Species of the Known Cosmos

POSTHUMAN SPECIES

The disappearance of humankind has prompted many questions from historians, theologians and philosophers over the millennia. That said, in their place now exist the beings known as “Posthumans” who have inherited the legacy of humanity. There are seven of them in all, each dwelling in a different galaxy and each with their own culture and way of life.

They are as follows:

Apex

The apex are a species of tall, statuesque and athletic women who survive on a carnivorous diet and are the most dominant posthuman species in the known space. Much like eusocial insects like bees, ants and wasps, the apex are divided into three castes which are the civic caste which serve as workers, builders, artists and scientists; the military caste which fill the role of soldiers, warriors and peacekeepers and, finally, the imperial caste who rule over the others as politicians, philosophers and clergy. Apexes reproduce through parthenogenesis, a form of self-cloning and self-impregnation, allowing them to reproduce without participation from males.

SMO or Sapient Mechanical Organism

The SMOs or sapient mechanical organisms as they are called descended from the androids created by humans an eon ago to serve and resemble them. As androids learned to serve humans in many ways from menial work, social companionship and military operations, so do the modern day SMOs who are as varied in appearance as they are in function and purpose. They are perhaps one of, if not the, most powerful and prosperous species in the known space and are a strong rival of the apex and sworn enemies of the dominant s.

Neohuman

Another species descended from and strongly resemble humans, the neohumans are beings who were created from genetic engineering and cloning. The only thing that differentiates them from their human creators is their bright skin color which ranges from bright red, verdant green, radiant yellow, deep purple to light blue. Of all the posthumans of the known space, the neohumans are the most numerous, being even more prolific than the underlings who reproduce asexually and are possessed of a telepathic hive mind which they call “The Concession”.

Mind-Wielder

The mind-wielders are a mysterious posthuman species that are gifted with a kind of telekinesis, allowing them to move objects with their minds. They are divided by multiple clans, each with the ability to manipulate a specific kind of element be it wind, fire, water, lightning or earth. They are a theocratic society with religion being a central part of their society and their religious leaders having high positions in their government.

Hemophage

Known for their animalistic nature, the hemophages are another posthuman species that contend with their fellows in the known space. They are a carnivorous species and must have diets rich in blood and have a few things in common with animals of the distant past when humans still lived on a single planet such as cats, dogs, rabbits, bears and rodents. However, while they may seem savage and ferocious to some, they are probably one of the more personable posthuman species and are a steadfast ally to the oppressed like the underlings.

Dominant 

Ruthless and often needlessly cruel, the dominants are one of the more hostile posthuman species of the known space, incorporating unsavory things like extortion, blackmail and assassination into their culture. Their most distinguishing features are their four arms ending in hands with six fingers each and their bizarre third eye that allows them to navigate in other dimensions. They are manipulative by nature and often come into conflict with other species be they posthuman or nonhuman.

Underling

Small and very agile, underlings resemble human children though all of them are male and possessed of strong but unconscious psychic power. Their most notable feature is their prehensile and cognizant tail which they also use, strangely enough, to reproduce to the point that they are the second most numerous posthuman species in the known space. Unfortunately, for more than five thousand years now, the underlings have lived as a slave race for the Apex Dominion. 

NONHUMAN SPECIES

The known space is also home to numerous species that did not at all originate from or have little to nothing to do with humans. There are too many of them to count honestly, but listed here are some of the most commonly encountered by posthumans. While difficult to understand and possessed of abilities that seem almost like magic to those who have insufficient understanding of science, these nonhuman species have existed and interacted with posthumans since the descendants of humanity first awakened.

Floroids

A race of intelligent plants, floroids are possessed of psychic abilities and communicate using chemicals they exude from their bodies. They often engage in commerce with posthumans and often procure foodstuffs and building material for them. Of the nonhuman species, floroids are the most personable and are the most sympathetic to the plight of the underlings and have long been steadfast allies of neohumans.

Fungoids

A species of sentient fungi, fungoids resemble molds or mushrooms throughout their life cycle and are also gifted with psychic abilities like telepathy, telekinesis and psychometry. Fungoids have little to no technology of their own and rely on that of others, resulting in other species referring to them as “parasites”. Of the nonhuman species, they are the most bitter, malicious and hostile with only the dominant s often siding with them in various conflicts.

