Talesians

Physical Appearance
Talesians are a bipedal canine-rough humanoid species who evolved from feral canine-like bipeds on the 4th planet in the Talas star system. Due to thousands of years of selective breeding, the modern Talesians can vary greatly in physical appearance, mirroring the effect of breeding domestic canines out of wild quadrapedial canines of Earth, along with any infinite combination of features, aka “Mutts”.

Talesians have a slightly different skeletal structure then recoms, namely being digitigrade in stance rather then plantigrade. They stand on the toes of their wide feet, rather then the heel, and have double-jointed spring-loaded backward bending lower legs to help them balance and give Talesians an edge in agility and speed along with jumping ability over a human.

Average Height & Weight: 4.5’ to 8.5’/75-450 lbs. Talesians are roughly human-sized; however selective breeding has created a larger range of average sizes, often dependant on one’s ethnic heritage or “Pedigree”. Those of a larger “pedigree” are often slightly larger then a human, though well within the comfortable tolerances of most human and recom amenities.

Homeworld & Climate
There are two planets in the Talas star system capable of supporting life: Talas III and Talas IV, which is named Talesia.

Talesia is a temperate class M planet with a size and climate very similar to Earth. This makes Talesians adaptable to human climates and gravitational force, as the gravity on Talesia is very close to that of Terra. It has two main large continents; but close to the same land mass ratio of earth, having large saltwater planetary oceans common for a temperate class M world.

The third planet in the system is a wild, tropical world with no standing oceans and very small polar ice-caps. The planet is covered by a canopy of 85% cloud cover which maintains a consistent near planet-wide tropical climate with high humidity and a breathable Oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere. Unlike Talesia it is mineral poor and a breeding ground for aggressive and malicious microbes and disease; therefore never being considered valuable for Terraforming and colonization by the Talesians. Instead, it supports an indigenous stone-age culture evolved from over one hundred years of being used as an unregulated planetary prison with a strict planetary quarantine in place.

Lifespan & Reproduction
Lifespan: 80-110 years: Talesian medical technology is very close to human medical technology, and as a result, the average life-span of a Talesian is very close to that of a human or Recombinant. They are just as susceptible to disease and being warm-blooded mammal-humanoids many Terran diseases can affect Talesians and vice-versa. Talesian reproduction is very similar to most other humanoid species: they give live birth, have two genders (male and female) and each infant has an incubation time in the mother’s womb. Talesian pregnancy is slightly faster then a human or recom however, as the fetus develops faster. The average term for a Talesian is six months.

Most Talesians are born as twins, versus a single infant in the case of human and most recombinant species. Single births are not unheard of, but are about as common as a set of twins to a human mother. Triplets and ‘litters’ of Talesian pups up to seven infants are not unheard of, but are increasingly rare the more fetuses are developed past two. Most Talesians twins are fraternal; identical siblings are as rare as as humans.

Ancient Culture
Roughly around the same time that primates from Earth were developing into the homo sapient species; primitive and somewhat feral Talesians were beginning to form. The early natives of Talesia were very similar in appearance to bipedal Wolves, Coyotes, and other wild dogs of the Canis genus of animals on Earth.

As Talesians spread themselves out and entered the Bronze Age, their appearance continued to vary; evolving into different sub-types tied to different climatic regions; those living closer to the artic regions developed long, thick coats of fur while those living closer to the equator developed thinner, sleeker coats to protect them against rain and the harsh sun. As cultures started to mingle and inter-breed the road to the ethnically diverse breeds/pedigree of modern Talesians today.

Much like ancient humanity, the rate of civilization advancement was not even for the Talesians. As the Iron Age and the invention of sail and steam power approached, many wild Native Talesians choose to live a simpler life free of technology without the aid of antibiotics and modern medicine.

The barriers of long distances separated by mountains, desert or oceans by the more advanced civilizations began to breach these barriers and conquer the less advanced civilizations, both directly through conquest and indirectly through disease and famine that the native civilizations could not combat.

