Species

A wide variety of different species exist within known space and the Aleph Cluster - not all being monophyletic - with entirely different evolutionary ancestors and origins. With such enormous differences, many species aren't even based in genetics - only needing some sort of pattern which self-perpetuates the same way genetics do.

• With this in mind, its worth understanding that the differences in mindset of these species is going to be enormous.

Two arms, two legs and a head for the most part, 'humanoid' is a term used to loosely describe species which resemble human beings and communicate in ways similar to the ways in which human beings do.

Conventional humans with unaltered or unproofed genomes are quite rare - with most populations having either very subtle alterations to make them better suited to their specific environment (for example high altitude respiration or improved resistance against depression in areas with little sunlight) or even specific 'brands' of people, not produced by any company for a resolute 'flavour' of person, overlaid upon their existing genome to encourage specific characteristics.

• See humanborn

Humanoids are species that are not genetically human in any way, but share a similar form. Has two legs, two arms, a torso, and a head, and stands up said two legs.

Evolved upon Lor beside the Helashio, the modern Lorath is a humanoid graced with (usually) vestigial wings, pale skin, silvery grey hair, and frequently amber eyes. They are the product of a five millennia long eugenics program, which was aimed at producing a caste-based society, structured around a socialist theological matriarchy. During the period of their eugenics program, the Lorath species was victim to a subterranean exile by the Helashio, prior to their exile, the Lorath were a species with blended genetics, and a hodgepodge of political views, ideologies, and ambitions, but all shared, and continue to share, a faith in a twin deity system, placing a goddess figure as their unifying symbol of wisdom, hope, strength, and most 'good things' at the forefront of their worship, and a god figure as their symbol of unrestrained intelligence, wrath, desire, and many carnal impulses.

They are very humanlike and can at a glance, often be confused as humans.

• See Lorath for more information.

Lorath are divided into four castes; the scholarly technocratic psychically gifted Occhestians, the physically gifted militaristic zealous Fyunnen, the spiritual methodical L'manel shape-shifters, and the royal Tur'listia which combine the traits of the three other castes.

Helashio are a human-like race with primitive primate ears and tails kin to those which would be found upon a lemur. Lorath and Helashio species developed on Lor at the same time, however for a time the Helashio conquered the surface of Lor, exiling the Lorath beneath the surface of the planet for several millennia. At present the Lorath have subjugated the Helashio, resulting in the majority of the Helashio being placed into indentured servitude and outright slavery. Notably, while sharing the same duration of time of development as the Lorath, the Helashio are cognitively and socially under-developed.

• See Helashio for more information.

Diminuitive lizardlike creatures. They're quick on their feet and use their thick tails to perform feats of agility. They have a talent for magic, but tend to keep that to themselves. Rolaan have extremely sensitive nose, and see them as somewhat sacred, causing them to usually cover up. It does also help with the fact that they need a buffer between them and more odorous species.

• See Rolaan

Considered by other races to be half-mad by default and continual troublemakers if not dealt with carefully, chelti share properties with large marsupials and are clearly adapted to comically hardy living conditions. They very widespread around the galaxy with enclaves living within other planets societies, usually giving the rest of them a bad name (or the right one). Their own young space nations still fighting each other and only joining forces against any other empire that tries to make war against them.

• See Chelti

The Raiken are a warrior race guided by strength and faith. Hailing from a world that would be considered inhabitable by most other species, these reptilians are extremely durable creatures. Generally scornful of other races due to pride, the Raiken resort to force before anything else, even when dealing with their own. Their society is divided up between many clans, all of which are united underneath a single banner, an 'Alliance' that is loose at the best of times.

• See Raiken

Not every alien species has two legs, two arms¹⁾, a torso, and a head. They may not even resemble anything other than themselves due to a bizarre biology, an entirely different means of perception, or vastly different motor, sensory, and communication attributes. They are likely to be travellers from another dimension, or their native environment may not be able to support carbon-based life.

Three dimensional shadows from four or six dimensional space, Bounders are higher dimensional organisms - often simple animals or equivalent to bacterium which can interact with conventional space. Attempts to communicate with Bounders have often ended in combat, though Bounders seem not to prefer extended firefights and have little to no interest in humanoid life, displaying indifference.

• Bounders

Monsters. Demons. Walking crimes against nature. Phasmas are what amounts to the children of Merril, the Mother of Many. Commonly humanoid, but never required to be, Phasma are the worst thing to ever happen to anybody. Walking nightmares capable of witchspace, subdomains, and more, do not engage a Phasma without extreme firepower.

• Phasma

Infinitely thin slices of space and matter, polygons resemble origami folded objects. Their awareness of probability and the nature of reality is quite unlike our own. They are known for their use of magic in place of technology and are thought to be the origin of many mythical creatures in lore and legend as they take on characteristics believed to be true of them by their observers.

