Horrors and Miracles
Greetings to all readers. This story will be about a new empire that will expand into different dimensions, starting with the Endless Space dimension. This story will also include but not limited to the Transformers Prime universe and the Mass Effect universe. Magic and High Technology will be involved in this story. I placed it here in the Transformers category so as to have more people view and give reviews about it. Though the cybertronian universe will appear later, I will compensate the need of the category with a different transforming species.
Disclaimer: All represented fictional universes belong to their respective authors. Only the new species and original characters belong to me.
Prologue:
This tale begins in one of the many dimensions of the multiverse, specifically the Endless Space dimension. The basic history of this dimension began long ago, a certain race called the Lost came into being. It is not known how these beings formed, but it was known that they were composed of a mysterious substance called by future species as "Dust." These Lost were as large as planets and were quite peaceful as a race.
Time wore on, a species arose that would come to be known as the Endless. The Endless later achieved spaceflight and grew to be interstellar empire. After some time, the Endless encountered the Lost, whose dust essence was greater than the synthetic imitation the Endless tried to create. The Endless grew greedy and plotted on taking the dust of the Lost for their own race. Thus, the race known as the Endless unleashed a genocidal war against the Lost.
The war ended with the Endless appearing victorious with the Lost seemingly extinct. The dust of the Lost scattered across the galaxy, infusing worlds and lifeforms with it. The Endless empire grew to encompass most of the galaxy. In the later years, the Endless split into two factions: the Concrete Endless and the Virtual Endless. The Virtual Endless used dust based technology to achieve a virtual form of existence.
The Virtual Endless waged a war of domination over the Concrete Endless called the "Dust Wars" which resulted in the collapse of the Endless civilization. After the Endless came new species who eventually came to use dust based technology and form their own interstellar empires. The following are the major races competing in the galaxy:
Vaulters - They came from the human race. They descended from colonists who were stranded on harsh icy planet called Auriga. The Vaulters adapted to this world and grew to be an intelligent and inquisitive people, especially in the scientific fields. However, the world lived on was starting to become more and more dangerous for them to stay. As a result, their leader Ilona Zolya, the "First of the Bloodline," declared that a part of their population would flee from that world onboard their original colony vessel, the Argosy. The eventual parting among the Vaulter came to be known as the Sundering. After journeying across the stars in cryostasis, the Vaulters found a new home to settle on. Though they still sought to find out what happened to those left behind on Auriga. Vaulter ship design are based on Mezari designs.
Population Bonus: +20 Damage done to attacker during ground battle
+1 Science on Planet
Cravers - The Cravers are a race of cybernetic insectoids with six limbs who were built by the Virtual Endless as a bioweapon. After the Dust Wars, the Virtual Endless placed the Cravers on a planet called Husk and bombed the race back into the stone age. The Cravers begun to build their own civilization and reach into space once again. The Cravers are split into castes such as the fertile queens, the commanding bishops, and the near mindless drones. The Cravers are a ravenous species because they quickly over exploit and drain the resources of the worlds they colonize. They enslave and sometimes even devour other species they capture. They are a race at constant war who view peace as an incomprehensible concept. Craver ships appear as ramshackle vessels.
Population Bonus: +50% food, industry, dust, science, and influence on Undepleted planets
+1 Depletion Point on Planet
United Empire - The United Empire are descended from humans colonists originating from their dying home world of Mezari, who settled on planet they called Raia. The Raians developed their civilization but nearly destroyed themselves in a war called The Great Continental War. The dominant faction after the conflict, the Alliance of Nations ruled over the world. Years later, this United Empire began to reach for space and control over this new frontier. The United Empire is guided by the emperor Maximilien Zelevas and by powerful individuals who call themselves as dukes, barons, and count who control parts of the empire. A society that focuses industry and science, the United Empire is oriented in the creation of new machines to aid in further conquest for reasonable security reasons. The ships of the Raians are different than the original Mezari starships.
Population Bonus: +1 Influence
+1 Influence on Temperate Planet
Riftborn - The time manipulating, geometric, quasi-robotic Riftborn originated from a completely alternate, geometric dimension of order and purity. They lived a peaceful existence until, due to a large explosion of dust from an Endless spacecraft, a great rift was open, connecting their dimension, known as Coroz, and the Endless Space dimension. The crashing of physics between universes resulted in a horrific blight which spread across Coroz, threatening the existence of that dimension's inhabitants. Their government, called the Communion, decided to send members of their species across the Rift, which gave them the name "Riftborn," in an attempt for survival. Those who crossed the rift, led by one called the Grand Viceroy of New Coroz , settled on a cold world they called Vanguard and sought to find way for their whole species to survive in this new, terrifying dimension. The robotic shell of Riftborn contain their spirit. Riftborn ship design is odd, with some parts floating apart from the hull.