Native or “wild” breed Talesians were rendered extinct by the industrial age by inter-breeding, plague, and conquest of the more advanced civilizations; similar to what nearly happened to native cultures and ethnicity of humanity.

Rumors abound that the inhabitants of Talas III, and those born on technology-less deep-space prison colonies far from Talesia have started to de-evolve into feral descendants. The Talesian Science Order refuses to warrant any rumors of such manner, as this would impede on the purity of the Talesian Pedigree.

Talesian Pedigree
Not only does a Talesian’s ethnic “Pedigree” affect their physical appearance, but it often determines their place in Talesian society.

Talesian Pedigree evolved during the early Iron Age, at the dawn of Chivalry. Royal houses and bloodlines were formed of royalty, military, and the commoners, and over the next several hundred years the more culturally and technologically advanced civilizations began to form into several different sub-races of Talesians in appearance and stature; changing from wild bipedal canine-humanoids into different races of canines parallel to domestic canine breeds found on Earth.


 * Executive Pedigrees: Derived from those who had Royal Blood in the age of Chivalry. The races consisting of the Executive breeds are often the smallest physically of all Talesians. Terriers, Poodles, Corgis, smaller hound breeds and “Toy”breeds fall into the executive Pedigree.


 * Executive Pedigree today make up the Politicians, diplomats, businessmen and high-ranking officials of Talesia and the wealthier Core Worlds of the Republic.


 * Military Pedigree: Warriors that can trace their bloodlines to those of soldiers, knights, and field strategists can be tied to the Military Pedigree. Military pedigrees encompass the largest breeds of Talesian stock; natural genetically-engineered warriors passed down by thousands of years of military breeding and heritage. These include breeds such as German Shepards, Doberman Pinschers, Siberian Huskies, Mastiffs, St Benards, Great Danes, and the larger of the working, herding, and sporting dog breeds.


 * Roles of Military Pedigree today haven’t changed much, and Elite units are commonly comprised of individuals of a single Talesian Pedigree, whereas the general infantry often is a more mix-match of Military pedigree stock.


 * Science Pedigree: Artists, scientists, doctors, engineers, architects and philosophers have held their bloodlines just as much as the other pedigrees evolved from in modern Talesian society. These individuals were born out of breeds deriving a trait for exceptional intelligence. Science Pedigree includes breeds such as collies, greyhounds, sight-hounds, Terriers, and other herding dogs- bred for keen senses and astute intelligence.


 * Common Pedigree: This class encompasses the majority of the population on Talesia and most Core Worlds, and thus also provides the most common stock for “Talesian Mutts”l. Comon pedigree often encompasses most of the sporting and non-sporting breeds and some working dogs. Examples of common Talesian pedigree are: Retreivers, Blood Hounds, Beagles, Spaniels, Pointers, Weimarners, Setters, Boxers, Schnauzers, Dalmatians, and English Sheepdogs. In addtion, the lines of pedigree between the military and common pedigree do intermix, espically in a time of outstanding peace where there is not such a need for large army. In times of war, additional soliders are conscripted from the common Pedigree. Members of the Military Pedigree stock mixed in with a Civilian or Common pedigree status is not uncommon, and vice versa. These are the common every-day citizens that drive the vast, strong economy of Talesian society. Most citizens live comfortable lives on the core-worlds, though not as plush as the Executive or Science orders; as long as they adhere and stay within the strict laws of the Core worlds of the Talesian Republic.

Talesian Culture Today
Culture on the core worlds of the Republic is vastly different then those found in the realms of the Confederation or on the frontier border systems of the Republic such as Adhara.

Corporate executives, politicians, and higher ranking Scientists, Doctors, and high ranking military live a life of luxury within the Talesian Star Republic; they are not under the same sort of intense observation that befalls the common citizen of Talesia; who are kept in check by the martial Peacekeeper police force and custom-tailored advertising encouraging consumer spending to keep the economy stable.

Modern core-world Talesian citizens live in modest conditions, the only lower class citizens and refugees to Talesian society and law are pushed out into the slums. Such outcasts range from hardened criminals and serial killers to those who marry and breed outside of their pedigree, and those who abandon their family lineage or “place” in Talesian society.

