Codex: Spoiler Section
A special note about these codexs for the Mass Dragon Effect story is that they were written for two reasons. Firstly, they only exist in this story, so they cannot be found in the two wikis listed below, with a few exceptions found in the timeline. The second reason is that the original had little detail or will be completely different from the wikis below, such as kinetic barriers and thermal clips. I also include all the various races main Codex, and the enemies the heroes will face more for my benefit to keep track of them. This is not required for Mass Dragon Effect, but for your enjoyment and to see how I built the world's lore. Therefore, I hope you enjoy it.
Codexs websites: wiki/Mass_Effect_Wiki and wiki/Dragon_Age_Wiki
Beta Reader: Albert
Last Update: 12/07/2020
Don't Read Past This Line Unless You're Curious about future plot points.
Codex: Cerberus and Other Criminal Organizations
Cerberus Leadership
At the head of the insidious organization is its founder, the Illusive Man. A man set to expand and increase human interest and initially was the sole leader of the terrorist organization. However, as the organization spread, he began to concern himself more with the science division while leaving his trusted lieutenants to take care of the military and espionage division. A decision that would prove to be a mistake for him as a power struggle began to take form between the various divisions.
The Science Division lead by the Illusive Man and his lieutenant and rumored lover, a quarian named Doctor Daro'Xen vas Cerberus. The group focused on reverse engineering recovered technology and the development of new technology. The Science Division is the most heavily funded thanks to the Illusive Man, and it is the most loyal to his cause. He was the only leader that is known to recruit both human and non-humans on a permanent basis. He is also known to be a cold, calculating man willing to take any risk that would benefit humanity and, in extension, the Federation. Something his rival cannot say.
General Iron Guts is the head of the Military Division and has the most personal under his control. He has a sizable group of scientists looking for methods to make his soldiers stronger and to create unlimited, expendable shock troops for his forces. His group is flagged as the most ruthless group and is known to do experiments that even the Illusive Man does not condone. For example, he had authorized his scientists to kidnap children to experiment instead of using volunteers or criminals. Intelligence suggests his division is the most likely culprit responsible for most of the assassinations and sabotages in Federation Space. He is at odds with the Illusive Man, and they are locked in a power struggle as Iron Guts tries to become the new head of Cerberus.
The final Cerberus leader is Mistress K, head of the Espionage Division, the smallest unit within the organization. Her small force steals various alien technologies, artifacts, and secret research that would benefit humanity. After the Science and Military Division have studied or reverse engineered them. Her division also handles assassinations and sabotaging any anti-human and anti-Federation organizations from time to time. However, recently, the division has split into two factions. One is loyal to Illusive Man under Mistress K. The other is loyal to General Iron Guts, led by an agent named Kai Lang.
If the two organizations within the espionage division split or Iron Guts become the de facto ruler of Cerberus, it could spell trouble for everyone in the galaxy. No one could keep this future ruthless dictator in check without total war.
Illusive Man
The reclusive tycoon and mage calling himself the Illusive Man is a human nationalist focused on advancing human interests, whatever the cost to non-humans. The Citadel Council and Union of Federations regard him as a fanatic posing a serious threat to galactic security. Despite almost no information available, outside the fact he is a magician class mage fussed with a desire demon. He is a mysterious maverick, to say the least. The Illusive Man heads the Cerberus network dubbed "the Illusive Empire" by investigators. Cerberus is an allegedly untraceable syndicate of private intelligence agencies, biotics and mages laboratories, engineering and scientific research teams, dilithium crystal farms, and lucrative front companies.
Branded a terrorist and sedition organization by authorities, Cerberus is the only power base other than the First Prime Party strong enough to embarrass if not threaten the Council and Federation representatives. Despite how little is known about the actual strength the Illusive Man has in his organization. Or even knowing what he stands for exactly as he recently has been promoting the inclusions of krogans, quarians, and even geth in Cerberus. His motives have changed since he originally only promoted the inclusion of humans in Cerberus.
