DARVIN

The Darvin evolved from hexapedial (six-legged) herd animals.  They are typically about 1.5 meters long.  They walk with their four rear legs and manipulate objects with their front "arms".  The Darvin are typically gray in color, although their hard shells are capable of changing shade to blend in with natural surroundings.
 

Role-playing

Darvin are cautious characters and often quite nervous and jumpy, particularly when they are around other species.  They are not quick to make friends, but they are fiercely loyal once they form a close bond.  They are born followers; due to their naturally low personality, Diplomats (and leaders in general) among the species are very rare.  Darvin tend to make good Tech Ops.  Combat Specs and Free Agents are not uncommon either, and those that do exist usually rely heavily on their heightened dexterity for protection.  Darvin are incapable of being Mindwalkers (not even psionic talents).  Since the invention of computers on Deladarvin, cybertech has become quite popular among the inhabitants.  Over 25% of the planet's population has at least some minor computer equipment surgically implanted within them (although many Darvin possess nothing more than a biowatch or bioart), but a smaller percentage has undergone more extreme cyber-surgery.
 

Special Abilities

Body Armor:  Darvin have a natural shell that affords them d4+1/d4/d4-1 natural protection.

Herd Mentality:  All Leadership-Command skill checks involving a Darvin (or groups of Darvin, but not mixed with other species) are made at a -1 step bonus.  Furthermore, all Interaction skills used on a Darvin NPC receive a -1 step bonus.

Natural Reflexes:  Darvin characters automatically receive the Reflexes perk for free; this does count toward the character's limit of three perks total.
 

History

The Darvins' evolution from a herd species is manifest in many aspects of current Darvin society.  There are few true leaders among the Darvin, although those who are born with a rare sense of authority find their way to leadership quite easilly and have few problems steering the general population towards obedience.  Darvin society is a true global culture, with very few regional differences; the world government, where all global decisions are made, is controlled by a group of less than one hundred Darvin.  Some of the Darvin (including most Darvin player-characters) are born with what the Darvin call a "suicide gene":  these Darvin do not have the natural tendency towards flight and avoidance of other species that is inherent in the general population.  Such characters are generally shunned as social outcasts by the Darvin population at large.

Deladarvin is a cold planet, and only the most equatorial regions are capable of comfortably supporting life.  Using modern technology throughout the past several centuries, the Darvin have been able to construct colonies on the ice caps in the  northern and southern regions of the planet, but the vast majority of the Darvin population still lives within one thousand kilometers of the equator.  The Darvin have also begun to colonize their planet's only moon, and by the contemporary era there are approximately 100,000 Darvin living there.

The Darvin are a PL 6 culture and have been for well over a century now.  Since encountering new species with PL 7 technology some advanced equipment has begun to appear on Deladarvin, but most of the Darvin are cautious and reluctant to use such items.  The one exception to this is PL 7 cybertech equipment, which is plentiful enough on Deladarvin at this point that it can be purchased by anyone willing to pay triple the usual price.  The Darvin have made it a point to try to acquire some of the cybertechnology discovered by the Rappkor Bakorians.

Due to their herd-animal evolution, the Darvin are an easily provoked race:  they are easily angered, easily won-over, and easily led.  The Darvin are a peaceful species when dealing with each other, and there has never been a war among the Darvin in recorded history.  This does not, however, mean that the Darvin have never developed weapons.  In fact, throughout their history the Darvin have been ruthless in their destruction of every slightly threatening predatory species on their planet.  The last land predator capable of killing a Darvin was eliminated over a thousand years ago in one of the very first world-wide efforts by the species--a feat that is still celebrated to this day.

The Darvins' fear of predators might have spelled disaster for the Ulvi had they been more technologically advanced when they were discovered.  Before the "First Encounter" there were even a few calls for the extermination of the Ulvi, but Darvin leaders chose instead to remove a small number of the new race from their planet and see how well they adapted to life in Darvin culture.  So far they have adapted well; so well, in fact, that many of the transplanted Ulvi hold positions of substantial power in the Darvin culture.
 

Current Campaigns

The Darvin actually became aware of the existence of the Iersian culture almost a century ago, when Darvin scientists picked up unnatural electromagnetic signals coming from the Terdalis System.  Being naturally xenophobic, however, the Darvin made no attempt to communicate their own existence back to the Iersians.  The arrival of Thsier-Bakorian ships in the Trinji System, however, took the Darvin by surprise and caused chaos and hysteria among much of the population for several months.  There is still much mistrust of the newcomers, although Iersian friendliness thus far has done much to alleviate the tension.  A small minority of the population (following a few very vocal leaders) is calling for the Darvin to cut all ties with alien races (including the Ulvi, whom some Darvin leaders have come to resent) and isolate themselves entirely.

Prior to the coming of the Iersians, the Darvin had explored all of their own star system.  They have extensive colonies on the moon Amuliadarvin and have built small bases on the moons of Kepelya, hoping to learn how to mine the resources of the gas giant--an effort that has so far proven fruitless.
 

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