathes the swallowed substance in the stored energy from its pool.*

### *Innate Elemental Nature*

*The Nimidians are an intrinsically elemental race, with every member of the species being a powerful conduit for the natural arcane energies which saturate the worlds of Apocalypsa. Due to their innate elemental nature, Nimidians possess the passive ability to absorb naturally occuring arcane energies from the surrounding environment. These energies are used to fuel much of their more supernatural abilities, such as their breath weapon and armored skin. This ability also allows the Nimidians to maintain their strength and physical vitality for much longer than normal without having to eat or drink. Their elemental nature also means that Nimidians naturally possess incredibly strong life-forces. As such, they have very long lifespans and likewise age slower. This also enables them to survive and endure much more severe injuries while likewise able to recover from injuries and exhaustion with much greater efficiency in short periods of time. Because the Nimidians make use of supernatural energies as part of their digestive processes, they can consume and digest all sorts of food. They can also easily consume substances that wouldn’t even qualify as food to other living creatures.*

*All Nimidians are omnivorous and can eat almost anything, thanks to their innate elemental nature that allows them to consume and digest all sorts of food. Most Nimidians prefer a carnivorous diet, but a few of them have developed unique dietary habits. Older Nimidians, for instance, prefer to eat primarily inorganic fare. However, they find meat and other organic edible material the easiest fare to digest. In emergencies, when the alternative is starvation, Nimidians might eat anything they can swallow: dead wood, rock, and other often inorganic materials. The elemental aspect of a Nimidian's digestive system, in addition to allowing them to consume substances others cannot, also makes Nimidians hyper-efficient at digesting meats and other normal organic foods. Although a Nimidian can easily consume more than half their body weight in such food over the course of a day, a Nimidian needs to eat only about 20 percent of its body weight in organic food on a daily basis to remain healthy.*

*Most Nimidians usually consume half their own weight in meat every day. Nimidians never become fat, as their bodies convert all the eaten food into elemental energy, storing it for later use. Much of this stored energy is expended using their breath weapons and when their bodies changed because of them advancing in age. When eating inorganic materials, Nimidians need to eat as much as its own body weight per day to maintain healthy bodies. Nimidians possess the ability to mentally dominate most creatures that make direct eye contact with them. The primordial energy flowing through and enriching a Nimidian's bloodstream significantly assists in maintaining the Nimidian's proper range of internal temperatures, regardless of external environment. It is virtually impossible for a Nimidian to freeze to death. The natural internal body temperature of the Nimidian peoples is considerably warmer than that of baseline Humans and other related humanoids, being so hot as to seem feverish.*

*They are superbly adapted to hot climates, being able to comfortably survive in temperatures of up to 70°C, (158°F) or higher. This allows the Nimidians to be comfortable in extremely cold climates while remaining no more vulnerable to heat than the other humanoid races.*

### *Hibernation*

*The Nimidians ability to passively absorb natural energies allows them to enter a long sleep similar to a state of hibernation' and survive without food or oxygen for centuries if necessary.' Such a sleep allows the creature to endure decades or even centuries without waking. The Nimidians enter this sleep as a means of surviving periods of great famine. Even overall bodily scent is altered, making them less likely to be preyed upon by natural predators during their hibernation. While in hibernation, all physiological functions of the Nimidian in question are stopped, with the exception of their natural recuperative processes, which seems to be even augmented in exchange for the other bodily attributes halted throughout the duration of hibernation. Because of this, a Nimidian can stay submerged in deep water while in hibernation, without danger to his or her somatic systems and functions, such as breathing and circulation. However, a measure of cognitive activity must remain, since Nimidians are said to be capable of dreaming while asleep this way.*

*A Nimidian stores up some form of energy while dormant during their hibernation, without which they would lack the ability to not only take flight with their wings but also any other strenuous activity that they practice whilst awake. If a Nimidian were gravely wounded during battle, the hibernation process would heal any cuts, bruises or abrasions. Broken bones and other severe injuries will also knit during the hibernation. Sore muscles will be refreshed. There do appear to be limits to this, however, as an injury being magical in nature is harder to recover from. More often than not, a Nimidian awakens in full physical health, due to their hibernation effectively purging his or her body of any malignant yet redeemable factors, inherent or otherwise, that he or she might sustain. This, of course, contributes greatly to their remarkably long lifespans.*

### *Blood Rage*

*The wrath of a Nimidian is one of the most horrifying things one can witness. It is also, often, the last. The Nimidian race is widely known to possess an innate inhuman savagery, a trait that appears to be hereditary. Usually exhibiting bouts of uncontrollable murderous rage, reveling in the brutality of bloodshed on both a physical and psychological level. Feared throughout the galaxy as nightmarishly violent warriors, the Nimidians are equally aided and hobbled by their legendary "blood rage". Nimidians possess a gland located between their neck and collarbone which secretes powerful hormones into their bloodstream and which drives them to hyper-aggression. The kill gland also significantly increases adrenaline output, which vastly enhances a Nimidian's power. Their kill gland is most often active when they are angered, agitated or excited. When this kill gland is over stimulated or when faced with what the Nimidians believe to be a life-threatening situation their kill gland sends them into a berserker rage, and causes them to attempt killing any living thing in sight.*

*In this state, a Nimidian becomes totally unresponsive to pain, fighting to the death regardless of injury level with the side effect of reducing their capacity for logic and self-control. They ram down anyone in vision, killing anything that moves. Every sweep of its over-muscled arms leaves behind a trail of broken and mangled bodies; every bite from its massive jaws rips another enemy in half. Worse still, as the blood raging Nimidian carves its way through hundreds of terrified soldiers, the unmistakable sound of laughter can be heard rumbling from deep within the beast’s throat, a throat that should by all rights be roaring with bestial fury. Further driving their enemies into inescapable maddening fear. When under the perverse influence of this blood frenzy, violence becomes exhilarating for a Nimidian in a way nothing else could be. Their blood rage bleaches the Nimidian's mind of all reason, all caution, all the instincts of mortality. When raging they will not hesitate to attack any adversary, no matter how heavily armed or armored.*

