Fahemmn Nutharr
HeroSophons01
+5% maximum Shields on Fleet
+10 per Anomaly on System
Sophons
Overseer
Industrialists
Some believe that attention to detail is important; Nutharr believes that it is the purpose of existence. With an eidetic memory and an obsessively organized mind, he made a name for himself directing the construction of a new orbital platform without using a computer ("It's not so complex")--in his spare time. Bathed in Dust while inventorizing Kessler debris, he gained the capacity to manage and collate details on a level far beyond information technology. However, Nutharr finally discovered a worthy challenge in the governance of systems. In his words, "When you gotta plan for what a few billion people might or might not do, stuff finally gets interesting."
Uthassum Rhamoezz
HeroSophons03
+10% on Fleet
+1 per on Planets
Sophons
Counselor
Pacifists
Rhamoezz was born into a family that took its social responsibilities seriously, and grew up a concerned do-gooder and volunteer worker. Mocked for her love of social sciences by her mathematician friends, her widespread mastery of neuroscience, psychology, anthropology, linguistics, and cognitive computing nevertheless gave her a brilliant political career. When a colony ship she governed landed on a planet full of ancient ruins and unnatural topography, Rhamoezz was exposed to concentrations of Dust and gained an almost psychic capacity to predict and control the actions and opinions of masses of population.
Ahririnn Turlemmoz
HeroSophons05
+1 Probes on Ship
+1 per on Planets
Sophons
Counselor
Pacifists
They say the colonies that form around multiple-star systems have the most unpredictable societies. Ahririnn Turlemmoz grew up in such a system, in a small colony orbiting three distinct stars. Due to the system's odd orbital period, Turlemmoz grew up in an extended harsh winter, where Sophons were consigned indoors and a minority population of Kalgeros labored outside to keep the colony alive. When a regressive Sophon politician proposed, years later, to encapsulate one of the system's three stars in a Dyson sphere, laying waste to the ecologies that sustained the native Kalgeros on less-developed planets, Turlemmoz took up arms. She used her Academy connections to organize political movements all over the System, toppling the motion by the narrowest of voting margins. She has since declared her allegiance to the Academy, and though she rarely visits home, she faces her challenges each day with no regrets.
Dominik Havanen
HeroTerrans02
+20% Damage on Ship
+5% for Infantry on System
United Empire
Overseer
Militarists
In the press, Dominik Havanen might have been one of the most celebrated business leaders of the Empire, but among its corporate leaders, he was hated and reviled. Clinging on to a fortune whose origins trickle far back into the history of the United Empire, Havanen built his name by picking a sector of the Imperial economy at random and snapping up stock ownership in various corporations.
He acted with such impulsiveness that none could predict his next financial move--he tore his allies apart and swallowed their businesses into his own, then threw grand parties for his enemies and invited them into the fold. Havanen is a man so unpredictable, he once secured a supply of pure Dust to see what would happen when he exposed himself to its effects.
The results were so frightening even the Academy didn't appreciate his presence. Havanen seems interested in only one goal now: pure galactic instability. Though for the right price, he may be willing to bend that chaos to another's cause.
Dmitri Lenko
HeroTerrans04
+5% Hull Plating Absorbtion on Fleet
+5% on System
United Empire
Counselor
Industrialists
The younger brother of the Emperor's personal bodyguard, Hadri Lenko, Dmitri decided to forge his own path away from his brother's rising star. Signing up for early United Empire prospecting missions to help map the hinterlands of the home system, Dmitri helped develop several critical industrial facilities in the Kuiper belt. Rugged and determined as he was, Dmitri found his best skill wasn't his labors though--it was acting as a placatory influence on the inevitable daily squabbles that broke out between competing prospecting firms. Squabbles that could often be fatal if not resolved. Eventually tiring of the petty disputes, but not ready to return to Raia, Dmitri launched himself into the newly discovered starlanes. After years of wandering the galaxy, he stumbled upon the Academy . . . Impressed by Dmitri's ability to sneak deep into the facility before being discovered, the Academy Leader decided to bring him into the fold . . .
Farella -EM8 Mario 22
HeroHoratio01
+1 on Fleet
+1 per original Population on Planets
Horatio
Overseer
Ecologists
Farella -EM8 Mario 22 is the survivor of a brief rebellion of poorly batched clones that tore through his childhood center, leaving his friends and teachers dead and Farella's young face hideously scarred. As growing up with a marred countenance in Horatio society seriously damaged Farella's academic and professional prospects, he searched for decades before discovering risky Endless grafting sciences in an abandoned medical station that permitted him to reproduce his face perfectly. Though on the surface he now appears healed and happy, the trauma of rejection, contempt and isolation has certainly left its invisible scars.
Salario Domus -63
HeroHoratio03
+5% Damage on Fleet
-5% Cost for Ships on System
Horatio
Counselor
Militarists
To master Dust requires great emotional stability as well as an intimate knowledge of oneself. Unfortunately, Salario Domus -63, a blue-collar worker in the desert region of Tareste, possessed neither. His accidental exposure to Dust sent shockwaves through his town's sleepy urban center as Salario, empowered with a vastly enhanced intellect, rapidly took control of all major shipping and commercial corporations. Driven by the need to experience ever more new and stimulating sensations, he eventually abandoned the over-exploited environment of Tareste and joined the Academy, where he received training in controlling his newfound intellectual abilities.
Thankful for helping him to channel his urges, Salario bears an intense respect and loyalty to the Academy. As a governor he is overbearing and supercilious, but tends to gets results wherever he is assigned. He has sworn off any affiliation to the Horatio (at least officially), but it is whispered in certain circles that Salario is secretly constructing a large cloning facility of his own...
e
HeroTimeLords01
+10% Shield Penetration on Fleet
+10 per Anomaly on System
Riftborn
Overseer
Industrialists
When the rift tore a hole in the very fabric of the Riftborn's universe, most of e's worldmates fled in terror. Not e. Fascinated by the universe on the other side of the rift, e was one of the first Riftborn to begin analyzing the tear--and one of the first to seriously consider breaching the Endless universe. This curiosity led to e piloting the first craft through the rift and into the galaxy with a small team of empiricists. Unfortunately, contact with the home dimension was lost, and e and its team became stranded on a barren, rocky nomad world passing through a red-supergiant star system. Despite making great strides in understanding the complex ecologies of the planet, the rapidly receding star meant the world grew colder and colder. One by one, e's teammates succumbed to the freezing temperatures. When things seemed utterly lost e had an epiphany though. Setting up an emergency beacon, e used the cold to put itself into a state of suspended animation. Eventually rescued by Haroshem scavengers, e was brought to the attention of the Academy who were more than happy to bring e into their fold.
Σ
HeroTimeLords03
+10% Hull Plating Penetration on Fleet
-5% Cost for Ships on System
Riftborn
Guardian
Militarists
Warfare may have been an alien concept to the Riftborn in their previous existence, but that didn't prevent Σ enjoying a natural aptitude for the subject. After helping to defend the beachhead on Vanguard from vicious attacks by native snow wolves, Σ volunteered to command the Riftborn's very first military fleet on a tour of the local system. Set upon by pirates in the ice fields of the outer reaches of the system, Σ's agile tactics helped protect his ships while driving off the attackers into interstellar space. Upon return to Vanguard, Σ negotiated with the Grand Viceroy: in exchange for free movement in the galaxy and the opportunity to learn battlefield strategy from the great warfaring civilizations, Σ would first found a military school on Vanguard to help safeguard its fellow Riftborn. The Grand Viceroy agreed, and soon after establishing the school Σ set out for distant stars. Many famous victories followed, but the most significant battle for Σ ended in defeat. Barely escaping with its life, Σ's life raft was caught in the aftershock of the capital vessel's explosion, enduring a hail of high velocity Dust. Somehow, this event augmented Σ's mind--and the paucity of its strategy became crystal clear. Humbled, Σ interpreted the experience as the Gods teaching it a lesson. Σ still had much to learn.
Baramaxa
HeroUnfallen01
+4 Experience per Turn on Fleet
+1 Vision Range on Fleet
+10 on System
+1 per Hero Level on System
Unfallen
Overseer
Scientists
Although the Unfallen move slowly and speak softly, they possess quick minds and a great capacity for learning. Baramaxa is such an example, an Unfallen that revels in the joy of learning and exploration. She has a scientific mind, and lent her talents for years to the analysis and discovery of the wealth of planets and astral bodies in her home system. Her experiments with life and death pushed barriers that others felt uncomfortable with, and some view her over-developed sense of curiosity with unease. Baramaxa, however, bears no guilt. As an Unfallen, she knows that there is no such thing as true death -- only a Long Sleep.
