Vitakara: Races
Oyariah
"Calling them fanatics is incorrect; calling them idiots is a mistake; thinking they are inferior is dangerous. The Oyariah isolate themselves, but don't think they aren't cunning when they need to be.
And never make them angry."
- Zar'verinian'boreal
CODEX File ****
Subject: Oyariah
Location: Blacksite ***
Author: Geneticist Revelean
The Oyariah are nearly as fascinating as the Vitakarians in terms of their biology and genetic mutability. While they sadly no longer retain their genetic versatility, they are by no means inferior as they have evolved a far different kind of protection. While this will focus on their unique plating, I will note that stripping an Oyariah down to the initial skin layers does reveal a figure very similar in construction to a Vitakarian, further cementing the theory that Vitakarians were the original Vitakara.
Beyond that, it bears some investigation as to both how and why the Oyariah evolved what is simply stone-like skin. The how is curious as I cannot come to a reasonable conclusion as to how the Oyariah would develop the ability to grow stone skin to such a degree without outside intervention. What is curious is that there are underground insects on Vitakar that have been observed to have a similar kind of stone-growth.
Oyariah history is almost non-existent before two thousand years ago when they first made contact with the Vitakarian Republic, largely because writing was not a skill developed due to their own culture not utilizing writing utensils. However, what has been recorded is preserved in their Stone Halls; carvings that the Oyariah refuse to either identify as history, or what could have passed for their own form of entertainment.
What is relevant to this is that there are carvings depicting ancient Oyariah (who appear to be still Vitakarians) wearing odd kinds of bulges on themselves. While it is not proof by a long stretch, it is entirely possible that at some point the Oyariah wore these insects as a form of armor, and soon adapted similar traits into their own biology.
Could the same effect be accomplished by ingestion? Unlikely, but still a mystery, and no longer relevant.
Modern Oyariah biology is not nearly as understood as many believe. There is this infuriating myth perpetuated that Oyariah are blind. This is not, strictly speaking, true. They have simply adapted to see clearly in the dark. While their eyesight is quite poor compared to other Vitakara, calling them 'blind' is a gross mischaracterization. They require genetic modification not to see, but so that natural sunlight isn't overwhelming to them.
What should also be understood about their sight is that they do not rely on it like many other species. If anything, they are more reliant on smell and sound, and this is reflected in their architecture and mapping. They do not hang lights or other visual aids when conducting these activities, but use specific plants that have distinctive smells, and is complimented by designs that echo or direct sound, which gives the Oyariah a better understanding of the environment than simply by sight.
An Oyariah will be far more crippled if their hearing is removed, than their sight taken away.
Now to focus on the most obvious trait of their biology; their stone-like skin. The substance itself is not related to anything else in their body, further suggesting that this was not a naturally occurring phenomenon, and is not something that is impenetrable or impossible to be destroyed. It is not as strong as stone, and surprisingly highly weak to extreme heat.
This makes them extremely vulnerable to laser weapons and other heated projectiles. A weakness they compensate for by usually wearing additional overlaying armor. Against all other projectiles though, it is a superb defense. Melee weapons of all types are essentially useless against them, as are physical projectiles. Plasma is effective, but not to as large an extent as thermal weapons.
Oyariah do not to begin to grow this natural armor until approximately seven standard years of age, which has likely occurred because any younger and they might not be able to comprehend plate maintenance, and eventually become encased in their own skin without parental assistance. This is another extremely misunderstood point about the Oyariah: Their plates grow everywhere their skin is. Yet they quite clearly do not have armor everywhere. This is because Oyariah between the ages of seven and fifty must carefully maintain their bodies to prevent themselves from being locked in their armor.
The growth of the Oyariah skin-plate has several stages:
Stage One: The Oyariah will grow a kind of scale that covers the area of skin. These are transparent at the start, but will harden to a dark grey if left unattended for at least two weeks. They are fairly easy to remove with simple cutting instruments and the Oyariah have developed a tool that easily cuts out unwanted scales, ensuring that no plate growth will appear there. This stage repeats over the course of two weeks, although most Oyariah conduct this kind of bodily maintenance weekly to be safe.
