recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Zreep

**Zreep**was a vorcha captured and forced into servitude by the Blood Pack mercenary outfit. Known for her miraculous recoveries from many injuries that would have put down even others of her own kind, Zreep was considered a medical marvel. Bought by a cadre of scientists from within the Salarian Union, she died of old age mere weeks after arriving on Sur'Kesh for research.

## Quotes

Zreep's statements have not survived in any form other than the oral tradition passed from mercenary to mercenary.

* *YESSSSSS...WE...NO...DIE!"*- Upon first signs of recovery from a shotgun blast that had completely torn her right leg from her pelvis.
War of the Ikharon Salts

The **War of the Ikharon Salts**, historically referred to simply as the **Salt War**, was a major conflict in drell history. Three medieval factions; the Kingdom of Uhranii, the Nuvian Realm and the Qukal Fiefdom fought one another over control of the expansive Ikharon Salt Flats. For over thirty years armies spilled blood over who would command the precious resource that had previously been shared by the region's inhabitants. In the end, the united bands of the Nuvian Realm proved victorious, as the Kingdom of Uhranii sued for peace after the Qukal Fiefdom collapsed during the Siege of Aatenbaik. Fighting over the flats would not cease for long, however, as this event was significant in setting the stage for the Nuvian Civil War.

## History

### Background

Peacefully sharing the broad expanse of naturally-occuring salts known as the Ikharon Salt Flats for centuries prior to the conflict, the modernization of the Kingdom of Uhranii and Qukal Fiefdom led to aspirations of complete resource control.

### Conclusion

Having pushed the Uhranii forces back from their borders, the Nuvians finally were able to provide backup to their forward troops on the Qukal front. With riders arriving in Adokare mere days after their victory at Enektet, the reinvigorated Nuvian forces pushed onwards to the Qukal capital, Aatenbaik. On the 17th of February 975, the Siege of Aatenbaik began.

## Belligerents

* Kingdom of Uhranii
	+ King Tyon
	+ Queen Aesel IV
* Nuvian Realm
* Qukal Fiefdom

## Events

### 944

#### March

* The Skirmish at the Quarry begins the war

### 974

#### December

* Forces of the Nuvian Realm push Uhranii troops off their borders with the decisive Battle of Enektet

### 975

#### February

* The Siege of Aatenbaik begins as Nuvian forces begin to starve out those in the Qukal capital

### 976

#### February

* Exhausted, hungry and weary from the siege, the people of Aatenbaik revolt against their own leaders. Speaking independently of their ruling council, the civilians surrender to the besieging Nuvians. The war ends.
Vesohk Life Dome

The **Vesohk Life Dome** was a smaller, densely populated drell city on the hanar homeworld of Kahje. One of the first domed cities constructed after the Evacuation of Rakhana, it was destroyed by the Illuminated Primacy after a severe outbreak claimed the lives of over a thousand residents and had spread to many more.
Varren

**Varren** are omnivores with a preference for living prey. Originally native to the krogan homeworld of Tuchanka, Their supreme adaptability, vicious demeanor and rapid breeding cycle have made them ubiquitous and dangerous pests on many worlds. Virtually everywhere the krogan have been, varren infestations have followed, wreaking havoc with the native ecology.

The krogan have had a love-hate relationship with varren for millennia, alternately fighting them for territory and embracing them as treasured companions. To this day, krogan—and some other species, including batarians—raise them as beasts of war.

A common subgenus of varren has metallic silver scales, leading to the rather unusual nickname 'fishdogs'.

## Description

### Food

Varren are pure carnivores, though when food becomes scarce they are not picky eaters. The species has jaw articulation similar to that of Earth's snakes, allowing them to consume some prey whole. This digestion tactic is uncommon, however, as it leaves the varren vulnerable to attack for a long period of time while the food is broken down.

### Coloration

Varren come in a wide variety of colors, though their patterns are limited to two observable states. They are either "Dorsal", meaning that their topside is one dark color while their underside is either a lighter shade of that color or a white-silver, or they are "Striped", where stripes are observed across the entire body aside from a vein of color above the "shoulders". Varren breeds are usually differentiated by their colouration. One breed is called the red-striped clefnose.

### Temperament

Varren are known to be vicious and extremely aggressive, even when attempts are made to domesticate them. It is in their nature to attack larger prey, and when able, to attack as a pack. As a result, herding large groups of varren is extremely difficult, though profitable due to their popularity as a food source.

A varren’s bite can exert more than two metric tons of pressure per square centimetre. However, while varren are known to grab each other by the throat and hold for dominance, they will not actually break the skin unless they want to kill.

### Popularity

As pets, varren are extremely uncommon though popular within a niche. Domesticated varren, though few, are seen by many as a sign of strength, although the risks tend to outweigh the benefits. These varren in captivity tend to live shorter and more emotionally unpredictable lives.

As a food source, however, varren are extremely common and even considered a delicacy in a wide variety of locales. Varren steaks, skewers and even range-free varren meat is offered across the galaxy, as a way to serve delicious food and take care of local infestations.

In sports, Varren are common in the more illegal pit-fights, as well as varren races. Though the races are typically seen as a more ethical sporting event and oftentimes legal, they do result in some casualties when the varren are taken over by instinct.

