[hider=Schäferkin]

[color=9e0b0f]Nation Name:[/color] Schäferkin [Shaefer-kin]

[color=9e0b0f]Flag:[/color] None yet.

[color=9e0b0f]Government Type:[/color] Meritocratically selected Alpha.

[color=9e0b0f]Leadership:[/color] A system with the Prime Alpha at the top, followed by the Silver Alphas, followed in term by the Gold Alphas. One cannot be born into being a silver Alpha, but one can be born to become a Gold Alpha. But must still one day perform the takeover from the last Alpha. Albeit having it far easier having been schooled how to be a good Alpha.

[color=9e0b0f]Offworld Holdings:[/color] None. They hold only Joord.

[color=9e0b0f]Persons of Importance:[/color] Raghis the second, Prime Alpha of the Schäferkin.

[color=9e0b0f]Species and Demographics:[/color] Schäferkin.
The schäferkin is a species of bipdal hind legged canines whom have been bred to perform dangerous tasks and war.
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Schäferkin demographics are distinct since they are often bred for a certain task and are named for the task at hand. However a Schäferkin isn't forced to stay in their demographic, but most find it the most fitting.
Example demographics. Battle-born, Defender-born, Beauty-born, Herder-born, Gold-born.

The Schäferkin language has no name, it is simply referred to as 'prat' which translates roughly to speech.
The tail and ears are instinctively used to convey emotions and adds emotion to talking like varying the pitch does for humans.
Diplomats who want to impress Schäferkin usually use their hands to emulate ear motions to give the conversation emotion for the Schäferkin.
While Schäferkin has enough empathy to understand peoples emotion just from speech, they appreciate the gesture.

[hider=History]
[color=9e0b0f]History:[/color]
The Schäferkin were created by a bygone species, the Tak'a'dis.
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The Tak'a'dis was a humanlike species whom had heavily evolved to be amphibious (but not aquatic) a rather successful species, intelligent, scientifically proficient and had all the required qualifications to become a successful space faring race.
They had even begun travelling to other planets when the Alpha uprising happened.

From the beginning.
The Tak'a'dis evolved upon the planet of Joord (meaning roughly earth, soil in their language) they lived somewhat peacefully, like humanity they faced war and famine, scientific discoveries and dogmatic beliefs. The species evolved to such a degree that they were the dominant species on Joord, putting everything else under them through scientific means. They began to make the technology and the species of the world work for their enjoyment.
The focus went from groundbreaking technologies, to providing more and more comfort. First all the workforce was exchanged with simple machines, everyone was provided for with the socialistic system so everyone could live in comfort even if only some lived in wealth.

There were however some work which couldn't be performed with machines, dangerous work or social work which no one else wanted to do.
So after many advances in genetic science, they found the solution. A subservient species.
They created the Schäferkin.
Canines were used according to the Tak'a'dis for their subservient nature, bipedal to mimic their own appearance, but not reptilian in decent since the Tak'a'dis didn't want social groups to want to give them special rights in society. (Which still happened, but to a much smaller degree than if they'd been more similar to themselves to begin with.)

At first the Schäferkin project was a massive success, they were properly coerced into performing the tasks with only minor encouragements as rewards.
Every Schäferkin was owned property, regulated by the state. Each and every one regulated through paperwork and electronic chips.
However, the Tak'a'dis had misjudged the Schäferkin, what they had seen as servile nature, was loyalty to an alpha, a concept the Tak'a'dis didn't fully grasp.

Initially the owners were able to keep their pets under control, but as time passed the true nature of the Schäferkin slowly emerged.
Their lifespan was shorter, a Schäferkin usually never getting older than 50. Also their pregnancy period was much shorter, only 4 months. With each mother nursing roughly 4-8 pups.

It didn't take long until a few Schäferkin couldn't stand their masters, mentally wired to follow a strong Alpha, the Tak'a'dis were almost never strong individuals, when a Schäferkin challenged their superiority it was seen as aggression and they were punished.
The concept too foreign for the Schäferkin to comprehend, to follow a weak individual only because he or she has a paper? Proving ownership.
So on top of being spiteful for beings slaves, their mentality screaming that the entire system was wrong. This was a greater problem than the Tak'a'dis had ever imagined.

It didn't take long until some Schäferkin escaped their captors, most were hunted down. But some managed to damage their chips, had faulty ones or none at all being bought on the black market.
With a sense of freedom, the Schäferkin formed small communities with strong alphas to lead them.
Hearing of these free communities, captive Schäferkin got even more freedom hungry as the Schäferkin population boomed out of control once they weren't properly controlled anymore.

