The Races

Countless number of species exist, though it is only the lucky ones that get to join the galactic community; ones that have enough resources to invest into the space race and make themselves known far and wide. While it is impossible to go into detail about every single race, there are some that are featured more predominantly in the galaxy thanks to the strong presence that they’ve cultivated. Below in brief detail, I will go over some of the more common species and how they fit into the larger picture of this space opera’s affairs.

AURAX
Aurax look something like a cross between a humanoid and a terrestrial elephant seal or hippo. Ironically, the burly, six-limbed, four-eyed beings are both ferocious warriors and tender poets. They are renowned for their great feasts where they recite epic tales of wars, comradeship, and love. Aurax bodyguards prefer powered melee weapons, particularly maces and mauls. Fighting and violence are commonplace among them, but killing is considered a last resort.

Aurax evolved on a massive world of rolling hills and great, golden plains called Auran. They are nomads and not a technological people, having been uplifted to space travel by other races, but a rare few are curious and gregarious enough to travel to the stars—something most aurax shun vehemently.

AUW [PC CREATED]
The AUW (pronounced as the acronym, "A-U-W", or colloquially as "Awoo") are a species of large half-robotic canines notable for the pair of heavy mechanical arms grafted to their shoulders. They are a stoic and industrious species, often found in the fields of aeronautics, medicine, and robotics, though scholarly AUW are not unheard of.

The singular term for an AUW is an "instance" and a group is referred to as a "collective". While the AUW do have sex identities, they do not have genitalia or any notable differentiating features between males and females. Using the pronoun "it" to refer to an AUW is considered the polite way to handle social situations where the speaker does not know the sex identity of the instance in question.

A typical AUW is half again the size of the common gray wolf, though is closer in appearance to large domestic canines bred for cold weather with dense fur and a large body structure. Their fur color cycles through various earth tones, with common colors being white, tawny, brown, gray, and black. Patterned fur is not unheard of but is very rarely naturally occurring in the species. In addition to their mechanical arms, an AUW has various robotic parts composed of a unique composite metal. These include partial armor plating, a reinforced skeletal structure, and a counterbalancing weight at the end of their tail. Reinforced claws and jaws are also fairly common, as are robotics to enhance and protect the function of vital organs. Like fur, AUW composite comes in various earth tone colors and tends to contrast against the fur color of the instance. Due to the density of AUW composite and the amount typically found on and in an AUW's larger body, an AUW weighs about three times as much as an earth wolf. 

CONSTRUCT
There are millions of constructs throughout the Known Worlds, from battle droids to pleasure bots to miners designed to work in conditions organic beings couldn’t hope to survive. The vast majority of constructs have no self-will and are true robots. They follow instructions from their sentient owners and masters, or conduct themselves according to artificial intelligence programmed with a specific purpose in mind. Some constructs have free will and even emotional simulators. Most struggle with these advanced concepts, though some show it more than others.

Constructs designed to look like humans are generally called androids. Those that are obviously machines are robots. Throughout the Known Worlds, it is expected that constructs are property that must be licensed and registered with the authorities, and their owners are legally responsible for their actions. It is illegal to build a robot without protective ‘Asimov’ programming against harming sentient beings.

DEADER (PARASTEEN)
Parasteen, more commonly called ‘deaders’ by other races, are six-inch long parasites that occupy and animate organic corpses. They do this by connecting with the nervous system and reactivating the electrical systems to the various organs and muscles. The host’s form is then sealed inside an air-tight suit and constantly pumped with chemicals to preserve it.

Deaders call their body donors ‘celebrants,’ organic beings who sold the rights to their corpse before death for lucrative fees. Some see this as taking advantage of those in need—most see it as a perfectly viable business transaction. Parasteen can occupy most any organic being, but humanoids are most common due to their particular nervous system and body chemistry. Even then, a deader’s movement is always slow and clumsy.

Parasteen are intelligent, sentient beings, and become even more so once they tap into their host’s brain for additional storage and processing power. They are emotionally remote, however. They don’t understand the pleasure and pain of most other beings, though many strive constantly to do so. Because of their intelligence and emotional detachment, they are highly prized as science officers.

FLORAN
The Known Worlds’ sentient plant-based life forms are called florans, though those from particular worlds prefer other monikers instead. Florans encompass a variety of separately evolved species, ranging from sentient succulents to moss-like swamp dwellers. All free-moving plant creatures like florans still rely upon the three primary components of photosynthesis to survive: sunlight, water, and soil nutrients. Civilized florans enjoy ample fresh water and consume their nutrients in pill form.

