Raos

Diet: A carnivore species of hunters, Raos must eat their prey live. It is for this reason that a Raos galley is more akin to a "pen", wherein flying food-animals are bred.

History: Originally an arboreal species that in and of themselves possessed no technology, the Raos became the pawns of the PiN and were used by them to weaken the defenses of the Pan-Galactic Concordance.(see Fourth Galactic War.)Uplifted to sentience, and armed with high technology from the PiN, the Raos began to lay waste to the Y'Qwyth's defences. It was only the appearance of the Patrons, who freed the Raos from the instinct-programming of the PiN by making it dormant, that the Pan-Galactic Concordance survived.It is due to this history that the Raos have gone on to become the most loyal and steadfast member race of the Pan-Galactic Concordance. Owing to their racial nature, they are to be most often found in the branches of the military and police forces within the Pan-Galactic Concordance .A lingering effect of the war is that on many worlds in the P.G.C. remain ruins from the Raos' bases from the time of their domination by the PiN. Even in the modern day, generations after the Fourth Galactic War, Raos can still be corrupted by seeing the symbols and patterns of those ancient sites' architecture. Raos thus avoid them and most of their technology, lest the PiN's uplift genetic programming be reawakened.

Psychology: Resulting from their predatory origins, as well as their history as slaves to The PiN, the Raos are as a rule a very paranoid race. They are slow to trust anyone, save for members of their own species (and even then...), and have difficulty with establishing relationships. They often become loners for this reason, only working in groups for large undertakings. Despite this, however, the focus that their culture has placed upon the protection of their race has yielded a common purpose for all Raos, making short-term group efforts surprisingly effective. They are apt to view any deviance in regular behavior, as well as those who work at cross-purposes, as 'servants of The Accursed'. (This position often gains Raos considerable leverage in their dealings with other races, as such an accusation can cause the offending party in question to come to the attention of the often over-zealous Quislem....) Amongst their own kind Raos are extremely cautious to make such accusations, as they have been known to cause a panic amongst those within the communities in which it was said. (this phenomenon is akin to that from Olde Earth history of Witch-Trial hysteria.)

Culture: Much of their early culture and traditions were lost under their enslavement by The PiN, but over the millenia that have followed the Raos have invented new traditions, based upon their new existence as a star culture. Most of these are either dealing with the Quislem (a major aspect in every Raos' life) or the various rites of passage into adulthood. The Raos, for the most part, have no artistic branch of their society. Entertainment and high culture are imported from other races, but only those which espouse Raos values; dedication to the cause (see Quislem), loyalty to one's race, humility, and the "ecstacy of the hunt".

Reproduction: Little is known about Raos mating, as their race is very private on that subject.However, based on available evidence it's known that they are hermaphroditic, and seem to share saliva containing genetic material in order to impregnate each other.

Physiology: A flying, arboreal race, Raos physiology consists of a long muscular torso, with a delta shaped head at either end upon a sinewy neck. Their brain is in their torso's central hump, and they 'see' by sonar out of their throats. (they hear with both their hump and each forehead.) Raos fly by means of a pair of powerful wings, which, like the rest of their body, have no bones. The wings are supported by muscular tubules, out of which they expel waste while flying. Raos are formidable in appearance, with their long, snaking bodies, and the ominous drone of their sonar, sounding like a rythmic chirping hum.

Raos Names: The vocal range of Raos is outside that which most races can duplicate, so often the subtleties are lost in the approximations, but their names consist of combinations of whirrs, humms, and the grinding of teeth, all detailing said Raos' contribution to their races' greater glory. Examples: Vhrrrshhhkvt, Hrrrrmmmzzst, Frrrrrrrlllllnt, etc.

Weight Range-Adult: 150-500 lbs. Length Range: 5-8 ft. Life Span: av. 80 years

Role-Playing the Raos: prominent in the personality of most Raos is a sense of need to prove oneself as moral and trustworthy. This is in part due to a desire to seperate themselves from their history, but also to allay suspicion by the more paranoid members of their own species... Raos are often hot tempered, and are prone to acts of aggression to get their way. (Players should keep in mind that the Raos were forcibly evolved to full sentience by the Accursed, and certain shortcuts were taken with the process. Nonetheless, Raos characters are still possessing enough self control to be valued members of a campaign, and should not be treated as mindless killing machines.

Alliances: Raos maintain very strong ties with the Y'Qwyth, as it was their nation of the Pan-Galactic Concordance which first welcomed them into galactic society after the Raos were freed from their servitude to the Accursed. Similarly, since it was the actions of the Patrons which free them in the first place, Raos tend to be very deferential and respectful to any who act on the Patron's behalf. (Mezlim, Xenopaths, etc.)