Fiction:Fordan Empire

The Fordanta are a carnivorous species native to the planet Forda found in the star system of the same name. They are extremely physically powerful and have a strong warrior culture. This article details their physical appearance, evolution, history, technology, culture and government in (mostly) easy to understand language with comparisons to Earth creatures for an even better understanding.

Appearance
The Fordanta are carnivorous, bipedal reptilians noted for having four arms. The first pair of arms end in clawed, four-digit hands with opposable thumbs. The second pair end in long blades made from elongated nails. Their legs have two knee joints, one bending to the front, the other bent backwards. These allow the Fordanta to put more energy into their leaps and strides, making them far swifter than most of their cometition on Forda. The legs end in raptor-like claws, which become continually harder and sharper over the years until the point where a stray kick to the head can cause severe brain damage if not a complete breach of the brain cavity and subsequent death. To add to this lethal array, the Fordanta have long, muscular tails that end in spines similar to those in the fringe on their head. These tail spines are used to prevent opponents from attacking the Fordanta from behind, as well as being used from time to time to attack targets in front, often to exploit a momentary weakness in the opponent's defence.

Skin
Fordantan skin is covered in hard scales which protrude slightly from the skin, allowing them to slide over each other when moving at high speeds. The scales are not notably strong, but are sufficient to protect the Fordanta from the native predators of their home planet (well, the ones that used to be there, they're all dead now). The scales exhibit chameleoline qualities (changing colour) that allow them to blend into the surroundings while hunting.

Diet
Simply put, the Fordanta are carnivorous. They possess multi-stage digestive systems similar to those found in bovines, except these systems allow them to digest everything from flesh and fat to bone and nail. This does leave the Fordanta unable to eat plant matter though, and consuming too much will cause their stomachs to block, often resulting in death. The main food source of the Fordanta is a domesticated creature also native to Forda, often called a 'Talon beast.' An interesting feature of the Fordanta's digestive system is the ability to strip sections of DNA from the cells of creatures they have eaten. They are then able to (with dificulty) recode the DNA in their egg cells to incorporate superior genes from other creatures. Simply put, the Fordanta have become the strongest because they ate the strongest.

A less useful quirk of the Fordanta's digestive tract is the inability to digest elements of cooked meat. The stomach enzymes of the Fordanta are suited to digesting protien chains from raw meat, and cannot handle the protiens if they are cooked.

Musculature
Compared to creatures of similar size, the Fordanta are extremely strong and fast. This is because of the special construction of their muscles, which in unscientific terms squash up when contracting to provide even more pulling power. The muscles are also extremely thin, their biceps approximately one third the diameter of a grown human bicep. Despite their small size, each muscle is capable of exerting the force of the entire human arm. The Fordanta's large frame supports three such bicep muscles. Each muscle in the Fordanta's body bar the heart is the same, a third of the size but equally as powerful, with a final muscle power 3 times that of a human of the same body mass. When all the muscles in the leg operate at maximum potential, such as during the barely suppressed adrenaline rush of the hunt, a Fordanta is capable of leaping around 60 horizontal metres. Such events are rare, though, and require the Fordanta to leap almost directly horizontal. The highest vertical jump recorded by a Fordanta is 28 metres, travelling around 9 metres horizontal.

Weaponry (Natural)
The first weapons noted on the Fordanta's bodies are the large nail-blades that tip their second pair of arms. These blades are used to deliver powerful downward strikes that most organisms cannot react to quick enough to block. These blows are often used to end fights quickly by slicing through the spinal cord of the opponent. As mentioned before, a spine is found on the top of the Fordanta's tail, although this spine is surrounded by clusters of poison glands. These glands can synthesize two poisons; an acidic substance launched at the opponent for a quick attack, and a nerve toxin that is secreted over the tail spine. Naturally, the Fordanta are immune to both these poisons. The Fordanta also possess a fringe of spines protruding from the back of the head. Females feature five short spines, while males sport two impressive spines that grant them an unmistakably deadly appearance.

Teeth and Jaws
The Fordanta share several features with various reptiles found on Earth. Like several species of snake, the Fordanta are able to unhinge their jaws, so that they can swallow some prey whole if in a hurry. This is rarely done, however, as it takes considerable amounts of time to digest whole food. They also share the biting force a crocodile can exert, however, with their stronger muscles they are able to bite with a force of roughly 10,000psi. This sort of force cannot be unleashed without caution, as the Fordanta can easily shatter their own teeth when there is insufficient resistance from the meal.