For sunlight, each floran requires regular exposure to the spectrum of its native star, which can vary widely from the infrared to ultraviolet and beyond. While they prefer natural sunlight, suitable lamps are common and effective. Most florans reproduce through seed creation, germination, and growth; some sprouts emerge with instinctive intelligence, while others must be nurtured to maturity. Many florans view agriculture practiced by other intelligent races suspiciously, even disapprovingly, preferring worlds where the native flora grows lush and wild.

HUMANOID (HUMAN)
By far the most ubiquitous race among the Known Worlds is humanity. All humans trace their genetic origins to Earth, though many consider their home world to be one of the hundreds of colony planets seeded by slower-than-light spacecraft from Earth many millennia ago. Those humans born on heavy gravity worlds may be stronger and more stout, while those from low- or zero-gravity environments are slight and thin, but their physiology—and foibles, it seems—are otherwise universal.

Humans are an adaptable and varied species, with stereotypes based more on specific planetary or national origin than race. Some humans are considered barbaric and warlike because they come from war-torn worlds, while others are seen as academics if they come from some well-known bastions of peace and learning. Like all stereotypes, individuals vary, of course.

Humanoid is an all-encompassing term in the Known Worlds that includes humans and many other independently evolved bipedal beings of similar size and basic physiology. All humans are humanoids, but not all humanoids are humans.

INSECTOID
One of the most varied and widespread racial groups in the Known Worlds are collectively called the insectoids. In fact, insectoids are many different races that evolved on different worlds who share two primary defining characteristics: exoskeletons and self-aware intelligence. When categorized by humans, they are often compared in appearance to terrestrial insects, from mantises to beetles to ants, though they have no genetic connection or shared behavior with any of these. Some insectoids are very large, strong, and well armored, some are frail, and some seem to have psychic links to others of their kind.

Other races often find insectoids strange or off-putting. Sometimes it’s because of their diets—some consume other, non-sentient insects, sometimes alive, while others consume only carrion. Some also lack typical vocal cords and can only communicate via arcane clicks or hand motions.

KALIAN
Few would deny that Kalians are the most hot-headed of the known humanoid races. They originate from a single planet that human explorers named Kali, after the four-armed Hindu goddess of destruction. Kalians grudgingly accept this outwardly imposed name when dealing with other races, but use a variety of other planetary and national names among themselves.

Kalian brains think very quickly, an adaptation stimulated on their primitive home world by their four agile limbs and the need to fend off numerous speedy predators. They make excellent swordsmen and marksmen, overwhelming foes with a flurry of attacks that few other species can hope to match. Kalians are technologically proficient, having mastered hyperspace travel almost simultaneously with humans; they prefer weapons and equipment of their own design and manufacture.


KHAZRAK (HUMAN DESCENDANT) [PC CREATED]
The Khazrak are believed to be descended from prehistoric humans who were taken from Earth by an unknown alien species (many theories exist, though the prevalent ones suggest it was the Primordials) and brought to another world to commit psionic experimentation on. On their planet of Khaz, life is difficult. There is less water and fertile soil on it compared to Earth, so sustenance came in the form of predatory hunting.

The Khazrak tell tales of how three heroes (a male and female pair of twins and their mother) overthrew and killed the race that overlooked them. The planet and its inhabitants are in constant competition and the hierarchy structures are divided into tribes (nomadic villages), clans (extended bloodlines and multi-tribe alliance), and bands (small groups of individuals who don't figure into the previous two groups).

Recently in their history, the Rakashans made contact with them in hopes of subjugating them. When their initial scouting party was wiped out, the Rakashans returned in full force in their typical blitzkrieg style. A Khazrak woman (later known as the Matriarch), through her powerful precognition, saw this force coming and before it arrived, united the resources of her people and used the 'dead' technology left behind by the Primordials to fend off the Rakashan invasion by turning their weapons against them.

After being utterly defeated there, the Rakashans decided Khaz was more trouble than it was worth; leaving them be (though spreading tales of the Khazrak's savageness, claiming that they should be wiped from the galactic community due to their barbarism). The Khazrak took the wrecked Rakashans ships and modified them to allow the Khazrak access to the Known Worlds and Frontier.

