Avikan/Technology

Avikan have mostly used traditional bonecarved and leather items until the encounter with Rhadeis, who unlocked the doors to Vas Vha'leih, an ancient Centensian city. Allowing them to find Centensian artefacts, which the Avikan begun reverse-engineering, giving them an incredible technological advantage over the other species. This led to development and more prevalent use of metalwork, though plenty of Avikan still choose to use traditional craft.

A large portion of Avikan technology is based on reverse-engineered Centesian technology, including Avikan FTL technology, electronics, teleportation (through jumpgates) and to some degree, the technology behind linerifles. There's still plenty of Centensian technology which is still poorly understood, and which the Avikan are still experimenting with. Cloaking technology is still in it's infancy, and while the Avikan have managed to build jumpgates for many purposes, they are still unable to replicate Centensian jumpweapons. These weapons use jumpgates (essentially a shotcut through space, directly connecting two distant points in space) to capture the plasma from the outer edges of stars and then fire this plasma at the target using a powerful electromagnet. The weapons use energy captured from that same star to power the weapon's jumpgates, making them completely self-sustaining unless the the star dies, or the weapon's jumpgate targeting system loses track of star's location. The Avikan have attempted to replicate these weapons on few occasions, but so far every attampt has ended in catastrophic failure where the jumpgate allowed too much solar matter through, destroying everything around the gate. So while the Avikan are able to open the jumpgate, they are still unable to build the proper targeting systems which make the weapons safe to use.

There are also devices which can counteract jumpgates: many settlements and ships are often equipped with such jumpgate distorters to prevent attacks through a jumpgate. Without such devices, one could open up a jumpgate into enemy territory and just drop a nuclear bomb right into their settlement.

Another Centensian technology which the Avikan are experimenting with is the use of time-bubbles, which allows one to speed up or slow down (but never reverse or completely stop) the passage of time in localized areas. The Centens have used this technology to create FTL ships, stasis pods and more, but the Avikan are still struggling on a theoretical level and have never managed to get it working in practice.

The Avikan are also always experimenting with new types of weapons and reverse-engineering Thelean technology is one of their current projects. This is proving to be a very difficult process, however, as Thelean technology generally only functions when operated by a live Thelean.

The Avikan have used the "violation protocol" technology to their advantage at times. The Violation Protocol and Corruptor's Bow are two good examples in the mod: both of them are Avikan weapons that use Thelean technology to provide additional functionality or power. There hasn't been any large-scale implementation of repurposed Thelean tech yet. There are smaller projects in the canon storyverse that saw the Avikan try to repurpose Thelean tech, but the method hasn't proven reliable or safe enough for use on larger scales. Thelean technology is full of nano-tech which has proven extremely difficult to work with.

Holographic displays are still a rarity in the Nomada: there's a holographic guide in the Refuge, but it glitches every now and then, and it only displays in a single transparent colour. The Centens, as evidenced by the encounter with Rhadeis, were able to create life-like projections which could produce sound and move around without being restricted to a stationary projector, as is the case for all current Avikan holograms.

Also, Azana (the Refuge's holographic guide) is not an AI, she has pre-programmed lines to choose from, she won't respond to all questions. Whether or not this is due to Avikan distrust of AIs, is unknown.

Avikan have super weapons on some of their larger ships which could deal massive damage to structures on a planet's surface (such as cities), but nothing so strong that it could damage an entire planet.

Avikan force lifts (which are extremely rare) are based on the force lift technology used by the Centens.

Drahls and Drahlids can be equipped with various kinds of tools, and they're often employed for construction and maintenance purposes. They are little more than drones, with some basic programming but no real intelligence. Some of them are even remotely controlled by Avikan operators.

Most sub-factions use the standard Vanguard Drahl models, but there are some exceptions. The Seekers and Centlars often employ some specialized models for long-distance scouting, or use Drahls equipped with specialized sensors for locating buried ruins and such. The Darve'ras generally use black-market Drahl models, which are usually stolen or discarded Vanguard models with some modifications. They tend to strip the base weapons and replace them with more powerful ones, which often increases battery drain significantly. Splicers tend to modify Vanguard models with Centensian tech, but they don't use a lot of drones since they can be hard to obtain.

