Introduction
Some races are not considered major players on the Galactic stage. This viewpoint can stem from any number of justifications, such as population size, technological advancement, or simple political sway. Every "Minor" race has its own unique set of hurdles and barriers to overcome. Many have chosen to become client races of larger Galactic factions, and others are actually the edges of larger galactic communities which exist amongst the unknown expanse of the Frontier. Regardless of why they're considered a Minor Race - or indeed if such a term is even accurate - the classification does not typically carry any penalties.
Tyrmalin/Goblins
Summary
The Tyrmalin are a race of squat, green skinned creatures with pointed ears. The Human tendency to call these aliens 'Goblins' has grown in popularity, to the point that it has become a legally recognized name.
Biology
The average Tyrmalin stands between 3'/91cm and 4'6"/132cm. Squat and proportionate, the Tyrmalin evolved from subterranean scavengers bearing superficial resemblances to Terran mammals. Although no longer furred, Tyrmalin retain the pointed ears and vibrant green skin of their ancestors. Goblins are not particularly hardy, but their wiry musculature and claws allow them to move with an elevated degree of agility, especially in confined spaces. Goblins are well adapted to mining work, and seem to prefer a nearly claustrophobic environment most of the time. They are as intelligent as any other sapient race, but appear to have retained some primitive aspects of their predecessors. There is no current consensus on whether this is a form of genetic compulsion being passed along, or if it is simply cultural.
History/Culture
Tyrmalin originate from a centaur in the Regiis sector named - in their tongue - Goss Aguz. Eventually spreading out into the local asteroid belt, by the time of their discovery the Tyrmalin had established mining operations spread across multiple local systems. Diplomatic ties between the Tyrmalin and the Human representatives they encountered were quickly established, with the "Goblins" becoming a protectorate of the Orion Confederation in short order. Many Tyrmalin have moved to Mars, where they work in the red mines. The "little green men" on Mars now comprise nearly 10% of Mars' global population, and more are immigrating every year. Goblins are recognized on Mars as fine artisans and miners, and operate several notable trade guilds with ties across the galaxy.
Merrow/Undyne
Summary
An advanced aquatic race, the Merrow were fully evolved and intelligent when first contact was unexpectedly established. Due to the nature of their existence, the Merrow had not yet become a spacefaring people. Interaction with the Orion Confederation quickly changed that, and now the Merrow have established numerous oceanic colonies across the galaxy.
Biology
Merrow are aquatic humanoids measuring between 5' and 7'. Elongated and spindly, Merrow bear some passing resemblance to the Akula, although cursory genetic tests have confirmed no common ancestry. Merrow breathe both air and water, possess natural darksight, and have a notably sticky flesh that comes in a wide array of colorations. The most common colors for Merrow appear to be deep blues and greens - presumably due to the nature of their environment. Agile in the water, Undyne are still relatively graceful on land, having long ago developed the ability to travel above the surface of the water.
History/Culture
Merrow, known colloquially as Undyne, adhere to a somewhat poorly defined social structure. Although they have produced breathtaking underwater megastructures, many with a manner of religious significance the Merrow refuse to discuss, their people tend to travel in small family-oriented units, or alone. Largely migratory, the concept of cities seems to be of little interest to the Merrow. Since they began to colonize other worlds, Merrow have taken to underwater farming projects, and seem to enjoy cultivating aquatic livestock and flora for trade with the world above.
Saguar/Kobolds
Summary
Saguar hail from a chain of barely habitable desert worlds trapped on the interior extreme Goldilocks zone of a red giant. Small, reptilian, and cold blooded, the Saguar bear many passing resemblances to the Unathi, Earth raptors, and Kobolds from popular media. Consequently, the secondary designation has begun to stick, much as it did for the Tyrmalin.
Biology
The Saguar people rarely stand taller than 3' 5". Short but lithe, the scaly skin and heavily reptilian features of the Kobolds bear some similarities to their larger counterparts the Unathi. Investigations and testing into a possible common ancestor remain inconclusive. Cold blooded, Saguar can move via both bipedal and quadrupedal locomotion, and require comparably less water to survive than other species. Saguar scales come in a variety of earth tones, from bold clay reds to muted mud browns.