Fordantan teeth are sharp cutting blades just like carnivorous species on planet Earth. Their teeth are mostly uniform in size however, not featuring the prominant incisors noted on many carnivores. Despite this, though, the Fordanta still have huge teeth, 10-15cm in length, which are serrated at the back to prevent the meal from breaking free. Because of this tooth type the Fordanta are unable to chew, instead tearing off pieces of flesh with their hands before eating, or using their teeth to tear the food. These teeth also make it difficult to consume plants, although with their diet the Fordanta do not consume plants at all unless it is unavoidable, and even then the Fordanta would prefer to just find a hive of insects or the like to sustain themselves.

Poison Glands
Situated in the tail, the Fordanta's poison glands consist of several main chambers depending on their role. The two central chambers are where the poison synthesis occurs. The larger of the two is where the Fordanta create Hydrochloric Acid (HCl) which they fling at the opponent as a direct form of attack. The smaller one is much like a snake's, creating the nerve toxins the Fordanta secrete on their tails.

Needless to say, the two chambers are both acid-resistant. A third chamber produces an antipoison for the nerve agent, so that if the chamber is breached and the poison gets into the bloodstream, the Fordanta can cure itself.

Pre-Sapience
In the early stages of life, when the Fordanta were simply cells, they only had a single flagella, stalk eyes and a mouth for consuming meat. They also had their unique ability to absorb genetic material from their meals, allowing them to evolve. An early member of the species observed a 'Pokey' cell being eaten, and consumed some of the leftover meat. This meat contained the genetic codes for spine development, and future Fordanta cells sported two such spines on the sides of the cells. Later parts absorbed include cilia, jets, electricity and the ability to grow different mouth types, although these mouths did not appear. Proximity to a radioactive meteor fragment resulted in the Fordanta first being able to synthesize poison. Eventually the Fordanta reached the size of a common Earth fish, and developed legs from modified flagella.

The Fordanta then became quadropedic, terrestrial carnivores, generally scavenging other creature's kills until they absorbed the DNA codes for arms. Consuming one creature with four arms allowed them to develop this trait, although the Fordanta developed spines at the ends of these arms not aditional hands. The flagella at the end of the creature evolved into the tail, and the Fordanta's poison glands were relocated to the end of the tail for ease of aiming. The Fordanta also evolved from the forward-bent single-knee legs they began with to having two-jointed legs. Among other traits gained are their four-digit hands with opposable thumbs, raptor-like feet exhibiting the large nail on the big toe employed by Earth dinosaurs, and a bony crest on their heads which was mainly used for charging other creatures.

Before attaining Sapience, the Fordanta were vicious hunters, using their chameleoline skin to stalk up on prey before leaping at high speed to kill the prey. They walked with a pronounced stoop, heads low to the ground so that they could track their prey easier. Their natural weaponry was also larger as it saw more use, and their poisons were more concentrated and stronger. They were able to use these weapons to devastating effect, acting instinctively with all five limbs (tail included) and their heads, forming a ring of attacks around them that was difficult to penetrate. Since attaining Sapience these weapons devolved slightly, but with new wars spreading between planets, the Fordanta have regained these formidable weapons. Intense periods of training have allowed Fordanta warriors to tap into their species' ferocity and instinct, creating a physically and mentally superior warrior that is capable of formulating a complex battle-plan while fighting for their lives.

Planet-Bound Sapience
Upon achieving Sapience, the Fordanta realized that they were able to influence their DNA in ways that are not considered natural. With their newly sophisticated hunting and killing techniques, they began systematically hunting down the strongest carnivores on the planet to gain their more powerful attributes. This period is now called the Purge of Forda by Fordantan historians. Once all threatening life on the planet was eliminated, the Fordanta evolved one final time and created a small tribe.

Tribal Period
From the onset, this tribe was threatened by multiple tribes formed by other creatures that had gone unnoticed during the Purge. Every tribe was eventually brought to its knees by the Fordanta's superior military tactics, such as waiting for fishermen or farmers to leave the hut then killing them while they are isolated, stealing the tribe's food so that they could not have new children and at one stage luring an epic to the village, providing effective and hilarious results. By this time the Fordanta realized that their simple stone weapons and flaming torches would not be enough to rule a world, and they discovered metalwork, propelling them into civilization. By this time the Fordanta had found a name for their species: For'Dan'Ta (Fordanta), and began calling their civilized selves the For'Dans (Fordans).

