The Avalon Federation Codex

by DragonheartODST

A full codex dedicated to the characters, cultures, places, objects, times, etc., related to the Concordian Cycle starting from Book One: Dawn of a New Age. Will be constantly updated alongside the books to fit with the details of the series. Please read the series first if you wish to gain a greater understanding.

6. Avalon Federation Codex: Citadel Council

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It's good to see you back in the Grand Archives right now. Today we will be learning about the second largest pan-galactic faction in the Milky Way Galaxy known as the Citadel Council and the respective species that made it. Mind you, if you read through the timeline then you already have an idea of the Citadel Council. As a precaution however, we will be going over certain events again to show the larger picture. With that I hope you have a good day and enjoy this lesson.

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Major Factions of the Galactic Federation

The Citadel Council: The origins of the Citadel Council began in 520 BCE, according to the Terran Gregorian Calendar, when the Salarians came across the Citadel station, which was already inhabited by the Asari at the time. Twenty years later, the Citadel Council was formed and over the next few centuries came to include the Volus, Batarians, Elcor, Hanar, and Quarians, in that order. It was only in the around 1 CE that the Council came across the insectoid Rachni, who proceeded to ravage their way across Council space until the discovery of the Krogan 80 years into the war, allowed the Council a way to strike the Rachni nests, driving them into extinction by 300 CE. However the next 400 years saw the rapid and uncontrolled expansion of the Krogan race who annexed numerous Council worlds in the process. These problems came to a head with the annexation of Lusia which resulted in the Krogan Rebellions. During the Rebellions, the Council made first contact with the Turians who, with the help of the Salarians, deployed a biological pathogen known as the Genophage that reduced the Krogan birthrate. After a hundred years, the Rebellions ended and for the next millennia, there was a general peace. This ended in 1895 CE with the Morning War where the Quarians were driven from their homeworld by the Geth and for the next several centuries after this event, the Council was stuck in the middle of a cold war with the Batarians and Terminus Systems.

This stalemate changed with the introduction of humanity and the beginning of the Halo Wars. Over the next few decades, the Council began to slowly stagnate while trying to play a game of catch-up with the multitude of other races in the galaxy at the same time. This stagnation wasn't the result of neglect on the Council's part, but rather due to the fact that compared to the many other races scattered throughout the Milky Way Galaxy, the Council was actually more primitive in terms of technological innovation and military size than any other major galactic faction and had remained this way for several centuries. This was seen during the Halo Wars where, despite numerous heroic actions and last stands, a large number of Council colonies in the Attican Traverse were glassed by the old Covenant. The formation of the Neo Covenant, the discovery of numerous hostile galactic civilizations with greater forces, and the large technological leaps humanity made with its discovery of its ancient heritage, forced the Council to begin its own arms race as well as enact new policies that would attempt to strengthen them as a whole. As a result, the Council sought to expand beyond the clusters containing mass relays for a variety of reasons. This and its past history with the old Covenant, was what inevitably led to the Council-Neo Covenant rivalry as well as the Council's attempts to induct Humanity as a member race.

These attempts to grow and expand practically ended with the Reaper Invasion of the Milky Way. Within several months, most of the military forces and branches of government that made up the Council were either devastated or wiped out while the Citadel itself was destroyed entirely. While the Council would continue to survive in some form after the war, the damage that had been caused was far too costly for the Council to try to rebuild itself and hold onto what was left. The remnants of the Citadel Council that were left eventually joined with the newly formed Galactic Federation soon after.

It should be noted that since its inception, the Citadel Council has been a mostly democratic and fair system, certainly better in many respects than any other galactic faction before the advent of the Halo Wars. However, it's system of government can also be described as oligarchic as the actually rulings and laws made by the Council are voted on by three Councilors who represented the interests of only the three major races, namely the Asari, the Salarians, and the Turians. All other races were shoved to the side and could only deliver complaints to the Council through their ambassadors on the Citadel who would then deliver these complaints to the Councilors responsible for ensuring peace and order were upheld. Naturally, this has resulted in several large problems through Council history, most notable amongst them being the usage of the Genophage on the Krogan, the exile of the Quarians, and the continued allowance of the practice of slavery by the Batarians. While the Council has tried to fix these mistakes over the centuries, it was usually a matter of not doing enough and allowing the problem to persist.

Classified: (It is theorized that the various councilors and other important military, political, and religious leaders that have either made up the Citadel Council or visited it over its history, have been exposed to Reaper indoctrination during their tenures and that this may have even occurred during and before the fall of the Protheans. This has been supported due to the fact that the Citadel is a Reaper construction so it may have contained devices used by the Reapers themselves to sow a small amount of discord through indoctrinating the government leaders before the Reapers' inevitable arrival. If this were the case, then it would make it easier for the Reapers to exterminate their victims as they would either distrust each other enough not to work together or multiple primitive species would be under the rule of one technologically superior species. This theory has not yet been proven since the Citadel, mass relays, and any Reaper artifacts have been destroyed but it has gained traction amongst various peoples who have studied the history of the Citadel Council and the Reapers thoroughly.)

The Asari Republics:

Homeworld: Thessia, Parnitha System, Athena Nebula

Major Species: Asari

Population: 5.5 billion

History: The Asari arose on a world that was abundant in Element Zero and thus allowed many native species to exhibit biotic tendencies. Asari history was much like Earth's in that at some point in the distant past, the Protheans came upon Thessia. Under the guise of the benevolent goddess Athame and her messengers Janiri and Lucen, the Protheans rapidly accelerated the development of Asari culture and genetically altered them as to provide their species' powerful biotic abilities. The Protheans even saved Thessia from a naturally occurring asteroid strike and a resource-hungry race known as the Oravores. When the Protheans departed, they left a beacon on Thessia with a Prothean VI inside which became a closely-held state secret. The beacon itself would eventually be hidden within the Temple of Athame and the ruling government would use the knowledge inside to advance their technology to the point where they were the first species to find the Citadel and would become the most powerful race in the Citadel Council. During the Reaper Invasion, the Asari refrained from supporting their allies as they were reluctant to take resources away from the defense of their own worlds. Despite this caution, the Reapers tore through the asari defenses and deployed forces throughout asari space. Asari hit-and-run tactics managed to slow the Reaper advance, but not stall it. After the capture of Thessia, the first time the Asari homeworld was attacked since the Rachni Wars, the Asari fully threw their support behind the Alliance and provided the resources that would help defeat the Reapers. They have since become one of the greatest supporters of the Galactic Federation.

Anatomy and Physiology: The Asari are noteworthy for resembling humans in terms of basic skeletal structure and appearance. Despite similarities, the main differences between the two are easy to spot. Asari are a mono-gendered race that have bluish complexions, semi-flexible, cartilage based scalp crests that grow into shape instead of hair, and they have a robust cellular regenerative system, rivaled only by the Krogan, that allows them to heal fast and reach over 1000 years of age. Asari have a unique reproductive system in that they can successfully mate and reproduce with any other gender or species though the offspring will always end up being an Asari in nature. This is done through a process called "melding" where the Asari's nervous system attunes to her partner's, sending and receiving electrical impulses directly through the skin essentially uniting the two. During this melding, the host Asari provides two copies of their own genes, one of which is passed on unaltered while the second set is altered during the melding and used to pass on desirable traits from their partners. The drawbacks to this type of reproduction is that certain rare genetic defects can occur when the child of two Asari are born which is why most Asari prefer to mate with other alien species. Besides reproduction, the melding process can also be used to mentally exchange information.

Government and Politics: The Asari Republics is relatively broad in its meaning. Like the Earth in the past, Thessia was dotted with numerous nation-states which came in the form of loose confederacies and great republican cities. However, since the asari culture valued consensus and accommodation, there was little impetus to form more larger and united principalities. Asari sought to understand each other and share resources rather than attack another. Naturally, the Asari stagnated in technological terms in the 50,000 years between the fall of the Protheans and the rise of the Citadel Council, but the various nations on Thessia remained at relative peace. It wasn't until the information age, when the Asari invented their version of the internet, that the idea of a world government came into play. Aside from their Council and later Federation representatives, the Asari actually have no politicians or elections. It is a true direct democracy where any citizens can participate at will. If there is a ruling body of sorts, it's in the form of the millennia-old Matriarchs who attend any plebiscites as they are often deferred to due to their experience. Due to their rather peaceful nature, the Asari often serve as diplomats in many negotiations and as a result of this, the Asari have almost friendly relations with any and every species they encounter. Though many species are friendly in return and even allied with the Asari, some prefer to keep the Asari at arm's length as a safety precaution, so to speak.

Society and Culture: Due to the Asari's long lifespan, they tend to have a "long view" that most other species don't have. The Asari prefer extended periods of passive observation and study than immediate action. They are unfazed that some of their investments or decisions may not pay off for decades or centuries. Matriarchs for example, can seem to make incomprehensible decisions, but their insight is evident when their carefully-laid plans come to fruition. This has led to an unspoken policy of centrism where the Asari instinctively seek to maintain stable balances of economic, political, and military power. However, as a result of this long life, Asari often focus more on savoring what time they have, especially with loved ones. Asari use their attractive nature, sensuality, cultural dominance, and intellectual superiority to influence other species. For example, the springtime fertility ritual Janiris, named for the goddess Athame's guide Janiri, has been adopted by other species that operate in Citadel space. The Asari main religion is known as Siari, which is translated as "All is one." Adherents of Siari believe that the universe is a consciousness, every life within it is an aspect of the greater whole, and death is a merging of one's spiritual energy back into greater universal consciousness. Some still practice the worship of Athame. A few Asari abandon all but a few personal possessions to become justicars, members of an ancient order adhering to a strict code. Justicars operate inside of Asari space correcting injustices, often through harsh means, including death. It is rare for a justicar to leave Asari space as it could cause a diplomatic incident with other species.