History/Culture
Kobolds are a moderately advanced galactic community who did not possess advanced spacefaring technology when they were discovered. Rapid breeders, the Saguar had spread to two other planets in their habitable belt to help alleviate a population crisis. Many Saguar spend their lives as desert ranchers or farmers, corralling herds of insectoid xenos similar to beetles as livestock. They are a notoriously avaricious and mercantile species, easily swayed by the promise of coin. Several theories linking the Saguar love of coin to an evolutionary byproduct of millennia searching out glittering water pools and the shimmering wings of insect chitin remain unconfirmed.
Mycelia/Fungoids
Summary
Unlike other minor 'races', Mycelia are more akin to a medical condition than a sapient species. Widely regarded as parasites, Fungoids are reviled in Alraune and Diona culture as a living plague not dissimilar to zombies in human culture. Most Mycelia are mindless predators more akin to venus flytraps than living beings. Some, however, have retained a degree of sentience that allows them to interact with civilized society. How this occurs is still a mystery.
Biology
Mycelia have no standard biology, and are instead recognized as a collective of mushroom-like spores that may develop into several different shapes, colorations, and blooms. Currently classified by subtype, there are known Mycelia analogues for Chanterelles, Amanita Muscaria, and several more mundane varieties. Mycelia reproduce by spreading spores into the local atmosphere. These spores are resilient, but are effectively sterilized by UV light or extreme dryness, causing most Mycelia to prefer dark, moist environments. Once a Mycelia roots, it attempts to lure organic creatures into its area by releasing sweet scented saps and spores. These spores often bear faintly toxic effects when inhaled, inducing a state not dissimilar to drunkenness in those who are exposed - rumors of more intense, almost psychedelic experiences upon exposure to Mycelia spores have been reported, but not observed. Incompatible carbon-based life will often be harvested of protein or moisture, although most Mycelia are too weak to forcefully ensnare food sources. This seems likely to be intentional, as incompatible life forms serve to help disperse a rooted Myeclia's spores much further than its own zone of influence. Compatible carbon-based life - namely Alraune and Diona - are immediately in danger upon exposure to Mycelia spores. If not rapidly sterilized and monitored heavily for fungal growth, the Mycelia's spores will infect the tissue of the victim and spread like a parasitic cancer, slowly overtaking the creature's body until it overwhelms their consciousness and renders them comatose. Hijacking the body's functions, the Mycelia will then puppet its new body into an uninfested area to begin the life cycle anew.
History/Culture
Mycelia have no known native language, and their history is largely a mystery. Alraune and Diona both bear a natural and somewhat instinctual hatred of these beings, which may either be signs of a deep cultural memory or a simple evolutionary self-preservation mechanism. Interviews with Mycelia capable of communication have lead some scientists to believe there is a gestalt mind which exists between each entity in a form of 'mycelial network'. The Mycelia interviewed have denied this to some extent, although when privately observed they have been seen to communicate non-verbally. Mobile, "self aware" Mycelia do not emit spores, and seem to have taken up the role of an ambassador class, appearing only recently in the public eye.
Dusklight Titanians/Moth-People
Summary
The Dusklight Titanians are a race of faelike, blue / purple hued skinned, bioluminescent aliens from a dark world. With some lepidoteran-like qualities such as antennae, butterfly wings, a similar tongue and a tail, they are capable of flight and are generally hardy. Name was bestowed upon them after humanity encountered them in the 25th century.
Biology
Carbon based. Body temperature runs higher than a typical humans, with their normal body temperature being 105.7 Fahrenheit, enabling them to stay warm during the long nights of their home planets. Breathes typical humanoid mixture of oxygen but goes through it quicker than normal due to the composition of their blood containing a higher ratio of gas to liquid (helium in the cell walls as opposed to a typical liquid), causing it to circulate faster. Their vision is perfect in the dark and weaker in brightly lit environs with minor photosensitivity not being uncommon. They can fly using their wings, which are surprising sturdy, as are their bodies. However, in a paradoxical manner, their bodies are more susceptible to thermal damage and burns due to their higher then average body temperature.
Generally dusky gray to a dark dusty blue skin. Bio-luminescent inner flesh (tongue, nipples, etc.), usually sky-blue in tone but can also be blues and some tones of very light green. Tongues that are almost triple the length of human tongues and terminate in a more tapered point, reminiscent of a butterfly's. They also have short tails covered in the same color skin as the rest of them, very sensitive and used for weight shifting in flight. Large, ornate butterfly wings with intricate patterns of both bio-luminescent and non-luminescent scaling. Families tend to share similar wing patterns, though it is not unheard of for differing patterns to emerge. The bio-luminescent scaling typically inherits the same color as their inner flesh. They also sport a short pair of antennae upon their foreheads. Irises of their eyes are also bio-luminescent, but they typically are the color of their eyes, rather than matching their inner flesh.
