Sci-Fi Worldbuilding: Basan Worlds

Sci-Fi Worldbuilding: Basan Worlds

And here we have another interstellar diverse faction of a relatively mundane species. The racial template is nothing special, but is relatively cheap.

Basan Worlds

Capital World: Basa II.

Major Species: Basans.

Languages: Basan.

Culture Groups: Basan.

TL: 10.

The basan civilization started on Basa II – a garden world orbiting a red giant star. These humanoid reptiles have one remarkable feature – a webbing between the arms and legs that allows them to glide from tree to tree, where they used to live. In the past times, the basans preferred a nomadic lifestyle, moving from one lush forest to another. Some had to settle down, eventually, and so the first basan city-states have appeared. This city-state polity gave the basans a relative freedom of movement and independence. The city-states persisted even past the atomic age.

The Basa star system has a natural wormhole orbiting the red giant. This wormhole allowed the basans to move the Mei-Basa system, where they have landed their first colony ship. Locating precursor artifacts on Mei-Basa III made possible the creation of the hyperdrive. Soon the basans have spread all around the local space, creating a large number of city-states. The spread of hyperdrive use has opened new ways for the basans, and many have reverted to their nomadic lifestyle. The so-called gliders “glide” from planet to planet, from star to star, usually never staying too long in one place, or settling down where the conditions are good.

In 4415, an USA colony on the peripheral planet Gagarin was contacted by the basans. The established relations were peaceful. Thanks to the wanderlust and adaptability of the basans it is easy to encounter one of these glider reptiles in almost any alien civilization. A basan can live on a frontier USA colony, be an interstellar merchant, settle temporarily in a low-temp habitation block on a l’rimra world, or lead a mercenary company – they are everywhere.

BASAN [22] Advantages: DR 1 (Flexible, -20%) [4]; Flight (Gliding, -50%) [20]; Nictitating Membrane 1 [1]; Scales [1]; Sharp Teeth [1]. Disadvantages: Cold-Blooded [-5]. Natural Comfort Zone: 1°C - 32°C (35°F - 90°F), 1 atm., 1g, oxygen atmosphere. A typical basan stands as tall as a human, but weighs 20-30 pounds more. Their scaly hide usually has dark green color, but can also be gray, dark yellow, or brown. Basans prefer to wear clothes or armor that will not impede their gliding ability. Basan armor is usually specially tailored to have slits for the membrane and an opening for the tail. Each basan city-state has its own political regime, but it is very rare for them to be restricting personal freedom and, most importantly, freedom of movement. Alien refugees (and sometimes criminals too) often seek shelter on a basan world. Sample Male Names: Savaro Udano, Milto Salako, Rakoto Trasko. Sample Female Names: Gunon Tlalo, Tamon Makolo, Litavon Stomako. The basans add their home city-state name at the end of their full name. So, a full name of a basan from Cutomatar looks like Savaro Udano Cutomatar.