Seguidamente, declaró en el plenario la testigo Evelia Quinteros, quien expuso que no

182 n The Gadroon: Green-skinned Masters Of Gravity Hero System 6th Edition

nomadic species of short, toad-like aliens, the Gadroon present a serious threat to Earth despite their low numbers thanks to their powerful gravitic technology.

The Gadroon are a short (about 1.2-1.4 meters tall) quasi-reptilian species with green (but not scaly) skin and heads that to Human eyes look both batrachian and lizard-like. Males and females look very similar for the most part, but females are on average slightly shorter, have slightly less broad shoulders, and have more fine/graceful facial features (at least by Gadroon standards — Humans often have difficulty telling the genders apart). Both genders have shoulders that are notably broader than the waist, and relatively short, slender legs, making them look somewhat “disproportioned” by Human standards.

The Gadroon have four fingers on each hand and four toes on each foot. Between this and the fact that Gadroon hands are slightly smaller than Humans’, Humans may have trouble using some Gadroon devices, and vice-versa (-1 or worse penalties to relevant Skill Rolls and/or OCV).

The Gadroon cannot have superpowers naturally (or at least, no example of a superpow- ered Gadroon has ever been known to exist). They can, however, be highly trained or use super-technology.

Gadroon minds are sufficiently different from Human minds that they cannot be affected by Mental Powers which target the Human class of minds. Affecting them psionically requires powers that work against the Alien class of minds.

rEProDuCTIon AnD LIFESPAn

The Gadroon are on the verge of extinction, so they take reproduction very seriously and treasure every child. Traditionally they reproduced in a sort of half-mammalian, half-reptilian way in which the male fertilized an egg inside the female, which was then laid in a nest and tended until it hatched. Today eggs are routinely harvested from all adult females, placed in special incu- bator chambers, and artificially fertilized. Most large Gadroon ships have at least one incubation chamber room (often connected to or as a part of a nursery) and guard them carefully. In some cases the entire room functions as an escape pod and can be jettisoned from the ship for later retrieval.

The average Gadroon lifespan prior to the destruction of the Gadroon homeworld was 80 years for both genders. Today it is probably much lower due to the prevalence of death in combat.

Gadro, the Gadroon homeworld, orbited a G2V star at a distance similar to Venus in the Sol System, resulting in a planet with hot, humid, swampy lowlands, arid highlands, and small oceans. This was perfect for reptiles, insects, and fishes to evolve, but there were no mammals or birds (the niches filled by both on Earth were mainly occupied by reptiles, sometimes by insects). One such reptile, a shallows-dwelling nigh-amphibian, was driven to walk upright to gather low-hanging foodstuffs and in time evolved into the Gadroon.

By approximately 20,000 years ago, the Gadroon had reached the stage of earliest civiliza- tion. For millennia societies evolved more or less peacefully... but eventually the limited amount of “comfortable” land led to competition and warfare among various Gadroon states. Martial skill and physical prowess became the virtues most prized by the Gadroon, with learning, culture, and science taking a back seat — except insofar as they could be used to develop new weapons and tactics.

QULARR TEMPLATE

Cost Ability

3 +3 STR

1 +1 PD

1 Gadroon Lungs: Life Support (Extended

Breathing: 1 END per Turn)

1 Gadroon Limbs: Swimming +2m (6m total)

Total Cost Of Template Abilities: 6

Value Complications

None

Total Value Of Template Complications: 0

Champions Beyond n Chapter Eight 183

The early “medieval” period of Gadroon history saw the rise of the planet’s first major empire, the Kro’ang. Led by a series of bril- liant, militarily adept emperors, Kro’ang soldiers wearing distinctive coppery armor and purple garb swept over the opposition. Eventually nearly ninety percent of the planet came under their sway. Like so many empires it eventually fell into decadence and collapsed in the face of pres- sure from younger, more vibrant peoples, but even today the Empire holds a place of honor in Gadroon hearts. To describe a Gadroon soldier as having “Kro’ang bravery” is one of the highest compliments he can receive.

The next two thousand years were marked by chaotic conditions and strife between various nations. In time, through adroit economic and military maneuvering, and a culture that gave free rein to learning and experimentation, the societies in the To’lak Basin region emerged as pre-eminent. They eventually formed the To’lak Union which became the de facto ruler of the planet. It didn’t exert literal control over any but a few nations, but its economic clout and military were so mighty that it could in effect dictate terms to the rest of the world.

This state of peace — unequal peace, but still a welcome relief to many — existed for several centuries. It shattered when one of the member nations of the Union, Emlek, rose up against the others in an attempt to take control of the Union itself. Surprise gave Emlek an initial advantage, and a bloody civil war dragged on for years. An extended war was not to Emlek’s benefit, though, and in time it and its allies were so thoroughly defeated that Emlek ceased to exist as a distinct state.

When the remnants of the Union turned back to the world stage, thinking to resume the pre-war state of affairs, they found that the rest of the Gadroon nations would have none of it. Having experienced what it was like to live without To’lak exerting influence over everything they did, and in many cases having taken the opportunity to ramp up military production while the Union was occupied with more pressing matters, they wanted to chart their own destinies. Weakened by the war, the Union couldn’t assert itself anywhere in the world anymore, and in time settled down to become one nation among many.

This balkanization remained the norm until approximately 300 years ago when the nation of Hwuldep rose to prominence. Hwuldepian scien- tists had made some astonishing breakthroughs in the science of gravitics, and the nation’s leaders were ambitious and aggressive enough to take advantage of them. Armed with gravitic weapons significantly more powerful than what other nations had, and riding in gravity-manipulating vehicles whose speed and maneuverability other nations’ vehicles couldn’t match, the Hwuldepians conquered the entire planet in under three years, founding the Hwuldep Empire.

THE SHATTErInG AnD THE EXoDuS

About a century ago, a Hwuldepian scientist seeking to increase the speed of starships’ gravitic engines made a tragic error. The magnetic shields containing the “gravitic wave” he was working with came down. The resulting blast destroyed his laboratory and the wave sank directly into the planet itself.

Within days a series of tremendous earth- quakes began wracking Gadro. Before long it was apparent to everyone, scientist and civilian alike, that the rogue gravitic wave was somehow causing the planet to tear itself apart. Numerous solutions were devised and implemented, but none of them worked. Some of them might have, if the Gadroon had had the time to improve and strengthen them, but it was obvious that time was the one thing they didn’t have. Seeing no alternative, the Emperor ordered an evacuation. Every starship that was available took on as many people as it could and fled the system just as Gadro obliterated itself in a massive explosion that caught more than a few straggling ships. The Emperor himself was among the Gadroon killed in the explosion, for he’d waited to take the very last ship.

wHAT HUMANITy KNOwS