The Matriarch is limiting members of her race from leaving the planet en masse; fearful of colonization and possible war. For now, she is sending representatives of their race, "the clanless", to act as ambassadors for her people in hopes of developing fruitful relationships and learning all they can of the galactic community before making a decision in how to act.

RAKASHAN
A number of worlds have given rise to intelligent predator species. Humans call them rakashans, because of their shared feline appearance or mannerisms, after the cat-like humanoids of legend from Earth. Most live up to their heritage, being fierce and cruel opponents in battle. In their prime, they are strong, agile, and cunning. Their militaries are usually ruled by the strongest of the pride and are relentless and terrible in warfare. Their armies consist of fearsome, independent, self-reliant, and highly motivated warriors.

In the Known Worlds, the most prominent rakashan civilization is the Tazanian Empire, a large, powerful, and extremely efficient dominion with thousands of conquered planets. Subject populations toil beneath the lash of local governors and warlords, surrendering vast wealth and materials that keep the Empire vital and its space fleets strong. Rebellions are common but most often brutally suppressed. While most space-faring rakashans are omnivores, at heart they embrace their carnivorous roots; they have numerous hunting planets, and on some the sentience of the prey is simply not a consideration.

SAURIAN
Reptilian-looking creatures are referred to as saurians. They come in many shapes, sizes, and colors—from camouflaged brown or grey to brilliant orange and violet—though each species is separately evolved from a variety of worlds. Some even have the chameleon-like ability to change skin color. Most have spines and tails of some sort, and a few can regenerate and grow new limbs should misfortune deprive them of one. All are cold-blooded, reliant upon external heat sources to maintain optimum body temperature, and become much more lethargic on cold planets or the typically frigid halls of space stations and ships.

Saurians are not slow witted, as one might expect; when properly stimulated and warmed they can be as intellectually adept as any humanoid. Most reproduce by laying eggs, often in clutches, which they vigorously hide and protect.

SERRAN (HUMAN DESCENDANT)
The so-called ‘elves’ come from a lush, green world they call Serra, originally colonized by a slower-than-light ship launched from Earth. The unique civilization that spawned there flourished there independently until re-connected to the wider human community by hyperspace-capable explorers just three centuries ago. Serrans are humans, genetically identical to their terrestrial brethren, and any physiological differences are due only to more than 200 generations on an alien world.

All Serrans have at least some latent psychic ability. Most have developed much stronger abilities, such as precognition, telepathy, or even pyrokinesis. Their psychic talents are rooted in meditative mysticism, and accepted practices dictate that such powers be used altruistically rather than selfishly. Dishonesty is a difficult concept for most Serrans, since telepathy has rendered it ineffective in their own civilization for many centuries; those exposed to dishonesty find it useless and baffling.

SIMIANS (EEKAA) [PC CREATED]
The Eekaa (called Simians by most races, including humans) are a small race of aliens hailing from the planet Kilekteeana. Their resemblence to Earth's primates makes them familiar and relatively unthreatening to the human race, which has aided in their development of friendly relations.

Eekaa look reminiscent of the monkeys of earth, with a few significant evolutionary differences.  First and foremost, they have gained sentience, and their heads are larger to compensate.  Their bodies are also larger, but typically never more than 4 feet tall.  Their fur, though it can be a 'normal' brownish shade, can range also range into the green and yellow shades.  It also covers less of their bodies; the lower arms, legs, tail, and nose, leaving most of their face and torso uncovered.  They stoop less than lesser primates, and they possess the ability to communicate through voice and facial expressions.

YETI
Yetis are enormous, fur-covered humanoids who evolved on a world of perpetually recurring ice ages. The yetis themselves have only a vague idea what the Earth term ‘yeti’ actually means, and they bristle at that moniker, preferring their own racial name K’ho (which many humans think sounds more like a cough than a word). Regardless, yetis joyously embrace the interstellar community of the Known Worlds, so much so that they have virtually depopulated their home world, shunning its harsh rigors to spread out among the stars.

Yetis are often seen as gruff warriors, but just like any other race breed scholars, academicians, and other sophists. They tend to be eager and enthusiastic, willing students of new experiences and pleasures. Yetis are fascinated by technology but aren’t typically as adept with it as most others. Their digits aren’t well-suited to keyboards or touch screens (which they break with alarming frequency).