James Vega

1. #1Ardat-Yakshiselective

   Keys: Ardat-Yakshi, genetic disorder, asari

   Ardat-Yakshi ("demon of the night winds") are asari suffering from a genetic disorder preventing conventional melding of nervous systems during mating. Instead, Ardat-Yakshi electro-chemically ravage their partners' nervous systems, in extreme cases leaving victims as vegetative invalids or corpses. Asari psychologists regard this incapacity for mental fusion as preventing the development of empathy, leading to psychopathy. There is no known cure.

   The disorder generally begins in infancy, reaching full pathology during Maiden adolescent sexual development. While seductive and sexually-driven as other asari, Ardat-Yakshi are congenitally sterile.

   Ancient asari mythology held Ardat-Yakshi as gods of destruction, depicting them as villains of countless legends and as the anti-heroes of numerous asari epics.

   Contrary to popular belief, Ardat-Yakshi are neither extremely rare (around one per cent of asari dwell on the AY spectrum), nor are they all murderers. Most cultivate and discard countless exploitative or abusive relationships during their legally marginal lives. Despite rumors of Ardat-Yakshi syndicates, by nature Ardat-Yakshi are incapable of long-term cooperation.

   As a disproportionately wealthy species, asari employ their economic reach and media ownership to hide the AY pathology from the galactic community, placing most Ardat-Yakshi in monitored work programs or seclusion. Only the most aggressive cases are sentenced to sanitaria and prisons or to the execution lists of justicars.

2. #2Asariconstantselective

   Keys: asari, race, species, Asaris

   The asari were the first species to discover the Citadel. When the salarians arrived, it was the asari who proposed the establishment of the Citadel Council to maintain peace throughout the galaxy. Since then, the asari have served as the mediators and centrists of the Council.

   An all-female race, the asari reproduce through a form of parthenogenesis. Each asari can attune her nervous system to that of another individual of any gender, and of any species, to reproduce. This capability has led to unseemly and inaccurate rumors about asari promiscuity.

   Asari can live for over 1000 years, passing through three stages of life. In the Maiden stage, they wander restlessly, seeking new knowledge and experience. When the Matron stage begins, they 'meld' with interesting partners to produce their offspring. This ends when they reach the Matriarch stage, where they assume the roles of leaders and councilors.

3. #3Asari Biologyselective

   Keys: asari, biology

   Asari have a robust cellular regenerative system. While they do not heal faster than other species, asari are known to reach 1,000 years of age.

   Although asari have one gender, they are not asexual. An asari provides two copies of her own genes to her offspring. The second set is altered in a unique process called melding.

   During melding, an asari consciously attunes her nervous system to her partner's, sending and receiving electrical impulses directly through the skin. The partner can be another asari, or an alien of either gender. Effectively, the asari and her partner briefly become one unified nervous system.

   This unique means of reproduction is the reason asari are talented biotics. Their evolved ability to consciously control nerve impulses is very similar to biotic training. Asari believe that their offspring acquire the best qualities of the "father" from the melded genes, but evidence is anecdotal.

   Asari pass through three climacteric life stages, marked by biochemical and physiological changes. The Maiden stage begins at birth and is marked by the drive to explore and experience. Most young asari are curious and restless.

   The Matron stage of life begins around the age of 350, though it can be triggered earlier if the individual melds frequently. This period is marked by a desire to settle in one area and raise children.

   The Matriarch stage begins around 700, or earlier if the individual melds rarely. Matriarchs become active in their community as sages and councilors, dispensing wisdom from centuries of experience.

   While each stage of life is marked by strong biological tendencies, individuals do make unexpected life choices. For example, there are Maidens who stay close to home rather than explore, Matrons who would rather work than build a family, and Matriarchs who have no interest in community affairs.

4. #4Asari Cultureselective

   Keys: asari, Culture

   Because of their long lifespan, asari tend to have a "long view" not common in other races. When they encounter a new species or situation, the asari are more comfortable with an extended period of passive observation and study than immediate action. They are unfazed that some of their investments or decisions may not pay off for decades or centuries. Matriarchs can seem to make incomprehensible decisions, but their insight is evident when their carefully-laid plans come to fruition. In interstellar relations, this long view manifests in an unspoken policy of centrism. The asari instinctively seek to maintain stable balances of economic, political, and military power.

   Traditionally, asari spread their influence through cultural domination and intellectual superiority. They invite new species of advanced development to join the galactic community, knowing that their ideals and beliefs will inevitably influence the existing culture.

5. #5Asari Governmentselective

   Keys: asari, government

   The asari came late to the concept of world government. For centuries, their homeworld of Thessia was dotted with loose confederacies of great republican cities. The closest Earthly equivalent would be the ancient Mediterranean city-states. Since the asari culture values consensus and accommodation, there was little impetus to form larger principalities. Rather than hoard resources, the asari bartered freely. Rather than attack one another over differing philosophies, they sought to understand one another.

   Only in the information age did the city-states grow close. Communication over internet evolved into an "electronic democracy". Asari have no politicians or elections, but a free-wheeling, all-inclusive legislature that citizens can participate in at will. Policy debates take place at all hours of the day, in official chat rooms and forums moderated by specially-programmed virtual intelligences. All aspects of policy are opened to plebiscite at any time. In any given debate, the asari tend to lend the most credence to the opinions of any Matriarchs present, nearly always deferring to the experience of these millennia-old "wise women".

   Achieving consensus through public debate may take too long in a crisis. In cases where prompt, decisive action is required, the asari defer to the wisdom of local Matriarchs.

6. #6Justicarsselective

   Keys: asari, justicars

   Justicars are an asari class of virtually untouchable, extra-judicial executioners operating almost exclusively within asari territory. In the last decade alone, Justicars have smashed dozens of criminal rings inside asari territory, operated by asari and non-asari alike. Their methods range from subtle where possible, to brutal where necessary.

   Trained for extreme strength, biotic capacity, resourcefulness, asceticism, and ruthlessness, the fanatical justicars are romanticized and feared throughout asari society.

