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Homo Sapiens Supremis is an artificial race of humans who have vast physical powers. They were genetically engineered by a people who called themselves, Galens - a widely-dispersed technologically-advanced alien race.
Proto-Supremis History
In the beginning, there were the creatures of light and darkness, and they were without form in the void. Yet they took such forms as pleased them, when they came into our cosmos.
In those days, eons before our time, there were others in our Galaxy and beyond --- the Old Galactics and the species they had nurtured. They were all material beings, and they lived for material ends.
The creatures of light and darkness were not so, but were of pure essence from beyond our space and beyond our time, and limited by neither. Matter and energy as we know them were novelties to them, who had known nothing new from time out of mind, and some among them were intrigued -- enough to take on the outward form of species native to our universe – to go among them and study them at close hand, they reasoned. A few went further.
"Why not be composed of atoms and molecules?" they asked, and they made it so.
But they had failed to reckon that they would become imprisoned by matter and energy and subject to their laws. Although they were yet nearly immortal compared to the beings of this cosmos, although they could still change their shapes in ways unknown to those beings, they raged against what they saw as a cruel twist of fate.
Those who had not joined them in this enterprise were terrified, and retreated to their own continuum, abandoning their brethren to their fate. Those left behind in our continuum were further enraged at their abandonment. Driven by the fury of their own momentum, they set themselves up as gods -- cruel gods who treated the native sentient species, even the Old Galactics, as their playthings. The Old Galactics were able to flee, closing the wormholes of their escape behind them. The others,,,, suffered.
The new gods from beyond manipulated them, turning some into monsters, and played them against each other in malicious games, as if their suffering could somehow expiate that of their tormentors. But it was not enough; some of the gods became insane and destroyed themselves and each other in wars the like of which had never been seen before, taking with them countless lives and destroying entire civilizations. Others survived by suppressing memories of who they were and whence they had come, and what they had lost. Thus ended the Second Ancient Years, which came before the First Ancient Years but were lost to all knowledge of those who came after.
Yet in those who survived into the First Ancient Years, some dim sense of their immense past led them to seek transcendence in different ways, and to lend some portion of that transcendence to hundreds of new and promising lifeforms that arose across a dozen galaxies -- helping them to evolve into truly sentient beings. These ancient ones of the First Ancient Years, these survivors of the Second Ancient Wars, came to be known as the Galen and the Elders.
They had forgotten much, remembered much, and learned -- perhaps too little and too late. And so it began again, the First Ancient War, a new war on a new stage, but still a conflict of the creatures of light and darkness….
While we know little about the other races the Galen and Elders enabled, we do know that the Galen came to Earth more than a million years ago and breathed sentience into the great apes, creating a new race called Homo Sapiens Sapiens.
The Galen initially had little further influence on Earth. They believed in self-determination, allowing their client races to continue on an elevated but still evolutionary path toward whatever fate they chose for themselves.
The Elders, unfortunately, had other ideas. They landed among these new humans and worked to selectively improve the powers of the mind through scientific methods. Their science became so advanced that its practitioners, called the Diaboli, often explained it to others as mere 'magic'. The so-called witches and sorcerers of the ancient occult were enhanced by Elder blood. They were able to read the thoughts of others, and even change them, and they have at times been a very powerful force on Earth. Called Shaman, sorcerer, witch, Illuminati, Diaboli and dozens of other names.
It was only after they saw the meddling of the Elders that the Galen chose to return to Earth and play a larger role in shaping humanity.
They began by taking a small population of these new humans to one of their other worlds and began a scientific experiment to enhance their physical abilities. Their goal was to create a more powerful subspecies of humans who could guide the evolving cultures on Earth, and to destroy the Elder/Diaboli influence there.
Given the natural human tendency to respect more powerful beings, even to invent and then worship deities, they returned their enhanced humans to live among the humans. These became known as the Proto-Supremis (or Protos). They were the gods of human mythology, with the Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Norse cultures being the most familiar to most of those in the West. Indeed, Protos were involved in a hundred Terran civilizations. Such seemingly legendary figures as Gilgamesh, Hercules, Thor, Vainamoinen, Hiawatha, Zeus, Athena, Aphrodite, Odin and many others were in fact Protos.
This attempt to introduce 'gods' who could guide humanity's social development was a total failure, not only because of Elder/Diaboli interference but because of the contrary nature of the human race – a race that could deny the existence of the very gods it were supposed to obey and worship. The result was the rise of human-created religions, all of them believing in a Supreme Being who did not, except for brief moments, walk among them. These new religions swept away the older religions established by the Galen, and many civilizations collapsed.
The Galen, realizing that they could not influence their new human race in such simplistic ways, withdrew most of their agents. The exceptions are the Disir (Valkyries) of the Norse, who still live among us in very small numbers. They were left behind to protect the planet, although their actions today are veiled and often confused with the later appearance of Velorians.
Elder/Galen War
After leaving the remaining Disir and Diaboli to oppose each other on Earth, the Elder and Galen turned on themselves in the final battle of the First Ancient War that ended in mutual catastrophe. The Elders were largely destroyed; their population too small and scattered to sustain itself. The Galen females in turn were rendered infertile by a biological agent released by the Elders. Both of the ancient races were on a path to extinction.
Origin of the Velorians – the first Homo Sapiens Supremis
By now experts at manipulating the human genome, the desperate Galen embarked on a grand experiment to save their race – the creation of a race of Procreators who could replace their own infertile women and bear the next generation of Galens.
It is the outcome of this grand experiment that forms the basis for the stories of the Aurora Universe.
The Galen began the experiment by removing elements of the most genetically homogenous racial group on Earth (to avoid complicated side-effects during genetic manipulation). They abducted several small villages of Scanian Nordics from what is now northern Sweden, and transported them to a golden world that they named Velor.
It was no small undertaking to create a race of beings who could mate with the Galen and bear their young. The Galen are an immensely powerful race of beings. While their appearance can mimic that of any race, for reasons that are not understood today, they became particularly fond of the human form. And so they created their Procreators to be beautiful and desirable to the highest levels of human potential. And they made them strong enough to endure, even to greatly desire, the loving attentions of men who were like gods compared to the frail humans.
The actual development of Procreators consisted of a series of steps:
1) Homogeneity - They began the process by cleansing the abductees DNA of any kind of defect or flaw, further simplifying the Nordic's already uncomplicated genetic matrix. The resulting physical characteristics of their Velorians included the common denominator of blue eyes and blonde hair, along with above-average height.
They next inserted a series of unique genes into the human DNA matrix, thereby changing many of the fundamental biological processes of their new Velorians, but without changing their form.
2) Strength - The first insertion of genetic enhancement was intended to increase the Velorian's strength sufficiently to survive the loving act of a god, and resistant enough to injury to survive the great heat of their passion. To do this, they used the extracted genes of an insect-like creature called a Bolis which they had collected in a distant galaxy. The Bolis, looking much like a giant ant, lived on a huge world with a hundred times the gravity of most rocky planets, and were capable of moving rocks that weighed many times their own bodyweight. They were the strongest natural creatures seen in all the galaxies the Galen had visited.
Once the extracted Bolis gene was inserted into a human matrix, it completely changed the nature of Velorian flesh and bone. From the moment of conception, the muscle fibers which developed were a hundred times finer than normal, and each of those strands was ten times stronger than those of a normal human. The result was that Velorians possess fantastic strength (ranging from several hundred NHI to several thousand) without having to carry around a bulky musculature.
(The reference for strength which the Velorians later developed, called Natural Human Index, NHI, was defined based on the strongest human the Galen had ever encountered. To provide a point of reference, NHI=1 would be best represented by a Conan type of man, or in modern times, by a heavy weight bodybuilder or wrestler.)
Given the nature of their mission, most of the Galen's attention was focused on females. The result is that Velorian female muscle quality is superior to the males. Height distributions between males and females were identical, although women were twenty-percent lighter on average.
The tendons and ligaments were similarly strengthened, and the nature of their bones was changed by replacing the calcium matrix with an allotropic form of diamond.
3) Invulnerability - The third major change was to ensure that these future mothers were capable of withstanding the act of procreation, as Galen reproduction involved near nuclear heat being released by the male. In addition, the Galen wanted their Procreators to be able to protect their young during any kind of adversity or disaster.
This time the Galen borrowed the genes from a creature called a Fetund. It was a mammal-like predator that had developed a unique way to overcome larger and better armored predators. It did this by allowing itself to be eaten, and then attacking the larger predator from inside.
Looking much like a mouse, its body was normally soft, succulent and irresistibly delicious to the taste buds of the major predator of its world, a lizard-like creature called a Logar. This Logar had a circular mouth with three sets of increasingly powerful teeth, with the last set capable of splintering and grinding the bones of its prey. When the chewy and delectable Fetund was eaten and passed back to the final set of grinding teeth, its invulnerable body resisted the incredible force of the Logar's jaw muscles, forcing the hungry Logar to bite harder and harder, until it finally shattered its own teeth. This allowed the Fetund access to the fleshy gums beneath, at which point it would begin eating its way into the larger predator's skull. Once inside, it would selectively damage the Logar's brain to render it immobile yet alive, preserving it for the weeks it took for the Logar to die of starvation. And all the time, the Fetund would feast on brain tissue.
The result of this enhancement is that Velorians have skin that feels even softer than human, but its unique cellular matrix stiffens in direct proportion to the force being applied against it. The upper limit of that cellular strength is nearly unlimited as it uses nonlinear atomic binding forces, making a Velorian's body nearly indestructible when under stress.
This adaptation also has the interesting side effect of giving a golden shade to a Velorian's skin that neither lightens or darkens with sunlight, but does vary slightly from person to person. Many humans believe this skin tone is particularly attractive.