On many of the higher-end colony worlds, including most homeworlds, varren are seen as little more than pests and are not typically allowed out in public.
Vebinok

**Location:** Milky Way / Argos Rho / Phoenix System

**Vebinok** is a small terrestrial world with a thin atmosphere of krypton and xenon. Its frozen surface is mainly composed of carbonaceous material, water ice, and low-density silicates. Rare but concentrated lodes of light metals have been deposited by asteroid impacts.

One hemisphere of Vebinok is covered by surface deposits of oxidized copper. Approximately 270 years ago a turian bulk gas transport was attacked by pirates in the Phoenix system. Damaged, it made a rough landing on Vebinok. The heat of the landing melted significant quantities of surface ice, and ruptured shipping containers spilled LOX across the surface. Before this evaporated and escaped Vebinok's weak gravity, it reacted to cause the widespread rust.
Testudo System

**Location:** Milky Way / Nemean Abyss

The **Testudo System** is a stellar system within the Nemean Abyss. Swarming with pirates, slavers and raider gangs, the system houses Tortuga, a major center and haven for piracy within the Terminus Systems.

## Planets

* Cherepakha
* Tortuga
* Kilpikonna

## Moons

* 1 in orbit around Tortuga
* 3 in orbit around Kilpikonna

## Mass Relays

* **Testudo Relay**
	+ The Testudo Mass Relay connects the Nemean Abyss to the Omega Nebula, Crescent Nebula and Ismar Frontier.
Virtual Intelligence

A **Virtual Intelligence** or **VI** is a sophisticated program designed to make modern computer systems easier to use. They are not to be confused with artificial intelligences like the geth, as VIs are utilised only to assist the user and process data. Though they appear to be intelligent, they aren't actually self aware, just made with clever programming.

## Functionality

### Personality

Some VIs have 'personality imprints', with their behaviour parameters, speech pattern and appearance based on specific individuals, although it is illegal to make VIs based on currently living people. The quarians were even attempting to make their 'ancestor VIs' (virtual intelligences preserving the wisdom and personality of their ancestors) truly intelligent, to create a kind of virtual immortality, when the geth rebellion put an end to most of their research into synthetic intelligence.

### Variations

VIs vary greatly depending on how they are deployed. They can handle search queries on the extranet, act as tour guides—as in the case of the Citadel VI, Avina—or manage sophisticated lab and database work, like Mira on Noveria. Both the humans and the elcor make extensive use of VIs in their military endeavours to process status reports, react faster than organics can or—in the case of the elcor—choose instantly between millions of gambits designed for any combat situation.

A lot of armor upgrades use VI enhancements, so the onboard computer can optimise the armor's combat performance or dispense medi-gel to heal the user.

### Going Rogue

In certain circumstances, a VI may deviate from its programming due to software errors or malicious tampering; such a VI is referred to as a "rogue VI." A rogue VI is not self-aware, as they lack the software required by an AI to achieve such a state. Instead, a VI going rogue is akin to a software malfunction, causing the VI to fail to carry out its intended function or to interpret its duties in a way that leads to the VI becoming dangerous.
Zied'nar

**Location:** Milky Way / Radana Burst / Tied'caur System

A world so inhospitable and barren that even the Hegemony of Khar'shan casts doubt on whether or not to officially claim it, **Zied'nar** is an arid, terrestrial world with little claim to fame beyond seas of sand which stretch to oblivion. Geographically unchanged for millenia, the world is thought to be one of the flattest and driest in the galaxy.

## History

Settled by batarian pirates during a slaving expedition through the Terminus Systems, Zied'nar was originally used solely as a refueling outpost to dive further into the Radana Burst in search of resources to use or species to conquer. As the cluster became more and more of a drain on resources instead of a boon, however, many early investors became dry of their own resources and were marooned by greed on the desert world. Never to be defeated in matters of trade, the hardy batarians began digging in, setting up trading outposts and other businesses across the barren planet.

By the late 22nd century, however, even the colonists' hardy hearts could not dissuade the Hegemony from wishing to sever contact and support for the drain of resources that was Zied'nar.

## Notable Locations

### Cities

* Aydare
* Norok
* Olonkador

### Geographical Features

* Direkh Slides
* Sea of Blisters
* The Maw
Yandoa

**Location:** Milky Way / Mkali Pool / Berendi System

A Systems Alliance colony noted for the first occurrence of human biotics, **Yandoa** is a primarily agrarian colony with a heavy emphasis on protein-laden agriculture.

## Description

Yandoa was initially settled in April of 2158.

In January of 2170, an Eldfell-Ashland Energy vessel exploded in the planet's atmosphere, exposing the main colony of New Kitale to dust-form element zero. This resulted in children born with birth defects and tumors. Thirty-seven children were not only born healthy but with biotic abilities.

