Rixari

Originating from the planet Avareau, the Rixari are an enigmatic race which have forged a small Empire on the fringes of the Astromician's range. They are relatively advanced technologically, making use of a variety of new devices and revolutionary creations. They are a highly suspicious and xenophobic species as a result of their ill fated encounter with the Imperium. As a result the Rixari have a very efficient military. The species was apparently wracked by conflict before their unification and expansion into the stars. This led to the rise of many horrific and devastating weapons, as well as several highly trained armies. The Rixari are a well disciplined, inquisitive species stuck in an incredibly hostile galaxy and they will do what ever it takes to survive...

Biology
The Rixari (Rixari Rixarun) are an aquatic piscine race which are largely reliant on the use of pressurised suits in order for them to walk on land (although some of their sub-species do not require such devices). All members of their species are colossal beasts, with a typical Rixari measuring 7 metres (23 feet) in height and being a little over 1.5 metres (5 feet) wide. Each Rixari has 4 limbs, as well as two fins which extend from their arms like scythes and a large tail which greatly improves their movement in water. It has been found that as a Rixari ages it's tail grows in length, making it very easy to distinguish younger inexperienced Rixari from the older an often wiser members of their species. Two of the Rixari's appendages have developed into legs which are capable of propelling the Rixar on land almost efficiently as they can move in water. From these legs two pseudo-feet have grown allowing them relatively good balance while on land. The other set of limbs have developed into arms which have pseudo-hands from which 4 webbed extremities protrude. Rixari use these "fingers" to grip tools or weapons as well as to manipulate the pressure suits that most species must wear while on land.

Rixari have very distinct facial features which make it easy to distinguish one from another. Their head is attached to their body by a small restrictive neck, akin to that of a shark, and they possess four inquisitive eyes. Tests on Rixari subjects have shown that two of the eyes are capable of seeing the visible spectrum while the other two can detect and fully interpret infrared light. They have two slits which appear to be primitive noses, although they do seem to have a good sense of smell. Oddly the species appears to completely lack any visible ears, although experiments have shown that they do respond to sonic waves. The most intriguing feature about the face of a Rixari is it's mouth. A Rixari is capable of moving both it's lower jaw and upper part of it's mouth independently, making it an extremely proficient killer while in an aquatic environment.

The Rixari have a well developed metabolism which allows them to user more than 95% of their digested food as energy, with only the most inedible parts being left behind. As well as their efficient digestion system, they have a slow metabolic rate which allows them to live for close on one thousand years, with some surpassing this age. It is theorised that this was a direct result of genetic tampering by the Old Ones.

Sub-Species
The differences between the Rixari are still very clear cut even in the 41st Millennium where they appear to be a united species. Before their unification two separate sub-species of Rixari had developed on their homeworld, due to their drive to survive.

Rixari Rixarun
The dominant species of Avareau are the Rixari Rixarun, they are constrained to living in the oxygen rich lakes and seas of their home planet. In order to walk on land they must wear a full body immersion suit which allows them to breathe through a contained water environment with their gills. This species are the typical Rixari which most races encounter first as they are very distinctive, particularly with their flooded Obsidian class cruisers and Agate Class Dreadnoughts.

Rixari Rixarun are the species which fits the previous description in the biology section the most. They are only capable of breeding while immersed in H20 and they do so with a female laying a batch of eggs which a male can fertilise. Newly hatched Rixari Rixarun must spend the first 25 cycles of their life in water before they fully develop. At the age of 26 a Rixari will be permitted to wear a coveted pressure suit in order to allow them to explore the terrestrial environment of their homeworld. It should be noted that in their home environment the Rixari have the longest life cycles of all of the sub-species, with most living to the age of one and half thousand cycles old before dying of natural causes, and a select few individuals surpassing it much further.

Yalon Rixarun
The Yalon Rixarun are the most common land based Rixari sub-species. This race left the waters several thousands of years before the Unification with the aid of "Breather Packs" which scientists of the East Ocean Alliance had developed. These "Breather Packs" wear large Rixar portable devices that could be slung over the back of a member of their species that feeds water to the gills of the Rixari wearing it. These devices allowed some of their species to explore the surface before the invention of the pressurised immersion suits. The only drawback was that a Rixari could risk their skin fully drying out if they spent to long out of the water.

However, the Rixari, which used these device's more frequently, gradually began to develop tougher and more water tight skin. After a couple of hundred years the first Rixari was born that no longer required to be immersed in water at any point during it's life. Eventually the Yalon, as they became known, slowly developed the ability to breed whilst on land, as long as it was in a humid environment. After this point the jealous water based Rixari Rixarun decreed that they were no longer part of the same race but some form of heretical sub-species, dubbed the Yalon Rixarun by their geneticists.

The Yalon are still capable of thriving in the waters of their world, as they retained their gills, although they became unwelcome in the Rixari controlled seas. Instead they took refuge in the many freshwater lakes which dotted the lands of Avareau. Yalon Rixarun does not differ at all aesthetically from their pure breed water borne cousins as they only difference between the two species is that the Yalon have toughened, water tight, skin. The average life span if an Amphanox us typically one thousand years.

Amphanox Rixarun
The last of the Rixari sub-species are definitely the most striking of their kind. They differ greatly from their other two cousins as they lack the ability to return to the oceans they once called home. Several members of the Eastern Sea Union began work on genetically modifying their species to allow them to breathe the air of their homeworld during the time of the most heated conflicts on Avareau. The Yalon had already began colonisation of the terrestrial part of their planet and therefore escaped the worst of the conflicts. The ESU were looking for a way to exit the growing war and decided to emulate what the Yalon had done.

