Draka Humans

(Homo drakensis)

The Draka appear to be human; they are not.

 

Introduction

The are the end product of a civilization arising in their timeline (Draka/1) based on enslavement of other peoples and militarism carried to an extreme. They make the old Terran Nazi’s (see 20^th century) look like extreme moderates and the changes that they have engineered for their race make Ouster modifications seem mild indeed. The overall genetic matchin of homo drakensis to homo spaiens is approxiamtely 94% congruence. This is less than gorilla or chimpanzee to humans and is on the borderline of crossing what could be considered genus boundaries.

 

Physical Appearance

Typical adult Draka are approx 2.1 meters tall and have two arms and legs. They are homoestatic omnivores with calcium based internal skeletons.

Skeleton
The primary difference is in the fact that all bones have additional small flanges to provide greater surface area for the muscle systems to bond to and the tendon / ligament material has been reinforced with carbon nanofibres that appear to be biologically generated using xeno and artificial DNA sequences. Bone composition is augmented from simple honeycombed calcium salts to boron fibres and enhanced density with carbon nanotubes to provide much greater strength.

Muscles
Standard Terran muscle systems have been genetically re-engineered for greater strength and stamina. The striated muscles are approximately 4 times stronger as they are incorporating feline genes and the muscle cells themselves contain denser microfibre packs. This produces more energy per cell in muscular contractions. Resilin (a grasshopper protein) has also been incorporated to improve explosive muscle force which produces exhanced agility and jumping ability.

Internal Structure and Morphology
Several organs and organic systems have been altered from the standard human pattern. These changes occur at the subcellular level all the way to structural and design changes in the major organ systems of the body.

The basal metabolism of all the changes has radically altered requiring anywhere from 7000 to 14,000 calories a day. Water requirements are approximately 4-5 times the standard needs of a human. The drakenes are excellent specimens of bioroid manufacture compared to Terran work but they are also very high performance and fuel consuming flash and blood machines.

Regeneration and regrowth are just two of the characteristics their bodies are capable of. Thanks to telomere regeneration and various anti-agathic naturally produced in the draka endocrine systems, aging is something the draka need not worry about. Enhanced platelet and scar tissue formation allow for rapid healing and regeneration of any lost or damaged tissues.

The hemoglobin module that produces the red in blood has been engineered for greater capacity and myoglobin reserves in the muscles have been created to allow draka to hold their breath for much longer times than unmodified humans. 15 minutes of swimming seems to be the limit or up to an hour if sitting motionless and not exerting any muscles. This also results in a very efficient respiratory system that recovers and elimintates most lactic acid and body wastes before they ever impair the functioning of the body.

The flora that are commonly found in human digestive and integumentary systems has been eliminated resulting in a sanitized metabolism throughout the body. White blood cell counts and other T cell structures have been elevated to almost unseen levels. The immune response is much faster and more varied than normal humans. Drakenses children are born with the protein signatures of all known (at the time) virii and bacterial diseases written into the leucocyte's 'memory'. As a result disease is a thing of the past.

The draka circulatory system is also enhanced as the arterial and vein systems are developed to a degree where any point in the body will generally receive blood from 4 to 6 points. Several small clumps of ganglia are clustered about a secondary heart and autonomically monitor the blood vessels. When a drop in blood pressure is detected the body will selectively cramp a small amount of smooth muscle that lines the veins and arterial structures of the body.

All of the regenerative and recuperative systems of the body have been enhanced to produce results on the scale of minutes instead of hours of days in the scope of healing and bodily damage control in the case of injury.

 

 

Nerves
Homo drakensis has extensive neurological modifications and enhancements coupled with two unintended defects when compared to sapiens. The nerves themselves have been altered so that the electrochemical borders inside nerves (which slows nervouse transmission rates) are much less prevalent than before modification. This has significantly reduced reaction times involving fight or flight instincts. Feline genes have enhanced relex and agility throughout the body and ganglia were designed to straddle the tri-spinal cord to record and remember reflex actions. The spinal cord is split into 3 substructures and 'cross-wired' to prevent one single break from disabling the whole nervous system.

The brain structure and composition has been changed as well. Glial ratios to nuerons are radically altered and the convolutions of the drakensis brain are present to a greater extent. Human IQ tests pass their most impaired citizens at the sub genius category (170IQ). This figure can and does send their best and brightest right off the charts. Also present is a photgraphic memory to a degree rarely seen among standard humans. Math functions are much more ingrained into their minds to the point that they are often as fast as our handheld and sometimes even astrogation computers.

In addition to standard structural changes several modifications have been effected in the hormonal and instincts of the drakenses. The fight or flight reaction has been edited to favor the fight aspect. Aggression levels and hormones are extremely high in the draka mindscape and figure prominently in their psyche. The two defects that have been detected are a lack of intuitive logical ability and the lack of innovation and invention. This does not state that they canot learn, but it is more likely to be deductive and evolutionary than any revolutionary paradigm changes that humans may have wrought over time.

Both hands have four fingers and an opposable thumb. This allows efffective tool use and grip. The arms are jointed at the elbows, shoulders, and wrists. The legs are similar, being jointed at he hip, knee and ankle. The joints are different in that they will contstantly regenerate and replace any tissues or fluids that may be lost from aging or from repeated injury. The bum knee syndrome is almost mythical to a draka.

Posture is upright.

Skin tone varies from white to dark brown with all shades in between.

Senses

In this scope the drakenses has been altered FAR beyond most normal human levels.

Sight
Draka have very good color binocular vision, sensing spectrum ranges between infrared (~500 nm) and far ultraviolet wavelengths (<300nm) Motion perception is a factor in determining what they see. As a primary predator their sight is attracted to motion.

