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Quadron |
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Homeworld: |
Oracle (Lut'tnt'tinla), Sector 2 (HR4458A III) | |||
Ecology: |
Nitrogen-Oxygen-Water | |||
Biology: |
DNA I | |||
Languages: |
Native H’t’na dialects | |||
Human Contact: |
2215CE | |||
FTL Status: |
Imperial Assisted, 3150CE, native rediscovery 6055CE | |||
Current Status: |
Imperial Minor Race 2795, Major
Race 3528-68, 3856+ Various worlds have Interstellar status since 6055CE |
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Environment |
Ideal |
Tolerance |
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Atmosphere: |
.12B O2 | .08-.25B O2; CO2 < .03B | ||
Temperature: |
295K | 275-320K | ||
Gravity: |
0.62G | .2-1.1G | ||
Other: |
Humidity 25% | Humidity 02-99% | ||
The Quadron were the second intelligent species encountered by Humanity. Descended from a Gatebuilder invasive species, the Quadron are a quad-symmetrical race that developed on the world of Oracle, just over 30 light-years from Sol. The Quadrons became a Major Imperial race and have settled over two dozen worlds. The Quadrons are a clannish, militaristic race and Quadron raiders continue to plague the Northern Region.
The Quadron are upright quad-symmetrical beings, nearly three meters tall and massing 100-150kg. Their two meter tall bodies have a roughly conical cross-section, tapering from wide hips to a fixed blunt-topped head. This “head” is a concentration of sensory organs, including four bulbous eyes, which allow 360 degree vision, and four slit-like flexible multifunction maws that interchangeably serve ingestion, speech, olfactory and auditory roles. The Quadron body and limbs is covered with a segmented exoskeleton of interlocking plates, averaging twenty square centimeters in size. Four vertical ridges bisect the body at right angles, providing a semi-internal skeletal structure and anchors for the limbs. Four three-segmented arms extend from the midpoint of the body and end in four mutually opposable three-segmented digits. Four three-segmented legs extend from the outer base of the body, ending in splayed hoofed pads. The eyes and maws occupy the head area between the ridges.
Adolescent Quadrons are rose-colored; adult males are tan, and females are white. Outside environmental suits, Quadrons do not wear clothing other than sashes and ornaments attached by drill-holes in their scales. Hierarchy within Quadron society dictates certain scale piercings and ornamentation, though subtle distinctions are often obscure to other species.
Quadrons have two sexes, male and female, who serve distinct social functions within Quadron society. Female extrude two or three young 2kg grubs with twenty days of fertilization. These young soft-shelled blind and limbless beings are nourished in communal nurseries for twenty months, until they reach a size of 10kg and enter a chrysalis form, emerging after twelve to fourteen days as adolescence Quadrons. Adolescents are sexless beings identical in form to adult Quadron. The adolescents undergo communal education for about fifteen years, molting occasionally until they achieve adult size and sexual maturity. An additional two to four years of specialized training determines the adult caste and societal function of the individual. This caste role is related to aptitude and the society’s needs, not parentage. Sexual relations do not result in lasting bonds. Females come into heat every one hundred eighty days and typically become pregnant every third or fourth cycle. Birth control limits the potential for rapidly increasing population in advanced Quadron societies, but quick population increases are possible when Quadrons colonize a new area.
Current Quadron society has evolved from H’t’na Culture. This society consists of interrelated castes of workers, warriors, facilitators and entertainers. The ruling caste combines military and religion leadership roles, but has no influence in economic or technological matters. Quadron society remains stable over long periods, but xenophobia and cultural superiority are common hallmarks of most modern states, especially those that follow the faith of Jutialian (The Gatebuilder’s Return).
The natural Quadron life span is less than fifty standard years, but biological manipulation during the Imperial Era and subsequent nanomed treatments have increased this span to three hundred years in primitive societies and to over one thousand years in advanced societies. R egeneration treatments can extend the Quadron lifespan effectively indefinitely, but cultural considerations limit its use and the societal acceptance of dueling and ritual suicide limits average lifespan to less than seven hundred years, even on the most advanced worlds. Quadron societies are tolerant of genetic manipulations that enhance the fitness of the species and expand the range of habitats. During the late Imperial Era, Quadron Variants capable of low oxygen, methane and even vacuum adaptation were developed and some enclaves of these Variants persist to the present day. The Northern Culture, based on Taltgitarin is very tolerant of cybernetic enhancements and many Quadrons, especially those encountered on starship crews, are heavily cyborgized.