Stage Two: The scales will harden into a thin plate which offers moderate protection and is essentially stab-proof. The coloring will darken and the plate will be extremely difficult to remove, and the process is moderately painful without anesthetic, but it is possible to accomplish without modern medical equipment. Scales will soon begin growing over this plate, repeating the stages over again.
Stage Three: The plate is thick and strong enough that it is impossible to safely remove without modern medical equipment. Even laser weaponry will have difficulty penetrating it. This largely happens to older Oyariah, or those in the Titans, as many Oyariah will live with their plates in a stage between stages two and three.
After the age of fifty, the Oyariah will stop growing scales, and thus, armor. Experiments have demonstrated that attempting to restart the process on those who exceed this age is extremely difficult, and has additional detrimental effects on their health. Scale growth rate also declines over time, stretching to three weeks between the ages of thirty to forty, and four weeks from forty to fifty. It takes a minimum of five years to an Oyariah to have a plate grow from scales to what is considered 'standard' plate protection, which is equivalent to a stage between two and three. It takes a minimum of seven years to fully develop stage three plates.
The Oyariah have adapted to this in various ways, and now that they have multiple ways to control plate growth, it is quite common to see them turn it into something of an art form; shaping their armor into curious shapes and engraving various symbols and icons that have no meaning to anyone other than an Oyariah.
However, they are useless if their natural ability cannot be adapted, but there is considerable progress being made towards applying it to non-Oyariah species. Unfortunately, it has the current effect of quickly killing the one affected by it due to uncontrollable plate growth, imprisoning and killing the subject within days.
Inconvenient. I have yet to pinpoint the exact issue.
However, it could indeed be an effective weapon. Perhaps Earth would be a suitable testing ground? Humans react mostly the same as Vitakarians currently, and the effects would certainly be fatal, and there is little they could do to stop an outbreak.
Yet this might interfere with the Imperator's plans for Earth. Wide-scale deployment might not be feasible.
I shall have to inquire further.
The Oyariah are considered one of the more isolated races on Vitakar, rivaling the Sar'Manda in isolation. Yet unlike the underwater Empire, the Oyariah are quite open to visitors, but very few of us are willing to make the journey to their underground cities out of a misguided fear that the Hegemony themselves do not bother addressing.
The question of why the Oyariah would allow negative stories of their race to propagate without addressing them is foreign to the majority of Vitakara, but it is quite simple: The Oyariah don't particularly care. Words are not something they are intimidated by; only action is important to them. The other reason is that Oyariah are very slow to assume the worst of others.
To fully understand the Oyariah, you must learn and interact with them personally. I undertook the journey to their Hegemony and returned with a much better understanding of their mindset and outlook.
History: The Oyariah are extremely secretive of their history, although much of it is unwritten due to them not developing a written language until recently. The Stone Halls are where Oyariah keep immaculately preserved stone carvings of various people and events. It is impossible to fully comprehend without being an Oyariah yourself, but even outsiders can piece together some of their history from just observing the carvings.
Much like the Vitakarians in the beginning, the Oyariah were nomads who wandered the caves beneath Vitakar. During this time they were besieged by beasts that I presume are extinct today, as there are no similar animals or insects that resemble those in the Stone Halls. It can only be presumed that the Oyariah wiped out all predators that posed a threat to them over an unspecified period of time.
The Oyariah settled down in the now-established Hegemon City soon after they finished their purges of the offending wildlife, according to the carvings, which depict an unnamed Oyariah establishing the Sigil of the Hegemony in a field of corpses of unknown beasts. While there is nothing concrete, there are similar carvings of the Sigil being planted in differing locations, without the unknown corpses, indicating the spread of the Hegemony.