Schäferkin eradication units were formed, massive atrocities were performed by both sides until one day, the first Prime Alpha emerged.
It is from this time that this title heralds and it stands to this day as the title the Alpha of the Schäferkin holds.
Raghis was his name, a cattle herder from his tribe whom had risen to alpha in his tribe. But now giving the Schäferkin a new concept, Alpha packs.
A grouping of the Alphas of other packs, whom in term have an Alpha that leads over them, not directly but still somewhat directly.
This concept worked remarkably well for the Schäferkin, Raghis being a very strong and intelligent individual managed to gather enough tribes to finally grab a foothold over a city. Followed by a country, then a continent.
The uprising was now an all out war.
However, the Tak'a'dis couldn't keep up with the Schäferkin breeding, nor the amount of training needed too make a Tak'a'dis trooper, and also how much technological backing and cost was involved in making a trained special forces Tak'a'dis as dangerous as a natural born and simply ferocious Schäferkin without weapons.
With weapons they became even more dangerous. With combat training they became hopelessly complex foes to defeat for Tak'a'dis troops.
Learning their own tactics and using them against them, looting their weapons and remaking them to suit the needs of Schäferkin soldiers.

In the end, the hatred and bloodthirst ended up in the annihilation of the entire species of the Tak'a'dis. Not even those who fled into the ocean cities were spared as their cities was continously pounded with depth charges to oblivion. The few who were spared then having died of age now, since the war ended roughly 300 years ago.
It took several generations until the Prime Alpha concept was refined enough so larger societies of Schäferkin worked after a strong leader died or was superseded.
It was Tossmim, the beauty-born who came up with the concept of Gold Alphas. A gold Alpha was an Alpha that would usually have been the leader of several other Alphas, under the command of the prime Alpha.
However, when the previous Prime Alpha was superseded or died, the gold Alphas were not allowed to bring in any others to take over like they had done in the past.
Having too few steps between Alpha and Prime Alpha, the Silver Alphas were created working on the concepts lady Tossmim had created, Silver Alphas being directly beneath the Prime Alpha and the ones who fought to become the Prime Alpha, through strength and wits, intelligence and skill.

These happening when a new Prime was to be selected became massive world events, taking place in arenas and massive lecturing halls. Being showed to the public, the most successful tv-entertainment of the Schäferkin.

The Schäferkin just took over the working infrastructure of the Tak'a'dis, and made it their own, many of them being the workers who had constructed the buildings and worked the factories since the Tak'a'dis were either seeing the tasks as dangerous or they were too lazy to perform them themselves and got a Schäferkin to do it for them.

Over the years the Schäferkin has formed a powerful technological base, working from the designs and legacy of the Tak'a'dis and figuring out some things of their own.

An important thing to mention, is that Schäferkin keep to the tradition that the Tak'a'dis did and use selective breeding. Their genetic material highly suited for it. Making the Schäferkin perhaps the most internally diverse species in the solar system.
However gone are the purely decorative breeding which took shortcuts through health problems to create the envisioned Schäferkin, now the breeding is done to ever make themselves stronger.

They also kept the name they had gotten from their conquered masters, Schäferkin meaning those who tend to the flock or their own, they found the name highly befitting their nature and use it as a further insult to their old masters.
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[color=9e0b0f]Military:[/color] Schäferkin martial tradition consist of two major things, shock and awe martial prowess and guerrilla warfare.
Schäferkin hold a certain sense of honour, preferring to fight on equal terms if the foe is an honorable one. And always leaving non-combatants alone. However, like in the Alpha uprising if a foe proves to be dishonest weakling with no honour, it doesn't take long before the Schäferkin turn to violently efficient eradication.

Schäferkin have weapons designed for their framework, preferring forearm mounted weapons since their broad shoulders as well as preference to run on all four makes conventional firearms bulky and annoying for them.
The usual firearms are plasma blasters, twin barrels on each forearm. Packs a punch but is inaccurate as well as dissipates on long distances. Preferred range is about maximum 30 metres/yards.
Their already sharp natural claws are encased with alloy blades of great durability and strength, capable of ripping gashes in steel plates and walls with ease.