Military Structure: The Asari military resembles a collection of tribal warrior bands with no national structure. Each community organizes its own unit as the locals see fit, and elect a leader to command them. Units from populous cities are large and well-equipped, while those from farm villages may be only a few women with small arms. There is no uniform; everyone wears what they like. The asari military is not an irregular militia, however; those who serve are full-time professionals. The members of these bands are called huntresses and often fight individually or in pairs. Due to their training, the lack of structure, heavy armor, and support weapons, the Asari can't fight a conventional war and instead use their units for special operations missions. The best huntresses with the most powerful biotics are often called upon to serve as commandos, the elite members of the Asari military. Commandos may serve in a variety of positions, such as bodyguards and mercenaries.

Technology: The Asari have one of, if not the most, advanced technological socities amongst the various races using mass effect technology. As a result, they have one of the most powerful economies with extensive trade and social contacts. Even in the Federation, the Asari hold a virtual monopoly on any advanced biotic technology and provide many items used by multiple species through their companies and craft guilds. An embargo by the Asari today would prove damaging to the species who would be suffering from it.

The Salarian Union:

Homeworld: Sur'Kesh, Pranas System, Annos Basin

Major Species: Salarians

Population: 10.3 billion

History: Much like the Turians and the Asari, the Salarians were already thriving as a species during the time of the Protheans. But while the Asari were still in a slowly developing pre-industrial state similar to the Bronze or Iron Age on Earth, the Salarians on Sur'Kesh were still in a far more primitive state. In fact, they were often thought to be little more than animals by the Protheans and their body parts were considered to be delicacies. While not much is known about their history before their arrival to the Citadel Council, as the Salarian government keeps anything of value secret, it is known that their race was eventually able to advance technologically to the point where they were colonizing other systems. When the Citadel Council was first made with the Asari, the Salarian Union gave up all its knowledge about the League of One in a gesture of trust. The League of One was one of, if not the best of, the Salarian's intelligence services and upon discovering that their secrets were out, they massacred the entire Union inner cabinet before disappearing across space. Over time, the Salarians ended up playing part in a number of incidents that shaped Council history in its early years and Salarian society at large. The first incident was the opening of the mass relay that led to Rachni space and ultimately caused the Rachni Wars. The second incident shortly followed with the discover and uplifting of the Krogan who would serve as shock troops sent to exterminate Rachni nests but would later rebel several hundred years afterwards due to the problems caused by their exponentially growing population. The final incident was during the Krogan Rebellions, when the Salarians created the Genophage and gave it to the Turians who unleashed it upon the Krogan. Throughout this time, the Salarians have served the Citadel Council as full members, devoting their resources to analyzing, reporting, and if they can, stopping potential threats before they spiral out of control. Currently, they serve much of the same role in the Federation as they did in the Citadel Council before the Reaper Invasion, though they have been encouraged to diversify.

Anatomy and Physiology: The Salarians are a bipedal race of amphibians, with tall, elongated bodies well-suited for their high metabolism, and skeletons composed of more cartilage than those of other races such as humans. All Salarians heads are long and thin, and have a pair of horns protruding from the top of their skulls which help in filtering soundwaves. Skin varies in color, from bright reds and greens to the more common shades of blue or grey. They have large, oval eyes with thin membranes in place of eyelids. They also have an incredibly fast metabolism which allows them to function faster and longer than any other species, making them appear hyperactive and restless. The drawbacks of this however ensure that the Salarians have a short lifespan of around 40 human years. They are also capable of laying eggs, which if remaining unfertilized, will produce male children. Fertilized eggs will produce females. This means that roughly 90% of the Salarian race is made of males. Salarians also have a photographic memory as they rarely forget facts and they possess a form of psychological "imprinting", tending to defer to those they knew in their youth.

Government and Politics: The Salarian Union since 500 BCE, is a labyrinthine web of matrilineal bloodlines with political alliances formed through interbreeding functioning in many ways to noble families of Earth's medieval period. Structurally, the government consists of fiefdoms, baronies, duchies, planets, and marches (colonization clusters), all of which are named using human terms as the Salarian terms are almost unpronounceable. Each area is ruled by a single Dalatrass, a matriarchal head-of-the-household, and represents an increasing amount of territory and prestige within the salarian political web. These Salarian households are labeled as clans and compose of various circles related to the individual within a clan. Approaching 100 members, the first circle of a Salarian's clan comprises parents, siblings, uncles, aunts, and cousins. The next circle includes second cousins, etc., and escalates to well over 1000 members. The fourth or fifth circle of a clan numbers into the millions. Salarian loyalty is greatest to their first circle and diminishes from there. Their photographic memories allow Salarians to recognize all their myriad relatives no matter what. Due to their cultural influences, the Salarians have friendly relations with similar races such as the Quarians, the San' Shyuum, the Tok'ra, the Asgard, and the Huragok. They also look toward more militaristic powers like Humanity, the Turians, the Krogans, and the Protoss for help.

Society and Culture: Salarian culture is focused around the dictum "knowledge is power". Salarians excel at inventing, information gathering, and espionage. In fact, Salarians have two types of social cues when it comes to keeping secrets, one that invites suspicion and exploration, and another to discourage curiosity to protect others. Females usually hold all the political power as they rule their areas like dynasts though rare exceptions are allowed. Due to their reproductive methods, Salarians have no concept of romantic love or sexual attraction. Sexuality is strictly for the purpose of reproduction and a number of contracts and ancient social codes are drawn up between clans to ensure which couples can fertilize the eggs and which produces more daughters to continue the bloodline. A number of Salarian holidays are very much political in nature such as the Salarian New Year holiday "Betau" where Salarians repay debts, and petition favors from one another. The mainstream religion for the Salarians is based around a wheel of life which many experts liken to the human religion Hinduism due to a shared belief in reincarnation. Finally, the Salarian race is notable for being one of the few races to have an offshoot sub-species, though not a naturally occurring offshoot, known as the Lystheni who use technology to modify themselves in a variety of ways for various reasons. The Lystheni are usually unwelcome in Salarian space but can be found living in other parts of the galaxy.

Military Structure: The Salarian army is a small volunteer army that focuses on maneuver warfare with heavy reliance on their intelligence services. The Salarians believe that a war should be won before it begins and they use the superiority of their intelligence services to use their small armies for maximum effectiveness. Long before any fight breaks out, the Salarians possess complete knowledge of their enemy's positions, intentions, and timetable. Their powerful intelligence network is spearheaded in the field by the Special Tasks Group (STG), which is responsible for monitoring developing situations and taking necessary action, usually without the shackles of traditional laws and procedures. This may be as simple as scouting and information gathering, or as complex as ensuring a conveniently unstable political situation stays that way. The effectiveness of the STG during the Krogan Rebellion is what provided the template for the Council to establish their Spectre program immediately afterward. In many respects, the STG is similar to the UNSC's Office of Naval Intelligence which is often considered their rival. In every war they have Salarians have fought, they always struck first and without warning. For the Salarians, to know an enemy plans to attack and let it happen is folly; to announce their own plans to attack is insanity. Therefore, they find the human moral concepts of "do not fire until fired upon" and "declare a war before prosecuting it" incredibly naive. In defensive wars, they execute devastating preemptive strikes hours before the enemy's own attacks. On the offense, they have never issued an official declaration of war before attacking. Despite these advantages, the Salarians know they are one of the weakest fish in pond and cultivate alliances or friendly relations with other races, especially races that are militaristically stronger themselves.

Technology: Salarians technology is the most advanced of its kind with few capable of matching it and few others surpassing it. Any technology that does surpass the Salarians own is quickly captured and studied thoroughly. Even today, the Salarians take any newly developed Federation tech and break it down before enhancing it, making their work decisively superior in quality to any others. Their only rivals in this regard are the Huragok who sometimes work with Salarians to make their superior tech even better in a variety of ways.

The Turian Hierarchy:

Homeworld: Palaven, Trebia System, Apien Crest

Major Species: Turians

Population: 6.1 billion

History: During the time of the Protheans, Turian civilization was already documented as being regimented and martial in nature. By the time Asari discovered the Citadel, the Turians had already discovered several relays. While the Salarians and Asari were forming the Citadel Council, the Turians were already embroiled in their own civil war similar to the UNSC Insurrection. This civil war, known as the Unification War began with hostilities between the colonies furthest from the turian homeworld, Palaven. Many of these far-flung colonies independent in all but name and were ruled by chieftains who distanced themselves from the Hierarchy. Without the central government's galvanizing influence, these colonies became isolated and xenophobic to the point where colonists would wear markings noting where they came from. When war finally broke out, the Hierarchy refused to get involved at first so these remote colonies fought amongst each other until they were weakened after several years. Then the Hierarchy stepped in and the colonies had to renew their allegiance though it took a few decades before peace finally settled. Generations later, the Hierarchy was discovered by the Citadel Council and took part in the Krogan Rebellions, eventually proving instrumental in delivering the Genophage that neutered the Krogan population. It was for these actions that the Hierarchy was granted a position on the Council and filled the military and peacekeeping niche left behind by the Krogans. For the next few centuries, this role continued unchanged until 2541 due to the Halo Wars. The discovery of both the UNSC and the Covenant, as well as the events that unfolded soon after first contact, actually forced the Hierarchy to throw the Treaty of Farixen, which limited the Council's development of dreadnoughts, and any other similar accords out the metaphorical window. The Halo Wars showed that the Hierarchy and the Council needed to go beyond their current military numbers and technological boundaries so the Hierarchy began building numerous ships and upgrading current ones with new tech gained from any source. This proved to be helpful during the Reaper Invasion as the Turians not only kept the Reapers from taking Palaven or any more important systems, but even helped in several other key battles later on. When the Federation was first formed, the Turians were actually the most supportive of it out of the three main Citadel races. Today, the Turians serve the Federation mainly in a militaristic manner like they have done before.