Their scientists worked on making the gills of the Rixari capable of filtering oxygen in a gaseous form. After several rotational cycles of work on changing the structure of the Rixari's respiratory system, down at a genetic level, they eventually succeeded in developing what they hoped to be an amphibious member of their species. They dubbed their modified species the Amphanox as they were capable of breathing both liquid and gaseous oxygen. The ESU decreed to convert their entire population to the now superior Amphanox Rixarun.

They moved to the sparsely populated terrestrial surface of the planet and established several colonies. However, the first generation of Amphanox Rixarun to be born on land lacked the ability breathe in the water and many of them died when they attempted to enter the former domain of their parents. This was in part due to the fact that the gene structure of the Amphanox had underwent a radical mutation which the ESU hadn't foreseen. As the young first generation Amphanox Rixarun had never been forced to breathe through a liquid medium their respiratory system had developed to take the path of least resistance, which was to breathe the more easily accessible gaseous oxygen.

As a result the modern Amphanox are entirely a land based species and they are responsible for protecting terrestrial areas of planets which the Rixari have conquered. They look similar to their ancient cousins save for a darker skin and wider gills (for filtering in gaseous oxygen). They also have an improved metabolism and sense of smell over their primitive water borne cousins. However, they are almost a metre shorter than their cousins, the Yalon and the Rixari, with a typical male only being 6 metres tall. As well as this, their formidable sized tails which both other sub-species have are much shorter on Amphanox Rixarun. Likewise, the fins on their arms are much smaller than those of their relatives as they have become obsolete. The mutations which allow the Anphanox to breath gaseous oxygen have also quickened the metabolic rate of these Rixari. As a result, their life expectancy is much shorter than that of their cousins', typically being 400 to 800 cycles.

Origins
It has been theorised that the Rixari were one of the many species seeded and heavily modified by the Old Ones in order to help counter the C'tan, during the War in Heaven. As a result these Rixari were thrust directly into a technological age. They continued to develop more and more advanced weapons, with the aim of defeating the Necrons and their C'tan masters. As the Rixari were designed to be soldiers of the Old Ones from the beginning, they never had the time to settle any other worlds, with the exception of Avareau. These ancient Rixari were gifted extremely advanced pressure suits by their Old One masters, in order for them to be used to combat the Necrons directly on the battlefield.

Unfortunately, the Rixari suffered greatly at the hands of the soulless automatons, and eventually they retreated back to their home planet, as their forces became devastated at the hands of the Necrons. The coming of the Enslavers only worsened their situation, and the Rixari fled back to their native environments in the seas of Avareau, with their advanced pressure suits being abandoned to decay.

Over time the Rixari reverted back in to their natural state (before the Old Ones had tampered with them), forgetting their pasts, and living a life of savagery. The part which the Rixari played in the War in Heaven was almost completely forgotten by the other races, with mere snippets of it surviving in the form ancient myths and legends. It would be millions of years before the Rixari would develop into a shadow of their former selves once more.

Dark Times
Little information has been gathered about this period of Rixari history, What is known is this. At some point during the 28th Millennium, what has been established to be modern Rixari, began to develop relatively advanced technology. Less than one thousand cycles later, the species became embroiled in an ever escalating conflict that would never truly end for another eleven millennia. This war resulted in the development of several devastating weapons and the mutant Sub-Breeds of the Yalon and the Amphanox.

Unification
The events which happened before the unification of the Rixari are shrouded in mystery and it is taboo for the race to even mention it. One of the few things that is known is that the race committed several horrific genocide's on their own people as they developed unholy weapons of war in this period of their history. The little that has been garnered by Imperial researchers is that a team of visionaries from one of the major Rixari nation states devised a plan to unite their disillusioned people. Chief amongst them was Yul'drak Idarus who masterminded the union of the other Rixari nations.

Yul'drak originated from the north seas of Avareau and had risen to a high position North Avareau Military. He had ties with the Science Divisions and had gained several allies which he would use to further his future cause. The ambitious Rixari, along with his allies, worked on modifying several of the native land based species into vicious and intelligent beings. They altered the appearance of these beasts significantly, so not to arouse suspicion, and armed them to the teeth with a variety of experimental weapons. Yul'drak fabricated a name and a language for this "new" species before letting them loose on the general populous of Avareau.

Him and his team also made sure to create a fake crash site for these "aliens" and set out to convince the other Rixari nations that they were under an attack from an unknown species that was extraterrestrial in origin. Yul'drak announced that he would personally lead his forces to stop these marauding killers and that he would accept support from any other nation in his quest.

He managed to keep the farce up for more than 5 rotational cycles, gaining the trust of all of the Rixari Nation States in the process, before he personally killed the "leader" of the apparent invading Xenos. Every Rixari nation was grateful for the role he played in the eradication of the "invaders" and he was given the position of First Leader of the Rixarun Coalition. The loose alliance was held together almost entirely by their united fear of another alien attack and their dependance on Yul'drak leadership.

Under Yul'drak's guidance, as well as with the help of his trusted allies, the Rixari began to focus on the development of new technologies instead of weaponry. This led to the development of more advanced pressure suits, allowing the rest of the Rixari to fully explore their terrestrial environments. With a new found interest in the world beyond the oceans the Rixari ventured to discover the cosmos. As they were no longer focused on slaughtering one and other, all of the greatest Rixari scientists from across Avareau were able to pull all of their resources on developing space travel for their race.

Expansion
From the dawn of their Space Age the Rixari looked to settle on other planets as their own world had almost been completely ruined by war. The Rixarun Coalition sent out several exploration teams to all of the worlds in their native solar system. They found only two other celestial body capable of sustaining life, the large twin moons which orbited Avareau. The Amphanox colonised the barren moon of Aridal and set about the construction of more advanced spacecraft.

