Data
File Updated:
Sunday, June 09, 2019
There are only three members of the
Alliance that have
their own military fleets: the Loroi Union (better known as the
Loroi Empire), the Nissek Hegemony, and the Historians.
The Loroi Union itself comprises nine distinct alien races
under the protection and control of the Loroi military
government.
The Loroi Union was created at the end of the Third Mannadi War
in an attempt to avoid further conflict between the growing
power of the Loroi and the other races of the region. It is a federal system
whereby each member acts as a province and manages most local
affairs, but is subject to the federal authority of the Union
Assembly. Each member does not have
its own military (though each does have its own police &
patrol forces), but rather subordinates itself to the Loroi military, which acts as an executive
entity. The Union Assembly meets on the planet Moro, which is
under Pipolsid jurisdiction but which has inhabitants of many
species.
Race: Loroi
Affiliation: Union Member (Senior)
Biology: Loroi are slender, 150-180 cm tall, blue-skinned, elflike,
telepathic bipedal creatures. They have two genders, and the
males are smaller and much fewer in number than the females.
Capital: Deinar
Government Type: Military
oligarchy
Notes: Though the Loroi are nominally just a member of the
Union, both civilian and military Loroi authorities maintain
almost complete control over nearly every aspect of Union
affairs. Loroi delegates dominate
the legislative Assembly itself, as the number of delegates for each
province are proportional to population (and non-member
subjugated aliens are counted as Loroi population for purposes
of delegation), and have permanent executive authority. For this and other reasons, the Loroi Union is
often referred to by foreign aliens, Union members, and even
occasionally by the Loroi themselves as the Loroi Empire. See
main article: Loroi.
Race:
Neridi
Affiliation: Union Member
Biology: Neridi are small 80-100cm tall blue-skinned bipedal
creatures. They have large disc-like yellow eyes, elongated
heads and large floppy ears. Like several races in the region, Neridi
are very similar to Loroi biochemically, but quite
different genetically and physiologically. Neridi are
technically hermaphroditic, but in practice have two
genders, and adults transition back and forth between male and
female roles over the course of their potentially long lives.
Capital: Derro
Government Type:
Constitutional monarchy
Notes: The Neridi are the closest of the Loroi allies, and
have been since before the Delrias War. Full members of the
Union, Neridi have operated successfully and happily in the Loroi
shadow as merchants and administrators. Neridi have thoroughly
amalgamated into the culture of the Empire; they even use Loroi
Trade as a primary language within their own borders. They are one of the few
non-Loroi members to
have colonized many new worlds since the creation of the Union, and
maintain a
significant presence in the Seren sector (the sector of conflict
with the Umiak). Next to the Loroi, the Neridi have suffered
most of any member race from Umiak incursions during the current war.
Race:
Barsam
Affiliation: Union Member
Biology: Large (2.3m),
powerfully built bipeds with tough, hairless leathery blue skin
with white mottling. They have small yellow eyes with
horizontally-slitted pupils, and their heads and limbs are
festooned with bony spikes. They have digitigrade feet and a
stubby vestigial tail. Barsam are another member of the same biochemical
classification (Soia-liron) as the Loroi and Neridi.
Barsam mature rapidly to adulthood and have robust self-healing
attributes that allow them to recover quickly from injury.
Barsam are hermaphroditic and mono-gendered, with all
individuals potentially able to bear children.
Capital: Justa
Government Type:
Confederation
Notes: The Barsam were an independent
nation that
voluntarily joined the Union at the end of the Third Mannadi
War, even though they had no formal alliances or conflicts with
any of the involved races. They have lived peacefully since,
remaining a culturally distinct but loyal member of the Union.
The Barsam have one of the few state-supported religions in the
Union, and the Barsam Church often sends its troubadour-clerics on
evangelical missions, especially to underdeveloped systems. In
particular, Barsam missionaries are devoted to uplifting their
Nibiren brothers. Although close allies of the Loroi, the Barsam
are also a former warrior culture (though now nominally devoted
to peace) and have a strong, independent spirit. A form of
rivalry between the two races is sometimes apparent. See main
article: Barsam.
