Saiya

Originally known as Planet Plant, Saiya is a harsh world covered in rocky mountain ranges and large, expansive deserts. However, the native Tsufuru populace evolved to cope with the harsh gravity and with their superior knowledge of technology, even managed to make it hospitable. After the arrival of the Saiyans and the subsequent war between the Tsufurus and them, the Saiyans ruled the planet, taking the Tsufuru technology and cities for themselves.

Currently, Saiya is ruled by King Raditz, ruling from the sprawling capital of Zaru as the Saiyans surge forth into the galaxy, seeking power and prestige when they return home.

## History

### **The Saiyans and the Tsufurus**

Initially, Planet Saiya, then known as Planet Plant, was ruled by the Tsufurus, who conquered the planet's heavy gravity by generally being a small species, as such the gravity didn't affect them very much. They also had a gift for science and technology, which lead to sprawling cities and great feats of science and engineering, such as super computers, artificial life and energy weaponry. The Tsufurus enjoyed rule of Planet Plant.

This rule was abruptly interrupted by the arrival of a new race. The race known as the Saiyans.

Fleeing their old home planet, the Saiyans came to Planet Plant in search of refuge, which the Tsufurus provided. Years after this arrangement was reached, the Saiyans and Tsufurus went to war, the Tsufurus having the upper hand due to their technology, despite the Saiyan's brute strength. However, just when the war was about to be won by the Tsufurus, there was a full moon on Planet Plant. A full moon only shines once every one hundred years on Planet Plant, and unfortunately for the Tsufurus, this caused the Saiyans they were warring against to transform into gigantic Oozarus, multiplying their power and ferocity by an enormous amount. When the Saiyans finally returned to normal, the Tsufuru army had been annihilated.

It is unknown what caused the war. Saiyans will claim that the Tsufurus oppressed them, giving them substandard accommodation, looking down on them as grunt slaves compared to the mighty Tsufuru intellect. What few surviving Tsufurus there are claim that they were happy to provide for the Saiyans, and they were attacked unprovoked. Whatever the reason is, it has been lost to the world, since the one who lead the war for the Saiyans lost his life not long after.

### **The Revolt against King Vegeta**

The leader of the war against the Tsufurus was a man named Vegeta, who was crowned King of the Saiyans in the aftermath of their victory. King Vegeta was a clever sort for a Saiyan, which is how he managed to lead his race to victory, but he was also an arrogant and conceited man. His first act after becoming king was to rename Planet Plant into Planet Vegeta as a display of his conquest. He divided the Saiyans into castes, low class Saiyans, weak but numerous, middle class Saiyans, stronger, but much less and the Saiyan Elite, who numbered in the royal family and some scant other clans and were the strongest of the bunch. Despite having been organised, Saiyans were no less brutal than before. Low class Saiyans were dominated by those above them, being killed for the slightest insubordination and failure while Elite Saiyans vied for positions of higher standing and for the very throne itself by the bloodiest methods they could think of.

However, not everyone was happy with this.

A Saiyan Elite known as Marshua looked on what was happening and found it lacking. For the time period, he was probably one of the most intelligent Saiyans living, on par with King Vegeta and he had begun to realise something. What he realised is that the Saiyan way of life was focused on personal glory and not on the advancement of their race. When a Saiyan lost a fight and was close to death, they would gain a huge power boost upon their return to full health. However, many Elite Saiyans were cruel, and would kill other Saiyans were they to lose a fight or be close to death. Marshua saw this as holding back the potential of the Saiyan race, and as such he decided to enlist the help of a low class warrior with an abnormal growth rate to train with him and help overthrow the King. This low class Saiyan was known as Bardock.

The two started training together in secret, Marshua would use his Elite strength to overpower Bardock and leave him close to death, only to let him rest and recover for the next fight, causing the low class Saiyan's power level to skyrocket to heights that could even outstrip the king's. During this time, he explained his reasoning behind why he wanted Bardock to win. That the Saiyans were destined for greatness and that by lowering their numbers and seeking only the power of the self, they were limiting their potential and squandering their power. Bardock's power rose higher and higher until eventually, he had the power to challenge the king. The clash was long and brutal, but in the end, Bardock came out on top. He even left Vegeta alive, until the ex-monarch attempted an attack from behind and the lower class Saiyan turned his attack back on him, ending his life.

As the way the Saiyan monarchy worked, Bardock was now the King of the Saiyans. Swayed by Marshua's ideas, Bardock attempted to bring the Saiyans around to it. Many Saiyans disagreed and fought against Bardock, and they found themselves defeated and told to train harder for a second attempt. Other Saiyans warmed to the idea quicker. It wasn't easy, but after many years of Bardock's rule and many more attempts at dethroning him, the Saiyans had not only increased their strength by far more than what they had previously, but had less of the barbaric and cruel attitudes they used to have. Still not going to win the Inter-Galactic Award For Perfect Manners though.