Meanwhile the pure breed Rixari and their slightly mutated cousins, the Yalon, established a colony on the second moon Hydral. Unlike it's twin, Hydral had several pockets of water which the Rixari races could thrive in. Like their fellow Rixarun sub-species, the Yalon and the Rixari began work on developing a more efficient means of cosmic transport with the aid of their increasing number of Psykers. With the help of these Rixari who had developed Psychic abilities, their scientists were able to fabricate the first functioning Warp Drive.

After the collaboration between the Amphanox who had designed newer, more efficient, sub-light spaceships and the Yalon scientists, which had developed a space drive capable of propelling them away from their local system, the Rixari were finally able to begin colonising the stars. They launched ten newly constructed, aquatic environment, Obsidian Class Cruisers into the void in search of habitable worlds.

Over the period of five decades a total of seven of these colony ships reported back to Avareau, stating that that they had found several worlds fit for settlement. Of course that still meant that the other three Obsidian Cruisers were still out in the void, their fates unknown. The Rixarun Coalition decided to be patient so they focused their attention towards the seven new colonies that had been founded. Each of these conquered worlds were a relatively short distance from one and other (only 10-20 light years away from Avareau) so they were well supplied by the twin Rixarun colony moons of Aridal and Hydral.

Confident with the success of their previous colonisation, the Rixari began a second expansion. This time they launched two Obsidian Cruisers, each protected by two Lazuli Destroyers, from each of their new colonies in search of more habitable worlds. It took a long time for each of these second generation exploration delegations to report back, with the 13th, presumed last, ship sending back a signal a whole 150 cycles after they had set off.

However, during this time several Rixari Psykers picked up a multitude of disturbing distress calls from one of the ships sent out in the first Rixarun Expansion. It warned of a highly aggressive and organised force that vastly outnumbered the Rixari forces. With their ill defended fledgling Planetary Collective of a mere 20 worlds, the Rixarun Coalition were worried of what this new threat may bring.

First Contact
The zealous forces, of the now identified "Imperium of Man", struck deep into Rixari territory. In the time taken for the Rixarun Coalition to organise a counter strike against the invaders they had already lost nine of their colonies to the Imperial forces. The Rixari were in complete disarray as they had suffered defeat after defeat against these relentless attackers. What had been organised into a "formidable counter attack" was effectively all of the spacecraft that the Imperial Navy had been unable to destroy. A paltry eleven Obsidian Cruisers, thirteen Lazuli Destroyers and a handful of the newly built Agate Dreadnoughts were what remained of the Unified Rixarun Navy.

However, the Imperial Forces were starting to tire and they were beginning to run low on resources, as they had ventured far beyond the borders of Imperial Space, quickly approaching the boundary of the Astronomicion's range. At the beginning of 209.M39, the Lord Commander of the Fleet, Lance Harlan, elected to halt their conquest at the world VN-153, (named Aquaron by the Rixari). By some strange coincidence, the Rixarun Coalition had chosen Aquaron as the planet from which they would launch a huge counter attack. They had already spent months fortifying the world and they had strategically positioned their fleet to be hidden behind the glare of the Aquaron System's star.

The Imperial Forces entered the system in a brazen manner, moving at full sub-light speed towards the planet. When they entered orbit Harlan became suspicious due to the lack of activity around a planet that was deep on Rixari territory. He ordered his ships to stay on heightened alert despite the apparent lack of danger. The Imperial forces were deployed to the planet below, in order to eliminate any Rixari they found. To their astonishment they encountered no immediate resistance. The Imperial Forces began settling on the planet in order prepare it for colonisation.

For a full week the Rixari stayed in hiding, allowing the Imperials to fall into a false sense of security, before finally revealing themselves. A large army of one thousand Yalon leapt from the oceans they were waiting in and ambushed a whole armed regiment, destroying every vehicle they encountered while slaughtering the crews. The rest of the the Imperial Guard didn't fair much better. A well organised force of Amphanox had begun slowly butchering their way through enemy lines. Meanwhile, all of the Imperium's aquatic troop carriers were sabotaged by Rixari stealth teams, with none of the boats escaping intact. The Rixarun forces were clever, making sure to divide all of the Imperial Forces before wiping them out with their combined might.

Lord Commander Harlan realised within 24 hours of the Rixari attacks that the battle was lost. After seeing the ferocity of the Rixarun counter strike against his forces Harlan deduced that this world was most likely their homeworld, given the oceanic conditions of the planet and the aquatic nature of the Rixari. Harlan ordered an immediate withdrawal of all surviving Imperial Forces, highlighting that all those who were left behind would be killed in Exterminatus. It was at this moment that the Rixarun fleet chose to attack, seeing that their enemy was attempting to retreat.

The battle in space was as fierce as the one on the ground. The Agate Dreadnoughts tore into the support ships and the newly launched Lazuli Destroyers focused their fire power on the Imperial Command ship. Harlan realised that he was in an unwinnable situation and elected to abandon his plan on Exterminatus. Choosing to initiate a dangerous and risky manoeuvre instead. The Lord Commander chose to activate his flag ship's Warp drive, despite it's treacherous proximity to a celestial body.

To the dismay of the Rixari, the Lord Commander's ship escaped, and a resulting Warp Rift caused severe damage to both the surviving Imperial ships and to those of the Unified Rixarun Navy. The fluctuation in the Warp had also had an extremely detrimental effect on the Rixari Psykers that were still on the planet below. Many went insane and other were seduced into the service of the Ruinous Powers. After eliminating what remained of the Imperial Fleet, the Rixari chose to abandon the planet they had fought so valiantly to save, as it became engulfed by the fledgling Warp Rift.

