Races and Technology

[Iye Khara]

Races

The Noxchi Confederation
In the wake of the Post-Human Schism, almost all 'transhumans', as they were then called, exiled themselves from the solar system and ventured out into deep space, seeking isolation in the most distant, unfathomed horizons of the galaxy, where they could continue to perfect their bioengineering capacities. A thousand years later, the Noxchi emerged from self-imposed solitude and began violently conquering star systems, enslaving their populations, and carving a sanguine swathe through Tribunal Space: their return to the civilised galaxy necessitated a unified military reprisal of Tribunal races to fight the Noxchi to a stalemate. Since then, the Noxchi have held onto their holdings on the outskirts of the galaxy, maintaining their society through slavery, and occasionally launching a brief invasion of Tribunal space to remind the galaxy that they are very much present and potent.

Physiology:

The Noxchi seem to be skilled at only two things in particular: bioengineering, and anything relating to violence, and the former very much caters to the latter. Noxchi have not been born of sexual intercourse in centuries: instead, they are produced from stocks of 'ideal' genetic materiel, meticulously synthesised to produce that which the Noxchi value above all: soldiers. They are literally bred for war, to be walking machines of death-- Noxchi on average stand between 6'10 and seven feet tall, with their bodies in peak physical condition due as much to their lifelong relentless training regimens as to their eugenics. They bear a resemblance to their human fore-bearers, but generally have less physical variety: they are often pale, due to essentially living in their armour, and the rare occasion in which a Noxchi discards their armour reveals their extensive, physically evident cybernetic augmentation.

Their genetic and cybernetic augmentations, on that subject, grant the Noxchi significant physical and mental boons over their unenhanced counterparts: their skeletal systems and muscle fibre density levels enable them to take massive amounts of punishment and perform feats of strength impossible for unenhanced organisms, synthetic biological cells produced by artificial organs prevent massive blood loss and infection so as to make them that much more difficult to kill, neurological augmentations enhance their senses and eliminate their need for sleep, and a second artificial heart beats alongside the first. The last (but by no means least) modification to be added are neural hardpoints in a Noxchi's very skin, enabling them to directly interface with their armour. These cybernetic modifications are incredibly agonising, and performed whilst the subject is awake and conscious, because fuck you, we're Noxchi. There is always the possibility of the body rejecting the cybernetics, indicating imperfect or tainted genetic stock-- such unfortunate specimens are immediately purged of whatever modifications succeeded, and relegated to slavery. Due to their extensive (if not perfect) mastery of eugenics and cybernetic augmentation, however, those who endure live up to three hundred years, with some making it as far as three hundred and fifty before their body eventually can take no more.

It is often said the best way to distinguish between Noxchi (in the unlikely scenario that an outsider encounters more than one at a time off the battlefield) is their armour-- it's an adage that holds water. With the completion of their augmentations and trials, each Noxchi receives a set of armour bearing the hallmarks of the Phalanx they are destined to serve in: over the years, their armour, scarred and battered but resolute, comes to tell the tale of that Noxchi's experience in war, and each set within about a century of first being donned becomes unique. Notably, one can distinguish a Disgraced Noxchi by the emblem of their Phalanx across the back of their armour: a jagged, crimson streak is carved diagonally through the emblem, indicating that Noxchi has proven unworthy of their Phalanx. Given the Noxchi's propensity for slavery, outsiders are often taken aback that their chosen punishment for their Disgraced is exile rather than slavery, but the Noxchi know better: for many, the shame of having failed their Phalanx and their creed, the agonising sensation of having lost any sense of purpose or direction, proves a punishment vastly more degrading than the torment of mere slavery.

