Vettir (Vet-teer)

The Vettir

The Vettir are a rather slender species of hominids that branched genetically from humans in another world and another age through gene modding. They were once spacefarers, referred to as Pathfinders, sporting pale skin, a wide mouth, and large, dark eyes well suited to life in deep space. Their nostrils and ears had recessed, and they had been altered genetically for better muscle gains in low-gravity environments. Their genes were edited for improved resilience against radiation, resulting in pale, opaque skin. All of this lends to an otherworldly, alien appearance. Their bodies were tuned to have high tolerance to extreme temperatures, and their minds were altered to allow for rapid cognizance and understanding of various technologies.
The Vettir did not initially call themselves 'Vettir', as it was a name granted to them by the Galstyr dwarves, referencing spirits of dwarven folklore. The Vettir established a trade language with the Galstyr fairly quickly, picking up on language patterns and consulting similar symbols and characters in their languages. Eventually, the Vettir largely chose to use the Galstyr dialect, while speaking their original language amongst themselves.
Upon arrival in Dunia, they quickly set to work to establish a safe haven for themselves. Using their scientific understanding of materials and workmanship, they developed powerful weapons that would safeguard them against threats from this new, alien world. It is believed that the Vettir came from the same plane of existence as the Drakaan. Most of the Vettir were mid-transit to another star system in a generation ship before an abrupt intersection of the planes occurred and took them to Dunia. Stranded, and with no way to return to the stars because of the damage dealt to their ship (and the nightmare scenario Kessler Syndrome), the Vettir sought to colonize where they had landed.
Species Features

Ethnicities

Vettir have slight regional differences amongst themselves. One, from the Reykol glacial region, are well suited to the extreme cold conditions and tend to be more isolated. The other, from the Verkoj coastal expanse, are more suited to social life.
Reykol-born Vettir (Reykovian)
The Reykol-born Vettir have adopted sort of an isolationist ascetic society in which they have taken a vow of silence (they still speak amongst themselves) and do not speak to outsiders with the exception of their diplomats. Their temples are guarded by some of the most highly trained monastic orders, where precious knowledge is recorded and stored for safekeeping.
Verkoj-born Vettir (Verkovian)
The Verkoj-born Vettir, in contrast to the Reykol-born Vettir, are much more sociable and interact with numerous outside peoples at their hub city. The Verkovians are often more inclined towards collaborating as a result of their outward sociability.

Adaptations

Prior to being pulled through the planar collision of the Cataclysm, the Pathfinder (Vettir) humans' genes were altered to allow their bodies to function better in microgravity and moderate gravity environments, as well as extreme conditions as space can create both extreme heat and extreme cold at the same time by virtue of it being a vacuum.
The first key modification that was needed was how CSF (Cerebrospinal Fluid) pressure would be distributed throughout the body. Modifications were made so that the body would self-regulate CSF distribution in microgravities so as to prevent pressure from being applied to the eyes, but still needed to redistribute while in normal gravity. The arterial pulse wave was modified so that it would apply lower pressure when in microgravities based on the inner ear's status. As a consequence, their eyes were also enlarged, with them occupying a larger portion of the skull.
The second key modification was to the hormones that regulate muscle growth and cellular production, to compensate for life in a microgravity, the muscles would need to maintain their density more consistently.
The third key modification was body temperature regulation and resistance to extreme temperatures, especially on extended spacewalks. Their bodies are capable of enlarging or constricting their veins to a greater degree and thermal transference can be increased or reduced thanks to modifications to their skin and estradiol and progesterone production for enhanced thermal regulation.
The fourth and probably most important modification was to resist radiation through immunity modifications and antioxidant production capabilities, through targeting genes with known functions in immunity or in the anti-tumor immune response or in immune phenotypes.
Lastly, the fifth modification to their bodies were the changes in ocular senses. Prioritizing low-light conditions for long periods of time in the event of power loss on a ship in transit, they were given enlarged pupil size maximums with a highly reflective membrane structure referred to as tapedum lucidum, commonly found in most nocturnal species. While they are sometimes referred to as Svartauga by the dwarves, referring to their near-black sclera, their irises often have vibrant tones. The overall enlarged eyelid width tapers towards the edges of the face and curves slightly, giving a rather alien appearance to their face.
An unintended side effect of long term space habitation was the significant reduction in melanin production, but their bodies' resistance to radiation and extreme temperatures also made their skin appear like a light cool gray. The genes that target hair color were largely unaffected, but most Vettir hair is either black or a pure white.
Since arriving on Dunia after the Cataclysm, the Vettir have made their clades in the cold polar regions of the planet, in Barid, and Kutib. As Pathfinders, they were originally well-suited to the environments in which they chose to settle and have remained largely physically unchanged. Culturally, however, they couldn't have changed more.

