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 Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 11:23 pm
Table of Contents - Species
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Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 11:24 pm
Batarians
The batarians are a species that are socially not unlike humans, and as such have a political rivalry with the Human Systems Alliance, with whom they compete for unclaimed territory. The batarians have a slimmer build than the average human but are about the same height, on average, as a human. They have four eyes; one inner set located approximately where those of a humans would be, and a second pair on top of the first pair's browline. Their noses have eight openings, four on each side of the head. Their skin is a cream color with a purple stripe running down their chin and a chocolaty brown area where hair would be on a human. Batarians used to have an embassy on the Citadel, but they closed it in protest of the council's decision to allow human colonization to continue in the Skyllian Verge, an area that the batarians considered within their sphere of influence. As a result, the batarians have essentially placed themselves at odds with most of the other Citadel Council races and particularly the Systems Alliance. This rivalry has led them into something of a proxy war with the Alliance, with the batarians using their influence in the chaotic Terminus Systems (especially in areas bordering Alliance space) to foment political instability and criminal activity that could eventually cause problems for the Alliance. As a result, batarians have many contacts with and in many cases are in direct control of galactic organized crime syndicates and terrorist groups.
added 7-22-08 by The Hegemon
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Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 11:25 pm
Elcor
The elcor are a Citadel species native to the high-gravity world Dekuuna. They are massive creatures, standing on four muscular legs for increased stability. Elcor move slowly, an evolved response to an environment where a fall can be lethal. This has colored their psychology, making them deliberate and conservative. Elcor speech is heard by most species as a flat, ponderous monotone. Among themselves, scent, extremely slight body movements, and subvocalized infrasound convey shades of meaning that make a human smile seem as subtle as a fireworks display. Since their subtlety can lead to misunderstandings with other species, the elcor often go out of their way to clarify when they are being sarcastic, amused, or angry. The elcor follow the recommendations of their Elders, who spend years poring over ancient records of jurisprudence to determine the precedent that should be followed in any given situation. The Elders record closely argued and minutely detailed instructions on what course to follow in any theoretical crisis. These are filed away in huge libraries of data discs and consulted at need. This makes elcor policies very predictable, provided one has done a great deal of research.
Elcor evolved on a high-gravity world, making them slow, but incredibly strong. Their large, heavy bodies are incapable of moving quickly, but they possess a rather imposing stature and immense strength, as well as thick, tough skin. They move using all four limbs to support and balance their massive bodies. According to their ambassador, the elcor were just making their first forays into space travel when the asari made contact with them. With their help, the elcor discovered the closest mass relay and, within a single lifetime, had established a regular trade route to the Citadel. The elcor quickly became one of the more prominent species in Citadel space, though they still have to share an embassy with the volus.
Elcor usually prefer to stay on their colonies rather than travel in space, which may be why few elcor are seen on the Citadel or on other worlds. Their culture is built on small, tight-knit groups, and their conservative nature means the elcor government is extremely stable as elcor are not comfortable with sudden changes.
The elcor economy is small, only slightly larger than the Alliance's, but extremely well developed. They see no point to rushing things, and are fond of making thorough, century-long development plans. They don't need to trade for any resource - they have all they require to supply their own needs, and trade only in finished goods. Any attempt to embargo their space would be fruitless. Because their slow, conservative psyche is not suitable for making the spur-of-the-moment decisions necessary in combat situations, the elcor rely on sophisticated VI combat systems. These war machines can choose between thousands of gambits developed and polished over centuries by elcor strategists.