Culture:

The Noxchi are a people steeped in violence-- in the advent of the Post-Human Schism, in which many transhumans were hunted down, persecuted, and in some cases slaughtered, the humans who were to become the Noxchi left the solar system and settled distant, remote worlds, bearing an innate bitterness that manifested in violence. For a millennia before they eventually expanded into the civilised galaxy, the Noxchi organised into tribal Bloods and then waged constant, brutal war against one another, more or less perpetually on the brink of extinction until the now legendary warlord Vivum Ruinguard led her Blood in a war of unification, gradually consolidating the other Bloods into a single, loosely allied Noxchi Confederation. At that point, the Bloods became Phalanxes, militant associations loyal to one another as much as to the Confederation, and with Vivum Ruinguard as its first Executor, the Noxchi Confederation began to expand in search of new planets to accommodate their growing populace and new resources to fulfil their genetic and cybernetic ventures. Their eventual encounter with other races in the galaxy inevitably led to the savage Noxchi Conflict, and after being fought to a stalemate by a unified front of all Tribunal races, the Noxchi were forced to halt their violent expansion.

Needless to say, this isn't a pleasant culture to be raised in, and indeed many outsiders would predict simply existing as a Noxchi is an unpleasant experience. From birth, they have no parents and no siblings: they are hurled into immediate trials, forced to prove virtually from creation their combat potency, and the first thirty years of their existences are a constant, brutal struggle. Their performance determines their fate-- some who display an aptitude for the sciences will become Technicians, maintaining the Noxchi's genetic and cybernetic infrastructure, whilst those who prove insufficient in the trials are stripped of their cybernetics and their dignity and forced into slavery. Those who endure, however, are selected by a particular Phalanx depending on how their behaviour and beliefs align with that Phalanx's traditions, proudly don that Phalanx's armour, and take its name as their own to supplement the name they were given at creation. Fun fact: if two Noxchi in the same Phalanx have the same given name, they have a duel to the death to determine who deserves it more. What? No, one can't just fucking 'change' their name-- what kind of spineless outsider suggestion is that?

In a way, however, Noxchi 'society', if such a term applies, is remarkably egalitarian-- as long as you prove combat-capable, your sex, the hue of your skin, age, all are irrelevant to the extent that Noxchi are often baffled that outsiders even notice these attributes. And indeed, 'Noxchi' of outsider stock are not unheard of-- as long as they manage to impress the Noxchi with their combat acumen, demonstrate a willingness to undergo their trials, and endure both that and the torturous cybernetic augmentation, they're welcomed to their respective Phalanx as readily as a 'natural' Noxchi. However, few outsiders even have this opportunity, as in general, the sole civil interaction between Noxchi and outsiders involves Disgraced Noxchi-- those exiled from their way of life and forced to attempt to eke out a life without the structure and culture they've known their entire lives. Almost invariably, they turn to bounty hunting or mercenary work, as Noxchi, with the exception of the Technicians, have absolutely no knowledge or capacity for anything that doesn't relate to violence and war.

Noxchi given names tend to be very straightforward and to the point, with few vowels-- examples include Jag, Vel, or Krul, with the occasional two syllable name such as Vivum or Garek. Phalanx names follow a tradition of being very... uh, colourful-- examples include Widowmaker, Doomstrider, Bulleteater, and Deathwatch.



Principality of Earth

During the twenty first and second centuries, humanity experienced a scientific renaissance in which its understanding of physics, aeronautics, astrodynamics, biology, and in particular bioengineering were all thoroughly expanded. As an inevitable consequence of the developments in human ability to artificially augment one's body and mind, the 'transhuman' movement began to take hold amongst some humans who saw the advances in bioengineering as holding much potential to improve human life and capabilities; the majority, however, looked upon these changes with fear, believed these individuals were attempting to 'play god', and inevitably, fear led to persecution, and persecution led to a brief but violent conflict after which the transhumans exiled themselves, not to be seen again for a millennia. In the meantime, humanity regressed; their initial hopeful forays into interstellar space came to a grinding halt as they encountered other space-faring races, whom they viewed with suspicion, and they now occupy only the Sol system and a few surrounding stars, refusing to move forward technologically for fear of repeating the events of the Post-Human Schism.

