Darkstar One: Raptor

The Raptor have a special combination of weapons at their disposal: they possess an extraordinary bow weapon that inflicts damage only to shields, and they use a rocket launcher that fires and recharges rapidly. The ships and the stations of the Raptor usually feature lizard-like shapes.

The Raptor

Many millennia ago, a prehistoric continent on the planet separated into thousands of islands during the evolution of the world. A warm and moist climate is predominant on the planet and it has spawned lush fauna and flora everywhere. The only exceptions are the poles, which are covered in thick ice. Jungle areas, extensive swamps and vast oceans also formed. Five intelligent species evolved over time: a two-legged lizard species, a mammal akin to Earth's own monkeys, two forms of ocean mammals - one tiny and one huge - and a type of sea-based bird that lives within the oceans and sports a wingspan of more than six meters. For several million years, each of these species evolved undisturbed, but then the lizards and the monkeys came across each other. Initially, these encounters were peaceful; yet the disputes over territory were soon to begin. These disputes led to several wars which culminated in the extinction of the monkey species. The Raptor - as the lizards called themselves - were dominating the islands of the planet. However, they soon discovered that others dominated the oceans.

The Raptor attempted to gain the upper hand against the ocean mammals and birds, but found themselves greatly outnumbered. The inhabitants of the ocean had

no

means to conquer the islands, and equally had

no

interest in doing so as these creatures were unable to live outside of the water and had

no

use for the land. An agreement was eventually struck with the Raptor which conceded Raptor sovereignty over the land (and later their advancement into space) while the ocean mammals and birds continued to pursue their interests below sea level and on its surface. The different species continue to co-exist peacefully to the present day.

There is a great variety in the customs and religions of the Raptor. Estimations indicate that there are more than two thousand deities and in excess of eight hundred religions. Additionally, there are probably several thousand movements within these religions. Not a day goes by without a festive procession, a pageant or an official ritual. Politically, the Raptor cluster is classified as unstable because each religion features its own party. The government is often unable to find a majority for their decisions, and occasionally opposing parties resort to violence or even conspiracies and assassinations. Outsiders consider the Raptor political system to be an impenetrable jungle and the Raptor find it equally complicated. It therefore takes an excessive amount of time before the different factions, groups and aggregations come to an agreement. On occasions such as the Declaration of the Great War or the Foundation of the Galactic Union, the Raptor were the last to join - and even then, not all Raptor were involved.

Despite its flaws, the Raptor are sorely attached to their chaotic system. They believe that their variety and their discordance are vital basics for their survival. One of their proverbs says: 'He who speaks with one tongue might lose it quickly'. The Raptor speak with many tongues. Which opponent would be able to silence all of them?