Refugees, criminals and fugitives who are caught by the Talesian Martial Police force, known as “Peacekeepers”; are often sentenced to exile out of the Republic, are relocated to a fringe world such as Adhara, or are imprisoned on a planetary death-world such as Talas III. More severe offenders are often subjectated to life without parole on penal colonies such as the deep-space Asteroid mining facility near Nimbus VII.

Technology
Talesians are an industrious race, driven by the flames of technology. The core-worlds and military of the Talesian Star Republic strives on being efficient and working as one well-oiled and ordered machine.

Talesian scientists and researchers are innovators; they strive at staying on the bleeding edge and enhancing exsisting technology. For this reason, Talesian technology in the fields of warp propulsion, GMR sublight drives, starship engineering, computing, power-generation and energy weapons well exceed Terran technology; and shared technology such as fusion reactors and plasma drives, are often more efficient on the Talesian models.

Innovations of the Talesians include the Pulsed-Plasma Gun, Antimatter Warheads and Talesian Warp Drive featuring field emitters along long pencil-shaped nacelles creating a more stable warp bubble in hyperspace.

Government & Economy
Following the Great Talesian War, Talesia was built into a single unified planetary government by the principles laid down by Karvin Sorbek. The government is a true and pure working Communism, where every citizen contributes to the whole of the nation dependant on his or her talents and is provided by the state of critical necessities such as housing, jobs, and state health-care.

The basic principles of the Talesian Star Republic was formed on the codes of goverment established during the first planetary goverment on a much larger scale.

The current government resides as a Republic, consisting of a Senate as both the residing executive and legislative branches of the government. The Chancellor of the Senate has limited authority to take executive action in time of war, but the actual act of committing to a war has to be decided by the senate before appropriate power is delegated to the Chancellor.

The senate seat and center of the Talesian Star Republic resides on Talesia. Representatives from Xiang of the mysterious Wu Jen along with other minor races and all worlds that are part of the Talesian Star Republic have atleast one representative in the Talesian Senate. More information about the Talesian Star Republic can be found in the detailed article.

Military
The Talesian Star Republic maintains a vast and well-ordered military to ensure the internal safety and security of the Republic from pirates, terrorists and internal threats even when not in times of war. Most soldiers and officers come from families with long histories of military service dating back hundreds even thousands of years.

The Talesian Military will be detailed further into articles dealing with each branch of the well-oiled Talesian war machine. The branches of the Republican Military are:


 * Talesian Star Force: Talesian Naval ships start with the precursor of “TSF” which stands for the Talesian Star Force: the Talesian Star Republic’s standing navy. A strong navy is critical for drawing the line in the sand and patrolling borders both for threats internally and keeping a watchful eye on the other major faction's activity.


 * Republican Guard: The ground-pounders of the Talesian military; including those conscripted into service in times of war from the general population gets pooled into the Talesian Army, also known as the Republican Guard. Most guard infantry are modestly equipped with a pulse rifle, Talesian blast armor, and a sidearm, generally consisting of a standard issue pulse pistol.


 * Talesian Marines: The elite and special forces of the Talesian military resides in the Marines. Powered and carapace armor are common for these heavy shock troops, as are high-powered pulse rifles, carbines, and back-pack mounted plasma-lances as anti-tank weapons. The Marines are never conscripted or recruited, but consist of warriors who have been marines for generations; from the finest stock of Talesian pedigree The elite and heavily armed Talesian marines are a force feared by much of civilized space.


 * Peacekeeper Force: The martial Police force which maintains the strict law and order upholded by the Talesian Star Republic is entrusted to her Peacekeepers. Like Marines, most peacekeepers are not recruited from the citizen stock, but are instead of Military families who have been on the force for generations. The Peacekeeper force is the Talesian Star Republic’s largest standing military branch, only exceeded by the Republican Guard in times of war. Millions of peacekeepers patrol the inner core-worlds of the Republic.