You know, the kind where it's divided up into all the individual screens, and each one gets revealed as you explore it, and you can see how they all fit together like a jigsaw? That was so satisfying for my autism and it feels like it would be perfect for this game.
Over the past week and a bit I've been publishing a worldbuilding project of mine on this sub, showing off a space opera setting where humanity is just beginning to venture beyond our solar system and focusing primarily on the alien species we encounter. The following is an index of all the alien dossiers I've posted.
The Aurigan Council
Unaffiliated
The Harmony
The Righteous Authority
REPORT TO THE EARTH DEFENSE COUNCIL: ALIEN DOSSIER 3-A: THE HARMONIOUS LOGH
Overview
The Harmonious Logh (/ˈloʊɢʁ/), native to the planet Mochul (/ˈmoʊx-ul/) are the dominant species of the Righteous Authority, the polity ultimately responsible for the January 13th attack, destruction of the Gemini Orbital and the collapse of the North Africa Space Elevator. They are the "Harmonious Stewards" of a sector neighboring the Aurigan Council and are a military superpower whose economic, industrial, and military capacity far outstrips our own. As the Righteous Authority is implacably hostile to EDF vessels, most of our information on the logh is second hand, and much involves speculation.
Biology and Ecology
Autopsies have revealed that the logh exhibit a startling breadth of physical forms, enough so that if not for genetic analysis they could be mistaken for entirely separate species. Genetic analysis has confirmed that all logh indeed share a common genome - we speculate that this genome is expressed in different ways based on presently unknown epigenetic triggers.
The "standard" logh body plan is vaguely avian - bipedal, with a tail for balance and two forelimbs, which in the logh's case are arms ending in grasping appendages. Heads differ wildly from form to form, but consistently have three pairs of eyes. With a few exceptions, almost all logh forms have fur. They exhibit sexual dimorphism, with female logh possessing wombs, but reports indicate that the logh have almost entirely abandoned sexual reproduction in favor of cloning.
Individual logh belong to one of several forms hyper-specialized for particular tasks. Autopsy and field reports have identified the following forms:
Given that all logh encountered thus far have been part of the Righteous Authority's military, it is likely there are other, civilian forms we have not yet encountered.
Psychology and Society
All reports from aliens that have engaged with the logh diplomatically agree that they are extremely rigid, black-and-white, absolutist thinkers. This is typically attributed to extensive genetic modification aimed at promoting "virtuous" behavior. Most reports agree that crime is virtually unheard of among the logh, attributed to the same modifications. It is possible that the logh's diversity of physical form is a result of this same genetic manipulation, although this is unconfirmed.
Ethics, and in particular the notion of "virtue", appear to be integral to logh society, but they are consistently viewed in rigid and inflexible terms. One of the Righteous Authority's most horrific atrocities, the Ngru Genocide, is typically attributed to the logh having judged the entire ngru species as ontologically evil.
Government and Galactic Relations
The dominant government of the logh is the Righteous Authority, a state that controls Mochul and most logh colonies. It is governed by a meritocratic bureaucracy, promotion through which is associated with examinations aimed at assessing personal virtue. It does not appear to possess a single head of state in the conventional sense, and the inner workings of the Righteous Authority's leadership remain mysterious. Some reports suggest the existence of an executive council.
The ngru have provided an uncorroborated history of the Righteous Authority, attributing its origins to the aftermath of a nuclear war on Mochul approximately three hundred years ago. The logh's subsequent absolutist collectivism and obsession with personal virtue are both the result of an earnest attempt to prevent a second such war.
The Righteous Authority are Harmonious Stewards in good standing, but compared to the hands-off approach of the Aurigan Council are imperious and overbearing, incorporating other spacefaring civilizations into their own hierarchy through client states, and engaging in outright genocide against species they consider unvirtuous. They are known to be implacably hostile to the Aurigan Council, seeing the Unbound as unworthy of their status.
Conclusions
The Righteous Authority is indisputably the most dangerous threat to humanity. Their actions against Earth mirror the early phases of the Ngru Genocide, suggesting that their goal is the total extermination of the human race. The motivation for this goal is unclear - it may be because they perceive humanity as inherently unworthy of life, like the ngru, or it may be a power play against the Aurigan Council.
Ultimately, their motivations are unimportant. Given the rigid nature of logh psychology, negotiation is probably impossible. Possessing advanced technology, a powerful army, and an array of subjugated vassals, the Righteous Authority is an implacable enemy that cannot be fought without securing allies.
REPORT TO THE EARTH DEFENSE COUNCIL: ALIEN DOSSIER 3-B: THE TARKIL
Overview
The tarkil (/ˈtɑɹ-kɪl/) are a sapient spacefaring species native to the planet Tsaphon (/ˈtseɪ-fɒn/), located in Righteous Authority space. They are considered junior allies of the Harmonious Logh. Communication with the Tarkil Protectorate has proven impossible, but we have been able to gather a large degree of information from tarkil pirates and independent colonies.
Biology and Ecology
Tarkil are an invertebrate species vaguely resembling large crabs, with eight legs and a wide shall with a flat carapace and fused plastron. Tarkil possess two sets of forelimbs, a pair of crustacean-like claws and a smaller pair of arms ending in seven-fingered hands. Fully grown tarkil stand on average about a meter tall.
Tarkil have two biological sexes and reproduce through laying and fertilizing eggs. Female tarkil typically lay only one egg at a time, and the young and raised by both parents.
The most interesting aspect of tarkil biology is their empathic link. This phenomenon is based on their twin antennae, which act as organic radio transceivers. Tarkil continuously and involuntarily broadcast radio signals modulated by their emotional state, which trigger sympathetic emotions in any tarkil who receives the signal.
Psychology and Society
Tarkil can be divided into two broad social categories based on their empathic link - the Living, who possess the link, and the Dead, whose antennae have been amputated and who therefore no longer share the link. The relation between the Living and the Dead has a long and complicated history.
The Living can and do communicate verbally, but their ready and involuntary access to each other's emotions underlies all their interactions. Strong emotions are effectively contagious, spreading rapidly from one Living to another, leading to frequent mass public displays of emotion. Communal bonds between the Living are very strong, and violence between the Living is virtually unheard of.
The Dead cut themselves off from these phenomena, putting themselves outside traditional tarkil society. Most notably, the Dead possess the capacity to do violence against other tarkil and have violence done against them, something which is always a permanent and visible choice.