4) Levitation – The fourth major change was to ensure that the Velorian mothers could easily remove themselves and their Galen offspring from harm. This was done by harvesting the genes from the Mobus, an asteroid-sized creature whose natural habitat was that of open space. It moved by using a series of organs called Volatai which converted energy into a 'push' that was exerted orthogonally to our dimension. The result was the ability to generate vast amounts of 'levitating' force which would allow the billion-ton Mobus to travel at very high velocities.
Each Velorian has a tiny voltrus organ which shares their upper chest cavity with their heart and lungs. It feeds off Orgone energy, the internal energy source of a Velorian, and is capable of conducting that energy through superconducting nerves to the actual volatai, which is attached to the pelvis and located at their body's center of gravity. The volatai's force can accelerate their bodies at nearly 100G's for brief periods, and 10G's sustained. It is also used to stabilize their body during exertions. Control of this pair of organs requires significant training before a Velorian can appear to 'fly' using them.
5) Nano vision – Often called Tachyon vision, this misnamed ability to see through solid matter actually consists of the ability to recognize a series of extremely dense sub-atomic particles which have not yet been detected by human scientists. The origin of this unique biological adaptation was a fish-like creature called a Spyxten which lived in an ocean of liquid methane on a world that circled a dark and cold sun. A sun which emitted a great deal of these tiny nano-particles. The particles are so small that they can penetrate the methane and rocks of that planet to a depth of miles.
These nano-particles also pick up uniquely complex spin and resonance characteristic from nuclei which they pass near, and the Spyxten's eyes had receptors which could detect that resonance and decode it to discern the types of materials it had flown through.
Since those nano-particles are present in high concentration in most areas of the galaxy, Velorians can not only see in total darkness, but they can look through most materials. The protons of metals, like uranium, lead and gold, while equally penetrable by the nanos, tend to confuse the spin and resonance, making it harder to resolve what is behind such a barrier.
One unique aspect of so-called Tachyon vision is that it doesn't resolve itself in 3D very well, so it is very difficult to judge distance.
6) Retinal projection – This ability, sometimes called by writers as 'heat vision', in reality describes a trait borrowed from the reptile-like Flamlen, a bird which kills and cooks larger prey by knocking it from the sky with a burst of energy from its eyes.
This trait, adapted into the invulnerable eyes of a Velorian, requires a great deal of energy to be channeled up the superconducting optic nerve to the eye, enabling the rods and cones to become emitters instead of receptors. Measuring in the megawatt range, it is capable of melting solid steel in seconds, and rock in tens of seconds. Energy depletion, however, is a serious problem if this ability is used too frequently.
A number of Flamlen were reconstructed from their DNA, and small flocks of these alien creatures live in the wild on the planet Velor even today, and called FlameBirds. A number of them were once smuggled to Earth by a Proto-Velorian long ago, which gave rise to the myth of Dragons. It was not their breath but their eyes that burned villages.
7) Vision and hearing – A Velorian can hear as well as a Terran dog, and see with the acuity of a hawk. Reading the fine print of a newspaper in sunlight at a distance of several hundred yards is within a Velorian's abilities. Combined with their so-called Tachyon vision, it can allow them to look through the thick door of a bank vault and read documents stored inside.
8) Intelligence - Velorians also possess slightly greater mental acuity than humans, their average IQ being 140, although their mental abilities are tuned toward quick learning and adaptiveness -- the most important characteristics of a warrior. As a rule, they have photographic memories. The average Velorian could quickly scan a book, and until their short-term memory was overwritten, they could recite word for word from any line on any page.
9) Gold weakening – A control mechanism was built into the Velorian race by the Galen. When they are close to a large body of gold (planetary core of Velor, for instance), or a band of gold surrounds their body, particularly their neck, the orgone energy flows of their body are reduced. This results in a significant weakening of muscular strength, along with some reduction in invulnerability. The gold effect partially paralyzes the transport mechanism for orgone through the nervous system.
Interestingly, when living outside a gold field (and therefore empowered), gold that is applied directly to the skin, such as a choker around their neck or belly chain, has the further side of effect of inducing a gentle intoxication, often accompanied by a relaxation of social restraints and lapses of judgment. Its effect has been described as similar to the human response to small quantities of the drugs Ecstasy, alcohol, marijuana and cocaine combined. While this has the undesirable side-effect of making a Velorian more susceptible to attack, the reduction in strength and mood changes also open many opportunities for social interactions between Velorians and ordinary humans.
Related accounts of the creation of the Velorian race exist, including this pivotal tome that was found in the Library of Scribes on Daxxan, written by a Velorian scholar:
Despite their heavy influence in Homo Sapien's ancient history, we know little about the Galen today. A glimpse at their history, however, seems to indicate some of their goals. We know that they favor a highly organized and efficient, though somewhat regimented society, at least for humans. They do not shrink from battle or war, believing this to be the best way to put those sorts of social organizations to the test. Finally, they believe in enhancing physical attributes most useful for the kind of life they favor, and for that reason sought to move humans towards a goal of superior strength and stamina.
This hypothesis has naturally led researchers to study the foes of the Ancient Ones, the Elders. We have reason to believe that the Elders intervened in human history at many times, and that their agents came to be known as the Diaboli in some circles. To those who have met them and survived, they speak of the Elders as if they were spirits and demons. It is believed that their physical appearance is profoundly ugly, even perverse, and some called them Demons.
The conflict between Elders and Galen was fought over dozens of centuries. All during that time, the Galen worked to further human society through the enhancement of physical abilities. At the same time, the Elders worked to sow the seeds of individualism and social chaos through enhancement of mental powers such as psychic abilities. As such, they are believed to be responsible for a group of different paranormal humans throughout human history – the Diaboli. Their practitioners bore familiar names such as Circe, Medea, Merlin, and Faustus. In each case it seems these alleged "sorcerers" did in fact possess incredible psychic powers which allowed them to harness magic. They later posed as demons, ghosts, vampires and the like to both take advantage of and foster such supernatural legends. The Diaboli leadership on Earth is believed to presently have an outpost in the Atlantic Ocean, along the Mid-Atlantic ridge not far from the Azores, where the "sea devils" confer powers on their followers that enable them, among other things to dwell underwater. While this outpost has had several names over the eons, the name most recognizable in this modern day would be Atlantis.
The presence of alien elements in human societies seems to be easily detected and cyclical, given their fondness for battle, their desire for leadership of all Homo Sapiens, and concern with reshaping the cultures they encounter. From time to time the Galen intervened with groups of extraordinarily powered humans, and these interventions gave rise to legends and beliefs that united societies for some time to come thereafter, during which the Galen took a less active role in human society.
The presence of the Diaboli and their followers has proven very difficult to extract from Terran history, since by nature these people are secretive and individualistic, and their abilities are less dramatic than the Supremis. In fact, there is reason to believe that the Diaboli have maintained a small but relatively constant presence throughout human history, and their descendents still influence Earth's history today.
After the end of the first period of interaction between Galen, Diaboli and Terran, a period around the peak of the Roman Empire (c. AD 115), a temporary truce between the Galen and Elder resulted in the removal of most of their followers from the ordinary human population. The last remnants of these enhanced humans seems to have faded from the human record around 1300 AD, with only sporadic reports of superhuman beings existing until the present.
By that time, the Galen had perfected their experiments on the human genome and were pursuing their ultimate goal, which was the creation of our race. They began by abducting the strongest and most vital members of several Germanic tribes of northern Europe, and settled them on our planet to begin their enhancement of Homo Sapiens Supremis.
The Galen scientists created our race by using advanced genetic engineering techniques. They inserted a 'control' into their genes that allow the presence of gold to nullify much of our physical power. The Galens then withdrew from our planet, leaving behind the Maternity Engine to maintain the purity of the race.
End of excerpt…
VELORIAN culture, sociology and organization
Although the origin of the name Velor is unclear, some historians think it's based on the Latin word "velare," which means "to watch over" or "stay awake". Another theory for the name is that it comes from the Galen word for 'golden child', Velorea.
Velor itself is a beautiful world, with a lavender sky and an orange moon which reflects the rays of its red sun. It circles closely around a cool, reddish star, and is slightly smaller than Earth (6000 versus 8000 mile diameter), with 4000 miles of that core made of pure gold. Its gravity is nearly three times that of Earth due to its huge golden core. The Velorian star is isolated and alone, far away from any other potentially habitable system, and well outside the usual pathways that advanced races use for navigational purposes. Its twin planet, Daxxan, a planet with a much smaller gold core, can be seen as a pale yellow orb in the night.
The style of Velorian private dwellings and public towers is mostly art deco with a touch of expressionism. Velorian architects do not treat buildings as purely functional, but also as exciting sculptures in their own right. Everywhere one looks, they can see bright colors and warm pastels, from the clothes people are wearing to their flying vehicles called flitters.
That said, the Velorians look upon Earth as their natural home, and they have a fondness for anything Terran. Several major cities on Velor have quaint neighborhoods where Earth-like architecture exists.
The Velorians themselves are artificial beings in the sense that they were created by the scientific synthesis of human and alien DNA. As a result, they do not generally reproduce via natural means. Their genetic structure is the result of thousands years experience by the Galen in the advanced manipulation of the human genome, and reproduction is carefully controlled via a large computer system, the Maternity Engine. The genetic makeup of each fertilized egg is carefully controlled and the resulting embryo is raised in an artificial 'womb', a Birthing Matrix, whose environment is carefully controlled by that same computer system. The initial ova and sperm generally come from the parents, although the genes are sometimes extensively edited prior to conception.