The elcor's slow speed and immense size makes them easy targets. Fortunately, their durable hide allows them to shrug off most incoming fire. Elcor warriors don't carry small arms; their broad shoulders serve as a stable platform for the same size of weapons typically mounted on Alliance fighting vehicles.
added 7-22-08 by The Hegemon
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Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 11:26 pm
Geth
The geth are a bipedal, humanoid race of networked artificial intelligences that reside beyond the Perseus Veil. The geth were created nearly 300 years ago by the quarians as laborers and tools of war. When the geth became sentient and began to question their masters, the quarians attempted to exterminate them. The geth won the resulting war and reduced the quarians to a race of nomads. The example of the geth has led to a legally enforced, systematic repression of artificial intelligences in galactic society. After driving the quarians into exile, the geth isolated themselves from the rest of the galaxy in the systems beyond the Perseus Veil. The Citadel races immediately sent ships to the edges of the Veil, expecting a geth invasion would soon emerge. However, the geth made no attempt to attack, and have not been seen outside the Veil for centuries. Their activities in the space beyond are a mystery. The geth can learn and grow intellectually, but they progress far more slowly than an organic being. Still, the story of the geth's creation and evolution serves as a warning to the rest of the galaxy of the potential dangers of artificial intelligence. Over time, the geth have evolved into numerous sub-forms -- from the diminutive but highly agile Geth Hoppers, to the gigantic, lumbering Geth Armatures. The geth also utilize turrets and drones (rocket, assault, recon and repair drones specifically). It isn't clear whether these are also AIs - in the same way Geth Armatures are not just tanks but sentient machines capable of learning and problem solving - or simply controlled by the geth. It should be stressed, however, that in all forms the geth are to be approached with extreme caution as they are universally violent.
Characteristics
Physically the geth resemble quarians (their hands and legs are similar) which is probably a holdover from their origins. They are built of two materials, a large plastic or steel outer shell, and a kind of synthetic muscle tissue that gives Geth Hoppers their incredible agility. They are described as having 'flashlight heads'. The geth 'bleed' a white conductive fluid when shot, but they don't have any internal organs or nervous system, so the geth don't feel hunger or pain. Part of the geth's success is due to their neural network. The closer geth physically are to each other, the more intelligent each one becomes. Effectively, they 'share' their processing power. Geth can't share sensory data - they aren't a hive mind like the rachni - but in large groups they have more to think with. An individual geth has only a basic intelligence on par with animal instincts, but in groups they can reason, analyze situations, and use tactics as well as any of the organic races. Nothing is known about the geth command structure, or even if they have one. However, the geth are known to have strong religious sensibilities, or the synthetic equivalent. They worship a hyper-advanced but long-vanished machine race called the Reapers, which the geth see as the pinnacle of non-organic evolution.
Combat Tactics
The key element of geth warfare is surprise. Their sudden and unexpected return from beyond the Veil after three centuries was typical. Shepard describes the geth as perfect ambushers - "they don't move, they don't make noise, they don't even breathe." Their freedom from the need to eat or sleep allows the geth to leave dormant garrison units in ambush at key positions, and the fact they don't feel pain allows them literally drop units from overhead out of nowhere. They can even be packed tightly into crates and left in storage. A favorite tactic of the geth is to set 'distress signals' and then ambush the rescuers. They also turned the MSV Cornucopia into a drifting trap. The geth use psychological warfare in the battlefield with 'dragon's teeth'. These implements pierce the bodies of dead soldiers, turning muscle tissue into synthetic material, creating a zombie-like monster called a Husk. This severely lowers morale, as their enemy now has to kill fallen comrades. When geth shut down, they fry their memory cores as a defensive measure, which is probably why geth haven't been successfully captured for study. However, Tali'Zorah nar Rayya was able to retrieve some of the data cache from a deactivated geth, using her quarian tech expertise.
Geth weapons and armor are of extremely high quality but difficult to find - a Geth Armory license is rare and highly valuable.
