Djachian

The djachians are a species of highly intelligent humanoids from the wastelands of Deja Prime.

Physical Description
Djachians are tall and slender, with long, graceful digits and a large, bulbous head. Their eyes are almond shaped, lidless, and black, and are noticeably larger than human eyes, but their nose is stunted and flat to the point of being little more than a pair of narrow vertical slits, and their mouth is small and thin. They have tiny ear holes covered by stubby flaps or nubs that are almost imperceptible. Djachians have three fingers on each hand and three toes on each foot. Their skin is hairless and has a rubbery appearance.

Biologically djachians share some traits of both mammals and reptiles, but are neither. Like mammals they are warm blooded and have skin instead of scales, but like reptiles they are hairless and produce leathery eggs. This appears to be the norm on their planet, where life evolved without highly specialized forms.

Homeworld
Deja Prime was once a subtropical paradise, lush with both plant and animal life. That changed in 2236 PC when the system was bombarded by cosmic radiation from a distant gamma ray burst. The surface was scorched to ash, and most of the life forms on the planet were instantly destroyed; those that survived were horribly twisted and mutated. The djachians managed to flee to subterranean shelters, and in so doing were able to preserve a fragment of the former ecosystem, which they continue to maintain below ground.

Deja Prime today is a radioactive wasteland, nothing but rock and swirling dust storms, but home to an extensive network of advanced cities buried deep underground.

History
The djachians were one of the earliest species to venture into space. Most early records have been lost, but it is known that they were utilizing jump drive technology pre-cataclysm. Many species, including the beza, ro seedi, and skog, can trace their jump drive designs to early contact with djachian explorers.

Following the destruction of their homeworld's ecosystem, djachians largely withdrew from space. It is not known if they ever had an extensive colony system as humans now do, but certainly by the 24th century their colonial holdings were negligible. Today they maintain only a handful of outposts of a mostly scientific nature.

The first official contact between humans and djachians did not go well. Upon discovering what they thought was an uninhabited planet in 2528 PC the United Stellar Confederacy attempted to colonize Deja Prime and establish a mining operation. The djachians, naturally, objected, but the confusion led to conflict and an entire djachian subterranean preserve was destroyed, leading to the extinction of several dozen preserved species. While peaceful relations were eventually established between the two, some djachians still hold the USC responsible for the incident and their dealings with humanity have been strained at best.

Culture
Djachians are empathic, able to read the emotional state of others over short distances. As a result, they have little need for outward expression. Humans often find them cold or aloof initially, though with time they can learn to recognize the subtle shifts of speech patterns that indicate mood.

Bright light is painful to a djachian. Many wear tinted goggles or glasses to protect themselves from sunlight. They also favor large, heavy, flowing robes in a variety of earthtones.

Being scientifically minded and rational, djachians take a measured and methodical approach to most things. Some may characterize them as conservative or risk-averse. They have trouble dealing with chaos or change, and prefer rigid structures and strategies over improvisation. They have keen minds, however, and pride themselves on their ability to solve any puzzle, no matter how complex. Djachians are particularly gifted with technology and can grasp fundamentals of any new device startlingly quickly.

As Player Characters
Attribute Bonuses: +1 Knowledge, +1 Presence

Skill Bonuses: +1 Endurance, +1 Repair

Special Abilities:
 * Empathic Alert (Buff, Passive): You can't be surprised by thinking opponents and gain a +1D6 bonus to detect Deception.
 * Scientific Mind (Passive): You don't need to make any checks to understand alien technology. You have a +1 bonus to Willpower saves.
 * Empathic Overload (Psychic, Ranged, Stun): Once per scene you can make a psychic attack against any thinking creature within 10 squares as a Standard action. The target becomes Stunned until the end of your next turn if they fail a Willpower save. If they succeed, they are Dazed instead.