   Although justicars generally work alone, their effectiveness arises from the huge body of knowledge they can access. Any asari who enters the ranks of justicars has already spent centuries in a combination of criminal investigation, military intelligence, and combat experience; the collective body of justicar knowledge exceeds even that of the Spectres.

7. #7Asari Militaryselective

   Keys: asari, military

   The asari military resembles a collection of tribal warrior bands with no national structure. Each community organizes its own unit as the locals see fit and elect a leader to command them. Units from populous cities are large and well-equipped, while those from farm villages may be only a few women with small arms. There is no uniform; everyone wears what they like. The asari military is not an irregular militia, however; those who serve are full-time professionals.

   The average asari huntress is in the maiden stage of her life and has devoted 20–30 years to studying the martial arts. Asari choose to be warriors at a young age, and their education from that point is dedicated to sharpening the mind and body for that sole purpose. When they retire, they possess an alarming proficiency for killing.

   Huntresses fight individually or in pairs, depending on the tactics preferred in their town. One-on-one, a huntress is practically unbeatable, possessing profound tactical insight, a hunter's eye, and a dancer's grace and alacrity. Biotics are common enough that some capability is a requirement to be trained as a huntress; lack of biotic talent excludes a young asari from military service.

   While fluid and mobile, asari can't stand up in a firestorm the way a krogan, turian, or human could. Since their units are small and typically lack heavy armor and support weapons, they are almost incapable of fighting a conventional war, particularly one of a defensive nature. So asari units typically undertake special operations missions. Like an army of ninja, they are adept at ambush, infiltration, and assassination, demoralizing and defeating their enemies through intense, focused guerilla strikes.

   As a popular turian saying puts it, "The asari are the finest warriors in the galaxy. Fortunately, there are not many of them."

8. #8Asari Religionselective

   Keys: asari, religion

   The pantheistic mainstream asari religion is siari, which translates roughly as "All is one." The faithful agree on certain core truths: the universe is a consciousness, every life within it is an aspect of the greater whole, and death is a merging of one's spiritual energy back into the greater universal consciousness. Siarists don't specifically believe in reincarnation; they believe that spiritual energy returned to the universal consciousness upon death will eventually be used to fill new mortal vessels.

   Siari became popular after the asari left their homeworld and discovered their ability to "meld" with nearly any form of life. This ability is seen as proof that all life is fundamentally similar. Siari priestesses see their role as promoting unity between the disparate shards of the universe's awareness.

   Before the rise of siari pantheism, asari religions were as diverse as their political opinions. The strongest survivor of those days is the monotheistic religion worshiping the goddess Athame. Like the asari, the goddess cycles through the triple aspects of maiden, matron, and matriarch.

9. #9Batariansconstantselective

   Keys: batarian, batarians, race, species

   In the early 2160s, the Alliance began aggressive colonization of worlds in the Skyllian Verge, much to the dismay of the batarians who had been developing the region for several decades. In 2171, the batarians petitioned the Council to declare the Verge a "zone of batarian interest". The Council refused, however, declaring unsettled worlds in the region open to human colonization.

   In protest, the batarians closed their Citadel embassy and severed official diplomatic relations with the Council, effectively becoming a rogue state. They instigated a proxy war in the Verge by funneling money and weapons to criminal organizations, urging them to strike at human colonies.

   Hostilities peaked with the Skyllian Blitz of 2176, an attack on the human capital of Elysium by batarian-funded pirates and slavers. In 2178, the Alliance retaliated with a crushing assault on the moon of Torfan, long used as a staging base by batarian-backed criminals. In the aftermath, the batarians retreated into their own systems, and are now rarely seen in Citadel space.

10. #10Cerberus/Atlasselective

    Keys: human, cerberus, atlas

    With the Atlas, Cerberus's research arm has combined the deadly armor and firepower of a YMIR mech with the tactical superiority of a trained human pilot. An element zero core allows the Atlas to be air-dropped onto a battlefield with minimal impact damage. Its thick armor includes a robust transparent canopy made from a polycrystalline composite proprietary to Cerberus. Alliance engineers hypothesize that the material is some kind of synthetic sapphire composed with interlayers to resist cracking and thermal damage.

    Although the Atlas is somewhat unwieldy in the field, its antipersonnel machine guns and ability to shrug off damage from anything short of a heavy weapon makes it a fearsome opponent. Heavy loss of life is to be expected in any unprepared encounter with this unit.

11. #11Cerberus/Centurionselective

    Keys: human, cerberus, centurion

    Centurions are Cerberus's front-line tacticians. They are meant to enact the Illusive Man's strategic goals, although it is clear that they have leeway to adapt as an encounter develops.

    The only useful intelligence that the Alliance has gathered on centurions relates to their armament. Each centurion carries an M-96 Mattock heavy rifle modified to launch smoke grenades, leaving enemies vulnerable to crossfire.

12. #12Cerberusselective

    Keys: human, cerberus

    Immediately following the First Contact War, an anonymous extranet manifesto warned that an alien attempt at human genocide was inevitable. The manifesto called for an army -- a Cerberus to guard against invasion through the Charon relay.

    Derided as "survivalist rhetoric written by an illusive man," the manifesto and its anonymous author soon fell off the media radar. But in 2165, terrorists stole antimatter from the SSV Geneva; the sole figure arrested named his sponsor "Cerberus." Throughout the 2160s and 2170s, alleged Cerberus agents assassinated politicians, sabotaged starships bearing eezo, and conducted nightmarish experiments on aliens and humans. Denounced as human-supremacist, Cerberus calls itself human-survivalist.

    Counterterror experts speculate Cerberus may have changed leadership with its recent shift to stockpiling ships, agents, and weapons. Whether "he," "she," or "they," the Illusive Man hides his finances behind shell companies. Few doubt he will kill anyone attempting to expose him.

13. #13Cerberus/Engineerselective

    Keys: human, cerberus, engineer

    Cerberus combat engineers are specialized support units that assist primary forces while staying out of the line of fire. They wear lighter armor than the typical Cerberus combatant, using a modified mesh that allows greater mobility. Under cover and out of sight, engineers focus on setting up and maintaining turrets as well as repairing mechanical units or armored allies. When confronted, they return fire only for as long as it takes them to find cover again and let front-line combat personnel take over.