Anatomy and Physiology: On average, most Turians typically stand over six feet tall, have two long, proportionately thick fingers and an opposable thumb on each hand, each tipped with talons, and a set of mandibles around their mouths. This appearance is due to their avian ancestry, which makes them resemble raptors. The most distinguishing feature of Turians is their metallic carapace, which contains trace amounts of thulium. The turians evolved this trait as a defense against the greater levels of solar radiation that penetrate their homeworld's weak magnetic field. In fact, almost all of Palaven's lifeforms has developed similar defenses. Due to their avian ancestry, Turians have a flanging effect with their voice, primarily eat meat, have a digestive system similar to birds, are capable of ripping apart foes with their talons, and run at high speeds. One of the most noteworthy features of the Turian race is that they're built on dextro-amino acids, which makes them incapable of ingesting food made by humans, asari, salarians, etc.

Government and Politics: The Turian Hierarchy is a hierarchical meritocracy. While it has the potential for becoming a hotbed of corruption, this is tempered by the Turian's culture which promotes civic duty and personal responsibility which is taught and enforced during their childhood. For example, Turians have 27 citizenship tiers beginning with civilians. Civilians are encouraged to partake in military service and upon leaving boot camp, are confirmed with formal citizenship. The higher one goes on the tiers, the higher ranked they become in either the military, government, or both. At the top of these tiers are the Primarchs who rule each colony cluster and vote on matters of national importance but maintain a hands-off approach by trusting the citizens below them to do their jobs competently. Despite the honor associated with rising the ranks, some Turians can be demoted. The stigma usually associated with demotion in other civilizations does not rest on the individual in Turian society but rather on their superiors who promoted them in the first place when they weren't ready for the responsibility. This curbs the tendency to promote individuals into positions beyond their capabilities. Settling into a role and rank is not considered stagnation as it is with other races. Turians value knowing one's own limitations more than being ambitious though there are always outliers. Because of this basic belief in civic duty, Turians enjoy many freedoms that are considered illegal elsewhere so long as they are capable of doing their duties to society. It's only when they start falling behind do their superiors step in. In fact, judicial proceedings are called "interventions" with peers and family members expressing their concerns. If rehabilitation fails, the Turians have no qualms about sentencing the offender to life at hard labor. Due to their martial nature, history, and biology, Turians have friendly relations with Humanity, Salarians, Asari, Quarians, Krogan, Volus, Jaffa, Sangheili, and Protoss.

Society and Culture: Since the Unification War, turians normally wear elaborate tattoos marking their colony of origin with a variety of designs and colors. In fact the lack of facial markings is looked down upon in turian society and the turian term "barefaced" refers to one who is beguiling or not to be trusted. It is also used as a slang term for politicians. Turians have a strong sense of public service and civic duty ingrained into them from birth so it's rare to find someone who would put their needs ahead of others. This also means that any citizen in Turian society, ranging from 15 to 30 years old, serves the state government in some capacity. The only area where Turians fail is in entrepreneurial vocations which they compensated in by accepting the Volus as a client species. As a result of all this, Turian society is highly regimented, organized, and disciplined. Turians are known to follow through with their orders and do what needs to be done if necessary. It is these cultural beliefs that make the Turian military as powerful as it is today, because it isn't just an armed force to them but a public works organization that serves in all matters of turian society. Military police are also civic police, the fire brigades serve the civilian population as well as military facilities, the corps of engineers builds and maintains spaceports, schools, water purification plants, and power stations, and the merchant marine ensures that all worlds get needed resources. Ancient Turians once believed that titans strode across Palaven, reaching for the heavens and worshiped these deities at a structure called Temple Palaven which was tended to by a religious order called the Valluvian Priests. These priests wore special purple robes which obscured their forms. When the Turians spread out from Palaven and discovered other life among the stars, however, they sealed Temple Palaven because they no longer needed legends to prod them upward. With the temple abandoned, eventually the Valluvian Priests fell into legend. Nowadays, much of their religious beliefs have become similar to Shintoism as Turians believe that groups, places, and objects have "spirits" that transcends the individual and are neither good or evil. For example, a military unit would be considered to have a literal spirit that embodies the honor and courage it has displayed. A city's spirit reflects the accomplishments and industry of its residents. An ancient tree's spirit reflects the beauty and tranquility of the area it grows within. A few Turians have embraced Confucianism and Zen Buddhism since coming into contact with Humanity.

Military Structure: The Turian military is noted for its formidable discipline even when under heavy fire and is often considered similar to the Roman military of ancient Earth. Boot camp begins on the 15th birthday and all soldiers receive a year of training before being assigned to a field unit while officers train for even longer. Most serve until the age of 30, at which they become part of the Reserves. Even if they suffer injuries preventing front-line service, most do support work behind the lines. Biotics are uncommon among the Turians. While admired for their exacting skills, biotics' motives are not always fully trusted by the common soldiers for various reasons. The turians prefer to assign their biotics to specialist teams called Cabals. The Turian's command and control is decentralized and flexible. Individual squads can call for artillery and air support. They make extensive use of combat drones for light duties and VI-controlled fighters, and practice combined arms: infantry operates with armor, supported by overhead gunships. Strategically, they are methodical and patient, and dislike risky operations. Tradition is important in the military. Each legion has a full-time staff of historians who chronicle its battle honors in detail. The oldest have records dating back to the turian Iron Age. If a legion is destroyed in battle, it is reconstituted rather than being replaced. Turians recruit any auxiliary units from conquered or absorbed minor races and at the conclusion of their service in the Auxiliaries, recruits are granted turian citizenship.

Technology: The Turian's technology is exactly like the Asari and Salarians as it depends heavily on element zero. Though with their introduction to the rest of the galaxy, Turians have begun using other forms of tech like plasma and hard light, primarily for weaponry and shields. In fact, most of their economy is based off of weapons development and manufacturing. Despite this, they are also capable of using different tech for things beyond military matters such as Slipspace drives.

The Vol Protectorate:

Homeworld: Irune, Aru System, Aethon Cluster

Major Species: Volus

Population: 8.8 billion

History: The Volus were the third race to post an embassy to the Citadel after the asari and salarians, roughly 2,400 galactic standard years ago. Before then, they were divided between multiple city-state / tribal nations which banded together through mercantile endeavors similar in make to the medieval Hanseatic League. The Volus' mercantile prowess made them instrumental in developing a stable galactic economy. They authored the Unified Banking Act, which established the credit as the standard currency of interstellar trade, and the Volus continue to monitor and balance the galactic economy even today. After first contact with the turians during the Krogan Rebellions in the first millennium CE, the Volus petitioned for client status within the Turian Hierarchy, which was soon granted. After which, they proceeded to build up the Hierarchy's economy. Before the Halo Wars, many Volus complained that their race was never gifted with a seat on the Citadel Council despite their services to Citadel society. After the Reaper Invasion and the formation of the Federation, the Volus continued to help in the rebuilding and reconstruction of the galactic economy.

Anatomy and Physiology: Not much is actually known since the Volus are never seen without their suits. Irune features an ammonia-based ecology and a gravitational field 1.5 times that of Earth, as well as a high-pressure atmosphere. This is reflected in the physiology of the Volus themselves. The Volus are unable to survive unprotected in an atmosphere more suitable to humans and other carbon-based lifeforms, and as such require protective suits capable of providing the proper atmosphere, as well as being pressurized to support the Volus. Traditional nitrogen/oxygen air mixtures are poisonous to them, and in the low pressure atmospheres tolerable to most species, their flesh will actually split open. It has been noted; however, that Volus have cloacae, a trait they share with the salarians. Some Volus individuals have also shown themselves capable of using biotics.

Government and Politics: The Vol Protectorate is a client state of the Turian Hierarchy rather than a sovereign government. In return for falling under the protective umbrella of the turian military, the Volus pay a tax to the Hierarchy, as well as deferring to the turians in all foreign policy matters and providing auxiliary troops to the turian armed forces. They maintained an embassy on the Citadel, making them an associate species of the Council, though they were forced to share their embassy with the Elcor. Since the formation of the Federation, they continued to share friendly relations with the Yonhet, Unngoy, Sangheili, and the Elcor while maintaining an updated client status with the Turians.

Society and Culture: Volus culture is dominated by trade, whether it be of land, resources, or even other tribe members. The Volus have a reputation as traders and merchants and work as some of the best financial advisers in Citadel space. Due to the Volus not being physically adept, they tend not to be violent, and can even seem overly-pacifistic and cowardly to other, more militant species. In fact, the Volus homeworld Irune is remarkable for having done away with warfare as an institution of the state, as the Volus lack the romantic view of war found in the galaxy's more aggressive species. Physical skirmishes between groups rarely last long, and are almost always ended by social castigation, bargaining agreements, or harsh economic sanctions. Not much is known about their religious beliefs except for an artifact the Volus hold in high regard called the Book of Plenix, which calls for charity and forgiveness of debts in case the Volus do become involved in war. Volus have two names but no family names. According to Volus sensibilities you cannot own a person, so using a family name would essentially be laying claim to their offspring. Possibly because of their tribal origins, Volus tend to refer to members of other races by their source world rather than species name (i.e. "Earth-clan" instead of "human"). A notable exception to this is that they refer to Quarians as "Migrant-clan", or "clanless", due to their lack of a homeworld. They also tend to refer to themselves as "Vol-clan".

