Silanbar

Skulking serpentine race of thieves and vagabonds from a swampy home world covered by perpetual haze, the Silanbar got where they are by salvaging and stealing the technology rather than inventing it, building up a large swath of 'invisible colonies' within the borders of other civilized races. Though only technologically uplifted in the recent past, they have a certain bodged-together ingenuity, physical hardiness and strong individualistic nature that means they can survive pretty much anywhere, from cold oceans to sewers to cargo holds.

Far from being an invading force, however, the Silanbar are just as likely to use their jealous hoarding of alien secrets against each other; They have an extremely deep-rooted 'survival of the fittest' mentality and have no qualms about serving stronger aliens, if it brings them personal favour. It is no surprise then that individuals are inherently suspicious of kindness, with a society that says even family kinship or the right to breed is seen as as a privilege to be earned.

The Silanbar are often derogatorily called a 'pet race' of the Gealtirocht because of this situation, being closely connected to and still somewhat idolizing the larger and stronger eel-like race. They operate mostly as auxiliaries on such ships and colonies, though some may also serve as pirates, mercenaries, assassins or treasure hunters given the opportunity.

Silanbar Overview
image_of_home_system_on_mapnorth of the Spriggan Trench nebula
Home System	“Rodan”
General Characteristics
Average Height	Male: 7ft Female: 7ft
Average Weight	140 - 190 lbs
Life Cycle	Child: 0-8 years Adolescence 9-18 years Adult 19-40 Years Senior Adult 40+ years

The Silanbar evolved on the planet Skoramekch, once axotol-like creatures that lived in muddy rivers and created damns for protecting their eggs. Technological progress proceeded much more quickly than cultural progress, with families copying each other to steal ideas and horde food in their watery lairs.

Perfecting acids came more easily to them than smelting, leading to natural springs and volcanos becoming the centre of industry rather than coal mines. Once they had defeated the majority of larger Pterodactyl sky-predators on their planet, they inevitably started fighting each other over resources, particularly inland seas that could be used to farm food. War was ever present but massacres and genocides were rare, simply because individuals would change sides on masse whenever the writing was on the wall.

Still fighting each other with magnetic bows and primitive airships, this is when the Gealtriocht Feudalists landed and took over simply by showing their technological superiority and asking nicely. Specially trained auxiliaries were then taken off-planet and used in massive regiments of grunts and manual labourers, during that race's own interstellar civil war.

As it turns out, the opposing Nomadic Gealtriocht won in the end, finding the Silanbar changing sides yet again, of course to what was perceived as the stronger beings worth idolising. Their continued use as auxiliaries is a contentious subject even now, with their new masters remaining torn over if being stuck taking care of the errant sea drakes is a blessing or a curse.

About sixty years later, they have spread across large portions of the Vandal Expanse and even have some pockets in the Medusa Sector. There is never any telling when or where a singular errant individual might turn up, looking for personal favour with the alien races, or a nice nigh-magical technological trinket to make their way back home with…

They prefer swampy and humid environments, but can actually live just about anywhere, from boiling to freezing temperatures (depending on the specific individuals anatomy). Many of them still live in the home system or in Gealtriocht colonies, but rogue groups or even individuals can spread very far and wide indeed. They are common in the Vandal Sector, and present but rarer in the Medusa sector.

Warm blooded quasi-reptilian creatures ranging between six and eight foot tall, with particularly long necks and tails. Their mermaid-like qualities of smooth skin, long hair and frilly tails can fool a person into thinking they are graceful dragons from a photograph; This rather glosses over their skulking, awkward gait on land, webbed hands and feet equipped with barbed talons, and a propensity to sweat a thick hagfish-like mucus when directly threatened or captured.

Strength and toughness is rather inline with human norms, with running/climbing being a bit faster but requiring all four limbs. Exact body proportions and weight depend on the individual.

The face is a long rather triangular snout, with two side-mounted eyes, a many-fanged maw, and huge angular ears. Some breeds have singular horn at the end of the nose.

Most common colours include white, grey, yellow or green scales, sometimes with a beige underside. The eyes tend to be amber, red or orange, rarely green.