    Although engineers are not particularly dangerous on their own, the Alliance specifically warns troops to remain alert for turrets, which can mow down an entire squad while the engineer escapes.

14. #14Cerberus/Guardianselective

    Keys: human, cerberus, guardian

    Guardians, the Cerberus equivalent of human tanks, are slow-moving soldiers who carry enormous polycrystalline-composite shields. The weight of the shield requires an armored suit equipped with hydraulic assists and a dedicated power supply. Combining this exceptional protection with a suite of enviro-mapping systems, guardians focus on flanking opponents to flush them from cover.

    A Guardian's slow but relentless approach is intended to demoralize enemies as well as draw their fire, but rip away their shield, and guardians become little more than cannon fodder.

15. #15Cerberus/Nemesisselective

    Keys: human, cerberus, nemesis

    The nemesis is a Cerberus sniper specialist. Customized implants allow the nemesis to withstand the crippling kickback of the M-98 Widow antimateriel [sic] rifle, turning a redoubtable opponent into a force capable of inflicting instant death. A suite of high-tech scanning equipment makes the sniper adept at maintaining cover, meaning a nemesis is usually spotted only after opening fire--assuming the target survives the first round.

    Because of self-destruct mechanisms that activate upon the sniper's death, the Alliance has never retrieved an example of nemesis augmentation technology. This fact, combined with Cerberus forces' penchant for suicide when faced with capture, has made scientific study of their implants impossible.

16. #16Cerberus/Phantomselective

    Keys: human, cerberus, phantom

    Phantoms are agile Cerberus agents with a wide array of offensive and defensive capabilities, including particular specialization in evasive maneuvers and firing from cover. Although intelligence on their implants still evades the Alliance, phantoms are known to be able to create a personal barrier for greater protection.

    Monomolecular blades and biotic shielding allow phantoms to engage in close-quarters combat, and phantoms can briefly cloak in order to recover from injuries. Because of this ability, the Alliance recommends personal confirmation of a phantom's death.

17. #17The Illusive Manselective

    Keys: human, cerberus, illusive man

    The reclusive tycoon calling himself the Illusive Man is a human nationalist focused on advancing human interests, whatever the cost to non-humans. The Citadel Council regards him as a fanatic posing a serious threat to galactic security.

    A mysterious maverick to say the least, the Illusive Man heads the Cerberus network. Dubbed "the illusive empire" by investigators, Cerberus is an allegedly untraceable syndicate of private intelligence agencies, biotics laboratories, engineering and scientific research teams, and lucrative front companies.

    Branded a terrorist and seditionist organization by authorities, Cerberus is the only human power base other than the Terra Firma Party strong enough to embarrass -- if not threaten -- the Council and its human representatives.

18. #18Cerberus/Trooperselective

    Keys: human, cerberus, trooper

    Assault troopers are the backbone of Cerberus forces. Those candidates who make it through the grueling basic training are submitted to an intensive psychological program that renders them fearless, disciplined, and unrelenting. Outfitted with custom-designed armor and rifles, these soldiers function with determined precision and practiced teamwork.

    The first to rush into a fight, assault troopers often work in tandem with more powerful units. They make strategic use of this scenario, keeping their opponents occupied until it is too late to react to the combined Cerberus force bearing down on them.

19. #19Battle of the Citadelselective

    Keys: citadel

    In 2183, a rogue Spectre named Saren Arterius attacked the Citadel through a functioning mass relay hidden inside a statue in the Presidium. Saren brought a combined force of krogan and geth infantry from Ilos, timing the attack so that he would be at the Citadel's controls when the geth fleet and his flagship, Sovereign, arrived. In the battle that followed, the Destiny Ascension dreadnought evacuated the Citadel Council, but ordered the wards' arms closed, sealing them and the geth inside an impregnable shell, cutting off any reinforcements or escape. This combative tactic would have wholly destroyed the Council fleet were it not for the actions of Commander Shepard, who had followed Saren through the relay from Ilos.

    Led by Shepard's ship Normandy, the Systems Alliance's Fifth Fleet assembled under the command of Admiral Hackett and waited just outside the Citadel's closed arms. Meanwhile, Shepard fought Saren's forces inside the Citadel and eventually forced the ward arms open again. The Normandy defended the Destiny Ascension as it fled, saving the lives of the Citadel Council. Taking its cue from the Normandy, the Fifth Fleet supported the withdrawal, and took heavy losses from Sovereign's advanced firepower. At about the same time Shepard killed Saren, Sovereign's once-impervious kinetic barrier overloaded and the Fifth Fleet focused its military might to shatter the flagship. The geth fleet was soon decimated without its leader.

    In gratitude for the many human lives sacrificed to save it, the Council made the unprecedented move of offering humans the chance to become a Council race. Ambassador Donnel Udina and Captain David Anderson accepted this honor on behalf of their species.

20. #20Citadelconstantselective

    Keys: citadel, galactic community

    The Citadel is an ancient deep-space station, presumably constructed by the Protheans. Since the Prothean extinction, numerous species have come to call the Citadel home. It serves as the political, cultural, and financial capital of the galactic community. To represent their interests, most species maintain embassies on the Presidium, the Citadel's inner ring.

    The Citadel Tower, in the center of the Presidium, holds the Citadel Council chambers. Council affairs often have far-reaching effects on the rest of the galactic community. Five arms, known as the wards, extend from the Presidium. Their inner surfaces have been built into cities, populated by millions of inhabitants from across the galaxy.

    The Citadel is virtually indestructible. If attacked, the station can close its arms to form a solid, impregnable shell. For as long as the station has existed, an enigmatic race called the keepers has maintained it.

21. #21Citadel Conventionsselective

    Keys: citadel, conventions

    These diplomatic talks occurred in the wake of the Krogan Rebellions, as a response to the destruction of the conflict and an attempt to distance the Council from the brutal krogan warfare.

