Triceraton

The Triceratons are a sapient species resembling bipedal Triceratops dinosaurs.

They have advanced technology, a strong government, and gladiatorial battles. There society is vibrant, energetic and diverse, but is primarily military orientated. Ancient codes of honour are upheld by every caste in their civilization, and all walks of Triceraton life are taught to respect and revere their warrior kin.

It is noted that they do not breathe oxygen, but actually respire a mix of nitrogen and sulfur. Outside of their native environments, they wear protective face helmets to provide them with necessary breathable air.

The Triceratons are one of the major galactic superpowers of the universe. From an outsider's perspective, they possess an empire that covers the entire central region of the Milky Way Galaxy, a huge interstellar domain consisting of many thousand square light years of territory. They are saurian creatures, possibly genetically similar to the Earth species of dinosaur, the Triceratops.

Triceraton folklore would even suggest that the very origin of the species shares a terrestrial connection to Terran life. They are reluctant to admit it, but near to all evidence points to their origin being one far beyond their known 'home-world'. Artificial nucleotides present within their physiology, DNA sequences foreign to the rest of their home-world's biomass, and the ancient skeletal hulls of starships from a species long since forgotten continue to be discovered under the sweeping soils of nearby worlds.

Tough and aggressive, the Triceratons are entirely herbivorous (plant eating), and have a high sense of loyalty to their race. The Triceraton Republic was a glorious empire whose warriors were following a strict code of honour. But when Prime Leader Zanramon took over, the Republic soon began to regress into a dictatorship, with few warriors left to follow the true path of honour. After a wicked dictatorship lasting many decades, a coup was finally launched against Prime Leader Zanramon spurred by radicals in the Triceraton military, and the Prime Leader was successfully overthrown and imprisoned. the Triceraton People became a Republic once more.

The Republic was once a society of honor and glory, but with Zanramon takeover, the Republic lost the sense of their martial identity. But thanks to the Triceraton radicals, the old Republic virtues have been restored once more.

Their homeworld has been destroyed by an unknown cause (whatever the reason, the Triceraton appear to have played some part in the catastrophe!), leaving the surviving Triceratons to rely on mobile home-ships, super-city sized flying stations that incorporate millions of survivors within them. Some continue to function as mobile colony installations, whilst others have been re-designed as the mobile battle stations of the Triceratons. They wander between and patrol their remaining territories. Whilst the Triceratons territory is extremely large, their colonies are strewn few and far between those small number of naturally inhabitable planets with a sufficient nitrogen-sulphur atmosphere. The empire is deceptively affluent, but a superpower nonetheless. With over 100 populated systems at their command.

Biology
Their skin appears to be scaly, like a crocodile or alligators, but is also soft and leathery like that of an amphibians: Similar in nature to that of a toad or salamander.

They are superbly adapted to hot climates, and can allegedly withstand and survive in temperatures of up to 70°C, (158°F).

The average height of a male is two and a half metres (8 feet 2 inches). There's is a patriarchal society, biologically and culturally male dominated, and just as human heights varies between genders, Females are typically much smaller, never usually exceeding a height above that of two metres (6 feet 8 inches).

Skin colours have many variations ranging from brown-reddish mixes right through to bluish-greenish colours. The large variety of colours and patterns (skin textures show stripes, spots and even pimples/indentations) likely came about when the Triceratons settled on different planets away from their homeworld's monoculture environment. They exhibit an unusually adaptive genome, and random genetic drift appears to occur far more quickly than would be expected naturally. The reasons for this unusual biological trait is uncertain.

Overall, the Triceraton anatomy is especially rugged, and is resistant to high levels of damage. The average warrior is capable of surviving wounds which would kill another similarly sized organism.

The Triceraton skeleton is stronger and more robust than our own, and less likely to fracture due to its heavier frame and build. Although it is made predominantly calcium just as found in humans, due to their sulphur-oxygen rich bloodstream, Triceratons do not appear to suffer from the health risks of calcification, which slowly weakens the bone over time (as natural in humans). This is essential as the Triceraton homeworld possesses a significantly higher gravity than that of earth's.

