Physiology
Most distinctly, Yldar are a male-only species. This means for their speices’ lifetime they have had to breed with other species in the hope that another Yldar would be born to continue their legacy. With then advent of gene manipulation and cloning technology however, this roadblock has been bypassed. Even so, it does mean Yldar are one of the less populous races of the galaxy.
Yldar are gifted with extraordinary arcane ability and attunement to Chaos. Many might think this is due to the size of their brain, which contributes to their elongated head, however there is nothing scientists have found that links ability with Chaos to biological factors. The larger brain may suggest a better ability to store and process information, making Yldar more intelligent than most other beings.
The trade off for their expanded brain however comes in the form of weaker organs structure and a nervous system that travels outside of the body, making it susceptible to attack. The tube-like appendages that travel from beneath a Yldar’s brain to their middle-back contain what is akin to a secondary nervous system, making them highly sensitive. Some believe this may make them have a sixth sense, their attunement to Chaos, though it is hard to prove.
Yldar have average life spans of 110 stellar years and reach adulthood at the age of 23.
Early Sapient Life
There are few records of what early sapient life looked like for the Yldar, though archaeological digs on their homeworld of Koros uncovered evidence of the Yldar establishing early dominance over their syncretic species, the Koba, by use of psionic power. This is what would have allowed them to procreate, taking many Koba concubines in order to increase the chance of their species living on.
Indeed, all evidence points to the fact the Yldar evolved even in their earliest days to wield power over Chaos.
Significant Historical Events
The Kuata Qul Empire, GY 0-1342 - The ancient empire of Kuata Qul is harked to in many a Yldar history book. Kuata Qul was an advanced early empire that held the largest continent on Koros under its control. Evidence has been found that the empire even had colonies around other continents, which would have indicated remarkably advanced ability in travel, administration and urban planning. The Kuata Qul empire formed the Kuata calendar, which is the foundation of the measurement of Galactic Years used across the galaxy today.
The Rending, GY 1342-1378 - Had the Kuata Qul empire persisted on the course it was on, the Yldar would likely have reached interstellar flight thousands and thousands of years before they attained it in reality. Sadly, a devastating climate disaster, the cause of which is still not known to this day, caused a series of catastrophic disasters upon Koros. Cities became overrun with toxic gasses and were wiped out effectively overnight. Powerful earthquakes and volcanic eruptions shattered the continents. By the end of what became known as ‘The Rending’, the Kuata Qul empire lay in ruins and population planet wide was significantly decreased.
Koros Dark Ages, GY 1378-3613 - After The Rending, a great dark age fell over Koros. Centralised city living became rare and methods of producing mass quantities of food, such as farming, could not be used until the land became less toxic. Because of this, rural hunter-gatherer societies became the norm once more. During this great dark age the population of Yldar fell to numbers near extinction, becoming greatly outnumbered by the Koba peoples they had been dominating for years.
The Unification Period, GY 3613-4150 - Eventually, the Yldar understood they had to find a new way to appeal to the Koba peoples in order to avoid extinction. This came in the form of shared efforts to uncover the technology and lost histories of the Kuata Qul empire. The Yldar led expeditions staffed by the Koba, then shared the knowledge of their ancestors. This more equal footing for the two races saw the start of the earliest Yldar republics. In a trend that would continue to the modern age however, the Yldar were shrewd bureaucrats and woven a political landscape that allowed them to hold power effectively eternally.
Formation of the Yldar High Republic, GY 5629-5785 - The Yldar High Republic was formed by the national superpower known as Gon’Dara when they displayed their technological might by constructing a large satellite starbase in the orbit of Koros. Over the next 150 years, the Yldar High Republic advanced in their interstellar technology and entered the galactic community.
Dominance of the Vhemm, GY 5945-6389 - The Yldar unfortunately entered the galactic scene a little too late to establish much control. Indeed, when the Vhemm Empire rose to power in GY 5896 the Yldar High Republic had little in the way of any substantial military force. In time, the Vhemm would come to Koros and take tribute and slaves by force. This happened for centuries, until the Yldar found allies in the form of the Great Coalition.
