Dran

Laser blasts dissipated against Scia's shield as he sheltered his brothers' retreat. Two of them lugged the barrel of hydrogen they had just stolen, desperately trying to reach the airlock without spilling their precious cargo. A third brother stood just behind him, nervously fumbling with a stun pistol. Every few steps he would fire off a bolt which would stab harmlessly into the walls. Scia couldn't remember his name. He was a new brother. Sister Lerrem had invited him.
As the four pirates rounded a corner, Scia saw Sister Twven waiting for them, standing out against the dark metal hallways with her bright red and blue cloak. She rushed forward to help load the barrel onto their ship. The humans rounded the corner, shouting slurs and firing off rounds. The five Dran filed into their vessel, slamming closed the airlock door just as the humans reached it. A moment later, their escape was complete as they started back towards the city-ship. The new brother grasped one of his family charms, a silent prayer to the ancestors.
Scia was content with the mission. They hadn't had to kill a single human. Maybe their pockets would be a little lighter this week, but that was better than the alternatives. As they returned to the city-ship he followed his siblings towards the engine room to deliver their goods. The ship was prospering lately. it was a good time to be a Dran.

They seemed nice, for a bunch of no-good thieving xenos.

— Captain DeBreu, of the SBS Nomad

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Dran are a race of flightless avian humanoids. Their bodies are mostly covered in a tough leathery skin, although they do have feathers on their faces, necks, and backs. Their feet are large and clawed, and their hands end in small pointed talons. Their faces have eyes and a forehead which look similar to a human's, but the bottom half of their face is covered with a large beak which lies flat across the face.

Ecology and Habitats

Although the Dran were originally terrestrial creatures, they now are rarely seen planetside. Following The Collapse, they reemerged in the Hyades Cluster as a nomadic race, living aboard giant city-ships. These ships are typically accompanied by three or four raiding ships, used for stealing goods from other ships. Although most Dran fleets do find ways to grow food, most use piracy to take resources they need, mainly targeting things like fuel, weapons, and raw materials.

Civilization and Culture

Culture and Cultural Heritage

A large part of Dran culture is focused around the creation family groups. To Dran, creating a family has nothing to do with blood relationships, although young Dran usually stay within the family one of their parents until they form their own. Dran families are groups of individuals who chose to live together due to bonds of trust formed between the members. For this reason, many families consist of members with aligning political or social beliefs, or who have shared bonding experience together, such as warriors who fight together. Dran believe that the bonds that are formed during one's life with the people they met are far more valuable than the bonds one has with a person simply because of who they happen to be born to.
Because families members are so similar in beliefs and practices, and can include anywhere from ten to a hundred members, most Dran city-ships operate under the control of a council consisting of a member from each family on the ship. It is not uncommon for certain families to build or purchase smaller ships to live on, forming a fleet of small living vessels around the main city-ship, which houses communal areas such as vendors, entertainment, and political meeting places.
Dran families also serve a religious role in society, as the majority of Dran families practice a form of ancestor worship, in which they pay homage to the most revered members of their families who have since died. Dran believe in a spirit world from which their ancestors can grant them strength and good fortune.

History

Many years before humanity arrived in the Hyades Cluster, the Dran were an imperialistic and powerful race. One of the first sapient species to evolve in the Hyades Cluster, they were among the first to reach the stars and discover the secrets of Faster Than Light Travel. Their empire stretched across the entire northern quadrant of Known Space and even beyond, into regions yet unexplored by humanity. For centuries this empire stood alone, far more technologically advanced than any other race in Hyades, and the Dran were allowed to grow and thrive undisturbed.
While the Dran did remain the most powerful race in Known Space for a long time, eventually other species began making their way into the stars. While the Dran were willing to coexist with most of these races, there were some that were not as willing to comply with the Empire's needs. One such race were the Atal, a species who were able to advance incredibly quickly using stolen Dran technology. The resulting war from these raids would last for many years, with neither faction ever gaining any serious advantage over the other. In the end, it would be not tactics or technology that would tip the scales of the war, but the course of time itself. At this point in history, the Dran were an extremely ancient race, old enough that the lifetime of their home star had come to a close.The Dran knew of this event in advance, and had prepared evacuation plans for the planet. The Atal, however, learned of these plans, and launched a surprise attack on the evacuation fleet, ambushing and destroying every Dran ship. When the Dran's home star went supernova, nearly a billion Dran who had not been able to evacuate in time were killed, including some of their most important political and scientific figures.
With the destruction of the Dran homeworld came the end of the war, as the Atal finally managed to gain an upper hand and seize a victory. The Dran, angered and ashamed, went into hiding, where they would stay for another century. In this time, the creation of the Hyadian Imperium took place. The Atal were thrown into another war, this time with the humans. They weren't as successful as they had been with the Dran. The Hyadian Imperium took control of many of the worlds which been previously been part of the Dran Empire, and the Atal were left extinct. Only in the past few decades have Dran begun to return to the Hyades Cluster, small in number and living as nomads and pirates aboard large city-ships.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Specific relationships are different within different city-ships or different families, but most Dran are disliked by humans due to their activities as pirates. Dran are fairly reclusive besides their raids, but some reports have stated that they act friendly towards other non-human races on rare occasions when their paths cross. Dran families or individuals who break away from the city-ship way of life are often accepted in places such as The New Hyadian Federation, but there are still many places where they are distrusted. Dran who live among other races tend to incorporate those races into their families, becoming extremely loyal and friendly towards those who earn their trust.

Lifespan

200-300 Years

Average Height

6-7 Feet

Clothing in Dran Families

Dran clothing is typically colorful and standoffish, commonly consisting of robes, sashes, and a variety of small charms and jewelry pieces. Colors and specific symbols are important to Dran, who use them to show their family loyalties. Even when going into battle, most Dran will still wear something to show which family they belong too.

The armor of a Dran pirate, covered with a robe of his family's colors.

Tales of an Empire Lost

While the Dran do have a written language, it is unknown to most of the species. Used mainly for scientific purposes, the majority of Dran history is recorded through songs and stories. Storytelling is a vital part of Dran culture, especially legends and fables from the time of the Dran Empire. These stories are not only used to teach morals and beliefs, but also play a role in the Dran's religious ancestor worship.

Dran Weaponry

Dran pirates are usually extremely loyal to their families, but don't have any strong desire to kill those they steal from. Stun pistols and stun batons are frequently used by raiding parties. Large energy shields are also common among Dran in an attempt to end raids with minimum casualties to either side.