Collapse of a Civilisation
The Rixari had suffered greatly at the hands of the Imperium. What remained of the Coalition Forces rushed back towards their homeworld in preparation for an invasion that never came, while the remaining 8 Rixarun colonies became cut off from their home system. Even after there had been no indication of a second Imperial invasion, the Rixari still had no desire to even risk entering the Aquaron System, deeming it a lost cause. The Rixari had used up vast amount of resources in order to sustain their war effort and their society had suffered as a result. Simple necessities such as food and shelter were in short supply due to the over abundance of refugees from the war as well as the fact that many key supply worlds had fallen to the Imperium.

Rixari from the isolated colonies became disillusioned after they lost contact with their homeworld. As a result many of these colonised worlds collapsed into civil war as resources became sparse. The populous of two of the colonised worlds reverted to savagery in order to survive, as the settlers becoming divided on race lines with the Rixari, Yalon and Amphanox taking control of their native environments.

The situations on Aridal and Hydral were not much better as the Rixari became divided in their loyalties. Two distinct factions formed, one which supported a policy of reuniting the lost colonies as well as taking revenge on the Imperium which had wronged them (Expansionists) and another group which was focused on fixing the troubles of their homeworld (Unionists).

The Rixari Expansionists unanimously chose commandeer all of the remaining Unified Rixarun Navy ships and left their homeworld, in an attempt to avoid war with the Unionists. The Rixari Unionists were pleased that the agitators had left. They set out to rebuild their homeworld and it's twin moons on their own with a limited number of space craft and resources. However, the Unionists also realised they were now both vulnerable to extraterrestrial attack and that they were completely system bound. It took more than twenty-five cycles for them to salvage their Avareau civilisation, before re-establishing it as the Rixari Empire. Of course, while issues in their home system were settled, the fates of the Expansionists was still a mystery.

Forging of an Empire
Almost a century after their departure, the Unified Rixarun Navy returned to Avareau Space, with their full compliment of Expansionist crews. They brought back interesting news of their venture to the Rixari that remained in their home system, as well as the reason for the increase in the size of their fleet. In their absence they had reclaimed six of their lost worlds, as well as establishing a new spaceport on their most resource rich colony, Vodran (which had coincidentally much faired better than the other Rixari worlds). However, the two colony worlds which had fallen into a feudal state had been unwilling to rejoin the Rixari and they had met serious opposition from the former settlers.

It became apparent that the reason the Expansionist's had chosen to return to their homeworld was in order to receive aid from the entire Rixarun Coalition in order to bolster the small compliments of these forces which had decided to join the mission to reunite the Rixari. The Rixari Unionists agreed to support their brothers as they had witnessed their effectiveness at expanding and fortifying Rixarun Space. The only condition was that the Expansionist's, and the planet's they conquered, would fall under the command of the new Rixari Empire. Surprisingly the Rixari Expansionists, who had braved the hazards of space to bring their planets back to their control, were fine with this as they realised they would probably be rewarded handsomely for their efforts (as well as recognising the need for an effective form of control over the recaptured worlds). Regular trade routes were immediately established between the Avareau System and the co-operative six Rixari Colonies while preparations were made for a second conquest of the two worlds that were yet to fall back under Rixarun control.

Exactly one rotational cycle after their arrival in the Avareau System, the full might of the Unified Rixarun Navy left their orbit over Aridal in order to initiate their conquest of the fallen worlds of Uisgav and Aguaj, the two planets that had resisted a return to Rixarun control. Along with them were the entire combined forces of the Yalon Armed Legion and the Amphanox Strike Forces, as well as an elite contingent of Rixari Defence Initiative soldiers. Interestingly, one section of the fleet was also tasked with a secondary objective of colonising new worlds after Uisgav and Aguaj had been pacified.

The Warp jump to Uisgav was short, lasting only half a rotational cycle. The forces of the Rixarun Coalition and their leaders had been planning (as well as testing) their course of action for the entire duration of the voyage. It had been checked with the intelligence which the previous expedition had garnered and any potential hazards were inserted into the plan to make sure it was fool proof. The moment the ships entered Uisgav's orbit, the Coalition ground forces launched their attack, striking at all of the key strategic locations simultaneously.

The main resistance leaders, which were little more than savage tribal chieftains, were quickly disposed with the last being killed two Aridan Cycles (months) after the initial invasion force. Most of the tribal Rixari were easily re-educated, particularly the Amphanox who were the first to willingly join the Rixarun Empire. The Yalon followed suit soon after their land dwelling relatives. However, the pure bred Rixari (Rixari Rixarun) had reverted to a far more primal state than their mutant cousins and proved difficult to shift from the seas of Uisgav. While the other two sub-species had been integrated only a few weeks after the invasion, the feral Rixari had to be slowly driven from their aquatic dens.

It took close to half a rotation cycle for Uisgav to be fully brought under the control of the Rixari Empire after a brutal conflict against the rogue members of their species. As they had reverted to a feudal state the captured Rixari had to be 're-educated' before being allowed a place in the Empire as anything other than the subjects of the loyal Amphanox and Yalon who were placed in charge of the planet. After a successful campaign which had strengthened the Empire, the Rixari split their fleet. Half of the fleet set a course for Aguaj while the rest began a search for more inhabitable worlds.

The primary Unified Rixarun Navy fleet entered the orbit of Aguaj a whole Rotational Cycle after they left the relative safety of Uisgav. However, what met the Rixarun Coalition at their former colony world was something entirely unexpected. A fleet of ships of unknown origin hung in the planet's orbit and Aquaj's appeared to have been scarred by warfare. The Rixari did not hesitate to attack these usurpers as they knew they had a huge advantage over the foreign threat. A complement of twenty Agate Dreadnoughts sprung from the darkness of space and tore into the unidentified ships. None of the enemy ships escaped, but it was clear that the battle was far from over.

