Raiken Creation Guide

Native to the known universe, the Raiken are traditionalist warriors, always looking for a fight, a good story, and a warm fire. Aggressive and prideful by nature, they expand rapidly and generally look upon weaker races with a degree of scorn. Their vibrant culture centered around heroes and acts of heroism define their desire to achieve greater and greater things.

• Physically adept. Raiken are best described as walking tanks. They're tough, weighty, and as strong as construction equipment.
• Might makes Right. Problems are solved through action, not words. Brawls are extremely common and usually welcome. Physical strength and prowess is the main path to success and recognition.
• Communal. Family, Clan, and Kin are held in the highest regard in Raiken society. To be without clan is to be without life.
• Staunch Traditionalists. Despite technological innovation, Raiken prefer to do things as they have always been done wherever possible. Old values and traditions remain strong in the hearts of the people, especially those who do not interact with the Alliance.

• See more here.

The Raiken have a 'Given, Clan, Title' naming convention. The given name is given to a youngling by their parents. A clan name is bestowed to the individual's current clan, if they have one. If they are adopted or married into another clan, their birthclan is replaced. If an individual is exiled, they lose their clan name. Titles are variable and the highest title given to an individual is used. If no special titles have been bestowed or an individual prefers it, Raiken have an informal third name that usually relates to a past deed or their profession. Male names are usually rough, starting with letters such as 'R,O,S,Z,K,G, and D', while usually ending in some abrupt fashion. Female names are typically less rough, starting with letters such as 'I,L,S,N, and A'.

• Clan Member - Whether your character was born into one of the prestigous Resa Sarhi or a minor Ziras Sarhi that few have even heard of, your character was born and raised by family, clan, and kin. Taught by elders and raised by the community, your character is most likely like most other Raiken.
  • Alliance Enlisted - Greatness is found on the field of battle. Every Raiken knows this. Perhaps the sanctioned skirmishes weren't enough. Perhaps your character sought the stars. Either way, they received the great honor of being able to enlist with the Alliance Military. After enduring harsh training, your character is a proud member of the Alliance, with even deeper bonds with fellow enlisted Raiken.
  • Champion of the Games - With fighting so ingrained in Raiken society, it is hard for clans not to go for each other throats at conflicts. With the Alliance in place, infighting is not allowed, as it breaks the core tenets set down ages ago. Instead, the Alliance has set up a series of games. For all intents and purposes, these games are controlled battles between contestants. But controlled does not mean nonlethal. Your character is a participant/victor/champion in these blood games, all for the chance to gain honor.
  • Clan Worker - Despite all the tales of heroes, not all are destined for greatness on the field of battle. Crops need harvesting, goods need made, and trade needs done. From a young age, clan members are expected to work for the clan, wherever they are needed. Your character remained with their family, clan, and kin, doing whatever duty they were assigned. Your character has strong ties to their family and their kin, while also being afforded the opportunity to become steeped in traditional culture.
• Clanless - In Raiken society, to be without a clan is to be lifeless. Your character has laid claim to this unfortunate fate, through disgrace or orphanage. Life is hard for those without a home and some sort of disconnect from normal society is expected.
  • Conscripted - A likely fate for those unfortunate enough to lack a clan to call their own. Your character was likely plucked off the streets by an Alliance patrol and pulled into the fold. Unlike those with clans, your character's job was likely assigned, not chosen. However, unlike the streets, the Alliance provides food and housing, which is a step up from starving in the cold. Your character likely has mixed feelings about the clans and possibly mixed feelings about their supposed saviors.
• Exiled/Disgraced - Through some disgraceful act or by choice, your character left their family, clan, and kin behind and struck out alone. But not all is lost, even without clan. There are opportunities to be had away from home and the stars beckon to those willing to seek them. For better or worse, your character has been left to their own devices, but the wound of losing family never fully heals.
  • Outcast - Citizens of the Alliance are not normally permitted to leave Alliance space. However, your character found a way. Outside of the Alliance, the Raiken are an oddity, something rarely seen. Known for their strength and brutish culture, your character is likely a target for discrimination, but likely nothing physical. As an outcast, your character finds their own path.
  • Smuggler/Bandit - Due to harsh restrictions on trade, goods from outside the Alliance are treasured by those who seek them. Even goods within the Alliance are treasured by those who are not afforded them. This controlled economy has given rise to a web of smugglers and pirates. Your character decided to take the risk and join them. Cut off from the Alliance, your character makes it on their own or perhaps with other smugglers, with the constant threat of Alliance crackdown looming over them.