Iron Guts
While little is known about the Illusive Man's origins, the same cannot be said for Jonathan Salisbury, aka General Iron Guts. Born on Earth in 2132 CE, he was a child of a simple farmer's family in Louisiana, North American contentment. Jonathan was going to be a farmer as well until the Darkspawn War began. Feeling it was his patriotic duty, he lied about his age and enlisted at the age of sixteen. Once in the army, the man quickly rose through the ranks for his leadership skills that Earth's military desperately needed in the war. However, despite his ability, Lieutenant would be the highest rank he would ever achieve.
As the Human System Alliance went to form alliances with various species for help, Jonathan protested against the alliances. He believed that humanity should stand on its own instead of depending on aliens for help to retake their homeworld. A view that the general public or his superior officers did not share as aliens' aid helped save lives. When the war ended, and the Union of Federations was being formed. His superior officers told him that they planned to make the Federation into one military force between the four species. He was then told he had two choices, end his anti-alien views or resign. He chose to resign and dropped off the grid before taking up the persona 'General Iron Guts' within Cerberus's shadowy organization.
After joining Cerberus, information on General Iron Guts became clouded in mystery within an already shadowy organization. All information on the General's activities was either antidotal or nonexistent. However, what is known is that he is considered to be ruthless in the pursuit of his two primary goals. Build an army within Cerberus that could match firepower with Federation and Council forces, and use genetic engineering to enhance humans and make the first meta-humans. He has become a political rival to the Illusive Man, as the General was particularly vocal about his disgust with the Illusive Man for recruiting non-humans within the organization.
Codex: Governments and Galactic Policies
Hunter Fleet
During the darkspawn invasion on Earth, several influential members in Citadel Space began arguing against the Council's refusal to help the humans retake Earth. One of the loudest was an Asari Matriarch name Zeana Calibri who feared what would happen if the darkspawn were left unchecked. She was so sure of the darkspawn's evil intent that Zeana eventually convinced the Council to send a spy unit to determine the darkspawn's threat level. The unit included Zeana's oldest daughter Tallo. Unfortunately, Tallo was turned into a broodmother during the mission and was later killed on Earth. Out of grief or righteous indignation, Zeana Calibri built a fleet filled with personnel that was fearful of the darkspawn, including her youngest daughter, Alessa. The fleet's purpose was to hunt the darkspawn down and wipe them from the galaxy before they could harm anyone else.
However, her efforts were met with limited support that dwindled even further until, as darkspawn faded to obscurity, her support also disappeared. That was until the darkspawn incursion during the Galactic Darkspawn War. After a larger number of colonies were attacked, including an Asari colony near the Citadel, funding increased. Their numbers swelled from a small fleet of various classes led by a few heavy cruisers to a large military fleet six times its original size spearheaded by a dreadnaught. Calibri's private army also swelled in numbers of people wishing to see the darkspawn die once and for all, no matter the cost. Her current fleet number is estimated to be around three hundred.
Hunter Fleet current compliment: 1 dreadnought, 21 heavy cruisers, 52 cruisers, 117 heavy frigates, 238 frigates, and 282 corvettes
Codex: Sentient Species
Rachni (Update)
Though thought to be extinct, over 2000 years ago, a "rogue" Strategic Task Group (STG) know as the League of One discovered the rachni and attempted to cultivate them into mindless workers and military forces for the Salarian Union. They used the rachni's hive mind and ability to "sing" through an organic quantum entanglement to control them and fight for the salarians. However, the rachni proved to be smarter than the salarians originally assumed as they learned how to duplicate salarian technology. They were able to create a fleet of warships and kick the salarians off their planet. From there, it is unknown, but something affected them in what they called "soured song" that caused them to be in a frenzy where they attack any they came across. It was unknown if it was an experimental failure by the salarians or some outside source, aka the Reapers.
Regardless, the result was them using their massive fleet to plunge the galaxy into a series of conflicts known as the Rachni Wars. Attempts to negotiate were futile, as it was impossible to make contact with the hive queens that guided the race from beneath the surface of their toxic homeworld. And even if they could, it was impossible as the rachni were being affected by a "soured song."
