Races and ethnicities

## Introduction

The Frencoverse is populated by many different sentient races and variations of such present not just within the Main Canon, but also the Altcanon.

## Humans and humanoid species

Humans are by far the most populous race in the Solar System, numbering close to ten billion by the 2150s. They are divided across their world, spanning multiple planets and even dimensions. However, there are a few 'races' present that are derived from humans, whether altered through mutation, augmentation or evolution.

* The Machine Race is the second most common offshoot of humanity, numbering close to one billion individuals. They are a type of cyborg who are differentiated from the rest of their kind in that their augmentations are much more visibly obvious. They are most discernible from baseline humans through their much paler skin tone, though more augmented specimens possess obviously-artificial optics and some even opt for mask-like facial replacements and additional appendages.
* Ghouls are humans who have undergone considerable radioactive mutation, yet have managed to survive their horrendous injuries. They are characterised by their zombie-like features, deep, gravelly voices and unnaturally-long lifespans (the latter owing to a greatly-stunted metabolism). So-called 'feral' ghouls have been severely deteriorated by their radiological ailments and behave in a manner reminiscent of classic zombies in fiction. Notable ghouls include Jonathon Rollins and Vyacheslav Drago.
* Orks are humans who have been mutated by the Forced Evolutionary Virus developed by the United States of America during the pre-war era. They are largely known for their massive stature, cannibalistic tendencies and low mental development, but some more recent variations show only mildly-substandard intelligence, behaving more or less like adult humans. There are two known 'races' of ork - the American variant, which has green skin, is smaller and generally smarter; and the Russian one, which has pale-blue skin, is larger and less intelligent. Notable orks include Fred Harrigan, Alexei Trotsky and Pandemonium.
* Lunarians are a little-documented evolutionary offshoot of the wider human race. More alien in appearance, they are presumably well-adapted for life under low gravity.
* Sidhae (SID-ee; singular 'Sidh') are an extradimensional race of cyborgs, just like the Machine Race, but differ greatly in genetic structure, the result of centuries of meticulous coding as part of a eugenics programme. Also of note is that they are grown artificially in cloning vats (much like Frenks) - only males have the capacity for natural reproduction. ***Only present in the Alternative Canon.***

## Non-humanoid species

* Utans, often referred to as 'elves' by humans, are characterized by their very tall stature, compensated by their weakened bone structure - both traits are the result of life on a low-gravity world. They also possess a highly idiosyncratic head structure, with long, pointy ears and bioluminescent eyes, lending them their nickname. Notable Utans include General Vaasi Idris and Admiraless Yuga Valeris. ***Only present in the Main Canon.***
* The Skargh are a reptilian race native to the same dimension as the Sidhae, with whom they hold a longstanding rivalry. Similarly to the Kaurans, they are warmongers, but unlike the Kaurans they believe bloodshed to be a holy obligation. ***Only present in the Alternative Canon.***
* The Woggos are an ape-like species enslaved by the Skargh. Because of their massive size and strength, they are frequently seen accompanying their Skargh masters on the battlefield as porters, heavy weapon operators and expendable shock troops.
* The Khazard'Vaari are a race of almost-godlike cyborgs who practise extensive augmentation and psionics in their infinite pursuit of knowledge and immortality, having traversed the stars long before the birth of other sentient species. Their civilisation collapsed after the disappearance of their leader, the omnipotent Machine King, and they have isolated themselves from the rest of the universe as they search for their missing ruler ever since. Notable Khazard'Vaari include C'shaanj and Qh'naaz.
	+ The Empyreals are a servitor race of the Khazard'Vaari, composed not of a single organism but hundreds of billions of airborne nanites controlled by a single central mind. The nanites can reassemble the Empyreal's whole body at their will to change appearance and even function in a flash, making them the ultimate infiltrators. Notable Empyreals include Tz'shir'nagul.
* Archaelects are a race of hyperintelligent psychic supercomputers. Created thousands of years ago by the Khazard'Vaar as a means of immortalising themselves, they became known to humans when an ancient psychic ship crashed to Earth in 1908. Notable archaelects include Joseph Hightower and the Optimised Transcendence Acceleration Nexus.
* The Althernians are a race of largely xenophobic bipedal arthropoids originating on the planet of Thridi, quickly subjugated by flash-cloned invasion forces of the nascent Free Worlds Conglomerate. Their face is uncovered by their exoskeleton and has the ability to change its shape largely at will, an ability often used to mimic another species' facial expressions for intimidation. Attacked before they could leave their own home system, their numbers have been drastically reduced and those that do survive in the modern day have a deeply rooted loathing of humanity and its various offshoots as a whole.
* The Aranatym (also referred to as 'Helleonites') are an arthropoid race, vaguely resembling bipedal, anthropomorphic spiders. Masters of guerrilla warfare, they are a warrior race hailing from the volcanic planet of Helleon Prime, and fight over a native star cluster against the hornet-like and equally-warmongering Vespatym. In the Main Canon, both are briefly allied with the Utannic Matriarchies and fight alongside General Idris in the invasion of Sol. In the Altcanon, they achieve multiversal travel at the same time humanity does, form the Helleonic Confederacy with the Vespatym, and clash with Mechanocratic Russia over control of the Triarium dimension in the mid-2160s.
* The Zang'Tzk (referred to as "Zangs" or, more informally, "Birdies" by humans) are a race of lithe, bipedal, bird-like creatures, originating from a moon in the Zangomere system. Due to their keen senses and agile nature, they are well-regarded as scouts, skirmishers, and special forces. They are notable for being incapable of speaking complex tongues, such as Utannic or any of the human languages, instead only capable of communication via squawks and whines. A tribalistic and warmongering race, they were conquered by the Utan fairly early in their history, and the majority of their existence has been spent as a slave race; typically as soldiers and laborers. Almost immediately after the Pan-Terran Imperium engaged in the Great Reprisal against the Utannic Matriarchies in the late 2100s and early 2200s, Zangomere was "liberated" and the majority of the Zang'Tzk are loyal subjects of the Imperium and an essential foundation of it's military forces.