Thustrellen
HeroUnfallen03
+10% Evasion on Fleet
+5 on System
+5 Keii on System
Unfallen
Seeker
Industrialists
Thustrellen loves the feeling of sunlight on his bark. As a young Second, he found his way across his system to another planet, inhabited by a primitive species. He rested there for years, providing shade and wisdom to the primitive local population. He never set down roots, however, because in his heart he knew there was an even better place for him out there in the stars; a place where he could be surrounded by even more life and warmth and sunlight. Now that the Unfallen have developed spaceflight and sought out new colonies, Thustrellen plans to accompany them -- and see what sort of grand adventures the galaxy can offer him.
Malk Unbound
HeroCravers01
+10% on Fleet
+1 per on Planets
Craver
Guardian
Religious
"Obedience is expected; loyalty must be induced." Unbound learned to obtain uncompromising control over their drones by creating and exuding more potent pheromones. Transformed by Dust when gutting an Endless temple, he now uses their increased expertise to generate a sort of Dust-enhanced near-chemical-dependence among any sentient troops he leads. Unbound has now become not just a clever leader, but one supported by fanatical soldiers who are indifferent to danger and injury.
Kren Solutus
HeroCravers03
+20% Damage on Ship
+1 per on Planets
Craver
Guardian
Militarists
The reputation of Solutus began as a simple soldier, when it gained the nickname Undying. Having fought and survived more battles than any other Craver, first as drone and then as bishop, Solutus voluntarily ingested lethal levels of Dust in its relentless search for greater strength and higher performance. Relentless to the end, Solutus has an impressive record of winning battles, or in the case of defeat, fearlessly returning for a rematch.
Koros Apogee
HeroCraversPrime
+1 per on Planets
+4 Experience per Turn on Fleet
+1 Vision Range on Fleet
Craver
Overseer
Industrialists
Koros was created as an advanced android prototype of its kind, built to convince other Virtual sects of the great value that Cravers could bring to the war effort. The shipment never made it, however, as the Virtual facility was hacked and Koros sat in stasis for uncountable millennia. Discovered by Academy archaeologists when they were searching Endless sites, he was brought to the Academy, awakened, and indoctrinated into the organization. It has stayed remarkably silent on its past and its memories, although it was certainly designed to build massive factories capable of replicating its own form.
Kolstya Velm-Omokar
HeroVenetians02
+1 on Fleet
-5% Cost for Improvements on System
Lumeris
Seeker
Scientists
Kolstya Velm'Hopris'Omokar might have lived out her life as an ordinary dockworker, were it not for the day her wife became trapped in an asteroid mining facility. Watching in horror as the Meos leadership refused to fund a rescue mission, Kolstya took matters into her own hands, hijacking a scrapped mining drone and piloting it straight into the doomed asteroid. Through this desperate act, she was able to save her wife and the other trapped workers, but not without being exposed to vast amounts of pure Dust that was released on impact. Now Kolstya is a heroine among the Omokar labor unions, and has made powerful friends in both the Arrakyo and Lancellum families as a champion for the ordinary Lumerian. But fame and fortune have brought little happiness to Kolstya, for now she struggles both against the demands of the Academy and the plotting of the greedy Meos leaders. A part of Kolstya wants to throw her new life away and spend all her time at her wife's side, but another part knows her life was no longer hers the moment she hijacked that mining drone.
Jenhaestra Drev-Meos
HeroVenetians04
+10% on Fleet
+1 per on Planets
Lumeris
Counselor
Industrialists
Jenhaestra Drev'Dros'Meos was starbound for trouble long before the Dust of the Endless crossed his path. He'd built a stake among the Meos clan for being a Lumerian willing to deal in illicitly acquired goods. Strangely, Jenhaestra's ultimate goal was not extracting the highest profit on these goods, but the preservation of objects he believed might fall into more nefarious hands. When one of his brokers promised a chest of pure Dust from an Endless wonder, Jenhaestra could not possibly resist—but neither could he have predicted what would happen when he was exposed to its raw power. Now one of the most powerful financial operators in the galaxy, Jenhaestra is always happy to sell his services to the highest bidder. As well as being a canny investor, he is also one of the most well-connected individuals in the galaxy, and is always on the lookout for other priceless relics to add to his own private collection.
Enav St Lyeaor
HeroVampirilis01
+10% on Fleet
+5 on System
+10 per Planet on System
Vodyani
Guardian
Ecologists
While the Vodyani are encouraged to seek and explore the truths of the Church, some adventurous types take this a step further and delve into the mysteries of the stars themselves. Enav was a simple believer seduced by the bright light of the stars, and became a well-known scout and explorer of the unknown voids between the lights. The third independent node he found, however, was a gas giant planet locked within a minor Dyson sphere--and still inhabited by living Endless souls. One of them, Lyeaor, is said to have made a bargain with Enav. Corroboration is difficult, however, as the Church has lost control of Enav's Cloth and of Enav himself. Though Enav continues to seek, explore, and follow orders, the lack of direct control over his suit has made the Hierarchs unsure as to whether he should be punished. Others argue that he has been touched by the gods, and it is no longer the role of the Church to question his actions. Others yet wonder whether Enav is still in there, and whether the being called "Enav St Lyeaor" should rather simply be called "Lyeaor"...
Klev St Seiotia
HeroVampirilis03
+1 on Fleet
+10 per Anomaly on System
Vodyani
Seeker
Scientists
An archaeologist and theologian, Klev found joy in the complexities of Endless ruins and history. Klev was therefore a noted professor and field researcher before her contact with a Virtual spirit, deep in a lab on a Vodyani Ark. The Virtual, known as Seiotia, had lived within an artifact from an Endless archive for millennia and quickly struck a deal with Klev that changed the latter in fundamental ways. For a moment Klev saw the blinding light at the start of time, the bleak void at the end, and a glimpse of the unthinkable vastness of everything that might happen in between. She saw also, and stood upon, the brink of her own insanity as her mind attempted to breach and process that scope. While she has risen to the top of her profession and now runs entire Arks and systems, it is said that Klev thinks long on questions of free will, purpose, and the grand design of the universe during the long nights of sleep that she no longer requires.
Ay Seer 1.2Gado
HeroAmoeba01
+5% Regeneration on Fleet
+1 per on Planets
Eusocials
Counselor
Ecologists
As a highly social species, many Amoeba enjoy discovering, cultivating, and nurturing their surrounding environments in collaboration with their intricate social groups. Not so with Ay Seer 1.2Gado. An extremely ancient member of her race and a gifted chemist and physicist, she prefers solo exploration and scientific inquiry above all else -- to the bewilderment of her peers. Independent to the point of solipsism, 1.2Gado is an adept user of Dust, having honed her instinctual skills to mastery through careful study at the Academy. Rumor has it that while attending the Academy, 1.2Gado could not be stopped from conducting dangerous experiments on her fellow students, and was forcefully and prematurely graduated as a result. She is now available to all major empires for mercenary services.
EPISTIS "Madein" 20910
HeroBots01
+10% on Fleet
+10 per Anomaly on System
Technologists
Seeker
Ecologists
From the moment of its flash inception, when code breathed life into its silicon mind and fired impulses through its articulated chassis, EPISTIS-20910 considered itself a most divine receptacle. The first thing the robot saw upon opening its mechanical iris was an engraving on its forearm assemblage: "Madein". Thinking this a name of special significance, EPISTIS-20910, carried out its duties of preservation and salvaging with even more fervor than its devout siblings. When an unlucky scavenger landed on EPISTIS-20910's world, it wasted no time eliminating the intruder before claiming his craft. Curious as to where the intruder had come from EPISTIS-20910 blasted off into space . . .
Wud Svez
HeroHaroshems01
+5% maximum Shields on Fleet
-5% Cost for Improvements on System
Scavengers
Overseer
Ecologists
Wud is more than just ecologically-oriented; he has been quoted as saying "Only idiots create garbage.” Obsessed with re-use and re-purposing as far back as he can remember, his skills at recycling took a definite turn for the better after he attempted to recycle an Endless wreck into radiation-proof roofing and was enveloped by a cloud of Dust. Now that his skills are beyond even the level of a genius, his ability to adapt, refinish, recycle, hack, and improvise has made him a figure of awe across the galaxy. Though his vision of a “trashless cosmos” has not come true, the stock prices of waste disposal companies plunge to near-zero value whenever Wud makes a planetary stop.
Fusha Keencrest
HeroHisshos01
+10% Projectile Damage on Fleet
+15 on System
Scavengers
Guardian
Militarists
Already as a youth, Keencrest was known as a "warrior’s warrior". Dedication, selflessness, and a relentless drive made him a terror in competition and set an impossible example as an officer. Running security for a team investigating Endless wreckage in the planetary rings of a gas giant, Keencrest came face-to-face with an automated defense android. Outmatched and facing death, he managed to incapacitate it with a single, desperate riposte. He quoted himself in explaining this attack: "Even if defeat seems certain, retaliate." Dust liberated by his android opponent infused his body, and Keencrest rose from being a warrior's warrior to being a warrior's deity. No longer capable of finding worthy opponents, he continues to hone his ever-increasing range of skills as a Hero.
