Since the purpose of the Allskin caste is to be a living safeguard against the eradication of the species, it is natural that over time the identity of this caste came to be tied up with purity, lineage and tradition. In the early days of the Experiment there were some who were very disappointed not to be allowed to participate in the exciting developments that were underway. While the Biomade were developing ever more powerful psychic powers and the Mechifieds were being engineered into a remarkable skilled labor force, the Allskins remained as they had always been. The dissatisfaction this produced in some led to the realization that the protection of the Allskin caste would require affording them certain privileges in recompense for their nonparticipation.
In no time, the Allskin caste became an aristocratic class of landowners, bureaucrats and administrators. Allskin families developed a complex social network where lineage, honor, artistic taste and civility were the marks of a true Cheldrun. At the height of the Cheldrun civilization, before the Flight, the Allskins were wealthy beyond compare, living in lavish palaces with the finest frescoes and the most delicate plasterwork. They wore silk kimonos in their clan colors so everyone would know who they were. They commanded respect because they were nearly sacred in Cheldrun society. That was a time when no Allskin ever fought or risked their lives for anything. They had others to do that for them.
The long Flight changed all that. Although some Allskin families retain a shadow of their former glory, most Allskin families now are in some measure of poverty, though they strive not to show it on the outside. The Biomade and the Mechified feel that the Great Experiment is now over. Biological and mechanical auto-augmentation has been going on for countless centuries. There is no reason to fear a catastrophe. No reason to safeguard the species. Allskins are a relic of a backward time to them. Many Allskins abandoned their sacred status and joined one of the other castes, but some families still hold to the old ways and gravely shake their heads at the deterioration of their race. The vision of the First Minds is being corrupted, they would say.
With the disintegration of the social order and the disgrace of the Allskin caste only one distinction remained to them – and it is perhaps the only thing preserving this beleaguered group. Back when the Great Experiment was begun the First Minds programmed certain artifacts of war to activate only for an Allskin. These ancient relics of Cheldrun history are still in the possession of the remaining Allskins. Venerable families still maintain the towering Mecha, which can only be operated by Allskin pilots, along with long range rifles, armor and other paraphernalia of war. The disintegration of unity that happened shortly after the Cheldrun landed on the surface has meant that they’ve had no shortage of employment. Indeed, adapting their old codes of honor to warfare has resulted in a situation where conflicts between Cheldrun cities are often resolved through Mecha duels between champions from each side. Powerful cities run schools for Allskin Mecha pilots where internal competition is rife because only the deadliest pilots get to be named champion.
***
Players who wish to play an Allskin character should carefully reconstruct the character’s lineage and clan affiliation. Their wardrobe, speech and demeanor should carry a hint of the old-world feudal society of lordship. Ranks and titles are important to them. Allskins prize skill at the arts, writing, and etiquette as much or more than they value skill at arms or piloting ability. Consider playing an Allskin if you want to play a character with a code of honor.
Appearance: Allskins are the most human characters in the world. Unlike the Biomade their skin is imperfect, their faces aren't perfectly symmetrical, their teeth aren't perfectly straight. Unlike the Karians they have no animal traits. Unlike the Mechified they are not augmented in any way. They are plain, ordinary, people. They tend toward oriental in appearance, and fashion. Indeed, they wear ancient looking kimono's and ceremonial garments to indicate their sacred position - most of which is faded, torn and in poor repair. They give off an aire of faded glory.
Example Clans: Amethyst Swan, Crystal Nightingale, Jade Falcon, Opal Wren, Ruby Hawk
Example Family Names: Chinen, Higa, Hon’inbo, Inoue, Ishikawa, Kato, Kindaichi, Mukainakano, Nakata, Sakonju, Shimabukuro, Shoji
Example Attributes: Aura of Inspiration, Combat Technique, Companion, Extra Actions, Extra Defenses, Features (Appearance), Item, Organizational Ties
Example Skills: Cooking, Cultural Arts, Gaming, Intimidation, Linguistics, Performing Arts, Piloting, Seduction, Visual Arts, Writing
Allskin Technology & Equipment
As the old ways of the Cheldrun disintegrated and the unity of the species was shattered with their arrival on Karia the one thing which the Allskins managed to maintain as their exclusive privilege was access to the ancient technologies of the First Minds. From Mechas to high powered rifles to special military binoculars, the wonders of the old Cheldrun society are many. Only genetic structures matching the loyal families of Allskin will activate the equipment. The secret of cracking this security measure has been extremely well guarded and no Allskin would betray it for fear their people would lose their distinctiveness.