Unbeknownst to the public, though heavily suspected by the Alliance Intelligence Service and fringe conspiracy theorist groups, the "accident" was orchestrated by Cerberus and their agent, Paul Grayson. A child born affected by that accident, Gillian, would later be given to Paul as a ward.
Xemna

Credit to the Spectre Expansion Mod

**Location:** Milky Way / Meade Cluster / Mactare System

**Xemna** is an immense gas giant with an exceptionally slow orbital period. In a rare case of whimsy, turian explorers named the planet after a herd of animals from Palaven, one which is notorious for having similar bloated qualities. The name embarrassed investors, which lead to its wealth laying untapped and the planet to be largely ignored.

## Description

In mid-1865, turian primarch Lorek Danthus saw the opportunity to rid the Hierarchy of Xemna and secure the elcor as the government's next client species. In a speech, he gifted them the rights to the planet while making comparisons between the elcor and the xemna herds. His tactless move caused deep offense to the elcor public, only made worse by how oblivious the primarch was to the insult.

The diplomatic incident soured the relationship between the elcor and turians for nearly a decade, but the planet's resources allowed the Courts to emerge from an economic depression.

## Trivia

* Xemna was created and added by the Spectre Expansion Mod for Mass Effect 3, which can be found at this link.
Urzba Plant

The **Urzba Plant** is a species of biology native to the krogan homeworld of Tuchanka. It is classified as a near-carnivorous organism, utilizing its pitcher of digestive enzymes to break down any beings who unwittingly fall prey to its trap.

## Description

Urzba Plants begin life as a fully-fertilized spore, launched out of the decaying bell of a dying plant. They prefer arid, dry land to settle in, and have an easier time growing in this environment. When radioactivity is involved, they tend to grow up to three times larger than average.

Over the course of decades, the spore gradually grows beneath the soil into a wide, ball-shaped pustule. Once the sphere has grown to an acceptable size (typically four to five meters in diameter), the upper hemisphere is ruptured, peeling back the earth and revealing the internal structure of the plant.

Within weeks, a thin, moss-like substance grows across the opening, hiding the drop from unsuspecting prey. This is a key moment. If prey is not caught within a month, the Urzba will have used out all its initial energy and begin to decay.

When something heavy enough falls through the moss, a slick inner coating keeps them down until they eventually drown or are digested alive. A young Urzba plant can take weeks to digest a fully-grown varren, allowing the plant to feast on sporadic meals for months on end. Krogan have been known to fall victim as well, though most are well aware to stay off of mossy knolls.

As a subterranean, semi-carnivorous plant, Urzbas are often devoured by hungry thresher maws. While not omnivorous themselves, whatever dinner may be within the "belly" of the plant proves good enough incentive for the deadly worms.
Union Rules Football League

The **Union Rules Football League** is the premier organizer and promoter of American football on the human homeworld of Earth. Originally founded in the United States as the National Football League, it was first expanded overseas in 2026 with the addition of the London Kings and has since expanded across the globe. Originally a human-only sport, it was expanded to include aliens with new rules in place for safety after drell wide receiver Nekos Senz was signed to the San Diego Chargers in 2180.

## Teams

* Beijing Dragons
* London Kings
* Minnesota Vikings
* New York Giants
* San Diego Chargers
Hitara Prize

The **Hitara Prize** is a yearly prize given to any scientific team across the galaxy who has contributed significantly to the understanding of the Milky Way. It is determined by the Committee on Codependent Research, a salarian-founded organization dedicated to scientific dissemination beyond species and educational barriers. As of 2182, no human team has ever won the prize.
Onyx Armor

Onyx Medium Armor in female and male variants, one showing the distinct customization offered to graduates of the Systems Alliance's vaunted N7 program

### Price Range

86,000 cR

**Onyx Armor** is a high-end line of armors designed and manufactured by human armory Aldrin Labs. The Systems Alliance's standard-issue combat hardsuit for special forces operators, it is famous as the armor of the legendary Interplanetary Combatives Academy graduates.
Uranus

**Location:** Milky Way / Local Cluster / Sol System

After the development of mass effect FTL drive, distant **Uranus** was the target of a "land rush" to exploit its combination of plentiful helium-3 fuel and shallow (for a gas giant) gravity well. As of 2183, Uranus was the largest producer of He-3 in Alliance space.
Understanding of Cipritine

The **Understanding of Cipritine** is a pact signed in blood by the former chieftains of Palaven on a vast mesa overlooking the Silver Sea. Forced to subjugation by the generations-long conflict incited by general Tenerus Lennet, the chieftans and their conqueror Ciprit Lennet agreed to found a union of peoples. That union became the Turian Hierarchy and the city of Cipritine was founded on that very spot.
Xirid District

The **Xirid District** is a small local region of Bachjret Ward on the Citadel, known for being one of the most crime-ridden and poverty-plagued segments of the station.

## Description

Xirid may be one of the poorer districts in Bachjret Ward, but the area is home to a few select shops and a large complex of cheap apartments. C-Sec retirees used to own most of the shops and created a monopoly in cheap housing. Today, relatives of those former officers oversee the market. C-Sec itself patrols the area often due to the high crime rate. Drug and mercenary operations are the most prominent crimes that reside in the area, although some officers conduct illegal trade deals with both the cartels and the more powerful shops in the district.
YMIR Mech

## YMIR

A gargantuan killing device designed specifically for anti-personnel purposes, the **YMIR Mech** is a high-powered mech designed and manufactured by human firm Hahne-Kedar.

