Vinobes

Vinobes - Near-Humans by Taalismn

“There are many forms of courage; raging courage, suicidal courage, pragmatic courage, self-improving courage, demonstrative courage, and the like, to be found in quantities great and small across the worlds of the megaverse. In my personal experience, though, I have found no greater depths of quiet courage than in the modest demeanor of the Vinobe volunteers of the Greater New England Civilian Auxiliary Corps. I have seen these women venture into firefights mere yards away from horrible death and destruction to attend to the wounded, bring comfort to the dying, and save lives that might otherwise be lost. Is it all the Blessing I hear they have? Or the result of curdled genetic implants put in them by callous slave-makers? I think not; they themselves have chosen to tap deep their personal wellsprings of courage, and, being the gentle souls they are, share with the rest of us.” -Vinus Karthage, Squilb combat-journalist.

“A clear misogynist plot, creating ‘cow girls’. If you find the little mucking bastards who created these people, let us know, so we can be in on the kill.” -Marla Ansal, North Star Legion(Abolitionist Irregular unit)

“I’ve seen catgirls, beegirls, foxgirls, ninja rabbits, minotaurs, dogboys, molemen, apemen, mermaids, tengu, turkey commandos, batmen, talking rocks, alligatormen, snakemen, fishmen, slimemen, elephantmen, bearmen...a whole howling menagerie of every possible combination of human and other....a few bovine characteristics? Hardly registers on the ‘Odd Scale’. What stands out about these people, though, is their kindness and hospitality; you don’t often see that in a people who were, by their own account, deliberately engineered to be slave stock and later freed.” -’Wander’ Atchison, Megaversal Traveler

“Do I seek revenge on past gene-meddlers who altered my life and destiny? Do I rage against a megaverse on the supposition that it somehow has a personal animosity against me? No, I seek to live well, in spite of what others think I should feel. I mean to make a good life for myself and my family. Living well and long is my revenge, and sharing my joy in life with others my way of guerilla warfare.” -Etha Carson, Vinobe owner of Etha’s Home Remedy Emporium

Vinobes (Vee-no-bees) appear to be the sad result of an alien species’ attempt to engineer literal human ‘cows’ as slave-stock. It is largely believed that one of the Grey offshoots or other ‘Abductor’ species is responsible, given that some Vinobes remember lives as normal human beings. Some xeno-biologists disagree with classifying the Vinobes as a ‘species’ or ‘race’, regarding them as human bio-borgs, the result of eugenic engineering, while others want to grandfather the Vinobes into species recognition, citing that the Vinobes are able to breed additional generations. Vinobes appear to be deliberate attempts to engender bovine characteristics into human beings. Vinobes tend to wide proportions, muscular builds, elongated ears, and thick, suede-like skin. Their nails (especially toe nails) tend to be thick and hard, and they sport short tasseled tails. Although not as extreme as some ‘furry-forms’, Vinobes can be classed ‘near-human’, and can easily disguise themselves as normal humans. or, with their ears, as particularly buxom elves(one genetic engineer has noted that Vinobe have been rather conservatively engineered by their ‘creators’). Vinobes are also slightly stronger on average than unmodified human beings, have a much greater endurance, and have a rude good health.
Mentally, Vinobes tend towards placid, patient, domestic, non-aggressive personalities. They work well in groups and at the extreme end can be considered to have a ‘herd’ mentality. However, they are NOT stupid or easily dominated, and if threatened, can prove extremely stubborn and surprisingly aggressive. And anybody who has dealt with a group of Vinobes can attest that ‘herd mentality’ can also translate into ‘we will trample you’.
It is particularly telling that all Vinobes are FEMALE. They retain interfertility with baseline humans(a fact which complicates, in the eyes of some, whether the Vinobe can be classified as being a true separate species or simply some form of bioborg), and can produce normal, healthy, children, but there is an eighty-percent chance that female offspring will inherit the Vinobe genotype(which swings the argument for recognition as a species back in the other direction). There are rumors, fired by accounts of the older Vinobes, that the same parties responsible for creating the Vinobes also created a male counterpart, minotaur-like ‘Roatnims’, who were extremely muscular and aggressive, but none appeared among the slave populations of Atlantis, so whether the male versions are being sold elsewhere in the megaverse, or were an experiment discontinued by the creators of the Vinobes, is unknown.
Vinobes appeared in the slave markets of Atlantis, apparently as a result of Splugorth trading with the parties responsible for creating them. Delivered as a group, the Vinobes were noteworthy in the slave pens for their mutual cohesion and for their efforts to help not just each other, but prisoners suffering in adjacent cells, sharing what little they had with their fellow captives. Their appearance in Splynn was beginning to raise interest, and much was being made of their profit potential both as slave labor and a new source of meat and skins, and the Vinobes may have been headed for a sad fate as just another slave species but for the prayers of a number of the original bio-converts, who prayed for succor from their household deities. Apparently their prayers were heard to the surprise of many, and by their own account, deep in the dark slave pits of Atlantis, the goddess Hathor (Ancient Egyptian goddess of love and fertility) appeared to them, and conferred upon their number her blessing for their faith and compassion towards each other and their fellow slaves, that kept them sane and provided them with a number of special powers and attributes useful against their enslavers, as well as bolstered their spirits and kept them organized. Several Vinobe were able to use these powers to escape and become involved in the Underground Railroad movement off Atlantis, seeking allies in their efforts to free those left behind. Shortly afterwards, before the Vinobe could be herded to the auction blocks, The ZOT(an alien pantheon infamous for its oddball members and brazen behavior) hit Atlantis, and forced a slave mass-escape exodus, and the Vinobes were among those better organized to exploit the opportunity. Several hundred escaped Atlantis, many of them making landfall in North America and heading for the civilizations there. They have since established themselves in a number of communities and businesses, often forming enclaves of a dozen or more ‘sisters’ who stay in close touch with one another and aiding other traveling Vinobe.
Reports have surfaced of Vinobe being sold in slave markets elsewhere in the megaverse, suggesting that their creators may still be in business. Tracking down other still-captive Vinobe and identifying their sellers/creators is a priority of several Vinobe groups and Abolitionist organizations.

