Sesheyan
Standing approximately 1.7 meters tall and weighing a mere 40 kilograms, sesheyans (pronounced “se-shay-un”) are humanoid only in the broadest sense of the word. A bulbous head encircled by eight small eyes and capped by large, pointed ears flows into a light, muscular frame. Powerful wings that extend to a 6-meter span spread from the sesheyan’s back, and a long tail with an expandable fan-shaped tip provides stabilization while in flight. The wings can be folded tightly against the creature’s upper back when they are not in use. Though they walk with a hunched, labored gait when on the ground, sesheyans exhibit a gracefulness while airborne that is matched by few other creatures capable of flight.
History
The sesheyans emerged from their prehistory only a short time ago. They are in the aboriginal stage of development, keeping oral histories and working with tools no more complicated than stone blades and wooden spears. Everything is mystical and magical to the sesheyans, and most of their culture is organized into tribes headed by either the best hunter or the most powerful shaman.
They call their world “Sheya,” which means simply “hunting land” in their language. “Sesheyans” means “hunters of the land.” In the sesheyan point of view, the world was made to provide its children sustenance, and the hunters are the undisputed masters of that world.
When human star vessels reach the sesheyan homeworld, they find superstitious hunters still locked in the stone age. Though many sesheyans may decide to travel the stars as allies of the galactic community, most remain planetbound, steadfastly clinging to their old beliefs and traditions.
A sesheyan’s leathery flesh comes in shades that fall within the human range of skin tone, but he is obviously a creature of the night. Sesheyans are built to function in darkness with more precision and grace than humans demonstrate even in broad daylight. In the perpetual-twilight jungles of Sheya, the sesheyans’ senses serve them well. The ground, the great trees with their tangles of vines and branches, and even the mist-filled air are the sesheyan’s home, for his wings give him access to places landbound creatures can never reach. With eyes built to function in minimal illumination and ears sensitive to the slightest noise, these creatures have unparalleled hunting skills in obscured or low-light conditions.
Away from the low-intensity light of their homeworld, sesheyans must wear protective goggles to shield their sensitive eyes.
Campaign Settings
Far-Future Campaign
Because of the level of technology on the sesheyan homeworld, this species can’t be included in a campaign unless it’s one in which humans have vehicles capable of faster-than-light travel. Once discovered, the sesheyans as a species will struggle to maintain their individuality and customs, while certain members of the species will welcome visitors and seek to learn everything they can.
From among this smaller group come sesheyan characters, those who are willing to expand their hunt beyond the limits of twilight-enshrouded Sheya. These are the curious, the explorers, the seekers of advanced learning, who—no matter how much time they spend interacting with more advanced civilizations—nonetheless remain relatively primitive compared to most other members of the galactic community.
Special Abilities
- Flight: Natural flying ability in environments with significant atmospheric pressure and normal or lower gravity. Uses the Acrobatics broad skill. Note: Sesheyans are unable to fly while wearing armor, unless it is specially designed to assist them (e.g., using gravitonics to neutralize weight, thrusters, or servo assistance). These armors are rare, costly, and require periodic recharges.
- Zero-g Training: Inherently function in weightless conditions as though they have Acrobatics-zero-g training at rank 1.
- Falling: As long as they are conscious and able to use their wings, they never suffer impact damage from a fall.
- Night Vision: Eyes intensify ambient light, allowing them to see in near-total darkness.
- Light Sensitivity: Penalties (+1 to +3 steps) apply in Ordinary, Good, or Amazing illumination without protective goggles.
- Free Broad Skills: Melee Weapons (STR), Acrobatics (DEX), Stamina (CON), Knowledge (INT), Awareness (WIL), Interaction (PER).
Culture & Roleplaying
Sesheyan characters are among the small number of their species who have stepped into the galactic community thanks to the opportunities presented by humans and their starfaring ships.
Because of certain physical differences, such as their multiple eyes and strange head shape, the sesheyans are the most “alien” of the nonhuman species. Once they believed they were the highest form of life in the world they knew—they were hunters and shamans of great power. Now that they have seen the “magic” of the spacefaring species, their faith has been rocked. The typical sesheyan hunter maintains an outward appearance of confidence and power, but inside he struggles to stay brave in the face of so many frightening, strange, and seemingly magical things.
Most humans can’t help feeling uneasy in the presence of a sesheyan. This attitude comes from humankind’s innate fear of the dark and the creatures that inhabit it. Even the most primitive sesheyan finds this reaction mildly amusing. Though a sesheyan is a born hunter, he is also a being who might seem cold and aloof but actually has a profound respect for all life and his place in its natural cycle.
Technology is new and alien to sesheyans. They can learn to use high-tech equipment, but many of them never become completely comfortable with it, and some deeply religious sesheyans refuse to have anything to do with it. Sesheyan characters belong to the small group of sesheyans who have overcome their disinclination toward using high-tech equipment—they’ll operate a computer, or a station on a spaceship, if they have to, but that doesn’t mean they have to like it.
Sesheyans make excellent Free Agents, serving as spies, scouts, or even bounty hunters when they enter galactic society. A smaller number take up the profession of Combat Spec. Except for characters who have overcome their natural distrust of technology, sesheyan Tech Ops are almost unheard of.