Asari Republics

*This page is based on actual Mass Effect Canon. To see the full article on the Mass Effect Wiki, Click Here.*

General information

### Judicial branch

Supreme Court of Thessia

Societal information

### Official holiday

Janiris Day

Historical information

### Formed from

Around 300 CE to 400 CE

The Asari Republics, also referred to as the Commonwealth of United Asari Republics is collectively one of the major space-faring power in the Citadel Union; in actually its a coalition of asari republican governments with a tradition of true and total democracy. While the asari's elcor neighbours, of similar morality and traditions, are content with their home system and a small handful of colonies, the asari have settlements across the territory. Easily the most economically powerful sector of the galaxy, the asari worlds of Outer Council Space traditionally use their financial clout to keep the galactic market stable. Their military fleets patrol shipping lanes and colony space against smugglers arriving via relays from the Attican Traverse.

 History

### Origins

The asari arose on Thessia, a rich world with abundant quantities of element zero that caused much of the life on Thessia to exhibit biotic tendencies. It is theorized that the Protheans, under the guise of asari gods, manipulated and experimented upon the asari, which would explain their strong biotic powers.

Early civilization they were hunter gatherers, using ambush tactics to overcome large mega-fauna with biotic powers, archaeological evidence shows a sudden and total shift to farming, presumably under the teachings or guidance of the Protheans.

### Forming the Citadel Council

The asari were the first contemporary race to achieve spaceflight and discover the mass relay network. When they found the Citadel in 580 BCE, the asari also encountered the keepers, whose mute assistance enabled them to quickly settle on the station and learn how to operate its systems. Sixty years later, the salarians made first contact with the asari, and together the two species agreed to found the Citadel Council in 500 BCE, a galactic governing body that would come to unite dozens of races. This tradition is continued even today, with the welcoming of the Terran Federation.

## 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 the 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. The asari tend toward communal, consensus attitudes among themselves too: for example, they prefer to live in shared spaces aboard starships even if there are alternatives available.

Asari believe that their offspring acquire the best qualities of the "father" from the melded genes, but evidence is anecdotal. They frown upon intraspecies conception, since genetic traits and cultural insight is gained from mating outside their species, so it's considered wasteful for asari to reproduce together. The results of such unions are occasionally referred to as "purebloods", a great insult among contemporary asari. A rare genetic defect known as Ardat-Yakshi, which makes asari destroy the partner's mind during melding, occurs much more frequently among the daughters of purebloods.

Asari are well aware they tend to be attractive, and are comfortable expressing their sexuality, often resulting in the stereotype of courtesans and exotic dancers. Young males of other races tend to have a fascination with asari.

Even a Terran woman like Erica Chavez, a Terran renowned for her large time spent with the citadel Species, admits that when dealing with the asari, their feminine appearance makes it difficult for her to accept them as one of the most powerful races in the galaxy despite their political and military prowess. But she feels that this isn't her fault due to thousands of years of Terran cultural bias.

Because of their natural sensuality and ability to mate with any species, asari are sometimes rumoured to be promiscuous. These rumours are mostly a result of misinformation (or wishful thinking). In fact, asari have to accept that if they mate outside their own species, they will almost inevitably outlive their partner with the notable exception of the krogan, who have a similarly immense longevity.

Therefore, they have had to apply their philosophical "long view" to relationships as well, savouring the time they spend with their partners rather than focusing on their inevitable loss. A popular anecdote as shown on the vid show "On The Citadel", an asari and her turian companion are trying to decide on a souvenir to purchase, and while her turian friend feels a fish is too short-lived to make a good memento, the asari notes that they must "enjoy the time they have with the fish." As a result of the age difference many asari raise their daughters alone, especially if the "father" species is short-lived. Despite their partner's death, a part of them will live within their other.

The asari celebrate the springtime fertility ritual Janiris, named for the goddess Athame's guide Janiri, which marks the start of the new year. During this time, they create wreathes of flowers and distribute them among their friends and loved ones. As is the case with the holidays of some other Citadel species, the celebration of Janiris has been adopted by other species that operate in Citadel space.

An extremely rare asari is one who abandons all but a few personal possessions to become justicars, members of an ancient order of asari adhering to a strict code. Justicars operate inside of asari space correcting injustices, often through harsh means, including death. It is rare for a justicar to leave asari space as it could cause a diplomatic incident with other species.