This calcification-immunity allows the bones of the skeleton to naturally reinforce, rather than weaken - and due to high levels of carbon inside of the bone composition, this makes the bone around 3-4 times stronger (based on tensile strength) whilst preventing the bone from growing any more brittle. However, this chemical feature also renders the bone 5-6 times heavier.

Their sulphur-oxygen rich blood is a luminous blue-yellow colour. This alternate biochemical composition offers neither advantage nor disadvantage to the Triceraton biology over that of a humans - it is simply an adaptation to its planets chemical environment. A human would suffocate in their atmosphere within a few dozen minutes. If anything though, this alternate blood transport system is probably less efficient than a humans.

Perhaps to compensate for this, the Triceraton respiratory system possesses nearly triple the lung volume capacaty of a humans - also probably due to their far larger muscle and metabolism requirements. Due to the adverse and hostile climate of their homeworld (whose atmosphere is often all but devoid of oxygen, but always saturated with sulphur), the Triceraton has evolved a unique cardiovascular organ capable of retaining and storing enough oxygen to sustain the Triceraton for almost a day without breathing any oxygen whatsoever.

This allows the species to survive on many different worlds without having to develop a sophisticated breathing apparatus. Both gases are required to support their metabolism however, and the Triceraton will die without exposure to sulphur gas compounds within weeks. The combination of this specialist organ and their superior lung capacity means the Triceraton can 'hold its breath' for hours before blacking out when devoid of both oxygen and sulphur. Whereas a human would go unconscious in only a couple of minutes (although some such as free divers can hold for far longer!).

The Triceraton muscle system, whilst slow (possessing nearly no fast-twitch muscle equivalent), is amazingly powerful. This is fact as the Triceraton muscle system exhibits a much more efficient nutrition-waste product transport system. As opposed to a humans' round-shaped muscle fibres, Triceratons are triangular/prismic. This allows muscles groups to be denser, being far larger than human muscles. This combination of attributes are the reasons for the Tricetaton's immense strength. However due to this near-symmetrical compact muscle structure, damage is problematic to repair. Minor injuries can take months to heal naturally, major ones even years. Yet the robust Triceraton form can withstand limited muscular damage without impeading their performance.

This greater strength is also contributed by the higher percentage of muscle tissue per KG of body weight and the much stronger build of the Triceraton greater than that of an average human.

The Triceraton nervous system is almost a perfect replica of the human organ system, functioning in the very same manner. The only difference is that of its impulse velocity which is markedly slow. It functions at around a velocity of 120-170ms-1 compared to the average human neural kinetics of 370ms-1.

Unlike humans who reproduce all year round, the Triceraton appear to possess a mating season. This social formality does not appear to be written in stone, as both males and females are capable of reproduction outside of this window of opportunity. The maintenance of this practice would appear to be more a feature of the Triceraton culture and the practicalities of providing parental care to massive clutches of eggs.

Mating season takes place around a 30 day period, which occurs roughly every 800 days. During this time period the males attempt to mate with as many females as they can, and they go into a state highly similar to that of musk. High ranking males will attract enough females simply due to their social status, and high position females are much more in a position to 'select' desired breeding partners. It is notable that no class distinctions exist within Triceraton society exist and a high ranking male is simply a symbol of political success rather than of desirability and 'lower' males will possess a near equal opportunity to acquire females outside of any higher males manipulation strategies.

This social behavior is likely to be millions of years old and fundamental to the Triceraton culture.

A Triceratons' horns grow gradually over time, and are possibly a symbol of a males' fertility and societal status. The Triceraton homeworld is a hospitable environment. in the species prehistory, survival would have been difficult. Their home-world was dangerous and inhospitable, and most individuals would die before ever reaching adolescence. Therefore any male who successfully lived long enough to grow an impressive head frill and horn length was desirable, a sure proof survivor in a dangerous world.

In modern times, it is practice for males to file down their horns preventing excessive growth. As of now expansive head displays are a physical hindrance and even liability. Additionally, inside of a civilized society safety and survival is almost guaranteed. But many proud and arrogant males still wear their unmodified horns with pride! A Triceratons' horns now seem to have significance within their warrior culture, and an impressive frill is a symbol of a respected general, and an ancient honourable swordsman.