Preliminary scout teams, sent to the planets surface, identified these invaders as a race of 6 foot tall humanoid beings which lacked any distinctive features, save for two violet eyes. With the no means of escape the mysterious foe was eliminated over the period of a week with relative ease. The Aguajans were much easier to pacify, after it was made clear that they were saved by their space faring brethren. Aguaj was brought under the full control of the Rixari Empire and a small contingent of Rixarun Coalition forces were left behind to defend the planet from a probable return by the invaders.

After their full reunification the Rixari were stronger than they had ever been before. All eleven of their settled celestial bodies were thriving as they were able to trade amongst themselves and the exploration ships reported back discoveries of more than twenty potential worlds for settling, with small colonies being set up on each one. Their Second Golden Age was in full swing but their research teams were still putting a lot of resources into developing new weapons as the extraterrestrial threat began to become more apparent.

Galactic Affairs
With nine core worlds and more than twenty colonies the Rixari were developing a fairly considerable Empire. Their well disciplined forces had also marked them out to be a significant force to be reckoned with and many Xenos species which they had encountered had agreed to serve the Rixari as allies purely out of fear of being slaughtered if they did not. Confident with their current position, it was not long before the Rixari began to venture further beyond their borders, keen to gather knowledge on the other native species of the Galaxy as well as examining their greatest threat, the Imperium of Man, in greater detail. This would prove to be the beginning of the Rixari's presence on the Galactic stage.

Since their heightened presence within the Galaxy, the Rixari have successfully carved a comfortable niche for themselves. As a race of colossal monsters, it has been relatively easy for them to bully (what they consider to be) Lesser Races into their servitude. With more than twelve small Xenos empires completely subdued to their will, as well as several allied species (who signed treaties solely out of fear), by the close of the 41st Millennium the Rixari had formed themselves a large collective of more than seventy worlds.

Society
Before their unification at the hands of Yul'drak the Rixari were a very fractured species. Most of the hostile Rixari had remained in the oxygen rich seas of their planer. Others had worked towards to inventing devices that would allow them to walk on land and a few of their number even resorted to genetic engineering to allow them to breathe the Avareaun air. Even during the 41st millennium these differences run deep and their are distinct differences in their roles in both society and in the military.

Groups
Unlike some of the other species which exist in the Galaxy, the Rixari lack any form of a caste system. This was a deliberate decision made by Yul'drak in order to try and avoid another period of civil war amongst the Rixari arising. However, some like minded individuals have formed themselves into groups, of various degrees of morality, since the Unification.

New Dawn Cult
The Cult of the New Dawn is a shadowy group of pure bred Rixari Rixarun who wish to see a return to fractured Rixarun states which they remember, so that their organisation can impose it's will on all of the other Rixari. These beasts despise the mutated Yalon and loathe the Amphanox, which they see as being unfit to call themselves Rixari, due to their inability to survive in their ancestral environment. They are such a supercilious group, that they even hold most Pure Rixari in contempt. As well as despising aspects of their own race, they are extremely xenophobic, and they want to dissolve all of the alliances which the Rixari Empire has forged, so that no foreign intervention can prevent them from subjugating their own people.

Aquaron Outcasts
After the world of Aquaron was abandoned to be consumed by the forces of Chaos, the Rixari which were left behind on the forsaken planer chose to renounce their old faith in favour of the Ruinous Powers. All of the Rixari which were left for dead by their brethren, converted, seeing it as the only means of survival. However, many went mad after choosing to embrace Chaos, but a few strong willed individuals remained, to fully embrace their new masters. These corrupted Rixarun beasts are desperate for revenge against their own kind who have rewarded their bravery with damnation, in their ungodly eyes.

Psykers
Any Rixari which develops psychic talents is treated with great respect by it's fellows. This is due to the fact that, since their reformation, the Rixari have been heavily dependant on their Psykers performing several different tasks for the benefit of advancing the Rixari cause. During the early years of the Rixarun Collective, Psykers were vital in the development of Warp Drive technology. Since their early use in aiding scientific endeavours, Rixari Psykers have been trained to fill a variety of roles.

The most common role which Psykers fill in the modern Rixari Empire is that of an Overseer. The purpose of this position is that of controlling the Lesser Races which have been conquered by the Rixari. They use their abilities to suppress the will of the subjugated Xenos in order to make them comply with their masters. They are also trained how to use their powers offensively, in order to strike down dissidents.

Another position which Rixari Psykers regularly fill is that of Charters. These Rixari spend their lives training to detect the nuances in the Immaterium. This allows the Rixari a safer way of traversing the cosmos during Warp jumps. A trained Charter can sense the tiniest of fluctuations within the Warp, and are able to change the course of the starships which they command accordingly.

The last place where Rixari Psykers can frequently be found in on the battlefield. These Psychically gifted Rixari are trained in the art of war as well as being taught how to manipulate Warp energy in an offensive manner. Known as the Akari, these Psychic juggernaughts are used to plow through enemy forces with the sheer power of their mental capabilities alone. They are also tutored to become great leaders of the Rixari forces.

It should be noted that since the discovery of Psykers with in their ranks, the Rixari, as a whole have become more psychically adept. And, that the presence of their souls within the warp is significantly greater than that of most other species, save for the Eldar. It should also be taken into account that since the Rixari have a strong connection to the warp, a large proportion of their Psykers are above the Imperial Classification of Alpha Level. Coincidentally, the Rixari do not possess any 'blanks' or 'Pariahs'.

