The Journey - Introduction
#2 of The Journey
Greetings, dear reader, ...
_ _
_ Greetings, dear reader, and welcome to the future. This is not the future you no doubt imagine, with Human kind on Earth in flying cars. No, this is similar, but not the same._
_ _
_ The year is 3449, and the world is indeed certainly different from how we know it._
_ _
_ In the year 2958, Humanity finally discovered a better way of transport through the vastness that is space, using giant portals built in the midst of space to accelerate their ships to light speed, allowing them to travel much farther distances in much less time._
_ _
_ Once they began exploring farther reaches, they quickly discovered that humanity was not alone in the galaxy. They encountered other nations, of races quite alien to humans, cautiously advancing out into the galaxy the same as themselves._
_ _
_ The first contact was made in the year 3006, between humans and a race of dragon-like bipedal creatures calling themselves the Dalynther. After a meeting between the human council of the World Collective, who held almost all of the power on Earth, and the Dalynther technocrats, who were in charge of the exploratory fleet sent to investigate the human race, a pact was swiftly announced, between the two - they then formed the Grimnach Alliance. The two began to pool resources and share ideas and secrets, and the two powers swiftly became among the strongest in the fledgling pyramid of space-faring races._
_ _
_ These other races were Ashnavar, the Illani, the Volenk, the Elden, the Orcs, the Kazura, the Saleeth, Mauva, Naiesha, Kaisen, Esquali, Phelgon, and Sathi. These were the major powers alongside the humans and Dalynther, though there were many other races and nations settled out amongst the stars, minor gatherings of little significance._
_ _
_ The Ashnavar were a wily race of fox-like humanoids, whom were widely known for their abilities with plans, designs, strategies, and all manner of intellectual activities. Eventually, they were persuaded by the Dalynther to join the Grimnach alliance alongside themselves and the humans._
_ _
_ The Illani were similar in form to the Earth jaguar, known for their swiftness and ability as messengers and other things requiring speed and agility. They formed a decently-sized empire amongst the Hatlak cluster, guarding it fiercely and destroying any who dared enter their territory._
_ _
_ The Volenk have always been a particularly proud society, being quite similar to tigers. They are the head of the Basna League, and their warriors are by far part of the premier military organisation in the galaxy, often hiring themselves out to warring nations as mercenaries, or forming bands of raiders and marauders._
_ _
_ The Elden are a race of deceivingly delicate elf-like creatures, most of them standing at six feet in height, and being rather slim. They somewhat resemble humans, though their eyes are slightly cat-like, they have pointed ears, and their features are more angular. They have a single empire, built up in the Far Cluster, beyond the normal sight of most other nations. It is, in fact, rare to see one of the Elden outside of their homeland._
_ _
_ The Orcs are, as the Volenk, proud and warlike. They are, unfortunately, not as intelligent as they think they are, relying on crude ships and other technology to allow them into space. They normally scavenge the wreckage of other race's ships and weapons, copying off of them or sometimes just using them in general. They are hunch-backed, massive and muscular, with dark green skin - the darker, the stronger and older - similar to the Goblin slaves that they own, though many of those Goblins have other skin tones - yellow, orange, red, green, and colours of that range. Goblins are much smaller and weaker than Orcs, but are normally smarter and swifter than the lumbering beasts are as well._
_ _
_ The Kazura are even more reclusive than the Elden, even though they have a physical similarity to Humankind as they do. They resemble the ancient myths of Dwarves, being rather short and stout, burly and muscular, normally with large beards. They are excellent weaponsmiths, constructing many of the weapons that the various nations use, selling them to whoever happens to have the most money with which to buy them. They are generally short-tempered, particularly when their sacred lands are desecrated or trespassed on. In times such as this, they bring out their own weapons, even more advanced than what they sell to others, and destroy such invaders._
_ _
_ The Saleeth are a nigh-mystery to all who have met them. They are a seeming mix between many types of reptilian creatures, with scales, head-fins, claws, and other such traits. They are completely unlike in personality to most of the warm-blooded creatures in the galaxy, being possessed of a cold-hearted logic that makes them insusceptible to seemingly any kind of emotion whatsoever. This tends to make them excellent leaders if properly advised, not worrying about emotional concerns such as the lives of their soldiers, or even their own lives. Most Saleeth are loners, wandering mercenaries which hire themselves out for almost their entire lives, though some small enclaves and "tribes", per say, have been formed throughout many of the known times._
_ _
_ The Mauva have had a common reputation for being quite cowardly. They physically resemble hunch-backed, humanoid rats or mice, normally quite short, and with little musculature to speak of. They are, however, agile and quick-witted, enabling them to be better thieves and such professions. Most of them are part of the Zanshiri Collective, though others are found throughout the nations of the galaxy._
_ _
_ Naiesha are as fierce as their seemingly badger-ancestors, which seem to be whom they are descended from given their appearance, quite fierce when provoked and extremely territorial. They are almost all, as a whole, part of the Basna League, having allied themselves with the emotionally similar Volenk for greater strength of arms._
_ _
_ Kaisen are dangerous creatures, being descended from lynx-like creatures, so the legends say. They are adept at hiding in plain sight, their sleek coats of fur able to change colour with their environment similar to that of a chameleon's scales. Because of this, they are often employed as spies and infiltrators, the same as so many of the Mauva. Just like the Mauva, almost all of them are part of the Zanshiri Collective, and the few that aren't are merely vagabond wanderers._
_ _
_ The Esquali are almost as perplexing as the Saleeth, being descended from seemingly no obvious creature known to Man. They are almost always tall, over eight feet normally, extremely thin so that they seem barely to be but a single layer of muscle and skin over their bones, but their appearances are quite deceiving given their agility and ferocious strength. They also possess hooves and jackal-like heads with spiny appendages which protrude from them that almost resemble dreadlocks on a human. They are the muscle of the Zanshiri Collective, working nearly alone as the warriors within its society. Obviously, with a race that carries such wanderlust, there are bound to be mercenaries of this race._
_ _
_ Phelgon are one of the most common races encountered in the galaxy. They are wolf-like, with coarse fur covering their entire bodies, paws, wolf-heads, and similar such traits. They are normally oddly cheerful, despite the predicaments that they normally manage to land themselves in, they being quite the mischief-makers. They are yet another element of the Grimnach Alliance, though they have formed their own sub-empire inside the Alliance's borders and going through much of their business as though the rest of the galaxy did not exist._
_ _
_ And, of course, the Sathi are yet another grimly warlike race. They are descendents from bulls, even the females having horns, being large and muscular, their bodies seemingly built for combat. Their warriors are even stronger than the Volenk soldiers, though not nearly as numerous out in the wider galaxy. They are well known for their overly-long memory of slights and insults, often avenging them years later in bloody wars against the harasser. They have little sense of humour, quite grim even in the art of battle. They have formed several nations and empires across the galaxy, most of them situated around the Nalath Cluster, where they often war with each other as much as with other races._
_ _
_ And now, strange events are beginning to take place. Nations are losing communication with many of their outlying planets, these outskirt worlds seemingly going completely silent. Any search teams that go there to investigate these silent worlds either disappear as well, or they report that everything is intact, no signs of battle, yet the entire world would be completely devoid of all life._
_ _
_ Now, the Grimnach Alliance, in secret, have begun building a specialty ship, to be commanded by one of their greatest war heroes, Captain Falinx of the Ironguard, a Dalynther veteran of legendary skills. After all, their planets seem to favourite targets for these mysterious raids. This is where our story begins._
_ _
_ They call this ship, this operation in general, Revenant._