The first contact of the Oyariah is well-documented, and after a brief period of tension, peaceful relations were established, and when the Aui'Vitakar was created, the Oyariah were welcomed as members and have participated ever since. Their history is very short, largely because the majority of it is undocumented, and can only be inferred from the pieces in the Stone Halls. This will be detailed below:
The Stone Halls: As the Oyariah do not wish to reveal much about the Stone Halls, there is some debate if they can actually be considered historical, or merely what passes for their entertainment. Regardless, most historians agree that there is enough evidence to infer some pre-history of the Oyariah. There are also several specific murals, statues and carvings that are worth noting. The names are not official, and are the best description I could ascribe to the pieces:
Proto-Oyariah: There is only one statue that seems to portray Oyariah before they evolved their natural armor. It is a single faceless figure holding a primitive spear facing a snarling toothed and spiky creature there is no name for. The figure appears to be wearing little more than crudely attached stones for armor, but is nonetheless unique among all the other pieces in the Stone Halls. Non-Oyariah are portrayed rarely in the Stone Halls, and there is an ongoing debate on if the figure is indeed a proto-Oyariah, or a Vitakarian. If the latter, the question then becomes why?
Hunting the Beasts: This is one of the more memorable pieces due to the scale of the carved mural. It takes up nearly an entire wall while depicting an army of primitive Oyariah seemingly only armored by their plates, and equipped with stone blades and spears, preparing to fight what seems to be a nest of insect-like creatures with six legs and crushing jaws. Whether this has any symbolic meaning, or is simply a piece of history they felt needed to be recorded is still unknown.
Stalker of the Hegemony: The helmet and cape of the Stalker is well known throughout Vitakar, but the oldest instance I noticed with it was a simple mural carving of an Oyariah lifting the helmet upon his head, and attaching the 'cape', which at the time appeared to be the pelt of some underground animal. It is quite possible this is the first Stalker, and likely the best of their hunters, who earned the title by eradicating a species or destroying a hive of these creatures. If this is the case, the Oyariah are hesitant to confirm it.
The Execution: This is one of the most disturbing of murals because it is a rare instance where the Oyariah use color. It is only the golden yellow of blood, and depicted is the execution of several unidentified Oyariah by the current Stalker of the Hegemony. This is the *only* instance of internal conflict, as all other times the Oyariah are always portrayed as united. It is unlikely the Hegemony will reveal the story behind this mural.
Surface Dwellers: All of us are familiar with the history of how the Vitakarian Republic first made contact with the Hegemony under less-than-pleasant terms, which involved the Hegemony taking the Vitakarians prisoner. While this was resolved quickly, the Oyariah have chosen to portray the less-peaceful part of the meeting, which has the Vitakarians bound and on their knees in the Square of the Hegemon City, with who I presume is the Stalker Heg'yorah'hegemon standing above them, the ceremonial stone sword in his hand.
Interlude Note: As stonework is largely considered an archaic art, most people assume that the Oyariah stopped when writing was developed. However, this is not the case, and this practice of immortalizing events and people from history has continued to this day, including some scenes that any Vitakara will recognize.
Plague: This is another instance where the Oyariah used color, and the scale is equal to Hunting the Beasts. It is a sickening depiction of the Oyariah affected by the Plague, with them lying on the ground, bleeding out, plates falling off, all awash in the color of blood. It also speaks to how deeply this affected them, because they conducted similarly-sized additions that portray each of the races under the effects of the Plague, even the Sar'Manda. The days of the Plague are long in the past, but looking at the Oyariah murals reminds those who see them how horrific the entire ordeal truly was.
Elders: The arrival of the Elders is the largest carved mural in the entirety of the Stone Halls. The Elder envisioned is depicted in what can only be described as a radiant light, with the possible meaning of bringing salvation and uplifting the species. The connecting piece is the statue of Stalker Heg'tretiga'hegemon pledging loyalty to the Elder Sana'Ligna. In addition there are statues of every known Elder, which includes Sana'Ligna, Revelean, and the Battlemaster.
Muton Subjugation: This piece is curious for several reasons, namely how the Oyariah know the event in the detail it is portrayed as. The Hegemony was not part of that event, and even the Aui'Vitakar do not know the full details even to this day. Nonetheless the carving portrays the Battlemaster cutting his way through the Muton tribes, the entire ground around him covered in corpses. The only part of the carving that is colored is the Battlemaster's sword, which is splattered irregularly with the orange color of Muton blood.