The initial procreation process on Velor consists of married couples selecting their children's characteristics from a list of genetic choices that are available depending on the time of year the child is conceived. The needs of society and the skills and backgrounds of the parents are then considered and the system selects the remaining attributes, including the child's aptitudes and personality. Generally, ova and sperm from the parents is used to begin the process, with the genetics edited before conception. (Some couples prefer to draw the raw genetic material from famous donors to create 'tribute children'.)
The child, born after a very long 11 month gestation period, is then taken home by the parents approximately two days after birth and raised much as a Terran child would be raised. Despite the seemingly rigid nature of the system, in actual practice the children are free to choose whatever role in society they wish -- the exception being those with Prima-level genetics who undergo training from a young age to prepare them for their lives as Protectors, Scribes or Messengers on distant worlds.
Three levels of genetic classes exist on Velor:
The first level, Prima, consists of two sub-levels called P1 and P2. P1 children generally become Protectors while P2's usually become Scribes of Messengers. A group called P3 informally exists, but is more properly part of the M-class.
The second major class is Matra, and it consists of those who will become the professionals of Velor. Engineers, artists, architects and others which have been selected for creativity and high intelligence.
The last level Brava is for ordinary workers, including most of the bureaucrats that make up the government.
While the genetic potential of each class is sharply defined, the members of each class socialize among each other a great deal, and it is considered undesirable to show either favoritism or discrimination toward those of other genetic classes. The exceptions are Protectors, who are outgoing and gregarious to a fault, but who are always treated with deference and respect by those of other classes. They are the ones who will give their lives to the defense of ordinary humanity across the entire breadth and width of the galaxy, and they are respected in the way that wise people have always respected the warriors among them. Respect that is tinged with a trace of envy and a little fear.
It is also the role of the other classes to nurture young Protectors, to teach them what it is like to be ordinary, to be gentle and tolerant and kind and to live a life dependent on others. The greatest fear of the Velorian government is that a Protector will become arrogant and willful and will see herself as superior to others. To develop a Goddess complex.
Even after taking the Rites, going through training, and being sent to distant worlds, Protectors remain under the strict discipline of the High Council, an agency once charged with training Companions (see Canonical History). And, lest they inspire the awe of ordinary Velorians, or reveal too much of their work, they are nearly always forbidden to return home.
Protectors, more formally named Planetary Protectors, are the most physically adept of Velorians and they are always born of genetic class P1. They are invariably female as only the female gender is capable of the levels of strength and resistance to injury, not to mention energy storage, that the Galen intended for the Velorian race. Protector genes are selected for quiet (but not necessary deep) intelligence, versatility and resourcefulness, strength, endurance and profound resistance to injury. Their superior genetics affords them nearly total invulnerability to all known physical hazards when off their homeworlds. They are also chosen for bravery and a willingness to engage in lethal combat, the later trait having been largely bred out of anyone not possessing Prima-class genetics.
For reference purposes, a Protector's strength can be four to five thousand NHI. A Scribe or Messenger (P2 genetics) would have about one-half the strength of a Protector, but even an ordinary Velorian of class Matra or Brava who leaves their home planets would still have hundreds of times the strength of an ordinary human. The remarkable strength of all Velorians can be temporarily amplified further during moments of extreme physical arousal or stress.
The function of the Velorian thyroid and adrenal glands differs from ordinary humans in that they secrete modified hormones that allow metabolism of a stored energy called Orgone. Orgone is the ultimate 'fuel' that unlocks the strength of a Velorian's body. This hormone is the gift that the Galen left behind in the Velorian genetic structure, as it is the unique adaptation of the Galen race. The result is that either extreme physical violence or sexual arousal can both create an adrenal rush that is nearly the same. In other words, their response to danger, the so-called fight or flight response, and their response to extreme sexual arousal are essentially the same. Protectors are training to combine the effects of both types of adrenal rushes during lethal combat.
The difference in a Protector's base strength as compared to others with Prima-class genetics is due to the fact that they have undergone a mutagenic enhancement during their first Ples'tathy period. More will be said later about both these concepts, yet it should be said that this aspect of Velorian physiology has been generally kept from the knowledge of ordinary humans.
Only females can become Protectors because of their more efficient muscles and greater energy storage. Given the prodigious appetite that their super-human physiques have for energy to power their muscles, what was formally the female mammary gland has been modified to serve as an energy storage organ instead of a lactating organ. Other fatty tissues of their body also store orgone energy for later use, but unless a male is greatly overweight (essentially unheard of for a Velorian), a female will be able to carry far greater energy. This permits them to make unaided interstellar flights using wormholes, although the process is very uncomfortable. By contrast, a male Messenger, a man who has much of the same enhanced genetics of a Protector, requires the energy stores of a Starship, frequent dips into the plasma of passing suns, or a female Velorian companion, for such a flight.
Protectors mature very early, and typically leave the Velorian system at
the age of 18 (full physical maturity, equivalent to a Terran female of
21 or 22 years, is reached at this age), and sometimes as early as 17
years when the demand for Protectors is high. They are invariably
assigned to protect one or more developing planets and those assignments
take them across the breadth of the Milky Way galaxy.
Velorian Prima-1 immediately before Rites, which invariably occur on one's 16th birthday. Very tall and slender, almost awkwardly so, she's what is called an Inu'la, which more or less means: About to leap.
In this case, into womanhood. Or into the void. Or off the planet, literally.
It's a picture that could have been taken on Earth. The difference is that the girl is about to become a super girl.
Prima-1 after her Rites, 18 years of age and ready for her first assignment. The enhancement process, conducted by Aphro'dite during those same Rites, is a transformation that prepares a Protector for the challenges to come.
The Rites are followed by two years of intensive training which develop the enhanced physical skills they gained during their Rites. Much of the training is physical, conducted both in and out of a gold field, with a focus on combat arts. But other portions involve learning alien cultures and languages, based on their intended assignments.
The Rites and training regiments are described further in various stories.
What can be said is that these two years are literally transforming.
Curiously, once a Protector leaves Velor, she is generally barred from returning, her only contact with home being the occasional visit by a member of a special cadre of Messengers and Scribes. Exceptions are difficult to secure, although the High Council does allow for petitions from retiring Protectors to return to Velor to train future generations.
Some Homo Supremis females have such decidedly different physical and psychological characteristics that they are sometimes classified as a separate subspecies: Homo Supremis Virago.
They are characterized by having extreme musculature and strength, several times greater than an ordinary Protector.
descriptions below of Tset'lar, Saray'en and Viragos)
Clothing and Appearance
Protectors spend most of their assignments involved in living underground and blending in with normal humans on what are called 'undisclosed' worlds (worlds which are ignorant of extraterrestrial races). They wear clothing that is appropriate for the society they live in. Given that they are invariably among the most attractive women on their assigned worlds, some of them dress down to reduce their striking features (including dulling contact lenses and non-revealing clothing) while others wear the latest fashions, pursue high-profile professions like models, and fool their observers into stereotyping them as vacuous or shallow. Either way, few men would look upon them as powerful and dangerous superhuman secret agents from an alien world.
In sharp contrast, however, they sometimes wear a red and blue uniform when appearing during official functions on disclosed worlds (where extraterrestrial presence is well known) and on a few other worlds such as Earth (where the resemblance to comic book superheroine uniforms is intended to create a favorable impression when their images are caught in public).
The universal symbol of a Protector is the Velorian logo in yellow. The uniform generally consists of a short red skirt and a blue top. Only on Earth, where the deception of using prior mythology is employed, do they attach an otherwise useless cape. The colors are symbolic: the blue represents Orgone energy - the energy of orgasm and strength (according to the research of the late Dr. Wilhelm Reich), while the red and yellow match those of type M and type G suns.
Messengers and Scribes
The Messengers are male Velorians of unusual power, their near-Protector-level powers coming from their P2 genetics. They are sent out to convey news and provide special comfort to the far-flung female Protectors. They are few in number compared to their counterparts and they travel constantly, often for their own peace of mind, as most homeworld Velorians treat them contemptuously, often accusing them of being gigolos, somewhat more humorously as 'mailmen standing at stud.'
Unknown to any but themselves, their role is far greater than that –- they offer emotional support as well as sexual companionship. On many occasions, it is they who have to counsel Protectors who are psychologically tormented by the demands of their profession, or act subtly on behalf of those treated unfairly by the High Council. Even in ordinary circumstances, most Messengers enjoy their work a great deal and their arrival on a Protector's world is always eagerly awaited by the young women they visit.
The other group of expat Velorians are the Scribes. Invariably female, their physical abilities are less dramatic than that of Protectors, although generally a bit greater than those of a Messenger. They are sent to worlds where pivotal battles are being fought between the Protectors and the Arion or Kintzi races. Forbidden under punishment of death to intervene in the affairs of the Protector whose actions they are recording, other than for self-defense, their job is solely to record and report, with their ultimate goal being that of maintaining the central archives on Daxxan.
Unlike Protectors, Messengers and Scribes are allowed to return to the Velorian system, although they generally aren't allowed to re-enter normal society and live on Daxxan, Velor's sister planet. The Institute of Scribes and the Velorian Archive is on Daxxan as well.
Because of this restriction, an open rebellion in recent years among Scribes has led to many of them refusing to return to the Velorian home system once their assignments are complete. Many of them have become roving journalists, moving from one world to another. A few of them are close to going rogue, with some behaving almost like Protectors, even fighting side-by-side with them. Unfortunately, due to their limited powers and an inbred distaste for physical confrontation, they are fairly easy prey for Arion and Kintzi warriors.