Despite being obviously adapted for aquatic movement, Silanbar do not have gills and cannot breathe underwater. They can hold their breath for about an hour, depending on the physical fitness of the individual. The climate they come from also matters, as warm swamp Silanbar are thinner and more lean, whilst cold water 'iceberg' Silanbar have shorter limbs and more body fat.

Other common features include skin markings denoting their specific place in society, as well as the occasional genetically transplanted traits from other races.

Breeding is an awkward subject and not one that they like to discuss with outsiders much. Neither male or female sexes reaches an 'active' state until they pass the threshold of a certain high calorie intake, after which their systems operate in overdrive until their body mass reduces back down again. Combined with the female's urge to hide the eggs everywhere (in vents, desk drawers, down the back of the seat cushions…), this is the reason why they can 'infest' new colonies or even alien ships incredibly quickly. It takes eight weeks for the eggs to hatch, after which the spawnlings will grow about a foot per year until reaching maximum size.

Nobody really knows the maximum age range for the Silanbar. An individual generally needs to remain independent to survive in their society.

Silanbar are voracious and competitive omnivores, capable of eating most organic matter, to the point were cooked meat was unknown to them before alien intervention. Much like snakes and crocodiles, they can eat a large amount and then hibernate in a period of low activity for up to six months before requiring food again. If an individual is smart enough to regulate their food intake and avoid their 'active procreation' state, is really up to the luck of the draw.

Silanbar have a certain cold cunning and logic that makes them inherently pragmatic and disloyal. They only believe in things that they personally witness, and see the ability to craft a good lie as a worthy life skill. They don't trust acts of kindness easily, and are utterly baffled by alien concepts of states, boarders and monarchs.

It's like a math equation; If the variables change and loyalty doesn't seem worth it anymore, why should you hurt yourself for no reason? To be a worth loyalty is to show obvious signs of personal cunning, power, intelligence and voracity; All other poetic reasoning is alien.

They believe in strong bloodlines and genetics, but even family units are effectively opt-in because of logic like this.

…Of course, the flip side of this is that they can be come actively obsessed with those they see as special, smart or genetically strong. It can go way past the point of idol worship in some cases, a lop-sided arrangement where one 'superior' individual might have several 'inferior' lovers. This can and does extend to alien races.

Sexuality is a totally separate 'problem' because of the whole 'active procreation state' system. Looking weak or indisposed is just asking for your enemies to take advantage, meaning it's generally a kind of awkward and quiet affair, past the odd eccentric with outsider ideas.

Their language is called Hureog. It's a complex system of guttural raspy noises that's not really possible for a human being to pronounce, and had many regional dialects even then.

In modern times, most spacefaring Silanbar are equipped with auto-translation throat implants so they can understand and pronounce human words in turn, though their skill at it may vary (It's only a basic extension of their vocal range, no auto-translation is involved).

They like long phonetic names with lots of 'Z's 'K's and 'Q's, with a vowel every other letter, such as “Zuruzala” or “Kuraqazu”.

Last names are similar, but since they must be earned, it is possible for an individual to simply not have one.

Ragged and rag-tag, Silanbar basically just scavenge whatever is on hand and make their own garments. There is a certain talismanic, tribalistic quality to the way they just throw whatever they can find onto themselves.

Silanbar find the whole concept far too suspicious, and generally dislike anyone pedalling it on the spot.

Silanbar have a very loose concept of states and borders, preferring to keep to concepts of family and bloodlines. A child basically raises themselves by scavenging, finding odd jobs and making themselves useful, eventually earning the right to receive family markings and be treated as a true member of society. The system requires at least five sponsors, which in some ways makes these individuals adoptive parents.

As a larger extended family unit, the maximum span of which generally covers a city-sized community, these clans directly compete and fight with other clans over resources or technology, and sometimes grudges based on who has the genetically superior stock. These conflicts tend to end with one side absorbing the other rather than actual genocide, once the writing is on the wall.

Silanbar loyalty is like a math equation, after all; If the variables change and it doesn't seem worth it anymore, entire swathes of territory can turncoat on a dime. It might be seen as a disreputable trait by aliens, but it has stopped them from dragging out pointless wars or engaging in genocide or pointless cruelty. They'll respect the idea of a dictator or absolute monarch only exactly as long as that individual can prove it.

• Player lavalung created this on 04/10/2021.

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