Raiken scale colors are as varied as the metal and stone they eat. Typically revolving around metal-based paint, most Raiken have a two-tone body, where the heavier plates are a darker shade than the softer scales. In addition to this, Raiken typically have some sort of pattern on their scales, with the pattern having a different color than their normal scale hue. This is a marker of family and clan, as kin share the exact same pattern while all clanmates are similar to each other.

Males tend to be bulkier than females, featuring rocky ridges and spines on their face and back which females lack. Females tend to have slightly longer tails than males.

For the Raiken, clothing is a status symbol, since it is rarely needed for survival. (That is not to say it is never needed.) But rather than being adorned due to supposed wealth, Raiken adorn their garb, which are typically open-faced robes, with marks of deeds. While an everyday worker may don a plain brown cloak for their work in factories, mines, or fields, an honored warrior's robes are detailed with varying stripes and medals, each one a mark for a heroic deed accomplished at some point. Alliance soldiers wear white robes with black trim as their standard uniform.

Past their open-faced robes, the Raiken do not typically wear anything else. For accessories, metal bands and other such jewelry are worn as status indicators, not for style. Instead of wearing accessories, a common practice for Raiken is to engrave or paint their scales with markings, whether for status or style.

Skillsets belonging to professions of all sorts. For more detail on each skill, consult the Skills Guide.

• Raiken
  • Hand to Hand Combat - A Raiken who cannot fight is not a Raiken. All Raiken are exposed to sparring and brawling by growing up with their kin. The spirit of physical contest is deeply ingrained in Raiken society and as such, the knowledge of how to defend oneself is known to all Raiken.

• Racial Traits - Some perks come from just being born.
  • Plated Scales - Raiken have plated scales that are nearly impervious to conventional weapons fire. Joints, their stomach, and neck are not as well armored, but are still highly resistant to small arms fire. This protection extends to fire and some acids.
  • Brute Strength - Raiken possess a physical strength that is comparable to construction equipment. They are capable of smashing through walls, throwing lighter cars, and breaking the bones of less durable creatures without much effort. They are capable of lifting and moving things weighing less than them with minimal effort. Lifting things larger or heavier than them takes effort, but most Raiken can lift up to twice their own weight over their head, if in decent shape. This leads to some issues when they are trying to be gentle. Raiken frequently break things they do not mean to.
  • Minor Regeneration - Raiken possess a second circulatory system dedicated to healing and repairing the body. This will not help them in combat, but it is invaluable during recovery from severe wounds.
  • Tail - Their tail and the bladed-end of it, are not just for show. It is more than effective at being used as a weapon or force-based tool. The tail does lack fine motor control however, which means it cannot be used to grasp or wrap around things effectively.
  • Electrical Resistance - Although Raiken scales are metallic in nature, they are equally rock-like in nature. Electrical attacks are more likely to target them, but their more rock-like parts diffuse the damage. It's still a stunning experience.

With the last War between Brothers a distant memory not even remembered by the eldest elder, the Raiken have enjoyed an age of relative 'peace'. Instead of dealing with war, the Raiken have come face to face with the reality that they are not alone in the galaxy. Rather, they are but one of many species. Despite this, they carry on and stick to the ways of old while everything else changes around them.

Some races, they conquered, asserting their claim that strength determines who rules. Others, they begrudgingly engage in talks with, despite their aggressive nature. This is an age of discovery and expansion, where all Raiken look to the stars.

• Raiken
• Raiken Culture
• Raiconian Alliance
• Raiken Clans