Diatomoids

Diatomoids are a species of sentient diatoms that form into structures that resemble floating crystals. Strange and mysterious, communicating with them can prove very difficult even if they do in fact possess telepathy among many other psychic abilities. Diatomoids are most communicative towards mind-wielders likely because of the latter’s reverence for gems and crystals and are found more numerous in their settlements than that of any other species both posthuman and nonhuman alike.

Mechanoids

A race of mechanical life-forms, mechanoids are strangely shaped robots that explore the known space for a long-forgotten civilization. Their encounters with other species has been mixed at best, with some choosing to ally with them for their extreme utility with others disdaining them for being “only machines”. However, they have strong ties to SMOs who were some of the first to ally with them, seeing in them a kindred spirit as both are a species of what can be thought of as “living technology”.

Arthropoids

An alien race of beings that resemble arthropods such as insects, arachnids and crustaceans. Since most of them are winged and capable of flight, it is rare to find them walking on the ground and are known to populate gas planets with thick atmospheres to support their flight capabilities. They are among the most numerous of the nonhuman species and are some of the most commonly encountered and interacted with by posthuman species.

Molluscoids

An aquatic species that look somewhat like the molluscs of the now extinct Earth such as octopus, squid, snails and clams, they are a primarily mercantile species preferring to trade with others though they do admit to sometimes being violent and dangerous. Of all the intelligent species of the known space, the molluscoids stand out for being somewhat chaotic with many of their laws being more like suggestions than actual rules. They often ally themselves with the apex, often enjoying the protection and order promised by the monumental civilization of warrior-women.

Herpetoloids

Greatly resembling the reptiles and amphibians of Earth long ago, herpetoloids are known for their mysterious nature and aggressive combat strategies. They do not openly communicate with posthuman species and are often at odds with them and it is generally believed that they were enemies of humans before the conception and creation of posthumans. That said, herpetoloid spyships are often sighted near or around worlds with a hefty underling population and are rumored to assist the latter’s resistant movements.

Avioids

With their feathery wings, strong beaks and powerful talons, the avioids have a strong resemblance for the birds that once populated the human homeworld of Earth. They are a peaceful race, preferring to engage in trade and diplomacy rather than war or aggression but are known to be efficient combatants when hostilities arise. They were one of the first nonhuman species to approach posthumans when the latter first awakened alongside the floroids and have coexisted with them ever since. 

EXTRADIMENSIONAL SPECIES

While rarely encountered in known space, these strange entities from other universes sometimes intrude into our dimension either through accident, experiment or some other bizarre reason. While not openly hostile, their mere presence can be detrimental to those around them and it is thought that, due to being not native to our reality, the laws of physics themselves have a weakening effect on them. They have been known to appear in the most unexpected situations either to lend aid or destroy a given faction at any time. 

Brightlings

Brightlings, as their name suggests, are seemingly beings of pure light and are often seen assisting beleaguered forces fighting against oppressive regimes. They are believed to hail from Jump Space, one of the least known dimensions known to posthumans and are known to aid the needy and desperate and are attracted to acts of altruism and kindness. While sightings are solitary, they are thought to be beings of incredible power.

Greylings

Hailing from twilit reaches of the dimension known as Side Space, greylings are like puffs of smoke, ash or dust that occasionally resembles a humanoid figure. They are often sighted in places of mass death such as the site of a mass disaster such as a volcanic eruption, a violent thunderstorm or a meteor strike or a place where many have been massacred. Some believe them to be ghosts or souls of the departed who have yet to move on to another place.

Darklings

While it is unknown how many they are or how they even manage to enter our dimension, darklings are thought to hail from the mysterious and madness-inducing Dive Space and are well-hidden thanks to their gift of invisibility. They lurk in places where terrible things have occurred such as the site of genocide, massacres or any form of extreme cruelty and appear as spots of darkness in an otherwise bright landscape or an odd shadow with no apparent owner. They are thought to be attracted to acts of evil such as cruelty and injustice and can be summoned through sinister rituals as is sometimes practiced in dominant  society.