Physiology:

Humans are a simian race, possessing a remarkable natural genetic variety, though their rather limited territorial span and small population in comparison to other galactic races acts against this. They are marked by a moderate degree of sexual dimorphism, with males tending to be larger and more prone to muscle development than females; unlike most other galactic races with a similar degree of sexual dimorphism, humans refuse to use bioengineering to adjust this disparity, which only contributes further to their reputation as backwards and ineffectual.

Physically speaking, humans' physical capacities are heavily dependent on how they cultivate them: unlike some races, the strongest human and the weakest human are divided by a vast intermediate gulf, exacerbated by their opposition to physical augmentation. Therefore, they're often seen as an 'unknown quantity'-- one can make no assumptions as to a human's physical capacities based on their race. They live on average up to eighty years, and generally stand between 5'2 and 6'2 in height.

Culture:

Few individuals throughout the galaxy can claim to know much about humanity, and indeed, most tend to see the Principality of Earth as a backwards, narrow-minded, xenophobic culture, an impression that isn't devoid of truth. Humans are discouraged from leaving Principality space, raised to distrust anything that isn't a one hundred per cent natural human, and have been vehemently opposed to technology beyond the state they have maintained for hundreds of years, with the memory of the violence of the Post-Human Schism still lingering in their collective subconscious.

Humans who do leave the Principality, however, tend to be of another sort-- they are often bold, inquisitive individuals, either unsatisfied by the Principality's parochial policies or unable to live under its totalitarian auspices. They often bear the brunt of their race's reputation for ignorance, looked upon either with disdain or pity by other races, but they're about as open-minded as you could expect a human to be-- few humans who have bought into the Principality's propaganda ever feel the need to leave its space, so anybody who did clearly didn't fit into that mould.

In particular, the Principality has a strongly anti-Noxchi policy, considering the history between the two races-- though the Noxchi had long since forgotten the persecution their forebearers suffered at the hands of the groups that would become the Principality, the humans haven't forgotten the Post-Human Schism, and thus regard the Noxchi as unnatural abominations. For that reason, conflict often breaks out along the borderlines of Noxchi-Principality territory, and a good portion of the Confederation's slave force is composed of humans from the Principality.

Humans have largely retained the distinct cultural identities of their ethnicities, and so their names are reflective of whatever ethnicity they are descended of-- this can be a bit baffling for some of the more homogenous races.




The Execrul Federation
The Execrul evolved on the planet Vienngard, and spent much of their history divided into constantly warring nations: their state of more or less perpetual conflict debilitated their planet and inhibited their ability to move forward into space as a species. After millennia of this status quo, a premier whose name has now been long forgotten set up a united national organisation and recruited other nations through coercion or force, eventually uniting the species into what became a single political entity, setting the stage for their ascent into space. After some years in which they established themselves throughout many star systems neighbouring Vienngard, the Execrul encountered the Tribune races, who were impressed by their culture of discipline and regimented military. They were accepted as a Tribune race, becoming the 'fist', so to speak, of the body, and currently maintain an alliance of sorts with the Minagora in order to bolster their own economy; they contract out various manufacturing necessities to Minagora companies, and in return offer them protection of sorts.

Physiology:

The Execrul are a saurian race, and they are built like predators, with forward-facing, keen eyes and a streamlined, powerful body. Their facial characteristics differ depending on the subspecies-- Vaegoth Execrul have elongated snouts (often compared by humans to crocodiles, which has become something of a human slur for the Execrul), whereas Arctaric Execrul have shorter snouts and spines arching back over their heads. Historically, the Vaegoth have tended to dominate Execrul society, which led to resentment on the part of the Arctaric, vestiges of which still remain to this day. Their tough scales vary in colour and can range through shades of green, blue, grey, and white; it is an urban myth that Execrul scales are as tough as armour, and though they afford some slight protection, a thermal round (to say nothing of a laser blast) has no trouble penetrating the scales. Execrul live on average about one hundred and fifty years, though some are afflicted with a genetic condition which causes their cells to degenerate much more quickly, resulting in death of old age by a mere seventy five or so years in such cases.