Mwanga Moto
HeroPilgrims01
+50% Probes on Fleet
+10 per Planet on System
Technologists
Guardian
Religious
The Pilgrims and the Sophons share a deep historical connection, going back to the Pilgrims' very origins as an offshoot of the United Empire. Mwanga Moto, an orphan child raised in a mixed Sophon-Pilgrim foster home, experienced the joys of faith and science at their best, learning to discover and inquire, counsel and hope. All that changed on his fifteenth birthday, when marauding Epistis pirates attacked. With his siblings he was forcefully conscripted into his hab dome's military, and deployed in pitiless combat. The accompanying war and ruin spiraled uncontrollably throughout his home system, eventually resulting in its complete destruction. Mwanga Moto departed his childhood home in critical condition aboard a medevac ship, eventually arriving on the steps of the Academy as a Dust-addled refugee. Though he is now grown and free to choose his own path in life, he has retaken up the mantle of the soldier, attempting to rediscover the peace of his childhood through the only means he now knows.
Eighth of Fifteenth of Karval
HeroTikanans01
-10% on Fleet
+10 Capacity on System
Eusocials
Guardian
Militarists
Eighth born of the fifteenth generation in the Karval colony, Eighth of Fifteenth rapidly rose to a position of prominence among her hivemates during a period of particularly intense fighting with a nearby colony. Internecine warfare between colonies is nothing unusual in the ebb and flow of Tikanan society, but what made this outbreak of fighting exceptional was Eighth of Fifteenth's leadership. Employing never-seen before tactics backed by an iron authority that brokered no disobedience, Eighth of Fifteenth routed the entire enemy colony, forcing Tikanan Overwardens to issue their first-ever cessation of standard Tikanan diplomacy. Subsequently recruited by one of the old Abelard survivors who'd stayed in-system after the Tikanan's uprising, Eighth of Fifteenth eventually came to the attention of the Academy whereupon she was invited to really expand her military repertoire. She maintains to this day that her abilities have nothing to do with Dust exposure.
Scales Galena
HeroEyders01
Scavengers
Counselor
Religious
Life in the Galena habitat of the great space station Excelsior was a bucolic existence for Scales until the outbreak of the Schisms. Whereas previously she would spend her days gliding through the station's vast halls, worshipping Endless relics, or staring at the languid movements of the gas-giant far below, the time of the Schisms forced her to take stances on all manner of political questions. Who should lead? Were the Eyder of Galena habitat morally superior to those of Mitrovic? Where should the great relics be kept? However, rather than finding these debates stultifying, Scales found them electrifying, and quickly became one of the most skilled orators on Excelsior. Finding strength in her Faith, Scales was instrumental in healing the Schisms, but afterwards found herself restless. One day she left decided to leave Excelsior forever and seek more challenges among the stars. The rest, as they say, is history.
5748-A27P-TZR
HeroBhagabas01
+5% Regeneration on Fleet
+5% on System
Primitives
Counselor
Pacifists
When an alien craft crash-landed on the Bhagaba supermind homeworld of Teonha, TZR was one of the first to arrive at the scene of destruction. Dozens of coral-kin lay broken on the reefs, but inside the blackened shell of the craft TZR did find one alien survivor--a four-eyed beast with ferocious teeth and scaly skin. Hauling the unconscious creature out of the vessel, TZR was nonetheless caught in a final explosion, and a rain of Dust-infused hail lashed its mineral carapace. Rather than being terminal, however, the experience was enlightening. Unlike its puppet-esque coral-kin, TZR became blessed with a sharp, independent intelligence, and in time learnt to communicate with the recovering alien. Whereas the creature wanted to stay on Teonha, TZR was consumed with wanderlust. In exchange for reverse-engineering the alien's craft, the supermind agreed to let TZR leave. Now it sails the stars, seeking encounters with more races.
Caxalxsixox Druse
HeroPulsos01
+10 maximum Shields per Curiosity discovered on Fleet
+10 per Anomaly on System
Scavengers
Seeker
Industrialists
The Pulsos are led by Caxalxsixox, who as leader volunteered to travel among the other races of the galaxy to better understand their nature. Analyzing their tools and societies to understand more of the powers and possibilities contained in Dust, Caxalxsixox fulfills a lonely if important role. Regardless, while the leader travels, soaking up knowledge and transmitting it back to the Pulsos using their innate mastery of quantum coupling, the others bask in the data stream that Caxalxsixox creates, forever recording and studying.
Tiaych Zhilleaq
QuestHeroEndless02
x1.5 Free Movement on Fleet
+1 Vision Range on Fleet
+10 per Anomaly on System
Virtual Endless
Seeker
Ecologists
With its faith in science and society ruined by the butchery at the Lodestones, Tiaych was one of the renegade Endless who created the Tabernacle of Remorse in order to warn future civilizations of their errors. After completing that monument it drifted for ages, an inconsolable and indifferent ship-borne mind in a vast galaxy. It was indifferent to life or death until, centuries later, the ship systems failed and it was captured by the gravitational field of a neutron star. While it was content to study the star for several millennia, Tiaych has over time regained its sense of purpose and now desires to be free of its electromagnetic prison. Should a starfaring civilization come to its rescue, it would be more than happy to assist them as thanks.
Lena Zelevas
HeroTerransQuest02
+10% on Fleet
+5% on System
United Empire
Counselor
Religious
Fifteen years younger than her brother, Emperor Zelevas, Lena grew up a lonely child confined to the depths of the Imperial Palace while her older sibling overthrew the old world order and created a new one. Possessed of a willful, rebellious streak, Lena's most significant choice came early into her adulthood when she chose to begin a secret affair with Duke Anatov, a sworn enemy of the Alliance of Nations--the protean form of the United Empire. Although Anatov was subsequently killed in the final stage of the Great Continental War, his bloodline continues through Lena's only child, Viktoria. After her daughter's birth, Lena dedicated herself to her religion, often disappearing for months on spiritual pilgrimages.
Five
HeroQuestHoratio04
+1 Probes on Ship
+15 on System
Horatio
Guardian
Militarists
A frustrated Horatio who is genetically, psychologically, and morally identical to both Four and Prime, Five is eternally jealous of the fact that Four managed to secure the place of Prime on the throne of the Empire.
Though skilled and capable, Five oscillates between wanting a secure place in the Horatio hierarchy, and believing that he should in fact be leading it. He is therefore a powerful and useful ally--as long as he remains loyal.
Bosun Jennifer Rach
HeroPirate01
+10% Damage on Fleet
+5% on System
Scavengers
Seeker
Industrialists
Rach was part of a pirate band who broke into an Endless research station and were promptly caught by the security systems. A passing Amoeba ship caught their distress signal, but by the time the Amoeba arrived a Dust-enhanced Rach had already freed her team, cracked the research station lock, looted it, and augmented their ship. As the Amoeba were headed to the Academy she decided to go with them, in spite of the pleas of her heartbroken partner, Sego, and her angry boss, Nico the Psycho, who viewed her skills as a ticket to riches. Thanks to her skills with flight technology, she has since made a name for herself as an inventor and test pilot of new and improbable craft and their uses in battle. It is whispered that even though she has the training of the Academy, deep down she still has the heart of a buccaneer…
Rhync Raggiodri, a.k.a. The Photobomber
HeroGreenman02
+10% Capacity on Fleet
+2.5% Siege Damage on Fleet
+15 on System
Primitives
Guardian
Ecologists
Once a galaxy-wide threat to honest investors and electronic banking systems, the “Photobomber” was captured and offered either power or punishment. A relatively quick thinker, he slightly altered his name and chose to study as a Hero with the plan to repay (most of) his debts. Officially acquiring the status of Hero, Rhync now works as a leader of ships and fleets, turning his wily thinking into highly effective--if occasionally unorthodox--battle tactics.
Petrov Jutka
HeroVaulters01
+5% maximum Shields on Fleet
+10 per Anomaly on System
Vaulters
Overseer
Scientists
Another ghost from a long line of ghosts, Jutka always had an uncanny knack for infiltration and ambush operations. A natural warrior and unpredictable commander, her troops have a history of success and survival that make her the envy of friend and foe. While some say it must be in her genes, given her famous great-grandmother, Judit, her grueling training and relentless drive should also be taken into account when explaining her phenomenal success.
Raudd Klapatch
HeroVaulters03
+10% on Fleet
+1 per on Planets
Vaulters
Seeker
Ecologists
With a background in planetary ecology, Raudd nevertheless spent a great deal of time with a weapon in his hands as his specialization on Auriga was the biomes of Necrophage habitats. To this day he still travels fearlessly, if not recklessly, in his unchecked search for knowledge, though some say his time at the Academy improved his common sense and tempered his tendency to act before thinking.