Race:
Delrias
Affiliation: Subjugated Population
Biology: Large (2m),
powerfully-built, bulky furred mammaloid bipeds. Delrias are
directly related to the Morat, an Umiak client race
in the up-arm Steppes; it is believed both groups descended from the same
prehistoric ancestors. The Delrias are unusual among technological societies in that they continue to be exclusively
and robustly carnivorous (while their Morat relatives are omnivores).
The Delrias have four ears and taloned three-digit
hands. Delrias exhibit some sexual dimorphism between their two
genders, with the females being especially large, muscular and
aggressive. Pregnancies result in multiple-birth litters.
Homeworld: Kabel
Capital: Rubat
Government Type: Plutocracy
Notes: An ancient warrior culture,
whose distant ancestors once commanded a galactic empire before
even the time of the Soia, the Delrias were the
first race to attack the Loroi and pay the price for failure. After losing a
long series of hard-fought battles in space, the Delrias fell
back to their own territory, depending on their strong martial
traditions and physical prowess to be able to repel Loroi planetary invasions.
However, the Delrias were shocked to learn firsthand of
the ruthless effectiveness of the Loroi psionic
warfare castes, and each planet fell quickly. Captured more or
less intact, they have
lived under Loroi occupation for 865 years. Although they are
not permitted full autonomy, they remain a
distinct cultural unit, and out of respect the Loroi treat them
as an honorary member of the Union, permitting them to send
delegates to the Assembly and ambassadors to Union functions (even though these
delegates have no real authority). Skilled craftsmen, the Delrias contribute
quality production infrastructure to the war effort,
particularly in the design and production of effective particle
beam weapons.
Race:
Pipolsid
Affiliation: Union Member
Biology: Fragile, radial-symmetry aquatic floaters.
Pipolsid bodies are partially transparent, and contain
bioluminescent organelles, which are used for communication in
addition to chemical pheromone. A large portion of the body's
metabolism is devoted to the glands that can secrete a wide
array of complex chemicals, from the communication pheromones,
to structural compounds used to construct polymer "bubbles" that form
the basis of Pipolsid natural building capability. Pipolsid reproduce via budding,
and the offspring receives some of the chemical memories of the
parent.
Homeworld: Lenzano
Government Type: Direct
democracy
Notes: The peaceful,
good-natured Pipolsid have been longtime Loroi
allies, since before the days of the Mannadi wars. The delicate,
semi-transparent Pipolsid require specialized life support to
travel, as they cannot survive outside a liquid environment.
They are nevertheless active members of the Union, have aquatic
enclaves on many Union planets (including Taben, one of the
Loroi Sister Worlds), and in particular contribute
gifted, creative scientists to the Union. The Pipolsid are
emotional, empathic creatures who, despite their radically
different physical nature, assimilate easily into alien societies.
Personal violence is almost unknown among the Pipolsid. They are
almost annoyingly friendly, and this obsequiousness might become
unbearable if it did not seem so genuine. This together
with the relative ease with which Loroi telepaths can read Pipolsid thoughts has allowed a very close relationship between the Loroi
and Pipolsid. Which is fortunate for the Loroi, since some key
Union technologies (particularly drive systems) are largely the
product of Pipolsid researchers.
Race:
Golim
Affiliation: Union Member*
Biology: Squat (1m) hostile-environment
quadrupeds. Golim have smooth, hard flesh that can withstand
significant atmospheric pressure. They have poor eyesight but
excellent olfactory senses, and are also sensitive to electrical
fields.
