Klinvol

''Essil walked through the wide doors into the dining room where the two Klinvol administrators sat, their hind legs curled under them on the massive seats. With no appropriate chair in sight, he sat down in one of the seats around the table, his small Ulossi frame sinking into the cushion, angling his body so his knees were parallel with his stomach. The older Klinvol eyed him from across the table, then summoned the proposed charter agreement onto a screen in front of her. She sighed, her bony maw gaping as she did, and began eating the roasted Quillo with her hands. 'Captain Ghans declined to come himself then? No matter, I'm sure he knew the outcome anyway.' The Klinvol lifted the animal carcass whole, breaking it in two and crunching down on its head. Bone and roast meat dripped onto the bowl in front of her. 'Aarto is Circle space, but the stargate within it was granted to the Klinvol 1000 years ago after the war.' At the mention of the Orvaq-Ulossi war the second Klinvol grunted and began tapping his knuckles on the table idly. Essil shifted his weight uncomfortably, and sat on the lip of the seat. He could feel the reverberations of the second Klinvol's tapping. 'This proposed charter is a obvious attempt to exploit Klinvol ownership of the gate and circumvent Circle law.' The Quillo carcass cracked and squelched in the Klinvol's tightening grip. 'Does Captain Ghans think us so stupid to accept this filth? No matter, return to your captain and inform him his charter is declined. Let him know the next time he wishes to treat with us, he can come himself, I will not deal with these frail little birds he pushes in front of me.' The Klinvol's voice had risen to a roar, and she rose on her hind legs, the bulk of her form filling Essil's view. He muttered some apologies and scampered out the door.''

''The second Klinvol grunted. 'Did you really have to put on such a show? Eating a Quillo whole? Do you want him to think of us as uplifted brutes?' The first Klinvol fell back into her seat. 'Maro, I showed that Ulossi what he was expecting to see. If I had gone through the charter article by article Ghans would still think he had a chance, and sent some other idiot to waste our time. Now we won't have to deal with that smuggling scum unless he's stupid enough to run the gate. Our physique kept us in chains for hundreds of years, but never forget it is more than enough to dispel these insects.' Maro frowned, 'But the Quillo? It must have tasted awful? Bone and all?' The first Klinvol laughed 'Right you are, now get me a damn drink before I choke.'''

Literally meaning 'Beasts of Chains' in Orvaq, the Klinvol originally hailed from their homeworld of Vosk. Enslaved by the Orvaq while still at a primitive technological stage, the Klinvaq only gained their freedom due to Commander Sohal's treaty at the end of the the Orvaq-Ulossi war. Now, 1000 years later, the Klinvol are perhaps the most invested species in Circle, maintaining peace and security in the Pillar region and working to integrate newly encountered species into Circle itself. Internally however, their legacy of slavery still haunts them, and Klinvol leaders ceaselessly search for a unifying purpose for their species.

Physiology
Possessing two sets of limbs, a Kinvoli usually supports itself on all four, standing at around 6'5" at the shoulder. A Kinvoli can however raise itself up on its smaller back legs for a limited period of time, in which case their height increases to nearly 8 feet. Their impressive size and muscular bulk was what attracted the Orvaq to initially enslaving them, seeing the Klinvol as the perfect form of domesticated labour for expanding their empire. Klinvol are covered in bony plates and both sets of limbs end in thick and powerful claws. Klinvol come in a variety of colours ranging from blues to greens to browns, and are primarily herbivores.

Reproduction
In addition to their strength as a labour force, the Orvaq slavemasters also benefitted from the Klinvol's fast breeding rate. Possessing two genders, Klinvol reproduce sexually, usually birthing 2-4 Klinvol. This has caused Klinvol population to expand rapidly since their emancipation, becoming one of the more numerous of the Circle races.

Lifespan
While in slavery the survival rate was low, Klinvol in modern eras can expect to reach the age of 70 with medical and technological aid.

