The Lyceen are a race of bipedal canines who exhibit a culture similar to that found in some Native American tribes. While they have mastered space travel and other advanced technologies, they still hold tight to their spiritual beliefs and ancient customs. They live in dens carved out of the sides of mountains and still prefer the taste of fresh meat over synthesized slurry.

Hailing from the frozen planet, Shaula VI, Malina is a proud Lyceen warrior. Orphaned as a teen, she joined the Terrene Protectorate, a peacekeeping coalition of interplanetary races founded to protect civilizations throughout the universe. She spent many years studying at the academy on Sol III (Earth) before the planet was attacked and destroyed by an entity known now as The Ruin…

Malina was barely able to escape in a damaged scout ship and is among the few survivors of Earth’s annihilation. She wandered the stars, for a time, securing supplies and honing her skills until she felt at last ready to fulfil her duty as a protector. Aided by a ragtag crew she’d assembled in her travels, she was able to collect the necessary relics of forgotten times and unseal an ancient power capable of besting the Ruin once and for all…

Now, as one of the last remaining Terrene Protectors and as part of the newly formed Peacekeeper Initiative, a privatized intergalactic police force, Malina travels the cosmos responding to distress calls and recruiting new members to set up outposts and space stations in order to farther the unending mission of peace. In holding with her people’s customs, she was granted the sir name Ruin-Ender, but she has yet one last trial to face up to…

The Lyceen value the hunt as a coming of age ritual and it is vital that a teen undergo this sacramental ordeal as a rite of passage. Due to the obliteration of Earth, Malina’s graduation technically never took place and she has likewise not since returned to her home world to seek council with her Alpha. As such, if she does ever return home, she will be regarded as a child!

As silly as it may seem to an outsider, the Lyceen treasure their customs and the rest of her pack will make it quite clear that Malina is nothing more than a pup in their eyes until she steps up and proves she is worthy of her ancestral blade. From their point of view, the advanced suit of armor she wears and the high-tech weapons she wields in her fight against evil have made her soft and do most of the work for her.

It’s quite easy to see where they got that idea: Malina’s Wanderer armor is comprised of a refined Ferozium suit overlaid with Solarium plates. It is extremely durable yet still exceptionally comfortable to wear thanks to the built in Environmental Protection Pack. It allows her to explore planets lacking breathable atmosphere, emitting radiation, or exhibiting extreme temperatures and hazardous weather conditions while also making it possible for her to venture deep underwater and out into the vacuum of space. Aside from offering unparalleled protection, the suit also contain strength enhancing devices that push Malina’s physical strength to 360%, special tech that allow her to dash at high speeds for a short time and boosters that provide short bursts of downward thrust for up to three mid-air jumps! On top of all of that, the system also features an auxiliary battery which can be used to power her ranged weaponry and other tools! It harnesses the kinetic energy of her own physical movement to generate power!

While it is capable of firing plain old bolts, similar to the arrows used with traditional Lyceen hunting bows, Malina’s Adaptable Crossbow can toggle between six other ammo types, all of which are highly frowned upon by her elders... Poison Bolts have been dipped in a potent toxin! Fire Bolts explode on impact! Ice bolts chill the area around them! Volt Bolts electrify the target and shock nearby objects! Attraction Bolts pull everything towards the target and Repulsion Bolts force everything away from the impact site! A true hunter, however, kills with precision, not gimmicks...

They also sneer at Malina’s choice in melee weapon, as it is a far departure from the traditional Lyceen hunting spear. The Protector's Broadsword has been with her since she first left the academy and has been repaired and upgraded into its current form by highly skilled craftsman. It is an extraordinary experimental weapon that is deadly enough on its own, but can be empowered by her suit’s auxiliary battery to glow with radiant energy and slice through metal as if it were clay!

Regardless, by now Malina has grown to be a mature and beautiful Lyceen and years of living among other races have built her up with a more modest sense of self. That is, stripped of her armor and clad in nothing but the humble loincloth and meager chest wrap traditionally provided for young hunters, she’ll be profoundly vulnerable, not to mention embarrassed! She isn’t at all intimidated by the challenge of the hunt; she’s reluctant to endure such humiliation!

Fortunately, there’s very little reason to bother with such things! Malina’s most trusted friends, her crew, have become more of a family to her than anyone back home ever had been. She gathered them together over the course of her travels and they view her as a truly proven champion, even if her own pack thinks otherwise!

Ailidh, the mechanic, is whimsical and likes to tell stories. He resembles a gray furred wolf with blue armor and a big red adjustable wrench that comes in handy for busting heads! He takes a lot of naps and fills out the rest of his time tinkering with his inventions and machine parts in the lab.

Avalina, the engineer, is a dusty tan coyote from a desert planet. She carries a revolver and can shoot a hole through the ace of spades at fifty paces while troubleshooting your software issues! She was far too smart to waste away in backwater Podunk and donned the orange armor of a Protectorate Engineer to live up to her potential. She operates the ship’s teleporter and hyperspectral scanner.

Clarke, the quartermaster, is a curious sort of canine with purple hair and stripes. They maintain the team’s armament, serve as cook and handle trade and supply acquisition. They don’t like labels. They don’t like being talked down to. They don’t like being outcast by a biased society. They do, however, like the fellowship and acceptance Malina’s friends share together.

Yrian, the veteran, is a former soldier proficient with both ranged and melee weapons as well as high explosives. Unfortunately, his face never quite caught up with his body and his adorable floppy ear and childlike expression undermine his battle hardened persona! He’s still Malina’s most trusted advisor and staffs the mission support station during planetary operations.

Zoran, the medic, is a skilled medical practitioner from a planet where his Doberman-like appearance made it hard to find work. Humans were needlessly afraid of him and he didn’t fit in among the more wolfish Lyceen, either. He made up his mind and Doctor Bone-Mender traded in his white lab coat for the white armor of a Protectorate Medic.

Despite its small size, The Swiftfang fits the needs of these six crew members quite well. It has been upgraded and modified numerous times since Malina first escaped Earth in it and now patrols the stars, moving freely as the spirit leads! The ship’s twin Faster-Than-Light jump drives run on Crystal Erchius Fuel, which is highly efficient and easy to come by, and its Matter Impact Cannons have been known to easily punch holes in even condor-class ships!


Credits:
Malina RuinEnder character by Brandon Kosinski
Based on the lore and story of Starbound
Starbound and all related items and characters © Chucklefish
Lyceen lore and race concept by AsheruSwiftwind
Digigrade legs and armor sprite work by Iamzid