Re: The Dividing Line
I might be interested if i like the races ^^;
Remember: If you don't like them you can bring in your own. PM them to me first though - it is, after all, my universe and I want to know what's crawling around in it.
Speaking of races - here they are:
RACES OF THE JURIS ALLIANCE
The Juris Alliance are the governing force in the Juris Sector and the "good guys".
---HUMANS---
The human race has reached it's top of evolution ages ago. They stand at averagely 6 feet and generally have dark hair.
The humans, even more than other races, have started to rely on cybernetic implants for medicinic purposes. It's not rare to meet soldiers that have their arms, legs or even part of the skull replaced by robotic appendages. The Directorate uses rather conventional weapons, but have advanced pretty far in regards to magnetic propulsion devices - coil- and railguns.
---GARIK---
The Garikian sun system has lost it's sun eons ago. Now it's planets are rotating around a black hole - not big enough to draw them in, but heavy enough to keep them in orbit. As such the Garik had to evolve to survive. Garik look mostly human, but are a bit taller and thinner. The quickest way to really distinguish the Garik from the humans are their hands: They only have three fingers and an opposable thumb. The most common skin color is of a dark grey with a slightly blue tinge.
This skin reacts to even the least bit to UV radiation, and as such the Garik have to take measures to protect it. These range from simple rags wrapped all around their body to complete bodysuits, and are mostly a choice of fashion. All Garik that take up interstellar travel are required to wear ocular modules to even out their inherent night vision. In space combat the Garik rely on guerilla strategies; Their ships are small and quick, designed to attack and vanish.
Even though the Garik are not especially aggressive they are not that well-liked by most races, especially by humans who are notoriously quick to judge. Names like "Shadowdwellers" follow them wherever they go. The Garik usually retort with humor or not at all. They work as mercenaries, pirates or join the Garikian Imperium as soldiers and pilots.
In the recent years the majority of the Imperium's forces have withdrawn into their home system and shut down any communication. It seems they are working on a project so secret not even the Alliance is trusted.
---TELARIN---
The Telarin are possibly the most advanced race in the universe. They don't have a homeworld - instead they travel in homungous fleets, called Multitudes, across the galaxies.
The Telarin themselves are physically rather weak, even though they are taller than humans. They have a fragile humanoid body with thin arms and legs. Their necks are equally thin, and their faces seem to consist almost exclusively out of almond-shaped eyes. Their noses have devolved into breathing slits, and their mouths are rather small. The eyes are featureless pools of silver. Their hands and legs sport three appendages with bulbous ends. The Telarin don't have any feet to speak of: Their legs split directly into their toes, on which they rest - two in the front, one in the back.
At some point the Telarin physique has devolved so much that they could no longer take full gravity - their bones would break under the strain. To even out that effect these aliens have constructed what has come to be known as Gravity Suits - a body armor that supports their physique and gives them strength levels equal or even surpassing a human. It constantly feeds them with data via the display integrated into the visor. The design of the suits are mostly a choice of fashion, and one of the only cases where the Telarin show any individualism.
RACES OF THE AR GORA PACT
The Ar Gora Pact was a union of alien races bent on gaining control over the Juris sector by invasion. They were ultimately defeated in the First War. (You can not play as a race of the Ar Gora Pact)
---NNYARTHALL---
The Nnyarthall are closely related to the Telarin. As a matter of fact both races used to be one.
This aggressive race shares the Telarin's tall and thin build, but their skin is pale brown instead of grey, their eyes are black and they sprout a mass of thick, tentacle-like appendages from the back of their head - probably the result of genetic engineering. These appendages have been known to create electricity and can be used like whips. Like their brethren the Nnyarthall have taken up a life between the stars and travel in big groups they call Hordes.
The Nnyarthall have sacrificed the Telarin's advanced technology for their indepence. Instead they have produced some of the most unorthodox weaponry: From metal scraps that are propelled by magnetic fields over lightning weapons to robotic tendrils, the Nnyarthall's seemingly archaic arsenal is designed to damage the enemy in the most cruel way possible. This fits the Nnyarthall's sense of superiority over the other races - even their brethren, the Telarin.
The Nnyarthall's ships as well as their Grav Suits have a distinctive look: almost organic, with shimmering carapaces, transparent wings and weapons growing out of tails or claws. This design has given the race the nickname "Bugs", even though they are mammals.