Overall, Protectors live their lives totally isolated from their homeworld, their infrequent contacts with their own race occurring at intervals that are sometimes decades apart. Given their long natural life-span, ranging from 300 to as much as 1,000 Earth years depending on their initial genetic mix, they often stray from the paths that have been proscribed for their kind. It is the role of the Scribes and Messengers to help keep them oriented to their Prime Directive.
It is also a sad fact that most Protectors do not survive their first century. The battle between the warring elements of the Supremis race, Arion and Velorian, is such that many deaths occur in combat.
Prime Directive
Protectors are forbidden from interfering in the development of their assigned planets in any way other than to protect their planet from any kind of outside alien interference. As a result, they usually hide themselves among the populace of human worlds, often taking on an ordinary identity and life, and taking the fight underground. They only emerg in the public eye when they have to defeat a publicly known extraterrestrial threat.
This results in the local populace developing conflicting views of their value to their planet. Refusing to take sides in wars, or even to assist in natural disasters, despite their ability to save countless lives, has led to the rise of various organizations who oppose their presence on a protected planet. The EarthFirst movement on Earth, first appearing in the 21st century, has grown to be one of the most powerful of such movements.
Gender and Sexuality
Despite the longstanding taboo against natural reproduction, the ability to reproduce naturally remains as vital now as it was when the Galen initially created them to be procreators.
The fertility cycle including ovulation is otherwise human normal, except that a Velorian woman can, by an act of will, change the chemistry of the uterine wall so that the egg cannot become attached to the wall. In this way, they exert absolute birth control via force of will.
They menstruate (bleed) at approximately the Earth normal period of about 28 days. The menstruation is usually extremely short and since they are supremely healthy, there would be no discomfort associated with menstruation.
Velorians are in general libidinous beings, as one might expect of beings as physically fit as they are. Because of the lack of reproductive consequences, (and the fact that parents and siblings have slightly different genes due to the editing process or genetic origin), Velorians don't view sibling incest as taboo, although it is illegal when it involves parents and children. Exclusively homosexual relationships are relatively uncommon, although bisexuality is more than norm than the exception.
A Velorian female periodically undergoes a state of elevated arousal called Ples'tathy. During this state, which can often last for days, they are unusually receptive to males but are also uniquely demanding of their partner's strength and enthusiasm. Only a Prime, a Messenger or another Protector or Scribe can truly rise to meet a Protector's physical demands during this period.
Interestingly, Protectors are nearly always sexually excited by violence. Even in normal humans, a woman's sexual arousal can only be differentiated from anger by four bodily functions, but in the case of Supremis women, it seems the two states are biologically indistinguishable. While this can lead to an increase in a Protector's physical power during combat, it can also be a fatal distraction, one that her enemies have long exploited during the heat of battle.
Velorians are universally blonde (although the exact shade can vary day to day depending on energy absorption levels), and their skin appears to have a permanent golden tan. Their eyes are usually a brilliant shade of blue, sometimes with an aquamarine or violet accent, their eyes seemingly glowing with their own light. Green eyes are occasionally seen. Their eyes are so bright that most Velorians wear dulling contact lenses when trying to blend in with ordinary humans.
They employ unusual methods of gathering energy to power their unique physiques, some of which are shocking for humans to observe.
Velorian males are rarely less than six feet tall while females average 5'10" and never less than 5'7". Some females, mostly Primas, are as tall as 6'3".
Any Velorian would be considered extraordinarily attractive on Earth as well as wildly athletic, but they could be easily confused with any other member of his or her race. They all appear very similar - at least to non-Velorians. Their unique ability to blend in with members from the modern-day Nordic races, particularly the Swedes, encourages them to live in places were their type of physical appearance is common. Iceland, Sweden, Netherlands and western Finland are the most likely locations to find a Velorian Expat living on Earth. Also Los Angeles area of the United States.
Very few Velorians visit the Earth, however, as it is only the designated Planetary Protectors who are allowed permanent settlement by the Velorian High Council.
Despite the superior physical prowess of females, Velorian society is patriarchal, with the males controlling all positions of authority in government and business. Women are largely treated as second-class citizens, and are expected to look pretty and do as they're told. Behavior that would be considered the worst kind of sexual abuse on Earth is commonplace in Velorian business and government. It is this aspect of Velorian society, more than any other, that has the potential to cause its own downfall, particularly as women band together to increase their power base.
This, of course, does not apply to Protectors or Scribes as they are more powerful than males and are afforded a corresponding special status in Velorian society. Unfortunately, their genetically-programmed nature encourages Protectors to be exhibitionists at heart. In fact, because there are no taboos against nudity for those of Prima-class genetics on their homeworld, a naked Velorian visiting Earth, whether Scribe or Protector, might be just as irritated if asked to clothe themselves as an American woman visiting a Muslim nation would be by the requirement to keep her hair covered. At best she'd think it was a demeaning custom, and at worst she might be insulted by the unspoken suggestion that her body was unpleasant to look at.
Social Conventions
Protectors do not consider any part of their bodies to be private unless they have covered it, and many Velorian fashions are designed to be revealing especially given the tendency for significant changes in their figures due to the amount of energy they are carrying.
Protector's greet each other with very powerful embraces, breasts pressing against breasts as they acknowledge the special nature and role of those organs in their lives, as well as to sense the relative power level of the person they are greeting. Such embraces are often accompanied by kisses that are disturbingly erotic in the eyes of most men.
As you can see from the picture at the left, Velorian energy engorgement prior to battle or extended space flight is dramatic.
Men are usually greeted with a handshake if they are strangers, a hug if they are friends, and a kiss if they are more than friends. A Protector would never allow a man to touch her breast unless she intended to mate with him.
Sexual relations fall into two distinct categories on Velor. Casual sex (called Ex'tosy) and committed relationship sex (called Com'pan). While most Velorians enter into marriages or other long-term relationships, they remain free to engage in Ex'tosy. The resulting frequent sexual relations, while always physically intense, do not carry an emotional attachment unless both parties wish it to.
There are a number of unique forms of exercise that Velorians engage in that involve sexual dominance games that are coupled to muscle strengthening movements.
All of which leads to a great deal of misunderstanding about Velorian
culture and sexuality by normal humans.
More from the Scribes Library:
Velorian society was not always as sexist as it is today, and in the early years both genders were more or less equal (several females were even considered to be great leaders - a fact now unknown to most of the population). This change in their culture is mainly the result of the men's obsession with physical strength and muscular development. It may also be the men's reaction to their inferiority when facing the far more powerful Protectors. The scientific community (the least strength-obsessed portion of Velorian society) treats females with greater equality than the general population, and is the only area where women can rise to positions of any prominence. In the end, keeping women from realizing exactly how powerful they would become away from the homeworlds is largely the reason behind the ban on Protectors ever returning home. It is a virtual certainty that a repatriated Protector would never accept second-class status, especially after living for years as a virtual goddess.
Despite the fact that they gain enormous physical powers when on any planet other than their own, most normal Velorians never leave their homeworlds as there is no need for trade with other races in basic necessities -- although in the past they traded Companions for the technological infrastructure denied them by the Galen, and there is still an interchange of culture and luxury goods, and the military remains dependent on imported Vendorian steel and drive systems. The Velorian home system possesses a small military force that engages in operations in regions not under the protection of a Protector. Since Velorians cannot fly when in the proximity to their own planets, conventional forces depend on space ships --although Velorians with P1 genetics are capable of leaving the smaller gold core of Daxxan under their own power. The use of commercial spacecraft is very tightly controlled so as to keep the social misfits of their society from running amok through the galaxy.
The primary threat to Velorians, and it's a very serious one, is the Enlightenment's centuries-long conflict with the Arion Empire. That war has flared into full-scale warfare several times, but by mutual agreement, it is never fought on the homeworlds, only on far flung alien worlds, usually between Arion infiltrators and Protectors. Races who are openly under the Velorian protection (Earth is an 'undisclosed Protectorate') are aware that a homeworld for the Protectors exists, but few non-Supremis are aware of its exact location.
Of the two Velorian home worlds, Velor is considered by far the more important, for it is the seat of the Enlightenment and the location of most institutions of research and higher learning. Velorian society continues to be highly structured yet surprisingly informal, much like a gigantic university campus filled with ivory towers. On Daxxan, life most closely resembles that on Earth, with its citizens free to conduct business and go about their lives mostly as they see fit. The structure is more rigid on Velor, mainly due to the presence of the Velorian Senate, an institution that could be described as "benignly authoritative." It mostly stays out of the way, encouraging scientific advancements and commerce, but is willing and able to make its presence strongly felt if it wishes. Its closest Terran analog is the present day government of Singapore.
One other distinction exists between Velor and Daxxan, and that involves naming conventions. On Velor, children are given a first name that is then combined with a hyphenated class name. Family names, or surnames, are rarely used. However, on Daxxan a more Earth-like system is used, complete with first, middle and last names. As befitting a patriarchy, surnames are passed down through the fathers.
Velorians have no religion in the usual sense. However, they do acknowledge, and on rare occasions worship, the Galen who created them -- the Hall of Protectors was once a shrine to Skietra, and the scene of observances marking the anniversary of the planet's founding. Rather the Velorians are attempting to discover the secrets of life used by that mysterious race. It would be most accurate to portray the Velorians as genetic engineers who can manipulate genetics to their own ends, but are still incapable of the creative act that initiated life itself.
Despite their long separation from Earth, the Velorians have always had a strong attachment to it. The gods of most ancient pagan religions on Earth were actually proto-Velorians, as there was a strong, visible involvement up until the modern religions of Christianity and Islam were well established. It is still debatable as to whether Velorian involvement was implicated in Buddhism or Hinduism, but most scholars think not. It is from the Greek, Roman and Norse mythology that we gain a nearly undistorted view of early Velorians involvement. The chronicles of their gods are merely tales of Velorian activities at that time.