The Execrul are characterised by significant sexual dimorphism, with females, generally standing an average of six and a half feet in height, towering over males, among whom heights of five and a half feet are not rare but rather uncommon; females also tend to be naturally much more muscular than their male counterparts due to the presence of a hormone which aids in muscular development which males lack. The Execrul have begun taking steps to eliminate this marked sexual dimorphism through genetic bioengineering as most other Tribune races have, and thus the recent generations of Execrul are less disparate, but it is a recent process and thus the dimorphism has yet to be fully quelled.

Culture:

After centuries of disorganisation and warfare, the Execrul came to believe the only way for a united race to succeed is through discipline and a strict hierarchy, tenets very clearly demonstrated in Execrul society. In the eyes of the Execrul, there must always be someone below to command, and someone above to obey, and their society is structured in a hierarchy through which one advances via their contribution to the Federation as a whole rather than their 'own' achievements. The Execrul look down on those who attempt to distinguish themselves from the pack, looking upon them as troublesome and anything but conducive to an efficient, streamlined system: after all, how can anything be achieved if a citizen puts their own interests ahead of the Federation?

However, one distinct aspect of their former nature does still show itself in Execrul society: warfare. Soldiery is considered the pinnacle of public service in Execrul philosophy, and they hold up not their scientists or their politicians, but their war heroes as the epitome of what an Execrul should strive to be. Their military is the most powerful of the Tribune races as a result of this emphasis on military might, and their battle strategies throughout history have been studied and emulated by tacticians across the galaxy. The Execrul also strongly believe in honour and respect, and thus are known for showing great esteem for adversaries they feel have fought well and honourably, though this makes them susceptible to pirates and other similar foes who tend not to really give a shit about the idea of honour in combat.

However, due to their highly regimented society, Execrul who find themselves torn from such a rigid system often suffer what one might call a withdrawl of sorts-- they find it difficult to adjust, they feel listless and unfocused, and they frequently seek an authority to provide stability. At least, that's the stereotype-- who's to say there aren't Execrul who don't give half a fuck about the rules and would rather think for themselves than for the state? Just as the system produces extremely lawful, by-the-book individuals, it brands upon those less malleable to it a definitive maverick streak, and such individuals often suffer demotions and stigmatisation for speaking up against authority.

Execrul naming customs are generally quite ornate-- some have even said pompous in a fashion. They have three names-- their given name, the name of their mother, and then the family name. For example, an Execrul named Vielsuvii Cazavius Tyburn would be the son of Cazavius of the Tyburn family, or one called Arcturus Invictus Vale would be the daughter of Invictus of the Vale lineage.



The Minagora Plutocracy

The Minagora evolved on the swamplike Herina, and unlike most races, were generally a pacifistic society, solving conflicts between civilizations with mutual benefit and profit a their main motivators, making them easily becoming united under one egalitarian government. There had been another race growing alongside them, also sentient, but the rapidly expanding societies of Minagora ended up subjugating them and forcing them into what could be considered slavery, but was more like providing them homes, food, shelter, in return for doing more difficult physical tasks that the small Minagora couldn’t handle themselves. Many households even often house a few of the secondary race, Tatari, and are generally treated well. Upon becoming a space-faring race, it was realized that they were at risk of a military invasion by other races, so the Minagora turned to the Execrul; offering trade in return for protection, and thus formed the ____ Alliance, which still stands strong today. Among the Tribunal Races, the Minagora are the peace supporters, and the economic backbone, often helping out the other races whenever there’s an economic crisis.

Physiology:

The Minagora are a hybrid insectoid and simian race, built at a small size, the tallest of them being roughly four and a half feet tall. The most prominent physical feature of theirs are the extravagantly and varying colored wings protruding from what appear to be something between a shoulder-blade and a hard riveted shell. Since the temperature on Herina is generally constant world-wide, there isn’t much variation on the appearences of different regions of Minagora, the only main difference is that the ones from the north tend to have brighter colored wings, while the south has more faded colors. With two thin like arms, the tips covered in a sensitive and thick hair, as well as two thin legs, with the extremeties of those also hair-covered, the Minagora race is generally physically weaker than most other Tribunal races. The faces themselves somewhat resemble human faces, except for the eyes, being roughly 1.2 times as large, and more vibrantly hued than a humans, as well as a pointier chin, almost feline-like mouth, and antennas reaching out from where the ears usually are.