Drahls, Drahlids and Droden are equipped with relatively weak processors and such, which just don't offer enough power to create a true AI. Droden with AI have a special AI box - a sort of highly advanced quantum computer - which allows them the processing power to gain sentience.

A true AI is definitely more advanced and more expensive to build! In the case of the Droden, a 'standard' Droden frame has reasonably powerful processors, but they are all basic computer parts running relatively simple systems. You can upgrade their programming to get more advanced behaviour, and come closer to simulating sentience, but these types of Droden will never gain true sentience.

Sentient Droden have a different internal structure: most importantly, they have an additional computer (there's no proper name for it yet, but Mass Effect calls it a Blue Box). This is a specialized quantum computer that allows for such advanced simulation that you can achieve 'sentience'. Although whether you're actually achieving full sentience, or just simulating it so well you can't tell the difference, is something many scientists are still debating.

Most of the factories were simply re-purposed after the war, changing production from AI boxes to more basic Avikan computers, Droden parts, or something else entirely. The Droden were never in control of any of the factories, so when the war did finally break out, the Avikan simply stopped producing Droden. They also installed some additional security on these factories in case the Droden would attempt to claim one of them, but the Droden never got that far.

The Avikan never got around to studying genetic engineering in any depth, as their conflicts with the Theleans forced them to pursue more direct solutions to the Thelean problem. They have some genetic engineering tech, and can (and will) make some minor improvements to the Avikan genome to further their chances of survival both in space and on colonies, but those changes are very minor. They are also incredibly proud of their history and their heritage, and any major deviation from the natural Avikan form would be seen as disrespectful towards their heritage. Another smaller factor is the fact that some consider such genetic engineering to be too similar to what the Theleans do, and many Avikan won't follow the Thelean example even if it helps them.

It was never a focus during their golden age, and now that they're bound to the Nomada they have greater concerns to worry about. Some groups would support genetic modification, while others might fight against it. Many Rhaiod would disapprove of it, as they see the current form of the Avikan as perfect - it's what Rhadeis sacrificed everything for, after all. It's something that they're still pretty new to, and there hasn't been time for a general consensus to form yet.

The Avikan have struggled with viruses more, and they are always a threat on the densely populated Nomada. The Theleans have even attempted to cause outbreaks back on Kadavan, but those only met limited success. Avikan medical technology is advanced, but there are still a few very resilient viruses which continue to kill many Avikan in the Nomada.

Exo-suits aren't very common in Avikan society, but full body suits definitely exist and are sometimes used by special forces. The more basic exo-legs are a bit more common, since they're a lot easier and cheaper to produce, and are found in both military situations and places like construction sites. The Aegi use such technology far more often, and some form of exo-suit is a standard in many construction and engineering companies. Most full-body military suits also feature some level of motion and strength support.

The holes found on Kavanite items are usually either ventilation ports, a type of a power socket or a combination of the two (it's not uncommon for the Avikan to combine both functions into a single wall slot). Some are just for decoration, but most serve at least some minor ventilation function.

Centensian liquid converters are a technology the Centlars would love to possess. They have original Centensian technology that can read data from the liquid, but they've yet to develop a technology that can convert the data into something the Avikan can read.

There were several forges capable of smelting Centensian metal in Vas Vha'leih. The Centlars still have access to a few of these on board the Nomada, and they use them to create the Centlar armour and weapons and such. These are very rare high-power smelters, which are usually hooked up directly to the ship's core to get enough energy for the smelting process.