Modern-day Velorians view Earth very fondly, seemingly reverently, almost as if it was their Mecca. Some call it ManHome. Earth was the origin of their race — their initial genes came from the wild tribes of northern Europe. Much is said about Earth on the Public News Monitors on Velor, and the Scribe's reports of the hidden Protectors activities on that planet are discussed more than on any other planet, despite the fact that they are undisclosed on Earth itself. Earth forms the core of Velorian identity, for without that grounding, they would have no link back to their origin as natural beings. Pathologically sensitive to being considered 'artificial beings', they maintain a very high regard for the wild uncontrollable genetic stock of the Earth. It is every Velorian's dream to someday return to that planet and spread the wealth of their own genetics among the native residents.
It is the most interesting of a paradoxes, therefore, that Earth has the least visible of all Protectors, at least among the local inhabitants. The Senate's First Directive with regards to Earth was to not interfere in the normal affairs of the wild genetic origin of humanity. This contrasts sharply with non-human planets where Protector females have often become either Goddesses or the leaders of government, the choice depending mostly on their degree of vanity. Yet on Earth, they are only allowed to help where Terran systems and abilities have broken down in the face of alien intervention. At all other times, they are expected to hide themselves among the indigenous population and live ordinary lives.
Physical Abilities
The superhuman powers of the Velorians are entirely physiological and primarily muscular, the result of genetic engineering on the basic Terran humanoid form. Their primary ability consists of vast strength and invulnerability to injury. A normal Velorian, even one who is not particularly athletically inclined, is easily hundreds of times as strong as a normal human.
Velorian Protectors, like the woman pictured to the left, can be many times that strong, and the expansion of their muscles from resting to fully flexed states can transform their invariably slender physiques into a fantastically defined musculature,
By genetic class, it works out like this:
Prima-1 (P1) - before Rites: 900 to 1500 NHI, percentage of births: 1%
Prima-1 (P1)- after Rites: 3200 to 5500 NHI
Prima-2 (P2)– 800-1200 NHI, percentage of births: 2%
Prima-3 (P3)– 600-800 NHI (a rare class)
Matra (M) – 500-700 NHI, percentage of births: 20%
Brava (B)– 200-400 NHI, percentage of births: 77%
While most Velorians look like very fit Terrans, the most extreme Protectors, the Viragos, can display extreme muscularity even a rest. In all cases, a Velorian's flexed muscles become very large with a specific hardness rivaling that of diamond.
Yet despite their extreme muscular tone, and their invulnerability, a Velorian's skin remains very soft and flexible, their tight skin tone and its silky texture like that of a young Terran female. In addition, their gymnast-level flexibility gives their every movements a lithe and sinuous appearance, almost as if they were weightless.
Significantly, their volatai has the ability to generate flight power that is nearly equal to their raw strength. This means that an unburdened Velorian can accelerate so fast that they can often disappear in a blink of an eye. Yet they cannot maintain that rate of acceleration for long, and have to settle for accelerations in the 10G range during exo-atmospheric flight. Their flight inside an atmosphere is limited by air friction, which restrains them to Mach 6 at sea-level.
High-speed atmospheric flight or extended acceleration in a vacuum can rapidly deplete their energy reserves. Velorians often skim the surface of stars to bask in the energies long enough to rebuild their orgone store. However, flares, which can be tens of millions of degrees, are a serious threat, and many Velorians have perished while 'skimming'.
Also, even with after maintaining 10G acceleration for tens of hours, it can take a week or more to reach the closest wormholes, so any transits between star systems are multi-week affairs. But they can get almost anywhere in the Sol system in less than two days.
If you want to know more, there is far more scientific information on Velorian powers in the Scientific Basis for The Supremis Race, thanks to Aileron.
Other Powers, Abilities and Effects:
Enhancement: Limited portions of a Protector's genetic superiority can be transmitted physiologically to other humanoid races via a retrovirus that can be released during intimate contact. The retro-virus enters the cells of those infected and modifies the DNA. These changes can begin the moment a person is exposed to a significant amount of the virus. The change in DNA makes the recipient capable of harnessing Orgone energy, gradually causing permanent changes in the genetic structure of the subject.
Generally speaking: the greater the exposure, the greater the level of power obtained, but some of those exposed will undergo very small changes, and others will have wide disparities in their powers (i.e. great invulnerability, but only limited enhanced strength). But the actual extent of the powers gained is determined not only by the amount of exposure during the "incubation period," but also an unknown factor in the genetic structure of the individual exposed. It is believed by some Velorian scientists that rogue Supremis genes have been propagated through Terran individuals they call "Latents." These Latents are generally more muscular and attractive than other humans, but their main advantage is that they react very dramatically to even small quantities of mutagens. Greater strength and invulnerability are nearly always transferred, but the powers of flight, vision and hearing are rarely passed down (and not always all three).
Occasionally, the retro-virus can cause death, so infecting a human with such a virus is anything but a casual undertaking. At best, the enhancement process is painful, takes some time (varies) and essentially is like getting a really bad case of the flu and nearly dying. High fevers, etc. Lots of attention required from the donor. Most people would die if not for the transfer of energy, via orgone. But even that can't happen until the person who's evolving reaches a certain point in the genetic change. Remember that the virus is replicating itself and invading every cell in their body and splicing some new genes. When it's done, the virus goes dormant. The retrovirus isn't very smart, and if some of the gene sites it wants to insert a gene into are already filled, usually with all those turned-off genes you carry around, it can't make the change.
Also note that another limitation is that the retrovirus is only available for a few seconds, and only then when the 'expression of joy' of the donor is intense. Which means the donor can't fake anything, and it can't be 'taken' from them. Moreover, the process can take place only if the donor is unencumbered by gold.
Given the delicate position required to place the recipients tongue against the clitoris at the moment of orgasm, superhuman self control on the part of the donor is required, lest she severely injure the recipient during the throes of passion. The process was first discovered by one of the Companions (see Canonical History), who, fortunately, was naturally skilled in self-control as part of her training.
Based on their stunning beauty and open and frank sexuality, Velorians are highly sought-after as sexual partners by most humanoid races, both male and female. Unfortunately, the intertwining of limbs and organs with a thousand-to-one difference in strength between female and male can be dangerous if the Velorian is not skilled. Just as fortunately, the hundreds of years of Companion training has left many techniques for turning risk into advantage.
In a distinctly different vein, combat between invulnerable Arion and Velorian warriors involves attempts to drain the orgone energy from their opponent sufficiently to weaken them and make them vulnerable. Given that orgone energy is most readily transferred during sexual intercourse, Supremis combat can become a physical contest that involves an attempt to gain advantage of their opponent's loss of control during orgasm to draw energy from their bodies. It is this intermingling of lethal violence and phenomenally athletic sex that has led to both disgust and fascination on the part of ordinary humans.
When aroused, female Velorians can induce uncontrollable passion in their opponents or partners by emitting powerful pheromones (said to resemble the scent of wild flowers and honey). Unlike most pheromones, which only attract the opposite sex, both sexes are affected. The actual effect of the pheromones varies widely from individual to individual.
Energy discharges can also be absorbed and stored in the body by females to be discharged later as a weapon or used to support their physiological needs when they are using their strength or flight powers. The female mammary gland is no longer a reproductive organ for Velorians - it's now exclusively an energy storage organ. The size of a Velorian's chest changes significantly depending on the amount of energy that is stored as chemical energy within them, but they are always remarkably firm as compared to an ordinary human mammary gland.
A female can also transfer this energy to other members of her own race, and during the rare times a pair of male and female Velorians travel together, her body is used as an energy store during protracted space flight or combat. The transfer of energy between male and female is always an intimate act. This act is called 'recharging'.
Drugs/Poisons -- Vulnerable to a few gold-based drugs that can neutralize aspects of Velorian physiology needed for powers. Gold has a serious weakening and intoxicating effect on them, particularly if an unbroken link is placed around their necks or limbs. The gold interferes with the thyroid gland in the neck and that in turn confuses all the other hormones in their body, causing interruptions in the flow of Orgone energy.
Surrounding a Supremis's body with a link of purest gold when outside a planetary gold field reduces his or her strength dramatically and also leaves them in a partially drugged state. The sensations are very pleasant initially, rather like getting "high" on the weed-like drugs that grow on a number of humanoid worlds (best description is combining marijuana with a touch of Ecstasy and some cocaine). Their senses become amplified and they become more sensitive to pain, yet they retain most of their invulnerability. They also become more sensitive to normal drugs at such times, most particularly to the effects of alcohol.
If gold is worn for a prolonged period, the intoxicating effects will eventually fade, but the weakness will remain until the gold is removed. The rapid removal of the gold causes a dramatic energy discharge as Orgone energy spreads back through their bodies to energize them. Such energy surges can be very dangerous to those in close proximity to them.
Disease/Infection -- Immune to all known natural illness.
Electricity -- Generally harmless, even invigorating and exciting. Electrical discharges can be physically stored as chemical energy by females to provide energy for their metabolism or for later discharges.
Food -- The only purpose that food serves for a Velorian is to act as a source of raw materials to replace the dying cells that are part of any human's body. Since their energy isn't drawn from food and their long-lived nature slows the rate of cellular death and replacement, they can go for several months without eating if necessary. Social eating is common among Velorians, however.
Respiration -- Respiration, like food, can be suspended for several month intervals, although it can lead to a build up of toxins in the blood that would make a Velorian feel as if they had the flu.
