A casually dressed Krijgvolk
The Krijgvolk (Krehg-vohlk) are a sapient species native to Tegenstrijdig, in the Obscura galaxy of the Viperius Galaxy system. They have been recently discovered by the Merranites.
They are moderately advanced, and can barely use FTL travel, due to its unstability.
Physiology[]
The Krijgvolk have two arms and two legs, and stand completely upright. Both their feet and arms have three digits, and these end in a sharp point. Their body is not well adapted to space travel, so do not often travel in space.
Muscoskeletal System[]
They are vertebrates, and so have a strong endoskeleton. The bones can withstand up to 400 kilograms of force, and so do not wear heavy armor. However, the bone has a low rate of repair, and can take several months for a badly broken bone to repair. Their bone structure follows the length of most of their body, except for their hands, where a strong exoskeleton holds in the flesh. A thin exoskeleton made of keratin exists on top of most of their body, and this is shed every year or so. It breaks much more easily than the bones, but provides protection against cuts.
A bit of the shedded top layer of a Krijgvolk's exoskeleton
The musculature of the Krijgvolk is centered mainly in the lower area of their body. They can move quite quickly, at speeds nearing 20 km/h. Their arms do have plenty of muscle, but are rendered quite useless due to modern firearms that are lightweight.
Digestive system[]
The Krijgvolk dissolves the unnecessary parts of its food, mainly meat, in a large organ called the slijper, and the rest goes through an organ that absorbs the protein, fiber, and other nutrition called the obslorpen. It is completely absorbed, so does not need to exit the system. Liquids are excreted in a sweating pattern, through pores on the exoskeleton of the Krijgvolk. Note - there are none on the hands.
Cardiovascular system[]
The heart of the Krijgvollk is five-chambered, and has a slow average heartbeat. However, the heart pumps quite strongly, and so can easily pump blood through the entire system. Their blood carries mainly blood cells, which carry oxygen, but also have blood cells that protect from bacteria and viruses.
When the blood is pumped through the system, it is pumped towards the lungs. These take in oxygen, and there are four of them. The top two lungs get oxygen through spiracles on the face, while the bottom ones get oxygen from spiracles on the side of the body. These spiracles are usually covered with a tank of oxygen which protects any harmful pollution from going in. However, there still are natural filters on the spiracles. The blood is then pumped away from them and pumped into the limbs and brain.
Immune system[]
The immune system of the Krijgvolk is not as strong as it used to be, due to current vaccinations and genetic alterations. However, it still exists. In the bloodstream, cells are designated to eliminate bacteria and viruses by emmiting fumes that destroy the proteins of viruses, which the other cells are immune. It destroys bacteria by absorbing them.
Nervous system[]
The nervous system of the Krijgvolk is centered around a large brain. This sends out signals into nerves, activating muscles, making them move. Electrical signals are sent at nearly 500 km/h and activate impulses in the muscles. There is a greater length of nerves than blood vessels.
A computer-generated Krijgvolk eye, put on side. Note - angular iris
Sensory Organs[]
The sensory organs of the Krijgvolk are highly developed. There are seven senses that the Krijgvolk use: Sight, smell, hearing, infrared imaging, taste, touch (although not strong, they still can sense pain), and a sort of organ that relates to the magnetic field of a planet.
The eyes of Krijgvolk are generally light, and have a pupil at the center that can change diameter according to light level. The inside of the eyes are hollow, and they have a very sensitive retina, and can see for many miles. Some augmetations add the ability to zoom in and out using a technological mechanism placed on the retina.
The Krijgvolk smell and use infrared imaging with the same organ. It is a porous armor-like plate of bone below the eyes, Behind it is a sensitive membrane that can graph out heat in front of them, and the Krijgvolk can choose whether or not to see using infrared. This can be very useful when searching for lifeforms.
A colored diagram of a Krijgvolk tongue Red- Environmental, Orange- Saltiness, Yellow- Sweetness, Green- Metallic, Purple- Bitterness
The Krijgvolk's smelling organs also expand into the mouth, where a forked toungue tastes food and air using nerves, concealed withing tiny bumps. These are separated into sections, shown at right.
Reproductive system[]
The Krijgvolk have two genders. They reach sexual maturity at age 20, and do not stop producing sperm and eggs, although it does slow generally, as they get older.
When the Krijgvolk reach sexual maturity, they usually find a mate. They usually have around three to five children by the time they reach the age of seventy, when they are not allowed to mate anymore. Gestation takes around two years for the bones to fully develop.