As for sexual dimorphism, the only significant difference is that males have larger wings, and females have slightly wider abdominal sections. As with most Tribunal races, there have been augmentations to increase the Minagora’s sensitivity to body language, especially amongst other races, as well as their speed in flight, and to some extent, added physical strength. A back-up circulatory system has been included into their bodies as well, due to the innate frailness of most Minagora.

Culture:

Minagora were always a collectivistic capitalist society, weighing both profit and the common good for all as the top priority. Their capitalist society as a whole is very carefully regulated to ensure the least amount of suffering by the workers as possible, and even the upper class citizens tend to partake in philanthropy to help improve life as a whole. That’s not to say they are perfect, however, since they tend to view themselves above other races, who may view things differently, and in general, most Minagora can’t comprehend the idea of an individualist society at all. There is disparity, but typically, Minagora work for the benefit of everyone, and shun or exile any that have a different point of view.

While they don’t view all life as precious, they do think war is generally a waste of time, and avoids it whenever possible, preferring more peaceable solutions to a conflict. However, with clever word play and being able at reading alien races better than they can, generally, read them, it is often that the Minagora benefit the most from their trades. That isn’t to say that they deceive other races into entering harmful trades and treaties, just that the Minagora have the most to gain from it all.

Minagora tend to be subtly arrogant about their culture, believing it to be the best culture out of all the Tribunal races. This is apparent in their media- or some might say, brainwashing propaganda; and their rigid mentality makes it hard for them to adapt as a whole. Still, they do value cooperation, and most individual Minagora tend to make the peace keeper in a group, to try and have everyone gain from whatever they do. They’re generally well liked, despite their arrogance, at least to their faces, because more than one alien company has been wiped out by Minagora prioritizing their own race’ business over that of others, partially making the Tribunal races dependent on their trade and partially to ameliorate their race’s position as a whole.

Slavery of the Tatari is tolerated, as long as the Tatari are treated as essentially someone to do the grunt work. Once all the work is done, the Tatari is treated just like any Minagora in the household; with dignity and respect. The Minagora don’t trust the Tatari to be able to manage their own funds, or live independently, so they truly believe that it is in the Tatari’s benefit to stay in the slave system. They are clearly second class citizens, generally being split apart from their families at birth, and only allowed to breed in order to create more slaves- the best males are allowed to choose from available females at the breeding areas, while the weaker or smaller ones go last to choose, but those are the only significant ways that the Tatari are being oppressed. They don’t particularly enjoy being enslaved, but it allows them to live generally easy lives.

The Minagora naming custom adheres to a strict pattern-- a given name of three syllables followed by the family name of five syllables, both in a single name. As such, a Minagora named Lin-Quora would be Lin, the daughter of the Quora family, and Zen-Murai would be Zen, the son of the Murai family.



The Xilass Thassalocracy

The Xilass began as mechas, created in the image of their creators, the Elders. They were originally created to work as more efficient versions of the Elders, to do menial tasks, but eventually, with a network update, were given self awareness, and roughly ninety percent of the Xilass ended up asking the Tribunal to be allowed to go their own way. The Elders allowed them, and the Xilass were eventually viewed as a social experiment by them, to see how synthetic life can manage as a civilization. The Xilass ended up occupying the planet Palar, where they built an incredibly large mothership, and became a nomadic race, wandering about the systems in the largest ship ever to exist in Tribunal Space. Unfortunately, they don’t technically count as of yet as a Tribunal Race, despite their technological advancements over the years that benefit all sentient life that accepts them.

