“So far we’ve found one species we’re at war with, one that was technologically inferior and one that’s so alien we still haven’t made any meaningful contact.”
– Erin Malan
Sentient
Human
The Separatists
The Separatists broke away from the Dominion in the early years of Overlord Christos’ reign. In the intervening years they have advanced and multiplied but are nowhere near as big as the Dominion. The Separatists have colonised a small cluster of worlds at the ‘top’ of Octant 3. Their society as a whole is maintained at about Tech Level 7. Their society is a representative democracy. They are a bit of a taboo topic in the Dominion. It isn’t clear why the Dominion hasn’t forcefully reintegrated them.
The Heydrich
Rarely encountered humans. Not much is known about them as they appear to actively avoid contact with the Dominion. Some theorise they are simply pirates. Most contact seems to be in Octant 5.
Alien
The Felline
The Felline are cat-monkey-like people that had reached TL 5 (ie the Steam-age) at first contact. Somewhat assimilated into the Dominion. Generally treated with respect and equality on their own world but often poorly outside it. Their Enclave home world is at the far edge of Octant 1.
The Felline originated in the rainforest/jungles of their own world, but have extensively colonised the largest continent. Due to the race’s instinctive fear of water, it is only since contact with the Dominion that they have begun to put settlements on the other continents.
Felline are obligate carnivores that require certain nutrients in their diet. On their home world they obtain these naturally from local foods, but off world they must take supplements or they sicken after a month or so.
Since integration into the Dominion all Felline are taught to read and speak some of the Dominion language.
The Naki
Reptilian people with whom the Dominion is openly at war. They have laid claim to a number of worlds in Octants 1 and 2.
The Yarg
The Yarg are ammonia-based life forms with whom the Dominion has an uneasy truce – perhaps not formal – and frequent border skirmishes. They are mostly encountered at the borders of Octants 3 and 7.
Non-Sentient
Native to Arachnea
Spidons
Spidon is a generic name for a number of related species of creatures. They vary in size from golf ball to furniture pouffe and in temperament from docile to dangerous. They’re animals, not sentient, intelligence seems to vary between the types. There’s a breed of small ones, about tennis-ball size that are reckoned to be quite clever at solving puzzles and manipulating objects and their environment. The ones that are farmed, for their meat, milk and chitin, are usually docile and not dangerous.
In appearance, Spidons have chitinous exoskeletons. They vary in colour from black with subtle swirls of purple and green to white and grey. Some species are nocturnal and some are camouflaged to hide in snow.
Many people can’t stand Spidons – there’s something about them that triggers something deep in the human psyche that makes the skin crawl. This doesn’t apply to everyone, but is more common than not.
Native to Felline
Nggrrang
The Nggrrang is a large predator native to Felline, and the Dominion has adopted the Felline name for it (or something approximating that.) In older times, Felline hunting parties used to hunt (or occasionally be hunted by) Nggrrang, and they are rumoured to be fierce and dangerous. They hunt in family groups of two-to-five Nggrrang, the males tending to face the prey head on while the females flank and chase.
However, even by first contact the Felline had the upper hand on the Nggrrang with their superior (steam-age) technology and those near their settlements had been hunted out.
Lia saw a Nggrrang plushie that looked vaguely mouse/rat-like, but with big eyes and cute ears.
Native to Pristine
AlpCow
Large, bulky creatures covered in mostly white fur streaked with black patches and lines. AlpCows have four legs, beady black eyes and a long snout over a mouth that is open and showing a row of yellow teeth. Their limbs end in paws with long claws. They can balance on their hind legs to reach high objects or attack.
When breeding, they build nests in which to house the young cubs.
AlpCows are resilient animals and are difficult to stun effectively with electrolaser weapons.