The Ancient Expanse

The Ancient Expanse is a separate universe, connected to others by trans-universal rifts that can be accessed by starships equipped with rift modulators.

Millennia ago, it was ruled by the powerful aliens known as the Kamir. Driven by hubris, the Kamir designed several sentient lifeforms on a scattering of worlds. One of them, the Il’Ri’Kamm Hive Mind, rebelled against their masters. The many Kamir who could not flee to another plane of existence were eliminated in the Hiver genocide effort.

In recent years, descendants of the Kamir known as the Aukami followed a mad Zar, Hideg Fekretu, into an ill-conceived bid to conquer the Expanse and resume their “rightful” place as the new Kamir. Allies from the Multiverse Commonwealth and other small regional empires thwarted the Zarist Supremacy and drove the Aukami to the brink of economic collapse.

Now the Commonwealth itself seems on the verge of breaking apart, as tensions rise among member worlds over ideology, sovereignty and colonization issues.

ANCIENT EXPANSE WORLDS

ASHKODT Temperate colony world of the Hekayti. AUKAM Ancient homeworld of the powerful psionics known as Kamir, swarmed by jungles that have consumed all but the great Aukami city of Multvaros. B’HIRA An icy world shared by the spider-like B’hiri and the felinoid Lyiri. FALAR Temperate homeworld of the bird-like Falari. HEKAYT PRIME A moderately wintry world that’s home to the hooved Hekayti castes. IMPIRUIL BAILE A terrestrial world colonized by an organization known as Danu Chroi. (Player-Created) KAMSHO A terrestrial world engineered by the Kamir eons ago to develop four “client” races: the badger-like Llivori, the panda-like Opodians, the bat-like Tupai, and the rambunctious Gankri. NEW LOTOR Known on Hekayti starcharts as HPT01798, this world was temporarily colonized by the raccoon-like Lotorians in 2654 until the Hekayti forced them to depart. PYRACAN A relatively tropical planet that’s home to the dog-like Pyracani. TAVROS A terrestrial world colonized by an organization known as the Caryas Empire. (Player-Created) THULLOK Heavy industrial development has left this world of the slug-like Thul choked with smog and pollutants.

 

ANCIENT EXPANSE RACES

AUKAMI The Aukami, bipedal humanoids with silver hair and eyes that glow depending on mood, are direct descendants of the meddlesome Kamir, whose powerful artifacts have proven so dangerous in the wrong hands over the centuries. Their native traits include Luminescent, Psychic Potential, Psychokinetic Potential, Superior Science, Superior Resolve, Superior Psionics, Superior Medicine, Inferior Strength, Inferior Stealth, and Inferior Endurance. B’HIRI Psionic spider-like aliens that can switch genders. In male mode, they tend toward pacifistic behaviors and creative endeavors. In female mode, they become aggressive berserker warriors. Their native traits include Multiple Legs, Fangs, Venom, Spinerettes, Telepathic Potential, Telekinetic Potential, Biokinetic Potential, and Superior Psionics. DRRHAAN Great creatures of rock, in tune with the harmonics of electromagnetic fields. Their native traits include Inorganic Life-Form, Armored Skin, Electromagnetic Control, Night Vision, Superior Melee, Superior Endurance, Superior Computer, Superior Academics, Inferior Vehicles, Inferior Stealth, Inferior Medicine, and Superior Strength. FALARI Eagle-like aliens capable of winged flight. Their native traits include Claws, Feathered Skin, Functional Wings, Superior Science, Superior Perception, Superior Engineering, Superior Agility, Inferior Psionics, and Inferior Husbandry. GANKRI Rather hedonistic aliens who, in appearance, are a cross between a kangaroo and a platypus. One of four client races engineered by the Kamir on the planet Kamsho ages ago. Their primary native trait is furred skin. HEKAYTI Proud humanoid aliens with hooved feet and horn-like protrusions coming from their heads. Their society is divided into war-like, spiritual, and knowledge-driven castes, with outcasts falling into the group known as the Verdikke. Their native traits include Claws, Horns, Hooves, Armored Skin, Superior Unarmed, Superior Strength, and Inferior Psionics. LLIVORI Badger-like bipedal aliens who have a stubborn streak and a cultural disdain for all things spiritual, which puts them at odds with their Opodian neighbors on Kamsho. One of four client races engineered by the Kamir on Kamsho. Their native traits include Claws, Fangs, Furred Skin, Superior Resolve, Superior Persuasion, Superior Management, Superior Endurance, and Inferior Husbandry. LOTORIAN Raccoon-like bipedal aliens whose homeworld was destroyed millennia ago. They are the Ancient Expanse equivalent of gypsies. Their native traits include Furred Skin, Superior Management, Superior Larceny, Superior Crafts, and Inferior Academics. LYIRI Short bipedal felinoid aliens with telepathy who share the planet B’hira, dwelling in ice cavern cities beneath the surface. Their native traits include Furred Skin and Telepathic Potential. MUSCIPULAN Plant-like creatures who are native to the jungle world of Muscipula. Their native traits include Vegetable Life-Form, Superior Persuasion, Superior Management, Superior Investigation, and Inferior Unarmed. NEMONI Extremely small humanoid creatures, perhaps a quarter of an inch tall. Their primary native trait is Tiny. OPODIAN Panda-like bipedal aliens who are fiercely devoted to their ancient goddess, known as Opodi, who was the Kamir who helped engineer the four client races on Kamsho. Their native traits include Furred Skin and Inferior Psionics. POSITRONIC A hybrid that combines a holographic projection of an AI personality and the starship controlled and represented by that artificial intelligence. Their primary native trait is Mechanical Life-Form. PYRACANI Noble dog-like bipedal aliens who make their home on the planet Pyracan. Their native traits include Furred Skin, Claws, Fangs, Night Vision, Superior Crafts, Superior Husbandry, Superior Strength, Inferior Management, and Inferior Psionics. RIFTWALKER From the chaos between realities, formed out of the void – sometimes from consciousnesses of dying people in other universes – these strange humanoid creatures seem to materialize from nothingness in the Ancient Expanse. Their native traits include Incorporeal Life-Form, Natural Shapeshifter, Phasing, Light Footing, Psychoportation Potential, Superior Stealth, Superior Psionics, Superior Persuasion, Superior Perception, Superior Academics, Inferior Ranged, and Inferior Endurance. THUL Giant slug-like creatures that live on a heavily industrialized planet, choked by smog and veined by rivers of toxic sludge. Former servants of both the Kamir and the Il’Ri’Kamm Hive Mind, which ultimately rebelled against their Kamir creators. No special native traits. TUPAI Flight-capable bat-like aliens, one of four Kamir client races engineered on the planet Kamsho. They come from villages in that planet’s expansive rain forests. Their native traits include Functional Wings, Superior Stealth, Superior Agility, Superior Strength, Inferior Science, Inferior Psionics, and Inferior Academics. YARALU Like the Positronics, these sentient starships are represented by a mobile avatar and by the vessel itself, which is like a great whale among the stars. No special native traits. YORIDINI Shapeshifting blob-like aliens from the planet Yoridin that are capable of assuming many forms and appearances. Their native traits include Inorganic Life-Form, Natural Shapeshifter, Superior Stealth, Superior Performance, Superior Larceny, Inferior Crafts, and Inferior Husbandry.