Umbral Born

"I struggle to understand them. Not their culture or sense of honour, you see, but what they're actually saying. They all sound like they are gargling a mouthful of gravel while smoking a dozen cigars at once, whilst having their larynx shredded with a chainsword. That was a messy night, took me ages to clean that chainsword, and my gravel will never be the same again."

— Quatermaster

Basic Information

Anatomy

Umbral Born are tall humanoids, with broad shoulders and fleshy, whip like tails.

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

Umbral Born males have typically narrow, almost triangular faces, while females have softer, more rounded features. Both genders have deep red eyes, pointed ears, and a pair of curled horns.

Civilization and Culture

Major Organizations

Umbral society is split in three.
First there are the Shadows, innumerable tribes of nomadic spacefaring tribes that wander the galaxy for purposes long forgotten.
Second are the Penumbral Houses, powerful families and clans engaged in a constant war of words, politics, and wealth with each other.
Third is the Darkstar Temple, religious cultists who hold enough political and military power to prevent any one House from gaining "too much" power.

History

The oldest surviving race in the galaxy, the Umbral Born are immigrants from Andromeda. The reasons for the migration and the true origins of the Umbral Born are completely lost to time. A nomadic people, the Umbral Born wandered from system to system, guided towards the Darkstar by the Prophet of the Darkstar Cult. Whilst in orbit of this astronomical anomaly, the Darkstar cult rose to power peacefully, but after a while dissidents emerged and in-fighting broke out. After a bloody civil war, the Darkstar cult emerged victorious, but without full control. The dissidents were banished, thousands of families taking their ancestral starships and left forever. Meanwhile, a number of powerful families claimed nearby planets and systems for their own, publicly remaining loyal to the ruling Darkstar cult but demanding local autonomy, a demand the Darkstar Cult generously agreed to.

Lifespan

Seemingly immortal to most, Umbral Born can live in excess of 1000 years.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Umbral Born have dark, ash coloured skin, and most sport crimson and gold tattoos announcing their tribe, clan or house allegiance.