The riches of Verkalium have drawn the interest of many races from around the galaxy. All empires seek control, and one by one, they each make their way to this unique, wondrous planet.
You, human, are destined to meet many of these as you make your own way among the stars. Some will be easy to see; harder to run from. Others may be harder to find, lurking in deep shadows, waiting to spot your weakness.
ALL seek dominance over you, one way or another.
You might meet:
The Velocri
The Velocri are adept at faster-than-light space travel, but lack muscle-mass due to the light gravity of their homeworld. Their starships, though not comparatively spacious, are fitted with forcewave space engines that loosen the threads of spacetime just enough to enable them to travel marginally faster than contemporary technologies. Over the vast distance of lightyears, this accumulated to quite an advantage. On the downside, the Velocri people found actual colonization of planets difficult, as their bodies became emasculated; thinned due to a lack of gravity. The Velocri are built for speed, not comfort.
The Mornath
The Mornath was a race that evolved on the giant planet of Mornathus. Each Mornathi was larger and stronger than the average galactic citizen, and they were well equipped to stand the rigors of colonial life. Mornathi could survive without rudimentary basics such as food and shelter for longer than other races, which was a blessing while constructing new colonies, buildings, and establishing new supply chains. However, each individual needed a period of convalescence following times of exertion, in order to recover their strength and fortify fatty reserves. This downtime severely hampered the efficiency of new colonies until the recovery period had passed. Their ships were bulky and well equipped, if a little sluggish in terms of FTL travel.
The Resonati
The Resonati were a race of people who evolved on a planet close to a quasar, and thus had been subjected to uncommon levels of electromagnetic radiation. This had become a central feature of their DNA, and they’d developed unique physical traits that replicated their environment. Their skin would flash with many colors of light, making them impossible to ignore but hard to pinpoint in physical confrontations. Their affinity with light, frequency and vibration made them masters of electronics and shielding technologies. Their starships were capable and stealthy.
The Vaporati
The Vaporati race evolved in a system near the massive black hole at the center of the galaxy, where light and time were pulled apart by the overpowering force of gravity. Surviving and eventually pulling away from the galactic dark center, this wilful race learned determination and persistence. They hunger for new homes, and have a never-ending thirst for light. Their bodies and ships are colored vanta black, making them difficult to spot in the darkness of the night sky.
The Shoo
The Shoo are a race of nimble opportunists. These mischevious imps travel through space on small, zippy ships fitted with an array of hi-tech, often stolen equipment and systems that normally keep them one step ahead of other races. Ill-suited to hand to hand combat the Shoo prefer to strike while the iron is cold using deception and underhand tactics.
The Carcinum
The Carcinum are a race of beings that leave a toxic residue wherever they go. The sweet smelling slime attracts then subdues would-be attackers, turning the hunters into the hunted. While individually each Carcini is generally kind-hearted and civil, collectively and genetically they are slippery killers. Their ships are easily tracked but close contact can contaminate pursuing vessels, negating even the most advanced cloaking systems.
The Segmenti
The Segmenti are a sentient race of wormlike beings who evolved in the dark caverns of a rocky planet called Culturus. Living on a diet of rock and bacterial ooze they are hardy and relentless. Their starships are a marvel of biology as much as they are technological, and new colonies become difficult to defeat, once established.
The Olivanti
Olivanti are a hybrid race of vegepods that exist at the crossroads of plant and animal life. Upright, mobile and capable of conversation with other sentient species, the Olivanti grow food that resemble small green fruit from their limbs and other body parts. Their unique ability to photosynthesize under many forms of light gives them an advantage when it comes to farming and food production, although they are physically slower and less adept at wartime maneouvres.
The Filtrati
The Filtrati are a race of sentient beings who breathe via gillvents, extracting nutrients and life gases from almost any type of atmosphere or oceanic environment. Their bodies develop according to the local environment, using the available minerals to grow limbs, membranes and internal organs. Sometimes this leads to advantages in terms of speed, mobility and ruggedness, and sometimes not.
The Frigidi
The Frigidi evolved on a stark world where the super-salt ocean never froze despite the blistering cold temperatures. Their furry coats and blubber layers protect them not only from the sub-zero climate of their homeworld but also against the coldness of deep space. They will usually avoid steamy jungles and arid deserts but beware around polar caps and cold ocean crevices where they lurk for easy prey.
The Skahh
The Skahh come from a homeworld located far too near their star than most other races could endure. These highly intelligent beings are therefore of hot environments, and prefer to colonize in deserts and volcanic regions. Drawn to intense heat and light sources they are always on the search for the hottest star systems which provide a richness of minerals and solar energy.
The Mechani
The Mechani are a race of beings whose unique talent is constructing dwellings and equipment from any locally available resources, with individuals often becoming part of the structure they build around them. In appearance they resemble garden slugs as seen on Earth, but they are highly intelligent and purposeful, despite their slow mobility. Every building or factory with an in-situ Mechani will be more efficient than buildings without them.
The Kanari
The Kanari are a race of birdlike creatures who evolved on a low-gravity world. Their society functions on a strict pecking order, with fight or flight being their modus operandi in military situations. Adept at traversing the skies they are expansionistic, but their colonies are prone to infiltration by other races more willing to occupy the lowlands.
The Humans
The Human race come from dubious lineage on their homeworld of Earth. Thin skinned, somewhat treacherous and prone to groupthink, Humans talk about diplomacy but usually with ulterior motives. Their origins probably include genetic tampering from another alien race. Humans are largely based on Earth Primates, although are less physically strong, with higher intelligence and cunning.