*A blood raging Nimidian cares little how they spill the blood of those around them. They will use any weapon they can get their hands on, even their own bodies, so long as they can continue to engage in senseless bloodshed and slaughter. As far as the afflicted Nimidian is concerned, their own bare fists, a heavy rock or sharpened teeth will suffice just as easily if nothing else is available. The gory aftermath of their battles is like a slaughterhouse floor, the earth strewn with hacked limbs, severed heads and pools of gore congealing in the baking sun. The Nimidians blood rages will see them charging unarmed into enemy ranks. Even the bravest of warriors recognizes the bulky shape of a blood raging Nimidian as synonymous with death. Unbound by concepts of honor, a raging Nimidian reverts to its natural state, a red haze descends that makes no distinction between friend and foe. To a blood maddened Nimidian free of all rationality, everything it sees is prey to be crushed, stomped, and ripped apart.*

*Though even under such influence, every single Nimidian is a lifelong warrior and a monster that would otherwise lash out in blind fury, instead strikes with the skill of a warrior born. The only way to halt their resultant rampage is to hack the terrifying beasts down, and very few mortal warriors are up to such a task. These rampaging brutes strike their prey with such shocking force that those not impaled upon jutting armor spikes are torn apart by the impact. Few foes can muster the courage required to stand before the rumbling charge of one of these murderous war machines, and those foolish enough to make the attempt are torn apart by monstrous jaws, cut to pieces by sharpened claws or impaled upon two powerful, granite-like horns. Anyone or anything foolish enough to stand before them is destined only for a quick and brutally violent fate, for a blood frenzied Nimidian is without mercy and leaves only broken bodies and rivers of gore in their wake. Those who would flee beyond their reach, they can destroy by vomiting forth a torrent of flames hot enough to melt adamant.*

*The blood rage also sends the Nimidians passive ability to absorb natural arcane energies from the environment into overdrive, causing a physical transformation. This alters the Nimidian's already fearsome appearance, granting them an even more savage visage. The muscles of their bodies morphing and shifting in various ways that are simply horrifying to bare witness to. When angered, the Nimidians will slip into a brief but violent period of metamorphosis, causing their skin to shift into an armored state, double in muscle mass, sprout numerous granite hard reddish black spikes from their bodies and move with animalistic savagery. A large, extended snake-like mouth with rows of razor sharp fangs that are similar to a shark is also visible. Similar to some serpents, their teeth are also extremely venomous while in this enhanced state of aggression. Blood raging Nimidians become considerably taller than they are when still "calm", gaining a significant overall increase in height as well as significantly more muscle mass.*

*The raging Nimidian's body will begin swelling with grotesque slabs of iron hard muscle, while bones harden, stretching their skin and bursting through their flesh. Their limbs stretch and thicken until they loom over the battlefield. Blessed with the strength of ten thousand men, they inspire fear in the hearts of lesser mortal beings. The Nimidians will also begin to heal and regenerate from even the most severe of wounds at an alarmingly accelerated rate, allowing them to easily shrug off dozens of mortal injuries without being slowed down. They can re-grow any severed limbs and recover from any injury in minutes. Blood raging Nimidians will continue to fight far beyond what is believed to be their natural limits, throwing themselves at the enemy until they drop dead from exhaustion or are killed in battle. They will fight on until the last drop of blood leaves their veins. Their blood, supercharged by the blood rage and natural arcane energies they asborb, functions much like napalm but on a far more powerful level. It has proven more than capable of burning through the armored warriors and magical constructs. In this much more feral form, the enraged Nimidian becomes a virtually unstoppable killing machine, possessing seemingly unlimited strength, endurance and an insatiable bloodlust. Their ability to passively absorb energy from the environment makes them virtually inexhaustible.*

*The blood rage also drives the Nimidians ability of "reactive adaptation" to its peak, enabling them to adapt instantly to attacks that push their body beyond its limitations. A single blood raging Nimidian warrior is capable of hindering the advance of whole armies. Against such a combination of blood soaked rage and unstoppable savage ferocity, none can stand. However, eventually the Nimidian will challenge a monster that dwarfs even their impressive stature, or pile into a foe whose numbers are simply too overwhelming. Outnumbered or outmatched, their bodies will be torn asunder into grisly pieces by their vengeful enemy. The Blood Rage possesses an innate ability to allow Quasi Nimidians to engage arcane powers from their bloodlines through sheer rage. Their anger can draw them into a state of bloodthirst fueled hyper awareness that manifests their fury in a wide variety of destructive supernatural abilities that the Nimidian may not have even been aware of.*

*This hereditary "killing frenzy" can be extremely contagious and spread from one Nimidian to another, driving them all to attack each other. The Nimidians barely survived the wars provoked by their kill glands, and they have since learned to control their kill gland's secretions utilizing artificial hormone regulators and meditation rituals The vast majority if Nimidians do not wish to willingly indulge in their Blood Rages due to their honor code and so it is only used as a last resort or form of suicide when facing certain deathBoth male and female Nimidians are afflicted with the blood rage. The exact origins of the kill gland remains a mystery and there exist no living memory among the Nimidians of a life without mindless, murderous fury.*

### *Reproduction & Maturation*

*Though the reproductive organs of the Nimidians are essentially quite similar in appearance and function to that of their human counterparts and the other peoples which descend from humanity, their internal anatomy is significantly different. Nimidian pregnancies typically last about 7 months before giving birth to 1-5 children. Sometimes as many as nine children are born, with 6 being female and 3 being male. Singular births are always males who devoured their siblings while in utero, which is seen as an omen of greatness. Male children are born with a pair of small horns that will eventually grow larger and more ridged as the young male matures. When Nimidian children begin maturing into adults, they will undergo gender specific forms of puberty. During this process the horns of younger males will begin growing and becoming more prominent. While females do not possess horns at birth, they will begin to grow later as the young Nimidian females mature. Though their horns will never be as large as the males.*