Civilization
Most of the early buildings the new Fordans created were spiked edifices, intimidating spires liberally covered in gruesome kill markings, with an emphasis on impaled skulls. The Fordans were lead by a Warchief, who pronounced himself planetary Tyrant for all time. His name is now lost as modern historians scorn these early decades, but he was a poor planner. His city, Ko'Dan, was filled with smoke-belching factories and his subjects were not happy with his rule.

A rival city, E'Sta'Me'K, was founded by a different Fordanta tribe on the other side of the continent, one based on trade that only featured one factory connected to many houses, but each house was within walking distance to a theatre or zoo, so the citizens were happy. The leader of this city, E'Ze'Ki'Al, was a shrewd thinker, and sent agents into the other city, promising their citizens a life of wealth and power if they overthrew their monarch. This resulted in a great uprising in the city and the Warchief was slain. The city remained a military city, and backed by their rich allies, this new nation took control of every other city on the planet. The last city they took was E'Sta'Me'K, the one that made it all possible. Despite a century of friendship, this final battle was fought to determine who was to lead the Fordanta: a soldier or a trader. Naturally, the soldiers won, launching a huge ICBM missile into the city centre and destroying it. There was finally one nation in command of Forda, and the stage was set for the space stage.

Goverment and Law
Before Ja'dan Fleetfather created the first Bladewing, the Fordanta looked to ensuring that the events that befell Ko'Dan could never happen again. The first Fordan Council was established in E'Sta'Me'K, and the city was made Planetary Capital to distance the Fordans from their dark past. The Council consists of 3 Warriors, 3 Traders and 3 Civillians. When voting on a matter, the three representitives of each branch vote seperately, with majority ruling. These three majority votes are then counted and majority rules again. The final decision attained is the one acted on. The first act of the Council was to create a binding set of laws applying to every aspect of Fordan life. This failed miserably as some of the laws conflicted with others, e.g. the Warrior is required by law to fight for the nation, but is also forbidden by law to harm or kill. To remedy this, the Council created a system whereby each Fordan follows a specific set of rules relative to what role in society he performs. Thus a number of organizations were set up, called 'Guilds,' which were to provide training, employment and enforcement of law to those that followed their discipline. Where laws between guilds clash, the Council votes on which set of rules is to be employed. if no unbiased vote can be achieved, a new Council of members is convened. If this new council cannot make a fair decision, honor laws are applied.

Each guild maintains a Codex- a book detailing every part of the guildmate's role and the laws by which he or she now lives. The Grand Codex is kept by the Council and contains the laws and customs of every guild, but not their practices. Through this system of internal government, Fordan society is very easy to understand, as the individual need be familiar only with the particular set of laws and customs that apply to them. This also means that society can exist quite smoothly without the Council in the event of an assassination, broken lines of communication e.t.c. It also prevents one individual from controlling too much of the society, as they can only command their specific group, e.g. Warriors can only lead Warriors, Metalworkers can only lead Metalworkers and so on. This type of government is also extremely effective for space colonies, as contact with Forda is not necessary for the smooth operation of society.

With the expansion to space, it was decided that each system would have its own Council, while the one on Forda was renamed the Grand Council.

Due to how the Fordan citizens govern themselves within their own sector of life by electing a leader for their Guild, Fordan government is considered a Democracy.

Language
Due to their ability to assimilate the genes of other species, the Fordans are able to speak any language they are required to. Their own language is difficult to understand for most species, though, so they generally choose to speak in the other creature's language.

This language is only partly spoken, as body language plays a major element. It is possible, although uncommon, for two Fordans to have an entire civilized conversation with body language alone. When speaking, a Fordan talks in whatever way is linked to their guild. Warriors will therefore talk in brutal and often insulting terms, while Diplomats are extremely controlled and calculating in their choice of words. Despite what words they use, all Fordanta speak in a harsh, deep voice that is often more intimidating than their appearance if they are unseen.

When written, Fordan words are broken up into syllables, separated by ', so for example; Sekara Matores (Walk the Path- used in the Warrior guild as a farewell, it means stay honorable) is written Se'Ka'Ra Ma'To'Re's. Fordans are not competent writers, though, as their hands are not very dextrous beyond the extent needed for combat. Thus most Fordan writing is seen on vehicles and tech where a machine writes it out instead.

