Database and Lore

The Venermax, the Sleepers

*Spoilers if you haven’t read Gabatrix: The First Peace* “It is a dead world. There is nothing here, but only the signs that something used to exist here,” Lesser Adjunct Judren’Latrender. The Venermax are one of the few unique aspects of recorded information among the Itreans, one of interest but ultimately of forgotten lore. While known, the story of the Venermax is ultimately of little interest, but enough to warrant the knowledge that there is other life out there. It’s an alien race that still remains a subject of curiosity for others in xenobiology. It is a great mystery that needs to be resolved. History The story of the Venermax dates back as far as 98,000 years ago, during the ever-slow expansions of the Itrean species. At the time, exploration was of little purpose in the various clan species. Many had various fears, doubts, or dogged beliefs that the heart of the galaxy was nothing but destruction, powerful alien species capable of obliterating them, or simple disinterest in the unknown. Indeed, to this day, much of the Milky Way Galaxy remains unexplored despite the long-term existence of the Itreans. What remains even more troubling is that much of the exploration remains very little in recordings that survive to today. However, during the early infant stages of the Empire of Yol’ikren, a series of small-scale exploration expeditions were launched into the unknown regions of the galaxy in hopes of finding new resources. Very little information about these expeditions survives for human scholars to analyze thoroughly, but enough remains to state that the Aksren encountered another alien race during these numerous, but small, outreach missions. 98,000 years ago, Kre’larat, the long-aged Aksren Adjunct in charge of cataloging much of the exploration expeditions, searched an area of over 20,000 stars, one of which ultimately led to the colonization of the outer colony world Ralishter and the location of the future and the last Star Fortress M’Berana that remains in Aksren clan control to this day. While there were a few planets of interest, most of this region remains at the outer edge of Aksren-controlled space to this day. What is known as the Kre’larat Expanse ultimately resulted in little expansion. Ralishter and M’Berana remain at the farthest edge of the expanse, while the rest of the outer planets have become forgotten or lost to Itrean history. Even the other clan species, such as the Alara’jal, had little interest in wanting to spread out over this region. Regardless, Kre’larat had played a role in helping reshape early Yol’ikren history and ultimately, all of Aksren history in his searches for the unknown. During some time in the mid-years of his life, he would discover a world on the outer boundary on the other side of the great expanse. Very little history of the discovery remains available today, but it was revealed that an alien race had either established a world of their own or long abandoned it. A low F-Type Star with three planets was all but found in the solar system, one of which had life. However, the curiosity was what would ultimately be named Star Venter. The second orbiting planet of this star was seemingly encased in a metal alloy. A vast fleet of spaceships also remained in orbit, as well as similar designs and shapes. At the time, discovering an alien race was not looked upon too highly by the Itrean people as a whole. Xenophobia, combined with the fear of this unknown race, was prevalent even with Kre’larat himself. While considered “courageous” by Itrean historians, Kre’larat himself took numerous precautions with a first contact mission. Under his instruction to the other scouting ships, the vessels made a series of first hails, all of which warranted no result. Using the equipment at the time, the scouting vessels did try to make a series of close orbit photographic scans, of which only three pictures survive to this day. The images show the surface of a metal planet with oceans and the fleets in place, seemingly reshaped and altered by whatever was present. Scans reported the signs of life, but no signs of personnel or people that might have been responsible for building them. There were also no signs of life from the ships as well. It was believed that a member of the Aksren expedition was interested in landing on the surface to investigate further, but the fleet of unknown alien ships apparently discouraged such an event from taking place. Ultimately, Kre’larat wanted to keep the expedition brief so as not to provoke any reprisals from the locals present. Many Itrean historians at the time did point out that the large fleet of ships present, somewhere to be around 20,000 in all, appeared to be in a guard formation, continually remaining in close orbit. The Aksren expedition fleets were nowhere close to being able to engage the alien fleets in case of a possible attack. Fear of the unknown further discouraged many from attending a first contact event. Ultimately, on either the second or third day of the first contact event, while cycling through the different hails, a response did finally get through. A series of 59 radio pulses had been received by the scout ship from either the planet or the orbiting fleet. The number “Vener’mache” in the Itrean vocabulary at the time would ultimately and slowly be called “Venermax” today. The slurred name and number would be used to identify the alien race. No further messages would be made. It was believed that Kre’larat had lost any further interest in wanting to establish first contact by the third and final day. With much of his desire to explore the countless worlds out there, the scouting ships were called off to evaluate the other regions of the great expanse. However, the alien race or whatever they had long built was tagged and recorded for further possible study. Even then, it was believed that the Empire of Yol’ikren had kept much of the location a secret to discourage any further evaluation. Regardless, word had eventually spread out in time of some alien race capable of altering its world in the great beyond. Eventually, by the time it reached the post years of the Empire of Jalgren, much of the retained information had been finally unveiled as to the “Venermax.” With the alliance of the T’rintar clan, human scholars are finally putting the pieces together of one of the few recorded events of a possible intelligent alien race discovered by the Itreans. While the Venermax are more well known by the Itreans of today, many are still in fear of the advent of fighting the dreaded Emphra race. No further efforts have been made in a new attempt to evaluate planet “Venter’na,” the homeworld of the Venermax. Many mysteries remain as to the great race of this single star system. How they managed to reforge their entire world is unknown, or the purpose of why they did it. How they managed to build ships, yet seemingly appearing to be lifeless, further evokes fear into the timid, curious mind. Even with the recent Emphra War, the Itreans held little desire to reach out to the Venermax. Much of their history remains a myth to the Itrean people. Even the great starfortress placed in the Kre’larat expanse was almost a response to place a guard post for the dying Empire of Jalgren as some act of defiance, an attempt to protect the worlds from whatever power that might have been unleashed that could perform such an action as the Venermax had achieved. However, many Itrean historians place emphasis that the Venermax are simply some ancient race, their ships seemingly old yet maintained, for what purpose is unknown. Venter’na, while significant, is an old bastion, perhaps of something greater or by itself. Some even consider the Venermax as a dead race. Others have even referred to them as the great Sleepers, the race that forever sleeps. However, with the advent of humanity and the alliance with the T’rintar clan, there is a new vested interest in the Venermax. With the concept of the Fermi Paradox in place, human scholars are reaching a conclusion that the intelligent alien life out there is nothing like mankind or the Itrean people. With both races coming from Planet Earth, it’s looked upon that the other intelligent forms of life are truly different. The Venermax, regardless of who they are, have managed to create a firm hold in their small system. Their beliefs and ideologies are perhaps so different, so radical in views that they wish to be left alone, forever trapped in their own solar system. Until then, the UWA has expressed the desire to go and investigate the Venermax for themselves. Perhaps a different frame of mind can make the difference in solving the mysteries for them once and for all.