*Similar to other mammalian species, Nimidian females are fully capable of lactating to breast-feed infants and their suckling time is normally around seven or so months. Larger breasts sizes are a very common norm in female Nimidians since Nimidian offspring require a considerably greater amount of nourishment. Because Nimidian offspring are born larger than human infants at birth, female Nimidians have evolved to grow impressively large breasts to increase their milk content. Another reason for this trait is the Nimidian tendency to birth and have to nurse multiple children at a time.*

*Nimidian children mature much slower than human children. Due to their slow maturation, Nimidians are not considered adults until they have achieved well over 200 years of age. At the age of 60 years old, a Nimidian child has the appearance a human child has at about 16 years old. By the age of 130 years old, a Nimidian child attains the maturity its baseline human counterpart did not reach until their late teens. It is during this age that Nimidians are considered to have reached sexual maturity. Sheer physical hardiness means an individual Nimidian can expect to live for many thousands of years while still maintaining their good health and vitality for many centuries, though very few Nimidians manage to die of old age. Even into advanced old age, they tend to still be strong enough for frontline combat and it is very common for these venerable elder warriors to begin seeking a "place to die" , often accompanying armies into battle as a means of ending their lives with honor.*

*Nimidians grow stronger as they increase in age; they also become larger, as well as much more resistant to physical damage and the esoteric effects of magic. However, as a Nimidian advances in age and becomes an "Ancient", their bodies will begin to undergo a strange, slow process of petrification, invoking changes in them that are both unique and horrific. As inexorably their bodies are petrified into immobile stone, starting with their feet. At first the legs turn grey and solid so that the Nimidian is unable to move, and so has to have a mechanical engine constructed to move freely. Then the lower body and torso turn to stone, making them extraordinarily tough. However, once the arms become stone they are entirely unable to move, as all the Nimidian can do is speak. Eventually, the Nimidian's entire body becomes as tough as granite. These statues are then entombed inside a sarcophagus, placed within vast subterranean complexes and venerated as prized relics.*

*Nimidian males and females have a deeply primal, physical attraction to one another. Nimidian males can easily sense when a female is physiologically ready to "mate" via pheromones and act instinctively. This is because during the time near and around "ovulation", when females are most fertile, Nimidian women constantly expel a powerful aphrodisiac which inadvertently causes any Nimidian male in her vicinity to begin lusting over her. Their blood and saliva develops a powerful lustful effect, the females body odor also causes their blood vessels to dilate and a large amount of perspiration. If a man is confronted by a Nimidian female in this condition, unless they have a very strong mind, they will instantly be under her spell. However, Nimidian women are quite sexually aggressive in their own right, especially while under the influence of their pheromones, and will actively attempt seeking out a suitable mate to procreate with while in this state of near constant arousal.*

*However, given time and experience, Nimidian women can learn to control the release of these pheromones. On subject of attractiveness, an older Nimidian is of no less desirability than a younger male, and males retain their fertility almost indefinitely during the course of their thousands of years long lifespans. There is no social stigma attached to the union of an older and younger person, none whatsoever. Mating between Nimidians is considered pleasurable, but also very violent. It is not uncommon for mating pairs to throw one another across rooms during the heat of their coupling. Females are known to scream in ecstasy during it and bite so deeply into the males flesh as to draw blood. Nimidians have a reputation, even among themselves, to be more fertile than other races and they generally display a higher readiness to birth as many children as possible during their lifetimes. However, for reasons that are a mystery to themselves, Nimidian females are born more frequently than the males and consequently, women outnumber men by a ratio of ten to one.*

*The Nimidians, being both an extremely patriarchal and warrior oriented society, have no problem marrying multiple brides to a single husband in order to increase the chances of males being born so as to encourage a sustainable breeding population. A single Nimidian male will on average father seventy children with six to ten wives. The Nimidian fecundity is so impressive that a single tribe decimated in battle can almost completely replenish their numbers in as little as a few decade. Although Nimidians normally give birth to multiple children, only one or two of the six to nine children being birthed will be male. Because of their comparative scarcity and preference as warriors due to superior physical abilities, males are usually favored at birth. Though valued, these male children are not coddle in the least. Childhood is brutal with the weak being culled without hesitation. Even at a young age, Nimidian children are exceptionally tough and mentally strong. The majority being more than capable of surviving the brutality being inflicted upon them throughout their early lives.*

## *Nimhs: Environment, Climate & Terrain*

*Location - Phyrr Space*

*Celestial Bodies - 30 Moons*

*Population - 600+ Billion*

*Nimhs is a planet bathed in the dark energies of an immensely potent Chaos Star. The planet, lit red by its central star, has numerous continents that are overrun with vegetation, forests, swamplands broad savannas and immensely vast expanses of deserts. The colder climates to its north feature snow-capped mountain peaks at the higher altitudes and nearly endless fields of ice and snow that go on for hundreds of miles at a time. The planet is also volcanically active due to its eccentric orbit which makes tidal and geological forces fluctuate, creating a harsher environment and forcing any lifeforms to adapt and become hardier in order to survive. Nimhs is 100x the size of Old Zura and has 30 moons as well as a highly oxygen rich atmosphere. The total population of Nimidians living upon the planet is estimated to be 600 billion strong(120 billion males and 480 billion females). The jungles of Nimhs are a darksome abode where death comes in myriad guises. Mighty, prehistoric carnivores rule the forests, some actively stalking their prey, while others lurk in ambush, awaiting whatever wanders close. No less deadly are the jungle’s smaller killers; everywhere, debilitating parasites lurk, awaiting their opportunity to latch onto a new host, and the humid air buzzes with swarms of blood-sucking insects so voracious they can kill a man before his body can collapse to the forest floor.*

