Nirgul
Physical Characteristics
Average Height: 6′-8′ (183-244 cm)
Average Weight: 140-200 lbs (65-90 kg)
Average Life Expectancy: 250 years
Skin: Pale, grey, exoskeleton made up of protein and chitin, with a thin, waxy, outer layer
Notable Features: Four arms, featureless faces, with a mouth-like appendage on the front of the neck, telepathic communication, receptors inside head that sense micro-vibrations in the space around them that allow them to see
History
Pre-Contact
Early Civilization
For much of their history, the Nirgul were warmongering conquerors. Their home planet of Uttar-Dakshin was obliterated long ago as a result of numerous desires for planetary conquest. War provided the Nirgul with ample reason to continuously and expeditiously advance their technology, however, and they became one of, if not the first alien species capable of hyperspace travel.
Fueled by an innate nature that promoted ownership and control, the Nirgul would extend their empire across their own galaxy and beyond. The Karlik were among the unfortunate victims of the Nirgul’s campaign and the only species to actually survive the domination of their planet. Seeing the potential of the resilient Karlik, the Nirgul would go on to enslave the former, putting them to work as grunts, laborers, and other menial workers.
As their capacity for conquest stagnated, they began to turn toward other, less bloody, means of satiating their desires for power. The Nirgul would gradually shift toward a much more business-oriented culture, where one’s wealth would be the ultimate symbol of their social status. Poverty would become a sin worthy of death, and those who rejected this ideology were executed or forced to flee, branded as “Fon” or “Failure”.
Post-Contact
The Resonance
When the Resonance Ping reached the Nirgul, they saw it as an affront to their prowess as a species and immediately mobilized to hunt down the source and conquer them. Thanks to decades of business and exploited Karlik labour, the Nirgul had extracted extensive amounts of resources from planets across their domain, depleting many, and used said resources to build and supply an unparalleled star fleet that they took to invade the Acarias Galaxy.
Journey to Kylia
Whether it be a stroke of karmic fate or an unlucky accident, cosmic storms unlike anything the Nirgul experienced before battered and decimated their numbers greatly before they even arrived to the Acarias Galaxy and by the time Kylia was in sight, the Nirgul fleet was less than a third of what had departed.
As they began to send expeditions to the planet surface, using their Karlik slaves primarily as a means of testing the safety of the planet, the Karlik themselves would eventually rebel and many would break free from the Nirgul, further depleting their ranks.
Millennium War
The Millennium War saw the complete emancipation of the Karliks from the Nirgul and the loss of more of their already dwindling fleet. Little else is known about how or what exactly transpired, but this was perhaps the first war the Nirgul fought that they did not emerge victorious from. As a result, many of the survivors once again chose to pursue business over warfare, their lesson having been learned.
After Unification
Golden Age
As one might expect, commerce, trade, and general economics on Kylia reached an all-time high during the Golden Age. Much of this was spearheaded by Nirgul business logistics and management. Despite somewhat of an adjustment period, with the negotiations of things like unions, wages, benefits, etc. the Nirgul were at the forefront of the development a strong, global, market economy on Kylia.
Under the watchful eye of the Nuru Moja, the Nirgul were careful not to overstep any boundaries, and as a result of these “self-imposed” restrictions, Kylia’s economy flourished without concern.
Formation of the Council
With the Nuru Moja gone and one of their own having been chosen to stand as one of the Council of Seven, the Nirgul began to gradually push the boundaries of their restrictions and as greed began to take more and more of a hold on those in power, many Nirgul business owners would grow to monopolize entire industries on Kylia. With no direct countermeasures, the Nirgul took advantage of the populous and began to artificially increase prices by purposefully withholding stock of essential goods and materials. This triggered an economic downturn that left a majority of the world impoverished. Many attribute this turn-of-events to be one of the main causes of the Fall.
The Fall
When the Fall happened, it came gradually at first, but as order gave way to anarchy, much of the Nirgul’s economic infrastructure collapsed. Many lost fortunes that should’ve lasted them generations and those who were lucky enough to maintain at least parts of their businesses were forced to reorganize and consolidate.
Post Fall
Current Kylia
The Dynasty of the Golden Lotus was the first nation formed following the departure of the Council of Seven. It was an oligarchy, formed by a collective of Nirgul executives who banded together in an attempt to stabilize the otherwise free-falling market. To a degree, their efforts paid off, as they eventually would manage to overhaul the currency system and restore a more balanced state of supply-and-demand. Other nations that arose in the decades and centuries following would copy the model of the Nirgul in the Dynasty of the Golden Lotus.
Culture
Unlike other humanoid species, Nirgul are borne from eggs laid by the mother. When first hatched, they resemble something of a spider, crawling around on their six limbs until they learn to walk upright. Nirgul families consist of an average of 15 to 20 members, with the father often wed to multiple females and having spawned children with each. These females do not compete with each other for attention, as they are much more focused on the survival of their children and personal wealth acquisition rather than the pursuit of love. Mating and reproduction is done primarily for the purpose of having children who can continue the legacy of their families’ name, and secondarily for the sake of species survival. The concept of love is nearly non-existent in Nirgul society.
Nirgul children are referred to as Nirghites and spend the entirety of their young lives studying and preparing to take over their family’s business. For the children, because competition between siblings is so fierce, suicide and murder are common. Despite attempt to remedy this, survival has become almost a rite of passage for Nirghites. A controversial Nirgul holiday known as Death Day, even exists as a way to pay tribute to Nirghites who died.
Should Nirghites reach adulthood, it is recognized through a coming-of-age celebration known as the Fourth Form Ceremony on their 22nd birthday. In it, the Nirghite is forced to sever their second set of arms in a process known as “Kaat Dena”. The arms eventually regrow longer and stronger, a symbol of the Nirgul’s oath to forgo its dark past in favor of a better future.
Another Nirgul holiday of importance is the Day of Rebirth. Following the near annihilation of the Nirgul species by the Nuru Moja during the Millenium War, the Nirgul pledged themselves to the restoration and reformation of their ideals, choosing to start over on Kylia, focusing solely on economic growth. As one of the first species to arrive on the resource-rich planet, they had more than enough opportunity to make a fortune.