Lapidex

## Description

The Lapidex are a hard people. They learned to survive on some of the harshest terrain known in the universe. If the Lapidex were to have a motto it would be along the lines of "crush or be crushed". However, the Lapidex have a general distaste for anything that does not have a direct use, this includes Mottoes.

The Lapidex are taught from an early age to fend for themselves, so early in fact that they are forced to pull themselves out of their mothers womb. The Lapidex have no doctors to assist the birth as they believe that healers enable the weak. Once a baby is born it must fend for itself and has usually killed its first reti (a human equivalent to a bob cat) by the time they have reached a year old. All learning by the lapidex is done through observation of those older then them. Should a Lapidex ask for help or show any signs of needing assistance, they are flogged.

Once a Lapidex reaches adulthood (approx 14 earth years) they are required to fight one another in the yearly Thrort. Any Lapidex that refuses to fight is branded a coward, castrated, and sent to work the mines where they die in misery, usually within 6 months. The Thort is a hand to hand battle with no weapons that lasts 1 week. Each planet in the Lapidex empire will hold their own Thort. As each of the Lapidex is defeated they are assigned a role in the society. The first 10% to be eliminated from the Thort will be executed to weed out the weak. The next 60% will become slaves. Their role as a slave may range from waste disposal to waiting on the high lords, depending on when they were eliminated. As the elimination continues throughout the week, the Lapidex roles become much more prestigious. after slaves their are the free Larpidex, while they have no slaves of their own, they are able to own property and move freely around the empire. The craftsmen are considered to the wealthiest and and most prestigious of the free citizens, they have slaves and land of their own.

The top 10%of the Thort will be assigned to the lapidex military, of these the top 100 from each world will make up the high command of that planet. The last Larpidex standing will be named the World Lord. Every 10 years the world lords will meet and challenge The The ruler of the empire to combat. The victor of this battle will be named the new High Lord and Slave Master of the Empire.

## Grok son of Grok

Grok Was born the child of slaves of the 90th percentile, which is to say that his parents were the lowest of the Slaves. Grok's mother was a sewage sweeper in the pits of the Lapidex planet of Groth from the star of Toliman. Grok's father's true name is unknown as Grok refuses to speak of him due to his "fragil and pathetic nature". Grok has taken to referring to himself as his own father in an effort to erase any knowledge that his biological father ever existed. Grok was born in the pits, his mother died by own hands during his birth. This immediately drew the attention of many of the 90th percentile as such a feet of strength was nearly unheard of.

Grok grew exceptionally fast and was driven to prove himself through shear will and the strength of his back. At age of 3 Grok was known to spend up to 13 hours a day mastering art of Kimla (Similar to human wrestling). By 6 he was besting those twice his age and increased his training to 20 hours each day (Groth days are approximately 30 earth days). When a Master of the art of Kimla attempted to teach Grok in secret, Grok strangled the master and hung the body from the city wall, proclaiming "may this be the fate of all who attempt to weaken the race of the Lapidex". By the age of 12 many feared Grok so greatly that they conspired against him and falsified his age. Grok was forced to enter the Thort 2 years before the normal age of 14. Grok gave no objection and stated simply "your's will be the first bodies to swing from my High Lord Ship".

Little is known of what happened during the Thort, but rumors say that Grok defeated more than 400 opponents during the week long trials. After emerging victorious, Grok requested no rest or food, he simply stated "bring me my ship and a rope. 60 Lapidex swung from Groks ship that very day.

After 5 years it was time for the world lords to meet in battle. Despite nearly losing his right arm to the World Lord of Toe, Grok Succeeded in defeating the remaining world lords single handed (literally). Upon His victory and being named High Lord and Slave Master of the Lapidex, Grok set his eyes upon the rest of the universe.

## Lore

Any Lapidex who thought themselves a poet, historian, or story teller was usually strung up and used for a dart board, as such there is no lore.