Homeworld: Golim-chei
Government Type: various
Notes: Golim-chei, the
Golim homeworld, is a "super-Earth," a terrestrial
world of some six Earth masses, with high surface gravity and
and a very dense, hot, corrosive, electrically active
atmosphere. The remarkable Golim thrive in this hostile
environment, and have developed a peaceful, if
technologically "backward" society, by Union
standards. Although technically a formal member of the Union,
the Golim are in effect slaves to the Loroi, due to their
extreme sensitivity to Loroi telepathy. Golim are so susceptible
that one will be completely mesmerized and open to the will of
any nearby Loroi, even if the Loroi is not consciously trying to
influence the Golim. The Loroi for their part are
embarrassed by this relationship, but the extreme Golim resistance to
hostile environments make them invaluable workers, and they are
one of the few alien races that are permitted to serve aboard
Loroi warships. The loyal Golim, for their part, often
actively seek out Loroi contact, as many view the resulting mesmerization as a transcendental experience. Nevertheless, the Loroi have gone so far as to create areas of
the Golim homeworld that are entirely off-limits to Loroi, so as to keep
a sort of "preserve" of free-thinking Golim.
Race:
Mannadi
Affiliation: Subjugated Population
(Quarantined)
Biology: Bipedal with a stooped posture, having clawed
hands and feet, bald ghost-white pocked flesh, large glassy black
eyes, a spiky mane and a wide mouth rimmed with sharp teeth.
Homeworld: Ezor
Government Type: various
Notes: In their day, the Mannadi were bold explorers and
adventurers who had built a small interstellar sphere of
influence. The Mannadi respected and feared the growing power
of the Loroi Empire enough not to attack them directly, and even
prompted a brief alliance between the two powers. Unfortunately,
the Mannadi could never be content as ordinary members of the
family of nations, and their ambition led them into continuing
acts of aggression against the Neridi and Pipolsid that
eventually drew them into direct conflict with the Loroi. Though
never a true match for the Loroi Empire and her allies, the Mannadi nation
fought tenaciously and effectively through a series of three
bloody and bitter wars with the Loroi, in which the Mannadi made
effective use of the remote location of their territory and the
severe handicap placed on Loroi forces operating so far from
friendly resupply. The Mannadi also had a degree of resistance
to Loroi telepathy, which represented a further challenge to the
Loroi. By the end of the third war the Loroi eventually
occupied the Mannadi worlds, but there was little left of Mannadi
infrastructure, and almost nothing left of Loroi patience.
Mannadi telepathic resistance made Loroi occupation less
effective than they were accustomed to, and when Mannadi insurgents bitterly fought the occupation, the
Loroi started simply wiping them out. International outrage at
these actions threatened to shatter the Loroi Alliance; only the
formation of the Loroi Union ended the threat of a galaxy-wide
war and spared the Mannadi from extinction. The Mannadi are not
spoken of in Loroi society, and they are rarely seen outside
their designated territory, which is quarantined. Mannadi space
is the main gateway to the territory of the Historians, but few
travel this path.
Race:
Arekka
Affiliation: Partially-occupied Independent*
Biology: Tall and lanky tripeds, Arekka are
covered with downy insulation that can be multicolored in a
variety of patterns (which Arekka individuals devote a lot of
attention to preening).
Homeworld: Aliris
Government Type: various
Notes: Generally considered to be
strange, even by the most
unusual of the other races, the Arekka were within the Mannadi
sphere of influence and allied with the Mannadi
against the Loroi in the last of the Mannadi wars, refusing
to submit even after the Mannadi surrendered. Only the formation
of the Union ended hostilities and prevented complete conquest
by the Loroi. The Arekka currently are
technically an independent government, but more than half their
territory is still under Loroi military occupation, and even the unoccupied
portion is under severe Loroi-imposed restrictions. The Arekka
have repeatedly refused to join the Union, and would rather live
with the technical title of independents, even under harsh
restriction, than admit to bowing to Loroi dominion. On several
occasions, the Loroi occupation has forcefully suppressed public Arekka movements for self-determination.
Race:
Nibiren
Affiliation: Subjugated Population
Biology: Large bipeds, very
similar in form to the Barsam.