Example Rifle: The following rifle is a typical example of Allskin technology. These rifles are far superior to many other weapons and only usable by someone with Allskin DNA. Their range is exceptional (10km) and they pierce most armor, but they require reloading between each shot and it takes time to set up a shot. They are not therefore, useful in close combat. This rifle was created with the ‘Item’ attribute, level 2, costing 4 Character Points.
Allskin High Powered Rifle (Tenebrous 10k):
Weapon: 4 Variables: Accurate, Range 4, Penetrating 2, Only Allskin, Activation 2, Ammo 3 (1 shot),
Example Mecha: Though the other inherited possessions of the Allskin are remarkable, none of them compare to the Mecha. These powerful machines are 10-15’ tall humanoid battle-suits, which a pilot can enter and direct with devastating effect. They often include arrays of weapons and heavy armor. The pilot usually stands upright in a special compartment in the chest of the Mecha with arms and legs inserted into special sleeves so that their movements control the Mecha. As usual a genetic identity scan prevents anyone who is not an Allskin from piloting one of these machines. Allskins like to design them to look like ornate and terrifying warriors, often utilizing enormous melee weapons in duels as a strange carryover of ancient honor systems. One common remarkable feature of these Mecha is that they can be summoned using special talismans, meaning Mecha pilots can travel from place to place apparently unarmed, but beware…
The Mecha below is an 86 character point item.
Doragon
Doragon is stored as light in Kenji’s “Key Bracers” and can be summoned out.
Alternate Form: Incorporeal level 3 27CP
Insubstantial 5 (passes through water/paper/flesh/wood/rock)
Activation -4 (perform Kata for 1 full minute to summon)
Deplete -3 (30 energy – ONLY to summon, not to return)
Equipment -1 (Key Bracers)
Object -4 (only affects the mecha, not the pilot)
Armor level 20 (Armor Rating:40) 40CP
Jumping level 2 (10x normal distance) 4CP
Land Speed level 4 (60kph) 8CP
Melee Attack (sword) level 3 9CP
Melee Defense (sword) level 3 9CP
Ranged Attack (energy bow) level 2 6CP
Superstrength level 4 (up to 8 tonnes) 32CP
Weapon (Giant Runic Sword) level 7 14CP
Muscle (adds +4 to damage multiplier for superstrength)
Hands (requires 2 hands to use)
Weapon (Energy Bow) level 10 30CP
Penetrating 10 (ignore 30 Armor)
Hands (requires 2 hands to use)
Range 4 (10km)
Activation -2 (only to summon, not per shot)
Deplete -1 (10 energy per shot)
Awkward Size 1 (3m, 1200kg) -4CP
| Allskin attitudes towards…. | |
| Cheldrun | We are the people of the stars; mighty emperors once who have been reduced to this life in exile on a backwater planet by a horrible tragedy… |
| Allskins | Our cultural legacy is in a sad state, but it’s all we have… |
| Biomade | Honor and Respect cannot be developed in a lab… |
| Mechified | Hearty and Noble workers if a bit rough around the edges… |
| Karians | The people of this planet are strange and primitive, but they show signs of worth. We should treat them cautiously with respect… |
| Anakarix | Some of these talking lizards are very wise if you can get over their appearance… |
| Gogajin | Drunken fools, obsessed with machismo. Gogajin are generally too uncouth to bother talking to… |
| Jevumm | Violent and uncontrollable we must consider the tiger-folk unfit for participation in society… |
| Prill | Somehow these mysterious people are the most like the Cheldrun and yet the most different as well… |
| Vorax | A Vorax? I haven’t seen one in years. They’re either ridiculously reclusive or dead… |
| Zipsum | The friendliest of Karians and probably the most trustworthy, the Zipsum make good servants and messengers… |
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