FA+
Shop
The Rakthani
7 months ago
Posted a journal with this title before, but I've found myself revisiting this setting with the coming of the New Year and expanding on a lot of my ideas for it. So I've collected all of them and decided to post them here for anyone to peruse - let me know if any of this strikes anyone's fancy, and who knows? Perhaps 2025 will be the year of the Rakthani~
Star System – The Rakthani’s native system is small, consisting of three planets orbiting a binary star. The two stars are locked in close, slightly eccentric orbits, both having formed shortly after the Dark Ages of the universe ended and galaxies began to coalesce. The larger star is an orange K-type, with an estimated age approaching 10 billion years – the Rakthani have named it Ellara (lit. “mother” or “lifegiver”). The smaller star is a red dwarf, who age is thought to be near 5 billion years. The large discrepancy in the stars’ ages is the subject of many hypotheses, though sufficient data has not been found to prove any of them. The red dwarf has been named Jejel (lit. “son,” “young one.”)
The closest planet to the stars is a small, rocky world. Tidally locked to the pair due to its close proximity, it does not rotate on its axis, ensuring one side is permanently lit and one side permanently dark. Temperatures on the day side can approach 650 K, and fall to approximately 250 K on the night side. Few exploratory missions have been launched to the planet owing to its extreme hazards, as well as the lack of minerals or other products of interest either on its surface or below the first few miles of crust. This planet has been named Kosiri (lit. “fleet,” “quick”)
The third planet in the system is a massive gas giant with the name Radia (lit. “excited,” “bright”). The name comes from the unusual amount of neon gas present in the planet’s composition; combined with a high level of electrical activity from frequent storms in the atmosphere, brightly glowing orange streaks thousands of miles long are generally present at most times across Radia’s surface. Composed of mostly hydrogen and helium, the planet has been the subject of Rakthani mining ventures for the past one hundred years, and its orbiting stations carry a sizable portion of the Rakthani population.
The Rakthani homeworld is the second world from its suns. Named Dennarra (lit. “home,” “shelter”) by its people, the world is verdant and easily able to support life. Its surface is approximately 60% water, making it slightly more arid than most habitable worlds, with its landmass mostly spread across three large “primary” continents and two smaller, “secondary” continents. Both suns are visible in its sky during the day. The planet three moons, and consists of a variety of environments, from tundras and permafrost surrounding the poles to equatorial jungles and deserts. Planetary population stands at just around 9 billion, with a further 1-2 spread amongst the stations of Radia or posted to space vessels and other way stations.
Species – The Rakthani (lit. “folk”, “people”) are an engineered species. Originally there was no sentient life on the planet, only various orders of mustelids, rodents, and smaller populations of assorted other genera. An unknown precursor race visited the planet, but in lieu of colonizing, constructed vast machines across the three primary continents. Some have been lost to time or mechanical failure, but the majority still remain, with Rakthani scientists estimating up to 80% of these ancient devices still functioning. The machines’ primary purpose is to uplift any feral, non-sentient animal placed inside into a sapient lifeform. While there are exceptions, in most case this results in the animal assuming a bipedal form along with higher-order thinking and intelligence.
The precursor race uplifted the first generation of Rakthani and taught them the use of the machines to make more of their kind. Records from that time are unspecific as to when, why, or even how the precursor race left, but what is clear is that at some point they did – or vanished, or were taken. In any case, the Rakthani were left to their own devices, and a culture slowly emerged as each generation refined the techniques to uplift and teach the next. The Rakthani have no knowledge of the inner workings of the machine, and cannot repair them if major malfunctions take them offline.
Mustelids are the most common species of Rakthani, comprising some 60% of the population. Rodents are the next most common species, making up another 20%, with the remainder being spread between avians, aquatic mammals, and small populations of lizards and carnivorous mammals, such as big cats or bears. The reason for such an eclectic mix of species on one planet is unexplained, though some Rakthani scientists suspect that the precursor race may not have been responsible simply for uplifting them, but seeding them as well.
The Rakthani are a technologically advanced society, achieving spaceflight 200 years ago and FTL travel seventy-five years later. Their first efforts at colonization led to the orbiting stations and mining operations of Radia, and while other efforts continue to this day, they have been significantly scaled back due to governmental and societal factors.
