Gralian

**Gralians** are a short, furred mammalian species from an unknown planet.

## Appearance and biology

Gralians are short, thick-furred mammals. Their coat and eye color vary drastically. They are usually lithe to 'fit' and have an average body temperature of 89.6°F (32°C). The gender ratio is as follows: M - 65% / F - 35%.

## History

Once thought to be one of the most powerful races in the times of old, some catastrophic biological event had almost completely wiped them from the galaxy. Now they exist on the fringes of the galaxy, reduced to slaves and petty criminals.

Aside from the old interstellar tale, not much is known about the species as a whole. Some speculate their adorable, thick-furred, short form is the result of some twisted experiment done by an even more powerful species.

### Early history

What's left of their old scriptures and the information of ancient Klaks suggests they were a very violent, but extremely advanced civilization—so much so that they were capable of extending life well beyond what should be possible. They believed that their gods gave them the universe and that they should rule all, enslaving or committing mass genocide to entire species in the name of their gods. Many empires fell to them, in either slavery or complete eradication of a species. Those that were strong enough to war with them were losing. In a last ditch effort, the empires banded together to work on a way to defeat the Gralians in their weakest science: genetics.

Despite their immense technology, the Gralians never really made many strides in biological sciences, relying heavily on their mechanical creations to create a "perfect world for their gods". They were terrible machines, capable of decimating entire assault fleets and sometimes worlds, and some of their creations are speculated to still be floating around in the vastness of space. The lifespan of a Gralian was often aided by various mechanical creations, with only the necessary insight to medicine to make them work. Disease was rampant in the slums and sweatshops of their smog choked industral planets, stocked full of their slaves and unfortunate kin. Their ability to produce their machines of war was unmatched.

The other empires, fully aware of the vulnerable DNA of the Gralians, decided that instead of sheer might they would introduce an extremely addicting substance that would destablize the Gralians government and society. Unknown to these empires, however, another biological attack was done earlier by a desperate scientific empire that no longer existed. This extinct empire had created a virus that caused severe fertility problems for the Gralians—it roughly reduced the birth rate by 25-35%. However, it did little to stop the impending invasion.

### Collapse

The addictive substance did work at first, but then a sudden, sharp rise in the death rate of Gralians occurred: a 25-35% increase. The two biological weapons reacted fatally with the Gralians, setting off a major plague that at first matched the reduction in birth rate, but then started to spread. The Gralians became more concerned and started to raze their own planets in panic. This upheaval that it caused was more than enough to distract the Gralians, and within a decade, the Gralian Empire was no more. In a cruel twist of fate, they instead ended up the slaves of the species they warred against.

Those who submitted to the empires became slaves—indeed, trophies to those who once considered them to be a threat. Those who continued to resist were systematically murdered. In further humiliation for all the chaos the Gralians created, the empires agreed to further soften the Gralians by mutating their offspring into a much weaker and smaller creature: the Gralians the universe sees today. Many of their natural defenses were stripped away, leaving them completely defenseless to their new masters. There was some good that came out of this change: they were no longer afflicted by the effects of the infertility virus. Thus, their birthrate skyrocketed.

### Modern history

The empires of old are long gone now and the Gralians are still around, drifting along the fringes of the galaxy either by personal will or slavers.

Those not forced into slavery seem to be very intelligent and skilled at mechanical technologies, earning the nickname 'gremlin' by Humans as Gralian criminals have been caught sabotaging and dismantling ships and other mechanical devices. Most of the fringe societies disrespect and mistreat the Gralians, regarding them as scum or someone's property due to how most Gralians are criminals or slaves. Most Gralians are forced to accept slavery or being a "pet" as one of the the few ways to continue to live.

## Culture

The current culture of the Gralians seemed to be influenced heavily by the surrounding civilizations. Some still exist who still believe they were the only ones destined to rule the universe—those individuals are usually laughed at and scolded for their "silly" mentality. They are still fairly skilled mechanics, and as such, are often employed by fringe factions and species (if not enslaved) to repair and construct ships, buildings, and other structures. They work fast and efficiently, often better than even the most vigilant engineers from other species. Their fast learning and almost inherent mechanical skills are the only things keeping them from complete extinction.