Convergence Brute

The Convergence Brute is an engineered subspecies of Grey designed for heavy labor. Their genetic makeup shares considerable overlap with Cielioid Boxers, though any direct relation is, at this point, impossible to establish. Study of the Brute genome has consistently pointed to the likelihood that they originated in the Convergence. One distinct upgrade the Brute has over the boxer is the presence of multiple enlarged nostrils to facilitate rapid air intake during acts of extreme exertion. Brutes are rare in Grey clades outside the Convergence, but not entirely unheard of.

Standing at a towering 4 meters tall, the Brute is powerful enough to push over a tree or pick up and carry a cow.

Convergence Node

Convergence Nodes are genetically engineered and cybernetically enhanced life-forms, developed by the greys that formed the Convergence. Convergence Nodes form the communication backbone of the Convergence hive-mind. Each node has a group of connected greys and other organisms that it oversees, and any Convergence ship larger than a short-range scout contains at least one node for coordination.

Convergence Nodes were engineered to solve the problem of long-distance communication, and their massive brains contain specialized organs that can send and receive spatial compression radio signals which they use to network with one another over astronomical distances. Convergence Nodes are little more than massive brains, though they do have a full grey body attached to the brain. The body is largely vestigial, as all the Node’s biological functions are handled through attached biomechanical systems.

Occasionally, (usually related to accident or violence) a Node dies without handing off its connected entities to another. In those cases the attached organisms are, at least temporarily, separated from the Convergence. If the separated organisms remain isolated from the Convergence long enough (which can happen naturally or through deliberate intervention), the attached organisms become a distinct hive-mind of their own with a unique personality. Typically, though, a transition to a new node happens in a planned and efficient manner, and all remain connected to the Convergence.

Ball Dogs

Ball dogs designed with ArtBreeder

Ball Dogs ( Originally BallDogz TM from BioPetz,inc, though most are imitation products ), are a genetically engineered subspecies of canine designed as pets, similar to lap dogs. The main difference from natural dogs is that ball dogs have only vestigial legs, that only serve to keep them from rolling over. This “feature” made it more convenient for owners to manage these pathetic beings, making them suitable only for life as a sheltered pet.

Most brand name ball dogs come with a “base” that maintains their biological functions. Typically the ball dog’s owner will place the ball dog in the base overnight for “charging”, and remove them during the day when they often are carried around, or set in a secure place like a purse when not being held.

The Planetary League placed Ball Dogs on the official list of “cruel organisms” shortly after their introduction in GSC 255. This designation made them illegal to poses or create inside the League.

Spring-heeled Jack

The Spring-heeled Jack is a terrifying subspecies of Grey, engineered to hunt dissidents within the domain of the Convergence. Standing quite tall, (average height is about three meters), Jacks are capable of high speed and able to make extraordinary vertical leaps with their long legs. Spring-heeled Jacks have six arms, and two legs, and tend to be nocturnal. As a part of their horrific design, spring-heeled jacks have been engineered to be almost entirely carnivorous, preferring the challenge of hunting sentient prey.

Spring-heeled Jacks are a non-reproductive subspecies of Grey. They lack the spore-depositor gland in the center of their chests that other Greys have, but do have a vestigial nub of sensitive flesh in the same location that is one of the few vulnerabilities they possess in hand-to-hand combat. This is guarded, however, by their long, sharp tongues that never retract fully into their mouths, but are often used as a deadly weapon.

Spring-heeled Jacks were first deployed against the Bleen during the war that founded the Iblexian Empire, as a way to terrorize them into accepting Convergence rule. This did not end well for the Convergence, but the Spring-heeled Jack has remained a viable tool in their campaigns of dominance and manipulation ever since.

Their tall stature and eerie appearance earned them the name in comparison to the figure from Victorian folklore, and at a distance, their coloration may cause one to mistake a Spring-heeled Jack for a tall, slim man in a suit. Although no clear records are intact, the stories have caused some speculation if the Convergence may have visited Earth as early as the 19th century.

Encephaloids

Throughout history, the size of the human head, and the brain has been limited by biology.  With the invention of the artificial womb, late in era-0, that limit was lifted.  Over many generations, this development led, with some assistance from genetic engineering, to the emergence of a subspecies of human, known as the Encephaloids.