Beliefs
In the era before the Dark Times the Rixari had a loose religion based around three major deities: Samudra, Goddess of the Ocean; Vhuma, Goddess of the Ground and Akasa, God of the Sky. It would seem that Samudra was the most highly regarded deity as she encompassed the native habitat of the Rixari, or the 'World Within'. Vhuma apparently represented the 'World Without', the reachable but distant territory which the Rixari wished to explore. While Akasa was symbolic of the mysteries of creation and the "World Beyond" the realm of the Rixari homeworld. It was prophesied that one day the Rixari would seperately become the children of each natural deity.

As the Rixari became more aggressive towards one and other, the ideas of these peaceful deities were lost but not forgotten. During the Dark Times, the teachings of the Gods were abandoned in favour of philosophies which supported strength through conquest. And so, the main belief of the Rixari became that of progress through strife, a belief that stayed strong until the Unification of the Rixari, long after the ancient prophecy had been fulfilled.

It was realised by some scholars that what had been foretold millennia before had indeed come true: as the Pure Rixari had developed into the children of Samudra; the mutant Yalon had become the foot soldiers of Vhuma and the Amphanox had come to represent the drive to explore the domain of Akasa. After this realisation a new set of beliefs arose, tailored to the different Sub-Species.

The Rixari came to believe that it was their divine mission to strengthen the domain of their people through defence of Samudra's realms (the Oceans of conquered worlds). Their goal became one of fortitude and finding the strength that lies within.

Yalon scholars pursued a different path, more fitting to their role as the Foot Soldiers of Vhuma. They saw that in order to better serve the great Rixari race as a whole, they must find strength from without their usual realm. They realised that their mission was that of the conquest of new planets for the Defenders of Samudra to hold.

However, the mission of the Amphanox remains the most interesting of the three beliefs. Their philosophers became aware that they must serve their purpose as the Explorers of Akasa, in order to find worlds fit for conquest by the Yalon and ripe for settlement by the Rixari. Their ultimate goal is to explore the vast realms of their home Galaxy, a task that will last for eternity.

Thus, the Rixari do not actually worship their Gods. Instead, they believe that they are the embodiments of their ancient Deities that must carry out the mission of their pantheon. It is a passive belief that helps to both unify the Rixari and give them a purpose. However, their beliefs in their religious tasks do not come close to the zealous fanaticism that the followers of the God-Emperor and the Ruinous Powers feel towards their resepective deities.

Technology
Old Rixari technology was primarily focused on weaponry and war machines, as they were beset by war until their Unification. Latterly the Rixari have focused more on furthering their space capabilities and other forms of transport.

Weaponry
The Rixari developed a multitude of weapons before their Unification when they were still hell bent on massacring their own. Chief amongst these devices of war were Resonant Amplification Weapons, which were designed to overwhelm the sensitive hearing of the Rixari, and Arc Tesla Projectors, which were deadly against water based Rixari. Other weapons such as Accelerated Ionisation Weapons and Reverse Gravity Weapons were developed when the Yalon brought the fight to the terrestrial areas of Avareau as they were more affective in a gaseous environment than in the water.

Resonant Amplification Weapons
During their dark times the Rixari produced a variety of horrific war devices to be used in an aquatic environment. RAW technology was one of the first types of weaponry to be developed due to it being very potent in the native Rixari's aquatic environment. Amplified Frequency Rifles are the mainstay of all of the Rixarun Coalition's individual forces, due to their effectiveness in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. However, the more deadly Wave Projection Cannons are almost only used by the forces of the Rixari Defence Initiative.

Reverse Gravity Weapons
The Rixari made extensive use of these weapons after their development during the Dark Times. They were created with the purpose of killing land based Rixari, particularly the Yalon. These weapons are used almost exclusively by the Amphanox Strike Force, as it was their ancestors which first developed these deadly weapons, although they may be found in the hands of the Rixari Defence Initiative and the Yalon Armed Legion.

Accelerated Ionisation Weapons
These devices were created by water based Rixari during the Dark Times, with the sole aim of eliminating members of the mutant Amphanox. They were developed by a collaborative team of Yalon and pure bred Rixari scientists. These devices are used by the most elite troops of all four of the Rixarun Coalition's main forces. AIWs cause vastly accelerated radioactive decay to occur, making them particularly potent against living organisms.

Arc Tesla Projectors
The origins of this weapon lie as far back as the Dark Times of Rixari history. The mutated Amphanox specifically designed the weapon with the intention of using it on the Yalon and pure breed Rixari, which were inherently vulnerable to electricity. The Arc Tesla Projector emits a short stream of electrical energy of approximately 100,000 Volts (and 50mA of current) towards it's target. This blast alone is enough to stop the heart of a human, but it is the weapon's effect on Rixari which is truly horrific. When used on water based organisms it causes the internal organs of it's target to rupture before their victim eventually explodes. These weapons are also extremely effective at disabling machines of all shapes and size. These gruesome weapons are exclusively used by the Amphanox Strike Force.

Quantum Explosive Device
One of the latest technological developments made by the Rixari. These weapons puncture a hole in Real Space before causing a tremendous explosion, capable of ripping through all manner of material. A Quantum Explosive Device envelops it's target within the three dimensional puncture in the reality, causing it to be vaporised instantaneously. These weapons were developed long after the Dark Times, not long after the development of Warp Drive technology. QEDs exist in a variety of forms, being as large enough to be used as orbital weapons while a couple have been developed as handheld weapons. Adeptus Mechanicus scientists have noticed a similarity between the QED and the Imperial Vortex Grenade.