Weaponry (Artificial)
Battlefield records and first-hand experience have shown the Fordans using any weaponry available, from rocks to an obscure laser-rifle design taken from a hostile alien race. As such, it is difficult to list every weapon the Fordans use, although they tend to favour close-range weaponry.

What has been discovered about Fordan technology is this: the weapons are very organic in terms of form and function. All consist of rounded forms usually featuring blades or pistol-like weapons that can be fired one-handed, leaving the other free for melee. Heavy weapons and emplacements are all but unheard of in the Fordan military, the only exception being their ground-based vehicle, but this will be explained later on.

Cultural Weapons
The Fordans are able to use any weapon they need to, but they have a small selection of weapons that they themselves produce and are required to master during their time in the Warrior's Guild. These are: Warblades, energy claws and knives.

Warblades- Similar to Lightning Strikers, true Fordan Warblades are in fact two single-edged swords placed back-to-back. These blades are separated slightly showing a gap in the middle. Electricity courses across this gap in a steady stream of sparks. When striking, these weapons discharge their elecric current into the opponent to paralyze them temporarily. These sparks are, however, mostly harmless, it is the blades that do the actual damage.

Energy Claws- Along the lines of Bladed knuckles, however the Fordan battle claws are in fact five fixed blades that retract into a gauntlet on the arm (Wolvering much?). Each blade is independently powered, and when striking the opponent a similar bolt of electricity passes through them, paralyzign them in the same way as the Warblades.

Knives- No description needed. Fordan knives are serrated on both sides to maximize injury, but there is little that is unique about them.


 * A note about Fordan weaponry- If you are ever in a situation to steal a weapon from a Fordan, DON'T! Doing so makes it a matter of honor for that Fordan to hunt down and kill your entire bloodline! Oh, and giving the weapon back and saying sorry doesn't help!

Vehicles
The Fordan were origionally reluctant to produce vehicles, seeing the use of a machine to fight as cowardly. They eventually had to adopt this practice once their homeworld Forda was invaded by the Grox. Most of the Fordan's early vehicle technology came from a Grox ship that made the simple mistake of abducting a grown male Fordan and expecting it to be docile. The Fordan simply killed the crew and proceeded to crash the ship into a mountain. Later advances in tech have come from trade with other races, or from tributes from fledgling empires that seek the protection of the Fordan. Some Fordan have developed a love of air and space vehicles, and developed bladed craft often used as weapons in their own right, namely by ramming other ships. In recent millennia, the Fordan have achieved FTL travel, with their first spaceship being the 'Bladewing,' a fast moving attack ship carrying guided missiles and lasers. Later additions to the Fordan space navy are their missile carriers, the 'Dusk' pattern ships, and the long range strike 'Dawn' pattern cruisers.

This section of the article is very short as each vehicle will have its own page.

Non-Combat Tech
For a long time, the Fordans have focused on replicating their own natural abilities, and their stealth technology is their main offering for systems that submit to their command. To date, the Fordans have created devices that are able to recode DNA, enhanced-lift jump packs, multi-tiered energy shield technology and more, all based on their own physique. These devices are their primary bartering chips when proposing to make a planet their colony, and every race that comes under their banner benefits immediately from these technological advances.

Firstly, their stealth technology. This system creates a 'null field' around the ship, a barrier through which little to no energy can pass. It also allows light and heat to flow freely around it and continue in a straight line. This shield renders all energy-based detection methods useless (that is, to say, all of them!) however it cannot be used when the ship is firing or moving. This suits the Fordanta just fine, though, as a favored tactic is to wait in empty space with ships cloaked until enemy ships move past. Then they shut off the shields and attack.

Secondly, the Fordan's energy shield technology. This is a two-tier shield comprising of a large 'bubble shield' that coats the entire ship, about 50cm off the hull. This shield is able to take small-arms fire and glancing hits from larger ordnance, but is unable to cope with direct hits or sustained fire. To make up for this, around a dozen smaller armor plates are installed on the hull, each with an extremely powerful energy shield. These plates are able to move freely on the hull, held on by powerful magnets. When the ship's central computer detects incoming fire that cannot be avoided or blocked, it activates one of these plates and moves it to the impact zone. This plate then presses against the weaker energy shield and absorbs the hit. This shielding system allows Fordan vessels to be extremely light-armored compared to other vessels (and it's also how I explain the 'Prime Specimen' consequence ability :D) while still having effective defence.