Genetics[]
The Krijgvolk often augment their bodies to make themselves stronger, faster, and age less. The Krijgvolk army has a special legion of augmented soldiers which are trained to wield heavier weapons and loads. They also have made permanent changes in the genetic code - they have increased their life span from sixty to nearly 170, and have made their exoskeleton stronger, made with stronger materials. However, this makes gestation longer, and gestating Krijgvolk must have a larger intake of minerals than others,
Diet[]
The Krijgvolk are omnivores, but prefer meat to anything else. However, they do eat their meat with certain spices and seasonings that are native to their planet.
Technology[]
Krijgvolkian technology is often centered around war, and as such have developed many types of weaponry,
Weaponry[]
The Krijgvolk have several handheld projectile weapons. Most of these launch out small metal pellets about a few centimeters long, and the guns are usually up to 2 1/2 meters long. These are carried by both lower ranked and higher ranked military personell. Most of the pellets are made out of Krijgstaal, also known as Warsteel, a titanium-iron alloy. Guns are usually held in both of the hands, but there are smaller weapons, that are only about a third of a meter long, that civilians carry.
Spaceships built by the Krijgvolk have several mounted weapons, even just the transports. Krijgvolk ships launch large projectiles out of an electromagnet, called the Kwakkogel, at about a tenth of the speed of light. This causes major damage to all but the thickest shields. Also, lasers have been developed, and large ships of the Krijgvolk stellar forces, which have their own large power cells and reactors, use highly concentrated lasers. These can rip through a meter of Warsteel in about two seconds, so are still being developed. Rumors say that they are working on a plasma weaponry system, which uses a huge amount of power to use.
Several 'powersuits' have been made, where a body-fitted metal armor goes around the Krijgvolk, which runs on an efficient carbon tube energy storage inside each of the joints of the armor. most of these are made of Warsteel, and augment the strength of the user. These are mounted with rapid-fire projectile weaponry with a sort of infrared laser sight, a small cannon, that launches explosives, mounted on a shoulder, and small versions of the flagship's laser. However, this laser takes a lot of energy, and is rarely used.
Communications[]
The Krijgvolk have advanced translator abilities, not using a database, but tapping into the brainwaves of the speaker and then saying it in an expressive tone. This greatly aided them when they met the Merranites, and their relationship changed from hostility towards the Merranites, and they soon became allies. Communicating with other colonies has progressed to very small devices which are launched at several times the speed of light and are caught in orbit around an unmanned space station when it exits FTL, and the message is relayed to the planet.
Spaceships[]
Main Article: Krijgvolk stellar forces
Krijgvolk spaceships are advanced, and use several weapons. The fleet of Krijgvolkian spaceships is currently numbered to around a few thousand, which can hold about a third of their population. They are researching a way to unlock the folded hyperspace, as to travel to thousands of c.
There is only one flagship, made out of Warsteel, named the Vengeance. It can travel at relativistic speeds using antimatter engines, backed up with fusion weapons, and has several weapons. It currently has an experimental plasma beam equipped, and is to be reckoned with. It is around 100 kilometers long. It carries nearly a million crewmembers.
The second largest spaceships are the carriers, which can carry several other spaceships. These are placed away from battle, small fighter ships refuelling and getting repaired here. They measure up to 50 kilometers long and can travel at .75c. They can hold around 5,000 krijgvolk, due to the spaceships inside- typically around fifty fighters. There are around fifty of these in the navy.
A frontal addition to a battleship, a Kwakkogel can be seen
The battleships of the Krijgvolk stellar forces are armed with small lasers and several Kwakkogel. They can travel at .5c, and can also have low FTL equipped. They can hold up to 75,000 krijgvolk, and measure up to 10 kilometers long. There are around three hundred of these in the navy.
Several fighter ships have been developed, and they can be manned or unmanned. They use small versions of Kwakkogel, which fire smaller projectiles than usual. Each of these is about a kilometer long and are easy to mass produce due to the warsteel supply. These usually are only large enough for around 500 krijgvolk. They are carried inside of carriers. There are currently around five thousand of these in the navy.
Buildings[]
On most settlements, buildings are blocky and are built to withstand attacks from light weaponry. Several cities have schools and universities. Most have a military barracks, also.
Society[]
The culture and society of the Krijgvolk is based off of war and cultural heratige.
A blueprint for a small military base
Culture[]
The culture of the Krijgvolk is based on the whole of the species and war. When they reach maternity, they go through a ceremony, where they fight another krijgvolk, until the other one faints or dies. The fainted one has to do it again, or become low class military personell. When they pass, they can become a scientist, a high ranking military official, or something else of their choice.
Krijgvolk are educated to become anything that they want, and only learn a special field after they are proven worthy. Many become military officers or scientists, due to their love of war.
Music is usually seen as a base noise, in a marching beat, usually used in parades. Chanting is often an accompanyment.
