Eorna

Eorna
Racial Characteristics
Average Size:	3 m tall
Average Mass:	?? kg
Average Lifespan:	?? years
Reproduction:	??
Body Temperature:	?? C
Ability Score Adjustments
Strength/Stamina:	+0
Dexterity/Reaction Speed:	+0
Intuition/Logic:	+0
Personality/Leadership:	+0
Movement Rates
Walking: (meters/turn)	15
Running: (meters/turn)	35
Hourly: (kilometers/hour)	10
Racial Abilities
Natural Hypnotism
Cold Insulation

The Eorna are a highly advanced race of fur-covered dinosauroids native to Volturnus.

Physical Description

The Eorna are a highly advanced race of sentient warm-blooded bipedal sauroid omnivores standing approximately three meters in height with a substantial tail used for balance while walking. They have well-developed arms with human-like hands suitable for fine manipulation. Native to the colder regions of Volturnus in the Zebulon system, Eorna are covered in insulating fur. Their oral language takes advantage of the structure of the Eorna's palate, which is significantly different from that of Humans, who find it difficult to emulate the sounds required.

The Eorna developed an advanced technological civilization, with technology based on mental control, which reinforces the natural abilities of the Eorna. These natural abilities manifest in an ability to "hypnotize" others.

Culture

The Eorna worship beauty. They believe that the purpose of life is to come to know true beauty, which can take many forms; it can be physical, moral, intellectual, historical, etc. Of course, the Eorna idea of beauty is not necessarily the same as that of Humans or other player character races.

The Eorna have no specialized priests or spiritual leaders. As a form of worship, the Eorna create magnificent sculptures of crystals and light, high technology items, great works of music, logical systems of thought, and other objects of beauty. To an Eorna, creative work is in itself a religious experience. Anything which tends to destroy life and beauty should be discouraged, or if necessary, totally eliminated.

The Eorna now see the Sathar as the ultimate enemy of all that the Eorna believe in. To meet the Sathar challenge, the Eorna have undertaken what they call the Great Mission. The Eorna long ago realized that their numbers were too few to survive as a race. The Eorna artificially interfered with evolution on Volturnus to produce the Eornic Races; the Edestekai, the Kurabanda, and the Ul-Mor. The Eorna hope one of these races will eventually achieve a high level of civilization, dedicated to beauty, but with sufficient technology and military skill to defend against, and eventually destroy the Sathar.

The Eorna are also responsible for the creation of the Mechanon "race".

The efforts of most surviving individual Eorna are given wholeheartedly to the Great Mission. The original survivors of the Sathar attack have undergone cryogenic sleep. Only 10 of the original survivors are awake at any given time. When one of these individuals dies, a sleeper is awakened to replace the dead Eorna. Forty-six individuals remain in cryogenic sleep. Those who are awake are aided in their efforts by the most capable of their descendants (many of whom have inbred genetic defects).

Until recently, the number of Eorna was so small that they no longer had a formal society. There were no social organizations other than the family. Eorna society thus evolved to maximize individual freedom of choice and minimize social control of the individual. Criminal behavior was handled by a computerized/robotic legal system. This system worked for the Eorna because they all shared the same basic goals and ideals (the Great Mission).

The Eorna legal system remains the one that was used before the Sathar attack which nearly destroyed their race. All laws have been codified and entered into special computers. Computers run the robot police and serve as ultimate judges in all civil and criminal cases. Eorna law recognizes that there may be extenuating circumstances involved in a criminal act. The system tries to evaluate a person's intentions and motives when considering guilt or innocence.

The usual punishment for serious violations is imprisonment in a mental hospital. In some cases convicted criminals may be required to provide some type of restitution to the victims of their crimes. Finally, Eorna law recognizes a special appeal based upon the criminal's value to society.

The prison and mental hospital systems have largely broken down. Some criminal or insane Eorna do exist and wander free in a few areas of the planet. The robot police frequently malfunction due to neglect.

Reactions to Player Characters

The Eorna will be impressed by any player character who shows an interest in beauty, and the Eorna are likely to discuss the finer points of beauty with these characters for hours. The Eorna will at first be wary about explaining the Great Mission to the player characters, but will eventually take the player characters into their confidence.

Any form of unnecessary violence, any destruction or vandalism of works of art or intellect, or any similar behavior on the part of a player character will cause an unfriendly reaction from the Eorna.

Regardless of a player character's behavior, all sane Eorna will recognize an obligation to provide food, water, and medical attention to any other intelligent creature, no matter how repulsive. Extremes of bad behavior may result in an Eorna calling the robotic police by means of the computers found in most Eorna dwellings and work places.

It is important that the referee eventually allow the player characters and the Eorna to become allies. Without such an alliance, there will be no hope of defeating the Sathar armada which is already en route to Volturnus.

The Rebirth

The Starspawn of Volturnus Eornic Ark

Following the Battle for Volturnus, an orbiting creche was found; the Starspawn of Volturnus; 50,000 cryogenically preserved fertilized Eorna eggs representing the unique DNA of 100,000 individual Eorna, enough to repopulate the race, supervise the evolution of the Eornic Races and continue The Great Mission.

Sources

• SF-01: Volturnus, Planet of Mystery
• The Frontiersman