History/Culture
During the early stages of the phoron boom in the late 24th century, early 25th century, NanoTrasen exploration vessels were exploring the Tau Ceti area of the Milky Way in their search for ever more phoron reserves and came across the planet that would be later known as Puck II, on a slow orbit around the blue dwarf that was the center of the system. They did not step down to the surface at the time, but noted that the planet had moderate stores of phoron in the crust after sensor probes had completed a geological survey of the planet. Due to it's distance off conventional space lanes, however, it was deemed not cost effective at the time to establish a mining operation since bluespace drives hadn't quite advanced enough to make the trip to and from the world economical.
Later on down the line in the late 25th century, NanoTrasen returned to this world after advances in engines made it possible to make the trip in a reasonable amount of jumps. Upon landing on the planet, they discovered that there was already a society on the planet in the the early information age. This society was that of the Dusklight Titanians, as they became coliqually labelled by NanoTrasen due to their appearance resembling that of faeries of Earthen legends. They found the Titanians to be amenable to negotiation for the mining rights of the phoron on the planet since, at the time, they hadn't any use for it outside of a geological curiousity & occasional hazard. They were well compensated, however, and with this were made to be uplifted through this first contact with humanity since their unique traits like flight and relative physical hardiness made them have desirable for employment by the various megacorporations of the galaxy.
With their world being cold and fairly barren, families tend to be pretty tightly knit and it's not unheard of for multiple generations of a family to be under the same roof. Diligence, family, hard work and loyalty are central values in their society, as they need to stick together to survive and everyone needs to contribute for the betterment of the whole. A distinctive piece of fashion that is common among them during formal ocassions something akin to short dress with high slit legs, but it has fur lining to keep them warm along with long sleeves. The legs, though, are still fully shown.
Cehelians/Reptilians
Summary
The Cehelians are a race of primarily desert dwelling reptilians that emerged as the dominant species on their planet. Two races in particular have come to prominence. The Hyriw, the more technologically advanced race that is currently going through a “phoron industrial revolution”, and the Jhuii, the oasis-dwelling farmers that have established vast hydroponic gardens to grow their food.
Biology
The average Cehelian ranges from a 5’10” (181 cm) in females to an average of 6’5’ (198 cm) in males.The earlier evolutionary stages of the Cehlian were remarkably adaptable, developing two different subspecies of the Cehelians that adapted to the two main biomes of their home planet.
Common traits between the two individual races of the Cehelian species are a large tail and reptilian, leathery skin. Both races bleed a black blood and seem to suffer from an iron deficiency. This is remediated by the consumption of red meat by both races. A Hyriw that doesn’t eat meat bleeds a light grey instead of the normal black. Both races also have a long, fully prehensile tongue that appears to be coated in saliva with some sort of antiseptic trait to it. Small wounds and infections are often licked after fighting to remedy the wounds. The eyes can vary in color, from being pure black to having colored irises.
Hyriw: The Hyriw are the more common half of the Cehelian race, bearing red/orange skin with scales on the face, forearms, and tail. This particular group had to learn to sprint and hunt on the loose sands of Cehelia, and as such they tend to have significantly better grip. The scales on the forearms and face are surprisingly pliant and seem to be an evolutionary trait meant for covering vulnerable skin.
Their muscles also bear a strong tolerance for lactic acid, lending towards an impressive amount of stamina. This allows the Hyriw to carry their massive tails, high in fatty content for water storage. They are the only Cehelian race to be purely carnivorous, though many can eat fruits and vegetables due to stomach bacteria implants available nowadays.
Jhuui: The less common half of the Cehelians, the Jhuui are a green to brown, along with rare blues, skinned race of lizards with no scales. A lack of the covering scales, especially on the face and arms, means the Jhuui are more vulnerable to bright lights than their cousins. This adaptation was lost due to the thick brush and tree cover of the Cehelian oases in which the Jhuui thrived, making the scales useless. This race notably has hooked claws for ripping open scaled fish and digging into trees and tough skinned fruit of the rare oases dotting the surface of Cehelia.
This race bears a notably more impressive lung capacity, allowing them to be efficient fishers. A Jhuui that is underwater is able to effectively put their body into a coma. In this state, the Jhuui affected is unable to move or function at higher brain levels, simply resting and using minimal oxygen and nutrients. They use their tails more as a propellant underwater, causing them to be more streamlined and muscled than the fatty appendages of their Hyriw brethren.