Justicar Jyde Parcha
HeroSistersOfMercy01
+10 maximum Shields per Curiosity discovered on Fleet
+10 per Anomaly on System
Primitives
Counselor
Pacifists
Parcha had both the doom and the honor to leave Auriga and cross the stars when the Vaulters repaired the Argosy and departed. She travels with her family heirloom, the Book of the Kjrtys, an ancient tome filled with proverbs, anecdotes, and prayers. Whatever shadows or demons lurk behind the emotions that provoke a given situation, the Book is intended to provide her with the clarity of absolutes to deal with the problem. She discovered, however, that multiple layers of sentience, culture, and civilization impose far more complexity than her simple philosophical training provided. In search of greater answers, she visited the Academy and became one of the very few non-Dust-enhanced individuals admitted to its inner sanctum and taught its secrets. Fascinated by her experiences on Auriga, Isyander himself ensured that Parcha mastered Dust and became a full member of the Academy.
Glia Lak.Admstr7B2
HeroAmoeba02
-10% on Fleet
+1 per on Planets
Eusocials
Overseer
Pacifists
In a eusocial species like the Amoeba, where the large-scale direction of the race is dictated by the whims and desires of millions of shifting, overlapping minds, the ability for an individual to organise the collective and impose a unified outlook is essential. Without such order, the Amoeba would in all likelihood pull in a thousand different directions and go precisely nowhere. This then, was Glia Lak.Admstr7B2's great gift to its species--the ability to shape group gestalts into purposeful units. When this skill came to the attention of Isyander, the leader of the Academy, Glia was invited to share her wisdom in exchange for Dust-enhancement. Always thirsting for knowledge, Glia accepted. At the Academy, Glia did indeed become even more able, but found the organisation's methods at odds with its own pacifist outlook and elected to leave. Estranged from the Amoeba, today Glia scours the galaxy for other opportunities to learn.
Kogewa Brightblade
HeroMajorHisshos01
+10% Shield Penetration on Fleet
-5% Cost for Ships on System
Hisshos
Guardian
Militarists
Brightblade is a highly decorated warrior, famous not only for strategy and tactics but also for sheer battlefield ferocity. A leader as much as a fighter, he was a natural choice when the time came to appoint a new leader to the Order of the Black Eagle. This elite school and military unit has thrived under his command, as he leads rigorously and remorselessly by example and from the front. Blunt, gruff, short-tempered, and impatient, his followers--whether they thrive or die--are eager and proud to serve beneath him.
Butska Graysand
HeroMajorHisshos03
+10 maximum Shields per Curiosity discovered on Fleet
+1 per on Planets
Hisshos
Counselor
Religious
Graysand grew up practicing with staves, rather than swords, and was viewed as a bit of an eccentric because of that. However, as he came from the Windshorn Uplands, a mountainous area with a history of defensive wars against neighboring clans, Graysand's preference for a defensive weapon was viewed with indulgence rather than disdain. As time went on he became a noted strategist in the area of defensive planning and tactics, extending the idea far beyond pure military thought into the efficient use of industry and the exploitation of agricultural resources. Though he lives in a time when the Hissho clans are at peace, computer simulations indicate that had he been alive during the Warring Clans Era, he would probably have become the youngest emperor in Hissho history. His Dust augmentation was carefully planned, flawlessly executed, and has been rigorously exploited.
Tlikkit Goktok
HeroIllo01
+10 maximum Shields per Curiosity discovered on Fleet
+10 per Planet on System
Technologists
Overseer
Pacifists
Though they speak of it very little, Goktok is in fact a priest in the religion of the Illo. Their church, like their society, is dedicated to accelerating the forces of evolution and natural selection, and it was to study these powers in detail that they applied to do research at the Academy. Discovering the uses of Dust, the powers of Heroes, and the very low odds of survival when augmented by it, Goktok immediately volunteered based on the following logic:
- Dust will destroy or ennoble me
- Should I be destroyed, that is Divine Will executing its remorseless winnowing of the weak, and that would be a good thing as it means I am unworthy to live
- Should I be ennobled, it will be clear that I am a chosen of the Divine Will and it is therefore my duty to reach this state and execute that will
While fellow pupils and even employers find their fanaticism somewhat odd, they don't worry too much as Goktok delivers results along with their sermons.
Fasol Staccato
HeroUmbralChoir02
+10% on Fleet
+10 on System
Umbral Choir
Counselor
Pacifists
A gentle echo in the majesty which is the symphony of the Umbral Choir, Fasol's sundering from the overmind came when it infiltrated a Craver warship as it undertook a hyperspace jump. Alone in the hive-like network of the vessel's central nervous system, Fasol was terrified on two distinct planes. First, the wrenching, disorienting separation from its collective, but secondly, being in the presence of such a species of ceaseless violence. Most likely Fasol would've perished, but for the Craver's cargo--a vital stock of Dust that permeated into the wraith's ethereal form, transforming it into a cognitive powerhouse. Somehow, with a potent message of peace, Fasol flipped the Craver crew from insatiable warfarers to committed pacifists. While Fasol continues its mission of non-violence, the Craver vessel is rumored to have found sanctuary on a Pilgrim research world.
Miredo Sharp
HeroUmbralChoir04
x1.5 Free Movement on Fleet
+1 Vision Range on Fleet
+7% on System
Umbral Choir
Seeker
Scientists
Miredo's liberation from the Umbral Choir collective came during a clandestine visit to the Sophon homeworld, Hekim. Unbeknownst to the Choir, infiltrating the Sophon's primary computer network put Miredo figuratively face-to-face with the galaxy's most sophisticated AI, ENFER. Inside ENFER's silicon citadel, a tremendous battle of wits ensued encompassing logic, physics, and theology. Miredo eventually lost, and might've been consigned to the digital trash, but for ENFER's mercy. Admiring the wraith's diverse talents, ENFER felt the galaxy would be a lesser place without the deep thinker and set it free from the mind gestalt through a controlled exposure to Dust.
Burra Techseeker
HeroBurraTechseeker01
-10% on Fleet
+10 per Planet on System
Technologists
Overseer
Pacifists
Going by the name of his calling rather than his totally unpronounceable family name, Techseeker comes from the race of intelligent amphibian omnivores called the Plocynos who inhabit a vast swamp world. A first experience with dike and drainage systems led to a life-long fascination with fluid mechanics and terraforming, and contacts with space-faring species served to enhance that. His work while attempting to revive a barren planet led Techseeker into unexpected contact with an Endless artifact that crumbled to Dust as he inspected it. Surviving this exposure, he reveled in the power and insight that his Dust-enhanced powers gave him. Though famed as a teacher of planet-scale technologies and industrial systems, it should also be noted that he is very useful to have around during bar fights.
En Pas Leba
HeroKalTikMas01
+10% on Fleet
+10 per System Level on System
+5 Keii per System Level on System
Primitives
Guardian
Ecologists
The common phrase when discussing En is, "She's just like a Kal'Tik'Ma, except more so". An unsmiling and phlegmatic leader, the most emotion a crewman has ever seen her display was when her outmanned and outgunned patrol craft fought off a pirate marauder. "Good", she said. "Resume patrol". It is said that part of her crew's efficiency is based on the terrifying speculation of what might happen if she ever did lose her temper... Until then, En remains the most respected officer in the Kal'Tik'Ma fleet, and the only Kal'Tik'Ma to have received Academy training.
Chancellor Alazne Matul
HeroGalvrans01
+0.5% Damage per on Fleet
+10 per Anomaly on System
Technologists
Counselor
Scientists
While Alazne was originally driven by a desire to understand the world around her, she quickly learned that she could leverage her skills better by leading teams and thus having more minds working in parallel on the same problem. Rising through the ranks of research labs and public institutes, she was appointed to lead a delegation to Harrow when Isyander made contact with the Galvran. She came back...different, and driven even intensely to study and understand. Her recently acquired habit of wandering empty halls at night, whispering to unseen entities, has not reduced her overall effectiveness.
Hanmharla Gerzi
HeroSophons02
+50% Probes on Fleet
+10 per Anomaly on System
Sophons
Seeker
Religious
Born on a far-flung outpost near a Craver system, Gerzi's attempts as a child prodigy to study game theory were often interrupted by alarms, evacuations, and explosions. Tiring of the constant disruptions, Gerzi applied his formidable intellectual talents and understanding of decision modeling ("might do" versus "could do") to help a small defensive force harass and drive off a major fleet. Once he figured out just how much fun you can have with his chosen subject, Gerzi left the peaceful Sophon Cacophony, entered the Academy, and now eagerly causes trouble across the galaxy.