    The Conventions regulate the use of Weapons of Mass Destruction. A WMD causes environmental alteration to a world. A bomb that produces a large crater is not considered a WMD; a bomb that causes a 'nuclear winter' is.

    Use of WMD is forbidden on 'garden' worlds like Earth, with ecospheres that can readily support a population. If a habitable world is destroyed, it will not be replaced for millions of years. The Conventions do not forbid the use of WMD on hostile worlds or in sealed space-station environments. Many militaries continue to develop and maintain stockpiles.

    The Conventions graded Weapons of Mass Destruction into tiers of concern; Tier I is the greatest threat to galactic peace.

    TIER I: Large kinetic impactors, such as asteroid drops or de-orbiting space stations. Effectively free and available in any system (in the form of debris left over from planetary accretion), kinetic impactors are the weapon of choice for terrorists and 'third galaxy' nations.

    TIER II: Uncontrolled self-replicating weapons, such as nanotechnology, viral or bacteriological organisms, 'Von Neumann devices', and destructive computer viruses. These weapons can lie dormant for millennia, waiting for a careless visitor to carry them on to another world.

    TIER III: Large energy-burst weapons, such as nuclear or antimatter warheads.

    TIER IV: Alien species deliberately introduced to crowd out native forms necessary for the health of an ecosystem. Ecological tampering can take years to bear fruit, making it difficult to prove.

22. #22Citadel Councilselective

    Keys: citadel, council

    The Council is an executive committee composed of representatives from the Asari Republics, the Turian Hierarchy, and the Salarian Union. Though they have no official power over the independent governments of other species, the Council's decisions carry great weight throughout the galaxy. No single Council race is strong enough to defy the other two, and all have a vested interest in compromise and cooperation.

    Each of the Council species has general characteristics associated with the various aspects of governing the galaxy. The asari are typically seen as diplomats and mediators. The salarians gather intelligence and information. The turians provide the bulk of the military and peacekeeping forces.

    Any species granted an embassy on the Citadel is considered an associate member, bound by the accords of the Citadel Conventions. Associate members may bring issues to the attention of the Council, though they have no input on the decision. The human Systems Alliance became an associate member of the Citadel in 2165.

23. #23Citadel Security Servicesselective

    Keys: citadel, security, c-sec

    C-Sec has six divisions:

    ENFORCEMENT — Uniformed officers who patrol the Citadel and respond to emergencies.

    INVESTIGATION — Detectives who puzzle out the truth behind crimes and bring perpetrators to justice.

    CUSTOMS — Screens the thousands of passengers and cargo containers that pass through the Citadel's ports every day.

    NETWORK — Deals with "cybercrimes" like identity and copyright theft, hacking and viral attacks, and illegal artificial intelligence.

    SPECIAL RESPONSE — Deals with hostage situations, bombs, and heavily armed criminals. In the unlikely event that attackers board the Citadel, they are also the front line of defense, armed with military grade equipment.

    PATROL — Naval arm, with ships stationed throughout the Citadel cluster. Unlike the other divisions, they are rarely seen at the Citadel, nor do they stay in one place long.

    Joining C-Sec is prestigious; applications must be sponsored by a Citadel Councilor or the ambassador of an associate Council race. Generally, applicants have many years of distinguished service in the military or police forces of their nation, but an inexperienced applicant with demonstrable talent will be fairly considered.

    C-Sec and the Spectres are often at odds. Many C-Sec members, notably current Executor Venari Pallin, believe that allowing Spectres to be 'above the law' is a dangerous practice; the actions of Saren Arterius lend credence to this position. The Spectres, in turn, are aggravated when C-Sec's dedication to procedure and due process hampers their investigations.

24. #24Citadel Spaceselective

    Keys: citadel, citadel space

    Citadel Space is an unofficial term referring to any region of space controlled by a species that acknowledges the authority of the Citadel Council. At first glance, it appears this territory encompasses most of the galaxy. In reality, however, less than 1% of the stars have been explored.

    Even mass-effect-FTL drive is slow relative to the volume of the galaxy. Empty space and systems without suitable drive discharge sites are barriers to exploration. Only the mass relays allow ships to jump hundreds of light-years in an instant, the key to expanding across an otherwise impassable galaxy.

    Whenever a new relay is activated, the destination system is rapidly developed. From that hub, FTL drive is used to expand to nearby star clusters. The result is a number of densely-developed clusters thinly spread across the vast expanse of space, connected by the mass relay network.

25. #25Eldfell-Ashland Energyselective

    Keys: energy, eldfell-ashland

    In 2137, the Ashland Energy Corporation successfully extracted helium-3 from Saturn's atmosphere, beginning a new era of fusion research. On the wave of this success, they merged with Eldfell Construction to vertically integrate the two companies' strengths. Ashland would recover the raw materials for energy production, and Eldfell would build power plants, refineries, and pipelines on nearby worlds to distribute Ashland's products to the consumer. Eldfell-Ashland Energy was born.

    As EAE's reach extended, they absorbed companies to create a "cradle-to-grave corporate experience" for their employees. Today, subsidiaries such as Second Star Living recruit colonists to staff EAE facilities, and the education group Excelsior provides job-related education opportunities to provide EAE stations with a qualified incoming workforce. Water, power, food, shipping--EAE provides them all. If EAE wants to put a colony on a garden world, they are able to do so and keep 90% of services performed completely in-house, creating consumers out of its own employees. Its primary revenue stream, however, continues to come from mining base elements like hydrogen, helium-3, and eezo and trading in their futures.

26. #26Foundationsselective

    Keys: citadel, foundations

    The "undersides" of the Wards between the inhabited superstructures and impenetrable outer hull are called the Foundations. These dangerous areas are filled with life support systems and power plants. Officially, only the keepers are allowed in the Foundations. In reality, the Foundations are the slums of the Citadel, home to criminals, minorities, transients, and the occasional "stateless" exiles. Some stay in the Foundations of their own will. Others end up there when the opportunities they sought in the Citadel do not come.