Hearing
Hearing covers a range from 16-107,000 Hertz, with good separation and direction sensing capabilities. It is generally sensitive down to -50db levels and can be conciously scaled to prevent hearing loss; the tragus is also mobile and under control to prevent damage to the tympanic membrane from loud noise or even diving. The ears can be cocked by muscles in the skull to enhance directoin finding capabilities and is probably their most inhuman visible feature when they exercise it.

Their integumentary system is touch sensative and has not been developed or improved beyond human standards.

Taste/Smell
The senses of taste and smell are incredibly developed and approaches standard canine/shark levels. The draka have reengineered this sense to a degree that individual feral humans (their term for us) can be tracked beyond sight range with smell alone.

Vomeronasal (Pheromones)
The most dramatic departure from humans is that their vomernasal (pheromone) emission organs have been restored from vestigal functions to full and very important functionality among themselves and when interacting with client species such as Homo Servus and Homo sapiens. The effects of their pheromones range from simple love/lust reactions to fear and awe. Humans that have been exposed to them have reported that the draka can evoke emotions directly from them and it seemed like they were almost whispering to them. This effect is much more pronounced in Homo Servus whom the Draka exert almost total control over. Homo drakensis is of course selectively immune to their own pheromones.

Speech

Human speak by forcing air through a larynx structure located in the trachea between nostrils and lungs. Sounds are shaped using throat, lips and tongue. Most mammalian noises are capable of being reproduced by Draka, with little or no practice. Predatory growls and looks for that matter are commonplace among draka. Their base language is a derived form of old "Southron" English and is about as similiar to Terran Anglish as is Fench to Spanish.

Society and Customs

Draka society centers around the individual and family. This consists of biological mother and father with 1-10 chidren. A homo servus 'brooder' is used to carry the pregnancy to term in almost every instance but draka females are quite capable of bearing their offspring should that prove necessary. Draka females reproduce sexually but can and will reproduce parthenogenically , but only is ABSOLUTELY necessary.

To a slightly lesser degree parents and extended families are cared for as needed. Extended families will usually band together into communities for mutual support and defense. Community size can vary widely from anywhere of several dozen individuals to cities ranging up to 20 million. The entire Draka race is determinedly (some would say fanatically) devoted to a Nietche influenced form of fascism. They are the 'master race' and ALL others will fall or serve before them. Religion was prevalent among the nation of draka but died out for the most part when the 'Final Society' was created on their world.

The first and foremost saying that comes to mind regarding draka

"Service to the State"

"Glory to the Race"

Draka are characterized as extremely aggressive, sexually driven, prolific and widely varied individuals. Appearances can vary widely. Due to a well developed endocrine system, they experience a wide variety of emotional states.

Individual draka freedom, individuality, and responsibility are typically highly valued traits in Draka psychology. They remarkably are fanatical about protecting the ecology of their homeworld and other worlds conquered/colinized by them and their servants. Hunting is the closest thing to religion that most draka practice and ALL are quite good at it.

Insanities and disturbances are typically the result of population pressures and overcrowding. Due to the nature of society that the draka have created these problems are rare and almost unheard of.

Draka, like most other primates, exhibit a strong sense of adventure and sometimes too much curiousity. Humans are also very creative when considered that their whole society rose from the Stone Age to starflight in under 8000 years of development. This has changed to a degree with racial germline engineering that the draka practiced with themselves but is countered to a degree by their Homo servus inventors and engineers.

All exploration that occurs within the Terran Axis is either commanded or at least initiated by draka alone.

Draka are physically very adaptable to extremes in climate. Many niches and environments that would be unadaptable to say even Humans or Ousters can become places where drakanses can thrive. In the face of adversity and hardship, there is no known species other than humans and ousters that can thrive as they do.

 

 

 

Statistics

These are meant to be averages, individuals of the species have been known to vary by 50% (sometimes more) in size, weight and lifespan

Size: 2.1 meters tall
Weight: 150kg (male), 95kg (female)
Lifespan Special, Homo drakensis do not age
(Braintapes can be played into mammals or into primate species)

Reproduction Heterosexual, viviparous, or Parthenogenic (females only)
Body Temp 44-46 degrees Centigrade

Advantages / Disadvantages

Homo Drakensis

Advantages

Structural and movement augmentations

Base ST: 30
DX +5
IQ +7 (IQ 8 for invention and intuition)
Hyper Strength
Hyper Reflexes
Increased Strength X2 (30)
Super Running (1 Level) (Move squared )
Super Jumping (1 Levels) (Avg Vertical Leap 160 in)
Catfall
Combat Reflexes
Recovery

Reinforcements

Hard to Kill +5
Injury Immunity (Backup Heart, no vitals crippling)
Bone Strengthing (+1 Hit Point)
Regrowth
Regeneration (Slow)
Sanitized Metabolism
Immune to Disease
Unaging
Dermal Armor (PD2,DR 10)

Senses

Acute Vision +5
Nightvision
Infravision
Parabolic Hearing (8 levels)
Discriminatory Smell
Discriminatory Taste
Ultrasonic Hearing

Mental Augmentation

IQ +7 (IQ=8 for intuitive leaps and invention)
Eiditic Memory 2nd Level
Inuitive Mathmetician

Other Changes

Phermone Control (+2/+6)
Very Handsome / Beuatiful (+2/+6)
Dominance Pheromones
Against Homo Sapiens +10 Charisma
Against Homo Servus +16 Charisma

Disadvantages

Odious Racial Habit -4 (Will enslave all other life)
Bloodlust
Lecherous
Hidebound
Overconfidence
Intolerant (Non-drakenses) -10
Increased Life Support -40
(4x food and water, 3x oxygen)

Cost to play : 769 points