Rakthani society is stratified, with most individuals being divided into two discrete categories – Uplifted, and Natural-born. Uplifted are those who were granted sentience through use of the precursors’ machines, while Natural-born Rakthani were born through procreation. The Uplifted believe themselves to be superior to the Natural-born, and this is reflected in society, with Natural-born Rakthani being relegated to second-class citizens in most areas of life. Natural-born Rakthani have smaller representation in government, which has been dominated by the Uplifted since the current form of government was instituted.
Technically, the Rakthani government is a representative republic, but in practice it functions more as a one-party state. The Uplifted have guaranteed themselves majority representation in all of the most important districts through manipulation, gerrymandering, voter apathy and playing on the populace’s fear. Those in power tend to be reactionary, isolationist, and xenophobic – as a result, Rakthani space travel has been stunted, with the government preferring to stay close to home.
The Rakthani do not keep a large space force, in keeping with the government’s isolationist leaning. Rather, space defense and commerce are largely farmed out to a large network of privateers, private ships that can obtain a contract allowing them to operate under the Rakthani flag. Treated as auxiliaries to the small proper fleet, these ships have vast latitude due to the government being largely uninterested in galactic affairs. Rakthani privateering is seen as a lucrative opportunity in those corners of the galaxy that have heard of it, and each year many eager individuals flock into the system for contracts.
The Rakthani Union (the formal name of the government) has an open charter, which means in theory any planet that so wishes can apply for membership. In practice, the government often does all it can to discourage potential members from joining, wishing to be left to its own devices. Since the Union has spread into space, only two other members have joined it. The first is Tyvaris, a mostly oceanic world comprised mostly of island landmasses. Even newer to the galactic scene than the Rakthani, having achieved FTL travel a mere twenty years ago, they saw joining up with an established power as an irresistible defensive opportunity and could not be dissuaded.
The only other member world is Kannalia, a temperate garden world populated mostly by canine species. It was a colony of the Sirian Empire, a nation whose internal politics exploded into civil war some forty years ago. With the core of the Empire occupied fighting itself, Kannalia was cut off from the resources it needed to survive. Rich in minerals, it used that leverage to gain admittance to the Rakthani Union, offering its material wealth in exchange for mutual defense.
RFA Repulse
Rakthani Fleet Auxiliary Repulse is an Adjutant-class light cruiser, and a privateer vessel under contract to the Rakthani government. Commanded by Captain Kira Severn, Repulse has been privateering for five years and has accrued a respectable record of salvage and victorious engagements. The captain is formerly of the regular Rakthani navy, and runs her ship with a military bearing.
Armament of Repulse includes four forward-facing heavy laser cannons, with an additional two mounted in the rear. The ship also carried six banks of Interceptor-class missiles, as well as two magnetic grapples.
Notable personnel include:
Captain – Kira Severn. Possum. Female. Stocky, well-muscled, C-cup bust. Gray-white fur, short, messy black hair, red eyes. Former Rakthani military. Turned to privateering after discharge under questionable circumstances. Runs a tight ship but knows the effectiveness of loosening rules and regulations when necessary. Natural-born.
Executive Officer – Cassandra Allante. Sable. Female. Lithe and agile, subtly muscled, A-cup bust. Brown-black fur, long, straight black hair with hot pink tips, pink eyes. Uplifted. Fun-loving and mischievous, provides excellent counterbalance to taciturn Captain. Became a privateer due to love of adventure and danger; however, she forms close bonds with those under her care and takes their safety more seriously than even her own. Will not hesitate to sacrifice anything and everything to ensure the crew comes to no harm.
Chief Engineer – Lilah Madrigal. Squirrel. Female. Short, compact, always vibrating with energy. A-cup bust. Russet-golden fur, long, wavy chestnut hair, honey-brown eyes. Uplifted. Tinkerer and mechanic, interest in machines born along with her from the Ancient Machines used to grant her sentience. Grew disillusioned with possibilities of planetbound research after every request to study the inner workings of the Machines were denied. Signed up for space travel and fell in with the privateering crowd after an interesting run-in at Space Station Jinniya.
Navigator – Estuary Blossom. Otter. Female. Swimmer’s build, very tall and agile. B-cup bust. Brown fur lightening to cream on belly, breasts, paws/footpaws, short blonde hair, green eyes. Natural-born. Gifted athlete and champion swimmer, but political views inconvenient for ruling Rakthani class – pushes for true equality between natural-born and uplifted. Opportunities dwindled until, frustrated, she abandoned the athletic teams and went into space, figuring prejudice would be lesser. Found her way onto Repulse after drunkenly entering, and winning, a shuttle-navigation contest involving Flight School cadets, and catching Kira’s attention on her way out of the military.
