Post by Lorpius Prime on Jan 9, 2011 2:32:25 GMT -5
Although rarely found outside their home system, the Dragons' reputation as a species is almost as large as they are. Outwardly, Dragons appear much as their name implies: hulking, winged lizards. Individuals can grow to nearly 5 meters tall, with tails adding up to an additional 2 meters to that figure. Though typically quadrupedal, they use their front paws for grasping and manipulating, and can still manage an awkward walk on hind legs alone.
Looking past appearances, however, their actual physiology is somewhat unusual. Despite their size, Dragons are invertebrates. They have an extensive and remarkably tough exoskeleton which protects the majority of their bulk, and most exposed tissue is still covered by thick, muscled skin. The wings and eyes are often considered their only external weaknesses; Dragons have been known to shrug off blaster strikes as minor injuries. Bits of their exoskeleton are constantly shed and regrown as scales. Some alien (and a few Dragon) entrepreneurs have collected and sold these scales woven into suits of armor, but these are mere curiosities, far less effective than synthetic materials.
By the standards of most intelligent species, the Dragons' civilization is ancient. They are one of a very few spacefaring races which ultimately survived contact with the first Empire of Man. The Empire discovered them during one of the final phases of its expansion, and quickly subjugated (many non-humans would say enslaved) the Dragons' homeworld. Fortunately for the Dragons, however, they possessed a unique advantage.
When the Dragons first began travelling into space some centuries before their contact with humans, they discovered a precursor space station in high orbit around their planet. Named Carthage station by the Empire, it is one of a very few precursor space stations discovered which is not a hyperdrive factory. Carthage is actually much larger than the factory stations, and most of its internal space is simply empty rooms. Though it possesses no as-yet identified power sources or control interfaces, the interior is pressurized and habitable, with a fixed climate identical to that of the mild tropics on the planet below. The Dragons quickly colonized their discovery.
Critically, Carthage station is also protected by a precursor matter sink. This caused no end of frustration for the first Empire of Man, since it effectively put the station's population beyond their reach. The Carthage Dragons, already heavily armed as a result of a war of independence against the planetary government, were able to resist annexation by the Empire for its entire history. The surface Dragons were less fortunate, but even they were spared from annihilation at their cousins' demand. During the Fall, the Empire quietly withdrew from the Dragons' home system, leaving none of the devastation which marked the humans' passing elsewhere.
Today, the Dragons' society remains split. The homeworld is a member of the Integrated Systems, quiet and mostly ignored by the IS' human population. In fact, there are more Integrity representatives on Carthage station than the planet. Carthage is a major trading port, neutral ground, and tax haven well within IS territory. Its system lies roughly at the midpoint of the IS Core Worlds, the Sazuran Federation and Athens station, and the Stenovian Commonwealth. The station's Dragon caretakers have taken advantage of this fortuitous location to grow quite wealthy.
So far, the IS has tolerated Carthage's independence. Integrity does not oppress its non-human citizens as the Empire did, and the Dragons' homeworld joined the IS by choice. But Carthage's role as a tiny blemish within the IS' heavily ordered and regulated society still stirs resentment, and the occasional grumbles of public officials. The Dragons, of course, do not worry much. The IS cannot penetrate their citadel any more than the human Empires could. They are safe and they are, above all, free.
Looking past appearances, however, their actual physiology is somewhat unusual. Despite their size, Dragons are invertebrates. They have an extensive and remarkably tough exoskeleton which protects the majority of their bulk, and most exposed tissue is still covered by thick, muscled skin. The wings and eyes are often considered their only external weaknesses; Dragons have been known to shrug off blaster strikes as minor injuries. Bits of their exoskeleton are constantly shed and regrown as scales. Some alien (and a few Dragon) entrepreneurs have collected and sold these scales woven into suits of armor, but these are mere curiosities, far less effective than synthetic materials.
By the standards of most intelligent species, the Dragons' civilization is ancient. They are one of a very few spacefaring races which ultimately survived contact with the first Empire of Man. The Empire discovered them during one of the final phases of its expansion, and quickly subjugated (many non-humans would say enslaved) the Dragons' homeworld. Fortunately for the Dragons, however, they possessed a unique advantage.
When the Dragons first began travelling into space some centuries before their contact with humans, they discovered a precursor space station in high orbit around their planet. Named Carthage station by the Empire, it is one of a very few precursor space stations discovered which is not a hyperdrive factory. Carthage is actually much larger than the factory stations, and most of its internal space is simply empty rooms. Though it possesses no as-yet identified power sources or control interfaces, the interior is pressurized and habitable, with a fixed climate identical to that of the mild tropics on the planet below. The Dragons quickly colonized their discovery.
Critically, Carthage station is also protected by a precursor matter sink. This caused no end of frustration for the first Empire of Man, since it effectively put the station's population beyond their reach. The Carthage Dragons, already heavily armed as a result of a war of independence against the planetary government, were able to resist annexation by the Empire for its entire history. The surface Dragons were less fortunate, but even they were spared from annihilation at their cousins' demand. During the Fall, the Empire quietly withdrew from the Dragons' home system, leaving none of the devastation which marked the humans' passing elsewhere.
Today, the Dragons' society remains split. The homeworld is a member of the Integrated Systems, quiet and mostly ignored by the IS' human population. In fact, there are more Integrity representatives on Carthage station than the planet. Carthage is a major trading port, neutral ground, and tax haven well within IS territory. Its system lies roughly at the midpoint of the IS Core Worlds, the Sazuran Federation and Athens station, and the Stenovian Commonwealth. The station's Dragon caretakers have taken advantage of this fortuitous location to grow quite wealthy.
So far, the IS has tolerated Carthage's independence. Integrity does not oppress its non-human citizens as the Empire did, and the Dragons' homeworld joined the IS by choice. But Carthage's role as a tiny blemish within the IS' heavily ordered and regulated society still stirs resentment, and the occasional grumbles of public officials. The Dragons, of course, do not worry much. The IS cannot penetrate their citadel any more than the human Empires could. They are safe and they are, above all, free.