Military Structure: The Volus are not meant for combat physically whether it's a full out war or a simple bar fight and that's on their planet. Off world, they are even less capable of fighting since any suit rupture could result in a faster occurring death than a Quarian could ever suffer. As a result of this, the Volus look to the Turians for their defense most of the time. Despite these issues though, the Volus do provide some auxiliary troops to the Hierarchy which rely on specially sealed armor in combat and mitigate their disadvantages through the use of technologically advanced power armor as well as avant-garde equipment. Possibly for this and maybe several other reasons, Volus weaponry tends to be rather utilitarian instead of high-grade. In fact, some Volus manufacturers specialize in cheaper, lower-grade copies of expensive turian equipment. The Volus do employ some biotics in combat; these individuals have been known to show impressive biotic powers despite the Volus' diminutive size. But the Volus mainly prefer airpower in conflicts, usually counting on turians for ground support. They maintain several flotillas of heavy-bomber frigates capable of warfare in any atmosphere as well as one dreadnought named the Kwunu. In short, the Volus are capable of fighting if they so desire and will support the Turians in any war they might pursue, just as the Turians will do the same for the Volus.

Technology: The Volus technology is based off of element zero like many other Citadel species though they have been taking steps to change that. Their military forces have been upgraded with some of the latest weapons technology like plasma and hard light while their economy has increased in size dealing with other species like the humans and the Yonhet in attempts to gain their technology. Some of this new tech has also been used to improve the suits worn by the Volus, making them tougher and capable of holding their own in a fight, though actual armored suits are still worn in times of warfare.

The Batarian Directorate:

Homeworld: Khar'shan, Harsa System, Kite's Nest

Major Species: Batarians

Population: 4.2 billion

History: The Batarians are not new to the galaxy even if their government is one of the newest in galactic history. Before achieving spaceflight, the Batarians were divided into multiple nation-states that ruled like the ancient empires of Earth. Early in their history, they had established a caste system and came to depend on slavery economically. The various "noble" houses and dynasties that ruled these nations came to use a variety of tactics to make the populous fear them and hold onto their power, though some of the "better" rulers in Batarian history used subtlety and misdirection in place of force. Suffice to say that this continued for the most part until they achieved spaceflight, at which point they discovered the earthquake-damaged Prothean ruins on Bira, a moon of Verush, that allowed them to develop FTL travel. Soon after, they united under a new world government known as the Batarian Hegemony. They made first contact with the Citadel Council soon after the Volus and a century later, gained an embassy on the Citadel. Despite the warm welcome, the Hegemony continued to expand aggressively over the centuries, provoking a number of smaller crisis and damaging their relations with other species such as the bombardment of the Salarian colony of Mannovai or the attempted annexation of Esan. A skirmish with Citadel forces on Enael eventually broke out into a full war with the Citadel forces fighting against the Batarians and their pirate allies in the Terminus. Suffice to say, the war ended in a stalemate and both sides were forced to recover. In 400 year period since that war, the Batarians have slowly been growing their military strength while trying to maintain their practice of slavery in the face of multiple rebellions, to varying degrees of success. It was only when the Halo Wars erupted that everything changed. Because of their position as the dominant power in the Attican Traverse and their attempts to enslave members of the Old Covenant, the Batarians were the first Citadel race to face the fury of the Covenant and large parts of their military and their empire were destroyed over the years. When the war ended, large parts of Khar'shan and numerous colonies were in ruins with millions of Batarians and other enslaved races, dead. The remnants of the Hegemony attempted to rebuild in the aftermath but a government sponsored raid on the human colony of Elysium resulted in the short Verge War, which saw the UNSC destroy the slavers base on Torfan before systematically capturing Khar'shan. During this time, slave rebellions broke out on numerous colonies with the help of abolitionists from Anhur and the Hegemony was forced to flee to the Bahak System where they set up a government-in-exile. The newly formed government, built up by both the UEG, the Citadel Council, the Anhur abolitionists, and the newly freed slaves, came to be called the Batarian Directorate. The first thing the Directorate declared was that slavery and any other forms of forced servitude were hereby illegal. The exiled Hegemony declared it a false government ruled by puppets and refused to recognize it while the Directorate did much the same in turn and blockaded the Bahak System, leaving the Hegemony to wither away without new resources or ships to protect and supply the small colony. As of today, the Batarian Directorate is considered a full member of the Federation and one of its strongest supporters.

Anatomy and Physiology: Batarians are arthropodal in nature, much like humans or Asari. While much of their physiology and anatomy is extremely similar in look and function to both humans and Asari, there are a number of notable exceptions. Batarians are one of the few species in the Milky Way to have more than two eyes. Specifically, they have four eyes with two on each side that have no discernable pupil or iris. They use these to intimidate other races as most people can't tell which pair to focus on. Besides that, they also have a flat stripe of ridged cartilage runs along the tops of their skulls and down the backs of their necks. Their ears are pointy at the upper end, though on occasion, along the edges as well. The part of their faces commonly associated with the nose among humans and asari is instead an inverted flat triangle symmetrically ridged vertically. Compared to humans, Batarians have a deep, guttural voice.

Government and Politics: The government of the former Hegemony was considered to be a more corrupt and federated version of the Delian League on Earth. In short, the ruling government was restricted to only a few people who held all the power and hoarded what they could while removing anybody that threatened the status quo by any means necessary. The leader of the Batarian Hegemony was called the Hegemon and ruled with almost unlimited powers. To keep up a pretense of not being totalitarian to its own people, the Hegemony also had a Senate which is composed of representatives from the highest ranking and most powerful noble houses on Khar'shan. The Senate had some limited legislative and judicial powers, including the choice of electing the next Hegemon, , having nominal insight over the bureaucracy, and advising the Hegemon on certain matters but any and all decisions made by the Hegemon were final. Since the title of Hegemon and all the powers that come with it were held within this circle of noble families, their agendas (which were all pretty similar and conservative in nature) were always followed through with little change ever made in Batarian society. Everything in Batarian society was controlled by the Hegemony government and propaganda endorsing it was constantly exported in massive amounts to make many regular Batarians feel patriotic about their government and keep spies from discovering anything oppressive or wrong going on within the halls of power. Despite this seemingly united front though, the Hegemony itself is nothing more than a paper tiger. All the noble families within the Senate actually rule their own nations and while they are beholden to the Hegemon, these families distrust and loath one another, constantly trying to find ways to gain more power, resources, and prestige. In fact, the Senate and the Hegemon is nothing more than a stopgap keeping the various nation-states and their ruling families from turning against each other while holding up the appearance of unity with other alien cultures. If the central government of the Hegemony was fully removed, nothing would stop the nation-states of Khar'shan from declaring war against each other in an attempt to gain complete and total control.

The Batarian Directorate is a lot different in make compared to its predecessor. The creation of the Directorate had its beginnings in the Anhur revolution where the abolitionists, in an attempt to mimic the democratic ways of the Citadel Council and distrusting the idea of one man holding the executive office with all its powers, formed their own council. Technically the leader of the council was called the Director but he was merely the first amongst many within the council who actually held the full executive powers while an assembly representing the legislative branch, assured that each abolitionist faction fighting against the Hegemony government was heard. When the Hegemony was finally overthrown on Khar'shan, the abolitionists used this prototype government to form an actual democratic government, with everyone having a say and no one man ever holding full power. Slavery was outlawed and with the help of the Citadel Council and humanity, the Batarian economy was modernized and rebuilt from the ground up. While the Director of the executive council can be given the full powers, it is only done when necessary, for a limited time, and relating only to the executive branch. Any attempts to step over the line result in an instant dismissal and possible life imprisonment, exile, or execution depending on the Director's motives. While there still problems related to the legacy of its predecessor and Batarian culture at large, the Batarian Directorate is consider a justifiably fairer and more democratic government. It holds friendlier relations with all members of galactic society than the Hegemony ever would but looks up to it Citadel compatriots and human allies more than anybody else. It also existed in a state of cold war with the exiled Hegemony in the Bahak System and any remaining allies it had in the Terminus until the destruction of the Bahak System six months before the Reaper Invasion.

Society and Culture: Before the rise of the Directorate, Batarians placed an extremely high value on social caste and appearance. Overstepping one's place was frowned upon but effective caste status could be bought on an ongoing basis like a subscription service, allowing the buyer to worm their way into the elite circles of Batarian society given enough funds though few are able to do so. Slavery was also an integral part of their society as it had been part of their caste system and members of the Hegemony considered anti-slavery beliefs of the rest of the galaxy to be discriminatory. Much of this has changed since the Directorate came to power as the caste system and slavery have been removed entirely though certain things such as casting aspersions on the monetary worth of a social better is still considered a serious insult. Many Batarians still do strongly believe that species with fewer than four eyes are less intelligent though that belief is dwindling over the years. Body language is still an important part of their society as tilting one's head to the left is seen as a sign of admiration and respect while a Batarian who tilts their head to the right, however, is a sign that they consider themselves to be superior to the person whom the gesture was directed towards and can be viewed as an insult. There is little known about the Batarian religion as the Hegemony had essentially enforced atheistic beliefs on the populace while the Directorate allows freedom of religion to all members and new beliefs are exported from other cultures en-mass.

Military Structure: Not much is known about the Batarian military due to the constant strife that occurred during the beginnings of the Reclamation Age. The Hegemony produced most Batarian military hardware by a nationalized corporation called Batarian State Arms which was infamous for its corruption. Terrorist attacks and slaver raids were secretly endorsed though publicly denied. The Batarian fleet was known to have one dreadnought before the fall of the Hegemony and there was believed to be many more. Knowledge of their special forces was scarce save for the fact that the initial training was brutal to the point of producing numerous casualties. While the military was being rebuilt and improved after the Hegemony's war with the Citadel, most of its military forces were destroyed during the Halo Wars and subsequently reorganized or replaced entirely by the newly formed Directorate.

Technology: Batarian tech still mostly depends on element zero at the moment but attempts are made to modernize along other lines.

