Defel
Defel: Defel, or wraiths, look like bipedal shadows with red eyes and long, white fangs. In ultraviolet light, they can be seen in all their glory. Defel have stocky, fur-covered bodies. Their long, triple-jointed fingers end in vicious claws. They have protruding snouts, and gill-like slits at the base of their jaws. These beings stand about 1.3 meters in height, and usually have shoulder widths of 1.2 meters.
Defel originated on the planet of Af'El, which orbits the ultraviolet super giant sun of Ka'Dedus. The chemical makeup of Af'El's atmosphere blocks all forms of light except for ultraviolet, forcing life on the world to evolve visual senses which could respond to the ultraviolet rays. Defel and other life forms on Af'El are completely blind to other wavelengths.Defel have an additional adaptation which cause the beings to absorb other wavelengths of light. This gives the Defel the appearance of shadows. Some speculate that this adaptation was in response to a now-extinct predator which was able to produce light in ranges below ultraviolet in order to locate prey.Defel live in great underground cities. The terrible storms spawned by Af'El's churning atmosphere make surface living difficult at Defel society's level of technology.
The major industries on the planet are mining and metallurgy. Because of the world's climate, agriculture has never been developed and the planet's inhabitants survived by simple hunting and foraging.The planet is rarely visited. A freighter from Vulca Minerals Corporation braves the heavy gravity once every standard year in order to pick up cargo and bring trade goods.
The Defel people are tough, independent beings who hold their words above all else. A Defel who makes a promise will do his best to keep that promise. Because of this, they will have nothing to do with beings who break promises made to them.When they leave their planet, Defel wear special visors which allow them to "see" light wavelengths other than ultraviolet. They often find employment as hired muscle, spies and even assassins because of their shadowy forms.
(For more information, see pages 33-34 of Galaxy Guide 4: Alien Races.)
• Defel
Attribute Dice: 12D
DEXTERITY 2D/4D
KNOWLEDGE 1D/3D
MECHANICAL 1D/3D
PERCEPTION 2D/4D
STRENGTH 3D/4D+1
TECHNICAL 1D/3D
Special Skills:
Dexterity skills: Blind Fighting - Time to use: one round. Defel can use this skill instead of their brawling or melee combat skills when deprived of their sight visors or otherwise rendered blind. Blind fighting teaches the Defel to use its senses of smell and hearing to overcome any blindness penalties.
Special Abilities:
Invisibility: Defel receive a +3D bonus when using the sneak skill.
Claws: STR +2D.
Light Blind: Defel eyes can only detect ultraviolet light and the presence of any other light effectively blinds the Defel. Defel can wear special sight visors which black out other light waves,allowing them to see, but if a Defel loses its visor, the difficulty of any task involving sight increases one level.
Story Factors: Reputation: Defels are considered to be a myth by most of the galaxy — therefore, when they are encountered, they are often thought to be supernatural beings. Most Defel in the galaxy enjoy taking advantage of this perception.
Overconfidence: Most Defel are comfortable knowing that, if they wish to hide, no one will be able to spot them. They often ignore surveillance equipment and characters who may have special perception abilities when they should not.
Move: 10/13 Size: 1.1-1.5 meters tall