GREEN Martians

 

 

Green Martians are the hereditary enemies of all other races upon the Red Planet.  The most striking distinction of these equestrian barbarians is their massive size; adult males are typically 1.5 ads (or fourteen feet,) in height.  The following description of green Martian hatchlings was given by Captain Carter upon discovering an incubator:
 

“They seemed mostly head, with little scrawny bodies, long necks and six legs, or, as I afterward learned, two legs and two arms, with an intermediary pair of limbs which could be used as arms or legs.  Their eyes were set at the extreme side of their heads a trifle above the center and protruded in such a manner that they could be directed either forward or back and independently of each other, thus permitting this queer animal to look in any direction, or in two directions at once without the necessity of turning the head.

“The ears were slightly above the eyes and closer together, were small, cup shaped antennae, protruding not more than an inch on these young specimens.  Their noses were but longitudinal slits in the center of their faces, midway between their mouth and ears.

“There was no hair on their bodies, which were of a very light yellowish-green color.  In the adults, as I was to learn quite soon, this deepens to an olive green and is darker in the males than the females.  Further, the heads of the adults are not so out of proportion to their bodies as in the case of their young.

“The iris of the eyes is blood red, as in albinos, while the pupil is dark.  The eyeball itself is very white, as are the teeth.  These latter add a most fearsome and terrible countenance, as the lower tusks curve upward to sharp points which end about where the eyes of earthly human beings are located.  The whiteness of the teeth is not that of ivory, but of the snowiest and most gleaming of china.”        (PM, II)  

                
 

   Harnesses and weapons of green warriors are similar to that of red men, but firearms and lances have been adapted to accommodate their large hands.  They are excellent swordsmen and uncanny marksmen.  So adept are green Martians with the use of their large rifles, they can even pose a serious threat to enemy warships.

             From birth, green Martians live a dour, loveless existence.  Youth do not know their parents and are wards of their community.  There is no true family structure; breeding is based upon practical necessities such as resources available and physical attributes.  More established males are given charge over greater numbers of women and children.  “In one respect at least the Martians are a happy people; they have no lawyers.”    (PM, IX).  

  

            The green men are governed by tradition as much as the dictates of their leaders.  There is no wealth in green Martian society as excess property is divided amongst the community.  They seldom break command and are loyal and honest.  A green warrior is allowed to gain status within his tribe by making kills amongst his superiors. Upon slaying his superior in fair combat, the warrior will inherit the weapons, ornaments, position and charges of the vanquished. This violent system of societal advancement does not encourage wholesale slaughter of leadership, because as authority to be gained increases; likewise, increases rules and regulations that determine an appropriate trial by combat.

“The ideas of humor among the green men of Mars are widely at variance with our conception of incitements to merriment.  The death agonies of a fellow being are, to these strange creatures, provocative of the wildest hilarity, while their chief form of commonest amusement is to inflict death on their prisoners of war in various ingenious and horrible ways.  (PM, IV)              

            Green Martians are almost entirely without fear and delight in combat.  The five million (PM, VI) members of this equestrian race haunt the dead sea bottoms and ancient ruins of the Red Planet. They are organized into numerous belligerent tribes which are further subdivided into nomadic communities.  Each community consists of about 500 troopers, 250 women and 250 youths.  

Their regular military units are organized into squads of twenty each lead by a lieutenant or padwar.   Five squads equals a company which is commanded by a chieftain. A community has 10 - 15 chieftains whom are overseen by a jed. Four large tribes  dominate the Red Planet’s southern hemi-sphere; Thark, Thurd, Torquas and Warhoon.  Each of these tribes is ruled by a Jeddak who rules 20 – 50 communities. These green tribes derive their name from the deserted seaport that serves as their capitol.

 

 

When generating green Martian characters add +2 to constitution

and subtract two from intelligence.

Trooper  is the  preferred class for green Martian males.