And while the rachni eventually was able to adapt to give birth to a queen that was immune to the "soured song," it proved too late. Before the rachni could replace their queens to return to a more docile state, the Salarian Union had uplifted the krogans to fight the rachni. Bred to survive the harshest environments, the krogan could strike at the queens in their lairs and reclaim conquered Council worlds. But when krogan fleets pressed them back to their homeworld, the rachni refuse to surrender. Therefore, it was decided the krogans should eradicate the species from the galaxy.
Only one Rachni Queen survived the purge but laid dormmate for 2000 years in an old Salarian frigate before discovered by Binary Helix on Noveria and was hatched. Rumor has it she has been brought onto a quartine world in Federation space. If all goes well, the rachni will be the fifth species to join the Federation.
Codex: Ships and Vehicles
Maelstrom Class Dreadnaught
Maelstrom class Dreadnaught is the longest and most powerful warship designed in the Federation and Citadel space. Built in secret, the CSS Excalibur and CSS Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi (Grass Cutter) were supper dreadnaughts meant to be introduced years ago by the Federation. However, they were kept in storage due to being plagued by glitches.
While large ships were not impossible to build, the Quarian Live Ships being a good example of a large ship, dreadnaughts had problems functioning when super-sized. The 2.4 km long Maelstrom class Dreadnaughts required six large anti-matter reactors spread out along the ship and two dreadnaught size Tantalus Drive Cores. Drive Cores that had to be in coherence to work, or it would tear the ship apart. Even with the Drive Cores working incoherence, the design had an unreasonable amount of stress on the ship when entering or leaving FTL speeds. To have the ship on patrol like any standard dreadnaught would require the ship to be put into dry dock every four to six months for maintenance, instead of every other year. It would also require the resources and manpower that could maintain two dreadnaughts per maintenance cycle. Meaning its cost equal the maintenance of four to six dreadnaughts for a single year.
Combined with the cost to even build one, Maelstrom class dreadnaught ships never enter service and instead are put into the R&D category to test new technology. Often using its six generators to help compare new technology to current technology on the same ship. For years, the two ships were used as a testbed, never to see combat, until the Battle of the Citadel. Realizing the Federation needed ships that could match a Reaper Capital Ship's firepower, Grand Admiral Hackett ordered the two ships to be refurbished and recommissioned as warships. One would serve as his flagship while the second is permanently stationed at Arterius Station. Many government powers were in awe at the 2.4 km warship. And just as many engineers cursed the same ships since they needed yearly maintenance even if it is permanently stationed at Arcturus Station II.
The vessel themselves are considered a powerhouse as the ship was equipped with four shield generators, eight main PPC cannons, and two 1.2 km mass accelerator guns. Making it a powerhouse compared to a standard ship with one to two shield generators, two to four main PPC cannons, and a single mass accelerator gun of various lengths. Usually 800m for dreadnaughts. Not to mention it allowed the ship to survive against a Reaper Capital Ship's main gun and have enough firepower to gut one in a single shot. Combined with the latest technology available, making it the most powerful ship in the galaxy. Giving the Council Races a bitter taste as they went to work to build their version. It is an estimated two more years (2187) before the Council builds its version. At the same time, a third Maelstrom class dreadnaught, the CSS Korbal would be complete. Its length is 2.4 km, a standard fighter complement of 144, and a standard crew complement of 7,900.
Appearance: Maelstrom class is configured like a thin triangle shaped like a sheathed gladius's blade (Roman sword) with a thick tear, oval-shaped body at the back of the ship. It also has folded blade wings to the side and oval-shaped engines in the back.
Modified Spirit Class Heavy Frigate
After the Battle of the Citadel, new technology began to circulate across the galaxy; and one of the first ships to get these upgrades were the Spirit class heavy frigate. Mainly focusing on improving the engines, significantly increasing the speed and maneuverability while giving a slight increase in armor protection and weapons. Thanks to its improved Solaris Armor and its Thanix Mark II Cannon. However, the upgrades are nothing compared to the upgrades Cerberus had applied to the ships.