Tactical Officer – Rowan Pierce. Honey badger. Deceptively small build with dense musculature, C-cup bust verging on D-cup. Black-gray striped fur, straight, clipped white hair, orange eyes. Natural-born. Former elite bodyguard for members of the high political class, expertly trained in an impressive array of weaponry and unarmed combat styles. Principal protectee, along with several other high-ranking politicians and important members of their entourage, killed in a suicide bombing. Blame for the event fell squarely on her shoulders, and she was summarily ejected from the Guard Corps and put on trial. Avoided incarceration due to insufficient proof of failure to do her job and sloppy prosecution, but was effectively an exile. Retreated into space to start anew and found her way to privateering.
Chief Medical Officer – Malachi Black. Jackal. Male. Thin and slight, physique more built for research and studying than physical confrontation. Excellent marksman. Ebony fur with gold/white highlights, medium-length vermillion hair, yellow eyes. Shy and withdrawn, from the recently acquired colony world of Kannalia, home to mostly canine species. Studied medicine from a young age; signed on with the first deep-space ship willing to take him due to eagerness for new patients and new experiences.
Communications – Faith Greenwood. Mouse. Small and furtive, slim build, A-cup bust verging on B-cup. Snow-white fur with green accents (base of tail, breasts, belly, rings around wrists/ankles), long golden hair, purple eyes. Uplifted. Recent xenolinguistics and communications graduate from the prestigious College of Grimmalk. Applied for privateering license but was not approved due to various physical reasons – bodily weakness, tendency to illness, poor eyesight. Snuck off-planet anyways and hitched a ride to a known privateer staging ground, the Cellana Shipyards. Begged, borrowed, and stole her way onto Repulse – and into a meeting with her Captain…
Political Officer – Mila Roth. Civet. Tall, bristling with subtle muscle. A-cup bust. Snow-white fur with light golden bands. Long black hair. Intelligent golden eyes. Societal status unknown. Agent of the Rakthani government posted aboard Repulse to ensure that the ship and crew abide by the laws and regulations of the Rakthani. Generally accepted as a token position, as the government is, as a rule, less than interested in the goings-on in space than planetside. Official point of contact between the crew and the government, but makes herself useful in other ways aboard ship.
Star System – The Rakthani’s native system is small, consisting of three planets orbiting a binary star. The two stars are locked in close, slightly eccentric orbits, both having formed shortly after the Dark Ages of the universe ended and galaxies began to coalesce. The larger star is an orange K-type, with an estimated age approaching 10 billion years – the Rakthani have named it Ellara (lit. “mother” or “lifegiver”). The smaller star is a red dwarf, who age is thought to be near 5 billion years. The large discrepancy in the stars’ ages is the subject of many hypotheses, though sufficient data has not been found to prove any of them. The red dwarf has been named Jejel (lit. “son,” “young one.”)
The closest planet to the stars is a small, rocky world. Tidally locked to the pair due to its close proximity, it does not rotate on its axis, ensuring one side is permanently lit and one side permanently dark. Temperatures on the day side can approach 650 K, and fall to approximately 250 K on the night side. Few exploratory missions have been launched to the planet owing to its extreme hazards, as well as the lack of minerals or other products of interest either on its surface or below the first few miles of crust. This planet has been named Kosiri (lit. “fleet,” “quick”)
The third planet in the system is a massive gas giant with the name Radia (lit. “excited,” “bright”). The name comes from the unusual amount of neon gas present in the planet’s composition; combined with a high level of electrical activity from frequent storms in the atmosphere, brightly glowing orange streaks thousands of miles long are generally present at most times across Radia’s surface. Composed of mostly hydrogen and helium, the planet has been the subject of Rakthani mining ventures for the past one hundred years, and its orbiting stations carry a sizable portion of the Rakthani population.
The Rakthani homeworld is the second world from its suns. Named Dennarra (lit. “home,” “shelter”) by its people, the world is verdant and easily able to support life. Its surface is approximately 60% water, making it slightly more arid than most habitable worlds, with its landmass mostly spread across three large “primary” continents and two smaller, “secondary” continents. Both suns are visible in its sky during the day. The planet three moons, and consists of a variety of environments, from tundras and permafrost surrounding the poles to equatorial jungles and deserts. Planetary population stands at just around 9 billion, with a further 1-2 spread amongst the stations of Radia or posted to space vessels and other way stations.
