The Aryss[]
The Aryss are one of the 'Big Seven' races of the United League of Planets, the governing body of the Inner Universe. Their homeworld is the formerly inhospitable and toxic Aryssan of the Eri System.
Overview[]
White as the driven snow and with the capacity to be just as cold, the Aryss are a former prey race from the oft inhospitable world of Aryssan. Standing at about the same height as humans but with more delicate, willowy builds and features, the Aryss are an albinoid race evolved from more primitive lagomorphs; as such, their skin is perfectly white, their eyes are starkly crimson and they have elongated, highly sensitive ears. They're a genetically advanced race, possessed of a universal beauty and animal magnetism. More remarkable is that despite their delicate looks, they are remarkably survivable creatures, possessing many physiological redundancies, including 'blank' organs that can specialize themselves to replace damaged or destroyed internals. They also regenerate trauma at a rate many times faster than other races.
The Aryss are a people dwelling on two sides of a coin. On the one side, there is the Aryss, the darlings of the universe: the artists, the actors, the musicians, the writers and the poets. They are adored for their culturing, as well as their stance towards open physical affection and free love. Indeed, many see their Imperium as a vast empire of hedonists and pleasure seekers. Then again, many people are idiots and generalists and have no business trying to sum up an entire civilization.
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to use my big voice.
The Aryss have a far darker side to their society, rooted in their draconian system of government and origins as a civilization. It is a society where all must pledge allegiance to the Throne of Aryssdom and its divine anointed—all that oppose the Empress are cast out in exile, or worse. Law in the Imperium is straightforward, but brutally and cruelly enforced. Perhaps most shocking of all, murder is not always a crime in Aryss society. It is a side not usually seen by the outside universe, though there have been some chips in the veneer, most notably the mercifully short but brutal civil war this race endured in the 2450s, the ferocity of which has left a smudge on the reputation of this race of once-perfect people.