On top of the Federation upgrades, Cerberus got spies in the project via research companies the Illusive Man owns. The main upgrades were to steal new weapons, but also several new technologies that Cerberus developed. That included subspace communication, top of the line research/manufacturing lab, a hybrid between the HMKW and Thanix Mark-II cannon (Thanix MHKW), Dual Dilithium Reactor, and room for other modifications like Cerberus transporters, new armor, additional kinetic barriers, and weapon modifications.
Codex: Technology
Dual Dilithium Reactor
The Dual Dilithium Reactor is a newly developed reactor designed by Cerberus to serve as a mini Anti-Matter reactor for frigates. Giving the frigate the ability to safely be converted to a regular Dilithium Reactor at any given moment. The reactor works as a converter, using the dilithium crystal to drain the anti-matter energy into a non-vital form when entering a planet's atmosphere. From there, energy is stored for years and used to give a ship an edge while it still had enough energy to create anti-matter. The design makes it a safe craft to enter a planet's atmosphere. However, the reactor's cost is twice that of a single dreadnaught anti-matter generator and at a fourth of the power emitted.
Magneto Hydrodynamic Kinetic Weapons
Magnetohydrodynamic kinetic weapons (MHKW) are unique weapons introduced to the galactic market after the Federation and Citadel defeat Sovereign. Known as the alternative to PPCs, MHKWs are powerful cannons that can tear ships apart using a stream of molten metal propelled near light's speed. Able to hit targets at a distance with the same destructive capability of a PPC at close range, they are a good alternative. However, most races prefer PPCs or regular kinetic weapons due to being more efficient than MHKWs. While PPCs have energy problems, current MHKWs are able to deplete the entire ammunition of a dreadnaught within minutes. Only very large space stations can use them to their full efficiency, stations like Arterius and the Citadel. Therefore MHKWs use is limited.
Though that does not stop the Reapers, they use them as a secondary weapon as they seem to be considerably more efficient in MHKW use as they can fire them for hours. It is unknown how they can continually fire. However, it's speculated that the AIs can be more precise than organics in their firing brevity to prevent using up ammunition. It is also thought that the weapon fires part metal and plasma so hot that it is beyond current means to duplicate the procedure and useless ammunition.
Cerberus experimented with combining the MHKWs with the new Mark-II Thanix Cannons to give an even bigger punch. Making them the most powerful weapon in the galaxy.
Subspace Communication
When it comes to communication, two forms are utilized. The more commonly used are Communication Buoys (comm buoys), which can send almost limitless amounts of information but have a limited range and time delay in data transmission. While used less frequently due to the limited amount of data that can be transmitted, the second form is the Quantum Entanglement Communication (QEC), developed by the Salarians to be used on priority channels with instant transmitting capability. The trade-off being QEC is more expensive, limited in bandwidth, and unable to handle peer discussions. With these limitations in mind, the Federation heavily funded companies to develop improved QEC that would be cheaper and more widespread. Unfortunately, or fortunately, one of the companies was a shell company for Cerberus. Who then used those funds and gathered research from both the Federation and their archives to develop the first long-range subspace communication.
Subspace Communication used the quantum physics of the Fade to piggyback through the dimension and allowed instant communication within a light-year with almost unlimited bandwidth. Combined with modified buoys, the process permits communication across vast distances and ideal for interstellar communication. Subspace Communication still could be interfered with or disrupted through jamming technology or the destruction of all buoys within a light year, but the breakthrough was significant. Cerberus modified comm buoys every one fourth a light-year apart to ensure communication was not interrupted if one or a few were jammed or destroyed. The Federation plans to use QEC for more secure, direct communication while switching to Subspace Communication. After modifying their own to prevent Cerberus from listening in. Civilians will likely still be using regular space buoys in the considerable future.