Behavior
The geth are reclusive and secretive. This is partly due to their synthetic nature. They have no need to interact with other races because they do not share the same goals, drives or instincts as organic species. The geth are universally hostile toward organic life, which is not entirely unjustified; their first experience of organics was an attempted genocide at the hands of their creators, for the crime of becoming sentient. However, the geth exhibit some strange behavior not entirely in character with synthetic life. Their deployment of dragon's teeth to create Husks seems very inefficient but shows they understand organic psychology. Shepard also discovered a room on Feros that seemed to act as a church or temple for the geth. Its focal point was a structure that resembled Sovereign's 'tentacles' around a glowing orb and the geth were bowing down to it. (Shepard's team found another one on Trebin, a cruder version that had been made by Husks.) New forms of the geth that the quarians don't recognize are beginning to appear. The best example is Geth Hoppers, which appear much more 'organic' than other geth. This has greatly interested experts in artificial intelligence. The geth have changed significantly since they drove the quarians into exile, and they blur the boundary between organic and synthetic life.
added 7-22-08 by The Hegemon
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Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 11:27 pm
Hanar
The hanar are a species resembling terran jellyfish, standing slightly taller than a human, although most of their height is in their long tentacles which have three fingers at the base. Their homeworld, Kahje, has 90% ocean cover and orbits an energetic white star, resulting in a permanent blanket of clouds. The invertebrate, water-native hanar cannot support their own weight in normal gravity. When interacting with mainstream galactic society, they rely on mass effect contra-gravitic levitation packs. Their limbs can grip tightly, but are not strong enough to lift more than a few hundred grams each.
Due to the presence of Prothean ruins on Kahje, many hanar worship them, calling them the "Enkindlers". Hanar myths often speak of them as an elder race that uplifted and civilized them by teaching them language. They communicate using sophisticated patterns of bioluminescence - which other species need machine assistance to translate - and speak with scrupulous precision and excessive politeness. Most hanar take offense at improper language, and must take special courses to unlearn this tendency if they expect to deal with other species. The other races sometimes see the hanar as elitist snobs because of their intolerance for 'incorrect' speech (and occasionally refer to them derisively as 'jellies'). The hanar are also known to get vocal if their religious rights appear threatened in any way.
The hanar have two names, a 'face name' and a 'soul name'. The face name is used as a general label for use by strangers and acquaintances. The soul name is kept for use among close friends and relations. Hanar never refer to themselves in the first person with someone they know on a face name basis: To do so is considered egotistical. Instead they refer to themselves as "this one," or the impersonal "it." Few hanar are willing to deal with other species. Economic contacts are limited to a handful of trade stations on their borders. Due to this self-imposed isolation and the unique physiology of the race, their economy is small and isolated from the rest of the galaxy. Few standard technologies (designed for bipedal and fingered species) are available in their space, and they produce very few goods that are useable by others. According to gossip in the Council Chambers, the hanar are considered likely prospects for a Council seat in the near future.
added 7-22-08 by The Hegemon
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Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 11:28 pm
Keepers
The keepers are a bio-engineered, insectoid race found only on the Citadel. They appear to exist for no other reason than to maintain the Citadel and its systems. The keepers are believed to have been created by the Protheans to serve as caretakers of the station. Physically, the keepers resemble large aphids. Little else is known about them other than what can be observed with the naked eye. Attempts to capture a keeper or take it into custody for study will cause the creature to undergo a sudden "self-destruct," with a form of acid being released internally. The affected keeper literally melts into a puddle of proteins and minerals in less than a minute, preventing any serious research. Although it is virtually impossible to study keepers without interfering with them, some enterprising scientists will eventually no doubt find a way. Although purely speculation, perhaps their insectoid metallo-chitinous exterior exhibits some form of shielding from X-rays (or T-rays) as well as whatever more modern scanning methods that have been tried.
