Networking: Despite their individualistic society, the complexity of the Bakorian culture demands close networking among its people. For this reason, cost of Acquire Contact (see Chapter 8: Achievements in the Player's Handbook) is one less than listed on table P29 (for all professions).
Mental Focus: The mental toughness of an individual
Bakorian can be very potent. A Bakorian can withstand "dazed" penalties
associated with fatigue, stun, and wound (though not mortal) damage by
making a Resolve-Physical skill check--on an Ordinary success, he offsets
1 step in penalties; Good, 2 steps; Amazing, 3 steps (on a Critical Failure,
he suffers an additional +1 step penalty on all actions for the rest of
the current round).
From the earliest of days, the Bakorians have always been led by a ruler
holding the title "The Highest"--he who has the most "brilliant" ancient
spirit contained within his body. The pratice of spirit-lore has
been a tradition since the Bakorian stone age to determine such things,
but in modern times it has become far more scientific and is usually termed
salikor
("birth of spirits").
| Life Science-Genetics (new Rank Benefits):
At Rank 4, Bakorian geneticists gain salikor knowledge. Salikor
allows the
geneticist to analyze the specific nature of bases, the nitrogen compound that makes up DNA. (DNA consists of four bases--adenine which matches with thymine and guanine which matches with cytosine, hence the ATGC structure of the double helix.) In Bakorians, unlike most species, adenine and thymine bases in the DNA strand can contain specific isotopes in their nitrogen compound makeup. Only through this odd happening are the "spirits of the Ancients" able to inhabit the bodies of the Bakorians. One knowledgable in salikor can read these imprints in the DNA and judge the strength of the "spirit within". At Rank 8 (X), even a member of another species may gain salikor knowledge. Also, salikor geneticists can engineer a Bakorian fetus to accept a spirit 10% greater than normal for each degree of success (-10% on a Critical Failure, +10% on an Orrdinary success, +20% on Good, +30% on Amazing). At Rank 12, sailikor engineering increases the strength of the spirit by 20% per degree of success. |
Just before their industrial age, a change in philosophy swept Bakorian society: the Baykor ("Rebirth"). While no one knows for certain, most scholars believe that the "Highest" of the period, Takor IV, was a powerful Mindwalker. Perhaps he foresaw a future of ruin for his people under their current warlike ways. After the Baykor, the Bakorians reinvented themselves as protectors sent by the heavens to guard the Thsier and, later, all other sentient races.
This dramatic change in philosophy was not well-received by the Thsier, who continued to fight for many more years. Eventually, Takor IV managed to convince the Thsier to make peace and join them in an alliance. During the Thsier economic depression after the peace (as detailed under the Thsier), the Bakorians fared only slightly better but did manage to assist the aggressive saurians in building non-military industries by donating virtually all technological advantages they had to the Thsier.
Certainly their new allies could have taken advantage of their newfound
technology and claimed Iersia for themselves, but the new Highest of the
era, Uriial VI, managed to prevent all-out war. Eventually, with
the help of Bakorian businessmen,
technologies from the Thsier were incorporated into Bakorian research
and production as well.
Unlike the Thsier, the Bakorians' individualistic nature has led to
the rapid development of competitive corporations which, in
turn, led to large cities. Personal vehicles and road systems
in Bakorian lands are very common, though the Thsier grav-train
network provides good coverage of this land as well. As pollution
from vehicles and industries started to devastate Iersia, the loss of ozone
around the antarctic regions of the planet caused an unusual rate of aborted
Bakorian fetuses (note that Bakorians are never mutants--they would have
been aborted as soon as such genes were observed). Once determined
that the cause was radiation from the weaker atmosphere, environmentally
friendly energy sources were sought and all fossil fuels
were outlawed by the Highest Takor IX in order to protect the fetus'
spirits.
Nearly all major cities are in Bakormir ("the rebirth land"),
although with population demands and modern technology a significant number
have also been founded in Wokormir ("the [lizard-ones'] unbirth
land"). While the Highest sets forth many rules for the betterment
of the spirits, Bakorian society and government is largely minimal.
Had they been alone on the planet,
corporations almost certainly would have had the most influence; instead,
they compete strongly with each other and the
Thsier government-backed businesses.
The only major political split within Bakorian society revolves around
cybertech. Around 70% of the Bakorians swear
away from cybernetics, believing it is in direct conflict with possessing
the spirits of the "Ancients". The remaining 30% of the population
believes it is simply the next step in focusing the power of the ancient
spirits. Bakorians who accept cybernetic implants are usually called
Rappkor
("metal births"). On Thsopla-Meninar C, a large colony of Bakorians
are mostly Rappkor (about 65%), attempting to flee any persecution that
may arise on Iersia in the future. The Rappkor have segregated themselves
on the icy moon intentionally and have been at the forefront of cybernetic
research at this outpost, discovering virtually every piece of PL 7 cybernetic
equipment. Their research was also the driving force behind the "success"
of the Tshsim Project (as detailed under the
Thsier).