To the tarkil, the empathic link is not just a vital component of their way of life, but what separates them from mere animals. As a result, neither the Dead nor alien species are regarded as fully morally valuable people, although practical concessions are sometimes made. They consider aliens to be inherently untrustworthy, leading the species to be perceived as paranoid and xenophobic in the extreme.
Government and Galactic Relations
At various times and places in their history, the tarkil have been ruled by both popular assemblies of the Living and warrior-aristocracies of the Dead. At present, however, the species is mostly united under the Tarkil Protectorate, a client state of the Righteous Authority.
The Protectorate is a totalitarian police state where all state power is centralized in an executive council. The Chancellor, the Protectorate's chief diplomat, the Commandant, its highest-ranking military officer, and the Warden, head of the Protectorate's internal security forces, all hold permanent seats on the council, and jointly decide the rest of its membership.
Severing of the empathic link is strictly illegal in the Protectorate except when done in service to the state. This naturally means that diplomats, soldiers, and uniformed police officers are overwhelming Dead, while the general population are primarily Living. Some Living also act as spies and secret police for the Warden, using the empathic link to police treasonous or unpatriotic emotions.
The Protectorate is nominally an independent state, but in practice it is governed by the Righteous Authority, with the executive council unwilling or unable to defy logh orders. Tarkil forces are integrated into the Righteous Authority's military in units jointly commanded by tarkil commanders and logh political officers.
Needless to say, the Protectorate is deeply unpopular with the general population. However, its internal security apparatus is extremely effective, and the general unwillingness of the Living to resort to violence has made resistance difficult to impossible. The majority of free tarkil consist of refugees, independent colonies, and Dead pirates.
Conclusions
As a client state of the Righteous Authority, the Tarkil Protectorate must be considered an enemy. While resistance movements against the Protectorate exist, cooperation with them will be almost impossible, due to tarkil xenophobia. We have had more luck in establishing relations with Dead pirates, who are more used to dealing with strangers and who typically have no love for the Protectorate. It is possible that they could help open negotiations with some of the free tarkil colonies.
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REPORT TO THE EARTH DEFENSE COUNCIL: ALIEN DOSSIER 3-C: THE KALSHA
Overview
The kalsha (/ˈkaɫ-ʃɑ/) are a sentient, spacefaring species native to an unknown planet somewhere in Righteous Authority space, and the direct perpetrators of January 13th. As no direct communication with the kalsha has been possible thus far, our information on them comes primarily from ngru sources.
Biology and Ecology
The kalsha are, in some ways, surprisingly humanoid - they are warm-blooded, omnivorous vertebrates with soft skin, two arms, two legs, two eyes, and two ears. Female kalsha also possess wombs and breasts, making the species effectively mammalian. The similarities, however, end here.
Kalsha arms and legs both end in talons, and are joined together by a thin membrane that the kalsha can use to glide for short distances. Their heads have dog-like snouts and cat-like ears. They possess excellent nightvision and keen senses of smell and hearing.
Psychology and Society
The kalsha were originally arboreal ambush predators, who would patiently for prey in the treetops, then swoop down to attack from above. While they long ago adopted agriculture, this still influences their mindset. Field reports consistently show that the kalsha heavily favor guerrilla warfare and prefer to avoid long, drawn out wars of attrition at all costs. They are also primarily nocturnal, and become disoriented in bright light.
Most kalsha subscribe to an ethical philosophy heavily influenced by their relations with the Righteous Authority, emphasizing absolutist values and personal virtue. They are described as being the most fervently loyal of the logh's client species.
Government and Galactic Relations
Most kalsha are citizens of the Kalsha Protectorate, which is a direct subject of the Righteous Authority. While kalsha ships and soldiers act as their own units rather than being integrated with those of the logh, they are ultimately a part of the Righteous Authority's military and answer to their commands, specializing in reconnaissance, raiding, and special operations. In particular, the ships involved in the January 13th attack were of kalsha origin.
The kalsha are known for their fervent loyalty to the Righteous Authority. Even the name "kalsha", a ngru exonym, originates from a domesticated hunting animal native to Korko - one might translate it as "hounds of the Logh".
While the Kalsha Protectorate's foreign policy is entirely subordinate to that of the Righteous Authority, the kalsha are known to have varying opinions on other species. Perhaps most interestingly, they appear to regard humanity with some trepidation - they regard us as disturbingly persistent and enduring, comparable to a stock horror monster from kalsha folklore.
Conclusions
Given their loyalty to the logh, the kalsha must be considered an enemy, and negotiations are unlikely to prove fruitful. It may instead be better to focus on effective strategy. The kalsha will almost certainly attempt to turn any prolonged conflict into a guerrilla war based on ambush and deception. It is in our best interests to instead shift the conflict to a prolonged war of attrition, which they cannot handle psychologically.
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REPORT TO THE EARTH DEFENSE COUNCIL: ALIEN DOSSIER 0-A: THE PARAGONS
Overview
The Paragons are believed to be a sapient, spacefaring alien species, and the creators of the current galactic interspecies order, known as the "Harmony". At some point roughly twenty thousand years ago, the Paragons secluded themselves in the galactic core, and now communicate only through intermediaries.
Biology and Ecology
No information on Paragon biology or ecology is available.
Psychology and Society
No direct information on Paragon psychology is available. The following information is speculative, based on descriptions from historical records.
The Paragons near universally believe in "the Harmony", a hypothetical future utopia that acts as the teleological end of history. To the Paragons, the Harmony is the highest good, and the morality of an action is determined entirely by whether or not it proceeds towards the Harmony.
The Paragons themselves are an exceptionally eusocial and collectivist species, valuing the state over any number of individual lives. They perceive the state as a living organism, and individuals as mere cells. Some alien societies familiar with the Harmony speculate that this is not a result of natural evolution, but of eugenics projects carried out by an authoritarian government.
Government and Galactic Relations
Historical records suggest that the Paragons are governed by a gestalt intelligence consisting of the digitized minds of historical Paragon elites. All living Paragons have been engineered to serve the interests of this intelligence.
The Paragons are near-universally regarded as the most powerful species in the galaxy. They interact with the rest of the galaxy through an intermediary known as the Vicar, who is nominally in charge of the stewardship system, where each region of space is overseen by a "Harmonious Steward" client state. This would officially make them the patrons of the Starborne League, the Aurigan Council, and the Righteous Authority. Their current authority, however, is largely theoretical.