Avikan exo-suits are primarily used for industrial purposes, actually! The Vanguard has some models too, such as the one found in the mod, but most exo-suits are used to help construction workers and such increase their strength and resistance. Vanguard models tend to be lighter in weight, focusing primarily on increasing agility. But yeah, there's various exo-suits built for medical purposes too. A crippled Avikan may be able to walk again with one, though most models do require there to be some control of the legs since the suit only enhances strength and increases stability. A fully paralyzed Avikan may use a more advanced model to walk too, though they'll need some type of neural interface to make good use of it. (and even then it'll never be like natural walking again)

Weapons
Avikan use a variety of weapons both from bone and from metal. While they favor spears, they can also use axes, broadswords, daggers, hammers and shortswords for melee weapons. As for ranged they use bows or throw their spears, as well as use various firearms. Here, mostly favoring rifles.Most weaponry is built for and used by the Vanguard, but the Watchers, Clanguard and Elderguard also use a lot of the weapons developed by the Seekers. The Centlars sometimes use those weapons too, but they also develop their own weaponry.

Much like both the Alliance and the Dominion, railguns are the standard weapon for ship-to-ship combat - there are few things which can rival its effectiveness against ferroverium armour.

Ion cannons are far more common for the Theleans, but the Avikan have made some attempts at building such weapons too. In general, they weren't very successful, not many of them are used in the Nomada. The Violation Protocol was one such prototytpe Avikan ion cannon, and was equally unimpressive until Thelean technology was used to enhance it.

As for the violated weapons, those can be used by the Avikan without any issues. The weapon systems are augmented, but the trigger system is unaltered. True Thelean weapons have special triggers - often biometric ones or ones that require Thelean tendrils to activate - so those are often useless to the Avikan.

They're generally used for disabling enemy electronics and by extension enemy vehicles and spaceships, though the Violation Protocol fires more than just an ion beam due to that Thelean tech. The creators of the weapon don't actually fully understand what the weapon does in its "enhanced" form.

The Nulldrive Vector, it is an experimental prototype weapon: it's highly effective, but still suffers from issues like reduced accuracy, dangerous heat buildup and other design flaws. The prototype is definitely effective, but not yet safe enough for large-scale production and usage by Vanguard troops.

Skiprifle bullets will ricochet in the THEA canon, though not quite the same as they do in Starbound. They can only ricochet off of hard surfaces, not dirt, sand etc, with their shape and material optimized for ricocheting. A careless shooter can hit themselves with their own bullets, so the weapons are only used by trained professionals and in specific situations. The weapons can also be loaded with regular ammunition for other situations.

The Avikan frequently use vibro-blades, and similar technology is sometimes used by some Alliance nations too.

Avikan utilize sandcrawler teeth in their more traditional weaponry. They're used as nails and spikes (for keeping tents nailed down), and they can be sharpened and attached to other tools to create a sharp serrated surface. Saws are often made of sharpened sandcrawler teeth, for example.

Technically a chainsaw could be made out of them too, but it'll wear down quickly. The chain of teeth would need to be replaced regularly, since they aren't as durable as metal. Bone is better for the more traditional tools, and is mostly used by nomads and lesser clans: the Nomada, for example, is advanced enough to use metal for pretty much all of their tools.

Some clans were more traditional, and preferred bone hunting weapons such as spears and bows - these were mostly the clans living in or close to the harsher deserts. The more modernized clans would often hunt with special hunting rifles, though many of them had grown out of their hunting habits: they had enough livestock to get by. But even for the clans that no longer needed to hunt, hunting remained a popular sport and pastime. Most would hunt using rifles and Keffs, but some still preferred the traditional weapons and even Gad'hur mounts.

The Skoffwrecker's Bow is simply better designed for use by ground troops. The design is large, but relatively lightweight, and the grip and shoulder rest are designed for comfort. It's still a bit too bulky to truly be comfortable, but the Avikan took great care to make the weapon viable in a trooper's hands. Most of the weight is also concentrated near the back of the rifle, where the capacitors and such are, and the long barrel weight very little, so it isn't as hard to hold up as the bulky Breacher (which is relatively front-heavy). The barrel is mostly a safety rail that guides the projectile and radiates excess energy away from the user.

A ceremonial dagger could either be a decorated bone dagger with intricately carved patterns and maybe some gemstones and the like embedded into it, or a kavanite dagger with decorations. The exact appearance can vary quite a bit: they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, but one'll always be able to tell them apart from conventional weapons by the detail put into them (and often the impractical shapes and decorations).