The Courts of Dekuuna:

Homeworld: Dekuuna, Phontes System, Silean Nebula

Major Species: Elcor

Population: 2.35 billion

History: Before they achieved spaceflight, the Elcor traveled across Dekuuna in large tribal groups led by the oldest and most experienced of their kind. Due to their rather slow nature, the Elcor civilization developed at a slower and more peaceful rate than most other races. In fact, the Elcor were making their first forays into space travel when they made contact with the Asari. With their help, the Elcor discovered the closest mass relay and within a generation, establish both a regular trade route and an embassy on the Citadel. The Elcor would become one of the most prominent species in Citadel space and would support the Council's efforts in certain endeavors like the Rachni War, the Krogan Rebellions, the Halo Wars, and the Reaper Invasion.

Anatomy and Physiology: The Elcor homeworld of Dekuuna is a high-gravity world, causing the Elcor to evolve as a race of quadrupedal mammals similar to Earth's elephants though unlike elephants, Elcor do not have trunks, tusks, or large ears. They move on all four limbs to support and balance their massive bodies which are incapable of moving quickly, but possess a rather imposing stature and immense strength, as well as thick, tough skin. Their preferred method of communication is the secretion of certain pheromones that are picked up by the Elcor's highly-attuned olfactory senses as well as extremely slight body movements, and subvocalized infrasound. When communicating with non-Elcor though, Elcor speak through multiple vertical slats situated in what is normally the location of the mouth in other races. Despite the peculiar arrangement, these "lips" are capable of holding on to protruding objects like cigars with no effort. Their speech is the most noteworthy part of their race as it is nothing more than a flat and ponderous monotone and since their subtlety can lead to misunderstandings with other species, the Elcor prefix all their dialog with non-Elcor with an emotive statement to clarify their tone. It's a common joke that holding a conversation with an Elcor is usually a test of patience.

Government and Politics: The Elcor government is known as the Courts of Dekuuna and is led by the Elders, the wisest and most experienced members of Elcor society. Due to their nature, Elcor live in bands and these bands have their own Elder. These Elders usually come together to in the courts, which act as the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government, and spend years poring over ancient records of jurisprudence to determine the precedent that should be followed in any given situation no matter how theoretical it is. The Elders record closely argued and minutely detailed instructions on what course to follow in any theoretical crisis which are then filed away in huge libraries of data discs and are consulted when needed. Suffice to say, this makes Elcor policies very predictable to those who've done a great deal of research. The Elcor share friendly relations with the Nox, the Yonhet, the Lekgolo and humanity.

Society and Culture: Elcor prefer to stay on their homeworld and colonies rather than travel in space. In fact it is believed that due to their evolution, most Elcor dislike the necessary confines of space travel while preferring the wide plains and open skies. It is noted that Elcor society as a whole is as slow and ponderous as an individual. This is due to the fact that their evolution on a high-gravity environment where a fall could be lethal has impressed itself into Elcor psychology, making most deeply cautious and conservative. Their culture is built on small, tight-knit groups, and their conservative nature means the Elcor government is extremely stable. Despite this, they are always welcoming to outsiders which explains the lack of warfare in early Elcor history. Similar to the herds of Earth's savannahs, Elcor are traditionally migratory in nature which is reflected in their choice of twin capitals on their homeworld, one for the wet season and one for the dry season. Modern technology has rendered the tradition obsolete for the most part, though many Elcor still observe it. The Elcor have a taste for art and entertainment both Elcor and alien in nature. One example of this is the Elcor rendition of William Shakespeare's play of Hamlet which turned into an award winning hit. Despite this rather conservative culture, there are still outliers in Elcor society that appear from time to time, though are still rare enough to hardly see or hear of.

Military Structure: Due to their slow nature, Elcor cannot make spur-of-the-moment decisions and so depend on sophisticated VI combat systems when using any war machines. Their slow speed and immense size makes them easy targets though their thick hide, as well as any armor they might wear, shrug off most incoming fire. Elcor aren't capable of using guns like most other species do. Instead, their broad shoulders serve as a stable platform for the same size of weapons typically mounted on fighting vehicles. According to an Elcor diplomat on the Citadel, Elcor soldiers are called "living tanks" by their enemies. They do not maintain a large navy which seems to be due to a combination of their conservative nature preventing hasty rushes to war, and their relatively-isolated and self-sufficient economy that would never encounter a trade dispute serious enough to threaten war over. They do have several cruisers and carriers at their disposal, though their real value is in troop transports.

Technology: While it is similar to most technologies within the Federation, Elcor technology is meant to be bigger compared to everyone else's. Their ships, architecture, weaponry, etc., is all meant to fit an Elcor's size which can only rivaled by a Mgalekgolo. Naturally, to create goods that can be used by an Elcor requires more resources to manipulate with than most other species would use. For example, an Elcor pistol is far larger than a regular human pistol and requires far more resources to build with. Fortunately for the Elcor, Dekuuna overflows with large amounts of raw materials which are then used within an extremely well developed economy to supply all of the Elcor's own needs as well as trade finished goods that can be used by other denizens in the galaxy.

The Illuminated Primacy:

Homeworld: Kahje, Kalapa System, Agartha Nebula

Major Species: Hanar

Population: 3.75 billion

History: Like many other Citadel species, the Hanar developed on Kahje during the time of the Protheans. Due to the large number of Prothean ruins on their planet, the Hanar came to develop a religion based around the Protheans, whom they call the Enkindlers. Hanar myths often speak of them as having uplifted and civilized them by teaching them language. After the Protheans left, the Hanar continued to evolve and developed their own civilization for the next few thousand years until they came across the Citadel Council. They were given an embassy and for the next few centuries, they played no major part in Citadel society save for attempting to spread word of their religion through missionaries. Then around the turn of humanity's 21st century, the Hanar came into contact with the Drell of Rakhana, who were currently suffering from the effects of overpopulation, heavy industrialization, and a lack of resources on their homeworld. The Hanar stepped in and rescued several hundred thousand Drell and brought them back to Kahje while the Citadel attempted to restore Rakhana's ecosystem in any measurable way. Those Drell that settled on Kahje integrated into Hanar society and became a client race, willing to help the Hanar in any matters they couldn't do themselves. Suffice to say that in the time since then, any Hanar is usually never seen without a Drell at its side. This continued for the next few centuries without change until the Halo Wars. Suddenly, the Hanar found an entire alliance of aliens who were more religiously devoted then they were and waged war for their beliefs. The Hanar and Drell both began building their own militaries in an attempt to combat this and anything like it in the future. After the Halo Wars, the Hanar became more amicable to the idea of crusading against species who used religion as a reason for warfare such as the Goa'uld, the Ori, the Sangheili, and others like them. While the Hanar today do follow the laws relating to freedom of religious belief within the Federation, it's not uncommon to see many Hanar espousing their beliefs in public areas quite vigorously. It's also not uncommon to see them arguing with a Neo Covenant member regarding their worship of the Forerunners just as vehemently as well.

Anatomy and Physiology: The Hanar resemble Earth's jellyfish in a variety of ways. The main body is smaller than most other species but due to the length of the tentacles underneath the main part, they "stand" slightly taller than humans. The invertebrate, water-native Hanar cannot support their own weight in normal gravity, much like a beached whale, so when interacting with mainstream galactic society, they rely on contra-gravitic levitation packs that use mass effect fields to keep them afloat. Their tentacle limbs can grip objects tightly but aren't strong enough to lift more than a few hundred grams each. They are capable of producing a bioluminescent glow that can flash in certain rhythms and vary in color depending on the individual. Hanar also produce secrete natural toxins that can paralyze most people, an evolutionary defense mechanism to use against predators. Despite evolving in water, Hanar are also capable of breathing air through natural means. As for their reproduction, it's not know if Hanar have more than one sex or reproduce asexually as the topic is somewhat private.

Government and Politics: The Hanar government is known as the Illuminated Primacy and is consider by many to be a democratic theocracy. In many respects, the Hanar government is somewhat like the Roman Catholic Church as there is a curia consisting of democratically elected Hanar who form the administrative, legislative, and judicial, apparatus for their leader, who is called the Pontifex Maximus by other species. The Pontifex acts as the executive head of the Hanar government, rules for life, and makes decisions related to the political and religious beliefs in Hanar society. Considering the Hanar's physical weaknesses and their shared beliefs, warfare was a rarity on Kahje and religious warfare was considering destructive. Many Hanar prefer to act as peacemakers and diplomats as much as missionaries. It is through many selfless acts that the Hanar gained allies in the form of the Drell, Humanity, the Sangheili, the Nox, the Protoss, and the San' Shyuum. Despite these acts of goodwill, there are those who consider the Hanar to be elitist because of their intolerance for "incorrect" speech (and occasionally refer to them derisively as "jellies"). The Hanar themselves are known to become very vocal if their religious rights appear threatened in any way, which occasionally causes clashes with other races.

Society and Culture: Hanar society is very advanced and progressive considering the limitations of the Hanar's physiology and the prominence of their religious beliefs. Amongst the Hanar, they prefer to speak using sophisticated patterns of bioluminescence—which other species need machine assistance to translate (though many Drell apply genetic modification to their eyes in order to perceive higher frequency flashes which allows them to understand the Hanar)—and speak with scrupulous precision and extreme politeness. Most Hanar take offense at improper language, and must take special courses to unlearn this tendency if they expect to deal with other species. Hanar also have two names. The first is a "face name" used as a general label when in public and amongst strangers and acquaintances. The second is their "soul name" which is used amongst close friends and relations and is usually poetic in nature. When using their face name, the Hanar put on a "mask" where they use impersonal terms for themselves and remain extremely polite and formal even when flustered or angered. It's only when in private that they drop all pretenses. The Hanar also practice a number of religious holidays including "Nyahir" or "First Cresting Bloom" which lasts a full thirteen days and revolves around celebrating the gift of speech, which they attribute to having come from the Enkindlers. It is a mixture of contemplation and competition, with the faithful engaged in stylized debates, poetry duels, and other traditional Hanar art forms. The winners of these events have their names inscribed in bio-luminescence on the side of Mount Vassla, an underwater volcano at the heart of one of the oldest Prothean ruins on Kahje. One of the most notable parts about Hanar society however, is their unique relationship with the Drell on their planet. After saving several hundred thousand, most Drell have come to work as servants for the Hanar, providing a number services in areas that the Hanar weren't capable of doing. This also happens to include fighting and assassinations. When going to war, which is rare, the Hanar proclaim it to be a crusade but unlike the Human version, a Hanar crusade is purely defensive in nature.

