Post by Ryori Holloway on Jan 7, 2017 10:44:01 GMT -7
Roppel
Overview: A race of full synthetics designed and created by Cerberus. Individual Robotic Support Personnel (RSP) models, or 'Roppels', can vary wildly in form and function, as opposed to some races which tend to have very similar appearances between genders. Most Roppels have physical appearances suited to their function: Soldiers have almost non-humanoid appearances, while Infiltrators can be almost indistinguishable from organic counterparts. Because of their synthetic construction and design, they cannot naturally recover from injuries, but rather, they must submit for maintenance and replacement parts. However, they are capable of sustaining injuries that would slay most other weaker species.
Culture: When assembled at the factory facility, they are essentially blank slates in terms of personality or skills--much like the parts that make up the whole, without programming, there is no consciousness. Unlike biological children which have some level of behavior predisposition, newly 'born' Roppels require a basic level of programming to begin functioning--this is done through the implementation of various psychological templates that are applied. One is chosen by the staff to best fit the Roppel's form and function and applied to its systems as part of initial start up. However, this does not mean that all RSP models are essentially clones of one another--a thousand RSP models with the same template will begin to show signs of differing opinions and approaches to situations as time goes on. By the end of one year, two Roppels built and created exactly the same way may turn out completely different from one another. However, certain functions require more sophisticated templates--Engineers may require templates of more technical expertise while Infiltrators require more social ones, depending upon scope of function and purpose.
Most norms of biological races are absent from RSP models--they do not adopt gender-specific identities unless out of choice or assignment. The concept of emotions is inherently foreign to Roppels, save for Infiltrators, who require the ability to understand and mimic emotions, even if they themselves do not feel them. Developing the capacity for emotions is possible, and in some cases allowed, but only for Infiltrators--emotions can compromise a Soldier or Engineer and their ability to perform their duties amicably. Emotional attachment to themselves and other RSP Roppels is rare and discouraged--they are expected to die or be destroyed in pursuit of the Cerberus ideal, to be replaced at any time for any reason, and yet this is not seen as slavery by most RSP models--in fact, they enjoy the chance of performing the function that which they were created for. Due to lack of country, religion, politics, or freedoms, Roppels put the greatest of efforts and emphasis on their designated responsibilities, for a machine that cannot perform it's task is a useless entity and must be replaced. Roppels do not see this as injustice or slavery--they view it as a sort of manifest destiny, to fulfill that which they were created for. The ultimate ideal for a Roppel is to forever be useful and accomplish their goals no matter the cost or consequence--failure effects their mental faculties more than organic species, and in some cases, can lead to almost suicidal or fanatical tendencies to either redeem themselves or accelerate the process of being replaced.
Even so, the capabilities of the 'young' mind that is an RSP model is incredibly infinite--much like children, they absorb information like sponges and can instantly recall memories with perfect clarity, making them excellent learners and analysts when it comes to their own experiences. A RSP unit always learns from mistakes and makes it a point to not repeat them--doing so may be indicative of a memory fault. Because of their potential for learning, new templates are made every year based off of the experiences of the currently-existing units in order to better prepare the future generations.
It is important to note that Roppels are essentially smart computers when you get down to the nitty gritty--Their minds are capable of being broken, hacked, rewritten, forged, or even reprogrammed. As such, it is vital that RSP units are installed with heavy emphasis on loyalty to the cause, even so far as to commit acts of suicide rather than be captured by the enemy. However, it is possible to be swift enough to disable a RSP model and reprogram for other purposes, loyalties, and even personalities--however, without the templates to use or facility to imprint these templates, it is considered very dangerous to attempt reprogramming outside of the Assembly Factory.
Typical Names: Roppel units always have serial numbers, marking their distinctive 'name' or address when communicating with each other or with electronic devices. They are also given a 'Designation Moniker' for use by organic comrades and non-technical personnel. Only rarely will two RSP models refer to one another by their monikers, and it is often regarded as a sign of implicit trust and closeness. Often, when two Roppels decide to construct a new Psychological Template together, they will decide to refer to one another as their Designation Monikers to mark each other as their creative 'partners'.
Biology: Unlike most species, RSP do not procreate in the traditional sense--bur rather, if two compatible units wish to share or pool their memories, skills, and experiences together, they can create a psychological 'template' for future models, resulting in more capable Roppels to be built as time and experience accumulate. Essentially, the two 'parent' Roppels take an active part in designing their own replacements (pending approval process and fault pruning, of course). Because of this, they are entirely incapable of procreation with other species--even Asari. This is not often or necessarily seen as a romantic or sexual attachment, though very rare cases of such attachment have been recorded in trials. Even then, such emotions are often platonic at best.
For the most part, gender and sex are not subjects of importance to RSP models--they do not typically identify as either gender unless they choose to do so, and even then, it's more of a reflection of personality rather than function in society or procreation. Infiltrator-type RSP models will typically be assigned a gender in order to assist with their attempts at blending into their target environment, but such things do not include biological equipment or function--such designations or assignments are purely for behavior purposes and social stereotypes.
Due to their synthetic construction, they are able to incorporate their own gear as necessary or convenient, depending upon their purpose or function. As such, Roppels are always counted as a Heavy race in terms of carrying capacity. Additionally, Engineer Roppels gain an additional point of Tech skill due to their race's innate familiarity with electronic devices, and (like all full synthetics) all Roppel characters gain access to one additional Tech power regardless of Career. Finally, their construction is resilient and rugged to a fault, giving them some measure of physical resilience against traditional forms of weaponry and physical attacks, as their bodies incorporate their own form of armor--this also allows them to incorporate up to two armor upgrades into their bodies as if they were standard suits of armor.
However, they are completely incapable of biotic abilities--their systems are just not capable of utilizing such powers. Additionally, while they possess defensive systems against such measures, they are still susceptible to Tech abilities, reducing their resistance greatly against such attacks. Furthermore, Roppels cannot wear external armor, as their bodies incorporate their own forms of armor designed to optimize protection and mobility. Finally, Soldier and Engineer RSP models are not programmed with significant social interactions in mind, making it impossible for such characters to be deceptive in a social setting or challenge. 'Lies of omission' are technically allowed, but such circumstances can cause internal damage to their RAM if done in excess.
Roppel and other races: Their relationships with other races is heavily dependent on each Roppel's individual functions and purposes. They are not typically created to have a predisposition for or against other species, and they are faithful to whoever they perceive to be their masters--though again, such perceptions can be altered through logic or tech interference. However, given that most organic races tend to be suspicious and wary of synthetic beings because of the Geth, many Roppels may receive cold--if not downright hostile--attitudes from any organic that is aware of their synthetic nature.
Major historical events: None known.