Yet, it appears that a physical responsiveness is existent and visible of females (hormone wise) when confronted with a male who possess an expansive horn and frill display. For the Triceraton the symbolism of the horn and frill is still a symbol of fertility and survivability/stoicism in the face of adversity.

On subject of attractiveness, an older Triceraton is of no less desirability than a younger male, and males retain their fertility almost indefinitely during the course of their two century lifespans. There is no social stigma attached to the union of an older and younger person, none whatsoever.

Females are usually capable of producing up to six egg broods within their early lifetime (first half century) then promptly loose their fertility [note: it is not unusual for a female to retain fertility beyond this time period]. A single brood usually consists of around 10-30 eggs per season.

A Triceraton females position inside of society is both maternal and administrative—but in the case of the all female scout regiments, females also play an important roll in the Triceraton war effort. Females are also expected to serve time in the Triceraton maternal hatcheries during some stage of their life. These expansive nursery complexes contain many millions of Triceraton eggs, and is their duty to raise and educate the young after they have hatched.

Triceraton newborns develop quickly in their first three years, growing to around 70% of their full size in this small window of time alone. This rapid growth then slows dramatically, and development becomes far more mentally orientated as the Triceraton's neural and mental faculties begin to develop and mature. A Triceraton will be fully developed by their 23rd year, and it is in their 22nd year that they are finally considered a full and flourishing adult.

The average modern life expectancy of a healthy male Triceraton is around 215 years, a females is markedly higher reaching close to 300 years.

Millitary society
The Triceraton Republic was a glorious empire, whose warriors and citizens followed a strict code of honour throughout their lives. But when Prime Leader Zanramon took over, the Republic soon began to regress into a dictatorship, with few warriors and nobles left to follow the true path of honour.

Prior (and succeeding) to these darker times, The Republic was once a society of honor and glory. The Triceratons have a proud and continued warrior history, with 30% of every new male generation (and now females inside of scout organisations) expected to serve the Triceraton military at some early point.

This new warrior code of honour and discipline is far more laid back than previously, and because of this is now accepted amongst the general population, and no longer percieved as cruel by the civilian masses.

Up till most recently, the Triceraton armies consisted primarily of the Triceraton Warrior— it was these poorly trained, but stubborn conscripts who made up the Republic's billion strong armies. These warriors were supported by elite formations of close combat specialists called gladiators, and professional century old veterans known as Longhorns. The infantry was supported by numerous vehicle formations of well drilled crewmen, and small units of figher-bombers supported them from the clouds above. Like a sledgehammer, the Triceraton military was unwieldy, but otherwise unstoppable. The Triceraton way of war was direct and brutal, where the infantry was expected to enter into honourable close combat during the battle, after brief and cumbersome fire-fights, where blade and Triceraton muscle could do its work. This millenia old tactic, to this day, still held an impressive success rate. But casulty rates were always, always insurmountably high.

The Triceraton Space navy/Air force was organised primarily around the large colony ships made up from the Triceratons lost and shattered homeworld. These motherships were supported by smaller pilot ships, connected to the colony dreadnaughts via giant metallic clamps. The main forces were supported by a small number of escort frigates and commerce vessels, and by numerous bomber strike fighter squadrons.

In recent years however, after many humiliating wars and continued lack of success against new foes, the Triceraton Military has been going under major revolution. Whilst mass conscripted formation of Warriors are still commonplace, these bulk numbers are now supported by superior modern professionals. The backbone of the professional Triceraton war machine now comes in the form of the marines.

Whilst considered skulky by the older Warrior generations, the marines exhibit an undeniably successful form of war. The training is advanced and arduous, focussing on development of peak stamina within the soldiers as well as improving their core strength. The training is so intense that it pushes even the Triceraton physiology to the brink. The marines receive a year of  training, which improves the soldiers's stamina, core strength, develops superior speed and reaction times and produces an impressive 360 degree situational awareness. With a far greater combat repertoir than the warriors, they are trained to appreciate the importance of a soldiers skills of marksmanship before his close combat prowess. Marines show no shame whatsoever in 'cover-hugging', and in using the surrounding enviroment to their own tactical advantage.