Population Bonus: +5 production, dust, science on Planet
Unfallen - The Unfallen of primeval, forest world of Koyasil are a sentient, tree-like people who slowly developed in a time period they called the "Long Sleep." The Modern age was thrust upon after a skirmish between two races appeared over their home world ending with the Unfallen observing violence for the first time. Because the Unfallen intimately view fire as both Fire-That-Renews and Fire-That-Destroys, they seek to bring peace and harmony to the wider galaxy. The Unfallen are led by Arasch, First of Seconds and guided by the voice of the Heart. The Unfallen reproduce through seeds that grow into immobile, developing Firsts. The next stage is the Seconds which can move around and are travelers. After a certain age, the Second give in to the desire to find a place to settle on, rooting into the ground, and returning to the "Long Sleep," completing their life cycle as ageless, sleeping Thirds. Unfallen ship design is a combination of technology and biology.
Population Bonus: +5 food on Planet
+5 food on Fertile Planet
Horatio - The Horatio are clones created by an eccentric and wealthy trillionaire called Horatio who left the Mezari empire. He traveled to a beautiful world he later called Horatio Prime in cryogenic stasis. When he arrived on that world, he became a self-imposed emperor and later, he scoured the planet and the two moons, looking for Endless artifacts. With what he found, he was able to lengthen his own lifespan. After years of boredom, a thought occurred to Horatio, to fill the galaxy with him, the most intelligent and beautiful being ever. Thus, he grew an army of loyal and obedient clones to make his mark on the galaxy, though there were rumors of the first batch of clones being a little too perfect. The Horatio place great importance on agriculture to provide enough food for more Horatio to cover the galaxy. Horatio design is eccentric in nature with metal fins sticking out of their ships.
Population Bonus: +2 Approval
Vodyani - The Vodyani were once an organic race originating from a temperate world called Tchinomy. After too much depletion of natural resources, the Vodyani were on the brink of extinction but were saved by the technology and relics left behind on their world by the Virtual Endless. They enjoyed their new immortal, yellow, virtual forms clothed in a black cloth like technology and as a result, they worshiped the Virtual Endless as mighty gods in their established Church of the Virtual Saints, which also controls the cloth all members of their kind wear. However, in order to maintain their continued existence, they subjugated peoples and consumed the life essences of other races even on a planetary scale called leeching, earning them the ire of the other factions. They prefer to live on their great black Arks than on the surface of planets. The Vodyani are led by the current Hierarch, Isyara St. Shaiad whose brother, Isyander St. Shaiad who is known to them as the Heretic, opposed their church and led a rebellion before disappearing from their society. Vodyani ship design is angular and black with some parts containing the yellowish, glowing dust.
Population Bonus: +50% Population Growth penalty
+4 food, industry, dust, science
Lumeris - The Lumeris are grayish amphibians though have mammalian traits, that originated on the tropical, island studded world of Jenes. They are a race focused on trade and on the various facets of economy. They live on both water and land and their society is controlled in the shadows by the Four Families, led by Jenestra Omalfi'Meos. The Four Families are composed of the Meos family who control agriculture, the Omokar family who handle the issues of construction and unions, the Lancellum family who handles ship and port building , and the Arrakyo family who takes care of legislation and politics. Their society ,also known as the Lumerian Federal Democracy, is organized around the units of family, clan, and dynasties as a results of geography of their many nations. The life goal of each Lumeris is achieving a good economic status for one's self and for his or her future descendants, thus the focus on trade. Lumerian ship design is colored in white and gold.
Population Bonus: +1 dust
+5 dust on Fertile Planet
Sophons - The Sophons came from a cold and rocky planet called Hekim, which orbited a blue star. The blue star is responsible for the rapid mutation and evolution of the quite analytical and curious Sophons. They wear white full body suits and have mammalian traits. They are a people who focus on attaining knowledge above most other pursuits. They prefer learning new things instead of fighting with other races but are prepared to defend themselves. Their society, known as the Geniocratic Demarchy of Hekim, the Sophon Republic or just the Sophonity is led by a triumvirate whose current members are: Ziawauid Deaimim - Provisor of External Affairs(diplomacy, defense, etc.), Leumac Seyaga - Provisor of Internal Affairs(police, infrastructure, etc.) and Keuytha Chuedoal - Provisor of Future Affairs(education, research, etc.). Sophon starship are curvy, white vessels with bluish lighting.