Improved Plasma Weapons
After their first encounter with the Imperium the Rixari came into possession of a few Plasma Weapons, which were among the very small number of devices the Rixari had never even theorised developing. The inquisitive Rixari scientists examined the devices in extreme detail, eventually discovering how the weapons functioned. They also found that the weapons were rife with several fundamental design flaws that they could easily fix. Thus, the Improved Plasma Weapon was developed.

Military
As a race which spent close on seven thousand years embroiled in constant conflict amongst themselves, it is no surprise that they have a very adept military. Due to some fracturing within their own race, three individual armies have arisen along side a proud stellar Navy.

Formation
The formation of all three of the Rixari's land based armies date back to the Dark Times. Each one was created out of the need to protect their fellow sub-species above protecting their territories. As the Dark Times finally came to a close the militaries belonging to each of the nations were formed into armed forces based along their race lines (so that they could capitalise on their strengths and weaknesses as individual forces).

The Rixarun Coalition
The name given to the collective of independent forces which serve to further the Rixari cause is the Rixarun Coalition. None of the forces, with the exception of the Unified Rixarun Navy, are obliged to serve under this umbrella organisation instead choosing to do so willingly. This is done so that each military force can help to further their respective holy missions of fortitude; conquest and exploration.

Rixari Defence Initiative
As the Rixari Rixarun are the devout followers of their aquatic Goddess, Samudra, seeing themselves as the embodiment of this deity, their armed forces have devoted themselves to the fortification of planets conquered by the other Rixari sub-species. The Defenders of Samudra believe that it is their divine mission to strengthen the domain of the Rixari through such acts, and are primarily used to secure the oceans of their conquered world. As a result, it is a rarity to find the Rixari Defence Initiative (RDI) deployed in an offensive role. However, the RDI used in such a manner during the Rixarun Incursion against the Xai'athi, as they proved to be the most resistant against the various weapons which the Solaris Federation had developed.

Yalon Armed Legion
Knowing full well that they are the Foot Soldiers of Vhuma (Goddess of the Ground), the Yalon Armed Legion (YAL) is primarily used in an offensive role. Their divine mission is ultimately one of conquest, as they seek to strengthen the domain of the Rixari through the taking of new worlds in the name of the Rixari Empire. The YAL is tasked with attacking new worlds which have been discovered by the Amphanox and bringing them under the control of the Rixari. Although it is uncommon for them to be used in a defensive manner, during the Battle of Aquaron, the Yalon were used to fortify the Rixari lines against the advancing Imperial Guard troops.

Amphanox Strike Force
Less of a unified army, more of a collection exploration groups, reconnaissance parties and stealth teams, the Amphanox Strike Force (ASF) seek to fulfil their religious role as the Explorers of Akasa, God of the Sky. The ASF are used in wide manner of ways. Some divisions of the organisation are used in missions which require stealth and finesse, and they will be specifically trained to fit this role. Others are used to investigate newly discovered planets in order to determine their potential as Rixari colony worlds. And, a select few are used to gather intel on enemy positions through a variety of means. The ASF has also been used as an effective force of shock troops, armed with a variety of unique and devastating weapons.

Unified Rixarun Navy
While many Rixari choose to fulfil their respective holy missions directly, their are those which seek to aid the others in their divine cause. These individuals choose to serve in the Unified Rixarun Navy, or URN, which is the military division of the Rixari's fleet of spaceships. The URN is responsible for maintaining a capable fleet of star ships which can be reliably called upon in times of war. The URN are also used to patrol the borders of the Greater Rixari Empire, particularly in times of unrest.

Allies
During their Second Golden Age the Rixari gained several allies through both conquest and their fearsome reputation alone.

Ularatu
The Ularatu first encountered the Rixari as enemies, launching attacks against the piscine race. The Rixari retaliated with extreme force and a brutal conflict was initiated. However, both Xenos species eventually ended up working together after Imperial ships were spotted on the fringes of the Ularatu Confederation of Planets. Realising they had a common enemy the Ularatu eventually ended up as allies of the Rixari.

Ixanda
After word of the enslavement of several Xenos Empires, at the hands of the Rixari, reached the Ixanda, a unanimous decision was made by the Alliance of Ixanda Worlds to offer an alliance to the Rixari. Since then all of their planets, bar their homeworld, have officially been under the protection of the Rixari Empire.

Avrano
Astonishingly, unlike the other two allied races of the Rixari, it was the Rixari themselves which wished to ally themselves with the Avrano. The bipedal reptilians which called themselves the Avrano, had built up quite a reputation of being a vicious and merciless race in their conquest of the cosmos. It was these qualities which the Rixari saw that they could put to good use if they ever encountered the Imperium again.

Awali (Solaris Federation)
During the Rixari Incursion on the Solaris Federation it was the Awali, despite the heavy loses that they suffered at the hands of the Amphanox, who attempted to make peace with the relentless Xenos invaders. Eventually the Rixari saw reason and listened to the requests made by the Awali delegates. Since the brokering of peace between the two species the Awali have proved to have been the most reliable of the Rixari's allies.

Imperium of Man
Being the ones responsible for the destruction of the early Rixari Coalition, it is no surprise that the Rixari loathe the Imperium. They have taken every opportunity to strike back at human worlds and as a result have conquered several former Imperial planets.

Eldar
An ancient hatred which runs deep within the sub-conscious minds of all Rixari. It has been theorised that this, otherwise irrational, hatred stems from the fact that the Ancient Rixari felt that the Eldar betrayed their them during the War in Heaven, as they offered them no aid when the Necrons hounded them back to their homeworld. This hatred has survived within the primal parts of the Rixari's psyche and has led them to instinctively attack any Eldar which they have had the misfortune to meet.