Water -- The loss of body weight due to water loss is a more serious problem. While the invulnerability of a Velorian greatly reduces moisture loss due to heat or exposure to vacuum, significant dehydration can occur when subjected to very high temperatures or extended space travel while exposed to vacuum. A Velorian will enter a coma-like state if they lose more than fifty percent of their bodily water.
Fire/Heat -- Generally harmless unless greater than 5,000 C, at which point it becomes very uncomfortable for them, the exposed tissues of their bodies becoming painfully dry, the skin often cracking. Temperatures above 10,000C are generally fatal if exposure is prolonged. Extremely brief exposure to temperatures in the million degree Centrigrade range can be tolerated.
Extreme Cold -- Slowed slightly at -150 F and below. Increased vulnerability to physical attack at temperatures approaching absolute zero, yet they are able to survive extended exposure to temperatures only a few degrees above absolute zero, at least until their stored energy reserves are depleted.
Orgone Energy -- Because Velorians act as natural Orgone accumulators, they are extremely vulnerable to overdoses - especially the females whose bodies store energy. Velorians of either sex can be totally incapacitated by the extreme sexual excitement/pleasure, with the effect of the energy directly proportional to the strength and vitality of the person who absorbs it. Otherwise, excess orgone energy can be stored like any form of energy and discharged, but usually with extremely strong, often uncontrollable, accompanying physical sensations.
'Magic' -- In reality, the scientific tools of the Diaboli. Because of the purely physical nature of a Velorian's powers, they are vulnerable to Diaboli science and have reduced resistance against physical attacks that are 'magical' in origin.
Psionic/Mental Attack -- As with so-called magic, their purely physical powers leave them with only limited capacity to defend against mental attacks.
Possession/Mental Domination -- Perhaps one of their greatest weaknesses, next to gold, is that Velorians have proven to be extremely vulnerable to possession of their bodies by other minds; and to the manipulation of their thought processes by brainwashing techniques or mind control devices. The only good things to come out of this weakness include the Drill Helmets which Velorians sometimes use for implanting skills and knowledge, and the Mind Probe, which may be used for therapeutic purposes by psychologists.
Fertility Cycle -- Female Velorians are weakened significantly (50% or more), and can experience significant hormone-induced behavioral changes during their monthly cycle.
Can be Captured/Subdued By -- Wrapping a pure gold (24karat) chain around their bodies. The gold must contain no impurities whatsoever. Being in the close vicinity of very large quantities of pure gold (multiple tons) can have a related affect for reasons stated above, as can gold ingestion.
Other Vulnerabilities -- If a Velorian's energy levels are sufficiently reduced, she can experience a complete loss of superhuman abilities until "recharged" with a massive infusion of energy. Their resistance to injury remains significant even when their powers are lost, but total amnesia is often an unfortunate side effect. The restoration of these energies and their resulting superhuman abilities also generally restores their memories. Velorian children are particularly vulnerable to these effects, often running out of energy and becoming forgetful.
In addition, a continuous energy attack directly on the storage organs can overload a female's capacity to absorb and store energy, and can cause sufficient enlargement to become painful, and seriously impair her balance.
Over time, the society on Velor began to drift into two camps, with the fundamental issue that divided them one of reproduction and how it was to be managed to best secure the future of their race. They initially tried to set up a bureaucracy that was responsible for maintaining racial perfection, and in those days the initial procreation process on Velor consisted of unmarried couples registering with the Bureau of Conception. Then they would submit sperm and ova to the Maternity Engine, the automated genetic laboratory left behind by the Galen, and it would determine what genes to edit or combine to produce a child that best served the society.
While this worked when the population was small and specialized skills were needed, it soon became too limiting. Couples wanted to determine their own children's characteristics, so a system was set up to allow them to enter the desire outcomes, and the Maternity Engine would consider these in its editing. By doing so, the Maternity Engine systematically bred a more powerful race, and any embryos that failed to meet their standards would be either be used for medical experiments or simply exterminated outright. The so-called Purists supported this approach and tried to maintain what they felt was the Galen's original purpose for their race. To be physically perfect and to fulfill the needs of the society.
However, over the following decades, an increasingly large group of people chose to conceive and bear children naturally. These "Naturalists" (a.k.a. Natural Birthers) believed people should be free to mate with whomever they wanted, and that they should be allowed to bear children normally, despite the "impurities" that would inevitably result. They rejected the Maternity Engine and the careful control it exerted over the racial purity of the Velorian people.
Obviously, these philosophic positions were irreconcilable, and eventually a strong leader arose to lead the Naturalists. A civil war ensued, and the bloodiest chapter of Velorian history began. During that period, a handful of Pacifists who had not supported either side deciphered the controls on another Galen device, a Dimensional Transport, and projected themselves to the first of two destination planets that were programmed into the machine. They wound up settling a planet named Geheim. Given its relatively small gold core, they became tremendously strong, and were able to defeat the warlike insects that were the indigenous species of that world.
The remaining Naturalists, nearly a hundred thousand of them, left Velor to practice their beliefs on another world.
Unlike the enlightened residents of Velor, or the pacifists who populated Geheim, the exiled Naturalists were too proud to give the planet a name with any "veiled" or "hidden" connotations. Instead, they named it Aria in memory of the elaborate and beautiful melodies their mournful women sang during their exodus.
Unlike the other homeworlds, Aria's very appearance was harsh. Unlike the blue sky of Earth or even the lavender sky the Arions had left behind them on Velor, Aria's atmosphere didn't reflect any blue light at all. Hence its sky was a hellish red that seemingly turned the seas to blood. There were red thundershowers year-round, which helped keep the humid land covered in tall trees. The covering of the trees' leaves shaded the ground so well that it kept out almost 99% of the sunlight. Darkness suited the dark mood of its new inhabitants.
This much is also known about Aria today, but of all the misconceptions still held about the Arion pioneers, perhaps the greatest is the following: according to Velorian historians, the Arions unleashed a genetic virus upon themselves designed to destroy all potential for Velorian appearance in the Arion genome. The virus did the job it was supposed to, but also contributed many other unforeseen changes on the Arion genetic structure. The historians often cite this incident as an example of just how badly the Arions hate the Velorians.
The truth is another matter entirely. The Velorian Senate was not so short-sighted as to have allowed hundreds of thousands of angry Supremis to find a new homeworld from which they would undoubtedly grow stronger. Unlike the passive Geheimites, the Naturalists clearly intended to return when the time was right and have their revenge. To the Purists, the only sure way to prevent an interplanetary war was to eliminate the threat. The same Velorian biologists who had learned to manipulate genetics to their own ends were secretly employed to create an aerobic virus which would undo the Galen's efforts and transform the Arions back into normal humans.
The virus was implanted in a device called a Genetic Bomb, and a force of Velorian warriors sworn to secrecy then flew to Aria in a stealth ship and detonated the bomb in the upper atmosphere. Within days the virus had spread around the world. Only the Senate and the warriors knew of the mission, and that knowledge died with them. So it was that later generations of Velorians, in all innocence, insisted that their forebears had had nothing to do with the Bomb.
In the case of ninety percent of the Arion population, the virus not only destroyed those of typical Velorian appearances, but removed most of their superhuman potential as well.
The remaining ten percent lost the power of flight. Their strength and invulnerability was reduced from Velorian,. levels, but still remained vastly more powerful than their human ancestors.
This strongest ten percent, known as Alphas or Primes, immediately assumed control of Arion society and became its warriors and leaders, and are known for their extreme arrogance and cruelty.
Both males and females use their pheromonic abilities combined with their powerful physiques to physically and sexually dominate the weaker Betans.
This extreme arrogance leads to Primes acting in demonstrative and blatantly sexual ways around their weaker subjects, thus enslaving their hormonal systems as well. Primes are always surrounded by a number of Betan servants who care for their most trivial needs and desires.
Despite their inferior status, the Betas still share the Primes' lust for conquest and war, and seem, for the most part, content to perform the roles assigned to them.
the Velorian FlameBird has long since been a symbol of the Velorian
Enlightenment, much like the eagle
Another consequence of the virus is that Arion strength levels vary greatly, depending on their level of sexual arousal. This is also true of Velorians and Geheimites, but not nearly to the extent that it is among the Arions. When extremely aroused, an Arion Prime can temporarily increase his or her strength many-fold, becoming nearly as strong as a Velorian Protector. The effect fades rapidly with the loss of arousal.
In addition, Arion women are greatly affected by mutagenic hormones that are released by other Arion (or Arion-mutated Terran) females during sexual arousal. Being exposed to these hormones extends a female Arion's arousal-enhanced strength beyond the period of actual arousal. As a result, if an Arion woman were to engage in frequent sexual contact with her sister Arions, she would permanently be twice as strong as a male Arion.
This effect was discovered quickly by early researchers into the consequences of the virus, and steps were taken to minimize it as a threat to male domination of Arion society. Lesbianism was successfully instilled as a major cultural taboo, and women even suspected of being lesbians were sent to correctional centers. Primes rarely if ever suffer the same treatment that awaits Betas in one of the centers, as the Beta's rarely survive such a confinement. In fact, some of the things that happen to lesbians in the centers can be rather hair-raising but they're not necessarily fatal. Still, as far as the High Command is concerned the public can think what they want - it keeps them on the straight and narrow.
Government and Social Institutions
The Arion Empire effectively consists of a single military organization dedicated to the conquest of known space and to the utter destruction of the Velorian race that cast them out and robbed them of their birthright. Below the reigning Emperor is the High Command - a body of twelve appointed leaders known as High Lords who govern the day-to-day affairs of the Empire in the Emperor's name. The thirteenth and lowest ranking member of the High Command is the Master of Servants, who presides over the Betas.
