Rigelians
AUTOPSY REPORT
SPECIMEN ID: RR-001 (Rigelian)
XENOBIOPATHOLOGIST: Dr. Ruperd Ream
DATE: 23/02/487 GST
EXTERNAL EXAMINATION:
The specimen measures 5'9" (175 cm) in length, with a mass of approximately 70 lbs (31.8 kg).
The body is elongated, with a lamprey-like mouth and two eyes set high on the head, retracted at the time of autopsy.
The skin is smooth, with a black and gold striped pattern, similar to the flag of the Rigelian warbands.
Spindly limbs, with a body mass-to-limb mass ratio comparable to a huntsman spider.
Bipedal, with thin arms terminating in a bundle of tentacles for manipulators.
INTERNAL EXAMINATION:
The specimen has a diffuse internal structure, with only three organ systems:
Endocrine system: composed of scattered glandular tissues, producing various hormones.
Reproductive system: a simple, tubular structure, with no visible gonads.
Vivibiological system (VBS): a complex network of tubes and canals, carrying a blood mixture and nanoplasts (functioning as brain cells).
The VBS is the primary system, responsible for most bodily functions, including movement, sensation, and cognition.
VIVIBIOLOGICAL SYSTEM (VBS) ANALYSIS:
The VBS is a unique, decentralized system, with no clear brain or central nervous system.
Nanoplasts, carried by the blood mixture, function as brain cells, relaying messages to each other as they flow through the tubes and canals.
The VBS is capable of variable rigidity, allowing the specimen to change its shape and stiffness in response to stimuli.
COMMUNICATION ORGAN ANALYSIS:
The glowing membrane in the mouth, used for communication, is still active post-mortem, flashing and pulsing with various colors and brightnesses.
The membrane's language function is not yet fully understood, but it is believed to be a complex system of chemical and bioluminescent signals.
CAUSE OF DEATH:
The specimen was killed by multiple laser wounds, inflicted during a defensive militia action.
Precise damage to the VBS and endocrine system, leading to interrupted bloodflow.
CONCLUSION:
This autopsy report provides a unique insight into the biology and physiology of the Rigelian species. Further study is necessary to fully understand their vivibiological system, communication methods, and behavior. The specimen's sale to this laboratory has provided a valuable opportunity for xenobiological research, and it is hoped that this knowledge will aid in future encounters with this species.
Vivibiological Bleeding
Rigelians' biology replaces their nervous system, muscular system, cardiovascular system, skeletal system, and digestive system and place all those eggs in a single basket. Their internal organs are a series of branching tubes with fluid chambers. Floating in what passes for 'plasma' is a black sludge consisting of their 'nerve cells,' blood cells, and large analogs of white blood cells or macrophages. This gives them certain advantages and disadvantages. They can 'learn' from a recently dead Rigelian by drinking its ichor, gaining some insight into its last moments. They functionally have the Hemophilia Disadvantage, but worse. For every 3 HP they lose to bleeding, they lose 1 IQ. If they lose 1/3 of their max HP to bleeding, they gain the Partial Amnesia Disadvantage. If they lose 3/4 of their max HP in bleeding they get the Total Amnesia Disadvantage.
Rigelian Weapons
Rigelian weapons are unpredictable for those who aren't used to them. They use a synthetic material not well understood by humans to launch 'sticky' positrons at a target while maintaining a high energy electron cloud in the chamber. The electron cloud creates a channel of ionized air that propagates from the chamber to the sticky positrons. When the channel reaches the target, the negative charge flows from the electron cloud to the positron cluster, creating a bright flash of electricity and a tremendous crack. This is essentially a lightning gun, less accurate than a Directed Hyperdense Electron Weapon but more powerful. Rigelian weapons aren't adapted for human hands with our measly ten rigid fingers, but a passable trigger assembly can be added to it to make it usably by humans.
BEAM WEAPONS (Rigelian) (DX-4, other Beam Weapons-2, or Guns (Any)-4)
| Native Species | Weapon | Damage | Acc | Range | Weight | RoF | Shots | ST | Bulk | Rcl | Cost | LC | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rigelian | Rigelian Sidearm | 5d burn sur | 0 | 40/80 | 2.2/0.5 | 1 | 180(3) | 4 | -2 | 1 | $1,800 | 2 | 1, 2, 3 |
| Rigelian | Rigelian Weapon | 8d burn sur | 1 | 160/470 | 3.7/1 | 3 | 360(3) | 4 | -4 | 1 | $3,900 | 1 | 1, 2, 3 |
[1] Weapon requires atmosphere to function. No effect in trace atmosphere or vacuum!
[2] Burn damage has the Surge damage modifier. As well, whether or not any damage penetrates, the target must make a HT roll at -4, plus half the DR on the location struck (due to the armor divisor). On a failure, the electrical shock stuns him. He may roll against HT every turn at the same penalty (but without the DR bonus) to recover.