History/Culture
Cehelia itself is a lone desert planet surrounded by three moons, named Toros, Meha, and Cere. Due to a large amount of naturally occurring iron in the planet, the sands of cehelia’s vast desert are a vibrant red. Buried deep in the earth under the sand is a vast cave network rich with phoron ore. Cehelian housing tends to be communal, with localized tribes around pockets of visible phoron, and an entire community encircling an oasis.
In these mining towns, phoron is being experimented upon and used to revolutionize their technology. However, only recently has cehelian technology been standardized after decades of tribes selfishly guarding their technological advances.
The oasis towns are more akin to the standard early mammalian societies. In these communities, jobs are more specialized. Some will be farmers, others hunters, some shape weapons, and some create clothing. While the mining towns are separate, the oasis communities tend to be a large, single conglomerate. The leader of the town is usually a religious head that leads the people in rituals to Geh and Sor.
Cehelian history is spotty at best due to being tribalistic in nature, their culture not necessitating a need for written history. Word of mouth is how most stories of their origin spread, two major ones ending up as the primary religion of the Cehelians.
Geh: The “Goddess of the Red Sands", Geh (Pronounced ‘Yeh’) is believed to be the spirit that resides in the sands of Cehelia, guiding the Cehelian on their hunts. It’s believed that the original Cehelians were formed from the sand itself, tying the race to the planet. Any Cehelian that leaves the planet carries some sand in a jar, in the hopes that when they die, their spirit is absorbed into the sand of their home. The Jhuii do a similar process, instead tending to form glass jewelry out of the sands of Cehelia.
Sor: The “God of the Cold Winds". While Geh is the goddess of life, Sor is more comparable to a god of death. However, interestingly, Jhuui culture tends to worship Sor over Geh, praising his part of the cycle of life.
Rilloid/Satyrs
Summary
The Rilliod are a race of humanoids originating from the Rill system. They bear some features like that of a human, including their head, arms, and torso. They also bear more animalistic features, commonly including horns, claws upon furred arms, and bipedal goat-like legs complete with hooves and a tail.
Biology
The common Rilliod varies in size, generally ranging between 4’8” and 6’4” depending on the race. There are three common races of Rilliod, the latter two evolving alongside the first after colonizing the second of two habitable planets in the Rill system. Both races share many traits, including the presence of horns atop their heads, rectangular pupils, and furred, animalistic lower bodies. Their waist and legs are covered in fur, as is much of their arms, and they stand on hooved feet. They are omnivorous; their palette is comparable to humans, though they generally tend to lean more toward herbivorous diets.
Rill-Capra: The Rill-Capra are the original race of Rilliod in their home system, bearing strong resemblance to Sol’s goats. Ranging from smooth to scraggly, their fur comes in many earthen colors and patterns. The horns of a Rill-Capra are generally thinner than those of their racial counterpart, and they grow backward in an arc. The Rill-Capra are of average size compared to their brethren. This variant gets its name from the world upon which it evolved, being the small, warm world of Capra.
Rill-Arith: The Rill-Arith are a newer variant of Rilliod, having developed and evolved to accommodate for the colder tundra climates of Arith. These Rilliod have features more in line with sheep, namely their thicker wool hides. These pelts most commonly come in shades of white, with blacks being less frequent. Their horns are thicker than those of a Rill-Capra, growing in an outward spiral. In terms of size, the Rill-Arith range from the same size to slightly smaller than the Rill-Capra, but this lack of size is made up for by their large pelts.
Rill-Ova: The Rill-Ova evolved in Arith’s mountainous regions of Ova, leaving them sturdier than their sheepish brethren. Their pelts, while still wooly in nature, grow to a shorter length. The color of such wool is commonly a deep shade of brown, with various lighter or darker browns and grays not uncommon. Their horns are also larger still than those of Rill-Arith. This trend continues through to their physique, the Rill-Ova generally standing a few inches taller than their counterparts. Their stronger legs and arms come in handy when traversing the rough terrain they call home.
History/Culture
Rill is a star system with three planets: Mazah, Capra, and Arith. The first is far too close to its star to be habitable, leaving its vast metallic ores untouched until only recently. Capra is akin to Earth in its makeup, with lush green forests covering much of the planet. The vibrant green is broken up by vast seas of blue ocean and the occasional browns and grays of civilization. Arith is less green than white, the large planet covered in snowy tundras and mountain ranges. The equator is of a temperate climate, leading to many tribes of Rilliod settling there.