## Description

YMIR Mechs possess twin mass accelerator cannons in the right arm and a rocket launcher in the left arm. YMIR Mechs usually engage at point-blank range and will attempt to advance on enemies. The mech moves very slowly and loudly and cannot climb steps. It can fire its twin Cannons while moving, however, it must pause to fire rockets.

Like its smaller companions, the LOKI Mechs, YMIR mechs can self-destruct when severely damaged, causing a large explosion with a 6 meter epicenter.
Styx Theta

**Styx Theta** is a cluster of stars and nebulous gases uncomfortably close to the "Five Kiloparsec Ring" around the galactic core. Much of this area is too dangerous to safely travel. It is located in the Attican Traverse and is colonized almost exclusively by the Systems Alliance.

## Systems

* Acheron System
* Erebus System
* Karaht System
* Phlegethon System
* Timshar System
United Kingdom of Great Britain

The **United Kingdom of Great Britain**, more commonly referred to simply as the **United Kingdom** or the **UK**, is a nation on the human homeworld of Earth. A collection of islands off of the west coast of the Eurasian continent, the UK is an important member of the supranational European Union and one of the founding members of the Systems Alliance.
Vessus

**Vessus** is a city on the human world of Bekenstein, heavily influential in the field of human fashion and cosmetics.

## Description

Known as the less-popular sister-city of Milgrom, Bekenstein's capital, Vessus is a place built for the rich that is dominated by money, power, and blood. Many major human manufacturing companies have established their headquarters in Vessus, turning it into a hub for trade, tourism and trouble; the crime rate in this city is higher than any other on the planet. To survive, one must thrive; this is the motto of all who reside here.

Geographically speaking, Vessus is unremarkable. It is built upon an expansive, hilly chunk of land informally referred to by locals as Bek's Pier, and is surrounded by sparkling, island-dotted oceans on either side - this is typical scenery on the planet. Weather in Vessus is usually quite temperate, with only the occasional storm rolling off the water. Rising levels of pollution are cause for some concern, however, as the air quality levels have been falling steadily over the past several decades.
Unovasereng

One of the first cities in elcor history to be permanently populated, breaking the millenia-long tradition of seasonal migration, **Unovasereng** is a large city on Dekuuna's northernmost continent of Boribonu. Originally nestled cozily into the quiet Effonos Valley, the city eventually sprawled outwards to encompass over 68,000 square kilometers of hillsides and forests, most of which were integrated into the composition of the city in traditional elcor fashion.

## Description

The northern plains of Boribonu had remained largely unexplored by the elcor before the 8th century BCE, until the forced migration of refugees after the Piquant Coast Disaster. With the near-weekly barrage of tidal waves caused by what would eventually be discovered to be an unprecedented amount of tectonic shear, the port cities of Namasur and Vasereng were completely wiped from existence, washed into the Ambrosial Sea.

The thousands of remaining survivors, their ships destroyed and homeland under constant threat of oceanic assault, marched inland for weeks until arriving at the aromatic and peaceful Effonos Valley, nestled within forests of lorebodum trees. When eventual explorers stumbled upon the young but thriving city nearly a century later, the citizens had well adapted to their now-agrarian lifestyle. The pleasantly-scented lorebodum trees quickly became a staple of elcor construction, horticulture and aesthetic, and were shipped across the world in massive quantities. A sharp economic boom followed, and many immigrants from all over Dekuuna arrived in great numbers.

As the elcor continued to progress, eventually becoming a spacefaring species and joining the galactic community at large, Unovasereng (New Vasereng, if translated literally) continued to develop as a city of artists and agriculture. Although traditionally the elcor are a more ecologically-conscious people than most sapient species, Unovasereng stands out even more. Horticulture is ingrained into nearly every construction, public and private, with massive gardens and community farms spreading across entire districts of the city. The forest mingles with the boundaries of the urban metropolis, winding its way up the squat buildings that make up the fringes of Unovasereng.

A city of culture and artists, it is particularly enticing to many asari visitors and has a relatively high population of the blue humanoids for a world so alien to their physiology. Buildings can be found with integrated mass effect generators, utilizing element zero to negate the effects of Dekuuna's high gravity and provide more comfortable spaces for the matriarchs and matrons that call the city home.
Vesuvius Nebula

The **Vesuvius Nebula** is a cluster of stars and stellar material within Outer Council Space. It notably houses the Drell homeworld, Rakhana. In human languages, it was given its name based upon the cluster's violent-looking structure, resembling the deadly volcanic eruption of their ancient past.

## Systems

* Herculaneum System
* Pompeii System
* Stabiae System
Ronah Murado

**Ronah Murado** is an asari smuggler and mercenary employed by the Eclipse organization.

## Biography

Ronah is probably one of the best smugglers on Omega, let alone among the ranks of Eclipse. She joined the mercenary outfit shortly before turning 200, and despite only being with them for a couple of years, she has already made quite an impact in the success rate of their smuggling operations. She possesses a certain unidentifiable charm that somehow seems to ensure every job she’s taken goes perfectly - but really, it's more likely due to the fact that she is extremely picky about what she takes on personally. She prefers to oversee and orchestrate jobs for junior operatives, and keeps a close eye on everything that Eclipse gets involved in; she's no traitor, but she always has one foot out the door in case something goes awry. Ronah would much rather stay alive than drown on a sinking ship.