    The station's recycling systems are located in the Foundations. These manufacture a variety of artificial organic pastes that can be eaten for sustenance. They are free and nutritious but nearly tasteless and of unpleasant texture. Poorer Citadel residents quickly become adept at dressing up this bland fare with sauces and spices while imported foodstuffs are a popular luxury of the wealthy.

27. #27Presidium Ringselective

    Keys: citadel, presidium ring

    The Ring is an enclosed loop of park-like space serving as the connection point for the Wards. The interior walls are lined with the embassies of influential species and private residences for the galaxy's elite.

    The Presidium is full of "open-air" restaurants, bars, and luxurious meeting areas. Gravity is about 1/3 Earth-normal. A holographic "sky" is projected over the "ceiling" of the ring. Unlike the 24/7 bustle of the Wards, the Presidium maintains a 20-hour day schedule, with a six-hour "night" where lights are dimmed and the sky goes through a night cycle.

    Offices and residences are often open to the interior. It is not unusual for embassies to have no exterior wall at all. This does not cause a crime problem due to the heavy C-Sec presence and ubiquitous monitoring devices on the Presidium. Thieves are quickly identified and apprehended.

    The Ring is the location of the Citadel's spaceports. Being closer to the center of the spin, there is less motion for a ship to match, and the reduced spin gravity makes handling cargo easier. Hundreds of ships pass through the Citadel every day, and every species with an embassy is granted a private dock.

    The Tower, at the center of the Ring, holds the administration of the Citadel Council. The Tower rises over a kilometer from the ring, appearing to thrust forward parallel to the ward arms. As the Tower is at the center of the spin axis, it experiences little centrifugal force. Gravity is maintained using mass effect fields at a 90-degree angle to the Ring and Wards.

    A Consular dock can be found at the base of the Tower. While normally used for diplomatic couriers and Spectre business, the shuttles docked here can evacuate the Council government in an emergency.

28. #28Serpent Nebulaselective

    Keys: citadel, serpent nebula

    At first, the Serpent Nebula was assumed to be made of microscopic construction debris. Prevailing theory holds the Protheans used molecular nanotechnology to manufacture the incredibly durable materials used to make the Citadel. But unlike other nebulae, the Serpent does not dissipate over time. Therefore, it must be replenished constantly. The current popular theory is that the non-recyclable waste collected by the Citadel's keepers is somehow rendered down to the atomic or molecular level, and ejected into the clouds.

    The thick nebula presents a navigation hazard. Beyond the relatively clear areas around the Citadel, electrical discharges are common. These are not blocked by kinetic barriers, and can severely damage metal-framed starships. In addition, some dense knots of dust can overwhelm the repulsion of kinetic barriers on smaller ships. If such a vessel is moving fast enough at the time, the effects are similar to being hit by a sandblaster.

    Attempting to reach the Citadel through open space navigation is unadvisable; the only safe approach is through the various mass relays that orbit it.

29. #29Spectresselective

    Keys: citadel, spectres

    Spectres are agents from the Office of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance and answer only to the Citadel Council. They are elite military operatives, granted the authority to deal with threats to peace and stability in whatever way they deem necessary.

    They operate independently or in groups of two or three. Some are empathetic peacekeepers, resolving disputes through diplomacy. Others are cold-blooded assassins, ruthlessly dispatching problem individuals. All get the job done, one way or another, often operating outside the bounds of galactic law.

    The Spectres were founded after the salarians joined the Council. For many years, they operated in secrecy as back-room "problem solvers." Only after the Krogan Rebellions did their activities become publicized. Assignment of a Spectre is less contentious than a military deployment but makes it clear that the Council is concerned about a situation.

30. #30Citadel Statisticsselective

    Keys: citadel, statistics

    Although the Citadel is equipped with mass-effect-generating element-zero cores, most of the gravity on the station is generated by the centrifugal force of rotation.

    Rotation: 3.5 minutes per revolution Rotational Gravity in Wards: 1.02 Earth Rotational Gravity in Presidium: 0.3 Earth Total Length (Open): 44.7 km Diameter (Open): 12.8 km Ward Length: 43.6 km Ward Width: 330 m Presidium Ring Diameter: 7.2 km Presidium Ring Width: 553 m Exterior Armor Thickness: 13 m Population: 13.2 million (not including keepers) Gross Weight: 7.11 billion metric tons Height of the Presidium Tower: 1047 m

31. #31Treaty of Farixenselective

    Keys: citadel, treaty, treaty of farixen

    Due to the destructive potential of dreadnoughts, the Council races agreed at the Farixen Naval Conference to fix a ratio of dreadnought construction between themselves. At the top of the pyramid is the peacekeeping turian fleet. Below the turians are the other Council races, currently the asari and salarians. Council associate races are at the bottom. The human Systems Alliance is part of this last group.

    The ratio of turian to Council to associate dreadnoughts is 5:3:1. For every dreadnought humans are permitted to build, the asari have three, and the turians five.

32. #32Wardsselective

    Keys: citadel, wards

    The majority of the Citadel's population lives in the Wards, the five massive arms of the station that house the residential and commercial districts. Many galactic races have established cultural enclaves here. Population density and cost of living are extremely high, akin to Earth cities such as Hong Kong and Singapore.

    The Wards are open-topped, with skyscrapers rising from the superstructure. Towers are sealed against vacuum, as the breathable atmosphere envelope is only maintained to a height of about seven meters. The atmosphere is contained by the centrifugal force of rotation and a "membrane" of dense, colorless sulphur hexafluoride gas, held in place by carefully managed mass effect fields.

    The view from the Wards is spectacular. In the background, stars, Serpent Nebula, and the nearby blue giant called "the Widow" move across the sky as the station rotates to stabilize itself. In the foreground, the lights of buildings and vehicles on the opposing Ward arms perpetually shine. The Citadel has no real day or night. While the station keeps to standard galactic time for political functions, business rarely close, and residents acclimate to sleep and work according to personal need rather than a day-night cycle.

    Additions and modifications are constantly being constructed, though they must stay within certain specifications that will not compromise the operation of the station. Occasionally, the keepers will descend on an area of the Wards and move or change the architecture without explanation. Residents have learned to live with these inexplicable intrusions.