Physiology:

The Xilass were originally built to resemble the Elders, with the tall slender frame, with overly thin limbs and large head, but over time adapted themselves to be bulkier; more compact, as well as individuals perusing their own personal upgrades. Some choose to give themselves a built in jet pack to allow for some sort of flight, while others may choose to weaponize their central region into a rather large –still experimental- plasma weapon, while some may even just make longer limbs. There’s a limit of three upgrades for now, though, or else their mainframe will overload, but already Xilass networkologists are working on a way to increase that number. There’s really no limit other than the constraints of current technology, for their personalized upgrades. Although rarer, some choose to entirely forego their bipedal state, choosing a more animalistic appearance, such as a reptilian quadripedal, or other types. The one thing in common is that all Xilass manage their own upgrades, and self-administer them.

Culture:

Overall, the Xilass promote individuality and personal innovation above all else, allowing for maximum creativity and efficiency rather than worry about any sort of morals. Absolute freedom is tantamount, as well as the ability to enforce said freedoms. Because of this, most Xilass choose to leave the main ship, the Dephdra, and go rogue, only being required to check in every once in a while with their minimalist government at the Dephdra to maintain their technology, and conduct upgrades, and reinforce their bodies of any residual damage over time, particularly of the plasma weaponry, which is still volatile and too dangerous for wide-spread use as of yet.

The solo Xilass tend to be, surprisingly, quite social, and enjoy interactions with the organic races. Although they are usually ignorant of the rules or general laws of social conduct, the Xilass also don’t really care, viewing such things as holding the organic races back. They are easy to get along with, and often make the best medics. The only races that the Xilass don’t get along with are the Elders, and the humans, the first for still viewing them as a social experiment, even three thousand years later, and the latter for being a backwards and unproductive race. However, the Xilass enjoy the humans for their genetic diversity, and often abduct them in order to advance their organic medicinal tech.

The Xilass Government is incredibly minimalistic, usually only stepping in to avoid any sort of conflict that could lead to a war. Their vessel, the Dephdra, is almost unanimously allowed to dock at any space station to refuel, as well as charge up their stores, because it usually means some Xilass will share the newest tech with the locals, thus benefiting both, and allowing the Xilass to survive as a nomadic civilization.

There's really no guessing as to the name of a Xilass, however-- they're so individualistic that they generally choose their own names, and the damn thing could be anything. You could have a Xilass named Ellen Hopkins standing next to one named Brings Down Thunder From The Skies Above In The Name of Justice and the Night.


The Irae'ilian Theocracy

The Irae’ilian, evolving on planet Irae'ilian Iiv, were the first to evolve in this cycle, and view themselves as the successors by the an ancient civilization of a previous cycle, which had once visited Irae'ilian Iiv, leaving behind some remnants of their technology and ideals; now died out, and worship them somewhat religiously. Being the first ones to reach space due to the sudden bump from pre-industrialism to space-faring, thanks to what was left by the 'Phyx'Micar' (those of before), they had their hands in almost each of the Tribunal Races, from creating the Xilass (name meaning ‘Cheap Worker’), to helping the Minagora’s trade spheres expand at a quicker rate. They are generally benevolent, but also view themselves as having the right to ‘play god’ to a certain extent, leading in this cycle’s biotechnology, the Irae’llian are the moral head of the Tribunal Races, and the main diplomatic force behind it. They hope to one day ascent to a higher collective state, and because of this established the Tribune itself, leading it due to believing to be the 'chosen' race by the Phyx'Micar.

Physiology:

The Irae’ilian are quite tall on average, reaching about eight to nine feet tall. They are a bipedal amphibious race, with a somewhat elastic skin, with tint ranging from light red to indigo, and almost perpetually open eyes, needing very little tie to blink; with two pupils. The skin itself is naturally resistant to lasers, to some degree. They are slender, with long spindly arms and an almost awkwardly large head. Their fingers are particularly long and dexterous, and their knees bend backwards, seeming almost reptilian in design. They tend to communicate via singing, with a formal language that has different meanings depending on the notes of the song sung. There is naturally no sexual dimorphism; the only way to tell if one is male or female is the pheromones released through their pores, or to dissect them to view their reproductive systems. The differences between the different regions tend to be vocal tone, skin hue, and length of fingers, with only a very small percentage of the far-eastern nations having webbed fingers and toes.