*Only the Nimidians and other hardier creatures can endure the stifling heat and humidity for long; other races eventually sicken and die. To the native Nimidians, however, Nimhs is a haven for their people and a deathtrap to invaders. The environment of Nimhs contains mighty rivers, vast tracts of unbroken swampland, huge arid deserts, soaring mountains and a vast and fertile plain - deep grasslands and savanna's that stretch beyond the horizon. Yet one feature dominates all others. Nearly the entirety of the largest and most heavily populated continent of Kahshkaar is covered in jungles so thick that its many levels of canopy block out the sky. Even the high peaks and plateaus are blanketed, and arboreal creatures can cross the entire region without once stepping upon the ground. In places, the trees soar many hundreds of feet in the air, many times older than the twenty millennia old Nimidian Empire. The jungle floor is choked by dense undergrowth and there are few true paths beyond animal trails. Visibility is limited and the air is thick, often wreathed in drifting mists. To an outsider, the claustrophobic jungles of Kahshkaar are much the same, with barely any visible distinction, but to its native creatures, nothing could be further from the truth. The dense valleys, the titanic mountains, and the moss-covered flood zones, each offer their own deadly perils which can quickly devour the unwary, for the dangers of the Nimidian homeworld are ever present and waiting.*

### *Kahshkaar - Jungle Continent*

*To creatures that have lived their lives braving the dangers the continent spanning jungles of Kahshkaar, it has become instinctive to identify the hundreds of different environments, anticipating the types of plants and creatures that might lie in ambush. In Kahshkaar, you are always being stalked - knowing by what can mean the difference between life and death. To intruders, it is an alien landscape, a singular red hell, where anything (or everything) is trying to make a meal of them. A great amount of the plant life of Kahshkaar is carnivorous - grasping creeper vines, blood-hungry spore clouds and impaling monstrosities lined with thorns all seek the unwary. Yet even the omnipresent dangers of lethal flora pale in comparison to the many creatures that make the jungle their hunting ground. Every hanging vine might be home to fist-sized stinging insects, and prides of scale-maned reptilians wait in concealment ready to pounce upon passers-by. Great hunting cats, cannibalistic beasts, and the buzzing swarms of enormous insect life make the jungle a constant battle zone, where survival is an hourly struggle, yet most dangerous of all that hunts beneath the canopies are the giant reptiles. These beasts have long been extinct within the recorded history of the Old World, but in Kahshkaar, they rule supreme.*

*Swift-moving colonies of bipedal scavengers scurry through the underbrush, while packs of raptors hunt the game paths, seeking fresh meat. From the canopies above swoop down leather winged predators and all manner of lesser winged reptiles. The jungle floor trembles with the tread of the mighty Hammerhead Behemoths, their passage uprooting trees and making short lived roads through the jungle. Enormous sauropods stretch their necks to pluck vegetation out of even the uppermost branches, while plodding saurian beasts actually penetrate above the canopy, seeking to swallow entire cloud banks, altering weather patterns for miles around in order to charge the fearsome attacks they use to defend against equally titanic predators. In the deepest jungle, rarely seen even by the Nimidians, lurk strange, feather-winged serpents, multi-legged behemoths and the dreaded, multi-headed, venomous hydras. Yet all of these creatures know fear when they hear the roar of the Tyrant Saurian, for none are safe from the relentless ferocity of that king of savage killers. A legendarily powerful beast which even the fearsome Nimidians pay respect to. Resilient enough to withstand all but the heaviest of weaponry, it takes an immensely powerful warrior to attempt taming such a ferocious beast and the majority who aspire to accomplish this formidable feat are torn apart.*

*However, despite the inherent harshness and the many strange, exotic dangers which make up the natural environment of the continent of Kahshkaar, the Nimidians themselves have managed to adapt and even thrive. The vast majority of the Nimidian population resides within their massive Fortress-Cities. These constructs are vast, expansive monumental metropolis of pyramids, fortresses and temples that dot the lush jungle landscape of Kahshkaar. Each of the Fortress-cities has been constructed to be different in its own way, although all have been carefully positioned to be bastions of civilization. Currently, the many settlements on Kahshkaar which can defend against the jungle and its predators are giant fortresses surrounded by vast plains which have been laboriously cleared to provide improved lines-of-fire. The most dominant features of any Nimidian Fortress-City are the pyramid temples. Within are sacred crypts and chambers reached through secret tunnels and beneath the temples are labyrinths of catacombs where the Nimidian warriors dwell ready to defend the inner sanctums. The pyramids are decorated with sculptures painted in striking colors. These often depict aspects of Nimidian mythology and of course the totems of the gods. These immense structures also house vast training facilities, libraries and barracks, as well as living quarters and extensive defensive fortifications and weapon emplacements.*

*Within their cavernous halls are stored enough supplies and munitions to sustain their populations for several standard years, and the layered districts within their armored cores would prove all but impossible to take by storm. Any attacker targeting a Nimidian Fortress-City would need to neutralize these structures quickly or face the prospect of a lengthy and costly siege. All of the animals and plants of Kahshkaar are deadly in one way or another, with many having evolved potent biological attack and defense mechanisms against other lifeforms. Hundreds of plant species native to the planet are toxic, making foraging for native food a sobering prospect. Consequently, Nimidian diets include food and drink which are dangerous to other races. Some plants secrete pollen into the air which is poisonous, while others secrete sticky liquid to capture passing animals and slowly dissolve them, much like giant Venus Fly-Traps. Other plants poison the ground and turn the immediate area around them into a boggy wasteland to trap invaders. The native animals are as deadly as the plant life. For instance, there exist massive insectoid predators possessing massive jaws powerful enough to tear apart a tank, and extremely durable armored shells able to brush off most heavy weapons fire. They are a major threat to all but the most heavily fortified of Nimidian population centers.*

### *Baal - Desert Continent*

*The red deserts of the continent of Baal are equally dangerous. It is a hostile realm where the searing heat of the desert sun is the least of a wandering traveler's worries. The waters of the Great Irgun River are blood-colored and poisonous to all but the hardiest of inhabitants, among the humanoid races only the Nimidians can tolerate its toxicity without suffering any ill effects. There are regions of quicksand that can swallow hundreds whole and choking sandstorms that strip the flesh from bones in mere seconds. Whirlwinds of dust, skulls and ravenous desert insects scour through the land, and rivers of flesh-eating beetles crawl across the desert, consuming everything in their path. There are vast plains of bones and skulls that have been enchanted by Nimidian sorcerers to come to life without warning, large skeletal fingers reaching up to drag anything alive on the surface into a sandy grave below. A few oasis still exist, scattered throughout the desert, and many of these have been claimed; various Nimidian cities having been erected around and within them. Those that remain uninhabited remain so due to their obviously inhospitable nature; instead of fresh water, they are filled with bubbling pools of acidic blood. Most are the abodes of foul monsters, and those that are not are lined with parched, malevolent trees that strangle their victims and suck every drop of moisture from their mangled bodies.*