33. #33Collector Generalselective

    Keys: collectors, general

    Cerberus xenobiologists believed until recently that the Collectors were coordinated by a biologically active caste, similar to other insectoid alien species. New evidence suggests the Collectors have a singular commander, a so-called "Collector General" that has never been seen on the battlefield. Instead, it selects its minions as remote platforms for its consciousness in a process that has been likened to a biological hack or a cybernetic version of demonic possession.

    The Collector General can send a secure signal to any one of its minions, smoothly take control of their motor functions, and awaken their previously dormant biotic potential. In a matter of seconds, even the lowliest Collector drone can be upgraded to a battle-hardened biotic commander. If the Collector dies, the General can simply activate and control another body.

    Postmortem analysis reveals that this "command signal" relies on cybernetic implants directly installed in the Collectors' cerebellums, but how the technology functions is presently unknown. Coordinating sensory input and motor functions simultaneous with remotely amplifying biotic abilities is beyond the grasp of current human science. Why such an advanced species would be interested in humans is puzzling. More disturbing still, victims of the Collectors say the General has spoken to them and referred to itself by a human name: Harbinger.

34. #34Collectorsselective

    Keys: collectors, species, race

    Living beyond the Omega-4 mass relay in the Terminus Systems, the mysterious Collector species is glimpsed so rarely as to be taken for a myth by most in galactic society. In reality, Collectors are human-sized insectoid bipeds and can resemble massive winged beetles. They are a terrifying force in the galaxy, responsible for the murder of hundreds of thousands.

    Collectors generate permanent stasis fields around themselves, creating nightmarish red-shifted energy fields. In battle, they hold position whenever possible, relying on their aggressive biotics and nearly limitless power. Several types of bipedal Collectors have been identified, including minions, defenders, zealots, assassins, and artillery-operators.

    Acting together, Collectors have imprisoned entire cities in stasis. While no definitive forensic accounting exists to explain the fate of those imprisoned, leading speculation is that victims are harvested for scientific experimentation and neuro-biological repurposing.

35. #35Harbingerselective

    Keys: reaper, harbinger, collectors

    While monitoring outgoing transmissions sent by the mysterious leader of the Collectors to his minions on the battlefield, Cerberus intelligence experts also intercepted incoming transmissions. The signals were encrypted commands sent to the Collector General from a source outside the galaxy. This directing intelligence is likely the Reaper that refers to itself as “Harbinger.”

    This indicates that the Collector General, previously thought of as a puppeteer-like figure, was essentially a mere conduit through which Harbinger mobilized the Collectors’ mission to protect and nurture an embryonic Reaper by providing it a steady supply of humans. In this way, the Collectors allowed the proto-Reaper to incorporate the human genome into its own construction, though why a Reaper would want such a thing is still unclear.

36. #36Oculiselective

    Keys: collectors, oculi, oculus

    An oculus is a mechanical servitor of the Collectors, apparently built with a single purpose -- to find and eliminate threats. Its outer structure has three apertures that house long-range detection equipment similar to those found on deep-space probes, used to find and track targets from near-stellar distances. Contragrav mass effect fields allow an oculus to move easily through space or atmosphere in pursuit of its prey, and a large central lens serves as the emission center for its weapons platform. All four of its lenses have a titanium iris covering that prevents the detector's optics from scratching due to interstellar dust or atmospheric residue.

    Upon its destruction, more of the oculus' features become apparent. Its interior houses fibers of near-inorganic nerves, indicating that a Collector drone has been stripped down to its central nervous system, reinforced with interfacial gel that can withstand hard vacuum, and repurposed to pilot the oculus for the rest of its existence.

    The central weapon is a strange one, operating on alien principles. It appears to use mass effect fields and directed energy to attack the strong nuclear force that holds its targets' atoms together, producing heat and light in an air atmosphere and causing irradiating gamma particles to burst from any heavy metals targeted by the beam. Such a weapon could easily cut through shields, and leave its target dying with just a glancing hit.

37. #37Drell Biologyselective

    Keys: drell, biology

    Drell are omnivorous reptile-like humanoids with an average life span of 85 galactic standard years. They give live birth to their young, who are capable of eating solid food from the moment they are born. Drell appearance is very similar to asari and humans, but their muscle tissue is slightly denser than that of humans, giving them a wiry strength. Many of their more reptilian features are concealed, like a three-chambered heart with a muscular ridge that is capable of shunting oxygenated or deoxygenated blood as needed.

    One unique characteristic, however, is the hyoid bone in their throats, which allows them to inflate their throats and produce vocal sounds outside of the human range. Would-be assassins have noted that these two features make drell extremely hard to strangle or suffocate.

    Because the drell ancestors emerged from arid, rocky deserts, the humid, ocean-covered hanar homeworld of Kahje proved tolerable only when the drell stayed inside a climate-controlled dome city. Due to this huge disparity in the two species' homeworld environments, the leading cause of death among drells on Kahje is a bacterial lung disease called Kepral's Syndrome.

    Within a generation of the drell's arrival on the planet, the disease had become resistant to hanar antibiotics and other advanced treatments. Once an infection settles in, death is slow but imminent. Transplants may buy time, but as the infection spreads to other major organs there comes a point of diminishing returns and eventual system failure.

38. #38Drell Cultureselective

    Keys: drell, culture

    Eight centuries ago, the already-arid drell homeworld, Rakhana, began its swift descent into lifelessness due to disastrous industrial expansion. Because their population was bursting at 11 billion and they did not possess interstellar flight capacity, the drell would have been doomed without the intervention of the hanar.

    Following first contact, the hanar spent ten years transporting 375,000 willing drell to their own homeworld, Kahje. The remaining billions perished in the dying world, warring against each other for diminishing sources of water and food. Today, only a few thousand survive on Rakhana in clusters never exceeding a few hundred. Now a cemetery world, Rakhana’s population can double during pilgrimage season.

