Meet the Valka – Part 2

(Having trouble with the pronouns? Check out this post, and be sure to tune in to the latest episode of the podcast while you’re reading it!)

Sean again. Last week, I told you about the valka. Now let’s look at some of the traits that you’ll use to make them in Covenant. Click through for more.

As always, these traits, like everything else on this blog, are subject to frequent and massive change. Take a look at this post on how character traits are classified, in case you forgot.

Species Trait: Valka
Valka culture is communal and hive-like, and an individual’s job is often his life. Their species trait can be used to to give 1 advantage to an ally for any bid or to replicate any trait related to their job or career. Valka size differs according to gender:

• Male: 3 to 4 feet tall (size 4)
• Female: 5 to 7 feet tall (size 5)
• Matriarch: 8 to 10 feet tall (size 6)

Gender Traits: Male or Female
Valka can choose Male or Female for their gender trait. Their sexual dimorphism is great enough to give each gender its own suite of advantages.

• Male: Valka men are less aggressive and disciplined. They prefer to be sneaky and use deception. This trait is worth 1 advantage to stealth and deception bids.
• Female: Valka women are more aggressive and disciplined. They know how to use strategy and tactics, but prefer to face both problems and opponents head-on. They are also the traditional leaders in valka societies. This trait is worth 1 advantage to resistance bids against mental damage and to social bids.
• Matriarch: Valka women can also take the Matriarch trait. Matriarchs are extremely strong, and their bodies are covered in bone plating in many places. This trait is worth 1 advantage to resistance bids against physical damage (except falls) and to athletics bids. However, they may suffer disadvantages in buildings or ships made for smaller sapients.

Outlooks:

• Hive Dweller: Valka who live in the hives, especially in the Matriarchy, are pragmatic and don’t like being or operating alone. Some may leave their hives in search of adventure or to find meaning to their lives. Those that return usually do so defeated and discouraged. This trait can be used to to give 1 advantage to an ally for any bid or to replicate any trait related to their job or career.
• Covenant Hive Dweller: There are a number of established hives in the Covenant. Valka from these hives interact more with other sapient species, but still have a very communal culture and psychology. This trait is worth 1 advantage to social bids and can be used to to give 1 advantage to an ally for any bid.
• Outsider: Valka who leave the hives are often searching for some purpose beyond simple survival. Outsiders are the ones who find that purpose. They tend to be more optimistic and individualistic, and they to act on their own initiative instead of follow orders. Choose 1 general trait or 1 ability.

Domains:

• Old Empire: This trait is worth 1 advantage to bids involving the history, law, and politics of the Old Empire. In addition, chose 1 of the following traits, based on your station:
  • Retainer: You are a commoner or a member of a minor noble house working for a Great House. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two bids of your choice (e.g., fighting, investigation, bodyguarding, medicine, etc.) that would be useful to a Great House.
  • Merchant: You are a business-owner and a provider of goods and/or services. This trait is work 1 advantage to social and purchase bids.
  • Machinist: You are a skilled worker and one of the essential freemen that keeps the Old Empire running. This trait is worth 1 advantage to building and repair bids.
  • Conscript: You are a peasant who was conscripted to serve the Old Empire. This trait is worth 1 advantage to fighting and defense bids
  • Peasant: You are a farmer or a factory worker employed by a merchant or noble. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids of your choice: farming, operation, repair, building, athletics.
  • Outlaw: You are a criminal, beggar, or anyone else that has fallen through the cracks of society. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: stealth, social, intimidation, deception.