Military Structure: The Hanar do have a military force but it is relatively small and supplemented by Drell combat specialists. Despite their size limit, the Hanar fleets are large enough to go on the offensive during their crusades and can besiege planets if necessary, though such actions are a rarity when many other more martial species step up to the challenge. The majority of their worlds, especially Kahje, are protected by an automated planetary defense system which is enhanced by a number of AIs to prevent its total collapse to something as small as a computer virus.

Technology: Due to their physiology, the Hanar don't use the tech they have available much like other species. Most tech they possess helps to maintain their bodies out of water and help them integrate into galactic society.

The Quarian Commonwealth:

Homeworld: Rannoch, Tikkun System, Perseus Veil

Major Species: Quarians & Geth

Population: Currently approaching 1 billion Quarians & 5 billion Geth

History: The recent history of the Quarians and Geth is one of strife and sorrow for the most part. Before the Geth's creation, the Quarians were a technologically capable species who rivalled the Salarians as scientists and engineers. However in the 1850's, the Quarians created a robotic species known as the Geth to serve as laborers and tools of war. They were as limited as any virtual intelligence according to Council law and would have remained as such until the Quarians began modifying the Geth over time to do more complex tasks. As they did more tasks, the Geth began developing a sophisticated neural network to handle these tasks in an easier manner but which altered the Geth to such an extent that they became sentient. When the Geth began asking if they had a soul, the Quarian government ordered their immediate termination. While some refused to terminate or hand over the Geth, the majority of the populace did so willing and their numbers only continued to grow after martial law was declared. But the Quarians underestimated the Geth and the resulting war, known as the Morning War, broke out across the planet. Billions of Quarians died and those that survived were forced to flee their worlds in ships. The Council attempted to strip the Quarians of their embassy as punishment but a number of interested parties leveraged the Council into keeping it open as they believed the Quarians were merely victims. For a number of years, the Quarians began drifting in a makeshift flotilla labeled the Migrant Fleet until they received the world of Aite in 2133 for the help they delivered in the Council-Hegemony War. However, as Aite's moon was going to crash into the planet in roughly 500 years, the Quarians had been in a state of loss. Their ruling body had been forced to milk Aite of its many valuable resources before its moon eventually destroyed it. While this has helped the Quarians in some manner, the future loss of Aite as well as the lack of resources and prestige that would come with its loss would have likely seen the Quarians fully removed from their tenuous position in Citadel society.

Then came the Halo Wars and its aftermath. In the decades after the war, the Quarians developed a certain kinship with Humanity and many came to live on human worlds, though the early years were filled with a large amount of tension as many dislike the humans use of AIs in everyday life. Suffice to say that for a time, relations between the Quarians and humans was rather confusing at times. It wasn't until the Reaper Invasion, when Humanity helped the Quarians moved back to their homeworld peacefully, that the budding friendship between the two species was able to bloom into an alliance. In the years since then, the Quarians have become one of the strongest races in Federation space.

Anatomy and Physiology: Quarians are actually noted as one of the few major races in the Milky Way who look very much like humans though they are quite shorter and slimmer than humans actually are. They are also dextro-amino based, meaning that they share similar amino acids with few other species such as the Turians. They have three fingers on each hand and three toes on each foot. Their lower legs are bowed backwards significantly, compared to Asari or humans. Male Quarians, however, appear to lack a third toe. Aside from hands and legs, their general body shape and sexual dimorphism is similar to humans as is their lifespan. However the most notable aspect of their anatomy is their immune systems. The Quarian immune system is meant to adapt to their surroundings and not fight it off. This is due to the fact that pathogens and microbes capable of causing diseases were rare on Rannoch and those pathogens that existed were somewhat beneficial, making the Quarians relationship with their world's biology rather symbiotic. Years in space, stuck within suits and sterile environments however, have rendered their immune systems weakened. Geth appear very much like Quarians save for one flashlight eye and a metallic body that can be manipulated.

Government and Politics: During their time in exile from Rannoch, the Quarians remained in a state similar to martial law. As their species took to living on the Migrant Fleet for many generations, their government is theoretically under martial law, meaning the captain of a ship has the final say on disputes, but in practice the Quarians are quite democratic. Each ship has an elected civilian council and the captain often defers to their judgment. Overruling the council without a good reason is grounds for the captain to be removed. Representatives from each ship serve on the Conclave, the civilian government of the Migrant Fleet. The Conclave makes the day-to-day decisions about Fleet business: collection of resources, the current course of the Flotilla, policing and so on. The Conclave is overseen by the Admiralty Board, five Quarians who can override the Conclave's decisions, but only for certain reasons that may threaten the survival of the Quarians and only once. Once the Admirals have chosen to override the decision of the Conclave, the entire Admiralty Board must resign their posts or be arrested by the Quarian military, a practice that has only been done four times in recorded history. Even when given the right to settle the Aite and their return to Rannoch, this method of governing has continued to this day in some form. The only differences to this is the introduction of the Geth who help make the day-to-day decisions on Rannoch more quick and efficient while allowing more Quarians to participate in government affairs. Due to their history and technological abilities, Quarians and Geth share many diplomatic connections with the Salarians, the Krogan, Humanity, the Sangheili, the Asgard, the Protoss, and the Cybertronians.

Society and Culture: Quarian culture reflects their nomadic time in space and their constant fear of losing whatever home they gained during that time. During their exodus across space, their population was restricted so that fleet can maintain enough resources to sustain everyone. Even when the Quarians were given Aite, the population was heavily regulated as the possibility of a Geth invasion or Aite's impending disaster, made evacuation plans a necessity. Families are thus small and close-knit, they are much more community-minded, and many Quarians depend on their crewmates and friends to survive. Young Quarians continuously go on pilgrimage beyond Quarian space as a rite of passage to experience the galaxy beyond their home, interact with other cultures, learn to appreciate life among their own people, and bring back something of value that can help their society. Quarian homes are meant to be colorful and cozy but they their inhabitants place low value on personal possessions. They instead evaluate objects by their usefulness and trade them for other objects once they are no longer useful. This bartering system continues to be practiced on Rannoch and its colonies more heavily than on any other planet in the Milky Way. Quarians also practice a form of ancestor worship similar to the Sangheili.

The Geth on the other hand don't exactly value individuality. Even after the Battle of Rannoch, where the Geth became full-fledged AIs, Geth still prefer to share all of their memories, thoughts, and experiences with each other. As such they don't wish to hide their thoughts from others even though they are capable. As machines, they don't value comfort, instead preferring function over form. During the Quarians' exile, the Geth acted as caretakers of the Quarian worlds, living merely in space stations and harvesting asteroids. They still prefer to live in the digital world but still use physical bodies which they liken in behavior to the human tendency to establish cemeteries and memorials to commemorate dead persons and tragic events.

Military Structure: The Migrant Fleet is divided into five groups labeled the Patrol Fleet which manages navigation, internal security, intership conflicts, and crimes; the Civilian Fleet which hold all the Quarians civilian population and everything to help sustain it, the Heavy Fleet which is their main military force; the Defense Fleet which protects any Quarian worlds like Aite and serves as the backup for the Heavy Fleet at certain moments; and finally the Special Projects which is responsible for many technical breakthroughs used by the rest of the Fleet. Despite these distinctions, almost every Quarian ship is capable of fighting against a number of enemies. The Migrant Fleet Marines serve as both the Quarians military arm and its police force.

Technology: Quarian technology is considerable in that the Quarians are one of the few other races in the galaxy to have developed certain technologies similar in many ways to Humanity's own, with a few twists. Since the creation of the Geth, Quarian weaponry is heavily anti-synthetic in its design and is greatly capable of whittling down shields and armor.

The Shogunate of Tuchanka:

Homeworld: Tuchanka, Aralakh System, Krogan DMZ

Major Species: Krogan

Population: 2.1 billion

History: The Krogan, from their earliest days to the present, have always been a rather brutal but martial race. When they were building their civilization on Tuchanka, they had to deal with the multitudes of predatory animals that often culled their population but upon industrializing, the Krogan birthrate exploded beyond control. Since technology made their fights "too easy" in their eyes, the Krogan turned against each other when looking for new challenges. Warfare consumed Tuchanka as resources dwindled and certain small territories capable of sustaining life were overrun. At the dawn of the Krogan's nuclear age, roughly four thousand years ago, the full might of the Krogan's nuclear arsenal was unleashed and Tuchanka was turned into a radioactive wasteland. What was left of Krogan society was reduced to primitive warring clans struggling to survive through a nuclear winter, a state that continued for roughly two thousand years. During the Rachni Wars, the Salarians discovered and later uplifted the Krogan race, giving them the Citadel's advanced technology and even a new world, with the intention of bringing the Krogan in as shock troops to help dispose of the Rachni and their nests. The plan worked to perfection for within two generations, the Krogan were able to breed enough numbers to drive the Rachni into extinction and the Council rewarded the Krogan with a large number of worlds in gratitude.

