Given Name: Ash’ari

Species Name: Unable to translate

Homeworld: Ash’ar (Given Names)

Status: Triumviran vassal species

First Encountered: 3127AD/-0023 AL

Common nicknames: Stone Giant, Golem, Rock-face, Stompers

The Ash’ari are a silicon based lifeform and one of the most ‘alien’ species humanity encountered in the days of the First Expansion.

Their society is based on the notion of a harmonious Universe, and their duty in life is to maintain that harmony. On encountering humanity, embroiled in multiple civil wars at the time, they decided the species were too chaotic to survive alone. They launched an invasion of multiple human worlds, one of several species attacking in that time, almost conquering mankind in the days of the Liberator. A race of shape changers they can reshape themselves into whatever form suits them, making them dangerous enemies on the field and off. The Ash’ari Chosen proved a most terrifying adversary for their sheer resilience, their ability to reform after dismemberment claiming many lives after battle.

Unlike the other species, however the Ash’ari were honourable opponents. They would fight savagely, but with victory they would treat prisoners with care and ensure the safety of conquered populations. The first human to be taken as a conduit between the conquering Ash’ari and the local humans mistook the deeply spiritual nature of the invaders as an alternate evolution of an ancient human religion. Thus he named them; Ash’ari, after a school of Grey God worship still prevalent at the time. It was an erroneous label, yet they adopted it willingly for communications with mankind and have retained it ever since, their own name unpronounceable.

Their defeat at the hands of the Liberator led their fear of chaos to turn inward. The notion of an anarchic race defeating them lit a spark in their culture that nearly destroyed them. Ancient hostilities rose to the surface and the different castes went to open war, crippling their military and social infrastructures. Without aid they would have destroyed themselves.

By the time the Liberator arrived with a fleet of retribution she found a race of conquerors brought low. The leadership of the Ash’ari castes came together and argued that their war had brought humanity to a new unity, so their destiny in the universe had been achieved in defeat and their future revealed. Per the will of the universe they offered themselves to humanity in free and open service, to be given a purpose and a unified leadership to aid them in their task of achieving harmony. The Liberator, against all expectation, accepted their offer.

In the thousands of years since the Ash’ari have adopted a humanoid form and become enforcers of the harmony within human realms. From the early days of the Expansion to the birth of the Trinity they have been devoted to mankind, working to ensure its stability. During the Ascension Crisis they even risked their planet by standing against the first Bloodborn, whose name is scoured from the histories, seeing him as an agent of chaos. They are free to govern their own kind, and willingly provide troops to the Triumviran military, workers to construction, and even carers for social tasks.

Let there be no mistake, the Ash’ari are willing vassals of the Triumvirate. As long as mankind remains united, and the Ash’ari can aid in that unity, they will continue to serve willingly. Should the Trinity every fall, their reaction of would be unpredictable, and likely not end in humanity's favour.