Asaroenni Dzulmaran
HeroSophons04
+10% on Fleet
+1 per on Planets
Sophons
Counselor
Scientists
From a very young age, Dzulmaran believed that the sound of scientific experiment should not be "Ah-ha!", but something more like "Kaboom!". Chemistry was her early means to this end, but in high school and university she gleefully uncovered the ways in which cracking open atoms and exploiting electromagnetic waves could lead to even larger explosions. Dzulmaran was recruited directly from her graduate program by the tiny Sophon Defensive Options department, and since her strange experiments using Dust she has only grown more powerful--and dangerous.
Immah Naratya
HeroTerrans01
United Empire
Overseer
Ecologists
Most generals send soldiers to their death by ordering them to the battlefield. Immah Naratya has cultivated a different reputation. As the United Empire's most efficient logistics officer she acquired the reputation of mastering brutally efficient supply lines, working men and women to the bone to make sure factories, shipping lines, and dockworkers kept the Imperial Navy afloat and functioning.
But someone had other plans for her. While touring one of the Empire's factories, a messenger delivered a mysterious package that upon unsealing exploded with pure Dust. Suddenly her view of the workers toiling to their deaths changed drastically.
Most exposed to pure Dust gain depth in logic, wisdom, and understanding, but Naratya gained the whole emotional spectrum that had been suppressed for so many years. She knows not if she can trust the Academy, for she suspects they were behind the Dust attack, but every day she finds her loyalty to her Emperor fading just a little. All she knows is she must make amends for the lives she ruined with her work. She seeks a balance between the intellectual firepower she was born with, and the newfound compassion granted to her by fate.
Oleg Lagarin
HeroTerrans03
+5% Damage on Fleet
+10% on System
United Empire
Guardian
Scientists
Oleg Lagarin's life was pitifully ordinary for a citizen of the United Empire. Conscripted at age eighteen. Dropped into the most average battalion possible. Sent to die as cannon fodder while assailing an insurgent fortress. Struck down by a stray artillery blast. In the heat and haze of battle, his exosuit blaring warning signs about his vitals, he readied himself for death.
But death did not come. A reservoir of pure Dust poured out of the cracks opened by the artillery, and Lagarin was suddenly overcome with more strength and vitality then he'd ever known in his life. The after action reports confirm several witnesses who watched him rise from the ground, roar, and barrel toward the enemy fortress, smashing a weakened wall with his battle-wracked exosuit.
Such heroics earned Lagarin praise within the Empire, but the man still does not know peace. In the quiet of night, he still smells the sick haze of that battlefield, still hears the cannon roar in the distance. And as reality slips away and he returns to that dark place, visions of other mysterious creatures enter his vision too . . .
Kinete Muldaur
HeroTerrans05
+0.5% Damage per on Fleet
+5% for Infantry on System
United Empire
Guardian
Religious
A child prodigy in strategic games, Muldaur grew to be a feared and respected competitor long before adulthood. Driven by pirate attacks to join the Mezari military, she assiduously trained her technical and martial skills to be the equal of her mental abilities. Her advanced analytical abilities turned out to be her downfall, however, as she found herself less and less content to follow orders that to her were obviously impractical or wasteful. Eventually getting drummed out of the Navy for insubordination, Muldaur returned to a life of fighting pirates until she was captured by Vodyani slavers. Broken out of captivity by Isyander, she became a loyal follower and one of the key founding faithful of the Academy.
Andro Camille -Z
HeroHoratio02
+10 maximum Shields per Curiosity discovered on Fleet
+1 per original Population on Planets
Horatio
Seeker
Scientists
Andro Camille -Z is the only remnant of a Horatio gene pool that was designed to mix with other species on mutual projects. Andro emigrated to a mixed colony outpost at an early age and grew up around Sophons, Mavros and Deuyivan citizens; this gave Andro a respect for rational thought and experimentation that he later found difficult to reconcile with existing, somewhat shallower Horatio philosophies. He spearheaded scientific development on several major Horatio projects until, at the height of his career, he purposely exposed himself to Dust in an effort to increase his own multitasking abilities.
Now a powerful and influential Academy-trained governor, he spreads his unique blend of scientific and luxury-focused politics across the galaxy. Andro is grateful to the Academy for his training, but as a child of multiple cultures, believes sincerely that the Academy is only a small part of a larger galaxy with trillions of individuals in it.
Ruthian -F11 Tighina
HeroHoratio04
+10% on Fleet
+1 per original Population on System
+1 Keii per original Population on System
Horatio
Counselor
Religious
Ruthian -F11 Tighina is the product of a very strange situation: a short-lived reality program on his home planet that rewarded the "winner" with a surprise concentrated dose of Dust exposure. Unable to physically handle the shock, Ruthian ended up in the hospital, locked in a coma that lasted sixteen long years. When he awakened, he had lost many of his social connections and a large chunk of his life, but gained incredible mental abilities. This sent him into a serious depression, an issue that he struggles with to the present day.
Thankfully his exceptional talents gained him rapid admission to the Academy, and after a long period of training Ruthian now seeks to rebuild his bond with the people of the galaxy--and especially with the Horatio community that he was cut off from so long ago. Ruthian has become a reliable fleet commander and logistical expert, and is unswervingly loyal to his superiors.
π
HeroTimeLords02
+5% maximum Shields on Fleet
+1 per on Planets
Riftborn
Overseer
Pacifists
A key figure in the establishment of a base of operations on the snowy wilderness of Vanguard, π ensured that the Riftborn presence in the Endless universe grew in a swift and orderly fashion. Although eternally grateful for π's help, the Grand Viceroy's relationship with the administrator grew increasingly difficult on account of π's extreme pacifism. Believing Riftborn activity in the galaxy always needed to put the rights of other sentient organisms first and foremost, π was a constant thorn in the Grand Viceroy's expansion plans. Eventually tiring of π's objections, the Grand Viceroy sent the Riftborn administrator on a mission to learn what it could of the other races of the galaxy. π quickly came to the attention of the Academy when its deep analysis of Hero sightings throughout the galaxy allowed it to narrow down the location of the fabled institution to within ninety-odd star systems. An invitation to join rapidly followed. Today π offers its services to the highest bidder.
δ
HeroTimeLords04
+10% Shield Absorbtion on Fleet
+1 per on Planets
Riftborn
Counselor
Religious
Although somewhat religiously minded before the explosion of the Gray Owl ripped a hole in the Riftborn's universe, afterwards δ became one of the most holy figures among all of its kind. Being at the epicenter of a Dust explosion can do that. Saturated with Dust, δ found its mind overrun with revelatory visions concerning the Riftborn's future. How the blight would spread. How they would traverse the multiverse. How a savior would step up . . . Preaching to any who would listen, δ's words were first considered the ravings of a demented being, until its prophetic auguries slowly came to pass. Afforded respectability, δ became a powerful, persuasive voice and was instrumental in the Riftborn's decision to venture into the Endless universe, going against the ruling Communion who initially counselled for caution. Whether δ's allegiance still belongs to the Riftborn is uncertain, but what cannot be disputed is its fierce inner belief that Dust is the secret to ruling the universe.
Lunabarxes
HeroUnfallen02
+5% Regeneration on Fleet
+15 on System
Unfallen
Seeker
Pacifists
Lunabarxes had found her place -- or so she thought. Ensconced in a flowering grove in the center of a bustling forest metropolis, Lunabarxes was on the verge of metamorphosis into the final stage of Unfallen life when errant missiles, falling from the wars of some other species in the skies above her planet, erupted around her. Dust-fueled explosives tore up the boulevards and shattered the peace she had sought for so long. Though many Unfallen were thrown into madness, Lunabarxes had been so close to a state of final repose that she was able to pause, sink her roots deep, and slowly absorb and assimilate the Dust. The Dust gradually sharpened Lunabarxes's mind and senses, providing her so much more information and so many new intellectual vistas that she decided to put off the transition from being an exploring Second to becoming a sedentary Third. She now wanders the universe, calmly providing aid where she can -- and still looking for a place to call home.
Anaxagoras
HeroUnfallen04
+5% Damage on Fleet
+10 Capacity on System
Unfallen
Guardian
Militarists
The Unfallen known as Anaxagoras found himself wandering a barren landscape after his exploration vehicle was destroyed by lightning. He wandered the empty landscapes for months singing and churning up the soil, until an expeditionary force from the Academy, seeking traces of the Lost, took him into captivity. From there he was delivered to the mysterious Academy, where he was to be studied as a seed of a new species. But Anaxagoras surprised everyone, including himself, by taking quickly to the computer systems used throughout the Academy. His wonder and fascination was exceeded only by his capacity for learning, and soon Anaxagoras had mastered the complex war games that others in the Academy played for entertainment. Now a fully fledged Hero, Anaxagoras enjoys his war games on a much larger scale -- though some wonder if he truly understands the destructive ramifications of his "play."