### **The Planet Trade Organisation**

The Saiyans were building themselves up to be something now. With mighty military strength unmarred by self-destructive tendencies, a level of ferocity beyond that of most other sentient species and a somewhat blase attitude towards morality lead them to being almost a 'mercenary planet.' It was not uncommon for small teams of Saiyans to be hired by outside forces. Whether to aid in military effort, to act as bodyguards or even to clear out the dangerous creatures making life a nuisance for the other populace, Saiyans don't mind what they were doing as long as they're paid, fed and given a good fight.

This attracted the attention of one of the arms of the Jupiter Empire, known as the Planet Trade Organisation. The PTO were planet brokers, they would auction off planets to the highest bidder in hopes of turning a profit. Many planets would need to have it's native populace removed however, and the army of it's leader, a Frost Demon known as Lord Freeza, was generally strong enough to get the job done. However, Freeza wanted to expand his business and turned to the Saiyans for a powerful and hardy army that loved combat more than anything.

Unfortunately, Freeza had made one fatal error in his negotiation with the Saiyan King. Freeza had assumed that if nothing else, his titanic power would bully the monarch into submission, fully ready and willing to destroy the Saiyan race in the advent of any betrayal. However, King Bardock was a man who could not abide being a slave to anyone. When Freeza tried to threaten him into complying, the King threw the Saiyan race into all out war with the PTO.

The war raged on for years, the sheer ferocity of the Saiyans managing to bat aside the endless soldiers that encompassed the Freeza Force. Even some of Freeza's top enforcers lost their lives in the war. However, the war was finished in the end by one Saiyan and Freeza himself. The Frost Demon had decided that the war had gone on long enough and had eaten into his resources far too much, so he stepped into battle himself. Freeza's power was legendary, enough to swat aside legions of the Saiyan warriors, and so King Bardock decided to face him. Backed up by his two sons, Bardock engaged Freeza in combat on one of the deserted planets that Freeza had conquered. The fight was gruelling, Freeza's power was seemingly endless, but the king managed to persevere all the way to his final form. By then, Bardock was tired and facing the insurmountable Frost Demon who had only just begun to start truly fighting. Freeza toyed with the king for a brief amount of time, before outmatching him and executing him in a brutal display of force.

This was to be the last mistake Freeza ever made. In a fit of rage, the king's youngest son Kakarot launched forward to engage the tyrant in combat, demanding that his older brother take their father's corpse and left. What happened in that fight is lost to history, however five minutes after the other Saiyans left, the planet was destroyed in an almighty explosion. Neither Freeza nor Kakarot were found. Without the almighty power of their lord, the Freeza Force dispersed into fragments and the Saiyans won the war. Bardock's eldest son Raditz ascended to the throne, defeating his detractors in combat to rule Planet Saiya comfortably for years to come.

## Culture

###

The Saiyans are a warrior race, and you would do well not to underestimate them. Passionate about fighting and few else besides, the Saiyans throw themselves wholeheartedly into everything they do, driven by a fierce pride and the determination to be number one. As such, they put a great deal of emphasis on fighting ability and the strength of those that inhabit the planet, but planets cannot be ruled by strength alone, and as such, there is plenty of other things to do.

### **The Schooling Process**

For any Saiyan born on planet, and for those brought back to Saiya, they must go through the schooling process before they are classed as adults. Young Saiyans are placed in dormitories and raised apart from the adults from birth until they are sixteen galactic standard years old, during this time, they are taught the basic skills needed to survive, from reading, writing and arithmetic, the history of planet Saiya, minor studies about off-world species of interest and, most importantly of all, how to fight. Of course, not every Saiyan is a prodigy at combat, so when Saiyans reach eleven years of age, those that run the schooling process will switch them through to another area where they can best exercise their expertise, rather than continue to flounder in a calling not best suited for them. Saiyans are encouraged to take an interest in areas other than the one that they intend to make a career out of, but for the most part, they are to focus on the path they have. One they reach 16, they graduate and are considered adults under the eyes of Saiyan law, free to pursue whatever avenue they feel best.

### **The Professions of a Saiyan**

Saiyan career options are limited to one of the five branches, Military, Research and Development, Agriculture, Economical and Parliamentary. Military covers the defence of Saiya, Research and Development oversees the new technologies produced by the scientists, Agriculture keeps to the tending of livestock and crops, Economical is the selling of goods and food, while Parliamentary is the running of the planet. Within these five branches, there are many sub-branches, but to make a career on Saiya, one must stick to within these fields.

#### *Military*

The might of the Grand Saiyan Army is always in need of more troops, those who wish to defend Saiya from any pathetic alien threats need only join up with the military to prove their might and find eternal glory! The Saiyan Military is the go-to option for those wishing to stay planetside and have a career focused on fighting. Between the gruelling military training and drills designed to get you up to the level that is expected of a warrior and competitive environment for moving up through the ranks, it's not a career option for the faint of heart.

As well as joining the Grand Army, there are two other sub-branches, the Enforcers and the Search and Rescue division. Enforcers are the closest thing Saiya has to a police force, and will patrol through the Mercantile districts, keeping an eye out for any attempts of theft or other criminal activity. They also serve as the bodyguards for the merchants, due to them not having particularly high power levels. Were a powerful Saiyan to attempt to bully or intimidate one of the weaker merchants into giving up their product for free, it's the job of the Enforcers to stand guard and ensure that the law is followed.