Homeworld: Halli
Government Type: (none)
Notes: The Nibiren are a
pre-industrial, single-planet society discovered by a Loroi colonial
team. Nibiren have a Stone Age hunter-gatherer culture, though
some have been taught basic agricultural skills by Barsam
missionaries. The Nibiren very closely resemble the Barsam, though
the two are not at all related genetically or biochemically;
the Barsam share basic biochemistry with other Soia-liron
genotypes, whereas the Nibiren are almost certainly a
local evolutionary development of their native planet. This
physical similarity in the face of genetic and biochemical
diversity has puzzled modern Union anthropologists. Though there have never been formal hostilities between
Nibiren and Loroi, the Loroi do not consider the Nibiren sophisticated
enough for self-governance, and they are technically classified
as an occupied population. The Barsam church maintains a strong
presence on the Nibiren world, Halli.
Race:
Nissek
Affiliation: Independent Ally
Biology: Squat (1.2-1.5m)
thick-tailed bipeds, reptilian in
appearance. Notoriously high-energy. Though they are not
exclusively carnivorous, the Nissek are noted for their flexible dietary
requirements, and famously have no taboos against eating
carrion or the flesh of other intelligent creatures (or other Nissek).
Homeworld: Ninsar
Government Type: Feudal
dictatorship
Notes: Nissek territory,
known as the Hegemony, marks the rimward limit of the Loroi
sphere of influence, far from the axis of conflict with the
Umiak. The Nissek do maintain a substantial military
fleet, but only rarely have ships been called away to fight on
the distant Umiak front. The Nissek prefer to keep their forces
local to defend their own territory against threats that have nothing
to do with the Loroi, and for the most part the Loroi have been
content to let them have their way. Indeed, the lack of trust
between them is such that, even
during some of the darkest hours of the Umiak War, the Loroi
have kept a force near the Nissek
border to keep an eye on them. In a long-ago conflict with the nefarious Mannadi,
the Nissek were once technically at war with the Loroi, even though
they were on opposite ends of the sector and Nissek ships never
met Loroi ships in combat. At the time of the formation of the Union, the
Nissek declined to join but agreed to trade relations and a
military alliance.
Race:
Historians
Affiliation: Independent Ally
Biology: Tall (2.5-3m) pale, hairless, slender bipeds. Four
manipulatory limbs (two major, two minor) in addition to the two
ambulatory limbs.
Homeworld: (unknown)
Government Type: (unknown)
Notes: The Historians are a highly reclusive culture
with a very advanced technology. Very little is known about them, as they do not
permit even traders in their territory, and the living Historians
themselves rarely venture outside their own borders. Instead,
the Historians send out Personality Constructs, which are
"virtual" personalities designed to pilot ships and
interact with aliens on the Historians' behalf. It is generally
believed that the Historians were the first of the local species
to resume starflight after the fall of the
Soia Empire. Further,
it is speculated that the Historians never lost much of their
Soia-era technology or history. Historian vessels continue to crisscross the breadth of known
space and beyond, but most of what they learn is kept to themselves. The Historians had remained
neutral in the Umiak War until the Umiak unexpectedly invaded Historian
space in 2139. Even as allies, the Historians would not agree
to even limited sharing of technology with the Loroi until 2141,
when it became clear the Loroi forces were on the verge of
collapse.
Race:
Pol
Affiliation: Historian
Client Race
Biology: Large (8-10m)
whale-like
marine swimmers. Rumor suggests that the Pol are highly
intelligent, but are entirely without physical technology (as
they lack physical manipulators).
Homeworld: (unknown)
Government Type: (unknown)
Notes: The Pol are rumored
to be the fourth known sentient Soia-liron species, but they
exist entirely within the Historian dominion, and the Historians
have refused access by nearly all Union researchers who have
requested it. The existence of the Pol was discovered by Loroi
farseers who detected the presence of non-Historian populations
within Historian territory; this was confirmed by a Union
delegation, but their official report was sealed at the
insistence of the Historians. The Historians claim
that they are protecting a vulnerable species from exploitation
by others, but it is not clear why they have taken special
interest in this case.
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