Vo'jn

=  The Vo'jn:  =

General Description
The Vo'jn (Pronounced Voh-Jun) are a race of carbon based, air breathing, arboreal humanoid life forms hailing from the forest world of Praxx VI. Where humans evolved from apes, they are the descendants of a species of large tree dwelling rats. Due to their rodent like features they have earned the derogatory nickname of "Rats" amongst other species.

They are a highly spiritual people worshiping a mechanical sphere they refer to as the Omni-Sphere. The vo'jn are among the youngest of the space-fairing races having only spent a total of two hundred and thirty seven years in space.

Physical Characteristics:
The Vo'jn are humanoid in appearance however they share many external traits with that of a rat such as a long ringed hairless tail, large pointed ears, long thin noses and elongated upper incisors.

Like humans they are divided into two genders with some morphological differences between the two. The average Vo'jn male stands at five feet and seven inches (1.70 meters) tall with the females standing at five feet and nine inches (1.75 meters) tall. Vo'jn are soft skinned, ranging from dusky to light yellow in colour, They are more prone to cuts or bruising than the average human. They possess four long and slender digits with an opposable thumb on each hand however, the index, middle, ring and pinkie fingers appear to be fused together lending the impression that they have two large fingers with two razor sharp claws tipping each one. The Vo'jn possess digitigrade legs with three thick claws on each foot. Their legs possess a unique bone structure that enables them to store pressure energy and convert it to kinetic energy enabling them to jump at great heights. The tail of a Vo'jn acts much like that of a rats. Serving as a thermoregulatory organ, allowing them to control their body temperature by dilating or constricting blood vessels in the tail and as a means to balance themselves by manipulating their own center of gravity. Their tails are also fully prehensilve, which enables them to grasp and manipulate a wide range of objects with them. This combined with their legs unique bone structure and shapr claws the Vo'jn are able to navigate the densely forested world of Praxx VI almost effortlessly.

Vo'jn possess four hearts and lungs. Each heart supplies blood to a particular system E.G. The Top heart supplies blood to the brain while the bottom heart supplies blood to the lower parts of their body Should one heart fail the other heart will take the load.Oxygenated Vo’jn blood is an almost luminous blue colour due to Copper Chloride and trace amounts of cyanide while deoxygenated blood is a dark blue. As a result Vo'jn blood is highly toxic to other races. Vo'jn possess four hearts and lungs. Each heart supplies blood to a particular system E.G. The Top heart supplies blood to the brain while the bottom heart supplies blood to the lower parts of their body. They are partially colour blind and are only able to see Primary colours in the spectrum (Red, Blue and Yellow) anything more complex registers to them as a dark grey. In order to see other colours they use a Spectrum enhancer often built into a combat helmet or personal goggles Because the air on Praxx VI is denser than that found on earth they cannot survive in earth’s atmosphere without the aid of a saturation device least they slowly become hypoxic and die. They are also extremely resistant to high temperatures due comming from a warmer environment. However they possess a weakness to the cold. Vo'jn can eat foods similar to humans however they possess a severe form of Lactose Intolerance that causes them to go into Anaphylactic Shock. They are unable to taste anything that is sweet however their taste buds can detect, salty, bitter, sour or spicy foods.

The Vo’jn are also short lived creatures with a lifespan of no longer than thirty five solar years. When mating for the first time, both males and females release a pheromone which is unique to each Vo’jn. their partner is then tagged by this pheromone which acts as a form of identification so other Vo’jn know who is paired with who. The average period of gestation for a Vo'jn litter is 4 solar months. A female may give birth to a litter of up to 7 pups.

Misc:
In order to adapt to earth’s climate the Vo'jn had to undergo a month of acclimatisation. This is dangerous for a Vo'jn as they are exposing themselves to viruses and diseases that they have no immunity against. During acclimatisation they were required to learn as much about human culture and the English language. Because their immune system has been adapted to earths environment they can no longer return home as acclimatisation to a Vo'jn environment could possibly kill them due to Praxx VI having more diseases.