*The vast continent spanning deserts of Baal are a wilderness of ever shifting sands, a land of constantly changing topography. There are waterfalls of sand that defy the passage of time and flow backwards. There exist dunes and basins large enough to accommodate entire armies. A sandstorm might unearth a monolithic statue, or even an entire buried city, lost and forgotten under the dunes, only to be engulfed and concealed again a few days later. Such hidden places are said to include the mysterious City of Urizen, a complex rumored to be covered in glyphs carved by beings older than Nimhs itself, and is quite possibly one of the many arcane relic of the ancient Saphiron empire. These ruins house ancient weapons of untold power and extraordinary arcane relics forged by no mortal being. Many a foolish treasure seeker has attempted to find these ruins and the secrets they hide, but none have succeeded, most are killed off by the many environmental dangers present throughout the region or are relentlessly hunted down and brutally devoured by the many Nimidian tribes inhabiting the area who do not take kindly to thieves.*

*In addition to open deserts, where sand stretches as far as the eye can see, there are vast metropolises and numerous places where one can hardly move for all the statues and sculptures, each covered with grisly images of death. These monuments are vaster and grander than anything the other races of the galaxy can boast, and foremost amongst them are towering figures resembling the great warlords and angry gods of the Nimidians, fearsome statues that come to life and smite trespassers with impunity. When the wars against the demons and Saphirons had been won, the Nimidians had first began to rebuild the cities of old and fill them with the markets, wares, boats, and other things that they remembered from the past. As few trees grow in among the shifting deserts, many of these things are fashioned from stone, gold or fused bones. Towering Nimidian warriors dressed in spellforged armor walk the lands in search of glory, for the Nimidians make war on one another just as readily as any invader and seek out battle with the most dangerous creatures that can be found. Armies are forever patrolling the borders of their realms, relentlessly striding across the arid landscape in search of enemies and intruders.*

*Numerous monstrous creatures wander the deep desert, from swarms of small but deadly desert scorpions to giant centipedes, each easily larger than the Nimidians. Great flocks of predatory birds the size of horses circle high above, and packs of ravenous sand sharks swim beneath the surface of the dunes. Baal is marked by a number of deadly animals and plants who have adapted to the continents harsh climate and unique environmental hazards. Among the most dangerous of these are the Fire Scorpions, huge creatures twice the height of a Human man, which carry virulent, acidic toxins that can burn through flesh in a second. Among the other dangerous fauna are terror eagles, and blood spiders. There exist carnivorous plant-like organisms which have adapted to latch onto prey and drain them of every drop of water, dehydrating their prey to death faster than it can escape. In the centuries since the Nimidians reclaimed their homeworld, many foul monsters have been drawn to the magically infused planet. The desert continents of Nimhs may be barren realms, but they are far from empty or uninhabited. Tens of millions of Nimidians can be found here living within numerous fortified cities and scattered keeps.*

### *Drakken - Winter Continent*

*Elsewhere, the environment of Nimhs only becomes even more harsh and unforgiving. The northern most continent of the Nimidian homeworld, known as Drakken, is a stark and cheerless place where nature has rent the ground and burst the mountains apart. Among the peaks, volcanoes spew black smoke into the sky. In the plains the stench of tar pits and oil pools hangs heavily in the air. Steaming lava from beneath the planet's crust covers the ash wastes with a blanket of bubbling magma. Almost nothing can grow in these unforgiving lands. The dim light and choking air combine to ensure that the land remains devoid of vegetation, except for a few straggly black thorns. The volcanoes and gaping pits bring up all kinds of minerals and gems from beneath the earth: gold and silver, iron and copper, diamonds and sapphires, as well as sulfur, oil and tar. It is a land rich in the materials that Humans and other races especially covet. Like most of Nimhs outside of the great continent spanning jungles, these frozen lands are a great desert that supports very little life. The powerful winds that cross this land have long since destroyed the fragile ecosystems that once existed here. Snow storms and the absence of sunlight will force many travelers to fight for the shelter of caves, and access to hidden hot springs. The volcanic activity present within the area has carved the landscape into a labyrinth of razor sharp rocks and vents of toxic steam, where no creatures or plants will live.*

*These bleak plains are forever plagued by a thin, devil-spawned wind that whips across the blighted landscape and pulls at ones clothes and hair. The constant struggle for survival has long since killed off the weaker breeds of creatures, and only the strongest and fiercest exist. The hunting packs of savage mutated monstrosities stalk the land in search of prey, and are a continual source of danger to any who travel unprotected in these lands. They are a terrifying fusion of monster and magic, creatures mutated beyond all reason. It is a tradition among some Nimidian tribes to send young males on the cusp of manhood out in hunting parties to each individually slay one of these terrible mutants in honorable, but also extremely brutal, melee combat and bring back their skulls as confirmation of their accomplishment. The tribes of these lands are among the most savage of the Nimidians and are known to make war among each other simply for sport. Or attacking more distant tribes without provocation. However, all Nimidians are united by a shared ancestry and a mutual veneration of their godly pantheon, and as such, when the Overlord speaks and commands war to be made against the enemies of the Nimidian Empire, the Northern tribes take up the call as readily as their southern kinsmen. To refuse the call of the Overlord is the greatest dishonor a tribe can bring unto itself, and is often seen by the others as grounds for the tribe's annihilation.*