• Covenant: This trait is worth 1 advantage to bids involving the history, law, and politics of the Old Empire. In addition, chose 1 of the following traits, based on the region of Cadelle that you came from:
  • Rethenne Lowlands: Home to a number of major schools, universities, and research facilities, as well as commonwealths serving refugees. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: social, education, medicine, technology.
  • Star’s End: A major mining and manufacturing region with a thriving music scene. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: building, repair, operation, entertainment.
  • The Land of Sun and Stone: Mountainous, sparsely populated region with philosophical, inward-looking inhabitants. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: education, survival, defense, resist.
  • The Shashenne: Densely urban region where much of the business on Cadelle gets done. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: social, purchase, building, repair, technology, medicine.
  • Qoros: The breadbasket of Cadelle, supplmented by a growing manufacturing sector. Major passtimes for kids here are cars and making homemade explosives out of fertilizer. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: building, repair, farming, operation, demolition.
  • The Green-and-Gold: Heavily forested area. Home of the very thick and very dangerous Cathedral Forest, as well as calerre trides that want nothing to do with modern life or outsiders. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: medicine, education, survival, stealth.
  • Seventh Continent: A huge habitat ring orbiting Cadelle and connected to the surface by massive orbital elevators. So-called because it is large enough to be a continent in its own right. The citizens of Seventh Continet constantly experiment with both their society and their own bodies. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: medicine, education, operation, social.
  • The Islands of Steel and Fear: The remnants of a defensive Dyson sphere that the calerre built against a thk’kok invasion that never came. It has since been colonized by various weirdos, loners, and misanthropes who have a single common cause – to be left alone. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: survival, operation, repair, defense.

• Archimedean Confederation: This trait is worth 1 advantage to bids involving the history, law, and politics of the Confederation. In addition, chose 1 of the following traits, based on your role in the Confederation:
  Executive: You have a fairly high position in one of the Confederation’s company-states. This trait is worth 1 advantage to social and purchase bids.
  • Corporate: You are a scientist, engineer, or manager employed by a company-state. This trait is worth 1 advantage to building and education.
  • Security: You are either a freelance security contractor, or you do security and military work for one of the company-states. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: investigation, fighting, intimidation.
  • Contractor: You are part of the army of poorly paid contractors that keeps the company-states going. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: building, operation, repair, medicine.
  • Unclassified: You are someone who doesn’t fit into the company-state’s neat classifications of corporate citizens. You may be homeless, a pirate, an escaped slave, or simply unemployed. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: stealth, deception, intimidation, sabotage.

• Terran Federation: This trait is worth 1 advantage to bids involving the history, law, and politics of the Terran Federation. In addition, chose 1 of the following traits, based on your role in the Confederation:
  • Citizen: Somehow, you have gained the Federation’s grudging trust, though you are still the target of anti-chiroptim bigotry on a daily basis. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: education, medicine, building, repair.
  • Trooper: You have decided that the best way to gain the Federation’s acceptance is to join the military. This trait is worth 1 advantage to fighting and intimidation.
  • Criminal: You are homeless, unemployed, a pacifist, or anything else that the Federation has criminalized. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: stealth, deception, intimidation, sabotage.

• Dominion: This trait is worth 1 advantage to bids involving the history, law, and politics of the Dominion. In addition, chose 1 of the following traits, based on your role in the Dominion:
  • Proscribed: Aliens like you don’t appear in the Bible, so your very existence is an affront to God. It’s almost impossible for you to have any other kind of role here besides a criminal and exile. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: stealth, deception, intimidation, sabotage.

• Matriarchy: This trait is worth 1 advantage to bids involving the history, law, and politics of the Matriarchy. In addition, chose 1 of the following traits, based on your role in the Matriarchy:
  • Administrative: You have some position in the Matriarchy government or in the administration of a planet, region, or individual hive. These posts are usually filled by women. Men with administrative roles aren’t given leadership positions – no one would listen to them – and instead are usually assistants to women superiors. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: fighting, defense, social, resistance, piloting, science.
  • Worker: You took an aptitude test when you were old enough and were assigned a job based on that test. It may not be what you want, but you’re going to do it until you die. Most valka are okay with that. You might not be. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: fighting, defense, resistance, farming, piloting, repair, engineering, mining.

And that’s it for the playable sapient species of Covenant!