Culture

When they first arrived on Dunia, the generation ship was pulled into this plane of existence because of the Cataclysm and spiraled out of orbit into the polar region, and because of the unexpected change in trajectory, the ship crashed, killing roughly 40% of the inhabitants of the Ymir. It was the worst possible morning for many as the sun rose over the horizon to shine upon a burning hulk midst the rubble of a boreal forest. They were almost immediately met with hostility from the local wildlife and people. Security forces were scrambling to get the defensive systems online and prepare for combat. Medics were looking for any survivors from the crash. Engineers were trying to prevent a catastrophic meltdown. The situation was pure chaos. On the first night, feral creatures known as the Daedon attacked and claimed a few lives, dragging people off with them.
By the second night, the fires were put out and a defensive perimeter had been formed. Makeshift walls were set up from scavenged panels to blockade the interior.
Over time, the Vettir have developed a sort of techno-theocratic scholar society in which knowledge and the preservation of knowledge itself has become a sort of religion to the Vettir, without it having the traditions and dressings of any traditional organized religion. It is more of a philosophical foundation on which their morals and culture are based. This came to be as a result of the need to use knowledge for their very survival in such an inhospitable and alien landscape. This dogmatic approach to preservation of knowledge came to be over the course of at least two generations. Vettir are often agnostic or irreligious otherwise.
Vettir rapidly developed hunting techniques to aid them in obtaining food in the extreme conditions of Barid where steady supplies of greens and vegetables are not available. They quickly adapted their technology to enhance their ability to track and identify food sources. While on expeditions for resources, the Vettir often rely on their hunting to be able to sustain the expedition for protracted periods of time. They most often depart in pairs.
Their cooking primarily revolves around hearty, readily available foods such as meats, grains, root vegetables, berries, and mushrooms. To preserve their food, outside of refrigeration, they often use evaporated sea salt to season it, as there aren't many options as far as more exotic spices and ingredients except at their major settlements which act as food producers for the surrounding Vettir homesteads.

Architecture

A lot of the Vettir reside in cold regions where geothermal energy is the primary heat source, and as a result, their architecture is based on utilizing this natural resource. Most of the time, a central spire in a settlement will be the core heat storage system and power station. The geothermal energy operates a steam-powered turbine where the evaporated water condenses on its return cycle to be turned back into steam in a closed loop system. This powers most of the Vettir structures. Excess heat is stored in a giant 'Sand Battery' to be distributed to the dwellings via heat exchange systems. The settlement is arranged with hydroponic domes close to the center to reduce the amount of work the plumbing systems have to do to cycle water.
Most of the Vettir homes are fairly compact and well-insulated against the hostile, unforgiving climate. Typically, to ensure that heat is distributed efficiently and uniformly, a central stack inside the home is where the heat radiates from. Given that the heat pipes and electric wiring are typically underneath the settlement, it is practical to build on top of a connecting node. The outermost materials are typically ceramic, then an insulating layer is filled in with recycled fiberglass. To maximize efficiency and comfort, there are very few windows to the outside, where temperatures can drop well below -70 degrees Centigrade at night during the winter. Further in the interior continent the weather is even more extreme. In settlements where running water isn't feasible, they resort to boiling the water for drinking after cutting the ice from a nearby lake and rarely use it to bathe given the effort to obtain said water. The homes are typically shaped in such a way that air can efficiently circulate throughout the house.
For their defenses they primarily rely on automated weaponry for personnel and auditory/sensory deterrents. Large predatory mammals roam the boreal forests of Barid and can be quite dangerous to any settlement, so the defenses must be comprehensive in their ability to ward off threats.