The Emperor meets with his High Lords in the Black Citadel - an impressive fortress made of iron, onyx and stone. Unlike Velorian architecture, the Arion style of decoration and avant-garde buildings can best be described as art nouveau. Sculptured statues line the streets, and the capital city's hanging gardens are luscious and beautiful.
Arions aren't particularly fond of Geheimites, but because that race does not actively oppose them, the Empire doesn't generally take hostile action against them. In fact, over the years the Arions have accepted into their ranks the handful of rogue Geheimites who have rejected pacifism and fled their homeworld to seek action and conquest.
Because they fear punishment by the Galens if they were to engage in large scale open conflict, the Arion Empire's tactics usually involve infiltration and secret sabotage conducted partly by the Office of Assassins. By undermining a planet's ability to defend itself, the Arions can then conquer it with very little fighting and install an Imperial Governor. Actual combat is normally limited to small (but destructive) engagements between the soldiers from the Imperial Guard and Velorian Protectors along with native defense forces who become aware of Arion intrusion.
The Arion population count is hampered by a low birth rate (another side-effect of the Gene Bomb) and frequent deaths when fighting the stronger Velorians. In order to ensure that enough Arion women (especially Primes) have children, birth control and abortion are absolutely forbidden unless ordered by the Ministry of the Imperial State - the same bureaucracy that determines who may mate with whom. Because they are legally required to ingest fertility drugs daily in an effort to combat the problem, Arion females have no more control over their fertility cycle than human women do. When an Arion female finally does gives birth, the baby is immediately taken to one of the Nursery Colonies. Under normal circumstances, neither the mother nor the father will see their child again.
Like that of the Velorians, Arion society is male-dominated and sexist. However, because Arion Primes spend so much time off-world in full possession their superhuman powers, the female energy storage advantages are recognized by the general populace, and thus women are treated with considerably more respect than on Velor. Indeed, an aggressive female who has proven herself in battle can rise fairly high in the Arion command structure before hitting the "glass ceiling."
The Arions have a long-standing alliance with the Kintzi, a race of violent, superhuman cat-like creatures about which little is known. (Velorians often refer derisively to the two allied forces as "the bats and the cats.") The Kintzi are fearsome warriors, capable of fighting a Velorian on nearly even terms for brief periods, their love of battle matched by their extreme incompetence with technology. In return for the Arions keeping their ships operational, the Kintzi enthusiastically allow themselves to be used as soldiers in the Arion plans for conquest.
Over the years several attempts have been made by the Arions to infuse Velorian genes back into themselves, both to reverse the effects of the Gene Bomb and to allow infiltration into those two societies. For centuries, all of these attempts have failed, although dormant Velorian genes were introduced into some Arion bloodlines. Recently, they have finally created a viable (though long and painful) procedure, which allows a suitable Arion to be given the physical form and powers of a captured Velorian. The captive is invariably killed by the extraction of the necessary genetic material, but the process, involving the programming of a retro-virus, has been refined so that it is theoretically possible to make many identical "clones" from a single captive. The virus essentially takes over the new host's body, replicating itself as it makes very specific changes to every cell, but subsequent problems involving rejection usually kill the potential host long before enough of the cell structure has been changed to that of a Velorian.
Otherwise, all Arion Primes and light-skinned Betas have dark hair, and most have blue eyes, although brown or gray eyes do appear in certain family lines. Dark-skinned Betas, their skin color similar to those of African descent on Earth, are primarily blue-eyed.
Arions are generally shorter than Velorians and Geheimites, with very few males exceeding 6'0" and females exceeding 5'7". While many Arions are beautiful, they are not universally so; some could best be described as mousy and plain looking (their impressive physiques being their only good attribute), and a few battle-scarred individuals are downright ugly. The complexions of Primes and light skinned Betas still match the original perma-tan skin tones of their Velorians ancestors.
Arion women can store energy in their breasts, and their bodies are sometimes even better endowed than Velorians. Arion male/female combat teams build their strategies around the 'recharging' that must occur from the female breast, and the best-endowed female soldiers being very valuable for the longer-term missions, sometimes serving as an energy store for multiple males. This has created a stratification in their militaristic society where the stature and prestige of a woman is almost completely determined by the size of her breasts, with the best-endowed women invariably becoming combat team leaders, their health fanatically protected by the other team members. After all, she is their 'battery' and often their ticket home.
Attempts to genetically-engineer high-energy female warriors have been largely successful as the photograph here illustrates.
Despite the reverence Arions have for nightwings, Arion society possesses no actual religion. Many Alphas do however belong to fraternal orders and mystery cults which have developed along racial and ideological Arion lines. Accordingly, they do not acknowledge the superiority of any race, even the Galen that created them. At the same time they do fear them and proceed with great caution to avoid possibly incurring their wrath.
The powers of the Arions are entirely physiological, the result of genetic changes to the basic Velorian form caused by an intentionally introduced gene-altering retro-virus.
Arion abilities are essentially the same as those of the Velorians, but to a greater degree. Arion Primes (Alphas) are normally 2,000 NHI, but sexual excitement can temporarily increase their strength many times. Arions do not have the power of flight, but can run at speeds of up to Mach 1. Males can maintain near-maximum exertion for several hours until fatigue becomes a factor, females much longer.
Betas, who make up 90% of the population, are only a few times stronger than ordinary humans. They are far more vulnerable than primes, and can be killed by shooting them with high-powered projectile weapons, although they can resist the impact of smaller handguns.
Arion super vision and hearing is equal to that of the Velorians, but their average IQ is only 135 (which still significantly exceeds the human average).
Other Powers, Abilities and Effects:
Some bodily hormonal secretions are highly mutagenic in nature (see Velorians for a complete description). Unlike Velorians, however, the hormones released by an Arion female do have an effect on other Arion females. The mutagens cause the strength of an Arion female to remain at arousal-enhanced levels for as long as two or three days. The same effect is also true of the hormones released by humanoid females mutated by the hormones of an Arion female.
Arion women emit powerful pheromones when sexually aroused (again, see Velorians).
Drugs/Poisons -- Same as Velorians
Disease/Infection -- Same as Velorians.
Electricity -- Loss of coordination. Can be harmed by extremely high voltages. As a result, military police often carry electrical weapons such as "bolt guns" and "shockers" for use against other Arions.
Fire/Heat -- Same as Velorians.
Extreme Cold -- Same as Velorians.
Food -- Same as Velorians.
Respiration -- Same as Velorians.
Water -- Same as Velorians.
Orgone Energy -- Extremely vulnerable, but it's definitely counterproductive to attack Arions with it, for they are typically made much stronger by extreme sexual excitement. This energy can be physically stored by a female and released to others on contact, with small doses often secretly stored in their breasts for use for entertainment by an Arion woman and for increased motivation to 'recharge' her attached male combat team members (often during combat conditions.) Orgone releases from a female can also be used to 'shock' a stricken male strongly enough to allow him to begin 'recharging', the resulting energy flow allowing him to heal at a fantastic rate.
Magic -- Same as Velorians.
Psionic/Mental Attack -- Same as Velorians.
Possession/Mental Domination -- Same as Velorians.
Fertility Cycle -- No significant effect on female Arions.
Can be Captured/Subdued By -- Gold chains, same as Velorians.
Not all of the exiles from Velor departed in anger and hatred. The so-called Naturalists felt no animosity towards their Velorian brethren, and merely wished to live in a world free of the increasingly oppressive society that defined the first three hundred years on Velor. These exiles soon found sanctuary on a fertile planet they named it Geheim, for it was a "secret place" where they could set about creating their vision of Utopia. Some have incorrectly called it KrypTerra for 'hidden Earth'.
Unlike the Arions and Velorians, who like nothing more than a good fight, Geheimites eschew violence entirely. They believe all problems could be solved through peaceful dialogue and compromise, and made these the cornerstones of their society.
Finding the violent practices of their sibling races abhorrent, Geheim withdrew into total isolation, believing that when the senseless conflict between the Arions and Velorians exhausts itself, they will re-emerge to a galaxy that would embrace their tenets of peaceful co-operation.
So successful is their isolationism that the very existence of Geheim came to be seen as a mere myth, even among the general populations of Velor and Aria (though its existence was certainly known to the governments and intelligence departments).
In place of the Velorian and Arion focus on physical prowess as applied to combat skills, the Geheimites chose to elevate mental perfection and physical beauty as the standards by which all in their society are judged. Instead of allowing their new society to be ruled by elected officials who, as they had learned on Velor, could be voted into office because they pander to the public's worst instincts, the Geheimites established a technocracy. Geheim is ruled to this day by the Science Council, whose appointed members are reputed to be the most intelligent and beautiful men and women in the world.
Every generation of Geheimites is dedicated to the goal of improving their physical perfection further than the one before. While many Arions are agnostics when it comes to acknowledging the living presence of the Galen in modern-times, and the Velorians generally adhere to the myths without ever meeting a Galen, Geheimite women have long consorted with the even more ellusive Galen, and have interbred with them. In less than 1% of cases, the offspring have pure enough Galen genetics such that they join the ranks of the Galen and are raised by them. In all other cases, the offspring brings portions of the Galen's godlike genetics back into the Geheim race. The result is that Geheimites are growing increasingly powerful with each passing generation. .
All reproduction on Geheim is accomplished through natural means, with an enormous premium placed on acquiring mates from families with Galen genetic lines. Their genetic heritage is maintained through this selective breeding, rather than outright manipulation. However, the ascetic Geheimites normally engage in sexual activity solely for the purpose of reproduction, the denial of sensual pleasures (other than the observance of beauty) is a central facet of their culture. Because Geheimite women can, like Velorians, control their menstrual lining's hospitality to a fertilized egg, the number of times a Geheimite has had sex will usually be equal to the number of children he/she has fathered/birthed.
