Hylar

The Hylar are actually a collection of closely related subspecies hailing from the twin oceanic worlds of Jol and Nar. All of the Hylar variants are distinctly aquatic, but they range from subspecies that can breathe air and survive out of the water for weeks at a time to Hylar who only possess gills and cannot live unless they are continuously submerged. Still, each of the subspecies has similar physical characteristics: an oversized head with bulbous eyes; slick, smooth skin; and thin, flexible limbs ending in finned appendages.

Most notably, all subspecies of Hylar also have a large and highly developed brain. Many xenobiologists agree that this could be an evolutionary compensation for their soft bones and lack of physical strength. The Hylar have made the most of this ability throughout their species’ history, and even those who do not serve the Universities of Jol-Nar often find themselves in jobs that leverage their significant innate intellect.

Why Play a Hylar?

Hylar are very specialized mechanically. Their focus is on Intellect, which pairs well with their Vast Intellect ability to let them perform phenomenally on any Intellect-based skill and, once per session, to have a fair chance of passing any skill check. They trade this for a low Brawn and Willpower as well as low starting strain and wound thresholds. This makes a Hylar a good basis for playing a scholar, medic, mechanic, or scientist.

Although all Hylar have a high Intellect, this doesn’t mean your character has to focus on it. There are plenty of Hylar soldiers, pilots, explorers, and criminals in the galaxy, and the species starts with enough XP that its members are still very customizable. If you want to play a brilliantly eccentric researcher, a coldly logical military commander, or a deep space explorer whose dashing demeanor hides a calculating mind, then playing a Hylar is the right choice for you.

Names of the Hylar

Hylar often have two names, although neither is a “family” name. The combination of names is simply the unique moniker of each Hylar. Their names have rumbling guttural "u" sounds and gentle "a" sounds that combine with many “l,” “n,” and “g” consonants to form rolling, bubbling words.

Some examples include:

✦ Deluin Fillagn
✦ Yaluga Huin

✦ Sucaban Tarrun
✦ Migun Thu

Hylar

Starting Abilities

1	2	4	2	1	2
BR	AG	INT	CUN	WILL	PR

• Starting Wound Threshold: 7 + Brawn
• Starting Strain Threshold: 8 + Willpower
• Starting Experience: 90

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Special Abilities

• Starting Skills: A Hylar starts with two ranks in one knowledge skill of their choice. They obtain this rank before spending experience points, and they may not increase this skill above rank 3 during character creation.
• Vast Intellect: Once per session, you may spend a Story Point as an incidental before your character makes a skill check to count their ranks in the skill being used as equal to their Intellect.
• Aquatic: Your character can breathe underwater and never suffers movement penalties for traveling through water.
• Species Variants: Your character can start the game either as an air-breathing Hylar or as a water-breathing Hylar. If they start the game as an air-breathing Hylar, they can also function normally in all oxygen atmospheres. If they start the game as a water-breathing Hylar, they gain 5 additional starting XP. However, if exposed to the air, they follow the rules for drowning. They also start the game with a sealed environmental suit.

Source

Embers of the Imperium: 27