Technology

The Vettir make use of electromagnetic forces to accelerate their weapon projectiles up to hypersonic speeds, where the sound of the weapon firing will reach its target after the projectile does. Because of the power needed for such weapons to be effective, they have adapted their dual-medium CNT capacitor banks from the crashed vessel from which they came. CNT capacitors are built from carbon nanotubes, grown in specialized laboratories. They have developed manufacturing processes for making it but it has to be done in a clean environment.
A good chunk of the technological prowess they have stems from the generationally shared knowledge and salvage of their vessel, a Titan Colony Ship which has become sort of a technological mecca to which they make their pilgrimage and exchange information for tools, weapons, or tech from their council, seated in the old Titan, Ymir. It is one of the few places where one can reliably seek out the Vettir and their knowledge. The ship has been converted into the core of a large Vettir settlement on the Verkovian coastline, with some of its original manufacturing facilities rebuilt or saved from ruin. This settlement was established after the Cataclysm, and as such, most of its facilities are still operational.
The Vettir make use of geothermal vents situated throughout Barid and Kutib to provide power and warmth to their settlements. With a constant supply of power and heating, they are fairly self-sustained.

Unique Vehicles

Frostwalker
A two-person, enclosed-cabin, quadrupedal robotic walker with survival equipment carried on the aft section, the Frostwalker is designed to traverse areas where tracked vehicles might not be able to move. Its legs are equipped with motorized, treaded feet and forelimb segments that allow it to quickly change its movement method when speed is a necessity. Otherwise, it can anchor itself in place. It is equipped with two integrated hardpoints that have modular ammunition feeds. It comes stock with IR sensor suites and smoke grenade launchers. Its cabin is heavily armored and does not have any exposed window slits, instead using advanced camera arrays.
Icecrawler
A multi-sectional, multiple-motor landship that rides on treads over the ice. The modules allow for extreme customization and adaptability of various situations, however the vehicle does not move quickly. Can carry snowrunners in one of its modules.
Snowrunner
A single or two-seater treaded vehicle with skis that curve upward to keep the vehicle above the snow. Often equipped with mounted weaponry that the driver can fire. The passenger typically can use handheld weapons. In areas where snow is not present, the skis can be swapped out for wheels, carried in a special cargo compartment under the seat.