Transporter
When first discovered that demons could 'teleport' through dimensions and over long distances, several companies and organizations attempted to copy the procedure with limited success. To date, only one group had successfully made a transporter, Cerberus. Cerberus transporters work as energy compressors that allow an organic or inorganic form to be transformed into compressed energy. Allowing it to travel through a dimensional rift between the Fade and Prime dimension. The subject or object remains unharmed if the time lapsed is sufficiently brief and power sufficiently strong.
A derivative that takes anything past the distance of ten light seconds or a regular second would mean a chance of molecular deformation of the subject transported. The power requirement for transport or even a small team is so high that it takes power from a dreadnaught to transport multiple times. A frigate can only do it once before energy reserves in engines, weapons, and shields need to be transferred for a second use. The Federation received the technology thanks to Jane Sheppard. However, the Federation and Council focused on developing countermeasures against transporter technology using modified energy fields and barriers rather than equipping ships with transporters. Only a few Federation ships have the transporters, while all three factions of Cerberus are fully equipped with them.
Reapers: Individual Reapers
The Reapers themselves are an enigma, especially when it comes to individual Reapers. When first described by both Shepards, most thoughts of them as a single warship with hundreds of thousands of programs work together as a single identity, similar to a nation or a geth server. However, the Reapers have proven to be much larger and more complex than believed. It is perhaps more accurate to say a Reaper is a nation of city-state ships working together as one conscientiousness. Their indoctrination field acts as a quantum entanglement form of communication, allowing the Reapers to connect to its "bodies," even if they are hundreds of thousands of light-years apart.
As to how this is possible to create a Reaper, the process is relatively unknown. However, it is theorized that a Reaper birth is tied to how they are formed. A Reaper's body is developed from a species' genetic material broken down to the atomic level. This is then reformed into a Reaper larva that takes their harvested species shape before it repurposes it into the base shape. The asari has proven that genetic material has its chemistry, memory, and knowledge. Therefore, the synapses of young Reaper units develop from genetic material collected during a harvest is connected by the Reaper's Indoctrination Field to form a single mind per cycle. It is also believed that the more minds connected to the individual Reaper, the more powerful the Reaper mentally becomes to a certain point, at least in theory. In reality, it does not matter as much about how as much as the startling implication for their enemies.
Due to their mental connection, it means that to kill even one Reaper requires the destruction of a handful of Reaper Capital Ships and an untold number of Reaper Destroyers. Assuming that someone managed to destroy all the Reapers' "bodies," then it may be considered dead. Though some believed they are beings of pure energy that could exist without a body. On a more logistic concern, it means the Reapers can communicate instantly with the entire fleet, without lag time or interference between itself and others. Therefore, if one Reaper unit discovers something, they all know it. If one of its "bodies" is destroyed, all the Reapers know where it happened, and they can send a fleet to exact revenge. It also means that they know about dilithium crystals, and they can harvest their own if the situation presents itself.
Codex: Reapers
Reapers: Reaper Evaluation
This is a reaper evaluation to determine whether a species is good enough for their ascension project, to be turned into a Reaper Capital Ship or modified into the servant project (into a new species of collectors). Alternatively, they could be turned into a Destroyer Class Ship if nonviable for ascension project and not suggested for servant project.