Conclusions
While of great historical significance, the Paragons are, for all intents and purposes, a non-factor in modern astropolitics.
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REPORT TO THE EARTH DEFENSE COUNCIL: ALIEN DOSSIER 2-C: THE NGRU
(CW: >!Cannibalism, child abuse!<)
Overview
The ngru (/ˈŋɹuː/) are an alien species originally native to the planet Karko (ˈkɑɹ-ko). Shortly after achieving interstellar space flight roughly twenty years ago, the ngru were the victims of a species-wide genocide by the Righteous Authority, leaving only a small population of surviving refugees.
Biology and Ecology
The ngru are scaled, cold-blooded tetrapods with five prehensile tails that serve as their main grasping appendages. They are descended from arboreal species and are excellent climbers. Fully grown ngru have two meter long torsos and three meter long tails. Female ngru lay extremely large clutches of eggs, which are then fertilized by male ngru. The ngru reproduction cycle is not especially rapid, but the large clutch sizes lead to explosive population growth within a few generations if not carefully managed.
The ngru are obligate carnivores that typically swallow their prey whole. Like Terran snakes, they are capable of unhinging their jaws to swallow organisms much larger than their heads. They also possess venomous fangs that inject a paralyzing neurotoxin to neutralize their prey for live digestion.
Psychology and Society
The ngru are perhaps the most notorious species in either Aurigan Council or Righteous Authority space. The reason for this notoriety is the means by which they keep their explosive population growth in check: mass cannibalism. The ngru have absolutely no cannibalism taboo, and while they do have a complex concept of murder, often see nothing wrong with devouring one another alive.
Cannibalism among the ngru is most common as a form of discipline. It is considered typical, normal, and even praiseworthy for higher-ranking ngru to eat disloyal, ill-behaved, or unproductive subordinates as an example to others. This occurs in virtually all ngru hierarchies, including within individual families, where parents will devour their own children. It is also common to cannibalize fallen enemy and allied soldiers alike in warfare, and for officers of the state to devour criminals as a form of capital punishment.
Despite this, the ngru do have a concept that could be considered analogous to "murder" - while devouring one's own subordinates is acceptable, devouring those outside one's own social hierarchy is not, save in the context of war. As a result, despite the revulsion their practices may incite, they are generally safe for outsiders to deal with.
Government and Galactic Relations
There was never a single centralized ngru government. Prior to the Ngru Genocide, Karko was divided between several great powers that had begun creating independent colonial empires. The ngru were briefly associated with the Righteous Authority before the logh carried out their genocide, obliterating life on Karko and scattering the survivors to the stellar winds.
A few independent ngru colonies are believed to have survived, but the vast majority of surviving ngru are refugees that fled into Aurigan space. Ngru refugees tend to form insular communities that are distrusted by their host societies, though their lack of local political entanglements often allows them to find employment as mercenaries. The ngru are regarded by most other spacefaring species as barbaric monsters, but potentially useful ones.
Needless to say, there is no love lost between the surviving ngru and the Righteous Authority or its client states.
Conclusions
The ngru obviously do not constitute a viable military ally. However, their long history of association with the Righteous Authority and their current hostility to it makes them a valuable source of intelligence.
REPORT TO THE EARTH DEFENSE COUNCIL: ALIEN DOSSIER 2-B: THE KATOZRY
Overview
The katozry (/kæ-ˈtɑz-ri/) are a sapient, spacefaring alien species native to the planet Zyban (/ˈzaɪ-bæn/). Although they are associated with one of the most powerful interstellar societies in local space, they are isolationist and highly bureaucratic.
Biology and Ecology
The katozry evolved in the temperate montane steppes of Zyban's southern hemisphere. They are warm-blooded invertebrates, although they do possess a boney endoskeleton. The core of the katozry body resembles an inverted pear, with a large, bulbous "visceral hump", containing most of the major organs, atop a smaller "head", containing the brain and orifice. The hump stands on four stilt-like legs, which are covered in a layer of chitin. A full-grown katozry has five-foot-long legs and a three-foot-long core. Their legs are jointed, and the katozry can walk, run, or gallop, but they are most comfortable when standing upright.
Katozry have a single orifice, at the bottom of their head, which is used to eat, defecate, and both lay and fertilize eggs. They have two pairs of arms, which hang from the bottom of the head, the "gripping arms" and "nesting arms". Both are fully developed in females, but the nesting arms are purely vestigial stumps in males. The nesting arms, as the name implies, are primarily used to carry and care for eggs.
Katozry possess four large eyes, spaced evenly around their hump, giving them 360 degree horizontal vision. They communicate verbally, similar to humans.
Psychology and Society
Katozry are grazing herbivores that historically lived in large herds. By nature, they are cautious, conservative, and conformist, putting great stock in traditions, social norms, and protocol. They are serially monogamous - parents are expected to remain together long enough to raise their children, but no longer.
A typical katozry polity is defined by its constitution, which is an almost always unwritten collection of rituals and conventions. There is a large class of legal experts and professional administrators, whose role is to interpret these conventions and transform them into rigorous, codified regulations. Social conformity and peer pressure turn these regulations into enforceable laws. Disputes are typically resolved either by mediation by respected legal experts or by public jury trials.
Katozry polities are usually led by either the legal-administrative class, by the leaders of formal organizations such as the military, commercial unions, or religious orders, or by some combination thereof. Even these figures rarely hold any official position of authority, however. The katozry associate the very idea of a ruler or head of state with rogue statehood.
Government and Galactic Relations
The katozry are in a similar position to humanity. Their homeworld is divided into hundreds of sovereign polities, but nearly all offworld exploration is carried out under the auspices of an international alliance, the Zybanian Colonial Authority. The ZCA is overseen by the Zybanian Colonial Council, a board of representatives from each of member-state. Major policy decisions require unanimous approval from the Council.
The katozry have been a spacefaring race for nearly a hundred years, and have one of the largest empires in local space, comparable to the Aurigan Council, the Magdama Nation or the Great Web. However, katozry caution and bureaucracy has made them rigid and isolationist. The katozry prefer to avoid dealing with aliens wherever possible, and have no affiliation with either the Aurigan Council or the Righteous Authority.
