Thepolians

Pale stone-like hide. Skeletal frames. Ancient culture. The Confederation scattered them across the galaxy—but Thepolians do not forget.

Physical Characteristics

Thepolians evolved on Thepol Prime, a harsh volcanic world that shaped every aspect of their physiology:

• Pale, stone-like hide - Ranges from marble white to granite grey
• Skeletal frame - Gaunt, angular features with prominent bone structure
• Deep-set eyes - Adapted for dim volcanic light
• Heat resistance - Comfortable in temperatures that would harm most species
• Predator heritage - Evolved as apex hunters on their homeworld

Their appearance unsettles many other species—rooms grow quieter when Thepolians enter.

Culture

The Schtrek

Traditional Thepolian society organizes around the schtrek—a unit that serves as family, military squad, and political body combined. Members of a schtrek share bonds of loyalty that transcend individual interest.

Leadership within a schtrek is earned through demonstrated wisdom and sacrifice, not inherited or appointed.

Death and Honor

Thepolians view death differently than most species. A good death—one that serves the schtrek’s purpose—is celebrated rather than mourned. What matters is not how long one lives but what one’s death accomplishes.

This philosophy makes Thepolian warriors particularly dangerous. They do not fear death. They evaluate whether a death would be useful.

History

The Displacement

The Confederation’s expansion displaced Thepolians from their ancestral territories. Official histories call it “voluntary resettlement.” Thepolians call it theft.

Scattered across refugee camps and fringe worlds, Thepolians became convenient labor—their combat abilities exploited, their culture erased, their homeworld claims ignored.

The Resistance

Not all Thepolians accepted displacement quietly. Cabo Gimba and others formed resistance cells, fighting for recognition and return. Their struggle has continued for generations.

The emergence of GreenNet and Robert Fannec’s revolution offered new hope—a chance to tie Thepolian liberation to broader galactic change.

The SSS

The Syndicate of Silent Service is a Thepolian assassin guild, training operatives from youth in the arts of killing. SSS assassins are among the deadliest beings in the galaxy.

The SSS operates on strict contractual principles. Clients pay for deaths. Assassins deliver. Breaking a contract means death for the assassin.

Most SSS work for the Parliament and Confederation. Some, like Wido, have broken away.

Notable Thepolians

• Cabo Gimba - Resistance leader, commands a schtrek allied with Robert Fannec
• Wido - Former SSS assassin, broke contract to join the resistance
• Vekka - Gimba’s lieutenant, trusted commander

Connections

• Thepol Prime - Ancestral homeworld
• The Confederation - Oppressor, thief of homeland
• Robert Fannec - Allied with Thepolian resistance
• The Parliament - Ultimate enemy

Thepolians appear throughout the Fannec Records series.