Population Bonus: +1 science
+3 science on Cold Planet
Other races appeared, less advanced than the major factions. These races, grouped as the Minor Factions, offered quests to be accomplished by the Major Factions. This was in order for the Minor Factions to be assimilated into the larger interstellar empires. Though a Major Faction can still conquer a Minor Faction forcefully instead. The Minor factions present in this dimension are:
(Reference for Endless Space 2 Wiki: )
Mavros - The attitude of the Mavros could be summed up simply as: "Unbreakable toys can be used to break other toys". Their joy of crafting and building and their scientific and industrial excellence is only equaled by their reputation as troublemakers, adventurers, and daredevil explorers. While certain genetic markers and a deep, abiding love for explosives indicate a kinship with the Sophons, their brazen attitude, love of physical danger and criminal tendencies indicate nevertheless that they are a markedly different species. Often found as weapons experts, bounty hunters, and mercenaries, relationships with the Mavros may be frustrating, but never dull.
Population Bonus: +1 industry
+2 on Hot Planet
2. Gnashast - A relatively-recent addition to the isles of its home planet, the Gnashast are the descendants of benthic horrors that crawled onto the land a few hundred thousand years earlier. With the existing fauna ill-prepared to survive this new onslaught from the depths (especially as sea levels rose, lessening the amount of habitable land) the Gnashast quickly became the planet's primary predator; now entering the space age they are still as aggressive as when they made their first forays unto the tidal flats of their home world. Not the most welcoming of races, the Gnashast nonetheless can make strong allies if handled well.
Population Bonus: +50 Initial Ground Battle Damage
+200 Initial Ground Battle Damage on Fertile
3. Kalgeros - Having evolved from a marsupial-like species, the Kalgeros's relatively small size is countered by their surprising strength and agility. As they moved from protecting or conquering a tree to a tribe to a village, the society realized that its somewhat belligerent tendencies had to be channeled. Over time they developed a martial art that they call "Mardamari", unique in the galaxy for the number of limbs required to execute it. They are led by Gunga, spiritual and martial leaders who have the responsibility for moral and physical education. Jolly and gregarious in daily life, they are deadly serious in questions of combat and honor.
Population Bonus: +2 Approval
+4 Approval on Fertile Planet
4. Remnant - Originally an ancient order of assassins created when the Endless ruled the galaxy, after their masters' demise the Remnant underwent a period of hibernation for millennia in the crypts of a forgotten moon. Numbering only a few hundred upon awakening, the Remnant would've spent the rest of eternity awaiting orders were it not for the actions of Belcus Akad-Talar, a highly-decorated member of the order who'd become Dust-augmented during its slumber. Connecting the digital minds of its fellow assassins through quantum entanglement, Belcus suppressed their inherent programming, and gave them a new purpose: to build a better galaxy for the most deserving race they encountered.
Population Bonus: +1 industry on Planet
+2 dust on Happy Planet
5. Tikanan - A sharp lesson in the dangers of importing exotic wildlife, sometime in the last century a small contingent of Tikanan were brought to the human splinter colony world of Abelard for purported "zoological reasons". In fact, this marked the zenith of an increasingly dangerous game of one-upmanship by two factions on the colony world, who liked to capture and bring unusual species to their peoples. When a breeding colony of Tikanan escaped the lab block and disappeared into the wilderness, the human leadership played down the event, declaring that the unintelligent creatures would naturally die out. Ten years later, a hundred thousand Tikanan swarmed the human settlements, forcing the original inhabitants to flee. How they went on to evolve their own twisted civilization is uncertain, but what is clear is that they became much more adept than the mindless insectoids who'd arrived a dozen years earlier.
Population Bonus: +5 Free Manpower per Turn on system
+5 Free Manpower per Turn on Teeming on system
6. Epistis - Little remains of the Epistis' creators, a race that died out several millennia ago. What is known is that the Epistis were likely created as planetary guardians, charged with preserving their home world's fragile ecology through aggressive defense of its natural wildernesses and the salvaging-and recycling-of discarded materials. Whether these objectives became corrupted, leading the Epistis to turn on their creators is unknown, but what is certain is that they are a fanatical, dangerous civilization of recycled war machines ready to take their creed to whoever crosses their path.
Population Bonus: +1 industry +5 food on Sterile Planet
However, this tale begins 400 years before these races started their interstellar empire. At this time, a purple portal opened and out came a being who would become known as the Divine Empress, she whose schemes will change that universe and other dimensions forever...