Vell-os (Escape Velocity Nova)
Within the game EV Nova, the Vell-os are a telepathic race. They were lead out to space, united by their telepathic powers by the Indian prince Vell-os in around A.D. 980. The Vell-os don't exactly have "ships". What they fly are simply psychic projections made by the Vell-os inside. They classify humans and Vell-os who have telepathic abilities into six ranks, or "T"s. The lowest rank is T5, and continues downwards until T0, the highest rank a telepath can ever achieve. The Vell-os were originally part of the Colonial Council (which preceded the Federation) but were cut off when they destroyed the Colonial fleet trying to invade the Polaris for crimes they hadn't committed. They were enslaved by the Bureau of Internal Investigation, a shadowy group which effectively runs the Federation. Reduced to a life of slavery, if the player plays the Polaris or Auroran storyline they get to free the Vell-os, or they can play part of this race, eventually freeing the Vell-os from the wicked enslavement of Commander Krane, the head of the Bureau.
Outfits The Vell-os cannot buy any 'normal' armaments (apart from Marine Platoons), but they do have a hostility sense (analagous to an IFF decoder), a physical size sense (gravimetric sensors), an ability to distract sensors (missile jamming), an ability to divide minds (able to create Darts as fighters), the Vell-os Area Map (gives the player information about the surrounding systems) and four weapons, the Flower of Spring, the turreted Summer Bloom, the mighty Autumn Petal and, in times of danger, the awesome power of the Winter Tempest.
ShipsDart
When a Vell-os has completed his or her basic training in the psi arts, one of the first things they attempt to construct is the delicate Dart. Like all Vell-os 'ships', she is actually a pure psychic barrier that protects the Vell-os pilot within. It is perfectly formed for hyperspace travel (nearly matching the beautiful Wraith), and will remain intact as long as enough of the mental energy of the Vell-os remains. One of the best fighters in the game, you would be well-advised to never pick a fight with a Dart. Speed is perhaps the best aspect of this ship, combined with it's much higher than average shields and a powerful (for a fighter) Flower of Spring. Javelins "carry" 3 on board, which the player can regenerate through meditation if they are lost.
Arrow
The Arrow is an undertaking that has been known to be completed by a very skilled T3, but is more usually the in the purview of a T2. It is a mental barrier of enormous proportions that affords the Vell-os pilot excellent physical protection. The Arrow differs visibly from the Dart, in that the two side pods don't physically touch the rest of the ship; they are held there by the sheer mental strength of the Vell-os pilot. This is certainly a powerful vessel, but it is rarely seen in these dark times. As the mid-range Vell-os ship, the Arrow is quite good. It has very high shields for a ship of it's class, and a powerful offense. While it isn't as speedy as the Dart, you shouldn't turn your back on the Arrow for fear of feeling it's Summer Bloom rip through your ship in no time.
Javelin
The Javelin embodies the hopes and desires of all the Vell-os people. A Javelin has been known to be created by very powerful T2's, but as a general rule, only T1's are capable of constructing one of these glorious works of art. A completed Javelin pulsates with the enormous mental energy of the Vell-os pilot as it travels. This mental construct is most often created by a Vell-os who is also capable of launching the devastating Autumn Petal attack and of disassociating their mind to create subsidiary vessels, making the Javelin one of the most powerful objects known to man. Only a few Javelins exist now, as it is rare for a Vell-os to be allowed to construct one. This is the "heavy duty" Vell-os ship. Powerful, fast, and deadly, just a few seconds of exposure to it's beams will cause you to be very dead very quickly. Combined with the three Darts on board, you should hope you don't have to face one down. Information on Vell-os ships acquired from EVula's survival guide
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