The marines perfect the arts covert and unconventional warfare, sharpshooting, and also are taught staples in martial arts and extencive knife-fighting techniques of which a marine is expected to be expert in. All this takes place, forming a Triceraton requit into the best marine possible (and after a year even hopeless requits will be conditioned into effective solders), before being pushed onto the frontlines for their first trial of fire.

Gone are vast infantry charges into enemy gun lines and kill zones. Their ranks are made up of the best of the Warriors and those directly recruited into the Marince Core. They are masters of urban and covert warfare: Acting as commandos, conducting raids behind enemy lines and as the spearhead of the Triceraton army. These well disciplined and brave troopers represent a revolution in Triceraton war ethos.

Marines are well drilled, and make use of more advanced battle dress, trading halberd-blades for firearms, and dressed in brilliantly designed camouflage suits.They maintain a strict ethos of duty and honour, and exhibit a proud devotion to the Republic. The standard Marine is looked up to with favour and respect by the other members of the Triceraton regiments - and whilst traditionalists may mock their 'skulky' style of warfare, the marines are singlehandedly responsible for putting the Triceraton armed Forces back onto the galactic stage.

These co-operating organisations are now supported by updated Longhorn veteran regiments. They are also supported by warrior shieldmaidens, who operate inside the pathfinder scout regiments. And thirdlly, rough-riding Triceraton Outriders who are well practiced in the usage of their energy shielded jet-bikes.

The Bread and Butter of this new military however is that of the Stormtroopers.

The Triceraton Stormtroopers represent the very best the Triceraton military has to offer. They take the most promising requits of the warrior disciplines, and are equipt with the best war technologies the Triceratons can produce. The war gear of the Chapter is produced with painstaking precision, and is often hand crafted. The weapons and equiptment of the Stormtroopers are maintained with almost obsessive thoroughness. They are known to almost never fail their operators on the field of battle.

They are the warrior elite—made of marine protégés and ancient longhorn veterans. They are armed with advanced weapon systems, and impregnable carapace armour suits. More rare is the possession of the imposing executor-class combat battlesuits worn by the Stormtrooper Primes—the very best, of the best, of the best. They effortlessly swap between loosely knit skirmishers and inpregnable phalanx formations as to best suit the demands of battle.

With next generation fighting vehicles, and a newly revised Navy and Airforce, the Triceratons are now utilizing great and maneuverable space cruisers as well as their newly refitted colony dreadnaughts and pilot ships.

Particle and Mass driver cannon, missile and EMP-like ion cannon for their navy, new battleships to replace the weak escort frigates and unsuitable commerce vessels, new fighter/bomber designs for their Airforce—plasma rifle, particle sniper, next generation blaster rifles and armour corrosive disruptor blades for their warrior and marines.

The Triceraton military is now the force the Republic always wished to possess, and with an ever widening score of victories (with near to no losses) the pride and reach of the Republic grows ever greater with each passing year. Much to the dismay of their once victorious enemies...

One of their most predominant advances is their developments in autonomous warfare. The Triceratons possess a number of highly advanced battle droid types—with remarkably advanced programming (so good that it actually mimics true Biological Intelligence). With a number of notable classes: Praetorian (Common Battle Biploid), Defiler (Advanced Support Biploid), Vulture (Autonomous Support Fighter/Quadploid), Grievous (Super Battle-Biploid), Destroyer (Rapid Fire-Support Pentloid), Longshot (Ambush and Sharpshooter Quadploid), Sidewinder (Advanced Jetpack Biploid). This classification system outlines these platform's recommended tactial use, and a rough estimate of their outload and maneuverablity by recording the number of legs each platform possesses (Biploid = 2, Triploid = 3, Quadploid = 4 etc.).

All are capable of autonomously waging war, whilst lacking the basic ingenuity of living infantry—they are fearless and utterly relentless combatants. So whilst a living soldier will always best his robotic component, the daunting prospect of fighting many relentless dozens your own number more than makes up for this inadequacy.

Whilst the Republic only possesses a small Cadre of these robotic soldiers, they're numbers are growing swiftly. The threat posed to her enemies via the potential ability to engineer an army of trillions is a...daunting prospect for the enemies of the Triceraton Republic.