Vashti
While all of the other members of the Solaris Federation were allowed to become allies of the Greater Rixari Empire, the Vashti were forbidden to have any relations with the Rixari, by the aquatic race themselves. However, the Vashti also wanted nothing to do with the race, seeing them as a race of newly evolved savages (as the hypocritical Xai'athi were completely unaware of the Rixari's true heritage), that were only fit for the slaughter. Coincidentally, both species see the other as an affront to their religion: the Rixari believe the Vashti are ungodly monsters who are only fit to be exterminated, due to their lack of a soul; and the Vashti despise the primitive religion of the Rixari (unaware that it predates their own flawed views by millions of years). As the Solaris Federation are unable to control the Vashti from attacking the Rixari, they willingly allow the aquatic monsters to attack the Vashti, under authorisation of Binadmu Madora himself.

Mutacrat
Initially the Mutacrat were seen as a pest, rather than a true threat, by the Rixari. One of the small Mutacrat Empires had begun a series of raids on a single Rixari World which was not too distant from the insignificant empire, as they had realised how technologically advanced the aquatic race was. Over time, these attacks grew larger and larger until the planet was subject to a massive invasion. The Rixari finally realised the real threat posed by the Mutacrat, and they led a huge defensive fleet to safeguard the world against the invasion and future attacks. To the abject horror of the Rixari, they discovered that the Mutacrat had produced primitive versions of their own deadly weapons, based on the designs of the devices that the Mutacrat had stolen during their raids. The Rixari now keep a much closer eye on any attempts made by the Mutacrat to raid their worlds.

Vralgazi
The Rixari's hatred for the Vralgazi stems back to the War in Heaven, and is inherently a sub-conscious one. As with the Eldar, the Ancient Rixari felt betrayed by the Vralgazi, as the psychically adept race did nothing to prevent the Rixari from being hounded back to their homeworld by the Necrons. This loathing has remained within the psyche of the modern Rixari. The Vralgazi also despise the Rixari, believing them to have been foolish for not turning to the Ruinous Powers, as they did. Both species inevitably seek to destroy one and other.

Rixarun Collective
The Pure Rixari Empire spans a mere thirty planets, of which twenty-two are colony worlds. However, the Greater Rixari Empire covers more than twelve other miniscule Xenos interstellar Empires which number a total of forty-one planets. As well as this, there are several races which have chosen to aline themselves with the Rixari, which are considered Protectorates of the Rixari Empire. The name for all of these linked worlds is the Rixarun Collective, which is split along two lines.

Greater Races
The Greater Races exclusively include the Rixari and their Xenos allies. These are the species which the Rixari view as being fit to rule and conquest other races.
 * Rixari (Includes All Subspecies): As the founders of the Empire, they view themselves as the Greatest of all of the Collective's races. They control 30 pure Rixari worlds and have conquered more than 40 other Xenos planets.
 * Ularatu: The Ularatu possess a small, but wealthy, interstellar empire of eleven worlds. They were the first species to be allowed to become allies of the Rixari and all of their planets are considered Protectorates of the Rixarun Empire.
 * Ixanda: Possessing the largest number of worlds amongst the Collective, at close on thirty-six inhabited planets, the Ixanda chose to ally themselves with the Rixari after they realised that the piscine race possessed a much larger military than their own. All of their settled planets, with the exception of their homeworld, are Protectorates of the Rixarun Empire.
 * Avrano: Once one of the most prosperous of the Collective's empires, the Avrano have suffered greatly at the hands of the Imperium. They were reduced to owning a paltry eight worlds after formerly having complete control over several stellar systems. Despite their losses, they still have an incredibly lethal military which have a bloodlust to take revenge against the Imperium of Man. Only a three of their planets, which lie on the fringes of Imperial Space, are considered Protectorates.
 * Xai'athi: As the strongest of the Rixari's allies, it is no surprise that the aquatic race respects the technologically evolved form of Humanity. Unlike their forebears, which the Rixari view as scum, the Rixari believe that the Xai'athi are the 'correct' next stage in human evolution. However, although they respect the Xai'athi as a whole they despise the Vashti with extreme zeal.

Lesser Races
The races which have been subjugated by the Rixari and are only fit to be conquered in their eyes.
 * Humanity: Two worlds on the edge of the fading Astronomicion's range were conquered by the Rixari. Instead of slaughtering the entire populous, the merciful Xenos chose only to kill all armed personnel. The survivors were allowed to become slaves of the Rixari Empire.
 * Walaxan
 * Telmeras
 * Orlagit
 * Plexun
 * Celanzars

Quotes
Feel free to add your own

By
"There are some races which are fit to rule, and others which are only suitable to be conquered. The Xai'athi are an odd case. Descended from those filthy slave worthy humans, but inherently more suited to ruling others than being enslaved."

- Ilaxan Yul'drak, Seventh Emperor of the Rixarun Empire, reflecting on the Solaris Federation

"You fight in the name of your pitiful infantile God! How rich of you, abomination. We are the embodiments of our ancient Gods! Each and everyone one of us! We are more devout than you can ever be!"

- Tah'aln Yul'drak, Eighth Emperor of the Rixarun Empire, to Akasha Madora's face, with overtones of contempt in his voice

Of
"The Kaizari seems to think that these monsters were bred to fight us. She is wrong. They may be exceptionally cunning, possessed with ungodly strength, Psychically adept to the extremes and armed exclusively with weapons that can out right destroy us. But, on closer examination, the Rixari are in fact perfectly designed to destroy themselves."

- Binadamu Madora, after the first Rixari attacks on the Solaris Federation

"There is only one thing worse than encountering a great hulking twenty-three foot monstrosity on the battlefield. Encountering said monstrosity, when it is clearly more cunning you."

- Sergeant Theodore Eltzit, after fighting the Rixari on the world of VN-151