Glossary of Mass Effect races and cultures
This is not an exhaustive list or a thorough treatment. It is meant to aid readers who are not familiar with the Mass Effect universe.
Alliance, The: The Alliance is the name of human controlled worlds and systems. The Alliance is known for a strong military, powerful fleet, and most importantly, a hardy spirit and adaptability. Humans are the most genetically diverse of the galactic species. The seat of Alliance government is Arcturus Station.
Asari: The Asari are humanoid race with blue skin and vestigial tentacles instead of hair, which are shaped like a bicycle helmet. Asari are mono-gendered and are all 'female.' The Asari are naturally biotic (essentially psionics) and are extremely beautiful by human standards. The Asari are the most technologically advanced and most culturally developed race in the galaxy. The Asari are known for their advanced science, artful diplomacy, and their legendary commandos. They are also long lived, reaching ages of over a thousand. The Asari home World is Thessia.
The Batarian Hegemony: Batarians are slender humanoids with bulbous heads and four eyes. They have grayish skin. It is unclear as to whether or not there is sexual dimorphism. No distinctly female Batarians have ever appeared in the games and the only mention of a female Batarian in the books (Mass Effect: Revelation) does not describe her. All Batarians portrayed in the game have deep, male voices. Batarians are known as slavers and left Council space after being on the losing end of conflicts with humanity. Batarian space was hit early by the Reapers and they are now a dying race. Batarians are known for their practice of slavery and for their mercenaries. The Batarian home world is Karshan.
Citadel, The: The Citadel is the heart of galactic government. The station was found by the Asari, who joined with the Salarians to form the Citadel Council, or simply, the Council. The Citadel is 44.7 kilometers long and 12.8 kilometers in diameter with a population of 13.2 million.
Council, The: The Council is a united body governed by representatives of the four most powerful and influential species in the galaxy and headquartered on the Citadel; a giant space station located in the Serpent Nebula. There are more than four council races; all council races have ambassadors on the Citadel.
Drell: Drell are reptilian humanoids from an arid world. When their world was dying from overpopulation and pollution, enough of the species to insure its survival was welcomed to the Hannar home world of Kahje. Drell are known for having eidetic memory and for their vulnerability to Keprals Syndrom, an ultimately fatal disease that interferes with their blood's ability to produce hemoglobin. Drell are known for their finely trained assassins. The Drell home world was Rakhana.
Elcor: The Elcor are massive elephantine creatures. They are known as merchants and for their monotone speech. Elcor communicate emotion with each other through subtle pheromone emission that is undetectable to humanoid species, thus they preface what they say with the emotion that they are trying to communicate. The Elcor home world is Dekuna.
Hannar: The hannar are sentient jellyfish. They utilize lift devices with mass effect fields to enable them to float over land. They are naturally aquatic. Hannar are known as merchants and for being exceptionally polite. They worship the dead race of the Protheans as gods, calling them the Enkindlers. The Hannar home world is Kahje.
Krogan: The Krogan (singular and plural) are powerful reptilian bipeds. Krogan males average eight feet in height and anywhere from 700 to 800 pounds. Females average seven feet in height and anywhere from 650 to 700 pounds. Krogan are the most physically robust of council species and among the most physically robust in the galaxy. Krogan have thick, armored scales and thick, prominent brow plates. Their heads resemble a Komodo Dragon's with a bony brow plate. Prior to the genophage (see below), the Krogan reproduced very rapidly. The Krogan were uplifted by the Salarians in order to facilitate the creation of an army to fight against the Rachni. The Krogan rebelled after the war, causing them to lose their embassy and the Salarians and Turians to deploy the genophage (a sterility plague) on their home world, infecting all Krogan, reducing viable birth rates to one in a thousand. Krogan aid during the Reaper war and the efforts of Commander Shepard and Urdnot Wrex have brought the Krogan back into Council space. The Krogan are known for their tough ground forces and for their mercenaries. The Krogan home world is Tuchanka.
Quarians: Quarians are humanoids with doglike legs and feet. They wear enviro-suits because of a weakened immune system caused by living on ships for three centuries. They were driven from their space by the Geth, synthetic being created by the Quarians as a source of cheap labor who became self-aware. When the Quarians tried to deactivate the Geth, the Geth rebelled and drove them from the Persius Veil. Peace between the Quarians and the Geth was achieved through the efforts of Commander Shepard and the Geth have welcomed the Quarians back. The Quarians are traditionally known for their Migrant Fleet (the ships on which they lived) and for being skilled AI programmers. They were essentially space gypsies. They lost their embassy after the war with the Geth, but have been welcomed back to the Citadel, their new ambassador being Tali'Zorah. The Quarian home world is Rannoch.
Salarian Union, The: The Salarian Union is the name of Salarian controlled worlds and systems. Salarians are amphibious humanoids. Tall and lanky with bulbous heads, they are shaped like depictions of gray aliens. Salarians have large bulbous eyes, small mouths and nostrils without a protruding nose. Their heads are topped by fleshy 'horns.' Salarians are known for their science and for their covert and special operations. They are also the shortest lived species in Council space, reaching ages of forty to fifty years. The Salarian home world is Surkesh.
Turians: Turians are a tall, humanoid race with avian/reptilian features. They have bird like feet and legs that are hinged like a reptile's. They have narrow hips and broad, barrel like chests. Their heads are covered with bony plates. Turians display sexual dimorphism; males are slightly larger and heavier in the same way that human males are slightly larger and heavier, and males have back swept crests covering the top, sides and back of their skulls. Female skull plates cover the face, top and frontal sides of their skulls. Male and female Turians have side mandibles and both speak in duo-tone voices in the same ranges as human males and females. Turians are known for their strong military, powerful fleets, and stern discipline. They are rather like space Romans. The Turian home world is Palaven.
Volus: Squat, rotund humanoid beings who hail from a world with a high-pressure greenhouse atmosphere able to support an ammonia-based biochemistry. When away from their home world, Volus wear envirosuits like the Quarians, but with the distinct difference of a very audible breathing sound like that of an Aqualung. Volus are known for banking, financial, and market savvy. The Volus home world is Irune.