Risto Libera
HeroCravers02
+20% Damage on Ship
-5% Cost for Ships on System
Craver
Overseer
Industrialists
Due to their advanced skills in leading large construction projects Libera was sent to install a major Craver military base in an asteroid belt. The asteroids turned out to be a disused Dust storehouse, and Libera experienced Dust enlightenment like an adrenaline rush. Since then Libera has sought ever-greater and more complex challenges in management and development, hoping to repeat that surge of power and pleasure. The greater the difficulty, the greater the glory, the more powerful the reward…
Oroyo Ner Freed
HeroCravers04
Craver
Seeker
Pacifists
One of the fraction of a percent of Cravers who become a queen, the Endless took Oroyo as a test subject in order to mutate her body to create eggs that would provide larger, stronger, more dangerous warriors. The advanced cybernetic systems they used proved too much for her simple Craver nervous system, and the resulting neuronal overload was almost lethal. The Virtuals decided to save her, however, and applied enough of their own technology to re-create her persona in an artificial brain. The side effects, unsurprisingly, were numerous. The explosive growth in brain capacity led to eidetic memory and a linked obsessive fascination for seemingly pointless data, as now she had the ability to note and track innumerable details. With this capacity, however, came a great deal of information that she should not have had, and Freed used her own enhanced intellectual capacity to infiltrate and spike the Virtual network--murdering the entire lab system in which she was being held. She launched herself on an Anti-Endless rampage--Concrete and Virtual alike--until the resources of a small fleet were turned upon her and she was finally captured and frozen for study. The details of how and why Hnifri Kabtuycha discovered and freed her have never been made public, though she is now available for hire as a freelance Hero.
Iotar Vos-Lancellum
HeroVenetians01
+10% on Fleet
-5% Cost for Ships on System
Lumeris
Guardian
Ecologists
Once a rising star in the Lancellum family, Iotar Vos'Lancellum's reputation was left in tatters when he disobeyed the orders of a pureblood Lancellum Admiral on the eve of a massive battle. Lancellum ships had just made contact with a strange fleet of vessels that appeared near the Lumerian homeworld. In the chaos, Iotar rallied the Lancellum ships together to defend the homeworld but was wounded when his ship collided with an enemy vessel. In the ensuing battle an explosion of Dust destroyed every vessel except his own. Blamed for the loss of the Lumerian fleet, Iotar would have been court-martialed had he returned to Jenes. In the bloody aftermath, however, shadowy figures claiming to be from an organization called "The Academy" swooped in and peeled him from the wreckage. Possessing strange new powers and in search of answers, Iotar agreed to join the mysterious organization. Today, as he travels the stars, he still seeks to discover the origins of the fleet that attacked his people—and who, if any among his crew, had a hand in its assault.
Yelchin Ordara-Arrakyo
HeroVenetians03
+1 on Fleet
+10 per Anomaly on System
Lumeris
Seeker
Pacifists
Yelchin Ordara-Arrakyo's parents were scientists dispatched to a deep space research station, so he never knew the life and culture of your average Lumerian child. Instead, Yelchin grew up playing in the desolate remains of the Endless. Ancient ruins and whispering computers were as much his friends as the other scientists. Visits to the homeworld were awkward and uncomfortable for the young Lumerian, who knew nothing of trade or deal-making, but everything to do with the names and records of Endless scientists, soldiers and scholars. When his parents mistakenly awakened an ancient Endless security system, Yelchin willingly raced to the heart of the facility to shut down the ancient power core. He succeeded—but in the process was exposed to a tidal wave of pure Dust that was vented into the room. His head now filled with far more than Endless arcana, and in need of somebody who could help him understand his new powers, he sought out the Academy. Now Yelchin is caught between two worlds: the mundane world of the people he is supposed to call kin, and the mysterious realm of the long-dead Endless.
Brunem Berto'Lancellum
HeroVenetians05
+10% Evasion on Fleet
-10% on Fleet
Lumeris
Guardian
Religious
Very bright but very happy to remain lazy, clever and wealthy, this scion of the Lancellum family was jerked out of his complacent lifestyle when the resort ship he was vacationing on was attacked by pirates. Taking an active part in the defense of the vessel, he found a taste for adrenaline that he did not realize he had. This led him to increasingly extreme sports, events, hunts, and activities, until the day when extreme speleology in an Endless ruin changed his life forever. Affected by Dust and suddenly capable of enormous feats beyond his comprehension, he turned to the only leader in the galaxy he judged capable of guiding and teaching him: Isyander St Shaiad, the founder of the Academy.
Varb St Zouieina
HeroVampirilis02
+5% Damage on Fleet
+10 on System
Vodyani
Guardian
Religious
If pressed to respond, Varb would indicate that his life began as a hydroponic farmer on a space station, a member of the Zolya Clan and a happy husband and father. When his system was taken by a Vodyani Ark ship and his people assimilated, Varb was one of the few whose spirits were deemed worthy to ascend to the gift of Vodyani citizenship. As mortal body was replaced by energy and Varb donned his Cloth and became a member of the Protectorate, little remained of the anger at his family's death and his own transformation. As a soldier of the Vodyani, Varb came to execute his duties professionally and faithfully. His attitude changed forever when he touched a ruin on a barren world, and came into unprepared contact with the living spirit of Zouieina. This Virtual, dying slowly in an underpowered site, was glad to find redemption and life as a Vodyani saint. While Varb felt a trace of amusement from Zouieina at the notion, the powers that his Cloth assumed from the spirit and the abilities that he gained were exceptional. Unhappily, Zouieina awoke in Varb memories of a lost family and of other ways that a people might choose to live. Torn but triumphant, overtly efficient but silently in turmoil, Varb is a hero who is not sure where he will stand when great Penance comes.
Daro St Taiage
HeroVampirilis04
+20% Damage on Ship
-5% Cost for Ships on System
Vodyani
Counselor
Militarists
Daro was known as "The Burning Brand' for her eager and relentless proselytization of minor peoples. Ever eager to bring additional souls into the fold and to free spirits from their physical prisons, the Fount upon her Ark never lacked for sacrifices. Her worldview changed one day, however, while rounding up recalcitrant Kalgeros who were hiding in an Endless temple. Touched by the presence of the Virtual Endless who called itself Taiage, Daro came face-to-face and soul-to-soul with one of her gods. The reality of this knowledge shocked and altered her profoundly. Still driven to serve a god, and yet sharing her Cloth with its presence, Daro now alternates between burning with faith and aggression and fearing what ultimate sacrifice her symbiotic saint may require of her. What is the recompense for sacrifice? What is the ultimate act of fidelity? It is one thing to act as if believing your god follows your every movement and thought; it is quite another thing to live that way.
Nelly "Shaken" Sira Ninpere
HeroBenthys01
+50% Probes on Fleet
+5 on System
+5 Keii on System
Primitives
Overseer
Religious
So great is Ninpere's knowledge of luxuries that even the most indulgent of the Lumeris listen rather than speak when she is talking. Notable primarily for her expertise in drinks and particularly cocktails, she was given the honorary rank of "Sira" for not only creating the most expensive cocktail ever known, but also the most accessible across diverse species and the most-nearly-but-not-quite-lethal. When one adds to this her encyclopedic knowledge of perfumes, flavors, organic chemistry, food processing, and fine dining, it is clear why her opinions and presence are sought at the finest establishments across the galaxy (it is a secret known only to her that this exceptional talent is due to an impetuous over-sampling of Dust-based drinks). Regardless, Ninpere’s knowledge and her agreeable company are both in great demand.
Ting Neuil
HeroDeuyivans01
+20% maximum Shields on Ship
+15 on System
Eusocials
Counselor
Scientists
Taking his name from the Endless leader he met during his first trip off his gas-giant homeworld, Neuil's early forays across the galaxy involved applying his knowledge of game theory to financial models--and making a lot of investors seriously Dust-rich. Life would've proceeded along these lines, but for an event that Neuil still struggles to understand. Caught in a ferocious electro-storm in the upper atmosphere of his homeworld while transporting a vast motherlode of Dust, Neuil experienced an intense "living dream" where he found himself tumbling through a dazzling-white, Euclidean-shaped void. For a brief time, shoals of colored motes of light darted around his vessel--and then the next moment he was waking up back in his craft with his mind afire. Adrift in deep space, the constellations seemed completely unfamiliar . . . What did it all mean? To this day, Neuil still seeks answers.
