The Satyxis are a species of humanoids from the Cryx system in the Vilnius Cloud along the edge of charted space between the Alpha and Gamma quadrants. This nearly all-female species has a culture comprised of various pirate and mercenary factions all vying for power and wealth, and for mates.
Satyxis hail from the third planet in the Cryx system, Satyx. Their society was much like any other until they learned of the existence of life on other planets. A Ferengi merchant vessel crashed landed on Satyx, where they were quickly captured and interrogated. The Satyxis feared the influence of aliens on their culture, and were doubly fearful of their technology, which far surpassed anything they had developed (Satyxis technology was firmly in their Information Age). Their government went into full war preparedness mode, with little regard for environmental ramifications. Using Ferengi technology as a guide, the Satyxis government put all of their resources into developing starships and planetary defenses.
The ecological cost was great. Even before the anti-alien war effort moved into full swing, the Satyxis had already shown a total disregard for environmental conservation. By the time they had colonized the moon, Xamvir, the environment on Satyx was one of smog, radiation, and rampant global warming. This is when the first signs of the Wasting was seen in the Satyxis men. They were becoming weaker, more prone to birth defects and mental retardation with each generation. Within 100 years, the male gender was reduced to little more than breeding stock. The females, however, grew strong and healthy.
The ecological disasters and the loss of the males also caused a economic breakdown in Satyxis society. The high cost of caring for half the population, along with food shortages and the lack of much of any research being devoted to agriculture and environmental concerns left Satyx a dying world with little food and virtually no goods or services. Satyxis society splintered into warring factions. Those that were able to seize control of starships were those that survived. Since that point, Satyxis society, or what's left of it, is comprised of various factions of pirate and mercenary crews terrorizing the Vilnius Cloud and beyond.
Satyxis look upon other species with the same level of disdain that they did when they first met an alien. However, now, they depend on other species to keep their own species alive. While Satyxis women can use their males to reproduce, few care to do so. They found early in their first days of piracy that they can reproduce with many other humanoid (near-humans and humans mostly) species. Satyxis pirates will board starships not only for goods and tech, but for males as well, and the better the fighter, the more fiery the temper, the better. Male crew members in relatively good health with generally good looks will be taken hostage, while female crew members are either shot or left on the derelict starship to either die or be rescued. Hostages are treated well as long as they perform, but many Satyxis pirates tire of their playthings quickly. Those that have lost their allure are typically slain, but physically superior specimens are outfitted with slave collars and forced into menial labor. However, if a hostage gives a Satyxis a male child, he is typically executed before the child is even a minute old, no matter how useful of a slave he would be.
Satyxis have developed a very fearsome image for themselves. They take foreboding names for their factions and ships like "The Bloodhorns" and "the Vermilion Reaper" to strike fear in other spacers. While most are cruel and heartless to outsiders, they still care for their males contrary to popular tales stating that they sacrifice male children to primitive gods. Many command ships house care facilities for the Satyxis males. Even the male children born from mating with other species are cared for (as all males are born with severe mental and physical maladies). It is the hope of most Satyxis raiders that someday a cure can be found to fix the mutation that has ravaged their species. Still, there are some Satyxis that truly do fall for an outsider, and there are a couple of mercenary teams that have made names for themselves by working with other species to fight off pirate bands. They see the hatred and distrust of other species as being their downfall, and as long as they continue to look at aliens as enemies, there will never be any hope for their people.
Satyxis are a near-humans species. Females stand around 5 and a half to 6 feet tall and are are typically very beautiful. Skin and hair color varies widely depending on who their father was and his species (full-blood Satyxis have fair skin), but beyond that most tend to have the same features. Their ears are large and pointed, but the most striking feature are the two large horns that sprout from their foreheads. Most Satyxis women with sport many piercings, jewelry, and tattoos. Satyxis males are few in number, but all suffer from mental retardation or (typically and) any number of physical maladies. Most are totally reliant on their females for their well being, even those that are able to function can only do the most menial of tasks and even then only under close supervision.
Satyxis for Savage Worlds
Horns: Satyxis have two large horns that they can use to headbutt with for Str + d6 damage.
Beguiling Stare: Satyxis females have an innate ability to stun a male of their choosing with their enchanting stares. This ability can only be used once every four hours. The chosen victim must meet eyes with the Satyxis and make a Spirit roll or stand as if Shaken. The effect lasts as long as eye contact is kept or until the victim makes a successful Spirit roll. This ability has no effect on females, and only affect human and near-human males (vulcans, kree, shi'ar, luxans, centaurians all would count and then some).
Low-Light Vision: Cryx is a faint star, so Satyx is a gloomy world to begin with. Satyxis have developed low-light vision to compensate. They ignore penalties for bad lighting in all but pitch darkness.
Fearsome Reputation: Satyxis come from a lawless society of pirates and slavers. They are also known to kill female crewmembers of the ships they board. This reputation causes them to receive a -4 penalty to Charisma.
Satyxis for Rogue Space
Archtypes: Satyxis can be Soldiers and Technicians and receive a +1 bonus to to either Fighting or Repair.
Beguiling Stare: A Satyxis can meet eyes with a male of a human or near-human species to force him to stand still totally enraptured by her beauty. This ability can be used once every four hours. When used, both the Satyxis and the target make an Empathy roll. If the Satyxis wins, the target stands still, unable to act. If the victim rolls higher, the power was used to no effect. A victim under the effects of this power stay under the effects as long as eye contact is kept, or if he can win a contested Empathy roll (one try at the start of each round).
Psionics: Clearly, Satyxis have the ability to become espers, but few do as the soldier's life is what most follow. Those that do become espers tend to focus on mind-affecting/controlling powers like Empathy, Suggestion, and Telepathy.
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