World of the Draniki

Amtor.  Cytheria.  Venus.

Many names. Many myths. Many mysteries.

For those brave enough to penetrate the clouds and traverse the jungles of Venus there await many lifetimes worth of adventures.  Venus is home to many dangers and wonders that the men of Earth are only beginning to unveil.

One of the dominant races of Venus, and one of the least like the men of Earth, is the Draniki.

The Draniki (pronounced with a rolling R "Drrrahh-neekee") are reptilians, possessing intelligence and craft that rivals that of Man with a history and civilization that is far older.  Physically imposing, with an average height of seven feet and the sharp teeth of carnivores, they are however slow to anger and generally lack the cruel pleasure derived from violence which is too common in the worst of men. It would be a mistake to think of them as gentle giants however, for they are formidable hunters and think little of bringing death to outsiders when in doubt of their intentions.

"Of their past I am just beginning to uncover the secrets," stated Professor Nigel Hawthorne, acclaimed historian and anthropologist of Cambridge, "their history,which is backed up by archaeological evidence suggests they have had a similar history as our own, with its risings and falls, though on a far greater scale of time.  If they are to be believed, in their past they have traveled to the Jovian moons, and their ancestors had colonies upon Earth itself.  The last few hundred years they have been reemerging from their last dark age, which was heralded by 'the great death brought upon by the great unnamed.' It is unclear if this refers to a supernatural myth of some kind."

What is known is that the nation of the Draniki is vast, with many cities and a sophisticated culture steeped in rituals. They are a space faring race in their own right, though rarely do they venture beyond Venus. Tensions mount as more and more expeditions from the various nations of Earth encroach upon their borders.  They have had trade in the past with the Phobosians, and have sealed a formal alliance with the Phobosians on expedition to Venus.