[3] Smoke, fog, rain, cloud, etc. give the target additional DR equal to the visibility penalty. For instance, if rain gives a penalty of -1 per 100 yards, a Rigelian Sidarm firing through 2,000 yards of rain must penetrate an extra DR 20.
Rigelian melee weapons are also not adapted for use by humans. Unlike their electricity-throwers, they can be used (awkwardly) by humans. A human using a Rigelian weapon generally has to grip a bulb and let the blade or shaft stick out from between their fingers to get enough leverage to matter, which is an extremely inefficient way to swing a weapon. Unless they swap out the handle for a more human-friendly one, treat the human's ST as two less than their true score for all Rigelian melee weapons. Rigelian weapons are all serrated to cause maximum bleed damage.
AXE/MACE (DX-5, Flail-4, or Two-Handed Axe/Mace-3)
| Native Species | Weapon | Damage | Reach | Parry | Cost | Weight | ST | LC | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rigelian | Rigelian Axe | sw+2 cut* | 1 | 0U | $105 | 3 | 11 | 4 | *causes double bleed damage |
| Rigelian | Rigelian Pick | sw+1 imp | 1 | 0U | $110 | 2 | 10 | 4 | *causes double bleed damage |
BROADSWORD (DX-5, Force Sword-4, Rapier-4, Saber-4, Shortsword-2, or Two-Handed Sword-4)
| Native Species | Weapon | Damage | Reach | Parry | Cost | Weight | ST | LC | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rigelian | Rigelian Broadsword or | sw+1 cut* thr+1 cr | 1 | 0 | $810 | 3 | 10 | 4 | *causes double bleed damage |
| Rigelian | Rigelian Saber or | sw+1 cut* thr+1 imp* | 1 | 0 | $1,000 | 3 | 10 | 4 | *causes double bleed damage |
KNIFE (DX-4, Force Sword-3, Main-Gauche-3, or Shortsword-3)
| Native Species | Weapon | Damage | Reach | Parry | Cost | Weight | ST | LC | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rigelian | Rigelian Knife | sw+2 cut* | C, 1 C | -1 | $75 | 1 | 6 | 4 | *causes double bleed damage |
Rigelian Combat Armor
Rigelian Combat Armor is designed for a Rigelian body, and honestly isn't worth the trouble of adapting to the human form.
| Native Species | Armor | Location | DR | Cost | Weight | LC | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rigelian | Helmet | Skull | 12(4) | $250 | 7.5 | 4 | Spiked |
| Rigelian | Chestplate | Torso, Groin | 12(4) | $400 | 20 | 4 | Spiked |
| Rigelian | Bracers | Arms | 6(4) | $100 | 9 | 4 | Spiked |
| Rigelian | Greaves | Legs, Feet | 6(4) | $100 | 17 | 4 | Spiked |
Basic Information
Genetics and Reproduction
Growth Rate & Stages
Dietary Needs and Habits
Biological Cycle
Behaviour
Civilization and Culture
History
The Rigelian civilization began in ancient millennia around Rigel, when it was an O-type dwarf star in the main sequence of its life. They co-evolved alongside another sentient race. This co-evolution was necessary; their unique biology would have never allowed them to rise to sentience without another sentient race to prey upon.
Their civilizations existed, with what are now called Rigelians preying upon their co-sentients as raiders and murderers. They entered the space age in this manner, their victims unable to wipe out their opponents. The Rigelians followed their prey to colonies on moons and planets in their system, but then their star became greedy. It began to swell up into a supergiant. The process took millions of years, but its effects were undeniable. Ecological disasters escalated as their worlds slid out of the Goldilocks zone over time, and the Rigelians were able to survive even as their co-sapient species was driven towards extinction.
They began packing themselves into cryoships and launching populations into the stars, relying on AIs to find star systems with sapient prey. This project went on for several million years, and no species has gone to Rigel to check whether it has even stopped. The Reticulans have attempted to send probes, unwilling to risk their own people, but automated defenses at the edge of the system are still active even if the civilization is actually dead.
What this means in practical terms is that there are millions of years' worth of Rigelians wandering around the universe. They have plagued every known species, they board ships if they can, they raid colonies and outposts. Occasionally, a much larger ship with up to millions of Rigelians will show up somewhere and a real war with them will begin.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Rigelian ships don't report to each other. They don't have any means of communication with each other or their homeworld. They don't even really have much in the way of a 'plan.' Negotiating with them has proven useless. Therefore, humanity and most other sapient races treat them more as an infestation to be exterminated than an actual enemy. Their ships are blown up when detected, their warriors killed without quarter, and any land-based colony discovered is simply destroyed using whatever means are available that satisfy the proportionality and assuredness requirements due its size.
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