Welcome to the Skyrig ARF. This facility is devoted to the study and examination of species throughout the known Galaxy. For you convienance the species listed here are divided into catagories decided by environment. Sentient species who have space travel capability or the capacity to someday develope it are catagorised seperatly.
The origion of some creatures is in dispute ( unless they are sentient ). As a general rule the creatures listed are found on more than one world unless specifically stated. Others have been introduced by starfaring races onto new worlds while others are simlpy samples whose point of origion is unknown as they were not gathered by skyrig ARF expeditions.
Inhabitants of the Homeworld Ancestria these slow moving highly intelligent creatures are a truley ancient race. With a limited population and very low birth rate this race has possessed the secret of interstella travel for two millenia. Despite this they have never conquered or colonised any world outside of their own star system where evedance exists of short lived settlements on two other worlds.
Although their lack of speed makes them vunerable their immense strenght makes them dangerous opponents at close quaters and their powerful jaws are natural weapons. They use weaponery of their own manufacture, but very rarely as breaches of Anerstrian law are unheard of.
The Ancestrian society is based about an extended family unit. Males out number females by a factor of six which accounts for the low reproductive rate when considering single births are the norm and the gestation period is some two years. Despite this the population is kept boyant because the avg. Ancestrian life span is 220 years.
Zeblassians are often described as ruthless and cruel individuals and less commonly as misunderstood. Their perpensity for violence affects permiates every layer of their complicated society which is based on a cast system. Zeblassians are not found commonly outside their own home system as their interaction with other races is based described as parasitic ( see GALATLAS ref. Zeblass ).
Zeblassians are small in stature measuring a mere 1.35 meters in height. They are strong and noted for their quick thinking which makes them natural warriors. They have excellent eye sight and the imbalance between rods and cones in their basic eye structure allows them very good night vision. Their prolific birthrate is due to atwo factors. Firstly the 2:1 ratio of females to males and secondly broods of typically 5 to 8 off spring which mature rapidly ( 9 years till full growth ). It has been speculated that this feirce population growth rate is the reason for the warrior orientation of their society because of competition for precious resources.
The introduction of space travel has made the Zeblassians a violent race of space pirates and mercenaries. It has also made the overlords of Zebalss extremely wealthy.
The Skuth are a race of traders mostly and can be found throughout the space lanes. They originate from the planet of Skroon ( see GALATLAS ref. Skroon ) where their society is based upon a heirachy of dictators 9 know as Grelvor's ) who rule in the name of their subjects.
Skuth are tall ( avg 2 meters ) and agile. They can see in normal spectrums aswell as infra red and UV. Their vision comes from a band of photo-sensitive shin across their head. This tough membrane is well protected and very hard damage. The Skuth however are completely without a sence of smell, which is just aswell because they have been described as "musky". The Skuth head is crowned by a ring of horns which in their early evolution was a weapon but has evolved into a status symbol in their society. Skuth are bi-peds with two arms and six digits on each hand ( inc. two thumbs ).
The Skuth have mush the same motivations as humans although they have a highly developed sense of revenge. This urge is curbed by those Skuth living in proximity to other races but as a race the Skuth are prone to engage in protracted wars and vendettas. Their practice of eating their defeated foes has not endeared them to their interstella neighbours.
The Gerthayln are a race of unknown origion, but a perfect example of how life and society can adapt and operate under the most extreme conditions. The Gerthayln are a nomadic species who dwell in deep space and the outter limits of solar systems. They dwell in and operate either large cityships or asteroid settlements the former of which may rove at will. Knowledge of this secretive race is hard to come by becuse of the agressive nature of the Gerthalyn. They strike shipping and space stations from the deapths of space and take away slaves and booty, they will then utterly destroy their target or if the have time and numbers will steal or strip it bare.
The Gerthayln are better known and feared as the Comet Riders. Their stealth craft will enter a system tethered to a comet in its slip stream. When the target is at optimal vector window the Gerthalyn Fire Hawks attack craft break their mooring and deploy Photon sails. The target vessel is tracked using powerful optical sensors and other passive sensors. The Gerthayln Photon Sail is highly efficient and by the time the target has detectded the Firehawk it is all it can do scramble to their own defence, escape is unlikly. FireHawks travel and usually attack in squadrons of six. The ability of the highly manoverable Gerthayn to attack makes them a threat to any planet. Worlds that have put much effort into clearing their space of Gerthayln have found themselves fighting a holding action against huge Gerthayln fleets ( up to 100 vessels ). One two occasions within the past ten years the Gerthayln have conquered and saked two populous planets with devestating results. The two PL7 worlds suffered tremendous losses and devestation, the fire power of City ships geared up for war ( the "Portent GunStar" ) laid waste to cities and country side while and satalite they had were used to install a terrible weapon. The Gerthayln "Wrath of God" is a space bourne factory that lands itself on vacum planets or other bodies. It then strip mines the surface and fires 200 ton rocks with a number of accelerator gun. These Comet weaponseither break up in an atmosphere and pepper the sufface like carpet bombing or land almost whole like a force of up to 60 megatons. this weapon will remain active even after the Gerthayln have left and can be used as a support weapon for any Gerthayln surface action.
These are isolated incedents and the Gerthayln rarley challage space powers. The peaks in their activity have been linked to sucession issues within the Gerthayln Leadership.
The gerthayln are huminoid and very close to Homospaians. They are of average height and slim build makeing them very agile and dexterous people. Predomintly they are olive skined or very pale. Their hair colour is red or black. Humans, it is known, have infiltrated the Gerthayln ranks and fight with them. It is understood that these humans are part of Gerthayln society, but the fact that human babies are abandoned near back water settlements by Comet Riders leads us to believe the any off spring of a human/gerthayln marraigeis not accpted. These settlements are not attacked by the Gerthayln, so many Gerthayln children are held in high esteem of primative worlds, on others thay are kept secret. DNA test on a high ranking Gerthayln captured and killed, showed that he was infact third Gereration Human/Gerthayln so some children must be accepted.
The Gerthayln Cities and Asteroid bases are of various sizes. Their technology is PL8 with PL9 advancements in Photo Electric technology. The Gerthayln sell the slaves they take, sometimes comming to a back water planet or arranging meetings in deep space with rouge traders.
