Vectorii

Species - Vectorii

Homeworld - Myrac

Region - Verdance

"Like racing a Vectorii"

-Common Empyrean saying meaning difficult or impossible

Appearance

In terms of species, they are humanoid creatures, similar in physical structure to a satyr, but hairless, and covered in a finely scaled outer layer of skin that is slightly resistant naturally to damage. Their upper bodies are roughly humanoid, with longer, more slender arms, and more angular heads. Their legs appear more horselike, with the double joint and powerful, sleek musculature. All Vectorii have whiplike tails with fins on the top and bottom of the ends they use like a rudder when at high speeds to maintain control. Just like the rest of a Vectorii, their tails are slender but hardy, with a muscle density and quality far beyond what a human could expect. These creatures stand at around 8 feet, and are extremely lean in muscular terms. Identifying features of Vectorii include the fins that are on various parts of their bodies including the head, back, and forearms. The coloring of the skin and the fins are the easiest way to tell members of the species apart, since their bodies are physically very similar. The eyes of a Vectorii are also wildly dissimilar from individual to individual. The 'whites' of a Vectorii's eyes are rarely so. They range from pitch black to colorful shades of blue, green, and orange. Vectorii eyes have evolved to have irises that we would not call normal. Vectorii irises appear to be various lines and shapes. These are highly useful as identifying features. Some more common shapes include X-like formations, vertical lines, horizontal lines, and hatch patterns. These are typically grey or black, with white being present only rarely, and only against all black eyes. Despite many assertions, these differences are purely aesthetic; no Vectorii's eyes function at an inferior level to another's because of appearance. However, Vectorii eyes are extremely advanced at picking up movement at speed; far more so than most other species'. Vectorii live for around 50-70 years, which add up to around 25-35 Universal Years. This is seen as short by many other species, but is likely due to their speedy, fast-paced lifestyle that couples with their high metabolism.

Culture

This species reproduces through vibratory tones, and they have no genitalia on the outside of their bodies. Because of this music-esque focus on the species' continuation, they are natural worshipers of The Sung God, and commune their praises through humming tones. This species is known for beautiful choir music. Nudity for this species as we perceive it is a non-issue and is somewhat confusing for them. No conventional difference between genders. Females stand as tall as males and are just as strong. In reproducing, the female omits a receptive tone in response to the male's unique reproductive tone. This tone carries a harmonic record of the male's DNA and mixes it through the female's receptive tone with her DNA. In a little less than two years, the female's body pushes a small egg up out of her throat. This egg will hatch sometime between five and eight months later, and the little one inside is developed enough to run minutes after exiting the egg. Culturally, this is a peaceful species that prefers to sing and consider worldly beauty over the arts of war, though separate factions in the society have their focuses. Bloodrunners, for example are the warrior caste, and focus on what literally translates to "kill-dancing", though the word for dancing is not entirely synonymous with ours. Vectorii do not dance simply for fun. To them, dance is a legitimate form of battle, communication, and expression. To dance simply for fun is similar in unlikelyhood to someone talking to themselves. Not unheard of, but strange. The Vectorii language focuses a lot on the word that would translate to us as dancing. To them, 'dancing' is a word that means purposeful, committed motion. All verbs contain this idea. Battle becomes "kill-dancing" running becomes "far-dancing" riding Aruska becomes "sky-dancing" conversing or singing becomes "sound-dancing" and dying becomes "spirit-dancing" as the Vectorii idea of a soul moves on to another place while their body ceases to "dance" forever.

Abilities

Physically, Vectorii are not very strong. They cannot punch very hard, kick very hard, or use their tails to bludgeon things to death very easily. The Vectorii primary combat advantage is their speed. An average Vectorii can run at speeds that approach 70 miles per hour in a dead sprint over even terrain. However, the average comfortable speed for a Vectorii is around 25 miles per hour, and the species can maintain similar speeds in combat scenarios. In a pinch, a Vectorii can accelerate quite quickly, reaching their top speed in around 8 seconds due to the strong grip in their talons. Vectorii talons are very tough, and the grip they offer is vital to the Vectorii's survival. A Vectorii without their claws cannot accelerate quickly, and must rely on their fins for all control. The only physical aspect of a Vectorii that is dangerous is their speed and their capacity to control it.

Vectorii do not all practice magic, but most find it very beautiful. Some popular dances and art involve the becoming of magic, flowing with speed and form to represent the powers beyond the body. Some Vectorii have historically become obsessed with magic and have learned its ways, but ultimately the Vectorii fighters prefer melee weapons to complement their speedy fighting style. Vectorii magic users, called Mistleapers are fearsome in combat, but are typically unwilling to work in groups, since their magic at high speeds tends to cause significant friendly fire. Some groups do exist, but they are tightly knit and operate with extreme precision. A favorite Vectorii Mistleaper tactic is to sprint towards a crowd, throwing blinding flares of magic. After stunning the group, blistering fire kills and corrals them. Once the enemy is corralled and panicked, magically enhanced melee or a chaining spell brings down the whole group. Other popular Vectorii magics include sound dampening, illusory doppelgängers, partial invisibility to disrupt profiles when sprinting, and gliding to assist with travel or to provide other options in combat.

In times of war, because of the extreme speed that is typical in the fighting members of the species, melee weapons are the norm. Enemies move too quickly to be taken down by ranged weapons, though some tripping mechanisms can allow a skilled warrior to down a fleeing or closing opponent and finish them with a blade or a point. High-tech fighters use a wide cone energy blast that numbs muscle tissue, tripping opponents so the wielder can close and kill the victim. Low-tech fighters use bola-type tools to trip their enemies and finish them with a pike. Typical war utensils include halberds and other polearms both steel and energy that allow a speeding wielder to hit and run without having to get too close to an enemy and become entangled. Because of the comparative weakness of Vectorii in striking power, curved blades and dissipating energy strikes are essential to reduce impact tremors in the wielder's body, and thrown weapons are frequently used as well. In war with other species, this species' greatest advantage is their practice with throwing weapons, and their speed. They function well in small units, but tend to trip up when in massive armies because of the chaos of having too many super fast friendlies flying into friendly fire. Essentially function as incredibly fast guerrilla fighters.

Vectorii combat armor is always rounded to deflect blows and to reduce wind drag. This material is never heavy; this would strain a Vectorii's leg muscles and a tear in combat is lethal; if the fall at high speeds doesn't kill the Vectorii, its enemies will, since the poor creature wouldn't be able to flee. Vectorii armor is camouflaged to reduce profiles when the Vectorii is sneaking and about to run towards its prey. This camouflage is usually mottled, but high-end armor is equipped with high-speed reflective camera modules that digitally construct camouflage on the fly, creating a near-invisibility when overclocked, or a blurry image when working normally. Vectorii armor covers most of the body, with small gaps around the joints and with openings to allow the Vectorii's fins to deploy and retract when needed.