Conclusions
The ZCA is a powerful interstellar state with no existing diplomatic commitments, and it has expressed sympathy for humanity. We therefore consider the katozry a potential ally.
The primary obstacle to such an alliance is katozry bureaucracy and isolationism. They are extremely committed to protocol, and we will be unable to make headway in diplomatic negotiations unless we can successfully navigate their bureaucracy.
We speculate that negotiations with the katozry may be more successful than they initially appear. While we expect great initial resistance, their herd mentality means that if support for Earth becomes an accepted mainstream opinion, or if it becomes accepted by katozry legal experts, it will quickly become consensus.
REPORT TO THE EARTH DEFENSE COUNCIL: ALIEN DOSSIER 2-B: THE KATOZRY
Overview
The katozry (/kæ-ˈtɑz-ri/) are a sapient, spacefaring alien species native to the planet Zyban (/ˈzaɪ-bæn/). Although they are associated with one of the most powerful interstellar societies in local space, they are isolationist and highly bureaucratic.
Biology and Ecology
The katozry evolved in the temperate montane steppes of Zyban's southern hemisphere. They are warm-blooded invertebrates, although they do possess a boney endoskeleton. The core of the katozry body resembles an inverted pear, with a large, bulbous "visceral hump", containing most of the major organs, atop a smaller "head", containing the brain and orifice. The hump stands on four stilt-like legs, which are covered in a layer of chitin. A full-grown katozry has five-foot-long legs and a three-foot-long core. Their legs are jointed, and the katozry can walk, run, or gallop, but they are most comfortable when standing upright.
Katozry have a single orifice, at the bottom of their head, which is used to eat, defecate, and both lay and fertilize eggs. They have two pairs of arms, which hang from the bottom of the head, the "gripping arms" and "nesting arms". Both are fully developed in females, but the nesting arms are purely vestigial stumps in males. The nesting arms, as the name implies, are primarily used to carry and care for eggs.
Katozry possess four large eyes, spaced evenly around their hump, giving them 360 degree horizontal vision. They communicate verbally, similar to humans.
Psychology and Society
Katozry are grazing herbivores that historically lived in large herds. By nature, they are cautious, conservative, and conformist, putting great stock in traditions, social norms, and protocol. They are serially monogamous - parents are expected to remain together long enough to raise their children, but no longer.
A typical katozry polity is defined by its constitution, which is an almost always unwritten collection of rituals and conventions. There is a large class of legal experts and professional administrators, whose role is to interpret these conventions and transform them into rigorous, codified regulations. Social conformity and peer pressure turn these regulations into enforceable laws. Disputes are typically resolved either by mediation by respected legal experts or by public jury trials.
Katozry polities are usually led by either the legal-administrative class, by the leaders of formal organizations such as the military, commercial unions, or religious orders, or by some combination thereof. Even these figures rarely hold any official position of authority, however. The katozry associate the very idea of a ruler or head of state with rogue statehood.
Government and Galactic Relations
The katozry are in a similar position to humanity. Their homeworld is divided into hundreds of sovereign polities, but nearly all offworld exploration is carried out under the auspices of an international alliance, the Zybanian Colonial Authority. The ZCA is overseen by the Zybanian Colonial Council, a board of representatives from each of member-state. Major policy decisions require unanimous approval from the Council.
The katozry have been a spacefaring race for nearly a hundred years, and have one of the largest empires in local space, comparable to the Aurigan Council, the Magdama Nation or the Great Web. However, katozry caution and bureaucracy has made them rigid and isolationist. The katozry prefer to avoid dealing with aliens wherever possible, and have no affiliation with either the Aurigan Council or the Righteous Authority.
Conclusions
The ZCA is a powerful interstellar state with no existing diplomatic commitments, and it has expressed sympathy for humanity. We therefore consider the katozry a potential ally.
The primary obstacle to such an alliance is katozry bureaucracy and isolationism. They are extremely committed to protocol, and we will be unable to make headway in diplomatic negotiations unless we can successfully navigate their bureaucracy.
We speculate that negotiations with the katozry may be more successful than they initially appear. While we expect great initial resistance, their herd mentality means that if support for Earth becomes an accepted mainstream opinion, or if it becomes accepted by katozry legal experts, it will quickly become consensus.
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REPORT TO THE EARTH DEFENSE COUNCIL: ALIEN DOSSIER 2-A: THE UL
Overview
The ul (/ˈuːl/) (or Harmonious Ul, as they prefer to be called) are a sapient, spacefaring species native to the planet Oryan (/ˈʊr-i-æn/) and the ruling species of the Starborne League, a former great power in local space.
Biology and Ecology
The ul are not the first sapient species to evolve on Oryan. Roughly ten million years ago, a land-dwelling species that the ul refer to as the ochai (/ˈɑx-aɪ/) caused an ecological catastrophe that resulted in the extinction of nearly all terrestrial animal life, including the ochai themselves. The ulish life cycle evolved to exploit the resulting ecology.
Uls are pentaradially symmetric amphibious cold-blooded invertebrates. They bear a vague resemblance to Terran starfish, with a cephalopod-like head sitting at the center of five thick, flexible arms, each of which in turn breaks up into five grasping tendrils. The arms are used for both manipulation and locomotion. No part of the ul's body is rigid, and it is covered in a layer of protective scales. Uls are incredibly flexible and can alter the pigmentation of their scales, giving them extensive mimicry abilities.
Uls can live for millennia and never stop growing. This dictates the ulish life cycle. Reproductively mature ul, known as elders, are invariably too large to support their weight on land under Oryan's gravity. They instead remain underwater, except during spawning season, when they release their eggs onto beaches. These eggs are recovered and nursed by the elder's adult children, hatching after six months and becoming adults themselves after roughly thirty years.
Psychology and Society
The basic unit of ul society is the ylar (/ˈɪl-ɑɹ/), or "house", a kinship group consisting of a single elder and its offspring. The elder lives at sea, while the remainder of the house lives in a communal fortress, generally located near the elder's spawning grounds. The house contains both "adult" ul, physically and mentally but not yet reproductively mature, and "child" ul, who are not even physically or mentally mature.
The connection between an elder and its house is surprisingly tenuous. In many ways, ulish elders have their own, separate society from that of their children - two houses may even go to war while relationships between their elders remain cordial. Nevertheless, elders feel a natural inclination to protect their house from total annihilation.