Godkiller: This is by far the most odd of the pieces in the Stone Halls. It depicts an Elder, one with a tattered robe and scarred helmet, on its knees, unleashing psionic power towards what appears to be Vitakarian-like figures in strange armor, who are responding by usin psionic attacks in return, and firing from strange weapons. The meaning and allowance of this carving is a complete mystery. It appears to portray the death of an Elder, but why the Oyariah would even permit the creation of a piece that depicts that is questionable. There are some arguments that it could be considered a warning of some kind, but of what? A rebellion? A vision of the future? No one knows, and the Oyariah will not explain.
The Alien: This is also a recent addition, and it is arguably just as confusing as the Godkiller piece, as it is simply a carving depicting an alien, with a striking resemblance to a male Vitakarian, in the midst of fire, wearing the strange armor from the other piece. Behind him is a symbol that I have never seen before, it is a strange shape with odd markings, but is identified by the letters on the top: XCOM. What this is, I do not know, but it is possible that it has a similar meaning to that of the previous one, which is possibly a warning.
Modern Culture: The Oyariah are largely a peaceful society, and this is ironically due to the creation of the Fighting Arena. This arena is where Oyariah battle each other for sport. Unlike what might be expected, they do not fight to a conclusion, but rather until they feel satisfied with hitting each other as hard as they can.
They are nearly invulnerable to melee weapons, and use fully lethal and modern equivalents against each other, with the full intent to cause damage, even if both know it will have no effect. The fight ends when an Oyariah yells the word that roughly translates to "I conclude this battle". Their opponent will immediately stop, and either depart as well, or if they wish, continue and fight the next combatant.
It is not recommended that members of other races attempt to participate in the Fighting Arenas since there is a high chance of death. But to Oyariah, it is a welcome distraction and their means of both relieving stress, and for those of the Titans, as a means of honing their skill with less common weapons.
Oyariah architecture is nonsensical by what is largely considered modern standards, with their own buildings being geometrically irregular and otherwise in cube-like haphazard designs. This is because the Oyariah do not rely on sight, and thus they design their buildings around a weak kind of echolocation which allows them to better visualize areas.
Visitors to the Hegemony will also note that it is very dimly lit, with them only using a glowing blue fungus grown on their farms. This is not because they are incapable of using more powerful lighting, but that even weak electric lights are simply too strong for them without becoming disoriented. The vast majority of Oyariah have not undergone genetic modification that reduces their sensitivity to bright light.
Visitors will also notice that there is a noticeable mix of smells that can be overpowering at first, but this is simply another means of how Oyariah navigate their cities. They have specific strands of certain plants that emit smells, which are identical to us, but are quite varied to Oyariah. They use these to mark important places, specific beings, and direction. The Hegemony is very strict about controlling this aspect to prevent what to them would be considered fraud, since to Oyariah, impersonation is not simply pretending to be another, but having their distinctive smell as well.
Another aspect of Oyariah culture that most people are unaware of is that the Oyariah do not generally use electronic and holographic devices in the cities. Most are familiar with the technology, but their "documents" are written on thin plates of stone. It is largely impractical for large quantities, of course, which is why the Oyariah use specially designed machines to do the carving, which it then does in a short amount of time, and the finished tablets are taken to the Black Library, which is the only part of the Hegemony that is managed with electronic means.
Oyariah are not beings who change easily, nor will they unless forced to. They believe that there is nothing that is a threat to them any longer, since they took command of the underground, and overcame the Plague with the arrival of the Elders, and now believe that with the Elders protecting them, they cannot be stopped.
Reading the words I write here is the first step towards understanding them, but you will not fully comprehend them until you visit the Hegemony for yourself. It is an experience I recommend each Vitakara do at least once in their lives, and only through understanding each other can we strengthen the ties between the races, and become a stronger species.