• Polygons

Best described as an intelligent pearl capable of manipulating its especially cultured, formed or grown host, sourcia is a wide classification of what are often simplified to being 'slimes'. Able to form flesh, muscle, skin, bone and a wide variety of other materials, they are remarkable shape shifters who assume a wide variety of forms from equipment to people – though the process is far from instantaneous. Biologically, they are protocellular, giving them more in common with micillium or early ocean life. Near immune to radiation damage, radically intelligent and adapting to conventionally inhospitable environments, Sourcia are often right where you don't expect them.

• See Genus Sourcia ("Sourcian")

Synthetics are creatures artificially created and curated, usually for a purpose but not always. This is the lone unifying factor in this classification.

Rocks that want to eat you. Abominations are walking semi-sentient furnaces that only have one goal in mind, and that's eating anything that thinks and talks. Animals are safe, but if you are somebody with a brain that can say 2+2=4, you're a target. (Also comes in plant variety.)

• See Abominations

Reducible in simple terms best as a race of slimes composed of hydrocarbons and plastics. They are known for their preference of feminine shapes, their gleaming black outer skins of latex and gelatine silicon and the integration of automotively styled fore-limbs and body elements over their black shiny outer skins.

• See Crude

Lackeys as they're sometimes referred to are adorable synthetically produced dog-based creatures that serve as helpers and aid to anybody who purchases one. They're fiercely loyal to their owners, but even more fiercely loyal to their corporation and creator, and will almost certainly recall back to origin if they're getting ritually abused. Otherwise, take a corgi and stick its brain in the same tank as a sapient humanoid and you get an MBF.

• See Man's Best Friends

Belza, strictly speaking, are what happen when you give clouds sentience. Essentially floating poofs of electrons and nonsensical floating neurodes, Belza were created as yet another case of “We could, but we didn't ask ourselves whether we should.” They were first cultivated on a gas giant local to Aleph in a skylab, but as often happens with experiments into sentient creation, they broke loose and started living in the turbulent storms of the planet. But, they decided they wanted to go into the galaxy at large and began to convert the lab's facilities into a manufactory of sorts. Skip ahead a few decades and you have a friendly race that lives in fanciful magnetized exosuits with floating parts that bobbles along the cosmos. They have a passion for bevelled edges in their hardware. In the suits, they see using a form of LIDAR, giving them glowy “eyes” in the glassy windows these puffs use to see out of their exosuits.

• Belza

Native to the planet of Traveller, and Traveller only, Units are a mechanical servitor race responsible for creating and upholding the Unity Protocol. Their appearances vary by their occupations, with those who interact with the many races that pass through Unity Protocol appearing humanoid, while those who are responsible for building the infrastructure around Traveller are built more like construction vehicles. Units and the Unity Protocol have amalgamated the technologies, arts, culture, of many species in return for offering safe haven to them all. They are stern, but patient with people.

A large unknown of the Units is their exact origins, their creators, or what their plans are with all of the information they have available to them. Many speculate that they are biding their time for some massive event or push, even though their unknown programming limits their reach from Traveller's boundaries.

• See Units

MI is a catch-all term for any piece of hardware that achieves both sentience and sapience and has a will to live. This isn't a technical species, just a convenient categorization for any machine, robot, or construction that becomes “alive”, and isn't designed to be so.

The following groups of species are less developed than the other playable species, and are currently included to diversify and add flavour to the world. They may be given future development with player interest, but they can be readily incorporated into a plot.

Tinians (pronounced Tine, like the end of Serpentine) are a snake-like species, with the lower body of a large snake, and the upper body of a person, retaining the features of a snake. Their head has a human shape, belied by reptilian eyes, a forked tongue, and scaly skin. Tinians grow between nine and twelve feet long, possess an enhanced sense of smell, and have a smattering of subspecies. Subspecies include Pythons, Vipers, Coral Snakes, and Cobra.

Tinians are renowned for giving the best 'hugs' in the galaxy, in addition to supplying most of the galaxy's antivenom. They grow extra arms as a part of ageing, or a sign of importance. Only holy figures have eight or more arms.

• See Tinian

The Dralu are a reptilian race that resemble what humans would refer to as dragons. Organized into Flights, the Dralu seek peace through words and trade, and will rarely resort to open warfare. Instead, they rely on less conventional tactics, adopting a cloak and dagger policy for solving their problems. They do not have a centralized government and the flights constantly bicker with each other, especially the Noble Flights. Aristocracy reigns supreme in their society, where those who do not belong to the noble flights are almost always doomed to a life of servitude and poverty. Currently, they serve as a vassal race to the Raiconian Alliance, after being conquered by the space-faring Raiken.

• See Dralu

A race of short (2.5-3ft) feline creatures that rely heavily on technology to make up the gap between them and other species, the Vaen prefer working through problems intelligently rather than with brute force. Unfortunately, they tend to be hasty as a whole and as such often end up creating new problems in place of old ones. Vaen who think through their actions well are uncommon but highly prized. They tend to stick in small parties of five to ten others of friends, leaving family at a young age.

Coming from the dimensional depths of the Weald and beyond, weirds are a staggering variety of creatures of magic, psionics, dreams, and all too often nightmares. Known varieties of weirds are listed on their own page due to sheer scale.

• See Weird Things