Encephaloids mainly consisted of a large brain with just enough of a body to keep it alive.  Most spent their lives connected to large information systems, and frequently life-support assistance equipment to support their vestigial bodies.  Encephaloids usually took on careers that involved large amounts of information, as their large brains, and vestigial limbs made them uniquely unsuited for physical labor.

Many ships with an Encephaloid crew member had a special room, commonly known as “Mother’s Basement” that was built to house them in a supportive fluid matrix where they could spend all their time doing computational work attached to the ship’s computer system with all of their biological needs cared for by machines.

During the Great Reckoning, Encephaloids nearly went extinct as the Holy Empire of Man hunted them, because they were percieved as abberrations.

Cielioid Pilot

The Pilot is a subspecies of Cielioid engineered to effectively pilot spacecraft. 

Anatomy

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Pilots are small and lithe, generally standing between 1 and 1.25 Meters high. 

Their heads are expanded to allow extra eyes, giving pilots 360-degree vision, enhanced depth-perception, and fine-detail perception.  The interior of the Pilot's skull contains specialized structures for protecting the brain from the effects of high g-forces.  A Pilot's brain is optimized for spatial perception and navigation ability, combined with a capacity for making split-second decisions. 

Pilots have two sets of thin, nimble arms for operating multiple sets of controls at once.

Pilots stand on four sturdy legs to help them maintain their balance and stability, even during high-acceleration maneuvers and occurrences of atmospheric turbulence.

Culture

It is common for Pilots who achieve officer-level rank to have cybernetic implants installed that allow them to communicate directly with their ship's systems.  Frequently, Pilots with these implants will become so emotionally attached to their ships that they refuse to leave their posts for the rest of their lives, even in emergency situations or long periods of maintenence.

Nalorgian Climbers

Climbers are one of the most prolific of the subspecies of Nalorgians.  Climbers were a common sight in the Empire of 1,000,000 Suns, and the Nomad Armies throughout Era-0.  During Era-1, Climbers spread throughout the galaxy due to contact between the Nomad Armies and the Planetary League.

While most subspecies of Nalorgians came about after Cielioids from the E1MS brought advanced biotechnology to Artanis 4, Climbers actually pre-date first contact between the Nalorgians and the Empire. 

Anatomy and Adaptations

Climbers likely originally evolved to survive in the mountainous parts of Artanis 4, and their bodies are the strongest evidence of this. 

Climbers have three legs and three arms each (typically in ratios of two female to one male, but all configurations can be found in the population), which gives them better footing and an extra hand for grabbing handholds.  The arm and leg symbiontes are virtually identical to those of most Nalorgians, with whom they can easily trade limbs. 

The body of a Climber is spherical with a hard, bony shell.  Like a turtle, Climbers can retract their limbs and heads inside their shells. 

The head symbiont has a cap of the same shell material that covers the body, this protects the head when the Climber retracts it.  The eyes on the front of the Climber's head are widely spaced, and they have a third eye in the back of their heads, granting the Climber 360-degree vision.

Sporlak

Sporlak on Albion4

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Sporlaks are large, amphibious animals, native to Albion 4.  Their build resembles that of a sauropod dinosaur.  Sporlaks have a variety of adaptations for their native habitat, beaches and shallow seas.  Their large, webbed feet are broad enough to keep them from sinking into the sand, and their gills allow them to breathe under water indefinitely.  Their backs support a row of spiny projections, possibly vestigial remnants from a time when sporlaks were fully aquatic.

  Diurnal in habit, sporlaks are omnivorous, mostly eating seaweed, but also opportunistically dining on fish and land animals alike.    Sporlaks dig nests on the beach where they lay their eggs. Soon after hatching, the juveniles make their way to the sea.

Subspecies

Dwarf Sporlaks evolved after the crew of Zoe Bonnard's ship brought sporlak eggs they had collected as biological specimens when they crash landed on Bonnard's End.  That planet's biosphere was relatively simple, and could not support full-sized sporlaks, so evolutionary pressure shrunk them considerably.