The Quadron evolved from Gatebuilder-imported omnivorous animals. After the destruction of Gatebuilder civilization around 19 million BC, the world of Oracle suffered ecological collapse, a period of massive volcanic eruptions and recurring ice ages. By 5.3 million BC, proto-Quadrons had evolved and spread to parts of Oracle’s major and minor continent. These beings developed a stone-age hunting culture, forming bands to attack and kill herd animals of native and evolved invasive species. The modern Quadron species evolved by 1.85 million BC and began to develop an urban civilization, based on animal domestication and some agriculture. Quadron civilization tended to be balkanized and unstable.
Before Human contact in 2215CE, the Quadron race had undergone fifteen distinct periods of civilization, often reaching the Industrial Age before collapsing under societal or ecological pressures. The earliest cycles of civilization exhausted most accessible fossil fuels and rare metal deposits, forcing later cycles to rely on bio-fuels and recycling of previous cultural ruins to sustain industrialization. Periods of civilization tended to last no more than fifteen thousand years and were typically followed by long millennia of primitive regression. During a series of ice ages between 800,000 and 300,000 BC, no civilizations emerged from the primitive Quadron tribes. Most civilizations were centered in southern regions of the main continent, stretching from the Tarkatoura (“Great Grinning Gorge”) to the Tourvto and Nard’tallka subcontinent regions. Early Human contact consisted of three expeditions between 2215 and 2225CE. The latter two expedition encountered hostile elements of the H’t’na culture in the Tarkatoura and led to a decision to quarantine the world. In the ensuing centuries the H’t’na and its successor states maintained an Industrial Age civilization that eventually encompassed the habitable regions of Oracle. At least two documented Libertine-sponsored pirate raids occurred in the 27th century prior to the official Imperial recontact in 2795.
The Quadrons entered the Empire of Humanity as a Minor Race in 2797CE, but relations with Humanity remained rocky, with occasional incidents of Quadron violence, including the murder and consumption Human victims souring relations. Once long-suspected Quadron relations to the Gatebuilders was confirmed in 3016, the Jutialian movement gained many adherents and a two-year rebellion began in 3018, quelled only by the Imperial threat of planetary destruction. In 3150CE, the Quadrons became the first Minor race to establish an interstellar colony, settling Kitza. After the establishment of a second colony and the discovery of the Chaagra, another Gatebuilder-derived race, the Quadrons began a campaign to achieve Major Race status, which was granted in 3528CE. Subsequent interference in Chaagra society led the Empire to revoke major status in 3568, but status was restored in 3856 in recognition of service during the Federation Wars. During the remainder of the Imperial period, the Quadrons continued to colonize more worlds, mostly in the Northern Region, but occasional piracy and illegal activities led to a continuing racial reputation of the Quadrons as an erratic and violent species.
The Quadron suffered with other races in the collapse of the Empire and the Mech Plague. In 6055CE, Quadrons on Oracle independently redeveloped macrojump drive, but the Terran Khalifate quickly imposed a quarantine on the system, preventing interstellar access until the 6315 Treaty of Oracle allowed access through League of Independent Races vessels. By the 66th century, Quadron worlds in the North Region, notably Taltgitarin, had independently acquired macrojump capability and occasional clashed with Khalifate and Merchant Guild expeditionary forces.
The Quadrons remain an independent interstellar race with an estimated population of over seventy billion individuals living on Oracle and twenty-five settled worlds scattered throughout old Imperial Space. Quadron raiding activity continues in the Northern Regions, despite Khalifate and Guild punitive raids on Taltgitarin.
The Quadrons have resisted efforts to join the League of Independent Races. Most consider themselves to be the inheritors of the Gatebuilder legacy and destined to rule the Galaxy.
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