On top of their already impressive agility and strength, the Schäferkin wear powered armour with excellently designed and crafted elements which gives the wearer the same mobility as his own while enhancing his strength.
It is powered with a compact fusion reactor. Made so that it is very safe, only once in history has one exploded when worn in combat.
The armour gives great protection against all infantry weapons, especially plasma fire.
The armour stops at the skull, it encases the back of the head, but leaves the Schäferkin's ears and snout free, to let them use their own senses and to leave the ears able to move. Schäferkin language works heavily on ear movements and even the Schäferkin aren't good enough armourers to create armour for their highly movable and complex ears.
The way that Schäferkin decided the best to defeat this armour was to get into melee and rip their foes asunder as well as martial wrestling. Known as Schäferschlacht. Which emerged in the civil wars that followed the death of the first Prime Alpha.

However, the Schäferkin is a highly meritocratic society, and loathes the idea of conscripted armies. So their elite forces are thankfully comparably small.
Their nation is a highly martial one though, so their army has always been large for being a career army.

Vehicles:
Schäferkin have very few vehicles, only coming up with a vehicle if it is necessary to solve a practical problem. So they have no troop transports for ground forces for example.
They have a few vtol flight transports. They also have assault claws which are launched at enemy fortifications or vessels and cut their way inside and unleash their cargo of elite Schäferkin warriors.

Assault claw.
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Launched like spears into enemy vessels, the sharp ends capable of ripping through ship hulls with ease. The tip then splits in four and powerful servos rip the hole larger to let the Schäferkin warriors attack inside.
Advanced anti-shock systems let the cargo survive the massive impact of the claws.

Multipurpose vessel.
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Several designs from the age of the Tak'a'dis are still in use by the Schäferkin, such as the common multipurpose ship designed for personnel transport and the light trade the Tak'a'dis loved so much.
Nowdays the Schäferkin use this vessel for the same reasons, and some others.
It can travel fast between planets, hold a squad of troops and is of a rugged design, especially after the Schäferkin put some extra armour on them.
Armed with a laser lance, it fires a cutting beam capable of destroying battle tanks and other small vessels.

[hider=Equipment]
The plasma blaster.
This weapon is a rather small weapon actually (for a schäferkin), around 40cm in length, with most of its length consisting of the containment and propulsion systems. The twin barrels rather short at about half its length.
The weapon is hideously inaccurate at longer ranges. It's maximum practical range is 30 metres while it can barely reach further than 100 metres.
The weapon fires balls of magnetically contained plasma pellets at about 1000 rounds per minute per barrel, making it a devastating close quarter weapon. Especially against enemies without armour.
The fact that it wrist mounted however, combined with its usual trigger mechanism being to bend the wrist down the weapon is difficult to aim. It is here the high rate of fire comes in.
It is loaded with small cylindrical flasks which are inserted at the back of the weapon, the 4 flasks stick out a bit even when loaded.
The flasks hold the material which is converted to plasma, the weapon is powered by the armours fusion reactor.
The amount used for each shot is rather little, so with 4 flasks the weapon is usually able to fire for 10 minutes continually until the weapon runs out of ammo.
The weapon is somewhat weak though, striking at roughly the same strength as a solid shot 9mm carbine.
All Schäferkin power armours have two fastening points for these weapons. But the light infantry usually only wield one of them.

Laser spear.
This weapon is the long range support of the Schäferkin. It is too large to be held in one hand (even for a Schäferkin) and is held with both hands like a leaf blower.
The weapon's size and cumbersomeness makes it unpopular among the troops since they cannot properly run with it. But it is often used by defender-born because of their extra bulk and immobile nature.
The laser spear is fastened via cable to the armour's power supply via cable on the arm. The cable port is standard on the medium and heavy armour but not the light one. Meaning that the port would need to be added separately.
The laser spear is a smaller brother to the laser lance found on the multipurpose vessel. It fires a continuous beam which burns and melts the target depending on how it reacts to severe temperatures.
The weapon is powerful, while having the beam momentarily passing over you only gives burns. Having the beam focused for about a second on an infantry target mostly sets the target ablaze, melts its armour and usually makes it explode from the violent heat build up.
It can even cut its way through battle tanks with some time. Usually in less than 10 seconds of focusing on the same spot.
It is however not seen as a reliable anti-tank solution since the vehicle usually responds within that time and begins to return fire or simply move so that the beam isn't focused correctly anymore.
The beam can fire for as long as the armour functions.

Semi-portable plasma cannon.
This shoulder mounted weapon can only be used with the heavy power armour. One arm is required to aim and fire the weapon while the other arm usually is used to hold on to something in the environment.
The weapon is severely bulky, long and obscures vision.
However, it can fire at about 500 metres without a flinch and can be correctly aimed and fired in the field up to 1-2 kilometers depending on the skill of the firing team.
The firing team is one trooper holding the weapon, and another doing range-finding and calculations. The simplicity of the design and user interface however makes it so that a single person can use the weapon albeit in about double the time.
The semi-portable plasma cannon fires a bolt of magnetically contained plasma which when it reaches the target detonates with excessive force.
The blast is known to crush and destroy battle tanks, only the most heavily armoured vehicle can hope to survive a shot from the semi-portable plasma cannon. Shortened SP Cannon.