Even their cities speak of ascetic beauty, with simple, almost cubic white structures and clear, crystalline sculptures. Unlike colorful Velor, bright colors are kept to a minimum here, and the stark contrasts of polished metals, white stone and fabric, and black settings lends an almost chilling air to their Olympian homeworld.
To the person, the Geheimites are absolutely stunning examples of physical perfection, far exceeding the handsome appearances of the Arions and eclipsing even the physical beauty of the Velorians. Geheimites are generallly over six feet tall, height being perceived early on as a desirable trait. Unlike the Nordic Velorians and swarthy Arions, all hair and eye colors are common place among Geheimites, although red hair is valued the highest. Their skin also comes in a variety of complexions, including the universally tanned appearance of their sibling races.
Overall, Geheimite physiques feature long legs, tiny waists, and unusually large breasts. Because of the Galen genes in their family tree, most Geheimites are superior to Velorians in terms of their superhuman abilities - most particularly their energy storage abilities and physical strength. Because of their stature and endowment, a typical Geheimite is more powerful than even a Virago.
Yet because Geheimite society places little value on physical strength and prowess, it left behind the blatantly sexist attitudes still prevalent among Velorians and Arions. Neither gender is considered to be inherently superior. Instead, Geheimite society is dominated by the "beautiful", the upper class of pageant winners, who monopolize the positions of authority. The lower classes of the "not-so-beautiful" are treated better than Velorian women are, but they still have fewer avenues of advancement than Arion females.
Geheimite society is, however, the least uniform of the three Supremist races, and small minorities have rejected their traditional beliefs. Most often this rejection takes the form of hedonistic cults that engage in sexual activities for the purpose of pleasure. When they are discovered, the members of these cults become social pariahs, and the cults die out for a while, only to invariably be revived by a few members of the next generation.
Less common are the Geheimites who reject the tenets of pacifism and crave a life of action and conflict. Because they know they could never successfully engage in such activities on Geheim, these rogues seek to escape to other planets, where they know their vast powers will allow them to act upon their violent desires with little fear of retribution. Geheimites who reject pacifism and display violent tendencies, even those who never escape from Geheim, are said to have "gone Arion."
Geheimite abilities are physiological in origin, and are somewhat superior to those of the Velorians. Like the Velorians, the musculature of female Geheimites is fairly compact, their muscles expanding when flexed from the contours of a beauty or fitness model to a physique that would be the envoy of a top Terran bodybuilder. As a result, appropriate clothing for a physically active Geheimite must be either very skimpy or very flexible, the contours of their bodies changing far more dramatically than could be accommodated by ordinary clothing.
Other Powers, Abilities and Effects:
Limited portions of these powers can be transmitted physiologically to humanoids via mutagenic hormonal excretions released when they are sexually aroused; the same as Velorians.
As with Velorians and Arions, Geheimite women emit powerful pheromones when aroused.
Energy discharges can be absorbed and stored in the body by females, primarily in their breasts as with Velorians, to be discharged later as a weapon or used to support their physiological needs when they are using their strength or flight powers. Extremely high stored charges can lead to loss of control over discharge.
The extremely dramatic endowments of Geheimite women make them ideal companions during very long space flights or during extended and strenuous tasks.
Drugs/Poisons -- Same as Velorians.
Disease/Infection -- Same as Velorians.
Electricity -- Same as Velorians.
Fire/Heat -- Same as Velorians.
Extreme Cold -- Same as Velorians.
Orgone Energy -- Same as Velorians.
Magic -- Same as Velorians.
Psionic/Mental Attack -- Same as Velorians.
Possession/Mental Domination -- Same as Velorians.
Fertility Cycle -- No significant effect on Geheimite females.
Can be Captured/Subdued By -- Gold chains, same as Velorians.
Types of Worlds:
1) Empire Loyalist worlds: Members of the Arion Empire and Arion controlled. Undercover Velorians may be present and attempting to destabilize.
2) Enlightenment worlds: Joined with the Velorians, and have populations composed of a variety of races, including Vels. Most were settled long ago by Terrans abducted from various ethnic groups by the Galen or, later, their Surrogates – humans from worlds settled by the earliest Galen harvests (The Galen and their Surrogates are also known as Seeders.). But there have also been voluntary migrations from worlds that have achieved interstellar spaceflight capacity. Worlds thus colonized are designated Third Generation to distinguish them from the First and Second Generation worlds established by the Galen and Surrogates.
3) Unaligned worlds (sometimes called Freeholds): They wish to remain free and independent. Many battles between Velorian and Arion fought here. The Arions want to bring them into the Empire, the Velorians want to give them a chance to make a rational choice, including the choice to remain free and unaligned. Most of these, too, are human seeded worlds, as the Arions disdain most alien races, seeking only their extermination.
4) Undisclosed worlds (sometimes called Wilds): Like Earth. Knowledge of aliens is more hearsay and rumor than fact. Heavy dependence on religion and possessing only primitive science. Some, like Earth, have unique genetic legacies.
5) Non-human worlds: Sentient species not related to humanity. Some have come under Velorian protection, because of their unique value – as in the case of Tetra, inhabited by spider-like creatures - but this has become increasingly rare due to the demand for Protectors on human worlds. Arions seek to destroy any Type 5 sentients that are oxygen breathers but, like the Velorians, tend to ignore non-oxygem breathers like the Pactrell, who have interstellar flight and even commerce of their own.
The Galen never intervene in world types 1, 2, 3 and 5, but have threatened to intervene on Earth if the Velorian-Arion conflict there gets out of hand.
Genetic perversions and failed branches of Supremis genetics
Tset'Lar, Viragos and Saray'en
The Arions, recognizing that their Primes were going to remain less capable physically than Protectors, attempted to rebalance the scales with a forbidden experiment to create a more powerful warrior. It involved forming an alliance with Geheim which led to inviting a number of Geheimite radicals to emigrate to an Arion world.
Given that the Galen have truly used the Geheimites as Procreators, something that was not believed to have actually occurred with Velorians, despite their original intent, has resulted in an increased concentration of the Galen trait for physical transformation among the Geheimites.
The Geheim, despite their pacifist natures, also had their share of social misfits and those with mental illnesses. The Arions attempted to exploit those by giving them an outlet for their violent tendencies. The result was that there are a number of Primal warriors in the employ of the Arions whose physical abilities are equal to or greater than Protectors, and with appearances that are distinctly non-Arion. They were called Tset'lar.
A deliberate experiment in selective breeding that involved these Geheimite aberrants who had limited shape-changing abilities led to a further strengthening of the Tset'lar into a series of Aeries, or clans. Able to levitate like a Velorian, and stronger than any Protector, they were chosen based on the ability to project energy from their eyes in the x-ray spectrum.
While normal x-ray photons, including those emitted by blackholes, are in the frequency range of 1016 to 1020Hz, and are relatively harmless to the Supremis, x-rays in a very narrow frequency band near 1032Hz are capable of momentarily weakening the nonlinear nuclear binding forces that give the Supremis their near absolute invulnerability. This opens the door for physical or thermal assaults to cause injury or death.
While no electronic or other hard technology has been invented to create such energetic x-rays, the Galen are capable of projecting such energies from their eyes. The selective breeding experiments conducted on the Tset'lar have been able to isolate those Geheimites with increased abilities to emit this deadly wavelength of x-rays. Members of this later development of the deadly Tset'lar are recognizable by their large and glowing eyes, along with the unusual spiral arrangement of the irises.
Once the Galen recognized the danger of the Tset'lar program, they released a high contagious virus that destroyed all Tset's who came in contact with it..
The Viragos were Velor's first attempt to rebalance the power equation after the emergence of the Tset'lar. Pushing the Maternity Engine to its modification limits, a tiny subset of Protectors were created who were far stronger than other Protectors, and had the advantage of dual volatai. These Viragos, while extremely effective against Primes, even when fighting Primal teams, were no more capable of withstanding a Tset'lar assault than any other Protector.
They are easily identified by their bulky and vascular musculature.
Velor's second attempt was their so-called P0's, or more correctly, the Saray'en. Using the same forbidden (in the eyes of the Galen) genetic technology that the Arions had employed, they briefly managed to field a handful of operatives who could defeat a Tset'lar. They had a physical build like other Protectors, except for having a skull that had been broadened to include fantastically large eyes.
They were able to discharge their very large store of orgone in a single blast of high-frequency heat vision, much of that energy in the 1032Hz range. Their target, whether a million ton Arion warship or a Tset'lar, would simply cease to exist.
Both Tset'lar and Saray'en were reputed to be capable of destroying planets by blasting holes directly through their cores and allowing the molten center to erupt in an endless volcanic flow.
Fortunately, most of these abominations were destroyed by the Galen virus. Today, only a handful of Tset'lar and Saray'en still live on the most remote and distant of worlds.
VENDIUM (a.k.a. Vendorian Steel). This special mixture of tool steel and xintanic ore along with titanium ore and a form of ceramic is the hardest metallic alloy used by Arion technology. It has a specific hardness that approaches that of semi-precious stones and can be sharpened to an edge that is ten times sharper than Terran stainless steel. It is also twenty times stronger than the hardest carbon steels used on Earth, and impervious to the strongest cutting torch or the sharpest cutting blade. For example, a safe made of vendium would be invulnerable to any Terran weapon or tool except a nuclear plasma torch, the melting temperature many times that of the best Terran steels. It is barely within the strength range of a Velorian Protector or a Geheimite to bend or manipulate such steel with their hands, and it's impossible for any lesser being to do so.