    Drell have been part of the galactic community for almost two centuries. Most reside on Kahje, content to coexist with the hanar. Those who leave Kahje tend to be adventurers. Gifted by the hanar with acute perception of interspecies body language, solitary drell travelers often seek out new species elsewhere, adopting that species’ culture and rarely returning to Kahje. Such drell number in the thousands and are scattered across the galaxy, tending towards quiet integrated lives.

    On Kahje, the hanar afforded the drell every opportunity to thrive. While outsiders and even some hanar regard the drell as junior partners, if not actual servants, drell have integrated themselves into every level of hanar society as respected productive citizens.

39. #39Drellselective

    Keys: drell, drells, species, race

    Two centuries ago, the hanar helped 375,000 members of the drell race migrate to the hanar homeworld, Kahje, to escape the environmental extermination that had claimed the remaining 11 billion drell.

    Nearly all drell demonstrate tremendous loyalty to their famously reclusive saviors. The intimacy of their relationship, expressed in a formal sociopolitical alliance called the Compact, also results in extremely close personal relations in which some drell actually learn hanar Soul names. While most drell reside on Kahje, some assist hanar off-world as envoys, researchers, co-investors, wayfarers, assassins or otherwise, eager to help their saviors. For a century, galactic wisdom has held that behind any high-ranking hanar hides a resourceful and fanatically devoted drell.

    The omnivorous, reptilian drell possess an average life span of 85 galactic standard years. Having evolved on an arid planet, drell face serious illness on the hanar homeworld, especially Kepral's Syndrome, a fatal bacterial lung disease.

40. #40Elcorselective

    Keys: elcor, elcors, species, race

    The elcor are a Citadel species native to the high-gravity world Dekuuna. They are massive creatures, standing on four muscular legs for increased stability. Elcor move slowly, an evolved response to an environment where a fall can be lethal. This has colored their psychology, making them deliberate and conservative.

    Elcor speech is ponderous and monotone. Among themselves, scent, slight movements, and subvocalized infrasound convey shades of meaning that make a human smile seem as subtle as a fireworks display. Since their subtlety can lead to misunderstandings with other species, the elcor often go out of their way to clarify when they are being sarcastic, amused, or angry.

    Dekuuna's high gravity impedes mountain formation. Most of the world consists of flat, open plains which prehistoric elcor wandered across in small family bands. Modern elcor still prefer open sky, and become restless and uncomfortable on long starship journeys.

41. #41Husksselective

    Keys: geth, reapers, husks

    After the geth secure a location, they round up and impale dead and living bodies on mechanical spikes. The spikes rapidly transform these victims into withered husks, extracting water and trace minerals and replacing them with cybernetics.

    The cybernetics re-animate the lifeless flesh and tissue, transforming the bodies into mindless killing machines. Some Alliance soldiers refer to the husk-generating spikes as Dragon's Teeth, a reference to the mythological berserkers who sprang up from the earth wherever the teeth of the dragon Ares were planted.

    Dragon's Teeth and husks bear little resemblance to other pieces of geth technology. No one is sure why a synthetic race would bother to drain the miniscule amount of recoverable resources from organic corpses, though the value of reusing them as shock troops is obvious.

42. #42Rachniselective

    Keys: rachni, rachni wars, species

    Though now extinct, the rachni once threatened every species in Citadel space. Over 2000 years ago, explorers foolishly opened a mass relay to a previously-unknown system and encountered something never seen before or since: a species of spacefaring insects guided by a hive-mind intelligence.

    Unfortunately, the rachni were not peaceful, and the galaxy was plunged into a series of conflicts known as the Rachni Wars. Attempts to negotiate were futile, as it was impossible to make contact with the hive queens that guided the race from beneath the surface of their toxic homeworld.

    The emergence of the krogan ended the Rachni Wars. Bred to survive the harshest environments, the krogan were able to strike at the queens in their lairs and reclaim conquered Council worlds. But when krogan fleets pressed them back to their homeworld, the rachni refused to surrender, and the krogan eradicated them from the galaxy.

43. #43Scionsselective

    Keys: geth, reapers, husks, scions

    Though the exact fate of species captured by the Collectors is unclear, the humanoid appearance of the scions gives ghastly clues. The scion's frame and skull are similar to those of a human or asari, but the bone structure is overlaid with a metallic resin. Posthumous examination of their bodies reveals a skin tone resembling that of Reaper husks, but their transformation process seems more extensive. Like husks, they are cybernetically modified on a nano-scale so they can operate even in hard vacuum. Hoses rather than veins and muscle tissue join major portions of the body together. One arm is replaced with a construct that fits a large rifle, turning the creature into a humanoid weapons platform, and a fleshy sack is supported by the creature's back and head.

    These sacks contain brain matter and spinal tissue, too much to have come from just one victim. This indicates scions are an amalgam of several individuals, with one primary victim providing the frame and several "secondaries" providing the flesh for a decentralized semi-mechanical nervous system. This decentralization makes them highly resistant to gunshot wounds; even a headshot is not a certain kill.

    The scions' weapons, however, indicate that scions retain some living tissue, or at least sustain some of the same electrochemical reactions as those of a human biotic. The weapon creates a powerful warp effect, which is consistent with the eezo nodules visible in the scion's expansive nervous system. Given the rarity of human biotics, it seems likely that these dust-form eezo nodules are deposited during their transformation, rather than requiring a biotic victim in the first place.

44. #44Thresher Mawsselective

    Keys: thresher maws, species

    Thresher maws are subterranean carnivores that spend their entire lives eating or searching for something to eat. Threshers reproduce via spores that lie dormant for millennia, yet are robust enough to survive prolonged periods in deep space and atmospheric re-entry. As a result, thresher spores appear on many worlds, spread by previous generations of space travelers.

    The body of a thresher never entirely leaves the ground; only the head and tentacles erupt from the earth to attack. In addition to physical attacks, threshers have the ability to project toxic chemicals and emit bursts of infrasound as a shockwave weapon.

