Saturday, August 13, 2011

Previously Generated - Bulldogs! - The Erlamigel

It's not surprising that many people haven't heard of the Erlmaigel. They are a pretty common star-faring race, but years of evolution have taught the Erlmaigel to hide everything from everyone, including people they know and trust. It's what happens when you evolve on a planet where you are considered a most delicious prey. You learn how to hide really well, but the Erlmaigel took that one step further and integrated themselves into predator societies by taking the form of the creatures that would hunt them. They learned how they moved, and their habits and eventually grew smart enough not just to hide within the ranks of their enemies but to use the information they had gathered against them.

This led to the rise of the Erlamigel on their own world, Erlami which is located on the periphery of the Frontier Zone though they never seemed to be able to get off world. Then, a couple of Pan Galactic Ships landed on the planet, looking for some wild game to take with them for someone within the Nova Corps of the Templari's hunting grounds, when an Erlami snuck on board and managed to integrate themselves as part of the crew. This allowed them to steal the technology needed in order to create their own space ships.

That's when they took to the stars, though again in limited numbers, to learn what they possibly could from everywhere else. The Erlamigel don't really create or innovate, they steal and adapt from others for their own use. That means if you find someone on the Erlmaigel ship that looks strangely like something you've created on your own, you had best make sure that you don't have a spy among you.

The Erlamigel as a society is very odd, they tend to be loners and work individually but they seem to be more than happy to come across others of their kind. In turn they will share whatever information they have with each other, in a strange telepathic kind of way that only works with members of their own kind, whom they call 'my cousin.' It is believed, once the Erlmaigel were discovered, that this allowed them to transmit information from one to another while they were infiltrating various enemy groups. As individuals, they feel most at home impersonating others. Once they are seen in their regular form, which consists of humanoid looking creature with white skin they seem to panic and do anything they can to escape.

Once the Erlamigel were discovered, they quickly gained use as spies and infiltrators for various organizations. However, there is a high price to pay for these creatures, none of the information that they get for you is for your use only. The Erlmagiel will gladly share any information with any other Erlamigel, it is how they survive for centuries amidst tougher being on their planet, so there is a chance that information you don't want will fall into the hands of others. There are many that feel that this risk can be mitigated enough that hiring these beings as spies is worth the risk.

Erlmagiel Names
Erlmagiel names aren't really spoken. They know each other by various means, so instead they tend to take on the names of the races that they emulate the most. Gender is irrelevant for most of them since they're able to shift, a lot like Saldrallans, which leads people to believe that they have amphibian or reptilian ancestry.

Typical Erlmagielian Aspects

I absolutely need to know that!
Invoke: You're genuinely curious about things, and you can pick up pertinent information where others don't.
"No really, I'd love to hear, in detail, about how you managed to modify the viscosity of the oil to create faster speeds!"
Compel:You don't know when it's not a good idea to ask.
"Can you tell me the story about how you fell from disgrace and totally ruined your family name, again?"

Trapminded Deviousness
Invoke: If there's a trap that needs to be created, you know how to set it up.
"My people have fought with the Qu'Linar for centuries. We know their weaknesses, and we know how to set them up for a fall."
Compel: You tend to be a bit petty and can't really stand up the fight even if it's the best course of action.
"We can't fight them head on. We'll get ourselves killed. We need to find a way to trick them."

The Stillness of the Undergrowth
Invoke:You can avoid moving to avoid being seen by predators, or overzealous guards.
"Don't move, and they won't see you. Blend into your surrounding and the Qu'Linar will ignore you. They think they have more important things to kill."
Compel:You tend to want to hide rather than run.
"Stop running! They'll see us!"

I love talking to friends and family!
Invoke:You tend to have friends in places other people wouldn't expect.
"My cousin is in that ship, I'm sure we can find a way to help both sides escape."
Compel:You let slip information that the crew might not want to get out.
"I just told my cousin that we had the shipment of high grade Zinorcium that they were looking for.

No one can see me naked!
Invoke:You have such an aversion for people seeing you as you are, that you will go to any length to prove that you are who you say you are.
"See, I told you that I'm Nova Captain Akryl. Torture me all you like!"
Compel:If you are seen without a persona on, you just want to escape.
"Look at that white creature! It's trying to cut through the hull to escape! That's madness!"

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!
Invoke:You're amazing at copying things that you've seen only once.
"I can remake that engine part. I studied it not too long ago, and this should be easy."
Compel:You're not good at improvising when things break.
"Um, what do you mean we have to build a different one? I've never seen a 'different one'."


Erlmagielian Special Abilities [-3]

No Natural Attack [+1]
As a herbivore, the Erlmagielian don't have any natural defenses other than their ability to integrate into other groups. If you come across one in their regular form, they have no natural ability to attack which is one of the reasons why their instinct is to hide or get away.

Shapeshifting: True Shapeshifting [-4]
Erlmagielian can change their shape to fit the needs of the group that they're infiltrating. Literally they will seamlessly go from group to group gathering information, though they can be discovered as the personality doesn't change at all.

No comments:

Firestorm Ink's Fan Box