Species (Patreon)

The Terran Federation encountered very little alien life, and what there was of it was mostly single cell organisms, with the exceptions (such asthe plants of Garvein Prime) put under strict quarantine or even outright exterminated. Most of the 'species' or 'para-humans' as they are known as today, be they dwarves, elves or orcs, are usually offshoot of the Federation's rampant genetic engineering upon humanity, sometimes taken further my magic.

Dwarves :

Originally humans modified for permanent settlement on high gravity worlds too mineral rich to leave uncolonized, dwarves incidentally also made supreme fighter pilots. While they are renowned for their forges and metalworking, it is simply a consequence of their presence on mineral rich planets, not any form of innate ability. Dwarves are naturally more resilient than humans but less adept in low gravity environment and have the agility level of what could politely be described as 'a drunk brick'.

Elves :

Also called belters by some, a natural offshoot of humanity from permanent inhabitance in low gravity environment, genetically enhanced by the Federation to be able to survive them better with less problems and health degradation. Elves are incredibly agile, have no vertigo and an almost supernatural sense of balance. However, they are also uncomfortable, at best, in full planetary gravity and most seem to have crippling agoraphobia due to living out the majority of their lives in spaceborne habitats and ships.

Orcs :

Properly called 'Gene-Enhanced Counter-Insurgency Combatant, Mark 5', orcs are remnants of Federation commando units that were genetically enhanced to be the perfect anti-insurgency commando. With distinct green skin born out of chlorophyll allowing them to go into hybernation and synthesize some of their nutrients, they are able to survive in many environments. They also possess keen, enhanced vision, being able to see far beyond the capacity of humans, as well as a significantly enhanced enhanced metabolism and quickened reflexes. Orcs are a specie to be feared, but also one heavily limited in number, thanks to their difficulty in reproduction. They were, after all, meant to be replicated in a lab, not reproduce naturally.

Vampires :

The ultimate weapon, vampires are in truth super soldiers ('Augmented Force Recon Unit, Mark 1') created at the very tail end of the age of the Federation, through the use of the nascent nanotechnology. During the Wave some of their enhancements failed, but others didn't, at least not fully, some of the nanoswarms remaining operational thanks to their partially organic nature. Now they require constant injections of human blood to remain alive, hence their name. Closer to golems and robots than anything else, they are a mix of modified, synthetic flesh and half failed nanoswarms, mixed unpredictably with magic, a monument to the Federation's power and folly.

AIs :

Artificial intelligences once were the bedrock of the Federation's effort to modernize and root out the corruption of its military. They were not truly artifical, more of a combination of human thought patterns into an amalgam capable of surviving in a digital medium without the crippling madness that affected humans attempting the transition. Unfortunately the wave was lethal to them...but not fully. By law, their memories and personalities were stored in solid state systems, systems the Empire was able to salvage and bring back online, using magic. Nowadays AIs only have a fraction of their former capabilities, usually stuck in a single ship or golem body, but they live nonetheless, artifacts of an age long past, sometimes joined by their fairy like newer brethren, born out of pure arcane and magically harvested human minds.