Search and Rescue is another division more focused on the protection of Saiya's people, though this time it's more on those that go missing or fall afoul of the planet's wild-life. The job requires a great deal more restraint than most other professions, since it is primarily dealing with injured or damaged parties while simultaneously solving the problem of whatever they were having trouble with, which can lead to many members getting injured more frequently due to their suppressed power levels. Much like dealing with Saiya's livestock, it's not seen as a particularly glamorous job, despite how difficult it can be. Not only that, but Saiyan traditionalists would argue that it prevents Saiyans from standing on their own two feet if when they get into trouble, they can rely on such an organisation to help them out. However, S&R would argue that in saving them from their terrible fates, they allow them to receive their power up and grow stronger, continuing to bolster Saiya's might. Search and Rescue may not be looked upon favourably by those outside its ranks, but it's a job that not only teaches restraint, a rare quality for Saiyans to have, but also forges its members into stalwart protectors of the people, no matter how they may be viewed by outsiders.

#### *Research and Development*

A race cannot be built on the backs of warriors alone, it needs the likes of brilliant scientists to make all their dreams of punching everyone in the galaxy possible. Saiya's intelligence may be considered somewhat lacking compared to the rest of the galaxy, with most of their technology being pilfered from the likes of the Tsufurus and the Planet Trade Organisation and reverse engineered for Saiyan use, however they've made progress in leaps and bounds. Perhaps they're not as well developed as the likes of Tieken, but give or take a few decades, and they'll be bounding out into the cosmic market to compete with everyone else's technology.

All of Saiya's technology is geared towards one thing. Battle, and battle accessories. Getting to battles, surviving battles, a warrior race wants warrior technology. First and foremost, the most distinctive attribute of a Saiyan, the armour. Strictly speaking, it's not of Saiyan origin. It was the Planet Trade Organisation that used the battle jackets as a uniform, but they were stolen by Saiya in the wake of the war, since old Saiyan clothes provided very little protection against attacks, and that was when it wasn't simply robes. Now, they are as firmly associated with Saiyans as the tails they possess. Battle jackets come in many different designs, from the basic design with the distinctive shoulder pads, to the newer boxy models, but all have the basic properties that make them a reliable set of armour. They're durable, they're flexible and they provide all the protection a warrior could want without impeding their movement. More vain Saiyans are even waking up to the potential applications of fashion, taking ostentatious battle jackets with additional accessories, such as capes or thigh-high legwear. Focusing on battle jacket development is rather like being part fashion designer and part armourer. Vigorous, strenuous testing to ensure that the jacket can survive just about anything the galaxy can throw at it as well as experimenting with new designs that don't impede the wearer's movement, help them breathe easier or just plain look better than the last design. The battle jacket wing of R&D requires a cool head and an eye for detail, as well as the ability to survive in a scuffle when somebody calls somebody else's latest design ugly.

Next is transportation, and the source of those distinctive pods. Transportation is something that the Saiyans actually managed to develop on their own, the pods they're so famous for being their mode of transportation from their original planet to Planet Plant. Despite having a head start with transportation, they're shockingly bare bones. Saiyans place no stock in a navy, and the sole use the pods have is for transporting them from one planet to the next, as such they're not outfitted with any weapons or luxury tech to make their travel more comfortable or pleasurable. Saiyan pods are fitted with the guidance technology needed to take them from place to play and a small stasis field generator to put the Saiyans into a deep slumber while they wait for the pod to arrive planetside. The pursuit of technology when it comes to the pods has been at a standstill for a while, those who argue to take influence from other spacecraft, making the pods larger and more luxurious to provide a better standard of travel versus others who don't wish to sacrifice the durability of the craft for things that they feel are unnecessary. While this cold war of design is still ongoing, some speak of rumours about an experimental craft designed for a small squad that requires further testing, yet to be released to the public. The development of transportation is an area for anyone with a mechanical mind, a healthy dose of ingenuity and no fear to tell the old fools who tell you about the pods back in their day to shove off.

Healing chambers and gravity rooms are the last two main focuses of Saiyan development, and for obvious reasons. The gravity room, a technology that was inspired from other races that the Saiyans met in their galactic travel, simulates harsher gravity in a confined area so as to provide greater gains for any prospective training done within the room. Healing chambers conversely offer rejuvenation to any Saiyan worn out beyond what their body can take, sealing the Saiyan up in healing fluid until their wounds have healed and they're ready to take to the fight once more. This technology was actually stolen from the Planet Trade Organisation after the war, and since then has spread throughout the galaxy as one of the most thorough, if time consuming, methods of healing. These projects, and many others, are heralded by small teams of Saiyan researchers, who dedicate their time attempting to perfect the technology, speeding up the healing process, stronger levels of gravity that don't break the room. It's a long ongoing process, but Saiyans are tenacious beasts, even the brilliant scientists.