(X) Asari:
Strengths: 100% biotic potential, good combat ability, good genetic diversity, good genetic malleability, adequate multitasking ability, good technical ability, above average intelligence, long lifespan, above-average reproduction rate, physically flexible, touch base telepathy, ability to reproduce with any species, and has the diplomatic, leadership and manipulative mindset
Weaknesses: no mage potential, and need to reproduce with other species to prevent genetic diseases
Evaluation: not viable for ascension project due to genetic defects, but viable for servant project due to genetic defects and telepathic ability
(X) Salarian:
Strengths: good combat ability, good mental adaptability, impressive multitasking ability, impressive technical ability, extremely intelligent, high reproduction rate, physically fast and flexible, and has the preemptive strike, problem solver, and scientific mindset
Weaknesses: weak biotic potential, weak genetic diversity, weak genetic malleability, weak mage potential, short lifespan, and physically weak
Evaluation: nonviable for ascension project due to being genetically weak
(X) Volus:
Strengths: good biotic potential, good mage potential, good technical ability, and has the calculating and manipulative mindset
Weaknesses: weak physical adaptability, weak combat ability, physically weak and vulnerable, cannot survive most organic environments, and depend on others for survival
Evaluation: nonviable for ascension project due to being physically weak
(X) Batarians:
Strengths: good physical adaptability, good biotic potential, good combat ability, good genetic malleability, good mage potential, good technical ability, and has a dominant and sadistic mindset
Weaknesses: weak mental adaptability and below-average intelligence
Evaluation: nonviable for ascension project due to low intelligence
(X) Elcor:
Strengths: good combat ability, good mage potential, good technical ability, above-average lifespan, physically strong and tough, and has the patient mindset
Weaknesses: weak adaptability, weak biotic potential, weak genetic diversity, weak genetic malleability, low reproduction rate, and depends on asari for protection
Evaluation: nonviable for ascension project due to genetic and adaptability weaknesses
(X) Hanar:
Strengths: good biotic potential, good genetic diversity, impressive genetic malleability, impressive multitasking ability, good technical ability, high intelligence, toxic neural stingers, and has the diplomatic mindset
Weaknesses: no mage potential, physically weak on land, and wasted genetic potential due to prothean forced evolution
Evaluation: nonviable for ascension project due to prothean interference
(X) Quarian:
Strengths: good combat ability, goof multitasking ability, impressive technical ability, above-average intelligence, above-average reproduction rate, physically flexible and tough, unique plant to animal biology, and has the engineer and scavenger mindset
Weaknesses: weak biotic potential, weak mage potential, and weak immunity due to the unique biology
Evaluation: nonviable for ascension project due to their weak immunity suggest genetic weakness
(X) Rachni:
Strengths: impressive adaptability, impressive biotic potential, good combat ability, impressive mage potential, impressive technical ability, above-average cellular regeneration, high group intelligence, extremely high reproduction rate, telepathic ability via pheromones and genetic quantum entanglement, able to survive on worlds hostile to organics, and a hive mind
Weaknesses: weak multitasking ability, low lifespan outside of rachni queen, low individual intelligence outside of Rachni queen, easily suggestible, and small population
Evaluation: nonviable for ascension project due to low population, viable for servant project due to being easily suggestible and telepathic ability
(X) Krogan:
Strengths: impressive adaptability, good biotic potential, impressive combat ability, good genetic diversity, good genetic malleability, good technical ability, high cellular regeneration, long lifespan, extremely high reproduction rate, physically strong and tough, redundant organs and nerve clusters, able to survive on several worlds hostile to most organics, and has the warrior mentality
Weaknesses: no mage potential, weak multitasking ability, force ascension by salarians, overwhelming primitive instincts, and sterilized by the Genophage
Evaluation: nonviable for ascension due to being sterilized by the genophage
(X) Turian:
Strengths: impressive combat ability, impressive mage potential, good technical ability, above-average intelligence, above-average reproduction rate, physically tough and malleable, skin resilient to radiation, and has the discipline and warrior mindset
Weaknesses: weak biotic potential, weak genetic malleability, and genetically primitive
Evaluation: nonviable for ascension project due to being genetically primitive
(X) Drell:
Strengths: impressive biotic potential, impressive combat ability, good genetic diversity, good genetic malleability, good technical ability, above-average intelligence, camouflage ability, eradicate memory, and has the discipline mindset
Weaknesses: weak physical adaptability, weak mage potential, below average lifespan, below-average reproduction rate, and small population
Evaluation: nonviable for ascension project due to insufficient population