## Personality

* Organized
* Relaxed
* Smart
* Self-Serving

## Physical Description

A violet-skinned, blue-eyed vixen, Ronah is beautiful even as asari go - and she knows it. With a tall, voluptuous physique and sparkling personality to match, it’s a surprise to anyone who knows her that she ended up a criminal rather than a vidstar - though she certainly dresses as if she were one. She has black lines that snake from her tentacles along her cheekbones and down to her chin, almost framing her face, and a dark spattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose.

## Armament

### Combat Arms

Ronah utilizes an Executioner and a Disciple while in combat, and her omni-tool is equipped with the Combat Abilities Incinerate, Neural Shock and Tactical Cloak.
Verush

**Location:** Milky Way / Kite's Nest / Harsa System

**Verush** is a hydrogen-helium gas giant named for an ancient batarian monarch whose empire spanned continents. He had such a penchant for mating that 0.6 percent of modern batarians claim to trace their lineage to him.

## Description

The planet's moons are named after his many recognized wives. The largest, Bira, concealed Prothean ruins that helped the batarians develop FTL travel. It is a batarian point of pride that, since the ruins were damaged by earthquakes, they had less information to go on than other spacefaring species.
Tyr

**Location:** Milky Way / Exodus Cluster / Asgard System

An important mining colony near the human colony of Terra Nova, **Tyr** is a very earthlike planet lying far out of its star's natural habitable zone.

## Description

Tyr is compositionally quite similar to Earth. However, it lies over 4 AU from Asgard, and possesses an atmosphere primarily composed of nitrogen and ethane. While a potential target for terraforming, the presence of the 'shirt sleeves' habitable Terra Nova relegated Tyr to a support role.

Nearly a hundred corporations – human and alien – have constructed extensive teleoperated mining, refining, and manufacturing facilities across the face of Tyr. Combined with the platinum lodes of Terra Nova, the resources they produce are driving development of the local hydrogen fuel cell industries. The Asgard system now supplies nearly 4% of the galactic market.
Vengeance

The first-ever event run in the Mass Effect: Continuation universe, **Vengeance** tells the tale of Dinya Hadran, an acolyte within the Order of Lucen, as she hunts the murderer of her mentor across the galaxy. It is incomplete.

## Teaser

While resting on the borderline world of Illium, ordinator Jaunla V'Atu of the Order of Lucen is murdered in cold blood, her killer escaping into the night. Dinya Hadran, acolyte of Jaunla, vows vengeance upon the woman, uncovering a conspiracy larger than she could have anticipated...

## Cast

### Notable NPCs

* Bec
* Gael'Neza nar Qwib Qwib
* Jaunla V'Atu
* Jorgal Krunz
* Sura T'Rana

## Settings

* Nos Astra, Illium
* *VTV Turvania*
Vess'kur

Credit to the Spectre Expansion Mod

**Location:** Milky Way / Hades Nexus / Azedes System

**Vess'kur** once held a certain fascination for the raloi, for centuries their scholars predicted that it was an inhabited world, so the truth came as a bitter disappointment to them. They discovered that Vess'kur is a sterile wasteland; no life is present on the ground or in the sulfuric acid which shrouds the planet.

## Trivia

* Vess'kur was created and added by the Spectre Expansion Mod for Mass Effect 3, which can be found at this link.
Watson

**Location:** Milky Way / Sigurd's Cradle / Skepsis System

**Watson** is a human-colonized world located deep within the Terminus Systems.

## Description

Watson is known in human media for two things -- its spectacular tides brought on by a large moon, and the bureaucratic snafu over which Earth nations got to settle there first. Watson is a garden world, first discovered in 2165 CE, with credit claimed by the Chinese People's Federation, the United North American States, and the European Union. The Systems Alliance brokered the infamous "Rekjavik Compromise," allowing limited colonization from each coalition in cities comprised of populations from each nation.

Watson itself trends colder than Earth, with a temperate zone measuring about 30 degrees latitude in either direction from the equator. Its life does not easily map to Earth's evolutionary eras -- some islands have species that resemble terrestrial placental mammals, others are overrun by arthropods. It is estimated that at least two more generations of xenozoologists will be needed to properly classify all the species of the planet.
Nubian Expanse

The **Nubian Expanse** is an Attican Traverse cluster located on the "eastern" edge of the Milky Way. No single dominant race has laid any claim to its meager resources; it is mostly a haven for outlaws.

## Systems

* Dakka System
* Debod System
* Kalabsha System
* Qertassi System

## Mass Relay Connections

* Caleston Rift
* Far Rim
* Hades Nexus
* Kepler Verge
* Shadow Sea
Zaherux

**Location:** Milky Way / Armstrong Nebula / Grissom System

**Zaherux** is an anomalous, yet scientifically uninteresting world that is under constant siege by the solar winds of its parent star, Grissom.