### *Gisca - Forest Continent*

*If one is able to successfully traverse the vast winter lands of the North, they will come upon the milder lands of Gisca, a continent covered nearly entirely in thick forest, damp swamps, rainforest, mountain ranges, and open plains. The continent of Gisca possesses as cruel and harsh an environment as any other upon Nimhs. The dark, twisted forests that cover the surface of this lush continent are as beautiful as they are deadly. These dangerous woods are infested with many monstrous creatures that have been warped and mutated into ferocious predators by the unnatural forces of the planets Chaos Star. Day-to-day survival is a ceaseless struggle due to the ferociousness of the ravening mutated hordes of abominable beasts that infest the forests of Gisca. To tread the forest paths is to invite certain death. The Nimidian inhabitants of Gisca are forced to live in huge fortresses and keeps located in clearings hacked from the forests of the continent. Mostly cut off from the rest of Nimhs, preferring their isolation, the Nimidians of Gisca have developed into various semi-feudal tribal states, with most of the population ruled over by warrior elites who earn their position by merit of their fighting ability and skill as leaders. Raised from childhood to live and die by the sword, they are great warriors known for their courage in facing the many terrors which ravage their homelands and other dangers of the Gisca forests.*

*The life of the Nimidians upon Gisca is one of constant struggle as they fight against the multitude of mutant monsters that threaten to overrun their settlements. Sometimes a particularly fearsome creature will stay in one area and terrorize it, in which case the ruler of the tribes will move against the monster, and warriors from all around will come to attempt to kill the beast. Slaying such a fearsome creature can bring honor and fortune for the warrior lucky enough to kill it. The most striking features of Gisca raised by mortal and immortal hand alike are the great monoliths that dot the primeval wilderness, these holy monuments serve as focal points for channeling the raw power of their Chaos Star. Those with the courage to look upon the monoliths more closely are likely to find hieroglyphs inscriptions in the Nimidian tongue written clearly upon them. These inscriptions often foretell the battle poems of the great heroes of the Nimidians. Each monolith is a towering monument raised by the Nimidian tribes for the commemoration of some legendary tribal hero or warlord for some deed of martial majesty that won that figure the renown of their Gods and ancestors. Monoliths are most often raised with stone, but can be composed of more esoteric material as a result of Nimhs otherworldly qualities.*

### *Noctyr - Ashen Continent*

*Even still, the Southern most continent of Nimhs is by far the most hostile to life. The ashen continent of Noctyr is a place that seems completely anathema to life yet is recognized as the birth continent of the Nimidian race upon the planet of Nimhs. As a result of the tectonic stresses produced by the planets erratic orbit, there are vast chains of volcanoes scattered across the continent's surface and frequent earthquakes, assaulting what cities the Nimidian people have built and forcing them to fortify their habitations to an absurd degree. The constant volcanic eruptions have swaddled the region in an ever-present cloak of dust and ash that obscures most sunlight at the surface. Vast tidal waves crash across the seas, thousands of volcanoes explode, their ash and fumes further blotting out the powerful blaze from Nimhs chaotic sun while powerful earthquakes constantly ravage the land. All life is sent reeling, fortresses collapse and people die with heartbreaking regularity. Then, a terrible winter sets in for the next quarter of a Nimidian year. The weak freeze and most, if not all, of the native livestock dies, unable to withstand the extreme cold as they had the heat. This continent may seem a strange place for humanoids to live and even thrive, but the Nimidian people have been molded both physically and mentally into stronger and more resilient forms by this adversity.*

*As elsewhere, the Nimidians of Noctyr live in giant Fortress Cities which tend to be home to dozens of clans. Each city is ruled over by a powerful Warlord that dominates the populations under his command like a tyrant. A single Fortress City can house a maximum of 30 million Nimidians. Powerful Gravity Shields stand in the path of lava flows, while reinforced spellplate repels the seismic tremors or sweeping floods of fire. Within are the Keeps of the Fortress Cities, along with vast arenas provided for the rigors of the Nimidians' daily training regimen, and a Temple, presided over by the clans priestesses, see to their spiritual needs. In the lower levels of each bastion are the Sanctuaries used for battle-mediation and honor-scarring. Armories hold weapons and other war materiel, though these are mainly for each clans Tributes -- seasoned Blooded Warriors maintain their own arsenals. In the great halls rare gatherings can be held. Women of the Medeca see to the wounded, young and pregnant. Libraries are also maintained as seats of knowledge and learning in each bastion, though the culture of the Nimidians stresses greater importance on the experience and tempering fire of the battlefield. Catacombs run through a vast undercroft in each bastion where the emanating swelter of the forges of the ever laboring forgelords can be felt. Great forges of arcane steel, where an anvil rather than an altar is the pillar of divine worship. Due to the significance of Noctyr as the birthplace of the Nimidian race, here also lies the capital city of the Nimidian Empire. The Fortress-City of Zahran lies at the center of the continent of Noctyr and is the object of all their labors. Though there are many workshops, foundries and fortresses throughout their empire, none can match Zahran.*

*The Black Fortress-City of Zahran is an immensely vast structure easily rivaling the most metropolitan cities of the other races, though still very much a unique creation of the Nimidians. It reflects everything they value as a peoples and lies at the very heart of their vast interstellar empire. The pyramids of Zahran are built of a mysterious black stone found only within the continent of Noctyr and the surfaces of these pyramids reflects the flames of the myriad furnaces that burn both day and night throughout the city. The entire city is surrounded by numerous fortresses, each large enough to be a city in their own right. The only ways in and out of the city are four huge stone gateways bound in iron and massive beyond any obvious need. From the east and west gateways roads leading to the more hostile regions of the continent have been paved allowing for faster travel of mineral wealth that is constantly streaming in from the nearby volcanically active mountain ranges. The north and south gateways are the river sluices through which the waters of a massive river pour. The relatively cold river enters the city from the north and is put to use cooling the huge forges of the Nimidian Technomancers, powering steam-driven engines, and flushing the effluent of industry out to the south. A thousand massive furnaces burn within the vastness of Zahran, smelting the metals that are the lifeblood of the city. Zahran is a huge living workshop full of smoke and noise, illuminated by its inner fires and driven by machines of vast size and power. Gigantic dragonist stone-driven hammers stamp out sheets of Spellforged metals with rhythmic booms like the heartbeats of an angry god.*

