Ragan (species)

The Ragan are a species of tall, horned humanoids with distinctive, ember- or magma-like bodies. Due to their unique biology and habitat, they don't often intermingle with other races, resulting in a warlike and xenophobic culture. They are a sexless species, but are usually treated as male by outsiders.

## Physiology

Ragans are humanoid, though larger and much, much heavier than humans. Essentially made of molten rock, they are extremely durable but have extremely high energy requirements. Their core temperatures run as hot as 1700 °C, and a Ragan is prone to solidify and die if its core temperature falls below about 800 °C. A Ragan can maintain its body temperature in human-comfortable climates for days or weeks, but they cannot survive such environments long-term without specialized suits.

An average specimen stands about 2m (6'7") tall, not counting horns. These are unique to each individual, and can be upright or curved, or stick out the sides, or even form a crest. Horns grow through an individual's life, slowly growing larger over time.

They seem to completely lack proper internal organs, or at least anything a human would recognize as such, and much like night stalkers do not need eyes to perceive the world around them. They call this ability *tremorsense*.

### Combat Abilities

Ragans are able to weaponize their high body temperature. They are capable of searing human skin without much effort; Commander Rakta gave Kira's hand serious burns with a mere handshake. They are capable of breathing fire, and some are able to shoot fireballs from their hands.

Due to their very dense composition, Ragans are also much stronger than humans. (They have to be, in order to move all of their weight around!) Their skin is more akin to solid rock, giving them incredible durability and resistance to damage. One Ragan is capable of punching a clean hole through another, to give some idea of their strength.

## Society and Culture

The Ragan are militaristic and xenophobic, and all known Ragan belong to the Ragan Horde. They observe a strict hierarchy, but promotions via assassination of a superior are not uncommon. Physical violence is routinely used to settle disputes, resulting in a culture where might makes right.

Ragans believe in expressing their emotions openly and frankly, and coming to a quick resolution in any arguments. Violent disagreements are settled swiftly and brutally, with a lack of restraint that may shock outsiders - but Ragans do not, as a whole, believe in restraint. Their fiery temperaments match their fiery appearance well.

## Gladiatorial Games

"*Ragan might grant the survivor some kind of small favour, if the bloodshed pleases him.*"
―Commander Rakta
The Ragans are fond of watching and participating in gladiatorial games. Ragan bases have fighting pits for both Ragans and aliens, sometimes separated, sometimes together. Fights are to the death and expected to be fast and brutal, in order to provide vicarious pleasure for the spectators. Fairness is not a consideration.

## Government

The concept of promotion-by-assassination fades out at the highest ranks of government, which is merely an extension of the military hierarchy. Lord Ragan is the highest authority and leader of the never-ending war effort, supported by his commanders.

## Military

The Ragan military primarily relies on its fleet of ships, with a comparatively small division of ground-based agents and an even smaller number of aliens who infiltrate other worlds and prepare them for invasion. Some of these aliens serve the Ragan willingly out of spite or ambition, others are coerced.

Conquered worlds may be ruled by vassals or terraformed to be habitable by Ragans, usually accomplished by cloud seeding or atmospheric injection of greenhouse gases to create a runaway greenhouse effect 🡭. As often as not, the Ragan prefer to terraform uninhabited worlds as forward outposts, as the process can take years, and destroy inhabited worlds by orbital bombardment.

As a recent development, the Ragan military also engages in terrorism; for example distributing bioweapons on alien worlds. Currently their bioweapons are not contagious... yet.

### Expansion

While most warlords operate through the Stargate Network, and may not know or care where their controlled territories lie on the galactic map, the Ragan Empire has a defined spatial territory which is under their control, as they expand using spaceships primarily.

## Technology

The greatest accomplishment of the Ragan Empire are their space stations and leviathan-class warships. Perhaps due to their extremely high body temperatures, they tend not to use handheld devices.