Notes from the late Professor Sec'Krovask of the Uraz Scientist Caste obtained from Proffessor Karn'nak also of the Uraz Scientist Caste:

''I remember my excursions to the Vo'jn homeworld well. Their planet was inhospitable to say the least. Too warm for my tastes but what I found to be of interest was the native Vo'jn themselves. While my kin were in a mad rush to grab every single one to serve as a food source as we made our return to the Vakyyran Gate I took it upon myself to preserve a few select samples in order to research and catalogue what was soon to be an extinct species. The results of my tests yeilded some... interesting results... The Vo'jn showed signs of tampering on a genetic level. By whom and for what purposes I do not know but I greatly admire their work and have since incorporated what I have learned into my own.''

=  Society and Culture:  =

Social Structure:
Vo'jn Society operates on a structure of three clans. Clan Hren, Clan Shec and Clan Vox. In order to identify what clan a Vo'jn is from they tattoo themselves and dye highlights in their hair that corresponds to that clans representing colour. Vo'jn are not born into clans instead their males must earn their place by going through a series of trials. Females on the other hand get to choose which clan they wish to become part of although some may take parts in the trials if they wish.

The clans:
Hren:

Red; (pronounced Ren) The militant clan Hren is currently the largest clan within the Vo’jn consortium acting as its vanguard. While undergoing their training for the Hren, initiates are given a cocktail of performance enhancing drugs to help them counter act the inherent physical weakness of their kind. Members of the Hren clan are often characterized as being good spirited and boisterous while being possessed of a fiery temper.

Vox:

Blue; (Pronounced V-oh) one of the smallest clans within the Vo’jn consortium, Clan Vox is the eyes and ears of the Vo’jn consortium. Their members being trained in stealth, tracking and the application of poisons. They are regarded with a great deal of mistrust by clan Hren. Members of Clan Vox are often characterized as being playful and mischievous however when angered they can become cold and unforgiving.

Shec:

Yellow; (pronounced Se-tch). The most revered clan within the Vo’jn consortium due to its affiliation with the High Priestess of the sphere. Many members of Shec are priestesses, artists or musicians. Only females may become members of clan Shec due to the belief that males are merely things not people and thus cannot gain a true understanding for art or spirituality. Shec are characterized as being pleasant and thoughtful, showing no signs of negative emotions as they consider things such as anger to be beneath them.

Kiruk:

Dark: (pronounced Key-Rook). Banished to the forest floors of Praxx during the Tribal Wars, the followers of the Dark God Kiruk’Kesh were once the rulers of praxx until the Hren, Shec and Vox united and overthrew them. They were rumoured to have devolved into the Shraxx, the Vo’jns only known predator and active worshippers of Kiruk’Kesh however there have been reports of Vo’jn heretics donning purple and black armour stamped with the Ouroboros and the symbol of the dark god.

Culture
In Vo'jn culture it is considered impolite for Males to be seen without their helmets (or masks if they have not yet undergone their trials as a youth) on in public. This is due to the fact that Males are regarded as objects and not actual people. Instead of being given names they are given words E.G (Kiran is the Vo’jn for runt). A male may only remove his helmet when in the privacy of his own quarters or in private with a female that he wishes to court. This is a sign of great trust as not many Vo'jn males know what they look like. Males seen in public with their faces exposed run the risk of being lynched by members of their own clan for disgracing them. If a Male becomes mated with a Priestess of the sphere he becomes a sphereguard. As a member of the sphereguard he spends the rest of his life protecting his priestess and is able to show his face in public.

Priestesses and musicians are revered due to their connection with the holy-sphere. The Priestesses maintain the sphere and meditate with it while the musicians sing choral melodies similar to those emitted by the sphere

Vo'jn males often initiate the courting ritual by revealing his face to the female. If the female accepts she will call him by his full name. This means that they are now mated for life due to their short life spans and a small party between their broods is arranged and they are married. However with interspecies relationships Saying the clan name will not mean that they are mated for life as Vo'jn understand that Different races have different approaches to marriage. Vo'jn do not take lightly to the idea of interspecies relationships. This is largely due to the fact that the Omni-Sphere (See Religion) only reacts to them and they believe that impurities in the gene pool could sever their connection to the sphere. It is not unheard of some Vo'jn to seek relations with members of other species, however these liaisons must remain in private least the offending Vo'jn be executed for committing such a heinous act and any progeny produced by those unions are liquidated to prevent further corruption of the Gene pool.

Language
Djorze Chet is the name of the spoken Vo'jn language. It incorporates both a language developed by the Vo'jn themselves and the spoken portion of Urshii the spoken language of the Uraz.