- Vit'narrian'vitiary, Vitakarian Republic Historian and Record Keeper, writing on the history and culture of the Oyariah Hegemony
REPORT: 110100111110
ORGANIZATION OF INTEREST: THE OYARIAH HEGEMONY
SPECIES: VITAKARA
CLASSIFICATION: LOCAL GOVERNMENT
LEADER: HEG'TRETIGA'HEGEMON, STALKER OF THE HEGEMONY
CURRENT STATUS: FRIENDLY
VULNERABLE TO EXPLOITATION: LOW
VULNERABILITY TO PENETRATION: MEDIUM
VULNERABILITY TO COLLAPSE: LOW
INFORMATION OF NOTE: OYARIAH HEGEMONY LOCATED UNDERGROUND – AREAS OF PENETRATION LIMITED
INFORMATION OF NOTE: SUSPECTED ETHEREAL SUPPORT
INFORMATION OF NOTE: QUESTIONABLY INFORMED ABOUT CURRENT EVENTS
INFORMATION OF NOTE: ATYPICAL RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION
INFORMATION OF NOTE: MILD TENSIONS BETWEEN OYARIAH HEGEMONY AND AUI'VITAKAR
ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: The Oyariah Hegemony is quite possibly the most dangerous of the Vitakara local governments, with the possible exception of the Sar'Manda Empire. The difference is that we can make some logical assumptions about the nature of the Hegemony, when the same is simply impossible currently with the Empire.
The Hegemony itself is what is largely considered the most crude of all local governments, which is reflected in their culture of ritual combat, titles, and unique method of recording history. Their governmental structure is one of the most curious, which is detailed below.
The Hegemony is led by the Stalker of the Hegemony, a title which appears to be one from a history when the Oyariah were ravaged by unknown underground creatures that no longer exist. Very little is known of how the Stalker is chosen, as the Hegemony does not keep easily accessed records, but it does not appear to be a hereditary or democratic role. This question will likely be answered in the coming decades as a new Stalker is chosen.
The Stalker does appear to have complete control over the Hegemony. He is surrounded by exactly six advisors, three male, three female, all of whom are appointed by him (Note: The Stalker will be referred to as 'he' as there have been no indications that it is possible for a female to achieve this rank. However, this is unconfirmed). Each advisor appears to be directly responsible for managing certain territories of the Hegemony, as well as local policy, which in general is limited.
The other figure that associates with the Stalker is the One Encased. The language spoken by this Oyariah is not on any records, but it appears the Stalker can understand him. The name is likely due to the fact that this Oyariah has been consumed by his stone skin, effectively sealing him in place, though this appears to be intentional. He is kept alive through nutrient injections, and resides exclusively in the Black Library, perhaps indicating the rank is that of a historian or loremaster. This is unable to be confirmed due to the security of the Black Library.
Another figure of note is the Ravager of the Hegemony Titans, what passes for the Hegemony military. It is an exceptionally small group for a military, the numbers more akin to a special forces group, but they make up for it by being extremely difficult to kill in battle. The majority of Titans use heavy melee weaponry, but there is a group that will use ranged cannons if pressed. Curiously, there have been three Ravagers since contact with the Vitakara, and all of them have been female. The reason for this is unknown.
The final figure of note is the Revealer, the leader of the organized religion of the Hegemony. There have been both male and female Revealers, and their primary goal is conveying the so-called 'will of the elders' to the Oyariah. The Revealer commands the Messengers, which function in spreading this to the Hegemony itself.
The Revealer is also curiously absent much of the time from the Hegemony, but each time they return, the Hegemony seems to know more than the current Aui'Vitakar. The messages are also laced with what both appears to be propaganda and preemptive orders concerning events that appear to be more contingencies than anything else.
The Oyariah religion around the Elders is perplexing for a number of reasons. The first of which is that out of all the races, they are the only ones to have formed any religious doctrine or beliefs, which were never ever considered in other races, or died out long ago. Yet the Oyariah, since the beginning, appear to have always believed in a higher power.