Elders generally try to include their own elder offspring within their house, spawning in the same territory. This is an unprestigious, even shameful situation, and most new elders greatly prefer to break off and create their own houses. Historically, this was rarely viable.
The advent of space travel had a titanic effect on ulish society. An ulish elder can survive in a zero gravity environment just as well as they can survive in the ocean. Combined with faster than light travel, this led to a boom of younger elders breaking off to find new spawning grounds and found their own houses.
Government and Galactic Relations
The dominant ulish state is the Starborne League, an alliance of houses run by spacefaring elders, known as Starborne. The League came to power through its mastery of biotechnology and through an aggressively colonialist foreign policy. Upon discovering a "lesser" intelligent species, the ul would enslave and "domesticate" them through sophisticated genetic engineering.
The Starborne League was once the dominant power in local space, and enjoyed the status of "Harmonious Steward", a regional power ostensibly responsible for the protection and governance of other species in their region of space. Their colonialism and slavery eventually resulted in them being dismissed from the position, which was instead transferred to the Unbound. This resulted in a bloody war between the Starborne League and Aurigan Council, which eventually ended with the collapse of the ulish interstellar empire.
The Starborne League is now a rump state, controlling only a handful of settled planets and openly hostile to all other interstellar societies, especially the Aurigan Council. While they still possess extremely advanced technology, especially biotechnology, they are a fading power with little political influence.
Conclusions
The ul are a potential ally, but a dangerous one. They are open to diplomatic overtures, have no particular antagonism towards humanity, and resent the Righteous Authority. However, it is clear that they are interested only in advancing their own interests, and that a resurgent Starborne League could prove an even greater threat to Earth than the logh themselves.
REPORT TO THE EARTH DEFENSE COUNCIL: ALIEN DOSSIER 1-D: THE SHIIPHAR
Overview
The shiiphar (/ˈʃi-fɑɹ/) are a sapient, spacefaring species native to Drasyr (/dɹə-ˈsɪəɹ/), a low-gravity world orbiting the gas giant Mandar (/ˈmæn-dɑɹ/). They are the dominant species of the Holy Lajosa Empire (/leɪ-ˈjoʊ-sʌ/) and the United Networks, two separate states currently at war with one another.
Biology and Ecology
The shiiphar are a metagenetic species native to the equatorial region of Drasyr. The shiiphar reproduce through alternation of two generations - a plant-like sessile generation that produces sapient, mobile shiiphar, who in turn produce new sessile shiiphar. The relationship between the two kinds of shiiphar is symbiotic, with sessile shiiphar providing mobile shiiphar with both a habitat and nourishment, while mobile shiiphar protect sessile shiiphar from predation.
Sessile shiiphar resemble Terran plants, with a strong central stem from which grows a root network and leafy tendrils. Sessile shiiphar do not stop growing and can live for centuries - the "forests" of Drasyr are in fact comprised primarily of sessile shiiphar, which in some cases rival Earth's redwoods in age and size. Sessile shiiphar flower roughly once every seven years, and when pollinated, these flowers produce shiiphar eggs that hatch into mobile shiiphar.
Mobile shiiphar are arboreal vertebrates with six limbs, all of which have four joints. The fore and rear limbs are two meters long and terminate in claws, while the middle limbs are less than a meter long and end in ordinary grasping appendages. Mobile shiiphar are covered in a layer of fur and have notably bat-like heads. Mobile shiiphar exhibit sexual dimorphism - female mobile shiiphar lay eggs, which are fertilized by male mobile shiiphar. These eggs then become the seeds of sessile shiiphar.
Psychology and Society
The shiiphar "nuclear family" consists of a male and female mobile shiiphar, a single sessile offspring, and the mobile children of that offspring. After the mobile parents' deaths, the sessile shiiphar - called a "progenitor tree" - continues to grow and reproduce, producing further generations which may go on to form families of their own. Groups of families that share a common descent, usually traced matrilineally, form enormous clans that are the basic unit of traditional shiiphar society.
Mobile shiiphar regard their progenitor trees with a mix of filial piety and religious devotion. Exact religious practices and beliefs can differ dramatically between clans, but nearly all shiiphar clans have some form of priestly lineage responsible for approving new marriages and for mediating relations with the clan's ancestral progenitor tree.
The traditional shiiphar marriage ceremony includes not only a ritual joining of two families, but also the planting of the married couple's sessile offspring. Because shiiphar marriage is so closely associated with the planting of new progenitor trees, they are very rare, and almost always intensely political, mandated by a clan's leadership.
Government and Galactic Relations
There are two separate shiiphar interstellar states - the conservative, theocratic Holy Lajosa Empire, based on Drasyr, and the transshiipharist United Networks, which has no central capital but operates out of several former Lajosa colonies.
The Holy Lajosa Empire is named for its state religion, the Lajos Sect. The Lajos Sect is a pantheistic, animistic religion that preaches reverence for the natural order, which is manifested in progenitor trees. Lajosa clans are divided into a three-tier caste system, with the priestly caste at the top, followed by a warrior caste, and finally the worker caste.
The United Networks is a rebel movement that seized control of many of the fringe colonies of the Empire approximately twelve years ago. Its official ideology resembles Earth libertarian socialism, but with strong emphasis on atheism, materialism, and industrialism. Ostensibly, it is a federation of many direct democracy "networks", but in practice politics is dominated by the military.
The Lajosa-UN War is also a proxy war for two of the most powerful local interstellar states, the Magdama Nation, which backs the United Networks, and the Great Web, which backs the Empire.
Conclusions
Both the Holy Lajosa Empire and the United Networks are useful potential allies, but the ongoing war makes any sort of formal alliance dangerous - under current circumstances, being drawn into the war could prove disastrous. Given our status as outsiders with no ties to the Aurigan Council or its member states, it may be possible to attempt to broker peace as a neutral party.
Should this prove impossible, analysis suggests that the Holy Lajosa Empire possesses greater military power and a far larger population, but the United Networks has a stronger economic and industrial base, which will likely eventually turn the tide of the war. If we are to take sides, the Council must weigh the merits of an immediate influx of manpower against the long-term economic strength of the United Networks.
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REPORT TO THE EARTH DEFENSE COUNCIL: ALIEN DOSSIER 1-C: THE CONNECTED
Overview
The Connected are a sapient, spacefaring, plant-like species native to the planet All. They are the dominant species of the Great Web, one of the three major powers in local space.