(X) Geth: primitive AIs, use only for cannon fodder to be disposed of as materials for reaper constructs
(X) Vorcha:
Strengths: impressive adaptability, impressive combat potential, impressive genetic diversity, impressive genetic malleability, good technical ability, impressive cellular regeneration, impressive reproduction rate, physically strong, able to survive and adapt on worlds hostile to most organics, can change genetically to match the environment, and has the survivor mindset
Weakness: weak biotic potential, weak mage potential, low lifespan, low intelligence, and has a too aggressive mindset
Evaluation: nonviable due to low intelligence
(X) Yahg:
Strengths: good adaptability, good biotic potential, impressive combat ability, good genetic diversity, impressive genetic malleability, good mage potential, impressive technical ability, high intelligence, long lifespan, above-average reproduction rate, physically strong, tough and fast, and has cunning and predator mindset
Weaknesses: very arrogant and has not reached space yet
Evaluation: viable for ascension project near the end of the cycle when the population is larger
(X) Human:
Strengths: impressive adaptability, impressive biotic potential, good combat ability, impressive genetic diversity, impressive genetic malleability, impressive mage potential, good multitasking ability, impressive technical ability, above-average intelligence, above-average reproduction rate, physically well rounded, has the curious and individualistic mindset
Weaknesses: a chaotic and stubborn race, possibly too diverse, and has the stubborn mindset
Evaluation: viable for ascension project
(X) Elf:
Strengths: impressive adaptability, impressive biotic potential, impressive combat ability, impressive genetic diversity, impressive genetic malleability, impressive mage potential, good multitasking ability, impressive technical ability, above-average intelligence, above-average lifespan, above-average reproduction rate, physically fast, and has the sniper mindset
Weaknesses: physically frail, depend on human DNA to strengthen the immune system, small population
Evaluation: viable for ascension project with humans
(X) Qunari:
Strengths: good physical adaptability, good biotic potential, impressive combat ability, good mage potential, impressive technical ability, above-average cellular regeneration, above-average intelligence, above-average reproduction rate, physically strong and tough, has the disciplined and warrior mindset
Weaknesses: weak mental adaptability, weak genetic diversity, weak genetic malleability, weak multitasking ability, and genetically primitive
Evaluation: nonviable for ascension project due to being genetically primitive
(X) Federation AIs: advance AIs that, if dissected, can help improve runtime on destroyers, harvesters, and troop transports
(X) Fade Spirits and Demons: spirit-like beings demand study and possible extermination if possible.
(X) Raloi: insufficient data
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Evaluation:
(X) Kirlk: insufficient data
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Evaluation:
(X) Cycle technology: innovative in several forms, especially in medical and cyber warfare that may prove useful to husk, servants, and computer warfare. It is also noted that technology is primarily focused on power efficiency.
(X) Citadel Council's Technology: biotic and cyber warfare may prove worthwhile to study. All other forms of technology are not noteworthy outside their version of Federation technology.
(X) Union of Federations' Technology: technology using dilithium crystals are a priority technology to capture and study due to new forms of weapons and power sources made available. Another technology that is useful to study is Medi-gel for Reaper troops.
Leviathan and Reaper History
In the beginning, the Leviathans lived on an oceanic world with another sentient species that become its thrall, not unlike a high-class serf. With one species under its control, the Leviathans allowed their serfs to live in relative peace and prosper in exchange for a tribute of food and resources. Eventually, the Leviathans developed mass effect FTL through their thrall and encountered many other species they influenced and controlled as they had with their original thralls. The 'lesser' species were given direction and relative peace as the Leviathans' revealed in their control. The Leviathans' ability to control every species they encountered so easily that they began to dream of being able to influence the entire galaxy, where nothing was beyond their reach. To achieve their dream, they created the Mass Relays and the Citadel/Control Relay/Catalysts for fast travel across the galaxy, allowing their thralls to travel to new worlds. Simultaneously, the Leviathans used the Relays' FTL properties to boost their organic signal across the galaxy.
To maintain, guard, and build the Mass Relays, they developed and created the Monoliths (the Reapers' bodies). Made into their image using advanced technology and unbeknownst to their thralls, the thralls own dead. Ensuring the Leviathans would have control over the Monoliths' organic minds and the tools needed to work on the Relays. Tools that spread across the galaxy as the Leviathans built a relay within every star cluster guarded by fleets of Monoliths. It was meant to symbolize the Leviathans' glory and the height of their power, but they never realized that it was the beginning of their end.