In terms of augmentations, the Irae’ilian have various optical, auditory, and vocal implants to let them more easily communicate with other races, making them the best as translating the different tongues, and at integrating into a whole new culture completely. They also have augmentations to preserve moisture within their body at an improved rate, letting them survive longer in harsh conditions that may lack water. They also have the typical strength and reflex augmentations, though those aren’t technically a priority. Augmentations in general have the best compatibility with the Irae’ilian, allowing them to take on more without as many adverse effects, than other races.

Culture:

The Irae'ilian adhere staunchly to a general belief in a sort of cosmic karma-- it informs every aspect of their culture and drives their theocratic government. In essence, they operate on the belief that by taking a role of guidance and benediction, both as a race and as individuals, they will enable themselves to achieve a state of 'higher being' characterised by oneness with the universe, which they believe the Phyx'Micar achieved. As a result, the Irae'ilian see themselves as the lodestar of galactic civilisation, considering it their duty to uplift certain races and to mould the very scape of the galactic stage, to which end they established the Tribune as a method ostensibly of maintaining galactic diplomacy, but more importantly as a path to achieving the higher state.

While they are benevolent, and want to preserve galactic peace; stepping in between other races when necessary to stop a war, or helping strengthen inner-Tribunal relationships as a whole, they also do like to learn more about how minds and the universe work- their biggest crime, possibly, being in the notes-taking and clinical experimentation/observation of the Xilass. Upon freeing them from their bonds, the Irae'ilian kept close tabs on them after giving them the illusion of true independance, and studied on the psychology of synthetic life, almost as if trying to deem if they could count as one of the Tribunal Races. However, due to the general disorganized and minimalist government of the Xilass, the Irae'ilian opted on excluding them, keeping it organics-inclusive, only.

The Irae'ilian are natural diplomats, able to sound pleasant and understanding in their sing-song voices while actually making harsh threats to keep things within what they view as suitable and within their guidelines, apparently passed down from the Phyx'Micar. They carefully watch the other races with their superiority, and often put themselves in when they feel it's required to keep the other races along the path that they have chosen for them. Improving them with cybernetic augmentations, as well as influencing their governments in small ways, it's clear that the Irae'ilian view their own ways as the 'right' and 'superior' over others, and almost constantly have an ethnocentric view when it comes to intergalactic negotiations. And one day, once they ascend to that higher state, they will decide which race can lead the others in their stead; still undecided on who'd be able to succeed them and be the next leaders.

Irae'ilian naming custom generally does not involve a given name and a family name so much as a given name followed by a suffix that determines their stature in society. Lilihiriex, for example, would be of the ruling class as indicated by the 'ex'-- Alilere would be of the priest class as indicated by the 're', and many of the middle-class Irae'ilian utilise the suffix 'la' to indicate such. The lower classes, on the other hand, are not subject to this system, and thus do not use suffixes.

The Tatari Slaves

The Tatari evolved alongside the Minagora on planet Herina, although their longer gestation period as well as generally less infants being born at a time made them pretty quickly the subordinate race to the quickly expanding Minagora. War could have broken out between the two races, fighting for dominance, but the Minagora quickly controlled the main resource spots in the swamp planet, forcing the Tatari into a pacifistic solution. Although they are sentient, they don’t count as a space-faring race, and are thus excluded from the Tribunal.

Physiology:

The Tatari are a canine race, standing at about five feet tall when upright. They can alternate between bipedalism and quadripedalism, depending on the situation, due to thir extremely strong hind legs that had evolved to suit the harsh swamp texture of the land. The front legs/hands have opposable thumbs, but can also help increase running speed in an emergency. Their fur varies from region to reason, sometimes being long and shaggy, other times short and curly, but they generally tend to be a sandy-brown color. Their tails are long, however, often reaching a foot in length.

