Defiance discussion

Castithans-Castithans are an aristocratic and ethereal race that hail from the planet Daribo, and are known for their pale skin and beautiful features. They are proud and haughty, and tend to dominate others in social situations. These qualities, coupled with a cunning intelligence and unbridled ambition, have helped them adapt to life on Earth. However, they are also vain and prideful, and bristle at the mere implication that another race may exceed them in intellect or beauty. Castithans have a rigid social structure, and adhere to a strict caste system. Lower castes serve higher castes, and females are seen as subservient to the males in their family. Other races believed Castithan society would evolve on this new planet, but if anything it's driven the survivors to cling to their heritage all the more. For Castithans, your place in the world is determined at birth, and appearance is everything.

Castithan is spoken very, very quickly. It's a sign of their impatience and also a challenge for anyone to keep up with them. Even the Castithan writing system (fajizwalino, literally "revered characters") is complex and irregular—and quite difficult to master. It's crucial to know whether one is speaking to a superior, an inferior or an equal in order to speak Castithan correctly (i.e. without causing offense or seeming crude).

Although they are conservative with regard to tradition and language, Castithans tend to be very liberal with their sexuality. Sex is as much a tool of political agenda as it is an expression of love. Castithans have zero reservations about using sex as a means to an end. That’s not to say that Castithans don’t also enjoy sex to the extreme. Many of their most cherished ceremonies involve expressions of passion and desire.
what they look like

Irathients-Irathients are the most common Votan race living on Earth, hailing from the planet Irath. They're a proud, tribal people who are sometimes perceived as feral by others, owing to their deep love of the natural world. Irathients are handsome and naturally athletic, with bronze skin covered in biologically occurring patterns. Fierce and fearless fighters, Irathients pride themselves on their combat skills. They've adopted much of the technology and weaponry developed by the other races, but most disputes are still settled by hand-to-hand combat. Despite these aggressive behaviors, Irathients are also a deeply spiritual people.

Despite their strong sense of cultural pride, most Irathients understand this is a new world and have made efforts to assimilate. Their athleticism, strength, and intelligence allows them to succeed in a variety of occupations, but many Irathients prefer mining and farm jobs that enable them to work the land as their forefathers did. Their buildings are made mostly of wood and stone, designed to blend in with their surroundings. This harmony with nature not only pleases their gods, but provides a natural defense against their enemies.

The Irathient language is spoken at a slow and deliberate pace. It is rich in consonant clusters, and may sound halting at times as a result. Some of the other Votan races consider Irathient coarse and harsh. But for anyone who's studied their speech, it's clear that Irathients take great care in finding unique ways to describe the world around them.
what they look like

Indogenes-The Indogenes are a technically-minded race who augment their bodies with a variety of cybernetic implants. They tend to be slender, bald, with geometrically-patterned skin of a solid color (most often pure white). Indogene implants are specifically designed for their chosen profession. They value science and knowledge above all else, and have invented most of the technology used by the other alien races.

Indogenes are incredibly hard workers, sometimes to the point of obsession. Their feeling is that if you’re awake, you should be doing something productive. An Indogene’s role is assigned to them after their childhood education and a series of extensive tests and capability reviews. Indogene civilization is built around the idea that every person has one primary role to perform that serves their race. To serve is to live.

Indojisnen is the language of the Indogenes. It's a polysynthetic language, which means that what may be expressed with five or six words in English can be expressed with a single word in Indojisnen. Indojisnen is normally only spoken amongst Indogenes. A variety of implants allow Indogenes to learn foreign languages more quickly than their Votan peers, meaning they can slip into just about any language with ease—and without a trace of accent.
what they look like

Sensoth-Sensoths are a large, fur-covered Votan race that prefers to live life in the slow lane. They share many characteristics of the old Earth sloth, tending to speak and act slowly. Possessing extreme long life (twice the average of other Votans), they are never in a rush to see anything done. Due to their strength, they are often used as heavy laborers by the other races, though their sinister appearance can often veil a kind soul. Sensoths range from well-muscled to gangly, but are always imposing.

Sensoths hail from of region of planet Irath known as the Great Tarnalin Forest. Slowly but surely, they established trade relations with the outside world. Eventually, Castithan raiding parties invaded their forest, taking many Sensoths back to their own homeworld to act as servants and soldiers in the Castithan army. To this day, many Sensoths can be found in the employ of wealthy Castithan families… a long, dark history from which the Sensoths have not been able to escape. Still, in later centuries, Sensoths began to view their employers (Castithan or not)as family, and protected them with equal passion. Some would call them gullible, while others appreciate their fierce loyalty.