Avikan don't have many laser weapons, especially not such large ones on board ships, but it could be an experimental vessel.

Courser rifles are originally Centensian weapons, and only a few of them were ever found in the Centensian ruins on Kadavan. Ilyalat ande Vhelin used a modified courser rifle that he retrieved from a ruin, but the weapons were too rare to ever see as much use as linerifles did. There were a few attempts at recreating the weapon without any of the original Centensian weapon parts, but most of them attempts were failures and the few that succeeded never matched the effectiveness of the original weapon.

Linerifles
While linerifles are a weapon exclusively used by the Avikan, they were inspired by some of the Centensian weapons found in Vas Vha'leih. Centensian tech served as the basis of early linerifles, but otherwise linerifles are an entirely Avikan invention.

Line rifles are mostly an Avikan invention: the original design took some inspiration from a rare Centensian weapon, but all of the technology for line rifles was developed by the Avikan. There's no Centensian parts used in the construction of those weapons. Like the others mentioned, the icons and projectiles definitely share some of the same aesthetics, but functionally they are very different. A line rifle is essentially a lightning gun, while jumpweapons fire solar plasma at their targets.

A linerifle is a weapon that fires an electrically charged plasma, which leaves a distinctive trail in the air (hence the name linerifle). It's a bit similar to a lightning strike - incredibly hot and highly concentrated, it can definitely do some damage against harder surfaces but won't be of much use against large, thick plates of armour. They're Useless underwater for obvious reasons.

Linerifles work by generating a powerful electric current, building up a reserve of plasma and firing two shots in a very quick succesion: the first being a tracer shot, which creates a path of low electrical resistance, and the second being the plasma shot itself (which will travel along the path created by the tracer). It's essentially a lightning gun, coloured orange due to certain particles in the plasma trail.

When one pulls the trigger on a linerifle, the internal systems start generating electricity, and convert some of the 'fuel' stored in the weapon into a super-heated plasma, both of which are stored in the capacitors. When the charge reaches a critical level, the tracer round is fired and the capacitors are connected to the barrel, allowing the plasma to shoot out of the weapon and follow along the tracer path. If the trigger is released before the charge is completed, the weapon will try to save some of the energy and plasma it generated thus far, but a lot of energy is lost in the process. (So partially charging a linerifle will consume part of the 'ammunition' too, which is why partial charging is generally frowned upon unless necessary.) Additionally, partial charging puts unnecessary stress on the weapon and can reduce the lifespan of it's parts.

The capacitors store the electrical energy and the plasma as they build up during a charge-up. These are the parts that visually glow while charging, and they become extremely hot - touching them will mostly result in a burn, and they may conduct some of the electrical energy so they'll burn and electrocute the user at the same time. This is why capacitors are usually placed away from the grip, preferably with some plates or other structures directly in between the grip and the capacitor. The Avikan are always taught to avoid them.

You'll often see linerifles with electricity arcing through the air between the capacitors and the barrel: this is actually an imperfection in the design which is usually too costly to solve for regular handheld weaponry. Only some systems have fully contained systems (which have downsides of their own), some examples being the line weapons found on Vanguard drones. When you see the arc, it means part of the energy in the capacitor is 'leaking' and being conducted into the surroundings. The barrels of most linerifles have something like a lightning attractor built into them to try and guide the leaking electricity and prevent it from affecting the surroundings. Still, it's generally recommended not to use linerifles in cramped spaces or close to conductive surfaces, as there's a chance the electricity will arc towards other surfaces instead.

They are incredible against personnel, and overcharged ones like a Skoffwrecker can deal good damage against a vehicle too, but a fully armed Thelean warship won't be bothered by it much.