The second perplexing thing of note is that the Oyariah have no interest in spreading their beliefs beyond the Hegemony. They will certainly profess their faith in the Elders, but there has never been a recorded instance of religious conversion or persuasion. The Hegemony seems to only want to keep their gods to themselves, which is atypical.
Further research into the religion itself reveals some interesting information. Despite the reputation of Oyariah being 'fanatics', there is little fanatical about them. Nor is their belief in the Elders entirely what it seems. To most, the concept of "God" is one who is responsible for one or more aspects of the creation of reality itself. To put it simply, the Oyariah do not recognize the Elders as gods in the traditional sense.
They do not believe the Ethereals are responsible for the creation of any aspect of the galaxy, but they do believe the Ethereals are beings of a higher power; that they are beings that can perform impossible feats that no others can replicate. They are under the belief that they have some greater understanding of the galaxy that no one else can comprehend.
Given what we know of the Ethereals, this appears to be true on some level. Yet the religion seems to be based on the Ethereal usage of psionics, and their long lifespan. To date, there is no proof of a correlation between psionics and greater logical comprehension. It cannot simply be psionics that can be responsible for this odd devotion, as both the Sectoids and Humans are capable of such. Once more it seems uncomfortably likely that the Hegemony may know something we don't.
Their religion also appears very personal in nature. The Messengers may gather Oyariah to share the latest words of the Elders, but otherwise Oyariah do not display any hallmarks of religious societies. There are no services or public devotion of any kind. And as mentioned above, they do not appear to want to convert others to their faith.
But it should also be noted that there has yet to be an Oyariah encountered that does not follow this religion. One more strange part in this puzzle.
There are several other areas of note about the Hegemony, the first of which is the Black Library. As the Hegemony does not use electronic documents, it is impossible to recover information in the designated repository or information, known as the Black Library, which supposedly has every single Oyariah record since the formation of writing. Supposedly their history, their baffling customs, and their plans are recorded within. Any Oyariah can enter, but foreigners and aliens (With the exception of Elders) are not permitted entry.
The Black Library is guarded by twenty-five Titans on the outside, and an unknown number inside, and standing orders are to kill anything that is not authorized to be in there. Penetration is not recommended, and even if that were the case, stone tablets are not an ideal source for storing information that can be accessed in an effective manner.
The other main location of note is the Stone Halls, which is a combination of a museum and art gallery. Within the Oyariah have statues, murals, and carvings of what is commonly assumed to be various parts of their history. It is constantly being added to, and completely constructed and maintained by hand, overseen by the Stone Shaper who often meets with the One Encased. There are rumors that there is a secret wing of the Stone Halls that is not accessible to outsiders, but this is unconfirmed.
The Hegemony itself is a fairly standard operation, with the exception of their justice system. Oyariah quite curiously, do not appear to believe in punishment as recognized by other races. However, the means by which they do punish their criminals and deviants is one that might be considered inhumane.
Quite simply, it does not matter what the crime is, the punishment is always the same: The punishment referred to as the "Screaming Prison" which is what happens when the Oyariah become encased in their armor due to poor plate maintenance. The Oyariah is bound and kept in position, with nutrient tubes established, and kept in the same place for a minimum of two weeks, when the scales start to harden. How long they stay in this positon depends on the severity of the crime.
After the sentence is fulfilled, they will be released and the plating that has built around their joints and other sensitive areas will be surgically removed, and they return to fully integrate into society. The Hegemony operates on the assumption that no one will want to repeat that experience, and so far they appear to be right. To date, there has never been a repeated conviction in the entirety of recorded and observed Oyariah history.
The Hegemony is a large mix of questions we do not have answers to. But we must take care in investigating this further. If the Ethereals are involved, we do not know how far they will go to protect their most loyal allies.
RECOMMENDATION: CONTINUE OBSERVATION OF OYARIAH HEGEMONY; INVESTIGATE MEANS OF PENETRATING THE BLACK LIBRARY; ACQUIRE ZARARCH OR ETHEREAL RECORDS ON OYARIAH
REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 182; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND!]
END REPORT
CONTINUE OBSERVATION