The Garudans are a humanoid race that outwardly resemble a mix of cat, fox and human. They have long fur covering parts of their bodies, a foxlike tail and unusual three toed feet that look more like tripods. They are sleek, slender, and agile both in body and mind.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Garudan physiology, however, is their heightened mental awareness and their ability to enter a dream like state that appears to give the Garudans otherworldly insight and knowledge. And according to the aliens, they believe it even gives them glimpses of the future. Garudans are always partially in the Hin state, but can submerge themselves fully when the need arises, giving them nearly super-human capabilities.
The Garudans became involved with the war against the Invid when Zor tried to seed their world with the Invid Flower of Life. Zor hoped that whatever effects the atmosphere had on the Garudans was a sign that the Flower of Life could grow there. He hoped that the altered state of consciousness achieved by the Garudans had some link to Protoculture and the heighten state of awareness experienced by the Invid when they consumed the flower. He was wrong. He could get the flowers to grow and take root, and could artificially pollinate them (a secret he took to his grave), but the flowers were a mutated strain that could not be used to create Protoculture.
The Garudans are a brave, honest, loyal and deeply religious people, seeing their visions and abilities from the Hin as a spiritual experience. They are by nature peaceful, and prefer to avoid violence unless absolutely nessary. However, once a Garudan has determined that he or she must fight to protect their friends and loved ones, they are fierce, dedicated combatants.
Garuda is a planet that appears to be covered perpetually in mist, but in actuality it is draped in gases that are toxic to most other species. The planet is mostly flat and covered in marshes and bogs. Humans and other aliens cannot breathe the atmosphere safely without some kind of filter to keep out the natural gases and spores that make the Garudan atmosphere so unique. Every melee round (15 seconds) that a human or other air-breathing alien species breathes unfiltered Garudan air they must make a save vs gases (14 or better) or take 1D4 points of damage directly to hit points. A successful save means no damage. Roll again for every melee round of exposure.
Moreover, anyone who breathes the air may begin to experience euphoria, wandering off as the air continues to kill them, with no sense of where they are or the danger they face. However, a successful save vs. gases means that the person takes no damage (for that melee round) and there is a 10% cumulative chance for every successful save that they will enter the Hin. Once a non-Garudan enters the HIn, they no longer have to make a save to avoid damage until their duration in the Hin is over and then they suffer double the penalties of a normal Garudan and are again in danger of taking damage from the toxins in the air, (begin rolling again for each melee round).
Garudans, Slightly smaller than humans, the Garudans are dexterous, spiritual, quick and stealthy. They have a tribal society with no high technology. Their re-breathers were designed by the Robotech Masters, and sold to them at cutthroat prices when they wanted to explore other worlds. In combat they prefer stealth and subterfuge to striking their enemies directly. In their occasional battles against the Invid on their own world, their most successful tactic is destroying an Invid Hive airlock to let the native atmosphere filter inside to affect the Invid not inside mecha.
The Garudans are quick learners, curious about the universe around them, and fascinated by technology. Yet, they are content in the tribal ways of their people and resist any effort to modernize Garuda once the Invid are driven off. Besides the occasional weapon or high tech tool, they have little interest in bringing the high technology of the universe home, but they most certainly love to travel and see the wonders of worlds they dreamed existed.
The Hin
See the Path: The Garudan focus on his or her objective, and the direction they need to go will appear to glow brightly. It takes two melee actions of concentration, and the ability as long as they maintain their concentration. Provides the Garudan with Land Navigation of 75%.
Hin Combat: The Garudan calls on certain heroic ancestors by name, appearing to gain their fighting prowess. The Garudan receives and additional +1 on initiative, +1 to strike, parry and dodge; Hnd to hand Commando skill while in Hin combat.
Ghostwalking: The most powerful ability granted by submersion in the Hin, this ability appears to allow a Garudan to temporarily pass through solid object. But more like a miniature space fold, with the Garudan unsure of where he will emerge, which can lead to its own risk.
The Garudan activates this ability by walking up to the structure he wishes to enter and touches it, concentrating for one melee round. The Garudan is disoriented for a moment before appearing inside the structure. There is a 30% +5% per level chance the Garudan will appear precisely where he wanted to appear inside the structure or on the other side of the wall. A failed roll means that the Garudan was still in the structure, but appeared 1D4X 100 feet (between 30.4 m and 121.9m) off target. Regardless of whether the attempt was on target or not, the use of this ability takes the Garudan out of the Hin state and he suffers all of the usual penalties. This can be dangerous if he is attempting to penetrate an enemy stronghold, as he could find himself in the middle of an enemy garrison in a week state.
See Aura: While fully in the Hin, the Garudan can see an aura around everything. All things organic and inorganic, have an aura. This aura has many distinctions and indicates things to the Garudan normally invisible to the ordinary eye.
Seeing an aura indicates the following
Hidden Knowledge: While in the Hin state, the Garudan has a number of skills that are not available to them normally. The source of this knowledge is usually attributed to ancestral spirits who have taken a special interest in the Garudan. Each Garudan should choose three skills from the following list. Note: The Garudan has those three skills at 75% whenever he is fully in the Hin state. Out of the Hin state, the Garudan does not have access to the knowledge, even if he was just using the skill minutes ago.
Skills (select three)
Anthropology
Cryptography
Holistic Medicine
Intelligence
Lore: Invid
Lore: Master
Lore: Zentraedi
Military Tactics Philosophy
Penalties: When Garudans submerge their psyche into the Hin, they are not fully cognizant of that is going on around them in reality. They have very little ability to operate technology beyond handheld weapons. As a result the Garudan cannot access skills from the categories of Electrical, Mechanical, Pilot, or Pilot Related. The only skills they can access from the communication category are Barter, Cryptography, Language, Performance, Public Speaking and Sing.
Moreover, while in the Hin, the Garudan cannot read, operate computers or other technological devices. This is because they do not see the words from a book, just its aura. They cannot tell small details like rank pin or watch video from a screen. They also cannot see colors and everything is a sort of vague indistinct grey. They recognize individual s not from their facial features, but from their auras.
Coming out of the Hin leaves the Garudan slightly disorientated for 1D4 minutes. He or she is -2 to Perception rolls and Initiative, -1 Attack per melee and -10% on all skills. The Garudans cannot re-enter the Hin for at least 24 hours unless they are on their home world, in which case they can enter the Hin at will without the penalties of coming out of it.
Garudan R.C.C.
Alignment: Any, but most tend to be Principled (20%), Scrupulous (40%), Unprincipled (20%), and Anarchist (10%).
Attributes: I.Q.: 2D6 +6, M.E.: 2D6 +10, M.A.: 2D6 +6, P.S.: 2D6 +4, P.P.: 3D6 +10, P.E.: 3D6, P.B.: 3D6, Spd.: 1D4X10 +10
Hit Points: P.E. attribute number to start, +2D4 additional per level of experience, start at level one.
S.D.C.: 20, plus any from their O.C.C. of choice.
M.D.C.: By armor only.
Height: 4 feet +3D6 inches (1.2m 1.7m)
Weight: 80 +1D6X10 pounds (40.5 kg to 63 kg)
Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls, +2 on initiative, +1 to parry and dodge, +2 to roll with impact, +3 to Pull Punch, impervious to poisons and gases while wearing their rebreather, +2 save vs insanity, +2 to save vs magic.
Combat: All Garudans Possess Hand to Hand: Expert, regardless of O.C.C., but it improves to commando when in Hin combat.
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