## Description

Zaherux's nitrogen-argon atmosphere is being blasted away by the solar wind of the blue giant Grissom. Its surface consists of "seas" of loose silica dust, some kilometers deep, which periodically swirl into global sandstorms.

Many unmanned probes to Zaherux have been lost over the years. Though investigation has attributed all to mechanical failure or computational error, a popular extranet meme insists the entire planet is composed of dormant nanotechnology, created millennia ago by a race even more advanced than the Protheans.

According to the story, Zaherux's silica dust is actually "disassembler" robots which periodically awaken to defend themselves. Though discounted by every reputable scientist, this theory has been popularized by a series of sensationalistic texts by asari author Delsae Orthysa.
Yahg

The **yahg** are a sentient race of towering humanoids native to the world of Parnack, known for their violent and aggressive nature. Consummate predators, the yahg possess unrivaled perceptiveness and mental adaptability. Discovered by the Citadel Council in 2125 CE, the yahg were unceremoniously barred from interaction with Citadel space after massacring the Council's delegation.

## History

### Discovery

When Parnack was discovered by Citadel Council surveyors in 2125 CE, the yahg were a pre-spaceflight civilization with technology equivalent to that of 20th century Earth. A Council delegation of ambassadors made first contact with the yahg and attempted to establish diplomatic relations. Unfortunately, the yahg perceived the ambassadors' attitudes and behavior as equal individuals instead of subordinates as a sign of contempt, and attacked and massacred the entire delegation. Immediately following that incident, the Citadel Council severed all contact with the yahg and declared Parnack off-limits. The Council maintains that the yahg's aggression and obsession with control make them poorly suited to integrate with the galactic community.

## Biology

The yahg evolved to fill the niche of apex predator on Parnack. Yahg have four pairs of eyes, each pair designed to track and predict the movements of prey. A keen sensitivity to movement and light allows the yahg to easily read the body language of any species, making it almost impossible to lie to a yahg.

They have scaly, partially armored skin, a triangular mouth adorned with sharp teeth, two large horns and facial markings on their heads. Their hands each have three fingers which include a thumb, as well as three toes on each foot.

The yahg possess a large, muscular body, standing over even the krogan, which provides considerable physical strength and agility.

## Culture

Yahg society is built around a pack mentality. A group of yahg will not cooperate until a single leader has attained dominance through either social maneuvering or brute force. Once the leader is established, the defeated yahg do not hold a grudge and former rivals serve their new superior loyally. Due to this mentality, the concept of equality is offensive to them.

### Naming Conventions

Yahg individuals typically carry three names with them, their status name first, their isle name second, and their given name third. For example, the yahg Daug Niche Tur carries his status name, Daug, his isle name, Niche, and his given name, Tur.

#### Status Names

Yahg status names come from their conquests in combat, or lack thereof. The known status names as of 2183 include:

#### Isle Names

Yahg isle names originate from the isle on which each individual was born. This name carries throughout a yahg's life, no matter where they live. The only time an Isle name is allowed to be changed is when it is stricken from an identity because of an act of treason. The Seventeen Isles of Parnack are directly tied to yahg isle names.

#### Given Names

Yahg given names vary wildly depending upon the isle culture they originated from.
Verush (Hero)

## Verush

**Verush** is an ancient and historic figure in batarian culture, having overseen the oxymoronic War of Peace and officially uniting the planet of Khar'shan under the banner of the Hegemony of Khar'shan.

## Legacy

Almost as legendary as his military conquests are the tales of his romantic conquests, as even in the 22nd century a little over half a percent of all batarians claim to trace their lineage through him.

His name was given to a gas giant within their home system, the Harsa System, and the moons were named after each of his many wives. One such moon, Bira, was revealed to have prothean ruins, eventually leading to the development of FTL for the species.
Vol Protectorate

The volus government is known as the **Vol Protectorate**. Rather than being a fully sovereign government in its own right, the Protectorate is a client state of the Turian Hierarchy. In return for falling under the protective umbrella of the turian military, the volus pay a tax to the Hierarchy, as well as deferring to the turians in all foreign policy matters and providing auxiliary troops to the turian armed forces. They still maintain an embassy on the Citadel, making them an associate species of the Council, though as of 2183 they share their embassy with the elcor.
Vengeful Spirits

The **Vengeful Spirits** are a mercenary company founded by the disillusioned former Turian Hierarchy soldier Lorol Taninian. They maintain a large presence on the frontier of the Milky Way, and are rarely seen in more civilized locations across the galaxy.

## History

Always something of an oddball, Lorol Taninian's charisma allowed him to organize and maintain a decent following of friends and allies when he left the Hierarchy Navy in 2012. His disillusionment with his own government and the extension of it, the Citadel Council, eventually led to his fleeing to the Terminus Systems alongside many of his companions. In late 2018 they founded the Vengeful Spirits, originally intended to be a cultural antithesis movement to the overarching Hierarchy.

The organization expanded into the mid-21st century, picking up stragglers and miscreants from all over the galaxy. As the growth continued, one thing became clear to the Spirits' second in command. These people didn't really care about the motivations, they just wanted to make some money and scratch out a living. Not listening to his own people, however, Taninian continued organizing them like a counter-cultural movement, with plans on attacking the newly-founded turian colony of Altakiril.