Technology
Triceraton technology is quite advanced, employing anti-gravity vehicles and man portable energy manipulation systems on a regular basis, they are easily a Tier 2 civilization (see forerunner Technological Achievement Tiers).

A notable trademark of Triceraton tech is the common triangular or pyramidal design on many vital systems, such as power cores and blasters.

The Triceraton civilization is markedly becoming more advanced. Currently they are one of the more higher of the species in the galaxy, this is marked by a recent development of stable FTL (faster than light) travel in the form of the Hyperdrive, sophisticated ion and anti-grav drives, advanced droids, personal energy weapons such as laser blasters and plasma rifles, superb metallurgy, and efficient industry. Sophisticated devices of communication and data processing marked by quick dispersal of information to all inhabited planetary areas and even between planetary systems within the empire—also in development is a form of communication capable of instant communication over dozens of light years. One technology which is anathema to the Triceratons is that of the Transmatt—the triceraton scientists have never been able of unlocking the power of teleportation.

Most of the Triceratons more advanced technologies are evident in its military hardware, but the republic also possesses a magnificently efficient agricultural system and whose autonomous technologies are wonders in themselves (The few dozen Triceraton Botanic Planets are capable of supporting trillion number populations many times over!).

The only notable limit of Triceraton technology is their gross lack of terraforming technologies, and of current they possess almost none (save of rumdimentory environmental control systems use to reverse the effects of small scale industrial pollution). This is why the Triceratons' territory is so large: Their colonies are strewn few and far between a small number of inhabitable planets with a sufficient sulphur-oxygen atmosphere. The empire is therefore only deceptively powerful, but a superpower nonetheless, with over 100 inhabited systems at its command, and those worlds not populated can always be mined and exploited for resources.

Triceraton Space Core
Previously a strong but cumbersome instrument, of recent years the Triceraton navy has advanced, modernized, and become a far more dynamic than ever before.

Still making use of the older City ships which are utilized as powerful Fortress-dreadnaughts, the Triceratons have designed a great new number of support ships, most which are self-sufficient. With giant Recuscant class carriers which even dwarf some City ships and heavily armoured Lucreschulk Assault carriers to transport en mass man and machinary planet bound. Powerful new capital ships like the Povidance class, and even larger Predator class: Cutting edge and armed to the teeth more than capable of taking on or wiping out their adversaries.

Smaller support cruisers such as the skeletal looking Munificent class, criticised at first by the Masculine Triceraton admirals for its fragile looking construction. Yet combat testing proving this assumption to be false, the cruiser repels and survives the weapn salvos unleashed by enemy starships - where than its dual particle cannons and turbolaser batteries with overlapping fire arcs give it the comparable arsenal of a much larger vessel. Built on mass these medium tonnage warships provide a strong backbone to the Triceraton Space Core.

If these were not enough, asssault and support frigates swell the ranks of their navies, the Vengeance class Stealth Frigate with its adaptive camouflage system which cloaks all thermal output of the ship and rending it invisible to electromagnetic, and visible light spectrums. This allows stealthy Mass driver cannon and torpedo launcher to do its work. Alliance class assault frigates charge enemy formations, with heavily armoured prows giving them near inpenitrable front armour. Older Nebulon-B Escort frigates are still enployed and add further numbers to the navies of the Triceraton republic, and now revised landing ships and missile frigates improve the capabilities of the navies smallest vessels.

The Triceratons no longer employ commerse vessels in the Space Core, such vessels made very poor warships even in previous eras, they were sluggish to manoeuver, weak armour and little to no weaponry employed on their superstructure.

To support the fleets next generation fighter and bomber designs intercept enemy attack vessels and shippage as pathfinders and rapid support formations, thousand strong droid fighter formations overwhelm their adversaries through weight of numbers and with powerful turbolaser cannons.

Old weapons designs have been revised, improved and replaced, and altogether new weapons technologies have been implemented onto their new ships and starfighters increasing the firepower of the was already hard hitting Triceraton navies.

Whilst new naval strategies are struggling to find development and this new dynamic form of space combat is all too new for the Triceraton admirals, with every engagement their experience grows and their powers extend, their navy has surpassed the capabilities of some powers and now threatens many of the galaxies most predominant and successful Civilizations.