The history of Rill is a quiet and pleasant one; their earliest written records, written in their uniform language of Rillith, depict their past as being generally free of war and conflict. The peace-loving people of this race instead chose to explore and enjoy the wonders of the natural world. As they developed more advanced technologies, they sought to keep their digging and tampering as minimal as possible, so as to keep from causing too much destruction to their home. In due time, they achieved the technology necessary to travel into space. With this technology, they travelled to the furthest planet from Rill, Arith, and began a colony there. They quickly adapted to their new habitat. Evolution took its course, and these pioneers went on to become the Rill-Arith and Rill-Ova of today.
While the Rilliod have been honing the science of space travel much longer than humanity, they also haven’t sought to develop FTL technology and explore the stars like other races across the galaxy. Instead opting to live peacefully in their own little corner of space and embracing what they have. Seeking not to tear up their worlds for resources and instead to let them thrive, it was only when the system was visited by NanoTrasen that they decided to finally venture into the stars. Since then, the system of Rill has seen some traffic, but it has mostly remained in the state it was found in, minus the mass mining of Mazah.
Keisani
Summary
The Keisani are an extinct race of ancient humanoids that once inhabited the Dioscuri system, secluded on the frontier of galactic civilization. Originating from the arid world of Keisa of which they take their name, the nuclear ruins of Keisani civilization was discovered in 2554. They are best known for the intricate and utilitarian marble designs of their artifacts, some of which still rival the high-end products of modern megacorporations. Among their artifacts however, none are more prized than their designs incorporating their advanced molecular nanotechnology. Shimmering orange and black masses, Keisan nanites are used for anything from art pieces to replicating endless stores of starship missiles. Although almost impossible to instruct without Keisani equipment, they lack in-built regulations and functioning kill-switches that modern nanites are required to have. The KN-Mass trade is loosely controlled by independent scavengers and pirate warlords. Legitimate possession is unheard of outside of archeologists and wealthy collectors, due to the lengthy process required to acquire a permit. Other than their artifacts, Keisani ruins are also inhabited by the husks of their synthetic servants that range from automated turret guns to supercomputers the size of capital ships. Ahiram Intelligence Constructs are difficult to restore and functioning shells discovered in the ruins of the Dioscuri system are often confused and hostile to visitors. There exists a documented case of an AIC working in modern society, but any other survivors, if any, aren't known to the public.
Biology
Not much is known about Keisan biology, though skeletal remains indicate an eerie similarity to lithe humans, averaging about half an inch taller than them. Historical sources claim that they also had elongated ears that tapered to a point as an adaption to the heat and predatory fauna of their homeworld. AICs on the other hand do not use positronic technology, instead they use bulky "cores" that are physically plugged into the machine they are designed to enhance. The personality and non-essential memory is kept in the core, but knowledge, data, and functions are a part of the exterior subsystems. Shells used by AICs vary, but their cores can be made compatible with standard galactic synthetic platforms, AI cores, or subsumed by Keisan nanites to form a sapient nanomachine swarm.
History/Culture
In 2554, the ISV Flying Comet came across a desertified planet with evidence of prior habitation. After a short survey of the ruined metropolises, the Comet returned with a report of a dead civilization, and the Dioscuri system was marked as nothing more than a desolate wasteland, until down on their luck scavengers decided to search the ruins for anything useful. Still functioning weapons, fauna, and deadly security drones in the better-preserved parts of Keisa threw off the prior assertion that the planet was completely worthless, and the wastelands are now often visited by prospectors looking to make their fortune discovering an undiscovered ancient relic. The Keisani themselves were once based around competing clans or "Houses" that would fight each other for claim over resources. Several wars are evident within the Dioscuri system, not the least of which the one that wiped out Keisan civilization. Among these houses, the most well-known past the collapse is House Ahiram who held a monopoly on the construction of advanced robotics and the sought after Keisan nanites. Another is House Aziru, known for constructing the best coilguns and conventional armaments one could find among the ruins of Dioscuri.
Galactic Species
| |
| Common Species | Humans, Synthetics, Skrell, Tajara, Teshari, Unathi |
| Uncommon Species | Akula, Alraune, Auril, Dremachir, Naramadi, Zaddat, Dnin-Nepids |
| Whitelisted Species | Adherent, Dionea, Phoronids, Proteans, Shadekin, Vox, Xenochimera, Xenohybrids |
| Misc Species & Data | Minor Races, Scori, Changelings |