When the Spirits struck in 2060, the fresh colony fell within a matter of days. Having struggled with finding their own stable government since the founding, the colonists really didn't put up much of a fight. However, noting that their movement would only run into more danger and loss of life after once they started moving towards Hierarchy-protected space, the Spirits' second in command, Tolis Nore, struck. During a flyover of Estivus Erax, the capital, after the victory, Nore shoved Taninian out of the open-air shuttle. The pilot, one of Nore's loyalists, later claimed that they had been fired upon by holdouts and Lorol fell out during evasive maneuvers.

Since the takeover of Estivus Erax, the Vengeful Spirits have been formed into a highly-effective yet relatively small paramilitary outfit. They split from the government of Altakiril in 2098, however they retain their base of operations within the capital city.

## Company Organization

### Leadership Hierarchy

* Commandant Sensa Mirilith - Chief Executive Officer
* Lieutenant Sho'barr Dexran - Second-in-command
* Chief Dorian Loris - Commander of Barzakh

### Ranking Structure

* CEO
* Lieutenant
* Commander
* Chief
* Sergeant
* Trooper
* Rookie

## Notable Members

* Dorian Loris
* Elaine Maddox
* Mirathia V'Denia
* Sensa Mirilith
* Sho'barr Dexran
* Tassiana nar Anxo

## Known Property

### Vessels

* *IHF Densris*

###
Zeioph

The **Zeioph** were an artificial, transcendent species created by their forerunners, the Omi. By taking the inseminated zygote of an omi and altering the DNA sequencing within, removing undesirable traits and inserting complex sequencing to 'patch' in desired traits, a forced evolution created the transcendent species.

## History

### Creation

Forced by nature, not by choice, into being one of the most technologically-minded and scientifically brilliant species the Milky Way had ever known, the Omi were a reclusive species nonetheless. Their physical frailty and passive temperament led to their reserved, quiet nature.

Having observed, yet not made contact with, the chaotic and sprawling Neguwani Confederacy a few relay jumps away, the Omi desired to better prepare themselves for the inevitable day when first contact would come.

A by-product of their frail, amphibian-like susceptibility to changes within their natural environment, the DNA of the Omi was highly adaptable, allowing and even accepting alterations while still in its developmental phase. Mass-producing millions of their own fertile zygotes, the Omi set about forcing the evolution of their own species.

For centuries researchers tailored alterations to different environments, different physical attributes and different appearances, adding these to this new genome. Though the traits of the individuals created were indeed different from one another, as were slight physical characteristics, several unique byproducts began to emerge in the transcendent species. Firstly, instead of the pale greys and whites of the Omi, this new race was much darker in coloration, their bodies seeming to almost absorb light from the world around them. In addition, the beings were taller, almost a meter on average over their omi counterparts. They tended to live slightly longer as well, getting another decade or so out of their existence. Fondly, they came to be known as the Zeioph, meaning '*beloved children*'.
Welm Urun

**Location:** Milky Way / Aethon Cluster / Nura System

**Welm Urun** is a hydrogen-helium gas giant. The phrase "Welm Urun" in the volus native language translates to "the golden one," a reference to its deep yellow-orange rings. Much to prospectors' dismay, there was no gold to be found in its moons.
Virmire

**Location:** Milky Way / Sentry Omega / Hoc System

**Virmire** is a lush frontier world in the Hoc System, ideal for colonization by carbon-based species.

## History

Its vast seas and orbital position on the inner life zone have created a wide equatorial band of humid, tropical terrain. Only the political instability of the region has impeded efforts at colonization.

Many times, the Citadel has opened negotiations to settle Virmire with the various criminal gangs and petty dictatorships in the nearby Terminus Systems. All fell apart due to internal power shifts within the opposing parties. The Citadel has written off the colonization of Virmire as impossible without significant political change.

The Terminus powers themselves are unlikely to ever settle Virmire. Most lack the resources to support settlement of a virgin world, finding it more expedient to steal from their neighbors than build for themselves.

## Terrain

Virmire boasts vast seas and an orbital position within the inner life zone that has created a wide equatorial band of humid, tropical terrain.
Volucris System

The **Volucris System** is a remote stellar system deep within the Nemean Abyss. It holds the Hegemony-funded mining colony of Bekke.

## History

Development in Volucris primarily supports slavers and pirates working for the Batarian Hegemony throughout the region. It is abundant in natural resources, however the constant threat of pirates and the oppressive climates of its worlds has kept many other species away. The batarians - in typical batarian fashion - have stubbornly persevered, reaping the benefits at the expense of their slaves and low-caste workers.

Volucris is sparsely patrolled. The Hegemony believes that the presence of pirates in surrounding systems will deter enemy forces from invading.

## Planets

* Narsis
* Bekke
* Shaan
* Jarti

## Moons

* 2 in orbit around Bekke
* 1 in orbit around Shaan
* 4 in orbit around Jarti
Zuliyah Olowe

### Unique Markings

* Ears are excessively pierced, with three along both of her lobes, then tragus, orbital and helix piercings on her left ear, and an industrial bar, snug, and anti-tragus on her right
* Nose, too, boasts a pair of studs in each nostril, and a small, silver ring in her septum.

