Turiane

Turians are a humanoid species with avian features. They are similar to
humans in regards to height and lifespan, but sport thick fingers that
end in talons and a set of mandibles around their mouths. Turian bodies
are covered in a unique, metallic carapace that is resistant to
low-level radiation and they possess excellent eyesight. Turian culture
is very regimented and well-organized. Most turians dedicate themselves
to public service and the turian military is the center of their
society. Turian military includes more than just soldiers as the
military also provides public services in the form of civic police, fire
 brigades, and engineers. A turian typically dedicates a decade of her
life or longer to various public service positions. Due to this cultural

 structure, many turians serve in positions of leadership.

**TURIAN RACIAL TRAITS**
**Ability Adjustments:** +2 Dex, +2 Wis, –2 Cha
**Hit Points:** 4
**Size and Type:** Turians are Medium humanoids with the turian subtype.
**Low-light Vision:** Turians can see in dim light as if it were normal light.
**Natural Weapons:** Turians are always considered armed.
They can deal 1d3 lethal damage with unarmed strikes and the attack
doesn’t count as archaic. Turians gain a unique weapon specialization
with their natural weapons at 3rd level, allowing them to add 1–1/2 ×
their character level to their damage rolls for their natural weapons
(instead of just adding their character level, as usual).
**Turian Exoskeleton:** Turian exoskeletons are resistant to radiation. Turians receive a +4 racial bonus to saves against radiation.
**Turian Training:** Turians are known for their
militaristic roles. Turian characters select either advanced melee
weapons or long arms. They are proficient with the chosen weapon type.

# Monstrous Origins

Okay, last one! I realize now how hard it is to map abilities to
existing creatures and races. Making brand new alien species is a lot
easier than trying to decide what an existing species receives for
racial abilities. Although a lot of the Mass Effect aliens are very
unique and distinct from one another, most of the major differences
beyond appearance were cultural. Luckily, this culture is something I
was able to tap for the turians. Being a more military focused race, I
used that as inspiration for their training ability. It didn’t make
sense to grant proficiency in small arms as all classes grant that
already, but I also didn’t want to go too far and grant all weapon
proficiencies to everyone. Instead, I created the choice that we see
above. I think it’s a cool ability and lets players make their class a
little more unique. Unfortunately, it’s kind of a wasted ability with
soldiers. You can’t please everyone! Turian eyesight seemed perfect for
low-light vision and their unique carapace was also an easy addition.
The fact that turians have talons also pointed me to stealing the vesk’s
 natural weapons. The thing that was kind of tough was the ability
adjustments. The predatory nature of the turian physiology suggested
Dexterity to me and the regimented culture felt like a Wisdom bonus. The
 same culture also eventually led me to choosing a Charisma penalty as I
 felt that turians might come off as a bit standoffish due to their
upbringings.

Known for their militaristic and disciplined culture, the **turians** were the third race to join the Citadel Council. They gained their Council seat after defeating the hostile krogan for the Council during the Krogan Rebellions. The turians deployed a salarian-created biological weapon called the genophage,
 which virtually sterilised the krogan and sent them into a decline. The
 turians then filled the peacekeeping niche left by the once-cooperative
 krogan, and eventually gained a Council seat in recognition of their
efforts.

Originally from the planet Palaven, turians are best known for their military role, particularly their contributions of soldiers and starships to the Citadel Fleet. They are respected for their public service ethic—it was the turians who first proposed creating C-Sec—but are sometimes seen as imperialist or rigid by other races. There is some animosity between turians and humans, largely due to the turian role in the First Contact War. This bitterness is slowly beginning to heal—as shown by the cooperation of the two races on the construction of the SSV Normandy—but many turians still resent humans, and vice versa.

## Biology Edit

Turians
 typically stand over six feet tall, have two long, proportionately
thick fingers and an opposable thumb on each hand, each tipped with
talons, and a set of mandibles around their mouths. The most
distinguishing feature of turians is their metallic carapace, which
contains trace amounts of thulium. The turians evolved this trait as a defense against the greater levels of solar radiation that penetrate their homeworld's weak magnetic field.
Turian features are avian, making them resemble humanoid birds or raptors. However, unlike most Earth avian creatures, turians are viviparous and give birth to live young.[1] In 2165, David Anderson
 claimed that turians reminded him of the evolutionary link between
birds and dinosaurs. Turians are also recognisable by their voices,
which have a distinctive flanging
 effect. Males and females do not differ greatly in physical appearance,
 but female turians lack the crest of horns found in the males of the
race. The lifespan of a turian is comparable to that of a human.[2]

Turians exhibit the characteristics of predators rather than those of prey species (compare to krogan biology).
 Their forward-facing alert eyes give the impression that they possess
outstanding eyesight and their teeth and jaws mimic the structures
possessed by apex predators such as crocodiles or ancient, carnivorous
dinosaurs. Needless to say, their talons on both their feet and hands
seem capable of ripping flesh. As such, their diet is primarily
meat-based. Their slender bodies also seem to suggest that they are
also capable of moving at high speeds.