Alignments: Good and Unprincipled. Anarchist and Evil Vinobe are virtually unknown, owing to their losing the Blessings of Hathor. Lifespan: 100 years Size: 5-6 ft, 100-200 lbs Gender: Female Physical Description/Appearance: Human(oid) females, with a tendency towards muscular, curvaceous builds, large breasts, and wide hips(the classic ‘Earth Mother’ build). Ears are long and motile, and hair tends to be thick. Skin is soft and suede-like, but tough. Toes sport heavy thick dark toenails. They also sport a short tail with tasseled end. Priestesses of Hathor and other magic users acquire small horns that can grow quite large over time.

Disposition/Attitudes:

Gentle, placid, patient, and pacifistic in general. They fairly exude good health, vitality, and a quiet charisma as well. Most have a spiritual bent as well, owing to the ready evidence in their history of the existence of at least one Goddess. Priestesses of Hathor can become quite aggressive, in keeping with Hathor’s dual role as Sekhmet(Goddess of War). Vinobe take most minor indignities in stride and tend to be calm and collected, but take ready umbrage at the suggestion that they are ‘domesticated’.

Despite having an inherent docile, domestic attitude, Vinobes are NOT stupid. They are intelligent, observant, empathetic, and resourceful, but tend to channel their energies into domestic, healing, and artistic pursuits. They can be incredibly stubborn and willful, and even fierce if backed into a corner. They also work very well in groups, and the escapees of Atlantis have stayed in touch with each other, making it a good bet that anyone bothering one Vinobe is likely to draw the ire of all of them and their associates.

Physical Attributes:

IQ: 3d6

ME: 4d6

MA: 4d6

PS: 3d6+4(See Special Abilities(Endowed Powers) below)

PP: 3d6

PE: 3d6+4+2d4 PE(See Special Abilities(Endowed Powers) below)

PB: 3d6+4

SPD: 3d6+2

ISP: By Psionic Class

PPE: 3d6

Hit Points: P.E. + 2d4 per level of experience

SDC: 5d6+20

MDC: See Special Abilities (Endowed Powers) below.

Horror Factor: None, although some humans who know that the Vinobes were engineered/converted from normal humans may view them with strong emotion.

Natural Abilities:

Thick Nails---More pronounced on the feet, where they give a +2 to damage from kicks.

Exceptional Hearing---Vinobe hearing is twice as acute as normal human hearing. They cannot hear in the ultrasonic range, but can hear more effectively in the lower subsonic tones.

Group Strength----If 4 or more Vinobes are together, within line of sight or earshot of each other, they get a +1 to save versus psionics, Horror Factor, intimidation, and interrogation/brainwashing attempts.