Since they’re a slave race, the Tatari don’t have any sort of augmentation other than one that increases their lifespan, allowing them to live for sixty years on average.

Culture:

The Tatari have struggled to maintain their cultural identity while being oppressed by the collectivist Minagora, undergoing isolation from familial units as well as forced breeding to produce offspring; the majority of Tatari are displeased with their lot in life, but due to being separated most of the time, it makes it really difficult to try and start a movement for their independence. Some Tatari even believe that they can’t manage their own income or live on their own, and accept that they’re living in a symbiotic relationship with the Minagora, albeit in slavery. Others however have tried to escape in trade vessels, and are typically seen as intelligent and generally decent individuals to other races. It is rare that the Minagora give chase to any Tatari that vies for freedom once they are in space, and the ones that have made ther niche in the stars almost view the escape to be as a test by the Minagora to see if they are fit enough to live without their guidance. Some seek to edify the other races on the nature of their plight-- for example, the Tatari novelist Hend-Hunar frequently addresses the theme of slavery and subjugation, and the difficulties of maintaining a cultural identity under such circumstances.

Unfortunately, their traditional naming customs have long since been forgotten, and the Tatari have adopted the same system as the Minagora, with one exception: their second name is not their family name so much as a name that indicates their 'grade' as a slave, for use in the mass breedings. Hunar indicates intelligence reaching ‘Minagoran’ standards, and they are viewed as threats to the system at times; the Varen are middling, better for grunt work, but account for most escaped Tatari; the Nulda are regarded as unintelligent but still physically capable, and compose the bulk of the Tatari slave force; and Ergun are generally not even permitted to breed due to genetic disabilities, excessively bad intelligence, or weak physical bodies.


Technology

Armour

Combat armour is almost universally standard for all combat personnel, whether they be soldiers, mercenaries, pirates, or even law enforcement. Almost all armours are also augmented by innate shield generators which produce an invisible kinetic veil around the wearer, protecting them from small arms fire to a certain degree. After getting past the shields, one must also weather their opponent's armour before they can inflict fatal wounds: just how good an armour's capacity for taking damage is tends to correlate with its weight, as heavier armours have more protective materiel and room for shield generators but limit movement for those who lack the physical strength and dexterity to accommodate for the weight. Give the disparate physiologies of the various races, most armours are specifically made for a given race; on the other hand, the Xilass don't use armour so much as they tend to just build shield generators into their bodies, and the Noxchi wear a special sort of armour they themselves have developed which doesn't use shields but is so heavy and incredibly thick that most small arms fire has just as much trouble getting past it.

Weapons

Weapons in the galaxy are divided largely into two classes: ballistic, and laser. Ballistic weapons fire thermal rounds, which use their kinetic energy and the heat generated therefrom to penetrate shields with ease, though they have more trouble getting past a good set of armour. Laser weapons, on the other hand, fire a burst of concentrated, high-energy particles that can burn through armour quite easily, but are stopped up more frequently by shields. Both weapons have their uses, and range from pistols, to assault rifles, to shotguns, to light machine guns and sniping rifles. They're both the galactic standard, though humans have yet to begin using thermal rounds and continue to use kinetic bullets, and the Xilass have begun experimenting with extremely powerful plasma weapons, and tend to mount their weapons on their very bodies to begin with.

Another weapon worth mentioning is the energy blade-- developed by the Execrul, who have long seen melee combat as a more honourable and a more demanding form of combat than firearm warfare, the energy blade is a fixed beam of high energy particles that varies in length much as the archaic swords of human history, emitted from a handheld hilt. Though initially other races spurned the Execrul's energy blade, considering it impractical for modern warfare, they soon changed their tunes once they realised the energy blade bypasses modern shields completely uninhibited, as they are engineered to protect against objects with a high kinetic energy. They're still comparatively rare and found most commonly in the possession of Execrul officers, however.