Siriusians

"Where do the Satori get their ore? How do the Naga get their gold? Who in the Creator's name pulls out those chunks of mable the Elysians are always asking for? Us. We handle all of that."

- Xavier Madora

The Siriusians are a race of Xai miners from the ice world of Sirius Prime in the Hyperion Sub-Sector. They are noted for their ability to survive in extreme conditions, and use this ability to reach raw materials needed to drive the industries of many of the Xyon Sector's worlds. They are with the exception of the Imperial Xai, Jarra, and Kordanians, the only subrace found on practically every world in the sector, often times serving as mercenaries, engineers, and miners for hire. Reknown for their bitter and sometimes friendly temperment and strong drinks, the Siriusians are a hardy people.

Biology & Appearance
The Siriusians are a strong race of Xai dwelling on the frigid worlds of the Hyperion sub-sector, providing them a much resistance to the cold. They possess a natural resistance to deep cold, and have a far lower body temperature than the rest of their cousins, their internal temperature being 10° degrees farenheit. Like the rest of their relatives, their breath is frosty and visible, though much thicker given the lower heat in their bodies. Their blood is similar to anti-freeze, which helps to prevent their organs from freezing up and killing them. A large loss of blood will result in their body freezing up and breaking apart. Siriusians have black hair, the only color they are known to show, and their eyes come in various shades of blue. Their eyes tend to glow given the large quanity of nishatium located on their homeworld and colonies.

The race as a whole stands at 2.2 meters in height, and are generally stronger than the rest of their brethren races. They can lift a single ton without any cybernatic aid, and both sexes are equal in physical strength. Their skin is thicker than normal, providing them with much more physical endurance, and provides excellent insulation from the heat. Their pain treashold is superb, allowing them to weather attacks that would cause other races intensive pain and anguish. The Siriusians possess a natural affinity of engineering, building and repairing items and vehicles with a level of ease not found in many other Xai. They do so at younger ages, and are typically found employing their inherent abilities as miners, factory workers, and crewmen. They can breath toxins and chemicals with no ill-effect, a crucial trait needed given their hazardous careers.

Siriusians have wonderful night vision for many of them live in underground cities, and have built massive cities in the many deep canyons of their frozen homeworld, where the atmosphere does not trap any light, causing the planet to have nothing but night skies. The race has a very low birthrate, with the average pregnancy lasting for about a year. The numerous chemicals they work with have made conception very difficult for the species, however not to the point that it is impossible. The result has been that as a species, their numbers are quite low for an interstellar civilization of the Xai. Their great strength and endurance, however, has more than made up for this lack of numbers, making a single Siriusian well worth his or her weight.

Society & Culture
Siriusians have often served as explorers and adventurers, Uriah Sawyer a noteworthy example. Sawyer founded the Siriusian colony of Ryll which later became the free port of Xyon, where all races may trade and interact with one another without fear of reprisal by the planetary government, which may be affiliated or controlled by a rival species. A burly and "homey" species, the Siriusians are generally known for their staunch attitudes and independently-minded ways. They are seen as the big brother of the Hyperion sub-sector, protecting the Ixians and Cybrians from their enemies when working with the two. Loyal and humerous when they want to be, the Siriusians are great allies to keep, and dangerous enemies to make, often keeping their word when the vow to deal with a potential threat. Government is not a welcome force in Siriusian life, and the backwater status of many of their worlds and colonies is a title they wish to keep to prevent the Ascendancy from interjecting into their relatively simple lives.