Creature:Harks



A ruthless warrior race who pride honour and valour in battle above all. They worship the ocean god Dagon and appease him with regular sacrificial offerings, usually prime cuts of flesh like hearts, livers or kidneys from victims they collect during their frequent raids and wars. They follow a violent expansionist policy but have been known to join into Alliances with empires that have earned their respect often by surviving sustained raids by Harks fleets. Strong advocates of Social-Darwinism they have little use for the 'weaker races' and constantly test allies and adversaries alike for signs of weakness. Despite this, many individuals among the Galactic community view Harks favourably both due to their undying opposition to the Grox and their fierce response to encroachment on allied territories. Roughly 250 years after their first step into space they hold a vast area of their galactic arm and have joined the United Galactic Federation as shock troops and de-facto leaders of the fleet.

Anatomy
Harks are bipedal amphibious creatures with a large cranium and a spiny fin along the skull's ridge. They have pale white-blue skin with black stripes along their entire body. On their backs they have large bulbous areas of muscle and fat that provides vital protection to their spine. Their long thin fingers are very sensitive to touch and heat and are used with a great amount of dexterity and are capable of grasping items with a fair amount of force. They have large pale blue eyes that allow them to see well in dark conditions as well as through blizzards which are often a problem on the none-equatorial regions of their homeworld. Their main natural defense is their thick, almost exoskeletal hide and keen intellect and speed which, coupled with armour that they weave from Ibilleid silk makes them tough opponents to defeat.

Taxonomy

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 * Genus: Harkus (Honiahaka, 2009)
 * Species: Harkus Sapiens (Honiahaka, 2009)

Spacecraft
(Pictures bottom right) The spacecraft used by the Harks empire is the Mace Class Frigate (the first and most famous of which was the 'Morning Star'). It's a versatile, fast and well armoured ship capable of sheering through the planetary defenses of its neighbors. The insignia of the Hark empire is displayed proudly on its flank. They have also been known to use the Paladin xK30 class battleship (stolen from the Icthys empire) when greater firepower is required.