### Economy

The asari possess the largest single economy in Citadel Space. They have extensive trade and social contacts. Craft guilds, such as those within the cities Serrice and Armali, hold a virtual monopoly on advanced biotic technology. Given their political influence, economic cooperation from the Republics can tremendously boost the Terran Federation war-driven economy ten-folds, however hesitance and mistrust has barred most Terran officials from considering anything but the shortest of contracts.

### 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 greater universal consciousness. Siarists don't specifically believe in reincarnation; they believe in spiritual energy returning 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 disparate shards of the universe's awareness.

Before the rise of siari pantheism, asari religions were as diverse as their political opinion. The strongest survivor of those days is the monotheistic religion worshipping the goddess Athame. Like the asari, the goddess cycles through the triple aspects of maiden, matron, and matriarch. Asari often swear "by the goddess", though this may be a cultural legacy rather than reflection of an individual's belief, similar to a human atheist or Pagen saying "God dammit".

## Government

The asari governmental structure, known as the Commonwealth of Asari Republics, is relatively broad; the asari came late to the notion of world government. For centuries, their homeworld of Thessia was dotted with loose confederacies of great republican cities. The closest Earth 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 the internet evolved into an "electronic democracy".

Aside from their Council representative, the 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 open 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". These Matriachs for m extremely strong voting blocs, to the point that many Terran governmental philosophers suggest that its not actually a direct democracy, but a form of representative democracy.

In modern times, the asari normally act as the diplomatic arm of the Citadel Council, and asari exploration efforts have discovered many races over the years. In approximately 200 BCE, the asari made first contact with the elcor and played a key role in helping them establish a regular trade route to the Citadel. They have come to odds with Terran naturalists and evolutionists arguing that it should be illegal to interfere with pre spaceflight species unless those species are in danger, under the philosophy that upraising them makes them weak and robs them of the experience and triumph of self discovery.

## 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, another term of an asari commando, is in the maiden stage of her life and has devoted 20-30 years studying the martial arts. Asari choose to be warriors at a young age, and their education from that point is dedicated to sharpening their 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 terran 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 guerrilla soldiers, they are adept at ambush, infiltration, and assassination, demoralizing and defeating their enemies through intense, focused, stealthy strikes. Asari huntresses were among the first individuals to be chosen as Spectres and played a key role in the Krogan Rebellions.

Turian military theorist have long theorized that this a terrible way to fight a war, as they explain that such tactics are worthless when the enemy cares not for collateral damage, and may simple murder large parts of the civilian population in retaliation for each death they sustain due to such warfare. Terran theorists also posit that individual soldiers fighting alone is suicidal for the soldiers in question, and most importantly robs their units weight of fire. This was supremely demonstrated in wargames between the Citadel and Terran Federation, in which universally Asari huntresses were rooted out and destroyed for no practical damage to Terran formations, and it was only when the asari adapted and grouped up into squads they even slowed the Terrans. As Sky Marshal Phid, the overseeing representative of the Federation put it, "The Asari are graceful, skilled, deadly. And all of that means nothing in a war when your doctrine for fighting it was flawed the moment it was conceived." She went on to posit publicly in the post games questioning by CNN that, "The asari are the most skilled light infantry I've ever laid eyes upon, it is just unfortunate for them no large scale war was ever won by light infantry."

As a popular turian saying puts it, "The asari are the finest warriors in the galaxy. Fortunately, there are not many of them." Despite this, the asari military is still very large in respect to many other species.

The asari possess one of the most powerful navies in the galaxy. The asari navy is slated to have 21 dreadnoughts by 2183 CE, including the Destiny Ascension, a formidable warship boasting almost as much firepower as the rest of the asari fleet combined and the flagship of the Citadel Fleet. Despite the considerable force their numerous dreadnoughts can bring to bear, the asari prefer using fleets composed mainly of frigates and fighters, embodying their hit-and-run mindset with a nimble swarm rather than a slower collection of vessels.

Weapons developed by the asari include the Acolyte heavy pistol and Disciple shotgun. The Acolyte excels at stripping enemy shields and barriers, but is less effective against armor; the shooter's biotics are expected to make up for that shortcoming. The Disciple uses shells packed with microscale submunitions to deal staggering amounts of damage, stunning even shielded enemies. The asari military also fields the Terran designed A-61 Mantis Gunship.

Notable units of the asari military include the Second Fleet, Sixth Fleet, Serrice Guard, and Armali Sniper Unit.