The Selenoids have been a race in Deathzap almost since its inception, but despite being around in my mind for six years, I’ve done very little to develop them past their initial appearance. Since they’ll be playing the big threat for the next little while (I don’t want to say ‘big bad’ as the humans are pretty bad too), I thought I should probably develop them a little more. Here’s what I know so far:
The Selenoids are an Alien race that uses a biological form of power armour. The armour is made of a highly aggressive and possibly intelligent bacteria that is capable of regenerating the armour within seconds of being damaged. Their home planet is not known and neither is their true form having only been seen in their armour.
During the Oltra campaign a Selenoid was stunned and captured intact by Jendari Rangers. Unsure of what to do the Collective contacted the Allegiance of Gnossos and a secret agreement was brokered. Research on the captured alien took place on Oltra in the demilitarised district of Dorzo. The Selenoids are known for their ability to appear and disappear seemingly at random and while testing a device on the Selenoid’s armour a portal to a new planet was opened. The planet was dubbed Gnojen. The portal itself was only 10 feet wide and opened into a lush jungle.
Gnojen itself exists within an entirely different galaxy from the Solar and Xolar systems. The star of the system is a yellow dwarf like Sol and Xol and was named Geist. While little more could be done than view the other planets of the system through telescopes and with some rudimentary probes, it was observed that three planets orbit closer to Geist and they were named Calonar, Ordax and Teelo, further away two planets appear to orbit each other while orbiting Geist and they were named Cassus Major and Cassus Minor.
It is believed that Gnojen is not the home world of the Selenoids but a possible buffer world, a world they might teleport to before moving on to their home world once they are sure no enemies have followed.
The only other discovery on Gnojen was the Vandrakkar. The Vandrakkar began as a small but deadly force of former Jendari researchers infected with the fearsome X-7 pathogen found on the planet, the very researchers that worked on the captured Selenoid shortly before it escaped, indicating that the infection may be gained through prolonged contact with a Selenoid and may be how the bacteria that makes up their armour affects humans. The Pathogen itself seems to be intelligent, and greatly alters the biology of its host. Each infected gains a heightened strength, speed and also becomes immune to pain and fear. They also have the ability to recover quickly from the deadliest of wounds by regenerating even entire limbs, additionally their nervous system is also greatly expanded allowing almost any part of the body to act independently any other part. Even a decapitation is not a guaranteed kill. Intelligence reports showed the Vandrakkar behaving in an almost civilised fashion with a simple culture of their own and even a hierarchy. However once distance is closed with uninfected hosts they become increasingly animalistic and prone to extreme acts of violence. Any host must be entirely destroyed to avoid any further hostility. It has not yet been observed as to whether Vandrakkar are hostile towards Selenoids.
Here’s what I’d love ideas for, if you feel so inclined:
What does a Selenoid look like under the armour? I’ve imagined grey skinned monkeys and jellyfish in equal measure, whatever it is they should be truly alien.
Where do they come from? Just another planet, or another dimension with entirely different rules? I’ve thought about a place where space instead of a void is an endless ocean with no bottom and no surface (it tied into the jellyfish thing).
What is Selenoid culture like? How do they structure things? Tribes with Chieftains, a hive mind? Again something really alien would be awesome.
Finally a few points regarding their history, other races they have encountered, are they a descending or ascending race, how ancient are they?
Any input would be very much appreciated. Let’s make an alien race together!
Deathzap 
You have me beat, my brain is frazzled-maybe talking about selienoids affects humans????? Your descriptions had me thinking about those very deep sea semi transparent fish either bright lights on their bodies that flash on and off in sequence, yep upgunned jellyfish 🪼 who have mind control….
In terms of units it would be really cool to have a big mind control thing, or maybe to have that be a basic yet slightly unreliable power across the race.
I like the unreliable basic capability option as it creates more jeopardy
So jellyfish don’t have brains, right? But what if they did? What if, beneath all that bacteria, is a brain that floats within a jellyfish-like structure? I can imagine them being intelligent and peaceful, interacting with their homeworld, its flora and fauna, and each other psychically. Perhaps this balance was disrupted by some far-off humanoid invaders, and they coated themselves in the bacteria to defend themselves, but eventually used it to mimic their invaders and fight back (using their psychic abilities). Perhaps they’ve grabbed other creatures in their environment, too, and coat them in the bacteria as well – or it’s just the selenoids mimicking what they can see on other worlds.
Perhaps they succeeded in defending themselves, but got a taste for bloodshed in the process. Or maybe they’re still being hounded, and unable to communicate with humans, so they must fight for a new place to live. Maybe the Vandrakkar are failed experiments – an attempt to create a hybrid human-selenoid that can be used as a conduit of communication, but gone very, very wrong. The infection they spread could be unintentional? If they’ve defeated, or are being hounded by, other creatures, maybe they’ve unlocked some other technology and are trying, but failing, to understand and use it. Maybe selenoids are mostly peaceful, and this is some sect banished for their crimes.
Food for thought!
That is good for thought! Thanks very much!
If you know too much, they become to ‘ordinary’. I suggest you have vague outlines of their abilities so that you’re less likely to fall into letting them become Deus Ex Machina.
I think you should keep the mystery as much as you can 🙂
Perhaps some sort of simple article like you’ve written, but for yourself as GM with fuzzy boundaries for them. Each boundary can be breached but only with a 1 on a d10 or something like that
That’s an interesting idea. Yeah, it’ll be tough to keep the mystery of something that’s fully statted for a wargaming system. I think they’ll be fully explained in the present, but will have a mysterious past.
That works 🙂