They'd technically be able to scale it up quite a bit, but the Avikan rarely build linerifles larger than the ones seen in the mod - they're not very effective against vehicles or other large targets, and the regular sized ones are already deadly, so larger/more powerful versions aren't very efficient for most forms of warfare. The Avikan have larger versions of linerifles which are mounted on stationary turrets, though. Linerifles have some range limitations when used in atmosphere, however, so the larger linerifles are more frequently used on spaceships. They also use railguns, both on ships and as grounded defensive installations, for when a linerifle's plasma bolt is ineffective and a powerful kinetic impact is needed instead.

The smallest linecharge weapons are the Seeker MLR-02, and a few other prototype linepistols that are a little bit smaller. Some drones have very small linecharge systems too, about the same as the pistol variants. The largest handheld linecharge weapons are the Skoffwreckers and similar prototype weapons. There's a few linecharge systems for combat vehicles too, such as for tank-like vehicles, and even some prototypes for linecharge spaceships weapons. Those were never very successful, however.

Linerifles can be hazardous weapons even to their user, by being used wrong. Every line rifle has the capacity to inflict at least second or even third-degree burns. It depends on which part it's user came into contact with: the barrel is hot, but it won't burn them too badly. The capacitors, on the other hand, become much hotter and also conduct the linecharge, which causes an electrocuting effect as well. Powerful linerifles can even cause fourth-degree burns, charring the skin and greatly damaging tissue and possibly even bone underneath (though that'll only happen on extended contact: it won't burn the user quite that much if they only touch it for a split-second).

Linecharge can be conducted by metals and can jump to nearby conductive surfaces, but the projectiles are guided along a path that offers very little resistance so they aren't affected much by metals nearby the projectile's path. The weapon essentially prepares the projectile's path - also much like lightning - an instant before the linecharge actually travels along the path.

Vehicles
There's also Gad'hur, but that's a living creature serving as a mount. The current military focus is on spaceships (sometimes with atmospheric flight capabilities too) as most warfare is now between interstellar nations, but ground troops are still important in some conflicts, and heavy combat vehicles still play a major role in ground combat. The Alliance has a variety of tanks and mechs, as well as artillery vehicles and various other kinds of combat vehicles. The Avikan have some mechs as well - though they are mostly light to medium scouting platforms - and a few types of tank-like vehicles as well. The Avikan don't have all that many ground vehicles left anymore, though: they're a spaceborne nation now with no permanent home planet, only a few small colonies scattered across the galaxy, so they don't engage in large-scale ground combat often. The Avikan still have some of their old ground combat vehicles, but most were abandoned or destroyed on Kadavan during the final invasion of the Theleans. These combat vehicles were used often during the Thelean invasions, and before the Era of Vhelin, there were often wars between the different clans and Terves that involved ground vehicles. The Avikan have several hovervehicles designed for transportation of goods and people, though most are lightweight or medium weight: heavy transports, the equivalents of large trucks and the like, are usually conventional ground vehicles due to the power requirements for large hovervehicles. A few do exist, but usually heavy vehicles simply go with wheels. Avikan ships are a bit more varied, although the Nomada too enforces relatively strict rules on newly constructed vessels. Many of the vessels currently in the Nomada were built on Kadavan by a variety of clans, though, and quality control wasn't as much of a priority for spaceships back then. Some escape pods have steering mechanisms, but many are just 'dumb' systems with a communication array to signal their position to other Avikan vessels so a rescue attempt can be made.
 * Avikan vehicle jumpgate - Lore-wise, that's the machine that warps Avikan's vehicles (and mounts) to them when they use for ex. Keff contoller.
 * Drahlid - small Avikan drone.
 * Drahl - medium-sized Avikan drone. Has a linecharge weapon.
 * Elite Drahl - large drone with potent weaponry.
 * Drehk - Avikan personal aircraft. Has a single firearm built into the front.
 * Keff - standard Avikan hoverbike.
 * Blink Keff - faster, lighter and more agile, but less durable variant of a Keff.
 * Skoff - An Avikan dropship. Features medium weaponry.
 * Vanguard Krahl - an Avikan mech.