*Massive cauldrons of bubbling metal pour out their molten contents into twisted molds of intricate construction. The roaring of furnaces, groaning of huge wheels and grinding of arcane machinery fills the oily air. The noise and the labors never cease. The lands surrounding the great city are shrouded in thick volcanic clouds and smoke from this industry, so that Zahran exists in a timeless twilight, illuminated by the fires of its own forges. At the pinnacle of the city is the Pyramid of Covu, the most sacred and revered Exquisitely Blooded Great Overlord of the Nimidian people, whom they call the Father of Glory. His pyramid is guarded by ten thousand of the most fearsome warriors the Nimidian Empire has to offer and numerous other forces. Any invading military force wishing to assail the great pyramid would face a war unlike any they have ever witnessed, as every single Nimidian within and outside of its walls would gladly die by the thousands to protect such a holy artifact. Zahran is also a dark place where thousands of unfortunate captives, prisoners of war and raiders are sacrificed. Inside the pyramid its guardians perform bloodthirsty rites, throwing captives into cauldrons of molten metal to the echoing laughter of the assembled divine priestesses who maintain the pyramid. Zahran is the embodiment of the Nimidian peoples, its culture, and its power flows through them.*

## *Flora and Fauna*

### *Hammerhead Behemoth*

*Height: 45 - 50 ft*

*Length: 65 ft*

*A somewhat sacred animal among the Nimidians which holds a special place in their culture and society is in fact the very same animal which they have used largely for its meat and milk. These beast are known as Hammerhead Behemoth. This massive, grazing creature travels in moderately large herds or packs of 20-40 animals. It is fairly social, but also extremely territorial and hierarchical. Constant threat displays, both visible and audible, are very common during the Hammerhead's day. When angered (which happens easily and very often), a Hammerhead will lower its head and charge at the perceived threat. The sheer momentum and ferocity of this intimidating display is usually enough to send any creature running for cover. Fighting males will attempt to injure their opponents' eyes with the knobs at the ends of their hammers. The Hammerheads are highly territorial. Alpha males use their considerable momentum to spread their scent by smashing trees, thus warning other animals (including other Hammerhead bulls) to steer clear. Hammerheads group together when attacked by a predator. Many Hammerheads charging at a perceived threat is even more intimidating than a single angry Hammerhead. The hammerheads have poor distance vision, but makes up for this with acute hearing and an excellent sense of smell. Although massive, its four limbs allow it to pivot rapidly when it detects a threat from the side or rear. The animal's overlapping body plates and large, bony shoulder and back offer protection during battles with other Hammerheads or large creatures. Their armor, however, only covers the front of their large bodies. Their hindquarters are relatively unprotected. The average Hammerhead is 65 ft in length and 45 to 50 ft tall. Every Nimidian keep has control of multiple Hammerhead herds on their lands, being used to produce meat to eat.*

### *Great Behemoth*

*Height: 354 ft*

*Length: Unknown*

### *Thunderbird*

*Height: 21 ft*

*Length: 45 ft*

*There exist one other animal that the Nimidian also have managed to "domesticate". This is the Thunderbird, which is 50 ft long and 21 ft tall. The creature is a herbivore, using its scythe-like claws to pull down leafy vegetation for consumption. The massive claws are just as efficient for slashing foes in combat though, intimidating all but the hungriest of predators. The beast is also covered in a thick covering of feathers and has a relatively small head with a beaked mouth, atop a long neck. They can be found wandering around in groups of 20 or 30. Hammerhead and Thunderbird intestines are used to make sausages, blood into soup, kidneys for pies, etc. The brain of the Hammerhead Behemoth is considered as a delicious delicacy to the Nimidians, and is only reserved for during special celebrations, such as weddings, religious ceremonies and important feasting days. A main stay of the Nimidian diet, these animals are bred all across the vast expanse of Nimidian Empire and in considerable numbers.*

### *Thanagar*

*Male:*

*Height - 15 ft*

*Length - 30+ ft*

*Female:*

*Height - 9 ft*

*Length - 23 ft*

*Alpha* *Thanagar*

*Height: 30 ft*

*Length: 40 ft*

*The Nimidian Empire often employs many formidable creatures as mounts and savage warbeasts. The origins of these monstrous creatures mostly come from the Nimidian homeworld, having been specially bred or even fabricated by the Nimidians themselves. One such creature being the ferocious Thanagar, reminiscent of the ancient Terran panther or lion, this enormous, powerful animal is utilized by the Nimidians as an attack dog. A lean and agile cat-like creature, its musculature is pronounced and impressive, providing power for protracted runs and leaps. The speed of its neck and jaw strike is swift. In addition to conventional ripping and tearing, the Thanagar can also deliver a lethal blow from its thin armored tail. An impact from the tail is strong enough to defend against other Thanagar. The creature's senses are so highly developed that, depending on atmospheric conditions, it can detect prey up to thirteen kilometers away. The Thanagar has ten sensory quills that sprout from sections of armor plating that encircle the rear of its skull. Its external sensory quills are colored bright red. The upper lip folds back for maximum tooth extension. Thanagars also sport long hair-like appendages on their heads that are set into their skulls. Its external sensory quills are colored bright red. The upper lip folds back for maximum tooth extension. When sensing for prey or for threats it can raise its front body and two front legs, standing on its four back limbs as it sniffs the air. The average Thanagar is approximately 9 feet tall and 23 feet long, making them a truly terrifying sight to the lesser races encountered by the Nimidians on the field of battle. It also has an armored neck and back, a massive distensible jaw, and twenty-three centimeter long sharp teeth. The Thanagar also has burnished black skin. Along with their natural defenses, the Nimidians dress these beasts in large but flexible plates of spellforged armor for enhanced protection in battle. This armor consist of durable metal plating and spikes, along with a large mask and metal implants in their jaw to make them more formidable and frightening in battle. They are raised and trained to be loyal but also extremely vicious companions. In combat these massive warbeasts are ferocious and far more bloodthirsty in their murderous assault than any other creature of such noble heritage. With a thick layer of spellforged armored plates overlapping over powerful sinews of muscular claws and jaws so powerful that they can dismember a fully power armored enemy warrior in two with a single powerful bite, the mighty Thanagars are deservedly feared by the countless enemies of the Nimidian Empire for their sheer ferocity, thick hides and bloodlust.*