The turian homeworld, Palaven, has a metal-poor core, generating a
 weak magnetic field and allowing more solar radiation into the
atmosphere. To deal with this, most forms of life on Palaven evolved
some form of metallic "exoskeleton" to protect themselves. Their
reflective plate-like carapace makes turians less susceptible to
long-term, low-level radiation exposure, but they do not possess any
sort of "natural armor". A turian's thick skin does not stop projectiles
 and directed energy bolts. They can, however, experience the equivalent
 of a "massage": turians can feel vibrations through the carapace with
the use of a hammer.

Turian blood has a dark blue colouration.

Although life on Palaven is carbon-based and oxygen-breathing, it
 is built on dextro-amino acids. This places the turians in a distinct
minority on the galactic stage; the quarians are the only other sapient dextro-protein race. The food of humans, asari,
 or salarians (who evolved in levo-amino acid-based biospheres), will at
 best pass through turian systems without providing any nutrition. At
worst, it will trigger an allergic reaction that can be fatal if not
immediately treated.

The turian mechanic Lilihierax on Noveria
 uses the idiom, "if you can polish enough gizzard". This suggests that
the turians have a digestive system similar to birds and reptiles on
Earth, some of whom swallow stones to help break down harder foods in
the stomach.

## History Edit

Turian civilization spans fifteen thousand years of history. Before
the dawn of their civilization, the race was known to elder spacefaring
species like the Protheans, who viewed them as primitive as the other ruling races of the modern era.

### The Unification War Edit

*For list of turian colonies involved in the Unification War, see UNC: Turian Insignias.*
The turians had already discovered several mass relays and spawned
colonies throughout the galaxy when the asari reached the Citadel. At
about the time the asari were forming the Council with the salarians,
the turians were embroiled in a bitter civil war next door. The
Unification War, as it was later named, began with hostilities between
the colonies furthest from the turian homeworld, Palaven.

These colonies were run by local chieftains, many of whom had
distanced themselves from the Hierarchy. Without the galvanizing
influence of the government, the colonies became increasingly isolated
and xenophobic. Colonists began wearing emblems or facial markings to
differentiate themselves from members of other colonies and open
hostilities became common.

When war finally broke out, the Hierarchy maintained strict
diplomacy and refused to get involved. After several years of fighting,
less than a dozen factions remained and the Hierarchy finally
intervened. By that time, the chieftains were too weak to resist; they
were forced to put an end to fighting and renew their allegiance to the
Hierarchy. Though peace was restored, it took several decades for
animosity between colonists to fade completely. To this day, most
turians still wear the facial markings of their home colonies.

## Culture Edit

Since the Unification War, turians normally wear elaborate tattoos[3]
 marking their colony of origin, though it is not known which markings
distinguish which colony or if color has any meaning. These markings are
 usually white — particularly on turians with darker carapaces — but can
 be of other colors such as blue for Garrus Vakarian or red for Nyreen Kandros.
 The lack of facial markings is looked down upon in turian society; the
 turian term "barefaced" refers to one who is beguiling or not to be
trusted. It is also a slang term for politicians.

Skin tones similar to Mordin Solus'
 own are apparently attractive by turian standards. For male turians at
least, complimenting a potential partner's waist or head fringe seems to
 be a way of expressing attraction.

Turians
 are noted for their strong sense of public service. It is rare to find
one who puts his needs ahead of the group. Every citizen from age 15 to
30 serves the state in some capacity, as anything from a soldier to an
administrator, from a construction engineer to a sanitation worker.
Turians have a strong inclination toward public service and
self-sacrifice, so they tend to be poor entrepreneurs. To compensate,
they accepted the mercantile volus as a client race, offering protection in exchange for their fiscal expertise.