Civilisation
For information on how the Klinvol were freed, see the Pillar article

Territories
As they were granted all their territories at the end of the Orvaq-Ulossi war, the new Klinvol rulers inherited a great sense of debt to Sohal and Circle. As such, in 40 AP following the consolidation of Klinvol's new territories, they pushed for the creation of "Circle Space", areas of Pillar that would be ruled directly by Circle, and not by any one species. While the Orvaq voted against the measure, the Ulossi agreed and vast swathes of Pillar fell under this new jurisdiction, the majority of which came from Klinvol lands. As such the Klinvol directly control relatively few systems in Pillar, but make their presence known through Circle instead. In addition, their control over the Stargate at Aarto has meant expansion into the Malpais region, in which the Klinvol own multiple important systems.

List of key Klinvol-controlled systems:
 * Vosk
 * Aarto

Government
Because the Orvaq had no interest in educating the Klinvol during their enslavement, an interim government was set up by the Ulossi during the war. Educating bright Klinvol in how to govern their people and run a modern interstellar state. This government took over once emancipation became a reality, but it took decades to consolidate their new territories and absorb all the ex-slaves. Because of their history, the Klinvol government was keen to support direct representation by any group who felt they needed it. Admission to local councils and government bodies became and remains open to any group with enough support. The minimum requirements of this are low, and often the lowest level councils in Klinvol governments are titanic affairs of hundreds of delegates representing many different religious, ethnic or philosophical backgrounds. At the upper level too Klinvol government is open to any race or belief, and the only Human delegation to hold any power in Pillar operates high within the Klinvol system. This system is open to abuse however, and private interests, especially from Ulossi mega-corporations, have created numerous proxy-representatives, pushing for legislation that benefits the few over the many.

These traits do not mean the Klinvol are opposed to conflict however. The Klinvol government has been known to ruthlessly enforce Circle protocol, and their recent expansion into the Malpais region has created several local border wars and conflicts.

Role in Circle
The Klinvol are undoubtedly the most energetic supporters of Circle, and ceaselessly push to expand the Circle's powers and cement its authority. It is no surprise then that Klinvol can be found at every level of Circle administration, military and peacekeeping, and to serve Circle is considered a noble career for most Klinvol.

Military
As they had no administration at all before emancipation, the Klinvol naturally had no military. As the Ulossi disarmed and wound down their war machine, the Klinvol government bought up many of their second-class warships at reduced rates, and inherited those ships that had been captured from the Orvaq. This gave the Klinvol a ramshackle but necessary fleet with which to consolidate their territories. Since then the Klinvol have slowly expanded their fleet, but for every one ship created for their own purpose, at least two are created for Circle use. Compared to the Ulossi the Klinvol fleet is small and outdated, but they maintain enough of a presence, especially in Malpais, to enforce the law and keep the peace. In conventional forces the Klinvol have thousands of soldiers who serve Circle and are often called upon to serve the Klinvol government directly in times of need.

Culture
Although many Klinvol would like for their race to move beyond its past, slavery still haunts most aspects of Klinvol culture. From their dedication to representation, to their devotion to Circle, the Klinvol elite try hard to find a place for their race and catch up to their neighbours. Weaknesses in Klinvol administration, and its reliance on Circle approval mean that in truth Klinvol society is usually behind the curve economically and technologically. There are growing movements in Klinvol society to cast off what they see as 'Circle Shackles' and more forcefully represent Klinvol interests, sometimes violently. They argue that in the void of authority the Klinvol faced after emancipation, that they have created a new master, more subtle but no less limiting to their species. These movements remain the fringe in Klinvol society, but their existence points to underlying tensions that have existed since emancipation.

Technology
As the race most entwined with Circle, the Klinvol adopt most technologies that become commonplace in Pillar. However, this trickle-down effect means that in reality Klinvol technology is often less advanced than some of their neighbours, especially in areas such as Starship construction, military hardware and engineering. Broadly, what one can find in Circle space, one can find in Klinvol space also.