Race Designation: Kirik
Universal Range: Ekram
Original Habitat: Ekram
Lifespan: Two years
Sex: Male/Female
Size: Three to five inches long
Diet: Omnivorous
Communication: Morse Code
Notes: The planet of Ekram offers a glimpse of the fate that many worlds have faced in the past, and countless more will face in the future. Immense volcanic activity has resulted in a mass extinction, wiping out 80% of the planet's life. The remaining inhabitants of this arid world struggle to survive in this wasteland; countless generations of life never knowing anything other than the incomprehensible hellscape they've been forced to call home. And yet, as the old saying goes, life finds a way. With the durability of cockroaches, the hive mind of ants, and the budding intellect of primitive primates, the kirik have risen to become the dominant species of their world. Their intelligence, while far below that of other races, is far above that of all other species on Ekram. The reason for this is the species' natural biotic-capabilities. Each individual has a passive protective barrier surrounding them, allowing them to thrive in many environments that would be toxic to other species. Through working together, they're also capable of moving objects much larger than themselves through their combined biotics. A team of biologists visiting Ekram got a taste of this when they attempted to get close to one of their colonies. When the kirik realized the scientists studying them weren't predators, they began sending out unified biotic pules in different strengths and the biologists did the same, the kirik changed their broadcast patterns, which the biologists took as a sign that these insects were capable of systematic learning. This theory proved true, as the kirik developed rapidly as the biologists continued to communicate with them. The biologists were so impressed that some put forward the proposition of bringing them into the uplift program, which quickly turned into a heated debate across the galaxy. Eventually, the Citadel Council decided to recall the biologists from Ekram. However, when they attempted to inform the kirik of their departure, the insects lifted their ground car, trying their best to prevent them from leaving. The biologists described their behavior like that of children, and that leaving them would be tantamount to leaving a child. In light of this news, The Council sent several representatives to Ekram in order to evaluate the intelligence of the insects and compare it to standard galactic sapience tests.
Character Notes: As the colony grew in intelligence through the process of uplifting, they became a lifeform unlike anything the Citadel Council had ever seen. They didn't have a sense of individuality as humans and other races did. Rather, it was as if each individual was a part of a larger whole, that, when they came together, formed a unified personality. As individuals in the colony died, others were birthed to replace the deceased, each new birth maintaining the continuity of the personality's consciousness. Reuben, the name given to the colony after how much they loved stealing one of the biologist's lunches, possessed a mind like that of a seven-year-old human child and, with their biotics, the strength of an elephant. Because of this, it took the biologists quite a while to convince them that their strength could hurt others, including their friends, if they weren't careful. This news horrified them, and they spent several days alone, moping. When the biologists were finally able to convince Reuben to talk to them again, they were shocked to find that there were now two Reubens. The two explained to the that the revelation of the danger their biotics posed shocked them and lead to a large argument amongst the colony about how to proceed. The end result of this quarrel was splitting into two colonies, each able to make their own collective decisions. This new colony, who had dubbed themselves Pilgrim, were far more mature than the child-like Reuben, appearing to have the maturity of a human in their early twenties. They even took interest in the biologists studies, trying to learn more about the field whenever they could. Meanwhile, Reuben continued down their own path, retaining their playful attitude even as they slowly matured. Eventually, it became lonely, and split once more in order to create a playmate. The new colony called themselves Luther, and came to view Reuben as an older sibling. The biologists, understandably so, were amazed by the progress the kirik had made in their development. Even after the Reaper Wars, which brought their research to a massive halt, many of them chose to remain on Ekram to further study the fascinating creatures. Since then, the kirik have split into more colonies, each with their own signature traits. Only time will tell what role this young species will play in the future of the galaxy and, possibly, beyond.