The jump packs employed by Fordan recon teams are more complex to understand. Unlike conventional rocket packs, these packs put out a strong wave of magnetism that allows the user to 'surf' the planet's magnetic field. While not 'true' flight, these packs allow a level of stability unmatched by rocket packs, and allow the Fordan recon groups to take detailed observations without the shakiness attributed to rocket packs. The pack, when combined with the Fordan's natural jumping ability, can launch the operator to heights unatainable for even their impressive skills. Particularly crazed Fordans have even used these packs to intercept enemy aircraft and rip them apart.

Perhaps the strangest thing to come out of Fordan research is the Recoding device. This extraordinary machine allows a Fordan to recode the DNA of a living organism's embryo while it is still inside the womb- a feature associated with Fordans but few others. The Fordan Engineer's Guild has not released specifications as to how it operates, and it's inner workings are a closely guarded secret, lest other races gain this ability. At this time it is used to speed up the selective breeding process for domesticated animals.

Ja'dan Fleetfather:
Ja'dan was the Fordan who first designed the Bladewing, and since he first strapped himself into his creation he has developed his skills to such a degree that most Fordans argue that he and his vehicle are one and the same. Ja'dan's efforts have turned many wars against the Grox and other creatures to favor the Fordanta, and his heavily modified Bladewing has seen the fall of many civilizations in the Forda system. He gained the title Fleetfather in recognition of his significant contribution to the Fordan space program.

Hel'bre'k, 49th Blademaster:
Hel'bre'k is the Fordan's greatest warrior. Going on one hundred and fifty years old, he has outlived the average lifespan of the Fordantan warrior cult by almost double (the warriors normally die by around 80 years old), and yet his arm is still strong and his aim stays true. This is made all the deadlier by his years of experience and the grim knowledge that sooner or later death will catch him up. His strength and prowess have earned him the title Blademaster, and he is the 49th individual to hold that rank. He and Ja'dan are good friends, and have become Blade-Brothers through their many military actions together.

Personality
The Fordans aim to bring unity to the galaxy, and peace to those under their banner, but they are first and foremost warriors. In battle, they have adapted their techniques to mimic the old hunting methods of their ancestors: hiding cloaked in an empty sector of space, then striking suddenly and taking everything they can. While this behavior has led many races in the area to consider the Fordanta as little more than piratical raiders, the Fordanta fight with as much honor as they can. Indeed, honor is central to the entire Fordan culture. To the Fordanta there is only one crime: losing your honor. The punishment: death.

The need to satisfy honor is never exemplified more than when repaying debts. A Fordan's memory is extensive where debts are involved, either the debts they owe or those owed to them. Many Fordans settle these debts in their own way, generally related to what Guild they currently serve (A metalsmith may make you a sword, for example), but some debts specify the method of repayment. One example of this is in battle, where one Fordanta will aid another so that that Fordanta will aid them. (Example: One Fordanta slays a creature before it can harm his Kinsman, and asks the other Fordanta to repay him by distracting a different group of enemies so that he can execute their leader.)

If a Fordan commits a 'petty' crime or incurrs a debt, they generally seek to atone for it out of the need to 'satisfy their honor.' A fairly extreme example of this is when Blademaster Hel'Bre'K took one hundred of his Bladekin Veterans to aid the Vartekian  Captain Votarah in penance for insulting that species.

Another idea central to Fordan culture is the Family. Indeed, the word For'dan'ta literally means 'Family' or 'Kin.' A Fordan is extremely protective of their own family, going into a berserk rage not unlike their pre-sapient selves when a family member is hurt or slain. This idea of Kin extends into almost all of a Fordan's life, especially the military. Groups of warriors are called Kin-groups or -squads, e.g. 'Kin-squad 439' or 'Kin-group 126.' This reinforces that the squad is the warrior's immediate family on the battlefield, promoting the Fordan's protective nature.

Including the Fordanta in your Fiction
The Fordanta have one passion: fighting. If you want to start a war or ally with us for a coming war, let me know and I'll think about it.

Current Allies
- Vartekian Empire

Current Enemies
- Grox Empire