However, without any restrictions to keep their numbers in check like the harsh conditions of Tuchanka or birth control laws established by the Council, the Krogan population once again exploded beyond control. As the Krogan worlds became overcrowded within half a dozen generations, numerous Council colonies settled by other species were targeted as for settlement and the Krogan invaded en-mass. Things finally came to a head with the Krogan settling the Asari colony of Lusia, which was a major Council world in the heart of Asari space. The Council demanded the Krogan leave and the Krogan ambassador dared them to take it back before storming from the Citadel. Suffice to say, war broke out soon afterwards though who started it is up for debate considering both sides took preemptive strikes at each other immediately after talks broke down. Despite many attempts and sacrifices, the Krogan continued to replenish the numbers they lost. Finally, the Council turned to the newcomer Turians to help but even with the Turian's iron discipline and their large military, the Council still losing the war. Eventually, the Salarians created a bioweapon known as the Genophage which was used by the Turians to halt the Krogan's population. As the final years of the Rebellions passed, the Krogan began to suffer mass sterility, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of fetuses and with their numbers dwindling on the battlefield, the Krogan eventually surrendered by 800 CE. For their efforts, the Turians were rewarded a seat on the Council. While the Council attempted to make sure the Krogan would never rise again as a threat, the efforts of a number of individuals showed the suffering the Krogan went through due to the large numbers of stillbirths that followed and argued how this plus the Krogan's growing fatalism meant that the Krogan would eventually go into extinction if something wasn't done. The Council members of the time decided to be lenient and release a modified Genophage that allowed the Krogan population to grow at a larger rate than before with less stillbirths occurring. Krogan even rediscovered parts of their ancient culture and when a number of Krogan helped save the independent colony of Esan from the Batarians in 1913, the Council allowed the Krogan to reestablish an embassy on the Citadel.

Despite these achievements, many Krogan were still bitter about the results of the Genophage and the Rebellions leaving Krogan society rarely united under a single banner and making any attempts to move forward rather difficult. It was only in the aftermath of the Halo Wars and in all the galactic wars to come that the Krogan proved themselves to be more than just warriors but began to unite under a new government. When the Reaper Invasion occurred, many Krogan fought alongside the Council and during the Battle of Tuchanka, the Genophage was completely removed from the Krogan population. Now as members of the Federation, the Krogan are not only rebuilding their society and population to heights unseen since the aftermath of the Rachni Wars, but they are also ensuring that the mistakes that led to the Krogan Rebellions will never occur again under their watch.

Anatomy and Physiology: The brutality of their surroundings, both before and after nuclear fire engulfed their homeworld, has allowed natural selection to play a significant role in their evolution. Everything about their biology has been created in such a way as to ensure both their survival and their ability to reproduce. The eyes are wide-set, giving them 240-degree vision which makes them more aware of approaching predators. Their humps store fluids and nutrients, allowing them to go longer without food or water. Their thick hides are virtually impervious to cuts, scrapes or contusions, and they are highly resistant to environmental hazards, including toxins, radiation, and extreme heat and cold. The most amazing physiological feature of krogan biology is the multiple instances of major organs. These secondary (and where applicable, tertiary) systems are capable of serving as back-ups in the event of damage to the primary biological structures. For example, Krogan have a secondary nervous system using a neuroconductive fluid, meaning they are almost impossible to paralyze. They also have four hearts, four lungs, and in males four testicles. Now prior to the usage of the Genophage, Krogan females were capable of producing up to 1,000 eggs in a year. Aside from redundant systems, the legendary krogan "blood rage" adds to the race's reputation for being notoriously difficult to kill or incapacitate in normal combat scenarios. In this state, krogan become totally unresponsive to pain and will fight to the death regardless of injury level, with the side effect of reducing their capacity for logic and self-control. The sheer physical hardiness seen in their physiology means that they can last for centuries, with the oldest known Krogan having lived for 2,000 years before dying of old age.

Government and Politics: The Krogan government is, in human terms, the equivalent of a military dictatorship though one that works for the Krogan considering their history and culture and still allows a modicum of democracy in the works. During the nuclear winter following the devastation of Tuchanka, the Krogan gathered into various clans which came to control certain sections of Tuchanka. Upon gaining membership in a clan, one can own property, join the army, apply to serve under a Battlemaster, and rise through the ranks to become leader if they were capable enough. Usually this involved fights to the death, but that practice has since been outlawed. Normally the Krogan who rose up to rule a clan was called a warlord. During the early days of the Rebellions, certain powerful Krogan who ruled over whole planets and had armies under their command could be called overlords but there were numerous overlords during the Rebellions and afterwards there weren't any Krogan powerful enough to claim the title. It was only recently that the Krogan began gathering under the banner of Urdnot Wrex who united most of the clans of Tuchanka through a combination of diplomacy and cunning. Those that didn't join this growing coalition were usual attacked until the survivors joined willingly and only when these troublemaking clans attacked Clan Urdnot first. After the Reaper War, these last holdouts joined and Wrex was proclaimed as overlord of Tuchanka and the Krogan race. To ensure that Krogan society would not become divided after his death, Urdnot Wrex appointed a "junta" that composed of most of the warlords and battlemasters from each clan to speak for the Krogan populace and then appointed a member of his clan known as Urdnot Grunt, to serve as his successor with the junta's support. The current system of government that was created by Urdnot Wrex is very similar in make to the Japanese Shogunate government with a mixture of democracy added in for good measure. While it has potential to be problematic, the government is stable so far and is working to fill any problems that come up. Due to their marital nature, the Krogan hold alliances with the Turians, the Sangheili, the Jaffa, the Protoss, the Cybertronians, and Humanity. However they share a special bond with the Jiralhanae due to their similar histories and cultural beliefs.

Society and Culture: Krogan society has been shaped by the harsh conditions of their homeworld making them tough mentally and physically. As a result, Krogan always appear selfish, unsympathetic, and blunt to strangers. However, they do respect strength and self-reliance amongst both their allies and enemies when its earned. Due to their martial nature though, they are neither surprised nor offended by treachery or subterfuge, considering it to be part of the nature of warfare itself. In fact, violence is so ingrained into their society that sometimes, when krogan disagree amongst each other or with other races, one of them will head-butt the other to show dominance. Despite these violent tendencies, the Krogan do know when to hold back though it's often considered an insult amongst Krogan when someone is not worth killing. Under the Genophage, the majority of the Krogan developed a short-sighted pessimistic attitude that drifted into fatalism. Most Krogan that were seen in space, therefore served as mercenaries, bouncers, or guards, in otherwise dangerous jobs. Nowadays, Krogan look to the future with hope and are becoming more open to other species though they still remain rather forward to both strangers and friends alike. Due to the Genophage, the Krogan treasure their newborns and children. While they are trained to become stronger in their later years, the ravages of the Genophage and the birth control laws now in place remind Krogan that each child they have is precious beyond measure. Krogan are also capable of great architectural and artistic works which show in their ancient and modern day cities alike with towering pyramidal edifices and gigantic monuments, all of which were built huge and made to withstand large numbers of Krogan going into blood rage.

Their penchant for violence is probably what resulted in their disregard for strong religious beliefs or organized religion in general. It is noted that they do hold a number of beliefs from ancient Krogan religions such as a form of afterlife, a respect for a number of their ancestors, and a ritualistic burial ground where violence is forbidden. Krogan also have a large number of traditional rites, most of which vary by clan and by certain events in one's life. For example, a Krogan who reaches puberty must go through the Rite of Passage where they go out into the wilds and fight numerous creatures alone or with a group they call a "krantt" to prove their worthiness as future warriors. Most of their rites actually involve a fair amount of violence.

Military Structure: Traditional krogan tactics were built on attritional mass-unit warfare. Equipped with cheap, rugged gear, troop formations were powerful but inflexible. Command and control was very centralized; soldiers in the field who saw a target contacted their commanders behind the lines to arrange fire support. Since the genophage, the krogan can no longer afford the casualties of the old horde attacks. The Battle Masters are a match for any ten soldiers of another species. To a Battle Master, killing is a science. They focus on developing clean, brute-force economy of motion that exploits their brutal strength to incapacitate enemies with a swift single blow of overwhelming power. This change of focus from mass-unit warfare to maximal efficiency has increased employment demand in the fields of security and "muscle for hire." Due to the unsavory reputation of the krogan, most of these jobs are on the far side of the law. Biotics are rarely seen amongst the Krogan and are viewed with suspicion and fear though some have overcome that stigma in the past. Nowadays, the newly formed Krogan military combines both old and new tactics to maximize their chances of victory in any hostile encounter.

Technology: Krogan tech, like the Jiralhanae, is mainly focused on weaponry and a little on vehicles. For example, Krogan have developed Graal Spike Thrower shotgun which was specifically used for hunting Thresher Maws and makes it incredibly difficult for non-Krogan to use without suffering broken bones.

The Zamorinate of Rakhana:

Homeworld: Rakhana, Ctesiphon System, Zerzura Crescent

Major Species: Drell

Population: 2.5 billion

History: The Drell of Rakhana were a late group to join the other space-faring races and they didn't do so through their own achievements. Sometime during the 1700's, the Drell reached their Industrialization Age but with industrialization came a number of problems. Rakhana was a arid desert world and didn't have many resources in the first place and the advent of industrialization only compounded the problem. By the 1900's, the Drell population was bursting at 11 billion, their natural resources were nearly depleted due to disastrous industrial expansion, and the planet was rapidly descending into lifelessness with hundreds of species of flora and fauna going extinct. Then in the 1980's, the Drell made first contact with the Hanar and the rest of the Citadel Council in turn. Moved by their plight, the Hanar began a large scale evacuation, eventually rescuing 375,000 Drell from their homeworld, while the other members of the Citadel Council attempted to stave off Rakhana's collapsing ecosystem through various means. For a little over a decade, this continued with mixed results but by the year 2000, the Citadel Council members could no longer continue either the evacuation or their attempts to stabilize Rakhana and soon left even as wars began to break out over the remaining resources on the planet. The remaining billions on Rakhana perished over time, leaving Rakhana a cemetery world with only a 1 billion Drell still barely living upon it. Those that escaped into space diverged in various ways to those on their homeworld. The Drell who went to Kahje owed the Hanar a debt of gratitude which came to be called the Compact where certain Drell would fulfill tasks the Hanar were incapable of doing. Over time, this allowed the Kahje branch to integrate into every layer of Hanar society where they became respected citizens of the Illuminated Primacy and came to adopt many aspects of their galactic neighbor's cultures. Those that remained back on Rakhana would live in a state similar to the Krogan after their nuclear holocaust. The Rakhana branch would stubbornly hold onto the remnants of their world while doing everything in their power to help restore Rakhana on their own using technology they gained off world through varying means. This continued until the end of the Reaper Wars, where both branches were given multiple worlds to settle on by the emerging Federation to help rebuild their race. As of today, they serve as full members of the Federation with the utmost distinction and their homeworld is slowly being rebuilt to its former state.