Turian society is highly regimented and very organized, and the
species is known for its strict discipline and work ethic. Turians are
willing to do what needs to be done, and they always follow through.
They are not easily spurred to violence, but when conflict is
inevitable, they only understand a concept of "total war." They do not
believe in skirmishes or small-scale battles; they use massive fleets
and numbers to defeat an adversary so completely that they remove any
threat of having to fight the same opponent more than once. They do not
exterminate their enemy, but so completely devastate their military that
 the enemy has no choice but to become a colony of the turians. It is
theorized that another conflict between the rapidly advancing humans and
 the turians could annihilate a large portion of known space.

The turian military is the center of their society. It is not
just an armed force; it is an all-encompassing public works
organization. The military police are also the civic police. The fire
brigades serve the civilian population as well as military facilities.
The corps of engineers builds and maintains spaceports, schools, water
purification plants, and power stations. The merchant marine ensures
that all worlds get needed resources.

Other
 species see turians as "men of action," and they are generally regarded
 as the most progressive of the Citadel races (though some species
believe humans are rivalling this position). Since their culture is
based on the structure of a military hierarchy, changes and advances
accepted by the leadership are quickly adopted by the rest of society
with minimal resistance.

While turians are individuals with personal desires, their instinct
is to equate the self with the group, and to set aside all personal
desires for the good of all. Turians are taught to have a strong sense
of personal accountability, the 'turian honor' that other races find so
remarkable. Turians are taught to own every decision they make, good or
ill. The worst sin they can make in the eyes of their people is to lie
about their own actions. Turians who murder will try to get away with
it, but if directly questioned, most will confess the crime.

### Economy Edit

The turian economy is vastly larger than that of the Alliance,
 but cannot match the size and power of that of the asari. For many
years, development was hampered by cultural disinterest in economics.
When the turians accepted the volus as a client race, business
development improved.

The military is supported by a well-developed infrastructure. Manufacturers such as Armax Arsenal and the Haliat Armory produce advanced, reliable equipment. Volus manufacturers have been known to produce cheap knock-offs of turian equipment.

### Religion Edit

Turians believe that groups and areas have "spirits" that transcend
the individual. For example, a military unit would be considered to have
 a literal spirit that embodies the honor and courage it has displayed. A
 city's spirit reflects the accomplishments and industry of its
residents. An ancient tree's spirit reflects the beauty and tranquility
of the area it grows within.

These spirits are neither good nor evil, nor are they appealed to
 for intercession. Turians do not believe spirits can affect the world,
but spirits can inspire the living. Prayers and rituals allow an
individual to converse with a spirit for guidance or inspiration. For
example, a turian who finds his loyalty tested may appeal to the spirit
of his unit, hoping to reconnect with the pride and honor of the group. A
 turian who wishes to create a work of art may attempt to connect with
the spirit of a beautiful location.

Turians enjoy absolute freedom of religion and can practice
whatever appeals to them so long as it does not impede anyone's ability
to perform their duties. There are many practitioners of the asari
siarist philosophy. Since opening dialog with the human Systems
Alliance, some turians have embraced Confucianism and Zen Buddhism.

In the past, turians believed that titans strode across Palaven,
reaching for the heavens. They worshiped these deities and communicated
with them at a structure called Temple Palaven. The temple was tended to
 by a religious order called the Valluvian Priests, who wear special
purple robes which obscure their forms. In order for turians to join
this order, they had to be considered worthy enough through some action.
 When the turians spread out from Palaven and discovered other life
among the stars, however, they sealed Temple Palaven because they no
longer needed legends to prod them upward. With the temple abandoned,
eventually the Valluvian Priests fell into legend.

## Government Edit

The
 turian government, known as the Turian Hierarchy, is a hierarchical
meritocracy. While it has great potential for misuse, this is tempered
by the civic duty and personal responsibility turians learn during their
 childhood.
Turians have 27 citizenship tiers, beginning with civilians (client
races and children). The initial period of military service is the
second tier. Formal citizenship is conferred at the third tier, after
boot camp. For client races, citizenship is granted after the individual
 musters out. Higher-ranked citizens are expected to lead and protect
subordinates. Lower-ranking citizens are expected to obey and support
superiors. Promotion to another tier of citizenship is based on the
personal assessment of one's superiors and co-rankers. At the top are
the Primarchs, who each rule a colonization cluster. The Primarchs vote
on matters of national importance. They otherwise maintain a "hands-off"
 policy, trusting the citizens on each level below them to do their jobs
 competently.

