The Ruthdii Komar have conquered and enslaved three sentient races: the
Moornock 
,
Lissar Sha’hi , and
Prol Odona . Thus far, none of these races have been encountered by the USU. This is because the Ruthdii consider flight, especially space flight, to be an honor that only they deserve. These races may normally be encountered only in Ruthdii space or as part of a Ruthdii invasion force (as noted in their descriptions).
The moornock are large, black, insectile aliens whose bulky frames measure just over two meters tall. Moornocks have between six and ten segmented legs, two of which end in powerful fighting claws. Moornocks communicate using a combination of mandible clicks, whistles, and body language. They are extremely tough and able to shuffle along at a surprisingly fast pace. A moornock’s claws make formidable weapons, but they are also capable of wielding tools, melee weapons, and specially designed blasters.
Moornocks are selectively bred to be fearless and strong. They are herbivores that reproduce quickly, but are careful never to exceed their food supply. Females lay clutches of fifty to one-hundred eggs, all of them fertile. Moornock young hatch in about one month, reach maturity within one year, and have a lifespan of ten years. The Ruthdii are constantly experimenting on the moornock by selectively breeding them. As a result, some Moornocks have developed odd mutations.
Society
Moornock society is divided into orderly warrens made up of thousands of citizens. Each warren is further divided into subwarrens called blocs. Warrens contain a number of overseers, workers, warriors, and females. Overseers are in charge of all of the moornocks within their bloc. Workers constantly expand and repair their warrens or are shipped to other Ruthdii-controlled planets to perform menial tasks. Moornock warriors are conscripted into the Ruthdii Armada at birth. Females are egg layers and have no other role in moornock society.
The moornocks were the first sentient race to be enslaved by the Ruthdii Komar. They are used as a police force on occupied worlds and as ground soldiers during Ruthdii invasions. Moornock invasion forces are deployed in disposable landing pods that are dropped from the atmosphere onto a planet’s surface. These pods crack open upon impact, spilling out hundreds of moornock warriors.
Until the Ruthdii came, themoornock warrens were kept in check by the supply of edible
katul lichen that grows on the moornock homeworld of Moorna. The Ruthdii now synthesize the lichen, enabling the moornock to breed in greater numbers than the planet could normally support.
Moornocks are unswervingly loyal to their Ruthdii masters, but tend to be easily duped. Their emotional range is limited. They have no particular like or dislike for any other race—they just do as they are told.
The Ruthdii brand each moornock with markings that identify its role, bloc, and current duty post.
Nariks are used to reward moornocks who perform well.
Nariks are parasites native to Moorna that are about the size of a Terran tick.
Nariks burrow into crevices of a moornock’s exoskeleton and latch on to the host’s body. The bugs secrete a chemical that generates a pleasurable response in moornocks, but produces negative effects on other sentient races (treat as an extreme dose of Psi-Trip). The Ruthdii punish rare cases of moornock disobedience with immediate liquidation.
The Homeworld
Planet Moorna is an enormous, rocky world that is home to only three native species—an edible lichen known as
katul , a small parasite named
narik, and the moornocks themselves. All three of these species dwell in extensive underground warrens. The Ruthdii have established several prefabricated bases along the surface of Moorna in order to conduct research, control breeding, and facilitate deportation. The Ruthdii consider this post an unfavorable assignment that is usually reserved for those who have fallen out of favor with the High Command.
Moornock Characters
Limitations
reasoning 2
creativity 1
influence 1
Required Gimmicks
appendages
claws
clumsy
enslaved
inexhaustible energy
musclebound
tolerance to pain
toughness (2)
Optional Gimmicks
cultural
enhancement
Sample Moornock Warrior
| | fitness | | | awareness | | | creativity | | | reasoning | | | influence | |
| | 5 | | | 5 | | | 1 | | | 1 | | | 1 | |
Skills: athletics 4, brawling 4, firearms 4, gunnery 2, melee 4, piloting (ground) 2, interrogation 1, survival
Gimmicks: appendages, claws, clumsy, enslaved, inexhaustible energy, musclebound, tolerance to pain, toughness (2)
Story Ideas
Cold Trail
The characters are Rangers patrolling a remote part of the USU when they receive a distress beacon from an alien space trader. The trader offers a variety of goods in exchange for help repairing his vessel. One of the items the trader has is a moornock carcass he salvaged from an abandoned asteroid mine. The markings on its carapace are similar to those found on pieces of Ruthdii vessels, and the USU wants the characters to return to the mine and attempt to identify the creature’s connection to the Ruthdii.
Colony Invasion
The characters are visiting an outlying USU colony world named Heppa Tost when sirens and klaxons suddenly sound. A Ruthdii Komar warship has entered orbit and filled the sky with dozens of meteor-like landing pods. The pods crash-land inside the city, forcing the characters to either help the colonists destroy the moornock horde or fight their way through the chaos in order to reach their starship.
Search and Destroy
The characters are moornock warrios who have been dropped onto a USU research moon. Their commander has ordered them to seek out and kill every living thing inside the base, which is filled with strange machinery, genetic viruses, mutated animals, and USU soldiers armed with experimental weaponry.
Written by Peter C. Spahn