Species – The Rakthani (lit. “folk”, “people”) are an engineered species. Originally there was no sentient life on the planet, only various orders of mustelids, rodents, and smaller populations of assorted other genera. An unknown precursor race visited the planet, but in lieu of colonizing, constructed vast machines across the three primary continents. Some have been lost to time or mechanical failure, but the majority still remain, with Rakthani scientists estimating up to 80% of these ancient devices still functioning. The machines’ primary purpose is to uplift any feral, non-sentient animal placed inside into a sapient lifeform. While there are exceptions, in most case this results in the animal assuming a bipedal form along with higher-order thinking and intelligence.
The precursor race uplifted the first generation of Rakthani and taught them the use of the machines to make more of their kind. Records from that time are unspecific as to when, why, or even how the precursor race left, but what is clear is that at some point they did – or vanished, or were taken. In any case, the Rakthani were left to their own devices, and a culture slowly emerged as each generation refined the techniques to uplift and teach the next. The Rakthani have no knowledge of the inner workings of the machine, and cannot repair them if major malfunctions take them offline.
Mustelids are the most common species of Rakthani, comprising some 60% of the population. Rodents are the next most common species, making up another 20%, with the remainder being spread between avians, aquatic mammals, and small populations of lizards and carnivorous mammals, such as big cats or bears. The reason for such an eclectic mix of species on one planet is unexplained, though some Rakthani scientists suspect that the precursor race may not have been responsible simply for uplifting them, but seeding them as well.
The Rakthani are a technologically advanced society, achieving spaceflight 200 years ago and FTL travel seventy-five years later. Their first efforts at colonization led to the orbiting stations and mining operations of Radia, and while other efforts continue to this day, they have been significantly scaled back due to governmental and societal factors.
Rakthani society is stratified, with most individuals being divided into two discrete categories – Uplifted, and Natural-born. Uplifted are those who were granted sentience through use of the precursors’ machines, while Natural-born Rakthani were born through procreation. The Uplifted believe themselves to be superior to the Natural-born, and this is reflected in society, with Natural-born Rakthani being relegated to second-class citizens in most areas of life. Natural-born Rakthani have smaller representation in government, which has been dominated by the Uplifted since the current form of government was instituted.
Technically, the Rakthani government is a representative republic, but in practice it functions more as a one-party state. The Uplifted have guaranteed themselves majority representation in all of the most important districts through manipulation, gerrymandering, voter apathy and playing on the populace’s fear. Those in power tend to be reactionary, isolationist, and xenophobic – as a result, Rakthani space travel has been stunted, with the government preferring to stay close to home.
The Rakthani do not keep a large space force, in keeping with the government’s isolationist leaning. Rather, space defense and commerce are largely farmed out to a large network of privateers, private ships that can obtain a contract allowing them to operate under the Rakthani flag. Treated as auxiliaries to the small proper fleet, these ships have vast latitude due to the government being largely uninterested in galactic affairs. Rakthani privateering is seen as a lucrative opportunity in those corners of the galaxy that have heard of it, and each year many eager individuals flock into the system for contracts.
The Rakthani Union (the formal name of the government) has an open charter, which means in theory any planet that so wishes can apply for membership. In practice, the government often does all it can to discourage potential members from joining, wishing to be left to its own devices. Since the Union has spread into space, only two other members have joined it. The first is Tyvaris, a mostly oceanic world comprised mostly of island landmasses. Even newer to the galactic scene than the Rakthani, having achieved FTL travel a mere twenty years ago, they saw joining up with an established power as an irresistible defensive opportunity and could not be dissuaded.
The only other member world is Kannalia, a temperate garden world populated mostly by canine species. It was a colony of the Sirian Empire, a nation whose internal politics exploded into civil war some forty years ago. With the core of the Empire occupied fighting itself, Kannalia was cut off from the resources it needed to survive. Rich in minerals, it used that leverage to gain admittance to the Rakthani Union, offering its material wealth in exchange for mutual defense.
RFA Repulse
Rakthani Fleet Auxiliary Repulse is an Adjutant-class light cruiser, and a privateer vessel under contract to the Rakthani government. Commanded by Captain Kira Severn, Repulse has been privateering for five years and has accrued a respectable record of salvage and victorious engagements. The captain is formerly of the regular Rakthani navy, and runs her ship with a military bearing.