Keffs are hoverbikes generally used by hunters and law enforcement. Hunters often use them to replace gad'hur mounts, as keffs are much faster than the traditional mounts of the Avikan. Keffs allow hunters to travel further from the terve/camp in the same amount of time, greatly increasing the area they can hunt in, and while keffs aren't built to carry heavy loads, they can still carry enough weight to bring back most hunting spoils. Law enforcement (Clanguard) also uses keffs to quickly traverse inside and outside of terves.

The Drehks may still become a more important part of Avikan society, but thus far they've failed to get the same kind of attention as Keffs for a few reasons. The Drehks are a more recent invention - they were around for some time before the Exodus, but Keffs were developed much earlier and so had more time to get integrated into Avikan society. Keffs also have an advantage in speed: crossing the deserts to locate new resources was easier on a Keff, as hunting and gathering missions could be completed more quickly. Finally, Drehks have always been more military-focused, placing a greater emphasis on on-board weaponry. Those armed Drehks are primarily used by the Vanguard, and weren't available to regular civilians the way Keffs were.

Krahls aren't as widely used as Keffs and Drehks, partially because they have more difficulty navigating terrain. They won't easily get stuck in regular sand, but they don't fare very well in quicksand. However, Krahls are equipped with boosters that allow them to hover or fly for short distances, giving them some manner of maneuverability in quicksand areas and other types of difficult terrain. They are usually deployed to battle sites using large dropships, so in most situations they don't have to do a lot of terrain navigation themselves. They're also just too slow to perform long-range scouting missions: Keffs and Drehks are just far more versatile for such purposes.

The Avikan only have small mechs like the Krahls, and a few models slightly larger and also smaller than that. But nothing quite the size of a Skoff, or larger.

If the Rhaiod or the Centlars have need of a mech, they'll often just use Vanguard models, but for specific purposes they may build their own models too. Centlar equipment very often uses Centensian metals in the construction, and while the overall shape is often similar to other Avikan tech, they may implement some more exotic designs (especially in weaponry) than the Vanguard would.

Anakahr systems
It's one of the few surviving independent organizations within the Nomada, and was founded by the Anakahr Clan long before the Exodus and the ban on privately owned organizations It builds mostly household equipment, computers and virtual interfaces, but it has developed a couple of weapons (like the Line Staff) too. Anakahr Systems is still subject to the Avikan laws regarding alien interaction, so it would be difficult to get them to trade with you, but it's possible. Aliens would need to find a way to contact them, though, and earn their trust of course.

History of technology
The history of Avikan technology is quite an odd one. The Avikan found Vas Vha'leih around 2500 BF, though the exact timeframe is unknown. When they first found Vas Vha'leih, the Avikan were mostly nomads with limited access to tools and technology. They had access to metalworking, but nothing near the refined process they have now, and tools of bone were still very common. In Vas Vha'leih, these nomads found incredible technology, and this boosted the Avikan technological advancement by a thousand years in a very short amount of time. In the ancient city, the Avikan crafted things like the Vha'leihan Spears, and they were first introduced to firearms. By the time they left the city, the Avikan were advanced enough to start building their own technology, but they could not grow as quickly as they could inside the city.

Ilyalat's time was some 750 to 800 years after the departure from Vas Vha'leih, and by this point the Avikan had access to plenty of firearms. Linerifles were in development, and so were mostly experimental and not very commonplace. They had electric lights, access to machinery and more, but they hadn't developed many vehicles yet - those mostly came after Ilyalat's time. So there were no Keffs, and certainly nothing that could fly or reach space like a Skoff or a dedicated spaceship can. They mostly travelled by Gad'hur, and used these animals to pull carts too. There were early mechanized vehicles too, but these were mostly restricted to terves and the few roads that connected the terves. Wheels are impractical in the deserts and so the Gad'hur (and some types of wind-driven 'sand ships') were the most practical type of travel before the Keffs were built.

Something like Vhelin's Command was unusual, and certainly advanced for that time, but not unheard of. A lot of firearms were either conventional, or Centensian in nature. There was a lot of fighting using spears and other melee weapons, since firearms were mostly for the elite troops.