Power armour.
The personal combat harnesses of the Schäferkin are highly mobile and articulated suits of powered armour.
Complex alloy metals and expertly crafted for each individual wearing them, these suits are probably the most advanced personal protection available anywhere.
Based upon the designs created by the Tak'a'dis, whom used to equip their troopers in something similar to modern light power armours, the Schäferkin has evolved this technology to suit their military.
The protectiveness of the harnesses vary, but the only difference between light and medium armours protectiveness is that the light armour covers less. It is in fact equally thick.
The medium armour can easily withstand the usual small arms of most nations. Small bullets simply bounce off and the Schäferkin harnesses are all resistant to plasma weaponry.
Their own plasma blasters are funnily enough unable to pierce the protection offered by the power armour unless fired at a full second at the same palm sized area from about 10 cm distance.
Against combat rifles of different races the harnesses provide roughly heavy to medium resistance depending on how potent the weapons themselves are.
The graser weapons of the Concordat for example are known to damage Schäferkin even when hit on an armoured area. While not killing shots, a good hit in a bad spot might put a Schäferkin trooper out of the fight.
Nonetheless, Schäferkin forces have been seen taking a monstrous amount of small arms fire and barely shown to slow down before reaching close combat.
All Schäferkin power harnesses are powered by a compact fusion reactor.
This safe and efficient reactor provides far more power than enough for the suit and it also runs the different weapon systems employed by the Schäferkin.
For as they say, only warriors and soldiers should have weapons and armour.
The fusion fuel cells can with low intensity use last for about a week, however, in heavy fighting and especially if using a laser spear, the fuel runs out far faster.
In heavy combat cells have been known to run out in 4 days. The most intensely documented case states they ran out every other day.

Light power armour.
This harness focuses on protecting the torso, back, the stomach and to provide strength augmentation to the entire body. The harness still has some protection on the shoulders, neck, overside of the hands, arms and upper legs, it mostly only protects from the front.
The sides of the torso and stomach has no armour on this variant.
A network of exoskeleton "bones" are seen to enhance the strength of the limbs and the neck.
The light power armour is comfortable to wear and provides lifting and striking strength to a Schäferkin.
The exoskeleton provides roughly 150 kilograms of lifting strength. The rest is done with the troopers own strength. Some large Schäferkin are known to topple civilian cars with little effort wearing only light power armour harnesses.
However, some would argue they could do this without it as well. It all boils down to a case by case study.

Medium power armour. Commonly known as 'Combat armour'.
This suit is an 'all encompassing' harness that cover the entirety of the torso and back, the stomach, it also covers all around all the limbs, the neck is fully protected and the back of the head as well.
On some suits the upper side of the tail is also covered. This is mostly a show of style and wealth since personal customisation is paid for by the individual users.
The tails of Schäferkin are important for balance and in conversation as it is used to convey emotions. The tail is also difficult to articulate armour for so it is the most expensive part to armour up.

Heavy power armour. Also known as 'War suits'.
This heavy suit is the only suit that significantly reduces a Schäferkins natural agility and movement, it puts it to roughly that of a human if it would be of the same size.
The suit uses two fuel cells, it is twice as thick as regular combat armour and provides double the strength augmentation meaning 300 kilograms of added lifting strength.
These suits are monstrously strong, very expensive and are only used by certain branches of the military, like their anti-tank teams, their long range assault troops and a few others.
Those who are deemed that their agility cannot protect them, so they are instead given armour to compensate.
The war suit is actually less articulated, but every part of the user is protected including the head and tail.
However the tail is encased in a bulky blocky segmented square tunnel, which provide ample protection but little comfort and doesn't move when the user move their tail.
The entire suit is restrictive and bulky. Whence few actually want to use them. But a few military branches have to or want to wear them since the weapon systems require the heavier frame or the amount of fire the troops are expected to face is too much or the situation is more like a siege than a regular attack run.
War suits usually have two plasma blasters and wield a laser spear. Some exchange the laser spear to a SP cannon for anti-tank duties.

Space mask.
The space mask is something all schäferkin troops have available in a pouch on their hip. The mask is a headgear which covers the snout, eyes and has plugs which goes into the ears and are held in place with a clip which goes over the head of the wearer.
It gives the trooper the ability to breathe and survive in unbreathable atmospheres. If the user has a combat armour the space mask makes the wearer "space proof" and thus can work in space up to an hour.
Special tanks can be added to the back of the wearer to prolong this to about a day.

