Scuknor
Overview
Known collectively to other spacefaring species as "Scrappers" the Scuknor are a seemingly unremarkable race on the surface. Often seeking professions that most other species find disdainful or shun. This suits the Scuknor fine, as they are primarily reclusive and are generally fearful of other species, having been victims throughout their history to many other Empire's and used brutally in countless schemes or geneticists laboratories.
Scrappers enjoy working with anything technological, particularly old or obsolete technology or devices that many other species no longer want or simply throw out. From birth this species places value in the ability to work, and provide skillsets to their communities, often working in tight-knit familial groups dedicated to providing everything each of their colonies might need. Tasks are generally voluntary-based, but occasionally these groups will assign roles. From early childhood, Scrappers are endlessly working and tinkering on jury-rig projects and are constantly testing their creative prowess in friendly competitions, placing great value in productivity and new wonders.
Physiology
Physically, the Scuknor resemble short and stout humans, with pale skin and a third eye centered in their forehead. They are humanoid (two arms and legs) and walk upright with five fingers and five toes. They have a myriad of hair-types which change from one adaptation to another, but is usually short and unkempt.
The Scrappers are a remarkably hardy race, able to survive in some of the most extreme conditions the Galaxy has. This ability to swiftly adapt to any environment makes them especially well-suited for dangerous and undesirable professions across the galaxy. The Scrappers are able to adapt their lungs to breath virtually any atmosphere within minutes to survive and within hours to be completely immune to any adverse effects. They can adapt to subarctic temperatures below -240 degrees, and intensely hot environments of over 800 degrees! They swiftly adapt to any known radiation types, feeling "off" or light headed for up to an hour before their bodies are completely immune to the effects. Even the vacuum of space is not a obstacle for them... within minutes they will be adjusted to and operating fine with no atmosphere at all. Naturally this amazing adaptability comes at a molecular cost, and Scrappers are known for having insatiable diets. Their metabolisms operate at amazing rates compared to most humanoids when they are making adaptations and they are often known to consume over four to five thousand calories a day!
Scrappers have been documented as producing low levels of Gravitons, which seem harmless and provide no obvious effect, however, geneticists theorize that these Gravitons are how they maintain ordinary or 'comfortable' gravity performance in nearly any gravitational zones. The Scrappers have been known to move and operate normally in Zero Gravity or in intense 60G Gravity environments after only a few minutes! This however, seems to be the most taxing of their adaptability capabilities, increasing their calorific needs exponentially!
Unknown to the Scuknor is that their "prowess" with technology is actually a latent psionic ability to believe in their inventions! While the Scrappers do actually study the sciences and research and even reverse engineer other species thrown-out achievements the majority of their understanding is absolutely pseudo-science, and anything they do not understand, they simply make-up a solution to and psychically WILL into being true or right! This remarkable phenomenon is strengthened when they are gathered in numbers, where every witness of their species, each reinforce the belief, amplifying the result. The opposite of this is also true... if two Scrappers argue over inventions and theories, each offering opposing ideas, their psionic manifestation will often disbelieve each other's work... Thankfully, this strange phenomenon only seems to effect their own projects, and not the technology of other species.
This remarkable phenomenon allows Scrappers to produce curiosities of science that challenge belief! Reactor's with no permanent means of sustainability, Simple weapons with no means of delivering ammunition or no source of ammunition that follows the laws of science! This utterly baffling ability allows them to work wonders that other species must resolve normally with just their faith in their work! However, other species cannot operate these devices directly... when they attempt to, the technology or device is simply rendered useless or inoperative, much to the exasperation of Scrappers who view those who cannot operate their technology as either dim-witted or clueless in 'real' science. However, this does not prevent Scrappers from providing technology or machinery that other species can still gain benefit from; such as life support systems, engines, repaired hyperdrives, communications, etc.