Special Abilities- Endowed Powers:

Milk Of Human Kindness (minor, modified slightly from the Minor Power by Stone Gargoyle): This is one of the mystically-endowed gifts bestowed upon the Vinobes by Hathor. Vinobes can produce a milky fluid with healing properties from their hands or mouths, and the substance can be projected, spat, drooled, or delivered with a kiss. Rubbed or poured into an injury, or ingested, the fluid has incredible healing and anti-disease properties.

1. Requirements: The character selecting this power must be of Good alignment, either Principled or Scrupulous. If a Vinobe chooses another alignment or is corrupted, they lose this ability. If they again assume a Good alignment, the power is regained.

2. Healing Water Bolts: The character produces bolts of healing fluid from the hands, or can spit llama-style with great accuracy.

Range: 40 feet, plus 10 feet per level of experience.

Duration: Instant

Attacks: Uses one melee attack/action to shoot a water bolt

Effects: Heals Good characters 3d4 points of damage (SDC, Hit Points, or MDC), heals Selfish characters 2d4 points of damage (SDC, Hit Points, or MDC), heals Evil characters 1d4 points of damage (SDC, Hit Points or MDC)

Bonus: +2 to strike

Other Benefits:Taken internally, this Gift of Hathor also gives the recipient a +15% to resist Coma/Death and a +5 to save versus poison and disease.

Extraordinary Physical Endurance (Minor): Another of Hathor’s gifts, this power transformed the relatively fragile (compared to their monstrous enslavers) Vinobe into megadamage beings. Note, that like the Healing waters power, this applies only Vinobe who walk the path of Good; at worst, a Vinobe can be Unprincipled, but slipping any farther down the alignment slope and the Vinobe loses their megadamage protection.

• Fatigues at 1/10th normal rate
• +1d6+5 P.E.
• Effectively becomes a megadamage being with 4d4x10 MD +2d4 per level of experience.

Impervious to Control/Possession (Minor): Thanks to Hathor’s Gift, those Vinobe who walk the true path need never fear being controlled or dominated by magic, psionic, super ability, drugs, or other means forced upon them. They are also immune to possession attempts. Splugorth attempts to force Vinobe slaves to break and turn on their fellows, and reveal their escape plans, through psionic or magic probes, proved fruitless.

Superhuman Strength (Minor): The gentle, soft-looking Vinobe have been gifted by Hathor with great reservoirs of strength, such that their physical strength is in the Superhuman/Supernatural range, though they rarely exhibit it, and tend to modestly and demurely shrug it off when they do(“Oh, moving those sandbags? Just a little elbow grease was needed.” “Oopsie! Did I drop that girder on you too hard, Mister Horune? Sometimes I don’t know my own strength!”). Like the other Hathor-bestowed powers, this applies only Vinobe who walk the path of Good; at worst, a Vinobe can be Unprincipled, but slipping any farther down the alignment slope and the Vinobe loses their super strength. P.S. is now 20+2d4, can lift 300 times their P.S. in pounds, and carry 200 times their P.S.. Punches and kicks can do megadamage.

Psionics: Standard

Magic: None, unless a Magic OCC is taken.

Cybernetics/Bionics: None; Vinobe shun artificial augmentation and will only get bio-systems for medical reasons, but given the opportunity, prefer holistic, magical, or regenerative medicine.

Available OCCs:

Vinobe gravitate towards ‘civilian’ occupations, such as homemakers, professional cooks, farmers, herdswomen, craftsmen, and healers. Bodyfixers, Scholars, and Operators are common among Vinobe. They avoid Men-at-Arms professions(but are not above taking weapons skills or hand to hand training), at most taking positions as corpsmen, field medical, or support personnel.

Those Vinobe who chose a magic occupation tend towards ‘natural’ magicks, such as Mystic Herbologist, Sister of the Hearth/High Cooks, and Mystics. The majority of Vinobe interested in the pursuit of magic become Priestesses of Hathor in honor of their patron goddess.

Master Psionics are not unheard of among Vinobe, but exceedingly rare and have emerged only among second- and third-generation birth Vinobe.

RCC Skills: Regardless of their OCC, Vinobe will possess (at least) three Domestic skills with a bonus of +15%.

Skills of Note:

+20% to save vs. coma/death

+10% to all Medical and Domestic skills

Culture:

Engineered slave-stock attempting to fit back into ordinary, free, society. Vinobe tend to form mutually-supporting groups and gravitate towards service roles as caregivers, healers, artists, and homemakers. Many volunteer their time to charities and humanitarian groups, or work in community-oriented services.

About 75% of Vinobes are practicing vegetarians; they may have no problems with handling and preparing animal flesh, but they prefer not to consume it themselves.