Biology and Ecology
All is a hot and humid planet, covered in eighty percent water and orbiting quite close to its sun. The Connected evolved in the jungles of All's relatively cool northern hemisphere, and at first glance resemble a form of creeping vine. Each Connected has a short, squat stem, from which its roots reach out underground and its vine-like tendrils spread above ground, often curling around tree-analogues to reach the canopy.
A Connected's tendrils are capable of rapid movement and contain an extensive nervous system. Both of these features originally evolved as a form of defense mechanism - when threatened, the Connected could rapidly jerk their tendrils to imitate an attack by an ambush predator.
A mature Connected - generally over three hundred years old - has a distributed nervous system large enough for intelligent thought, as well as tendrils that can be used to sense the environment, use tools, and communicate with other Connected. Connected languages are based exclusively on tactile sensations and direct physical contact. As such, conventional transliteration is impossible, and this document renders Connected terms using best fits translations in English.
The Connected reproduce by growing pods on their tendrils that eventually burst into clouds of spores. These spores are carried on the wind and can settle in distant locations.
Psychology and Society
Connected are not recognizably sapient until they are at least fifty years old, and even then, conscious thought is such an energy-intensive activity that a young Connected must spend most of its time resting. It is only when they reach maturity, around the age of three hundred, that they become capable of human-level intelligence. Older Connected can be even more intelligent, and as a result, nearly all Connected respect a social hierarchy based on age.
Because Connected may be seeded far from their parents, they do not form strong family bonds. They do, however, have an instinctive desire to protect and nurture younger Connected, regardless of family relationship. Connected society is strongly paternalistic, with young Connected expected to show filial piety to their local elders and older Connected expected to protect their local youth.
The Connected are capable of tool use and often build complex architecture, such as steel pillars to support their tendrils. They have concepts of territory, ownership, and exchange, and a limited concept of division of labor, but all Connected are expected to be able to perform basic skills themselves.
Connected spacecraft are nearly always piloted by a single Connected, who must uproot themselves specifically for this purpose, and whose tendrils fill the entire ship. Such "lone ones" are both pitied and respected by greater Connected society.
Government and Galactic Relations
The majority of Connected are united by an institution called the Great Web, which has elements of both a state and a philosophical religion. Connected affiliated with the Great Web are expected to practice interdependence and filial piety, and to show loyalty to the Connected species as a whole, rather than individuals or smaller communities.
Formally, the Great Web has no central government. In practice, it is ruled by the Senate, a deliberative council of the eldest and most respected Connected, which has no formal powers but which collectively issues advice that carries immense informal authority. Membership in the Senate requires the approval of existing Senators. The Senate communicates via ansible communication towers.
The Great Web possesses a powerful navy, but for obvious reasons is in no position to invade or occupy hostile worlds. They instead prefer to expand their influence diplomatically, working through junior allies such as the shiiphar and the ngro. They are themselves junior allies of the Aurigan Council, and firm supporters of the religion-philosophy-federation known as the Harmony.
The Great Web has an active rivalry with fellow Aurigan Council member the Magdama Nation, which they see as an insidious and subversive element within the Aurigan sphere of influence. While the two do not engage in open war, they back opposite sides in the ongoing Shiiphar Civil War, with the Great Web supporting the loyalist Holy Lajosa Empire.
Conclusions
The Great Web possesses a powerful navy, is a junior ally of the Aurigan Council, and occupies a prestigious diplomatic position as one of the two "Hands of the Unbound". It also has a known preference for diplomacy. Regular diplomatic relations must be established as soon as possible. However, this goal is complicated by their rivalry with the more militarily powerful Magdama Nation.
REPORT TO THE EARTH DEFENSE COUNCIL: ALIEN DOSSIER 1-C: THE CONNECTED
Overview
The Connected are a sapient, spacefaring, plant-like species native to the planet All. They are the dominant species of the Great Web, one of the three major powers in local space.
Biology and Ecology
All is a hot and humid planet, covered in eighty percent water and orbiting quite close to its sun. The Connected evolved in the jungles of All's relatively cool northern hemisphere, and at first glance resemble a form of creeping vine. Each Connected has a short, squat stem, from which its roots reach out underground and its vine-like tendrils spread above ground, often curling around tree-analogues to reach the canopy.
A Connected's tendrils are capable of rapid movement and contain an extensive nervous system. Both of these features originally evolved as a form of defense mechanism - when threatened, the Connected could rapidly jerk their tendrils to imitate an attack by an ambush predator.
A mature Connected - generally over three hundred years old - has a distributed nervous system large enough for intelligent thought, as well as tendrils that can be used to sense the environment, use tools, and communicate with other Connected. Connected languages are based exclusively on tactile sensations and direct physical contact. As such, conventional transliteration is impossible, and this document renders Connected terms using best fits translations in English.
The Connected reproduce by growing pods on their tendrils that eventually burst into clouds of spores. These spores are carried on the wind and can settle in distant locations.
Psychology and Society
Connected are not recognizably sapient until they are at least fifty years old, and even then, conscious thought is such an energy-intensive activity that a young Connected must spend most of its time resting. It is only when they reach maturity, around the age of three hundred, that they become capable of human-level intelligence. Older Connected can be even more intelligent, and as a result, nearly all Connected respect a social hierarchy based on age.
Because Connected may be seeded far from their parents, they do not form strong family bonds. They do, however, have an instinctive desire to protect and nurture younger Connected, regardless of family relationship. Connected society is strongly paternalistic, with young Connected expected to show filial piety to their local elders and older Connected expected to protect their local youth.
The Connected are capable of tool use and often build complex architecture, such as steel pillars to support their tendrils. They have concepts of territory, ownership, and exchange, and a limited concept of division of labor, but all Connected are expected to be able to perform basic skills themselves.
Connected spacecraft are nearly always piloted by a single Connected, who must uproot themselves specifically for this purpose, and whose tendrils fill the entire ship. Such "lone ones" are both pitied and respected by greater Connected society.
Government and Galactic Relations
The majority of Connected are united by an institution called the Great Web, which has elements of both a state and a philosophical religion. Connected affiliated with the Great Web are expected to practice interdependence and filial piety, and to show loyalty to the Connected species as a whole, rather than individuals or smaller communities.