Karv Jezet
HeroHaroshems02
+4 Experience per Turn on Fleet
+1 Vision Range on Fleet
+1 per original Population on Planets
Scavengers
Seeker
Scientists
Dangerously foolhardy for a Haroshem, Jezet was eager to get off-world into a galaxy where he would be seen as "normal". His first trip, however, included a near crash, a pirate raid, and the discovery of a stolen hoard of Endless loot. Rather than dissuading him, this succession of events only made Jezet happier with his life choices. While he breezed through the Academy thanks to his eidetic memory, most of his knowledge (and increasing cynicism) comes from banging around the corners of the galaxy where wiser heroes would never be seen, in the company of people that wiser heroes would run away from.
Krak "Cubed" Bleis
HeroMavros01
+10% Energy Damage on Fleet
-5% Cost for Ships on System
Technologists
Guardian
Industrialists
While many Mavros have a reputation for hot-headedness and explosive tempers, Krak always had a cool demeanor and a very un-Mavros-like willingness to solve problems through careful planning rather than heavy explosives. This earned him the nickname "Cube", which became "Cubed" when he saved his team from decimation three times during a treasure hunt in a booby-trapped Endless hulk. Krak's unusually long periods of silence during this expedition, however, were due to the fact that he had ingested enormous quantities of Dust due to a faulty filter system in his suit. Driven to a higher level of thinking, Krak soon said goodbye to his thankful squad and set off to find new challenges in infiltration, decryption, and problem-solving.
Norn D'Girit
HeroZvali01
+10% Evasion on Fleet
+10 per System Level on System
+5 Keii per System Level on System
Technologists
Overseer
Scientists
Norn D'Girit believes that the universe he lives in is a simulation. While the Z'vali culture from which he hails has long wrestled with the indefinable differences between real and virtual spaces, Norn, an Academy-educated technocrat, believes that the implications of his research may go far beyond what any other philosopher has proposed. But while his scientific views may be kooky, his management skills are formidable: Norn has taken up a nomadic existence, traveling from empire to empire offering his services in exchange for scientific funding. Unfortunately, the support he receives is often scant. It seems that the thought of everything -- families, nations, planets, systems, galaxies -- being some kind of advanced fabrication is simply too frightening -- or detached -- for the majority of people to wrap their heads around. There is always more pressing research to be funded, so Norn is always moving on . . .
Torvoth Bzech'Grul
HeroGnashasts01
+10% on Fleet
+500 Damage to Attacker on Ground Battle on System
Primitives
Seeker
Militarists
Born in a tidal flats' slum, Torvoth grew up at the violent end of a violent society. Consigned to the fighting pits when he came of age, Torvoth was headed for an early grave until he was found by an Academy Servitor tasked with discovering potential recruits from the fringes of the galaxy. Feeling sorry, but not that sorry, for the young, beaten fighter, the Servitor would've walked away had it not been for what happened next. Torvoth, curious as to the identity of this unusual spectator, tracked--without detection--the Servitor to his hidden vessel, hijacked the craft, and somehow overrode the launch protocols. There was only one explanation: Torvoth was Dust-enhanced. The Servitor offered Torvoth a way out: Unwavering allegiance to the Academy in exchange for escape from this brutal life. Torvoth didn't need to be asked twice. After accompanying the Servitor on the rest of his mission, Torvoth developed a ceaseless yearning for adventure, before heading to the Academy where his real training began.
Eli Leandra
HeroNiris01
+10% on Fleet
+5 on System
+5 Keii on System
Primitives
Overseer
Ecologists
Half a lifetime ago, if anyone would've told Eli he'd one day be trawling the galaxy under the guidance of a mysterious organization named the Academy, he'd have said they were hallucinating. At that time Eli was part of the Niris' "rewilding" movement, dedicated to reviving the areas of the ocean that had become exhausted or polluted. His days were spent swimming freely in the seas, cataloguing the diminished ecosystems and living very simply. Slowly, he became an accidental leader-figure in the movement, organizing research parties, and determining long-term strategy. One day, exploring a partially-sunken mining platform, Eli got trapped when an industrial drill fell and pinned his body. Unable to escape, when the tide receded Eli found himself stranded above the waterline. Close to asphyxiation, only the appearance of a strange visitor prevented Eli's death. "You are Dust-blessed," said the stranger later. "Come with me, for the Academy has a place for you."
Kalin Fett-Iska
HeroRemnant01
+1 on Fleet
+0.5 per on Planets
Eusocials
Seeker
Industrialists
Entrusted by the Remnant leader, Belcus Akad-Talar, to scout the rest of the system after the order of cyborg assassins awoke from their long hibernation, Kalin was exploring a remote windswept tower on a nearby planet when its connection to the hive-mind was severed. Whether this was due to Dust storms, computational failure, or sabotage was unclear, but the result was that Kalin was suddenly alone with its buried past. Overwhelming memories of tracking marks across ghost-worlds, hiding in the holds of interstellar vessels, and killing under myriad suns flashed through its silicon mind. On that day, the one-time assassin vowed to learn everything it could about its history, and set off the stars. Alone.
Reyaryn Cious
QuestHeroEndless01
+20% Damage on Ship
+1 per on Planets
Virtual Endless
Guardian
Religious
Discovered by Cravers in the heart of an ancient Craver vessel, buried and dormant, Reyaryn is one of the galaxy's oldest survivors. Largely silent on matters of the past, nobody knows exactly what sort of life Reyaryn led at the time of the Endless, or what brought his virtual self to be embedded in an industrial-purpose exosuit. What is known is that Reyaryn is a powerful presence wherever he goes, seemingly possessed with an uncanny ability to predict the next move of friends and enemies alike. As to a weakness, some whisper that he is afraid of visiting the original Endless homeworld . . .
Hadri Lenko
HeroTerransQuest01
+10% Capacity on Fleet
+2.5% Siege Damage on Fleet
-5% Cost for Ships on System
United Empire
Guardian
Militarists
A stalwart at Emperor Zelevas' side for over thirty years, Hadri was there at the beginning, fighting as an elite solider in the bitterly contested Great Continental War that ultimately led to the uniting of the empire. After demonstrating his skill and bravery in numerous encounters, Hadri was recruited into Emperor Zelevas' inner circle of Sheredyn Protectors where he carried out many covert missions for the Emperor before himself becoming First Protector. Speculation remains as to his true feelings for the Emperor's sister, Duchess Lena Zelevas, after the events surrounding Anatov's Last Stand.
Petra Mandzukic
HeroTerransQuest03
+1 Probes on Ship
+15 on System
United Empire
Seeker
Scientists
Tracing her line to one of the great Mezari-clans who led the colonization fleets across the long night, Petra is a proud and dedicated patriot. Although a naturally talented researcher in her own right, Petra's abilities were vastly supplemented when she fell down a chasm in the Raian wilderness, and spent three days and nights trapped in the heart of a natural vein of Dust. Upon rescue, Petra made no mention of her fortuitous find, but rapidly rose in the empire's newly formed Academy of Sciences thanks to the exposure. Today she heads Advanced Research, the United Empire's military science branch, and has personally spearheaded the development of several terrifying technologies.
Anax-Jink 2077
HeroQuestVirus01
+10 maximum Shields per Curiosity discovered on Fleet
+1 per on Planets
Scavengers
Seeker
Religious
Sealing itself away on an unremarkable snow-blanketed world in an unremarkable corner of the galaxy, Anax-Jink 2077 thought it would live out the remainder of its life in hermetic solitude contemplating the cosmos and the apocalypse it was convinced was coming. How long Anax-Jink lived in this manner is unknown--even to itself--but when strange visitors settled on its homeworld, it had its world turned upside-down. Hailing from another dimension, the Riftborn awakened new curiosities in Anax-Jink, inspiring it to seek new answers to new questions. Still a believer that the end-of-days is coming, Anax-Jink is viewed with a blend of disgust and fascination by its Riftborn masters. Luckily, the Grand Viceroy is one of Anax-Jink's biggest champions, not least because the Riftborn believes that the Virus knows powerful secrets about the world of Vanguard.
Rhync Raggiodri, a.k.a. The Photobomber
HeroGreenman01
Primitives
Counselor
Scientists
Once a galaxy-wide threat to honest investors and electronic banking systems, the “Photobomber” was captured and offered either power or punishment. A relatively quick thinker, he slightly altered his name and chose to study as a Hero with the plan to repay (most of) his debts. Now a Hero and governor of systems, Rhync has turned his charm and cleverness into crowd-pleasing policies and wily political maneuvers.
Esseb Veltaros
HeroArchivist01
x1.5 Free Movement on Fleet
+1 Vision Range on Fleet
+1 per on Planets
Technologists
Seeker
Scientists
Though this lone figure, who is only ever observed on the Endless memorial day known as “The Day of the Awakening”, has been witnessed and discussed for centuries, there is no clear record that explains their origins. Only myths can be found on that topic, and these are told across many eras and many peoples in every region of the galaxy. Esseb is sighted on this day at Endless ruins across the galaxy—some even say, simultaneously. Are they one entity with teleportation capacity or multiple entities that share a mind? An Endless survivor or an immortal construct? Either way, their sudden willingness to join a faction is surprising. Some believe that Veltaros, whether admiral or governor, is simply doing what they have always done -- observe, catalog, and remember.