The number of keepers present on the station is remarkably constant, although it is unknown where new keepers are born (or produced) to replace those lost. It has been speculated, however, that they may inhabit the inaccessible core of the Citadel, which has yet to be explored. The keepers themselves reveal nothing of their nature and often undertake tasks that seem bizarre to other races, like rearranging offices or even changing architecture down on the Wards, with no explanation. In fact, all attempts to communicate with them have been in vain. They go about their work, seemingly oblivious to the hustle and bustle going on around them. Their inorganic components (specifically, the component on the keeper's back and its attached antenna) are speculated to facilitate the coordination between the keepers and the Citadel, though apparently, there is no way currently to communicate directly with the keepers, and no mention is made of any attempts to examine whatever communication or coordination is occurring. Apparently, keepers communicate between themselves with telepathic images, but this might be scientific speculation. The asari first encountered the keepers when they discovered the Citadel. When the first asari came aboard, the keepers were already there, doing everything in their power to assist the asari in settling onto the station. Ever since, they have gone about the business of maintaining the Citadel in silence as they have for centuries, apparently ever since the Protheans left. Due to the fact the keepers persist in destroying themselves when interfered with, they are nearly impossible to scan or study. By Council law, it is illegal to interfere with the keepers on penalty of imprisonment, because the Citadel could not be maintained without them.
added 7-22-08 by The Hegemon
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Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 11:29 pm
Volus
The volus are an associate race on the Citadel with their own embassy, but are also a client race of the turians. They hail from Irune, which possesses a high-pressure greenhouse atmosphere able to support an ammonia-based biochemistry. As a result, the volus must wear pressure suits and breathers when dealing with other species. The volus homeworld features an ammonia-based ecology and a gravitational field 1.5 times that of Earth, as well as a high-pressure atmosphere. This is reflected in the physiology of the volus themselves. The volus are unable to survive unprotected in an atmosphere more suitable to humans and other carbon-based lifeforms, and as such require protective suits capable of providing the proper atmosphere, as well as pressurized to support the volus. Traditional nitrogen/oxygen air mixtures are poisonous to them, and in the low pressure atmospheres tolerable to most species, their flesh will actually split open.
The volus have been a part of Citadel politics almost as long as the asari and the salarians. The volus' mercantile prowess made them instrumental in developing a stable galactic economy. They authored the Unified Banking Act, which established the credit as the standard currency of interstellar trade, and the volus continue to monitor and balance the galactic economy even today. Despite their important contributions to the Citadel and galactic society, they have never been offered a seat on the Council. This is a source of anger for some volus, particularly the volus ambassador Din Korlack. Council races need to have provided some extraordinary service to the Citadel, such as the turians' military support during the Krogan Rebellions. Council races also need to provide fleets, resources, and economic aid in case of disaster, none of which the volus are capable of.
Recently, the volus (through the Turian Hierarchy) have been negotiating with the Systems Alliance over colonization rights to Patavig. These negotiations have been running smoothly thus far. Volus culture is dominated by trade, whether it is of land, resources, or even other tribe members. The volus have a reputation as traders and merchants, and many work as some of the best financial advisers in Citadel space, such as Barla Von. Because the volus are not physically adept, they tend not to be very violent, and can even seem overly-pacifistic and cowardly to other, more militant species. Their inability to provide adequate soldiers for themselves and the Citadel is a primary reason for not yet being inducted into the Council.
Volus have two names but no family names. According to volus sensibilities you cannot own a person, so using a family name would essentially be laying claim to their offspring. Possibly because of their tribal origins, volus tend to refer to members of other races by their source world rather than species name (i.e. 'Earth-clan' instead of 'human').
The volus government is known as the Vol Protectorate. Rather than being a fully sovereign government in its own right, the Protectorate is a client state of the Turian Hierarchy. In return for falling under the protective umbrella of the turian military, the volus pay a tax to the Hierarchy, as well as deferring to the turians in all foreign policy matters and providing auxiliary troops to the turian armed forces. They still maintain an embassy on the Citadel, making them an associate species of the Council, though they currently share their embassy with the elcor. The volus are not physically cut out for combat, be it a full-scale war or even a bar room scuffle. As such, they are highly dependent on the turians for defense, although the volus themselves do provide some auxiliary troops to the Hierarchy. The volus will support the turians in any war they might pursue, and the turians will support the volus in any war they might pursue.
added 7-22-08 by The Hegemon
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