Formally, the Great Web has no central government. In practice, it is ruled by the Senate, a deliberative council of the eldest and most respected Connected, which has no formal powers but which collectively issues advice that carries immense informal authority. Membership in the Senate requires the approval of existing Senators. The Senate communicates via ansible communication towers.
The Great Web possesses a powerful navy, but for obvious reasons is in no position to invade or occupy hostile worlds. They instead prefer to expand their influence diplomatically, working through junior allies such as the the heasui and the skro. They are themselves junior allies of the Aurigan Council, and firm supporters of the religion-philosophy-federation known as the Harmony.
The Great Web has an active rivalry with fellow Aurigan Council member the Magdama Nation, which they see as an insidious and subversive element within the Aurigan sphere of influence. While the two do not engage in open war, they back opposite sides in the ongoing Shiiphar Civil War, with the Great Web supporting the loyalist Holy Lajosa Empire.
Conclusions
The Great Web possesses a powerful navy, is a junior ally of the Aurigan Council, and occupies a prestigious diplomatic position as one of the two "Hands of the Unbound". It also has a known preference for diplomacy. Regular diplomatic relations must be established as soon as possible. However, this goal is complicated by their rivalry with the more militarily powerful Magdama Nation.
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REPORT TO THE EARTH DEFENSE COUNCIL: ALIEN DOSSIER 1-B: THE ASHU
Overview
The ashu (/ˈæʃ-u/) are a sapient, spacefaring alien species native to Ashu-Ngorudu (/ˈæʃ-u ˈŋɒr-u-doʊ/), the third moon of the gas giant Engema (/ɛn-ˈgɛm-ə/). They are the dominant species of the Magdama (/ˈmæɡ-dam-ə/) Nation, one of the three major powers in local space.
Biology and Ecology
Ashu-Ngorudu has low gravity, but is otherwise Earthlike, and evidence suggests that the ashu evolved as solitary ambush predators on the equatorial savannah. Ashu are in some ways similar to terrestrial placental mammals - they are vertebrates, warm-blooded, and sexually dimorphic. The ashu fetus gestates inside the mother's uterus, and female ashu possess breasts for feeding infants.
The ashu have a long, flexible torso and eight arthropod-like limbs: four rear limbs ending in four-digit paws, and four arms ending in four-digit, radially symmetrical hands. While capable of crawling on "all eights", the ashu typically assume a posture where the upper half of the torso "leans back" over the lower half, to more evenly distribute weight. In this posture, a fully grown female ashu averages eight feet in height, while a male averages seven feet. Ashu also possess a long, largely vestigial tail.
The ashu have a relatively long, flexible neck, which allows the head to "lean forward" over the upper torso. The head itself is flat and broad, with a pronounced snout, two flat ears, and two eyes on upward-pointing stocks. Female ashu also possess prominent horns on both sides of the head.
The ashu have soft skin covered in a thin layer of fur. Their fur color is typically a dull green or yellow.
Psychology and Society
Prehistoric ashu were solitary ambush predators, and did not live in large tribes, but rather in small family groups. Modern ashu remain solitary and family-focused. They are quick to put the needs of their perceived family before their own, but feel no empathy for those outside the family, and find it difficult to trust or cooperate with strangers.
Historically, ashu society has been based almost exclusively on perceived kinship groups. Ashu families are organized into clans, which are organized into nations. Citizenship is exclusively hereditary. Kinship groups are usually endogamous and matrilineal, and led by clan elders. Clans compete for status within the structure of the broader nation, with more prestigious clans generally claiming seniority by way of ancestry.
Shortly after industrializing, the ashu began to drift away from this pattern. The political philosophy of "universalism" attempted to abolish both clan and family in favor of meritocracy, with children raised communally so that they would perceive only the state as family. In universalist societies, ashu are raised to be loyal exclusively to the nation, but often develop an affection for their childhood crèche. It is not uncommon for crèche groups to act as important social units.
Government and Galactic Relations
The dominant ashu state is the Magdama Nation, a semi-universalist state. The Nation is nominally identical with the Magdama Clan, whose members form a royal family, and whose leadership act as the leadership of the Nation. The Magdama themselves, however, are only a small percentage of the Nation's population. The vast majority of the population are "fosterlings", raised to be loyal solely to the Nation in the universalist style. Overall leadership of the nation lies with the clan elders in general and the reigning matriarch in particular.
The Magdama Nation are part of the galaxy-spanning philosophy-religion-federation known as the Harmony by way of their membership in the Aurigan Council, a military alliance dominated by the Harmonious Unbound. The alliance is purely pragmatic - they have no interest in the Harmony's ideals and on occasion actively work to undermine the Council. They are particularly bitter rivals with the Great Web, another Council member-state. While they have not resorted to outright war, they back opposing sides in the Shiiphar Civil War, with the Magdama backing the rebel United Networks.
Conclusions
The Magdama Nation possesses one of the most powerful militaries in local space, is a junior ally of the Aurigan Council, and occupies a prestigious diplomatic position as one of the "Hands of the Unbound". They have no diplomatic or political ties to the Righteous Authority, and have a pragmatic political stance that makes them potential allies of convenience.
The two main issues when dealing either the Magdama Nation are their intense nationalism and their rivalry with the Great Web. If we pursue an alliance with the ashu, we run the risk of becoming a puppet state and alienating the rest of the Aurigan Council. On the other hand, they are too great a military power to simply ignore.
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REPORT TO THE EARTH DEFENSE COUNCIL: ALIEN DOSSIER 1-B: THE ASHU
Overview
The ashu (/ˈæʃ-u/) are a sapient, spacefaring alien species native to Ashu-Ngorudu (/ˈæʃ-u ˈŋɒr-u-doʊ/), the third moon of the gas giant Engema (/ɛn-ˈgɛm-ə/). They are the dominant species of the Magdama (/ˈmæɡ-dam-ə/) Nation, one of the three major powers in local space.
Biology and Ecology
Ashu-Ngorudu has low gravity, but is otherwise Earthlike, and evidence suggests that the ashu evolved as solitary ambush predators on the equatorial savannah. Ashu are in some ways similar to terrestrial placental mammals - they are vertebrates, warm-blooded, and sexually dimorphic. The ashu fetus gestates inside the mother's uterus, and female ashu possess breasts for feeding infants.