Unique Weaponry

Auric Disruptor Gun
A directed energy weapon that deals force damage, the Auric Disruptor gun is capable of disintegrating body parts or materials. Effectively, it disrupts molecular bonds through application of electromagnetic force packets. The amount of energy required to disrupt large amounts of matter, say, the size of a human in a single volley, is more than can be put out by a man-portable weapon. The Auric Disruptor Gun is classified as an exotic and is extremely difficult to manufacture without prior knowledge. The weapon itself must have a stabilizing coherency field while it is active. On critical hits, roll to disintegrate a body part using a 1d6.
Auric Disruptor Handgun
A miniaturized version of the Auric Disruptor Gun, the Auric Disruptor Handgun is a revolver-style weapon that uses exotic materials to fire a disruptive beam using electromagnetic force packets. The weapon is capable of disintegrating body parts and objects that it hits. Critical hits with the weapon can completely amputate or disintegrate a limb or body part. To determine which part has been disintegrated, roll a 1d6 and use the table in the statblock to determine which part is disintegrated.
Chem-Cartridge Mag Launcher
A weapon that can magnetically launch explosive chemical cartridges further than the Tahir DL-80 dart rifle, utilizing a coilgun launch system. It utilizes Acidic, Chemfreeze, Gaseous Drug Dispersal, Incendiary, and Voltaic cartridges.
Coilgun Repeater
The Coilgun Repeater is more of a weapons platform than an individual weapon. There are various designs that have specific designations but they're all based on the same principle as the mag-driver weapons, albeit at lower velocities with a higher volume of fire. This weapon ignores armor and cover, and sacrifices overall damage as a result.
Ferrofluid Accelerator Weapon System 'Mag Lance'
Instead of accelerating a solid projectile with propellant or magnets, the FAWS, otherwise known as a Mag Lance utilizes a multi-stage acceleration system that delivers a stream of ferrofluids at high velocities in relatively short range. It creates a high density, high pressure stream of ferrofluids shaped by a magnetic projection field that functions like a hydraulic cutter. The magnetic forces generated by the weapon are strong enough to harden the ferrofluids into a lance sort of shape as the stream is pressurized. It is also capable of retrieving the ferrofluid after expulsion using a collection receptacle with a lower powered magnetic system. If a target is coated in the ferrofluids, it can rip the ferrofluids away with the receptacle.
Mag-Driver Rifle
The Mag-Driver Rifle uses Lorentz forces to electromagnetically accelerate a ferromagnetic projectile up to hypersonic speeds in a linear induction barrel. This weapon is capable of firing through cover, and fires at such a speed that it also ignores armor. It's a fearsome weapon but because of the shape of the projectile, it also doesn't inflict particularly large wounds, instead piercing a target. This weapon is capable of piercing full cover and up to 2 medium-sized targets, dealing reduced damage to the second target. The weapon uses compact CNT capacitors to reduce weight, but most of the mass is distributed along the barrel.
Mag-Driver Sniper
The Mag-Driver Sniper is a highly specialized perforator that, like the MD (Mag-Driver) Rifle, uses Lorentz forces to electromagnetically accelerate a ferromagnetic projectile. Like other MD weapons, the Mag-Driver Sniper ignores armor, cover, and is capable of piercing up to 3 medium-sized targets, dealing reduced damage to the second and 3rd target. This weapon receives +6 bonus damage against vehicles and vehicle components.
Heavy Rotary Coilgun
Typically mounted on vehicles, this coilgun uses three barrels to alleviate heat buildup in the capacitors and the barrels themselves, reducing wear and tear while firing for sustained periods of time. If an individual is strong enough, they can carry it. One of the exotic mods for the weapon applies a projected energy shield based on reverse-engineered Koleos tech, protecting the user while maintaining visibility.

Species Features

Age
Like their human ancestors, the Vettir do not live incredibly long lives, but can live close to 200 years thanks to their genetic tuning and modifications. A Vettir child will likely begin walking around the age of 1, utter their first words around the age of 2, start reading around the age of 5, and reach adulthood around the age of 20. They stop being able to bear offspring much later than humans though, at around 70-80 years. All of this is assuming they live in good health and with relative safety.
Size
Similar to humans, Vettir range from 5' to 7'
Speed
Vettir movespeed is 30 feet per turn
Languages
Vettir speak, read and write in common but can learn two additional languages.
Darkvision
Vettir are well-adjusted to dim lighting conditions thanks to genetic engineering. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light.
Resilient Physiology
Vettir are resistant to cold damage and take no exhaustion effects from extreme cold temperatures.
Lightfooted Hunters
Vettir are adept hunters and obscure their steps. As a Vettir, you do not leave easily-traced signs. Raise ability checks to track you to DC = 8 + Proficiency Bonus + Dexterity modifier. While wearing heavy and lighter armor, you do not have disadvantage on Stealth checks.
Ability Score Increase
In PF2E, Verkovian Vettir get a boost to intelligence and two free boosts
In D&D 5e, Verkovian Vettir get +1 to three different ability scores of the player's choosing, or +2 to one score and +1 to another score
In PF2E, Reykovian Vettir get a boost to dexterity and two free boosts
In D&D 5e, Reykovian Vettir get a +1 to three different ability scores of the player's choosing, or +2 to one score and +1 to another score

Ethnic-specific features

Verkovian Survival Training
Verkovians are proficient at Survival and are able to track their quarry for days, with advantage on Survival checks to track beasts, humanoids, and mutants.
At 3rd level, Verkovians learn the Full-Spectrum Facemask adventuring gear schematic.
At 5th level, Verkovians learn the Powered Survival Carapace armor mod schematic.
Reykovian Monastic Order of Knowledge
The Reykovian Vettir get a choice of proficiency in one of the followging: Investigation, History, or Religion checks.
At 3rd level, Reykovians learn the Snowrunner vehicle schematic.
At 5th level, Reykovians learn the Mag-Driver Rifle schematic.
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