This is a Work in Progress. It will be edited and changed over time.
KAAREN
(kae-ren)
The Kaaren are a sub-species of the Quarren species that occupy the Space Hulk Resplendent Sacrament, and are the result of divergent evolution after being lost in space for hundreds of years. They are a deeply religious caste based culture that worships the Void and the Machine Gods. They all posses psionic powers and are linked together telepathically through the power of the Conduit. They are governed by the Council of Archons.
EXODUS:
During the Clone Wars the planet Dac became embroiled again in civil war as a majority of the Quarren sided with the Confederacy of Independant Systems. Some Quarren remained loyal to the Mon Calamari and the Republic. However a large group of Quarren decided they would be better off leaving the planet and it's constant feuding behind. Taking what resources they could they filled up the starship Corvax II and headed into the outer reaches of the galaxy.
With a rich history of mining in the depths of Dac, the Quarren refugees headed for the Chiloon Rift to join the independant mining clans. However, they strayed too far to the center of the Nebula and became trapped within the time bending anomaly known as the Bubble of the Lost. Within the anpmaly time passes faster than it does outside of the anomaly. The crew of Corvax II attempted to navigate the Bubble of the Lost but their journey was cut horribly short when they collided with a Space Hulk; a collection of starships and earth bodies that have been twisted together to form a single solid mass.
Those who survived the impact became trapped within the Corvax II. The engines were beyond repair and supplies would eventually run out. The decision was made to tunnel through the ship and into the Space Hulk using the mining tools they brought with them. They successfully dug through into another starship within the Hulk, and more beyond that. They discovered the remains of ships and crews lost within the Bubble. It was clear that many had died on impact and the rest had starved to death. Without the proper tools those crews were incapable of accessing the areas of their ships, and the rest of the Hulk, that had become inaccessible after impact. Troves of supplies sat untouched.
Through sheer ingenuity and desperation the Quarren Survivors continued to tunnel, creating a network between the hundreds of ships that composed the Space Hulk. They repaired what systems they could, managing to restore life support, air scrubbers, and even discovering the means to grow food. Some areas of the Hulk were more dangerous than others, forcing the Survivors to brave chemical spills, gas leaks, fuel fires, decompression, and loss of artificial gravity. After many trails and casualties, they managed to carve out an existence within the twisting mass of the space hulk.
ISOLATION:
What followed was hundreds to thousands of years of conflict and isolation from the rest of the galaxy. Many records were lost with the dying of ship systems aboard the Corvax II. Unwilling to lose their history and identity they forged a new record by combining any and all scraps of hard information and filling in the gaps with oral history passed down generation by generation; twisted and obscured by time. This record would eventually evolve into the Codex, a text revered religiously for it's contained histories as well as interpreted instructions. The Codex is one of the greatest pillars of Kaaren Culture.
SOME KIND OF INTERNAL CONFLICT THAT DROVE THE SURVIVORS TO FORM THE HOUSES/CASTES. WILL ADD LATER.
The Quarren underwent physical change as a result of their new environment. Great strife and discomfort forced their bodies to change and adapt to their surroundings at an astounding speed. A phenomenon of the Bubble of the Lost. Without abundant water the orange and pinks of their skin turned to sickly purples and blues, becoming dry and leathery. The characteristic facial tentacles became useful for manipulating their environment and tools, growing longer and thicker in the process. Malnutrition thinned their profiles and greatly reduced muscle mass. Their eyes shrunk and craniums expanded, hosting a larger brain than their ancestors.
With their greater minds they manifested the ability of telepathy. A new generation of Kaaren were born with the innate ability. It caused panic and confusion. They had great trouble controlling and directing their powers and dealing with the noise created by the reckless or controlled telepathic projections. When no solution was found they took desperate measures. The greatest among them would act as a telepathic anchor for the rest, known as the Conduit. By fusing their consciousnesses together they formed a hive mind with the Conduit acting as the point of connection between them all. Maintaining the connection consumes the Conduit's entire being. His or her body is placed on life support to keep it alive while the mind is busy. The Conduit can communicate and participate with the rest of the hive mind but it is extremely taxing and thus rare.
The entire process is very taxing and eventually the Conduit is replaced with the new champion among the Kaaren. This champion is often selected in advance so that the replacement can be made as soon as the Conduit's life begins to fade. An extended break in the hive mind connection would hypothetically cause chaos and disarray after being so dependent on the shared connection. Great care is taken to ensure the transition ceremony goes smoothly. The old Conduit usually perishes during the transition ceremony but those who survive are left as husks who cannot be rehabilitated back to their former life. Becoming the Conduit is considered the greatest achievement in Kaaren culture and is a point of competition among the Council of Archons and the heads of the Castes.
OLD
Leadership squabbles forced the Kaaren to break into tribes and clans, with constant scuffles for representation. When the squabbles finally ended only three distinct groups remained, the Sik'Kaaren, Tal'Kaaren, and Bo'Kaaren. Each house dominated an aspect of their society wholly and there was little or no overlap with the other houses. The houses were very inclusive and while they cooperated with each other they each harbored a mutual distrust and disdain for the other.
Sik'Kaaren - Religious Caste -
Tal'Kaaren - Military Caste -
Bo'Kaaren - Engineer Caste
