The following are some of the races that are currently under the rule of Nordok’s Abyssal Imperium, and are available to anyone who wishes to make a character belonging to one. Any such characters do not necessarily have to be members of the Imperium; rebels, renegades, and independent agents are perfectly acceptable. PM me with any specific questions that are not answered below.

Have fun!

Grizzlons

An ogre-like species that Nordok has infected with a specialized form of ursine lycanthropy, Grizzlons' tremendous strength, vitality, and ferocity make them ideal guards and shock troops, and for any number of situations that don't require much subtlety or finesse. Their thick hide and body fur allows them to shrug off all but the highest-caliber personal ordinance, and each is roughly as strong as an adult male African elephant. Their teeth and claws can rend substances up to the hardness of stainless steel. They are capable of proficiently using all manner of weaponry, but prefer the "messier" types: heavy weapons of both the melee and ranged variety. They will utilize armor in heavy combat, but generally prefer to wear as little as possible; most do not like the idea of prey being able to outrun them.

Most Grizzlons are willing, even enthusiastic members of the Imperium, although a substantial number prefer to work independently as mercenaries, bounty hunters, or in any number of hired-muscle professions. Grizzlons respect strength and battle prowess; most will offer their services at a discounted rate to one who proves to be a superior warrior. Grizzlon characters, if played to type, will be unsubtle and blunt, inclined towards simple words and actions. Grizzlons are not inherently stupid; they simply come from a culture that places very little value on mental ability.

Sauroids

These reptilian humanoids hail from a jungle world. Though they have achieved a high level of technological development, their culture still places great value and emphasis on tracking and hunting. Their civilization is largely subterranean; living in advanced metropolis underground allows them to keep the surface of their planet as pristine wilderness where they can continue to practice and refine their predatory skills.

They generally fill the role of commandos and rangers for the Imperium. They are stronger and faster than humans, their scales provide them with a degree of natural armor (which they often enhance with actual armor), and their fangs and claws make for formidable melee weapons. Their senses of smell, sight, and hearing are preternatural. They heal much faster and more completely than humans, and are even capable of eventually regrowing lost body parts, but this process is not so fast that it would make much difference in the course of a battle; it does, however, mean that a Sauroid who survives a battle will very likely recover and come looking for payback. Occasionally, a Sauroid is born with a mutation that gives it a breath weapon: fire and electricity are the most common, but other forms are not unheard of. They are perfectly comfortable using advanced weaponry, and though their civilization did not develop its own form of interstellar travel, they have taken to it without difficulty in the service of the Imperium.

Sauroid characters come from a culture that values stealth and hunting prowess. They tend to be efficient in word and deed, not wasting any more energy on a task than is required. Those not in the service of the Imperium may be seeking hunting trophies to advance their own status, or may be in the employ of anyone who requires skilled trackers and wilderness survival experts.

Ephemerans

Unlike the Grizzlons and Sauroids, who joined the Imperium willingly, the Ephemerans were inducted against their will, when their home planet was conquered by the Imperium war machine. Therefore, Ephemerans working outside of the Imperium are the rule, rather than the exception, whether they are actively working to free their home world or simply trying to make their own way in the universe.

Ephermerans are physically identical to humans. Their culture had only advanced to the level of Europe’s Dark Age at the time of the Imperium conquest, so while many of them have learned to use more advanced technology, they remain generally uncomfortable with it and prefer to do without it, when possible. Ephemerans have a genetic resistance to all forms of magic, an ability that becomes more potent with age and can also be increased by mental conditioning and meditation.

Eristians

Natives of the planet Eristes, also known as Battleworld, Eristians are large, four-armed humanoids with green skin. Although they often appear rangy and lean, they are physically powerful, possessing strength in the 5-ton range. In order to survive on their hostile home planet, they have evolved one of the most potent regenerative abilities in the universe. Wounds close nearly as quickly as they are inflicted, severed limbs grow back in a matter of hours, and damaged tissue knits itself back together at a dizzying speed. Eristian blood even acts as a potent healing agent for most other species, helping wounds heal quickly and without scarring when applied externally, and purging toxins and diseases when taken internally. This also makes Eristians effectively tireless, and virtually immune to poisons and diseases. They are a warrior culture, and place great emphasis on prowess in melee weaponry and close-quarters combat. They were a fairly primitive culture prior to the discovery of their world by the Imperium, but they have adapted to technology rather easily since then, and many now seek fortune and glory on other worlds as soldiers, mercenaries, bodyguards, and gladiators.

Though Eristes has technically been assimilated into the Imperium, Imperium forces have largely ignored the planet itself, so the Eristians as a species are largely unaffiliated, holding neither loyalty nor antipathy towards their distant cosmic rulers.