Name: Vrekans (singular: Vrekan)
Also known as: Vrek, Vrekavok, Vakans.
Average Height: 240cm
Average Weight: 130kg
Basic Description: Vrekans are a tall, heavily armoured offshoot of the Panvok Base Type. They have avian features combined with standard Panvok traits. The plating on their head has evolved into a long, spiked, horn-like carapace, with their armour circling around their eyes and forming a hard beak around their mouths.
The rest of their body is similarly armoured. They have linked plating running down their backs and a much larger single piece of armour covering their chests. Unusually, rather than the standard groin armour most Panvok have, they have a bony ‘belt’ of armour and a hinged codpiece over their genitalia.
A Vrekan’s arms and legs are also heavily armoured, although only on the forearm and thigh. Their legs have incredibly long, clawed toes.
The forearms on a Vrekan are incredibly muscular and heavily armoured. Part of this armour hides a large blade that comes out from their forearms, above the wrist.
Vrekans have some feathers, mainly around the wrists, ankles and down their backs. Their back feathers are small and fluffy, used to preserve heat. The wrist and ankle feathers are used for decoration, mating and affection, with partners cleaning each others’ feathers.
Abilities and Powers: The most obvious ability of all Vrekans is the power to extend and contract the large blade inside their forearms. These blades are tipped with a toxin that’s unique to each Vrekan. These venoms are always non-lethal but can cause a wide amount of symptoms, from temporary blindness to paralysis.
While Vrekans may have a poor sense of smell, they have excellent eyesight, capable of tracking prey from over 500m away. Their eyesight is also incredibly good in the dark, being able to navigate even with the smallest of light sources.
Habitat: Despite having evolved in open plains, Vrekans can live in any environment. They prefer open spaces and have built their cities accordingly, building tall but spaced out skyscrapers with plenty of space for roads and pathways.
Diet: Vrekans are not fussy eaters, but their main sources of food are insects and seeds, often grown on the same farms. Grasshopper-like insects are by far the most popular type of insect, served with a mixture of rice and oats and topped with a sauce made from crushed beetles.
Vrekans living in coastal areas will also eat fish and squid, either chopped up small and served raw alongside rice or turned into a mushy paste and eaten alongside seaweed and fried grains.
Breeding: Vrekans are an egg-laying species, but unlike most Panvok races, they lay eggs with leathery shells that solidify after a couple of days, making them incredibly hard to pierce or break. They are very protective of their children, known as vekia (singular: veki), and will brutally murder any being that comes near their nest. Even in cities, a Vrekan couple will lock themselves in their home until their eggs have hatched, which normally takes 6 weeks.
When an egg hatches, the veki is small and underdeveloped, requiring protection as its armour hardens over the next two years. At the age of 6, vekia will go to their closest school and learn a basic education before learning a trade or career of their choice.
Vrekans grow somewhat slowly, reaching adulthood at the age of 19 and becoming sexually active at the age of 21.
The average Vrekan lives until the age of 75, but wealthy Vrekans can live for longer, being able to afford a more laid back lifestyle.
Hierarchies: Vrekan society is run by a King and his Ministers, the top generals of the Vrekan army, each specialising in a particular duty such as economics, interior defence or health. Kings are voted for every ten years via a general election, with candidates having ten debates on random subjects on the days coming up to election day.
Technologies: Vrekan technology is somewhat basic, only slightly more advanced than baseline human technology. While they are capable of building cities and settlements, they are reliant on Rethavok technologies to get themselves from planet to planet. Despite their not so advanced technology, Vrekans are experts when it comes to refining and forging metals, and their armour and blade-work is known across many a solar system.
Society: The majority of Vrekan society is torn between a strict military side and an open, kind-hearted socialist society. Vrekans will work hard to earn the respect of their peers, but they have many social safety nets to make sure that all Vrekans can life safely and happily. All Vrekans are trained soldiers, and those who are incapable of serving physically are given other jobs in the military and assist in other ways. Vrekans believe that no Vrekan should ever be left behind.
Religion: Organized religion is not tolerated within Vrekan society, as it is considered taboo, and has caused a great deal of suffering in the past. While anti-religious laws are not as strict in Vrekan territories as they are in allied Rethavok territories, any being who attempts to create a church will face hefty fines and will be cast out of society, for fear that any religion will bring about a collapse in Vrekan society.
Despite not liking official religions, many Vrekans pray and make offerings to the ‘big two’, the Allbirther and the Thantophor, believing that the Allbirther will give them good luck and that the Thantophor will protect them in battle and give them an honourable death.
Economy: Vrekan economy is based off of resource refinement and production. Because of their strength and durability, Vrekans are perfect for heavy duty jobs and factory work.