Serz Kersho
HeroVaulters02
+50% Probes on Fleet
+10 per Anomaly on System
Vaulters
Seeker
Pacifists
A troubled child with a history of violence, it took a brush with death and a prolonged convalescence with the Sisters of Mercy to change Kersho's world view. Developing meditation, concentration, and spirituality to contain his naturally bellicose nature, Kersho became a driven and ambitious explorer and champion of lost causes. Appreciated for his intensity and brilliance if feared for his edgy temper, he is a disruptive force to be reckoned with.
Rill Kata
HeroVaulters04
+10% on Fleet
+1 per on Planets
Vaulters
Guardian
Militarists
A promising young student of mechanisms and mathematics on Auriga, Kata converted to the Community of the Great Orrery after a near-death experience at fifteen when necrotic tissue in her foot almost took her life. The salvaged auto-medic apparatus that amputated the decaying limb and grafted on an artificial foot both saved her life and altered her outlook on the world. From that day, Kata rose to prominence as a fierce champion of the machine, and was a natural choice when it came to developing leaders and experts to survive in the dauntingly technological galaxy beyond their homeworld.
Opbot DV8
HeroOpbot01
+4 Experience per Turn on Fleet
+1 Vision Range on Fleet
+5 on System
+1 per Hero Level on System
Primitives
Counselor
Scientists
Operating a recon mission, Academy scouts were exceedingly surprised to discover that a promising species of pre-sentients had, within the span of a few years, gone from huddling in mud hovels to trying their hand at space exploration. Investigating this extraordinary technological leap, the scouts eventually met a battered robot who introduced itself as Opbot DV8. It explained that after drifting through space for quite a bit and subsequently crashing on this planet, it was rescued by the natives. As they were friendly but of limited intellectual reach, Opbot decided to help them "get there faster"--but declined to share more details on the process.
Fluffpetal Gurk'Zvar
HeroPirateLeader01
+0.5% Damage per on Fleet
-5% Cost for Ships on System
Scavengers
Guardian
Militarists
A rough character from a rough culture, Gurk’Zvar would have been a hard case even if his drunken stepfather had not named him Fluffpetal. A name like that in Gnashast society made bullying a daily occurrence throughout his youth. Before he learned anything else, Gurk'Zvar learned how to win fights or talk his way out of them. Showing a lot more smarts than his parents, Gurk'Zvar figured out that more friends and more people who owe you favors translated into more clout on the streets. From gang leader to mob boss was relatively straightforward, and once he took his first trip off-planet it was clear that nothing short of ruling his own pirate empire would be enough for this bright and belligerent personality.
Tsuyu Saltcliff
HeroMajorHisshos02
+50% Probes on Fleet
+1 per on Planets
Hisshos
Seeker
Scientists
An expert in Hissho history and traditions, some say Saltcliff's reverence for the past is well beyond an obsession. Few would say that to her face, however, for there may be no other living Hissho that has her mastery with a blade. Much of this skill comes from her detailed study of the Hissho legacy within the arenas of the Endless; a kill-or-be-killed existence where the ability to win mortal struggles on a daily basis led to extreme training and techniques.
She has also studied many of the details of the Endless impact on Hissho genes, society, and development during her more reflective moments. It is rumored that she seeks, in particular, the wisdom and journals of the Blood Sisters, and some even say she is driving an underground movement to restore their order.
Senya Snowridge
HeroMajorHisshos04
+10% Shield Penetration on Fleet
+1 per on Planets
Hisshos
Guardian
Industrialists
Snowridge comes from a long line of warriors; for generations her family has bred their children for warfare and the hunt. Though not an outright Reformer, Snowridge is one of few Hissho who has trained at the Academy, seeking further perfection within her deadly arts through non-Hissho education. Though she rarely fights, choosing both military and political battles with care, she has never lost. This invincibility is attributed to the way she has devoted her life to the pure melding of mind and body; the integration of weapon, tactic, and will.
She is known behind her back as "Iceridge" for her implacable and emotionless approach to the passions of war. Many attribute this to her presence at the death of her father on the planet Veil, but that is another story.
Sila Minor
HeroUmbralChoir01
+5% maximum Shields on Fleet
+10 per Planet on System
Umbral Choir
Seeker
Religious
A harmony of the Umbral Choir that found itself exploring the supernovaed shell of a spent star, Sila would've remained a resonating echo of the whole if not for coming across the husk of a long-dead Lost. Seared by the trapped Dust, Sila experienced a severing from the mind gestalt, as well as a partial manifestation into the physical realm. Overwhelmed, but heightened to the sensitivities of the galaxy's currents of Dust, Sila discovered the shattered Harrow system, where it watched the machinations of Isyander and his Academy. Not the only one watching though, Sila was first ensnared before proving its innocence to Anaxagoras and Ay Seer 1.2Gado, after which it was given license to roam and learn on behalf of the Academy.
Lare Fermata
HeroUmbralChoir03
+10% Hull Plating Penetration on Fleet
+1 per on Planets
Umbral Choir
Guardian
Militarists
If there was any echo which might've been suspected to harbor desires of emancipation and independence from the Umbral Choir collective, Lare would've been a good bet. A refrain with aggressive tendencies, during the Choir's early forays through the galaxy, Lare often infiltrated other species' logical systems in a manner that frequently led to fear and conflict (one example being the Rydha Skirmish between Horatio and Choir fleets, leading to the Horatio Commander's famous words: "Monsters from other realms do exist--and they must be beautified!"). Lare's freedom arrived after it annihilated a Hissho Kestrel-class vessel carrying Endless Dust relics.
Imane Kryv
HeroUmbralChoir05
+1 on Fleet
+1 per on Planets
Umbral Choir
Seeker
Scientists
A descendent of the great Kryv family line, Imane grew up constantly reminded of the accomplishments of her famous forebears, most notably Deona Kryv, one of the Pilgrim's original founders. A contrarian by heart, Imane rebuffed the expectations that came with her name, and spurned her political connections. Instead, she headed for the fringes of Pilgrim space, where she pursued unlikely Endless relics with a cast of eccentric or washed-up adventurers. Even here, away from the piety of the Pilgrim's inner worlds, she still found her faith tested, and increasingly experimented with cybernetic augmentations in an effort to discover meaning in her life. Although she didn't know it at the time, the most significant event in her life came when she made first contact with the intergalactic creature known as the Umbral Choir.
G0d3I Builder.v87
HeroSowers01
+50% Probes on Fleet
+10 per Anomaly on System
Eusocials
Overseer
Religious
Unlike most Sower machines who focus on little more than the mechanics of the job, G0d3I was fascinated by the bigger picture behind the infrastructure programs. Who were their Endless masters? What did they plan for these cities? What greater purpose did they serve? After a period of study and reflection, G0d3I undertook several upgrade cycles, deliberately evolving its core function from passive learning to active operations. In this new guise, G0d3I now puts theory into practice, offering administrative services for client civilizations while still reporting its insights to the Academy.
Ooblart Essacius
HeroSefaloros01
-10% on Fleet
+1 per on Planets
Scavengers
Seeker
Industrialists
Never content to stay with its shoal, Ooblart grew up a curious, mischievous individual constantly drifting into deep waters and exploring the exotic minerals of the depths. This inquisitiveness, allied with an instinct to create, led Ooblart to become one of the Sefaloros' most celebrated marine architects, designing many stunning structures that bridged the gap between ocean and air in ingenious ways. In turn, this flourishing of supra-ocean construction helped ignite the species' spacefaring nature, and it was no surprise when Ooblart became one of the pioneers of off-planet installations. Today, Ooblart works for the Academy, seeking--and inspiring--more conceptually groundbreaking structures.
FES2 Reflects
HeroHarmony01
+5% Hull Plating Absorbtion on Fleet
+5 on System
+10 per Planet on System
Primitives
Seeker
Ecologists
The thing that separates Reflects from its kin and species could best be described as "fatalism". While other elements of the Harmony may rail and fight against Dust, seeking to avoid or lessen its disturbance of their senses, Reflects simply accepted Dust as a new part of its reality and moved on. The desire to understand Dust led it to the Academy, where curious scientists and philosophers were as eager to study this mineral specimen as it was to study their wisdom and ways.
As a Dust-infused Hero, Reflects has accepted its rupture from the resonances and frequencies that the Harmony relied on to seek the Core. To fill the gap in its essence that no longer echoes and vibrates, it has become obsessed with music and musicology. According to Academy experts, Reflects is now, arguably, the greatest living expert on the creative exploitation of frequencies in the range of 1 to 100k Hz.