Armament of Repulse includes four forward-facing heavy laser cannons, with an additional two mounted in the rear. The ship also carried six banks of Interceptor-class missiles, as well as two magnetic grapples.
Notable personnel include:
Captain – Kira Severn. Possum. Female. Stocky, well-muscled, C-cup bust. Gray-white fur, short, messy black hair, red eyes. Former Rakthani military. Turned to privateering after discharge under questionable circumstances. Runs a tight ship but knows the effectiveness of loosening rules and regulations when necessary. Natural-born.
Executive Officer – Cassandra Allante. Sable. Female. Lithe and agile, subtly muscled, A-cup bust. Brown-black fur, long, straight black hair with hot pink tips, pink eyes. Uplifted. Fun-loving and mischievous, provides excellent counterbalance to taciturn Captain. Became a privateer due to love of adventure and danger; however, she forms close bonds with those under her care and takes their safety more seriously than even her own. Will not hesitate to sacrifice anything and everything to ensure the crew comes to no harm.
Chief Engineer – Lilah Madrigal. Squirrel. Female. Short, compact, always vibrating with energy. A-cup bust. Russet-golden fur, long, wavy chestnut hair, honey-brown eyes. Uplifted. Tinkerer and mechanic, interest in machines born along with her from the Ancient Machines used to grant her sentience. Grew disillusioned with possibilities of planetbound research after every request to study the inner workings of the Machines were denied. Signed up for space travel and fell in with the privateering crowd after an interesting run-in at Space Station Jinniya.
Navigator – Estuary Blossom. Otter. Female. Swimmer’s build, very tall and agile. B-cup bust. Brown fur lightening to cream on belly, breasts, paws/footpaws, short blonde hair, green eyes. Natural-born. Gifted athlete and champion swimmer, but political views inconvenient for ruling Rakthani class – pushes for true equality between natural-born and uplifted. Opportunities dwindled until, frustrated, she abandoned the athletic teams and went into space, figuring prejudice would be lesser. Found her way onto Repulse after drunkenly entering, and winning, a shuttle-navigation contest involving Flight School cadets, and catching Kira’s attention on her way out of the military.
Tactical Officer – Rowan Pierce. Honey badger. Deceptively small build with dense musculature, C-cup bust verging on D-cup. Black-gray striped fur, straight, clipped white hair, orange eyes. Natural-born. Former elite bodyguard for members of the high political class, expertly trained in an impressive array of weaponry and unarmed combat styles. Principal protectee, along with several other high-ranking politicians and important members of their entourage, killed in a suicide bombing. Blame for the event fell squarely on her shoulders, and she was summarily ejected from the Guard Corps and put on trial. Avoided incarceration due to insufficient proof of failure to do her job and sloppy prosecution, but was effectively an exile. Retreated into space to start anew and found her way to privateering.
Chief Medical Officer – Malachi Black. Jackal. Male. Thin and slight, physique more built for research and studying than physical confrontation. Excellent marksman. Ebony fur with gold/white highlights, medium-length vermillion hair, yellow eyes. Shy and withdrawn, from the recently acquired colony world of Kannalia, home to mostly canine species. Studied medicine from a young age; signed on with the first deep-space ship willing to take him due to eagerness for new patients and new experiences.
Communications – Faith Greenwood. Mouse. Small and furtive, slim build, A-cup bust verging on B-cup. Snow-white fur with green accents (base of tail, breasts, belly, rings around wrists/ankles), long golden hair, purple eyes. Uplifted. Recent xenolinguistics and communications graduate from the prestigious College of Grimmalk. Applied for privateering license but was not approved due to various physical reasons – bodily weakness, tendency to illness, poor eyesight. Snuck off-planet anyways and hitched a ride to a known privateer staging ground, the Cellana Shipyards. Begged, borrowed, and stole her way onto Repulse – and into a meeting with her Captain…
Political Officer – Mila Roth. Civet. Tall, bristling with subtle muscle. A-cup bust. Snow-white fur with light golden bands. Long black hair. Intelligent golden eyes. Societal status unknown. Agent of the Rakthani government posted aboard Repulse to ensure that the ship and crew abide by the laws and regulations of the Rakthani. Generally accepted as a token position, as the government is, as a rule, less than interested in the goings-on in space than planetside. Official point of contact between the crew and the government, but makes herself useful in other ways aboard ship.
Tiernan
~uenkitsune
Now this has some rich possibilities for some Space Opera fun.
