Know Your Enemies: Citizen's Guide to Granok

Trigger-happy, booze guzzling, and literally solid as a rock, Granok are the known enemies of the Dominion since their murder of the envoys who wished to spread the enlightenment to their planet of Gnox by the Dominion in 1221 AE.

Though the Legions would have triumphed against their stubborn resolve, the absolute subjugation of the Gnoxians was rolled back by a few of their relations' absconding of our technology that would mark their banishment by their equally ungrateful Granok.

In the second decade of the 13th millennium after the formation of Dominion, there was a planet called Gnox whose surface was filled with stone-based plants and creatures. Out of many of the known species, Granok were the ones who developed a pre-Industrial civilization in the form of seven nations: Bloodshard, Cindercrag, Claymantle, Deepore, Grimrock, Ironshale, and Sand Waste.

Their main beliefs were based on Way of the Stone, which rudimentary ideals are to be stubborn against the change like the rock-based life around them. Their deep-seated resistance towards change would nearly devastate their cultures when an entourage of Mechari emissaries came to Gnox under the intention to spread the light of the Dominion. The two civilization's conversations on membership under the banner of the Dominion turned violent when the warriors turned their weapons against the Dominion. This action brought war upon their planet.

Despite the Granok's warrior spirit and hardened physiology, the war of attrition would favor the Dominion as the weight of the technological might on to Gnox for the final push was overwhelming.

Then, a young warlord and his fellow warband would raid and study the weapons in direct violation of the Way of the Stone that resulted in the victory being wrested out of Dominion's hand. That young warlord would be known as Durek Stonebreaker, the last name being a mark of his dishonor as he and his warriors were banished to the stars with the few starships that they had stolen.

Two centuries after the war, the Granok mercenaries would take in the Brightland's dissidents as part of their vile coalition in defying the destiny of the Dominion's galactic enlightenment. Since then, these violent stone skins would make the backbone of Free Companies of Nexus that stand in the way of achieving the Empire's destiny of its birthright.

Their aggression and love of battle play a role in their lifestyles to the point where a brawl in public houses is considered a friendly gesture. Though the Dominion considered the Granok as universal enemies, Drakens were notable as their similar beliefs in martial prowess made them arch rivals to be slain as worthy opponents. The tales of Granok along with their role in the foundation of Exiles originated during the War of the Gnox.

In physiology, Granok is similar to mammals and belong to humanoid territories due to sexual dimorphism between two species with the male being broader and larger compared to female's slender and presence of mammaries. Like stones, Granok stone color can range from gray to a crystal red color. Although Granok's main nutrition is based on consumption of minerals based on observation data from Gnox, they can consume organic materials with a focus on alcoholic beverages that further emphasized their rowdy nature. Their stone bodies allow them to shrug off slash and impact damages that would cripple or kill other Exiles species; however, the hardened skin can heal slowly in case of great damages. Examples of injuries can be seen in many Granoks who lost chunks of their face or body that can be traced back to War of the Gnox.

Many Granoks have taken to use plants as an artificial hair for aesthetic reasons. Although their skins are living stones, their bodies are made up of segmented plates like ancient plate armors but more mobile. In addition, they also have clay-like tissues supported by stone-based skeletal structure beneath the 'skins' like a clay idol covered in segmented stone armor. This physiology makes them durable fighters in their own right, which difficulty in fighting them can be based on an individual's combat experience.

Fighting a Granok in close combat is not viable, but will not be barred in the case of Drakens with exceptions in a dire situation. Aiming for soft parts like eyes is recommended for those using less-powerful weapons like personal defense pistols or small caliber firearms. If possible, high impact rounds or concentrated energy—both void and laser—are effective against them.

Either the case of honor through melee or close quarters emergency, wise warriors would use blunt weapons or heavy blades to crack their stone skins. They can also die from decapitation like any organic species, which makes aiming for the jugular or head attacks viable due to their soft organic center. A warning to the fool hardy citizen, it is important to ONLY willingly engage Granok when in close combat and have the right gear.

Though no future plans for conquering Gnox are known to be planned, the descendants of their banished relations could cause disruption to the Fringe through their contracts with regional powers in threatening the Dominion's border strongholds for their self-interest. With appreciation to DNN and Royal Collegium, I am able to write this article on informing the citizens in understanding the rock-based hooligans' physiology and history to combat them effectively.