    The Alliance first encountered threshers on the colony Akuze in 2177. After contact was lost with the pioneer team, marine units were deployed to investigate. The shore parties were set upon by hungry threshers, and nearly the entire assault force was killed. Alliance forces recommend engaging threshers with vehicle-mounted heavy weapons.

45. #45Varrenselective

    Keys: varren, species

    Varren are omnivores with a preference for living prey. Originally native to the krogan homeworld of Tuchanka, they are, like most life from Tuchanka, savage, clannish, and consummate survivors. They are pack hunters when vulnerable prey is readily available and become scavengers when outnumbered or outclassed.

    Their supreme adaptability, vicious demeanor, and rapid breeding cycle have made them ubiquitous and dangerous pests on many worlds. Virtually everywhere the krogan have been, varren infestations have followed, wreaking havoc with the native ecology.

    The krogan have had a love-hate relationship with varren for millennia, alternately fighting them for territory and embracing them as treasured companions. To this day, krogan raise them as beasts of war. A common subgenus of varren has metallic silver scales, leading to the rather unusual nickname "fishdogs."

46. #46Yahgselective

    Keys: yahg, species, race

    The yahg are a race of massive apex predators from the world of Parnack whose rise to sentience in no way blunted their violent nature. A group of yahg is unable to cooperate until a single leader has been determined through either social maneuvering or brute force, but no grudges are held once a yahg establishes dominance. Former rivals serve their new superior's purpose with unflinching loyalty and relentless determination, a legacy of their origin as a pack species.

    Their eight eyes are another sign of their hunter ancestry -- all four pairs are geared toward tracking down and predicting the movements of prey. Sophisticated and keenly developed sensitivity to movement and light have made yahgs masters at reading body language, regardless of species. Much to their short-lived chagrin, the Council's first contact teams discovered it was nearly impossible to lie to the yahg.

    The yahg had technology equivalent to 20th century Earth standards when they were discovered by the Council in 2125. The Council's ambassadors approached the yahg as friends and allies instead of subordinates, a baffling sign of contempt from newcomers on Parnack. The yahg attacked when it became apparent that the alien diplomats stubbornly considered themselves sovereign people instead of new underlings. Parnack remains off-limits by order of the Council, which fears that the yahg's size, aggression, and obsession with control make them poorly suited for integration into the galactic community.

47. #47Armaturesselective

    Keys: geth, armatures

    Armatures are quadruped all-terrain heavy weapons platforms, akin to the armored fighting vehicles of other races. Geth being synthetic intelligences, armatures are not crewed vehicles, but intelligent entities, capable of independent decision-making and learning.

    Armatures are equipped with heavy kinetic barriers. Their main cannon, mounted on the articulated "head" turret, appears to be a highly efficient conventional mass accelerator. It is capable of firing in anti-personnel and anti-tank modes. Some armatures carry drones into battle, presumably for reconnaissance purposes. Others host a swarm of insect-sized repair microbots.

48. #48Geth Cultureselective

    Keys: geth, culture

    The most remarkable aspect of geth culture is that it may not exist at all. Geth are a network intelligence; a single entity in myriad bodies. They share data with one another, whether discrete facts or "memories": audiovisual recordings of experiences and logs of thought-processes. Any event experienced by one geth is uploaded to the group mind, so that all geth, everywhere, "remember" such an event as if they'd experienced it themselves.

    No one knows whether geth develop personalities as organic-created AIs do. If an organic-designed AI is transferred into another quantum bluebox, its personality is reset. Most geth programs transfer from one hardware platform to another constantly; if a geth needs to travel to another star, it downloads into a starship body. If it needs to replace a piece of malfunctioning hardware, it downloads into a small body with hands. If geth are reset at transfer, it would make development of individual personalities unlikely.

    Records of the quarian war suggest the geth have no concept of self-preservation. They do not flinch from gunfire, and do not hesitate to sacrifice themselves if it allows their fellows an advantage. Thousands of mobile platforms were expended assaulting quarian positions, but file-sharing between platforms ensured their memories and experience would not be lost. Geth are therefore immortal; if their hardware is destroyed, archival copies of their programs and databases can be downloaded into a new body.

    With the gap in contact between the quarian war and the arrival of Sovereign, the only proven fact about the geth is that they were isolationists for centuries. They never ventured outside the Perseus Veil, but no organic ship that entered their territory ever returned.

49. #49Gethconstantselective

    Keys: geth, race, machine, robots

    The geth are a humanoid race of networked A.I.s. They were created by the quarians 300 years ago as tools of labor and war. When the geth showed signs of self-evolution, the quarians attempted to exterminate them. The geth won the resulting war. This example has led to legal, systematic repression of artificial intelligences in galactic society.

    The geth possess a unique distributed intelligence. An individual has rudimentary animal instincts, but as their numbers and proximity increase, the apparent intelligence of each individual improves. In groups, they can reason, analyze situations, and use tactics as well as any organic race.

    Geth space is located at the trailing end of the Perseus Arm, beyond the lawless Terminus Systems. The Perseus Veil, an obscuring "dark nebula" of opaque gas and dust, lies between their space and the Terminus Systems.

50. #50Hereticsselective

    Keys: geth, heretics

    Conversations with the geth programs dubbed "Legion" have brought to light a profound schism in geth society. When Saren Arterius approached the geth in the dreadnought Sovereign, some of them chose to follow him; most did not. Saren's followers were allowed to leave geth society, but were dubbed "heretics" by those that remained.

    This revelation implies several things. First, the majority of geth chose not to attack organic society. Second, the geth forces the Council and Alliance fleets have battled the last two years represent only a small portion of their actual military and economic power, perhaps as little as five percent of mainstream geth society. Third, this schism suggests that individual geth possess more free will and perhaps even personality than previously suspected. Without such individuality, no geth could have deviated from the group decision to join or reject Saren's mission. There could not have been a division.

    Finally, there is the matter of Legion's word choice. The geth used the English word "heretics" to describe Saren's followers. Of the many words Legion could have chosen (nonconformists, dissenters, rebels, etc.), only the word "heretic" suggests a broadly accepted geth philosophy or religion, and that the actions of Saren's allies violated the orthodoxy.

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