Throughout their lives, turians ascend to the higher tiers and
are occasionally "demoted" to lower ones. The stigma associated with
demotion lies not on the individual, but on those who promoted them when
 they weren't ready for additional responsibility. This curbs the
tendency to promote individuals into positions beyond their
capabilities. Settling into a role and rank is not considered
stagnation. Turians value knowing one's own limitations more than being
ambitious.

Turians enjoy broad freedoms. So long as one completes their
duties, and does not prevent others from completing theirs, nothing is
forbidden. For example, there are no laws against recreational drug use,
 but if someone is unable to complete their duties due to drug use,
their superiors step in. Judicial proceedings are 'interventions.' Peers
 express their concern, and try to convince the offender to change. If
rehabilitation fails, turians have no qualms about sentencing dangerous
individuals to life at hard labor for the state.

The turian imperial anthem is called "Die for the Cause."

## Military Edit

Although they lack the brutality of the krogan, the refined biotic skill of the asari, and the adaptability of the humans, the turian military has formidable discipline. Officers and NCOs
 are "lifers" with years of field experience. Enlisted personnel are
thoroughly trained and stay calm under fire. Turian units don't break.
Even if their entire line collapses, they fall back in order, setting
ambushes as they go. A popular saying holds: "You will only see a
turian's back once he's dead."
Boot camp begins on the 15th birthday. Soldiers receive a year of
training before being assigned to a field unit; officers train for even
longer. Most serve until the age of 30, at which they become part of the
 Reserves. Even if they suffer injuries preventing front-line service,
most do support work behind the lines.

Biotics
 are uncommon. While admired for their exacting skills, biotics' motives
 are not always fully trusted by the common soldier. The turians prefer
to assign their biotics to specialist teams called Cabals.

Command
 and control is decentralized and flexible. Individual squads can call
for artillery and air support. They make extensive use of combat drones
 for light duties and VI-controlled fighters, and practice combined
arms: infantry operates with armor, supported by overhead gunships.
Strategically, they are methodical and patient, and dislike risky
operations.

Tradition is important. Each legion has a full-time staff of
historians who chronicle its battle honors in detail. The oldest have
records dating back to the turian Iron Age. If a legion is destroyed in
battle, it is reconstituted rather than being replaced.

The turians recruit auxiliary units from conquered or absorbed minor races, like the volus.
 Auxiliaries are generally light infantry or armored cavalry units that
screen and support the main battle formations. At the conclusion of
their service in the Auxiliaries, recruits are granted turian
citizenship.

Turian wars are often marked by citizen resistance. Most turian families keep small arms
 in their homes and take basic training courses that include instruction
 on how to create simple anti-vehicle explosive devices. To suppress
citizen militias, the Turian Hierarchy makes use of "execution squads"
known as hastatim.
 First, "safe camps" are established in cities to incentivize surrender.
 Next, hastatim soldiers are deployed door-to-door; anyone who refuses
to be transported to a safe camp or demonstrates hostile intent will be
shot. Hastatim burial units then retrieve and cremate the bodies. This
approach is necessary because without the safe camps, no turian would
ever surrender, and without the hastatim, it would take years for a
population to be pacified.

The mainstay of the turian infantry is the Phaeston assault rifle,
 a light, accurate, and versatile weapon that nonetheless packs more
punch than other rifles of its size. Other turian weapons include the Krysae anti-materiel sniper rifle, and the ML-77 Missile Launcher, manufactured by Armax Arsenal, one of the turian military's main suppliers. Vehicles the turians employ include the A-61 Mantis Gunship, a versatile multi-role aircraft, the C77 Tyrus, a durable 13-ton infantry fighting vehicle, an APC variant of the M-080, the Jiris Infantry Fighting Vehicle, a hovercraft capable of traversing most terrains and engaging enemies at 20 kilometers with its missiles.

The turian navy is divided into at least 32 fleets, and is allotted more dreadnoughts by the Treaty of Farixen
 than any other race; the turians possessed 37 dreadnoughts in 2183 CE
and 39 as of 2185 CE, and in 2186 CE the Turian Hierarchy and the Vol Protectorate were jointly gifted the dreadnought Kwunu by the Elkoss Combine. The turians are also known to possess at least two fighter carriers.
 The navy serves as a galactic peacekeeping force, and is also the
primary military arm of the Council, contributing the single largest
portion of the Citadel Fleet.

Notable units of the turian military include the 26th Armiger Legion, 79th Flotilla, Sixth Fleet, 43rd Marine Division, Seventh Fleet, and Blackwatch.