## Status

### Occupation

* Journalist
* Radio Host

**Zuliyah Olowe** is a human conspiracy theorist, "journalist" and noted radio host of the extranet show *Traces of Truth*.

## Biography

Zuliyah Olowe is a popular radio host, and noted conspiracy theorist, whose show “*Traces of Truth*” has managed to stir up controversy after controversy with every episode released. She airs the dirty laundry of politicians, fans the flames of gossip, and presents every lead, however dubious and unlikely, as a surefire fact. She touts herself as an investigative journalist - and often uses freedom of the press as an excuse for her actions, but Zuliyah’s journalistic career can be boiled down to an incomplete associate’s degree and endless, unabashed self-promotion. She and her work are largely discredited, but regardless of whether her stories are factually accurate or not, they make for good entertainment - and to make money, that’s all that matters.

As her believability has continued to decline, though, she has begun to realize that blowing hot air can only carry her so far; bad press has threatened to leave her without a platform on which to preach. So, to solve that problem, she has begun working on a story - a real one, this time - about a diplomat’s missing daughter, in hopes of reestablishing herself as the ace reporter she claims to be.

## Personality

* Flustered
* Pretentious
* Nosy
* Persistent
* Unreliable

## Physical Description

Tall and slender, Zuliyah Olowe is best described as spiderlike, in both movement and appearance. She dresses in bright, wildly-patterned clothes and seems almost weighed down by her jewelry - a ring on nearly every finger, bracelets like cuffs around her wrists and enough necklaces to make her posture crooked, along with a multitude of different piercings decorating her ears and face. Zuliyah is tall, far taller than most human women, and scrawny, with high, sharp cheekbones and angular features that once would have made her seem almost alien. Her eyes, piercing and shrewd, are perhaps her most alien feature of all, though; oftentimes when looking at someone, it seems more like she's picking them apart in her mind than really paying them any mind. She radiates a very noticeably uncomfortable energy that proves off-putting to many
Urzbat

The smallest and least populated nation on the batarian homeworld of Khar'shan, **Urzbat** shares a small continent with its neighbor country Klema, surrounded by the Rolling Sea. Though technically an equal partner with the other three nations in the unified venture that is the Batarian Hegemony, it has simply been a vassal state since the days of Verush and the War of Peace.
Serpent Nebula

The **Serpent Nebula**is a cluster of stars and nebulous gases within Citadel Space. It is where the Council resides, onboard the massive and ancient space station known as the Citadel .

## History

Hundreds of thousands of years ago the Serpent Nebula housed the homeworld of the Rakfeeli, an ancient and advanced spacefaring species. The Rakfeeli were instrumental in designing the Crucible, a massive, galactic-scale weapon that could bring an end to the Reaper threat. Unfortunately for the Rakfeeli, the reapers moved all too quickly and conquered their homeworld, Ifor, bringing an end to the uprising.

It was on Ifor that the Protheans discovered the plans for the Crucible, using an information cache that had been left behind by the Rakfeeli to both find and translate the schematics for the weapon. Having reconquered the Citadel late in their war during a last-ditch effort, the Protheans moved it to the space near Ifor to unite the two pieces and fire the weapon. Heroically defending their engineering teams, the Prothean fleets held their ground while the process was completed. The energy wave that pulsed out upon firing of the weapon destroyed both the Reaper and Prothean fleets, spreading through the Mass Relays to every corner of the galaxy and doing the same to any modern technology it encountered. The dust particles that remain in the cluster to this day are largely made up of remains from this battle, as well as the constant churning out of waste from the Citadel's Keepers.

Discovered by the Asari in 580 BCE, the Citadel was taken up as a home away from home by explorers of their kind, eventually serving as a diplomatic headquarters as more and more races arrived. Aside from small animals amid the lush forests and seas of Bekenstein, no intelligent life has arisen from the nebula since the destruction of the Rakfeeli.

## Systems

* Widow
* Boltzmann
* Terevan
* Totau

## Notable Locations

* The Citadel
* Bekenstein
* Tracmus Duxes
* Totau IV
Vladivostok Bears

The **Vladivostok Bears** are a professional baseball team within the ILB on Earth, representing the Russian city of Vladivostok. They are most notable for being the only team in any major human sports league to ever win the championship in their inaugural season, winning the 2078 World Series in a clean sweep over the defending champion Cuba Tocororos. Their heights were met with an unprecedented drought, however, as it took the bears another 52 years to enter the playoffs.
The Big Shrink

*The Big Shrink* is the sixth book in the *Upside-Down Magic* series. It was released September 3, 2019 and focuses on Nory and Marigold.

## Description

Marigold Ramos can magically make things small- sometimes very, very small. The only problem? She can't figure out how to make them big again.

Maybe a new tutor can help Marigold manage her magic. And maybe her magic will come in handy as she and her friends in the Upside-Down Magic class band together to protest a new rule by their principal, a super-unfair rule that bans them from bringing their amazing new toy dragons to school.

But when Marigold starts shrinking her friends and the class bunny, it's a humongous problem! It's time to figure out how Marigold and her friends can make a big statement without disappearing entirely!