Salarian

### Attributes

+4 Intelligence, +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, -2 to ability of choice (Strength, Wisdom. or Charisma)

### Common Names

Chorban, Ish, Jaroth, Kirrahe, Ledra,Maelon, Mordin Solus, Morlan, Palon, Rentola, Saleon,Schells, Tazzik.

Salarians were the second species to join the Citadel. They are warm-blooded amphibians native to the planet of Sur-Kesh. Salarians possess a hyperactive metabolism; they think fast, talk fast, and move fast. To salarians, other species seem sluggish and dull-witted, especially the elcor. Unfortunately, their metabolic speed leaves them with a relatively short lifespan of about 40 years.

### Racial Traits

* Physical Characteristics: **+4 to Intelligence, +2 to Dexterity. -2 to Constitution, -2 to ANY ONE of the following: Strength, Wisdom or Charisma**.
* Size: Medium
* Speed: 35 Swim: 20
* Amphibious: Salarians can breathe underwater. They can take 10 on all Swim checks.
* Photographic Memory: They gain the photographic memory feat at level 1 automatically.
* Rapid Metabolism: Salarians only need to rest 1 hour to gain the benefits of a long rest.

## Salarian Biology

Salarians are a bipedal race of amphibians with tall, elongated bodies. Their heads are long and thin, and have a pair of horns protruding from the top of their skills. Skin color varies but most have a shade of blue or grey. Some are brightly colored, ranging from red to green. Salarians ahve large oval eyes.

Salarians are egg-layers; unfertilized eggs produce males and fertilized eggs produce females. Once a year, a salarian female will lay a clutch of dozens of eggs. Social rules prevent all but a fraction from being fertilized. As a result, 90% of the Salarian population is male. Laying the eggs is a solemn ritual done in isolation.

Salarian sex drive and reproduction are different to most other races since it is not hormone based within the brain. They are, however, similarly attracted to asari.

## Salarian History

The salarians were the second species to discover the Citadel. They opened diplomatic relations at once and become one of the founding species of the Council. In a gesture of trust the salarians opened the records of one of their intelligence services, The League of One, but this created issues within the League since members found themselves in danger. This resulted in League members assassinating the entire upper salarian cabinet members. They were later hunted down as a result.

The salarians played a major role in uplifting the krograns. They provided them with advanced technology and new planets in order to manipulate them to join them against the Rachni in the Rachni Wars. The new planet and technology had an immediate impact on the krogan, driving their numbers up significantly. This forced them to expand to other areas of space, particularly Citadel controlled planets and claim them as their own. In order to end these rebellions, the salarians developed the Genophage, a biological weapon that effectively sterilized the krogans and ended the rebellion.

Salarians specialize in intelligence gathering and espionage and are relied upon the council as exactly that. The other arms of the council are diplomacy by the asari and military might by the turians.

## Salarian Culture

Salarians excel at invention and prefer to use cutting-edge technology rather than settle for something less. Their starship defenses put emphasis on high performance over reliability even though malfunctions could cost lives.

Salarians use information gathering and spying when dealing with other races. The creed "knowledge is power" is ever present when dealing with a salarian. Counter-intelligence agencies are constantly uncovering salarian agents and cyber-warfare incursions but there is little they can do to stop them.

Salarian females rarely leave their homeworlds out of tradition and respect. Powerful females, known as Dalatrasses, are dynasts and political kingpins. They determine the course of action of their respective region thrown shrewd negotiation, using their intelligence against other salarians or other adversaries to gain the upper hand.

Due to their method of reproduction, salarians have no concept of romantic love, sexual attraction, mating rituals, or biological impulses that complicate other species. Male-female relationships are rare (due to the scarcity of females) and more akin to friendship when compared to humans. Sexuality is strictly for reproduction. Ancient social codes determine which males fertilize eggs, which produce more daughters to continue the bloodlines. Fertilization occur after much negotiations with female clans from the males in order to pass on their bloodline and is usually done for the political purposes.

## Salarian Economy

The salarian economy is the smallest of the 3 council races but still far larger than that of the humans. It is based on creating and developing cutting edge technologies in diversifying fields; salarian industries are leaders in most fields. They make up for a lack of military by holding a decisive technological superiority in battle.

## Salarian Religion

Salarians are not overly religious. One of the less favored salarian religions (deemed a cult by the Council) worships a goddess and claims that a certain pattern of overlapping craters in the southern hemisphere of planets resembles her. Many salarians believe in a wheel of life, a belief that is spreading due to their short lifespans. The believers claim that life cannot be so short where there is so much to do.

## Salarian Government

Since the salarians joined the Council, the salarian government is known as the Salarian Union. It is a labyrinthine web of matrilineal bloodlines with political alliances formed through inbreeding. In many ways the Salarian Union functions like those of the noble families of Earth's medieval Europe. Structurally, the government consists of fiefdoms, baronies, duchies, planets, and marches. These are nicknames for the salarian structures as the salarian names cannot be translated, even by VI translators. Each region is ruled by a Dalatrass.

A salarian's life can be represented in 5 circles. Their innermost circle comprises of their parents, siblings, uncles, aunts, and cousins. This totals to about 100 members. Their fifth circle of a clan numbers in the millions as each layer expands the influence of relation. Salarian loyalty is greatest to the inner circle and diminished from there.

## Salarian Military

In principle, the salarian military is similar to that of the Alliance, a small volunteer armor that focuses on maneuver warfare. What differentiates them is their intelligence services and rules of engagement. The salarians believe that war should be won before it even begins. The superiority of their intelligence services allows them to use their small military to maximum effectiveness. Well before any actual combat occurs, they have complete knowledge of their enemy's positions and intentions.

This intelligence network is spearheaded by the Special Tasks Group (STG) who monitor developing situations and take necessary actions, usually without the troublesome redtape of laws and procedures. The effectiveness of STG operatives is what led to the creation of the SPECTRE program.

In every single war that involved salarians, they struck first and decisively. For the salarians, to know an enemy planning to attack and let it happen is folly; to announce their own plans to attack is insanity. They find the human moral conceps of warfare incredibly naive. In defensive wars they execute debastating preemptive strikes hours before the enemy's own attacks. On the offense, they have never issues an official declaration of war before attacking.

While capable of defending themselves, the salarians know the value of strong alliances, especially with a species an expanding military might like the turians. Salarians take great pains to keep their relationship strong enough so that anyone who threatens them risks turian intervention. In return, the salarians lend their intelligence services to the turians when needed.