The Great Coalition War, GY 6389-6432 - Along with the Interstellar Padia Corporation, Serene Fae Autonomy and Nharr Interstellar Directorate, the Yldar High Republic formed the Great Coalition and declared war on the Vhemm Empire. Over the course of the war, the Yldar High Republic uplifted a nearby sentient species, the Belmacosa and persuaded them to join the war, whilst also using rare chemicals present on Belmacosa Prime to synthesise a new substance that would turn the war – medigel. During the war, the Jibru were also liberated from direct Vhemm control and enslavement. As the Vhemm were pushed back to their home territories, the war ground to a stalemate. The Great Coalition could control the hyperlanes around Vhemm space, but did not have the power or might to undertake a full ground invasion of their planets. The war was ended, shrinking the Vhemm Empire significantly and labouring them with harsh reparation payments. After the war, the Galactic High Republic was founded, with the Yldar High Republic its controlling power, a position they have retained through power of politics since.
Organisation
Since the founding of the Galactic High Republic, much more emphasis is put on leading and administrating that larger entity. Indeed, whilst the Yldar High Republic holds autonomous space, like the other stellar empires in the republic, it can be hard to distinguish their administration of it to the administration of supposedly neutral republic space.
Another arm of Yldar influence is the megacorporation Poros Arms. The megacorp acts independently, however remains staunchly loyal to the Yldar High Republic and often lends economic and military support as needed.
Shared Values/Beliefs
The Yldar are a naturally xenophilic nation, as they needed to be for their procreation. They also do hold egalitarian values, however their ability to manipulate democratic procedure implies these values may not be strongly held.
Many Yldar are also very spiritual. The most notable of these would be the Kuru, an order of arcanists that dedicate themselves to Chaos as an entity.
The rank a Yldar holds within society is valued too, so much so it forms a part of their name. The strata the Yldar hold to are as follows (ascending in importance):
· Mok: Non-Notable
· Fil: Master of a field (e.g. scientist, arcanist, archeaologist)
· Gal: Military or naval officer
· Jun: Governor
· Qul: Councillor
· Rik: Ruler
A separate stratum is:
· Kuru: Master of Life (member of Kuru Order of Harmony)
Significant Figures
Rik Lok-Thel – The current Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic High Republic and probably the most powerful and influential person in the galaxy.
Rik Tan-Quill – The current President of the Yldar High Republic, and by extension the Galactic High Republic. Though on paper the position holds more authority than the supreme chancellor, the position is more honorary, while the supreme chancellor is able to write and force legislation through to the senate floor.
Kuru Rin-Quas – The Kuru Master presiding over their order’s largest temple on Caesium. He is one of the longest serving living masters.
Gal Gol-Thel – The current head of the republic admiralty. In recent years he has come under much criticism for his perceived lack of ability in leading the republic navy. The current atmosphere of political unrest and unease over the threat of a civil war is only exacerbating this concern.
Controlled Planets/Population Centres
Koros (System: Korinth) – the ancestral homeworld and capital of the Yldar. Koros is a bio-luminescent planet and by far the most populous world, harbouring a diverse array of species.
Pir-Gak’s Freehold (System: Min) – an older but smaller colony of the Yldar. The planet is home to a ‘sea of consciousness’ – meaning the sea communicates with the planet’s inhabitants. A great deal of scientific research is being done on the planet.
Kul’s Landing (System: Trendlev) – a continental world home to large cloning and gene therapy facilities. Many younger Yldar were born and raised here.
Mitra Station (System: Irun) – an orbital habitat that acts as the capital headquarters of Poros Arms. Mitra Station is one of the largest orbital habitats within the republic.
Kortoli Station (System: Irun) – another orbital habitat owned by Poros Arms. Kortoli Station houses the megacorporation’s military academies and much of their R&D facilities.
Dologga Station (System: Irun) – the smallest of Poros Arms’ habitats. Dologga Station is built on a large asteroid and acts as a mining and industrial habitat.
Gon’s Hold (System: Yabel) – when mass migration from the early days of the republic caused overcrowding and high levels of crime on Koros, Gon’s Hold was settled on a tropical world and assigned as a penal colony. The planet has mostly moved on from its criminal past, but the tropical world has proven hard to effectively settle and life is hard there.
Rus Fortress (System: Gottra) – a militarised continental world, it is located close to the border with the True Vhemm Empire. The world, and system, is intended to hold off any incursion into the republic long enough for forces to organise and reinforce. Many born here that don’t wish to serve the military will find themselves migrating away or becoming drifters (travelling starbase to starbase with no registered home).
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