---ASHOTUR---
In short, the Ashotur were fish. They had bodies like sharks, with roughly humanoid faces and very muscular arms and legs. Webs underneath the arms took the role of fins. They travelled in big swarms, both in water and in space. When on land the Ashotur wore a kind of water-filled collar to prevent them from suffocating. However, they mostly used walkers when forced into ground battle.
The Ashotur were as aggressive as the Nnyarthall, if not worse. But where the Nnyarthall interrogated and tortured the Ashotur went even further - slavery, genetic experiments on prisoners and deliberate terraforming of entire worlds were only part of the Allied Government's list of accusations against them. The Ashotur were punished in the most severe way imaginable - their entire species was executed, extinguished from the face of the universe. Not everybody was happy with that solution of course, many of the Telarin among them. They would have preferred to study the Ashotur and their methods, but in the end the Directorate had it's will.
SLAVES OF THE ASHOTUR
---WENDIGO (not playable)---
The true name of this race is unknown - and it's likely that they don't know it themselves. They have been dubbed Wendigo after a human mythological creature that comes into existence when a human cannibalizes his kin. It is a fitting name as the Wendigo is a carnivore and will eat anything and everything.
This race is two steps above a primate. Many thick bony ridges run over their face and hulking body. A strip of grey fur runs down their spine. Tusk-like spikes grow from their jaws and jut forth left and right of their mouth. The older a Wendigo is, the longer the tusks are. The brows of the Wendigo are thick, throwing a shadow over their yellow eyes.
The Ashotur used enslaved Wendigo as shock troops - cannon fodder. Stuck into cheap armor and equipped with Shredder Rifles Wendigo troops were deployed against space stations and battleships, often sent in drop pods. Because of their fierce attitude and physical superiority they are rather effective in close quarter combat.
After the Ashotur's defeat the Wendigo have been stripped of technology and have been settled on an uninhabited jungle planet.
---ANDAAR---
Andaar are not a natural race - they have been force-evolved out of humanoid races by the Ashotur. Their white skin shows red, tattoo-like marks that are individual for every Andaar. They look much like humans, but are a good foot taller and slimmer. A fine webbing grows between their long fingers and toes, and three gills show on their neck. The Andaar have two breathing systems - meaning they also have lungs.
Andaar are cunning and intelligent and served as commanders over Wendigos and other slave races of the Ashotur. After their master's defeat the Andaar have been offered a home on an aquatic planet. They accepted.
---VAKAURI (not playable)---
There is no set description for a Vakauri. It is more of a collective term for the Ashotur's robotic servants, controlled by a Tactical Artifical Intelligence - TAI. The system was housed in a massive construction on the Ashotur homeworld, in essence a humongous server. The construct was destroyed in the final attack on the homeworld, effectively deactivating the Vakauri. Many of them have been found and disassembled - but who knows how many of them still float out there.
OTHER RACES
This includes any race that isn't member of the Alliance - either by choice or because they don't have a military fleet to speak of.
---MARSORA---
The Marsora are maybe the least aggressive race in the universe. These merchants have a humanoid body with a high amount of fat. Their legs have completely degenerated, and as such they use technological means of all kinds to move. Their skin is of a dark green, and their mouth resembles a turtle's beak. Marsoran clothing is brightly colored and festive. They generally have a jovial attitude towards other races - some consider them obnoxious.
Don't be misguided though. The Marsora may be many things, naive is not one of them. During the war they offered their services to both sides and dealt with weapons and technology alike.
---AM'ARUM---
The Am'Arum are insects. They seem to have evolved out of some kind of centipede, as their body resembles that creature. The lower third rests on 8 legs before it arches up and backwards, giving the whole creature a S shape. The rest of the body is without legs - however the Am'Arum have none less than six insectoid arms with pincer-like hands. Their jaw features a pair of sturdy mandibles akin to an ant's, and their bites are venomous. Their carapace has drab colors, most commonly a greyish brown or rust red. Am'Arum, in difference to most centipedes, have facetted eyes. The most interesting trait of the Am'Arum is that they reproduce by parthenogenesis - they produce a single egg that doesn't require male fertilization. As such, all Am'Arum are females.
Am'Arum are intelligent and skilled hunters without the human concept of ethics or mercy, which makes them excellent mercenaries.