### *Khanivore*

*Height: 50 - 114 ft*

*Length: 80 - 164 ft*

*Alpha Khanivore*

*Height: 197-278 ft*

*Length: 328 - 656 ft*

*Another beast utilized by the Nimidian war machine is the Khanivore. Reminiscent of the ancient tyrannosaurus-rex of earth in its appearance, but being approximately 3 times their size though often much larger, it is the largest and most powerful land dwelling predator living upon the surface of Nimhs. Immense creatures and devastatingly powerful, Khanivores are sacred to the Nimidians. The fury of each that prowls the fetid jungles is moderated only by the arcane power of the ceremonial armor that bedecks them. They are mostly brought to bear during major engagements. In times of war they are capable of carrying a rocket launcher on their back, in addition to two machineguns on their shoulders. They have also been seen to carry powerful energy beam cannons that kill at a range and powerful deflective kinetic-shield generators mounted on their backs for added protection from enemy artillery. Their sole military function is to deliver an unstoppable force to a weak point in the enemy battle line, smashing apart those before it and scattering the rest in panic and disarray. Upon scenting prey, or catching sight of even the slightest amount of movement, the saurian propels itself with enormous strides, moving with surprising speed for such a large beast. Truly titanic creatures, the Khanivores are 80 ft long, towering over most enemies. Some rare specimens have been seen to reach a length of 164 ft. They possess noticeable rows of large bony horns protruding from the sides of their massive jaws, along the back of the necks and other parts of their massive bodies. They also sport light coverings of feathers that come in many colors and designs, razor sharp fangs, powerful claw tipped arms and the frightening ability to breathe powerful blast of fire upon their enemies. As the primary weapon of the animal, an individual Khanivores head is often distinctive, being covered with scars and callouses from rivals. Their heads are very large in proportion to their overall body, with powerful jaws lined with brutish teeth ready to shred any and all that it targeted. A narrow, short rib cage and a large gap between the ribs and hips allow the Khanivore surprising flexibility for animals of their size, a necessary adaptation to survive amongst the towering trees and broken terrain of Nimhs. Khanivores also sport large spikes on their tails that form a mace-like club. The tail is extremely durable, capable of whipping motion that can easily shatter bones or outright kill their target. It's hind legs are very capable and sturdy, lined with rough but also very sharp claws. Their durable bodies are able to withstand attacks from missiles and bombs. They are virtually completely impervious to small arms fire and their jaws strength is able to crush armored vehicles as easily as they would flesh and bone. Their riders are always Nimidian warlords of great renown, unrivaled might and combat prowess, leading their loyal warbonds from the front in brutal assaults. These beast are the most highly prized mounts among the Nimidians, where only the most powerful warlords have the ability to tame such a beast, forming unbreakable bonds of loyalty.*

### *Hydra*

*Height: 60 -70 ft*

*Length: 200 ft*

*Alpha Hydra*

*Height: 120 - 200 ft*

*Length: 492 - 984 ft*

*While the Khanivore is the most honored and sought after mount utilized by the various Nimidian Warlords capable of taming such a creature, there is another which commands near similar respect for its combat prowess. The dreaded, serpentine, multi-headed, Venomous-Hydra which prowls the thick jungles of their homeworld and conquered planets. These bloodlusting Hydras are rampaging and voracious monsters. No matter how much they consume, they seem to always be hungry for more. However, those Hydra hand-raised by the Nimidians are known to be even more fierce. For only a peoples as warlike as the Nimidians would look upon the mighty Hydra's vicious glory and deem it insufficient for the task at hand. This colossal creature is a fearsome opponent, for its sheer mass and panoply of weaponry it can be outfitted with by the Nimidians can easily dwarf that of a super-heavy tank. The War Hydras are a notoriously stronger and far more ferocious breed of Hydra, created in a process which took many generations of arcane study and genetic alterations. Extremely difficult for their handlers to control, even a skilled Beastlord must be quick with his lash lest he be devoured in the enemy's stead. They are extremely difficult to slay upon the battlefield, for not only are their scaly bodies incredibly well-armored, they also regenerate damage at a frightening rate. A foe's only chance is to sever all the monster's heads in quick succession, if even a single one remains, the remainder will swiftly grow back and devour the impudent attacker for his troubles. There are many ways to be slain by a War Hydra: torn apart, swallowed whole, crushed underfoot, immolated or even cut to pieces by projectiles as they ricochet off its scaled hide. Hyrdas are give further protection in the form of spellforged armor. Enemy generals often see even their finest troops pulverized by just a single War Hydra and are then left to watch with horror as the beast emerges unscathed from the carnage, vents forth an ear-splitting roar, and then charges forward with thundering strides to trample another formation into utter ruin. Even worse, these War-Hydras are fully capable of vomiting forth streams of acidic venom from their many mouths. Indeed, even the blood which pumps through the veins of these terrifying beasts is poisonous. In its purest form, their venom is even capable of melting through thick armor plating. It is most often used to break down organic matter at a terrifyingly rapid rate. This acid corrosion is sprayed over the Hydra's victims, melting through their body armor with horrifying ease and reducing its victim to a puddle of liquefied flesh. Considered by many Nimidians to be the ultimate jungle predator, with some exceeding more than 70 ft long, these massive beasts are powerfully built and highly aggressive creatures. They also have the ability of limited flight or gliding due to the presence of a relatively thin membrane connecting their forearms and body. Granting the massive monster exceptional mobility for a creature of such immense bulk and size.*

### *Garagon*

*Height: 14 - 25 ft*

*Length: 45 - 65 ft*

### *Alpha Garagon*

*Height: 50 - 60 ft*

*Length: 114 - 131 ft*

### *Terrorsaurus*

*Height: 70 ft*

*Wingspan: 360 ft*

### *Goliath Buffalo*

*Length: 45 - 50 ft*

*Height: 38 - 40 ft*

### *Depladon*

*Length: 196 - 328 ft*

*Height: 98 - 164 ft*