Language[]
A section of Krijgvolk glyphs, which are hardly understood
The language of the Krijgvolk is extremely fast, and they talk in continuous streams, and because they can pick up seperate frequencies, they usually talk at the same time, rapidly changing the topic due to different words that can be used. By most ears, it is heard as a low pitched song punctuated by short pauses and higher pitched words.
When issuing commands, they are more seen as a grunting noise, changing in pitch and length.
Clothes[]
Due to the exoskeleton, they do not wear much clothing. However, they often wear casual flowing robes, which circle their waist. Higher ranked political officials usually have a longer robe, and are stand out more.
Names[]
The name of the Krijgvolk is combined using the given name, then the name of the ship that they are assigned to, and then their name that is passed down through the generations. If they are assigned to a flagship, they are always referred to as 'Lord,' and do not have a ship name. When within a ship, the ship name will be left out, and when within a family, only the given names are used. Some high-ranking soldiers have titles before their name. Exaples include: Hjaal Thor Verrak, the pilot of the famed battleship Thor, and Lord Thamek Jaarak, the leader of the Krijgvolk.
Law[]
The law of the Krijgvolk is very strict. Many punisments result in exile, torture, or execution. This strict regime has caused them to stay in line almost all of the time. Most crimes committed are usually murder, theft, and taking hostages. They also have a police force, armed with advanced weaponry, that keep citizens in line.
Religion[]
Most Krijgvolk believe in a large pantheon of gods, which each have their own patronage. Each god has a war-like attribute to them, and the goddess of peace was banished to the Wraak, the religion's underworld in their mythology. Most gods have Krijgvolk bodies, and are often very toned. They each wield a weapon of power, e.g. a sword that can freeze anything it touches (goddess of solitude) or daggers which burn their victim (god of hate.)
Several figures are supposed to be reincarnations or embodiments of these gods, who kill large swathes of foes. Lord Thamek Jaraak is supposed to be a reincarnation of the king of the gods.
The symbol of the Krijgvolk military. The writing on it says 'To unify many.'
Military[]
The Krijgvolk military's main tactics are just head on attacks. They wear heavy armor, and carry large rifles capable of penatrating it with direct hits. Almost 90% of the military are riflemen and other foot soldiers like these, relying solely on head-to-head tactics. However, these are coordinated away from the field by generals or colonels, giving orders to fire and move.
Military tactics do not take much regard towards losses, and Krijgvolk keep on fighting until their forces are down to 0. Not a very good tactic, but a very good scare tactic to the enemy forces as a whole.
However, space tactics are not as well developed, but feature the same tactics from a much farther range. Battleships stay back many hundreds of kilometers, whilst the fighters find their way around the front line and position themselves inside or below the enemy forces. As one, they attack with all of the force necessary, catching the enemy off guard. The beginning of the attack requires long-range nuclear missiles, which take out preliminary kinetic barriers and smaller ship formations. Then, the Krijgvolk forces fire the Kwakkogel, which rip through larger ships. The lasers destroy oncoming projectiles and smaller ships, up to 200 meters long.
Krijgvolk do not take prisoners, even persons of high value. The only time they will ask for ransoms is when they really don't have the things, and then they will attack the fleet coming to recieve the person or ship. They usually loot the ships as well, using tethered spacewalkers.
Planetside, Krijgvolk do massive orbital bombardment using nuclear devices, measuring up to 400 MT TNT equivalent each, possible to take out large cities or bases. They use smaller missiles from spaceships to spear the enemy into pockets, which are taken out with deployed ground troops. Krijgvolk also have the power to guide asteroids towards planets using carriers.
The Vengeance would be commonly used as the flagship of the fleet in space battles, dwarfing many enemy ships and their own. The Vengeance can fire the plasma weapon, however experimental, into the enemy fleet, resulting in destruction of smaller ships and severe kinetic barrier loss.
History[]
The Krijgvolk evolved from primitive lifeforms, until the Great Chasm emerged.
Origin and evolution[]
The Krijgvolk evolved from spined, scaled, quadripedal lifeforms much smaller than Krijgvolk. These preyed on smaler creatures, until the Merge. This caused a giant chasm to open up, causing large amounts of smoke and tectionic disruption to create mass extinction. They evolved and became sapient, grew exoskeletons and became bipedal.
Recent events[]
In recent times, Krijgvolk have met the Merranites, and have rejoyced much at the prospect of other civilizations out there to conquer, once they become stronger.
Relations with other races[]
Relations with the Merranites have been pleasing, but the Krijgvolk have become impatient to find more.
Merranite[]
The Merranites were the first races that the Krijgvolk encountered. However, they have not done much communication, and have only discovered a few ships.