Anatomy and Physiology: Drell physiology is remarkable similar to Humans, Asari, Batarians, and Jaffa for the most part. Drell are omnivorous reptile-like humanoids with an average lifespan of 85 galactic standard years. Despite their similar appearances to other humanoid races, a Drell's muscles are slightly denser, giving them a wiry strength. Their skin is apparently infused with a venom mild enough to be served in drinks, and may cause mild hallucinations on "oral contact". They also have two sets of eyelids, akin to the nictitating membrane possessed by certain animals such as reptiles. The inner lid is milky-white and closes from the left and right, while the outer lid is black and closes from top and bottom. Much like Humans or Asari, Drell possess the ability to shed tears. Sexual dimorphism among Drell is roughly similar to Humans with females having breast-like protrusions and more pronounced head "frills". One of the sad things about Drell biology is that due to fact that they evolved on an arid, rocky, desert world, large amounts of humidity can prove to be dangerous and are only tolerable within climate controlled cities or suits. The leading cause of death for many Drell on Kahje and other worlds is Kepral's Syndrome which is caused by long -term exposure to a humid climate. This syndrome erodes the ability of Drell lungs to take in oxygen, and eventually spreads out to other organs in a manner similar to human cystic fibrosis. Thankfully a cure for the disease was found due to human efforts and Drell afflicted with the disease were cured though according to scientists, there are possibilities that the disease could return quicker if the Drell in question stays on a humid world. The most notable physiological aspect of the Drell though, is that they possess eidetic memory, an adaptation to a world where they must remember the location of every necessary resource (vegetation, drinkable water, prey migration paths, etc.) across vast distances. The memories are so strong that an external stimulus can trigger a powerful memory recall involuntarily. These recalls are so vivid and detailed that some Drell can even mistake it for reality.

Government and Politics: While all Drell are subject to the same laws whether they were part of the Citadel Council in the past or the Avalon Federation now, most Drell are divided into two groups. Those Drell that settled on Kahje are considered full citizens of the Illuminated Primacy with all the rights and protections that come with it and therefore subject to the same laws that the Hanar live under, though special addendums are added in respect for the Drell's physiological and cultural differences. Those Drell that remained on Rakhana however formed their own government in the wake of the first contact with the Citadel Council. The Council's attempts to stabilize Rakhana had ensured that the planet would retain some of its original biodiversity and remain livable but the loss of many resources still caused a massive death toll that wiped out most of the 11 billion Drell that lived on Rakhana. Those that remained originally lived in small clans with elders to pass on what knowledge they scrounged from the fall and help lead the many tribes or small oasis city-states. While the Rakhana branch slowly rebuilt itself, the atmosphere and environment of the planet was slowly healed through both natural and artificial means over the centuries. Eventually, one of the many tribes came to conquer Rakhana through various means and unite the Drell species and established a unitary state with a federal structure that vaguely resembled the human Mughal Empire of early modern India. The system had a number of socialist and feudalistic ideals but that was merely due to the scarcity of resources and the decline of Drell culture that became common after the 21st century. The leader of the Drell government was called the Zamorin, who rules as autocrat with an elected council to both give advice and step in when the ruler is unavailable. To sustain their way of life, a number of the largest and most important industries are regulated under the government while smaller industries are owned by the people. Military officers were given tracts of land that they had to manage but couldn't keep or pass on to their children and where handed back to the Zamorin to keep certain people like the rich or the influential from gaining too much power. The military officers collected revenues in return for pay and had to supply the empire with soldiers and horses. Their positions were conferred by the emperor solely based on merit, and as they advanced, they were allowed to hold better ranks. The nation itself was divided into a number of provinces ruled by governors who got to their position based on merit as well. Any settlements within a province were ruled by a magistrate who sent reports to the governor who in turn sent it to the Zamorin. For their attempts at helping, the Drell hold a special relationship with the Hanar for saving a number of their brethren and Humanity for giving a number of worlds like Abydos to help grow their population.

Society and Culture: Most Drell, specially the Kahje Branch, owe aliens like the Hanar such debts that they created a deal known as the Compact which the Drell fulfill by helping the Hanar with tasks the Hanar find difficult to do, such as combat. A Drell may refuse to serve but considering how great of an honor it is, few ever do. Minor compacts between a Drell and another individual from an alien species can occur but they are rarer in occurring and not as long lasting. A number of Drell do leave Kahje and Rakhana and tend to adventure across the galaxy and in doing so, adopt numerous species' cultures while living quiet integrated lives. Most Drell are also deeply religious compared to other races save a few. They believe that their souls are separate from their bodies and the combination of the two is what makes them whole. When the soul is traumatized or otherwise disrupted, or the body is ill or injured, a person is no longer Whole. They also believe that their body can be directed as a separate entity from themselves such as when the body is the one that takes other's lives but the soul remains clean. The Drell religion is polytheistic in nature with three gods noted to be very special amongst the majority: Amonkira, Lord of Hunters; Arashu, Goddess of Motherhood and Protection; and Kalahira, Goddess of Oceans and Afterlife. In places like Kahje, the older traditions are believed to be dying out with younger generations following the Hanar Enkindler religion or the Asari philosophies though the older traditions remain strong on planets ruled by the Zamorinate.

Military Structure: The Drell don't have much of a military to begin with as their government and economy alike are both focused on rebuilding their world and keeping a viable number of their population alive in the long run. Those that do take up the mantle of soldiers often work as specialists and assassins for a number of other peoples, especially the Hanar. A single Drell assassin is noted to be as deadly and dangerous a foe as a team of Spectres and can almost rival a single Spartan or a Ghost on the battlefield with the right equipment and training of course.

Technology: Ever since the collapse of their civilization in the 21st century, the Drell have not been focused on making any new technologies but simply using what they have on hand and getting the small amounts of tech they might need from others off world. This is not due to a dislike of technology but rather a cautionary measure that history has drilled into their species.

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Hey guys, DragonheartODST here. (Instantly ducks under the rotten fruit thrown by angry people.) Where do you get the rotten tomatoes and why do you use them? This is the internet not the Dark Ages. (Ducks angrily thrown knives and then activates an Atlantean personal shield on my Mjolnir suit). Not better and now you can't touch me. Take that angry people. (The mob grows larger and closer with a various combination of pitchforks, torches, and other sharp implements.) Probably shouldn't have said that. Anyhow, getting back on track and before the mob carries me away. I recently got a job again, hooray I have a life now. The problem of course being the weekly schedule that drives me insane at times with how much it changes. That and I got a writer's block on the story chapter which is DELIBERATELY PISSING ME OFF! I'll probably rant over there more about it if you want to listen. Either way, I want to thank you all for bearing with me and understanding my situation. The next chapter of the story will probably be out within two weeks so all I ask for is your patience. Now on to those who texted me through reviews.

Iluvit: Sadly, no. I can't figure out their taxonomic label either. My best guess is that their mammal in nature as annelids are merely worms and the ones fitting that definition are the Hunters.

ASDF: Your right in that regard and I'm going to list that as one of the reasons that the Neo Covenant and the Citadel Council are rather cold toward each other amongst other reasons.

I am Groot: I am Groot.

Guest: In my opinion, the Turians are perhaps one of the most outgoing races due to their martial culture which is similar in aspect to many others. The Salarians would be a distiant second followed by the Asari because both don't usually upset the status quo. The Salarians prefer the whole sneaking around and studying everyone else to prevent possible wars from occurring in the first place while the Asari are diplomats and peacekeepers, many of whom would want to try and hold onto whatever power they still believe they have in my opinion. I'll look over those later though and see if they need fixing.

SpawnX66: They were of help, thank you for that. I'm glad you like both the idea surrounding the Stoics, Atriox, and the Yonhet because personally I wanted to kind of save the species from their own destructions, what with the Reformer San'Shyuum disappearing and the other Jiralhanae factions seemingly wanting to get killed off for their stupidity. The Yonhet were just a race I wanted to see expanded upon cause they sounded interesting but I don't know if they would ever be touched upon so I decided why not.

MurphysLaw89: Your probably right on that, I haven't put the Stoics reestablishing contact after the Halo Wars in my timeline so I'll need to fix that. Thanks for the heads up.

Reichenfaust: Thanks, I'll try and get it out as soon as possible if fate doesn't screw with me too much.

Oh but first, as both a thank you and a congratulations just in case I forgot earlier; I want to thank SpawnX66 and Reichenfaust for their notes and texts in helping with the timeline, the codex, and the story at large. They have been a great help and I couldn't do it without them so please look them up and favorite them because they are good people as well as a great writers. Thank you Spawn and Reichenfaust. Now please excuse me because the mob is finally here to lynch me. (Is pulling out a submachine gun in each hand from beneath a cloak to face the oncoming mob.)