As time passed, the galaxy was being drained of its energy and resources. Most had been used in the construction of the Relays, the Catalysts, and the Monoliths. The rest was used up by the various thrall races and synthetics (VIs) for their civilization. However, the worst of it was that hundreds of star systems died out due to the dark matter pollution from their mass effect technology, confounding the problem of dwindling resources. Soon, fighting began to break out between the various forms of life over the ever-dwindling resources as the weaker civilizations slowly starved to death. Several species became extinct, and the Leviathans did not know what to do to save their thralls.
The Leviathans were a species with an infinite reach, and they could not comprehend that while the universe was infinite, its resources were not. Realizing they could not determine what the problem was, the Leviathans made the Intelligence. A VI, to find the problem and institute a solution with whatever resources they or their thralls had to preserve their thralls forever. The Intelligence immediately went to work and concluded that the advanced sentient species and their constructions were the problems and that there was only one possible solution. The VI released a virus to rewrite the Monoliths and make them immune to the Leviathans for a short time while submitting its orders. The Monoliths moved in to bring order to the chaos created by organics and their constructs by harvesting them too. A harvest that the VI believed would save the species of the galaxy in the long run/ A harvest to preserve species within the form of a Monolith.
The Leviathans did not know what hit them when the Monoliths attacked them and their thrall races across the galaxy. It was a massacre as the Monoliths went unchallenged against species weakened by a scarce galaxy. It did not help that the Monoliths control the Primary Relays through the Catalyst, limiting fast travel between sectors. Therefore, the Monoliths could send entire fleets to wipe out every planet while the sentient species were trapped within their systems.
The Leviathans were particularly hard hit as they were the first species harvested and were used to form several Monoliths that created the first true Reaper, Harbinger. Harbinger was the first Reaper to develop a group consciousness and the first to developed Indoctrination. It would not be long before the technology was copied into the other Monoliths, creating several more Reapers with millennia of knowledge from the thralls used in construction. The Reapers began to believe they were the pinnacle of all life, with their primary purpose to harvest species to bring order to chaos. A goal that they easily reached as they perfected Indoctrination and took control of whole systems by their very presence alone.
Only the Leviathans would survive the purge, hiding on a backwater world, deep within the cold, dark oceans. Reapers extinguished the rest before Harbinger directed them to dark space, where they waited for the next civilization that would arise. To begin a new harvest in each cycle (10,000-100,000 years) in which a Reaper is born.
Crucible History
When it comes to a weapon of immense power design to destroy the Reapers, it may come as a shock to know it was the Reapers that made it. The Reapers developed the Crucible after three consecutive cycles that the Reapers lost a significant number of their force. While they would still win with overwhelming force, the Reapers were unsure if they could continue the Cycles if faced with a few more brutal cycles. So, the Reapers came up with a subtle idea. The Reaper's leaked intelligence through an indoctrinated agent about a 'superweapon' that could defeat the Reapers. Once they learned of the 'weapon,' the civilizations would use resources meant to fight the Reapers to build said superweapon.
Once the Crucible was completed, the agent would use the device through the Catalyst and the Relays to amplify the Reaper's Indoctrination Field across the galaxy. It would render the species inert in one fell swoop, even at the cost of some of the more developed primitive species in the galaxy. Once these species were harvested, they left the Crucible designs at a hidden but discoverable location for the next Cycles. So that if one galactic civilization were powerful enough to cause significant damage to them, they would spend their valuable resources on building the Crucible and defeat themselves. It was suggested that the Crucible was used a handful of times. It is also noted that with the constant modification by several species over the various cycles, it has become a weapon that could destroy the Reapers.
Side note: The Protheans did not use the Crucible since they had more ships and people than both the Federation and the Citadel; they were also more spread out. Limiting the number of ships they had to protect themselves in any given world. So the Reapers could easily destroy them with overwhelming force and sabotage Prothean forces with their sleeper agents. The Reapers also benefit from a slow harvest as they gained more material to make more Reaper ships that more than make up any losses they receive.