Liberata-Liberata are short and stocky, famous for their gruff tempers and pettiness. They are looked down on by the other Votan races, and usually fulfill the roles of servants or other menial laborers. Liberata are small, with broad shoulders, thick necks, and wild tufts of hair.

The Liberata once held a seat of economic power that dwindled centuries before the Votan exodus to Earth. Their avarice was unbridled – business and profit were part of their nature and gave meaning to their lives. Ultimately, this greed led to the collapse of their society. Liberata families have spent years trying to make amends for the sins of their past... a past which has never truly been forgotten (if their general sarcasm is any indication). They’re a great hire for any employer, since they work remarkably hard no matter how menial the task. They take enormous pride in their work, sometimes to the point of overt arrogance.

Volge-The Volge are a warlike race, feared equally by humans and other Votans. They stand over eight feet tall and wear fearsome armor made from an alloy unique to their home planet of Omec. The Volge were intentionally left behind by the other races when the Votans left on their exodus to Earth. Their appearance during the Pale Wars was a surprise to everyone.

No one knows who smuggled the Volge aboard the Arks, or why, but they became an immediate threat to everyone.

After the Armistice, they retreated into underground caverns and have rarely been seen since.

Gulanee-The Gulanee are the most “alien” of all the Votan species. Though many believe they’re just big balls of light, this is far from the truth. They wear carefully crafted encapsulation suits that are difficult to build and maintain. A Gulanee outside of his encapsulation suit can’t survive for more than a few hours before his body dissipates.

The Gulanee are a mystery to everyone, including other Votans. In fact, the other races weren’t even aware of their existence until fairly recently. After the realization that their star system was doomed, the Indogenes sent an expedition to the planet Gula, looking for a suitable energy source to power their Ark fleet. There they discovered the Gulanee and tried to establish contact. The Gulanee formed a pact with the Votanis Collective, agreeing to harvest gulanite, a precious fuel source found on their planet, in exchange for allowing a portion of the Gulanee population to accompany the Arks to Earth. Most of their people stayed behind, confident they would somehow endure the destruction. With such a small contingent included aboard the Arks, it is a rare thing to encounter a Gulanee in the New Frontier.

Biomen-Biomen are the genetically engineered results of a top-secret project commissioned by the Earth Military Coalition in the year 2000 to combat a potential alien invasion. It took Earth’s scientists the better part of twenty years to perfect their lab-grown weapons of war. Biomen are tall and hugely muscled. They’re designed to kill and withstand massive amounts of punishment. They can have a variety of skin tones – both natural and unnatural – and possess eyes of vivid color. Every group of Biomen has a “batch name” based on the name of a U.S. president (Reagan, Carter, Woodrow, Barack) and individuals are branded with a unique serial number (Ulysses-537634).

The armistice between humans and Votans and the dissolution of the Earth Military Coalition effectively rendered Biomen obsolete. The Earth Republic has tried to integrate Biomen units into their security forces with mixed results. Many of them suffer from the same aggression they displayed during the war, and behave erratically when they’re not given something to destroy. For this reason, Biomen are stigmatized by both Votans and humans.

They’re not really considered to be a species of their own, as they are genetically engineered humans created to be used as tools. But they are different enough from the average human that most Biomen have trouble integrating with society. Many surviving Biomen want nothing more than to be perceived as normal...

Hellbugs-Hellbugs are a mutated form of a rather harmless insect species from the Votanis system. Samples of these creatures were brought aboard the Arks on the voyage to Earth. During the Arkfall disaster, their DNA rained down upon the planet, only to be reconstructed by the terraformers and twisted into a new and dangerous form of life. Hellbugs are vicious predators that live in large collectives, usually within underground caverns in the terraformed frontier.

Hellbugs come in a variety of shapes. The smallest are Skitterlings – baby Hellbugs that are nimble and deadly when attacking in swarms. Warriors, Archers, and Monarchs comprise the soldiers of the Hellbug army. At the top of the food chain is the Matron: a single momma Hellbug found in each nest who is the progenitor of the species. Rumors persist of an even larger form of Hellbug – the Hellion. If the stories are to be believed, Hellions are several stories tall and carry an army of smaller Hellbugs within their own bodies.

One might wonder why there hasn't been more of an effort to eradicate the entire species. The answer is simple: Hellbugs produce one of the most powerful forms of fuel on the planet. They ingest gulanite ore as a digestive aid, which is transformed inside their bodies and excreted. Hellbug shtako contains unrefined petrohol – the main fuel source for rollers and other vehicles in the new frontier.

and of course you can be human