The ashu have a long, flexible torso and eight arthropod-like limbs: four rear limbs ending in four-digit paws, and four arms ending in four-digit, radially symmetrical hands. While capable of crawling on "all eights", the ashu typically assume a posture where the upper half of the torso "leans back" over the lower half, to more evenly distribute weight. In this posture, a fully grown female ashu averages eight feet in height, while a male averages seven feet. Ashu also possess a long, largely vestigial tail.
The ashu have a relatively long, flexible neck, which allows the head to "lean forward" over the upper torso. The head itself is flat and broad, with a pronounced snout, two flat ears, and two eyes on upward-pointing stocks. Female ashu also possess prominent horns on both sides of the head.
The ashu have soft skin covered in a thin layer of fur. Their fur color is typically a dull green or yellow.
Psychology and Society
Prehistoric ashu were solitary ambush predators, and did not live in large tribes, but rather in small family groups. Modern ashu remain solitary and family-focused. They are quick to put the needs of their perceived family before their own, but feel no empathy for those outside the family, and find it difficult to trust or cooperate with strangers.
Historically, ashu society has been based almost exclusively on perceived kinship groups. Ashu families are organized into clans, which are organized into nations. Citizenship is exclusively hereditary. Kinship groups are usually endogamous and matrilineal, and led by clan elders. Clans compete for status within the structure of the broader nation, with more prestigious clans generally claiming seniority by way of ancestry.
Shortly after industrializing, the ashu began to drift away from this pattern. The political philosophy of "universalism" attempted to abolish both clan and family in favor of meritocracy, with children raised communally so that they would perceive only the state as family. In universalist societies, ashu are raised to be loyal exclusively to the nation, but often develop an affection for their childhood crèche. It is not uncommon for crèche groups to act as important social units.
Government and Galactic Relations
The dominant ashu state is the Magdama Nation, a semi-universalist state. The Nation is nominally identical with the Magdama Clan, whose members form a royal family, and whose leadership act as the leadership of the Nation. The Magdama themselves, however, are only a small percentage of the Nation's population. The vast majority of the population are "fosterlings", raised to be loyal solely to the Nation in the universalist style. Overall leadership of the nation lies with the clan elders in general and the reigning matriarch in particular.
The Magdama Nation are part of the galaxy-spanning philosophy-religion-federation known as the Harmony by way of their membership in the Aurigan Council, a military alliance dominated by the Harmonious Unbound. The alliance is purely pragmatic - they have no interest in the Harmony's ideals and on occasion actively work to undermine the Council. They are particularly bitter rivals with the Great Web, another Council member-state. While they have not resorted to outright war, they back opposing sides in the Shiiphar Civil War, with the Magdama backing the rebel United Networks.
Conclusions
The Magdama Nation possesses one of the most powerful militaries in local space, is a junior ally of the Aurigan Council, and occupies a prestigious diplomatic position as one of the "Hands of the Unbound". They have no diplomatic or political ties to the Righteous Authority, and have a pragmatic political stance that makes them potential allies of convenience.
The two main issues when dealing either the Magdama Nation are their intense nationalism and their rivalry with the Great Web. If we pursue an alliance with the ashu, we run the risk of becoming a puppet state and alienating the rest of the Aurigan Council. On the other hand, they are too great a military power to simply ignore.
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REPORT TO THE EARTH DEFENSE COUNCIL: ALIEN DOSSIER 1-A: THE HARMONIOUS UNBOUND
Overview
The Harmonious Unbound are the dominant species of the Aurigan Council, a military alliance and diplomatic forum that collectively commands the single most powerful military force in local space. They are the recognized "Harmonious Stewards" of local space, occupying a position of great authority and prestige.
Biology and Ecology
The body of a Harmonious Unbound consists of a central sack containing the brain and most other vital organs, as well as twelve boneless appendages, spaced evenly across the sack's surface. Four of these appendages are eyestalks. Six are arms, with suckers along one side, and are used for locomotion and grasping. The remaining four are feeding tentacles, covered in small probusci on one side.
Unbound have no major orifices, although their central sack and the backs of their arms and eyestalks are covered in small pores. They feed by wrapping food in their feeding tentacles and absorbing nutrients through their probusci. They breathe through the pores on their central sack, excrete waste as a mucus through the pores on their arms and eyestalks, and communicate by altering the pigmentation of their central sack.
Natural Unbound reproduction is parasitic - they wrap a potential host in their feeding tentacles, then inject their eggs into the host's body through their probusci. The host incubates and protects the eggs until they hatch, at which point the newborn Unbound devour the host from the inside out.
Unbound are extremely physically weak, and cannot survive outside zero gravity. The location and nature of their home planet, if they have one, is unknown. The current leading theory is that they evolved in a "gas torus" - a ring of gas surrounding a gas giant, torn from the atmosphere of a moon by its magnetic field.
Psychology and Society
Unbound do not trace heredity. Newly hatched Unbound are raised communally. While it is theoretically possible to lay eggs within a sapient host, and despots in the past used Unbound slaves for this purpose, this practice is considered barbaric and sacrilegious by modern Unbound, who mostly lay eggs in mindless organisms called Incubators, genetically engineered for this purpose.
Government and Galactic Relations
The Unbound are politically divided into hundreds of small states, the majority of which are based on arks - large asteroids converted into mobile spacefaring habitats. Other states are based out of space stations or fleets of ships. There are no known Unbound planetary settlements. Most Unbound states are governed by artificial intelligences, but many are military dictatorship or democratic republics.
Nearly all Unbound states are associated with the Aurigan Council, a military alliance and diplomatic forum that is the designated "Harmonious Steward" of local space, and represents the local interests of the galaxy-spanning religion known as the Harmony. The Magdama Nation, Great Web, and Holy Lajosa Empire are junior allies of the Council.
The Aurigan Council seized control of local space and the title of Harmonious Steward from the ul-dominated Starborne League, and while an official ceasefire exists between them, relations remain extremely hostile.
Conclusions
Given their immense military power and their political significance, it is imperative that we establish positive relations with the Aurigan Council as soon as possible. However, there is cause for concern: despite the military strength and diplomatic responsibilities of the Aurigan Council, the Righteous Authority was able to operate deep within the heart of Aurigan-controlled space. This suggests that the Unbound either do not care about defending humanity, or that they deliberately allowed the January 13th attacks for reasons we do not yet understand. Either explanation poses complications.
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