Assault mask.
This wondrously complex unfolding face mask provides the same benefits of a space mask.
However, the assault mask must be purchased individually as it is not a standard issue gear like the space mask.
In a few occasions assault masks have been provided in an important push in a military engagement.
The assault mask is roughly as thick as the armour of the heavy power harness. It unfolds from basically a third of its size so it is possible to wear on ones hit with little problem.
The mask unfolds mechanically and covers the snout, eyes, jaw and everything not covered by the combat armour.
Even the ears are covered, albeit in a rigid standing pose giving the wearer an attentive and aggressive look. Designed to make the wearer look fearsome.
Assault masks are expensive but not as bad as articulated tail armour.
The war suit has a rigid version of the Assault mask already build into the armour.
The assault mask also functions as a space mask.

Alloy combat claws.
The combat claws are constructed on top of the wearers usual claws on their hands. It is fastened to the gloves of the combat armour and thus won't hurt to use as the natural claws can do if they get stuck.
The alloy claws are monstrously sharp, can cut into steel with ease and gleam with a wicked shine.
Almost white in appearance, even the concordat is impressed with the density and properties of the combat claws material.
It is suspected that Renthulium is used to construct the claws, but there is no proof for that.
A Schäferkin with combat claws is a dangerous individual. His usual powerful claws are improved with these weapons.
The combat claws are standard issue on all harnesses. The claws are potent enough to rip gashes into the power armours of the Schäferkin.
It is the standard weapon in the martial tradition 'Schäferschlacht'.
[/hider]

Navy:
Working upon the technologies of the lost Tak'a'dis, they have excellent small craft. The Tak'a'dis focused on really small fast trade vessels to go and work with other species. In war they were rather useless, but proved excellent scouts.
When they were overthrown however, the Schäferkin didn't like having only small vessels. They used a similar concept like a sea-level naval carrier, but instead of basing it off a ship, they based it off the schematics of the underwater cities once held by the Tak'a'dis. Which were already sealed structures with all the safety features required for space... more or less.
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With massive armour, loads of guns and able to launch dozens of small strike craft of unusually good quality, they perform vastly above what their technology level would suggest.
Relying on not loads, not massive, but retarded levels of hull plates. Schäferkin don't like the idea of losing these mobile bases, nor the idea of breathing vacuum.
They are also monstrously fast... for a space station, which means they are roughly the same speed as a super dreadnought which is unexpectedly fast for such a massive vessel.
But it won't win any turning fights any time soon, despite that.

These installations are known only as Schäferkin fortresses. And luckily for others, they only have two, but are building a third. Which is bigger than the last two.
The primary armament of a fortress is laser beam arrays. Firing continuous beams of energy, relying on sheer amount of fire instead of impressive sensors. Fortresses are a complete abstract when compared to Schäferkin ground force tactics and strategy.

[color=9e0b0f]Other:[/color] Beauty-born are the entertainers, diplomats and faces of the Schäferkin.
Their armies are almost exclusively Battle-born or Defender-born. The difference between those is that defender-born herald from back in the slave-age when they were used as property safety.
While battle-born were born and raised free, or the select few who were commandos for the Tak'a'dis megacorps.
So think guard dogs or mastiffs. Although the battle-born are actually the slim fast ones while the defender-born are the sturdy ones.
Often seen as a bit too sluggish for being in the armed forces.

There are some who trade with Schäferkin slaves, individual Tak'a'dis whom still think their slaves should obey or money-hungry traders whom see the opportunity.
Often a pair of adults are taken, then they are forcefully made to produce offspring.
These puppies are then rigorously trained to follow the commands of their masters. And then sold off so that people with little grasp of reality. Often spoiled children of wealthy people. Get the cute little puppies as gifts.
And as soon as they aren't interesting anymore, at times for becoming problematic, but mostly because they grew up and weren't cute anymore. They are cast aside. Some are just killed, some are sold off as slaves.
Understandably, if Schäferkin find out such activities, EXTREME action is often taken. Caring little for international laws and the like to exterminate the wrongdoers.

A warning to Tak'a'dis players, Schäferkin are known to violently assault them if they see them. It is not always police officers manage to stop them in time.
Luckily, Schäferkin don't always travel that often to places where Tak'a'dis survivors live. And the Schäferkin are rather easy to notice if they are on a station or in a city and therefore Tak'a'dis usually don't stumble upon them.
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